Return to ZBP-Prelude

[Old Dwarf]

A bit of background:To give ZBP a deeper Setting I converted it to the Midnight Game World(OoP FFG=RPG)
of Aryth ,specifically the city of the dead Cambrial.

ZBP is set in the Earth's European Dark Ages but includes Elves & Dwarves so it's background is stretched to include these Fey Races
in an historic setting( Zombies & Necromancers already strain the suspension of disbelief but their doable ).Orcs are even mentioned
via an Orc Bow weapon.

However all the races plus the Dark Age setting really fall into place if there placed in the world of Midnight. A world were evil
has conquered & a few survivors struggle to stay alive & resist.

Cambrial once a major city in Southerland Erenland was seduced by the Sunulael a former Chief Acolyte of the Sorshel now rules
the city as a Night King and Chief Legate of the fallen God Izrador Shadow Faith. The Armies of Izador spared no life in taking
Cambrial leaving Sunulael and his followers a city of corpses & blood.

The new Night King fortified a section of the City to house his followers and slaves leaving most of the city to the Fell, the rising dead
suffering the Veil of Izrador *. The hungry dead made the city so dangerous even the Orcs who made up the bulk of the Shadow Army
retreated to the outskirts rather than plunder. Thus Cambrial remains a treasure house of goods, weapons and even scarce magic lore
from the deserted School of Wizardry.

The Legates control the Fell through Necromancy and send them forth to reinforce the Shadow Armies attacking the Elves of Erethor
Forest and the Dwarf Holds in the Kaladran Mts. The only regions of Aryth still holding out against the Shadow now that humanity
has been crushed.

Human resistance is however not dead groups of survivors still lurk Erenland aided by passive subversion of the enslaved human
populace and free outlaw bands . Unpillaged Cambrial with it's streets and armories filled with discarded weapons and it's untouched
granaries is a prize to tempt the free forces to dare slipping by the Orc Garrison forces & the shambling Fell of the city. A few brave
survivors are also still are to be found in the city itself dedicated to revenge by sabotage and killing the hated Fell and their Legate
controllers.

* Veil of Izrador- When the Evil God Izrador was defeated and his essence were banished to Aryth it broke the connection been the Gods
and Aryth. Izrador was sealed out of the heavens but the Gods were sealed out of Aryth. Thus the souls of the dead were blocked from
ascension to the celestial kingdoms. Thus the souls returned to their bodies and the dark influence of Izrador caused them to rise up
with a terrible taste for flesh. The Necromancy of the Legates of the Shadow Faith allows them to control & direct these doomed
creatures.


The following Terms are adjusted from BP to the Cambrial Setting:

All Undead are called Fell (subtypes-based on how long the Corpse has been dead)

Walker /Dead Eye Walker/VIP Zombie= Maelgral
Runner Zombie= Ungral
Fatty Zombie/NPC's=Faengral
Necromancer=Legate
Abomination=Abomination
Wolfz and Crowz=Astirax*
Spectral Walkers =The Lost-Spectral creatures whose Souls are blocked
from reaching Heaven

* incorporeal creatures created by Izrador
as familiars for Legates. They can posses
animal bodies. Prolonged possession will
causes the animal to rot.

The Quest is from the Base Game #3 The Shepherds with a modified Title to fit the Cambrial Setting.
located in the Skidds District a seedier part of the Eveningside ( Entertainment Quarter). This Quest
involves Survivors finding people barricaded in various building & telling them to flee before the
advancing Zombies arrive.

The Skidds consists of the Red Rooster Brothel ,various other unsavory establishments such as Blind Pigs
(rot gut dive bars, poppy dens & fleabag hovels).

Survivors:*

Thundergut-Dwarf-Clan Thedron outcast-Resident of Eveningside
Kolm-Dworg (Dwarf/Orc mix & Giant Blood) Clan Kurgan-Resident of Eveningside (Bouncer)
Candence-Wildlander(human)-Fell Hunter

* I use a BGG Variant for less than 6 Survivors

Special NPC Zombies possible:

Hookers( Dancer figs)
Jesters figs
Elven Bards figs
Bloody Mary (Snow White fig)-Brothel Owner
Crowz
Wolfz
The Lost(Spectral Walker figs)

I just posted the introduction fluff but I still have to finish the Game I have
on the Table before I can set up this Game.

