Fábio Emilio Costa

Os Cacarecos do Fábio

The Monolyth from the Past

15 Aug 2016

The Demiurge. A Mystery from the ancient past. They dominated Umdaar, tamed Nature, and were Masters of Knowledge only dreamed now.

And as mysteriously they came, they left Umdaar.

To the power vacuum left by the Demiurge, the cruel Masters of Umdaar had ascended. Cruel, bestial, merciless upstart despots, they try to obtain as much power as possible for their evil, selfish objectives by any means, so they can enhance even more their cruel yoke in the Dark Dominions.

But a Resistence flourished: the Lands of Light, a coalision of free people risen themselves to fight the Masters. Matriarchs and Patriarchs that congregates and unites the free people, and the Runekeepers and Archeonauts, researchers and people that investigate and recover the relics from the past, the Artifacts of Power and pieces of lost knowledge from the Demiurge, putting them away from the Masters.

You are one of those Archeonauts: by using your knowledge and skills learned by experience and talent into surviving the Wildlands and enter the Demiurge’s ruins, temples and centers of lost knowledge.

Maybe you’re a Monk from an Elysium, one of the rarest places that, thanks the tradition or power, even the Masters are not fool enought to invade (at least by now). Maybe you’re one of the many non-human races from Umdaar, with strange powers and even more forms, like the Usato, rabbitmen from the Green Valley, with strong haunches and feets and even stronger minds. Or even one of the rare people that are somewhat heirs of power items from the Age of the Demiurges, and even before: weapons and equipment that only you know how to use or is able to use, an heirloom from the ages of past, where Umdaar was a happier planet.

No matter what, your Destiny is to find this powers to, maybe someday, defeat the….

MASTERS OF UMDAAR!!!

Previously, in Masters of Umdaar…

The Demiurge was an ancient civilization, about which very few is known. It’s known that they were Lords of Nature, taming it using knowledge and Artifacts lost in the past, and that they disappeared mysteriously, as there was no signal of their motives to disappear (or the reason of their demise). Also is known that the Power from the Masters of Umdaar is in fact provided by Artifacts they recovered and knowledge they exploited by their own selfish ends, using the Demiurge’s powers to upstart themselves.

This motivates lots of Archeonauts to left the safety in the Lands of Light, cozy places in the harshness of Umdaar where the Resistance against the Masters thrives to grow, to explore old ruins and temples to find the Demiurge’s Artifacts before the Masters, gathering power that can be used, in the future, to thraw the Masters and free Umdaar from them.

One of the most known Lands of Light is the region near Fartime Monastery, a place so ancient that is respect as an Elysium, places where all physical violence is forbidden. A tradition upheld by the Monks and Element-Tamers from the Fartime Monastery, the Elysium covers all the land into a 60-kilometer (approx. 38 miles) radius from the Monastery, and they are considered Sacred Land, a refugee for everyone that needs it.

The Monks are the justice upholders in the region, Bloodshed in the Elysium results into the Aphostasia, a formal declaration of the monks that the person is persona non grata, and so should be forsaken and despised. Even the Masters have not the nerve to challenge the Monks and destroy the Elysium (by now, at least), because it’s known that the Monks are superb fighters when needed and they have ancient knowledge into their libraries that even the Masters treat as useful.

However, recently an old Demiurge structure ressurged into the Elysium, a old memento left behind by the Demiurge, and about which even the Monastery knows very little. The big, white Monolyth shown itself, big enough to shadow the Monastery and go over the Peak from the Seven Spears, the mountains that make frontier between the Elysium and some of the Wildlands.

It’s known that the Monoloyth was built in the Age of the Demiurge, and its white and smooth walls can not be scaled or invaded by any known mean. There’s Only Four Entrances, one into each Cardinal Point.

Certainly the Monolyth was a kind of Center of Knowledge in the Demiurge Age, this is known. The ones who knows the legends involving the Monolyth (Superb (+5) checks) knows that the Monolyth was an Culture and Information repository for the Demiurges. Even the Fartime Monks never entered the Monolyth, although they compiled legends and interviews and notations and quotes for those who entered and survided it.

To avoid that people that should not have access to the Monolyth could have it, the Monolyth was provided with many kinds of defense. Their Entrances, one for each cardinal point, are the only way to get into it. And many entered it, but only few exited it. Those ones talked ghastly stories about creatures armed with all kind of powerful Demiurge weapons, whose appeareance could shatter a man’s sanity like a Raptor could rip off a baby.

The only conclusion every sage came is that the Monolyth is One of the Last sources for Deiurge Knowledge that still can be found in Umdaar. Maybe a library, maybe an weaponry, many are preparing themselves to try to get into the Monolyth and try their luck. They have to do this as soon as possible, anyway, as is known that it Disappears like a mirage, as all the legends says, from the time the Demiurge disappeared and many time before the rising of the Masters.

The PCs are all Archeonauts that are taking some resting time in the Elysium, taking the good food and powerful bread from it, as this is one of the most fertile places in Umdaar, and the voyagers influx provides the Monastery with information, that register them in thomes from centuries before the Age of Demiurges.

The PCs already had clashed blades against the Masters’ troops and lieutenants, people that serves Masters like Skarsh, Master of the K’tor, serpent-men with ancient magical powers and fewer enemies, or Sarim, the Grah’or, master of giant and primitive men from the hill, as power hungry as is blood hungry, end even Rhangtor, the Ancient One, someone that found old life maintenance secrets from the time of the Demiurge.

No matter why, the PCs are taking some time when everyone grew awefull by seeing the Monolyth, white and big, reflecting the light of Umdaar’s twin suns: if they know some legends about the Monolyth, they’ll know (Fair (+2) Check) that the Monolyth was absent for at least 200 years.

