ftp.ee.pdx.edu/2014.02.ftp.ee.pdx.edu.tar/ftp.ee.pdx.edu/pub/frp/purditory/circus

Internet Message Format | 1991-06-28 | 11KB

From [e-mail] Fri Jun 28 10:35:33 1991
From: [e-mail] (Michael Barlow)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp,aus.games.roleplay
Subject: PURDITORY: Circus
Keywords: purditory, runequest, RQ, scenario, circus
Date: 23 Jun 91 05:24:51 GMT
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia

Subject: Circus based Scenario
Author:  Mathew Lowrey
Note:    The scenario is RuneQuest specific but I've included it for the
     ease with which it can be adapted to any system. Sorry Purditory
     purists :-)
----------------------8<----------------------------->8--------------------


I thought I'd share some NPC's from my dusty, forgotten notes from my dusty,
distant RQ II.5 campaign with you. I hope you find them useful as an
idea-sparker. I have two so far, with a few coming later, but please mention
it somewhere in a.g.r if you want this sort of thing in the newsgroup,
otherwise I'll sulk and not bother-:)
This one's set in Glorantha, in a section detailed in 'Griffin Mountain'.
You shouldn't have too much trouble adapting. If you haven't got GM and you
are looking for a campaign setting, i highly recommend it, RQ or not.
    Here Goes!

            --------------------
Wipp Khoard & his Circus (set in Balazar, Glorantha)
------------------------------
The Circus hails from Tarsh, but as the invading Lunar Empire introduced the
sophistication and decadence of a more advanced culture into Tarsh, the Circus,
run by Issaries Merchant Kthareun Hertheron, became a little rustic. It began to
lose business, and looked like fading away with the failing health of Kthareun.
Then Wipp Khoard and his companions joined. Wipp is a lean, mean Orlanth
initiate with just as much rank in Lanbril, God of Thieves, as in Orlanth. He
and his friends had a few new acts which temporarily lifted their attendances,
but soon enough the Circus began losing money. Part of the reason was that some
of the Old Guard didn't like the new acts, and disapproved of the close
relationship Wipp forged with the Old Man. They didn't trust him, and left, and
soon enough Wipp and his friends dominated the acts. Naturally, they soon began
dominating policy too.

The Circus travels East to Balazar, an isolated region of Stone Age barbarians
loosely organised around three citadels:Elkoi, Trilus and Dykene (West to East).
The Lunar Empire had ignored Balazar on its push through Dragon Pass towards
the Ocean, until recently. Sick of the pesky barbarian raids on Lunar-occupied
Tarsh, the Lunars captured Elkoi, nearest Citadel, and installed a puppet there.

The Circus is there to make some money, look around and most of all RECRUIT.
They have jumped ahead of the competition in Tarsh, none of whom have any
"mysterious savages from the primitive East", and Wipp has convinced most
that there will be many strange and wonderful acts they can pick up for a song.
What is more, he correctly saw that the Elkoi garrison of Lunar soldiers, bored
and paid well for their outpost garrison, welcomed the Circus like a gift from
the Moon, and they did a good season there. However, there was nothing in this
area that they could really recruit. Bear in mind that some of the 'acts' that
Circuses such as these collect can be a bit morally unsound, or outright
bullshit.

At this point Kthreun dies. It is up to GM to say whether Wipp had any hand in
this, but it should be unlikely. More likely would be that Wipp  saw the old
man's health was bad, so he joined him and took him to a hole like Elkoi. Of
course, one of Wipp's less salubrious friends may have had something to do with
it, knowing he had Wipp's tacit approval, as long as he wasn't informed.
Some of the Old Guard, either friends or initiates of Kthareun, had stayed up
until this point for the following motives:

1) They believed they had a future with the Circus, they should inherit an
interest in it
2) Loyalty to the man. They don't trust Wipp and want to make sure Kthareun and
his family back in Tarsh are looked after.
3) Inertia
4) Miscellaneous

They were understandably upset when Kthareun's will transferred most control
to Wipp until it returned to his family. Wipp had convinced him that the only
way the Circus would survive would be with his leadership.
Some of the remaining Old Guard left. The remainder below are
there for reasons (1) and (2). But let's have a look at them individually

DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Wipp & his Band:
Wipp Khoard:    Orlanth initiate & Thief initiate (buggered if I can remember
the name!)
Medium build, wiry, lightning reflexes, extremely handsome and personable. No
real magic to speak of. Underneath this act he is extremely self-centred and
only really looks after himself. He is extremely well skilled with various
daggers, as this is the mainstay of his act. The climax of the show is when he
invites a duel from the audience with wooden daggers, with wagers on the
outcome. He also performs the standard knife throwing acts, and is a firly
skiful horserider.
Wipp has an extremely strong personality, and has a small band
of followers of similar outlook. They follow him because with him
leading them they believe they'll strike it good soon. Wipp's main weaknesses
are greed and vanity. He is not someone who you should trust.

