An Introductory Adventure for Tribe 8

If you are like most people who play Tribe 8, your first reaction after reading the book was: "This is the coolest game ever!" Then came the second reaction: "How do I start!?" Let's face it, the world of Tribe 8 is vast and dynamic and full of potential and possibility for adventure, spirituality, politics, and just about everything else. The very vastness that we all love can, however, make it difficult to get started in the game for the first time -- especially if you are new to weaving.

So in order to help out those of you who are just getting into the game, and just starting to feel your way towards a game, we present this short introductory adventure. Nothing here is long, or difficult, or overly complicated or political. So sit back, relax, and let us help you into the world of Tribe 8.

Plot Overview

The Circle and the Cell starts off with the characters having recently gone through their Fall and having been selected to be sacrificed to the Z'bri at the Circle of the Chosen. While the characters are tied up, beaten, and helpless they spend what they think are their last moments reflecting over their lives and how they came to this sorry state. Gradually they feel the approach of a Z'bri -- its atmosphere slowly starting to warp their minds and emotions. Just when everything looks helpless a group of Jackers comes and frees the characters, helping them to drive the Z'bri back. The leader of the Jacker cell then has one of his men help guide the characters across Vimary, where they have to hide from the Tribes who would kill them, and to their new home on Hom.

Set Up and Preparation

Before you start this adventure you'll need the basic tools of the game: the Rulebook, paper, pencils, and dice. You'll also need to read this adventure over, probably a couple of times, to get comfortable with the settings and the plot. Once you feel confident that you know what is happening you need to get together with your players and talk over some of the basic assumptions that using this adventure as a starting point for a campaign means. First off the characters will not be powerful or influential on Hom, as they will be just newly Fallen. Second the characters will not start out with any expensive or rare gear, as they will start naked and tied to a post. Finally the characters will have to know their Tribe, but do not necessarily have to have chosen an outlook at the start of the game as they may not have been Fallen long enough to have gained one.

Most Weavers will want the players to make their characters before the adventure starts, so that all the number crunching and stat choices do not interfere with the flow of the game. Adventurous Weavers, however, may be willing to let the players start out with only a rough idea about their character; one of the archetypes in the Weavers Screen, Word of the Pillars, or similar books would be a good starting point. This allows them to flesh out the character as the game goes along. Players can jump in quickly, and figure out their character as they go. Do this only if you are comfortable with winging a few decisions and trust your players not to abuse their freedom.

Once you have a group, at least basic character sketches, a good grasp of the world, and a place to play then you are ready to Weave your way into the world of dream.

The Circle of the Chosen is a dark secret that the Tribes never speak of. It is a small clearing just north of the Seven Fingers where the price of peace with the Z'bri is paid. To this dark, murderous hole the Tribes bring their refuse to give as sacrifice to the Z'bri's hunger. In exchange for these bodies and souls the demons leave the rest of the Tribes in relative peace. To die in the Circle is a horrid thing to a Tribal -- not only because of the terrible pain of dying at Z'bri hands -- but because to die there in the hands of the Takers is to have your soul become an eternal slave to the monsters. For more information on the Circle see page 56 of Vimary (the picture on that page is a wonderful mood piece to show the characters).

Setting

At the beginning of the adventure the characters have just been cast out by their Tribe and their Fatima. They are battered, bruised, naked, and have recently had their soul ripped by the Fatima withdrawing her love. (For a description of a banishment ceremony see page 37 of the main rulebook). After the ceremony the characters were tied and dragged to the Circle of the Chosen, where they were either chained or tied to posts or staked out on the ground to await the coming of the beasts. Their former families have left them, and the only people left are the PCs and two others. Those others are Gabriel, a former Tera Sheban, and Laine, a former Dahlian. The scene at the very beginning of the adventure is the narrated section above. The clearing that the characters are in is not large, and is very dark from a combination of the new moon and the dense underbrush. Describe to the players the feelings of pain, of loss, and of the slow creeping fear the knowing the Z'bri are coming instills in them.

