Kidnap the Archpriest

INTRODUCTION

When you first start up Super Mario Bros., the game doesn’t give you any instructions. The first level is cunningly designed to teach you the rules: jump on enemies, pick up mushrooms, looks for secrets, get coins, avoid pits. There is no tutorial. The game itself is the tutorial.

It’s fairly easy to design a dungeon that works the same way, because the dangers and features of a D&D-style dungeon are the same as video games: traps, enemies, rewards, increasing difficulty, etc.

An implicit tutorial for diplomacy, stealth, theft, bluffing, and cunning plans is more difficult, but that’s what Kidnap the Archpriest is designed to be. There are few bluntly strictly stated lessons. Instead, this module is designed to teach players in a gradual way. There is also a section on designing your own heist on page 44.

This Module Is For

1. Experienced GMs with new players who want to try a heist-based game.

2. GMs who want to learn about unconventional adventure design.

3. Experienced GMs with experienced players, but who are new to OSR-style content, and prefer narrative and social play to combat-heavy or exploration-based play.

If you are a completely new GM, you can still use this module and learn a lot from it, but it will test your skills immediately. Experienced players will also enjoy it. There are not many modules like this one.

Your players need to be interested in participating in a heist. If they are indifferent or prefer other types of challenges, this module will probably fail to impress them.

Structure and Summary

There are 3 parts to the adventure itself:

1. Plan. The PCs will explore a city, scout a fortress, and develop a plan.

2. Execute. The PCs will explore the fortress, capture the Archpriest, and encounter other difficulties.

3. Escape. The PCs will carry the Archpriest from the fortress to the docks.

The bulk of the adventure takes place over two hectic days. Each area and relevant NPC has a table showing what they are doing (unless the PCs upset their plans) on each day.

Before You Begin

1. Read the entire module.

2. Print pages 1 to 43.

3. Print a second copy of pg. 24, 25, and 29 (for your players, if needed).

4. Adjust setting details.

5. Adjust treasure values and stats as needed.

1

System Adjustments

I have tried to make this module as system-less as possible. In theory, there is no upper limit on the number of PCs, or their level. You could run this module for two level 1 PCs or 10 very powerful PCs with minimal adjustments. However, it is a more satisfying adventure for everyone if the PCs have limited resources. The main resources the PCs will need to manage are money, time, and information. Established PCs might start with too much money, and large groups might have too much time.

Money is scaled around 1,000 gp being enough to start a business and retire from adventuring, 10 gp being enough to buy a decent horse, and 1 gp being enough to buy a good dinner for you and several friends.

Damage is scaled around PCs having between 4 and 16 hit points, and daggers dealing 1d6 damage. Saves are listed in a general format (Save vs Poison, Save to Dodge, etc). Magic, where present, is unobtrusive, minor, and could be removed entirely or enhanced substantially without major changes. The adventure isn’t about spellcasting clerics.

NPCs are described briefly in each section, and general stats are given on pg. 23.

Countermeasures

You may need to add extra defenses to the Castle of St. Logan, depending on the setting and system. These defenses should be known to the players. There are no hidden traps or horrible surprises in the Castle. Their opposition is well known.

If invisibility cloaks are sold on every street corner, the Gate Guards should be able to see through them, and it should be clear to the PCs that they can been through before they invest in a plan. No matter the system or setting, there shouldn’t be an obvious, cheap, and abundant item that bypasses all defenses. Remember that the fortress has been under attack for years. If teleportation is common and everyday, there needs to be a reason it hasn’t been used to kidnap the Archpriest before. The fortress should have reasonable precautions built into it.

Setting Adjustments

You may need to adjust the setting. The module is vaguely designed around historical events in early medieval Italy. In 653, Pope Martin I was kidnapped by the Byzantine Emperor Constans II over a doctrinal dispute. In 692, Pope Sergius I was very nearly kidnapped as well, but was saved by a popular uprising, botched diplomacy, and an unfortunate war.

While this module requires an organized, well established, and hierarchical church to run as-written, you can very easily adapt it by adjusting the names and titles of the NPCs and redrawing the maps.

Historical

Kidnap the Pope from the Castel St. Angelo and bring him to Constantinople.

Fantasy

Kidnap the Evil Grand Heart-Remover of Baphomet from his Doom Sanctum and deliver him to justice or haul a pious priest of Pelor out of her hall and into a sacrifice pit.

Modern

Break into the penthouse apartment complex of a CEO and hold him for ransom or sneak aboard the enormous yacht of a corrupt Senator.

Gonzo Cyberpunk

Are you a bad enough dude to kidnap the Technopope and avoid his Ultrabishops, Metapriests, and Laser Guards?

Dark Grimness of the Far Future

Infiltrate the asteroid lair of the traitorous Arch-Heretic of Cadavra and bring them – alive – to face the Inquisition.

Post-Apocalypse

The Water-Tyrant’s rust-castle is mighty, but if you capture him alive, you will be made lords of the Wasteland.

Sword and Planet

Retrieve the feared X’Zth, Tyrant of Neptune, from her Ice-Palace on the moon of Triton and bring her to Mars.

2

Character Creation

If the PCs are newly created, as backgrounds, histories, etc. are being selected, incorporate the following:

1. Each PC has been selected by Isaac Bacterian (pg. 5), agent of His Dread Majesty Gulfrey II (pg. 5), for a special mission. He may have dragged them from prison, bribed them, met them politely, or sent them letters.

2. This mission will involve traveling to the great city of Thule (pg. 5) infiltrating a fortress, retrieving something, and bringing it back to the Immortal Capital (pg. 5). Isaac, or his lackeys, have hinted at great rewards.

3. The PCs have been selected for a reason. It is up to the players to describe why they would be selected for this mission, and what useful skills they offer. If they can’t come up with anything, either ask them to roll up a new character or ask the group for ideas.

If the PCs are established characters:

1. The party has been contacted by a trusted ally, their feudal overlord, or a someone with criminal connections. A meeting between Isaac Bacterian and the group has been arranged at a neutral, isolated, and secret location, to discuss the mission given above.

2. The party must have some willingness to participate in a kidnapping and suitable skills. Otherwise, this adventure isn’t for them.

Once characters have been created or hooked, go to the Prologue (pg. 4).

How Can I Help?

You don’t need a party of Rogues or Thieves. Here are a few ideas for how PCs can contribute to a plan. Reference these notes during character creation, or whenever a PC seems stuck or out of ideas.

CRUDE FIGHTERS, BARBARIANS, AND THUGS

Disguises: glowering bodyguards, wailing prisoners from foreign lands, excitable converts Skills: intimidate the weak, impress the strong, get people drunk and talkative, argue about war

KNIGHTS, FANCY FIGHTERS, AND NOBLES

Disguises: spice merchants, swaggering mercenary leaders, nervous ambassadors Skills: bribe the weak, collude with the strong, display natural authority and courtly manners

WIZARDS AND OTHER SPELLCASTERS

Disguises: panicked astrologers, doctrine-obsessed doctors, miserable students and pilgrims Skills: terrify the weak, worry the strong, forge letters, argue with the learned and wise

ROGUES, THIEVES, AND ASSASSINS

Disguises: surly moneylenders, false spies, double agents, sly provocateurs, gossip-sellers Skills: intimidate the weak, study the strong, pick pockets, spread lies, and come up with plans

CLERICS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY

Disguises: obsequious pilgrims, holy frothing madmen, Church couriers, zealous reformers Skills: absolve the weak, wheedle the strong, forge letters, understand Church rituals

PEOPLE FROM FOREIGN PARTS

Disguises: starstruck converts, prospective mercenaries, exotic ambassadors, weary pilgrims Skills: confuse and enthrall the weak, disgust the strong, tell stories, plausibly blunder into things

REALLY WEIRD PEOPLE

Disguises: writhing curiosities, false seers, expensive lovers, doctrinally complicated converts Skills: confuse and terrify the weak, enthrall the strong, show off your weirdness, cause disputes in the Church

3

PROLOGUE

Read or paraphrase the following. Isaac will answer any questions to the best of his abilities, and is willing to negotiate rewards, cash advances, and other details.

His Dread Majesty Gulfrey II, ruler of the Immortal Capital, heir to the Immortal Empire, is troubled. The Archpriest, His Holiness Thomas I, has recently defied a summons to the Capital. While the dignity of the Archpriest, and his authority in spiritual matters, is not in doubt, His Dread Majesty has some… questions. Doubts, even, regarding the Archpriest’s recent publications.

If the Archpriest will not willingly submit to His Dread Majesty, he must be forced to answer for his heresies. You have been chosen as agents of His Dread Majesty. To protect the dignity and purity of the Church, you must travel to Thule, capture the Archpriest, and bring him back to the Immortal Capital. Ordinarily, His Dread Majesty would send a legion of soldiers, but with the recent wars in the East, and the political situation in Thule… it would be preferable to handle the matter discreetly.

You can handle this discreetly, can’t you?

Good.

Reward?

A chest full of gold each. A thousand pieces. A king’s ransom. And, of course, the eternal thanks of His Dread Majesty. Do well, and you are sure to earn his favour.

And if a few items from the Archpriest’s treasure stores go missing during his abduction… His Dread Majesty will be saddened, but not concerned in any way. The Church is very wealthy.

Cash Advance?

Ten gold pieces each. Any expenses incurred in the capture of the Archpriest will be reimbursed… upon his successful delivery.

Spiritual Danger?

If the Archpriest has, as we all suspect, fallen into error… then any declarations he makes against you are null and void. If he has not, or if he recants after being brought to the Capital… I will personally ensure he forgives you. In time, he may even thank you for… delivering him.

The Plan?

You will travel to Thule by sea, posing as pilgrims, or merchants, or whatever you find suitable.

The Archpriest is well guarded, as you might expect. He currently resides in the Castle of St. Logan, in the centre of Thule, leaving only to perform daily services. We do not have a map of the castle, as the Archpriest renovated it several years ago. Luckily, the Castle of St. Logan is a… porous structure.

We have received word that the Archpriest, to protect himself, intends to leave Thule and reside in the Impenetrable Fortress of Bonk, on top of Mt. Gaspar, where he will be impossible to remove, correct, or even threaten. While traveling, he will be guarded day and night. You must capture him before he departs. Once again, circumstances are favorable. He cannot leave for at least a month. You should have several weeks.

A ship named the Angel Wings will be waiting in the harbour to bring you back to the Immortal Capital. You must leave immediately after capturing the Archpriest, for the citizens, mislead and deluded, are certain to riot.

Final Notes

In his delusion, the Archpriest may offer you rewards or utter threats. I would… caution you not to listen to him. While you may be briefly tempted, I am sure a contemplation on the… penalties, for breaking faith with His Dread Majesty will remove any doubts.

Similarly, if captured, you are to deny any knowledge of me, His Dread Majesty, or this meeting. But it won’t come to that, will it?

Good.

4

Places

THULE

(as the PCs know it now) The religious centre of the Church. Perhaps not the holiest of cities, but ancient, famous, and vast. It is far away.

THE IMMORTAL CAPITAL

(as the PCs know it now) The shining capital of a vast empire. A centre of learning, culture, and wealth. Ruled by His Dread Majesty Gulfrey II.

Timekeeping

Once the PCs arrive in Thule and the adventure begins, it is important to keep track of how much time they have left. You may want to use the Hour Tracking Sheet (pg. 47). The PCs have 48 hours to complete their mission.

Assuming pocket watches aren’t available in your setting, the PCs can use church bells, the position of the sun in the sky, and past experience to accurately judge the time to within one hour. Coordinated events can be planned around the sound of the church bells as well.

NPCs have set schedules. When the PCs are inside the Castle, it’s especially important to know the day and hour.

If you make a “mistake” and get a time or location wrong, don’t worry about it! In fact, don’t even admit it. The schedules are guides, not laws. They are designed to help the GM improvise and introduce interesting situations, not reduce the game to endless cross-referencing and double-checking. If the plot demands someone be in a place they are not supposed to be, that is completely fine.

You do not need to keep track of everyone all the time. The schedules and room descriptions should help. If the PCs start a commotion, check the adjacent rooms and see who is present on that day or hour.

People

Issac Bacterian

Appearance: Thin, pale, and meticulous. Dresses in fine but boring clothing, like a mid-level guildmaster. Voice: Slow, quiet, and… inflected. Wants: To serve His Dread Majesty. Morality: None whatsoever. Would, with no emotion, sell his grandmother into slavery if asked. Intelligence: Shrewd, smarter than most PCs Stats: As a Noble with a sword.

His Dread Majesty, Gulfrey II

(as the PCs know him now) Appearance: His face is on all the coins. Fine nose, thick eyebrows, harsh expression. Voice: The PCs have heard of his infamous rages and declarations. Every denial, rebellion, or act of defiance, no matter how petty, is deeply personal. He raves. Wants: Power, absolute and unquestioned. He firmly believes he is the heir to the world. Morality: Ambiguous, but he has famously blinded, maimed, and castrated his enemies and relatives. Intelligence: N/A Stats: N/A

THE ARCHPRIEST, THOMAS I

(as the PCs know him now) Appearance: Portraits show a man of middle years with a round nose and sunken, faintly sad eyes. Voice: His declarations and letters are shocking, blunt, and defiant. Unless the PCs are interested in doctrinal minutiae, his topics are completely inaccessible. Wants: No one is entirely sure. Power, probably. Morality: He’s slightly less warlike than his predecessor, he’s kept the same taxes and policies, and he hasn’t done anything shocking in public. Intelligence: N/A Stats: N/A

5

THE PLAN

With the words of Issac Bacterian still ringing in their ears, the PCs arrive at the port of Thule. Their journey across the sea was not a pleasant one. Storms delayed their arrival significantly.

