Lyonesse, The Elder Isles, and certain characters are creations of Jack Vance, and Copyright © John Vance

& Spatterlight Press.

Used by The Design Mechanism Under License and With Permission.

Suldrun’s Garden: Copyright © 1983, 2002 by Jack Vance

The Green Pearl: Copyright © 1985, 2002 by Jack Vance
Madouc: Copyright © 1989, 2002 by Jack Vance

This edition of In High Dudgeon 2020 by The Design Mechanism Inc. All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part
by any means without permission from The Design Mechanism, except as quoted for purposes of illustration, discussion, and game play.
Reproduction of the material in this book for the purposes of personal or corporate profit, by photographic, electronic, or other methods of
retrieval is strictly prohibited.

Http://thedesignmechanism.com https://www.facebook.com/designmechanism http://spatterlightpress.com https://www.facebook.com/

J.H.Vance/
Investigating the Dudgeons 3 Non-Player Characters 29
Beginning the Scenario 6 Baron Molecricket 29
What’s Going On... 6 Beldwain, Low Dudgeon Elder 29
An Offer of Intrigue 7 Black Tam Shandy 30
Chaylot, Low Dudgeon Elder 30
The Investigation 8
Cluge the Charm Seller 30
Following Up the What’s Going On Encounters 8
Euridyce Ganch 30
The Village of High Dudgeon 11 Knacker the Smith 30
Places of Note 13 Ma Twalon 31
The Inn 13 Melench the Innkeeper 31
The Smithy 14 Messalina Ganch 31
The New Mill 14 Olias 31
The Fields 15 Plovid the Landlord 32
The Twott Acre Practice Camp 15 Renya 32
The Village of Low Dudgeon 16 Semmence the Smith 32
The Seven Horseshoes 16 Vespule the Baker 32
General Investigation 17 Typical Local 32
Places of Note 18 Typical Charcoal Thug 33
The Tavern 18 Typical Man at Arms 33
The Village Well 19 Games Master Notes 34
The Smithy 20
The Bakery 20
The Sawmill 21
Midsummer Meadow 21
Renya’s Cottage 24
Ambush at Twott’s Acre 27

Rewards and Recriminations 28

2
Chapter Name

his scenario focuses on the neighbouring gratitude of Low Dudgeon and, possibly, the friendship

T villages of High and Low Dudgeon. Every

year at midsummer, the two villages engage in
a friendly contest of games: tug o’war, races, and so on.
of a fairy.

Where are High and Low

Every year for the past 10 years, High Dudgeon has
won; sometimes by a significant margin, sometimes by a
hair’s breadth. The villagers of Low Dudgeon suspect
Dudgeon?
The villages can be placed in any kingdom of the Elder
foul play, even though none of the High Dudgeon
Isles the Games Master wishes, although we
competitors appear to have cheated (at least in any
recommend avoiding North and South Ulfland, and
noticeable or provable way). Magic is suspected, and
Scola. Blaloc, Caduz, Dahaut, Dascinet, Godelia,
when the characters arrive in Low Dudgeon on the eve
Lyonesse, Pomperol, and Troicinet are all good
of the games, they are employed to discover High
candidates. The villages should be within a few days’
Dudgeon’s secret to winning.
walk or ride of a major town, and there should be a
In reality, High Dudgeon is completely innocent. It
nearby woodland, or part of the Forest of Tantrevalles.
isn’t that High Dudgeon consistently wins, it’s because
Low Dudgeon consistently loses. Eleven years ago, a
fairy of a nearby shee became utterly besotted with one
of the Low Dudgeon villagers. She spurned him, being
History
Twelve years ago, a fairy, Olias of Hillhollow Shee was
besotted herself with her childhood sweetheart. The
hunting sunbeams in the nearby forest, when he caught
fairy has therefore cursed the villagers of Low Dudgeon
sight of a beautiful young woman bathing in the river.
to always lose out to its neighbour. In reality, it’s not just
She was captivating, and Olias lost his heart the
the games that Low Dudgeon loses at: anything that
moment he saw her. That afternoon they frolicked and
villagers from Low and High Dudgeon compete over, be
flirted, and Olias believed that the girl, Renya, was as
it sales at the local market or the favour of the local
much in love with him as he was with her. For several
baron, Low Dudgeon always comes out worse. But
blissful days in that long, hot summer, Olias and Renya
given the prestige of the midsummer games, the Low
met in secret, walked, dallied, kissed, and spoke sweet
Dudgeon villages fail to see the bigger picture and are
nothings into each other’s ears. One day, Renya failed to
convinced that High Dudgeon is somehow
meet Olias in the shade of the old yew tree that was
manufacturing its success.
their rendezvous spot. Olias waited, but fairies are not
It is up to the characters to get to the bottom of the
known for their patience and, in the end, he went in
situation, and possibly lift the curse. Of course, they
search of her.
may choose not to, but if they do, they will earn the

