Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.'s Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter

Marmoreal Tomb Kickstarter Update
over 6 years ago – Tue, Nov 19, 2019 at 12:31:23 AM

Greetings from the Dens (Troll Lord Games)!

It’s been roughly a week of looking at what goes into the Marmoreal Tomb Kickstarter. As noted in the previous update, my primary objective at the moment is to get a good handle on the status of the material offered in pledge levels and stretch rewards and the overall financial health of the Kickstarter. So without further ado….

The status of the main book is my primary concern. I’m working toward getting a copy of that to see  exactly what remains to be done.  Benoist and I have set up a drop box and he’ll start moving files over shortly. When I have a better handle on the main book, I’ll let you know. The expansions are in a similar state. I am working toward getting copies of what has been done on those as well.

Financially the Kickstarter is very healthy. Ernie has kept the money in an account all this time, ready to pay for things as needed. Though I did not request an expense report, I can estimate the cost of much that goes into these books and things look good on that front. I’ll know more as we go forward, but overall this looks good.

We are going to try to make sure all pledge offerings and stretch rewards are honored. There will be some that have to be changed. In those cases (and we have two already, see below), we will endeavor to replace the stretch reward with something else. We will, of course, keep you in in the loop about any changes. Speaking of changes….

The first one up is the cartoon by Tom Wham. Tom’s a good friend of mine, we’ve worked together on multiple projects, but he’s stepped back from active game design and cartooning these days and doesn’t feel up to taking on any more work. We will replace Tom’s cartoon with a cartoonist we work with, Jason Walton. Jason does our Christmas card every year, hosts of covers and interiors. Though he does not have the old school credentials as Tom does, he’s exceptionally good. See the bottom of this update for two samples of what he has done for us in the past.

The cartographer who was working on the maps has since moved on. Benoist is sending me the level that was completed so that I can get a hold of one of the cartographers we work with, to get these maps wrapped up. We will strive to maintain the style and feel already established. Also, when I get that map, I’ll post it for you all to see. (He sent me some material through facebook but I want to get it in drop box where I can manage it better).

That’s all I have for now. I will try to do weekly updates, even when there is no change. I can't promise that however, as time seems to fly by here in the Dens, but we will try. 

Benoist and Ernie both are very excited to have us helping out and I hope it is affording them enough mental relief to get the finals done and to us.

As a last note, don't hesitate to reach out with comments or messages. If you see I am missing something or something needs addressed please let us know.

Thank you all and have a wonderful weekend.

Steve Chenault

Marmoreal Tomb Kickstarter Update
over 6 years ago – Mon, Nov 18, 2019 at 06:05:39 AM

Greetings from the Dens (Troll Lord Games)!

Hey all, my update of this morning had some misinformation about the maps. It was pointed out to me in the comments on the update and  thank you all for doing that. Please remember I'm a new comer to this Kickstarter and still have lots of catching up to do. Any information you can provide is appreciated.

So in the earlier update I told you that the maps were not complete and that we may have to find a new cartographer. That is incorrect. The maps are complete, aside from final adjustments Benoist may have to make as he finishes the text (adding the symbol for a secret door, changing a room number and so on). But that aside, the maps are ready to go.

What is not ready to go are the duplicate set of miniatures-sized maps with a resolution high enough to be printed at 5 feet per inch. The first level was completed; the others were not.

Also, we are looking at moving this project to Backerkit sooner rather than later. That will help us get a handle on the numbers, especially for those of you who had add-ons; we need to have a proper count on certain things to know how much to manufacture.  

Thank you all and my apologies for the confusion.

Stephen Chenault

Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter Update
over 6 years ago – Fri, Nov 15, 2019 at 08:02:08 AM

Greetings from Troll Lord Games,

If you are reading this, you are probably a backer of the Marmoreal Tomb Kickstarter. This kickstarter is a bit late, and in order to help facilitate its completion, Ernie Gygax and Benoist Poire, the principle co-authors, have partnered up with Troll Lord Games. With a little luck and determination, together, we’ll knock this thing out.

A quick note of introduction, I’m Stephen Chenault, owner and CEO of Troll Lord Games. We’ve been in business for about 20 years publishing RPGs for d20, Gary Gygax, Castles & Crusades, Amazing Adventures, Victorious, a small host of others. We have an experienced staff of writers, artists, and designers. Tim Burns heads up all communication (and it’s with him you’ll probably be talking mostly). We’ve successfully run 30 some odd Kickstarters, are in the process of fulfilling one, with more gearing up to ship as the year plays out; and one, the NPC Almanac, live right now. We have a fully functional print shop for printing, etc., etc.

