Opifex 20

Issue #20 July-August 1999
In This Issue
The Journey, Call of Cthulu
Getting Together, AD&D
Moraks, AD&D
Reviews: Birth of the Federation, Half-Life , Blood II: The Chosen ,
Fate Deck
Material for the Etrena campaign, Fantasy
Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes
Issue 20
June-July, 1999
Information
Editor, Writer and Art Director: Michael C.
LaBossiere, ontologist@aol.com.
Interior Art: Michael C. LaBossiere,
ontologist@aol.com.
Writer and Archive Master: Ricardo J. Mndez,
rmendez@geocities.com.
This Issues Cover: Fishermen of the Twin Suns,
by Mervyn Boyd, jack@ktanafreeserve.ca.uk
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Haven: City of Violence

Source: Louis Porter, Jr.
Information: Louis Porter, Jr. is looking
for editors, play testers and feedback for
the RPG he is creating called Haven: City
of Violence. This RPG is a cross between
Frank Miller's Sin City; John Woo's Hard
Boiled, James O'Barr's The Crow, and
your worst urban nightmare come to
life. They have just acquired the services
of Tim Bradstreet (White Wolf's
Vampire) to do the cover for Haven:
City of Violence, so you know it is going
to look good. For more information:
http://members.xoom.com/LMPjr007/
CJ.html, so come on by. They also have
a new electronic magazine, E-zine for
short, called New World Order. NWO
will cover all different sectors of the
Haven: City of Violence universe from
the general "going ons" to the deep dark
back alley ways, to the clean and
pristine hall of city.
The Journey1999
By Michael C. LaBossiere
Ontologist@aol.com
Call of Cthulhu
Legal Information
This adventure is copyright 1999 by
Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be
freely distributed for personal use
provided that it is not modified and no
fee above the normal cost of distribution
is charged for it. Visit my web site at
user.aol.com/ontologist/.
Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's
registered trademark for their game of
horror and wonder in the worlds of HP
Lovecraft. For more information, contact
Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th St, Oakland,
CA 94608 -- or call us at 510-595-2440.
Visit Chaosium's web page at
www.chaosium.com/cthulhu/.
Introduction
This adventure is set in Europe in the
1920s game period. In this adventure,
the investigators delve into the
mysteries of the Order of the Ancient
Stone and attempt to learn some of its
dark and horrid secrets.
The adventure is challenging, but not
overly so, and should prove suitable for
a group of 3-7 moderately experienced
investigators.
This adventure is intended to be a
continuation of the adventure War
Buddy. However, with some suitable
modifications it can easily be played as a
stand-alone adventure or as part of
another campaign.
Getting the Investigators

Involved
This adventure is written on the
assumption that the investigators have
completed War Buddy.It is also
assumed that the investigators have
7
allied themselves with Father Henesey

and that they have a Shard of the Stone
in their possession. If this is not the case,
the Keeper will need to arrange a
suitable adventure so that the
investigators have an ally as well as a
Shard of the Stone.
Father Henesey will tell the
investigators that the Church has been
engaged in a long struggle with various
cults and other forces that are inimical
to all that is good and holy. He himself
has been involved in the struggle for
some time. He will tell the investigators
that in light of the previous events, it
would be best if they left the country for
a while. This, he will explain, is not just
to help escape potential retaliation, but
he has also been informed that there is
evidence that additional information
useful to both the investigators and
himself is to be found in Scotland.
Father Henesey will mention that an
old friend of his, Dr. Hiram Jones, is
involved in researching cult activities in
Scotland and that he has unearthed
information that might prove quite
useful. Dr. Jones has invited Father
Henesey to Scotland and Henesey will
suggest that the investigators
accompany him.
The Journey
Assuming the investigators agree to
accompany him, Father Henesey will
book passage on the next vessel to
Scotland.
Henesey will not inform the
investigators, but he will intentionally
allow the Ancient Order of the Stone to
learn which ship they are traveling on. It
is a bit of a gamble, but Henesey hopes
that the cultists will send their agents on
the same ship. This way, the good
Father hopes, the investigators will be
able to confront and defeat the cultists
before reaching Scotland. This way,
reasons Henesey, it will be some time
before the cultists will learn what

happened and be able to react. By that
time, Henesey hopes, he and the
investigators will be in Scotland and
well into their research.
The Ship
The ship the players have booked
passage on is a mid-sized vessel that
carries both passengers and freight. The
ship, which is British, is called the John
Harvey. It is an older ship and makes an
average of twenty knots.
The John Harveys accommodations are
comfortable and the cabins are well
appointed, but not luxurious. The ship
has a pleasant dinning area and the
ships cooks are quite skilled.
Passengers can amuse themselves at the
ships bar or by playing some of the
shipboard games or engaging in the
various recreational activities offered.
Actions Aboard Ship

Just as Henesey hope, cultists from the
Order of the will be onboard the ship.
The lead cultist, Daniel West, will
spend some time checking out the
investigators. Once the ship is far out to
sea (and out of the range of help) Daniel
West and his cultists will stage an
attack. West will begin the attack by
activating his Shudos disk. This will
disable the ships compass and
communication equipment. Once the
disk has been activated, Daniel West
and his followers will quietly capture
some passengers and use their blood to
summon Lesser Blood Vortexes. Once
West has summoned the Lesser Blood
Vortexes, he will turn them against the
investigators and the crew.
Out at sea, with no working
electronics, the investigators can expect
to receive no outside help.
Conclusion
8
If the investigators are defeated, West

will question them, then kill them. If the
investigators win, they might have the
chance to interrogate West.
If the investigators are able to save the
ship, the passengers, crew and owners
will be grateful. The investigators
should also receive a modest 1D3 Sanity
Award.
Assuming the investigators survive,
the adventure continues in the next in
the series: The Bog.
NPCs
Father Ronald Henesey, Catholic Priest
STR: 12 CON:13 SIZ:13 INT:14
POW:15 DEX: 13 APP:12 EDU: 19 SAN:
72 HP: 13
DB:+1D4
Note: If the investigators have
completed War Buddy, then they will
already know Father Henesey. If his
adventure is being run on its own, the
Keeper will need to introduce him.
Description: Henesey is forty years old,
but still in excellent shape. He has black
hair and brown eyes. He has a thick
beard and a scar on the left side of his
face, from a shell fragment. Henesey is a
member of a society that has been
fighting against the evil and madness of
cults like Blakes for centuries.
Henesey is a brave man and is not afraid
of combat, having served in the war
before taking his vows.
Important Skills: Climb 55%, Cthulhu
Mythos 6%, Credit Rating 34%, Dodge
37%, Fast Talk 35%, Hide 21%, History
35%, Library Use 55%, Natural History
25%, Occult 65%, Latin 55%, Persuade
55%, Rifle 55%
Spells: Create Silver Blood
Weapon: .45 Automatic 51% Damage
1D10+2 Range 15 Yards Attacks 1 Shots
7.
Items: Silver Blood in a silver flask, the
Shard (if the investigators do not have
it).
Daniel West, Cultist

STR: 12 CON:15 SIZ:14 INT:15
POW:17 DEX: 13 APP:14 EDU: 19 SAN:
00 HP: 15
DB: +1D4
Description: West has brown hair,
brown eyes and a friendly, honestlooking face. He does his best to appear
as a pleasant, young American lawyer.
While he is a young American lawyer,
he is anything but pleasant. In actuality
he is a member of the Order of the
Ancient Stone who has been charged
with eliminating the investigators and
recovering the shard taken by Jack
Meredith. West is only a junior member
of the order. Hence, he only knows very
little about what is going on. However,
he has complete faith in (and fear of)
Lance Blake and will be unwilling to tell
even what little he does know,
regardless of how the investigators
might threaten him.
Important Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 20%,
Fast Talk 56%, Hide 34%, Law 64%,
Occult 55%, Persuade 55%, Sneak 42%
Cultists
Characteristics
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
HP
Damage Bonus
Weapon
#1
13
12
12
10
9
12
12
+1D4
Knife 61%
1D4+2+db
#2
13
15
16
10
9
11
16
+1D4
Knife 55%
1D4+2+db
Spells: Summon Lesser Blood Vortex ,

Bind Lesser Blood Vortex
Weapon: .32 Automatic 52% Damage
1D8 Range 15 Yards Attacks 2
Shots 8
Items: Shard Ring, Shudos disk.
The Cultists, Faithful Muscle
Description: The cultists are cannon
fodder for Daniel West. Three of them
will have knifes and one has a hidden
.38. They will use better weapons
should they become available. The
cultists are convinced that their cult, the
Brothers of the Stone, will eventually
have great power. They do not know
that the Brothers of the Stone is
essentially a front used by the Order of
the Ancient Stone to recruit gullible
cannon fodder for dangerous jobs. If
defeated and questioned, the cultists
will give a variety of unusual answers.
For example, they claim to serve the
Stone God of Babylon who will drive
out the God of Moses and give them the
keys to the world. They know nothing
of the true purposes of the Order of the
Ancient Stone or even that it exists at all.
#3
16
13
16
11
12
13
15
+1D4
Knife 58%
1D4+2+db
#4
12
13
14
13
11
14
14
+1D4
.38 Revolver
23% 1D10
15 yard base
range, 6 shots,
Attacks 2.
Mythos Beings
Lesser Blood Vortex, Lesser Servitor
Race
Description: Blood Vortexes are terrible
beings that must be summoned through
a special blood ritual (see below). In
their natural state, Blood Vortexes are
loci of energy and malign intelligence
that dwell in the empty places of space.
When summoned, they form swirling
bodies from the spilled blood of the
victims used in the ritual.
Blood Vortexes move by flying and are
remarkably fast and agile. In combat,
they slash out with pseudopodia of
blood. These tendrils rip at their victims
and pull blood from their veins. These
attacks inflict 1D6 damage per hit. In
Characteristics
STR
CON
SIZ
INT
POW
DEX
HP
Damage Bonus
Rolls
2D6
3D6
2D6
3D6
2D6
5D6
Averages
7
10-11
7
7
7
17
10-11
0
#1
8
13
8
7
8
21
14
0
addition, the blood can be used to

strengthen a Blood Vortex. A Blood
Vortexs hit points increases by one
point for every two points of damage it
inflicts.
Blood Vortexes are themselves
resistant to most forms of physical
damage (being liquid and energy). They
sustain only minimal damage from
physical attacks. Attacks that do
damage on a large scale (like explosions)
and attacks that are especially effective
against liquids (such as flame-throwers)
will do normal damage. At the Keepers
discretion, other forms of attacks (like
high-pressure water hoses) might prove
effective.
#2
9
12
10
6
5
22
14
0
Move: 10
Weapons: Tear 60% Damage 1D6
Armor: None, but mundane weapons inflict only minimal damage. They sustain full
damage from enchanted weapons and spells. They also regenerate (see above).
Spells: None
Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity Points to see a Lesser Blood Vortex.
Spells & Items
Create Silver Blood
Knowledge of the ritual to create silver
blood enables the caster to transform a
mixture of mercury, iron shavings, and
a small portion of his own blood into
silver blood. The ritual takes three hours
of mixing and tracing symbols and
patterns into the fluid. The caster must
expend six magic points to create
10
enough silver blood to coat the cutting

