HeroQuest Return B to Apple Lane S By Greg Stafford and Jeff Richard Layout by Rick Meints Illustrations by Jed Dougherty and Peter Town. Cartography by Carolyn Schultz Savoy Copyright © 2011 Moon Design LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without written permission from the publisher, except short excerpts for the purpose of reviews or game play, is expressly prohibited. Glorantha and HeroQuest are trademarks of Issaries Inc. and are used with permission. Would you like to know more about Glorantha? See the extensive website at www.moondesignpublications.com gWs Moon Design Publications 3450 Wooddale Ct Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Sartar Companion Return to Apple Lane 1 HeroQuest Here be Apple Lane! Sartar Companion 2 Return to Apple Lane Glorantha HeroQuest Discover Epic Fantasy in the Classic Roleplaying Setting What is Glorantha? Glorantha is the fantasy world of legendary game designer Greg Stafford. A world of exotic myth and fantastic magic, self-contained and unique in its creation. An ancient world, rich in magic, and where myth is reality. Here the gods and heroes live, and act to protect their followers and further their own mysterious goals. Also from Moon Design Publications! ISS2002 - Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes Everything you need for a Glorantha HeroQuest campaign set amongst the storm-worshipping tribes of the Kingdom of Sartar. Includes the Colymar Campaign, an epic campaign arc that puts your heroes in the middle of the magical wars that will determine the fate of Glorantha. ISS2003 - Sartar Companion Adventures and background material set across the Kingdom of Sartar. These adventures can either be played singly or linked to the Colymar Campaign. Upcoming Releases ISS2004 - Pavis: Gateway to Adventure Return to the classic Gloranthan setting of Pavis and the Big Rubble! Completely updated and revised for HeroQuest, with new adventures and background material. ISS2005 - The Big Rubble The Pavis material has grown so large we have had to split it into 2 books. It will include an updated cradle scenario and 6 other adventures that allow you to explore the legendary rubble once more. ISS2006 - Guide to Glorantha A comprehensive overview of the world of Glorantha in the Third Age: its places, magic, gods and heroes. The three magic systems of Glorantha are explored, Gloranthan mythology discussed, its history defined, and the world mapped in detail. Includes information on the Elder Races and the major religions of Glorantha. HeroQuest Return to Apple Lane Introduction This scenario requires that the Narrator has Sartar: Then came the terrible Battle of Grizzly Peak Kingdom of Heroes and the HeroQuest Core Rules. It where King Tarkalor and the hopes of Sartar met This isn't the takes place before or during the events described in their doom. Gringle faded into wealthy obscurity, Apple Lane the Colymar Campaign (in Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes). spending evenings swapping old stories with travelers I remember! It assumes the players are members of the Orlmarth at the Tin Inn. A small hamlet called Apple Lane Apple Lane was originally Clan of the Colymar tribe and require some grew up around Gringle’s pawnshop as a few meager written as a supplement modifications if the players belong to a different steads were built. for RuneQuest back in clan; more if they belong to a different tribe. The events of 1613 brought Gringle back into 1978. Since then, far This scenario introduces two recurring villains the affairs of the kingdom of Sartar, as old friends more has been discovered into the campaign: Darsten Black Oak and Erianda persuaded him to overcome his reluctance and about Glorantha, the Red. They are “bosses” working for the two main participate in the Sartar High Council. Although especially Sartar. This bosses of the Colymar Campaign: King Blackmoor Gringle greatly dislikes the Empire, he was adamantly scenario “re-imagines” and Tatius the Bright. opposed rebellion. Nonetheless, when the High the classic Apple Lane Council chose Kallyr Starbrow as their leader and of 1978, updating it for Background went to war against the Empire, Gringle provide the Gloranthan HeroQuest. The old Issaries priest Gringle Goodsell of Apple rebels with coin and support. Lane is a far older and greater man than he now The failure of Starbrow’s Rebellion was ruinous appears. Once he was a boon companion of Tarkalor, for Gringle. He was forced to make a huge loan to accompanying him on many adventures and even the victorious Governor-General Fazzur Wideread, traveling along dangerous paths in the Other World. receiving in exchange the right to collect taxes from When Tarkalor became