Aicard follows Targrish's lead and engages a devil in close combat.
HP 81/125 (Toughness)
AC 30
Fort +20, Ref +22, Will +21; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 2
Active Harrow Omen:
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][[][][], 2nd [][[][][], 3rd [][[][][], 4th [x][x][x][], 5th [x][x][][], 6th [x][x][x][], 7th [x][x][x]
Focus Points: 0/3
Effects: +1 to AC, all saves
"Why don't you both head back to Hell?" Vashta asks, casting one of her earliest known spells, which sends Drustan's weapons spinning toward the nearest fiend.
Vashta's projectile and Oro's arrow take out the more wounded of the two devils. Targrish and Aicard move to engage the second one, both exploiting its weakness to good damage as they slice and smash it into oblivion!
"And good riddance!" Arodeth declares, brushing her dress down.
Targrish checks through Drustan's belongings for notes or correspondence. "Yes, good riddance indeed. But are we done with these Unmatched? Arodeth, has he mentioned them before?"
"I have not heard the name mentioned before," Arodeth says. "But that is a puzzle for you to solve, not me. Fare thee well." The older woman nods politely before departing.
With your goal here accomplished, you open a portal back to Harrowheart. Shortly after arriving, your newly collected Harrow cards glow as they epitomize themselves within the Harrow Court!
The Liar: A liar moves in to the village surrounding Harrowheart, but this shifty simulacrum has little interest in deceiving the PCs. In fact, they eagerly offer their aid in the deceptive arts. A character who visits the liar’s home can take advantage of their expertise and tools—doing so grants a +2 item bonus to checks made to Create Forgeries or to assume a disguise with Impersonate. The liar also knows how to cast the uncommon spells discern lies, glibness, and zone of truth, and can teach these spells to PCs.
The Locksmith: A talented if somewhat shady locksmith moves into the village surrounding Harrowheart. This simulacrum is nameless, and the building they bring to the village is more akin to a strange museum of obscure and unusual locks and keys (none of which, of course, have any use beyond being strange displays). Their equipment can’t be removed from the museum, but PCs who bring devices and locks to this building can take advantage of their tools to gain a +2 item bonus to checks made to Disable a Device or Pick a Lock. The locksmith knows the formulas for how to create chimes of opening, keymaking tools (Secrets of Magic 186), rings of maniacal devices, skeleton keys, traveler’s any‑tools, and any other lock- or puzzle-themed magic item you might wish to include, and can teach these formulas to the PCs. Characters who use the locksmith’s gear to craft such items gain a +2 item bonus on Crafting checks.
The Mountain Man: When you epitomize The Mountain Man, assign it to a point of interest in the Harrow Court’s mountains. This marks the location of a remote cabin that serves as the home of a self-sufficient but very intimidating simulacrum who appears as a towering giant of a man. This hearty specimen welcomes visitors who bring stories of their accomplishments fighting monsters, as long as they’re backed up by physical trophies. A character who visits the mountain man and presents to him a trophy harvested from a monster they fought and defeated can seek a reward. The trophy need not be much more than a horn or a claw, but should be something significant and identifiable from the defeated monster, and the PC presenting the trophy must have been involved in that monster’s defeat.
If the trophy is from a monster whose level is equal to or greater than the PC’s level, the mountain man is impressed and rewards that PC with two consumable magic items, each of a level equal to or lower than the PC’s level (the PC can request specific items, but the GM has final say in what items are offered). If the trophy is from a monster whose level is lower than the PC’s level, the mountain man mocks the PC for being “proud of defeating a weakling” and offers no reward. Once a reward is given, the mountain man warns the PC, “Now don’t you be going off to sell that thing for gold, and don’t even think of coming back for more rewards until you’ve used these all up!” The mountain man has an eerie ability to know if a PC hasn’t used a current reward, or if they sold it for a profit—PCs who fit either category cannot receive new rewards from the mountain man on subsequent visits.
The Publican: A tavern appears in the village surrounding Harrowheart, run by a jovial one-eyed bartender. The tavern is always bustling with a rotating cast of different patrons and performers. The bartender knows the heroes’ feast ritual (Advanced Player’s Guide 242) and can teach it to the PCs. Skill checks attempted at the tavern to perform this ritual gain a +2 item bonus. If The Juggler has been epitomized, and the town square is linked to a city, the patrons of this tavern trade gossip from that city as if they were citizens there, allowing a character to Gather Information in the tavern as if they were doing so on the streets of the linked city.