Then, the adventure starts.

Scene 1 - The Drunken Monk

The PCs are resting in one of the villages into the Elysium. Asking them what they did, while they are drinking some local wine, healing wounds and gloating about their feats (or thinking where things gone to the dogs). Anyway, this is a time for celebration, if for nothing else, for being alive (which is a great thing in Umdaar, being an Archeonaut).

The Monolyth appeareance is hot news: minstrels and bards sings legends and ballads related with the Monolyth from the Past, and about how many get in but not get out. Some information they’ll receive from the bards:

  • There’s lots of creatures at the Monolyth, and many of them challenge the sanity
  • The Monolyth was created by the Demiurge as a Courage Task
  • It is the Ultimate Library from the Demiurge, holding the best and the most of their knowledge
  • There’s a Judge in the Monolyth that decides who get it and, over all, who get out, the Monolyth
  • Many Heroes and Villains from the past entered the Monolyth. Some get out with treasures, knowledge, Artifacts. Some were glad to get out with their lives. Many were not that lucky
  • The Monolyth challenge those who enter it in all kind of tasks: strenght, courage, character, etc…
  • The Judge is a crazy sadistic guy.

Lots of this is truth, but by now this doesn’t matter: in all that merriment, a Drunken Monk will question the characters about the Lands of Light: although (or maybe bacause of) the no violence rule in the Elysium, Recruitment and Spying are common activities at the Elysium. The Fartime Monks learned to be cautious about the messages they pass around, even at the Elysium: the Masters can be (and are, as the PCs will find) monitoring the Monks’ activities, specially when there’s juicy information that can be obtained. A Fair (+2) Careful check will be enough for the PCs see that the Monk is only half-drunk, and he invites the PCs to drink and talk at the Thousand Leagues Inn

Tarond, Drunken Monk

Fartime Monk, Always drunk; As lucidier as Drunk he is;

  • Skilled (+2) at: Drink; Fight weirdly; Being Lucid
  • Ruim (-2) em: Being Sober
  • Drunken Technique: +2 em their Attacks and Defenses while Drunk

Tarond will ask for two jugs of wine: one for himself and another to the PCs. Although he drinks a lot, and was already Drunk when the PCs encounter him, he’s very strong to drink, and he looks very lucid. It’s like the alcohol make him even more lucidier than sober. It’s like the booze opened his mind.

Tarond will talk them about the Monolyth legend, and will say him this:

“The registries affirm surely that the Judge allows anyone that asks for something specific to get out the Monolyth as soon they get what they want, if they still respect the Monolyth rules. Getting in “just because” is a straight line for death, but asking for ‘worthful challenge’ is something allowed: it’s said that at anytime someone recognized a challenge the Judge provided him as worthy and chosed to be enough, he can get out the Monolyth alive and with any items he conquered before.”

Truth there: the Monolyth from the Past in fact Was made to try the fittest one (this is one of the Monolyth’s Aspects) with All kinds of different and dangerous challenges. Tarond will confirm that all the Challenges are dreadful and dificult, but not necessarily mortal. Apparently the challenges are not cruel enough to give death for those who recognize their own weakness. Barbarism, Arrogance and Foolishness are the main reason for Death at the Monolyth, at least if the legends are true.

The Monks will asks for the PCs to investigate the real facts about the Monolyth and discover the truth about the legends: although there was registries about it, they are Incomplete, Contradictory and otherwise non-reliable. If the PCs asks for rewards, remember that the Fartime Monastery is a first-time ally for the Lands of Light, and that there’ll be lots of Artifacts into the Monolty, and some of them the PCs will could hold for them.

Any PC that pass into Great (+4) Clever checks will note that they are being observed by a group of Mephitas Spies, that will run away as soon they discover the reason Tarond talked with the PCs:

Mephita Spies

  • Half-Skunk Beastmen Rangers and Spies; Coward servants for the Masters
  • Skilled (+2) at: Run away; Use their stink; Attack in numbers
  • Bad (-2) at: Being courageous when in disadvantage
    • Stink: +2 when Creating Advantages related with their Stink. As an option, once per session, during an Conflict, bring an Awful stink Aspect with a Free Invoke, by forteiting his action and being Disarmed from it
  • Party’s objective: avoid the Mephitas’ runaway and capture them
  • Mephitas’s objective: Make at least one of them get away with the information for their Master
  • Recommended Scene Type: Challenge. The Elysium forbids all the Physical Combat on it
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: No blood should be shed into the Elysium; “What an Awful Smell!”
  • Success: They capture the Mephita and can interrogate them
  • Failure: The Mephita run away with the informations about the Monolyth for their Master

The Mepitha (singual Mephitus) are a kind of half-skunk people, like the Usato and other beastmen. They live in many places, specially in the so called Skunk Haven, a place with lots of sulphureous geisers whose awful smell make everyone else avoid it. Although the Mephitas being part of the Lands of Light and not being evil per-se, they have a bad reputation on the number of thieves and riffraff in them. Thre is even some Mephita that, by their own accord, join the Masters’ ranks.

This group will run away, giving start for the Challenge.

There is 6 Mephita, that will split themselves into two groups, so you’ll need to solve two Challenges between part of the PCs and 3 Mephita. The standard procedure for each of them is that one of them uses its Stink  to creat Distractions for the pursuers or to choke them or make them getting into another way, while the other go away. The PCs can do their checks normally to stay into the Challenge or try to remove the Stink. If they want to just get through the Stink, asks for Fair (+2)  checks: if they fails, but want a Success with a Cost, considers they received a Mild Consequence Smelling like a Skunk.