If you want to add extra material to this module, you can expand the journey by adding shipwrecks, sea monsters, and mutinies, rather than skipping ahead to Thule.

INFORMATION FILTERING

This module has many named NPCs, locations, options, and hidden connections. You don’t need to use all of them. In fact, it’s probably better if you don’t.

Players can become paralyzed by too much information. They might think there is some vital clue that will ensure their success or some threat they’ve overlooked. There isn’t. I suggest taking the first 3 or 4 major NPCs the PCs encounter or learn about and using them to build the adventure. The other NPCs still exist, but they aren’t a major feature. Encourage the players to take notes about the NPCs you describe.

Example: the PCs go to a market square and start asking questions. The GM rolls on the Rumour table and gets a rumour about Cardinal Gomstead. The PC keeps asking more questions about the Cardinal – where he is, who he knows, what he’s like, etc. The GM provides some information based on what the NPC knows, assisted by bribes, and hints that Cardinal Gomstead is friends with Father Boswick. So now the PC asks about Father Boswick…

After a few more rounds of information gathering and bribes, the PCs know that Cardinal Gomstead is connected to Father Boswick, and Father Boswick is connected to Ruth the Cleaner, and Ruth the Cleaner is connected to Madame Livia. That’s enough – don’t add any more NPCs unless the party gets stuck or runs out of ideas. But with just those 4 NPCs, the party should have access to plenty of options, schemes, and access routes.

Alternatively, if the PCs fixate on a minor NPC from the Rumour table, adapt their role in the plot as needed. Add secret connections, a tragic love story, or a disreputable deal to tie them to the Castle.

TENSION AND VIOLENCE

The PCs should be abundantly aware that the Black Endoguard (pg. 23) are dangerous and to be avoided at all costs. Emphasize their size, brutality, and strangeness.

People move away and look down when the Black Endoguard march by. Crowds go quiet. The PCs might catch a glimpse of someone being hauled away or bludgeoned to death in an alley. A Black Endoguard’s sword drips blood on to the cobbles. There’s a scrap of hair and flesh caught in one of their gloves. Pious NPCs call them “The Swords of the Church.” More realistic NPCs call them, “The Archpriest’s personal demons.”

THE CITY OF THULE

A grand, decadent wreck. Pillars of marble propped up with wood. Broken aqueducts from the hills. Broken walls, hastily repaired. Trees growing in courtyards, cattle penned in collapsed villas. It stinks of sweat, seawater, and sewage. The city, though diminished, is full of life.

On a hill, visible from anywhere in the city, is the Castle of St. Logan. It is a squat, round building, less of a castle and more of a heap of fortifications. Once a heathen temple, it has been a tomb, a granary, a monastery, and a prison. It is now a palace, and the PCs target is inside.

The Black Endoguard roam the streets, guarding nothing, seeing nothing, marching for effect and practice. These fierce masked mercenaries are loyal to the Archpriest. Their beetle-black armour, barbaric language, and utter incorruptibility make them a byword for terror, oppression, and the raw power of the Church.

6

LESSONS AND DESIGN

Dungeons make players manage resources: light, money, food, HP, spells, time, etc. The first section of the module teaches the players to manage three major resources: time, money, and information. The PCs will start with limited time, limited money, and limited information. Carefully exchanging their money and time for information and then building a plan is the main focus of the module.

THE PROBLEM

Anyone in Thule will inform the PCs that the Archpriest is leaving at sunrise, two days from now. The pious are sad but understanding; the Archpriest must defend the Faith against the treachery of His Dread Majesty. The impious or shrewd don’t care either way; they are busy plotting how to take advantage of the situation. The PCs, however, are in trouble. They need to come up with a plan.

SOLUTIONS

The PCs may want to buy gear, listen to rumours, or buy information. See the Market Squares.

The PCs may want to find a base of operations, a room for the night, or some food. They will find the Sober Monk Inn (pg. 8).

The PCs may want to find allies. See I Know A Guy (pg. 9).

The PCs may want to scout the Castle of St. Logan (pg. 18).

MARKET SQUARES

Thule is full of bustling markets. One hour spent in one nets all the information on the Everybody Knows table. Every hour after that, a PC who is asking questions instead of buying things can roll on the Rumours table (pg 10). Bribes, skill tests, and good plans may grant more rolls.

EVERYBODY KNOWS

1. The Archpriest is leaving at sunrise in two days.

2. The Black Endoguard are brutal, deadly, and nearly unstoppable mercenary thugs.

3. The Castle of St. Logan is guarded day and night.

4. The Black Endoguard cannot be bribed or threatened.

5. Many cardinals and priests are corrupt and venal.

BUYING THINGS

Thule’s markets sell everything, from grain to silk to deadly poison. If you know who to ask, you can find what you need. No heist should fail because the PCs can’t find equipment. They might not be able to afford it or get it in time, but they can find it (and work around the other two problems. Split up, dispatch hirelings, or rob people.

Trivial Items: 1 hr, can be combined.

Food, dumb thugs, rope, nails, hats, chalk.

Useful Items: 1d6 hours per item. Good quality swords, horses, disguises, prayer books.

Rare Items: 1d6+2 hours per item. Strange books, boring small magic items, an expert.

Very Rare Items: 3d10 hours per item (or more). Unique books, the only expert, a face-to-face meeting with someone powerful by bribes alone, a Scheme (pg. 26).

Expediting Matters

Spending a multiple of an item’s price on bribes (or paying the original price without haggling) reduces the time by that multiple, to a minimum of 1 hour.

E.g. You want to buy a good quality sword. It would normally cost 5gp and take 1d6 hours to find, but you spend 20gp (4x the item’s value) total and get the sword in 1d6/4 hours.

OPTIONAL RULE: THE UNLABELLED PACKAGE

Some players might be paralyzed by inventory options. They might worry that there’s some vital item they’ll need later that they forgot to buy. This rule can help.

A thief-type character, or anyone equally disreputable, may spend any amount of money to buy an Unlabeled Package. When the package is unwrapped, the player can declare what it contains, as long as the contents comprise the appropriate number of inventory slots and doesn’t cost more than they originally paid. The rules for spending time buying items should also apply here, so a PC could spend 3 gp and 3 hours to buy an Unlabeled Package that takes up 5 inventory slots. Excess cost is assumed to be markup; excessive size is due to extra packing material.

7

THE SOBER MONK INN

There are dozens of inns for wealthy pilgrims and traders, but the Sober Monk is a solid choice. Any questions or wanderings will lead to the inn (or another just like it). It’s an old stone building with a new tile roof. From the roof, the Castle of St. Logan is clearly visible. The walls are thick, the rooms are reasonably cheap and private, the owner is preoccupied with his unfaithful wife, and the food is decent. With the Archpriest leaving soon, the inn is rarely full. Pilgrims are already migrating to the Impenetrable Fortress of Bonk, on top of Mt. Gaspar.

OWNER: JOHN THE STOUT

Appearance: Greying, suspicious, and blunt. Voice: Cheerful, but not educated or literate. Wants: To catch his wife in the act so he can divorce her, make money, and stay out of trouble. Morality: Dutiful, honest, traditional. Sometimes violent. Intelligence: Dull, but not a total rube. Stats: As a Servant.

OWNER’S WIFE: ALICE

Appearance: Thin, waspish, and ten years younger than her husband. Cold eyes. Voice: Cheerful, but clearly faking it. High and fluttery. Wants: Excitement. Sex, sort of. Impressively bored of life. Morality: Tortured in a pious way, but not cruel. Intelligence: Smarter than her husband, but not by much. Stats: As a Servant.

HER LOVER: THORMUND

Appearance: Very young, blonde, handsome in a common way. Sharp nose. Looks exactly like Cardinal Deliver. Voice: Cracking. Servile.
Wants: Excitement, wealth, sex. All the desires of an imaginative youth.
Morality: Pious but easily led into temptation.
Intelligence: Dumb as a sack of rocks, but seems to be intelligent enough at first glance.
Stats: As a Servant.

Thormund works for the chandler’s guild, and brings candles daily to the Castle of St. Logan, though he’s never been beyond the side gate (Room 9). He visits Alice every night by climbing up a ladder to the storeroom window at the Sober Monk.

He will grovel and panic if caught, offer to help the PCs if interrogated, lie about his experience, and fail at any task assigned to him. He is laughably easy to seduce, bribe, and intimidate. He is also Cardinal Deliver’s illegitimate son, and resembles Cardinal Deliver so closely that the two could be exchanged without anyone noticing. Thormund doesn’t know who his father is. The Cardinal would be shamed and disgraced if the Archpriest, the other Cardinals, or the public learned about Thormund.

8

I Know A Guy

The PCs might seek out these people deliberately. They do not have a set schedule, but can be found in any Market Square at a convenient time for the PCs.

MERCHANT: BERTRAND THE GROCER

Appearance: Portly, hard, and weathered. Voice: Hoarse from shouting. Shouts anyway. Wants: Money, dominion over others, gemstones. Morality: Slightly pious, but not honest. Intelligence: Good with numbers and people. Stats: As a Noble.

Bertrand is one of the richest men in the city, but he is also a public figure. He argues with horse-traders, kicks beggars, yells at his servants, and generally storms around the city. His public resentment of the Church’s higher officers is well known. He has an appointment with Cardinal Gomstead at 1200 on Day 2 to discuss the Church’s massive outstanding bill.

MADAME: LIVIA

Appearance: Middle years, makeup, cheerful smile.
Voice: Soft, seductive, well-practiced.
Wants: Money, protection, a better life.
Morality: Jaded, but protective.
Intelligence: Very streetwise, politically savvy.
Stats: As a Noble.

Livia supplies the needs of the priests and cardinals within the Castle of St. Logan. She has 2d10 girls and 1d4 boys with her at any time (stats as Servants). She knows all the rumours on the Rumour table (pg. 10). She can also describe rooms 1–15 in the Castle. Her associates enter the Castle through the Side Gate, at night, by showing a token to the guards. Livia will sell a token to a player for 5gp.

One of her employees, Ruth the Cleaner, is a favorite of Cardinal Gomstead.

KNOWLEDGE BROKER: OLEG THE WISE

Appearance: Old, bent, bearded. Wears ragged finery. Voice: Rasping, quiet Wants: Money and secrets. Morality: Jaded, but not a murderer or a traitor. Intelligence: Sharp as a drawer full of knives. Stats: As a Noble.

Oleg knows all the rumours on the Rumour table, and will sell them for 5sp each. He will sketch the Exterior Map (pg. 29) of the Castle of St. Logan for 10gp. He sells flowers at a market square.

RUMOURS

The rumours on the following table here could all be potentially true. They could also all be false. The NPCs listed are people the PCs might encounter in the marketplace, as part of their search, or merely by chance. The NPCs here aren’t connected to the rest of the plot in any way, but if the PCs fixate on an NPC, feel free to add connections to the larger plot.

Try to avoid rolling over and over on this table (see pg. 7). Instead, roll once, and then add information - improvising, lying, or adding irrelevant detailed as required - to make the conversation natural. Each rumour is a seed of an idea or a potential plan.