In short, TLG has been in the business for a while and has a fairly good handle on the processes involved.

You can find out all you want to know about TLG at our website: www.trolllord.com

Ernie and I are long time friends. We met way back in  about the 2000 and have been fast friends ever since. Ernie was the first ever guest at Troll Con back in 2000 or 2001. When it was brought to my attention (during the recent Gaxmoor KS) that Ernie’s own Kickstarter had not been fulfilled, I reached out to Ernie and Benoist to see if we could help. They both graciously accepted our offer and brought TLG on board. Hopefully we can help them wrap this up.

I can’t make any promises on what is going to happen next. But here is the immediate plan of attack.

Communications with backers will resume with the idea of keeping backers abreast of what is going on and where we are on the project.

I will get a handle on all the components of the project so we can see what is actually needed. This part will take some time to sort and figure.

I’ve put our layout guys at their disposal so that we can take that worry off their heads. When the time comes to lay the book out, with Ernie and Benoist’s direction of course (we don’t want to lose their vision), we’ll do the actual nuts and bolts so they can remain focused on other aspects of the Kickstarter.

I’m very excited to dive into this, but a note of caution. We have our own Kickstarters that we are running and do not wish to have any of them derailed, so those, and the daily operations of the company, will take precedence. That said, there is more than enough of us here at TLG, or who are independent contractors, that we can manage both our own and assisting in this one.

I will strive to have another update out in a few weeks, or as soon as I get a handle on what is in the overall project and how we can best help Ernie and Benoist. If you wish to contact us directly, please feel free to email us at [email protected].

Thank you all and have a nice day!

Steve Chenault

No Amount of Outside Energy Will Speed This Up
over 6 years ago – Tue, Nov 05, 2019 at 10:01:12 AM

As of this time the whole project status is waiting for Benoist to complete the writing of the creations we generated together. Then he will pass them on to me and days later we will on video chat finish cleaning the material up. He has no desire to hear or see any comments on the KS page since it fires him up to defend the LATE status instead of working on it at all. He is a finicky artist and will not release parts of anything until it is completed.

He does not have access to the funds and they sit at about 78K now (lots of art and other original business expenses, as well as an expensive worthless accountant to start with). As soon as the project fulfills I will be closing down the LLC and Ben somehow wishes to keep a company somehow, I do not. 

I playtested the Marmoreal Tomb on three of the four games I ran at Gary Con XI and I will be running some more games at NTRPG con in June. I don't have the finished level 2 or the level 3 Caves of Chaos although some of the monsters and ideas I generated for them are lots of fun and Mark Allen has a fantastic bit of art on my favorite creature of Chaos.

I don't respond to these statements for the same reason I don't get into blogs and all that. If you want to talk to me about something send me a facebook message: Ernest Gary Gygax Jr

Meet the Knights Immaculate (Sample figure and faction)
over 6 years ago – Mon, Jul 08, 2019 at 01:15:06 AM

This post is meant as a complement to Kickstarter Update #72: Encounters, figures and factions. 

Working on the world in motion, the encounter tables and makeup of the forces at work in the Lower Midlands around the Tomb led to the refinement of the the figures and factions therein. This brings us to the samples I would like to share with you today.

Here come the Knights Immaculate and Aylot Jonsell, the Cursed Knight in the North, their leader at Khrag An Mor in the Lower Midlands, in the regional vicinity of the Tomb.

This is a long sample, but I thought the Knight Immaculate would make a perfect example of the detail and thinking that goes into these descriptions. The description about to follow is by far the most detailed among the factions of the Lower Midlands.

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SAMPLE FACTION: THE KNIGHTS IMMACULATE 

The Knights Immaculate are the most zealous champions of Law standing against the forces of Chaos on Eurth. When Albelrik IV of the Frankhs lost his life at the Battle of the Twin Mires (0 A.G.), a little more than three hundred years ago, the Knights Immaculate refused to submit to a new sovereign and rededicated the Order and its mission to the continuation of the King's crusade and the ultimate destruction of Chaos.

For the Knights Immaculate, without Abelrik IV, the world has bled itself into utter corruption and anarchy. The Wild, the vast area of tainted marshes between the Archbarony of Hartst and the Viscountcy of Poy, is the physical embodiment of this wound that must be cleansed with unrelenting strength and fervor for their King to come back from the realm of the dead. 

