by J.C.

Connors

About the Adventure

The Lost Jewels of Eire is a low-horror, high-adventure pulp Not just any treasure, the Irish Crown Jewels were said to
Call of Cthulhu adventure, although it can be easily translat- have been unstealable. Furthermore, legends say if the jew-
ed to other systems (GURPS Cliffhangers and D6 Adventure els were ever stolen, the thieves themselves would become
versions are also available on 1shotadventures.com). Set in utterly uncatchable.
late 1937, the adventure pulls the investigators into a race to
find the long-lost Irish Crown Jewels, which mysteriously Italian secret police and Gestapo spies are everywhere, and
vanished from a strongroom in 1907... and, in real-life, were no secrets are safe from their spies and infiltrators. With
never found! the Irish Crown Jewels in the hands of the Third Reich,
their espionage capabilities would be increased tenfold!
The Lost Jewels of Eire is suitable for three-to-five pulp in-
vestigators. The end of the adventure includes seven pre- With only a handful of precious clues to go on, the investi-
generated pulp characters – players can add pulp talents! gators escape Vienna and head to the western shores of Ire-
land... and into the headquarters of the mysterious master
Characters introduced for the first time in the adventure thieves. There, they hope to recover the Irish Crown Jewels
are noted in ALL-CAPS. Skill rolls are in Small-Caps. Sec- from the master thieves themselves... before the sinister
agents of the Third Reich pull off the heist first.
tions marked with a map are side-quests and adventure
hooks, and not important to the overall plot of the adven-
ture. Sections marked with a person are opportunities The Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 1937...
for specific investigators, notably the pregenerated charac- The investigators begin the adventure trapped deep in
ters from the end of this adventure. the cavernous tunnels of Predjama Castle, a 13th century,

Adventure Summary
Like all pulp serials, The Lost Jewels of Eire begins in the
middle of the action. The investigators are fleeing the secret
tunnels of Predjama Castle, a 13th century castle built in-
side an enormous cave mouth. They have a legendary sword
in their hands – and an enraged crime boss on their heels.

The foiling of the crime boss and recovery (or near-recov-

ery) of the sword earns the investigators a royal invitation
to an exclusive ball in Vienna. During the event, a botched
theft reveals the existence of Gormghiolla Daigh, a secret ca-
bal of expert thieves, and the potential location of the long-
lost Irish Crown Jewels.
1
v1.4
whitewashed fortification built into a massive cave mouth.
The screams and curses of a furious Yugoslav crime boss,
AMADEJ ANZE, echo in the tunnels behind them! Hall of
Nine
One of the investigators (the GM should choose randomly)
holds the legendary Sword of Erazem, a worn but still-beau-
tiful broadsword that was owned by the 15th century knight
after which it was named, Sir Erazem Lueger. Renowned for
stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, Sir Erazem
Lueger is a popular Yugoslav hero. His famous sword, which
he used to slay a murderous and dishonorable duke, was
thought to be either destroyed or lost in the miles and miles
of natural caves underneath this castle. But after negotiating
for an old manuscript (Handout A) that contained a monk’s
detailed map of the tunnels, the PCs recovered the legend-
ary sword and are now making their frantic escape.

Unfortunately, the man who sold the investigators the man-

uscript was none other than Amadej Anze, the notorious
and cruel Yugoslav crime boss. Not knowing that the manu- Armoury
script he sold them was in any way valuable, he was out-
raged to hear that it contained a perfect map to a priceless
sword. Feeling was swindled and embarrassed him, Anze is
determined to get his revenge. He chased the investigators
into the castle tunnels, and is closing fast.

The investigators start the action in a damp, cavern tunnel.

PCs
The only thing separating them from the angry crime boss
is a centuries-old metal door, which they managed to slam Anze
shut in a hurry and, miraculously, seems locked or jammed Tomb of
in place. Amadej Anze and his men pound on the door and Drezniek
hoarsely scream for them to surrender or “pay a swindlers’
ultimate price.” There is no going backwards for the heroes.

Just ahead of the investigators is a small chamber. A heavy

portcullis blocks further travel, but two side tunnels lead
in different directions. Carved on the limestone floor is a Keeper’s Note: Use Anze as a timer during this opening of the
scuffed and worn two-headed eagle, the heraldry of Erazem adventure. As the investigators explore the tunnels, Amedej
the knight. Above the portcullis is a Latin carving that reads Anze will scream and bang at the door. Every few minutes
“Foribus Pauperum” – the “Pauper’s Portcullis” to anyone he’ll go quiet (to rethink his approach), but then always re-
who understands Latin or makes an appropriate History sumes and escalates his threats. Eventually, his goons find
roll to recall the name of the gate. something in the castle above to start battering the door
down. Soon, and at the exact time to make a bad sitution
A keyhole is mounted to the side of the wall near the port- worse, the iron door will come crashing in and Anze and his
cullis. The portcullis is still sturdy and secured. It easily two bodyguards come at the investigators.
weighs 1,000 lbs. and is far too heavy to lift. A Hard Lock-
smith roll (due to the dim light) only partially raises the The North Cave Armory
portcullis by less than a foot before it gets jammed. Only a The defenders of Predjama used these caves to secretly go
person who makes a Siz roll can squeeze underneath it. in and out of the fortification to forage for supplies while
the castle was under siege. The chamber to the north was
The monk’s manuscript in the PCs’ possession (Handout A) once a makeshift armory. Three suits of 15th century plate
contains a written warning that the Pauper’s Portcullis can armor stand in the corner near wooden benches where sol-
only be opened with the “Key of Erazem,” which the inves- diers used to change in and out of their armor. Spears lean
tigators certainly do not have in their possession. against the cave wall, and a cold, rusted broadsword can
2
be found tossed in the corner, the name “Drezniek” etched
shoddily into the blade. If the investigators grab any of these Drezniek’s Armor
weapons, treat them as cheap, as they are too old to be of STR 80 INT 40 HP 13
quality. CON 70 POW 70
SIZ 60 DEX 50
If the investigators study the suits of armor, they’ll find that
they were well-used and typical from this period (a His- Damage bonus: +1D4
tory roll will confirm this). The suits of armor are too small Build: 1 Move: 7
for modern men.
Attacks per round: 2
Fighting (Sword) 70%, damage 1D8+1D4+1
The South Cave – The Tomb of Drezniek
Dodge: 25%
The south cave has a large chasm in the middle of the cham-
ber. The bottom of the chasm is not easily visible in the Skills: Listen 40%, Stealth 35%.
darkness. Dropping something down and making an Idea
roll, or making a Hard Spot Hidden roll (due to the dark- Sanity Loss: 1/1D6 (if revealed the suit is empty!)
ness) reveals it plummets 20-feet to the rocky bottom.
Special Defenses: The animated medieval armor provides
Over the chasm hangs a suspended iron cage, a large chain 3 armor points.
holding it above the pit. A skeleton of a man is twisted inside
it, a horrific look still on its visage. Investigators must make
a Sanity Check (0/1) upon seeing this gruesome sight!
If the Dex roll fails to grab on to the cage, the PC slips off
On the curved, western wall of this chamber, the natural the cage and plummets 20-feet to the damp, rubble-strewn
cave walls have been hewed into smoother stone. Carved stone floor below for 2d6 damage. Keepers running a more
into the stone is a warning in Latin. Large carved letters realistic game can punish players with broken limbs as
read, “Proditor,” or “Traitor”. Underneath is a longer in- well! An investigator PC can climb back out with a Climb
scription. Translated, it reads: roll.

“Here is the tomb of the traitor STEFAN DREZNIEK, con- Once perched on the cage, the investigator has to either
demned here for calling upon the devil to send messages to wrench the cage door open or pick the medieval padlock
the heathens and betray our good knight Erazem. Let the key that holds its door shut (the bars are too close together to
around his neck remind him that he is denied entrance to allow most people to reach through and grab the key, al-
Heaven.” though a Hard Siz roll will do it). Picking the old lock is
fairly easy (+2 to skill), but doing it with one hand (-3) and
A History roll recalls the story Stefan Drezniek. He was a in the dark (-3 unless someone accurately points a flash-
man who betrayed Erazem while the castle was under siege, light beam right on the lock) makes it tricky. Wrenching
giving the location of Erazen’s toilet to the Habsburg attack- the door open requires a Hard Str roll because of the lack
ers, who promptly fired a cannon at it when they saw the of leverage. Investigators can think of other solutions, like
room lit by a candle, killing Erazem. shooting the padlock.

If the investigators examine the skeleton, a Hard Spot Hid-

den roll (due to the darkness of dim flashlights) reveals that
the skeleton has a key on a chain around his neck! The in- The Curse..?
vestigators also spot that the man had an odd bone growth If the cage is disturbed (either opened or falling to the
on his skull. There are hundreds of small, horny protrusions chasm below), the hateful spirit of Stefan Drezniek is
sticking emerging from one side of his skull, like coral gone released. This is a subtle event; the investigators may
feel nothing more than a slight chill, or sulfurous
amuck. A Medicine roll chalks this up to a rare skull de-
breeze drift through the cavern. The malevolent spir-
formity... but it will still give the investigators who see it the it affects this scene in two ways, however. First, he possesses one
creeps (and a Sanity Check (0/1) . of the suits of armor in the armoury. Second, he possesses one
of Anze’s weaker willed guards, giving him incredible toughness
There is 9-foot gap between the nearest ledge and the cage (+10 hit points). Ideally, the investigators leave this scene won-
itself. Getting to the cage requires a good leap and then dering if the tunnels are truly haunted... or if they just witnessed
making a Dex, Jump, or Climb roll to grab on to the iron a strange, but still conceivable, string of events.
bars of the cage.
3
Keeper’s Note: If Anze hears a gunshot, he’ll tell his goons to Dangling from the cavern ceiling above the crevasse are
come in firing, thinking the investigators are looking for a fire- nine more iron cages, each one containing a skeletal pris-
fight! oner inside. Each prisoner has a crime written on his cage
in large block lettering. In Latin: Treason, Theft, Murder,
Escaping to safety from the cage is trickier than getting Blasphemy, Cowardice, Hedonism, Betrayal, Witchcraft, and
there in the first place. The investigator can leap to the edge finally, furthest away from the ledge, The False King. This
of the chasm, but needs to make a Dex or Jump roll to get was the chamber where Erazam punished his kingdom’s
a good push-off, otherwise he’ll lose enough distance from most traitorous... dangling here as a reminder for anyone
his jump that he’ll need a Luck roll to grab precarious only who exited the secret tunnels that they dare not betray
to the ledge of the chasm. their king.