9

D50	WHO KNOWS?	WHAT DO THEY KNOW?
1	Olivia, matron, frumpy	Cardinal Deliver (pg. 19) might be a pious man now, but he made a few bastards in his day.
2	Gertrude, flower-seller, saucy	The Church owes Bertrand the Grocer (pg. 9) a great deal of money, and he will seek payment.
3	Robert, carpenter, dull	The Archpriest is expected to attend services at the White Cathedral (pg. 12), but he never does.
4	Thormund, sellsword, tired	There are only three Cardinals the Archpriest loves : Deliver, Gomstead, and Zorn (pg. 19).
5	Oswald, farmer, tipsy	There’s a room in the castle where the Archpriest keeps all his gifts from Foreign Parts (Room 7).
6	John, thug, sly	Hubert (pg. 21), the butler of the Archpriest, is an old soldier who thinks he rules the Church.
7	Martin, swineherd, jolly	I’ve heard the Castle is full of books, but what good are books to anyone?
8	Lola, mother, distracted	There are always people coming and going from the Castle at strange hours.
9	Gilbert, ancient, surly	The Black Endoguard (pg. 23) are superstitious of mirrors. It’s the only thing they fear.
10	Edmund, monk, ignorant	The river has chains stretched across it at night to stop smugglers and thieves.
11	Richard, painter, pretentious	The river chains are attached under each bridge. (pg. 13).
12	Margary, seamstress, greedy	Cardinal Gomstead (pg. 19) is sure to be Archpriest next, if he lives that long.
13	Hubert, mason, treacherous	There’s something strange about John the Stout at the Sober Monk Inn (pg. 8).
14	Fletcher, egg-seller, grumpy	The Archpriest has a hoard of gold that would put a dragon to shame.
15	Cecily, fruit-seller, rude	Sometimes the Gate Guards are in a hurry and don’t check inside barrels.
16	Andrew, cook, snobby	Ruth the Cleaner (pg. 21), a maid at the Castle, has an unclean past, if you know what I mean.
17	Sara, prostitute, wickedly smart	Half the priests in this city keep mistresses. The other half visit other men.
18	Emma, embroiderer, naive	The Castle of St. Logan is full of gold. The Archpriest is hoarding it.
19	Simon, butcher, pious	I would bet any money Cardinal Gomstead (pg. 19) will be Archpriest one day.
20	Joan, midwife, weary	The Covered Bridge (pg. 13) has hollow supports. My uncle’s wife’s cousin saw inside it once.
21	Walter, astrologer, insane	The Archpriest is fated to die before he leaves this city.
22	Nicholas, belt-maker, irreverent	They say Cardinal Deliver (pg. 19) suffers from terrible, guilty nightmares.
23	Hugh, baker, ambitious	The kitchens of the Castle of St. Logan are full of mad cooks and drunken priests (Room 10).
24	Cecily, deacon, ignorant	Father Lupin (pg. 20), at the Castle, is a very pious and learned man.
25	Peter, copyist, knowledgeable	The library in the Castle of St. Logan is worth a fortune (Room 28).
26	Gregory, brewer, lecherous	There are smugglers in the river, I hear. For a price they can get you anything.
27	Ralph, farrier, twitchy	One of the Gate Guards, Henry of Bonk (pg. 22), will do anything for money.
28	Simon, barber, rude	I once saw a Black Endoguard (pg. 23) crush a man’s head with one hand! One hand, I say!
29	Annabel, grocer, cheerful	The head cook at the Castle, John (pg. 21), is going mad. He sees poisoners everywhere.
30	Edmund, priest, impulsive	The Archpriest always travels with dozens of Black Endoguard. He can barely be seen.
31	Phillip, cook, drunk	Cardinal Zorn (pg. 19) knows more than he lets on. He’s a sly fox, that one.
32	Mariota, nurse, bitter	More than a few assassins have been strangled and thrown into the river.
33	Alan, urchin, vicious	I hear the castle guards expect someone to assassinate the Archpriest before he leaves.
34	Lawrence, apothecary, cheerful	Father Boswick (pg. 20) has ordered another barrel of wine to the Castle! What a drinker!
35	Sabrina, farmer, polite	The Black Endoguard can crush a man’s skull with their bare hands.
36	Reginald, procurer, cruel	Livia the Madame (pg. 9) seems to know everything going on in this city.
37	James, farmer, virtuous	I don’t know much, but I do know that the Archpriest can’t be a heretic.
38	Bartholemew, minstrel, foolish	The Archpriest’s confessor, Father Osmund (pg. 20), must be the most miserable man alive.
39	Eli, porter, truculent	The Black Endoguard sometimes patrol the river at night.
40	Giles, poet, tasteless	Stay away from the laundry at the Castle of St. Logan. Whoever runs it is a tyrant.
41	Stephen, sailor, aggressive	I have sometimes seen Gertrude (pg. 21), Laundress of the Castle, wandering the streets at night.
42	Agatha, urchin, sly	The Archpriest has a private garden on the roof of the Castle (Room 50).
43	Ann, seamstress, wise	Sure as sure can be, if there’s a plot in Thule, there’s a Cardinal behind it.
44	David, painter, distracted	The outside might be rough, but inside, the Castle of St. Logan is a true paradise on earth.
45	Letitia, mistress, superior	If anyone harms a hair on the Archpriest’s head, there is sure to be a riot.
46	Susanna, widow, wizened	There’s a Gate Guard I know, Louis (pg. 22), who is always broke. He has a large family, you see.
47	Jordan, rag man, cackling	If you want to learn that sort of thing, go find Oleg the Wise (pg. 9). He knows everything.
48	Matthew, porter, paranoid	The Archpriest’s staff is proper magic. Full of lightning, thunder, and holy fire. Very bad.
49	Michael, dyer, diseased	There’s a terrible feeling in the air, like something horrible is about to happen.
50	Sibilla, nun, bored	The Archpriest cares only for himself, and nothing for the people of Thule.

10

11

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THULE

APARTMENTS

Each Cardinal has a 3-room apartment with a bedroom, a servant’s hall with kitchen, and a formal reception and reading room. The doors are barred from the inside, and the servants will only open them for the Cardinal.

A1. CARDINAL DELVER

Luxurious but somehow restrained. NPCs: Cardinal Deliver: D1: 6-8, 20-24. D2: 1-9, 22-24. D3: 1-3. 1d4 Servants at all times. Loot: 100gp in coins, portable valuables, and books.

A2. CARDINAL GOMSTEAD

Opulent and overflowing. A miniature palace. NPCs: Cardinal Gomstead: D1: 6-9, 19-24. D2: 1-7, 22-24. D3: 1 Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 22 Father Osmund: D2: 3 1d4+1 Servants at all times. Loot: 200gp in coins, gems, and portable valuables.

A3. CARDINAL ZORN.

Spartan, neat, and elevated. Has a great view of the city. NPCs: Cardinal Zorn: D1: 6-9, 20-24. D2: 1-8, 22-24. D3: 1-3.

1d4 Servants and 1 Guard (stats as Gate Guard) at all times. Loot: 100gp in coins, portable valuables, and books.

THE DOCKS

A tangle of wood and rope spraying into the bay. Ships come and go daily. Most are small coastal traders, but a few larger vessels are also visible. Passage to anywhere the PCs can name could be arranged for a ludicrous fee.

The Angel Wings, the ship that will transport the PCs to the Immortal Capital, is moored here. Her captain is a surly and utterly disinterested man named Euphronius. He will refuse to assist the PCs in any way or even speak of his secret mission, and will throw rotten fish at them until they go away. If they arrive with the Archpriest, day or night, he will immediately launch. His ship is surprisingly fast and his crew are utterly loyal.

THE WHITE CATHEDRAL

A mass of white limestone, white marble, and clear glass. A true beacon of light. It glitters like a crown in the sunlight and glowers like a skull at night.

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Morning Service: D1: 8. D2: 8. D3: 8 Afternoon Service: D1: 15. D2: 15-17.

Services take one hour and involve a choir, a few priests, and a congregation of at least 200+2d100.

On D2, from 15-17, the Cathedral hosts a special service for the Feast of Jerome the Martyr. The congregation will swell to at least 3,000. Trumpets will sound, flags will wave, and the crowd will chatter and mostly ignore the service. Cardinals Delver, Gomstead, and Zorn, along with Fathers Lupin, Osmund and Boswick, will be present. The Archpriest will not be present.

The Cathedral is a vast maze with towers, crypts, halls, cloisters, and side buildings. If the PCs need to sneak up on someone, they will always have the chance. If they need to find a disguise, they can find it here. If they need to escape in a hurry, they are likely to run into pilgrims and wandering priests.

D6 WHAT HAVE THE PCs RUN INTO?

1	2 Priests, arguing doctrine.
2	2d10 Pilgrims, admiring the statues.
3	1d4 Gate Guards, cracking lewd jokes.
4	1 Priest, asleep in the corner.
5	2d10 Servants, cleaning.
6	1 Black Endoguard, on patrol.

12

THE RIVER

ALTERNATIVE TIMETABLE

Formally known as “The Bhrun” but nobody in Thule calls it by that name. To the city, it is just “the river.” It serves as both a sewer and water source. You could swim across it without difficulty. The current is slow and predictable. Bits of wrecked boats, sunken statues, and old docks jut from the water.

The river chains at the bridges (B1, B2, B3) are raised at sunset night to prevent smugglers and foreign invaders from easily navigating the river. The chains can be cut or lowered, but both ends are guarded by very sleepy Chain Guards (stats as Gate Guards).

The Main Map (pg. 25) shows how long it takes a small boat to row upriver and downriver.

THE STREETS

The Main Map lists times between locations at a walking pace (W) and a running or riding pace (R). You can use the distances to estimate routes the PCs might take. The streets of Thule are narrow, maze-like, and crowded. A horse will prevent fatigue, but it won’t be much faster than a dead sprint.

THE COVERED BRIDGE

A long narrow bridge built over the city’s maze of roads and alleys. Narrow, fortified, and slightly damp. It connects the Castle of St. Logan to the White Cathedral. Only priests and trusted guests use it. Some supports are hollow, and can be used to access the walkway through trapdoors.

THE MAIN TIMETABLE

All major NPCs are listed. Consult the timetable if the PCs are following someone, or if you need to know what is going on in the city at a particular time. The room descriptions also list which NPCs are present at each day and time.

If you don’t want to use the main timetable, or if you want to add an element of utter chaos to the heist, use this method instead. Each time the PCs enter a room, roll 1d4 times during the day and 1d4-2 (to a minimum of o) times at night to find out who is inside. If you get an impossible entry (such as a person the PCs know is elsewhere), reroll or ignore it.

D20 INSIDE THIS ROOM IS…

1	1d6 Black Endoguards
2	1d6 Gate Guards
3	1d6 Servants, cleaning
4	1 Gate Guard, sleeping
5	1 Servant, sleeping
6	2 Servants, arguing
7	Empty
8	Empty
9	Empty
10	John the Cook
11	Gertrude the Laundress
12	Hubert the Butler
13	Ruth the Cleaner
14	Father Lupin
15	Father Osmund
16	Father Boswick
17	Cardinal Delver
18	Cardinal Gomstead
19	Cardinal Zorn
20	The Archpriest

The game will be more like a scavenger hunt and less like a heist, but sometimes that’s exactly what is needed, especially for smaller maps or more chaotic situations.

13

THULE

THE SOBER MONK INN

DAY 1	MAJOR EVENTS	JOHN	ALICE	THORMUND	DAY 1
600	Sunrise. PCs arrive in Thule.	Sleeping.	Opens doors to Inn.	Sleeping.	600
700	Market squares open.	Cooking.	Visiting markets.	Running to work.	700
800	Morning Service in White Cathedral.	Chores at Inn.	Chores at Inn.	Dipping candles.	800
900		900
1000		1000
1100		1100
1200	Noon.	1200
1300		1300
1400		Sleeping.	1400
1500	Afternoon Service in White Cathedral.	Arguing with Alice.	Arguing with John.	1500
1600		Cooking.	Cooking.	1600
1700		Serving guests.	Serving guests.	Loading candle cart.	1700
1800	Sunset.	Visiting guests.	Chores at Inn.	Delivering candles.	1800
1900		Eating.	1900
2000	River chains raised. River closed.	Visiting guests.	Visiting friends.	2000
2100		2100
2200	Market squares close.	Sleeping.	Waiting.	2200
2300		Drunk.	2300
2400	Midnight.	Sobering up.	2400
DAY 2					DAY 2
100		Sleeping.	Meets Thormund.	Visits the Inn.	100
200		Sleeping.	Hurries home.	200
300		Sleeping.	300
400		400
500	River chains lowered. River opens.	500
600	Sunrise.	Opens doors to Inn.	600
700	Market squares open.	Cooking.	Visiting markets.	700
800	Morning Service in White Cathedral.	Chores at Inn.	Chores at Inn.	Running to work.	800
900		Dipping candles.	900
1000		1000
1100		1100
1200	Noon.	1200
1300		Arguing with Alice.	Arguing with John.	1300
1400	Procession leaves Castle for White Cathedral.	Chores at Inn.	Chores at Inn.	1400
1500	Service in White Cathedral.	Arguing with Alice.	Arguing with John.	1500
1600	Cooking.	Cooking.	1600
1700	Serving guests.	Serving guests.	Loading candle cart.	1700
1800	Sunset, procession returns to Castle.	Visiting guests.	Chores at Inn.	Delivering candles.	1800
1900		Eating.	1900
2000	River chains raised. River closed.	Visiting guests.	Getting mugged.	2000
2100		Visiting friends, complaining.	2100
2200	Market squares close.	Sleeping.	Waiting.	2200
2300		2300
2400	Midnight.	2400
DAY 3					DAY 3
100		Sleeping.	Meets Thormund.	Visits the Inn.	100
200		Sleeping.	Hurries home.	200
300		Sleeping.	300
400		400
500	River chains lowered. River opens.	5O0
600	Sunrise, the Archpriest departs.	On roof to watch Archpriest depart.		600