Anyway, if at least one of the Mephita run away, their Master will know about the Monolyth. Capturing the Mephista will also nullify their Stink: by just doing a very tight knot into ther tails they’ll put on them a No more Stink Aspect

This maybe turns things clear for the PCs: they’ll have to go for the Monolyth and discover as much they can about it, to avoid that the Masters of Umdaar put their evil hands on them.

Scene 2 - The Gate

There’s no need to run: the Giant Monolyth will not disappear that early. As soon they decide they’re ready (and give them as much time as the want to ready themselves for the challenge), they’ll go to the Monolyth, via the South Gate.

As they get near the Monolyth, the size of the Monolyth will be even more evident: it is near the frontier between the Elysium with the _Seven Spears Mountains’ Path. The PCs starts to feel the terrible size as _The Monolyth grows bigger and bigger, as they get near the South Gate. The white light from the Monolyth _Hurts to look during the day, but there’s lots of little water streams and little bushes full on edible berries.

When they came into the Gate, they’ll see a group coming to the East Gate: it’s the Mephita’s Master! If the PCs thinks on trying anything, remember they are still in the Elysium, so combat is still forbidden. And anyway, the best to do is to left the Master get into the Gate and get first where anywhere he wants.

The Gate is made on some kind of glass-like material, silvery and with eerie images on it. Otherwise the gate, there’s no kind of door or window into this cyclopic Monolyth, with its 10 kilometer of watery smooth wall. The Gate is 10 meter high, 5 meter wide, and there’s no keyhole or knob. In fact,  The Gate is as solid and smooth  as the rest of the Monolyth. However, as soon as a PC touches the door, some letters will shine and a voice will echoes and says:

“O stranger that wants so dearly the power of my Masters! I, the Judge, says, mark my words: I’ll Judge you. No knowledge, no technology, no equipment, nothing should be taken for granted. I’ll not test you as you want: I’ll test you as you DESERVES to. The Fittest will always have power. And your test starts… NOW!”

At this time, the Gate will turn into a kind of silvery goo and molds itself into a weird Clone  of the PC that touched the Gate:

Clone Gate

  • Acts like the one it cloned
  • Skilled (+2) at: doing what the cloned PC would do
  • Bad (+2) at: everything else
    • Extra Clones: can bring another Clone from another PC of the Party. This clone can be used to help the Clone Gate via Teamwork
  • Party’s objective: Defeat the Clone to get into the Monolyth
  • Clone’s objective: Make the PCs get in and run away from the Gate
  • Recommended Scene Type: Cliffhanger. The Clone Objective in fact is to put the Party adaptation capacity in check
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: Running away is an option; Adaptation is the way
  • Avoiding the Cliffhanger: only by avoiding the Clone Gate. However, this will not make the Clone free them to get into. No kind of convincing will work.
  • Victory: The Gate Clone reverts to the silvery goo and goes back as the Gate and opens the access to the Monolyth
  • Partial Defeat (Party concede): The Clone reverts to the silvery goo and goes back as the Gate, but they’ll need to try back the challenger
  • Defeat: The Clone take some important equipment or blocks some important skill from the Cloned PC

The Clone will go for a battle, but in fact its objective is test how the party deals with adversity. To do is, it assumes a Cloned form based on the PC that touched the Gate. This will be importante because the Cliffhanger difficulties will be based into the cloned’s PC Approaches. All the PCs can work on this, but at each Exchange only one PC can try on for the Victories or not. But the others could act by Creating Advantages actions or via Teamwork.

Cliffhanger - The Gate Clone

Level Difficulty Reason
Epic (+7) Original’s Good (+3) The Clone knows how the PC acts, and so he can impose a great defense for the Party
Superb (+5) Original’s Fair (+2) The Clone has some knowledge on how the PC acts, so the Defense is a little better then normal
Good (+3) Original’s Average (+1) The Clone knows the PC is not that good on this, so the Party can work their way into the Clone’s Defense
Average (+1) Original’s Medíocre (+0) The Clone can’t work their way on defending itself with the PC’s worst approach.

Ask for the Party to describe on how they’ll fight the Clone. Don’t say the difficult so they could feel the tension. Make clear that the Clone reacts into this “Conflict” like any other character. If you want to “spice” things up, describe the “damage” (Clone’s Victorys) as Stress suffered from the Clone.

As there is any kind of “Conflict”, the Party can give in the Cliffhanger. Consider they were defeated in the Cliffhanger, but give each PC a Fate Point. They’ll not be able to get into the Monolyth, at least until they touch again the Gate (and another PC be Cloned), which they can do indefinitely.

If the PCs are defeated into the Cliffhanger, before the Clone get back into the Gate form, it will take some valuable equipment or block the access for some important hability: treat this as an Aspect Disarmed.

As soon as the PCs are successful in the Gate challenge, the Clone will revert as the Gate and will open the Monolyth. Any PC that had lost habilities and equipment during the Cliffhanger will find it in the Entrance and will recover them (remove the related Aspects).

They will think it’s over, but in fact things just started.

Scene 3 - The Challenges

As soon the Party get into the Monolyth, the Gate will close behind. White, shiny lights will reveal some corridors made from a Metallic Material, shiny, smooth and angular, Demiurge-style. A voice will echoes in the corridor:

“Congratulations, O challengers! From now, you’ll can go as far as your ambition says. But remember: too much Ambition is a way to Death!”