3
 Creeping to the outskirts of the village, he came across
a large meadow where many people were gathered,
watching a succession of contests. A great feast was in
full swing, with musicians, dancing, ale and mead
flowing, and at the centre of it all, the games where two
villages competed. In the midst of the throng, Olias
spotted Renya, dancing with a young man. The dancing
turned to flirting, and the flirting to kissing. The young
man competed in several of the contests and was on the
winning side each time. Renya cheered him, hugged
him, danced with him, and it was clear that she was in
love with him. Heartbroken, Olias returned to the
woods and started to brood. Two days later, Renya
eventually appeared in the shade of the old yew tree.
Olias was cool with her. She explained that the games
had started and it was something she enjoyed;
something everyone in Low Dudgeon enjoyed. She did
not mention the young man, and when she tried to grow
intimate with Olias, he withdrew, explaining that in her
absence he had continued hunting sunbeams, and now
had enough to weave a fine cloak for himself; he would
be returning to Hillhollow Shee immediately and that
their dalliance was over. Renya pleaded, but Olias was
implacable. She fled in tears, and Olias watched her go.
That night, Olias returned to Low Dudgeon and
broke into the smithy. He took seven horseshoes and
then went around the village, securing each horseshoe,
prongs down, in places one would never think to look.
Then he uttered the spell known as Bidorke’s Pithy
Restoration (Lyonesse, page 320) in its reversed form, and
cursed Low Dudgeon’s luck to steadily ooze away,
dripping out through the downward facing prongs of
the horseshoes, ensuring that, until the curse is lifted,
everyone in Low Dudgeon suffers failure in anything of
importance that they do. Then, love-lorn, Olias
returned to Hillhollow Shee.
Every so often, Olias remembers Low Dudgeon and,
when the mood takes him, he returns at midsummer to
observe the games and relish Low Dudgeon’s defeats.
Renya is still there. She married her young man, but the
marriage lasted only a year and a day before he ran
away with an exotic dancer who had come to the games,
leaving Renya husbandless and bitter. She is still
beautiful but has never remarried. Every relationship
she has tried to secure has failed for some reason, and
now she has given up, and resigned herself to
spinsterhood. And every year, Low Dudgeon loses at the
games, its luck drained, the horseshoes and the curse
working their sad magic.
4
The Dudgeons
High and Low Dudgeon are about 8 kilometres apart,
connected by a well-worn road of ancient cobbles and
packed earth. They are similar in size, consisting of 150-
200 people, and are reasonably self-sufficient. Low
Dudgeon works the local forest for timber, makes
charcoal, and fishes the River Dudge for eels and pike.
High Dudgeon has lots of farmland, and in recent years
has been given extensive grants and permissions by the
baron who rules the region, all part of the prize for
winning the annual midsummer games. Each village has
a tavern, a smithy, places to buy locally sourced
provisions, have things mended, stable horses, and so
on. They are a pair of typical, idyllic villages that go
about their daily business with few cares for the outside
world. High Dudgeon is clearly the more prosperous:
the buildings are in good repair, spirits are high, crops
and livestock thrive, and life is good. Low Dudgeon is
almost the opposite: it is on the shabby side, struggling
occasionally, and with a generally dispirited people. It
doesn’t attract many traders these days, and hasn’t for
the best part of a decade. It gets by, and the villagers of
Low Dudgeon look upon High Dudgeon with distrust
and envy. The High Dudgeon villagers cannot
understand it: they have done nothing wrong; but if
that’s how Low Dudgeon wishes to be, then so be it.
Just outside Low Dudgeon is a large, flat meadow
where the midsummer games are held. For three days,
starting on midsummer’s eve, the meadow is
transformed into a fairground. Entertainers arrive, and
local traders set up stalls with all manner of festive
wares. The annual games have been held for as long as
anyone can remember, and it is the one time of year
when everyone’s spirits should be lifted – and, for a short
time, they are. Low Dudgeon seems to win the early
contests, but gradually, over the course of the three days,
High Dudgeon wins more, and, as it has been for the last
10 years, High Dudgeon emerges victorious overall. For
a few years, it was tolerable; but in the last three or four
years, Low Dudgeon has become more and more
resentful, and this year, Low Dudgeon aims to do
something about it.
Maps of the two villages are provided nearby, and key
locations are listed in the village descriptions starting on
page 13. Notable non-player characters are described
for each location, and their statistics can be found in the
Non-Player Characters section starting on page 29.
Map of the Area