The Rakshasa: A simulacrum of a tiger-headed rakshasa moves into a decadent chamber in Harrowheart’s basement. While sinister and prone to cruel comments, this rakshasa does not plot against the PCs and is content to idle away their time in their underground pleasure chambers. Once per day, a visitor to the rakshasa can pose them a question that they can use their Occultism +18 skill to attempt to Recall Knowledge about. The rakshasa also knows several uncommon spells and rituals that they can teach spellcasters—these spells and rituals all involve the intrusive manipulation of sapient minds. Among the spells it can teach are dominate, mind probe, mind reading, and modify memory; rituals it can teach include geas and inveigle. Feel free to add similar spells to this list as you see fit.
All of the six arches within Harrowheart's throne room remain clouded. No new Harrow cards have revealed themselves at this time. You now have an opportunity to rest, learn about your new cards, and explore more opportunities in the Harrow Court. But you have the feeling adventure will find you soon enough...
Aicard towers over Drustan and pities the man. All that hate and anger, and for what? To end up burning in Hell for the rest of his days? The fool.
He then inspects the Mountain Man card and nods approvingly. "I'll take this one, if you don't mind."
"Yes, darling, that suits you just fine," Vashta agrees.
Back in Harrowheart, she takes some time to do some shopping, realizing she may need some magical implements to help with this current adventure.
Part 2: The Destiny War
Chapter 1: Battle of Harrow Court
Several days have passed since the clash at the Storval Stairs. You have settled into your stronghold at Harrowheart, expanding the Harrow Court around it by epitomizing the cards from the Deck of Destiny into your new reality. You have had a chance to rest, relax, and recover.
But the peace of the past few days abruptly comes to an end when a woman seeks you out in the midst of your demesne. It is immediately apparent that this woman is alive, unlike the simulacra that populate the demiplane. And while her lower body is the tail of a powerful green-scaled snake, her upper body is that of a Varisian woman. And not just any woman, but one you recognize as the body you discovered in the game store "Three Moves Ahead" where you began your quest to collect the mystical Harrow cards. This is All-Seeing Hajeck, apparently reborn as a lamia!
"Heroes, I know my appearance here is a shock, but you must heed my warning! I’ve come from beyond, drawn to this place like a moth to the proverbial flame, but I could see others approaching as well. A vast pack of wolves is on the approach, fire in their eyes and death in their jaws. Among them, a sleek wolf with golden fur exhales pestilence, an enormous lumbering wolf leads a howling horde, and winged wolves come leaping down from the skies. A giant wolf, with gray fur and scales, lunges for your throats. In a glowing doorway behind them all stands their leader. He seeks to crush you and be reborn from your ruin. Even now they gather at this world’s edge.
"This grim nightmare breaks at a dawning, but others have noticed as well. A four-armed herald watches. They bear cards in three hands and an offer of friendship in the fourth. The door they open leads to warmth and plenty, like an ocean breeze. But there, too, I hear a gathered host, roaring in victory. Allies, I think. Friends we’ll need. But they will not arrive until after the wolves invade."
Vashta frowns at the woman's warning. "True visions are rare and powerful things, dear," she says, considering the words. She pulls out her Harrow deck. "Perhaps the cards can tell us even more?"
"The Desert. It represents an environment too difficult for anyone to survive without help. But, darling, we have you know, and perhaps this mysterious friend you bring us word of. If we are to be beset, having a card in the suit of Shield bodes well too."
Vashta senses that Hajeck has a fervent desire to help you.
With her fortune-telling experience, Vashta can interpret the vision. She recognizes the wolf symbolism as likely representing one of the Harrow’s most infamous bits of apocrypha: the “lost” Harrow card called the Prince of Wolves, which typically depicts an armored man lording over six wolves. The card represents duality, along with hidden, otherworldly, or sinister allies that seek to reclaim heritage or something lost. Whoever has taken the Prince's mantle in this vision has done so with no subtlety. The four-armed figure in the vision, however, remains a mystery.
Aicard wishes he had the lyrical ability to turn Hajeck's prophetic words into song. Alas. And unlike Vashta, there is no doubt in his mind that what the woman is saying is true. Or, as true as vague words can be. "The fact you speak of an 'after', of seeking and meeting new friends after facing the wolves, means we stand a chance to beat this evil."