Tales of What Was

When you have set the scene, Laine will start to whimper and question why she was brought to this place. If the characters want to jump in and try to silence her, comfort her, or draw her story out from her let them. It will not be easy, but her story can eventually be worked out of her. If the characters try to escape at this point let them know that they are quite securely bound and weak from being cast out. If they want to try and can come up with a good plan (though it must be good, the Tribals who tied them here are not fools, and have done this before) then they can try to get out. The threshold to escape using athletics or any similar skill should be 8 to 10, depending on how clever the characters are.

Chances are the characters will not escape on their own, and they may be reluctant to jump in and start speaking in such a terrible environment. If none of the players jumps in, then Gabriel will tell the characters his story. Through out his tale his voice will remain low, bitter and filled with the seeds of a rage and hate that will blossom into a flame if Gabriel stays alive long enough:

"I was an advocate among the tribe of Tera Sheba. From the cradle I was taught that Law was the sole thing that separated us from the beasts and the serfs, the only thing that made us strong and pure. Without the Law we would be animals, goddessless and forsaken. I grew up believing those words, grew up to be strong in the Law.

"I knew the Law, I knew the importance of following it. So when I came upon the scene with the Evan and the Yagan nearly in blows, both angry and with violence in their eyes, I did not hesitate. I had my Joanite companions stop them both, and had them tell me their stories. I listened to the testimony of those who had seen the quarrel start. It was obvious to me that the Evan had been in the wrong -- he had tried to sell rotten fruit to the Yagan in return for a fine set of hides. I censured the Evan exactly according to the Law, not one hair more and not one hair less. I did as I was supposed to.

"The Evan, however, was not happy. His rage turned against me and he went to a Judge, a man I had once respected. He told the Judge that I had lied, had slandered him before the Law, and while he said it he mentioned his rich and powerful clan, his family's wealth, and how very happy they would be to have a Judge such as he to work with them.

"The Judge was swayed, was turned from the Law by these promises. He had me seized and held me at trial. The Law was perverted, and I was sentenced to be cast out for the 'crimes' I had committed. I railed, I yelled, I fought with all my knowledge -- but in the end it was useless. The Judge was a powerful man, and he crushed me under his word.

"I was angry then, but I still had hope -- hope that Tera Sheba would see the justice of my cause and overturn the verdict. But when she came before me, when she reached and ripped her love from me, I knew the truth. Tera Sheba does not follow the Law, she follows only her own power. I screamed at her, I denied her -- and for that hubris I was sent here."

When Gabriel finishes his story he will go silent for a long moment, watching the woods. He will then turn to the characters and ask them how they found themselves here, betraying and betrayed. Perceptive or Empathic characters may have noticed that while Gabriel spoke Laine went quiet, and their own fears seemed to die down -- the menace of the coming Z'bri seeming less immediate.

At this point you should encourage the characters to talk, to tell how it was that they fell. Depending on each player this can be handled in several ways. The character could be allowed to narrate what happened, as Gabriel did, or they could be helped out by the group playing out a short scene around their former life that lead to their banishment. It is a good idea if you have a few ideas for how the characters could have fallen if any of the players get stuck in trying to come up with their story. Have everyone work together to weave the story of how they all came to be in this horrid place. Let everyone have input, and work together to create the stories of the past.

Also if any of the characters who have not chosen an outlook seem particularly bitter or hateful towards their old Tribe or Fatima, you may wish to make note of it or suggest to them that their character may be headed towards the path of a Herite.

When all the characters have had a chance to tell their stories, or when they start to get free of their bonds if they somehow think of a way to get free, the Z'bri will start to come for them. In this case the Z'bri who have won the right to take the characters are a small group of Koleris, who intend to frighten the characters and turn their minds into pools of rage and fear before the eviscerate them and eat them alive.

The first sign that the characters have of the Koleris approach is the sudden feeling of rage and fury that overcomes them. The stories of woe they just heard will suddenly become insults, slights and taunts to mock and belittle each other. Laine's whimpers of fear will make the characters despise her, make them want to kill her in horrible ways just to shut her up and make her stop being so pathetic. The memories of their banishment will drive the characters to fury, making them want to murder their whole families.

