Derived and abridged from Nick Pagnucco on the forums.
I think this is a good example of the sort of localized, scenario-type material that we have in this movement. What’s more, it has Dragoons!
A valley lies between Maldor and Ammeni, yet no caravans go there and no lord desires it. It is a cursed place, punished to this day for the callous atrocities committed during the Year of Night by Esau Neverfull, Count of Casnic. The valley’s curse is simple, direct, and blunt: Beast shall not serve man.
As the story has it, Esau, a Companion of Absolon, looked to save his county from the Shadow Night by wizardry. Sapa the Assartist created for him SIJJIN’S FARRO: a grain that needed no light nor warmth to grow, but required blood and carrion in addition to water and soil.
The peasantry initially accepted this was necessary for survival, but their support waned when animals – livestock, pets, and working animals of all forms – began to fall ill and die. The uprising began in earnest, however, when word spread that the Count’s men attempted to nourish the farro with human sacrifice.
The peasantry survived until the sun rose again, but they discovered the further costs of Sijjin’s farro. Sapa created a grain that sent animals wild with its bloom, when the hazy grey pollen of the grain was sent into the air. A little of the pollen makes tame animals wild and wild ones hostile; a lot sends them all careening into an irrecoverable madness.
Centuries after the world began anew, this curse of the farro is still in effect. Farmers in Sireap no longer plant Sijjin’s farro, but it grows as a weed around all graveyards and cemeteries, marking the area with its black-red chaff and stalks.
| Sijjin’s Farro 4/R |
|---|
| The Farro is an unnatural grain created by alchemy and empowered by sorcery. Everybody in the valley gets contaminated several times per year as the populations at different heights bloom; the Story Guide may as well assume that everybody is under the influence all the time, except during winter. |
| 1 Animal hostility. |
| 2 Animal bonus die to Vigor. |
| 3 Animal addiction. |
| 4 Bonus die to Vigor. |
| 5 Penalty die to Reason. |
| 6 Bonus die to Vigor. |
| 7 People get angry and impulsive. |
The Sirepani live in a primarily agricultural society with a decentralized political structure based around village life. They have a rich diet almost completely devoid of meat. Some choose to abstain from necessity, others due to conviction.
Over the past few centuries the Sirepani have compensated for their lack of animals by training themselves to the point of making mounts irrelevant. The Sirepani are famous for both their prowess at running and their ability to carry loads over long distances. At least one Ammeni noble is quite proud of his Sirepani porters.
The villages are each ruled by a VECHIL, who originally was the count’s overseer but now rules as a hereditary servant of the people. The customs are strict on how much the Vechil can own, and how new Vechils may not live in the home villages of their parents.
Villages send men and women to work for the Vechil as part of their taxes. They are called the USHERS, and generally serve terms of 2–4 years, depending on what arrangements the Vechil has in that particular village. They are the official representatives of the Vechil’s authority, and keep the peace, bring messages to Elders, and so on.
The ushers wear light brigantine armor, and their traditional weapons are the sling and a curved, edged polearm they call an Usher’s bill – what most Maldorite infantrymen would call a glaive, though with a slightly shorter and more curved blade than normal. In combat, the Ushers are extremely competent skirmishers, known for their incredible maneuverability and closing speed. More than once, the Ushers have defended the valley from reckless heavy infantry or overconfident horsemen. Their Secrets are called FEATS.
This is the sort of simple, straightforward material that characterizes solid TSoY scenario preparation: some history, some crunch, social principles upon which to build people, a player character concept. Just add a mix of characters and go.
In the heart of the Valley lies Casnic, now an abandoned nest of ratkin. The beasts are addicted to the farro, which they eat or burn in water pipes scavenged from the ruins.
An elf lives in Casnic, one going by the name of Slusch Bash. She wields Three-Corner magic and alchemical powers akin to those of the Assartist, but none know for what purpose. Other elves visit her out of curiosity, but none stay long.
It is possible to bring animals to Sireap, it’s just that the farro is so unexpected. Enter after or during rains, and you might have a week. Come in winter and you could have a month. But sooner or later you’ll find the horses dead and the dogs at your throat, or nowhere to be seen.
| Footwork (V) |
|---|
| Sirepani, and especially ushers, train constantly to be quicker, stronger and more exact in their footwork. This Ability can be used to run fast, to run long, to jump high or far and to maneuver with great dexterity in general. |
| Secret of Sireap |
|---|
| The character has lived for a long time in Sireap. The Farro no longer influences him. |
| Secret of the Usher |
| Ushers train each other to fight with their incredible physical skills. The character can take a Defensive Action with FOOTWORK (V) and use any bonus dice derived from it in combat as opponent penalty dice, instead. |
| Feat of Flying Leap |
| The character can leap unnaturally high, long jumps. Cost: 1 VIGOR for jumping at human peak effortlessly, 3 for jumping ridiculously high, such us up a tree. |
| Requirement: SECRET OF THE USHER |
| Feat of Endless Run |
| The character can run (or otherwise exercise) an unnaturally long time. Cost: 1 VIGOR for running at human peak effortlessly, 3 for ridiculous terms, such as a week without stopping. |
| Requirement: SECRET OF THE USHER |
| Feat of Fast Feet |
| The character can sprint at surprising speeds. |
| Cost: 1 VIGOR for sprinting at human speed, 3 for ridiculous speeds, such as outracing a flying bird. |
| Requirement: SECRET OF THE USHER |
| Secret of Usher Skirmish |
| When the character spends any Pool on the Usher feats in the scene, the points go into a separate usher pool that can be spent in a fight as bonus dice or opponent penalty dice by the character under his normal Pool spend cap. The pool empties at the end of combat or when the character reorients. |
| Requirement: SECRET OF THE USHER |
| Secret of Jump Attack |
| The character can make the powerful jump attack: all Pool caps are removed as the character jumps high and comes down hard. |
| Cost: 1 point from the usher pool. |
| Secret of the Bull |
| The character can do the work of a single bull, when it comes to strength and stamina. He can use his FOOTWORK (V) to support any feats of strength. |
| Key of Usher |
|---|
| The character serves the Sirepani as a peace officer and general civil servant of sorts. |
| 1xp: Serve the Vechil. |
| 2xp: Help people. |
| 5xp: Fight a serious battle. |
| Buyoff: Leave Sireap Valley. |