5

Beginning the
Scenario
The characters arrive in Low Dudgeon a day or so
ahead of the midsummer games. The weather is
gloriously perfect: sunny, warm, with long, hazy days.
All kinds of folk are descending on Low Dudgeon and
setting up tents and awnings around the perimeter of
Midsummer Meadow. Some are staying at the local
tavern, but space is limited, and to make extra coin, the
locals of the village are renting out spare rooms, attics,
out-houses, chicken-coops, and anywhere else that
affords a little shelter and privacy. Prices are far higher
than they should be, but given how much entertainers
and stall holders can make from the three days of the
games, it may be worthwhile. Have one of the
characters make either a Commerce or Hard Influence
roll:
• Critical Success: the characters secure reasonably
good lodgings in a location of their choice: either a
prime pitch in Midsummer Meadow; a couple of
rooms at the tavern; or a shared room in Renya’s
tidy, comfortable cottage.
• Success: the characters secure cramped but clean
lodgings either in the tavern stable, a cramped and
lump pitch in the meadow, or various outbuildings
scattered around the village.
• Failure: the characters are in cramped, dusty,
makeshift lodgings such as a woodshed, under some
eaves, or on the floor of the tavern (which becomes
a communal dormitory at the end of the day).
• Fumble: Low Dudgeon is full. The characters are
sleeping under the stars, under hedges, or wherever
they can find shelter. They’re praying it doesn’t
rain.
Over the course of the next day, while preparations
are being made for the midsummer games, the
characters have time to wander and explore, or simply
idle away the hours. Each character can roll 1d12,
receiving one of the results on the What’s Going On

What’s Going On...