THE CARDINALS

THE ARCHPRIEST

DAY 1	DELVER	GOMSTEAD	ZORN		DAY 1
600	Sleeping in apartment. (A1)	Sleeping in apartment. (A2)	Sleeping in apartment. (A3)	Sleeping. (48)	600
700	700
800	800
900	Morning routine. (A1)	Morning routine. (A2)	Morning routine. (A3)	900
1000	Walking to Castle.	Walking to Castle.	Walking to castle.	Prayers. (43)	1000
1100	Prayers. (39)			1100
1200	Lunch with Father Lupin. (30)	Lunch with the Archpriest. (47)	Lunch alone. (15)	Lunch with Cardinal Gomstead. (47)	1200
1300	Discussions and letters. (29)	Meeting with Hubert the Butler. (25)	Discussions and letters. (29)	Confession with Father Osmund. (47)	1300
1400	Drinking with Father Boswick. (36)	Afternoon nap. (29)	Letters. (47)	1400
1500	1500
1600	1600
1700	Discussions and letters. (29)	Discussions and letters. (29)	Watching the city. (45)	1700
1800	Visit with Archpriest. (45)	Walking to apartment.	Visit with Archpriest. (45)	Visit with Cardinals Deliver and Zorn. (43)	1800
1900	Walking to apartment.	Dinner in apartment. (A2)	Walking to apartment.	Dinner with Father Osmund. (45)	1900
2000	Dinner in apartment. (A1)	Reading by candlelight. (A3)	2000
2100	Reading by candlelight. (A1)	Meeting with Father Boswick. (47)	2100
2200	Meeting with Ruth the Cleaner. (A2)	Prayers. (43)	2200
2300	Sleeping in apartment. (A1)	Sleeping in apartment. (A2)	2300
2400	Sleeping in apartment. (A3)	Visit with Gertrude the Laundress (43)	2400
DAY 2					DAY 2
100	Sleeping in apartment. (A1)	Sleeping in apartment. (A2)	Sleeping in apartment. (A3)	Walking in garden. (50)	100
200	Prayers in apartment. (A1)	200
300	Sleeping in apartment. (A1)	Meeting with Father Osmund. (A2)	Sleeping. (48)	300
400	Sleeping in apartment. (A2)	400
500	Prayers. (43)	500
600	Sleeping. (48)	600
700	Morning routine. (A2)	700
800	Walking to Castle.	Morning routine. (A3)	800
900	Morning routine. (A1)	Meeting with Father Boswick. (18)	Reading in apartment. (A3)	900
1000	Walking to Castle.	Meeting with the Archpriest. (45)	Walking to castle.	Meeting with Cardinal Gomstead. (45)	1000
1100	Prayers. (39)			Prayers. (43)	1100
1200	Lunch with Archpriest. (47)			Lunch with Cardinals. (47)	1200
1300	1300
1400	Covered path to White Cathedral. (23)			Letters. (47)	1400
1500	Service in White Cathedral. (W1)			1500
1600	1600
1700	Watching the city. (45)	1700
1800	Covered path to Castle. (23)			1800
1900	Meeting with Hubert the Butler. (26)	Discussions and letters. (29)	Discussions and letters. (29)	Dinner with Father Osmund. (45)	1900
2000	Meeting with the Archpriest. (43)	Meeting with Cardinal Deliver, Father Lupin. (43)	2000
2100	Walking to apartment.	Walking to apartment.	Walking to apartment.	Prayers. (43)	2100
2200	Dinner in apartment. (A1)	Dinner in apartment. (A2)	Dinner in apartment. (A3)	Sleeping. (48)	2200
2300	Reading by candlelight. (A1)	Reading by candlelight. (A2)	Reading by candlelight. (A3)	Walking in garden. (50)	2300
2400	2400
DAY 3					DAY 3
100	Sleeping in apartment. (A1)	Sleeping in apartment. (A2)	Sleeping in apartment. (A3)	Sleeping. (48)	100
200	Walking to Castle.	200
300	Meeting with Hubert the Butler. (32)	Confession with Father Osmund. (47)	300
400	Walking to Castle.	Meeting with the Black Endoguard. (16)	Walking to castle.	Prayers. (43)	400
500	Meeting with the Archpriest. (49)	Meeting with the Archpriest. (49)	Discussions and letters. (29)	Meeting with Cardinals Deliver, Omstead. (49)	500
600		Watching Archpriest depart. (49)		Departing. (4,5,6 and out! End of module)	600

THE SERVANTS

THE PRIESTS

DAY 1	LUPIN	OSMUND	BOSWICK	JOHN	GERTRUDE	HUBERT	RUTH	DAY 1
600	Reception. (3)	Reading. (28)	Sleeping in room. (36)	In kitchen, abusing staff. (10)	Sleeping. (12)	Letters and accounts. (36)	Sleeping. (12)	600
700	Watching the crowd. (4)	700
800	Cleaning. (34)	800
900	Cleaning. (35)	900
1000	Inspecting the Archpriest’s apartments. (46)	Cleaning. (36)	1000
1100	Prayers. (20)	Prayers. (39)	Prayers. (20)	Morning walk. (18)	Reception. (3)	Cleaning. (37)	1100
1200	Lunch with Cardinal Deliver. (30)	Lunch alone. (15)	Raiding pantry. (11)	Hovering in concern. (46)	Laundry. (14)	Deep cleaning. (13)	1200
1300	Reception. (3)	Confession with Archpriest. (47)	In kitchen, abusing staff. (10)	Meeting with Cardinal Gomstead. (25)	1300
1400	Examining relics. (40)	Drinking with Cardinal Gomstead. (36)	Lunch alone. (15)	1400
1500	Inspecting the food. (11)	Panicking in a corner. (20)	1500
1600	Arguing with servants. (30)	Watching the city. (41)	Prayers. (20)	1600
1700	Hasty dinner. (10)	1700
1800	Letters (29)	Leering at nuns. (6)
1900	Dinner alone. (15)	Dinner with Archpriest. (45)	Dinner with Gertrude the Laundress. (12)	Dinner with Father Boswick. (12)	Deep cleaning. (15)	1800
2000	Reception. (3)	Staring at relics. (40)	Watching the servants. (10)	Dinner alone. (15)	2000
2100	Prayers. (20)	Meeting with Archpriest. (47)	Dinner, where he can see everyone. (12)	Prayers. (20)	Prayers. (20)	Walking to (A2)	2100
2200	Sleeping in room (34)	Sleeping in room (35)	Looking for lewd books. (28)	Pretending to sleep near fire. (12)	Mission in the City.	Inspecting the Archpriest’s apartments. (46)	Meeting with Cardinal Gomstead (A2)	2200
2300	Sleeping in room (36)	Letters. (23)	Interrogating servants. (12)	Walking to Castle.	2300
2400	Pacing halls. (4)	Visit with the Archpriest. (43)	Sleeping in room. (37)	Cleaning. (2)	2400
DAY 2								DAY 2
100	Prayers. (34)	Sleeping in room (35)	Sleeping in room (36)	Pacing halls. (17)	Sleeping. (12)	Sleeping in room. (37)	Cleaning. (2)	100
200	Sleeping in room (34)	Meeting with Cardinal Gomstead (A1)	In kitchen, abusing staff. (10)	Sleeping. (12)	200
300	300
400	Reading. (28)	Prayers. (12)	400
500	500
600	Reception. (3)	Wandering around, hung over. (26)	Sleeping. (12)	Letters and accounts. (36)	600
700	Wandering around, hung over. (38)	Pacing. (31)	700
800	Leering at nuns. (6)	Cleaning. (2)	800
900	Meeting with Cardinal Gomstead (45)	Meeting with Ruth the Cleaner. (32)	Meeting with Hubert the Butler. (32)	900
1000	Afternoon nap. (25)	Watching the city. (41)	Cleaning. (34)	1000
1100	Lunch alone. (15)	Prayers. (39)	Morning walk. (18)	Cleaning. (35)	1100
1200	Reception. (3)	Lunch alone. (15)	Raiding pantry. (11)	Hovering in concern. (46)	Laundry. (14)	Checking the locks. (27)	Cleaning. (36)	1200
1300	Watching the crowd. (4)	Lunch alone. (15)	Cleaning. (37)	1300
1400	Covered path to White Cathedral. (23)			Pacing halls. (38)	Reception. (3)	Cleaning. (41)	1400
1500	Service in White Cathedral. (W1)			Panicking in a corner. (20)	1500
1600	In kitchen, abusing staff. (10)	Prayers. (20)	1600
1700	Hasty dinner. (10)	1700
1800	Covered path to Castle. (23)			1800
1900	Letters. (29)	Dinner with Archpriest. (45)	Dinner alone. (30)	Quick meal. (12)	Meeting with Cardinal Deliver. (26)	Cleaning. (24)	1900
2000	Meeting with the Archpriest. (43)	Meeting with Ruth the Cleaner. (32)	Watching the servants. (10)	Dinner alone. (15)	Meeting with Father Osmund. (32)	2000
2100	Dinner alone. (15)	Prayers. (20)	Looking for lewd books. (28)	Prayers. (20)	Prayers. (20)	Walking to market.	2100
2200	Prayers. (39)	Sleeping in room (35)	Sleeping in room (36)	Pacing halls. (19)	Mission in the City.	Roaming the halls. (26)	Meeting with Madame Livia.	2200
2300	Sleeping in room (34)	Meeting with John the Cook. (10)	Meeting with Father Boswick. (10)	Roaming the halls. (24)	2300
2400	Sleeping in room. (37)	Walking back to Castle.	2400
DAY 3								DAY 3
100	Prayers. (34)	Sleeping in room (35)	Sleeping in room (36)	Pretending to sleep near fire. (12)	Mission in the City.	Sleeping in room. (37)	Prayers. (20)	100
200	Sleeping in room (34)	Letters (23)	Sleeping. (12)	Sleeping. (12)	200
300	Reception. (3)	Confession with Archpriest. (47)	In kitchen, abusing staff. (10)	Meeting with Cardinal Gomstead. (32)	300
400	Meeting with Hubert the Butler. (19)	Reading. (28)	Laundry. (14)	Meeting with Father Lupin. (19)	400
500	Pacing. (31)	500
600	Watching Archpriest depart. (6)	Departing with Archpriest.	Watching Archpriest depart. (41)	Has a nervous breakdown, collapses. (12)	Watching the Archpriest depart. (41)	600

REASONS TO MEET

The meetings listed on the Main Timetable are mostly left to the GM’s imagination. If you need to know what the PCs have overheard, blundered into, or rudely interrupted, roll on the table below.

D6

REASON FOR MEETING

1	Treason. The participants plot to:
	1	Depose the Archpriest by blackmail, intimidation, or legal proceedings.
2	Assassinate the Archpriest.
3	Betray the Archpriest to one of his many enemies (but not to His Dread Majesty. That would be too convenient).
4	Prevent a treasonous plot from occurring. This might be the PCs’ plot.
2	Love. The participants:
	1	Love each other.
2	Are rivals for another’s love.
3	Are merely confessing their temptations, desires, misadventures, or fond memories.
4	Are speculating on the intimate life of another major NPC.
3	Politics. The participants are disputing:
	1	The Dread Monarch’s marriage, which the Archpriest refuses to annul.
2	Trivial details of ancient diplomacy.
3	The good old days, when Archpriests answered to no one and feared nothing.
4	The terms of a recent treaty, so obscure and detailed that no one can fully understand them.
4	Religion. The participants are debating:
	1	The Ortesian Heresies, unfavourably.
2	The Ortesian Heresies, favourably.
3	The nature of sin and redemption. It’s very touching.
4	The true meaning of a passage in a holy book.
5	Suspicions. The participants are discussing:
	1	A PC, in great detail. The PC’s motivations are not know, but everything else is.
2	The PCs, in vague terms. Their arrival in the city has apparently been noted.
3	A rival, and their secret plot. No evidence is given.
4	The Archpriest. Is he sane but reclusive or mad but isolated? Does he keep apart from the faithful out of fear, modesty, or arrogance?
6	Trivia. The participants are reviewing:
	1	The security arrangements of the Castle.
2	The quality of the food or wine.
3	An amusing witticism a superior said, or a bawdy joke.
4	The weather.

17

THE CASTLE OF ST. LOGAN

The PCs may want to scout the castle immediately. They can approach from any direction. It is a squat, round building, with two distinct levels above ground, and dozens of asymmetric small windows. It has a wall and two major towers and sits next to the river.

RUMOURS, QUESTIONS, AND BRIBES

The PCs may want to speak to knowledgeable people, interrogate servants, kidnap Gate Guards, or bribe the clergy. NPCs can reveal the full contents and locations of the rooms listed.

Cardinals: Rooms 1-9, 18-50

Priests: Rooms 1-41

Merchants and Visitors: Rooms 1-7

Servants: All Rooms, but usually incorrectly

Gate Guards: Rooms 1-23

The Black Endoguard: All Rooms

The PCs can obtain vague and possibly inaccurate maps of these rooms. The GM should feel free to draw hasty, scrawled maps and hand them to the PCs. The interior of the Castle does not need to be a secret, but mapping it completely without going inside will probably take more time than the PCs have. A map, even a vague and approximate one, can help paranoid or hesitant players.

STUDYING THE EXTERIOR

Each hour a PC spend studying the castle from afar reveals one of the following pieces of information, rolled, or selected based on what the PC chooses to study.

1. There are 3 entrances: the Main Gate (1), the Side Gate (9), and the Covered Bridge (23).

2. The walls could be climbed in dry weather. Alternatively, the PC learns a possible climbing route to any one window.

3. The Gate Guards change every 2 hours.

4. The Gate Guards check every cart, bag, and person entering. No weapons, spellbooks, wands, lanterns, or torches are permitted inside the castle.

5. The Gate Guards are diligent, but terrified of the Black Endoguard. The Guard Barracks (16) house both the Black Endoguard and the Gate Guards.

6. The Gate Guards know most of the usual servants by sight and name.

7. Food is delivered at sunrise and sunset. Candles are delivered at sunset. The gates are locked after sunset, but the Covered Bridge is merely guarded.

8. Formal visitors and clergy enter by the Main Gate. Servants enter by the Side Gate. The Covered Bridge does not seem to be used frequently.

9. Pilgrims gather in the square in front of the White Cathedral and wait for the Archpriest to appear. He has not appeared in public for months.

10. The Main Gate and Side Gate can be sealed with iron portcullises.

Alternatively, if PC spends 4 hours studying the castle and walking around it they can produce a sketch of the exterior (pg. 29).

18

NPCs IN THE CASTLE

People passing in and out of the castle that the PCs could possibly follow, grab, convert, impersonate, or bribe for information. Their daily schedules are on pp. 15–16.

CARDINAL DELVER

Appearance: Old, spindly. Crooked nose. Scarlet robes. Voice: Soft, calm, soothing, sighing. Wants: To protect the Archpriest and the Church. Morality: Fossilized ambition. Pious, but too old to be angry about anything. Afraid of dying in disgrace. Intelligence: Appears dim and foggy. Is smarter than everyone, including the PCs. Stats: as a Noble. Has a magic ring that shoots golden rays of fire (as magic missile, d10+1 charges). Apartment: A1 (pg. 12)

The Archpriest’s oldest friend and closest ally. Immensely rich, very wise, and, in his younger days, completely unscrupulous. If he catches a whiff the PCs are up to something, he will alert Gertrude the Laundress or the Black Endoguard.

