DW 3

Midway upon the journey of our life
I found that I was in a dusky wood;

For the right path, whence I had strayed, was lost.
Dante Alighieri, Inferno, Canto 1.
Ghostwood Haunts
Written, designed, and published by Johnstone Metzger.
Vancouver, Canada.
December, 2013.
Art
Cover art by Theodore Clement Steele.
Interior art:
Albrecht Drer: 8-9, 106.
Caspar David Friedrich: 60.
Edmund J. Sullivan: 71.
Ferdinand Kobell: 2, 6, 10, 11, 74-75, 121, 122.
G. Franz: 102.
Gustave Dor: 3, 56.
Hanns Lautensack: 110-111.
Hans Brosamer: 116.
Hans Sebald Beham: 34.
Harry Clarke: 32-33, 82-83.
Huc-Mazelet Luquiens: 61.
Johann Adam Klein: 54.
John Austen: 96.
John Minton: 12.
Paul Gavarni: 44.
Sidney Sime: 84.
Susanne Maria Sandrart: 87.
Theodore Clement Steele: 24, 26, 47, 49, 85, 136.
Vaughn Trowbridge: 37.
Will Bradley: 109.
The previous works are all in the public domain in Canada.
Additional art:
Flame logo (cover) by John Harper.
Maps (62, 65, 66, 72) by Johnstone Metzger.
onesevendesign.com
redboxvancouver.wordpress.com
The Original Player Characters

Colonel Kaffshyth, Gamblor the Elf, and William Parsnip.
Text
This text contains portions of Dungeon World, by Sage LaTorra and
Adam Koebel, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Unported license.
dungeon-world.com
https://github.com/Sagelt/Dungeon-World
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
The text of the Custom Rules chapter (pages 113-136) is released
under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Excerpts from Dante Alighieri's Inferno translated from the Italian
by Lawrence Grant White.
Type
The text is set in:
Alegreya, by Juan Pablo del Peral (huertatipografica.com.ar).
Junction, by Caroline Hadilaksono (hadilaksono.com).
League Gothic, by Micah Rich, Caroline Hadilaksono, and
Tyler Finck (theleagueofmovabletype.com).
Raleway, by Matt McInerny (matt.cc).
Sorts Mill Goudy, by Barry Schwartz (crudfactory.com).
All fonts licensed under the SIL Open Font License.
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Contents
Introduction
Ghosts in the Woods
Getting Involved
Preparing the Game
Running It
9
10
24
26
28
Ravenous Wolves
The Wolf Pack
The Mayors Mistakes
Amber Nightshade
33
35
40
44
The Abandoned Tower

A Haunt of Thieves
The Coven
55
57
76
Hungry Ghosts
Black Larissas Diary
The Demon Corioleus
The Witch Hunt
83
86
97
102
Custom Rules
Fomorian characters
Magnate base class
Bounty Hunter compendium class
Drug Addict compendium class
Infernalist compendium class
111
114
117
126
129
132
Introduction
10
Introduction
Ghosts in the Woods

This adventure begins with a coach arriving in the quiet village of
Knifesbridge after being robbed. The coachman and his six
passengers, travelling south from the university town of
Mournhaven, were held up by bandits at dusk. J. Rupert Hogge, his
wife Mathilde, a man named Wilse, and the three Rosewell
siblingsMia, Darren, and Sereesewere relieved of their
valuables, including even their luggage and wedding rings. The
sheriff has allowed them to stay at one of the villages inns, the
Cotters Arms, for free until the matter is resolved. The coachman
immediately departed south to report the crime to his superiors.
Knifesbridge is nested amongst the tall trees of the Ghostwood
Forest. It is built around a bridge over the quick-flowing River
Knife, linking the eastern and western parts of the duchy. Over the
last decade, a new road was built, leading north to Mournhaven. As
this road is now the quickest route north to the university there, it
has become popular of lateespecially since there are currently no
toll collectors. Edgar Silerton, the man who financed its
construction and obtained the rights to collect tolls along it,
hanged himself in the woods several years ago.
Unfortunately, travel along this toll-free road does not come
without a cost. There are bandits. And worse.
Introduction
Things to Come
Ghostwood Haunts presents two fronts for the players characters
to deal with. The first, Ravenous Wolves, details a gang of bandits
and drug dealers that call themselves the Wolf Pack and the local
mayors ill-advised reaction to their depredations. If the bandits are
not stopped, they will seize control of local politics and begin a
reign of terror. But if the mayors antics are not corrected, there
may be little left for them to reign over.
The second, Hungry Ghosts, presents a tangled web of demon
worship, betrayal, and murder. A dead witchs ghost seeks a
vengeance that will allow the demon that corrupted her to walk
beneath the Ghostwoods leaves in the form of man. Once
summoned to the physical plane, he can work mischief far more
insidious than even that of the Wolf Pack. The PCs are not alone
in trying to prevent this horror, but the other would-be hero
appears to be more of a problem than a solution.
At the crossroads that brings these two fronts together lies an
old, abandoned tower. Beneath its crumbling stones lie the roots of
all that threatens to destroy the village of Knifesbridge and bring a
ruin down upon the forest the likes of which have never yet been
seen. For a forest that takes its name from the spirits that haunt its
depths, this is truly a terrible fate indeed.
11
12
Introduction
Introduction
Knifesbridge
The village of Knifesbridge contains a few thousand souls,
gathered around a bridge over the River Knife. This fast-flowing
river runs south from the north-east and allows boat traffic to
transport wood and other goods downriver. The bridge connects
the eastern half of the duchy to the west, and by extension, the
Southern cities, but these roads do not follow the river. The new
north road runs alongside the river for a ways, then diverges,
running north-west to Mournhaven.
The Knifesbridge Municipal Breweriestechnically there is
one each for aquavit, beer, cider, and whiskeyare the heart and
soul of the villages economy. Private breweries exist all over the
countryside, but are prohibited from operating within the village
itself. Outside alcohol can be shipped through Knifesbridge, but
not brewed, stored, or sold there. The municipal breweries are
owned and operated by the village government itself, and have
been for hundreds of years.
There are fewer farms around the village than one might
expect. The Ghostwood is a thick and mystical forest, notoriously
the haunt of ghosts and witches, and it surrounds Knifesbridge on
all sides. It is hard to find both the foresters who will clear away its
trees completely and the businessmen who will hire them to do
soespecially since the Ghostwood killed the last one to try it.
More superstitious people would say it claimed his ghost, too, and
now it roams aimlessly between the trees. Because of this, the trade
in wood lags behind the trade in spirits.
THE VILLAGE OF KNIFESBRIDGE
Moderate prosperity, steady population, and a watch for

defence.
Craft: Brewing, Oath: Fealty to the duke, Resource: Wood.
13
14
Introduction
The Initial Cast

MR. AND MRS. HOGGE
J. Rupert Hogge is a barrister who went to Mournhaven on a

business assignment he refuses to discuss, citing client
confidentiality. He is very angry about the robbery and badgers the
sheriff, the mayor, and anyone else he thinks is responsible, at
every available moment. His wife Mathilde is very flustered and
wants everyone to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she has
just had the fright of her life.
WILSE
Ostensibly a low-born courier, doing whatever honest work he can

find, Wilse moans that this isnt even the first time he has been
robbed by bandits along this route. This is all a sham, and he is
actually one of the bandits. He was able to observe the other
passengers and determine what sorts of valuables they had, which
he indicated to his fellow bandits during the robbery, on the sly. He
is confidant enough in his disguise that he will stay the night at the
inn, but depart early the next morning.
MIA ROSEWELL
A stern-looking woman in her twenties, Mia works at a bank in

Mournhaven. She recently discovered financial records showing
that Norman Cole, the mayor of Knifesbridge, was Edgar Silertons
partner in the construction of the north road, but drove him into
bankruptcy by embezzling all his money. She sent word to her
brother Darren, who arrived and confirmed the records. They were
on their way south to take these records to the duke when they
were robbed, and the records were taken.
DARREN ROSEWELL
A successful-looking young man, Mias younger brother Darren is

a clerk in the dukes River Transportation Development Office. He
is very concerned about the mayors corrupt practices, but remains
tight-lipped. He is only peripherally concerned about the loss of his
wedding ringhe knows his wife will be more concerned about his
safety.
Introduction
SEREESE ROSEWELL
Having two older siblings educated at Nornfell University sealed

her fate, though thankfully she is not studying accounting there.
She is here because Mia refused to leave her in Mournhaven by
herself, and while she understands the seriousness of the papers
they were transporting, she is much more concerned about the loss
of her amulet. On a silver chain around her neck, she wore a silver
locket in the shape of a heart with a portrait of her best friend
Emily inside it, but now the bandits have this keepsake in their
grubby hands.
SHERIFF REYNULF HARTFORD
A rugged man with a lean and hungry look, the sheriff is an

excellent woodsman, but between bandits, poachers, and reports of
ghosts, he has his hands full. His budget does not allow him to hire
a permanent staff of men large enough to deal with everything. He
dislikes handing his legal powers over to opportunistic third parties
by offering bounties on criminals, but this is the only tactic that
allows him to increase his spending. Reynulf was made the sheriff
by dint of a ducal decree, but in the event of his death or unlikely
resignation, the mayor of Knifesbridge would have the authority to
appoint a new sheriff.
MAYOR NORMAN COLE
The mayor might get out of bed to deal with the situation. Then
again, he might not. At some point he will be informed and come
around to get himself appraised of the situation and find out how
he can benefit from it or at least avoid the repercussions. Often
nicknamed Old King Cole in light of his dominating local
politics for going on three decades now, Mayor Cole shows no sign
of slowing down even as he approaches his sixtieth year. This could
change if he finds out there is proof he swindled Edgar Silerton out
of his money.
15
16
Introduction
Front #1 :
Ravenous Wolves
Description and Cast
The bandits currently haunting the Ghostwood call themselves the
Wolf Pack. Led by Calgodarro, a Southern mercenary, this gang
has expanded its operations from merely extorting travellers to
dealing amber nightshade, a dangerous narcotic. But the latest act
of highway robbery is the final straw. Armed with Mia Rosewells
incriminating evidence, the Wolf Pack step up their attempts to
seize control of politics. Backed into a corner, Mayor Cole calls on
the worst kind of reinforcements, putting the financial future of
Knifesbridge in jeopardy.
Calgodarro.
Kickal and Koning, the two Fomorian thugs.
Mayor Cole.
Sheriff Hartford.
The Mellic siblings: Hayes, Christine, and Rupert.
The Rosewell siblings: Mia, Darren, and Sereese.
Wilse.
Custom Moves
When you smoke amber nightshade (page 44).
When youve been high and you come down off of amber
nightshade (page 44).
Stakes
Will drug addiction become an unfortunate staple of life in

Knifesbridge?
Will Norman Cole maintain his position as mayor?
Will the Wolf Pack make the transition from criminal gang to
corrupt officials?
Introduction
Dangers
Amber Nightshade
Brewed from plants gathered on or around the Mellic farmstead,
amber nightshade is a potent but dangerousand somewhat
supernaturalnarcotic. The Wolf Pack were already bootleggers of
alcohol, so this extra step seemed like easy money. They brew
amber nightshade in the tunnels beneath the abandoned tower, but
may move operations into the village itself, given the opportunity.
Wilse acts as the primary conduit for drug dealing in Knifesbridge.
Type: Addictive narcotic (use cursed places moves).
Impulse: To enslave its users.
GRIM PORTENTS
The Wolf Pack introduces amber nightshade to Knifesbridge.

Wilse buys the old house on Harlow Street in Knifesbridge to
deal drugs out of.
The Wolf Pack gets prominent citizens addicted to amber
nightshade and takes advantage of them.
A group of Fomorian thieves and enforcers arrives to prop up
the nascent drug cartel.
Impending Doom: Pestilence (addiction).

Details:
This danger is described in detail on pages 44-53.
Stats for Wilse are given on page 36.
The drug addict compendium class is described on pages 129-131.
Getting Involved:
The Wolf Packs amber nightshade business mostly affects people
in Knifesbridge. If the PCs are preoccupied with seemingly more
important matters and choose to ignore Wilses growing influence,
introduce the optional danger Hooked, Line, and Sinker, detailed
on page 50.
17
18
Introduction
The Mayors Mistakes

Having dominated local politics for so long, the mayor has
entrenched himself to such a degree that the system will fall apart
without him. Coles cronies dominate both appointed and elected
positions, and many of them are so used to his brand of corruption
that they could never go straight even if they tried. Added to this
situation, Old King Coles solution to the bandit problem leaves
much to be desired. You lie down with dogs, you get up fleas.
Type: Corrupt government (ambitious organization).
Impulse: To collapse in on itself from conflicting agendas.
GRIM PORTENTS
Cole sells off the Knifesbridge Municipal Breweries to private

business interests.
A large group of bounty hunters arrives to pursue the Wolf
Pack.
The bounty hunters run wild through the Ghostwood and the
streets of Knifesbridge.
The new owners of the breweries remove anything of value
from their properties.
Impending Doom: Impoverishment (of Knifesbridge).

Details:
Getting Involved:
The plague of bounty hunters should be a constant pain in the side
of the PCs. The looting of the breweries should be a public
spectacle, growing in its obvious ridiculousness until it becomes
almost unbelievable. Make the consequences wrought by the
mayors mistakes very public in nature.
Introduction
The Wolf Pack

Calgodarro, Wilse, and the Mellic siblings are the most prominent
members of the Wolf Pack. Two thugs have been loaned to them
by a Fomorian gang from the south. Fill out the gang with as many
extra bandits as you need.
Type: Criminal gang (ambitious organization).
Impulse: To seize power and wealth by threat of force.
GRIM PORTENTS
The Wolf Pack ambushes and assassinates Sheriff Hartford.

Calgodarro blackmails Mayor Cole into appointing him
sheriff.
The Wolf Pack sets up toll booths on the north road.
The Wolf Pack starts collecting tolls in Knifesbridge itself.
Impending Doom: Tyranny (control of local politics).

Details:
The Wolf Packs operations at the abandoned tower are described
on pages 68-70.
Getting Involved:
The Wolf Pack is the initial driving force for this adventure. If you
are ever at a loss for what should happen next, have them make
trouble.
19
20
Introduction
Front #2 :
Hungry Ghosts
Description and Cast
Once the Ghostwoods were a nest of black witchery, haunted by a
coven of demon-worshipping witches. Half a century ago, the last
of these witches perished, and people are only now beginning to
forget what it was like to be terrorized by diabolists. But the souls of
these witches are not at rest, and the revenge that one seeks against
another threatens to return the dark days of demon-infested
yesteryear to these thick, dark forests.
Black Larissas ghost.
Corbin Grey.
Noreen Mellic.
The demon Corioleus.
The Mellic siblings: Hayes, Christine, and Rupert.
Wilse.
Custom Moves
When you take your last breath in the presence of Black
Larissas diary or Corioleus physical form (page 132).
Stakes
Will Black Larissa have her revenge on Noreen Mellic?

Will Corioleus attain physical form?
Will one of the PCs strike a deal with Corioleus and become
an infernalist?
Introduction
Dangers
The centrepiece of demonic influence in the Ghostwoods is a small
black book that once served as a womans diary. This is the book
that holds the secrets of the forests history of witchcraft. This is
the book through which ghosts and demons reach into the world of
the living. This is the book that will corrupt even the kind and the
just and bring destruction down upon them.
Type: Infernal tome (arcane enemy / cursed place).
Impulse: To unleash hell, slowly and methodically.
GRIM PORTENTS
Larissa kills someone in the lower tunnels underneath the

abandoned tower.
Larissa kills someone inside the old house on Harlow Street.
Larissa kills someone on the grounds of the Mellic farmstead.
Impending Doom: Pestilence (as Corioleus takes physical form

and spreads his corruption with much greater ability).
Details:
The powers Corioleus can use in the diarys vicinity are described
on pages 98-99.
The diary also contains some of the information on pages 58-59.
Getting Involved:
If the PCs do not take the diary from under the abandoned tower
or dont go there, have them find it in the possession of someone
else, perhaps even while they are using it (see pages 94-95 for
suggestions).
21
22
Introduction
The Demon Corioleus

A greater fiend of the abyss and a demon of the ancient world,
exists to foster base corruption of the human soul,
encourage betrayal, and bring about ruin and misery. Without his
devoted witches, his ability to influence the material plane is quite
limited, but if Black Larissas ghost should succeed in providing
him with a corporeal body, Corioleus will emerge as the most
dangerous threat this adventure has to offer, by a wide margin.
Type: Demon (planar force).
Impulse: To corrupt and debase.
GRIM PORTENTS
Corioleus gains possession of a corporeal body.