1d12 Encounter
Low Dudgeon locals are grumbling about High Dudgeon’s run of success in the games. There is mention of cheating
1
or magical help. Low Dudgeon locals are bitter and resentful.
A local claims that the wizard Tamurello paid a visit to High Dudgeon a few days ago. Not for the first time, either. This
local didn’t see Tamurello personally; they heard it from their brother, who has a cousin in High Dudgeon, and it was
2
the cousin’s friend’s sister who saw someone who she swears was Tamurello. People nod sagely and agree that it must be
true.
A number of Low Dudgeon men are watching a striking young woman running errands around the village. She is in
her late 20s with beautiful auburn hair and deep hazel eyes. She attracts a lot of quiet admiring comments and
3 compliments, but none of the men seem prepared to engage with her. “She’s foresworn men,” someone says. “Husband
ran off with a dancing girl from Ys after one of the games a few years back. Renya’s stayed single ever since. Shame,
that.”
The character, while strolling around Midsummer Meadow, catches a glimpse of a shadowy figure just inside the tree-
line, watching the preparations for the games. If they investigate, not trace of anyone is found. But a little while later,
4 the figure is spotted again, this time on the edge of the village, in the shadows. Investigation finds nothing, but the
character is sure someone is secretly spying on the village. (Games Master note: this is Olias, and he’ll be around for the
whole of the festival, watching the games, watching Renya, but never making himself known).
A scuffle breaks out between a group of High Dudgeon and Low Dudgeon villagers. It starts with insults, then some
shoving, then punches are thrown. It’s nothing serious, and others soon intervene to break it up, but one of the
5
combatants, a Low Dudgeon charcoal maker, mutters: “them cheaters won’t win this year. We should see they don’t,”
and indicates the High Dudgeon group.
A tall, thin man, with a long nose and a flamboyant hat embellished with a garish feather, has set-up stall in the meadow.
He has a trestle table on which are displayed a variety of brooches, amulets, bracelets, rings, torcs, and headbands. Most
are cheap looking. A hand painted sign hanging above the man’s small tent states in bold letters: ‘Lucky Charms
Available. Reasonable Rates. Good Fortune Guaranteed.’ He attracts quite a bit of interest, especially from Low
6 Dudgeon residents, and he is an extremely convincing salesman, convincing quite a few to part with their florins in
exchange for one of his items. If the character succeeds in either a Commerce or Deceit roll, they notice that the man
never once claims that any of the charms are magical, but is extremely adept at giving the impression that they are. The
long-faced fellow is doing well in this line of business, and each evening treats himself to a very good meal in the tavern,
where he has rented a room.

6
What’s Going On?

What’s Going On...

1d12 Encounter
A group of High Dudgeon villagers, clearly participants in the games, are commenting on the bad feeling among the
Low Dudgeoners. They can’t understand their own good fortune over the past 10 years, and seem to genuinely
7
commiserate with the Low Dudgeoners’ lack of success. “Perhaps this year will be their year,” one of them says. “Then
we can put all this nonsense behind us.”
The character notices that several of the High Dudgeon competitors, practicing for the games to come, perform some
kind of ritual dance before and after their practice. It involves lots of jumping around, with high stepping, and a panting
8 sort of chant. At the end, they gather in circle, bend low at the waist, stretch out their arms so all their fingers touch,
and then straighten in unison and cry ‘Hai Hai Hai!’. If questioned on the meaning of this ritual, they become evasive
and refuse to explain it.
During a practice session, one of the Low Dudgeon Donkey Jousters falls from his mount and badly breaks his broom-
lance arm. The Low Dudgeon Donkey Joust team try to put a brave face on things, but this is a grave set-back. They
9
need a replacement, and quickly. Would the character like to help them? It’s easy to learn! Dangerous? Not at all… well,
not usually.
A wizened old woman wearing a tattered shawl and knotted handkerchief for a hat offers to tell the character’s fortune.
She does this by feeling the lumps on the character’s head, and examining their outstretched tongue. If the character
agrees, she charges a florin in advance. She goes through the process, making a few comments such as “oh dear. Oh,
10
that’s not good,” and tutting and shaking her head. When she’s through, she says nothing, refunds the florin, and starts
to walk briskly away. If confronted, she refuses to say what it is she’s seen, but offers by way of advice: “I’d avoid being
alone, if I were you.”
In the tavern, the character overhears someone making a book on who will win this year’s games. The odds are in favour
of High Dudgeon; the odds on Low Dudgeon are miserable. Even a few Low Dudgeoners are betting on the High
11 Dudgeon winning. One or two reckless souls are taking the Low Dudgeon odds, in the hope of making a killing. Does
the character want to make a wager? If Low Dudgeon does win, the character will net 50+1d100 florins. If High
Dudgeon wins, then they’ll win their original stake back, plus 2d6 florins.
The character notices that above the lintel of the main door leading into a cottage (it just happens to belong to Renya),
obscured by the ivy winding its way up the side of the building, is an upside-down horseshoe, its prongs pointing towards
the ground, which is clearly bad luck. Closer inspection shows that it is stuck there by unknown means, and no amount
12
of prizing or pulling will shift it. Renya has never noticed it before, and when it is drawn to her attention, she simply
frowns, chews her lip, and wonders who might have put it there. “My good-for-nothing husband or the slattern he ran
off with,” she speculates.