CARDINAL GOMSTEAD

Appearance: Jolly, face like a boiled ham. Scarlet robes. Voice: Booming. Shouts questions. Wants: To be the Archpriest one day. Not picky about the method. A rising star with everything to lose. Morality: None. Intelligence: Smarter than a peasant, but duller than Cardinal Deliver, and he knows it. Stats: As a Noble. Apartment: A2 (pg. 12)

If he thinks the PCs are thieves, or assassins sent for him, he’ll raise utter havoc. If he thinks they are here to assassinate the Archpriest, he will ignore them. If he discovers they are going to kidnap the Archpriest, he’ll dispatch Father Boswick or Henry of Bonk to follow the PCs and learn their plan. In a pinch, he’ll murder the Archpriest himself and blame the PCs.

CARDINAL ZORN

Appearance: middle years, placid, flat face. Scarlet robes. Voice: Slow, heavily accented. Wants: To be Archpriest one day through natural attrition. Morality: The tidal kind. It comes and it goes. Intelligence: Literate, studious, and skeptical. Stats: As a Noble. Apartment: A3 (pg. 12)

The model of moderation, politeness, and calm. Holds an uncontroversial position on every topic. Can talk for hours without actually saying anything. Will not stop the PCs unless they actively endanger him, but will not aid them.

FATHER BOSWICK

Appearance: Fat, sleepy, pale, and speckled. Voice: Booming laugh, no sense of moderation. Wants: Wine, women, song, soft sheets, and long naps. Morality: Fuzzy, but can stammer out a few prayers. Intelligence: Clouded, but not idiotic. Stats: As a Servant.

Father Boswick directs a dozen very minor offices and departments in the Church. He is a friend to everyone, a jolly, stumbling figure too comical and harmless to hate. He would never act against the Church, but he lives immoderately. Every day brings some new debauch. Always has idio utterly cowed Servants following him to wait on his every need.

FATHER LUPIN

Appearance: Young, bearded, sallow skin. Black robes. Voice: Polite, educated, concerned. Wants: To protect the Church and eliminate heretics. Morality: Pious to a fault, and blinded by it. Intelligence: Brilliant student of scripture. Completely ignorant of the world. Stats: As a Servant.

A general assistant within the castle, Father Lupin debates scripture, answers letters, and assists with services. He won’t notice if the PCs are carrying a sword or a severed head, but he will immediately spot anyone impersonating a priest if they deviate even slightly from doctrine or the correct rituals. His solution to any problem is to run to the nearest Cardinal.

FATHER OSMUND

Appearance: Grim, old, tired. Black robes, stubble. Voice: Quick, mumbled, bitter. Wants: To protect the Church, to avoid young people, women, bright colours, laughter, and soldiers. Morality: Pious but bad-tempered. Intelligence: Sharp tongued, rude, but incisive. Once he’s seen the “truth”, he will never deviate from it, even if presented with proof. Stats: As a Servant.

Confessor to the Archpriest, Father Osmund has heard it all. His head is so full of secrets that, if he wanted to, he could topple anyone in Thule with a few words. He relishes that power so much he’d never use it, for fear of diminishing his own self-declared importance as the moral bedrock of the Church. He hates everyone.

20

SERVANT: JOHN THE COOK

Appearance: Thin, meticulous. Bulging eyes. Voice: On the edge of shrieking. Wants: Recognition, rare ingredients, control of his staff. Morality: Pious, but could snap and kill dozens at any time. Intelligence: Masterful chef, ignorant of everything else. Stats: As a Servant.

The head of the castle kitchens. Hasn’t slept in days. Constantly fears poisoners and spies. Abuses his staff and shrieks at anything out of the ordinary. Will shout orders in a long string. Loathes Father Osmund for no reason.

SERVANT: GERTRUDE THE LAUNDRESS Appearance: Matronly, severe, well-scrubbed. Smells faintly of soap and lavender. Voice: Bellows commands, but soft in conversation. Wants: To protect the Church. Morality: Rock solid faith and devotion to duty. Intelligence: Brilliant. An astonishingly skillful liar. Stats: as a Servant with combat skills and a hidden dagger.

Gertrude is in charge of the castle laundry. She is also, secretly, one of the Church’s most potent and skilled spies. She will protect the Archpriest with her life. Her only flaw is that she trust no one. She will handle matters personally, or send her laundry-maids (stats as Servants) to sow confusion or disrupt the PCs.

SERVANT: HUBERT THE BUTLER

Appearance: Scarred, like a lump of old cork. Dour. Voice: Harsh accent, unsympathetic. Wants: Peace and calm. To crush uprisings. Morality: A soldier’s views, tempered by long service. Intelligence: Clever. Good with numbers. Stats: as a Gate Guard.

A veteran of dozens of wars, and head of all the castle’s servants and accounts. A powerful man, more akin to a chancellor than a valet or waiter. Fears for the Archpriest’s life, but can only protect against conventional threats.

SERVANT: RUTH THE CLEANER

Appearance: Very young, thin, blonde, angular, and dirty. Voice: Almost too soft to be heard. Wants: A better life. To serve the Church. Morality: Pious but easily lead. Intelligence: Slow, but tries very hard. Stats: as a Servant.

Ruth always seems to blunder into things at the wrong time. She will cry if things go awry, and cannot be trusted with complex tasks. She works for Livia.

21

GATE GUARD: HENRY OF BONK

Appearance: Stringy hair, a few teeth. A patchwork. Voice: Whistling, mocking.

Wants: To go home. To get rich. To meet a beautiful woman who will ravish him to pieces.

Morality: Nothing but fear and coin keeps him honest. Intelligence: Murderous, short-sighted cunning. Stats: As a Guard.

If the PCs go after a guard, chances are good it will be one of these two. Henry is a decent replacement PC (as a Fighter or a Thief) and can be bribed. Henry’s desires change every few hours, but they can be manipulated.

GATE GUARD: LOUIS

Appearance: Sturdy, with a beard and small eyes. Voice: Gruff, slow.

Wants: To go home to his family. To be promoted.

Morality: Honest and pious.

Intelligence: Smart enough to trick and trap the PCs. Stats: As a Guard.

He’s seen every trick in the book, from the Fake Washerwoman to the Doctor Shuffle. He will pretend to accept bribes, reveal all to Cardinal Deliver, and then lead the PCs into a deadly trap.

THE ARCHPRIEST

Appearance: Round, calm, deeply concerned, serious. Voice: Soft, polite.

Wants: See below.

Morality: See below.

Intelligence: Smart enough to turn any situation to his advantage, given half a chance.

Stats: As a Noble.

The “default” Archpriest for this module is an older man, steeped in service to the Church, wise in diplomacy, furious in his letters, practical, pious, and unflappable. He has no vices and no weak points. He is essentially baggage.

If you want to complicate matters, roll on the Archpriest Vice table below.

D6 ARCHPRIEST VICE
1	Decadence. Larks boiled in honey, pearls dissolved in wine, gold leaf and good living.
2	Women. 1d4 concubines in room (48) at all times.
3	Vanity. Multiple paintings of self, cannot resist flattery.
4	Rage. Picks arguments, throws things, lose composure at the slightest sign of defiance.
5	Greed. Despite his vast wealth, covets more land, more gold, more power, and more obedience. Always grasping.
6	Paranoia. Believes everyone is an assassin. Carries a concealed weapon, sleeps with one eye open, always has an escape plan the PCs haven’t predicted.

LOOT

The Archpriest’s rings and tokens of office are worth 300gp. He keeps the key to the treasury (27) on his belt, but will throw them in the river, out a window, or down a privy if he is captured.

22

THE BLACK ENDOGUARD

Appearance: huge men in beetle-black armour. Masks. Smell like meat and violence. They move like avalanches. Voice: Quiet barbarian chatter, heavily accented shouting. They only speak a few words anyone can understand. Mostly commands. Wants: To serve and protect the Archpriest. Morality: Utterly barbaric but unshakably loyal. Free of corruption but happy to slaughter the innocent and the guilty alike. Intelligence: Cunning, but not clever. Stats: As a Black Endoguard

Day and night, the Black Endoguard march through the streets of Thule. They see no crimes, they guard no paths. They march for effect, and to remind the people of the terrible violence they will unleash at the merest word from the Archpriest.

THE SWORD OF THE CHURCH

The Black Endoguard are designed to scare the hell out of your PCs. They are like medieval Terminator units: they can’t be bargained with, they can’t be reasoned with, and they will not stop, ever, until you – or they – are dead.

If your setting has Paladins, the Black Endoguard are Paladins, and they will smite the wicked and the unworthy. Alternatively, make them undead, or automatons, or bound demons in iron shells. A one-on-one fight should be very challenging for a combat-oriented PC and certain death for a non-combatant.

NPC STATS

These stats are general guidelines. The GM should very rarely need to reference them during play – improvised stats are completely fine for this type of module.

SERVANT

In Combat: no challenge at all for a PC. To Deceive: moderate challenge for a PC. Armor: none. Possibly even negative armour. Hit Dice: o (1 HP) Move: Normal Morale: 5 Damage: 1d3, or 1d6 if they have an actual weapon.

GATE GUARD

In Combat: two or three are equal to a trained fighter. To Deceive: difficult challenge for a PC. Armor: leather Hit Dice: 1 (1d6 HP) Move: Normal Morale: 8 Damage: 1d6. Throwing axes, spears, swords, pikes.

NOBLE

In Combat: no challenge at all for a PC. To Deceive: very difficult challenge for a PC. Armour: none, or possibly concealed leather. Hit Dice: 2 (2d6 HP) Move: Normal Morale: 8 Damage: 1d6. Daggers, mostly. Some carry swords.

BLACK ENDOGUARD

In Combat: even one is serious trouble for the PCs. To Deceive: possible to bluff but not to convince. Armour: plate Hite Dice: 3 (3d6 HP, minimum 8 HP) Move: Normal, Normal x1.5 while charging or chasing Morale: 12 Damage: 1d6 punching, 1d8 sword or axe, 1d8+2 two-handed axe strike.

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NPC SUMMARY

ISAAC BACTERIAN (PG. 5) Sly, reserved. Recruits the PCs on behalf of His Dread Majesty.

HIS DREAD MAJESTY, GULFREY II (PG. 5) Ruler of the Immortal Capital. Distant, wealthy and vengeful.

THE ARCHPRIEST, THOMAS I (PG. 5, 22) Head of the Church. The PC’s target. Leaving Thule for the Impenetrable Fortress of Bonk in two days.

THE BLACK ENDOGUARD (PG. 23) Murderous foreign mercenaries.

THE SOBER MONK INN

JOHN THE STOUT (PG. 8) Owns the Inn. Jealous, dutiful.

ALICE (PG. 8) Wife of John. Having an affair with Thormund. Bored.

THORMUND (PG. 8) Having an affair with Alice. Delivers candles to the Castle of St. Logan. Cardinal Deliver’s illegitimate son.

CONTACTS

BERTRAND THE GROCER (PG. 9) Rich, supplies food to the Castle.

LIVIA (PG. 9) Madame, supplies the priests and cardinals. Employs Ruth.

OLEG THE WISE (PG. 9) Decrepit knowledge broker.

GATE GUARDS

HENRY OF BONK (PG. 22) Stringy, corrupt, fearful, leering.

LOUIS (PG. 22) Staunch, pious, more cunning than he looks.

CARDINALS

CARDINAL DELVER (PG. 19) Old, spindly, calm, cunning.

CARDINAL GOMSTEAD (PG. 19) Jolly, greasy, overbearing, ambitious.

CARDINAL ZORN (PG. 19) Placid, polite, skeptical.

PRIESTS

FATHER BOSWICK (PG. 20) Corrupt, dull, friendly.

FATHER LUPIN (PG. 20) Pious, focused, sheltered.

FATHER OSMUND (PG. 20) The Archpriest’s confessor. Bitter, old, tired.

SERVANTS

JOHN THE COOK (PG. 21) Sleepless, manic, on the edge of collapse.

GERTRUDE THE LAUNDRESS (PG. 21) Secret spy for the Church. Fanatically loyal. Matronly.

HUBERT THE BUTLER (PG. 21) Head of the castle’s servants and accounts. Scarred, unsympathetic, clever.

RUTH THE CLEANER (PG. 21) Thin, quiet, pious, and slow. Works for Livia.

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THE CITY OF THULE

25

EXECUTION

Equipped with some ideas, gear, or sense of purpose, the PCs must now enter the Castle of St. Logan, find the Archpriest, and escape.

THE PROBLEM

The Castle is heavily guarded, full of activity, and very difficult to infiltrate.

SOLUTIONS

The PCs should have a plan by now. If they are stuck, introduce some of the schemes listed here.

INTERIOR OF THE CASTLE

There are 3 levels to the Castle. The Archpriest spends most of his time on the third, uppermost level.

Rooms are described in the barest possible terms, as the PCs probably won’t be spending their time admiring the decorations.

Room Key

NPCs: who is in the room, and when. Day: Hour or Hours. (Example: D1: 6-10 is Day 1, Hours 6 to 10 inclusive) Loot: what the PCs could grab in under 5 minutes. Double all values or add other treasure after a thorough search.

If you want to add Complications or Twists, see pp. 44-45.

LESSONS AND DESIGN

The interior of the Castle of St. Logan is not designed like a typical dungeon. Rooms are meant to be sprinted through, not explored at leisure. Starting one noisy fight means bringing every guard, servant, and priest running. The Castle is a living structure, full of overworked servants, manic cooks, scheming Cardinals, and watchful guards. PCs must execute their plan, survive any challenges, and escape with the Archpriest in their custody… or at the very least, a bunch of loot and a good story.

SCHEMES

A competent thief, assassin, or diplomat could sell the PCs any of the following schemes for 5-20gp each, depending on how desperate the PCs are and the quality of the scheme. Alternatively, drop a few hints if the PCs are stuck. Names are anachronistic.