Following a very strict hierarchy of mantles of initiation, spiritual arches and militaristic chains of command, the Knights Immaculate are all exceptional combatants and experienced horsemen. 

Egremoth Berahil Valkurion, the Knight Sepulchre, leads the Order assisted by twelve Knights Supplicant, each in charge of a specific arch, or aspect of the might sustaining the symbolic edifice. The Knight Sepulchre is the direct representative and voice of the Last King beyond the grave; his orders, divine inspiration borne from the meeting of mind with the spirit of the King, are heeded without question nor remorse. 

Chaos in all its forms must be eradicated from the face of the Eurth, whether it be the manifestations of demonic or diabolical entities, the Fay and related spirits of Chaos in the world, or the intrinsically corrupted power bestowed by forbidden dweomers of magic. Some specific individuals or items might be redeemed in the eyes of the Last King, following some complex rituals known only by the most fervent among the Keepers of the Flame to the Sepulchre, but most are not, and should not be spared under any circumstances. The integrity and purity of the Order, the resurrection of the King, and the eternal might of Law that is sure to follow, all demand it. 

ORGANIZATION: The entire hierarchy of the Knights Immaculate flows from the Knight Sepulchre at the top. The Knight Sepulchre is assisted by the Knights Ultimate (known for their red surcoats and fields of arms), who administer the general direction and strategy espoused by the Order. They direct the Knights Penultimate (with black surcoats and field of arms), the commanders of the Order on the field, who in turn act as tactical leaders for the bulk of the Knights Immaculate (clad in white, with similar field of arms). 

Twelve (12) Archs support the metaphorical Sepulchre. These twelve Archs are each consituted of and supported by three (3) columns (or regiments). Each column includes three (3) Plinths (battalions) and a Keystone (battalion of heavy cavalry). Each Plinth is in turn made up of four (4) Steps (companies), also called Voussoirs when serving under a Keystone. Each Step or Voussoir is then composed of eight (8) Units of Knights Immaculate led by their respective Knights Decani and coordinated by their Knights Optio (Two per Step/Voussoir) and Knight Guardian to the Step's or Voussoir's Centurion. 

The complete hierarchy of Knights Immaculate (besides retinues, men-at-arms and veteran aspirants which, like the Knights Penitent and Apostate, are not counted among the Immaculates), their distinctive surcoats, functions and general levels, are as follows:

- Knight Penitent (Grey surcoat): A Knight who has not yet gone through the Trials to become a Knight Immaculate. A squire. LEVEL 2.
- Knight Apostate (Grey surcoat with white saltire): A Knight who has failed the Trials and keeps serving the Order, or a Knight Immaculate who has lost his position and works his way back to the Trials to regain his original position. LEVEL varies. 

KNIGHT IMMACULATE (SOLDIERS) 

- Knight Immaculate (White surcoat): Greater number of Knights who passed the Trials and are members of the Order. Ten (10) Knight Immaculates per Unit. LEVEL 3.
- Knight Decanus (White surcoat with one label): Individual Units leaders. LEVEL 4.
- Knight Optio (White surcoat with two labels): Commands and coordinates between four specific Units and the Knight Centurion they serve. Two Knight Optios per Step/Voussoir (Company). LEVEL 6.
- Knight Guardian (White surcoat with three labels): Aide-de-camp of the Knight Centurion commanding his own specific Unit on the field. One per Step/Voussoir (Company). LEVEL 7. 

KNIGHT PENULTIMATE (OFFICERS) 

- Knight Centurion (Black surcoat with silver charges): Commands a Step or Voussoir. LEVEL 8.
- Knight Banneret (Black surcoat with silver charges): Centurion variant, standard bearer, herald and aide-de-camp to a specific Knight Commander. One per Plinth/Keystone (Battalion). LEVEL 8.
- Knight Commander (Black surcoat with gold charges): Knight Commander of a Plinth (Battalion) or expeditionary force of the Order. LEVEL 10.
- Knight Equites (Black surcoat with gold charges): Knight Commander of a Keystone (Cavalry Battalion). LEVEL 10. Can also lead expeditionary forces, especially as vast operations in the Wild or among the shades of the Eurth. 

KNIGHT ULTIMATE (ADMINISTRATORS) 

- Knight Legate (Red surcoat with silver charges): Leads a Column. Three Columns per Arch of the Sepulchre. Only lead expeditionary forces in the most important of situations. LEVEL 12.
- Knight Supplicant (Red surcoat with gold charges): Guides one of the Twelve (12) Archs of the Sepulchre. Direct assistants and generals to the Knight Sepulchre. LEVEL 14. 