Corioleus violates the sanctity of Noreen Mellics tomb and
claims her soul.
The witches of the Ghostwood coven are raised from the dead
and given corporeal bodies to inhabit so they can better serve
Corioleus on Earth.
Corioleus turns Noreens tomb into a portal for infernal
powers to emerge from.
Impending Doom: Rampant Chaos, although the consequences of

Corioleus gaining total control over this area are up to you.
Probably demons will have free reign and getting rid of them will
require a whole campaign unto itself.
Details:
Corioleus is described in detail on pages 97-101.
The infernalist compendium class is detailed on pages 132-136.
Getting Involved:
Corioleus can exert his influence near the diary or if one of the PCs
loses all their HP, but this danger only gets going if he gains
physical form.
Introduction
The Witch Hunt

Knifesbridge is hardly an isolated little hamlet in the middle of
nowhere. On the contrary, it is more like a bustling port
community that sees its fair share of river traffic throughout the
yearand hence attracts the attention of Southern businesses. But
it has also attracted the attentions of the church. While there are
no longer any active witches, there are always reports of ghosts, and
with the recent rise in banditry, the Ghostwood Forest is once
again a focus of ecclesiastical concern. Which is why they have sent
Corbin Grey, a stern and grim-faced witch hunter of no small
reputation. Is he truly prepared to handle the situation that arises
here? Or will his heavy-handed approach cause more trouble than
it solves?
Type: Religious department (ambitious organization).
Impulse: To take control and impose a rigid order according to
existing doctrine.
GRIM PORTENTS
The church sends Corbin Grey to Knifesbridge.

Corbin gathers proof of demonic activity and sends it to
church leaders.
Corbin is granted ecclesiastical powers over local politics.
Corbin recruits bounty hunters and bandits alike with
promises of coin.
Corbin imports church templars to maintain control.
Impending Doom: Usurpation (as Corbin Grey imposes strict

church law over the whole of Knifesbridge, systematically weeding
out those who refuse to conform).
Details:
Getting Involved:
Introduce Corbin Grey whenever you feel it is appropriate.
23
24
Introduction
Getting Involved
Getting the players characters involved in this initial situation is
easy enough. Either the coach arrives while they are staying at the
inn, or they arrive in town moments later from another direction,
perhaps after narrowly avoiding being trampled by the pale-faced
coachman riding hard through the night with terror gripping his
heart. This gives you several options:
Since the PCs look like trustworthy and competent
adventurers, either the sheriff or Mr. Hogge asks them to help
root out the bandits and even offers them a modest reward.
The PCs are related to, or associates of, either the Hogges or
the Rosewells. This gives them some added incentive to
recover their valuables and uphold the law.
The PCs have other friends or relatives in Knifesbridge who
ask them to step in and do something about this problem,
possibly on behalf of the Rosewells, or possibly because they
have their own ulterior motives.
Its the PCs job to hunt down the bandits, because they work
for the duke or the church or some other governmental body.
One of the PCs can be the sheriff instead of Reynulfthe
druid or the ranger, for example. In this case, the mayor should
have the ability to dismiss the PC and hire someone else, or
else the bandits will have to kill the sheriff PC in order to be
successful.
Introduction
Alternatives
The coach robbery is just one way to start this adventure, of course,
and might not be the best one, given your players characters.
Other possible hooks that do not require the coach robbery
include:
If anyone is playing the new base class, the Magnate, they
should have significant business concerns in Knifesbridge to
attend to, and defend from the events of this adventure.
Supernatural activity has brought the PCs to the Ghostwood
Forest. There are always reports of ghosts and other spirits
floating around, and they have been charged with
investigating, or are doing so purely out of their own interest.
The PCs are investigating historical witchcraft in the area, and
have heard of one or more of the witches who once operated
here.
The PCs arrive with, or just ahead of, Corbin Grey. They are
part of his retinue, hunting down witches in the name of the
church. They likely have no idea how unstable Corbin has
become and his behaviour may put them in something of a
quandary later on.
The PCs have been sent by a Southern business to protect
their investment in the municipal breweries. Their job is to
keep the breweries running and defend them from the vultures
who want to make off with the entire inventory.
The PCs have been sent north by Fomorian gangs to make sure
the regular shipments of amber nightshade move south in a
timely manner. This probably means that they replace Kickal
and Koning, who are also nominally present to ensure a tight
schedule.
25
26
Introduction
Preparing the Game

Read the whole adventure first and make notes about what jumps
out at you. What parts of these two fronts make the most sense for
your game? What parts do you think your players will get excited
about? Keep these particular elements in mind during play, and
especially note which dangers you like, so you can highlight them
and bring them to the forefront.
These two fronts, Ravenous Wolves and Hungry Ghosts, come
with a host of nefarious plots to unfold during your game sessions.
If the opening scene is one that grabs your players, their characters
will likely be on the hunt for the Wolf Pack in no time. After that,
it is up to you to determine when and in what order each dangers
grim portents come true, and how you will present them to the
players. If the opening scene doesnt work for your group, you need
to come up with an alternative, just like you will invent all the
scenes that follow it. Use the previous suggestions or go with
whatever backgrounds the players make up for their characters.
The next three chapters give you a wealth of details about each
of these dangers, including suggested scenes, people, places, and
things. Use what interests you and skip the other parts. Weave
them together with details and sub-plots of your own devising.
Weave them together with what the players tell you about their
charactersif it turns out they know people in Knifesbridge, get
those people involved in whats going on.
Introduction
Asking Questions
If any characters are from Knifesbridge or the surrounding area, ask
them each one (or more) of these questions:
Someone you know offered you a strange new drug they called
amber nightshade. Who was it and what happened?
There used to be witches around here, fifty years ago. What
have you heard about them?
What did you do to get on Old King Coles bad side, and what
has he done to you in order to show his displeasure?
Which of your friends was robbed by bandits recently, and
what did they lose that was important to them?
Which of your relatives was recently buried in the old
cemetery next to the abandoned tower that hasnt been used in
ages and why were they buried there?
Whose ghost have you seen prowling around in the
Ghostwood forest, late at night?
Why are you afraid to go near that old, abandoned tower, out
in the woods?
Youre pretty sure someone you know has become a bandit.
Who are they and why have you become suspicious?
If any characters are from Knifesbridge and have been away for a
while, ask them each one (or more) of these questions:
What are people in Knifesbridge expecting you to return with?
What unfinished business did you leave behind in
Knifesbridge?
What was it that made you leave and how have you changed?
Who is happy to see you return?
Who isnt happy to see you back, and why?
27
28
Introduction
Running It
The majority of this adventure will likely consist of interacting
with different NPCs. The abandoned tower presents quite a small
dungeon, and is designed to be a location that the PCs return to
several times after conducting investigations elsewhere. Most of
those investigationsaside from studying Larissas diarymean
looking for NPCs. And once those investigations begin, those
NPCs will also come looking for the PCs.
ENCOUNTERS
Dangers are essentially lists of possible encounters and a rough

order in which events should (or could) proceed. It is up to you to
manage those specific details: which encounters to present to the
players and exactly which order to present them in. It may be
handy to keep the various lists of grim portents all in one place and
to select the top-most entry of whichever list suits your fancy at the
time. You will also need to account for the players choices, and
allow the dangers to unfold, or not, based on what the PCs do.
They might ignore certain developments, thwart some, and even
encourage others.
TIME
It is also important to keep this adventure from proceeding too

quickly, in terms of time experienced by the characters. Zealous
players may try to wrap up the entire business as fast as possible,
even in a mere matter of a day or two. Dont let them. Studying the
diary, researching local history, tromping through the woods,
questioning the locals about almost any topicall these things take
time. Municipal politics especially unfolds at its own pace, and no
official person will appreciate being repeatedly bothered by roughand-tumble adventurer types, especially the mayor. The PCs will
also need to take care of their basic necessities during this
adventure. Grooming is important to the villagers of Knifesbridge.
They have no wish to associate with vagrants who camp in the
woods at all hours of the day or night and eat nothing but rations!
Introduction
Journeys Through the Ghostwood

When the PCs go searching through the forest looking for
something without a guide, treat it as a perilous journey that does
not require a quartermaster. Just choose a trailblazer to lead and a
scout to watch out for dangers. The scout follows the perilous
journey move as normal.
If the party runs into trouble in the Ghostwood, select from or
roll 1d6 on the following table to determine what kind of trouble it
is (roll 1d8 if any of the witches have come back from the dead):
1
Angry farmer.
Ghost.
Bandits.
Pack of dogs or wolves.
Bounty hunters.
Undead witches.
Dangerous wild animal.
Witches or a demon.
If youre the trailblazer, leading a group through the Ghostwood,

roll+WIS as normal but use these results instead: On a 10+, you
find what youre looking for and get there, or thereabouts, in good
time. On a 7-9, it takes all day but you catch a good lead. Choose
one:
Keep going after dark.
Make camp and keep going after dawn.
Turn back early and come back later.
Once the party have found the right path through the Ghostwoods
to a particular location, they should be able to find their way back
in good time and with little trouble.
If the party is intent on hiding out in the Ghostwoods or
trekking through it up to Mournhaven, treat it as a perilous journey
that will consume two rations.
29
30
Introduction
Heroes and Villains

This adventure contains an extravagantly long list of potential
antagonists. It is important to note, however, that not all of them
are truly evil. While a few of them are definitely unredeemable, this
is all the more reason to portray the others in shades of greythere
are more than enough villains already without portraying those
who make poor, selfish decisions in the face of adversity as
inhuman.
LIGHT GREY
Calgodarro and the Mellic siblings may be thieves and drug dealers,
but the are not fundamentally evil peoplethey are just poor and
trying to get by with what few skills, opportunities, and resources
they have. They might even become fast friends with, or loyal
hirelings for, particularly charismatic or generous PCs. They are
probably the most receptive to being shown a more dignified and
socially well-adjusted means of supporting themselves that doesnt
include muscling their way into politics.
Likewise, the established political corruption is less a matter of
intentional wrongdoing and more a collection of stupid mistakes
made in order to protect the status quo. Mayor Cole, as venal,
incompetent, and close-minded as he is, has no wish to see
Knifesbridge ground into dust between a rock and a hard place.
The Fomorians, quite understandably, do not care what
happens to humans. In general, they are indifferent to the fortunes
of other races, having more than enough work to do in order to
ensure their own survival in the sewers and tenements of Southern
cities, never mind trying to create some prosperity for themselves.
They know the value of a good deal, though, and are not so
inimicable to humanity that they will refuse to work together with
someone who is not their enemy against someone who is.
Introduction
DARK GREY
Corbin Grey, like his name suggests, is a far more ambiguous

character. A certified fanatic, he is domineering, intolerant, and
obsessed with controlling other peoples lives. That he does this
not so much out of malice, but out of a genuine desire to see them
become right and good is not really mitigated by the fact that he is
also driven by his fear of everything he cannot understand or
control. Corbin is probably the least likely character to listen to
reason.
BLACK OF HEART AND RED OF HAND
On the other hand, some characters are thoroughly reprehensible.

Wilse is a self-serving sociopath, and a perfect candidate for joining
the ranks of the Ghostwood coven. The eleven witches who are
already members are all guilty of ritual murder and bartering their
souls in exchange for power over other people, and more than one
of them desires revenge from beyond the grave. Noreen Mellic,
alone among those who betrayed their mentors, chose not to pass
on her knowledge of black magic to others. But even she sought
release from the demon Corioleus through yet more witchery
instead of genuine repentance.
Corioleus, needless to say, is the immortal, unchanging
embodiment of moral and physical corruptiona perfect specimen
of the arch-villain trope. With these thirteen examples of evil, you
will probably find it necessary to inject some humanity and pathos
into the other characters in order to create a sense of contrast and
individuality among the supporting cast. Dont be afraid to turn
some of them into more sympathetic characters.
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Wolves
Ravenous Wolves
The Wolf Pack

At the start of the adventure, there is only one gang of bandits in
the Ghostwood: the Wolf Pack. Over the course of the gameas
bounty hunters arrive and the breweries are lootedbanditry may
become more common, but these are the wolves who come out on
top. Unless the PCs intervene, they will end up on the right side of
the law, no longer running from it but bending it to their wills.
Prominent Members
The most prominent members of the Wolf Pack, for the purposes
of this adventure, are Calgodarro, Wilse, and the Mellic siblings.
Pack members may also be accompanied by the Fomorian thugs
Kickal and Koningespecially in Knifesbridge at night, as they
prefer the urban environment. Otherwise, round out the gang with
as many extra bandits as you need.
CALGODARRO
Cautious, Hoarder, Intelligent, Organized, Stealthy.

Sword (b[2d10] damage)
14 HP 2 Armour
Close
Calgodarro, the handsome rake, fled north to the Ghostwood with
a few trusty comrades. Better to desert your mercenary company on
the eve of a disastrous siege than die in it, he always says. Now he is
the leader of the Wolf Pack, with plans to expand his authority.
Calgodarro is a flamboyant bravo and quite likable, but he has a
shrewd eye for playing the angles to his own advantage. He figures
Knifesbridge is ripe for the plucking and he cant be any worse than
the present leadership. He wears a silver heart pendant around his
neck. It has a portrait of Sereese Rosewells best friend inside it.
Calgodarro is quite taken with it.
Instinct: To lead his gang to plunder.
Get out while the getting is good.
Lead the Wolf Pack and command their loyalty.
Make demands and threaten violence.
Take by force.
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Ravenous Wolves
THE MELLIC SIBLINGS: HAYES, CHRISTINE, & RUPERT
Axe or sword (1d8+1 damage)
Close
Bow (1d8 damage, 1 piercing)
Near, Far
Group, Intelligent, Organized, Stealthy.

8 HP 1 Armour
From eldest to youngest, the Mellic siblings are Hayes, Christine,

and Rupert, who is barely a man grown. Calgodarro calls them the
Mellic brothers, but only because Christine wont sleep with him.
The old Mellic farmstead, its soil mostly depleted, is the source of
many of the herbs used to make amber nightshade. Lacking any
income from farming, the Mellic siblings have turned to banditry to
survive.
Impulse: To defend the Wolf Packs gains.
Produce amber nightshade.
Run away.
Strike a foe quickly and from an advantageous position.
Threaten violence.
WILSE
Cautious, Devious, Hoarder, Intelligent, Organized, Solitary.

Dagger (b[2d8] damage)
12 HP 1 Armour
Hand, Close
A slight man with dark, greasy hair and spectacles, Wilse has been a
thief and con man his entire life, travelling from one place to
another. He saw Calgodarros natural leadership abilities
immediately and knew he had a chance to build something that
could last here in Knifesbridge.
Impulse: To take whatever advantage is offered, regardless of the
human cost.
Blackmail or manipulate someone mercilessly.
Call other bandits for assistance.
Detect weakness.
Produce amber nightshade.
Throw daggers.
Ravenous Wolves
WOLF PACK BANDIT
Knife or short bow (1d6+1 damage)
Close or Near
Group, Intelligent, Organized.