edges of about six knifes, or about
twenty small projectiles, such as
arrowheads. There is no sanity cost for
creating silver blood.
Summon/Bind Lesser Blood Vortex
This ritual requires an intelligent
humanoid with blood flowing in its
veins. As the ritual is cast, the caster
slashes the victims throat with a knife.
As the blood gushes forth, the caster

makes a rapid circular gesture with his
hand which causes the blood to act very
strangely. Instead of merely spilling
down the victims chest, the blood will
be sucked up rapidly, float, and then
spin rapidly. During this time the
victim, if still living, will lose a hit point
every five seconds. If the ritual
succeeds, within a matter of a few
minutes, a small rift will appear in the
fabric of space-time and a horrid entity
will enter and inform the blood, creating
a Lesser Blood Vortex. The magic cost
varies. For each point used, the chance
of success increases by 10%. A result of
96-00 is a failure. Casting the spell also
costs 1D3 Sanity points. Once bound,
the Lesser Blood Vortex will obey the
caster. If the binding fails, the Lesser
Blood Vortex will attack the nearest
living creature in search of blood.
Items
Shudos Disk: A Shudos Disk is a rare
item that is designed to interfere with
compasses and electronic means of
communication and detection as well as
magnetic compasses. The device might
be a form of Mi-Go technology. A
Shudos disk appears to be a metallic
disk with an odd, oily feel to it. A disk is
deeply engraved with odd symbols and
has a clear stone in the center. When
activated, a disk will begin to consume
itself. As the disk burns, it will disrupt
compasses, radios, and similar devices
within 100 kilometers. People within the
area of effect will hear an extremely
faint humming noise that is very easy to
ignore. The hum stems from the effect of
the disks field on the human nervous
system. A Shudos Disk is activated by
holding the central stone and sending a
mental command. Once activated a disk
will burn for twelve hours, leaving
behind an oily, metallic ash.
11
Silver Blood: Silver blood is an

enchanted mixture of mercury, iron and
more exotic items. It is a thick fluid
which will cling tenaciously to almost
every metal except silver. It is known as
silver blood because it looks like liquid
silver with thin veins of red fluid (which
is actually blood). When used to coat a
weapon or projectile, it enables the
weapon or projectile to act as an
enchanted weapon. The first attack with
a coated melee weapon will do full
damage, the second attack half damage,
and the third one quarter. After that, the
silver blood will have come off the
weapon. Coated projectiles can be used
once. If a projectile hits, it will do full
damage and the silver blood will be left
in/on the target. If the projectile misses,
the silver blood will most likely come
off on whatever is hit.
If a weapon or projectile is coated with
silver blood, but it is not used within
about 15 minutes, the silver blood will
gradually drip from the weapon or
projectile. Steps may be taken to prevent
this from happening, such as pushing
the silver blood back onto the weapon
or projectile. The effectiveness of such
methods is left up to the Keeper.
Shard of the Stone
This shard is from one of the legendary
six stones. The shard appears to be
made of gray slate, but it has an odd
metallic sheen to it. It is cool, almost
cold to the touch. If a person touches it
or even gets within a few inches of the
stone, strange images will gradually
appear in the persons mind. The images
will grow stronger the longer a person
holds it. The images appear to be
mathematical and geometric symbols,
odd curving marks and anomalies of
space-time, and brief, but horrific,
manifestations of indescribable things. If
a person holds the shard for longer than
fifteen minutes, the images will manifest

strongly enough to affect the persons
mind. For every fifteen minutes the
person holds the stone, the investigator
must make a Sanity check. If the roll
fails, the investigator loses 1 point of
Sanity. A successful roll results in no
sanity loss. While the stone is held, the
person will receive, in addition to the
maddening images, images that indicate
where the full stone is located. For every
fifteen minutes the shard is held, the
investigator should roll 1D10 and note
the results. This is the percent chance
the person holding the shard will
receive a useful clue to the location of
the stone. The chance of receiving a
useful clue is cumulative, so the longer a
person holds the shard, the more likely
it is that they will receive a useful clue.
Of course, the person will be risking his
sanity in the attempt.
The effects of the shard are blocked by
lead, which is why Henesey keeps the
shard in a lead-lined box.
Shard Ring
A shard ring consists of a band of lead
(to keep the shard from contacting the
skin of the wearer) with a tiny shard of
one of the six stones. In addition to
producing the effects described above, a
shard ring has been prepared in such a
way that it can detect the stones or
shards of them. The shard can detect
another shard within one kilometer by
creating a faint pulling sensation in the
general direction of the shard. A full
stone can be detected within 10
kilometers. The shard is not very
specific in its indications. For example, it
would not pull directly towards a
person who had a shard. A shard ring
can be worn and used by anyone, but
unless a person knows what the ring is
for and how to use it (clear their mind
and hold out the hand in a relaxed
manner) it will not be recognized as a
special item.
12
Full members of the Ancient Order of

the Stone are given a Shard Ring as a
mark of their position and a means of
finding shards and the stones
themselves.
Getting Together1999
Ontologist@aol.com
AD&D
it is suitable for the DMs specific

situation.
The adventure is written in the context
of my Etrena Campaign, but is suitable
for virtually any campaign world. This
issue contains other material for the
Etrena campaign as well as a
continuation of this adventure.
It is assumed that the PCs do not yet
know each other well enough to form a
party (hence the need for this
adventure). However, the adventure can
easily be modified for use with an
existing party (or if the PCs are just
assumed to start as a group).
Getting the PCs Involved

Legal Information
TSR, which is now part of Wizards of
the Coast, has the following policy: as
long as (1) you're not copying our text,
(2) you're not copying our art, (3) you're
not copying our logos, and (4) you're
not making money off of it, you can use
our properties to make your own fan
material (within good taste - no porn,
etc.). That's it. Make your stuff. Have
fun.
Introduction
This adventure is a generic starting
adventure that is intended to provide a
plausible way of getting first level
characters together into a group. Not
surprisingly, the adventure is written
for first level characters.
Increasing or decreasing the number
of monsters and the amount of treasure
can easily modify the adventure so that
13
The adventure begins with the PCs in

the city of Oset in the Kingdom of
Trelshan. Trelshan is a civilized
kingdom and its rulers tend to frown on
the sort of trouble armed wanderers
create.
While Trelshan does need soldiers and
other professionals, the rulers prefer to
keep the number of armed or magicusing wanders to a minimum. Also, the
nobles, who traditionally have large
families, constantly fear being usurped
by their own relatives. Because of this,
the authorities in Trelshan do their best
to encourage the more adventuresome
(and threatening) to leave the kingdom.
Such people are often encouraged to go
to the Old Lands, in search of fame and
fortune.
Telshan, always looking to expand its
influence at the expense of its rivals,
also encourages people to travel to the
Old Lands to swell the number of
Trelshanians.
To meet these two ends (ridding the
land of troublesome adventurers and
increasing Trelshans power) the rulers
have taken suitable steps. Any citizen of
Trelshan can take advantage of very low
cost passage across the Friendly Sea to
Velaynder in the Old Lands. Trelshan
authorities occasionally even provide

support to encourage people to leave.
Such support, of course, always comes
with strings attached. The most
common are agreements to not return or
to carry out certain tasks. If some PCs
are severely lacking in funds or
equipment, a generous DM can use this
as plausible way of helping them out.
It can be assumed that the PCs ended
up in Trelshan by intent or action and
that they have chosen (or forced) to take
advantage of Trelshans generosity.
PCs who have a high class or noble
background can be assumed to be seen
as threats by their relatives. As such,
they have been encouraged to seek their
fortune elsewhere.
In any case, the adventure begins with
all the PCs on a small ship bound for the
town of Velaynder, in the Old Lands.
Action
The following details the events that
are to take place in the adventure.
The Journey
The journey across the Friendly Sea
will be uneventful, unless the DM
decides otherwise. The Friendly Sea
deserves its name as the weather is
generally mild, the winds tend to be
favorable, and the only predators are
purely natural ones, such as sharks.
The Friendly Sea is also reasonably
well patrolled by ships from the human
kingdoms of Trelshan and Balcha. The
Elves of Sidihan also patrol the waters
around the island of Avila.
The only real danger on the sea, at
least in times of peace, comes from the
Kelkha. The Kelkha, a tribal affiliation of
fierce humans, live on the same island
as the Elves of Sidihan, but are kept at
bay by an ancient wall, constructed
during the time of the Ventanni Empire.
The Kelkha do not have any large seagoing vessels, but they do have small
14
boats that can reach ships that blunder

too close to their part of the island.
Because of this, captains steer clear of
the Kelkha lands.
On the way over, the PCs will have a
chance to get to know one another. They
can also get to know the
Fire
While the journey will be peaceful, the
end of the journey will not. A short time
before the ship is to make port, one of
the passengers, attempting to steal from
the cargo, will accidentally start a fire in
the hold. Not realizing that the ship is
carry a very flammable cargo and not
wanting to answer any questions about
why he was in the hold, the passenger
will say nothing.
The fire will spread quickly and will
not be noticed until it is too late.
Naturally, this will take place at night.
The crew will bravely try to fight the
fire, but they will realize that they wont
be able to stop it. The captain will order
full sail in an attempt to get as close to
the coast as possible.
The ship has one small boat, which
can safely hold six adults. The captain
will decide to use the boat to ferry
people to shore. He will first have the
four women and two children who are
on board put into the boat. Sailor Billin
will then row them to shore.
While some of the crew try to slow the
fire, other crewmembers will be hastily
gathering things they can use for
flotation.
Just as it looks like the ship might be
able to ground itself before sinking true
disaster will strike. The fire will burn
through some cargo supports, causing
several large casks of flour will smash to
the deck, bursting open and spraying
flour dust into the fire. This will cause
an explosion that will kill all of the crew
except Joshut. Most of the passengers
will be killed as well. The ship will be
badly damaged and start sinking.
Needless to say, the PCs will escape the

ordeal unharmed.
Fortunately for the PCs, the ship is
close enough to the shore for them to
swim. They can use some empty casks
to transport their equipment (the
surviving sailor will suggest this if the
PCs do not think of it). The ships boat
will return to pick them up before they
reach shore.
increases their chance of being surprised

by +1.
If attacked, the Moraks will fight in a
reasonably intelligent manner. The
Moraks with bows will keep their
distance and seek partial cover behind
trees. The Moraks main goal will be to
escape, unless the party is obviously
weaker than they are. In that case, they
will attack with great gusto.
Finding the Bodies