KNIGHT SEPULCHRE (Partitioned Red and Black surcoat with gold charges): His Grace, Egremoth Berahil Valkurion, Spiritual leader of the Order and voice of the Last King. LEVEL 16. 

Rumors persistantly point out the existence of the mysterious Knights Unseen and Knights Ethereal, who are said to be part of a sub-Order of high level assassins among the Knights Immaculate empowered with potent magics and artifacts confiscated from the unfaithful, and acting under the direct authority of the Knight Sepulchre. Needless to say, the Order categorically denies the existence of any such heresy. 

MEMBERSHIP: The Knights Immaculate welcome those they see as malleable, and who are not yet corrupted by the forces of Chaos (read: overwhelmingly humans who either originate from extremely unfortunate backgrounds, or are the lesser sons and daughters of noble families who identify as allies). The Order shapes them, as Knight Penitents, through stages of apprenticeship preparing them for the Trials, ie. Fighters or Clerics devoted to the Last King about to transition to their third experience level, whether they started out as such or dual-classed from their previous lives upon joining the Order. 

Druid, Paladins and Rangers are never accepted into the Order. Magic-Users and Illusionists have to completely give up on their previous classes and lives, much like Thieves and Assassins, and dual-class into Fighter or Cleric to become part of the Order. 

Upon reaching the third level in their chosen class as Penitents, the squires go through a series of trials to prove themselves worthy of membership into the Order. The main Trial involves the aspirant getting red hot, smoldering armor bracers applied onto their forearms by their own mentors among the Knights. The pain is excruciating, and the bracers essentially act like branding irons burning the cross barbée emblem of the Order into the applicant's flesh on both forearms. It becomes a test of will to not cry out in pain, to not flinch or complain, and make it to a vasque of holy water dedicated to the memory of the Last King in order to cool down the bracers for good. Weakness and failure mean becoming one of the Knights Apostate. Success means the squire is now one of the Knights Immaculate. 

The Knights Immaculate all gain the following benefits upon completing their trials at Third (3rd) level: Immune to Fear, +4 to all saving throws to resist Charms, Illusions and Enchantments, and +1 to hit and damage (ie. +1/+1) versus Giant type creatures.

At Fourth (4th) level, these benefits increase to +2/+2 vs. Giants, +1/+1 vs. Elder Races (including dragons, snake men, elves, dwarves, gnomes, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, ogre and trolls). At Eighth (8th) level, these modifiers become +3/+3 vs. Giants, +2/+2 vs. Elder Races, +1/+1 vs. Magic-users and Illusionists. At Twelth (12th) level, these modifiers finally rise to +4/+4 vs. Giants, +3/+3 vs. Elder Races, +2/+2 vs. Magic-Users and Illusionists.

BELIEFS: The Knights Immaculate believe in the supremacy of Law over all other forces in the Multiverse. They are dedicated to the utter destruction of Chaos and will oppose anything that contradicts their design and belief in ultimate Law everywhere. Any magics or dweomers not borne of devotion and divine making are corrupt and must be either redeemed or destroyed at all costs. If non-human and demi-human races oppose the dominion of Man on the Eurth, they should be unmade. If humans get in the way of the Order's grand design, they must repent or die. The Knights Immaculate believe only they remained true to the agenda of the Last King of the Frankhs. They never gave up on the Crusade. They will carry it through, bring back the King from the dead, and finally effect the triumph of Law upon everything and everyone.

OBJECTIVES: Since the death of the Last King of the Frankhs and the end of the Crusade against the Giants, the Order has changed his objectives and adapted to the implosion of the Grand Duchy of Hernst. In so doing, they first became the stabilizing agent and arbiter of disputes between the barons of Hartst, acting as peace keepers and middle men for the Iron Siege, accepting grants of land from the Barons, especially along the rivers Syl and Ryl, to guarantee their favours, and thus slowly growing their estates as well as their responsibilities towards the Archbarony in the process. 

Second, they devoted most of the fighting resources of the Order to the eradication of the Wild, an area of supernatural corruption perpetually breeding all manners of horrors within its boundaries, and they have to be contained. The memory of the devastation brought by the magical plague known as the Wild Death is still remembered by the populations around the Wild, and this is by far the goal of the Order that is best understood by those outside of it. What is less understood is the zeal of the Knights in purifying the communities surrounding the Wild, going so far as to burn entire villages at the mere mention of deviltry or witchery, or to lead symbolic charges going on for weeks deep into the Wild to fight Chaos on its own turf. The Knights are ruthless, and the people fear more than they respect the Order for it.