Make the characters feel it, make them play out the rage that comes with the Koleris atmosphere. Even those who are able to resist with a PSY roll will still be full of rage; they will simply be able to control it better. Encourage the players to show their character's anger, to describe how the characters feel to the degree that your group feels comfortable with.

At this point it is quite likely that the characters will try to escape again. Once again they will need a plan, or some course of action that will allow them to escape. Due to the Koleris atmosphere's effect most of the characters will be at a -1 to all rolls that involve thought or restraint. Some characters may try to rip free of their bonds with pure strength. Actually breaking free would require a STR roll with a threshold of 7+, and would inflict a light wound from the damage and cuts the ropes would do to their arms. A botch on the roll exhausts the character and causes a deep wound as they tear their wrists open on the ropes.

Whether or not any characters get free the Koleris will wait till their atmosphere is well established, and then will begin to howl. The sound of their mad rage will fill the air with fury and fear, seeming to tear at the ears and rip at human hearts and minds like bloody fangs. From near silence the woods about the Circle will explode in a cacophony of rage and hate, thundering howls of pain and terror. Mood music is a very good thing at this point.

If any of the characters have gotten free they must now make a WIL roll vs 5 to stay and help their fellows get free. Anyone who fails the roll runs into the woods, and anyone who botches it faints dead away.

Allow the characters a chance to try to escape, allow them to react and describe how their characters deal with the sudden fear and hate. Give them enough time to all have a chance to shine, then move on before the scene can lose its power.

Avenging Angels

Just when the characters are starting to give up hope the cavalry arrives. A group of Jackers has been tracking the Koleris pack that is menacing the characters, and arrives just in time to forestall the attack for a few moments.

How the Jackers come onto the scene depends largely upon the characters. If none of the characters have managed to get free, then the Jackers will creep in close, then light torches and charge into the clearing in order to startle the Koleris and temporarily drive them back. Their arrival should seem like a godsend to the characters, and will help make them favorably disposed towards the idea of being Fallen themselves. After all, if these men came and saved them and fought back the Z'bri, then the Fallen cannot be as bad as the Tribes say they are.

If some or all of the characters have escaped and run from the clearing then they can stumble into the Jackers in the dark. If the characters are running in a panic then the Jackers will try to stop them without injuring them too badly. If the characters are making a more ordered retreat then they may meet up with the Jackers on their own. In either case the Jackers will quickly figure out who the characters are, and will suggest they join forces to stop the Koleris. The Jackers' leader, Diarmet, will point out that the characters have a better chance of surviving if they stay with an armed and ready group of hunters than if they flee naked into the woods. If anyone is still left at the Circle then the Jackers will go back to free them, taking the characters along if possible.

Once the Jackers have the characters all together they will circle the characters in a loose ring while Rolf, their scout, cuts any ties that bind them. Once the characters are freed they will be given what weapons the Jackers can spare -- probably a spear or a short-sword for every character. Anyone who cannot fight will be moved into the center of the clearing and given a staff and told to use it to keep any beast that comes near away.

Once the characters are armed and ready, Diarmet will speak to them in low tones while watching the woods. He will tell them that the Koleris they are fighting will attack in a mad rush, and that if they want to live they must keep their heads. He will suggest that the characters help each other, attacking distracted opponents and teaming up on the beasts whenever possible. Once a few words of caution and warning are given he will fall silent, and then in a grim voice tell the characters to get ready -- the Z'bri are returning.

The Stand

The Koleris will attack in a mad rush, appearing out of the woods all about the characters and the Jackers. The Koleris group consists of several Iv'chet and a dozen or so weres (a kind of Gek'roh), full stats for the weres are in the Weaver's resources section. Once the attack starts there will be no pause and no quarter given till one side breaks and flees or is eradicated.