He clenches his left hand and ponders whether or not he should ask Hajeck if she wants to stay. Can she even stay? Aicard is no priest, and while he has a rough understanding of how these things work, he knows he doesn't know anything about her current state and what to expect. "I know not if you can or want to, but you ought to know you're welcome to stay here in this realm."
Hajeck nods. "This realm has decided to reincarnate me in the form of The Liar. I will admit that in my previous life, I was a charlatan. I lived a life of lies, both large and small. But I have decided to abandon my old ways. I only want to help you now.
"In my new form, I am bound to the Harrow Court. I have a vested interest in keeping it safe. I will fight by your side."
"Excellent!" Targrish exclaims. "Well, we've got warning of the attack, and that's the best thing. Time to set some traps and look for lines of attack. I wonder if 'visitors' always arrive in the same place?"
"A little lying never hurt anyone, dear," Vashta assures her. "Well, perhaps some people, but surely they had it coming."
She thinks.
"Perhaps a trip to the Carnival may be in order, or perhaps the Empty Throne."
Assuming she has time, she takes time to do the former.
When you epitomize The Carnival, assign it to a point of interest in the Harrow Court’s farmland area. This marks the location of a colorful, vibrant, and slightly off-putting fairground where festivals and celebrations are in constant swing. The simulacra who inhabit this carnival never leave and tend to subtly draw appearances and themes from potential foes the PC may face in their future. Once per week, a character can spend 8 hours at the fairground simply observing its participants—those who do can attempt a DC 28 Perception check. Critical Success The PC observes some of the carnival performers and gains subtle clues as to the nature of a foe they will soon face. The GM chooses a specific, named enemy that the PCs are likely to face at some point in the current adventure they’re playing. When the PC encounters that foe (as long as the foe isn’t disguised), they automatically recognize them. At this point, the GM informs the PC that they recognize the foe from their visit to the carnival, and the PC learns information about the foe as if they had achieved a critical success in an attempt to Recall Knowledge against that target. Until the party encounters and defeats that foe, they cannot visit this carnival again to search for clues. Success As success, but instead of granting insight into the nature of a specific foe, the GM chooses a generic monster that the PCs may soon face, selecting from standard monsters that might be encountered in the current adventure the PCs are playing. The information gained is equal to what the PC would have gained from a success by Recalling Knowledge about that monster. Failure Apart from a vaguely unsettling feeling of being watched themselves, the PC learns nothing from their visit to the carnival. Critical Failure Rather than noticing anything helpful, the PC emerges from their trip to the carnival with paranoid feelings of being watched by unseen eyes, and becomes stupefied 3.
When you epitomize The Empty Throne, assign it to a point of interest in the Harrow Court’s lake area. This marks the location of a small rocky island atop which sits a mysterious empty throne. A character who travels to this island can perform a ritual of sacrifice before the empty throne in hopes of earning good fortune. To do so, the PC must offer valuables upon the throne that are worth 100 gp × the character’s level, spend 1 hour meditating before the throne on the nature of loss, and then attempt a DC 30 Diplomacy check. Regardless of the check’s result, the offering vanishes forever, and that PC cannot attempt a new offering until they gain an experience level and are no longer affected by their current offering. Critical Success Once during the next month, you can reroll a failed or critically failed saving throw. This is a fortune effect. Success As critical success, but you can only reroll a failed saving throw. This is a fortune effect. Failure You gain no benefit from the meditation. Critical Failure The next time you critically succeed at a significant or important saving throw, as determined by the GM, you must reroll that saving throw. This is a misfortune effect.
The tiefling tries to look unfazed when Hajeck calmly admits to being a charlatan in her previous life, but it's apparent it takes him aback. "Alright. Well, that's settled then. I'm honored to have you on our side, Hajeck. The winning side. Now, let us listen to wise Vashta and visit the Carnival. The Gods know I could do with a drink ..."
Vashta picks up some obscure hints from the Carnival, which will likely become clear at the appropriate time.
You finalize your preparations and rest overnight, waking up early to be ready for the attack. As Hajeck predicted, once dawn breaks, the sentries on the walls of Harrowheart blare their trumpets in warning! A crackling red rift opens in the sky, out of which pours a flock of feathered wrath demons! The vrocks descend upon the keep and the surrounding village, ready to wreak havoc!
At the same time, the Arch of Keys in the great hall clears to provide a view of a tangled swamp within the Harrow Court. You can sense that a Harrow card, The Demon's Lantern, lies somewhere on the other side.