It must be remembered that the energies of the Order are geared towards a single main overarching goal, which is to create a state of resonance of this plane with Law and, the Knights think, the plane of the Dead, in order to bring back the Last King of the Frankhs and finish the fight. How the Wild figures into these plans is a secret kept by the Supplicants of the Keys, Chalice and Flame to the Sepulchre, but it most likely has something to do with the shades of the Eurth constantly blending and colliding with these cursed lands. 

SYMBOLS: GNAEUS POTENTIA, the motto of the Order, is a Danthean phrase roughly meaning “Right Makes Might.” It could also be translated as meaning “Loyalty/Faith/Purity Makes Might”, hence the traditional phrasing. The Order defines itself by its blind loyalty to the Knight Sepulchre and the spirit of the Last King beyond the grave. 

The main visual symbol of the Order is a cross barbée, sable, with a roundel of gules in its center surrounded by four curving bands of the same, on a field argent. The roundel (Red) symbolizes the spirit of the Last King of the Frankhs, with the strength of the order itself spreading outward in all four cardinal directions (Black), and the bands curving around the roundel figuring his lingering spirit and emanations (Red) beyond on a field of purity and illumination (White).

RESOURCES: With an effective of about fifty thousand Knights Immaculate, not counting Knights Penitent, Apostates, nor the retinues following each Knight around, the Order has tremendous resources at its disposal. Most of these are concentrated within the land holdings of the Knights, which roughly stretch eastward from the Citadel Immaculate to the Silvered Lake, then down south all along the Ryl river to the Brazen Crown, the resting place and mausoleum to the Last King of the Frankhs. This entire strip of land stretching about 180 miles along the rivers and about 40 miles at its widest acts as a buffer between the Archbarony of Hartst, the Wild, the Steppes of the Ryl and the Viscountcy beyond. 

The goods the Order is not able to fabricate or grow for itself are either donated by its Baron neighbors, diverted from taxes to the Iron Siege and paid as a sort of security found to keep the Archbarony secure, or appropriated by the Knights by force during the raids they conduct along the borders of the Wild and within the Archbarony itself. 

It is widely believed that any and all magic items and dweomers the Knights get their hands on are destroyed for being emanations of Chaos. This is mostly true, but for Redeemed and Anointed items. Redeemed items are those magic items deemed valuable by the Order, which undergo a series of rituals weakening their dweomers (generally applying a -2 penalty to beneficial modifiers or destroying some of the benefits the items bestows) while purifying them for use by the Knights themselves. Anointed items are those implements created by the divine magics of the Order, chief of which the Knights of the Chalice. 

Each one of the Twelve Archs to the Sepulchre gathers specialists and resources geared towards specific tasks for the Knights and their associated forces: 

The spread and specifics of the twelve Archs shows the Order has a variety of assets and resources besides the Knights and their respective retinues. It harbors for instance to the siege engines of the Arms of the Sepulchre, the barges and ships of the Journeymen, the digging capabilities of sappers and construction technologies of the Works to the Sepulchre. What it needs, the Order develops for itself. For the manpower and structure of each Arch, refer to the Organization section above. 

FACTIONS: The Knights Immaculate are naturally aligned and joined at the hip with the Iron Siege, the organization around the empty seat of leadership of the Archbarony of Hartst. They collaborate and sell heretics as slaves to the Pirates of the Maimed, and ignore the existence of the Shadow Kingdom, which they think is a conspiracy theory and a myth. They are hostile to Saint Makhab, the Black Abbey, and by extension, the Night Legion and the Obesti associated with them. The Knights Immaculate have declared the Order of the Gray and their allies, including the Rattle and Spear, to be heretics, though they do not have the resources to go full on against their presence in the Lower Midlands. The Order generally deems any Chaotic organization, human or demi-human, to be natural enemies to be wiped out from the face of the eurth. The druidic powers of the Wreath are at best misguided and primitive, and at worst support the enemies of the Order ruling the Grim Woods (the elves, who are aligned with Chaos). They distrust the Viscountess of Poy, Pryton leadership in general, and the entire Cerulean League with it. 