To escape the tunnels, investigators must make their way

If an investigator thinks to swing the cage back and forth across the narrow pathway. Inching across the bridge is ar-
to shorten the distance, that will work, reducing the jump duous but safe. Only a horrible failure on a Dex roll results
distance and granting a bonus die. However, the swinging in a delay. Moving faster, at a walking pace, requires a Pow
fatigues the chain holding the weight of the cage. As the PC roll to summon the courage!
swings the cage, make a Luck roll, else the chain makes a
horrible, metal-fatigue-imminent sound, and then breaks Every few minutes, wind vents downwards and blows hard
free from the ceiling a few moments later! across the cavern, threatening to topple people off the
bridge. The investigators get the first warning as the cages
The Cursed Suit of Armor rattle and spin from the gust picking up tempo. Then, any-
Once Drezniek’s resting place is disturbed, his spirit takes one on the bridge must make a Easy Dex roll to hang on,
refuge in his old suit of armor. Grabbing his old sword from unless they think to drop and grab on with legs and arms.
the armoury (or if its gone, a spear), he ruefully decides to
kill the intruders. He will lure the investigators back to the If someone falls from the bridge, Keepers should give them
armoury, making rattling, metal-on-metal sounds to attract a Luck or Jump roll for a chance to leap from the bridge
them and lure them close to one of the suits of armor, then to a nearby prisoner cage. Getting back to the bridge is
slash! harder – landing on the narrow 6” ledge requires a Hard
Jump or Dex roll! The investigators can think of clever
If defeated, Drezniek creates an corporeal apparition of the workarounds for this difficulty, using ropes, etc., to pull the
man he used to be inside the armor. In an old Hungarian cage closer to the ledge. (However, a perfect time for Ama-
dialect, he begs and pleads for his life, swearing he is a local dej Anze to walk in would be when they are all dangling
sworn to protect Predjama Castle. Even investigators who precariously...) Any investigator who fails all their rolls and
know Slovenian find him difficult to understand. plummets into the depths takes 3d6 cr damage from the
terrible fall.
Drezniek will keep this disguise up until he is ready to pos-
sess someone both weak willed and tough... like one of An- Escape Ladder
ze’s thugs... then he’ll find an opportunity to disappear and Once the investigators make it across the bridge, they’ll see
renew his vengeance. a rusted iron ladder rising straight up into the darkness.
Climbing this ladder for a few minutes finally escapes the
Opening Pauper’s Portcullis hidden tunnels of Predjama.
The portcullis open with a forceful turn of the key. How-
ever, the gears are stiff, and the portcullis will get jammed The Alexandrite Gem of the False King
halfway up. Outside of an extreme success with a Mechan- If the investigators study the dead prisoners, a Hard
ical Repair roll there is no way to get the portcullis to open Spot Hidden reveals that the furthest skeleton, the
further or close again. “False King,” grasps a walnut-sized gem in his bony hand.
As the investigators’ flashlight bounces on the gemstone,
The Hall of Nine it changes from sparkling blue to glittering purple in the
Beyond the portcullis is a final cavern chamber. A vast light. An Appraise roll identifies that this is Alexandrite,
chasm separates the investigators from a worn ladder which one of the rarest known gemstones! A History roll recalls
climbs to the forest above. A narrow and damp wooden that in 1481, Erazem fought a would-be usurper on the
board pathway – dangling by heavy chains and just a few fields in front of Predjama Castle. In the middle of the duel,
inches wide – crosses the chasm. An eerie breeze whistles the usurper started coughing and choking, and fell down
and swirls around this cavern, rattling the chain supports. dead on the field. Examining his corpse, Erazem saw a gem
4
 ANZE’S THUGS
STR 60 DEX 55 INT 40
CON 65 APP 40 POW 35
SIZ 60 EDU 40 HP 12

Damage bonus: none

Build: 0 Move: 8

Fighting (Brawling) 65%, damage 1D3

Guns 55%, damage 1D8, uses per round 1 (3), 6 shots
Dodge: 27%

Skills: Drive Automobile 40%, Firearms 55%, Intimi-

date 55%, Listen 45%, Spot Hidden 40%, Stealth 40%.
lodged into the man’s throat. The bishop declared that
it was the work of the devil, who had given the man the Personality: These fellows represent Anze’s toughest men,
gemstone so that he’d win the duel, but Erazem had God’s typical of the ones that uses as bodyguards or orders to
blessing, and the devil’s gem choked the usurper. The Alex- carry out his will.
andrite Gem of the False King has been lost to history, but
now the investigators have discovered it yet again! If the thugs ever feel outmatched, one will run for the
trunk of the Renault to grab the Steyr SMG that is in the
back. The SMG does 1D10 damage, base range 20, uses
Recovering the Alexandrite Gem is difficult and dangerous.
per round 1(2) or full auto, 25 shots, malfunction 96.
PCs have to leap from the bridge to “Theft’s” cage... to the
False King’s cage. The cages are close enough together that
a Dex or Jump roll allows a leap from one cage to another. AMADEJ ANZE
However, leaping on to Theft’s cage causes a dozen or so STR 60 DEX 50 INT 55
small bats, who were sheltering inside, to flutter upwards, CON 55 APP 60 POW 60
shrieking in terror (and Sanity Check (0/1) for anyone SIZ 60 EDU 45 HP 23
nearby).
Damage bonus: none
Build: 0 Move: 7
Once the False King’s cage is reached, the investigator must
reach through the bars and grab the gem from within the Fighting (Brawling) 65%, damage 1D3
skeletal hand (which grasps it tightly). This requires a final Guns 65%, damage 1D8, uses per round 1 (3), 6 shots
Sleight of Hand roll to avoid knocking it loose. Failure Dodge: 27%
indicates the gem falls awkwardly to the bottom of the cage,
and requires another roll to stretch and grab it or climbing Skills: Credit Rating 70%, Drive Automobile 40%, Fire-
down the cage to get closer; a failure can result in a danger- arms 65%, Intimidate 80%, Listen 60%, Spot Hidden
ous slip! 40%; Stealth 40%.

Once the gem is gained, the investigator must leap back to Equipment: Rast & Gasser Revolver (1D10 damage, base
range 15, uses per round 1(3), 6 shots, malfunction 100).
the narrow bridge (which requires a Hard Dex or Jump roll
unless the PC gets help from his friends somehow). Personality: Anze is a rage-filled bully, with zero tolerance
If recovered, the rare, 5-carat alexandrite gem can be sold for foreign fools.
for over $100,000 on the black market, or turned over to a
large museum for a lesser reward ($500) but a positive repu-
The investigators recognize the woman as TANJA BO-
tation among the curators.
HDANA, the local history professor who contacted them
with the information that led them to the map. Further-
Escape! And Trouble Again...
more, Tanja is Aleksandra Pavlovi’s former history profes-
Bursting into the light of the sun, the investigators find
sor and Willy Van der Woodson’s middle school tutor.
themselves surrounded by three of Amadej Anze’s gun-
wielding thugs. A Renault automobile idles nearby. A par-
Anze’s men want to hold the investigators in place and wait
ticularly brutish thug holds an elderly woman captive.
for Anze. When Anze appears, he angrily scolds them for
leading him through the dangerous caves and endangering