When the PCs finally arrive on shore,
they will not be able to find the
passengers who were brought over first.
After a short search, the PCs will find
the bodies of two women. Sword
wounds will have clearly killed the
women. Both women clearly out up a
fight.
The women were, in fact killed by
Moraks. The Moraks were in the area,
scouting for small settlements to raid.
When they saw the flames from the ship
and heard the explosion, they went to
investigate. They found the women and
children on the shore and decided to
capture them. Two of the women put up
a fight and were killed by the Moraks.
The others were subdued and dragged
back to the Moraks camp.
Conclusion
Attacking the Morak Camp

The Moraks, who cant resist an
opportunity for torture, intend to have a
bit of sport with their captives before
moving on. This will probably prove
their undoing.
If the PCs include a Ranger or
someone who can track, they might be
able to find their way to the Morak
camp. If not, the hideous screams of the
Moraks victims should lead them in the
right direction.
The Moraks will be taking turns
torturing their victims, with at least four
Moraks on guard at all times. Of course,
these guards will be distracted by their
interest in the activity in camp. This
15
The adventure ends when the PCs

finally make it safely to Velaynder.
If the PCs saved the surviving women
and children, the people of Velaynder
will be very pleased. One of the women,
Matida, is the wife of Burek, a well to do
moneylender. He will be very grateful
to the PCs and will replace any
equipment they lost. Once he learns
they are adventurers, he will promise
them that he will appraise, free of
charge, any gems, jewels, jewelry, or
similar items they might find in the
course of their adventuring.
The other woman is unmarried and
has been hired to work as a seamstress.
She does exceptionally good work and
will be glad to mend the PCs clothing
and even make clothing for them,
provided they provide the material.
The two children have lost their
parents. The moneylenders wife, who
has no children of her own, will take
them in.
If the PCs have brought the Morak
heads with them, they will receive the
bounty mentioned below. Further, their
actions will make a favorable
impression on the leaders of Velyander,
which can lead to employment
opportunities.
If the PCs do not defeat the Moraks
and survive, it is up to the DM to decide
how the people in Velaynder react. If
the PCs seem cowardly or evil, the
authorities might well suspect that the
PCs had a hand in the destruction of the

ship. If so, the PCs will need to come up
with a plausible story or leave town.
NPCs
Sailor Billin
AC: 10
Lvl: 0
HP: 7
Weapon: Dagger 1-4
Description: Billin is an experienced
sailor, but has no desire to seek any
adventure that does not involve being
on the sea.
Sailor Joshut
AC: 10
Lvl: 0
HP: 6
Weapon: Dagger 1-4
Description: Joshut is young (15 years
old) apprentice sailor and is eager for
adventure. His enthusiasm might well
cause lead to trouble. He has the
potential of earning levels as a warrior,
should the DM wish to add an NPC to
the party.
Monsters
The Moraks (Goblins)
AC: 6
Movement: 6
HD: 1-1
THAC0: 20
Damage: 1-6
Size: Small
Morale: 10
XP Value: 15
# HP
Weapon
16
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
7
6
4
4
5
5
4
3
Short Sword 1-6

Short Sword 1-6
Short Sword 1-6
Spear 1-6
Spear 1-6
Short Bow 1-6
Short Bow 1-6
Short Bow 1-6
Description: The Moraks of Etrena are

biologically identical to normal AD&D
Goblins. However, they tend to be a bit
cleaner, braver and slightly more
intelligent. They also are somewhat
better suited to operating in the
daylight, although they dislike it very
much. Despite these differences, they
still behave very much like the standard
Goblin (including the 1 modifier for
daylight).
These particular Goblins Moraks are a
small scouting force that is sizing up the
area for their tribe. Their objective is to
locate weak human settlements that can
be raided. The Goblins are not really
looking for a fight and will prefer to flee
rather than stand to battle.
Each Morak has 1D4 GP, 1D6 SP and
1D20 CPs on his person, plus some
rather nasty Morak trinkets (polished
rat skulls and the like).
Statistics for eight Moraks are
provided. The DM should adjust this
number to match the strength of the
party. The party should win the
encounter, but not too easily.
The two sailors also know that
Velaynder offers a bounty of 3 GP per
Morak head. The PCs do actually have
to bring the heads to town to claim the
bounty.
Milre
Balcha
Hobre
1 Square = 50 Miles
Avila
Trelshan
Kelkha
Michan
Oset
Velaynder
Sidihan
Oshun
17
Myths of Etrena
Michael C. LaBossiere
Ontologist@aol.com
Introduction
Being a fantasy world, Etrena is heavy
with myths. The following myths are
mostly from the human perspective and
this, of course, colors them. The veracity
of these myths is ultimately left to the
game master.
Many of these myths were collected by
Pleny, the Seventh Sage of Tursen, and
bound into his exceptional work, the
Book of Seven Hundred Legends. These
myths are also located in lesser works
and are, of course, passed on from
generation to generation.
The Myth of the Minotaurs
Before the time of the Ventani Empire,
there was a small island kingdom,
known as Mino. This island was famed
for both its strong warriors and fine
cattle.
For centuries the island kingdom
supplied both warriors and cattle to the
surrounding kingdoms. Beyond this,
Mino had little influence on the area.
However, a king took the throne who
intended to change all that.
King Rutek assumed the king ship
after his father. King Hullus, was gored
and trampled to death by a huge black
bull that shed arrows and sword blows
like water. King Hullus had been a
brave man, but was little concerned
with expanding his kingdom, much to
the dismay of his wife. Hence, it is
believed that Ruteks mother, the
Sorceress Lutella, had a hand in King
Hullus death.
King Ruteks set out to expand his
army and to prepare for war. His first
campaign was a success and his army
easily conquered a neighboring island.
This merely slaked the Kings thirst for
18
conquest and he set his army against

greater opponents.
King Rutek knew success after success
until he encountered the Ventani. The
Ventani were great warriors and mages
and were able to defeat his army at the
battle of Choben Island. Enraged by this
defeat, King Rutek turned to his mother
and demanded that she use her magic to
strengthen his army.
The Sorceress Lutella considered the
problem and undertook magical
research to find a solution. Lutella
found her answer in an ancient myth.
This myth spoke of how the god Cen
combined the natures of Man and Horse
to create the powerful Centaurs.
Confident of her power, Lutella set out
to create her own fusion of man and
beasts. Instead of mixing Man and
Horse, Lutella decided to mix Man and
the bulls of Minos.
The working of her terrible magics
attracted the attention of Cen, who
considered her actions to be impious. It
is said that Cen appeared before her and
King Rutek and cursed them both. Part
of the curse is supposed to be the
following: For your impiety and pride,
I curse you Rutek. All your sons unto
the ten thousandth generation shall bear
the mark of your sin! After saying
these words, Cen then pronounced his
curse on Lutella, changing her from a
beautiful woman into a twisted
monstrosity.
King Rutek was horrified by this, but
was surprised when nothing seemed to
happen to him. Thinking that the god
had just been warning him, he thougt it
best to abandon a magical solution to
his problem and signed a treaty with the
Ventani. He then turned his ambitions
towards the weaker island kingdoms.
King Rutek was quite successful and
eventually decided to produce an heir.
His first wife gave birth to a healthy
daughter, but then his son was born
with a bulls head. He had his wife and
son executed and married another

woman. She too gave birth to a bull
headed boy and both were killed. The
same happened with the next three
women. When he was about to give in
to despair, a mysterious stranger
appeared in court, telling Rutek to try
one more time for this attempt would
put and end to his troubles.
Taking this to be a sign from the gods,
he followed the strangers advice and
married again. His latest wife, Andella,
gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The
boy, Ruten, grew into a strong and
handsome boy who took naturally to
weapons. Because of this, Ruteks heart
was full with joy. However, it was not to
last. As the boy grew older, his features
began to change to that of a bull. Seeing
this, the King became enraged and
ordered his guards to kill Ruten and his
mother. Ruten, already skilled in arms,
leapt to defend his mother, but she told
him to run away. His eyes full of tears,
Ruten fled.
Ruten spent the next few years hiding
in the ancient mazes under the city,
practicing with his weapons, fighting
the dwellers of the mazes and plotting
his revenge. Finally, he felt ready to take
action.
When Ruten emerged, he found that
the kingdom was in chaos. King Ruteks
experiences had driven him mad, and
his madness infected the kingdom.
Ruten made his way to the palace,
disguised by a battered helmet that hid
his face. When he arrived at the palace,
he swept aside the guards and charged
into the throne room. There he fought
the King and then beheaded him with
the kings own axe, the axe of Mino.
Brandishing the axe and the kings head,
he left the palace, declaring that Ruteks
first child, his only daughter, should
become regent.
Rutten then left the kingdom,
promising that someday a descendent of
his would break the curse and return to
19
take the throne of Mino, leading the

kingdom into a new age of glory.
Ruttens fate is not known and some
speculate he is still alive. In any case, it
clear that Rutten had many children, for
there are still Minotaurs in the world.
The Myth of the Humanoids
It is known that the humanoid races,
such as the Moraks, Ur-Moraks, Orcs,
Ogres and other of their vile ilk, have
not always burdened Etrena with their
bothersome presence.
It would, of course, be highest
blasphemy to even suggest that the
Arista created these beings, for such
things are entirely opposite to their pure
natures. However, it must be said that
the Arista did have a role in their
creation.
As is known by all that are wise, the
Arista created the True Races and set
them upon Etrena to flourish. But, as
only a few know, the Arista had other
children beyond their creations. Among
these children were the Princes who
loved order, but bore in their hearts an
unceasing hatred of all that is good.
Their names, which must never be
spoken aloud, are Bazral, Amodu,
Lilathra, Hormarz, Vaschu, Bonse,
Gutacha, and Malci. These beings, as
recounted in other myths, were jealous
of their fellows and did make war upon
them as well as upon the True Races.
Of course, one cannot have a war
without an army. Although the Princes
were mighty, they could not stand
against the vast numbers supporting the
side of the Princes who still loved Good.
The cleverest of them, Amodu, came up
with a terrible idea. With the aid of the
others, he worked a great and dark
magic that would twist the forms of
Elves and Men into darker shapes, more
reflective of the hearts of the Princes.
After capturing suitable victims, the
Princes set about raising their army. The
result of this dark magic was the rise of
what are know known as the Morakhi,

the Humanoid Races. Because of their
origin, the Morakhi bear a great hatred
of the True Races, for they instinctively
know they are but twisted and mocking
parodies of these races.
It is also known that the Princes were
not alone in their war. They were aided
by others among their kind. These were
the Lords who loved chaos, but who
also reveled in evil. Their names, which
too must never be spoken, are Azroth,
Orsus, Fruz, Jupla, Tulrk, Unlot,
Muchuk, and Loprel. Inspired by the
Princes, these Lords did take captive
members of the True Races and did
bend and blight them with their terrible
magicks. These actions gave rise to the
Ologhi, those humanoid races that serve
chaos and evil. Among these races are
the Ogres, the Olog, and the Gnolls.
While High and Middle Ventani are