6 HP 1 Armour
Most of the Wolf Pack bandits are either Southern mercenaries

who have been with Calgodarro for years, or poor, young farmers
from the country around Knifesbridge. Their main concern in life
is making a living without having to work themselves to death for
it.
Instinct: To rob.
Demand money or valuables.
Steal something.
Threaten violence.
WOLF PACK COLLABORATOR (FARMER)

Knife or pitch fork (1d6 damage)
Hand or Reach
Intelligent, Organized.
3 HP 0 Armour
Though they might be criminals, not every peasant farmer in the

Ghostwoods is ready to turn the Wolf Pack in to the sheriff. Some
farmers make a tidy profit off of feeding, hiding, and aiding bandits
when they need it.
Instinct: To make a living.
Keep watch.
Provide food and shelter.
Stay quiet.
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Ravenous Wolves
Blackmail
Calgodarro is not stupid, but he is bold. Now that he has Mia
Rosewells papers incriminating Mayor Cole, he intends to
blackmail him for political leverage. With Sheriff Hartford out of
the way, Calgodarro hopes to become the new sheriff and force the
mayor to allow him to collect tolls on the north road and in the
village itself.
The Plan
This simple plan unfolds as follows:
The Wolf Pack ambushes and assassinates Sheriff Hartford.
Calgodarro blackmails Mayor Cole into appointing him
sheriff.
The Ambush
Rupert Mellic comes to Sheriff Hartford with news that bandits
have holed up at the Mellic farm. He says he managed to slip away
so he could come and report them, but hes sure theyll notice he is
missing soon. The sheriff assembles a tiny posse and walks into an
ambush where he is killed by the Wolf Pack.
The Letter
Though he has been able to keep his identity as the leader of the
bandits secret so far, Calgodarro is by no means a subtle man. He
ties a page from Mia Rosewells evidence, along with his demands,
to a brick and throws it through one of the mayors windows in the
dead of night, then gallops off. The mayor meets with him, out in
the woods, the next day, and agrees to appoint him to the position
of sheriff (if it is vacant) and allow him to collect tolls along the
north road. He might also agree to call off his bounty hunters. Even
though this is not something he actually has the power to do, his
ability to deliveror lack thereofhas never stopped him from
making promises before.
Ravenous Wolves
Toll Collectors
At some point, Calgodarro will have the Wolf Pack start collecting
tolls on the northern road. He would prefer to be sheriff by this
point, but depending on how things work out, it may not be
necessary.
The Plan
Once Calgodarro is appointed sheriffor even if he isnt and the
opportunity arisesthe plan is again two-fold:
The Wolf Pack sets up toll booths on the north road.
The Wolf Pack starts collecting tolls in Knifesbridge itself.
On the Road
Once he decides to take this step, the Wolf Packs sets up toll
booths and a gate where the road affords them a good place for an
ambush. Two of them carry swords and man the toll booth while
three archers lie in wait behind the trees. If a traveller refuses to pay
the tollor seems extraordinarily wealthythey emerge and
attack. Calgodarro is not above robbing the occasional fat plum of a
merchant.
On the Streets
If this tactic proves successful, they move into Knifesbridge itself,
recruiting more members and collecting taxes, tariffs, and tolls on
behalf of the mayor. This can be the source of any number of riots
and violent altercations between villagers and the Wolf Pack:
A mob of brewers assembles and begins a protest march,
calling for an end to the new taxes, which are collected
whenever the Wolf Pack wants them.
Less disciplined members of the Wolf Pack smash the windows
of a shopkeeper who refuses to pay their taxes.
Stevedores begin carrying weapons and refusing to allow the
Wolf Pack access to the docks. Apparently the shippers are
paying them extra to block the collection of taxes.
Zealous members of the Wolf Pack enter inns, taverns, and
even restaurants in order to shake down patrons for gratuities.
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Ravenous Wolves
The Mayors Mistakes

After the coach robbery, Mayor Cole starts making deals. For years
he has been entertaining offers from outside businesses to purchase
controlling interests in the Knifesbridge Municipal Breweries. So
far he has refused to allow even a small degree of outside
involvement, but no longer. In one fell swoop, with but a few
signatures and a conversation over lunch, he puts the survival of
Knifesbridges most prized industry in the hands of fate. Old King
Cole takes the capital gained from handing over the keys to the
breweries and funnels it into a bounty on the Ghostwood bandits.
This bounty is managed by a Southern law firm, so as to look more
legitimate and not like the mayors own handiwork.
Bounty Hunters
The result of the mayors intrigues is a flood of bounty hunters
arriving in a mere few days, hungry to collect many thousands of
coins for what they consider to be two-bit bandits. But many of
them are no better than bandits themselves. Unfortunately, Mayor
Cole is unable to rescind his offer in a timely manner, and by the
time he might consider it prudent to do so, the damage has already
been donethe mob is in Knifesbridge to stay.
Random prominent trait table for bounty hunters (1d12):
1
Chews tobacco.
Exotic weapons.
Criminal.
Facial mutilation.
Degenerate gambler.
Outlandish clothes.
Demagogue or preacher.
10
Overly dirty.
Distinctive voice.
11
Plays with fire.
Drug addict.
12
Practices a weird religion.
Ravenous Wolves
BOUNTY HUNTER
Crossbow (1d6 damage, 1 piercing)
Near
Sword (1d8 damage)
Close
Group, Intelligent, Organized.

8 HP 1 Armour
These bounty hunters are mostly amoral opportunists with smelly

leather clothes and unshaven faces. As might be expected, they
enjoy all forms of gambling and have trouble fitting into polite
society. Though they descend upon the duchy like locusts and
flock to its inns and brothels in hordes, they usually only work in
small groups, jealously trying to guard their trophies from each
other.
Instinct: To make money through violence.
Ambush with little warning.
Attack the wrong target.
Demand payment.
Make excuses.
Bounty Hunter Shenanigans

Unchecked and wild, these new bounty hunters can get up to all
sorts of antics over the course of the adventure:
They attack the PCs, mistakenly presuming them to be bandits.
They encounter ghosts in the forest and get spooked,
preferring to stay in Knifesbridge and drink, harass the
villagers, and get into fights with each other.
They mistake poor farmers for bandits, slaughter them, and
bring them back to Knifesbridge for the reward. The bodies are
recognized, and a mob attacks the bounty hunters.
They start collecting tolls on the north roads themselves, with
little or no regard for the law. There are no other collectors
here already, so they feel justified.
They turn to blatant highway robbery, bandits and bounty
hunting be damned.
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Ravenous Wolves
Municipal Breweries
Once any form of social instability becomes visible in
Knifesbridgebe it swarms of bounty hunters, a visible rise in drug
addiction, or any other troublethe new investors in the
Municipal Breweries arrive and begin to clear out the inventory
stocks. Since they are technically part owners now, they at least
have some justification to do this. A few of them might even try to
smooth things over by stating their concern that things are
becoming violent in the village and they want to protect these
businesses, but all are nothing more than vultures come to feast on
Knifesbridges misfortunes. They see the opportunity to abscond
with hundreds of thousands of coins worth in high-quality alcohol
and brewing equipment, along with several cellars full of kegs,
barrels, and bottles of booze, and they are not about to miss out
because if they do, it means someone else wont.
This rush to loot Knifesbridge is born of fierce competition
between numerous Southern businesses. There is no one company
perpetrating this theft, nor does it happen in a particularly
organized fashion. Because no one wants to be left out, as soon as
they smell weakness, all of them hurry in to cart off whatever they
can, too caught up in profiteering to consider what it is they are
doing or how their actions might affect the village.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Make sure this development doesnt happen while the PCs are
away from Knifesbridge. They should be around for this, so they
can get involved. If it comes in the middle of other important
business, so much the better.
OPPONENTS
Not every villager is going to take this lying down, and the
incidents of violence in the village caused by this race can come in
many flavours. Brewers fight to protect their stock and equipment,
drunkards fight to get at the alcohol before it is carted away, and
stevedores, paid by the shippers, fight to carry off the most and
earn a bonus in doing so. What will the Wolf Pack, the bounty
hunters, and Corbin Grey think of all this? Will they even be there?
Ravenous Wolves
Inventories
Loot from the breweries includes:
Accounts and ledgers.
Bags of fruit and grain.
Barrels of aquavit and whiskey.
Carpentry tools.
Carts and horses.
Filing cabinets.
Furniture, including benches, chairs, and desks.
Jars of herbs and spices.
Kegs of beer and cider.
Ladders.
Large brewing vats.
Measuring tools.
Windows.
Wood for making barrels.
Investors
Some possible businesses that might be looting the Knifesbridge
Municipal Breweries include:
The Aggregate Holding Company.
The Armour & Sandwell Cooperative Mercantile Institution.
Castigan Personal Credit.
Galang Bros.
Geijer Holdings Company.
Hazlehurst & Sons.
Inglenook Financial.
John Grey & Sons, Ltd.
The Palisades Group.
Royal Arsenal Trading Company.
St. Cuthberts Co-Operative Society.
Templeton Trust Services Corporation.
Underwood Assurance Group.
United Breweries Guild Association.
The Wheelock Wharf and Shipping Company, Ltd.
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Ravenous Wolves
Amber Nightshade
Farmers in the countryside around Knifesbridge have developed a
strange narcotic drug, made from plants that grow in the
Ghostwood Forest. When it is properly brewed, it looks like an
amber-coloured tobacco with a blackened exterior, as it turns dark
in contact with the air. The Wolf Pack distributes it in tightly
rolled sticks that resemble little black cigarillos. When smoked, it
causes a euphoric high, psychedelic sensory distortions, and
because of the nature of the Ghostwoodsome magical effects as
well. The effects of smoking one small stick last for an hour or two
at the most.
Doing Drugs
When you smoke amber nightshade, roll+CON. On a hit, you
have a good trip and for the duration you can see and interact with
ghosts and spirits, but on a 7-9, you also experience hallucinations
and can easily become confused. On a miss, the unpleasant
hallucinations are much more powerful than the high and you do
not have a good trip at all.
When youve been high and you come down off of amber
nightshade, take -1 forward and 1d4 damage (ignores armour).
Amber nightshade is also an addictive narcotic, and frequent use of
it allows a PC access to the drug addict compendium class
(described on pages 129-131).
Ravenous Wolves
Fomorian Gangs
The Wolf Packs primary customers, when it comes to amber
nightshade, are Fomorian gangs. Fomorians are grotesque and greyskinned humanoids that live in the sewers and underground
caverns beneath the largest Southern cities. One of those gangs has
sent two thugs, Kickal and Koning, north to assist the Wolf Pack
and keep the supply of drugs flowing.
The Fomorians use amber nightshade in two different
preparations. The first and most obvious is that they sell it in
various adulterated forms to humans looking for a chemicallyassisted high. The Fomorians rarely sell it in sticks, like the Wolf
Pack does in Knifesbridge. Usually they turn it into a resinous
substance or a powder, mixed with other, cheaper ingredients to
increase profits.
They have also turned it into an oil with which they coat their
knives. Anyone stabbed by these oil-coated knives is struck by an
intense feeling of cold and numbness, and will have problems
moving properly.
KICKAL & KONING
Group, Hoarder, Intelligent,

Organized, Stealthy.
10 HP 2 Armour
Club or knife (1d8+1 damage)

Close
Special Qualities: Knives cause paralysis.
Kickal and Koning are a pair of thuggish Fomorians, accustomed to

living in underground urban areas. They are large and muscular,
but stooped and hunched. Their arms are slightly longer than a
humans, and they can walk on all fours when moving across an
incline. They have grey skin and their eyes are large black pools.
Instinct: To beat up foes.
Attack with poisoned knives.
Grab someone and beat them with a club.
Hide in the sewers.
Intimidate.
Steal something.
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The Old House on Harlow Street

On Harlow Street, in Knifesbridge, there is an old house that no
one lives in for very long. This was Larissa Reeces house when she
was alive, and where she committed one of several acts of betrayal.
Red Jennys Ghost

The body of a witch called Red Jenny is buried underneath the
dirt floor of the basement, where she has lain for about seventy
years. Her restless spirit is responsible for driving all subsequent
inhabitants to a hasty exit or an early grave. The house usually
stands empty for years at a time, until some poor outsider rents or
buys it for a pittance, completely unaware of the houses history.
When harassing the inhabitants, Red Jenny employs a number
of tactics, though her favourite is to encourage arguments. She
laughs at a man behind his back so he thinks his wife is laughing at
him, or she adds to women's comments things that only a man can
hear, mocking words to make them angry. She has only her own
voice to use for this, which can sound like many different women
but never a man. If the resulting domestic abuse is not enough to
drive the inhabitants away, she has other tricks:
She appears in mirrors, but only behind the person who sees
her.
She causes food to spoil faster than normal, causing illness
ranging from indigestion to outright food poisoning.
She creates the sensation of coldness in a single room, or a
strange smell. This lasts for only a few hours at a time.
She turns still water (or clear alcohol) red, so it appears to have
blood in it.
If any of the former occupants are found and questioned, they will
describe similar experiences, as well as more fanciful stories that
include masses of flies or other insects, poltergeist activity,
demonic possession, and even murder brought on by madness.
These are mostly the result of sensitive nervesRed Jenny does
not have the power to possess the PCs or drive them mad.
Ravenous Wolves
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The Basement
By murdering Red Jenny and burying her in the basement, Larissa
Reece consecrated this ground for unholy purposes. Any magic
worked in this house is accompanied by infernal taint or hostility
from Red Jennys ghost.
Her body is still buried several feet beneath the bare earthen
floor. There is no evidence on the surface any more, but if she is
dug up, her bones are found loose in the dirt, without a coffin. Her
bright red hair is still intact and can be used to make demonic
charms. Removing her bones does not stop her ghost from
haunting the housethey must be blessed, exorcised, and buried
on holy ground in order to truly give her rest.
The wooden walls have not been treated kindly. They are
covered in all kinds of strange marks, some that look like they were
made with weapons, some by claws, and occasionally what looks
like old, dried blood can be seen. There are several wooden pillars
supporting the ceiling. On the wall behind one of these pillars is a
map, carved into the wood. It depicts the lower tunnels beneath the
abandoned tower, and includes areas now sealed up.
Ravenous Wolves
Wilse the New Owner

Being the cheapest space in town, the old house naturally attracts
Wilses attention. He buys it with the intention of using it as the
base of operations for his drug-dealing activities.
The more money he makes from this enterprise, the more
respectable the front rooms of this house becomegradually filling
up with books, paintings, and rugsand the more sordid and
debauched the upstairs gets.
If the PCs enter this house while Wilse is the owner, they might
find some or all of the following:
A mess made by Red Jennys ghost.
A supply of amber nightshade and/or bootleg alcohol.
One or more Fomorian thug, usually hidden.
One or more of the Wolf Pack bandits.
One or more young women either already besotted by the
amber nightshade or willing to do anything to get there.
Wilse fighting with one of these young women, Red Jenny
whispering in his ear and egging him on.
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Ravenous Wolves
Addiction in Knifesbridge
As Wilse and the Fomorians expand their operations in
Knifesbridge, more and more locals become addicted to their drug.
Wilse is no foolhe uses the local interest in amber nightshade for
his own benefit as soon as possible. What follows is an optional
danger that can be used as an additional sub-plot, either as an
expansion of or a replacement for the Amber Nightshade danger.
Hooked, Line, and Sinker

The mayors youngest daughter is not a girl who follows the rules
or listens to her teachers. Teresana and her friends are like many
precocious young women in small towns everywhere: they
desperately want to be sophisticated and adventurous, exuding a
heady mix of mystique and class like proper Southern ladies.
Unfortunately, this desire has led them to become enamoured of
the amber nightshade.
Type: A bad situation (use the cursed places moves).
Impulse: To entangle and exploit.
GRIM PORTENTS
Teresana and her friends dabble in amber nightshade.

Teresanas desire for the drug exceeds her allowance. She starts
stealing in order to pay for it.
The mayor cuts off his daughters allowance. She starts
sleeping with Wilse in order to get the drug.
Wilse extorts the mayor in exchange for his daughters safety.
Impending Doom: Tyranny (as Wilse exerts undue influence over

the locals and their politics).
Ravenous Wolves
Eloise Faraday (ne Cole)

The mayors daughter by his first wife, Eloise is a married thirtysomething woman with young children of her own, but she is sharp
enough to notice when Teresanas situation becomes dangerous,
and not too proud to ask for help. If the PCs look like the kind of
good Samaritans that might intervene on her sisters behalf, she
goes to them. She cant offer them much, except the possibility of
the mayors good will and the chance to stamp out crime, but she
knows where Teresana hangs out and where she buys her drugs.
Actually obtaining the mayors gratitude is up to the PCs and
how they deal with the prickly politician. He refuses to publicly
admit there is any sort of addiction problem in Knifesbridge and
even in private he prevaricates. He will be more accommodating of
people he feels he can buy. He mistrusts people who act out of
altruism.
Teresana Cole
Teresana is Mayor Coles youngest daughter. Twice a widower, the
mayor now has a third wife who is younger than Eloise and less
than a decade older than Teresana, with whom she has a
contentious relationship at best. This, along with his devotion to
politics, has driven a wedge between Teresana and her and her
father. She is not proud of her hometown, doesnt see any
advantage to being an influential person in such a provincial
backwater, and longs to get out into the larger world.
Teresana has been to the dukes courta spartan, provincial
affairand seen the dukes Southern guests. These are the
educated, stylish, and above all exciting people she wants as her
peers. But in the meantime, she dreams of escape from the dreary
confines of Knifesbridge, trying as best she can to ignore her father
and step-mother.
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Late Night Haunts

Being young, relatively wealthy, and having influential parents,
Teresana and her friends are habitus of several late-night
establishments in Knifesbridge. The village has as many inns, pubs,
and taverns as you want it to, but these are the most important
ones.
THE OPERA HOUSE
Knifesbridge isnt big enough to have a real opera house, though

Saint Rosbys Hall fills in for any and all large theatrical or musical
performances. The Opera House is the name of a bar and casino
that hosts popular after-parties and other private events. It caters
primarily to wealthier visitors, and is Teresanas favourite latenight hauntin part because her father is an infrequent visitor at
best. He prefers to hold court at the Wellington instead.
The owner of the Opera Houseand its principal bartender,
since he cant stand other people pouring drinksis Harrison Peel,
a big man with gold rings and a black beard. Because, as he says,
its an exclusive joint, he only lets Wilse in if hes summoned by
one of the regulars. But if he is called for, Harrison wont stop him
from peddling his wares. The Opera Houses two bouncers are the
toughest men in town (though still no match for the Fomorians).
THE KNIFEGRINDERS
When the Opera House becomes inconvenient (or tiresome),