table below. Characters can duplicate results, indicating
that they experience the same thing, but likely in
different ways or at different times.
Keep a note of which character has which encounter:
there are opportunities to follow-up on most of them
later in the scenario.
An Offer of Intrigue
There are plenty of outsiders in Low Dudgeon right
now, and they mingle freely with the locals. There is
obviously something about the characters that interests
one particular pair of Low Dudgeon elders though,
because, after the random What’s Going On encounter,
the characters as a group are approached by a man and
a woman. The approach is made wherever appropriate:
in the street, in the tavern, at the place of lodging, or
even in the meadow. The pair introduce themselves as
Beldwain (the man) and Chaylot (the woman). Both are
middle aged, business-like in demeanour, but polite with
it. They want to engage the characters on a private
matter of some discretion.
At Chaylot’s cottage – a pleasant thatched house at the
edge of the village – and over dandelion tea and very
good honey seed cake – Beldwain and Chaylot explain
that, for the past 10 years, High Dudgeon has, as the
characters no doubt know, won every single midsummer
game. A few times would be fine, but every year? The
folk of Low Dudgeon train harder and harder each year,
but to no avail. They suspect High Dudgeon is
employing magic of some form: either a magician who
is helping them in the run-up to the games, or some
form of spell cast before each contest. There are plenty
of rumours, but no hard proof. This is the last chance
Low Dudgeon has to redeem its honour. Chaylot fears
that if High Dudgeon wins this year, there’ll be a riot.
Certain elements in Low Dudgeon have been agitating
for a violent response if High Dudgeon win, and as
elders of the village, Beldwain and Chaylot want to
avoid any confrontation. It will likely bring the baron’s
soldiers down on Low Dudgeon, and likely be the end
of the village. If the characters will help find evidence as