Gharen Urmall:    Personal friend of Wipp's, longtime member of his Band. Gharen
is a lumbering bear of a man, yet despite his formidable size he is no fighter,
being reasonably clumsy. He's also pretty ugly. He is in fact a very good
magician (If you have sorcery, he's probably a sorcerer, not a initiate).
He is extremely loyal to Wipp, there is a genuine friendship between these two.
Apart from performing magic in the act, both as an act in itself and making sure
things move smoothly, Gharen also is Wipp's main administrative assistant and
general right hand man.

Merlow Freth:    Merlow is a new companion, and actually was their entry into
the Circus in the first place. He has a knack with animals, and when the
previous animalhandler left for the opposition, he got the job. From there
he got the rest in quickly. His act is in horses and the motley collection of
animals left behind by the previous handler. He was pretty down and out when
he met Wipp, because he is an incurable gambler. Wipp saved him from a tight
spot, what he doesn't realise is that Wipp had had his eye on him for a while.
        Merlow is your classic animalhandler, and is not sure he really
should have got involved with Gharen and Wipp. However he has to admit his
circumstances have improved, and that he may discover some new and interesting
creatures in this strange land. For their part Wipp and Gharen need him for
their Circus, and pay him well, but don't hold a great deal of loyalty to him.
They recognise that he has an innate sense of honesty, so they don't let him in
on many of their long term plans or baser motives.

There are also one or two lackeys that have thrown in their lot with Wipp. If
you like you could give Wipp a romantic interest. If from within the original
Circus she'll feel a bit torn between doubt of Wipp's character and his
considerable charm. I didn't because in the scenario I had planned for these
guys there was no scope for her. Call me sexist -:)

The Old Guard:
Persephone Wrellian:    Persephone was adopted by Kthareun, and enjoyed
the status of his daughter in most ways. She loved the old man, and knows she
has a future with his relatives back in Tarsh. She also has a strong loyalty
to the Circus, and is determined to bring the Circus back home a success.
    She is the primary choreographer, dancer and athelete. She is extremely
strong and dextrous, average looking (she uses good makeup and costuming on
stage), and reasonably intelligent. Her act is a combination of music, dance
and trapeze skills, and, considering she basically taught herself, she's damn
good. She leads another 6 musicians, dancers and trapeze artists in the Circus.
She is well loved by almost all of the Circus.
    She doesn't trust Wipp yet, but she's determined to give him a chance.
So far she has to admit the Elkoi trip was a financial success, and that they
need more acts, she just hopes that when they get back to civilisation Wipp
will get her the training and people she needs to improve her act. She used to
be close to the decisionmaking process, and Wipp is clever enough to not exclude
her from having a say, but she's unsure whether her say is heeded or not.
    If you are so inclined, there's almost certainly going to be someone
in love with her, probably one of the dancer troupe who can't really dance.
She may be interested too in someone, possible Merlow.

Janrus Herfter: (God I hate making up names!)
        Janrus was the Caravan Leader, orgnaising all of the logistics
required in moving a six wagon, 30 horse caravan. He hired and fired most of the
non-actors, from guards to handlers to cooks to wagoneers. He is a short,
strong, brutish looking man of average IQ who has a reputation for being
trustworthy, tough but fair, unimaginitive but competent.
Kthareun was a personal friend, and he hates Wipp's guts. A gut reaction he
cannot explain, and he is not an eloquent or politically-minded man. So far he
has bided his time, realiseing that Kthareun trusted him, and that he hasn't
done a bad job. But Janrus is not sure of Wipp's motives, particularly as it
looks as though he has begun to lose control over some aspects of running
the caravan. Wipp has charmed most of the others so he has kept
his suspicions to himself.
    Janrus' personal interests are running caravans and drinking as many
new and interesting beers as possible on his time off. He particularly enjoys
Troll drinks. Basically you can give him whatever interest you feel like, he's
that sort of NPC.

Miscellaneous Personae
A caravan, even a small one, swarms with people. There are wagoneers, guards,
cooks, riders, errand boys and other oddbods. What is more, the Circus itself
will have clowns, riders, musicians, popcorn salespeople, atheletes, magicians,
assistants etc etc. Many oif these jobs are duplicated. Wipp, for instance,
rides with the other riders in merlow's part of the show.
Also, Wipp collected a small entourage of Tarshites on his way to Balazar. There
will always be a smalltime merchant, crook, adventurer, criminal, escaped slave
etc willing to travelk with a caravan into a new land. Wipp has leased out
stalls to a couple of traders from Tarsh, employed a couple of mercenaries
for guards, perhaps even picked up a slave or two for running errands or
whatever. There will doubtless be a couple of hookers along for the ride as
well. Basically, the opportunities are limitless for adventures, scenario
hooks and so on. Go for it.

            ------------------
                        Mathew

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Mathew Lowry) writes:
>DRAMATIS PERSONAE
>Wipp & his Band:
>Wipp Khoard:    Orlanth initiate & Thief initiate (buggered if I can remember
>the name!)                 ^^^^
                Lanbril, for those with "Pavis".

Orlanth is the Gloranthan god of Adventure, Air and Glory, goping about killing
chaos and making a name for themselves (IMHO). Lanbril is for some reason (-:)
friendly with this cult, due to some members' roguish behaviour, and is the cult
for thieves etc. Just thought you may want to know.

                            mathew
----------------------8<----------------------------->8------------------------
--------------
Michael Barlow     [e-mail]