Teresana and her friends can be found at the Knifegrinders, one of
the seedier dockside taverns that specializes in lurid performance
art, peepshows, and private rooms. Madame Eksarina and her son
Kostas run a tight operation, importing new talent on a regular
basis and tolerating no violence on their premisesbut any other
vice is fair game. Their clientele consists mostly of boatmen,
brewers, stevedores, and labourers engaged in forestry.
Ravenous Wolves
THE WELLINGTON
A cosy, up-scale tavern and brewhaus, the Wellington serves civil

servants exclusively. The mayor can be found here more often than
any other single place in town, evenit is saidhis own bed. He is
particularly notorious for hosting all-night games of cards during
which large sums of money and even political appointments readily
change hands. Teresana and her friends make a point to avoid this
establishment, and Wilse would never even be allowed in. This
does not mean, however, that the smoking of amber nightshade is
unknown to its interior.
Roger Sellers runs the Wellington with the single-minded goal
of giving the mayor whatever the mayor wants, and has been
rewarded for his diligence by the sight of all of his dim-witted sons
behind desks, sporting important-sounding titles and collecting
generous incomes while they push papers meaninglessly from one
end of their desks to the other.
THE BLACK DRAGON
This run-down, ratty little pub is Wilses favourite, though not

because it has much to be proud of. Its primary business is selling
watered-down drinks to the rough-and-tumble river traffic, and he
likes it for much the same reason many of them doit has a toughsounding name.
As the Wolf Pack gains more and more political influence in
Knifesbridge, more and more of them will hang out here, throwing
their weight around and making nuisances of themselves. Wilse
can often be found here with whatever young lady of unsound
judgement he is attempting to court through the application of
amber nightshade.
53
The
Abandoned
Tower
Whichever way I move or turn or look
My eyes behold, on every side alike,
New torments and tormented souls anew.
So heavily she bore my spirits down

With terror which her very aspect caused,
That I lost hope of making the ascent.
The Abandoned Tower
A Haunt of Thieves
The old, abandoned tower stands upon a hill out in the Ghostwood
Forest, just to the west of the new road to the north. During the
day, it can be seen from the spot where the carriage was robbed,
peeking over the tops of the trees. A long and troubled history
haunts this tower, but these days, the Wolf Pack use the tunnels
underneath it to brew their amber nightshade and small amounts of
moonshine. Their alcohol distilling helps to hide their real
activities.
A Long and Troubled History

Most of the following information can be obtained from history
books and local folklore, and each day spent doing research or
talking to people in the know should uncover between one and
three of the paragraphs below. It is somewhat harder to track down
factual accounts of the private doings of witches, however, so
piecing together anything in italics requires a working knowledge of Black
Larissas diary.
c. 300 YEARS AGO
The tower is built as part of a defensive line by the local duke,
under threat by an invading army. This string of forts ends up
being used primarily against a neighbouring duke in the aftermath
of the war, since the deciding battle resulted in the invaders being
defeated many miles to the south. With the annexation of territory
to the east of the territory over the subsequent decades, the tower is
no longer needed to defend these lands.
The towers construction at this time includes three levels of
underground tunnels, but not the crypts or the meditation
chambers.
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58
The Abandoned Tower

c. 250 YEARS AGO
With hostilities long since over, the last detachment of soldiers
posted to the tower leaves. Peace is upon the duchy and the tower
is abandoned and allowed to fall into ruin. The cemetery, created
for soldiers who died at the tower, begins to receive the bodies of
local farmers.
c. 230 YEARS AGO
Seven monastic brothers move into the abandoned tower. They
add the crypts and the meditation chambers to the underground
tunnels. They live in isolation from the locals but tend the
cemetery.
c. 200 YEARS AGO
The last of the monastic brothers dies and is buried in the crypts
below the tower, which once again becomes abandoned.
c. 150 YEARS AGO
The last local farmer is interred in the cemetery, and no new graves
are dug there from this point onward. The cemetery starts to gain a
reputation for being haunted, as witch activity in the Ghostwood
increases dramatically from this point on.
c. 110 YEARS AGO
The Witch King arrives in the Ghostwood, along with some or all of
his five lovers. Over the next quarter-century, his reputation grows
and several quests are undertaken by holy knights to rid the woods
of his evil influence. None of these quests succeed, however, and it
is said their ghosts still haunt the forest to this day.
The Abandoned Tower

c. 85 YEARS AGO
The Witch King takes Zenara Khallari as his sixth apprentice but she
betrays him within a matter of months. After removing the bodies of the
monastic brothers, she leaves the Witch King and his five lovers in the
crypt and bricks up the entrance. Over the next fifteen years, Zenara
begins to pass on her stolen knowledge to apprentices of her own.
The ghosts of the monastic brothers join the holy knights in
haunting the forest.
c. 70 YEARS AGO
Zenara is betrayed by her third apprentice, Larissa Reece. After breaking
into the crypts below the abandoned tower, Larissa deposits Zenaras body
in the last available crypt, replaces the bricks, and replasters the wall. She
also murders Zenaras two other apprentices and buries their bodies on the
grounds of the Mellic farmstead and under the old house on Harlow
Street.
After this, Larissa becomes known locally as Black Larissa,
and people assume she gained her powers by devouring other
witches.
c. 50 YEARS AGO
Larissa is in turn betrayed by her only apprentice, Noreen Mellic, who
chains her to the wall of a room underneath the abandoned tower and
bricks up the doorways. Noreen then has herself interred in the special
tomb Larissa constructed for herself in the lower levels of the tunnels that
allows her soul to remain free from the grasp of demons.
From this point on, witch activities in and around Knifesbridge
cease altogether, though the forest remains haunted.
THE PRESENT DAY
Black Larissas diary sits on a desk just outside the room where she
died, waiting for someone to pick it up. If one of the PCs dont take
it, someone else might
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The Abandoned Tower
The Abandoned Tower
Outside the Tower

CEMETERY
An old stone wall partially surrounds the cemetery on the north

side of the abandoned tower, which has not been used at all for the
last century and a half. There are a few larger tombs and statues,
but most graves are simply marked by a stone with a name engraved
upon it. Many of these headstones are weathered and almost
illegible. The ground is overgrown with weeds except for a patch
about a hundred feet long right next to the stables and the tower.
In this patch, the ground is dry and nothing grows at all.
TWISTED TREES
A small grove of trees stands to the south of the tower, all twisted
and dead, with strings and ropes inexplicably hanging from their
branches. They were part of the spell that sealed the witch-king
and his lovers in the crypts directly below them. These trees
withered and died because of the infernal taint below.
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The Abandoned Tower
The
Abandoned
Tower
Ground floor and

upper levels.
Key
One square
equals
five feet.
Arrow slits.
Open doorway.
Bricked-up passage.
Solid earth.
Broken wall.
Stairs.
Door.
Stone construction.
Non-functioning door.
Tunnel.
The Abandoned Tower
Inside the Tower

The tower is square in shape, forty feet to each side, and made of
dark grey stone. A pathway used to lead up to the tower from the
road but has now been mostly overgrown. There is no obvious way
to get there except through the trees. The clearing around the
tower is quite large, although the hillside to the north is steep
enough to be called a cliff.
Above Ground
1. STABLES HALL
The stone hall adjacent to the tower proper contains ten stable
stalls, long since ruined and rotted, though some of the wood still
stands. Weeds have pushed through the ground and ruined the
floor, except against the east wall, where they have all died and the
ground is barren. The roof leaks and there are animal droppings
and garbage strewn here and there.
2. FIRST FLOOR
The ground floor of the tower has thick stone walls and floors,
though it still leaks in places. The stone ceiling is about eight feet
high and vaulted. Two storage rooms with brick walls have warped
wooden doors that do not close properly and contain only spoiled
food, garbage, and mold.
3. NORTHEAST STAIRS
The stairs in the northeast corner of the tower that lead down are
separated from the rest of the tower by a sturdy wooden door that
is warped by age and moisture, but has been cut recently so that it
once again fits the frame.
These stairs can also be accessed by a low passageway from the
graveyard outside that once had doors. Long ago, these doors were
removed and then bricked up by the monastic brothers. Some of
this brickwork was removed by the Wolf Pack to once again allow
passage through the towers thick wall. This passage is partially
hidden by shrubs and bushes outside the tower.
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64
The Abandoned Tower

4. SECOND FLOOR
The second floor of the tower is reached via the stairs in the
northwest corner. Arrow slits are the only windows on the first
upper level and the stone floor is covered in small pieces of old,
rotted wood. The four floors above this one used to have wooden
floors but they have all rotted away and now this floor is exposed to
the sky above. Stone stairs still climb up to the top and the view
from the ruined rooftop seventy feet up is rather nice.
5. EAST BASEMENT
The stairs in the southeast corner lead down to a fifteen-by-fifteen
foot storage room that is completely empty. It is slightly damp but
because it is situated directly above Noreen Mellics tomb, not even
mold grows down here. There is a small amount of garbage and
debris on the ground but no sign of any inhabitation for decades.
6. WEST BASEMENT ROOMS

The stairs in the southwest corner lead down to a series of storage
rooms that are inhabited by a small pack of wolves. These are no
ordinary wolves, however, but spectre wolves.
These rooms are littered with bones, including the bones of
humans that the spectre wolves have killed. This is also an
opportunity to introduce some treasure or the belongings that are
significant to characters in this adventure. Perhaps there are people
who have gone missing and the bandits have been blamedfinding
their belongings here may confirm that the Wolf Pack does not
make a habit of murdering people, and in fact it is real wolves who
have been making people disappear.
The Abandoned Tower
65
Tower Basements
SPECTRE WOLF
Group, Magical, Terrifying.

10 HP 0 Armour
Bite (1d8+2 damage, 1 piercing)

Close, Forceful
Special Qualities: Diseased, Mute, Susceptible to Magic.
These spectre wolves have been adversely affected by the infernal

taint of this location, losing all their colour and falling prey to
infectious parasites, even as they grow more violent and physically
powerful. Sightings of these wolves have contributed to recent
rumours of the tower and the graveyard being haunted. The wolves
will attack any intruders and try to either drive them off or kill and
eat them.
Spectre wolves are particularly susceptible to the power of
arcane magic. Any spell cast on them is particularly effective,
having an increased effect or additional results that benefit the
caster. Furthermore, wizards, witches, and other magicians can
intimidate and even command spectre wolves simply by showing
them a sample of their magical power.
Instinct: Challenge intruders.
Bite down on a foe, then pull and shake them.
Expose a foe to infectious mange.
Look like a ghost and scare someone.
At night: Hunt the woods.
When danger threatens: Attack as a group.
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The Abandoned Tower
The Upper Tunnels

7. WAITING ROOM
The stairs in the northeast corner of the tower lead down farther
than the others do, descending twenty feet beneath the surface of
the earth. At the bottom is an antechamber, fifteen feet long, with
eight-foot benches sitting against both walls. The construction
style is consistent with the tower aboveaustere and functional
military stonework. The ceilings are between six and seven feet
high and vaulted.
Upper
Tunnels
8
10
9
11
17
12
13
14
15
16
The Abandoned Tower

8. ANTECHAMBER
Leaving the waiting room by the southern passage leads to a sturdy
ancient door and a room that is barren save for a single, large oak
table that is too large to fit through either doorway. A carpenter
will realize this is not magicits legs were glued on in this room
after the pieces were brought here.
9. CLUTTERED STORAGE ROOM

The large room beyond the antechamber is full of old junk and
rusty brewing equipment. A path has obviously been cleared
through the junk that leads between the door and the passage
opposite. None of the junk is worth anything. There is a single,
battered stone pillar in the middle of the room.
10. OFFICE
The northern passage leading away from the waiting room ends in
another door with a small office behind it. There is a large bureau
desk stuffed full of papers, which also cover the floor around it.
Those that are still legible seem to be the accounts of a monastic
brotherhood. On top of these papers, but not covered in dust, rests
a small black, leather-bound book. This is Black Larissas diary.
The eastern wall of the office appears to have been bricked up
at one time, but someone has created a passageway by smashing
away at the bricks. There is just enough room for a person to
squeeze into the next room, but not enough to see much of that
room by torchlight.
11. BRICKED-UP ROOM

Both sides of this room have been bricked up, and then smashed
both from the outsideto create a way through. The room itself is
full of garbage, rusty old pieces of metal, and more dusty papers.
Hidden underneath this mess are the bones of Larissa Reece, still
chained to the wall but broken up and scattered. Her ghost still
haunts this room, however, and can manifest here, creating eerie
sounds and a ghostly image of herself even if the diary is removed.
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The Abandoned Tower

12. UPPER HALLS
Past the cluttered storage room and the bricked-up room is a long
hallway running north and south. There are sconces for torches
along the walls but no torches. To the south, stairs turn left and
upwards to another hall of similar construction but with adjacent
rooms. There are two open doorways leading to other rooms and
two doorways that seem to have been bricked up.
This second level of the upper halls has a lower ceiling, just
slightly under six feet at its highest points. The Wolf Pack and their
Fomorian allies have grown used to this low ceiling.
13. GUARD ROOM

The southern-most room of the uppermost halls serves as a guard
room, and there will be several members of the Wolf Pack here, as
long as they are still using this location to brew alcohol and amber
nightshade. They have torches inside this room and play cards or
dice on a scarred and battered table. Barrels line the walls, hiding a
small passage, only four feet high, dug into the wall that allows
them to access the next room over. The walls are made of bricks but
the ceiling is made of huge slabs of dark stone. This ceiling is only a
few feet below the surface but the thick stone muffles all sound and
whatever happens in these upper rooms cannot be heard above
ground.
Depending on how long it takes the PCs to explore this far into
the abandoned tower, they might encounter (in chronological
order):
Calgodarro discussing Mias evidence against the mayor with
Hayes and Christine Mellic.
Wolf Pack members, with or without Calgodarro, playing
cards while Hayes and Christine Mellic brew amber nightshade
in the brewing room.
Calgodarro playing cards with some of his fellow mercenaries
while others move all the equipment from the brewing room
out for good.
A room empty save for spent torches, old cigar butts, scraps of
moldy food, the odd playing card, and the table (they take the
chairs when they go).
The Abandoned Tower

14. STASH ROOM
The doorway to this room was bricked up long ago, because the
room partially collapsed, but a passageway has been dug out
between it and the guard room. Kickal and Koning may be lurking
here, on guard, even if there are Wolf Pack members in the guard
room. The Fomorians do not socialize well with humans and prefer
the darkness.
This room, made entirely of brick, is where the Wolf Pack
stashes all their ill-gotten gains. Everything they stole from the
coach, except for Mias evidence and Sereeses locket, are here,
along with the loot from several other profitable hold-ups that has
not yet been moved. Possible treasure include:
Architectural plans for several houses and mansions.
Bag full of mail.
Bracelets, earrings, and rings.
Fancy spectacles.
Gold bar stamped with the arms of a rival duchy.
Gold necklace set with emeralds and matching earrings.
Oil painting of a ship at sea in a storm.
Pearl necklace and a matching ring set with a large pearl.
Promissory notes written on paper.
Several rings of keys.
Silver tiara set with tiny blue sapphires.
Sketch book of watercolour depictions of Mournhaven.
Snuff boxes, all empty.
Trunk full of fancy clothes, including a fur coat and muff.
Wallets and purses full of coins.
15. COLLAPSED ROOM

The doorway to this room, along with the stash rooms door, was
bricked up long ago because the ceiling of this room collapsed. If
the bricks are removed, all that is found beyond is dirt.
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The Abandoned Tower

16. BREWING ROOM
This room is where the Wolf Pack currently brews their moonshine
alcohol and makes their amber nightshade. The room is full of stills
and other equipment. Some or all of the Mellic siblings can be
found here most times during the day. Other members of the Wolf
Pack are usually here day and night unless they decide to move
their operations.
A long hallway leads north from this room out into the open
air. This exit is obscured by trees and bushes, but is close to a road,
so the Wolf Pack use it more often than the tower entrances. It is
easier to get a cart down to the brewing room this way than to use
the stairs.
17. TOILET
A small room just off the landing at the northern end of the upper
and lower halls sits atop a deep hole and serves as a toilet. The door
is sturdy but warped and has been cut recently so that it can be
closed properly. There is a bucket of water on the floor and next to
the wooden seat lies a copy of a once-famous novel, with half its
pages ripped out.
The Abandoned Tower
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The Abandoned Tower
The Lower Tunnels

18. LOWER HALLS
The lowest section of this underground area is not of the same
quality as the tunnels above it. The inferior craftsmanship of the
rough, plastered-over masonry is obvious, though these tunnels are
serviceable enough.
These halls have a musty, damp smell to them but there is little
mold and the walls seem strangely cold. The infernal taint that
seeps from the witches buried here stops life from thriving here.
25
Lower Tunnels
24
21
23
22
20
18
19
The Abandoned Tower

19. MEDITATION CHAMBERS
To the east of the lower hall are two circular, beehive-shaped
tholos tombs, built by the monastic brothers as an aid to
meditation. Any magic worked in these chambers has an increased
effect, for good or ill.
20. NORTHERN MONKS CELL

Along the western side of the hall are three rough monks cells,
seemingly carved out of a vein of living rock. Shelves along the
north and south walls serve as beds or tables, but these cells are
otherwise empty. The northernmost one does not appear to have
any other exits, though an examination of the plaster on the walls
reveals that the west wall has been plastered over more recently
than the other walls. Beyond it lies Noreen Mellics secret tomb.
21. NOREEN MELLICS TOMB

This room is fifteen by fifteen feet, with an eight-foot ceiling made
of stone slabs. It was originally prepared by Larissa Reece, but after
Noreen betrayed her, she had herself interred here, where
Corioleus cannot reach her.
Her body lies inside a sarcophagus made of two layers of
polished mahogany and is surrounded by black candles and small
statues. the room is fifteen by fifteen feet, and the floor is
completely covered. Ropes hang from the ceiling, nailed to the
stone with iron nails. If a demon should enter this room, the
candles will relight of their own accord.
22. MIDDLE MONKS CELL