ENTRANCES

THE SHUFFLE

Requires: disguise, intimate knowledge of an insider’s life. Plan: PC impersonates someone an insider (usually a Cardinal) wants to see but has not met (a debtor, a blackmailer, an assassin). PC is invited in and treated well. Flaw: difficult to maintain role with limited information.

FREE CLIMB

Requires: rope, clothing the colour of the Castle. Plan: knock out guards on the walls. One PC climbs to a window, lowers rope for other PCs. Flaw: picking the right window is critical.

PROCESSIONAL

Requires: priest disguises, access to the White Cathedral. Plan: join procession returning to the Castle after the service on Day 2. PCs must hope to pass unnoticed. Flaw: will not avoid suspicion once inside the Castle.

MESSENGER

Requires: perfect disguise, forged seals, real panic. Plan: deliver an urgent message to a Cardinal. Flaw: only gets one PC inside.

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GRABS

CURED HAM

Requires: firewood, special chemicals, bribes. Plan: replace actual firewood shipment with treated firewood. Ideally, PC will feed logs into fire(s) themselves. Acrid smoke results after 1 hr. Smoke fills building, Archpriest evacuates along Covered Bridge, PCs grab him. Flaw: very expensive, requires precise timing.

THE MASTERPIECE

Requires: paint, easel, disguises, bribes. Plan: PCs disguise themselves as a famous painter (and retinue), paid to paint the Archpriest as he departs. All they need is a suitable vantage point to get the preliminary sketches. Rooms (29), (41), or (49) might do. Flaws: PCs must flatter and possibly paint. They cannot stay for more than a few hours.

THE HOOK

Requires: an Archpriest disguise, bribes, a fast horse. Plan: PCs pretend to be spotted by guards while putting a false Archpriest on a horse. Secondary distractions ensue. Alarm is raised, pursuit initiated. In confusion, second team enters via windows, grabs real Archpriest, disguises him, exits as part of their own pursuit. Flaw: chaotic situation can easily shift to trap the PCs.

THE AMBASSADOR

Requires: outlandish costumes, bribes, large chest full of rocks. Plan: arrive at main gate with pomp and ceremony. Translator says an ambassador from some unlikely land has arrived, wants to meet Archpriest in private, give large donation of fabulous treasure. If meeting is arranged, eliminate guards, remove rocks from chest, put Archpriest in chest, storm out in a huff before anyone catches on. Flaw: falls apart if chest is examined.

Exits

ADMIRAL NELSON

Requires: a barrel, ropes, disguises.
Plan: get the Archpriest into the barrel and roll him out the Side Gate like he’s a barrel of bad wine.
Flaws: the Archpriest is fragile.

ANNIE TAYLOR

Requires: a barrel, rope, boat. Plan: get the Archpriest into a barrel and chuck him in the river. Fish him out and row away. Flaws: the Archpriest is fragile, cannot swim.

SHERIFF BART

Requires: dagger, Archpriest disguise, other disguise. Plan: disguise one PC as the Archpriest, disguise real Archpriest as a wounded servant, take the false Archpriest hostage and escape in the confusion. False Archpriest and hostage-taker ditch disguises and escape out window. Flaws: false Archpriest and hostage-taker are in great danger even if all goes well.

THE ITALIAN JOB

Requires: a wheelbarrow with good suspension and a very strong, very fast person to push it.
Plan: A straight-up sprint out of the building, with the Archpriest in the barrow, before anyone can stop you. Flaws: miss a step or run into a guard and it’s all over.

27

TREASURES

Sometimes, gold is not enough. PC can loot these items deliberately or accidentally. Include at least one whenever the PCs risk their lives and their plan for wealth.

TREASURES OF THE ARCHPRIEST

1	Ring of Truth. Allows the wearer to see deliberate spoken lies as smoke and ash. Distressing to wear. Most people lie all the time.
2	Stole of Shouting. A long embroidered silk scarf worn over the shoulders. Wearer’s voice is amplified. Cannot whisper.
3	Mechanical Birds. Gold nest with tiny chirping gold birds. Wound up with a key. Gemstone eyes.
4	Scandalous Letters. Enough to bring down a king. Not His Dread Majesty, of course, but some other, lesser, king.
5	Orb of Disaster. Whoever holds this grey metal orb will never know fear or doubt.
6	Relic-Finding Wand. Branch from the first tree. Points to the nearest holy relic.
7	Flaming Sword. Not one of the modern imitations. The real thing. Makes a noise like a rock concert in a railway tunnel.
8	Apocalyptic Tome. Page after page of fully functional rituals and horrible illustrations. Bound in angel skin.
9	Red Gloves. Impervious to all damage. Could hold a blue-white flame or corrosive slime.
10	Map Across the Seas. Results of a secret mission to unknown lands. Hastily scrawled, badly mangled. Are those teeth marks?
11	Key to Hell. One of many. Any door unlocked opens into Hell. The door isn’t harmed but nearby objects may ignite or freeze.
12	Manuscript Elimination Cube. Metal box. While a manuscript is inside, all copies of the work go blank, vanish, burn, or become illegible.
13	Conditional Lens. Small glass disc. Reveals current afterlife destination of anyone viewed through it. Viewer loses 1 HP permanently per use.
14	Legate Ring. Not magical, but with the right outfit you can use it as a passport and bargaining chip.
15	Tablet Dust. Glass vial. Person or object sprinkled with the dust must obey all laws (divine and natural) for 10 hours. 40 uses.
16	Lance of Victory. Bronze, ancient. Anyone carrying it desires generalship. They will win 1 major battle no matter the odds, then die.
17	Silver Coins. In a plain black bag. Anyone paid with them (all the coins, willingly), will obey one command of the person paying them.
18	Matched Sapphires. Thumb-sized, flawless, identical. Look through one and see out the other.
19	Horn. Small, wrinkled, grey. Gold mouthpiece with a leather handle. Shatters stone when blown, but damages the wielder.
20	Letter of Excommunication. Signed and ready for use. The name and date are blank.

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CASTLE EXTERIOR

29

30

1. MAIN GATEHOUSE

Iron gates. No ornaments, no statues. Small room above gate with just enough space for one guard.

NPCs: 2+1d4 Gate Guards on duty at all times.

2. HALL OF ST. LOGAN

Across a short bridge and into the castle itself. Gold-coated statues loom. An explosion of colour, wealth, and opulence. Designed to impress.

Loot: in the alcoves. 3 gold icons (15gp each) and 3 silver candlesticks (1gp each).

NPCs: Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 24. D2: 1,8.

3. RECEPTION ROOM

A carved nook. Sturdy wooden door that is often left open. Scrolls, ledgers, and candles. Official visitors report here, are directed or assigned guides.

NPCs: _i__d_4 Servants at all times.

Father Lupin: D1: 6-10, 13-17, 20-21. D2: 6-10, 12-13. D3: 3.

Hubert the Butler: D1: 11-12, 18-19.

4. FIRST LANDING

Wide but shallow marble stairs with ancient floor tiles. Opulent but very heavy wall hangings. Two large oil lamps on the walls. Locked wooden door to Donative Hall (7).

NPCs: Father Osmund: D2: 13.

John the Cook: D1: 24.

Hubert the Butler: D1: 7-9.

5. SECOND LANDING

Wide but shallow marble stairs with ancient floor tiles. More heavy wall hangings. A few icons. Unlocked wooden door to Dining Hall (14).

Loot: 2 small gold icons (1gp each)

NPCs: 1 Servant, cleaning the tiles or running errands at all times.

6. THIRD LANDING

Wide but shallow marble stairs with ancient floor tiles. Grand statues of saints, angels, devils, and pagan figures. A miscellany. Several spaces to hide. Small but very ornate locked iron door leads to Guard Barracks (16). NPCS: Father Osmund: D1: 18. D2: 8.

7. DONATIVE HALL

Narrow, lined with curiosities, wonders, and offerings. A chapel to tacky opulence. Only unlocked for wealthy visitors or bored Cardinals. Loot: 2d100gp per PC

31

8. THE FIRST ARC

A low, cold, and slightly damp stone passage. Barrels of wine, sacks of flour, stacks of tools kept in racks, secured with chains. Open at both ends.
NPCs: if you aren’t sure where a servant should be and you urgently need to know, put them here.

9. THE SIDE GATEHOUSE

Iron gates. No ornaments, no statues. A low, cramped gate. Smells like burnt meat and soap. NPCs: 2+1d4 Gate Guards on duty at all times. Queue of 1d10 servants, daily, 6-10, 14-18.

10. THE KITCHENS

Steam, fire, burning meat, boiling water. Bowls of eggs, buckets of dough, panic, fear, and stress. Everything is on the edge of disaster. Obvious secret door to Dining Hall (15).

NPCs: Day: 10 Servants. Night: 1d4 Servants.

John the Cook: D1: 6-11, 13-20. D2: 2-11, 16-22, 24. D3: 3-5.

Father Boswick: D2: 24.

Gertrude the Laundress: D1: 20. D2: 20.

Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 17. D2: 17.

11. THE PANTRY

Subdivided by flimsy wooden walls. Full of stacked cheese, dried meat, barrels of wine, bunches of grapes, and vats of oil. Chickens hang from the ceiling. NPCs: Day: 2 Servants. Night: empty. Father Boswick: D1: 12-13. D2: 12-13. Hubert the Butler. D1: 11.

12. SERVANT QUARTERS

Sweat, rags, bickering, straw, fleas, and sleeping servants in heaps. No privacy or sanitation. Everyone is exhausted. Locked iron door behind a stack of rags leads to Guard Dining Hall (17). Only opens at mealtimes. NPCs: Day 1d4 Servants. Night: 10 Servants. Father Boswick: D1: 19. John the Cook: D1: 21-22. D3: 1, 6. Gertrude the Laundress: D1: 6-10, 19. D2: 1-10, 19. D3: 2-3. Hubert the Butler: D1: 23. Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 6-7. D2: 2-7. D3: 2-6.

13. SERVING STAIRS

Narrow, dark, well worn, almost a ramp. Leads to (38). NPCs: 1 Gate Guard at the top (38) at all times. Usually quite bored or asleep. Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 12-14.

14. THE LAUNDRY

Soap, hot water, vats of cloth and drying racks. The “everyday” linen is sent out for cleaning. This is for special, rare, delicate, or constantly used items. NPCs: 1d4 laundry-maids (as Servants). Gertrude the Laundress: D1: 12-18. D2: 12-18. D3: 4-6.

15. MAIN DINING HALL

Wooden tables, pewter dishes, the sound of people talking with their mouths full. A high arched ceiling. Unlocked wooden door to Second Landing (5), secret door behind wall hanging to The Kitchens (10). NPCs: Cardinal Zorn: D1: 12. Father Lupin: D1: 19. D2: 11, 21. Father Osmund: D1: 12. D2: 12. Hubert the Butler: D1: 14, 20. D2: 13, 20. Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 18-20.

32

16. GUARD BARRACKS

Full of tables, beds, benches, debris, and guards. Laughing, gambling, sleeping. The Black Endoguard stay alert, removing their helmets only to eat. Small but very ornate locked iron door leads to Third Landing (6). Wooden door leads to the Second Walk (21). NPCs: 2d6 Gate Guards, 5 Black Endoguard, at all times. Cardinal Gomstead: D3: 4.

17. GUARD DINING HALL

Long wooden tables, grease stains. Locked iron door to Servant Quarters (12). Only opens at mealtimes. NPCs: Usually deserted, but at mealtimes, the guards will migrate from (15) to (16). A very lazy old dog, at all times.

18. THE GALLERY OF SAINTS

A long hall, slopes slightly upwards. Red marble floors and a high arched ceiling. Statues of saints, past Archpriests, and other worthies on every surface. Lots of places to hide, lots of places to climb. Secret door behind the statue of St. Logan leads to (20) (to allow for hasty escapes). NPCs: John the Cook: D2: 1. Father Boswick, Cardinal Delver: D2: 3. Gertrude the Laundress: D1: 11. D2: 11.

19. THE GRAND STAIRCASE

Very broad, steep stairs leading upwards. Dark stone, pitted and worn. Utterly ancient. Signs of long-forgotten battles. No cover or places to hide. Leads to (24). NPCs: John the Cook. D2: 23. Father Lupin, Hubert the Butler: D3: 4.

20. THE LOWER CHAPEL

Cramped, full of pillars, pews, and candlesticks. Smells of incense. Secret passage behind a false pillar leads to (18). Loot: Altar furnishings (20gp)
NPCs: Father Lupin, Father Boswick: D1: 11.
Father Osmund, Gertrude the Laundress, Hubert the Butler: D1: 21. D2: 21.
Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 15-16. D2: 15-16. D3: 1.

21. GUARD ROOM

A carved nook with a table and bed. A wooden door that can be locked but rarely is. NPCs: 1_d_4 Gate Guards at all times.

22. THE SECOND ARC

A low, cold, and slightly damp stone passage. Wooden doors at both ends. Used mostly by guards and servants.

23. THE COVERED BRIDGE

A long bridge with a tile roof, narrow and fortified, designed to allow the Archpriest to escape his many enemies. Used only by the clergy. Leads to the White Cathedral (pg. 12). Secured by an ornate wooden door that can be flimsily barred.

33

LEVEL 2

34

24. UPPER PROMENADE

A long, bent, and ancient hall, built and rebuilt many times. It curves back to the Grand Writing Room (29). The stonework is loose in many places. Wooden door to the East Lookout (25). NPCs: Hubert the Butler: D2: 23. Ruth the Cleaner: D2: 18-19.

