1302 The Vernal Chapel

Colonies of doves roost in groves of silver birch, cooing psalm-like, communal melodies.

• Terrain: Tangled forest (3), Aldweald
• Lost/encounters: 2-in-6
• Foraging: Successful foraging yields 1d3 portions of Worm-Mallow (p430), in addition to the normal results.
• ### Ruined Chapel
• At the centre of a fern-decked glade stands the forsaken

ruin of a chapel, its spire toppled in a heap of stones.

Approaching: Charmed, wild-eyed servants of the wyrm that lairs in the ruin— 3 Level 1 hunters (DMB)—hide in the trees around the glade with shortbows and ambush trespassers (opposing side has a 3-in-6 chance of being surprised). They warn strangers against entering the chapel, claiming it is forbidden by “Queen Incantral, Lady of the Table Downs.”

Entrance: An ancient oaken door is held ajar by a thicket of ground creepers. Its exterior is pitted with numerous old, humanoid claw marks.

Interior: Smashed pews and floral columns, overwhelmed with ivy and mould. Queen Incantral (blood wyrm— DMB) lairs here, coiled around the altar, protecting her eggs—five blood-red sacs glued to the altar.

Cleared door: A sturdy, locked door behind the altar— cleared of ivy—leads to a narrow stair to the Chapel Crypt.

Chapel Crypt

A dank space, streaked with mould. Against the far wall sits an altar, surrounded by the mounded hoard of Incantral (see The Wyrm’s Hoard). Lying pristine atop the altar is the lost Sword of St Sedge.

Frozen ghouls: 7 ghouls (DMB)—remnants of the undead horde that sacked the chapel (see History of the Sword of St Sedge)—stand paralysed at the crypt’s perimeter, poised to strike the altar. They are paralysed by the sword’s magic, but could be awoken by Dispel Magic.

Queen Incantral—Blood Wyrm

A mature blood wyrm with a regal visage of great beauty and humanity, aside from bulbous cerulean eyes, faceted like diamonds. Rows of purple blisters pulsate upon her belly.

Demeanour (Chaotic): Boastful, protectiveness can flare to ferocious violence.

Speech: Silky baritone, absolutely human. Woldish, Wyrm, Sylvan, the tongue of serpents.

Desires: To protect her clutch of eggs (see Ruined Chapel interior). To charm more powerful servants.

Vulnerability: Water.

Possessions: Key to the Chapel Crypt, hung on a neck-antler.

The Wyrm’s Hoard

Coins: 20,225gp, 958pp.

2 arcane scrolls: One of Ingratiate, Web, and Teleport. A second of Shield of Force and Perceive the Invisible.

Magic items: A dented brass Ring of Energy Resistance (Fire, p410). A vial of Philtre of the Winds (p414). An Arcane Shortsword (Werebane, p412) with a wolf’s head pommel and a wolf-fur sheath.

The Sword of St Sedge

A gleaming Holy Longsword (Holy Radiance, p412) imbued with sentience. Decorated with a scintillating chrysoberyl on the pommel and raindrop engravings along the blade. Worth 15,000gp.

Demeanour (Lawful): Passionate, devout, obsessed with the myths of St Sedge.

Speech: Strident, metallic ringing. Woldish, Old Woldish, Liturgic.

Desires: To be reunited with the lost shield and helm of St Sedge (the helm is in hex 0408 and the shield may be placed by the Referee as desired).

Touching the sword: Non-Lawful creatures suffer 1d6 damage per Round. A Lawful character who possesses the sword must Save Versus Spell or come under a Holy Quest (per the spell) to achieve the sword’s desires.

History: Taking vows of peace and poverty in his retirement, Sedge bequeathed his magic sword to the keeping of the nuns of the Vernal Chapel. Many years later, a horde of undead descended from the nearby Table Downs, sacked the chapel, and slew the nuns. A young nun, Gryselde, guarded the sword with her life. Her spirit lives on in the blade, granting it sentience.