The middle monks cell is empty like the others, but someone has
tried to smash through the western wall, only to reveal that there is
nothing behind the plaster but more stone.
23. SOUTHERN MONKS CELL

Someone has smashed a hole through the west wall of the
southernmost monks cell, breaking through plaster and bricks to
reveal empty, dark space beyond. A person cannot fit through the
hole yet, only stick an arm inside.
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The Abandoned Tower

24. ROOM FULL OF BATS
On the other side of the west wall of the southern monks cell is a
ten-foot hallway and a larger room that is empty except for vicious,
blood-sucking ghost bats. Owing to a collapse in the far wall, this
room now connects to a natural cave system. These caves are too
treacherous and narrow for people to navigate, but they do
eventually lead back to the surface far to the west of the abandoned
tower.
GHOST BAT SWARM

Many bites (1d8 damage)
Close
Special Qualities: Flight, Sonar.
Magical, Swarm.
10 HP 1 Armour
The ghost bats are mostly black except for their bright red eyes and
the patches of white on the insides of their wings. Instead of
feeding on fruit and bugs, these bats seethe with malevolence and
what they want is blood. They are the bane of a neighbouring
village on the other side of the forest, as few people have ventured
down to the lower halls in quite a long time.
Instinct: To thirst after warm blood.
Disrupt magical processes.
Suck blood.
Swarm a foe and disorient them.
When intruders show up: Swarm them.
The Abandoned Tower

25. SECRET CRYPTS
The southern end of the main hall ends in nothing but a blank wall
of crude masonry that has been plastered over, much like the rest of
the hall. Close inspection will reveal that the end of the hall was
bricked up, then broken into, and finally bricked up and plastered
once again.
Behind the wall is a hallway, containing six small niches along
the walls, and one large chamber at the end. In each of these lies a
witch, waiting to rise again. In the stone sarcophagus of the
monastic brotherhoods leader lies the witch king, and in each of
the small niches lies one of his lovers. Black Larissa deposited the
body of Zenara Khallari in the northern niche closest to the exit.
Only Zenara will stir when the wall that seals them in is breached,
and she will do her best to escape, instead of fighting any intruders.
The other witches will only rise again if their rest is disturbed, since
the runes and wards that bind them are much stronger than those
binding Zenara.
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The Abandoned Tower
The Coven
The witches that have sold their souls to Corioleus currently
include the seven buried in the crypt, who still have bodies; Red
Jenny, Tannis Cross, and Larissa Reece, who remain as ghosts,
their bodies nothing but bones, too deteriorated to be inhabited by
spirit; and Noreen Mellic. Her tomb protects her from Corioleus,
but her death does not remove her from the coven.
The Unlucky Seven

Seven witches are buried in the secret crypt underneath the
abandoned tower: the Witch King himself, his five lovers Brysil,
Hassan, Hilda, Maelgrim, and Thorntyr, and the woman who
betrayed them all, Zenara Khallari.
THE WITCH KING
Devious, Hoarder, Intelligent, Magical, Solitary.

Ancient sword (1d8+4 damage, 1 piercing)
22 HP 1 Armour
Close, Forceful
Special Qualities: Undead, Witch.
His origins remain a mystery. Some of his followers do not even
believe he is human, and truth to tell, he has forgotten so much
since dying that even the Witch King does not recall who he used
to be when he was young. Infernalism has twisted his features
enough that it is impossible to tell whether he possessed his horns
and tusks before he sold his soul or only gained them later. He
wears the hides of Northern black elks and wields a sword made
from meteorite by those who dwelt upon the ice before mankind
was born. He is covetous by nature, driven by greed and desire.
Impulse: To collect (and own) people, places, and things.
Bind a foe with runes and wards.
Call and command dangerous animals.
Command a lover.
Magically fade into the forest and disappear.
Send dreams and nightmares to a foe or servant.
Spit magic words that cause physical pain.
The Abandoned Tower

LOVER OF THE WITCH KING
Sacrificial blade (1d8 damage)
Close
Group, Intelligent, Magical.

10 HP 0 Armour
Each of the Witch Kings five lovers are different, but they all have
several things in common. First, they are devoted to both the
Witch King and to Corioleus, having sol their souls to him.
Second, they are all trained witches, with their own magical powers
in addition to those granted them by Corioleus. And third, they are
all undead, betrayed and killed by Zenara Khallari, and for this,
they all want revenge.
Impulse: To serve in exchange for magical power.
See their individual descriptions for each of the lovers moves.
BRYSIL
A pale beauty of the north, her short hair as yellow as straw, Brysil
is unable to feel pleasure and pain as strongly as others, and so she
throws herself into extremes. With the power of magic coursing
through her, she makes her home amidst the frigid waters and the
storms of winter. Corioleus has also given her fangs like razors and
a thirst for human blood.
Now that she is undead, Brysil takes no steps to disguise this
fact. Though she died of poison, she appears to have drowned. Her
skin is white as chalk and her lips are blue. Her eyes are black orbs
full of blood, but she is far from blind.
Bite down and drink deep.
Call down rain, sleet, and snow.
Coat a foe with frost and ice.
Control rivers and streams.
Freeze water with a touch.
Swim through water like a fish.
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The Abandoned Tower

HASSAN
Captured by slavers as a boy, Hassan grew up in the harems and

seraglios of rich and powerful lords, traded between them like a
toy, until the Witch King put a knife in his hand and offered him
the throat of his master. Blinded by power, he continued to take
what was offered him, and in so doing, gave away his soul.
Hassan is short and willowy, with black curly hair, olive skin,
and smouldering, seductively dark eyes. His movements are sensual
and practiced. When he grows angry, his warmth disappears and he
grows cold and calculating, vicious and spiteful.
Appear defenceless and defeated.
Destroy locks, clasps, buckles, and bindings.
Produce fire out of nothing.
Spit poison.
HILDA
She was always a prodigy, but when Richard Mellic, the man she
loved, spurned her for her sister, Hilda left the Ghostwoods. After
becoming a prostitute in Mournhaven, she returned in order to
seek revenge, only to find Richard and her sister had died of
plague, and that none of the couples three young children were
even fathered by Richard after all. Still intent on vengeance, Hilda
became a witch in order to call up their ghosts and punish them,
but this never worked. The need for revenge still burns within her,
though she has no way to satisfy it.
Hilda appears to be a short, plump woman with long brown
hair. She can appear normal, but years in the crypt have replaced
most of her muscles with grave worms.
Bind a foe with a curse or hex.
Bind an animal with magical wards and runes.
Command a familiar.
Fly through the air.
Scatter grave worms with a wave.
Wail like a banshee.
The Abandoned Tower

MAELGRIM
A renowned and blood-stained hero amongst the reavers of the

north, Maelgrim gave up his life of rape and pillage to become a
witch. He scoured all the lands of ice and snow looking for the
trolls who dispense their craft to those who would slake their lusts.
After years of fruitless searching, he found the Witch Kingall he
had ever hoped for in a master. He has no idea that Corioleus
transgressions and violations will never be the ones he enjoys.
Maelgrim has thick black hair and a scruffy beard unless he
takes the time to shave properly, which is a vanity he enjoys. His
abdomen is a rotting, putrid mass, and he must consume human
flesh in order to heal it once he has risen again.
Bind a person with magical wards and runes.
Call spikes and spears to burst forth from the ground.
Crumble stone to dust in his hands.
Crush a foe with an iron grip.
Shake the earth.
Unleash a flurry of flying blades.
THORNTYR
Born into a farming community on the brink of failure, when the

rest of his family and everyone he knew succumbed to the savage
winter, Thorntyr turned to magic and witchcraft. Like Maelgrim,
he believed the Witch King to be a troll, so he traded his body in
exchange for magical knowledge. He is the most conflicted
amongst the lovers, for he knows the taste of disobedience is
immeasurably sweet, but fears Corioleus corruption more than the
Witch Kings retribution.
Thorntyr has long blond hair and a full beard. His right eye has
been gouged out and continues to bleed, while his left arm is a
withered skeleton that has lost none of its strength in undeath.
Bind a natural location with wards and runes.
Call down ice an snow.
Leech the heat from a foes body and breath.
Strike when a foe shows signs of weakness.
Summon the great Northern winds.
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The Abandoned Tower
War of the Witches

While the Witch Kings lovers are all devoted to him, Zenara
Khallari is their enemy. She is part of their coven, like it or not, but
when these witches arise again, they will fight.
If the crypts are opened, Zenara regains the use of her body
immediately, and attempts to flee as quickly as possible. She will
cause as much harm as is necessary to effect her escape. The
bindings she put on the other witches are much stronger than those
Larissa put on her, however, and the other witches must be
disturbed in order to awaken. Zenara will not disturb them, but
foolhardy explorers almost certainly will, especially if they are
engaged in magical combat with Zenara.
ZENARA KHALLARI
Devious, Intelligent, Magical, Solitary, Stealthy.

Shadow blade (1d10 damage, ignores armour)
16 HP 0 Armour
Close, Messy
She came from the East in search of knowledge she could not find
at home, and the Witch King was waiting for her. He knew she was
a snake is what she told herself when Corioleus showed her how to
betray him.
It appears as if death has done nothing to diminish Zenaras
beauty. Her black curls are as lush as always, her skin as smooth,
her eyes the same dark pools to fall into. This is all magic, hiding
the fact that she died by fire.
Instinct: To be at risk, always.
Appear beautiful.
Catch fire for an instant.
Command the shadows.
Offer excitement and danger.
Send a bird of shadow winging through the night with a
message or a curse.
Turn shadows into blades and weapons.
The Abandoned Tower
Three Ghosts
Unlike the seven witches buried in the crypts, the bodies of Larissa
Reece, Tannis Cross, and Red Jenny have all been destroyed
enough that they cannot be reanimated. Larissas remains are
scattered amidst the debris of the room she died in, Tannis was
buried in a field and ravaged by the plough, year after year, and the
only thing holding Red Jennys bones together is the dirt that
surrounds them. All three have become ghosts and will only have
physical bodies when Corioleus allows it.
Red Jennys ghost haunts the old house on Harlow Street, but
Corioleus can free it from this location, or give her a human body
to possess.
Tannis haunts the Ghostwood forest, roaming where she will,
but her mind is gone and she is but a spectre of the past until
Corioleus restores her. She too could have a body to possess,
should Corioleus find it useful.
If Corioleus has the power, he will find a particularly enjoyable
body for Larissa to possess, as she has been so useful to furthering
his plansalmost indispensable, really. She remains bound to the
diary, however, until Corioleus finds a better anchor for his power
on the mortal plane.
The Tomb
Unique amongst the coven, Noreen Mellic is buried in a special
tomb. If it is breached, though, she will not rise from her
sarcophagus unless Corioleus or one of the other witches comes
and raises her. If this happens, she will be claimed by Corioleus and
punished in one of the many hells of the abyss, not allowed to serve
or roam the Earthly plane.
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Hungry
Ghosts
And I, who stood intent to gaze and wonder,

Beheld a host of spirits, foul with mud,
All naked, and with hatred in their looks.
Hungry Ghosts
Suffer a Witch to Live

The second front in this adventure, Hungry Ghosts, presents the
sordid world of witchcraft and demon worship in and around the
village of Knifesbridge. Although the heyday of these practices has
passed and there have been no active witches in the area for half a
century, their undead spirits linger still, lurking in the Ghostwood,
waiting for a chance at resurrectionand for a chance to summon
once again the power of their demonic patron.
This front contains three dangers: the diary of Larissa Reece,
through which her ghost attempts to summon the demon
Corioleus; Corioleus himself, who has little power on the mortal
plane until summoned; and the witch hunter Corbin Grey. While
it is possible to introduce Corbin immediately, these three dangers
are meant to start slow and gradually work their way to a fever
pitch. If the witches buried in the secret crypts under the
abandoned tower are freed, they will join this front and work to
assist Corioleus.
These dangers are intended to be much more of a problem for
adventurers than the bandits and political shenanigans of the
Ravenous Wolves front, and should be much harder opponents to
defeat.
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Hungry Ghosts

Sitting in plain view on an old, long-unused desk, just outside the
room in which Larissa Reece died, is the small black book that
served as her infernal diary. Unlike other books, it does not age, it
does not accumulate dust, and it cannot be destroyed. The demon
it is bound to has enough power to maintain, at the very least, a
single foothold in the mortal worldand this book is it.
Each of the eleven witches once had their own infernal diary,
in which they kept their spells and other secrets, and each in turn
was destroyed by their betrayer. But there has always been at least
one diary of spells in the hands of a witch in the Ghostwoods, and
when Noreen Mellic destroyed her own diary along with Larissas,
before entering her special tomb, Corioleus was able to interfere.
And so Black Larissas diary reappeared, unharmed, in the room
next to her lifeless body.
Whether or not the PCs take this diary into their possession or
not is up to them. If they do not, however, it should be found by
someone elsesomeone with fewer scruples, someone with scores
to settle, or someone far too irresponsible. Either way it causes
trouble, as it was meant to do.
Reading the Book

The diary is a black leather-bound notebook of good quality
workmanship. Almost all of the pages have writing on them, and
there are numerous diagrams. One of several inks used appears to
be blood, and it is quite obvious that the contents of the diary
pertain solely to the workings of black magic.
The diary is clearly an autobiographical account of witchcraft,
betrayal, and murderand just as clearly meant to be
incomprehensible to anyone but its author. Reading it takes time
and effort. The cursive script is cramped and almost illegible. The
language is full of strange terminology, obscure metaphors, and
even the occasional occult cipher.
Hungry Ghosts
When you spend a day studying Black Larissas diary for the
first time, roll+INT. On a 10+, you learn the first two rituals and
for each full day you spend studying it more closely, you will learn
another piece of knowledge. On a 7-9, you learn the first two
rituals, but must study for two days (or an entire day and night) to
learn each subsequent piece of information. On a miss, you find
the diary nearly impenetrable and downright dangerous. For each
two full days of study, you can learn one of the rituals or one piece
of information, but each time you do, you attract infernal
attention.
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Hungry Ghosts
Black Magic Rituals

The most obvious section of the diary details a summoning ritual,
described in plain language. This ritual allows contact with a
demon, as long a the summoner knows the demons name and
performs the ritual within a circle of light surrounded by darkness.
This means it must be performed at night or in an enclosed space,
and must be accompanied by torches. The summoner must stand
within a protective circle and perform magical incantations for
several hours, after which the demon will appear in an imprisoning
circle during negotiations. This ritual was successfully performed
in the basement of a house in Knifesbridge, by the author of the
diary and a female apprentice. The name Corioleus is mentioned,
as well as any others you decide to include.
Less obvious, but still described in plain language, is a ritual
that allows a demon to possess a human host and thus gain
terrestrial purchase (as demons have no natural physical form).
Like the summoning ritual, this one must also be performed within
a circle of light that is surrounded by darkness. It takes several
hours and is meant to be performed on a willing subject. It can
instead be performed on an unwilling subject, but this requires the
sacrificial murder of a third person in order to work.
This type of possession is not the same as the demon entering
the mortal plane by using the victim as a host. The demon is able to
speak and act through the possessed person, but cannot use its full
powers. The most useful aspect of this spell is that it allows the
caster to bargain directly with Corioleus and to draw up a contract.
This still results in the loss of ones soul, of course, but Corioleus is
not above theatrics in order to get the job done.
The diary also claims this ritual can be performed in reverse to
achieve an exorcism, but this is false and has no real effect. The
demon Corioleus may cause a possessed person to appear to be
exorcised if this version is used, however, in order to lull the PCs
into a false sense of security.
Hungry Ghosts
Summoning
When you perform Black Larissas summoning ritual, roll+INT.
On a hit, it works just like the 5th-level wizard spell Contact Other
Plane, but on a 7-9, the demon may leave a mark on the material
plane. On a miss, it unleashes infernal trouble.
Possession
When you perform Black Larissas ritual of possession, either
on a willing subject or upon an unwilling subject after a sacrificial
murder, roll+INT. On a 10+, they are possessed by a demon and
exhibit no signs of their old personality. On a 7-9, they are locked
in a very obvious fight with the demon and still retain control over
their body half the time. On a miss, you are possessed by a demon.
Exorcism
When you perform Black Larissas ritual of exorcism, dont roll,
unless you are performing the ritual under pressure or in the face of
opposition, in which case you must defy danger to complete the
ritual as instructed. Regardless of how accurately the ritual is
performed, Corioleus may create the appearance of a successful
exorcism, or not, as is his wont.
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Hungry Ghosts
Autobiography
The following additional pieces of knowledge can be learned from
the diary, in the following order. Until the final piece of
information is gleaned, someone studying the book will always
know there is more to uncover.
ONE
A second formula for bringing a demon onto the physical plane is

detailed, obscurely, in the margins. A trained black magician must
commit three murdersone each on three different plots of land
consecrated for unholy purposes by three previous murders. There
are no rituals involved, and apparently this will allow a demon to
enter the world through the body of one of the three more-recently
murdered people.
TWO
Based on numerous short anecdotes seemingly-taken from real life,

the author of the diary is a woman named Larissa Reece, known in
and around Knifesbridge as Black Larissa, and this diary is at least
fifty years old.
THREE
Larissa details a scheme to escape having to repay her debt to the

demon Corioleus. This includes a special tomb, constructed so as
to protect her body and soul from infernal influence. This tomb is
located in or around the cemetery next to the old abandoned tower,
though the exact location is not indicated (it can be found on the
map carved into the wall in the basement of the old house on
Harlow Street).
FOUR
In plain language but awful handwriting, Larissa recounts how she

was betrayed by her apprentice, Noreen Mellic, who apparently
sealed her up in a room to die, alone. Larissa has plans to take
revenge from beyond the grave, which include destroying the tomb
she had planned to use.
Hungry Ghosts
FIVE
The three plots of lands that are consecrated for unholy purposes
are: the old house on Harlow Street, the Mellic farmstead, and the
abandoned tower. Larissa consecrated the old house with the
murder of Red Jenny, the farmstead by the murder of Tannis Cross,
and the tunnels underneath the abandoned tower by the murder of
her mentor Zenara Khallari.
Black Larissas Ghost