The Jackers will take the initial brunt of the charge, and will become engaged with the Z'bri warriors. While the armed and armored Jackers struggle with the Iv'chet some of the weres will slip past them and will move to mangle, mutilate, and kill the characters.

Be sure to describe the horror and confusion of the Z'bri attack. The woods will explode into blood and fear in a single second. Inhuman forms with clashing teeth and cutting claws will swarm into the characters' position. In the dark and with the panic and rage of combat it can quickly become difficult to tell friend from foe and even experienced warriors (such as ex-Joanites) can easily be confused, torn down, and killed. (All of which, by the way, makes for excellent opportunities to use botched combat sense and melee rolls -- panicking and running or stabbing a friend are all quite possible here.)

The weres will fight ferociously, but without much in the way of tactics. They simply attempt to rend and tear, causing pain and rage before death. If the characters can keep their heads they should be able to use maneuvers like keep at bay and defensive blows to slow the berserk charge and gain an advantage.

How many weres there are depends upon how many characters you have, and on their relative combat skills. The weres are tough opponents, and the characters, though armed with the Jackers' extra weapons, are only lightly armed and unarmored. In general one were for every combat heavy character (ex-Joanite Templar type), one were for every two combat capable characters (ex-Agnite scout), and one were for every three non-combative characters (someone with no melee, hand to hand, etc) should push the characters right to the edge.

If the characters start to get into trouble, let them sweat for a time. If it gets really bad, however, have the Jackers break in to save them. Diarmet is a particularly terrible force in battle, and could show up at the last minute to cut a were down before it can kill a character. On the other hand if the characters do very well then you may want to allow them to help turn the tide on the Koleris Iv'chet - helping the Jackers rather than the other way around.

When the weres are all dead (as they rarely retreat) the Iv'chet will break and flee into the woods. The Jackers will not follow immediately, and will dissuade the characters from doing so, as Diarmet suspects that there is a lord someplace out there -- the band's leader did not show up in the melee. The Koleris' atmosphere will quickly fade from the air, and the characters will have (hopefully) survived their first battle with the Z'bri.

If your characters do not have Outlooks at this point in the game, watch for any character who lashes out at the Z'bri with exceptional hatred or skill. You might want to point them towards the path of the Jacker.

Once the Z'bri are driven off or killed, the Jackers will help the characters tend to the wounded and will gather them into a group to discuss what should be done next. Diarmet and the rest of the Jackers have little time for the characters now for their prey is broken and fleeing, and they know that now is their best time to strike. They will tell the characters that they are going on, and that the characters must see to themselves. If any characters wish to accompany the Jackers, Diarmet will put them off and turn them down, pointedly if need be. He will point out that the characters are weak, tired, ill armed and injured and that he and his men must move fast into hostile territory.

The Jackers are not heartless, however, and will not leave the characters alone and naked. They will scrounge up a few odd and ill-fitting bits of clothing for the characters, and offer to let them keep the weapons that they were given before. They will also suggest that the characters head for Hom, where they will be safe.

The main group of Jackers will then start getting ready to go back to their hunt, leaving the character group to decide for themselves what they should do. One of the Jackers' group, however, will stay behind to help advise the characters. Rolf, who is not a Jacker but is simply helping out Diarmet, will give the characters council about the best routes to take. He will not, however, tell them what to do or how to do it -- just help them figure out their own path. If the characters are nice to Rolf, or if they seem truly desperate, he will agree to come with them to help them get safely back to Hom. He'll tell them that now that Diarmet has the trail of the Z'bri he doesn't really need Rolf's help as a scout anymore. Diarmet will be unhappy about the decision, but will allow Rolf to go if the PC group can convince him that they need Rolf's help.

At this point the characters should be allowed to start taking over the story. Till now they've been forced to react to things beyond their control going on around them. Let them now start taking a hand in choosing their own fate and deciding their own course of action. Use Rolf as your mouthpiece to advise them if they get stuck, but remember that Rolf is not a leader and will not start telling people what to do.

