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The Nightwatch by Rembrandt
An amazing work which is huge! |
I participated in the “Purple OSR”’s 2025 Secret Santicorn and received the prompt “Never Meet Your Heroes: Encountering Infamous Adventurers”. I interpreted these NPCs through the lens of a home setting I’m rolling around in my head. I also tried to make the NPCs reference each other to give them a more grounded feel. I would stat each NPC as 4th level or 6th level, which is “hero” level by OD&D/Chainmail rules for fighters or magic-users, respectively, and a few of them are most likely best interpreted as 9th level.
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| Nicolas Bruno part of a tarot card series |
Voulo the Unseated Or The Chevalier Who Rides The Unseen Horse
Once a marvelous fighter and regionally known as being unseated in the joust from a very young age, Voulo gained a modest sum for himself as a breeder of fine chargers and coursers. His fame rose to great heights such that he was invited to the 10-year Tourney held by Lord Acard, the Black Wolf himself. During the feast, Voulo received a reading from Ysabel the Seer at the table, via haruspicy, that said his 13th tilt would change the world. And true to the reading, Voulo unknowingly killed the young prince who had entered as a black knight. Not believing it an accident, the prince’s grandmother, a powerful warlock, cursed the knight that very day.
Now, Voulo is hated by all horses and is unseated from all he tries to ride save for the one he travels on to this day. But rumors say the stead he rides, draped in a black funeral shroud so it is unseen, moves via necromancy. Even darker whispers say that its a part of the prince’s soul that animates the animal, and it must be fed meat as one would a pard. This story is usually told when Voulo departs from an area, and the stable hand or innkeeper has gone missing.
Want: To make the soul of the prince leave the horse- no priest has succeeded, he slew the last one
Give: Can allow someone to sleep on the “horse” which will carry them to an entrance to the underworld, if they wake during this journey, they will be eaten
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| Mugwort Seer by Erica Peebus |
Ysabel the Seer Or She Who Binds Fates To War
Once a savant with regards to haruspicy of the walking lionfish of the lower lakes, it is said Ysabel washed up on the shore of Lake Brilliant as the child of a naiad. Later, the financiers of Ib put her skills to use by allowing her to lead seven expeditions into the isolated vales of the Copper Kingdoms to the north to find ruins of the serpent empires. On her 8th expedition, Ysabel’s team descended into a shrine of Yg. At the inner chamber, she herself was the only one lithe enough to pass through a crack in the sealed door guarding the chamber. Once in the dark, she took a greatl pearl from the coiled alter of Yg, but reported the chamber was empty when she emerged. And also nursed a feverish bite mark on the back of her neck she told no one about.
Now, Vsabel’s visions have been as clear as ever, however, all of them link any individual seeking a fortune to the on-going Autum War which was touched off by the killing of a minor prince in a joust and a resulting cascade of unlikely involvements, suspicions, double-crosses, and marriages. All foretold by Ysabel before she went into hiding. Her foreign financiers stopped the expeditions but rumors say she’s still on retainer as an agent of chaos. Other stories say people DO seek her out in order to become involved in the war, figuring conflict brings fame and fortune. No one has tallied the success rate.
Want: To know what this “egg”, as she calls it, is and to find the shrine to Yg and to give the pearl back, but can hardly stand to not have it in her hands
Give: Can act as a middleman between contacts in Ib and PCs, will result in money, equipment, and an eventual reading should she be convinced.
Liona Autumn-Song Or She Who Sings To Murderers
Once a changeling of the Autumn Court with a voice that has enchanted 99 lovers over her preternaturally long life. With the unrest in the Summer Lands, monsters drew forth from the forgotten places to feast on the distracted population. Since many heroes have gone off to fight the war, Liona found a new stage as a pacifier of monsters. Her songs enchanted them to lay at her feet as would a lamb and eventually saunter off back into the woods. Her fame has quickly risen among the villages and towns along the rivers of the land. Even the clergy praise her non-violent ways as a shining example of virtue.
Now people ask, but never in the earshot of Liona or her many admirers, why the cattle, sheep, goats, and occasional shepherd that go missing where she stays? And why is Liona moved toward the mysterious war that has taken over the lands? She claims she will sing the kings to sleep, but she can’t be that arrogant. The source of this woe, hidden among the smiles, is three monsters that stalk Liona like jealous former lovers. They shadow her life as personifications of ill-fortune. Liona’s gift does not allow her to kill the monsters, and their oppressive presence has worn her down, so she has started working as a mercenary on the side, directing these vicious maws toward whatever she was hired to do all the while promising each of them in confidence she will be their beloved.
Want: To find a way to kill the monsters following her- three manticores named Demetrius, Chiron, and Alarbus
Give: For a price, she is happy to travel to a battle or fight and let the monsters do the work, she hopes someone will kill them– so far the beasts are too successful.