Aside from the dodgy nature of the magical rituals it contains,
there is another potent threat posed by the diary, and that is the
ghost of its author. Larissa Reece did not go quietly to those black
gates, and in the Ghostwoods that often means one does not go at
all. Those who stay in close proximity to the diary will have
Larissas ghost to contend with.
Her main ambition is to exact revenge upon her apprentice,
Noreen Mellic. In order to do this, she plans on summoning the
demon Corioleus to the physical plane, so he can take the measures
needed to gain possession of her soul. To do this, she must spill
someones lifes blood on each of the three locations she has
consecrated: the basement of the old house on Harlow Street, the
Mellic farmstead, and the crypts underneath the old, abandoned
tower.
If one of the PCs is in possession and gets close to any of these
three locations, Larissa will appear in his or her peripheral vision, a
far-away figure wrapped in black cloth, rushing hurriedly in the
locations direction. She will lead them straight to the old house,
the farmstead, or down into the crypts, preferably when there are
also hostile people there.
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Hungry Ghosts
BLACK LARISSAS GHOST
Devious,, Intelligent, Magical,

Solitary, Stealthy, Terrifying.
Ghostly hands (1d8 damage, ignores armour)
16 HP 0 Armour
Close
Special Qualities: Book-Bound, Insubstantial, Undead.
Black Larissas ghost is mystically tied to her diary, and cannot
roam far from it. Normally, she is a ghostly presence, insubstantial
and invisible. There are three exceptions to this. Larissa can reveal
herself to whoever holds the book, but only at night or in darkness.
She can also appear to anyone near her corpse. When she appears,
however it is as a murdered and bedraggled woman, covered in dirt
and blood with her fingers worn down to the boneobviously a
spectre. Larissa can also touch living people, but only if they do not
know she is there. This means that after she touches someone for
the first time, she cannot do so again, so she does not use this
ability until she is in a position to murder someone on the ground
she consecrated and thus bring Corioleus one step closer to
manifesting physically.
Finally, the use of amber nightshade (or similar magical
workings) can reveal her presence and form. This is not a pleasant
experience for the drug user, as Larissa will harass and terrorize any
living person she can if she is given the opportunity. Anyone using
amber nightshade in the presence of her diary will inevitably have a
bad trip, no matter what they roll. Larissas mind is not a coherent
thing. It is singularly fixated on revenge and filled with rage.
Impulse: To revenge herself on her apprentice.
Appear in the corner of the eye.
Attack the living who are unaware of her presence.
Cause minor poltergeist effects.
Terrorize someone who can see ghosts.
When the diary is in a populated area: Cause trouble.
When they are close to a consecrated location: Lead them there.
Hungry Ghosts
At the Mellic Farmstead

Since the Mellic farmstead is no longer profitable as a producer of
crops, there is often no one there, although the Wolf Pack may use
this location to ambush Sheriff Hartfordor anyone else they
think deserves such attention.
However, PCs that venture out to investigate the farm could
themselves be mistaken for bandits by any number of other
investigators: bounty hunters, Corbin Grey, or even Sheriff
Hartford. The ensuing altercation provides Black Larissa the
opportunity she needs.
At the Old House on Harlow Street

If the diary is taken to the old house, the ghosts of Black Larissa and
Red Jenny will fight. All manner of poltergeist activity will occur,
mundane objects will fly across the room, things will fall off
shelves, blood will run down the walls, and anyone high on amber
nightshade, being especially vulnerable to attacks made by either
womans ghost, will experience the most horrific drug experience
of their lives.
Assuming Wilse probably has one or more drugged-up
playthings here at any one time, it is an easy thing for Larissa to
perpetrate a murder during all this commotion.
In the Tunnels Underground

Since no one goes down there, this is the trickiest part of the plan
for Larissa to accomplish. She may try to attack the PCs down here,
but with only a single shot, she is unlikely to kill one of them. She
may try to lure nearby innocents down into the tunnels along with
whoever holds the diary, but since people avoid the tower, this is
unlikely to be successful.
On the other hand, if the PCs end up fighting the Wolf Pack in
these tunnels, she will have a perfect opportunity. If the PCs bring
hirelings or other assistants into the tunnels, she tries to make the
holder of the diary think one of them is about to commit betrayal,
in the hopes that she will not have to start the bloodshedonly
end it.
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Hungry Ghosts
Idle Hands
If the PCs do not take possession of the diary, or attempt to destroy
it or otherwise rid themselves of it, someone else will fall pre to its
baleful influence. There are several people in and around
Knifesbridge who would make excellent candidates for coven
membership:
WILSE
If Wilse gets a hold of the diary, after some time spent deciphering
it he will attempt the rituals. Depending on how many people he
has gotten addicted to amber nightshade by this time, he will either
have a willing subject for the possession ritual, or he will have to
capture an unwilling one. Because he rarely ventures out to the
abandoned tower, it is unlikely he will be able to help Larissa
complete the three necessary murders, but his experiments with
the rituals may result in him striking a deal with Corioleus directly
and joining his coven. The PCs may be alerted to his plans through
several obvious situations:
When Wilse brings the diary to the old house on Harlow
Street, all hell will break loose. Almost certainly someone will
die, and the house may even catch on fire. Gossip and rumour
will inform everyone in town about some sort of row on the
premises, although the specifics will vary. If the PCs are
nearby, they might even be able to witness it.
Unable to complete a ritual in his house, he will attempt it at
the Mellic farmstead. Since there is not enough space to
conduct the ritual inside, it must be performed outside, in the
middle of the night. The required bonfires can be seen from
quite a ways off.
Hungry Ghosts
CORBIN GREY
If Corbin Grey gets a hold of the diary, he is just overconfident

enough to think that he can beat a demon at its own game. He
might also try to use the results of these rituals as proof of demonic
activity he can show his church superiors. His obsessive nature
drives him to pursue things all the way to the end and to treat it like
a showdown. Since Corioleus cannot lose, this does not work out
well for Corbin.
FOMORIANS
The Fomorians may take an interest in the diary if no one else is

left. Kickal and Koning are not quite bright enough to make a
complete mess of things, but if the gangs send more intelligent
soldiers to Knifesbridge, they could become devoted and capable
servants of Corioleus.
TERESANA
If Teresana Cole becomes trapped in drug addiction and is looking

for a way out, she could turn to the diaryprovided she knows
about it. She is a fast learner, but being young and inexperienced
she is easy prey for a demon. As wild as she tries to be, she would
not even entertain the idea of turning to witchcraft while clean and
sober.
OTHER INNOCENT VICTIMS
Not many others, even in the Ghostwoods, are prepared to have

anything to do with witchcraft. Calgodarro will pass the diary on to
Wilse, the Mellic siblings will avoid it, the mayor doesnt believe in
witchcraft, and most people in Knifesbridge just want to live a
comfortable life, not trade away their souls in exchange for power.
And so there remains only the PCs
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Hungry Ghosts
Hungry Ghosts
The Demon Corioleus

There are bandits in the Ghostwood and corruption in
Knifesbridge, yes, but all else that is evil in this duchy stems from a
great and powerful demon known to the ancient world only as
. This demon is charged with watching over these woods,
these hills, and these rivers. Of this infernal prince, all who dwell
here must beware.
As a demon, Corioleus is not native to the physical plane, and
cannot simply step out onto it as a sailor would regain the shore. He
can exert his influence enough so as to tempt the weak-willed
among humankind, but he is not truly terrifying until his servants
provide him with a vessel to inhabit.
He almost always appears to mortals in the form of a handsome
man with silvery blond hair that shimmers in the firelight. He
dresses well, in dark clothes that show he has good taste but is not a
slave to fashion. If he wishes to appear intimidating or terrifying, he
can be surrounded by swirling flames or tornado-like winds. He can
walk upon a bed of squirming insects, or make his face look like a
skull with blazing eyes. He might appear holding chains that serve
as leashes for his slaves: men and women whose souls he has
captured, and now appear in their mortal guises but with iron
collars rubbing their necks all bloody. He may even, on very rare
occasions, appear as a beautiful woman instead of a man. But never
to seduce. This form is only to inspire jealousy in overly-vain
women and to draw the ire of misogynists. The last intention
Corioleus will ever have is to make a human feel comfortable, in
any way.
Without a vessel, however, Corioleus activities in the
Ghostwoods are very limited. He has some influence over the area
around Larissas diary, around the abandoned tower, and other
places where his witches are buried or have had a significant impact
upon. This influence includes the manipulation of animals, a few
hallucinations, the odd possession, and of course, making the diary
available for others to find.
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Hungry Ghosts
Demonic Influence
What follows are examples of the things that Corioleus an cause to
happen. These things can occur in the vicinity of the diary and any
of the dead witches except Noreen Mellic, or in any place that has
been significantly affected by witchcraft. But they must happen
only within a hundred yards or so of any of these.
Crazed Animals
Ants, cockroaches, or other bugs invade the house where the

diary rests and march in spirals to no useful purpose.
Cats and dogs run in circles, chasing their own tails.
During a storm, the heavy rain is suddenly accompanied by fish
or frogs, falling from out of the sky. These animals flop about
after landing, but quickly die.
If whoever holds the diary stares at the ground too long, a
centipede emerges and coils in on itself, spiralling around its
own body until it breaks itself into pieces and dies.
Locusts appear on crops and other plants, devouring furiously,
even though there are only small handfuls of them.
Roosters crow at midnight, dogs bark at the moon, livestock
will not sleep at night.
Minor Hallucinations
On the other side of the wall, you can hear a woman crying
out as someone beats her. It sounds like a man using a belt as
he preaches on the wretchedness of sin. If the PCs intervene,
they discover their neighbours are a pious and quiet young
couple who work in one of the local breweries. If the PCs only
shout through the wall, this couple will feel terrorized and will
complain to their landlord or even the city watch.
The bartender pours you a drink, but out of the corner of
your eye you see him slip something into it. He even glanced at
you to see if you were looking and he thought you werent.
The only thing the bartender slipped into the glass was
whatever the PC ordered.
Hungry Ghosts
Through a small window on the second floor, you can see

what looks like a fresh corpselike someone who has just been
murdered! To get to this room, the PCs must barge through a
dining room on the same floor where a large family is eating a
meal. The kitchen, it turns out to be, contains a large beef roast
but no dead person.
You hear someone on the other side of the doorway, hiding
around the corner, as if they were about to ambush you.
When the PC springs around the corner, there is an old person
there, who did not even know the PC was inside the house!
You notice a drop of blood fall from the ceiling. Looking up,
there is a dark stain, and more drops fall. The blood is very
fresh. Upstairs, the PC finds a woman taking a bath. She has
spilled some water on the floor, but no blood.
Possession
Corioleus will save this trick for when the PCs are close to ruining
Black Larissas plans to give him corporeal form, or if they are about
to get rid of the diary somehow. When this happens, he will
possess someone, or cause them to be possessed by another, weaker
demon. The victim speaks in tongues, shouts obscenities, and
causes a ruckus. They are wracked by spasms and attempt to harm
themselves and others. Their features twist horribly, leaving no
doubt as to the cause of their malady.
Corioleus prefers those of weak will, and adolescent girls in
particular, though anyone will do. If the PCs use the exorcism
ritual in Black Larissas diary, the symptoms of possession will go
away. For now.
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Hungry Ghosts
A Corporeal Demon
If Black Larissas plan comes to fruition and Corioleus gains
physical form, he becomes far more dangerous. In order to do this,
he requires a human vessel, as his natural form is not one made of
mortal clay. The inhabitation of this vessel is more than mere
possession, as the demon is able to express his infernal nature to a
much greater degree. There are two ways this incarnation can be
achieved.
A Trio of Murders
Larissas plan to bring Corioleus to the mortal plane is to murder
one person in each of the three locations that she has consecrated:
the old house on Harlow Street, the Mellic farmstead, and the
lower tunnels beneath the abandoned tower. Should she achieve
this, Corioleus enters the body of any one of the three victims
most likely the last, but in the abyss, only torment is certain.
Completing the Coven

A demon can also enter the mortal realm through a complete coven
of thirteen witches dedicated to them. Currently there are only
eleven witches in Corioleus coven. Death does not remove one it,
nor does Noreen Mellics tombit only keeps her safe from
Corioleus further influence.
If any of these witches are reburied on holy ground, or their
spirits are otherwise destroyed, the coven will be reduced in
number. If more people become infernalists in the service of
Corioleus, they become part of his coven.
Once the coven reaches thirteen members, Corioleus will
manifest physically through the body of one of themwhichever
one he wantsor through the body of someone they sacrifice for
that purpose. If the coven does not make sure to sacrifice someone
as the thirteenth member is being initiated, an one of them is
vulnerable.
Once Corioleus manifests in a persons body, he reshapes it to
his preferred image. If it dies, Corioleus is unaffected, and this is a
likely outcome unless he has some reason to preserve the bodys life
for future use.
Hungry Ghosts
CORIOLEUS IN THE FLESH
Devious, Infernal, Intelligent, Magical,

Planar, Solitary, Terrifying.
Curse (b[2d10]+2 damage, ignores armour)
20 HP 4 Armour
Close, Near, Forceful
Special Qualities: Demon of the ancient world.
Once incarnate in flesh, Corioleus walks the Earth in someone
elses body, possessing it and controlling it. This body is less like a
living vessel for his alien consciousness and more like a window
through which his infernal light shines forth. He can allow his
physical body to be killed (if it is even still alive) and it does not
affect his presence on the mortal plane. This body is just an anchor.
Corioleus is an immortal fallen angel, unkillable, but always
residing on another plane of existence. Still, he longs to touch the
souls of humans, and bring them down.
Instinct: To ruin all that is good and right.
Cause an animal to birth a freak of nature.
Cause an infant or small animal to die.
Curdle milk, turn wine to vinegar, and spoil food.
Drive animals insane.
Inflict a minor hallucination upon someone.
Offer to buy a soul.
Posses someone.
The following moves only apply when Corioleus takes physical
form:
Blight the earth so that nothing grows.
Curse a foes physical existence.
Summon an infestation of vermin.
In addition to the effects listed previously, Corioleus physical
presence causes the following effects:
Clouds, winds, and birds in flight revolve in circles.
Heights make people dizzy.
Liquid runs in circles on flat surfaces.
Spinning objects continue to spin on their own.
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Hungry Ghosts
The Witch Hunt

Corbin Grey is one of the churchs most dedicated witch hunters.
He casts a long shadow wherever he goes. Because the Ghostwoods
are a constant source of gossip and rumours of the supernatural,
when word gets out that there may be a more serious problem, he
moves quickly to investigate and root out evil. He is a man used to
being in control, however, and his zeal may well be more fuel for
the fire than any real solution.
Arrival
Corbin arrives one of two ways. Normally when he begins an
investigation, he sends a lieutenant first to secure accommodations
for him, his soldiers, and their servants. In this case, Father Petrus
arrives and rents rooms or even an entire house. The PCs may well
encounter him before Corbin arrives, especially if they are both
trying to obtain access to Mayor Cole.
If there has been an emergency or some kind of violent
outbreak of a supernatural origin, Corbin shows up with his full
retinue as soon as possible and demands a place to stay, even if he
arrives in the middle of the night. Mayor Cole may have to quarter
them in private homes until space in an inn opens up. At the very
least, Corbin will take control of the village hall or the Cole
household.
When he arrives, it attracts the attention of a curious few, but
is not an occasion for uproar, unless conditions in Knifesbridge
have become very bad indeed. Most people are more concerned
with the mayors political shenanigans, the boisterous bounty
hunters, and the bandits threatening the roads.
Hunting Witches
If any of the PCs are part of Corbins retinue of witch hunters, they
qualify for the bounty hunter compendium class (described on
pages 126-128). They might know a few tricks for dealing with the
supernatural, but mostly the job is just like hunting down
criminals.
Hungry Ghosts
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The Hunt Begins