all but dead languages, they are still in
limited use. Many churches use some
version of High or Middle Ventani in
their services. Further, many
governments whose lands were once
part of the Ventani Empire still make
some use of Middle Ventani. Natural,
the most common uses are traditional
phrases used in ceremonies. For
example, many rulers finish a decree or
law with Thus Speaks the Emperor, in
Middle Ventani.
Adventurers sometimes take the
trouble to learn Ventani, primarily for
purely pragmatic reasons. Many old
documents of interest to adventurers are
written in Ventani. Further, magical
items created by Ventani mages will
almost always have command words in
Ventani.
Languages of Etrena
Venti
The Ventani Language Family
Ventani
This is the ancient language of the
Ventani people. When the Ventani
formed the Ventani Empire, they
attempted to make Ventani the official
language. This did not, of course, work.
Because of the influence of the various
cultures within the Empire, the official
langauge eventually had three
divisions: High, Middle and Low. The
Emperor and the highest officials used
High Ventani, which was the original
language. It was also popular among the
mages. The provincial officials, who
were not native Ventani, tended to
speak Middle Ventani, which was a
slightly corrupted version of the
original. Low Ventani, which was used
by the common folk, was a highly
corrupted version of Ventani and it
eventually became the language known
as Venti.
20
Venti is a bastardized language in the

sense that it is a mix of Ventani and the
native languages of the cultures that
were once part of the Ventani Empire.
The Ventani Empire had such a
profound impact on the known world
that even now, over 1,000 years after its
fall, Venti still functions as a common
language among humans. Of course, the
language has developed multitude of
dialects and this can interfere a bit with
communication. Venti is known by
demi-humans who have contact with
humans and it is often known by
humanoids.
The Family
Venti and the three forms of Ventani
form a language family. The members of
the family are close enough that a
person who understands one of them
has a chance of correctly understanding
and using the others.
High, Middle and Low Ventani are
fairly similar. In practical terms, this
means that someone who knows one of

the languages will understand most of
what has been said or written in one of
the others. Of course, there are enough
differences that there might be some
problems, especially in very subtle or
complex matters.
In game terms, someone who knows
High Ventani has a 80% chance of
understanding and using Middle
Ventani correctly and a 60% chance of
correctly understanding and using Low
Ventani. Someone who knows Low
Ventani has an 80% chance of correctly
understanding and using Middle
Ventani correctly and a 60% chance of
understanding and using High Ventani.
Someone who knows Middle Ventani
has an 80% chance of understanding
and using either correctly.
Venti is somewhat similar to Ventani.
Someone who knows Venti has a 50%
chance of correctly understanding and
using Low Ventani, a 30% chance of
correctly understanding and using
Middle Ventani, and a 10% chance of
correctly understanding and using High
Ventani.
Optionally, the DM might wish to
adjust the percentage by adding the
persons INT-10 as a modifier. For
example, Asho the Mage has a 17 INT.
She knows High Ventani, but finds an
old map whose directions are in Low
Ventani. She has a 68% chance of fully
understanding and using the directions.
What happens if a person fails the roll
is up to the DM. Possibilities range from
missing some of the subtleties (or
seeming a bit uncouth when speaking)
to getting the meaning entirely reversed
(or giving a vile insult when flattery was
intended). The DM should use the
degree of failure as a guideline. For
example, if the roll is missed by just a
little, the mistake would be small, while
a significant failure would result in a
suitably bad result.
21
Moraks1999
Ontologist@aol.com
AD&D
PC have not played the Getting

Together adventure, then it must be
assumed that a force from Velaynder
defeated the Morak scouts.
It is set in the world of Etrena,
although it can easily be set in other
campaign worlds or run as a one-shot
adventure.
DMs Background
Legal Information
TSR, which is now part of Wizards of
the Coast, has the following policy: as
long as (1) you're not copying our text,
(2) you're not copying our art, (3) you're
not copying our logos, and (4) you're
not making money off of it, you can use
our properties to make your own fan
material (within good taste - no porn,
etc.). That's it. Make your stuff. Have
fun.
Introduction
This adventure is suitable for a party
of low level (1st-3rd) PCs. It pits the PCs
against a small tribe of Moraks that has
entered the lands around Velaynder in
search of raiding opportunities.
This adventure assumes that the PCs
have completed Getting Together.
This adventure is in this issue, above.
There is also other material for the
Etrena campaign in this issues. If the
22
During the final years of the Ventani

Empire, various lords, generals, and
other ambitious and powerful people
struggled to grab as much territory as
they could. While all were willing to
employ force to reach their goals, some
even went so far as to employ
humanoid troops. Thus, beings that had
been kept out of the Empire with
swords and walls were brought in to
fight over its crumbling remains.
When Judgment was brought down
upon the Empire by the gods, many of
these humanoids perished. However,
some of them survived and fled back to
the lands of Desparda, which had been
their home.
These survivors brought back tales of
the Judgment, warning their fellows to
avoid the lands of the fallen Empire,
know known as the Judged Lands to the
humanoids (humans call it the Old
Lands). Naturally, some mocked these
warnings as the whimpering of weak
fools and went to the Judged Lands.
Naturally, they never returned.
Unable to expand into the Judged
Lands, the ever-increasing numbers of
the humanoids caused them to turn
more against one another as they
squabbled and warred over the limited
resources.
Centuries passed and even though the
power of the Judgment faded,
superstition and fear kept most of the
humanoids from entering the Judged
Lands.
However, some of the braver, more
ambitious, or desperate creatures have

ventured into the Judged Lands over the
years, the population of humanoids in
these lands has gradually increased.
A few years ago, a particularly brutal
series of battles took place between a
Moraki warlord and an Ologhi warlord.
The Chipped Fang tribe of Moraks took
place in these battles but had the
misfortune of being on the losing side.
Faced with being enslaved or eaten by
the victors, the remnants of the tribe fled
the region.
Driven by desperation, the Chipped
Fang tribe entered the Judged Lands.
After a harrowing journey, the Chipped
Fang tribe encountered a small village
of fairly primitive humans. After killing
the humans, the Chipped Fang chief
decided that, despite the legends, the
Judged Lands would be ideal for them.
Bolstered by their easy victory, the tribe
journey deeper into the Judged Lands
seeking more settlements to prey on.
Eventually they ended up in the lands
near Velaynder.
Shortly after setting up camp in the
ruins they encountered a few
woodsmen. By torturing the woodsmen,
the Moraks learned of the existence of
Velaynder and decided to send scouts to
locate it and check it out.
Unfortunately for the Moraks, the PCs,
as detailed in the adventure Getting
Together will encounter their scouts. If
the PCs have not played that adventure,
it can be assumed that a force from
Velaynder encountered the Morak
scouts.
Getting the PCs Involved

It is assumed that the PCs have
completed the adventure Getting
Together and that they were able to
defeat the Moraks. It is also assumed
that the PCs are in the town of
Velaynder. If either or both of these
assumptions are incorrect, the DM will
23
need to find some other way to involve

the PCs in the adventure.
When the authorities of Velaynder
learn that Moraks are in the area, they
will decide that something must be
done. Moraks and other evil creatures
have threatened Velaynder before and
the authorities know that it is best to
deal with them quickly and decisively.
Because the PCs were able to defeat
the Moraks (and they are expendable),
the authorities in Velaynder will ask
them to join a scouting party to
determine the location and size of the
Morak force.
Velaynder will offer to hire the PCs.
The PCs will be offered an initial
payment of 25 GP (more if the DM
deems it appropriate) plus another 25
GP if they succeed in finding the
Moraks. The authorities will stress that
they want the PCs to scout first before
taking any direct action. After all, the
authorities do not know how powerful
the Morak tribe is and do not want to
provoke an attack on Velaynder before
they are prepared.
If there are not enough PCs to go it
alone, the authorities will recruit some
NPCs to go with the PCs. The recruits
will be mostly out of work 0 Level
mercenaries desperate for funds, but can
include some 1st level NPCs as well, at
the DMs discretion.
If a Morak was captured by the PCs in
Getting Together, the authorities will
learn from him that the Moraks are
somewhere in the ruins of Telshen. If
the PCs did not play that adventure, it
can be assumed that the city forces
captured a Morak and learned the
rough location of the Moraks.
If the PCs did not capture a Morak,
they will need to search with only a few
rumors to guide them. Some woodsmen
have vanished in the near the ruins of
Telshen and some travelers have
reported seeing small humanoids
skulking in the woods.
Maps
The following maps detail the
locations covered in the adventure.
Main Map
The main map shows the general area
of the adventure.
Road to Velaynder: This is the road that
leads to Velaynder. The road is mostly
dirt, but there are some sections of
cobblestone that are left from the
Ventani Empire. The road is usually
reasonably well traveled by merchants,
wanderers, and adventurers.
Road to Glyarnd: This road leads to the
village of Glyarnd. Human survivors of
the Judgment founded Glyarnd.
Explorers from the New lands
encountered the inhabitants of Glyarnd
about 300 years ago. The inhabitants of
Glyarnd, after some initial distrust,
welcomed people from the New Lands.
Glyarnd is best known for its famous
Firedrake Inn and a battle that took
place there between the forces of good
and the servants of Durakor, a god of
the Undead.
Guard Tower: While many creatures
perished in the Judgment or fled the Old
Lands, a significant number of beings
remained. Some of these beings were
evil and, to this day, they (or their
descendents) still present a threat to the
human settlements. To counter these
threats, Velaynder has constructed
guard towers to provide vantage points
and housing for the patrols that protect
the land. Each guard tower houses a
force of thirty men.
Fourteen of the men are horsemen
who ride patrol, ten of the men are foot
soldiers who man the tower, four of the
men are support personal (such as
cooks) and one man is the captain of the
24
tower. Each patrol consists of seven

men. There are six 0 Level soldiers and
one 1st 3rd level sergeant in each patrol.
They all wear chain mail, carry shields,
long swords, and spears. Eight of the
tower guards are 0 level fighters while
two are 1st 3rd sergeants. All of them
wear studded leather and are armed
with short swords, daggers and heavy
crossbows. The tower captain is a 4th to
6th level fighter and typically has chain
mail or better armor. The captain will be
armed with his weapon of choice,
usually a +1 or +2 sword or axe.
The guards have assigned duties and
will not be able to accompany the PCs.
However, they will help the PCs if
possible. If, for some odd reason, the
PCs decide to cause trouble in the area,
the guards will deal with them.
Velaynder Fields
With a population of over 5,000,
Velaynder requires a lot of food. The
primitive farming techniques available
mean that a lot of land has to be used.
Peasants work these fields. Some of the
peasants travel from Velaynder while
others, mostly single men, live in small
cabins near the fields.
Lake Garla: This is a clean and pleasant
lake. People from Velaynder fish here to
get a change from salt-water fish.
Heavy Woods: These woods are quite
thick and date back to the time of the
Empire. Most of the inhabitants of the
woods are normal creatures, but foul
creatures (such as giant wood spiders)
plague some areas.
Empire Road: This is a short stretch of
an old Empire road. It is in remarkably
good condition, although in some places
the stones are melted and fused. These
are some terrible things to see on the
road. During the Judgment some people
on the road were blasted into the stone,
leaving indentations that still clearly