There are a few things, however, that the characters should be made aware of if they don't figure them out on their own. First is that they should stay as far away from any densely settled Tribal areas as possible. They are now outcasts, and likely to be attacked on sight. Second, they should avoid the Great Hill, the Stone Shores, and Mortuary at all costs. All of those places are well guarded and full of people who like nothing more than to hurt Fallen trespassers onto their lands. Third, going to the Great River is an option, but unless the characters have someone among them who is experienced with the River it will probably just end up getting them drowned. Going to the Keepers is also a bad option, as they are not known for being friendly to half naked savages with spears who blunder into their homes. Finally is that to both the north and east are the Z'bri lands, which are even more dangerous than the tribal lands. To the east and west the Seven Fingers stretch out for miles (and the west is further blocked by the Canal), and so if the characters want to get anyplace remotely safe they need to head south, at least at first. If any of the characters have any Vimary Lore, or navigation skills they can easily figure all this out. With a successful roll vs a threshold of 4 they can also know that they are just a bit north of the central tower of the Seven Fingers, which should allow them to fix their position in their minds.

The characters' best bet, and the course of action that Rolf and Gabriel will both support the most strongly, is to try to sneak around the edge of the Seven Fingers. Then they can make their way through the Discarded Lands till they can find a place to sneak between the Stone Shores and the Great Hill into Bazaar. From there they can make their way into Hom.

If your characters have not chosen Outlooks yet, watch this scene carefully. Anyone who takes the lead here and helps to organize and hold together the group may start down the path of a Lightbringer.

In this section the characters make their way across Vimary, trying to find their way to the dubious safety of Hom. They must avoid the Joanite patrols, the watch, and the suspicious eyes of the Nation. Once on Hom they must decide whether they will stand together as a new Cell, or if they will try to make their way alone in a harsh and dangerous world.

Though it is only about 12 clicks from the Circle to Hom, those 12 clicks (12 kilometers or about 7 and a half miles) are long clicks. They are filled with enemies, dangerous animals, prowling things, traps and pits and every manner of outdoor hazard imaginable. The characters, lightly armed, poorly clothed, and supposedly dead, will have their work cut out for them to make it across that distance.

Past the Towers Grim and Somber

The characters will probably want to get past the defensive wall of the Seven Fingers so that they can make their way across the safer lands to the south. The problem is that the Joanites who guard the towers are more likely to spit the characters and leave them to feed bugs than to let them pass peacefully. Unless the characters have some special advantage or connection then they are going to have to sneak across the wall in order to make their way to Hom.

The Seven Fingers are towers, each a fort built by the Joanites to withstand assault by the Z'bri to the north. All are well patrolled, and are guarded by entire clans of Joanite warriors. Between each tower is a long stretch of ancient blacktop, raised off the ground on an artificial hill. All the underpasses and easy ways through this wall have been sealed off with wreckage from the world before. Though the wall is fairly well patrolled, it is a long stretch of territory and cannot have the same close guard that the towers have.

The characters best bet is to carefully scout out a section of wall and to learn the timing of the guards there. Remember, however, that the Joanites are not stupid, nor are they bumbling, foolish machines. Unlike many guards in roleplaying games the Joanites are intelligent and dedicated to their jobs. The characters will have to work to get past them, and cannot simply stroll through without a pause or worry.

When running this scene it might help to think of things from the Joanites' point of view first. Think -- if you were the thin red line between your whole family and the horror of the Z'bri, and their safety, health, and welfare meant that you let nothing through your watch -- how seriously would you take your job? The Joanites are very serious about their job, and while they might hesitate to charge out into the darkness alone, they are on the whole a dedicated, intelligent, and courageous bunch. This does not mean that they cannot be tricked, seduced, or led astray -- simply that doing so will not be easy.