5
his men’s lives. In exchange for the investigators’ lives, Anze news got back to the princess that the investigators stood
demands the Sword of Erazem as payment. up (or embarrassed, or killed...) Amadej Anze, she was
thrilled to personally thank them and invite them to her
Talking their way out of a gangster shakedown is difficult. husband’s going away party.
A good Fast Talk attempt, plus giving him the sword (or
potentially the Alexandrite Gem, which the crime boss will Upon landing in Vienna, the investigators are approached
appreciate more), lets the investigators depart without inju- by Berg, a handsome, finely-attired manservant. He has
ry. Otherwise, a skirmish is sure to break out. Once combat arranged a Rolls Royce to take them to the elegant Hotel
erupts, the investigators can battle it out with the thugs, run Beethoven, where they will receive a free, three night stay.
for cover in the dim woods, or try to steal Anze’s Renault If asked more about their invitation, Leonhard simply tells
and escape. Once the fight turns against Anze, he’ll try to them that they have earned the attention of the Princess of
make a fast getaway. His life is not worth an old sword. Romania, and that they should be delighted.
Keeper’s Note: If the investigators already dispatched Amadej The party is set for the next day, Saturday, September 18th
Anze in the caves, they can more easily talk their way out of at 6pm in the Musikverein. The party’s purpose is to cel-
this encounter. The thugs knew to wait for their boss in this ebrate Archduke Anton leaving Austria to join the Luft-
area, but not exactly why. If they can convince the thugs that waffe. He wants to impress both his wife as well as the local
Anze is dead or not around, Keepers might give a bonus die to elite of Vienna by demonstrating that he’s making a grand
skill attempts like Fast Talk, Charm, or Intimidate. sacrifice for his country. However, a Know roll recalls a
rumor hat the prince actually got drafted after several at-
The Golden Hall, Vienna tempts to avoid service!
Whatever the outcome of the Predjama Castle escape, the
investigators can escape the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on the The party is a glamorous affair. Over a hundred well-to-do
next flight out. Whatever the their next destination, the and influential men and women circulate in the hall, chat-
flight stops in Vienna before continuing on. tering about recent events, the glory of the Nazi party, and
the month’s personal scandals. Several of the most talented
Minutes before they take off, the investigators are ap- members of the Austrian symphony are playing live mu-
proached by a harried courier who hands them a telegram sic (Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss, of course); expensive
(see Handout B). The telegram contains a royal invitation champagne, caviar, and hors d’oeuvres are in constant cir-
from the ARCHDUKE ANTON OF AUSTRIA, inviting culation.
them to attend his going-away part in Vienna at the Golden
Hall in the Musikverein, one of the world’s most famous Even with an invitation, the investigators are not allowed
concert halls. The telegram instructs them to look for a into the event unless they are well-dressed and look the
man named LEONHARD BERG upon landing in Vienna. part (and arms are strictly prohibited unless the investi-
gators either smuggle them in or are dressed in a proper
A Know roll recalls that the archduke’s wife, PRINCESS Austrian or German military outfit). The hall guards are
ILEANA OF ROMANIA, has long despised Amadej Anze courteous but strict, and if the investigators show up un-
and his family, as her father always believed that the Anzes derdressed, look to assist them finding proper attire. After
poisoned several of his relatives over the years. When the all, the guards do not want to be the ones to blame if Prin-
cess Ileana’s guests cannot show up!

Once admitted, the PCs are met by the familiar manser-

vant Leonhard Berg and told to enjoy themselves. He says
that the princess would like to speak with them personal-
ly — although the investigators are politely asked to wait
until she is ready and they are summoned. On a good
reaction, Leonhard introduces the investigators to one or
more of the more esteemed guests of the party.

While they await the princess’ call, the Keeper should ask
each player what they’re doing during the party. There’s
ample time to indulge in various food and drink, so-
cializing with politicians and wealthy individuals, flirt-
6
 Attendees of the Golden Hall

CORONEL BENITO BLANCO — A dashing and decorated

colonel in Franco’s bando nacional (Spain’s fascist Nationalist
party). Blanco was wounded in July’s Battle of Brunete, which
was a narrow win for the Nationalists. He still walks with a cane
from a bullet that hit his hip, though he’s optimistic he will re-
cover soon and return to the war. Blanco is handsome, well-
spoken, boisterous, and a true believer in the fascist takeover
of Spain. He’s especially excited that his party was able to win
recognition from the Vatican just a few weeks ago, and he has
just returned from Rome, fresh from helping with the politi-
cal victory there. While the investigators are likely repulsed by
Coronel Blanco’s politics, he’s a chivalrous man-of-action, and
will quickly jump to the aid of anyone (with status) who needs
help, especially the Princess Ileana.

LIZZI HOLZSCHUH — An Austrian singer and actress, she’s

celebrating the release of her new movie, Zauber der Bohème
(The Charm of La Boheme). While Holzschuh had a small role
in the film, she’s the talk of the party for her quirky wit, silver
screen looks, and love for oysters (all the flirtacious men in the
room are constantly bringing her some, something the older at-
tendees have comically dubbed the “dowry of oysters”).

MARIANNE ZOFF — A famed, middle-aged Austrian opera

singer. She is uncomfortable at this event (due to her half-Jew-
ish ancestry), but feels obliged to attend at the Duke’s behest.
She avoids any notable fascists at the party, and instead con-
verses with the wealthy patrons and donors of the Musikverein.
northern Scotland. One of the sect’s leaders, WILLIAM
ERNST DORNBERGER — A German artillery officer, recently COTRUS, secured an invitation to the party after discov-
promoted (thanks to nepotism) as director of a new secret pro- ering that Princess Ileana’s locket holds the secret to the
gram for the Nazis. Dornberger is a heavy drinker, needs to feel lost crown jewels of Ireland... and a clue to something the
important, and bad at keeping secrets. It doesn’t take much to Kurazos Cult has sought for centuries. William Cotrus
ply out of him that he’s working on experimental rocketry for spends the party lurking near the bar and occasionally
the Nazis.
talking to the bartender. It is doubtful the investigators will
notice him until later in the party, unless they are specifi-
Observers may notice that Dornberger carries an attache cally looking for wallflowers.
case. Dornberger likes to be seen with it so he can impress
people with scientific notes even he can’t really understand. His
notes, however, would be extraordinarily valuable to British,
The Princess Calls
French, or American intelligence. Stealing the case from him A bit before 7:30, tables in the rear of the hall begin to be
would make quite the heist during the adventure, though the prepared for dinner service. Servants bustle around, bring-
Austrian police will be quick to scramble into the action to re- ing large and ornate, silver candlesticks to decorate the ta-
cover the case the moment Dornberger reports that it is gone! bles as expensive china and silverware are set at each place.
In the middle of preparations, a well-dressed butler invites
ing with the princess’ young friends, or just scrounging for the investigators into the archduke’s private dining room.
gossip and rumors (see the sidebar for some examples). A Princess Ileana is a dark-haired, young woman dressed
successful Charm roll earns the investigators positive at- in an elegant, but simple, v-necked gown. Three glorious
tention. A follow-on roll, appropriate to the topic at hand strands of pearls are draped around her neck along with
(e.g., knowledge skills), further impresses the guests. a mesmerizing ruby necklace. She is pleased to speak to
the investigators. A charming woman, she is compassion-
The Kurazos Infiltration ate, down-to-earth, and full of questions for the heroes.
Unbeknownst to its hosts, the party has been infiltrated Her husband, Archduke Anton, is bored but attentive; he
by the Kurazos Cult, a hidden Romanian sect founded in is simply humoring his wife and excited to get back to his
the 16th century, but forced into hiding and now based in friends.
7
 THE KuRAZOS Cult WILLIAM COTRUS
STR 80 DEX 60 INT 50
Any investigator who makes an Occult or a Hard History
CON 70 APP 40 POW 55
roll will have heard of the secretive Kurazos Cult. The cult was
SIZ 70 EDU 45 HP 14
founded in the Transylvania principality of Romania in 1593.
Originally created to spy on ignoble Hungarian princes, the cult
soon veered into the study of esoteric magic and unwholesome Damage bonus: +1D4
“genius rituals” designed to dramatically boost the intellect of Build: 0 Move: 8
its leaders, or even see into the future. By 1700, however, the
cult had largely been chased out of Romania, though rumors Fighting (Brawling) 65%, damage 1D3+1dD4
that it moved across the sea to Ireland and Scotland have con- Guns 60%, damage 1D10, uses per round 1 (3), 6 shots
tinued for centuries. Dodge: 35%

Skills: Intimidate 60%, Listen 50%, Stealth 50%.

The princess asks the investigators to regale her guests with
Personality: Huffy and ill-tempered, Cotrus is motivated
the tale of standing up to Amadej Anze. She’s likely pleased
by his deep obsession with the Kurazos Cult and a deep
with the story, although with a successful Charm roll she belief that the world’s leaders should all be hanged.
becomes quite taken with the storyteller, and then asks if he
or she would be interested in working for the Archduke in
the future (the archduke himself is nonplussed at this pros-
pect). SPECTACLED COBRA
STR 30 INT - HP 5
Kurazos Strikes! CON 35 POW 50
At an appropriately dramatic part of the conversation with SIZ 15 DEX 90
the princess, a piercing crack sounds (a Know roll identifies
the sound as a grenade) and the heavy door to the private Damage bonus: -2
chamber bursts open. A red-faced, angry William Cotrus Build: -2 Move: 8
strides in, a large revolver in one hand, a venomous, spec-
tacled cobra in the other! He shoots at the two guards by Attacks per round: 1
Fighting (Bite) 40%, damage 1D4-2 + poison*
the door, and they fall over dead. He shouts in a loud voice,
Dodge: 42%
“Now you respect Kurazos! Now you respect me!”
Skills: Stealth 90%.
Thick smoke wafts in from the main Golden Hall as screams
and shouts begin to sound throughout the building. (Co- * If bit, victim takes 4D10 damage from the poison within
trus set off a smoke grenade in the Golden Hall, which is 30 minutes. If a Con roll is succeded with an Extreme
success, halve damage.
now being evacuated.) He confidently aims his pistol at the
princess and her husband, and demands the ruby from her
neck. “Give to me what is around your neck, princess! And
you and your cowardly husband will be spared! Hurry!” one of the military guests (likely Benito Blanco) arrive and
rush him. Wrestling the gun from Cotrus takes quickness.
Archduke Anton stands and demands to know who the If an investigator happens to be near the door, he can strike
man is. The Archduke is protective of his wife, but is also to disarm, making a contested Fighting (Brawl) roll vs.
not especially courageous – he won’t do anything to chal- Cotrus’ brawling ability. (On a tie, a fair Keeper can rule
lenge the armed man. Cotrus just keeps shouting his de- that Cotrus’ gun is unreadied.)
mand and walking closer to the princess. While Cotrus is
willing to murder to recover the ruby necklace, he prefers a If Cotrus escapes with the necklace, the Keeper should al-
resolution where she gives it to him or he can snatch it off low the investigators to give chase through the hall. Con-
her throat and then make his escape. fused soldiers and royal guards will demand that they halt!
Ultimately, Cotrus is neither fast nor familiar with the
The other guests of the private room are frozen in terror. If streets of Vienna and is likely the investigators will be able
not stopped, Cotrus snatches the necklace and flees through to apprehend him. (But if not, that’s okay, see below).
the smoke-filled hall.
Ileana’s Ruby
The investigators can apprehend Cotrus in a few ways, either If Cotrus is apprehended and questioned, the fanatic won’t
through action or even fast-talking him long enough so that talk except by arrogantly muttering how the necklace’s “se-
8
cret” belongs to Kurazos, and how he’ll be replaced by “doz- tails which are even smaller than minutiae... honestly, some
ens more like him.” of which I never hope to hear her chatter about again...”).
He volunteers to make an introduction.
Eventually, the police take custody of Cotrus. They will not
likely allow the investigators to see him again. If the inves- Department of History, University of Vienna
tigators can negotiate a few minutes with Cotrus, and suc- Roisin Bauer can be found in her office the next morning.
ceed at an Intimidate or Fast Talk roll, they can trick him Her office is small, barely big enough for her and a couple
into revealing that the ruby itself is worthless to his cult, students, and piled with thick, dusty books with long titles
and that he would have simply thrown it away shortly after written in Gaelic. A faded map of the British Isles hangs on
stealing it. “Kurazos seeks those who have already stolen the the wall. Colored pins are pushed into a hundred locales on
trinket!” he cryptically states. the map, mostly in western Europe.