show the human shape. In some places,
people and horses were fused into the
stone, leaving behind twisted shapes
that clearly suggest human and equine
shapes.
If there are any 0 Level recruited NPCs
with the party, these sights might terrify
some of them into fleeing.
Ruins of Telshen
The authorities in Velaynder are
aware of the ruins. However, after two
scouting parties vanished after going
too far into the ruins, the ruins have
been avoided by all but adventurers.
The PCs will be warned that the edges
of the ruins are relatively safe, but that
they should avoid going to far into the
ruins.
Telshen was a small city of the
Ventanni Empire. Its location on the
river enabled it to trade with many
other cities.
The city was devastated during the
Judgment, but was (unlike some cities)
was not completely destroyed. The
ruins are unnaturally still and radiate a
feeling of age, suffering, and terror.
Because of this, natural creatures shun
the area.
Most of the buildings show signs of
terrible damage as if they were
smashed, burned, melted and blasted by
terrible forces. However, some buildings
are still fairly intact. Like the Empire
Road, there are shapes of people blasted
into or embedded in various surfaces.
Like many Judged cities, the streets of
the city are littered with bones that by
all rights should have crumbled to
power centuries ago.
Despite the stillness, any PC who
enters the ruins will seem to hear and
see strange things, especially at night.
The sounds begin very faintly and
then grow loud enough that it will seem
like the noises of a thriving city are
around the person. Then there will be a
25
moment of silence followed by the

anguished cries of a city dying. These
noises are very faint and muffled, as if
they were coming from a long tunnel.
The sights begin with the PCs seeming
to see flickers of movement out of the
corners of their eyes. This will create the
impression that the PCs are being
surrounded by something.
While nothing will come of the noise
and sights, the DM should use these
effects to keep the PCs a bit jumpy.
The ruins are an excellent place to set
other adventures since some of the
surviving buildings contain wealth and
perhaps guardians. There are also
sewers and other underground places
under the city.
Unless the DM has a side adventure
set up, the PCs should be steered away
from exploring the ruins too
extensively. This can be done, without
being heavy handed, by suggesting that
going into the ruins could result in the
PCs getting lost or sidetracked while the
Moraks take action against Velaynder.
Because of the terrible nature of the
ruins, the DM should check the morale
of any NPCs with the party. If the roll
fails, the NPCs will either refuse to enter
the ruins or even decide to return to
Velaynder.
The Morak Encampment
Shortly after entering the lands around
Velaynder the Moraks of the Chipped
Fang tribe stumbled into the ruins of
Telshen. They found it somewhat
disturbing, but when they found an
intact tower they decided to make it
their own. This attempt failed, as
detailed below.
Thwarted in their first attempt but
unwilling to give up, the Moraks located
another tower and took it over.
The Morak tower is located at the edge
of the city, where the effect of the sights
and sounds is weakest.
Foundations: These are the remains of

buildings that were all but obliterated
during the Judgment.
Guardposts: The Moraks have
established four guard posts around the
tower. Each guard post is stocked with
spears, extra arrows and other supplies.
The posts are also set up with crude
tarps to protect the Morak guards from
the sun. Because of the tarps, the guards
can be difficult to spot.
There are always at least two Morak
guards on duty at each post, even
during the day. If the guards see
anyone, they will send of their number
to warn the others. The Moraks main
strategy is to try to lay low in the hopes
of being able to ambush any intruders.
Partially Intact Ruin: This buildings
outside walls and roof are mostly intact,
but the interior is a hollow shell.
Morak Tower: This is the tower the
Moraks occupy. The tower is made of
stone and appears to be in remarkably
good condition. The Moraks, with their
skill in stoneworking, have repaired the
tower enough to make it quite usable.
The Moraks have redecorated the
tower to suit their tastes, hence it has
many badly cured hides, odd collections
of tied-together bones and other such
Morak items.
The interior is detailed below.
First Floor
Common Area: The common area is
filthy and is decorated with various
badly cured animal hides. There will be
at least two Moraks on guard here at all
times.
Storage: The Moraks store foodstuffs
and other items here.
Kitchen: There are iron cauldrons in the
26
kitchen that are used by the Moraks to

prepare their foods. There are usually at
least five female Moraks here preparing
food or resting. The basement of the
tower is reached by the trap door in the
kitchen floor.
Second Floor
Hall: This is the hall. Access to the top
of the tower is gained via a trap door in
the ceiling. If the Moraks are warned of
an attack, archers will go to the roof to
rain arrows down on the PCs.
Barracks: These barracks have been
refitted to house some of the Morak
warriors. There will be at least eight
Morak warriors in here, if they are not
out scouting or raiding.
Sergeants Quarters: The chiefs guards
use these quarters. Unless the tower is
under attack, there will be two guards
resting in their quarters while the other
two guard the chief.
Captains Quarters: The chief of the
Chipped Fang Tribe uses this room. He
sleeps in the room during the day while
two of his guards stand outside the
door. During the night he will be
planning with his warriors and
conferring with the scouts.
Basement and Tunnels
This map details the basement of the
tower and the warrens dug by the
Moraks.
Basement: The basement is used mainly
as a storage area by the Moraks,
although some of them sleep there. The
well is still full of fresh water.
Hall: This is the entrance to the tunnels.
The Moraks are skilled diggers,
although they prefer the natural look
over that of refined tunnels.
Warren 1 &2: These foul warrens are

used as sleeping quarters for the rest of
the tribe. Naturally, the warrens are
unlighted and are decorated in the usual
Morak style. During the day, all the
Moraks who are not in the tower or on
guard duty will be asleep in the
warrens. At night the warrens will
usually be empty as the Moraks spend
most of the night scouring the lands
near the tower for food.
The Shunned Tower
A short distance from the Morak
tower is what the Moraks call the
Shunned Tower. This tower is cursed.
The Judgment had a wide range of
effects on the people and structures of
the Empire and in some places the
terrible energies unleashed prevented
the slain from fully going on to their
final resting place. The Shunned Tower
is one such place.
The skeletons of the tower guards are
animated by the leftover energies of the
Judgment and some lost fragments of
the souls of the dead guards guides
them. These fragments cause the
skeletons to continue the work they had
in life, that of guarding the area around
their tower.
When the Moraks first arrived in the
city, they attempted to take over the
tower. Unfortunately for the Moraks,
the skeletons animated and attacked
them, slaying four of their number and
driving the rest away in fear.
Outside the Tower
The skeletons took the bodies of the
four slain Moraks and hung them from
crossed spears. When the PCs reach the
tower, they will see the rotting bodies
hanging there. The bodies have not been
stripped of gear and their personal loot
is still on them: 1D4 GP, 1D6 SP and
1D20 CPs each.
There are skeletons scattered around
27
the tower and there are weapons among

them. Some of them are clearly Morak
weapons and arrows, while others are
clearly of human manufacture.
If the PCs approach the tower, they
will feel a vague sense of foreboding, as
if they are being watched. If they
approach within 100 yards of the tower,
there will be a noise like the rustling of
leaves and a faint, sparking green
energy will play over the bones. If the
PCs do not immediately leave the area,
six skeletons (HP 6,5,6,7,3,2) will
animate and attack them. The skeletons
will fight in a surprisingly competent
manner rather than simply advancing
and attacking like typical skeletons do.
There are additional details about the
skeletons below.
Basement
The basement is dusty and filled with
1,000-year-old supplies and equipment.
Most of the supplies and equipment
have either crumbled into debris or are
ready to crumble at a touch. There are,
however, four flasks lying on the floor
amidst the remains of a shelf. These
flasks are Soldiers Flasks (see below)
that have been preserved by their
magical nature.
While the basement is quite dusty, the
well is filled with clear, clean, cool
water. The well is enchanted to always
remain clean and pure. It radiates
magic, of course. While some players
might be suspicious, the well is
completely harmless and contains
nothing except water.
First Floor
The following details the first floor of
the tower.
Common Area: The common area is
strewn with 1,000-year old dust and
debris. There are four skeletons (HP
6,3,2,6) scattered about on the floor,
along with an assortment of weapons. If
a PC enters this area, the skeletons will

animate and attack.
Storage: This area, which was used for
storage, is also strewn with ancient
debris and dust. There are no skeletons
in this area.
Kitchen: This area, like the others,
contains dust and debris. Scattered
about in the debris are the rusted
remains of various cooking utensils.
There is one skeleton in the kitchen (HP
4). This skeleton will animate if the PCs
enter the kitchen. Unlike the others, this
skeleton will start trying to clean up the
kitchen. If the PCs interfere, it will pull a
badly rusted cleaver from the debris and
start hacking at the PCs. If the PCs
ignore the skeleton, it will ignore them.
Second Floor
The following details the first floor of
the tower.
Hall: The hall contains one skeleton (HP
5) which will animate when a PC enters
the area. There is a trapdoor in the
ceiling that leads to the roof. The roof is
empty as it was blasted clean during the
Judgment.
Barracks: The soldiers of the tower
used to sleep here. The barracks
contains the badly crumbled and aged
remains of bunks, foot lockers and such.
There are six skeletons (HP 4,5,4,3,2,1) in
the room. Should the PCs enter the
barracks, they will animate and attack.
Scattered about the room are 24 GP, 100.
SP, 400 CP. These are Empire coins.
Sergeants Quarters: This is where the
sergeants lived. The furniture, clothing
and personal items in this room have
long since crumbled into debris and
dust. There are 41GP, 93 SP, 75 CP on
the floor. These are Empire coins.
28
Captains Quarters: This is where the

captain of the tower lived. The
furniture, clothing and personal items in
this room have long since crumbled into
debris and dust. There is a rusted iron
box on the floor that holds 175 GPs.
Action
The following details the events that
take place in the adventure.
The Moraks
Since the Moraks can leave the area
and are intelligent enough to be flexible,
many things can happen when the PCs
try to deal with them. The following are
some guidelines.
Scouting
The PCs first mission is to find the
Moraks and gain as much information
as possible about them. If the PCs know
that the Morak camp is in the ruins, they
can head there for the search. If they do
not have this information, they will
have to search the entire area. The PCs
might encounter Moraks while
searching.
Morak patrols: The Moraks send out
regular patrols of at least four Morak
warriors. These patrols will no more
than a half a mile from the camp. If the
PCs enter this area, they might
encounter Moraks. If encountered (1 in
10 chance an hour at night, 1 in 20
chance an hour during the day, or at the
DMs discretion), they will attempt to
avoid detection. If that fails, some of the
Moraks will try to lead the PCs away
while one runs back to the encampment
to warn the others.
Morak hunting parties: To get fresh
meat the Moraks send out hunting
parties at night (to get animals when
they are asleep). These parties will
consist of 2-6 warriors. They will go as
far as three miles from the camp. If the