The voice is similar the one that spoke in the Gate. The PCs should go now. Take some time making them recognizing things or not, or choose turns. Make weird noises or things like that,

At each turn, roll 4dF. Each + shifts one pass to the right, each - shifts one pass below.

  0 + ++ +++ ++++
0 Nothing Danger: Lava Fight: Mutants Knowledge Room The Clones
- Danger: Ice Roll two times Cleverness Room Roll two times  
-- Fight: Drone Hive Masks Room Nothing    
--- Truth Room Roll two times      
---- The Droid        

Nothing is exactly this: the next room is totally empty, without any challenge.

Roll two times means to roll two times and do their challenges as a combinated one, as long on your discretion they make sense.

Otherwise, each result will put a different challenge. Some simplier, others very complex!

In common, the Challenge have some extra criteria:

  • Victory: the Party can receive some clues on the Judge nature;
  • Partial Defeat (the Party Concede): The PCs are thrown out the room, but the can try it again when they feel they’re ready;
  • Defeat: The Party can be kicked out the Monolyth and should start the adventure again (if not dead);

If the same result fall again, you can enhance the challenge, do as the same, or reroll. Just reroll if the roll obtained put the PCs on the same room they already had done. Remember: turn things interesting, specially if they did it before.

Set a number of Defeats they can suffer before being kicked out the Monolyth and forced to start everything again. Also set a number of rooms they pass before came into the Judge’s place, at Scene 4

Scene 3a - Danger: Lava

Lava Room

  • Fair (+2) Danger

  • Party’s Objective: Get throught the room safely
  • Room’s Objective: Take out the party, by making them get back or just by melting them away in the lava
  • Recommended Scene type: Contest, using the Danger level as opossition
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: Scorching Hot!; That’s the only way
  • Success: The Party go through the room and can continue in the Monolyth
  • Partial Defeat (Party concede): The Party get back, but can try again and prepare themselves better
  • Defeat: The Party suffer with burn wounds, some can even not get away alive.

As long the Party get into the room, like in all cases, the door closes behind dthem and they see the room is a 10-meter-sided cube. A lava filled chasm, with some few platforms are near. The Judge will left clear the objective: cross to the other side. He’ll also say that only one PC needs to do the Challenge.

Treat this as a Contest between the room’s Danger and the worst between Careful, Clever and Sneaky. If the PC is defeated, all the Party suffers a Danger+3 (in this case Superb (+5)) Attack from the room and should run away. If they give in, a trail will open to the entrance, and they can get away from the room and choose to prepare themselves. If the PC is the winner, a safe trail will get out the lava so the rest of the PCs can go after it.

Cena 3b - Danger: Ice

Ice Room

  • Fair (+2) Danger

  • Party’s Objective: Get throught the room safely
  • Room’s Objective: Take out the party, by making them get back or just by melting them away in the lava
  • Recommended Scene type: Contest, using the Danger level as opossition
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: Frostbite Freezing!!; That’s the only way
  • Success: The Party go through the room and can continue in the Monolyth
  • Partial Defeat (Party concede): The Party get back, but can try again and prepare themselves better
  • Defeat: The Party suffer with frostbite wounds, some can even not get away alive.

This room is exactly as the Scene 3a, except by the frostbite cold that waits the Party, instead of the scorching heat. For checks and mechanics, it uses the same system and circunstances from 3a. The room is filled with extreme cold water, that could put anyone into a Hypothermia in moments (treat this as a Mild Consequence). A character could die by staying too much time in the iced water. Otherwise, it is exactly the same from 3a

Scenes 3c & 3d - Fight: Mutants & Drone Hive

  • Party’s Objective: Get throught the room safely
  • Opponents’ Objective: Take out the party, by killing them or making them run away. They can also test the Party’s generousness and conscience.
  • Recommended Scene type: Conflict. Normally they’ll fight to death
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: Powerful Enemies
  • Success: The Party go through the room and can continue in the Monolyth
  • Partial Success (Opponents Concede): The Party go through the room and can continue in the Monolyth, and the Judge will take this into account in the future
  • Partial Defeat (Party concede): The Party get back, but can try again and prepare themselves better
  • Defeat: The PCs (if not dead) will left valuable equipment and weapons behind, and can be expelled from the Monolyth

This is a simple scene of Mighty test. Again a cubed room, now 30-meter sided. In the other side, they’ll see their opposition, that will attack as soon they go through at least half the room:

Monolyth Mutants

Created to Fight; Live, Die, Live Again

  • Skilled (+2) at: Fight; Tactical Analysis; Surrender
  • Bad (-2) at: Self-preservation

Drone hive

Flying Machines; Diversive Tactics

  • Peritos (+2) em: Fight; Tactical Analysis; Bambloozing their enemies
  • Ruins (-2) em: Self-preservation

The fighters will fight to the death, as they are Specially made by Demiurge Tech to fight the PCs. It will have at least one mutant or Drone per PC.

As an option into this test (if it repeats a lot), make the enemies give in. If the Party accept this, the Judge will take this into account (use this as an occult Aspect). This could save them from being kicked out the Monolyth (at least one time) and provide them more information in the future.

Anyway, don’t worry if the room shows again: the Monolyth build new enemies, even making them stronger.

The Party can go forward in the room after take out the enemies;

Scene 3e-3h - The Rooms

  • Party’s Objective: Get throught the room safely
  • Opponents’ Objective: Take out the party, revealing their weaknesses and dark sides
  • Recommended Scene type: Challenges or Contests. Those are tests of character, inventiveness and so.
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: By each room
  • Success: The Party go through the room and can continue in the Monolyth
  • Partial Defeat (Party concede): The Party get back, but can try again and prepare themselves better
  • Defeat: The PCs (if not dead) will left valuable equipment and weapons behind, and can be expelled from the Monolyth

Those Rooms are mind challenges more than physical ones. They involve understand itself, the others, and their final objective. They are somewhat cruel tests, because there’s no clear, obvious, “target” but something to be overcome, and that could demands sacrifices. Each room have their idiossicrasies, but in general they demands something very important.