SAMPLE NPCs: 

Theobold de Vrau, Fighter 4, is the second born of a lowly baron of Hartst. He was forced to join the Order, and had to hide his own elder brother's magical talents in the process. He has since retained a burning hatred for his family, the nobles of Hartst and anything related to magic, but mellowed with age as he witnessed, joined and led more carnage and punitive expeditions against the populace of the Archbarony. Theobold is now the Knight Decanus of the Fifth Unit, Fourth Step, Second Plinth of the Third Column to the Keys of the Sepulchre. He leads his men firmly but fairly, and tries to temper their extreme zeal using his own hard-earned experience. 

Hassym Kessaleem, Fighter 6/Magic-User 5, is a Knight Immaculate of Iyathari descent adopted and raised by the Order from a young age, after his entire Coil was wiped out by a raid. He joined the ranks of the Flame to the Sepulchre and is now the Knight Optio for Units I-IV of the Third Step, Third Plinth, Second Column therein. Hassym is in fact a half-elf, a terrible secret to have within the Order, and though it is known by his direct superiors who consider his magical talents an asset of the Flame as a result, he would be tortured and killed by the Shroud if that fact was ever widely known. His difference made him that much more of a zealot for the Order, a martyr in his own mind cursed with a parentage that makes him fit to sacrifice himself to the cause. He physically mutilates his ears to not let his heritage be known by his peers.

Sylfredus Oldebrandt, Cleric of the Last King 7, is the Knight Guardian for the Second Voussoir of the Keystone to the First Column of the Works to the Sepulchre. As such, he is an extraordinary heavy cavalryman who enjoys being the liaison between his Centurion and the rest of the Units under his command maintaining the upkeep of the watchtowers and defenses beyond the Order's holdings at Khrag An Mor, north of the Wild. An adventurer at heart, he will not hesitate to stop on his way to check some lair or underground network that could be used as a position further into the wilderness. He could be met alone, or with his own Unit, in such circumstances. 

ADVENTURES: Player Characters should not be allowed to join the Knights Immaculate. The Order's precepts, ruthlessly implemented into the Penitent's heart and soul from the beginning of their apprenticeship, are completely imcompatible with a life spent adventuring with other people having separate beliefs and convictions, let alone druids, magic-users and what-have-you. This does not mean, however, that the PCs can not become associates or mercenaries working for the Order directly or indirectly.

Marmoreal Tomb: The Knights are aware of the presence of an old dwarf settlement somewhere out in the Wilderness (Level 1 of the Tomb). They have recently found a map indicating its location and took it from heretics who have since been dealt with permanently. The Knights cannot spare resources so far out in the Lower Midlands, so they hire the party to act as their advanced scouting party. Their mission is to assess the status of the ruins and the sort of threat they might represent to the Order, especially if there is some recent activity that can be traced to the forces of Chaos in the area. They can keep the treasure they find as long as it is not magical. Magical items have to be given up for destruction or redemption.

Search and rescue: The PCs must deal with the aftermath of a raid of the Knights Immaculate against a small, tribal Gaelish community. They learn the Knights have left the smoldering huts and holy grounds of the Gaelish with their chieftain, who also happens to be the shaman of the village. If the Knights reach Khrag An Mor with their chieftain, he will be tortured and die. Whether the party decides to attempt an abduction, negotiate for a ransom in magic items or complete a task for the Knights, the villagers will be especially thankful and reward the party if they can get their chieftain back. 

Wanted, dead or alive: Three Knights Immaculate, most likely a Knight Decanus accompanied by two subordinates from his Unit, show up to the current place of stay of the PCs (Crom Caemloch, the Twin Tankard or other). They are searching for Mundel of Kantz and the Order of the Gray (q.v., Figures and Factions). Some elements of the Rattle and Spear and the Order of the Gray are in hiding somewhere around or under the place. It is up to the PCs to decide whether they want to join the hunt for a fee, and act as mercenaries for the Knights Immaculate, or brush them off to then help the fugitives. 

Intelligence assets: The Knights Immaculate just lost a Unit including the son of a relatively important baron of Hartst in a muscled negotiations with a Pryton keep lost in the Midlands. The Knights Immaculate want to hire the party to circumvent the objections of the Iron Siege forbidding the Knights from going out, raising the place to the ground and create a diplomatic issue with the Viscountcy, rescue the Knights if possible, and gather intelligence on what awaits them in the Midlands. This could be an ongoing association where the party becomes hired scouts for the Knights Immaculate.

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SAMPLE FIGURE: AYLOT JONSELL
THE CURSED KNIGHT IN THE NORTH
Male Human, Fighter 10, LN. 