In Knifesbridge, Corbin undertakes to question everyone he
believes to be involved with witchcraft and demon worshipfrom
those suspected of it to those who might be witnesses. This
includes people who talk about seeing ghosts or witches and
whomever those people implicate. He does not employ torture on
anyone until he has proof of their guilt and thinks they are
withholding information.
Once he has enough evidence of witchcraft to convince him
there is a problem here, he claims executive powers over
Knifesbridge, which the church allows him to do, and begins telling
Mayor Cole how to run it. This will probably include some or all of
the following:
A curfew after dark except for river traffic.
Exhumation of the dead who might be connected to those
practicing witchcraft.
Forced closure of the bawdier taverns, especially those catering
to the river traffic (which is most of them).
Ordinances banning public displays of wealth.
Regular patrols by the village watch both in Knifesbridge and
on the roads.
Surprise searches of farms in the Ghostwood Forest.
Things Fall Apart

As he becomes more convinced that there is a supernatural evil in
the Ghostwoods, Corbin Grey recruits more hunters to his cause.
First he offers employment to the numerous bounty hunters in
town, then he tries to recruit the bandits, if they are still active in
any capacity. He offers them pardons for an crimes they may have
committed before joining his service to hunt witches. He also
promises regularly-paid wages, which is another powerful draw.
The one problem these new employees have is that Corbin is
also a strict disciplinarian. Crimes committed while in his service
are punished by whippings, the loss of hands, or by hanging,
depending on their severity. There is no trial, and those accused are
judged by Corbin based on his understanding of their character
Hungry Ghosts
and personality. He is a stickler for the rule of lawcommon
criminals must have trials, yes, but those sworn to him may be
punished as he sees fit, and so a trial is not necessary. This leads to
general unhappiness amongst his new recruits, who begin to desert.
The last card Corbin has to play is bringing in a troop of
church templars to maintain order and lead the hunt. These are
heavily-armoured cavalrymen, dedicated to upholding the rule of
law and church doctrine. They are loyal to Corbin and have no ties
to Knifesbridge, so they will act in an unbiased and principled
mannerwhich means they have little or no consideration for
individual circumstances and no mercy for the less-fortunate.
After Corbin begins to take these measures, the townsfolk turn
against him. They secretly work to sabotage his investigations, they
give him misleading information to send him away from them, and
they act less knowledgeable and skilled than they really are when
he needs anything done. They also begin to inform on each other,
hoping that grudges can be settled for them by Corbin and his men.
When Corbin realizes this, he punishes these informants severely,
leading to even more backlash against him.
Things Go To Hell
If Corbin Grey comes into possession of Larissas diary, he cannot
stop himself: he performs the rituals. His idea is to contain and
counter the demonic forces promoted by the diary, and banish
them from the world for good. As he fails, one or more of the
following results:
He discovers the witches buried beneath the abandoned tower
and sets them loose.
His retinue discovers his experiments with the diary and splits
into two warring camps. Father Petrus opposes any exploration
of demonic powers but some servants stay loyal to Corbin.
The diary leads him to the three consecrated locations, and
Larissas ghost kills a person on each of them, thus bringing
Corioleus physically into the world.
Thinking he can outwit the Devil himself, Corioleus
inadvertently makes a deal with Corioleus, becoming an
infernalist himself.
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Hungry Ghosts
Know then, in brief, that they were clerics all

Scholars of great renown, who on the earth
Were all polluted with the selfsame sin.
Hungry Ghosts
CORBIN GREY
Divine, Intelligent, Organized, Solitary, Zealot.

Crossbow (1d10+2 damage, 2 piercing)
12 HP 1 Armour
Near
Special Qualities: Exarch inquisitor of the lawful church.
A brilliantly accomplished theologian from a very young age,
Corbin Grey always achieves what he sets out to do. He brings
order to the world around him with his rigorous vision and
exacting attention to detaileven flagellating his own flesh to
make sure it obeys.
Instinct: To destroy what offends his sense of order.
Attack relentlessly and without mercy.
Find something hidden.
Judge.
Summon more troops.
In a fight: Command troops into a strategic advantage.
When a prisoner is taken: Wear them down until they cannot lie.
Where there is disorder and chaos: Take charge and stamp it out.
FATHER PETRUS
Divine, Intelligent, Organized, Solitary.

Spiked flail (1d10+2 damage)
12 HP 0 Armour
Reach
Special Qualities: Keryx inquisitor of the lawful church.
An orphan, Father Petrus was raised in the church, nurtured by it,
and it is the only home he knows. To those who conform to its
ways and live as brothers will find him generous to a fault. Those
who practice strange magics will find him an implacable enemy.
Instinct: To defend the law against chaos.
Batter and subdue a foe with his flail.
Make a stand against what is evil.
Perceive the truth.
Pray for guidance.
When Corbin requires assistance: Come to his aid.
When the supernatural is found: Reject it, fight it, pray for the
lawful gods to destroy it.
When they are guilty and tight-lipped: Prick them with pins and
needles until they tell the truth.
When violence erupts: Unleash the old and trusty flail.
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Hungry Ghosts
CHURCH TEMPLAR
Divine, Intelligent, Mounted, Organized.

Mace or sword (b[2d8]+2 damage, 1 piercing)
8 HP 3 Armour
Close
Special Qualities: Church authority.
Church templars are recruited from knights and soldiers whose
faith in and loyalty to lawful religious precepts are stronger than
their ties to lord or king. At some point in their lives, while young
or old, they abandon their old life and are born again as martial
champions of law. Although they do not swear as many vows as
proper priests do, they nevertheless tend to live a fairly austere and
regimented life.
Instinct: Use violence to maintain law and order.
Run a foe down
Stand fast against the enemy.
Strike as a unit.
When commanded: Obey.
When confused: Turn to the highest-ranking cleric for guidance.
When making a snap judgment: Apply the lessons of scripture.
When the mission is finished: Return to the church.
These templars have no ties to Knifesbridge or the Ghostwood
Forest. They do not know anyone here, and they do not know the
local culture or how things are done. As the adventure progressed
and the supernatural forces at work here become more and more
visible (assuming they do, that is), they should develop their own
individual opinions of what is happening and what the proper
solution is. Many will assume that the political and financial woes
afflicting Knifesbridge are caused by the supernatural problems,
and proceed forward upon that assumption.
Hungry Ghosts
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As one idea will blossom from another,

So, out of that, another thought arose,
Which served but to intensify my fear.
Custom
Rules
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Custom Rules
The text of this chapter is released under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.
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Custom Rules
Mechanisms of
Questionable Taste
This section introduces some new character options that you may
find especially useful for this adventure. Here you will find one
new race, one new base class, and three new compendium classes.
The Fomorian rules make it easier for you to play Fomorian
PCs, either specifically for this adventure, or after they are
discovered in Knifesbridge. Or you can use them in other
campaigns.
The Magnate character class is something rather different from
most other Dungeon World classessomeone with wealth and
power, and many minions to command. All these advantages come
with responsibilities, howeverthe Magnate has estates and
business ventures to manage. Who else would be so concerned
with the political corruption plaguing Knifesbridge?
The three compendium classes are the bounty hunter, the drug
addict, and the infernalist. Given the influx of bounty hunters into
Knifesbridge, to say nothing of the witch-hunters, whose job is
much the same, it should be easy for the PCs to pick up the ropes.
The opportunity to become a drug addict is even more rampant,
although the drug addict compendium class presented here is
specifically tailored for amber nightshade addiction. Likewise, the
infernalist compendium class is set up specifically for making deals
with Corioleus, and no others.
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Custom Rules
Fomorians
Fomorians are grotesque, grey-skinned humanoids with long, thin
arms and black or yellowish eyes. They have greasy black hair and
dress in dark, functional clothes. Shunned by humanity, they make
their homes in the sewers and tunnels beneath the largest cities of
the warmer southern lands. They have little interest in the arts and
sciences of the surface world, but do care about money and other
items they can barter for resources with.
FOMORIAN

6 HP 0 Armour
Knife (1d8 damage)

Close
Special Qualities: Knife wounds cause paralysis.
The average Fomorian survives by cultivating fungal gardens,

hunting feral dogs and cats, and stealing from humans. They are
not averse to eating the occasional human, though it is not
something most of them prefer.
Instinct: To live in the shadows.
Ambush from the sewers.
Slink back into the night.
Snatch something and run.
Stab with poisoned knife.
FOMORIAN WARRIOR

Spear (1d10 damage)
8 HP 1 Armour
Reach
Special Qualities: Spear wounds cause paralysis.
Some Fomorians carry spears, wear armour, and train to fight in
groups. Their tactics are mostly focused on making the most of
tight spaces, and their job is to defend other Fomorians, whether
they are important leaders or thieves on a mission aboveground.
Instinct: To defend other Fomorians.
Ambush from darkness.
Attack as a group.
Break things.
Custom Rules
Fomorian Player Characters

Fighter
Because of your long arms, melee weapons you use all have the
close, hand, and reach tags.
Druid
In addition to any other attunements, the City Sewers are always
considered your land.
Thief
When you defy danger while moving through an urban
environment (stealthily or not), take +1.
Wizard
Always so cautious and careful, Alarm is a cantrip for you.
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Custom Rules
You have set up a god of gold and silver:

How do you differ from idolators,
Save that they worship one, and you a hundred?
Custom Rules
The Magnate
A New Character Class
Wielding power and wealth, surrounded by minions, the Magnate
is a new character class intended to add a twist to this module.
Where the usual adventurerswandering penniless from dungeon
to dungeon one day, flush with unimaginable wealth the next
experience this adventure from one perspective, if you play the
Magnate you are no flea-bitten, rough-and-tumble bounty hunter.
You are the lord of vast estates, of your own house or office, always
travelling with an entourage, and you have certain interests to
attend tonamely, your profit margin. But as the businesses of
Knifesbridge go down, so does your ability to earn off of them.
Names
Dwarf: Casan, Corneille, Destrix, Iakim, Isalina, Ramus, Volkov,
Zotov, Zuniga.
Halfling: Bilba, Chemah, Farrel, Hudson, Judith, Luisillo, Matello,
Nannette, Primo.
Human: Clement, Croesus, Dives, Gordon, Heshen, Isabella,
Midas, Musa, Natalia, Pluton, Solomon, Staristina.
Look
Choose one for each:
Austere Uniform, Extravagant Outfits, or Wealthy Finery.
Emaciated Cheeks, Robust Physique, or Round Body.
Contemptuous Eyes, Eyes of a Killer, or Friendly Eyes.
Bad Haircut, Oiled and Perfumed Hair, Pale Hair.
Stats
Your base damage is d4.
Your maximum HP is 6+Constitution.
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Custom Rules
Starting Moves
Choose a race and gain the corresponding move:
Dwarf
Your entourage is composed of hardy dwarves, add +1 fighting.
Halfling
When you use a move to request foodstuffs or find people with
food-related skills or experience, take +1.
Human
Your race are conquerors. When you see or come to know of a
thing you want, ask an extra question from the eye for loot list,
even if you havent taken the move.
You start with these moves:
Dominion
You are the master of wealthy estates, either tracks of land,
mercantile operations, or governmental offices. When you request
an expensive item from your estates, as long as it is not unique,
roll+WIS. On a 10+, your estates supply you with your hearts
desire. On a 7-9, you are supplied with the item, but your estates
are exhausted until you put them back in order, by doing any one
of the following:
Close out an old, presumably-problematic account.
Set up a new profitable venture.
Spend time in your offices reorganizing your accounts.
Take a tour of your estates, correcting any errors you
encounter.
Once you put your estates back in order, you can request things
again. On a miss, your estates are in disarray.
Custom Rules
Entourage
You can surround yourself with up to a dozen or so minions who
will back you up, follow your orders, impress people, and help you
conduct your business. Choose what type of people compose your
entourage:
Noble Courtiers: Dissent +2, Eloquence +1, Fighting +1, Learning +1.
Obedient Servants: Dissent +0, Eloquence +0, Fighting +1, Learning +1.
Savvy Clerks: Dissent +1, Eloquence +1, Fighting +0, Learning +2.
Seasoned Mercenaries: Dissent +1, Eloquence +1, Fighting +2, Learning +0.
Talented Artistes: Dissent +1, Eloquence +2, Fighting +0, Learning +1.
You can order individuals around like hirelings if you want them to
do things other than act as part of your entourage. If they are
obedient servants, take +1 to order them. If they are noble courtiers,
take -1 to order them.
Choose their accoutrements, as many as their dissent or fighting:
Books and instruments, costumes and props, finery, many weapons,
metal armour, mounts, samples of your wares, travelling gear.
Choose their skills, as many as their eloquence or learning:
Accounting, appraisal, crime, diplomacy, the fine arts, hospitality,
hunting, music and poetry, politics, rhetoric, science, soldiering.
Choose their weaknesses, as many as their dissent:
Arrogant, careless, cowardly, dead inside, feuding, gossiping, greedy,
hedonistic, insular, obsequious, religious heresy, treacherous.
Ex Officio
When youre surrounded by your entourage
and you attack the same target, add both their dissent and their
fighting to your damage.
and you defend the same target, add their fighting to your roll.
and you parley, add their eloquence to your roll.
and you spout lore, add their learning to your roll.
and someone interferes with you, add your entourages dissent
to the penalty they inflict on your roll.
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I Know People Who Know People

When you put the word out that you need someone with
certain skills or experience, roll+CHA. On a 10+, you find
someone suitable or a hireling with +2 skill points. On a 7-9, you
find someone with similar experience or a hireling with +1 skill
points.
Alignment
Choose an alignment:
Evil
Take someone elses possessions or position for your own.
Good
Use your wealth and power to directly benefit the least fortunate.
Lawful
Bring a criminal to justice.
Neutral
Acquire a new estate or title.
Gear
Your load is 7+STR. You have the same accoutrements as your
entourage, plus choose one:
Antitoxin, healing potion, leather jacket (1 armour, 1 weight),
metal mace (close, 1 piercing, 1 weight), and 100 coins.
Fancy dagger (hand, valuable, 1 weight), gold chain of office,
snuffbox, and 500 coins.
Prized rapier (close, precise, valuable, 1 weight), gold-embossed
telescope (1 weight), halfling pipeleaf, and 50 coins.
Custom Rules
Bonds
______________________________ is a worthy business partner.

______________________________ makes a good front for my schemes, but I cant
let them know.

I would never let ______________________________ handle my affairs. No money
sense!
Ive had dealings with ______________________________ before, but they are
confidential.
Advanced Moves
When you gain a level from 2-5, choose from these moves:
Bodyguards
When you are accompanied by your entourage, you get
+1 armour.
Cultured Host
When you provide hospitality to someone, take +1 forward to
discern realities about them or parley with them.
Dogs of War
When you attack with your entourage, your base damage is d8
instead of d4.
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Entrepreneur
You have two or three business ventures:
Apothecary or barber shop (medicine / malpractice).
Brothel (influence or secrets / disease or scandal).
Contracting service (influence / betrayal or scandal).
Extortion racket (influence / turf war).
Grain mill (influence / fire).
Inn (secrets / scandal).
Silver mine (silver / flood or strike).
Smithy (arms and armour / strike or theft).
Trade ships (exotic spices / a ship sinks).
Transportation service (secrets / lost goods).
When you set up a new venture, add it to this list, along with
what it produces and possible disasters it could experience. If a
venture goes under, remove it from your list.
When you have downtime or at the beginning of a session,
choose up to three ventures from your list to tend to and roll+CHA.
On a 10+, each venture you chose produces either its surplus or
money for you and you take +1 forward to making requests of your
domain. On a 7-9, only one of your ventures produces surplus or
money for you, and one venture experiences disaster, such as
bankruptcy, legal problems, or the disaster listed. On a miss, all
the ventures you chose experience disasters. Ventures you choose
not to tend to do not produce for you and do not suffer disasters,
but may still experience changes. If a venture produces money,
your take is 1d6100 coins.
Custom Rules
Eye for Loot

When you see or come to know about a thing you want,
roll+INT. On a 10+, ask the GM three questions about it. On a 7-9,
ask two. On a miss, ask one anyway, but your desire is betrayed to
everyone who cares:
What happened to it recently?
What is it really worth, all things considered?
What protects it and keeps it where it is?
Who will try to keep it from me?
Who will want it once it is mine?
Prestigious Companions
Your entourage gets another pick from accoutrements and another
skill, which can be whatever you want.
Profitable Enterprise
When you return to your estates after an absence, roll+WIS.
On a hit, your estates have produced income for you. On a 10+,
take 2 income. On a 7-9, take 1 income. You can spend 1 income
this session to put your estates back in order or purchase a
moderately expensive item, like a house, from someone else. Any
income left over at the end of a session is converted into coins. You
get 1d6100 coins per income.
Trade Networks
When you consult your contacts before undertaking a journey
to another settlement, the GM will tell you about a person there
who can help you.
We All Want Things

When you parley with someone or discern realities connected
to them, on a hit you can also ask the GM one of these question:
What does this person really want from me?
What does this person value most?
What is the most valuable thing here?
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Custom Rules
When you gain a level from 6-10, you may choose from these
moves as well as the level 2-5 moves:
Back-Up Plan
When you meet with someone on business, you may ask the GM
two questions from the list below:
Is there an ambush waiting for me?
What are they really feeling?
What is my best way out of this?
Who is watching?
I Must Have It!