Knowledge Room

  • Great (+4) Danger
  • Recommended Scene type: Contests.
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: Countdown!; So much knowledge, so little time
  • Success: The Party can take some of the tomes in the library
  • Defeat: The Defeated PC is Taken Hostage by the Monolyth

“This Room demands understanding about what to learn and how. Only one of you should do the test”

It’s only the Judge says. The room looks like a big library, filled with all kinds of book, with a countdown clock over the door. Treat this as a Contest between one of the PCs and the Room (using its Danger). The main challenge is to get out the room before the countdown zeroes. However, the door uses a Demiurge Lock, that the PCs don’t know.

This is a way to test the PCs capacity of investigation, study and learning fast what they need. Any trying of breaking the door, be either by force or by larceny will result into automatic defeat against the PCs.

Although what the Judge said, the Party can help the PC by investigating the tomes and everything on how to open the door. Basically they’ll need to discover how to use the Demiurge Lock and there’s some books on this topic. However, that will not be easy, because they’ll need a password and a kind of card. If they look the books, they’ll see the same name, Lakhmal, written on its first page. This will be the clue to search the books for Lakhmal’s card and group of specific glyphs (that will be in the last page of the book they found the card). Although all this is from Demuirge Age, fortunatel, the books can be read by anyone that can.

Any character that is defeated on this will be Taken Hostage by the Monolyth and will need to be rescued by the PCs, that will still need to try again. If all of them are Taken Hostage, this adventure ends here, with they needing to get out the Monolyth as the next adventure.

Truth Room

  • Great (+4) Danger
  • Recommended Scene type: Contest.
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: The All Knowing Inquisitor; Hurtful Truths
  • Success: The Party receive the Inquisitor’s Blessing
  • Defeat: The Defeated PC is Taken Hostage by the Monolyth

“Truth is as Beautiful as it is Gastly. Those who wants Power needs to accept their Dark Side!”

The Truth Room is a simple one, with a desk and two chairs. At the other side of the Room, there’s an weird man, with the Judge badges from old times and flashy clothes

This man is The Inquisitor and at some way represents the room’s will. Any attempt of attacking the Inquisitor results on automatic Defeat in the Contest, and of the Attacker and the PC in the Contest being Held Hostage. The PCs can give in and get out the room, taking other ways or readying themselves better for the challenge.

In this room, The Inquisitor needs no tests to Discover PCs Aspects, no matter how public or secrets they are. And this is the danger: the Inquisitor will use the PCs Aspects against him, asking questions so compelling about him that will result into Aspect Compelling to reveal the truth. In this case, the PCs will have two options: accepting the Aspect Compelling or roll some of the Approaches to “justify”. If it accept the Compel, the PC will receive 1 FP, an automatic Victory, but a Mistrust Aspect that can be used against him in the Future (like a Consequence). Ohterwise, do the normal Contest roll against the room Danger.

An Example:

GM: if the PCs were good into interpretation, gave some kind of bonus, either in the roll or as an extra FP or other benefit

If the PCs wins, the Inquisitor will gave them his Blessing, turning the Aspect Mistrut into Confidence, with a number of Free Invokes equals the difference in victories the PCs had, as now the PCs knows how and when they can lean on each other.

Mask Room

  • Great (+4) Danger
  • Recommended Scene type: Challenge.
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: The All-Changing Masks
  • Success: The Party can take with them the White Masks
  • Defeat: The Defeated PC is Taken Hostage by the Monolyth

“Those who wants Powers always thinks they are self-sufficient. It’s time for the Truth! Each one will need to take a Mask and use it”

There’s lots of White Masks, that each PC will need use one. Those Masks cover their head as a whole, tight but confortable, like a Kendo armor mask. In the moment that all of them put their masks, the room lights will shut off and the PCs will feel something running down their bodies from the masks. When the lights turns on again, the PCs will see that their forms were totally changed into a weird way. They’ll also see that they are circled by Fearful Enemies and they are totally Disarmed (even those with natural Weapons and other Stunts that could not be Disarmed normally).

The challgende is very easy: just cross the room to the door at the other side. However, those new formes could bring them some problem. Roll 3dF. Each + moves one step to the right , each - moves one step below

  0 + ++ +++
0 Nothing Young Man Human Child Mutabeast
- Young Woman Nothing Cyborg  
-- Mutabeast Child Centaur Nothing  
--- Beastmen      

Each of those forms modifies the PCs’ Approaches, providing bonuses for some Approaches and reducing some in others:

Bioform +2 in -2 in
Young Man Forceful, Flashy Careful, Clever
Young Woman Quick, Clever Forceful, Flashy
Human Child Quick, Sneaky Forceful, Careful
Mutabeast Forceful, Sneaky Careful, Clever
Mutabeast Child Clever, Sneaky Careful, Forceful
Beastmen Forceful, Clever Careful, Sneaky
Centaur Careful, Forceful Sneaky, Quick
Cyborg Clever, Careful Quick, Flashy

A “Nothing” result don’t change the PCs statistics, although can provoke cosmetic changes.

The Mask also is an Aspect to be used by the PCs to reinforce even more the bonused Approaches, and that can be Compelled to reduce even more the reduced Approaches.