Additionally, the Arch of Hammers clears to provide a view of a sandy desert around a small oasis within the Harrow Court. You can sense that The Uprising is somewhere on the other side of the arch.
The knighthood of paladins stationed in Harrowheart immediately sally forth to engage the enemies! Some move out to fight the vrocks, while others pour through the arches to battle whatever foes may be lurking there.
Defense Points: The Harrow Court starts with 9 defense points. If The Trumpet is epitomized, increase starting Defense Points by 2. If The Paladin is epitomized, increase starting Defense Points by 2 as well. Thus, if both of these cards are epitomized, the Harrow Court begins with 13 Defense Points.
Defense Points can go into negative numbers, which can have significant ramifications. Defense Points are reduced by 1 at the end of each battle round. They can also be lost (or gained) as the result of how events play out, as the result of poorly planned rests, or as the result of any of the following combat developments.
Retreat: If the PCs are forced to retreat from a battle, the Harrow Court loses 1 Defense Point.
Defeat: The first time in an event when a PC drops to 0 Hit Points (but not on any successive instances of this during that same event), the drop in morale causes the Harrow Court to lose 1 Defense Point.
Death: Each time a PC dies, the Harrow Court loses 1 Defense Point.
Resting: The PCs can take up to a 10-minute break between battle rounds without spending a battle turn and losing a Defense Point. To take a longer break, though, the PCs must choose to spend a battle round resting while any remaining invaders continue to run amok uncontested. Choosing to rest during a battle round gives the PCs an hour to spend resting and recovering. If the PCs need more than an hour, they’ll need to take additional battle rounds to add 1-hour intervals. Remember that each battle round that passes results in a minimum loss of 1 Defense Point.
"Come, darlings, once more into the fray. They're attacking our village."
Targrish limbers up and polishes his mirrored amulet, "If it's not devils, it's demons! Let's cut them down to size."
You make your way out into the village to support the paladins battling against the flock of wrath demons! These vrocks are smaller than usual, not much bigger than a human, but they have gathered into a mighty troop and are in the process of spreading as much pain and destruction as possible!
The vrocks react quickly to your arrival, eagerly diving into your midst and furiously tearing at you with their natural weapons!
Overwhelmed by the sheer mass of demons, Aicard shifts into a protective stance, then dishes out divine retribution.
Targrish attempts to exploit the vulnerabilities of the vrocks, then whirls into them, attacking with his kukris.
for
for
HP 97/134 (Toughness)
AC 31
Fort +21, Ref +23, Will +22; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 2
Active Harrow Omen: The desert (shield)
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][][][], 2nd [][][][], 3rd [][][][], 4th [][][][], 5th [][][][], 6th [][][][], 7th [][][][]
Focus Points: 3/3
Effects: 2d8 persistent poison
The vrocks nearly catch Vashta unawares, but at the last moment she realizes the danger and ducks away from them. Unfortunately, she's not fast enough to avoid their spores, but the brass dwarf seems to fortify her, almost driving the spores out.
She retreats, putting space between herself and her companions so the vrocks can't get them all, pulling out a wand.
Aicard's blade proves particularly effective against the vrocks, the holy power blasting the demons' impure forms! Unfortunately, neither Oro nor Targrish manage to land a hit! All-Seeing Hajeck slithers forward to attack with her claws.
Vashta's and Oro's decision to fall back proves wise as the throng of fiends join hands and enact a festival of ruin, their wild dancing creating a burst of electricity all around them!
Targrish slashes at the vrocks and backs away from them to avoid more damage.
for
for
"You doing okay, guys?!" The tiefling's voice is stretched thin by the effort he's putting into staying alive, but as is his habit, he's more concerned about the wellbeing of his friends.
HP 93/134 (Toughness)
AC 31
Fort +21, Ref +23, Will +22; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 2
Active Harrow Omen: The desert (shield)
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][][][], 2nd [][][][], 3rd [][][][], 4th [][][][], 5th [][][][], 6th [][][][], 7th [][][][]
Focus Points: 3/3
Effects: 2d8 persistent piercing, 8 more rounds
Vashta pulls on the wand's power, creating a booming burst on top of the vrocks.
Then, wincing as the vrock spores continuing growing, she casts a quick spell to help Targrish.
Orozomoc's and Vashta's blasts of sound take down several vrocks, reducing the size of the throng. Neither Targrish nor Aicard are able to get in any good hits, though. Targrish pushes his way out of the horde and gets some distance away, though he's still within range as the dancing demons unleash another electric burst!