Requires: Eye for Loot
When you use your eye for loot, on a 12+, ask the GM an
additional question, any question, about the thing you want.
Influencer
When you parley with someone, on a 12+, not only do they do
what you want, they change their mind about you and become your
ally. They will no longer advance the GMs dangers and will instead
support your plans.
A Many-Headed Beast
Choose an additional entourage type. You may surround yourself
with companions from either type of entourage, but for ex officio
you can only use the stats of whichever is most numerous. You can
switch between the two types by dismissing some companions and
summoning others.
Mortgages
When you leverage your estates to purchase something
ridiculously expensive (an army, ship, or castle, say), take
-1 forward to dominion and roll+WIS. On a 10+, it is yours. On a
7-9, it is mostly yours but there are strings attached and your estates
are exhausted.
Custom Rules
Palace Guard
Replaces: Dogs of War
When you attack with your entourage, your base damage is d12
instead of d4.
This is my Domain
Replaces: Cultured Host
When you provide hospitality to someone, take +1 ongoing to
discern realities about them or parley with them while they stay
with you, and take +1 forward against them when they leave.
Versatile Companions
Requires: Prestigious Companions
Choose a move from another class. You may use this move as long
as you are accompanied by your entourage.
Wealthy Entrepreneur
Requires: Entrepreneur
When a venture produces money for you, you may take 1 income
instead of cashing out. Spend 1 income to get the 10+ result from
your domain without rolling. Any income left over at the end of a
session is converted into coins as normal. You can spend income
from profitable estates in the same way.
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Bounty Hunter
A New Compendium Class
Whats the difference between a kidnapper and a bounty hunter?
The one who pays the ransom money! Oh, sorry, I meant reward, of
course. I hunt down bad people before they can do bad things and I
return them to the rightful authorities. Thats the real difference.
Why? You know somebody worth something?
When you track down a wanted criminal and bring them back
to the rightful authorities, the next time you level up you can
choose to take this move:
The Hunter
Name someone you want to find, either an individual or a gang that
sticks together. When you discern realities while looking for
them, on a hit, the GM will also tell you if there is any evidence of
their passage, and if so what. On a miss, though, something
catches up to you instead, the GM will tell you what. You can only
be hunting one target at a time, but you can change that target
whenever you want.
When you have the hunter, these moves count as level 2-5 class
moves for you and you can choose from them when you level up:
The Bigger They Are

When you spout lore about someone you know or youve heard
of before (your call), on a hit, you can also ask the GM either of
these questions and then take +1 forward when acting on the
answer:
How could they be taken?
What are they worth and to whom?
Custom Rules
The Harder They Fall

When you successfully attack someone, you can roll a d6. If you
roll your foes current HP or higher, after they take your damage,
you knock them out cold or capture them.
Official Position
You work for the law. When you first enter a civilized settlement
someone in authority will take you in as their guest. Take +1 to
parley if you can use your authority as leverage.
Professional Gossip
When you ask around at the local watering-hole or other social
nexus and make your profession obvious, roll+CHA. On a hit,
youre told about available work. On a 10+, youre also able to suss
out the backgrounds of prospective employers. On a 7-9, though,
you only hear about the most promising job currently available.
On a miss, youre shut out or given bad information.
When you have the hunter, these moves count as level 6-10 class
moves for you and you can choose from them when you level up:
Considered It Already
Replaces: The Bigger They Are
When you spout lore about someone you know or youve heard
of before (your call), on a hit, you can also ask the GM both of
these questions and then take +1 forward when acting on the
answers.
How could they be taken?
What are they worth and to whom?
Hellhound on Your Trail

Once you have shed someones blood, or they have shed yours,
you can track them anywhere. No matter where they go you can
always find them.
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Wrap It Up
Replaces: The Harder They Fall
When you successfully attack someone, you can roll a d8. If you
roll your foes HP or higher, after they take your damage, you
knock them out cold or capture them, however you want.
Specialty Option
If you want to start as a bounty hunter at level 1, you can replace
one of the following starting moves with the hunter:
Bard: Charming and Open.
Cleric: Divine Guidance or Turn Undead.
Fighter: Armored or Bend Bars, Lift Gates.
Paladin: Lay on Hands.
Ranger: Called Shot or both Animal Companion and
Command.
Thief: Backstab, Poisoner, or Trap Expert.
Wizard: Ritual or Spell Defense.
Note: If you are a bounty hunter with the ranger starting move
hunt and track, the hunter applies when you use that move just like
it does when you roll discern realities.
If you start as a bounty hunter at level 1, you may choose one of
the following race options instead of those offered by your class:
Dwarf
You are blessed with a hardy constitution. While on someones
trail, you do not need to consume any rations.
Elf
When in the wilderness, you may discern realities with INT
instead of WIS.
Custom Rules
Drug Addict
These are the normal rules for using amber nightshade:
When you smoke amber nightshade, roll+CON. On a hit, you
have a good trip and for the duration you can see and interact with
ghosts and spirits, but on a 7-9, you also experience hallucinations
and can easily become confused. On a miss, the unpleasant
hallucinations are much more powerful than the high and you do
not have a good trip at all.
When you come down off of amber nightshade, take -1 forward
and 1d4 damage.
After you have smoked amber nightshade, however, the next
time you level up you may choose this move:
Nightshade Addiction
When you smoke amber nightshade, instead of the normal
effects, roll+INT. On a 10+, hold three. On a 7-9, hold two. On a
miss, hold one anyway, but you also suffer terrible hallucinations.
Spend a hold to:
Experience a confusing but prophetic vision.
Find a demon, ghost, or spirit in the Ghostwood Forest.
Get +1 to your roll when you take your last breath in the
Ghostwood.
Interact with a ghost as if it were solid and alive.
When you are not under the influence of amber nightshade,
take -1 forward each day. If you have the opportunity to indulge
in amber nightshade but pass it up, take -1 forward (unless youre
already high, of course).
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Custom Rules
If you are a nightshade addict, you take 1d6 damage when you
come down, but these count as class moves for you and you can
choose from them when you level up:
Forest Walker
While high on amber nightshade, you can find your way to any
location, person, or object in the Ghostwoods within an hour, no
matter how far away or how carefully hidden, your destination is.
You can also escape anyone who pursues you in this forest simply
by passing between its trees.
Ghost Sight
When you encounter a ghost for the first time, you may ask the
GM one of the following questions:
Where did this person die?
Where is this persons body (or where are its parts)?
Where is this persons grave?
Nightshade Chemist
From selected plants picked in the Ghostwood Forest, you can
brew up amber nightshade. If you try to brew up a new version of
the drug, roll+INT. On a 10+, choose two properties the new drug
has. On a 7-9, choose one property; the GM will choose another.
Numb to All Sensation

When you get high on amber nightshade, you get 2d4 temporary
hit points. Any damage you suffer must reduce your temporary HP
to zero before affecting you. You lose them when you sober up.
Custom Rules
Kicking the Habit

Even though getting high on amber nightshade is exhilarating
and may offer valuable insights into the nature of the Ghostwood
Forestyou may find the downsides of addiction to be more than
you bargained for.
When you fight through the urge to keep using amber
nightshade and go cold turkey, roll+CON. On a 10+, after a few
days of cold sweats and shaking, you find you can function again
without the drug. On a 7-9, you suffer the debility of your choice
and youre out of commission for a month, but once thats done,
you can start to put your life back together. On a miss, choose a
debilityyou suffer this as long as youre off the drug. Better stay
high.
Sober
If you get sober (by rolling a hit), you lose all the moves you have
taken from this compendium class, as well as a level for each one.
You dont lose other moves gained from levelling up after taking
drug addict moves and you dont lose any level 6-10 moves if your
level drops below 6th. You dont forget any spells you learned, but
you might not be able to prepare and cast some of them if your level
has dropped enough. For each level you lost, you must also lower a
stat by one, but you can choose which stats to lower. For example:
Ovid is a 6th level Wizard with Nightshade Addiction, Ghost
Sight, and Numb to all Sensation. If he successfully manages to
kick the habit, he loses all three moves and becomes, once again,
a 3rd level Wizard. Since the other moves he chose upon levelling
up were Arcane Ward at 3rd level and Arcane Armor at 6th
level (which replaces Arcane Ward), he retains Arcane Armor,
even though he is only 3rd level, but he can no longer prepare any
of his 5th level spells.
If you ever go back to the drug after getting sober, mark XP.
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Infernalist
When you take your last breath in the presence of Black
Larissas diary or Corioleus physical form, before you roll, this
happens: You find yourself walking uphill through a dark wood.
Fast or slow, you cannot help but trudge onwards, as if some great,
invisible chain were pulling you inexorably forward. After a time,
the trees part. Beyond you see a huge black arch beneath a
featureless grey sky. Beyond the gateway of this arch you see
nothing but grey clouds and ashes.
In front of this arch sits a blond man, well dressed in dark
clothes, at a small table. He is sitting comfortably, sipping some
exotic kind of tea, his legs crossed in the polite style. There is a
small black book on the table. When you get closer, he reaches out,
as if touching the invisible chain that pulls you in and it seems to
stop. You cannot go back, but you need not go forward.
He offers you the book. You may take it and leave, or refuse
and pass into the hands of Death. If you refuse, roll for your last
breath, as if you were alone in the Ghostwood Forest. But if you
take the book, instead of your last breath, you turn around and
head back. Again you walk uphill through the woods, up and back
into the darkness that brought you here. You live, but you are an
infernalist now, bound to the demon Corioleus.
Look on that monster with the pointed tail

Who passes mountain walls and shatters weapons
Look on this thing whose venom fills the world!
Custom Rules
If You Take the Book

If you make a pact with Corioleus, giving him power over your
soul later in exchange for power on Earth now, the next time you
level up you can take this move:
Deal with a Devil

You have made an infernal pact with a fiend of the abyss. You can
call upon this patron of yours times of need, and it will lend you its
power. Once it has done this for you a set number of times,
however, it will ask you for a favour in return. Do what the demon
asks and your debt is cleared. Refuse and your debt comes due.
Each demon has different powers and advanced moves that are
available to you, as well as different wants and desires, and a
different number of favours it will grant before asking for one in
return.
Once you make a deal with a devil and that devil is Corioleus,
the following count as class moves for you and you can choose
from them when you level up:
Dervish of the Blade

When you fight with blades in the style of the dervish,
constantly spinning and turning, a whirlwind of deadly weapons,
you inflict +1d6 damage. When you stop fighting to perform any
other action, take -1 forward.
Turn Your Blade Aside

When you become involved in a fight or battle, roll+CHA. On a
10+, take three dice, of any size you have at hand. On a 7-9, take
two dice. On a miss, take one die anyway, but you owe Corioleus
one item in your possession. When you take damage, you may roll
one of these dice and reduce the damage by that much, as the
demons magic seems to send your attacker's weapon spinning
away from you. But if the die rolls 6 or higher, evidence of your
infernal pact appears, and your blasphemy is revealed.
133
134
Custom Rules
Walk Around in Circles

When you perform a full counter-clockwise circumambulation
of a location, object, or person, any supernatural properties they
possess are revealed to you in visions. True forms are revealed to
you and magical abilities shown to you in visions. If a location
contains, hides, or is overlapped by another plane of existence or a
supernatural realm, you may cross over if you wishbut this power
cannot be used to escape Corioleus influence. He cannot grant you
access to realms where he has no purchase on your soul.
Corioleus as Patron
Because Corioleus special number is six, the spiralling number, he
will perform five favours for an infernalist before asking for a task
to be performed. The powers he will lend to an infernalist, aside
from the advanced moves above (which do not count as favours
granted), are as follows:
He can cause a misfortune that befalls you (damage, debility,
spell effect, etc) to be suffered by someone else instead.
He can cause someone else to become lost.
He can change a persons mind, for one decision.
He can make you young again, or someone else grow old.
He can slow down or speed up the passing of a day or night.
He will give you a +1 bonus to a move made to commit a crime.
He will show you the right path to take to find something or
someone that is hidden.
He will spy on someone for you, invisibly, and report their
doings as accurately as possible.
He will use one of the moves or supernatural abilities described
on pages 98-99.
Corioleus Special Gift

If you betray someone who trusts you and murder them, you
may transfer all the good luck and good fortune they would have
had to another person of your choice. However, you must also
choose someone to receive all the bad luck and ill fortune your
victim would have experienced.
Custom Rules
A Favour in Return
Because his number is six, the sixth favour belongs to Corioleus. It
is his for the asking, not the granting. Instead, he demands one of
the following favours from the infernalist, in return for the five
already granted (GMs choice):
Determine the infernalists most cherished activity that is also
good and virtuous. This could be championing the less
fortunate, conducting religious services, defending someone or
something, giving charity to the poor, healing the sick, or
teaching and mentoring othersanything that is done out of
selflessness and compassion. Whatever it is, Corioleus
demands they give it up. If the infernalist agrees, they can
never participate in this activity again, and must turn violently
against it if they cannot keep themselves physically away from
others performing it. This includes merely witnessing the
activity, which can cause the infernalist physical pain, once
they have given it up themselves.
If the infernalist has any prior religious connections, such as a
patron deity, a regular church, or membership in a religious
order, Corioleus demands they turn against this former
allegiance, either publicly or violently. Defacing holy idols,
setting monasteries ablaze, murdering priests, violating the
holy ground of sanctuarieshe asks all of this and more, until
a mighty blow has been dealt to this divine institution.
Name someone the infernalist loves and cherishes, particularly
someone they look up to or see as a mentor. Corioleus
demands that person be murdered. Until this murder is
committed, the infernalist must spend half their time plotting
it, or it counts as a refusal of Corioleus request.
The infernalist is then free to accept this request and perform the
favour, or to refuse, but the choice must be made. It cannot be put
off.
135
136
Custom Rules
The Choice
Once you have been granted those five favours, Corioleus
presents you with a thing you must do for him. All this has been
explained above.
If you refuse to do this thing, it means your flesh is forfeit.
Corioleus takes possession of your body, or grants it to some other
demon as a boon. Either way, your physical existence is lost to you.
If you do not refuse, and if you do this thing, your body is
yours, but your soul is not. When it leaves your body, it will go to
Corioleus and be his to keep. Once you have made this deal and
done this thing that he asks of you, and bartered away your
immortal soul, it means that heavens gates are closed to you.
For now.
And for ever.
The End.
Custom Rules
137

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Midway upon the journey of our life

I found that I was in a dusky wood;

The Original Player Characters

The Abandoned Tower

Ghosts in the Woods

Moderate prosperity, steady population, and a watch for

The Initial Cast

J. Rupert Hogge is a barrister who went to Mournhaven on a

Ostensibly a low-born courier, doing whatever honest work he can

A stern-looking woman in her twenties, Mia works at a bank in

A successful-looking young man, Mias younger brother Darren is

Having two older siblings educated at Nornfell University sealed

A rugged man with a lean and hungry look, the sheriff is an

Will drug addiction become an unfortunate staple of life in

The Wolf Pack introduces amber nightshade to Knifesbridge.

Impending Doom: Pestilence (addiction).

The Mayors Mistakes

Cole sells off the Knifesbridge Municipal Breweries to private

Impending Doom: Impoverishment (of Knifesbridge).

The Wolf Pack

The Wolf Pack ambushes and assassinates Sheriff Hartford.

Impending Doom: Tyranny (control of local politics).

Will Black Larissa have her revenge on Noreen Mellic?

Larissa kills someone in the lower tunnels underneath the

Impending Doom: Pestilence (as Corioleus takes physical form

The Demon Corioleus

Corioleus gains possession of a corporeal body.

Impending Doom: Rampant Chaos, although the consequences of

The Witch Hunt

The church sends Corbin Grey to Knifesbridge.

Impending Doom: Usurpation (as Corbin Grey imposes strict

Preparing the Game

Dangers are essentially lists of possible encounters and a rough

It is also important to keep this adventure from proceeding too

Journeys Through the Ghostwood

Pack of dogs or wolves.

Dangerous wild animal.

If youre the trailblazer, leading a group through the Ghostwood,

Heroes and Villains

Corbin Grey, like his name suggests, is a far more ambiguous

On the other hand, some characters are thoroughly reprehensible.

The Wolf Pack

Cautious, Hoarder, Intelligent, Organized, Stealthy.

Group, Intelligent, Organized, Stealthy.

From eldest to youngest, the Mellic siblings are Hayes, Christine,

Cautious, Devious, Hoarder, Intelligent, Organized, Solitary.

Group, Intelligent, Organized.

Most of the Wolf Pack bandits are either Southern mercenaries

WOLF PACK COLLABORATOR (FARMER)

Though they might be criminals, not every peasant farmer in the

The Mayors Mistakes

Plays with fire.

Practices a weird religion.

Group, Intelligent, Organized.

These bounty hunters are mostly amoral opportunists with smelly

Bounty Hunter Shenanigans

KICKAL & KONING

Group, Hoarder, Intelligent,