They are also an understaffed bunch at the moment. The characters can get past them if they use their heads and watch and figure things before simply trying to burst through. It is also very likely that the characters will want to try synthesis at this point -- as several eminences would work wonders in sneaking past the guards (Shadows, Illusion, Motion, and Capriciousness being just a few). Don't let this opportunity pass unnoticed. The characters will probably be attempting synthesis for the first time since their banishment (though some may have tried it in the Stand, the truth is that synthesis is difficult to use in the middle of a skirmish). Play up upon the significance of the moment: the first contact with the River without the touch of the Fatima, the feeling of personal power and relief, the beating pulse of using Dream in order to save one's life from a desperate situation -- all these and more should be given their proper weight.

If the characters are captured by the Joanites they will have an uncomfortable night. They will likely be beaten quite harshly (especially if they tried to injure or kill any Joanite when they crossed the wall), and will be held in cells too small to lie down in till the middle of the next day. Then the commander of the tower they were taken to will come and have them stripped and cast naked out of the tower. Which side of the wall they are cast out on depends on what kind of impression they are able to make...

If the characters are slightly luckier and make it across the wall but are noticed they will have to run and hide for most of the night. The Joanites will not give up on their pursuit until they are certain that the characters are not dangerous to anyone in Vimary. Though the characters may be able to lose the Joanites for a time, they will keep coming back till the characters make it to Hom or are captured.

In the best case for the characters they will be able to slip past the wall without attracting any lingering Joanite attention. If they do so then they will be free for most of the rest of the night -- as most of the good people of Vimary are abed and asleep.

Through the Dark of Night

Though the good people of Vimary may not be an issue while the sun is still down, that leaves a large number of people and things still out there and stalking the characters. The nights of Vimary can be alive with stalking Z'bri, hunting wolves, Zoms, Keepers on secret missions, and a million other things besides.

Rolf will suggest that the characters make their way into the wastelands and the edge of the Rift. There they can slip through the Discarded Lands with relatively little chance of getting caught by a Tribal patrol. He will admit, however, that there are things other than Tribals who walk the night.

In the end the characters have to choose what route they follow, and what choices they make. For that reason no detailed survey of encounters is given here. Instead here are a few ideas you can use and modify depending on what the characters do.

• In the wastelands there are groups of Squats who are just trying to survive in the cast off places. The characters could stumble across a group of these. How they react to the characters depends on how the characters treat them. Suspicion and angry protective instincts are likely to dominate the early meeting, but the truth is that the Squats are not looking for a fight -- and may even accept overtures of friendship. If pressed to it though they will fight like cornered rats.

• If the characters pass too close to the Great Hill they may find themselves wandering into the Grave Field of Mortuary. As Fallen they would not be welcome in such a sacred place (though any ex-Yagan might feel pangs of homesickness nearly beyond resisting). Just when the characters are realizing where they are a group of Mordreds (out late for a ceremony) comes upon signs that the characters are in their lands and start to track them. The characters then have to flee from enemies even more potent and terrible than the Joanites. If the characters get trapped they could receive help from an unquiet ghost who wishes to see his descendants live free....

• Moving through Playground or Bazaar late at night the characters draw the attention of a pack of Agnites. Knowing that they will not be punished for anything they do to the Fallen, they decide to play a game of hide and go seek with the characters -- using poisoned darts and clever traps to convince the adults to play. Any who try to "cheat" by attacking the Agnites find themselves the victim of an Innocence aspect. To escape the characters either have to lose the Agnites on their own ground, or figure out that the Agnites have sent one of their own to hide someplace safe (Rolf could point this out if the characters are in too deep). If the characters can find the hidden one then the Agnites will not only let the characters go, they will help them to the Fallen Bridge.

If all went well the characters will be reaching the Fallen Bridge at about the time that the sun is rising over Vimary. Longer delays will, of course, press the time back a bit. Only one last obstacle separates the characters from their new home -- the Fallen Bridge and the Joanites guarding it.

This time the characters may not be able to sneak through. The Great River is running high and rough, and the Keepers who sometimes boat across are no place to be found. Nothing is left to the characters but to walk proudly across the bridge and deal with the scorn of the Joanite guards.