TITLES: Knight Penultimate, Knight Consular of Khrag An Mor and the Northern Expeditionary Force, Knight Commander of the Third Plinth, Third Column of the Blade to the Sepulchre.

Lord Commander Aylot Jonsell is the leader of the expeditionary force sent to Khrag An Mor by the Citadel Immaculate south of the Wild. Born the son of a minor official, Aylot witnessed the murder of his father during riots that aimed to reunify King's Gate with the rest of the Archbarony of Hartst. Immediately after, Aylot joined the Knights Immaculate. He aimed to fight anarchy in all its forms, and better his personal standing in the world in the most expedient way left for a child of such modest condition. His loyalty to the order and its strict hierarchy have always been motivated by a deep-seated hatred for the common man, the “ungrateful mob” which, to him, lost all kingdoms and empires of man.

Aylot's faith in the power of the Knight Sepulchre and the Last King embodies his outlook on the current state of affairs: No land is worth saving, no king worth serving, least of which the Half-King sitting on the throne of the Frankhs. Aylot longs for a return to a past that never was, but which he needs to believe exists in order to make sense of all the death and destruction he has faced his entire life. 

Like most Knights are wont to do, Aylot went out of his way to demonstrate his ruthlessness and courage as a leader. As a Knight Equites, he pursued the enemies of the Order without and within, twarted multiple assassination attempts both against his life and those of his superiors, and led charges against the Wild. During one of these ritual charges into the domain of Chaos, the Knight eventually faced a powerful avatar of Belephron, the Rot Within. Aylot managed to survive the harrowing experience, but not without a price, for he soon developed a particularly voracious and magical strain of gangrene. It spread throughout his body over night, and were it not for the most powerful dweomers summoned by the Knights of the Chalice, he would have died then and there. No balm, no spell can get rid of this curse. Lord Jonsell is doomed to suffer and be reminded of his own mortality in the most excruciating, disgusting ways, every day of his life.

The constant torture changed him. The Cursed Knight is patient and dedicated to the rules and hierarchy of the order, in great part because he needs to keep the rage and self-loathing boiling inside in check. He trusts his second in command, the sly but quick-witted Knight Banneret, Saddon d'Omedet, to do his bidding and follow orders without questions. He knows his resources here are limited, and will not sacrifice them on impulses. Aylot knows the Blade of Neron, the youthful Elfine de la Rochevaude du Clot, despises him, and he couldn't care less. If the Iron Siege wants to surpervise the actions of his expeditionary force, so be it. As long as she can provide him extra supplies and possible reinforcements, he is willing and able to let her stew. 

APPEARANCE: Tall, with very deliberate gestures and movements, the Cursed Knight is always seen wearing his full-plate armor and frog-mouth helm. This should seem very odd, given these helmets are generally used for jousting, or for the ritual cavalry charges of the Knights Immaculate into the Wild. The Cursed Knight eats in private, and all the potions and balms he uses in the field are prepared to act by smell, create clouds and otherwise avoid ingestion. Horribly disfigured by his eldritch gangrene, Aylot cannot stand his own sight in a mirror, let alone expose it for others to see. 

ROLEPLAYING: Lord Jonsell speaks scarcely but precisely. There is generally a sense of implicit threat to his demeanor, his discourse and pronouncements, but he is not without a sense of humour, and can raise the passions of his men to follow and serve him when needed. Lord Jonsell is a strategist and tactician. He is slow to act, but intelligent and deliberate. He is a firm believer in the ultimate cause of Law, of which he sees little to no manifestation on the living Eurth. He is entirely dedicated to the goals of the Knights Immaculate, and will die to defend them. 

GOALS: Lord Jonsell has been sent to root out the evil from the ruins of Khrag An Mor and transform it into a new fort and holding for the Knights Immaculate from which they hope to spread and contain the Wild from the north. The extent of the networks of tunnels and flooded locations in and under Khrag An Mor, a veritable dungeon perhaps rivaling the depth of Castle Celadon and the Marmoreal Tomb, makes the operation extremely costly and time consuming. Outside of patrols and limited incursions, the expeditionary force keeps to the ruins of the ancient city. The Cursed Knight has a passion for works of art and artifacts, and he keeps a private collection of the treasures found during punitive expeditions in the dungeon below. He could be a buyer for exceptional relics, and would either destroy potent magic items, or neutralize them with the help of the Knights of the Flame to the Sepulchre who are part of his companies. 

