Foreword and A Deadly Brew

A great Harn campaign with the esteemed Patrick Nilsson, AKA "The Dongmaster" as GM.

Foreword and A Deadly Brew

Postby Matt » Mon May 02, 2016 1:43 pm

Foreword from Matt

In the dark days of Harn, that is, the 1990s, the game was in danger of dying out. Constantly delayed new products were few and far between, there were ill-conceived attempts to D20 the game, an alliance with a flighty software company, and much of what was published was being met with so whats? Worst of all, a falling out between the creator of Harn and the publisher of Harn threatened to tie up publication in a court fight which neither side could afford. Most gave the setting up for dead.

Into this mess came a guy from Sweden, Patrick Nilsson, known in the Harn community as "The Dongmaster" and that he got away with such a ridiculous moniker tells you much about the man. Patrick has since moved on to other gaming interests, but I do not think it an exaggeration to say he saved Harn. WIth both mapping and writing skills at his command, and the willingness to commission art himself, Patrick began to produce a new kind of Harn article. Freely available, they were high quality, well illustrated, and importantly, bridged the gap between old hand produced maps and those which can be made on a computer. Starting small, with articles like Eliten Manor, the concept grew, and eventually, CGI began publishing Patrick's actual work and in his style which is largely unchanged today. Harn had a new wind at its back, and those of us who love the game owe Patrick a great debt.

Patrick distributed his articles and material through his visually stunning website "Swords & Shields." He also began to post his campaign notes from a fiendish group of players trying to be the most wicked in that most wicked city Golotha. Most of those articles are still available on Lythia.com, but the campaign notes have been lost Harnic lore for many years. Inspired by a comment on the HarnForum, I contacted Patrick and have his blessing to post them here for the delight and hopefully inspiration of the Harnic community. All material that follows is by Patrick Nilsson, used with permission. I have made virtually no changes, except a few for layout purposes. This is the unedited text as it appeared on Swords & Shields. Enjoy!

For a Handful of Pennies: A Deadly Brew

The For a Handful of Pennies campaign is a dark tale of intrigue, murder, and war set in the western parts of Hârn. The players will portrait thieves, brigands, mercenaries and other occupations of villainy which, in truth are dominating the City of Golotha, hotbed of much of the adventuring. Unlike common campaigns and good would-be-heroes, this campaign is more mundane and has less fantasy elements than what may be normal in a Hârn game. For a Handful of Pennies will include the mysteries of magic, beasts and other intrusions of everyday life but at a much lower scale. Most of the adventuring will be in the form of stealth and strike, and of course the occasional throat cutting. The campaign will lean heavily upon the shallow peace in the west and the characters will spend most of their time trying to survive the harsh climate, and steal a purse or two in the process. Note that the cast below are anything but nice and of such they won't hesitate to murder if there is profit to be gained. The campaign starts with the characters being hired to bring back three heads in a buckram sack ...

Slakka the Black, 26 (Dan), was born and raised in Golotha, and follows the male occupation of the Borden clan as an assassin of the finest quality. Raised and trained by an infamous grandfather nicknamed Gordiz Silverdagger has been fruitful. Slakka is considered by many in the Lia-Kavair to be one of the best assassins in the business. His father was slain when attempting to take the life of the manorlord of Scona and was left to rot in an unmarked grave. Slakka didn't make the same mistake and the expensive noble outfit he has in his chest is a testimony to the revenge killing. The assassin took the skull of his father home and had it blessed for a substantial fee by a priest of Naveh. Slakka works for those who pays well and although he would never go against the thieves or their master Jarop at the current state of affairs, he is not a stranger to working for others like the Lorjan brothers. A quarter of all his income is handed over to the Navehans, a recognition to his deep faith. Slakka is friend with no one but has a few people he hangs out with at night when he is not spending time in his trap-filled house in the slums. Jeremiz the thief is a good ally because he is usually not afraid to do the dirty deeds necessary. Sike Child's Face is a good thug to know because he will do almost anything for money. The newcomer Evil Erol is a rich man and also the cousin of the Earl of Techen, and if there ever was a quick way to fill the coffers, it is by following the footsteps of this man. Slakka fears very few but is wary of the powers that be in the city, and of course the foreign assassin who lives under North Haven.

Jeremiz of Bayen, 23 (Darius), hails from Shostim is the first child of the Innkeeper of The Buck's Head. Unlike his father Odo, Jeremiz found the occupation of being an innkeeper extremely boring, and being a man of action, decided to leave his miserable position as heir to the finest inn in the capital. Before he left he stole some of the family's wealth and headed for Golotha. His father who was a very influential man had sent a mercenary to find his son and bring both Jeremiz and the goods back. The mercenary had underestimated the son of the innkeeper's abilities and while he was napping at the common room at an inn in Norienar, Jeremiz cut his throat and sent the mercenary's tongue back to his father. He hasn't heard from Odo since. The young man has since his departure become a swift thief and has adjusted well to the harsh climate of the city. He bought a house for his father's money as well as some fine weapons and equipment. He has great respect for the Guildmaster of the Lia-Kavair, Jarop the Chandler, and has done a great deal of work for him. Jeremiz is a fully fledged member of the Lia-Kavair and pays half his loot to Jarop directly instead of one his masters. The thief has been working with Slakka the Black, a feared assassin, and Sike Child's Face, a would-be slaver and thug, on various jobs for the guildmaster and they have become as good friends as organized crime may allow. Jeremiz is not too fond of the new member of the team, a sadist nobleman by the name of Evil Erol, who is the cousin of the very powerful Earl of Techen. Still the newcomer is wealthy and has been able to get the group out of trouble more than one time.