Though the characters may be fearful of worse, the Joanites will only push the characters about a bit, using hard words and an occasional fist to try and strip the characters of their dignity. As it is unlikely the characters have much in the way of goods the Joanites will quickly tire of them, however, looking for someone with something worth confiscating. After one last scornful slap from the Tribes the characters will be free in their new home.

A Cell

Once past the Fallen Bridge, Rolf will lead the characters to the Shelter. He will use his connections there to make sure that the characters will have a place to say and food to eat, but will explain that it won't last. Things are hard on Hom, and there isn't enough to go around as is. The characters will have a few days to get on their feet, but then they are going to have to stand or fall on their own.

At this point the characters will be exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. They will have been beaten, cast out, left as a sacrifice, nearly destroyed by Z'bri, and chased across the night. They will be in a place of strangers once Rolf leaves, and will have only each other to lean upon. Rolf, Gabriel, or one of the Lightbringers at the Shelter will probably suggest to the characters that as they have come this far together that they stay together -- mutual aid and protection in a harsh world.

What the characters choose is their choice, and their fate.

Gabriel

Gabriel was one of the rare Tera Shebans who did not care about personal glory, or pride, or putting his Tribe before all others. He cared deeply and personally about justice and about doing what was right. From his youngest days all he wanted to be was a Judge, someone that could help make Vimary a purer, better place.

In the end his righteousness gained him nothing but pain. When he would not back off from a judgement he had made that turned out to be politically inconvenient he crossed a powerful Judge and his clan. The result was Gabriel's fall, cast out by the hand of his own people.

Now Gabriel's bitterness knows no bounds. In time he may return to the ideal of justice, though perhaps with a different focus, but for now all he can think about is the lie that he sees his life as being. Angry, driven, and hard he is still a very intelligent man and can be of endless help to the characters. Once on Hom (if he lives) he will be drawn powerfully towards the Herites, though his personal code of honor will compel him to remain close to the characters that helped save his life.

Highlights: Bitter, honorable, determined.

Eminences: Truth and (eventually) Recognition

Attributes: PER +1, KNO +2, WIL +2. STA 30, UD 3, AD 3

Skills: Combat Sense 1/+1, Etiquette 1/0, Human Perception 2/0, Investigation 2/+1, Law 2/+2, Lore (Vimary) 1/+2, Read/Write 1/+2.

Laine

Beautiful, young, and spoiled beyond words Laine was the daughter of a Little Trickster and grew up following no will but her own. She went where she wanted when she wanted and talked to anyone in anyway she pleased. As she grew and became lovely and lithe she learned to turn the affections of men to her own will, and her arrogance only grew.

Things went wrong for Laine when she joined a new caravan after her coming of age. The Little Trickster there took poorly to her games, and the relationship between the two grew more and more bitter and ugly. Finally one night the Little Trickster told Laine that she had to do as she was told, for it was the will of Dahlia. Laine responded in high heat, yelling that she cared not for Dahlia's will.

Before her eyes the Little Trickster melted, replaced with Dahlia's laughing masks. Before she could adjust to the horror of what had happened Dahlia dragged Laine before her caravan. Her judgement was harsh and fast, and left Laine broken in mind and spirit -- a wretched whimpering thing.

Laine is not beyond hope, and if the characters can keep her alive through the horrors of the first night she may someday become a worthy member of a Fallen cell.

Highlights: Enticing, elusive, erotic. (Once she's recovered that is, before that she is sobbing, broken, and pathetic.)

Eminencies: Illusion and (eventually) Freedom

Attributes: AGI +2, APP +2, FIT +1, STA 25, UD 3, AD 3.

Skills: Acrobatics 1/+2, Athletics 1/+1, Dance 2/+2, Dodge 1/+2, Human Perception 1/0, Seduction 2/+2.

Rolf

Rolf is a survivor. A former Agnite Breeder he was cast out of the Tribes for wanting to learn about things from before the Fall. When the hardships of exile should have killed him, he prospered instead. Now, almost eight summers after his fall, he is a hardened man. He sometimes goes out with Diarmet and his Jackers, acting as a scout for them. He enjoys the thrill, and loves being able to associate with such dangerous men.