Wondering why the ruby was so valuable to the man, the Roisin is a sharply-dressed woman in her early thirties.
Princess Ileana allows the investigators to examine her Unlike many of the other professors here, her attire is well-
necklace. Elaborate silver prongs hold the large, blood red tended and modern. She is enthusiastic to meet anyone
gemstone in place. interested in her work, as she rarely gets attention other
than from her students. Even if the investigators are curt
• If asked about the necklace, the princess explains that and business-like, she’ll be helpful.
her father, King Ferdinand of Romania, gave it to her on
her 16th birthday. “My great-grandmother had it, but it If asked about the name “Gormghiolla Daigh,” Roisin
had been stolen and lost for many years. It was recov- grows excited and flips through several of her old tomes to
ered before my birthday.” show mentions of the name. The name, she explains, be-
• An Appraise roll values the 20-carat ruby at a hundred longs to a secret cabal of master thieves and sometimes cat
thousand dollars or more, making it easily one of the burglars:
most valuable rubies in existence.
• A Spot Hidden roll identifies a small inscription on “All of the greatest heists – Josephine’s emeralds in 1810, the
the back of the ruby, mostly covered by the casing. Mona Lisa of Pearls in 1913, half the times the French Blue
The gemstone can be pried out to better see it (or an diamond vanished, all said to be performed by the masters
Appraise roll will do it properly). The tiny inscrip- of Gormghiolla Daigh.
tion spells out the strange Gaelic name “Gormghiolla
Daigh” (Gurm-yu-la Dai). The princess attests she has “But their greatest theft was said to be the Diamond Star of
never given any thought to that name before, thinking the Grand Master of the Order of St. Patrick, part of the so-
that perhaps it was the jeweler who made her necklace. called ‘Irish Crown Jewels’ that disappeared without a trace
in July of 1907. What made the star’s theft special, however,
Keeper’s Note: In the unlikely event Cotrus actually escaped is that it was supposedly unstealable. When the star was
with the ruby necklace, the princess will explain that – in the created in the late 18th century, it was blessed in a secret
event her precious valuables were stolen – she had photos ceremony, with the words ‘Quis Separabit’ engraved on the
taken of her jewelry. With the photos, the investigators will be back. The blessing was said to make the jewels impossible to
able to get the same information above. steal, and several attempted thefts were miraculously foiled
over the years.
A History roll reveals that “Gormghiolla Daigh” is an an-
tiquated, but meaningless, Gaelic proper name. Any deeper “In 1906, a letter was found on a dead body in the coastal
information is unknown to the investigators, or any of the village of Doolin, in County Clare Ireland. It was reported in
princess’ attendants. the local newspaper. The letter mentioned both Gormghiolla
Daigh and the Diamond Star. Furthermore, it alluded to a
The Keeper should allow the investigators to use contacts, story no one had ever heard – that whoever stole the unsteal-
social skills, Library Use, or other appropriate means able star would, in turn, become an uncatchable ‘ur-thief.’
to find out more about this inscription. Eventually, they Steal the star, and you’d then never get caught stealing any-
should be led to a junior professor named ROISIN BAUER thing from anywhere or anyone. You can imagine why it was
(“Ro-sheen”), a Gaelic historian who lectures at the Univer- quite a prize for Gormghiolla Daigh!
sity of Vienna. If the investigators reach a dead-end in their
search, the helpful and attentive footman Leonhard Berg “And the following year, the Irish Crown Jewels vanished and
points them to Roisin (“an in-the-know old girlfriend of were never recovered.”
mine... quite the expert on Gaelic minutiae... and other de-
9
She goes on to tell that the elders of Gormghiolla Daigh ab-
ducted young children and train them to be elite thieves. JONAS STEINER
“Reconassiance, sleight of hand, athletic burglary, the STR 60 DEX 50 INT 50
stealth arts from the Orient... all taught to them before they CON 55 APP 50 POW 45
can grow a beard... or so the legend goes.” SIZ 50 EDU 40 HP 10

Roisin also says that the rumored headquarters of Gor- Damage bonus: none
mghiolla Daigh is the old Doonagore Castle, located on Build: 0 Move: 8
the western coast of Ireland, not too far from the village of
Fighting (Brawl w/ screwdriver) 60%, damage 1D3+1
Doolin. “But all that’s left of that castle is just the tower, so
Dodge: 25%
it’s doubtful they are creeping around there anymore.”
Skills: History 35%, Listen 50%, Stealth 40%.
Finally, Roisin explains that while the existence of the Gor-
mghiolla Daigh has never been confirmed by authorities, Personality: Jonas is known at the university for being
she has seen enough reference to it over the years to believe grumpy, complaining about his lack of wealth, and hold-
that it does exist in some form. ing long grudges. He only seems to like stray cats.

Shortly after revealing what she knows about Gormghio- Equipment: Screwdriver; janitor keys; Ludo’s calling card.
lla Daigh, Roisin offhandedly mentions to the investigators
that they are the second ones to ask her about the secret so-
ciety in recent days. She describes a handsome Italian man If the investigators do nothing (or don’t notice), Jonas van-
who visited her office just days ago. “In fact,” she adds, “he ishes shortly after the name Gormghiolla Daigh is men-
sent me a gift that arrived this morning” – and points to an tioned. He quickly moves down the hall to an empty office
expensive bottle of Tuscan wine on her shelf. If asked more and uses the phone to call Ludo’s messaging service.
about this man, she only knows his name was LUDO, and
that he claimed to be researching a new novel about a man • If surprised or chased, Jonas throws a few punches and
on the run from underworld criminals. then tries to escape through the halls, using his keys
and familiarity with the university to his advantage.
Keeper’s Note: Roisin’s previous guest is Ludo Bocchi, a senior • If Jonas is apprehended – and believes there is no way
member of OVRA, the Italian secret police. Working with the to get away – he comes clean, and explains that an Ital-
German Gestapo, Ludo is also searching for the headquar- ian man paid him a month’s salary to watch Roisin.
ters of the master thieves of Gormghiolla Daigh in the hopes • If intimidated or interrogated, he’ll reluctantly admit
that he can steal back the Irish Crown Jewels, therefore giving that he was specifically asked to listen for mentions of
them a unstoppable aid in stealing secrets of their own. Gormghiolla Daigh or Doonagore Castle.
• If Jonas’ university job is threatened, he will beg to re-
(If the PCs investigate the gift wine, they find that it is au- tain it, genuinely promising to never contact the Ital-
thentic and ordinary... Ludo never poisons ladies!) ians again. If reported and fired from his job, however,
Jonas will hold a grudge against the investigators and
Roisin, and look for a way to get revenge on them later
The Janitor, The Spy
(which definitely includes contacting Ludo and warn-
When Ludo departed the university, he paid a janitor to
ing him that they are on his trail).
keep an eye on Roisin Bauer, nervous that she might lead
• If searched, the only interesting belonging on Jonas’
others to Gormghiolla Daigh and Doonagore Castle. As the
person is a calling card labeled “Perchloroethylene and
investigators are conversing with Roisin, a Spot Hidden or
Supplies” (Handout C). A Science roll recalls that
Listen roll notices a suspicious shadow stationed particu-
perchloroethylene is a chemical used in dry cleaning.
larly close to her door, visible through its reeded glass pane.
• If Ludo’s 4-digit, Berlin-based messaging service num-
Closer examination looks like the figure is clearly eaves-
ber is called, a short-tempered German woman named
dropping on the conversation.
ILSA picks up. She uses the cover of a laundry service
in Berlin. In reality, the number contacts the German
The skulker is JONAS STEINER, the lonely janitor assigned
Gestapo secret police, but only the best contacts or in-
to the Department of History. Ludo paid him handsomely
vestigative skills will be able to confirm this fact. If the
to keep an eye on Roisin, and phone him immediately if
investigators somehow break through the Gestapo’s
anyone else came and asked about Gormghiolla Daigh.
cover, they’ll learn that the Ludo and half a dozen Ge-
stapo armed officers have set off for Doonagore Castle.
10
At this point, the investigators likely
realize that the Italian secret police –
and perhaps the German Gestapo – are
hunting for the Irish Crown Jewels. Their
only lead is the old Gormghiolla Daigh
headquarters, Doonagore Castle.