Anyway, no matter how many enemies are defeated, there will be always more. Take note on all the Stress and Consequences the PCs suffers, because they are not real (although they could render some FPs in case of a give in from the Party), disappearing as soon the Party give in or pass through the door and get out. As long the PCs get out the room, their equipments and forms turn back the original ones, and the White Masks assume back their neutral forms, falling in the ground. They’lkl turn into their default ways to modify their forms as they want. Consider them Artifacts as by Masters of Umdaar, pages 46-49

Cleverness Room

  • Great (+4) Danger
  • Recommended Scene type: Challenge.
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: A Junkyard of useful parts and weird gizmos; Nothing is whole
  • Success: The Party can take as many useful parts and gizmos they want
  • Defeat: The Defeated PC is Taken Hostage by the Monolyth

“The milestone for Power is Adaptation. Know how to find a pearl in the mud is part of this.”

When the Party get on the 50-meter cube of room, there’s Dirty and junk everywhere, as it was not cleaned by centuries. Luckily there’s no organic waste, as this is Basically junk, although there’s a smell of decay is present. The Party will see that, somewhat after the half the room there’s a big chasm, with the door being circled by a little 2x2 meter side platform. The Chasm is very big and profound and can’t be just jumped.

The the Party ojective, that was purposefully not cleared, is to build some kind of platform they should use to make them pass through the platform, or at least one of them. The tests should be made against the room Danger, and you can put lots of pesky problems (like small metallic cuts or even a mouse) for their work.

Anyway, as soon at least one of the PCs cross the chasm and get into the platform, the chasm will be closed and the other PCs can get through the room safely. The PCs can take with them all the tools they used (and even more). With Fair (+2) checks, they’ll also be able to find some useful tool or weapon like Minor Artifacts (+1 in relevant checks)

Scene 3i - The Droid

When the Party enters the room, they’ll see that it lloks like an Arena, where a Droid waits the Party. He is the only challenge in the room. He’ll make a salute for the Party.

Walcome, o Challengers. I’m Kabal, and this is my challenge: you can go next if you defeat me, easy as that. Besides, if you win, you’ll have rights over all my weaponry. However, if you’ll be defeated, I’ll take you as hostage and bring you to my Master.

The fact is that this will not be that easy: Kabal is accomplished in combat and has lots of Artifacts to help him to fight the Parth.

Kabal, Room master

Bioform: Cyborg
Class: Fighter

Aspects

Type Aspect
High Concept: Cyborg Room Guardian
Motivation: I Must protect this room
  Passion for fighting
  Healthy rivaltries are a Man’s biggest joy

Approaches

Approaches Level
Careful: Good (+3)
Clever: Average (+1)
Flashy: Average (+1)
Forceful: Fair (+2)
Quick: Fair (+2)
Sneaky: Mediocre (+0)

Stunts

  • Laser (Masters of Umdaar,p 21)
  • Broadsword (Masters of Umdaar,p 21)
  • Sword: (Masters of Umdaar,p 22)
  • Party’s Objective: Defeat Kabal, so they can continue their quest
  • Kabal’s Objective: Defeat the Party, avoinding them to pass through his room
  • Recommended Scene type: Conflict
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: Kabal’s Arena
  • Success: The Party go through the room and can take Artifacts from Kabal’s Weaponry as prize
  • Partial Success (Kabal concedes): same as the victory, and the Judge will take the Party’s action in account in the future
  • Partial Defeat (Party concede): Kabal allow them to get back
  • Defeat: One of the PCs is Take Hostage by Kabal

In fact, Kabal has all sort of Weapons: if fact, treat as he have access for all the weapons listed into Masters of Umdaar, p. 21-22. He’ll not engage imediately in combat: there’s a Preparation Zone that he respects, where the PCs (and himself) can ready themselves for the combat, by gathering good weapons from their equipment, heal themselves and so on. As soon at least one PC get out the Preparation Zone and get into the Combat Zone, the Conflict starts.

Kabal is very skillful in combat and powerful: don’t be ashamed on use Fate Points and Create Advantage actions. When Kabal scores a good attack, make very clear that he had prepared everything and chosed the best moment to eviscerate his targets. However, he’s not a butch: he sees thrill in the risk of kill or be killed. He likes to fight and loves it, just that. If the PCs are on an upper hand, however, Kabal can give in and concede.

The Arena is big enough so Kabal can fight as many opponent as needed, even considering the Perparation Zone. The Party can choose any strategy, either by engaging into an all-out attack, or by some of them sacriffing themselves to be Take Hostage by Kabal so the others can Analyse Kabal’s Techniques. The hostages are only considered Taken by the Monolyth after a Defeat or Concede by the Party as a whole.

Scene 3j - The Clones

“You had came to the worst challenge in the Monolyth. See by yourselves.”

This room looks like Kabal’s… But at the other side, next the door, there’s a great mass of silvery goo. A light will irradiate over the Party, and then they’ll discover they’ll need to fight themselves!

  • Party’s Objective: Defeat Kabal, so they can continue their quest
  • Clones’ Objective: Defeat the Party, avoinding them to pass through his room
  • Recommended Scene type: Conflict
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: Fighting Themselves
  • Success: The Party go through the room and can take some Artifacts as prize
  • Partial Defeat (Party concede): Kabal allow them to get back
  • Defeat: One of the PCs is Take Hostage by the Monolyth

For the Clones, considers its Bioform as Nanobots and the Motivation as I need to protect the door. Ohterwise, they have the same Approaches and Stunts of the Party. Those Stunts that has number of uses are fresh at all.

The challenge here is to defeat their clones, with the same powers and skills they have. This is the bad news.