25. EAST LOOKOUT

Large windows provide a clear view of the city. Benches for resting and discussing theological topics. A small shrine, a pitcher of water, some flowers. Wooden door to the Upper Promenade (24). NPCs: Cardinal Gomstead, Hubert the Butler: D1: 13. Father Boswick: D2: 10-11. Two Gate Guards in an illegal romance: each night, 22-24.

26. THE VICTORY GARDEN

NPCs: Cardinal Delver, Hubert the Butler: D2: 19.

Father Boswick: D2: 6.

Hubert the Butler: D2: 22.

27. THE TREASURY

Three locked and bolted iron doors. Only the Archpriest and Hubert the Butler have keys. Opening the doors without flicking a secret switch causes alarm bells to ring via a convoluted system of water, wheels, and pulleys. Inside, gold. Gold in sacks, gold in piles, gold in silver trays. Not as much as you might expect, but more than the PCs have ever seen.

Loot: 100gp per PC per minute spent stuffing pockets, sacks, or wheelbarrows. Be sure to check encumbrance. NPCs: Hubert the Butler: D2: 12.

28. THE LIBRARY

Dry air, black chains. Books chained to their shelves. At least a hundred volumes. There is an entrance to the Treasury, but the iron door is locked and secured with chains. The other entrances have two wooden doors that are locked at night, but everyone has keys. Loot: each book is worth 1d100 gp, but they are bulky and fragile. NPCs: Father Osmund: D1: 6-10. D2: 4-10. D3: 4-5. Father Boswick: D1: 22. D2: 21.

29. THE GRAND WRITING ROOM

Large window, view of the city, the river, and the bridge. Desks for writing. Ink and parchment. Often used for formal or informal discussions. Cozy. Two wooden doors to the Library (28), locked at night. NPCs: Cardinal Deliver: D1: 10-14. Cardinal Gomstead: D1: 14. D2: 19-20. Cardinal Zorn: D1: 13-17 D2: 19-20. D3: 5. Father Lupin: D1: 18. D2: 19. John the Cook: D1: 23. D3: 2.

35

30. FORMAL DINING HALL

Beautiful wood tables, ornate gold plate in the sideboards, wall hangings, bowls of nuts. Loot: 100gp in gold plate, knives, serving bowls. Cardinal Deliver, Father Lupin: D1: 12. Father Boswick: D1:11, D2: 19-20. 3 Servants: D1:11.

31. STAIRS TO THE ARCHPRIEST’S APARTMENTS (LEVEL 3)

White marble, cool, smooth. Immaculate. NPCs: not visible from the bottom, but there is always a Black Endoguard at the top (42). NPCs: Hubert the Butler: D2: 7-8.D3: 5

32. THE SHRINE OF ST. LOGAN

Two tall windows of coloured glass, and a large statue of St. Logan against the far wall. A small round table in the centre, used for formal discussions that might take hours or days. Usually, negotiating surrenders or excommunications.

NPCS: Cardinal Gomstead, Hubert the Butler: D3: 3 Father Osmund: D2: 20 Hubert the Butler: D2: 9 Ruth the Cleaner: D2: 9, 20

33. PRIVIES.

Room for six. Empties into a cesspool near the base of the Castle. A very slender person could crawl down, but then they’d be trapped unless someone opened the hatch from the outside. Wooden door with leather trim (to keep the smell down).

NPCs: if you aren’t sure where a Priest or Cardinal should be and you urgently need to know, put them here.

34. ROOM OF FATHER LUPIN

Wooden door, latched but not locked. Plain. A small bed, a table, a plain icon, and small and nearly empty closet. NPCs: Father Lupin: D1: 22-24. D2: 1-5, 23-24. D3: 1-2 Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 8. D2: 10.

35. ROOM OF FATHER OSMUND

Wooden door, latched but not locked. Ordered. A small bed, a well-made table, a gold icon, and a soft chair. Loot: 1 gold icon (15gp) NPCs: Father Osmund: D1: 22-24. D2: 1-2, 22-24. D3: 1-2. Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 9. D2: 11.

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36. ROOM OF FATHER BOSWICK Wooden door with a new, well-made lock. Disordered. Large bed, fine furniture, small barrels of wine and pickled herring. NPCs: Father Boswick: D1: 6-10, 14-16, 23-24. D2: 1-5, 22-23. D3: 1-5. Servant (in a compromising position), every night, 22-24. Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 10. D2: 12.

37. ROOM OF HUBERT THE BUTLER

Iron and wood door, old but sturdy lock. Ordered. Writing desk, candles, ledgers. Sword hidden under mattress. NPCs: Hubert the Butler: D1: 6, 24. D2: 1-6, 24. D3: 1-2. Ruth the Cleaner: D1: 11. D2: 13.

38. SERVING STAIRS.

36. SERVING STARS. Narrow hall to the Victory Garden (26). Locked iron door to the Treasury (27). NPCs: 1 Gate Guard at the top at all times. Usually quite bored or asleep. Father Boswick: D2: 7. John the Cook: D2: 14-15.

37. PRIVATE CHAPEL Unlocked wooden door, kept closed. Very ornate carvings inside. Incense, candles, and velvet. Large coloured window, but too small for the wall around it. Loot: 3 gold icons (15 gp each) and 3 silver candlesticks (1 gp each). NPCs: Cardinals Deliver, Gomstead, Zorn: D1: 11. D2: 11. Father Osmund: D1: 11. D2: 11. Father Lupin: D2: 22.

38. THE RELIC HALL Shelves of relics awaiting verification or distribution. The most valuable are kept in locked chests. Small round window at the end. Rarely used. Easy to hide, but the shelves are very rickety and could collapse at any moment. Loot: 1d100 gp worth of relics per PC. If 100 is rolled, instead, the relic is worth 1,000 gp. NPCs: Father Osmund: D1: 14-16. Father Boswick: D1: 20.

41. THE OLD MAUSOLEUM

The tomb of some ancient worthy from the dawn of the church. Impossible to move for doctrinal reasons. It’s a rough stone sarcophagus, undecorated, lit by candles at all times, even when light comes streaming in from the window. Three people could fit inside. The sarcophagus is empty.

NPCS: Father Lupin, Father Boswick: D3: 6. Hubert the Butler: D1: 16, 17. D2: 10, 11. D3: 6. Ruth the Cleaner: D2: 14.

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42. THE HEART OF THE CHURCH A branching room. An iron door to the south, usually unlocked, but with a heavy bar on the inside. NPCs: 1x Black Endoguard waits on the east side at all times. He has a bench and a small table with food. Even when the guards change, the Black Endoguards never leave the stair unwatched, even for a second.

43. THE ARCHPRIEST’S CHAPEL A cathedral in miniature. Surrounded by windows, but the windows are barred. Everything that is not coloured glass is gold or encrusted with gems or hung with rich tapestries. Loot: 20 gp per PC per minute spent stuffing pockets, sacks, or wheelbarrows. NPCs: Archpriest: D1: 10-11, 18, 20-24. D2: 5, 11, 20-21. D3: 4. Cardinals Delver: D1: 18. D2: 20. Cardinal Zorn: D1: 18. Father Lupin: D2: 20.

44. THE ARCHPRIEST’S PRIVY Empties down via very narrow pipes. Cunningly designed by master architects to carry no smells upwards if rinsed with water. Immaculate. Even has a marble bathing pool. NPCs: if you aren’t sure where the Archpriest should be and you urgently need to know, put him here.

45. THE GALLERY OF REFLECTION

Small windows. A room for private meetings, small plans, and dangerous plots. Shelves with rare books. A desk with writing tools. Loot: each book is worth 1d100 gp, but they are bulky and fragile. NPCs: Archpriest: D1: 12, 17, 19-20. D2: 10, 17-19. Cardinal Gomstead: D1: 12. D2: 10. Father Osmund: D1: 19-20. D2: 19. Hubert the Butler: D1: 10, 22.

46. THE PETITIONER’S HALL A room for those who must wait: servants, Cardinals, ambassadors, penitents. Stone benches, somber statues. NPCS: John the Cook: D1: 12. D2: 12-13.

47. THE ARCHPRIEST’S STUDY Bare. For the composition of difficult letters or the chastisement of difficult Cardinals. Contains a desk and a confessional booth. Loot: Contains several Treasures (pg. 28). NPCs: Archpriest: D1: 13-16, 21. D2: 12-16. D3: 3. Cardinals Delver, Gomstead, Zorn: D2: 12-13. Father Osmund: D1: 13. D3: 3. Father Boswick: D1: 21.

48. THE ARCHPRIEST’S BEDCHAMBER Enormously plush bed, gold icons, chests full of robes, gold, rare books. Secret passage behind a wall hanging leads to (49). Loot: 40 gp per PC per minute spent stuffing pockets, sacks, or wheelbarrows. NPCs: Archpriest: D1: 6-9. D2: 3-4, 6-9, 22-23. D3: 1-2

49. THE ARCHPRIEST’S LOOKOUT For looking down on the crowd. Almost never used. White marble, blue tile. Contains a lectern, large windows, and a small stool. In the corner, almost carelessly tossed, is a staff of office. Loot: staff of office (30 gp, might be magic) NPCs: Archpriest: D3: 5. Cardinal Delver: D3: 5-6. Cardinal :Gomstead D3: 5-6. Cardinal Zorn: D3: 6.

50. THE COURTYARD Plants, birds, and barrels of earth. Ancient statues. A miniature garden, for the Archpriest only. He goes there only at night. Stone walls around the outside keep away prying eyes. NPCs: Archpriest: D2: 1-2. D2: 24. 2x Black Endoguard: D2: 1-2. D2: 24.

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ESCAPE

The PCs have either captured the Archpriest or failed utterly. In either case, they must escape.

THE PROBLEM

The PCs must move the Archpriest from the Castle of St. Logan to the Docks without being caught.

SOLUTIONS

The PCs may want to outrun any pursuit. The distances on the Main Map (pg. 25) show how quickly someone can run from one location to another.

The PCs may want to move stealthily. If their plan is good, and they managed to capture the Archpriest without being noticed by anyone, they may be able to escape unchallenged.

LESSONS AND DESIGN

This section of the module rewards the PCs for making quick choices under pressure and adapting to unexpected problems. The main peril is behind them; the danger now is that they might fail on the last few steps.

RUN! IT’S THE FUZZ!

If your system has rules for chase sequences, use those instead. Distances between locations are listed on the Main Map (pg. 25).

A good plan should involve an escape route. The PCs could map a perfect route, bribe people to create distractions, test experimental flying machines, etc. If they have a good plan, they can escape without ever rolling.

RAISING THE ALARM

Occurs at the GM’s discretion. The alarm is raised immediately if:

1. The PCs left a corpse somewhere visible in the Castle.

2. Someone saw the PCs remove the Archpriest.

3. There was a violent or noisy struggle inside the Castle.

Otherwise, someone will notice the Archpriest is missing in 1d6x5 minutes, unless the PCs have taken suitably cunning precautions. This could mean the PCs reach the docks and escape without anyone noticing their heist.

At first, the alarm is just shouting. A priest runs along the Covered Bridge. The bells begin to ring at the White Cathedral, and then every other church. Frantic, disharmonious. A cacophony of brass. The city is on high alert. Rumours spread wildly, but the content is mostly the same: the Archpriest has been kidnapped! (Or killed, or threatened. Depends on how the heist went). All foreigners are treated as suspects.

The river chains will be raised 5 minutes after the alarm is raised.

1 hour after the alarm is raised there will be riots. Shops will burn, people will be thrown into the river, and the city of Thule will descend into grief-stricken anarchy.

The PCs might still be able to escape, but the Angel Wings will depart when the riots start. There is an overland route to the Immortal Capital, but it takes at least 4 weeks and crosses several countries. Alternatively, the PCs can try to steal or buy a ship.

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ESCAPE ENCOUNTERS

Roll on the following tables every 5 minutes as the PCs escape. Ignore results that don’t make sense, given the PCs’ plan, disguises, route, etc. Add +2 to the roll if the alarm has been raised.

Describe what the PCs see, then ask them for their response. If they answer immediately, they have the initiative. If they hesitate or bicker or give contradictory answers, their enemies have the initiative. If the PCs are disguised or moving cautiously, these encounters do not need to be dangerous. Everyone can recognize the Archpriest by sight if he is wearing his formal robes. Servants and other riff-raff have a 1-in-6 chance of recognizing the Archpriest by his face alone. Nobles and Guards have a 3-in-6 chance. The Black Endoguard have a 5-in-6 chance.

DAYTIME ENCOUNTERS AT THE RIVER

1	An unusually large duck floats by. It looks surly and difficult to catch.
2	Squeaking, splashing, and barking in the distance. Then, a swarm of rats swims across the river while a pack of wild dogs barks on the other side, frustrated and tired. The rats will climb into the PCs boat but do no harm otherwise.
3	A pair of eel fishermen (as Servants) are arguing over a hole in their net. They are drifting aimlessly in the current.
4	This stretch of water is particularly odorous in the heat of the sun. PCs unaccustomed to city life may become nauseous.
5	The water swirls and twists here. A fully secured boat piloted at a leisurely pace is not in any danger, but a rickety boat or one piloted in haste might tip or sink.
6	2 Day Watchmen (as Gate Guards) are searching a boat on a small dock. If the alarm is raised, they will also motion for the PCs to come over and submit to an inspection. They are mostly looking for lunch or a bribe, but will react with appropriate pious hysterics if they spot the Archpriest or looted relics.
7	1 Day Watchman (as a Gate Guard), supremely bored, watching the river while eating a loaf of bread. If the PCs look unusual he will call them over. If the alarm is raised, almost anything could be suspicious behavior.
8	A huge barge full of fish, grain, or wood is trying to maneuver in the river. The donkey teams on either side have tangled their lead ropes. The entire river is blocked. The PCs must disembark and take the streets, climb over the barge, dragging their boat with them, or try a very risky run under the harness traces.
9	Floating debris in the river allows any pursuit, on the river itself or along the shore, to get much closer to the PCs.
10	A Black Endoguard on the end of a dock. Stands like a statue, radiating law and brutality. If the alarm has been raised, he will motion for the PCs to dock and leave the river. If they resist, he will follow them along the bank, shouting commands at top volume to his fellow Black Endoguards. 1d6 will appear every 5 minutes. The PCs will have to get out of the river at some point.