The closest airport to Doonagore Castle

is in Galway, Ireland. Galway is located
about a two hour drive north of Doon-
agore. If the investigators have access to
a private plane (or can fast-talk a private
pilot), they can attempt to save time and
land on one of the dirt roads near the
castle. This maneuver requires a Pilot
roll; failure indicates that the plane lands
roughly and takes enough damage that it
needs a mechanic before being able to fly
safely again.
for its Oberleutnant, who is in command and armed with
Doonagore Castle, Ireland a submachine gun.
Doonagore is a sandstone castle located on the western ,
central shore of Ireland, a few minutes drive from the vil- If Ludo Bocchi was warned by Jonas that the investigators
lage of Doolin. The castle overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, were heading to Doonagore, his men will be on alert. Three
though the fog off the coast is utterly impenetrable. additional Gestapo soldiers, each with a submachine gun,
will be mounted on motorcycles and hidden in the copse
The castle’s most prominent structure is a four-story, cylin- north of the castle. They are ready to violently spring into
drical tower house, which is surrounded by a wall. A small, action if they spot intruders or hear an alarm.
ramshackle cottage sits thirty yards away from the tower.
The castle is in disrepair. A makeshift radio antenna has If the investigators arrived at the castle especially quickly
been erected at the top of the tower. (probably because they landed directly outside the castle),
they see and hear a motorboat leaving from the shore near
If the investigators approach the castle stealthily, they will the castle and disappearing into the ocean fog. A Hard
spot Gestapo guards patrolling outside the tower wall. A Spot Hidden roll (due to the fog) spots that there are at
Spot Hidden roll (modified for whatever darkness penal- least five men, additional to the ones guarding the tower,
ties the time of day may bring) reveals that there are four on the boat. One of the men is bound and being held at
guards outside the tower, but at one point, one of the guards gunpoint. The boat holds Ludo Bocchi, his Gestapo allies,
signals to at least one additional guard inside the tower. All and MICHEÁL FINN, one of the master thieves of Gor-
of the guards are armed with Walther PPK pistols, except mghiolla Daigh.

The Ramshackle Cottage

The simple, one-room cottage outside the castle tower
has been abandoned for a hundred years. A lone, spotted
moiled cow grazes on the grass nearby. The cow is gentle,
easily spooked, and loud. Clever investigators can use the
cow as part of a distraction, but the animal can also spoil
any plans that they have to be stealthy in the area.

Inside the old cottage are three newly-purchased motor-

cycles. If Ludo Bocchi was warned that the investigators
were on his trail, the motorcycles won’t be here – instead,
they have been taken to the dense copse, ready to ambush.

11
 A Spot Hidden roll finds a silver cufflink under a wood
The Assault on Doonagore
chair near the wall of the cottage (see Handout E). The cuf- After learning that Doonagore was one of the secret meeting
flink is engraved with a mountain-like symbol and the word places of Gormghiolla Daigh, Ludo Bocchi and his Gestapo
“Kurazos.” The cufflink was dropped by HORST WINKLER, allies surrounded and stormed the castle under the cover of
the Gestapo Oberleutnant and also a secret member of the darkness. The members of Gormghiolla Daigh were surprised
Kurazos cult. If the Search roll is made with a Hard success, and outmatched. Most of them were quickly gunned down, but
the investigators also find a pearl diadem hidden in a bird’s three of them fled into a secret room at the top of the tower.
nest on top of a high rafter. This is the long-lost diadem of
Queen Catherine Howard, and one of Gormghiolla Daigh’s The Gestapo forced their way into the tower and captured Mi-
earliest thefts. It was smuggled from the tower and hidden cheál Finn, Gormghiolla Daigh’s “master of the tower.” They
tortured him for the information as to where he kept the Irish
by Winkler. For more details on the Kurazos infiltration of
Crown Jewels. Under duress, Micheál revealed that the treasure
the Gestapo, see the section, Extending the Adventure. was kept on the mysterious, rocky island of Spéirling, located in
an eternal fog bank just off the coast of the Doonagore, buried
Doonagore’s Walls within an ancient amber tree, and also rumored to be the very
The 10’ walls of Doonagore can be scaled with a Climb roll. tree that once held the legendary Merlin.
The southern wall, however, has partially collapsed – an
Easy Climb roll allows easy entry into the courtyard. Not trusting Finn, Ludo took him captive and ordered a boat
brought in from the nearby village. He plans to recover the jew-
An open doorway south of the tower also allows entry. The els, execute Finn, and then dump his body into the ocean.
old oak door that once protected this entry has been recent-
Concerned about attracting attention from the nearby village,
ly forced open; the door lay splintered just inside the walls.
Ludo ordered the rest of his forces to guard the tower, scare
Two Gestapo guards will be stationed at this entrance at all away any locals, and kill anyone who looked like they were in-
times. terfering.

Doonagore’s Courtyard If the investigators manage to capture and interrogate any Ge-
Three dead bodies lie inside the walls of Doonagore. They stapo guards, all they will know is that they are on a secret mis-
are young men, dressed in black, expensive wool sweaters. sion to recover some sort of treasure, that Ludo is in charge
Two of the men’s hands are tied behind their backs; they (who they don’t especially like), and that he left with one of the
have been shot from behind. The third has handcuffs on, locals to go to the island located a couple miles offshore.
but he seems to have slipped free of one of the cuffs. This
one was shot from the front.

Keeper’s Note: These men were members of Gormghiolla

Daigh. Caught by surprise by the Germans, they were cap- Gestapo Agent
tured, interrogated, and then executed. STR 65 DEX 65 INT 50
CON 60 APP 50 POW 60
Doonagore Tower SIZ 60 EDU 35 HP 12
Sixty-eight steps spiral upwards into the Doonagore tower.
Damage bonus: +1D4
The first three stories of Doonagore Tower are completely
Build: 1 Move: 8
abandoned and non-descript – each floor is open and un-
decorated. Only some rubble, a few old benches, and bro- Fighting (Brawl) 65%, damage 1D3+1D4
ken glass mark each floor. Guns 65%, damage 1D8, uses per round 1 (3), 8 shots
Dodge: 35%
The top floor, however, is different. A limestone stone wall
bisects the circular chamber at the top. An Archaeology Skills: Drive Motorcycle 40%, Firearms 65%, Intimidate
roll identifies the wall as much more modern than the sur- 55%, Law 40%, Listen 45%, Spot Hidden 40%.
rounding sandstone walls. A Spot Hidden roll identifies
the hidden outline of a secret door in this wall. While this Equipment: Most have a Walther PPK .32 pistol (1D8 dam-
age, base range 15, uses per round 1(3), 8 shots, malfunction
door once at an intricate locking mechanism, the Germans
100). At least two carry brand new Bergmann MP34 SMGs
destroyed it when they forced their way in. Now, the door (1D10 damage, base range 20, uses per round 1(2) or full
can be opened by shouldering it open. auto, 25 shots, malfunction 96).

12
Gormghiolla Daigh’s Secret Meeting Place
The hidden, semi-circular chamber at the top of the tower Catriona
is one of Gormghiolla Daigh’s secret meeting places. The STR 40 DEX 75 INT 60
room is surrounded by shelves of dusty books, most of CON 60 APP 50 POW 60
which have been violently pulled down on to the floor. A SIZ 35 EDU 55 HP 9
polished hexagonal table is the centerpiece of the room. Ly-
Damage bonus: -1
ing on the table is the murdered corpse of a woman – an-
Build: -1 Move: 9
other black-clad member of Gormghiolla Daigh.
Fighting (Brawl) 40%, damage 1D4-1 (dagger)
A single, barred window in this room overlooks the fog- Dodge: 60%
enshrouded Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Skills: Fast Talk 50%, History 50%, Library Use 30%,
Searching the room reveals a set of bloody pliers and re- Locksmith 70%, Occult 30%, Sleight of Hand 80%,
cently removed fingernails left on a grisly newspaper dated Spot Hidden 70%, Stealth 80%.
from a few days ago. The books mostly feature architectural
plans of some of the world’s most well-known banks, muse- Personality: Stubborn and strong-willed, Catriona always
has to have the last word. But once she makes friends with
ums, and palaces.
folks, she’s loyal to a fault.