Targrish strides out of range of the electric storm, then flicks a pair of chakri into his hands and throws them at members of the swarm.
for
for
HP 80/134 (Toughness)
AC 31
Fort +21, Ref +23, Will +22; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 2
Active Harrow Omen: The desert (shield)
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][][][], 2nd [][][][], 3rd [][][][], 4th [][][][], 5th [][][][], 6th [][][][], 7th [x][][][]
Focus Points: 2/3
Effects: 2d8 persistent piercing, 7 more rounds
Vashta's wand blast echoes as she follows it up with one of her most powerful spells, a prismatic ray that slices through the vrocks. A moment later, she sends a silent message to Targrish, urging him to finish the demons quickly.
Targrish reacts and flicks out one more chakri.
for
Aicard withers under the demonic onslaught. He calls upon celestial grace to see him through, wincing as the holy powers battle his inherently tainted blood.
The demon throng resists Vashta's spell. Neither Aicard or Oro are able to land a good hit on the rioting vrocks, but upon Vashta's urging, Targrish manages a solid strike with a chakram. Hajeck claws at the vrocks as well, reducing the horde to a smaller size.
The vrocks bite, claw, and scratch at Hajeck and Aicard.
HP 69/134 (Toughness)
AC 31
Fort +21, Ref +23, Will +22; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 2
Active Harrow Omen: The desert (shield)
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][][][], 2nd [][][][], 3rd [][][][], 4th [][][][], 5th [][][][], 6th [][][][], 7th [x][][][]
Focus Points: 2/3
Effects: 2d8 persistent piercing, 6 more rounds
Vashta frowns as he magics aren't particularly suited to fighting swarms of demons. Perhaps, in this case, she would do best to help her companions. She casts heroism on Aicard, seeing her companion could use some additional aid.
She groans as the demon spores continue to eat away at her. She's not sure how much longer she can withstand the pain.
Aicard reels under the demonic onslaught but continues to retaliate. Tooth for tooth, eye for eye, these bastards will suffer!
Targrish calls on the mysterious magic of his patron and blinks across the battlefield, slashing at the vrocks with additional force.
for and
for
Plus weakness
While Aicard misses again, Targrish suddenly blinks into the midst of the vrocks, slashing and blasting them with force! A follow-up strike finishes off the bloodied fiends, and at last, the horde is defeated!
"Only thing worse than a vrock is a group of vrocks," Targrish remarks as he attempts to tame his static-charged eyebrows.
"Let's patch ourselves up and sally forth. Desert or swamp, friends?"
"So be it. Luckily, I've got on my good boots." Targrish prepares for the trip, patting himself down and checking for any lingering injuries.
You return to Harrowheart and quickly move through the next arch, emerging elsewhere within the Harrow Court. You find yourselves in the fetid swampland in the southern reaches of the demiplane, just on the edge of the farmland surrounding the central village. Here, two large groups of cultists are engaged in a foul ritual. The swampwater around them bubbles and churns with poisonous gases that the cultists are encouraging along. Leading the cultists is a succubus with a hand crossbow at her belt, and standing guard beside her is a hulking, toadlike demon with a large, toothy mouth.
The succubus glances in your direction and scowls. She and the toad demon remain focused on the ritual, though. The two groups of cultists move forward to interpose themselves between you and the demons, then they cast spells, bombarding you with empowered fireballs!
Targrish also decides to focus on the leader, looking for her eldritch weaknesses and counting on the protection of his mirror and amulet.
Aicard looks over his shoulder and barks what might be wise advice at his friends. "Stay close to me if you want to live!"
HP 97/134 (Toughness)
AC 31
Fort +21, Ref +23, Will +22; fire resistance 5 (crown), poison resistance 13 (brass dwarf), xx weakness 5? (brass dwarf)
Hero points: 2
Active Harrow Omen: The desert (shield)
Chaotic Destiny []; Incredible Improvisation []; crown of the fire eater []
Spells: 1st [][][][], 2nd [][][][], 3rd [][][][], 4th [][][][], 5th [][][][], 6th [][][][], 7th [x][x][][]
Focus Points: 3/3
Effects:
Vashta manages to avoid the worst of the fireballs, and quickly brings one of her most powerful spells to bear against the two massed cultists. A spray of colors bursts from her hands, a violet beam catching one mob and an orange beam catching the other.