PCs enter this area, they might
encounter Moraks. There is a 1 in 20
chance per hour or at the DMs
discretion that the PCs will encounter a
hunting party. If encountered, the
Moraks will attempt to avoid detection.
If that fails, some of the Moraks will try
to lead the PCs away while one runs
back to the encampment to warn the
others.
Morak scouts: The Moraks regularly
send out scouting parties to look for
dangers and places to raid. These parties
will consist of 4-8 warriors. They will go
as far as seven miles from the camp but
will not go into the city or near the
Velaynder guard tower. If the PCs enter
this area, they might encounter Moraks.
There is a 1 in 100 chance per hour or at
the DMs discretion that the PCs will
run into scouts. The scouts will attempt
to avoid detection. If that fails, some of
the Moraks will try to lead the PCs
away while one runs back to the
encampment to warn the others.
Scouting the Encampment: While the
Moraks are fairly careful about
concealing their presence, the PCs
should eventually find the Morak
encampment.
If the PCs are careful, they should be
able to observe the encampment from a
safe distance. If the PCs are not careful,
the Moraks might spot them. If the
Moraks detect the PCs, the Morak
warriors will set out to kill them to keep
the PCs from telling anyone where the
camp is loacted.
If the PCs are detected and escape, the
Moraks will either build up their
defenses and be more alert or they
might decide to move. If Moraks were
killed by the PCs, the Moraks are more
29
likely to move their camp. Exactly what

happens is, of course, up to the DM.
Attack
The following provides some
guidelines for handling the attack on the
Moraks.
Return to Velaynder: Once the PCs
locate the camp and make their
observations, they are supposed to
report back to Velaynder. If they do so,
the authorities in Velaynder will decide
to launch an attack against the Moraks.
Velaynder will be willing to pay the
PCs another 25 GP to join the attack. If
the PCs accept, they will be joined by a
small force of soldiers from Velaynder.
The exact nature of the force is left to the
DMs discretion. It is suggested that the
force consist of a small number of 0Level soldiers with at most two 1st level
sergeants and a 3rd level lieutenant. This
way the PCs will be able to play a major
role in the attack.
If the party is large or powerful
enough, they might be able to handle
the attack themselves. In this case, the
authorities will be willing to pay the
PCs well to handle the fighting.
The Attack: If the Moraks detected the
PCs when they were scouting, the
Moraks will be better prepared for an
attack. If not, the PCs might even be able
to take the Moraks by surprise.
There is a multitude of ways the PCs
might chose to act against the Moraks.
One strategy would be to harass the
Moraks by attacking patrols and
hunting parties. Another strategy is to
attack the encampment directly.
If a direct attack is launched during
the day, the PCs will have an advantage
since the Moraks fight worse in
daylight.
The Moraks will fight fiercely and
intelligently. When attacked, they will
fall back into the tower. The archers will
take up positions on the roof to rain
arrows down on the enemy. Other

Moraks will get on the roof as well to
throw objects down at the attacks. The
other Moraks will take up defensive
positions in the tower and in the
warrens. They will fight fiercely for
every inch, since they expect no mercy.
The PCs might decide to use a siege
against the Moraks. The Moraks have
larded enough food to last them six
days. After that, they will start resorting
to cannibalism. Water is not a problem
for them, because of the magical well.
They will, of course, try to break the
siege. They are good at digging, so they
will try to tunnel out to attack their
besiegers or get food.
The Shunned Tower
Since the skeletons will attack anyone
who gets too close to the tower and they
will not stray far from it, the action is
straightforward. If the PCs approach the
tower, they will be attacked. The
skeletons will keep up the attack until
they are destroyed or the PCs are killed
or flee.
If the skeletons are defeated, they will
re-animate again in thirty days (unless
the PCs completely destroy the bones).
If any PCs are killed, the skeletons will
hang their bodies from poles as a
warning to others.
Conclusion
The adventure ends when the PCs
either defeat the Moraks, are killed, or
give up.
If the PCs defeat the Moraks, the
authorities in Velaynder will be pleased
and will be favorably inclined towards
the PCs. This can lead to other
adventures in which the PCs are sent on
missions for Velaynder.
If the PCs are killed, its time to roll up
new characters. If the PCs flee, the city
of Velaynder will eventually defeat the
Moraks. However, the authorities will
30
probably not be very happy with the

PCs.
Monsters
The following details the monsters the
PCs will face during the course of the
adventure. There are two main groups
of monsters. The first is the Chipped
Fang Tribe of Moraks and the second
are the guardians of the shunned tower.
The Morak Chipped Fang Tribe
(Goblins)
Morak Warriors (42)
AC: 6
Movement: 6
HD: 1-1
THAC0: 20
Damage: 1-6
Size: Small
Morale: 10
XP Value: 15
#
20
Weapon
Spear 1-6
16
Short
Sword 1-6
Short Bow
1-6
Hit Points
3,4,5,4,2,1,5,3,2,2,
3,4,3,4,5,4,3,3,2,5
4,4,2,1,3,2,2,3,4,3,
4,5,4,3,3,4
6,5,4,4,34
Goblin Chief and Guards (5)

AC: 6
Movement: 6
HD: 1
THAC0: 20
Damage: 1-6
Size: Small
Morale: 12
XP Value: 15
Chief HP 8
Axe 1-8
Guard HP 7
Axe 1-8
Guard HP 7
Axe 1-8
Guard HP 7
Sword 1-8
Guard HP 7
Bow 1-6
Description: The Moraks of Etrena are

biologically identical to normal AD&D
Goblins. However, they tend to be a bit
cleaner, braver and slightly more
intelligent. They also are somewhat
better suited to operating in the
daylight, although they dislike it very
much. Despite these differences, they
still behave very much like the standard
Goblin (including the 1 modifier for
daylight).
Personal Loot: Each Morak Warrior has
1D4 GP, 1D6 SP and 1D20 CPs on his
person, plus some rather nasty Morak
trinkets (polished rat skulls and the
like). The Chief has 25 GP, 40 SP, 80 CP,
and six 10 GP gems. He also has a
dagger with some cheap gemstones
embedded in it. The dagger is worth 30
GP. Each of the chiefs guards has
1D6+10 GP, 2D6 SP, and 2D20 CPs.
The Tribe: The tribe consists of a chief,
his four guards, forty-two warriors, and
a number of non-combatant female and
child Moraks.
Skeletons
AC: 7
Movement: 19
HD 1
THAC0: 20
Damage: 1-6
Size: medium
Morale: Special
XP Value: 65
Description: Like all skeletons they are
unaffected by sleep, charm, fear, and
hold spells. They are not affected by
cold-based attacks, but are affected
normally by fire and fire based attacks.
They take one half rolled damage from
slashing and piercing weapons, but take
full damage from blunt weapons. They
are damaged by holy water (2-8 points
per vial).
These skeletons are those of the tower
guards. They are armed with swords
31
and spears that are in impossibly good

condition for being around 1,000 years
old. The skeletons have been preserved
and animated by the power of the
Judgment.
The energies animating them and the
horrible despair, terror and pain of the
soul fragments creates an aura around
these skeletons. The aura is not
incredibly strong, but can affect people.
When someone is within 20 yards of a
skeleton he must save vs. spells or be
affected by the aura. If the roll fails, the
person feels the despair, fear, and terror.
In game terms, this gives the person a 1
on attack rolls.
The skeletons must remain within 100
yards of the tower. If forced outside of
this area (they cannot voluntarily leave
the area) they will cease to be animated.
Magic Items
Soldiers Flask
A Soldiers Flask is magical item from
the days of the Empire. At the height of
the Empire, its power was so great that
it could afford to provide even its
common soldiers with at least some
magic. One of the most common was the
Soldiers Flask. A Soldiers Flask
appears to be a well-constructed metal
flask, typically decorated with fierce
animals, battle scenes or similar things.
The flask will always be found with a
stopper on a chain. The magic of the
flask is such that if emptied, it fills with
cool, clean water up to three times a
day. Once a day, at dinnertime, it fills
with wine.
The water and wine produced by the
flask are normal. The flask also only fills
up so that it could not be used, for
example, to flood an area.
1 in 20 flasks have gone sour. The
water they produce is stale and warm.
Instead of wine, vinegar is produced. 1
in 100 have been cursed in such a way
that the water and wine taste fine, but

are actually contaminated. After
drinking, the person must save vs.
poison or take 1D6 points of damage. A
cursed flask could be used by an evil
character to create poison.
A working Soldiers Flask is worth 500
XP, a sour one is worth 250 and a cursed
flask is worth no XP (alternatively, an
evil character could receive 150 XP for
it).
A Note on Empire Currency
The majority of the treasure found in
this adventure is in the form of Empire
coins. The Imperial Treasury set the
weight and quality standards for these
coins. This made all the official coins of
the same kind very similar. This
standard is still used, more or less, by
the states that were once part of the
Empire. In fact, many of the coins are
still in circulation. Because of this, the
PCs can use the coins as normal gold,
silver, copper, etc. pieces.
If the PCs are able to find an
appropriate moneychanger or collector,
they might be able to get more for the
coins. The Empire coins are purer than
the coins currently minted; hence they
can sometimes be sold for 1-6% more
than their face value. This is, of
course, at the DMs discretion. Some
collectors also seek the coins. It is up to
the DM how much a particular collector
will pay for the coins.
Empire coins have the following
names and descriptions:
Name: High Imperial
Metal: Platinum
Description: High Imperials were
always minted with the image and
symbols of Ventan, the god of Empire
and Order. The image is of a handsome
man wearing a plain crown. The
symbols are those of a sword (military
power), scroll (knowledge, government,
language), and wheat (farming).
32
Mainly the government used these