7
to how or why High Dudgeon keeps winning, they can
pay 500 florins as a reward. If the characters want to try
to haggle, then Beldwain goes up to 700 florins, but no
more. They can pay 100 florins in advance, with the rest
on proof of High Dudgeon’s secret.
Assuming the characters agree to help, Beldwain and
Chaylot suggest that spending a day or so in High
Dudgeon might uncover something of use. Low
Dudgeoners are easily spotted by High Dudgeoners,
and while High Dudgeon claims it has nothing to hide,
they’ll plainly be on their guard for Low Dudgeon spies.
Outsiders like the characters might have more luck. The
two elders stress that the characters have three days to
get to the bottom of this mystery; if they haven’t
uncovered anything by sunset of the third day of the
games, then it may be too late.
Of course, keeping tabs on the High Dudgeon
competitors in the games is a good strategy too. They
used to camp in the meadow until things started to get
really strained, and so now they camp and practice
midway between the two villages, in a field known as
Twott’s Acre and travel down to Low Dudgeon each
morning for the games. What are they hiding in Twott’s
Acre?
The Investigation
There are three key areas of investigation: High
Dudgeon, the camp at Twott’s Acre, and Low Dudgeon
itself. The characters can choose what order they pursue
for their investigation, and whether or not to split up or
act as a group. The clues that can be found at each
location are summarized below. Finding them is a
matter of talking to different people and using different
skills. Naturally, it is simply impossible to interview
everyone, but that really isn’t necessary. Hours of
investigation can be abstracted by a few simple skill rolls,
as follows.
• Streetwise or Research points the characters to
the right people to talk to. If either roll is a Failure,
it simply takes twice as long as usual. If the roll is a
critical success, the characters find the right person
in half the time.
• Perception or Folklore uncovers something
material in a location. Again, if either roll is a
Failure, it simply takes twice as long as usual. If the
roll is a Critical Success, the characters find the clue
in half the time.
• Influence or Insight can be used to extract
additional information from people the characters
talk to. Once more, if either roll is a Failure, it
8
simply takes twice as long as usual. If the roll is a
Critical Success, the characters ask the right
questions in half the time.
The descriptions of each of the three main locations
are given later in the scenario. However, certain of the
encounters from the What’s Going On rolls earlier can
also be investigated, and these will provide additional
leads to help uncover the truth behind Low Dudgeon’s
success.
Magic?
If any characters are magicians, Magic Sensitivity (see
Lyonesse, pages 202 and 309) uncovers nothing in
either High Dudgeon or Twott’s Acre: if the competitors
of High Dudgeon are using magic to gain their victories,
then it is either extremely well masked (something only
an arch mage like Murgen or Tamurello could achieve;
or a very powerful fairy), or none is being employed at
all. This is not the case in Low Dudgeon: a successful
Magic Sensitivity roll detects that there is some kind of
spell at work throughout the village. It’s impossible to
tell what the spell might be, who cast it, or how it was
cast, but the background magical emanations are enough
to point the investigation on Low Dudgeon and take it
away from High Dudgeon.
Following Up the What’s Going
On Encounters
Given their task, the characters may wish to follow up
on the things they encountered in Low Dudgeon earlier.
The section below expands on the meaning of each
encounter, and provides some valuable clues the
characters can use to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Encounter 1
Low Dudgeon locals are grumbling about High Dudgeon’s run of
success in the games. There is mention of cheating or magical help.
Low Dudgeon locals are bitter and resentful.
This should now be well known to the characters.
Nothing further to follow up on this encounter.
Encounter 2
A local claims that the wizard Tamurello paid a visit to High
Dudgeon a few days ago…
Asking around in High Dudgeon reveals that this is
completely false. Certainly no one has been in the
village and announced themselves as Tamurello, and
more to the point, the Goblin Fair in the Forest of
Tantrevalles is taking place at the same time as the
Dudgeon midsummer games, and the notorious wizard
is known to attend the fair every year. The chances that
The Investigation
he would forego the Goblin Fair for the Dudgeon
villages is extremely remote. And, trying to follow up the
friend of a cousin’s sister leads to blank looks and
chuckles if pursued in High Dudgeon.
Encounter 3
A number of Low Dudgeon men are watching a striking young
woman running errands around the village…
Renya isn’t hard to find, and indeed, the character
may even be lodging with her. A beautiful but
melancholy woman, she does not like to talk about the
past, but it is there are plenty of gossips who will tell the
characters how her childhood sweetheart, Ronulf,
married her some 10 years ago, and then the very next
year, left her for some floozy of a dancer from Ys. A
successful Insight roll establishes a connection between
the time of her marriage and the time when High
Dudgeon started to win the games. Gaining more
information from Renya is dealt with on page 24.
Encounter 4
The character, while strolling around Midsummer Meadow,
catches a glimpse of a shadowy figure just inside the tree-line,
watching the preparations for the games…
Olias is close by and watching what goes on. With his
cape of sunbeams he can easily melt away into the
forest, using the summer sun to hide him from view, but
he is never far away, and divided his time watching the
games, watching Renya going about her business, and,
if any of the characters try to apprehend him, watching
them too. Give the characters plenty of chances to
suspect they are being watched, or that this mysterious
figure is not far away. Giving chase or tailing Olias
requires a successful Formidable Athletics roll, or a
Hard Stealth roll. If successful, the character catches a
glimpse of a tall, handsome, blond haired youth with
long purple hair not unlike the colour of lavender:
indeed, there is a lavender scent heavy in the air as the
characters follow him. The trail is lost in the shade of an
ancient yew tree in the woods not far from Low
Dudgeon, but the lavender scent still lingers. More on
Olias is given on page 26.
Encounter 5
A scuffle breaks out between a group of High Dudgeon and Low
Dudgeon villagers. It starts with insults, then some shoving, then
some punches. It’s nothing serious, and others intervene to soon
break it up, but someone mutters: “them cheaters won’t win this
year. We should see they don’t,” and indicates the High Dudgeon
group.
This suggests an attempt by Low Dudgeon
malcontents to nobble High Dudgeon’s players,
9
equipment or gameplay. Such blatant sabotage would,
under the rules of the game, result in Low Dudgeon’s
immediate disqualification, and if the characters take
more time to overhear the conversation held by this