LOCATION: The Knights Immaculate have built a motte-and-bailey fort amidst the ruins of Khrag An Mor, and have spread out the companies making up the expeditionary force around it. The Cursed Knight stays in the castle at the top of the motte, and rarely leaves the confines of the camp. 

RESOURCES: Lord Aylot Jonsell is a Knight Penultimate, Consular of Khrag An Mor, Commander of the Third Plinth, Third Column of the Blade to the Sepulchre. He is aided in his task by Saddon d'Omedet (Fighter 8, LN, Knight Banneret of Khrag An Mor). A significant part of his Plinth is in fact part of the expeditionary force, but so are Knights serving the Flame, Chalice, Arms and Depths of the Sepulchre mostly (masters of the question and forbidden dweomers of magic, priests and healers, artillery and sappers of the order), with a handful of aids serving the Shroud, Plans and Forge (executioners, engineers and master blacksmiths) joining also. All together, this is a significant force of about five hundred (500) Knights or six companies altogether, not counting the Knight Penitents, Apotastes and retinues following along.

SUGGESTED ENCOUNTERS: Scouting party or Patrol of a few Knights Immaculate, Full Unit (ten Knights and retinues, plus Decanus) on a reconnaissance mission, or on its way to or from a specific location asserting compliance and corruption by the forces of Chaos, Survivors of a purge gone wrong, Knights Unseen on an assassination mission, or retrieving an artifact for the Cursed Knight and/or the Knights of the Flame of the Sepulchre, Knights of the Depths on their way to investigate Pryton catacombs, or Knights of the Plans asserting the structural integrity of an ancient ruin of the Midlands to convert it into a watch tower for the Knights Immaculate. Party of Knights on a punitive mission. Knight Guardian (Immaculate) or Centurion (Penultimate) on a lone mission for the Cursed Knight . Diplomatic mission of outreach by Knights of the Chalice visiting Gaelish communities around Khrag An Mor. 

LORD AYLOT JONSELL, THE CURSED KNIGHT – Fighter 10: SZ Medium; MV 12''; AL LN; STR (18/56) 18/00, INT 14, WIS 13, DEX 15, CON 17, CHA 10; HD 9x(d10+3) +3; HP 92; AC -3; #AT MELEE 2/1, Adamantite Sword of Wounding (specialization) +5/+5, +7/+7 vs. Outsiders; D 10-17/10-17, 12-19/12-19 vs. Outsiders [+1 (magic) +6 (strength) +2 (specialization) + 2 vs Outsiders], Silvered Mace 3/2, +3 or +3/+3, D 8-13 or 8-13/8-13; RANGE True Iron spear 3/2, +3, or +3/+3, D 7-12 or 7-12/7-12; MOUNTED Anointed Lance, +5 or +5/+5, or +7 (Charge), D 11-17 (2d4+9) + 2-16 (trampling hooves) or 11-17/11-17 on two separate targets roughly lined up, or 22-34 [(2d4+9)x2] on a charge, or 33-51 [(2d4+9)x3] on a charge with thrust and dropped lance on the charge. As a Knight Immaculate of his standing and level, the Cursed Knight is Immune to Fear, and gets a +4 to his saving throws versus Charm, Illusions and Enchantments. He further benefits from a modifier both to hit and damage of +3 versus Giant types and +2 versus Elder races not tabulated in the hitting and damage formulas above (see the Knights Immaculate faction for more detail). 

As a Knight Penultimate and the Knight Consular of Khrag An Mor, the Cursed Knight gets access to a great variety of consumables, including various forms of potions and balms of healing provided by the Knights of the Chalice. The Cursed Knights wears an anointed full plate of healing +3 at all times. The divine glyphs carried by the suit of armor keep his body alive and functioning, including his frog-mouth helmet allowing to keep full usage of his eyes, respiratory passage ways and throat (he would not otherwise be able to see, to talk or even breathe). He also carries a +1 redeemed Shield (originally +3), a non-magical silvered mace, an anointed +2 Lance when mounted, and true iron spears to strike from a distance. The Cursed Knight most notoriously wields a redeemed Adamantite Sword of Wounding +1, +3 versus Outsiders (originally +3, +5 versus Outsiders, the Ego and Intelligence of the sword having been killed during the redemption process) whose wounds cannot be regenerated naturally, a formidable weapon in the hands of such a competent warrior. What is much less known is that the Cursed Knight wears Gauntlets of Ogre Powers which have not be redeemed by the Knights of the Chalice. This is the only concession Aylot Jonsell is willing to make for the sake of his efficiency in battle.