coins when large sums of money had to
be transported. The common people
rarely used these coins.
Name: Imperial
Metal: Gold
Description: Imperials are always
minted with the image of the Emperor
or Empress of the time. These coins
were used as the standard coin of the
Empire.
Name: Sword
Metal: Electrum
Description: These coins are minted
with swords on one side and historical
figures on the other. These coins were
originally used to pay soldiers in the
Imperial Army. The soldiers were not
fond of them and the payments
eventually switched mainly to gold and
silver coins.
Name: Wheat
Metal: Silver
Description: These coins are impressed
with the symbol of wheat. It is said that
they are so marked because one coin
would buy a days food in the time of
the Empire. Some of the coins have
historical figures on one side.
Name: Scroll
Metal: Copper
Description: This coin was minted with
the Scroll symbol on it to symbolize that
everyone in the Empire would have a
place in the hierarchy of the Empire.
The coin was very common, but not
very popular since it weighed about as
much as a gold coin, yet was worth
much, much less. These coins are often
found in large numbers as people of the
Empire treated the coppers much the
same way people today treat pennies
(dumping them in containers, planning
to someday cash them in).
Road To
Glyarnd
Ruins of Telshen
Heavy Woods
Heavy Woods
Empire Road
Lake
Garla
Heavy Woods
Guard Tower
Guard Tower
N
1 Square =1/2 Mile
33
Velaynder Farms
Road To
Velaynder
Partially Intact Ruin
Guardpost 4
Guardpost 1
Foundation 1
Morak Tower
Guardpost 2
Guardpost 3
Foundation 2
1 Square=20 Feet
Foundation 3
34
Tower
First Floor
Common Area
Storage
Kitchen
Second Floor
Hall
Barracks
1 Square = 10 Feet
Sergeants Captains
Quarters
Quarters
35
Morak Tunnels
Basement
Hall
Warren 2
Warren 1
1 Square = 10 Feet
36
Shunned
Tower
Basement
1 Square = 10 Feet
37
Reviews
A set of nice looking cards, but don't get
it looking for a full game.
Fate Deck
Company: TSR
Author: Steve
Brown, Steve
Miller and Ed
Stark (designers)
Price: $12.95
Pages: 84 Fate
Deck cards, 16
character cards
and 16-page
booklet
Overall: 4 out of 5
TSR's new interesting Saga system has
some pretty interesting rules and an
overall fresh feel, and its hell-bent focus
on role-playing is quite a worthy effort.
At its heart lies the Fate Deck, a set of 84
cards that you now use instead of dice.
What do you get with this set? The Fate
Deck (and some character cards), a small
booklet detailing the basic Saga game, a
Dragonlance adventure and the
somewhat forgettable Dragon Wars
game. While the Saga rules are touted
as a role-playing system you could use
with any of your fantasy games, don't
expect to be able to just get a Fate Deck
and start playing right away. Basic
game rules are included on the set, but
they are woefully incomplete (is there
initiative? what sort of school do Sleep
or Charm spells fit into?) and nowhere
near those included on the Fifth Age set.
So, just what is the Fate Deck supposed
to do for you? If the Hounds of
Tindalos chewed over some of the cards
that came with the Fifth Age, the Fate
Deck is a somewhat inexpensive way to
replace them. If you've played with the
Saga before, you could conceivably start
38
a game with just what is included here.

Alas, if you're new to the Saga system it
is likely that you would have to go for
the Saga Companion too, which explains
some of the rules a little better and
clarifies others. Bottom line: give it a
shot if you are
interested in the
Saga system but
don't expect to
get a full game
with it. And if
you already
know what Saga
is about, you
know exactly
what you're
getting.
- Ricardo
J. Mndez rmendez@geocities.com.
Blood II: The Chosen

Company: Monolith
I wasn't that keen on the first Blood
game, mainly due to the use of the Build
engine at a time where it was already in
decline. However, the game did present
you with some interesting ideas like
being "The Bad Guy" and some quite
nasty weapons like the flare gun.
Monolith promised to solve their
"technology" issues with their brandnew LithTech engine, and to add some
more powerful horror elements on the
new installment. All things considered,
my expectations for Blood II were quite
high... and they weren't met. Not by
far. While Blood II is an interesting and
sometimes fun game, its low points do
overwhelm the high ones. Let's first go
with what's right with the game:
a) The LithTech engine is indeed a
good-looking beastie, capable of
producing some really striking effects in
real time. It's hardware requirements
are above those of the Quake II engine,
but so are the results.
b) The weapons: Blood II has an odd

but varied assortment of weapons.
Some are funny, like the flare gun that
causes you enemies to burst into flames;
some are nice looking, like the mostlyuseless singularity generator that opens
a vortex that attracts enemies, objects
and even yourself if you're not careful;
and some are just useful, like the
shotgun and the sniper rifle. It is also
worth mentioning that you have only
ten slots for weapons but there are
about 18 of them, so you can make your
choice of weapons depending on your
style of play.
c) Caleb's voice: it's a small thing, but
Caleb's comments and the well-chosen
voice help set the mood for the bastard
that you're playing.
d) Some of the monsters are really
creepy, like the small but pesky Life
Leech, and some others are just deadly
and scary (at first) like the spell-casting
leech-dropping Drudge Priest. They
help to set the mood well.
However, there are so many low
points in the game that I can only list the
more aggravating:
a) The level design. Not only the level
design is quite uninspired, but you have
to go through the several levels twice. I
am not kidding you: the very same
levels, with the very same doors, with
only a change in choice of nasties to
reflect how much you've advanced. If
the levels weren't that good in the first
place there's on reason to make you go
through them again.
b) The weapons: it is quite silly than in
a high-tech, high-magic setting the most
useful weapons are a sniper rifle and a
sawed-off shotgun. The first-person
view of the Orb is almost
uncontrollable, the Death Ray looks
really silly. The Singularity Generator
isn't any good against the large enemies
that you'll find when you finally get the
darned thing and can be suicide to use
in small environments, and the Voodoo
39
Doll has a serious tendency to backfire

at you if you aren't looking exactly at
the enemy that you wish to affect. All in
all, you'll find yourself relying on the
low-tech weapons more and more over
the rest of them. c) The monsters are, for
the most part, quite uninspired. After
Sould Drudge #1001 has come
shambling forward, you'll find them
more of an annoyance than anything
else. Oh, and the Addams Family-esque
Hand that keeps flipping you the finger
is just dumb and boring.
d) We don't need no stinkin' AI! Who
debugged this thing? Fanatics keep
running into the walls, you can be
sniping at Cultists without their
partners noticing (even if they are
getting splattered with blood), beasties
sometimes stand still after they lose
sight of you, forgetting their purpose.
This is specially aggravating with the
Shikari, whose "excellent tracking and
sensing abilities" should allow it to hear
you coming before you open the door
or, at the very least, make him chase you
afterwards.
e) The villain, oh lord, the villain!
Gideon, the main baddie, does nothing
but run from you the whole game.
When you finally confront him it's
merely a matter of jumping around and
shooting until he vanishes. Then you
chase him some more in another
dimension and fight him again. He dies
and you fight the real villain
Tchernobog, who looks like a bloated
octopus on a sea of blood. Gee, can I
play it again?
f) Incredibly slow load times. Go with
the full installation unless you really
wanted to read "War and Peace" in
Russian, because with any other
installation option you'll be looking at
the load screen for a looooong time. But
the worst offender of all is that the scary
game isn't. It may be a result of the
level design, maybe they just didn't put
enough attention to details, or more
likely it is just a combination of all that's

wrong with the game. The end result is
that what is supposed to be a horror
game ends up being a dumb splatterfest
with no story and no reason to hold
your interest whatsoever. Blood II is an
interesting attempt at a horror game.
However, monsters lurking around in
strategic locations isnt what makes a
horror game, and Blood II ends up
coming out like a mere showcase for the
LithTech engine. In a time and age
where you can could spend your money
in Half-Life, getting Blood II just isn't
worth it.
- Ricardo J. Mndez rmendez@geocities.com.
Official System Requirements

CPU: 166 MHz or Higher
Memory: 32 MB RAM
Available Hard Disk Space:
Minimum 200MB
Maximum 515MB
Video Hardware: DX6.0 and
above compliant 3D accelerator
(or without an accelerator: P233 ,
32MB RAM)
Recommended System
Requirements:
CPU: Pentium II 233 MHz +
Memory: 64 MB RAM +
Available Hard Disk Space:
515MB
Video Hardware: get a recent
accelerator. It's too slow on 1-year
old cards and it crawls on
software.
40
Half-Life
Company: From Sierra Studios / Valve

Software
5 stars out of 5
Half-Life was surrounded in so much
hype that I only kept wondering how
short it would fall off the mark.
Considering all that you've heard about
the game, success just wasn't a
possibility was it? I mean, take its key
points: good AI, strong story and a
good-looking game. The purported
"amazing" AI was the same thing that
we had heard about Unreal, and while
Unreals monsters were fast and mean
they weren't exactly intelligent. Story is
the first thing everyone seems to ignore
when developing a game. And finally,
Half-Life used the Quake II engine,
which had already been used to death
and surpassed by LithTech and Unreal,
right? With these expectations it isn't
surprising that I wasn't expecting to be
blown away the way I was. I have to
say it: Half-Life is easily the bestdamned game I've ever played. Period.
It is a combination of things: the
cinematic feeling, the coherence of the
game world, the flow of environments,
the well-crafted storyline and the just
incredible AI. However, the fact
remains that nothing comes close to this
game and the effect it creates on the
player.
Much has been said about how you
start the game armed with only a
crowbar. That isn't even the start of it,
since you don't start the game fighting.
There is no introduction whatsoever:
you start the game on a monorail ride
towards the facilities at Black Mesa,
watching things develop around you,
wondering what's that military
helicopter doing and who is that
important-looking guy with the
suitcase. Once at the facility you have to
walk around, find your locker, change
into your protective suite and go to
conduct a routine experiment. It isn't

until then that things go awfully wrong
and all hell breaks loose in one of the
most amazing scenes I've seen in a game
(surpassed only by later Half-Life
scenes).
While the plot has been called an
upgraded Doom, that doesn't give it
enough credit. The world in Half-Life is
alive, with scientists speaking to you
about things that further the plot,
requesting your help and giving you
tips; you can also hear soldiers wonder
about the orders they are carrying out
and speak in damning tones about what
you did to their comrades; and theres
the mysterious Man in Blue that seems
to overshadow your every step while
you try to catch him amidst the scores of
smart enemies.
Oh, the enemies... The enemies... If
you thought that the Unreal AI wasnt
all that it could, just wait until you see
the soldiers coordinate their attacks and
flank you, or lay cover fire so that one of
them can safely approach you. Their
behavior is so spontaneous and
appropriate that youll find yourself just
gaping at the way they act, making
whatever possible advantage they can of
their terrain and scenarios. The first
time that assassin stopped cold in her
tracks and double-backed when faced
with a magnum I was so startled that I
didn't even chased her.
There aren't any levels. That is, HalfLife's world is a continuous world with
no break for levels whatsoever. When
changing areas you'll see a "Loading"
message for about two seconds and off
you go into the new area, being able to
return in any moment that you want.
This pushes you forward with the desire
of accomplishing just one more
objective, until you realize that the sun
has come up again and your mouse
wrist aches. The incredibly well done
level design that pushed the boundaries
41
of the Quake II engine does nothing to

convince you that it is time to stop.
I could ramble on about the excellent
music (which I'm listening right now),
the fact that Half-Life is way scarier
than allegedly "horror" games such as
Blood II, how it has the most striking
scenes I've ever seen in a computer
game, the imaginative alien weapons,
the feeling of accomplishment and relief
that you get when you finally remove
one of the bosses or how Ive finally
found an action game that involves you
more than Jedi Knight did. Probably
you've heard it all before from different
sources. The fact remains that if you
haven't played Half-Life yet, you are
depriving yourself from the best gaming
experience in quite some time.
System requirements
Minimum
CPU: 133 MHz +
24MB RAM
Available Hard Disk Space: 400MB
Recommended
CPU: Pentium 166+
Memory: 32MB Ram
Video: 3D accelerator card (works
with OpenGL and Direct3D, but I
suggest OpenGL)
Mostly Faithful to Trek, but a bit buggy.
Birth of the Federation 1.0