I have a series of die based generators to select Quests,Survivors,special NPC,
Location within the city, time of day & Midnight based monthly Calendar. For this Game
I decided I wanted to use the Eveningside Location as it gave me a chance to use some
of the Special NCP's from Expansion boxes 1 & 2.The rest fell to the Generators to fill
out the Quest.

The Quest Generator kicked out A Quest from the Core Game & then Quest #3.
The Survivor Generator is in 2 parts : Resident Survivors which live in the City Quarter
chosen for the Quest (the Eveningside has 3-Nelly,Thundergut & Kolm- these were
assigned by me based on COMON's Survivor profiles) and Wanderers who may
appear in any Quarter of the City.

The # of Survivors Generator are based on 2/3/4 Survivors & this gave me 3. If Resident
Survivors are present 2 are chosen & any remaining Survivors come from the Wanderer list.
So this Quest rolled up a party of 3 ( a die 3 Roll selected Thundergut & Kolm as the Residents &
a d20 roll picked out Cadence).

After all the parts of the Quest are in place I check out the Tiles & give names to the various buildings
in line with the City Quarter in line with the Quest. Then I do some opening fluff to introduce the
Survivors & flesh out why they are undertaking the Quest.

OD

[Old Dwarf]

Early morning,Senneach,YS1-outskirts of the Skidds

thud,thud-wake up,get up!

Quit yelling my heads killing me & if you kick my ribs again you'll have something to yell about,
who are you?

Name's Cadence & I'm whispering you drunken excuse for a Dwarf now wake your big friend before his
snoring brings all hell down on us. What are you two doing sleeping out here in the open?

Wake up Kolm we have company & she's rather ill tempered, as to your question we're scouting;
by Mother Moon my head's pounding explain it to her Kolm.

Well Miss, pardon Thundergut he can be a might testy until he had his morning pint. It's like this,
a couple of days ago a mess of orcs came through the Skidds murdering anyone in the streets so
the rest of us barricaded ourselves inside the buildings. Oddly enough the Orcs didn't try to
break in & when we peaked out it seemed that the Orcs had left.

We were holed up in the red Rooster where I'm the bouncer & Thundergut is a regular so after a day
went by people were wondering if it was safe to come out & what was going on with Orcs in the city?
So with all the talk about Orcs Thundergut starts recounting how he battled them when they attacked
his Clanhold.Next thing you know people were giving him Tankards & saying he was just the person to go
out & check to see if it was safe to open back up. After a few more beers Thundergut volunteers to
go have a look see & staggers out. He was in no shape to handle anything so I went after him.
We got almost out of the Skidds when Thundergut passed out so I propped him up against this building
& night had fallen went to sleep myself.

Thanks Kolm I knew their was something I was suppose to do but couldn't quite remember the details.
So Candance you look like a Wildlander what takes you from the forest to Cambrial & do you know
what's happening in the city?

Your right Thundergut I'm a Wildlander & I came to Cambrial following the Orcs of the Shadow's
Army to hunt then down & take vengeance for burning out my village. The city is awash in Fell
forces of Izador have slaughter everyone & their corpses have arisen as the hungry dead. It's
so bad the Orcs have abandoned the City to the Fell.The Orcs that came through the Skidds didn't
stay around as they were fleeing & I was following them out.

Cambrial is now under control of Sunulael one of Izador Night Kings & his Legates who are using
their Necromancy to control the Fell to eliminate any survivors. You say people are barricaded
in the Skidds how many?

I'm not sure Candance there's about 2 dozen in the Red Rooster & maybe another couple of dozen
holed up in some of the other buildings.

Well there's a mob of Fell close behind me so you & Kholm better warn them to get out
while they can .

Candance these people are spread out all over the Skidds will you help us find them?

Kholm these city people slandered my people calling us cowards that hid in the wilderness
when the Shadow forces attacked. I came to Cambrial to kill Orcs not to help people who
scorn Wildlanders.

Candance these people in the Skidds are not the ones who scorned your people, actually they
are also scorned as lower-class undesirables that's why they are here in the Skidds, they may
be rogues, thieves, pimps, working girls but they don't judge. They accept people as they are,
look I'm a Dworg a Dwarf/Orc mix & not accepted by either race plus I inherited the giant blood
trait anywhere else I am a freak. Here however I'm accepted, the same with Thundergut he's been
thrown out of his Clan most places he's shunned but no one here cares. The people here may
be considered scum but they don't deserve the fate that the fell will bring, help Us.

OK,Kholm I'll help but you & Thundergut must follow my orders, the first of which is give me
Thunderguts flask. Now
To be continued