group, they eventually hear someone say: “Better not. If
we cheat, we’re as bad as they are.” The rest of the
group grudgingly agrees.
Encounter 6
A tall, thin man, with a long nose and a flamboyant hat
embellished with a garish feather has set-up stall in the meadow.
He has a trestle table on which are displayed a variety of brooches,
amulets, bracelets, rings, torcs, and headbands. Most are cheap
looking.
The purveyor of luck charms can be found most
evenings in the tavern where he eats a splendid meal
and then starts a game of cards, using his own, dog-
eared deck. A successful Hard Gambling roll, or
Formidable Deceit roll, spots that he’s cheating, but
covering it very well. On the matter of High Dudgeon’s
success, he knows nothing; this is the first time he’s been
to the games. “I simply heard that there was a village in
need of a little luck. If you’ve run out of luck, and Low
Dudgeon certainly has, then you have to make some,
don’t you agree?” If someone buys the charm seller
some drinks, or succeeds in an Influence roll Opposed
by the charm seller’s Willpower 68%, he expands on
what he means. “Did you notice the gatepost as you
enter Midsummer Meadow? Someone’s embedded a
horseshoe in it the wrong way up. There’s another
embedded in the eves above the tavern stables. Who
would put up a lucky horseshoe so that the luck runs
out?” Tying this revelation together with Encounter 12
should spur the characters to look for other upside-
down horseshoes. If not, the charm seller might casually
add, “I’d be on the lookout for others, if I were you.”
Encounter 7
A group of High Dudgeon villagers, clearly participants in the
games, are commenting on the bad feeling among the Low
Dudgeoners. They can’t understand their own good fortune over the
past ten years, and seem to genuinely commiserate with the Low
Dudgeoners’ lack of success.
The folk of High Dudgeon are genuinely perplexed at
Low Dudgeon’s bad fortune, although certainly proud
of their own victories. If engaged in conversation, one
of the High Dudgeon villagers remarks that High
Dudgeon hasn’t been training any harder, or doing
anything different. “In fact, I know that the Low
Dudgeon lot probably train harder than we do, and they
always do well at the start. Then it just all seems to fall
apart later. Can’t understand why…”
Encounter 8
The character notices that several of the High Dudgeon
competitors, practicing for the games to come, perform some kind of
ritual dance before and after their practice.
The curious ritualist dance is nothing more than an
elaborate warming-up and cooling-down exercise. It’s
borrowed from certain Celtic tribes in Godelia, and any
character from Godelia or a Celtic cultural background
soon recognises its origin. Nothing sinister here. Move
along.
Encounter 9
During a practice session, one of the Low Dudgeon Donkey
Jousters falls from his mount and badly breaks his broom-lance
arm.
One might suspect foul play – a tampering with the
tackle used to secure the saddle to the donkey. However,
a successful Mechanisms or Ride roll; or a Hard
Perception roll, finds that the buckled and strap on the
saddle belt is simply old and worn and likely to slip at
some point. Donkey Jousting is further described on
page 23.
Encounter 10
A wizened old woman wearing a tattered shawl and knotted
handkerchief for a hat offers to tell the character’s fortune.
The old fortune teller is Magic Sensitive, but only very
slightly. She has picked up on the curse resting on Low
Dudgeon, but incorrectly ascribed it to a curse resting
on the character. If questioned further (at a cost of 1d4
florins, or a nice hot meal and a pitcher of ale), she tells
the characters that “there’s magic here all right. I can
taste it in the air. It’s strong by the meadow, by the
stables, by the well, by the smithy, by the baker’s, by the
sawmill and by the spinster’s house. But you shouldn’t be
alone…” Now, while the fortune teller has incorrectly
ascribed the curse to the character, she has correctly
identified the points where Low Dudgeon’s luck is
draining. Olias has embedded an upside-down
horseshoe at each of these places (see page 16) , and if
the characters spend 1d10+10 minutes investigating,
and succeed in a Perception roll (which they can
augment with Folklore, having spoken with the fortune
teller), they find the embedded horseshoes. If the
Perception rolls are Critical successes, then the time
taken to find the horseshoe is halved. To find the
spinster, all the characters need to do is ask Beldwain or
Chaylot. If they are lodging with Renya or have already
met her, then a successful Easy Insight roll means they
realise who the fortune teller means.
10
Encounter 11
In the tavern, the character overhears someone making a book on
who will win this year’s games. The odds are in favour of High
Dudgeon; the odds on Low Dudgeon are miserable.
The bookmaker hails from Lyonesse Town and has
attended the Dudgeon games every year for as long as
he can remember. While he won’t give the characters
any information that would inform which way to bet, he
does know a lot about the history of the games, and
accurately notes that High Dudgeon started winning ten
years ago. Before that, victories more or less alternated.
Sometimes High would win a couple of years in a row;
sometimes it would be Low. “The longest winning streak
was only three games, and that was Low Dudgeon.” He
remarks. “You can’t help wonder if there’s something
fishy going on, but if there is, I’ve never seen evidence
for it. There’s talk of magicians helping High Dudgeon,
but that’s all bitter gossip. Never seen a magician in
High Dudgeon once, although I did see that Desmëi in
Lyonesse Town, once. But that was when I was a lad.”
Encounter 12
The character notices that above the lintel of the main door leading
into a cottage (it just happens to belong to Renya), obscured by the
ivy winding its way up the side of the building, is an upside-down
horseshoe…
If the characters aren’t aware of the significance of an
upside-down horseshoe, then a successful Easy Folklore
roll means they realise it’s a symbol of guaranteeing bad
luck. Renya was unaware of it and can’t think why
anyone would put such a thing above her door. She
ascribes it to her husband, Ronulf, who ran off nine
years ago with an exotic dancer from Ys, but when she
thinks about it, she also remembers that immediately
before that year’s games, they were very happy together
and there was no sign of trouble. A successful Influence
roll (which can be augmented with Eloquence)
encourages her to speculate a little more on that fateful
year, and a little before it. Provide the character with two
clues from the list below. If the roll is a Critical Success,
then provide three clues. If the Influence roll is a failure,
then only provide one clue. And if a fumble, then no
additional information is forthcoming.
1. “We’d been sweethearts since we were seven.
Ronulf was always shy, and it was me who made the
first move. He was always tongue-tied around girls.
I never did understand how he’d pluck up courage
to go off with a dancer like that. Not like him at all.”
2. “Ronulf left me, and that was the second year Low
Dudgeon lost the games. Been losing ever since,
The Investigation