Erol Lenesque, 27 (Lars), also known as Evil Erol, hails from Techen and is the Earl's cousin. Born and raised by his father Kiroz, herald to the former earl, Erol followed his father's footsteps destined to be the council of young Earl Revi. But the mind of a sadist works in a different way than what is accepted in Techen, and by the Lenesque clan, so when Erol in a fit of drunken passion brutally raped one of the Earl's squires the rest of the clan thought it best to move the young herald away from the eastern settlements. Normally such an act wouldn't have been a great deal to begin with, but with the delicate situation at the border and the tradition of keeping vassals happy and loyal, the Lenesque clan compensated the father of the victim and Erol was sent to Golotha "to keep a steady eye on the politics in the city". The herald has since his arrival four years ago been able to find a few friends and allies in the decadent city, and whatever meager information he can collect from these he always pass it on to his cousin and clan leader. He lives in a lavish house on Nemiran street with a few servants, a cook and a stable boy. Of late Erol has begun to appreciate the Lia-Kavair and pose himself as one in the gang, and has even converted from Agrikanism to being a Navehan. His three black cats and the gold medallion of Djekesis he wears around his neck, is "proof" of his devotion. Jarop the Chandler is the guildmaster and although the two men does not like each other, they both realize they have something to gain by working together now and then. Erol also pose himself a leader of the three thieves and thugs, Jeremiz, Slakka the Black and Sike Child's Face. No matter what they might think, they serve Erol first and their own need second.

Sike of Zarainsen, 24 (Jonny), hails from Golotha and has spent most of his youth in the care of his father Oparn, a mercantyler/usurer who is the younger brother of Jarop, guildmaster of the Lia-Kavair. Sike, or Child's Face as some of his "friends" call him, is a journeyman Mercantyler who has of late begun specializing in slavery. Being strong, big, and corrupt has its advantages when you are dealing with slaves. He still does a lot of work for his uncle and his father but now and then when Sike wants to expand the size of his purse, he either knocks out a stranger in the city during the dark hours or tricks a lonesome traveler on the roads near Golotha. He is careful not to mess with any guild, nobles, or others that could have him killed, but more than one lonesome Peoni monk or a peddler has awoken with a bump in the head and the roars outside from the arena. Those that has, have been sold to one of the slavers near the Arena, the Octagonal Pit, or if they are young and good looking boys, Evil Erol as well. Sike lives in one of his large clan's warehouses down by Kalphor Wharf guarding whatever stash his father or uncle hides in there. Most of the other work is by collecting debts, protection racketing, and the odd beating and/or killing. Sike has few friends because of his personality but he likes the swift assassin named Slakka the Black and although he often quarrel with the thief Jeremiz, he finds the latter an amusing fellow. Evil Erol is a newcomer to the gang and although related to the powerful Earl of Techen, the young slaver has no respect for the man except to provide him with fresh ass. The tattoo skull on his head is a legacy of a drinking contest that he lost against a few foreign seamen.

R.I.P. Sike was slain during session 4 by brigands outside Heroth ...

Mogger of Gizmel, 30 (Jonny), is the owner of The Silk Hat, a tavern and brothel in Trevorman Golotha, and a midget with more potential than his height warrants. Born in the poor neighborhood of Trevorman, Mogger had a rough childhood. Being a midget in a hostile environment had its price and weekly beating by others were often on the menu. To make matters worse, his mother Lovis, a whore, often saw him banished to the street where he tried to make a living as a jester. When Mogger was a mere fifteen years old, all that changed a dark evening when the former owner of the hat brutally beat Lovis into a pulp. Not being loved by his mother was one thing, but having another man beat her up when she was his world, was another. Deep into the night Mogger snuck into the pimp's room and cut both his eyes out, devouring them on the spot in front of the screaming victim before he cut his throat. Mogger was captured by the local Lia-Kavair, of whom the now dead pimp was a member, and brought before the newly appointed master of the guild, Jarop Zarainsen. Expecting a assassin of quality Jarop was stunned into silence when he saw the small midget dressed in Jester's clothes being dragged half into the air by his thugs. Always quick to add a valuable source to his league of crooks, Jarop spared Mogger's life in return for sworn loyalty and service.

Since then Mogger has indeed been a valuable source to the Lia-Kavair and has been able to get into places where larger thieves failed. Of late however he has been more occupied with The Silk Hat, which he was given by Jarop when he turned twenty-five. Mogger is a fully fledged member of the Lia- Kavair and pays a regular fee to the guildmaster. The Silk Hat is operated by Mogger, his mother Lovis who acts as the brothel mother for five scrawny prostitutes as well as the brewer of the sour but heady ale the locals seem to enjoy. From time to time his uncle Zurban helps out when he is not busy fishing (and smuggling) and Bloody Bhurt a retarded, deaf, and mute bouncer and bodyguard protects the place as well as the midget. Mogger and his mother saved Bhurt from death in the winter of 717Tr. when they found him half dead in the snow, beaten beyond sanity. Unknown to all but his mother Mogger is a shape changer and often skulks the street as a hound. This is one of the reasons he has been able to pass good information to Jarop where no other could. In spite being mocked and slapped around by the Agrikans for his size, Mogger likes these because they always pays him well when he acts as a jester, a trade he practices from time to time. Mogger is the cousin of Slakka from his mother's side.
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Matt
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