The good news is that the Clones has only Mild Consequences, so good blows can be enough to defeat them.

If the PCs are under problems, they can concede, and the Clones will revert back to the weird silvery goo. If they win, the goo will provide for each one an Minor Artifact, as by the rules in Masters of Umdaar, p. 46.

Scene 4 - The Judge

When you had made the PCs pass along enough rooms (I suggest that they had at least passed by Kabal or the Clones), they’ll find (or be conducted to) an elevator that will take them to the Monolyth Peaks, into the Judge’s room.

The Judge, or T-88 as he was called in the Demiurge Age, in fact is linked to the Monolyth until otherwise said. He is recreated when he dies and this happens after the Monolyth put itself into a pocket dimension for their own protection and lefting Umdaar by time enough he can be “recreated” and ready for a new Incarnation.

The Party can, to do the quest the Fartime Monks asked for them, asks T-88, and some of those questions with their answers are below:

Technically I’m called a Leporinae Sapiens and I was originally created by my Masters, that you called Demiurge, many time ago. This is my 1674th Incarnation, but my knowledge is intact from the first one, including my deaths. Obviously, each time I’m reborn, my functions are enhanced by using the implants the Demiurge putted on me.

This is when they see The Judge: he’s something like an Usato (rabbitmen), but taller, leaner, with big albino eyes, a residual muzzle and big white ears with spots on a light gray and golden brown. The body is strong, lean, and humanoid. In the head, in the place the ears should be if he was human, there’s lots of technological implants directly into his skull, some of them with wires that connects himself straight into the Monolyth’s systems. He has lots of weapons and equipments on his belt and his clothes looks like a weird jumpsuit, from some kind of weird hide or synthetic Demiurge material, custom-made.

I’m The Judge, at the same time Commander, Lord, and Slave of the Monolyth. Since the Time of My Masters, I’m The One Who Provide The Challenge for those who wants my Masters’ knowledge and Artifacts. I’m also an enforcer into one of the rules my Masters defined since them: Only the Apt ones should be cleared to have access to the knowledge and powers they wants. Even more, the Monolyth has the even more important function to be a repository of my Masters’ knowledge, a vault for my Masters’ heirloom for the Eternity.

Those who knows a little more about the Demiurge will confirm that The Judge is being truthful, because the Demiurge always worried about their knowledge stays available and archived for the right time. At the same time, the Demiurge also was worried about those who could obtain undeserved power (like the Masters). This is the reason so many Demiurge’s ruins are full on menaces, dangers, and challenges until you can find any power.

As I’ve said, my main directive is to judge the merits of those who challenge the Monolyth by the power, knowledge and Artifacts stored on it.

Truth here: the challenges in all Demiurge temples and ruins are always difficult. Sounds like this being a pattern for the Demiurge: treat the knowledge and power as something that demands sacrifices.

Unfortunately I don’t have a response for this question…

T-88 in fact has no clue for the Demiurge disappearance. Apparently, the Demiurge disappearance happened in some of the periods where T-88 was dead and the Monolyth was placed out of Umdaar

I just known about them now… I know the risks they implies, but there’s some of them already into the Monolyth, and once you’re in there’s just a rule: he has the rights to get as long as his ambition allows..

At this moment, no matter which of the Masters came into the Monolyth, he’ll arrive in the Judge’s room with just an objective: take the Monolyth to himself, by killing either the Party and T-88!

  • Party’s Objective: Defeat the Master of Umdaar
  • Master’s Objective: Destroy both T-88 and the Party
  • Recommended Scene type: Conflict. The Master will not be reasonable under all the power the Monolyth represents
  • Recommended Scene Aspects: Deathmatch!; The Master should not put its hands over the Monolyth
  • Success: The Master will run away empty hands
  • Partial Defeat (Party concede): The Master will run away with the Artifacts he took during the challenges (GM discretion)
  • Defeat: The Party is killed and the Master take T-88 position as the new Lord of the Monolyth

No matter what happens, there’s just only solution here: fight and defeat the Master of Umdaar, and maybe one or two of his lieutenants, under GM discretion on their powers and history.

This battle should be even more brutal, epic and fantastic then the one against Kabal: if you want, says that all their wounds, including the Consequences, were cured by a nanomachine swarm that The Judge freed before the battle (this will not apply for the Master of Umdaar, that is unscathed until now). And remember the party they still have the Artifacts collected in the Monolyth, some of them maybe very powerful: fighting a Master of Umdaar sounds like a very cool Test Drive for them. Obviously the Master will be play hard and dirty, but the idea here is to have an epic, brutal battle!

We hope that, in the end, the heroes wins the day for the good.

Scene 5 - Epilogue and experience.

It all happened well, the PCs were able to convince T-88, The Judge, about the dangers that are the Masters of umdaar. Otherwise, anyway, The Judge will stay doing his best against them. But if they convince, he will put the Monolyth under a third important function: to protect the Elysium against the Masters, while The Judge himself could join the Party to investigate about the new Umdaar.

This adventure should be treated as a Minor Milestone, but treat it as a Significant Milestone if at least one of this happens, or you feel its okay:

Appendix 1 - NPCs

T-88 - The Judge

The Monolythh from the Past, located near the Fartime Elysium, certainly was a important cultural center for the Demiurge, at least as far is known. The few is known about the legends involving the place is that it was a center of information and culture in the Demiurge Age, and even the Fartime Monks had not tried to get into the Monolyth.

To ensure that people that doesn’t deserve it could enter the Monolyth, it received all kind of defense systems. Its four entraces, on each cardinal points, are the only entrance. And few that entered had exited it. Those few telled horror stories about creatures armed on all kind of powerful weapons and whose appearance woudl shatter a man’s sanity as a desert gorilla should shatter a cristal goblet.