A thorough search and a successful Spot Hidden roll

finds a small, torn label typed with “Pearl Diadem worn by Catriona gestures through the window of the upper tower
Queen Catherine Howard.” Elsewhere in the room, a wood- room:
en case is smashed into pieces, but looks appropriately sized
to display the pearls. An appropriate History roll reveals “There, about a mile offshore, hidden in rocky waters and
that the pearl diadem was a gift given to the Queen of Eng- fog that the Lord himself can’t see through. I heard an Italian
land by her husband, Henry VIII. According to a story, the man tell Micheál that he’d take him there on a ‘one way boat
diadem disappeared one day, and Henry accused Catherine ticket’.”
of giving it to one of her illicit lovers as an insult to the king.
The argument helped lead to Catherine’s execution, and the • If asked more about the island, Catriona digs through
diadem was never found. There is no sign of the pearl dia- the fallen books until she finds one with a green leather
dem in the room. The pearl necklace was actually stolen and binding. She flips through it and shows the investiga-
hidden by Horst Winkler, the Gestapo Oberleutnant, in an tors a photograph of the Isle of Spéirling and its strange
effort to smuggle the diadem out of the country without his tree at the center (see Handout D). She reluctantly ex-
superiors knowing. He hid the diadem in the rafters of the plains that Gormghiolla Daigh initiations happen at
the abandoned cottage. the tree. Examing the manuscript page and making an
Occult roll recognizes the Gaelic phrase in the article
As the investigators make sense of the secret meeting place, as an old prayer for good fortune, one that may have
a Listen roll hears a muffled scuffling from behind one originated from pre-Christian times.
of the room’s shelves. A Spot Hidden roll discovers that • If asked about Ludo, whom she only knows as “the Ital-
one of the shelves swings open, revealing a hidden storage ian man” she confirms that he took Micheál Finn to
space behind it. Curled up in the tight storage space is a red- the Isle of Speirling. She also says that he had one of
haired, dark eyed thirteen year old girl, CATRIONA. the Germans erect a radio antenna on top of the tower
to “signal the boat”. (If the investigators think to inter-
A young trainee of Gormghiolla Daigh, Catriona was or- rogate one of the Gestapo agents about this, they’ll find
dered to hide in the secret area shortly before the Germans out that there is a German U-boat somewhere nearby.)
broke in. While the girl fears strangers, she is remarkably • If asked about her family, she’ll admonish the investi-
calm given the situation. When she understands that the gators that “she has no family other than Gormghiolla
investigators are not foes, she angrily explains that she was Daigh.”
forced inside by her mentor, Micheál Finn. She winces as • If asked more about Gormghiolla Daigh, she refuses to
she describes what could only be his torture: answer. “We’re a secret cabal for a reason, you langer!”
However, if treated well, she’ll admit that Gormghiolla
“Poor Micheál’s will eventually gave out, and he told those Daigh has been laying low every since Éamon de Val-
terrible men about our obfuscated Isle of Spéirling, which is era became president. “Micheál says he’s always trying
where we keep some of our most precious treasures.” to get us to help him, but we won’t.”
13
• If asked how to get to the secret isle, Ca-
triona admits she’s never been there herself,
but Micheál and the others kept a sturdy
rowboat not too far from the castle. She
can show the investigators where the boat
is hidden. In exchange for the location of
the boat, she’ll insist on coming with the in-
vestigators to help rescue her friend and get
revenge for the deaths of the her mentors.
She can be talked out of this idea with some
good roleplaying or social skill use.
• If Catriona is left alone with any captive
Gestapo agents, she’ll definitely find some
unusual ways to get revenge on them, just
short of killing them (tying them to the old
cow and dragging the Germans around the
rocky island would be a favorite of hers).

The Isle of Spéirling, Ireland

The tiny, rocky Isle of Spéirling is located a little
less than a mile from the shore. It is impossible
to see from the shore – an eternal fog obscures
the island at all times. Furthermore, the water’s
strong currents tend to cause boats to circle
aimlessly just out of sight of the island. While
a few locals know that there’s an island offshore
here, they see no reason to venture there.
ly difficult as there’s only a few hundred yards of “just flat
The island itself is barren, covered in wet scree and slick enough” terrain on the island to land!)
boulders, and otherwise unremarkable. The sole exception
is a circular henge in the center of the island, which sur- The journey by sea takes 15 minutes. Navigating the short
rounds the Amber Tree, a beautiful, otherworldly oak tree distance through thick fog and choppy seas requires a
that has fossilized into a golden yellow. Navigate roll. A successful Boating roll helps keep the
rowboat on course in the rough waters, or investigators
There are two ways to get to the Isle of Spéirling. First, the think to light a pyre on shore to help them keep their bear-
PCs can take Gormghiolla Daigh’s wooden rowboat, hid- ings, giving a bonus die to the Navigate roll. Failure adds
den behind a wood pile not too far from the rocky beach. thirty minutes to the journey time. A bad failure might in-
Second, if the investigators brought their own plane, they dicate the PCs get lost somewhere in the open ocean!
can potentially fly to the island (though landing is extreme-
Flying a plane through the fog requires a Navigate roll
to spot the island. Landing the plane on the tiny island re-
quires a Hard Piloting roll to land with flaps and avoid
the rocky outcroppings! A failure indicates that the plane
spins out on scree and takes moderate to severe damage.

Obviously, flying a plane to the island ruins any chance of

surprise. (In the event the investigators think to light a pyre
on shore to help them keep their bearings, have a supply
of parachutes, a Hard Jump roll lands safely on the island.
Failure indicates splashing down in the rough waters!

Ludo’s Boat
Ludo and the Gestapo agents moored their motorboat on
the eastern shore of the island. If he knows that the inves-
14
tigators think to light a pyre on shore to help them keep
their bearings, were on his trail, he assigns a Gestapo agent, LUDO Bocchi
armed with a submachine gun, to guard the boat. STR 80 DEX 65 INT 60
CON 75 APP 55 POW 60
The Henges and the Amber Tree SIZ 70 EDU 40 HP 29
The centerpiece of this mysterious island is a long-dead, an-
cient oak tree. The entire tree has turned to amber; at twi- Damage bonus: +1D4
Build: 0 Move: 8
light, the effect is that the oak glows and looks ethereal.
The tree is sacred to Gormghiolla Daigh. Fighting (Brawl) 80%, damage 1D3+1D4+1
Guns 70%, damage 1D8, uses per round 1 (3), 8 shots
Trapped in the trunk of the tree is what appears to be the Dodge: 35%
corpse of a hunched and wizened figure. The man looks de-
cayed and ancient as time itself, and while the amber of the Skills: Charm 60%, Firearms 65%, Intimidation 70%,
tree has preserved most of him, his bearded visage is gaunt Jump 40%, Listen 50%, Occult 60%, Persuade 50%,
and horrifying, even through the thick translucence of the Spot Hidden 70%, Stealth 60%, Throw 35%.
amber. Anyone observing this figure up close must make a
Sanity Check (1/D4)! How this petrified man got trapped Equipment: Brass knuckles; Beretta pistol; flare gun.
inside the amber of the tree is beyond explanation.
Personality: The loyal bloodhound of OVRA, the Italian
secret police, Ludo Bocchi enjoys his position. The only
A Spot Hidden roll spots that the clawed hand of the man time he doesn’t think about his job is when he can impress
holds the Diamond Star of the Grand Master of the Or-
der of St. Patrick, the prized mainstay of the Irish Crown
Jewels. Freeing the star from the tree looks to be impossible
without chopping into the tree.
FROGMEN
STR 70 DEX 70 INT 60
The Confrontation with Ludo
CON 60 APP 50 POW 50
Ludo Bocchi’s plan is to recover the Diamond Star from the
SIZ 60 EDU 30 HP 12
isle and then make his escape via German U-boat which is
located not too far from the coast. Damage bonus: +1D4
Build: 0 Move: 9
If the investigators were able to get to the island quickly and
stealthily, they’ll see Ludo and six Gestapo agents surround- Fighting (Brawl) 80%, damage 2D4+2 (knife)
ing the tree. Ludo talks angrily towards Micheál Finn, who Dodge: 35%
is on his knees, bloody and bound, but defiant and unwill-
ing to talk. Ludo curses at the man and gestures wildly to- Skills: Boating 80%, Climb 60%, Firearms 65%, Intimi-
wards the tree. If the investigators can sneak within earshot, dation 40%, Jump 40%, Listen 40%, Stealth 70%, Swim
they will hear Ludo beginning to lose his temper: 90%, Throw 40%.

Equipment: Fine large knife; stick grenade (4D10 / 3

“What is this trickery? How do I recover the jewels from in- yards); gill suit.
side this tree? Tell me, Micheál... else I’ll have these men do
horrible things to your body. I don’t want it to come to that,
but you saw what they did to your friends already...”

If the investigators are patient, they will also hear one of When the agents return, Ludo gives Micheál Finn one
the Gestapo agents remind Ludo (in German) that there is more chance to reveal to him how to retrieve the jewels.
a German U-boat off the shore to the west, and that all he When Micheál Finn refuses, spitting on the Italian officer,
has to do is signal them and the U-boat will “annihilate the Ludo executes him and then orders the Gestapo agents to
island with all the wrath of German firepower.” chop into the tree to recover the Diamond Star! Chopping
through the amber will take some time, and hopefully, the
Eventually, Ludo gets frustrated and orders two of his men investigators have intervened before this point...!
to return to the boat to retrieve a hatchet from the toolkit
so he can chop into the tree and recover the Diamond Star. If the investigators arrived more than two hours after Ludo,
This may be an good opportunity for the PCs to ambush the the investigators find Ludo and the agents in the middle of
agents and disguise themselves in their uniforms! chopping the tree down, each taking turn with a hatchet.
15
Micheál Finn’s executed body is thrown behind one of the
Micheál FINN
henge structures.
STR 55 DEX 80 INT 60
CON 60 APP 55 POW 60
If the investigators were not stealthy in their island ap-
SIZ 50 EDU 55 HP 2 / 11
proach, Ludo will be waiting for the investigators at the tree.
He will have two armed agents with him, one back at the Damage bonus: none
boat, and three more hidden behind the henges. If Micheál Build: 0 Move: 9
Finn is still alive, he’ll have him tied up and nearby, ready to
use him as a hostage in the event the investigators somehow Fighting (Brawl) 60%, damage 1D3
get the upper hand. Dodge: 60%

It will be all-but-impossible to dissuade Ludo from trying Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 5%, Fast Talk 50%, History
to retrieve the Diamond Star from inside the Amber Tree. 50%, Library Use 60%, Locksmith 91%, Occult 30%,
He is getting paid handsomely by the Germans to retrieve Sleight of Hand 94%, Spot Hidden 70%, Stealth 92%.
this artifact, his men are fanatics, and he believes that the
Personality: For a high-ranking leader of Gormghiolla
U-boat offshore guarantees his success. He will not consider Daigh, Micheál is surprisingly quiet and shy. This makes
surrendering until all hope looks lost. his quick-witted jokes all the more surprising.