Rolf has a Cell of his own, however, that is not connected to Diarmet. With two of his friends he spends a great deal of time exploring the wilds around Vimary. Exploring and finding new paths to old things are his passions.

For more on Rolf see The Weavers Screen and Assistant, page 39.

Highlights: Brisk, moody, cynical.

Eminences: Inspiration, Shadows

Attributes: BLD +1, FIT +1, KNO +1, WIL +2, STA 35, AD 7, UD 5.

Skills: Archery 2/0, Combat Sense 2/0, Dodge 2/0, Lore (Joshua) 1/+1, Melee 2/0, Navigation (land) 2/+1, Sneak 2/0, Survival 2/0, Synthesis (Wonder) 2.

Diarmet

An ex-Joanite and a leader among the Jackers, Diarmet is possibly the best swordsman that has ever lived. Those who have seen him fight insist that he can't be fully human: some spirit must have given him gifts to let him move the way he does. Faster than belief and trained since childhood with the blade, the man seems more a force of nature than a warrior. Unfortunately, he also lacks anything like control in a battle, going into a silent rage that blinds him to consequences. Once blades are drawn the fight will not end until Diarmet or his opponent are dead.

Compounding this problem is the fact that Diarmet is also a man who is stubborn to the point of stupid, and who never gives an inch when he thinks he is right. He was cast out of the tribes after he dared to publicly challenge a Tera Sheban's verdict. In front of a host of witnesses he called the judge a liar, a cheat, and accused him of letting personal prejudice taint his decisions. When the judge responded that he had no will but the will of the Fatima, Diarmet cried out that Tera Sheba must be a blind liar as well. The result of this bit of stubborn idiocy left Diarmet cast out the tribes minus his right eye.

Unfortunately Diarmet didn't learn his lesson. That he still believes that he did nothing wrong and that the Judges are all corrupt and must be cleansed led him to become an influential member of the Jackers, with no few friends among the violent Herites.

Luckily for the characters this violent, angry man is on their side this night. Having tracked a group of Koleris Z'bri for nearly a week now he finally finds them just as they are about to slay the characters. Diarmet leads his group it to save the characters, but then leaves them behind to face their fate alone.

Highlights: Violent, Stubborn, Angry

Eminencies: Fury and Vengeance

Attributes: Agi +3, Bld +1, Fit +1, Will +2. STA 35, AD 10, UD 9

Skills: Melee 5/+3, Dodge 3/+3, Hand to Hand 4/+3, Combat Sense 3/0, Tactics 2/0.

Notes: Diarmet is a plot device, pure and simple. No reasonable character has a Melee score of 5/+3, and Diarmet only has it so that he can save the characters lives if they get in real trouble.

Z'bri Monsters: The Weres

Weres are force-mated Serfs, a Z'bri formed evolutionary monstrosity. They are related to the Gek'roh (though less powerful and more savage) and must be controlled lest they run riot. Even on mission, an Iv'chet pack master accompanies the Weres and directs their actions. Due to their savagery and near-berserk temperaments the Z'bri hold these beasts in reserve, releasing them only to overwhelm and eradicate enemies.

The Weres that the characters face in this adventure are part-human, part-wolf. They are mad and mindless things that strive only to slay with the unnaturally huge claws that sprout from their hands and feet (both of which are twisted in between a paw and a human limb). They bite and claw with great speed, but have no tactics at all.

For more on Weres see Horrors of the Z'bri page 115.

Highlights: Rabid and mad

Attributes: AGI +2, BLD +3, FIT +2, INS +1, PER +1, WIL +3, STR +2, HEA +2, STA 50, UD 5.

Skills: Combat Sense 3/+1, Dodge 2/+2, Hand to Hand 2/+2, Intimidate 2/+3, Notice (Tracking) 1/+1.

Special Abilities: Bite (UD + 8), Claws (UD + 7), Bone Protrusions (UD + 6).

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