The truth about the Monolyth is that he is, in fact, The last comprehensive source of Demuirge knowledge. Maybe library, maybe a armorial, but what is known is that many wants to enter it one day.

But, to do this, they’ll need to pass through the challenges setted by The Judge.

T-88 is The Judge of the Monolyth, and he is the one that decides, into it, what kind of challenge those who enter it will pass through. His directive was implanted direct into his consciousness, fed by their experiences into 1000+ lives and deaths: Only the most apt deserves power.

T-88 is the Judge by centuries, dying and rebirthing. During his deaths, the Monolyth occults itself mysteriously, getting back when the Judge is able to get back to his role, trained by the Monolyth itself. In someways, the Monolyth and the Judge are as one.

Many that invaded the Monolyth, sinde the ancient times, were only unscrupulous robbers and looters. For those, T-88 is brutal and merciless, sending hordes of cloned creatures created by the Monolyth itself to gruelsomely kill those fools. Others, however, are clever, and note when they are not strong enought to still get through the Monolyth’s challenge. For those, The Judge is condescending, allowing them to get out with some piece of knowledge or useful Artifact they felt interesting. In the rare cases a group accept to get away as soon they found what they needed, the Judge talked by himself. declaring them as worthy of taking the knowledge and that, if they want to get back the Monolyth, they’ll be welcomed.

T-88 is a Newman, a servant race for the Demiurge that, since their parting, turned back to the barbarism, but grew stronger and wiser under the people of Umdaar as the Numan. T-88, however, don’t know much about the Numa, as he is cloned from the same genetic pool from the past and is basically united to the Monolyth. He’s the only one that controls the Monolyth as a whole (so being the Lord of the Monolyth) and has a total knowledge about the things the Demiurge left behind with the Monolyth (and others, if there’s any). And he knows about the so-called Masters of Umdaar: more than one of them entered the Monolyth, and didn’t left, or left crazy and stripped from its powers.

ID

Bioform: Newman/Android - Beastman/Cyborg
Class: Diplomat - Courtier

Aspects

Type Aspect
High Concept: Guardian and “Sire” of the Demiurge’s Monolyth
Motivation: I must respect the Prime Directive from my Masters and guard the Monolyth
Personal: Just when I’m relieved from my task I’ll think on peace and freedom
  Should not intervene on the things outside the Monolyth
  The rules are clear: Only the most apt deserves power

Approaches

Approach Level
Careful: Good (+3)
Clever: Fair (+2)
Flashy: Fair (+2)
Forceful: Average (+1)
Quick: Mediocre (+0)
Sneaky: Average (+1)

Stunts

Skarsh, Master of K’tor

K’tor is located at the south into the Wildlands, in a land of scorching marble, ebony and ivory, and sandstorms that could calcinate even the strongest to their bones. Home of the serpent-men and other warring people, those are lands of death, superstition and religion, commanded nowadays by Skarsh, a looter that, after invading a Demiurge temple, obtained a kind of technomagic from them and turned himself as Lord of the tribes, building a powerful fief, that is abductiong people for sacrifice under his unholy rituals and as a source for slaves and guinea-pigs for their experiments and those for his lieutenants.

Skarsh is a big, slender serpent-men, dressed under sacerdotial mantles, and has powers and weapons to help itself. He is never seen with the Artifacts he acquired, but the most important one are the Nano, nanobots commanded by the will of those who absorbed it. He is powerful, ruthless, and he use all his resources to obtain even more power, so he could turn itself in the ultimate Master of Umdaar.

ID

Bioform: Serpent-men - Beastman
Class: Hierophant - Cleric

Aspects

Type Aspect
High Concept: Supreme Hierophant of the K’Tor and Master of Demiurge Nanos
Motivation: I must acquire even more power to be the Ultimate Master of Umdaar
Personal: My words are as venomous as my venon
  My magics are the sign I’m Destined Heir of the power from the past

Approaches

Approach Level
Careful: Good (+3)
Clever: Great (+4)
Flashy: Fair (+2)
Forceful: Mediocre (+0)
Quick: Good (+3)
Sneaky: Great (+4)

Façanhas

Rhangtor, the Ancient One

Very few is known about Rhangtor. Some legends says he’s the Last Demiurge, left behind by their own kind, maybe as a wanderer and counselor, maybe as a renegade that the Demiurge knew was dangerous. Some also say he’s the first Master of Umdaar, a being so full of power, knowledge and evil that anyone, even the other Masters, don’t want to find.

No one knows what Rhangtor searches, although is known that he can’t die by age or disease: the gossips says that Rhangtor had found some misterious Demiurge Artifacts and Knowledge that render him immortal. Other whispers that in fact he’s a kind of undead, someone that offends Nature by remaining active after death.

The fact is: very few is known about Rhangtor, except his appearence: an old, wrinkled man, with pants mades on fabric and leather, and with a distinguishible tattoo over his left eye. He never removes his hood or cloak, and apparently those who see him without these pieces of clothes are never seen again.

ID

Bioform: Homem - Humanoid
Class: Sage - Runekeeper

Aspects

Type Aspect
High Concept: The Supreme Mystery from Before the Masters
Motivation: Knowledge as an end by itself
Personal: Myster is Power and Power is Mystery
  An abyssal truth that can shake the world

Approaches

Approach Level
Careful: Great (+4)
Clever: Great (+4)
Flashy: Fair (+2)
Forceful: Good (+3)
Quick: Mediocre (+0)
Sneaky: Good (+3)

Stunts

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