The U-34 and the Frogmen

At any point Ludo is feeling outmatched, or he feels like he Gaelic legends about old sages trapped inside trees. The
is stuck in a stalemate with the PCs, he fires his flare gun most well-known story, of course, is that Nimue, the Lady
into the air. This action signals the U-34, a German U-boat of the Lake herself, trapped a lovestruck Merlin inside a
to breach from the waters off the coast of the island. Due tree. Whether this figure trapped in the tree is Merlin or
to the fog, a Hard Spot Hidden roll is required to see the not is entirely up to the Keeper; it is intentionally left a
U-boat at first! mystery.

The U-boat will take two actions after surfacing. First, it will If the Keeper wants to play up the supernatural aspect of
begin to fire away with its deck gun at any exposed targets the finale, there are several ways to do so:
on the island. This barrage is mostly for dramatic effect and
to keep the investigators’ heads down so that Ludo can fin- • Anyone who cuts into the tree begins to awaken the
ish his mission to recover the Irish Crown Jewels. Due to entombed figure. At some dramatic moment (and
the submarine’s range, and the fact that its powerful deck preferably to one of the Gestapo agents...), the wizened
gun will atomize any soft targets, it is highly suggested that figure’s eyes slowly open... and then his withered hand
it only hits exposed PCs on an extreme hit (roll under 8%), reaches out and grapples the tree’s attacker (treat it as
and even then for an indirect 1d10 damage. ST 120, DX 60). The figure then relentlessly pulls the
victim into the amber of the tree, which seems to soft-
Second, the U-boat dispatches three, elite Italian frogmen en enough to allow the victim to pass through. Even-
to swim to shore to help Ludo. The frogmen will stealth- tually, the victim suffers a horrific, suffocating death
ily make their way through the choppy waters, sneak on to inside the amber of the tree, entwined with his killer.
the island, and then attempt to ambush the investigators. Witnessing this causes a Sanity Check (1/1d6)!
Spotting the black-clad frogmen in the rough waters is ex- • If any members of Gormghiolla Daigh are alive at the
ceptionally difficult. It takes the frogmen a few minutes to finale of the adventure (like Micheál Finn or Catriona),
get to the island. If the investigators have already dispatched they will approach the tree and say a few Gaelic words.
Ludo and his goons, they’ll look for a clever angle to am- The figure inside the tree then awakens, slowly pushes
bush the investigators when they least expect it, perhaps his hand through the amber, and then hands them the
once they go to investigate the amber tree or if they try to Diamond Star. This also forces a Sanity Check (0/1).
leave the island by boat. • Similarly, if an investigator approaches the tree and
speaks the Gaelic words on the book page that refer-
The Diamond Star and the Amber Tree ences the Isle of Spéirling (Handout D), the entombed
The Diamond Star of the Grand Master of the Order of St. figure will hand over the Diamond Star.
Patrick is embedded inside the translucent amber of the
mysterious Amber Tree, clutched in the hand of the wiz- Conclusion
ened old figure. A History or Occult roll recalls many Whether by force or with cunning, the investigators should
be able to stop Ludo, retrieve the Star, and escape the island.
16
If Micheál Finn is still alive, he will politely thank the inves- Kurazos Cultists
tigators for his rescue. He is distraught that his friends and STR 60 DEX 60 INT 50
trainees have been killed, though will be relieved to hear Ca- CON 60 APP 45 POW 60
triona is alive. If he is asked more about Gormghiolla Daigh, SIZ 50 EDU 50 HP 12
he will simply say that they have many other hiding places
in the isles, and not to worry too much about the fate of the Damage bonus: none
Build: 0 Move: 9
cabal.
Fighting (Knife) 60%, damage 1D4+2
At first, Micheál Finn insists on retrieving the Diamond Guns 70%, damage 1D8, uses per round 1 (3), 8 shots
Star so that he can hide it again somewhere else. However, if Dodge: 30%
the investigators argue that they should keep it, or return it,
he’ll find the thought amusing and consider it. “To tell you Skills: Intimidate 50%, Listen 40%, Occult 35%, Spot
the truth, we didn’t use the Diamond Star of St. Patrick very Hidden 40%.
much... you see, it made our jobs too easy. And where’s the
fun in that?” Equipment: Most carry revolvers, but one will show up
with an old flamethrower (2D6 + burn, base range 25, 20
shots, Malf 93%).
Keeping the Star for themselves, of course, makes the in-
vestigators a target for the others who know about its exis-
tence, such as Axis treasure hunters, the Korazos Cult, and
perhaps others from Gormghiolla Daigh. In a true one-shot abandoned cottage.
adventure, it may be best if Catriona pickpockets the Star
and vanishes into the darkness while the credits roll. In an extended adventure, Winkler has contacted his Kura-
zos allies in the nearby town of Doolin shortly after the
For surviving the adventure, surviving investigators receive a Gestapo ambushes Gormghiolla Daigh. When the PCs
1D4 SAN reward, or 1D6 if they saved they defeated the fas- burst on to the scene, Winkler flees Doonagore on his mo-
cists and saved the Diamond Star. Keepers may also confer torcycle to meet up with the cult. From there, he takes a
various reputations, contacts, or patrons for befriending some motorboat to the Isle of Spéirling with three armed cultists.
of the influential folk in the adventure. They plan on ambushing the Gestapo the moment they re-
cover the Diamond Star. Just in case, one brings along a
Extending the Adventure light flamethrowe to melt the amber of the tree to better
Ludo Bocchi and the Gestapo do not realize that they’ve recover the Star!
been infiltrated by the Kurazos Cult, who is also determined
to claim the Diamond Star of the Irish Crown Jewels, which The Keeper can use the Kurazos cultists as an added com-
they believe will allow them to steal even more sinister arti- plication during the finale, turning the final encounter into
facts in the possession of European governments. a threeway battle.

The Gestapo’s Oberleutnant, Horst Winkler is secretly a

member of the cult. His plan is to let Ludo do the dirty work
and then ambush the Italian and steal the Diamond Star at
the last minute. The only clue that the Gestapo has been in-
filtrated is the lost cufflink, carved with the Kurazos cult’s
symbol, which tore free from Winkler’s uniform while he
was hiding the diadem of Catherine Howard in Doonagore’s

THE DIAMOND STAR

The Diamond Star of the Order of St. Patrick has a powerful Special thanks to thispersondoesnotexist.com for photo reference for
blessing on it. The artifact confers a permanent bonus die to the various characters in this adventure. If you enjoyed this ad-
Stealth skill — but only when the bearer is actively trying to venture, or ran it for a group, all the author asks is that you give
steal something of great value or actively escaping from authori- a shout out and let me know how it went. Send a note to @Sag-
eThalcos on Twitter or dispatch a telegram to thalcos@hotmail.com
ties.

17
Handouts

Handout A - Monk’s manuscript that shows the Predjama caves. The PCs start the
adventure with this in their possession.

18
Handouts

18.23 17TH SEPTEMBER 37 VIE 128 BEG 001

THE LORD CHAMBERLAIN IS COMMANDED BY THE ARCHDUKE OF AUSTRIA ANTON MARIA FRANZ
LEOPOLD BLANKA KARL JOSEPH IGNAZ RAPHAEL MICHAEL MARGARETA NICETAS VON HABSBURG-
LORRAINE AND THE PRINCE OF TUSCANY AND HIS WIFE, PRINCESS ILEANA OF ROMANIA TO INVITE
THE FRIENDS OF PREDJAMA CASTLE TO THE ARCHDUKE'S FAREWELL BALL AT THE GOLDEN HALL
IN THE MUSIKVEREIN ON SATURDAY, 18TH SEPTEMBER, 1937 AT 8.00 P.M.

DRESS IS UNIFORM, MORNING DRESS, OR LOUNGE SUIT.

PLEASE MEET THE ARCHDUKE'S FOOTMAN LEONHARD BERG UPON ARRIVAL IN VIENNA FOR ADDI-
TIONAL FORMALITIES AND DETAILS.

Handout B - The Royal Invitation

Handout C - Calling card found

on the janitor Jonas Steiner

19
Handouts

Handout E - Kurazos
cufflink found in the
abandoned cottage at
Doonagore

FIG-32. AMBER TREE OF SPÉIRLING

A photograph from 1904, though never verified by

experts. According to Gaelic legend, several Amber
Trees are said to be found throughout Ireland.
They are usually of oak or hawthorne varieties.
The trees are petrified and composed entirely of
yellow to yellow-brown amber. In the center of
the trunk of the tree is a primitive sculpture
of a man or woman, often thought to be a druid or
pre-Christian mystical icon.

Amber Trees are said to be frequently surrounded

by large, circular henges or faerie rings. In 1872,
a large henge was found in the Boyne valley. While
no Amber Tree was found, a significant amount of
amber was found in the center of the henge. An in-
scription on one of the monolith stones read, "Go
raibh míle maith agat," which translates to "That
you may have one thousand good things."