D10	NIGHTTIME ENCOUNTERS AT THE RIVER
1	A glimmer of eye-shine. Was that a dog, a very large rat, or something stranger? In any case, it does the PCs no harm, but might make them nervous.
2	A sudden splash as something slips into the river from the bank. There are ripples but nothing surfaces. It could have been a rock.
3	A sunken tree floats just under the surface. The PCs bump into it, causing their boat to rock precariously and potentially tip them or their cargo into the river.
4	Three young nobles indulge in some forbidden passion on a secluded part of the river bank. If the alarm is raised, only a boot and a few scraps of fabric will be left behind as they flee.
5	A pair of smugglers (as Servants) are hauling their slim boat onto the shore. They will ignore the PCs unless challenged. They are smuggling 100gp worth of silk. If the alarm has been raised, the smugglers are gone and their boat is empty.
6	A pair of very drunk Servants urinate into the water. If they spot the PCs, they will shout amusing but incomprehensible jokes and possibly throw rocks at them. They don’t care about the alarm.
7	A lone Night Watchman (as Gate Guard) scans the river with his lantern. If he spots the PCs, he will call over 2d6 other Night Watchmen with ropes and hooks and try to drag the boat to shore.
8	An unexpected rope barrier has been thrown across the river as a new way to deter smugglers. It is covered in sticky pitch but can easily be cut or lifted over a boat. Unless the PCs are very careful, they will be covered in smears of pitch, marring any disguise and making it difficult to perform delicate tasks.
9	4 Night Watchmen (as Gate Guards) in a boat are moored in the centre of the river. They wait in the darkness until the PCs approach, then spring into action, rowing furiously and casting hooks and ropes at the PCs. If the alarm has been raised, there is a second boat with 4 more Night Watchmen on the shore.
10	An unexpected sandbar, mud heap, or pile of debris stops the PCs. They can free themselves in 5 minutes (do not roll for additional encounters during that time), but if they cannot, they will need to swim to shore.

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DAYTIME ENCOUNTERS IN THE STREET

1	A small knot of urchins are poking a dead horse with a stick. They look at the PCs with deep suspicion.
2	A merchant’s cart has lost a wheel and blocks the road. Dozens of carts crowd around it. If the PCs are walking, they can easily divert to a different path. If they are running, ask them for a direction immediately.
3	A loose horse bolts by, pursued by a panicking squire (as a Servant). The PCs must roll to dodge or be struck.
4	A group of 2+2d10 Servants hauling food for banquet. They will harass anyone who crosses their path, either to complain about their work and bargain for a better position or to try and recruit the PCs into helping. Either way, they will cause trouble.
5	A noble, his wife, 3 Personal Guards (as Gate Guards) and 2d10 Servants attract all eyes. Any rudeness or haste might result in violence.
6	2 Day Watchmen (as Gate Guards) are interrogating a beggar. The beggar will claim to know the PCs intimately if they stop nearby or catch his eye.
7	Three young Nobles are roaming the streets, spoiling for a fight, a distraction, or someone to mock. They will bump into the PCs and hurl specific and cruel insults.
8	2 Day Watchmen (as Gate Guards) are trying to buy a sausage from a street vendor. They don’t have enough money, and will try to convince anyone passing buy to “donate” to their cause.
9	1 Black Endoguard, on a furious mission. If the alarm has been raised, he is after the PCs. If not, he is probably after someone else, but the PCs definitely need to get out of his way.
10	A pair of eel fishermen (as Servants) are arguing over a hole in their net. They are drifting aimlessly in the current.

D10	NIGHTTIME ENCOUNTERS IN THE STREET
1	A sudden burst of laughter from a nearby building. Might startle a nervous or paranoid PC.
2	A swarm of 10 rats, roaming and looking for food. Will ignore the PCs but could spook a horse.
3	A drunk (as a Servant), vomiting against a wall. Staggers wildly and howls at anyone who crosses his path.
4	A gang of 2d6 hooligans and thugs (as Gate Guards). If they outnumber the PCs, they will try and surround them and demand money. If they are outnumbered by the PCs, they will pass by after a few menacing looks.
5	2 veteran soldiers (as Gate Guards) are arguing over the latest war. They will try and drag the PCs into the argument or attack them if they look foreign. If the alarm is raised, they will run around in a frenzy instead, opening barrels, crates, and doors, looking everywhere for the Archpriest or his assassins.
6	1 Night Watchman (as a Gate Guard) on a patrol. Sticks close to the wall, holds a lantern, tries to avoid anything suspicious. If the alarm is raised he will scan the faces of anyone passing by. Has a 1-in-6 chance of gasping in shock and running when he spots a PC. No reason why – he’s just very high-strung.
7	A drover and three assistants (as Servants) bringing a huge herd of geese to market. The geese block an entire road. The PCs can walk through them, but the geese will peck at purses, disguises, and buckles in a very inconvenient way.
8	2d6 Night Watchmen (as Gate Guards) on patrol. If the PCs look vulnerable, they will sidle up and fine the PCs for various spurious crimes. If the alarm has been raised, the Night Watchmen will approach anyone rich or beautiful and shake them down for “contraband and smuggled whotzits,” to the amusement of the other Night Watchmen. They will be utterly shocked and flee to find the Black Endoguard if the PCs resist (or if they recognize the Archpriest).
9	1 Black Endoguard, on patrol. Carries a red-glazed lantern in one hand. Will shove the PCs aside if they are in his way. If the alarm is raised, will slaughter anyone who does not immediately surrender and lie flat on the ground.
10	2d6 Black Endoguard, marching. Carry a red banner and red-glazed lanterns. They see the PCs. If the PCs run, there is a 2-in-6 chance they will pursue, 5-in-6 if the alarm has been raised. If the PCs walk by, there is a 1-in-6 chance, +1 for every 5 minutes that have passed since the alarm was raised, that the Black Endoguard will surround and interrogate the PCs.

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FINALE

The Angel Wings (pg. 12) transports the PCs to the Immortal Capital at record speed. The weather is cold but not stormy. They arrive in six days, with the Archpriest safely stowed in a locked room for the entire journey.

If you want to add extra material to this module, you can expand the journey by adding betrayals, conversions, pursuit, and escape attempts, rather than skipping ahead to the Immortal Capital.

REWARDS

The PCs arrive by night. The docks are cleared of all civilians. Isaac Bacterian, agent of His Dread Majesty Gulfrey II along with a suitably impressive number of highly trained guards, are here to greet the PCs and take the Archpriest into their custody.

The PCs’ reward and fate depends on the success of their mission.

If they captured the Archpriest so secretly and so cunningly that no one in Thule knows where he went or how he vanished:

Isaac is insufferably smug and gives the PCs 2,000 gp each, as well as deeds to land that provide 10 gp per month in revenue (or similarly prestigious awards). He thanks them effusively and invites them to a banquet in one week’s time.

If they captured the Archpriest secretly, but raised the alarm, killed a few Cardinals, or otherwise made it clear that the Archpriest had been kidnapped:

Isaac is still smug, but a little less warm and polite. He gives the PCs 2,000 gp each, thanks them, and reminds them to leave town.

If they killed the Archpriest or failed to capture him:

Isaac boils with rage. He accepts no excuses, and informs the PCs that it was very unwise of them to return. If they grovel sufficiently, he might let them live, but otherwise he will try to have them executed.

If they somehow revealed they were working for Isaac or His Dread Majesty Gulfrei II: Isaac waits until he has the Archpriest in his custody, then has the PCs killed on the dock. They can escape by running, stealing a boat, or generally doing PC things.

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DESIGNING HEISTS

Very few heist-based systems have compelling rules for generating or designing heists. They have lots of tools for completing jobs, but the jobs themselves are left undefined. Here is my take on the topic. This system has no special rules. There are no “Alarm Points.” It uses tools already in most games (time, money, and information).

THE FOUR DIALS

Adjust as needed to change the difficulty.

1. TIME

Put your PCs on the clock. It doesn’t need to be a strict 48-hour countdown. You could use days or even years instead of hours, but there needs to be a sense that time is running out for the heist to feel meaningful. Some particularly difficult heists might have next-to-unlimited Planning time, but very limited Execution time.

2. MONEY

Give your PCs limited resources. Make it difficult for them to get everything they need without getting outside help, stealing, buying substandard equipment, or winging it with a hope, a prayer, and a wooden sword. Some impossible heists may have nearly unlimited money. The PCs have access to all the gear they could ever want, but the heist is so difficult even that may not help them.

3. INFORMATION

PCs start the heist with limited information. They have a target and a few facts. To make a good plan, they need as many facts as possible. Again, for some impossible heists, the nature of the task might be well described, down to the horrifying laser grids, anti-magic fields, and shark launchers. The difficulty isn’t finding the blueprints. It’s surviving the things they describe.

4. OPPOSITION

Trivial: an unlocked chest in a deserted castle. Heist rules not required.

Easy: a locked chest in a small home. Heist rules could be excessive, but could work if Time and Money are limited.

Challenging: A locked and guarded chest in a fortress. Use these Heist rules.

Difficult: A locked and guarded chest in a fortress with active patrols, magic defenses, and internal feuds. Use these Heist rules.

Impossible: A locked and guarded sentient chest in a pocket dimension where gravity does not exist, guarded by sleepless murder-golems and micro-spells. Use these Heist rules but consider giving the PCs more Time, Money, or Information.

THE THREE PHASES

Design your heist in three phases.

1. PLANNING

PCs trade Money and Time for Information. PCs use Information to construct their plan. What information do they start with? How can they gain more?

2. EXECUTION

PCs put their plan into action. Takes place in a mapped location with scheduled NPCs. What complications can arise? Does the map offer enough options?

3. ESCAPE

PCs must now escape with their prize and avoid retribution. What can or will pursue them?

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GM PREPARATION

RISKS AND FAILURES

1. WRITE SOME INITIAL HOOKS

What do the PCs need to steal, and why? Sketch a few core ideas, the rough shape of the location, and the general difficulty and tone.

2. BUILD A MAP

Much like a classic dungeon map, make sure the heist map is complex, interconnected, and interesting to explore. Remember that the PCs will be exploring it stealthily and/or quickly. Keep your descriptions short, describing only what the PCs see on a first glance.

3. WRITE AT LEAST 4 OR 5 NAMED NPCs OR FACTIONS

Work out their schedules. Start with where they eat, sleep, do their favourite thing, and their least favourite thing. If your heist could take place on any day, write the schedule for one day – the day the PCs choose to enact the heist.

4. ADD COMPLICATIONS

This could be as simple as a random encounter table or as complicated as a vast conspiracy the PCs uncover and must exploit, avoid, or reveal to survive.

5. TEST THE HEIST IN YOUR HEAD

Write down any solutions for later use. Do not limit yourself to one “right” solution, and do not punish the players for coming up with ideas you didn’t think of. If there are any obvious gaps, improve your notes. For an impossible heist, you don’t need to have a solution in mind, but you must be confident that a solution could exist.

MAPPING TIPS

The core location should have an even number of rooms (10, 20, 50, 100) to aid in randomization. You should also include a few “safe guess” rooms that could plausibly contain any NPC. In the Castle of St. Logan, those are the privies.

The city map is designed around a very simple grid of locations. The routes marked cover the most obvious paths the PCs could take; any other paths can be extrapolated from the listed times. The map only focuses on one part of the city. Anything not relevant to the heist is not included.

There is always the chance that the PCs botch a heist completely. This system doesn’t allow for many second chances or flashbacks or hidden secrets that could save the PCs if they get into trouble.

In that sense, a heist is unforgiving. The PCs get one chance. If they fail, all their time is wasted, and all the GM’s prep work is also wasted. It’s a dungeon with a time limit and a one-use key. But for the same reasons, a heist is also rewarding. If the PCs pull it off they will have truly earned their victory. A heist can be a capstone to a campaign or a way of winnowing out PCs in the first session.

SALVAGING A BOTCHED HEIST

Even if the PCs blow their cover and alerted everyone in the area, they may still be able to pull off the heist.

1. A second try. Sure, security is heightened. Sure, they fixed the thermal exhaust port and added more guards. But the PCs have an even better plan this time. In fact, the increased security has exposed a new weakness…

2. The loop. While things are still chaotic and changeable, the PCs break in again, posing as security contractors, new guards, law enforcement, or mercenaries; whatever it takes to get back inside.

3. The rivals. The PCs’ “heist” was just a distraction carefully arranged by the real master criminals. Their plan relied on the PCs failing. Now the PCs have to track down their rivals and exact some much-needed revenge. The PCs can also just walk away. Conventional adventures can then resume.

THREATS AND PLANS

In a classic dungeon, the PCs explore in person. The dungeon’s contents are experienced piece by piece. Occasionally, knowledge of other areas, rooms, or threats might be available, but often the PCs are going in blind.

This module is different. There are no hidden surprises (unless you use the Twist table). The Archpriest doesn’t keep a dragon in his study or a secret automaton guard. All the threats are knowable, if the PCs spend time studying the Castle and trading money and time for info.

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