Breudrox the Wind Shepard Or They Who Have Forgotten Themselves
Once the Summer Lands were nothing but swamp, however, a clever wizard yoked the four winds and bridled two rivers to turn the land in between them into a fertile delta. This wizard was hailed for this terraforming feat, which made them the premier sorcerer of the kingdom. Breudrox went on to herd the sea inland, pull out the salt, and create the Lake Brilliant which gave rise to the bounty of walking lionfish the region is famous for as well as the sirens’ songs on the wind. As a final act, Breudrox emptied the riches of the earth unto the surface and tamed tongues of fire to melt them. And this brought forth mighty beasts of the underworld for great knights to test themselves against. Then, with these four great works done, Breudrox departed in a great whirlwind!
Now, Breudrox is known as “The Baffled” and appears often in sudden violent thunderstorms seeking effigies, paintings, and statues of himself. Chaos is seemingly sown, then the magus departs again, with or without sought items. Those who can hear the voices of the spirit world know what really happened. The four lordly winds resented their vassal status and sent 8 minor winds to gently blow away Breudrox’s memories of self. The magus now can’t control the four winds and are controlled by them instead, but they are still yoked nonetheless, and so is flung this way and that, driven mad by the howls of delight from the wind lords.
Place Breudrox the Baffled on the wilderness random encounter table as a “very rare” or as rare as a dragon- for instance, a “2” on a 2d6 roll. And there is a 1-in-12 chance Breudrox will appear when mentioned in conversation outdoors.
Want: Any information on the wizard Breudrox: images, statues, books, locations, rumors and prophecies. Any magic-user who starts with Geometry of Unsceen Potencies will be assumed to be a former apprentice of Breudrox’s and subject to interrogation- whether true or not.
Give: If convinced the PC have information, this Baffled will trade one-time use of magic of a 9th-level wizard for said information/wants. The spell must be employed locally, within the hour, and not require anything that is not immediately at hand. The Baffled won’t kill the king, for instance, as that’s just too much trouble/time. If PCs lie, the Baffled will remember and seek revenge next time they meet.
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| by Zigor Skruggi |
Orry the Second-Sword of Fate Or The Left Hand of Winter
Every man, woman, and child around the Lake Brilliant knows the story of Orry or more accurately knows the story of Érard who fought the First Dragon of the Earth. Or the story of Érard who destroyed the scales of Molock. Or the story of Érard who slew the Greater Tarsque of the Valley. Orry, too, was there to in all instances to provide aid, but never quite delivered the killing blow, which was always by Érard’s hand. But Orry was never jealous in the stories, but always willing to play squire to Érard, and in some recountings was a squire. When Érard died, surprisingly, in the opening battle of the Strange War with No Beginning, it was Orry who bore him across the battlefield on a mysterious, shrouded horse. Later, Orry said that he wanted to deliver the great hero to the afterlife himself and bears a frostbitten left hand as a testament to pushing open one of the 13 gates of Death.
Now, Orry travels righting wrongs as the Second Hero of the land, a title he acknowledges with gritted teeth and a tight smile. And it's true he delivered Érard to the afterlife, but after he slew him with a misericorde made from the coldest ice, which blackened his hand, then melted away. Ever dawn it reappears in his clenched left hand, cold and accusatory. Never again will anyone stand in the way of Orry the Hero. What Orry does not understand is that his fate was born from a bet between the two fay courts for which child could first deliver a world-changing event. He’s made an unknown spirit very rich.
Want: To accomplish great deeds for greater renown and status, and so seeks quests of importance and note throughout the land. To understand why the gods have cursed his fate so.
Give: Orry knows where a great many things are buried or kept as they come to him in dreams. And with the aid of ever-present magical misericorde, Cain, he can deliver a killing blow to most things both flesh and spirit. The problem is he is often driven to a deep jealousy and hatred of allies at the same time. Often turning whatever new found object on former friends.
The Unicorn Renalaut the Splendid Or The Ruin of Innocence
Once a symbol of hope throughout the war-torn lands, this shining avatar of bravery and justice was noted for its ability to cut down the villainous and champion the downtrodden. Renalaut often chooses riders from among the youth of the troubled delta villages. Renalaut fills their hearts with courage and hardens them against the fear of death all to rally the common people to a cause! These various irregular bands of Renalaut are the subjects of many new ballads in the lands as all of them are noted for their remarkable achievements.
Now, what those who were there will say is that there are never survivors of Renalaut’s irregulars save for the unicorn Renalaut, lamenting the death of the latest rider-martyr. Even the famous singer Autum-Song can’t remember one song sung about Renalaut where the rider lived. It is rumored the unicorn’s latest “victim” was a young prince who posed as a black knight for a joust. Others say this is because Renalaut values the eager and wide-eyed over the skilled. And while the unicorn fills their head with grandeur and goals it neglects to mention the hounds of ruin track which stalk the unicorn– not metaphorically, this is the curse that was placed upon Renalaut.
Want: To be the vanguard for truth, justice, and glory! To help right great wrongs. To vanquish great evil! Bring peace to the common folk of the land! To find a rider of true purpose, clarity, and purity.
Give: All the powers of a talking unicorn, plus the public renown that legendary status can bring.