Handout D - A photograph and excerpt from

the book Gaelic Faerie Rings, found in Doon-
agore Tower.
Bonus Postcard Handouts
 Jonny Talon 30 27
60 12 65 32
12 55 11
Pilot 35 30 25
29 Male 70 15 60 12 50 10
Vero Beach, FL 35 27
Meridian, ID 70 15 55 11 7
28 55

10

3 30
6 1 60 15

45 22
9 50 2510 35 17
7

20 104
35 167
30 156
35 177 6 3
1

33
66 13

40 209
English 50 2510 20 104

65 32 13
.41 Revolver 45 22 9 1D10 15 1(3) 8 100 +1D4
1
16
32 6
 Fearless
A charismatic daredevil Fantastic driver’s reflexes
Always overcomplicates his plans Chummy
Has a recognizable square jaw Impulsive

Strong empathy towards others

Has a professional’s code of honor

Soft spot for farmers - never turns down jobs to help dust crops Always needs about two hours more sleep every night
Hates unpolished shoes

His Piper aircraft

Small leather bag

Leather pilot’s jacket (1 armor point) $270
Polished leather shoes
Banana yellow Piper J-3 Cub aircraft Owes his flight school a lot of money
Binoculars (10X)
Pilot’s goggles

Your old man always told you that you were flawed because you wanted too much.
He told you to be content living in Idaho. He told you to be happy being a cropduster
mechanic. But you knew all that wasn’t enough, so you pestered the pilots until they
taught you how to fly. You saved all your money to buy a brand-new Piper. You
wrote letter after letter to Piper begging for a job to be a test pilot. Unfortunately,
your “interview” went horribly wrong when the test plane’s propeller flew off and
you ended up crash-landing through seven new planes on the ground. Crap. Needing
cash fast, you signed up for a quick pilot gig in Shanghai, and then another one in
Yugoslavia.
 Duke Duckworth 30 27
60 12 60 30
12 55 11
Private detective 35 27 25
33 Male 70 14 55 11 50 10
Detroit, MI 27 30
Detroit, MI 55 11 60 12 9
25 55

11

25 125
55 27
11 30 156
25 125 50 2510
21 104
Photography 25 125 50 2510 70 35
15

20 104
40 208
25 125 25 125

22
45 9

English 50 2510

55 27 11
Colt.38 Revolver 50 25 10 1D10 15 1(3) 6 100 -
0
22
45 9
 Truthful
Tough detective - known for being involved with a starlet’s murder Good boxer (great footwork)
Not a lot of new cases means he’s struggling Whistles when he’s alone

Respects physicians, regrets not becoming one

Lauren St. James - murdered starlet he loved Thinks he’s the unluckiest man alive - might be
Has good contacts with Detroit and Los Angeles area journalists Always dresses for warm weather
Carries glasses to look smart (but doesn’t need them)

Calls his favorite gun “my third fist”

Cheap leather briefcase

Body holster $15
Journal and pencil
Sinclair Lewis’ It Can’t Happen Here

When you overheard that one of the cops on the Lauren St. James case
was crooked, you swore you’d find the truth behind her murder. But then her
Hollywood boyfriend got into a scuffle with you, and you knocked him flat right
inside her apartment. Unfortunately, that little incident got the case against him
thrown out, and the press blamed you for never finding her kil er. You had to
get out of town, so you hopped a plane to Shanghai where a previous client,
Wil y Van der Woodson, said he had a job for you. That job was a bust, but
the kid swore he’d make it up to you in Belgrade. He wasnt kidding.
 Solange “Patience” Paquet 30 25
60 12 70 35
14 50 10
French agent 32 30 25
25 Female 65 13 60 12 50 10
Rome, Italy 25 30
Toulouse, France 50 10 60 12 9
22 50

10

15 73
70 35
14 40 208

25 125
Food Connoisseur 20 104 50 2510 55 2711
45 279
20
20 104 40 8
40 208
17
45 279 35 7

English 40 208
German 40 208
12
25 4

French 50 2510

70 35 47
Mauser .32 Pistol 50 25 10 1D8 15 1(3) 8 99 -
Fine dagger 70 35 14 1d4+2+db - - - -
0
17
35 7
 Bloodthirsty in fights
Resourceful junior agent in French intelligence; does not tolerate fools Always on alert
Distinctive purple-gray eyes

Intolerant of fascists - especial y German ones

Loves horses
Has no patience for show-offs
Member of Deuxième Bureau - French intelligence Loves her wine and cocktails - probably a bit too much
Daughter Agnes, age 6, left with her parents in Toulouse

Expensive purse
Nice ladies hat $500
Suitcase full of clothes for all occasions
Nice Swiss watch
Leather shoes

Deuxième Bureau, French intelligence, suspects that the gangster, Amadej Anze
was hired to assassinate the Yugoslavian king, which would plunge the kingdom
into civil war. You were assigned to Anze to find out the truth. You had infiltrated
his inner circle when several Americans arrived and purchased an old medieval
manuscript from him. You thought nothing of it, but apparently the manuscript
contained information about a priceless sword. Unfortunately, minutes later, your
cover was blown when one of his men overheard you calling Paris. Anze went
into a rage and dragged you with him to Predjama Castle to kil the Americans.
You gave Anze the slip and are now deep underground.
 Wil y Van Der Woodson 25 35
50 10 60 30
12 70 14
Adventure capitalist 30 30 37
25 Female 60 12 60 12 75 15
New Haven, CT 27 32
Boston, MA 55 11 65 13 8
23 70

10

20 104 55 27
11

50 2510
17
36 18
7 35 7 30 156

25 125
30 156
80 4016

Arabic 30 156
Latin 30 156
15
30 6
37
20 10
4 English 75 15

25 12 5
S&W .38 revolver 36 18 7 1D10 15 1(3) 6 100 -
0
17
35 7
 Charismatic
Broad-smiled, bright, and incredibly wealthy Good mechanical intuition
Has a big, almost-fake smile all the time Overconfident

Loves funding races and grand adventures

Never gambles with friends

Loves his mom, writes to her almost every day Compulsive spender
Has a bitter rival - Richard Maskhaven Buys overly nice gifts for friends - can be embarrassing
Calls guns “bean shooters” (thinks it’s cool)

Loves expensive cars - obsessed with race cars

Leather carrier bag

Nice European suit $2,500
German PERTRIX flashlight torch
Travel diary and pencil Trust fund ($2,500 per month)
Racing bicycle - Oscar Wastyn Special
Italian leather shoes
Two 1932 Talbot 65 Coupes

OK, so Shanghai was a complete bust. You should have known better when
Richard Maskhaven left that letter on his seat at the restaurant. You thought
you’d beat him to the priceless jade Cong Cylinder and one-up him for good.
But the whole thing was another one of his tricks. There was no cylinder, and
you almost died of yellow fever escaping through the sewers. But when you
got a phone call from your old tutor Tanja that she had a suspicion where
you could find the legendary Sword of Erazem, you knew you had to take a
quick stop past Predjama Castle.
 Aleksandra Pavlović 27 25
55 11 70 35
14 50 10
Tour guide 35 25 37
23 Female 70 14 50 10 65 13
Postojna, Yugoslavia 25 27
Zagreb, Yugoslavia 50 10 55 11 9
24 50

10

20 104 50 2510
30 156
22 114
27
55 11

20
30 156 40 8
32 17
65 13 35 7
17
35 7

English 50 2510

Serbo-Croatian 65 37
13 25 125

25 12 5
-
0
17
35 7
 Chummy
Energetic Yugoslavian tour guide Curious and impulsive
Notable for her never-ending supply of fresh optimism Good with dogs, even mean stray ones
Loves camping and “roughing it”

Hates the idea of innocent people getting hurt

Dreams of living in a big city like Paris or Berlin
Has a thing for Americans
Can’t help but act like a tour guide, even when she’s not working

Leather carrier bag

Book of medieval castles $180
Umbrella
Cheap flashlight torch

Your history professor, Tanja Bohdana, asked you to meet up with these
Americans to give them a private tour of Predjama Castle. It was a good
way to make some money, and you’ve done it a hundred times. But you were
shocked when halfway through the tour, one of them whipped out an ancient
monk’s manuscript, pushed up a secret passage, and found the legendary
Sword of Erazem. Before you had a chance to react, gunshots rang out and
gangsters were racing after you. These Americans are going to owe you BIG
TIME after this is over.
 Tang Yingxia 30 37
60 12 60 30
12 75 15
Bartender 35 30 22
29 Female 70 17 60 12 45 9
Unclear 22 27
Shanghai, China 45 9 55 11 9
23 75

15

32
65 13
27
Fighting (Sword) 85 42
17 55 11

Bartending 20 104

30 156
32
20 104 65 13
20 104 30 156

22
English 45 9

22 5
Mandarin 45 9 10 2

65 32 13
Fine jian sword 85 42 17 1D8+1 - 1 - - -
0
15
30 6
 Amazing grasp of tactics
A struggling bartender yanked into adventure Loves classical music
Easily gets motion sickness

Nervous around military (father was kil ed in the civil war) For some reason, she heals slowly
Won’t let innocent people getting hurt

None - she has no family Hears phantom voices - secretly afraid she might be going insane

The sword of Wu Qi Convinced she’s possessed by a ghostly, Chinese warlord

Purse
Pearl necklace (mother’s) $10
Small photo of her father

You met your new friends in a bar in Shanghai, serving up way too many
blood orange dragons to see how drunk they could get. Then the Xiochu
gangsters arrived, shot up the place, and the next thing you knew you were
being dragged into the sewers by these so-called friends. Lost in the dark,
you stumbled upon the lost shrine of Wu Qi. When you touched his ancient
sword, you felt something - someone? - flicker into the fire of your soul. Your
friends blamed the orange dragons and you would too - if it weren’t for the
deep, ancient-accented voice that keep you up at night. . .
 Jonny Talon
Barnstormer

Duke Duckworth
Bad news detective
Aleksandra Pavlović
High-energy Tour Guide

Willy Van der Woodson

Rich, Very Rich
Patience Paquet
French intelligence

Tang Yingxia
Spirited bartender