King of Sartar, he gave the Colymar and Malani tribes. In 1616, even this Gringle the right to lend coin against the security of dubious honor was lost (after another forced loan pledged items, and gave Gringle the protection of was extracted by the Governor-General). Gringle’s the Royal House of Sartar. Pawnshop is poor, his coin box empty, and his Gringle’s friends in the Colymar tribe swore former treasures taken by the Lunars. Or so everyone to give him that tribe’s protection if he would live thought until recently. within their lands. At a crossroads in that tribe’s land, It turns out that his greatest treasures are still in he built a pawn shop and an inn. Gringle became a the Pawnshop. Over the years Gringle obtained three very rich man and his treasure chest was legendary. great magical treasures: the Eye of the Halfbird, the Sartar 168 Companion HeroQuest Lead Grimoire, and the Iron Egg of a Cardinal. king since Kenstrel has honored that oath. Until now Perhaps he got them heroquesting with Tarkalor or that is.” from some other Heroquester seeking to raise funds. Regardless of how he got them, knowledge of their Why Did the King Proclaim existence has made its way to Tatius the Bright, the Gringle an Outlaw? dean of the Lunar College of Magic. Tatius wants “No doubt because of the Lunar demon-worshippers them in his possession and has sent his Spolite the king keeps in his hall. They whisper all sorts of apprentice, Erianda the Red. She is recruiting a band evils into his ear. A Lunar witch named Erianda of thugs to pay a “visit” to Gringle. recently arrived from Boldhome; she is a frightening Old Oaths The scenario begins at the hall of your chieftain (assumed to be Chief Gordangar of the Orlmarth clan, but could be any anti-Lunar clan chief). The chief welcomes the heroes, having summoned them to his hall immediately upon his return from a meeting with King Kangharl and other tribal leaders at Clearwine Fort. Gordangar is visibly angry, and still caked in dust and mud from his travels. Gesturing, the chief says: “Evil plans are being brewed in Clearwine. The king intends to break the oaths of my father to a loyal thane of the House of Sartar. My father promised to protect Gringle; we Orlmarthings will not foreswear our ancestor’s oaths! I want you to ride immediately to Apple Lane and warn Gringle Goodsell that the king has proclaimed him outside of tribal protection and that an attack on him has been planned.” Questions and Answers The heroes are likely to have questions such as: Who is Gringle? “Gringle is a rich trader and an old friend of the kingdom of Sartar. He loans silver to kings, chiefs, merchants and heroes who pledge valuable goods and items as security. He is very old and was old when my father was king. Gringle belongs to no clan and has no family – only his friends, most of whom are dead now. Some clans hate him for collecting taxes for the Lunars, but he was forced to do that by the Lunars – punishment for trying to free Boldhome as part of the Sartar High Council.” What Was the Oath of Gordangar’s Father? “My father was Kenstrel Hendsson, king of the Colymar tribe and companion of High King Dronlan Swordsharp gyW Tarkalor. Gringle was a good friend of my father A member of the Ernaldoring clan, Dronlan was appointed thane of and my father swore on behalf of the Colymar tribe Apple Lane by King Dangmet more than twenty years ago. He is a good to protect Gringle and his property – as if he were a friend of Gringle’s. As thane, Dronlan provides tribal protection and law member of the tribe - if he would settle in our lands. for the hamlet and killed a number of bandits and outlaws over the years Any dispute between Gringle and another Colymar (including a fearsome cave troll). Now middle-aged and stout, Dronlan would be heard by the king and if Gringle was relies on his size and his reputation to keep the peace. harmed, the tribe would avenge him. Every Colymar Sartar Companion 169 HeroQuest one. Half of her is blue like a corpse, the other half Getting to Apple Lane red like Shepelkirt (the Orlanthi name for the Red Moon). Apple Lane is a full day’s travel from Orlmarthing After she arrived at Clearwine, the king proclaimed lands. A well-worn path skirts between the Starfire that Gringle is not under the protection of the Ridges and the Colymar Wilds. The path goes Colymar tribe; he is, in effect, an outlaw and can through the lands claimed by the Black Spear Clan, be killed without consequence. I suspect she plans feared hunters and mercenaries of the Colymar Tribe to take his silver and kill one of the last remaining who currently feud with King Kangharl, and then on friends of the House of Sartar.” through lands claimed the Hiording Clan.