Company: Microprose/Hasbro
Interactive
3.5 stars out of 5
Overview
Like Microproses Master of Orion
games, Birth of the Federation is a
strategic game of galactic conquest. You
start out controlling a single system and
your goal is to become a galactic power
using economics, technology, espionage
and, of course, warfare.
Unlike the Master of Orion games, Birth
of the Federation is set within the
universe of Star Trek: The Next
Generation. You should keep in mind
that Microproses license is limited
strictly to STNG, so all the ships, races
and such are from that series. If you are
looking forward to sending Constitution
class starships on five-year missions,
you will be disappointed. However, the
game is very faithful to the series. So, if
you want to boldy send out Galaxy class
starships, you might find exactly what
you are looking for here.
Description of game
At the start of a new game, you get to
choose the nature of your virtual
universe. You select the starting
technology for each race, the relative
42
number of minor (non-expanding) races

in the game (none, some, or many),
how difficult the game will be, and
whether you would like random events
(most of which seem to be unpleasant)
to add extra uncertainty to the game.
You can also set the size and shape of
the galaxy. The final options are
whether the starship combat will be
resolved automatically or manually and
how the game will be won.
There are two possible paths to
victory. The first option requires that
you control at least 60% of the universe.
The second option is that of vendetta. In
this version you must eliminate two
rivals of your empire. Since the game is
set before the empires have encountered
each other, the vendetta option seems a
bit odd. After all, how can one empire
have historical enmity towards a race it
has never met?
Once you have selected all the
options that suit your fancy, you need to
select which of the five galactic powers
you wish to control. The empires are the
Federation, the Ferengi, the Klingons,
the Romulans and the Cardassians.
The way the races are implemented in
the game is mostly faithful to the STNG
universe. The Federation (oddly named,
because the game starts before the
Federation is supposed to exist) is, of
course, good at diplomacy and science.
The Ferengi are masters of economics.
The Klingons are warriors who need
constant battle to remain happy. The
Romulans excel at espionage and all
their warships can cloak (oddly enough,
their transports cannot cloak). The
Cardassians are, of course, masters of
duplicity.
Once you finish the preliminaries,
you begin play.
The main screen has a grid, which is
the map of the galaxy. The galaxy is
broken up into sectors. Despite being
called sectors each sector is only large
enough to have one planetary system or
other object (black hole, wormhole,

pulsar, etc.) present.
Despite the fact that 20th century
technology is up to the task of telling us
where the stars are, you have to send
out ships to find where the star are.
Once you locate stars, you can send
ships to explore.
Once the game gets started, it works
pretty much like all other strategic space
games. You will colonize systems,
research technology, build fleets,
conduct espionage and engage in
diplomacy to achieve your ends.
One nice feature of the game, which
clearly stems from the STNG universe,
is the (at least initial) importance of
diplomacy. The various major and
minor races react in accord with their
nature. For example, the Vulcans will
tend to be friendly to the Federation
while the more xenophobic races will
act appropriately.
Atmosphere
An important part of almost any game
is its atmosphere, which includes the
games look, its sounds, effects, etc.
The game is good looking. Each race
has its own interface style, ranging from
the Star Fleet style interface of the
Federation to the sharp and red
Klingon interface.
The sound effects are good,
reproducing the sounds of combat quite
well (okay, so no one can really hear
you scream in space). The voiceovers
are a nice touch and convey the attitude
of each race quite well.
Even though the background music
seems to slow the game down a bit, the
music is quite good and nicely sets the
mood. Hearing the Klingon battle songs
in the background really make you want
to go out and subjugate weaker species.
The graphics are quite good, most
especially the ships. Ship combat looks
great, with 3D vessels moving through
space, firing beam weapons and
43
torpedoes at each other. You can even

see the glow of the shields as they are
hit, which is a nice touch.
Networking
The game supports network play via
a null modem cable, IPX or TCP/IP
LAN, and via the internet. Up to 5
players can play at a time.
The game is turn based, which means
that if you play with other people you
will have to wait for them. This is in
contrast with real time games, such as
StarCraft, in which everyone is going at
once.
Fortunately, the game allows you to
set time limits on turns and tactical
combat. This can help keep the game
from bogging down. However, the
complexity of the game means that
waiting is inevitable. If you enjoy long,
thoughtful network games, the game is
fine. If you demmand constant action,
this is not the game for it.
Assessment
To be honest, I found the game to be
fun and a bit addictive.
Colonizing systems, interacting with
alien cultures, exploring the galaxy and
managing the resources of multiple
systems and is quite challenging.
Also, the STNG setting adds an extra
element of fun for anyone who likes the
series and has always wanted to
actually be a participant and not just a
member of the audience.
On the downside, the game does have
some flaws that detract from its play
value.
First, the interface is a bit clumsy and
this makes it more difficult to control
systems and fleets, especially later in the
game. For example, this is no way to
check on all your fleets at once. Instead,
you need to search around the map
looking for each fleet. On a large map,
this makes it easy to lose track of your
fleets. An improved interface would do

much to improve game play.
Second, the game reports events in an
on-again off-again manner. For
example, on some turns the game
presents the summary at the start of the
turn and reports all key events. Other
turns, no reports are made. The reports
are available, but must be checked
manually. This can make it difficult to
keep track of events. For example, a key
system might finish a build and you
might not realize this for several turns.
The user should be able to chose from a
checklist which events will always be
reported.
Third, the game seems to be slanted
too much towards combat. In fact, war
seems to be unavoidable.
Both the minor races and the computer
controlled empires struck me as being
almost irrationally belligerent. For
example, in one game the Vulcans
attacked and destroyed an outpost of
mine, even though we were not at war.
In other games, the other empires
would become enraged and attack for
no apparent reason. Even the
supposedly peaceful Federation and the
profit-oriented Ferengi would
consistently make demands, then
declare war and attack without
provocation.
Even when a race would offer a peace
treaty, it was all too common for the
race to declare war the next turn, for no
apparent reason.
In fact, despite my best efforts to play
nice, every game ended up being
settled by combat and conquest.
While combat is an expected part of
space conquest games, the behavior of
the game AI is a bit out of odds with the
Star Trek universe. Further, the fact that
the game seems to be centered on
combat limits play. It would be more
interesting if other means of winning
were as effective.
44
Fourth, the wandering monsters

(such as the Crystal Entity and the Borg)
pose some problems. Some like the Borg
and the Crystalline Entity are so
powerful that they can destroy starbases
and fleets with a single shot. Despite the
fact that the crew of the Enterprise in the
series cleverly defeated these sorts of
entities, in the game you have only one
option: build a large, advanced fleet and
destroy them. It would have been a nice
touch to allow a more Trek-like way
to defeat these beings. For example,
there could be a study order that
allowed a ships crew to try to find a
way to defeat the threat.
Others space entities, such as the
Sentient Starship and the Juggernaut do
not seem to do anything. I tried to hail
some of these entities, thinking that I
might be able to make friends with
them, but nothing ever happened. I
usually end up destroying them to keep
the encounters between them and my
fleets from wasting time. As far as I can
tell, they simply drift around the game.
It would make the game more
interesting if the player could interact
more with these entities.
Fifth, the game AI needs some work.
The main weak point of the AI lies in
how it plans its attacks. To be specific,
while the AI seems to be very aggressive
its also seems to be rather bad at
offensive and defensive strategy. For
example, in most games the other
empires will send one ship at a time
against my outposts. It will do this again
and again, for no apparent reason and
will keep it up no matter how many
ships I destroy. As another example,
whenever I attack another empire, its
fleets just seem to keep on wandering
around rather than attacking my fleet.
In addition to the flaws, the game also
has some bugs.
Some of the bugs are minor, but
annoying. For example, in the tactical
combat mode, hitting the Enemy button
will sometimes select your fleets.

Hitting the Fleets button will sometimes
select the enemy.
A more serious bug seems to occur
with raiding. On several occasions I
have been raiding one system, but the
game reports I am raiding another or
even two at the same time. There have
also been times when the game has
reported that I am raiding myself. Also,
there have been times when my
systems, even those defended by
outposts, have been raided by ships
outside of the system.
Perhaps the most annoying bug is that
the game slows down excessively as
play progresses. The Microprose web
site suggests rebooting the game after 50
turns, but the slow down simply
returns. The game turns also seem to
take a long time to be resolved. While
my system is not exactly high end
(AMD k6-2 333MHz, 64 MB), it does
exceed the recommended system
specifications.
Minimum
CPU: 133 MHz Pentium
RAM: 16MB
Graphics: 800X600 X16-bitcolor (2MB video RAM)
Available Hard Disk Space: 160
MB
CD-ROM: 4X
Sound Card: Direct-X
Recommended
CPU: 200 MHz Pentium
RAM: 32MB
Available Hard Disk Space: 180
MB
CD-ROM: 8X
Network Play
Null Modem: 2 players.
IPX, TCP/IP: 2-5 Players.
Internet: 2-5 Players.
Street Price: $39.99
Overall
Birth of the Federation has a great deal
of potential and some excellent features.
Because of this, it feels like a great game
that was released a bit too early.
I enjoyed playing the game, but the
flaws and bugs seriously detracted from
an otherwise pleasant experience. If you
really like Star Trek and you like
strategic space games, pick up a copy. If
you are just looking for a good strategic
space game, pick up a copy of Master of
Orion I or II.
-Michael C. LaBossiere
ontologist@aol.com
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Issue #20 July-August 1999

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Games: The primary focus is on horror and

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Haven: City of Violence

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Getting the Investigators

allied themselves with Father Henesey

before the cultists will learn what

Actions Aboard Ship

If the investigators are defeated, West

Daniel West, Cultist

Spells: Summon Lesser Blood Vortex ,

Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

addition, the blood can be used to

enough silver blood to coat the cutting

As the blood gushes forth, the caster

Silver Blood: Silver blood is an

fifteen minutes, the images will manifest

Full members of the Ancient Order of

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it is suitable for the DMs specific

Getting the PCs Involved

The adventure begins with the PCs in

authorities occasionally even provide

boats that can reach ships that blunder

Needless to say, the PCs will escape the

increases their chance of being surprised

Finding the Bodies

Attacking the Morak Camp

The adventure ends when the PCs

PCs had a hand in the destruction of the

Short Sword 1-6

Description: The Moraks of Etrena are

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Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

conquest and he set his army against

son executed and married another

take the throne of Mino, leading the

what are know known as the Morakhi,

While High and Middle Ventani are

The Ventani Language Family

Venti is a bastardized language in the

means that someone who knows one of

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PC have not played the Getting

During the final years of the Ventani

ambitious, or desperate creatures have

Getting the PCs Involved

need to find some other way to involve

tower. Each patrol consists of seven

leaving indentations that still clearly

moment of silence followed by the

Foundations: These are the remains of

kitchen that are used by the Moraks to

Warren 1 &2: These foul warrens are

the tower and there are weapons among