too. It’s like our bad luck

started around then…”
3. “Me and Ronulf started really
going steady the year before. I
was just sixteen! Didn’t know
my heart, and that was the
same year that I…” and Renya
catches herself and changes
the subject. Something
happened in the year before
Ronulf ran away, and in that
same year, Low Dudgeon lost
the games. She’s thinking, of
course, about her flirtation
with Olias, but she won’t speak
of that out loud. Getting her to
discuss it requires more effort,
described on page 25.
4. “I’ve never given anyone cause
to wish me harm. Never. Never
looked once at someone else’s
husband, and I’ve had many
offers of courtship, I can tell
you. I’m through with men. If
someone as sweet natured as
Ronulf could up and off with a
woman like that, no man is to
be trusted. I’ll stay on my own,
thank you.”

One thing that talking with Renya

does do is cause her to remember the
dalliance with Olias, even if she
says nothing (at this stage) to the
characters. Over the course of the
next couple of days, Renya takes a
couple of trips back to the forest,
retracing where the two met and
frolicked. Olias watches her, but
does not reveal himself.
Occasionally she calls his name
when in the shadow of the old yew tree. If the
characters follow her, they see this, and perhaps they
catch a glimpse of Olias spying on her – although at this
The Village of
stage, they are unsuccessful in any attempts to confront
him. Should they ask Renya who Olias is, she becomes
High Dudgeon
A typical agricultural village, in typical Elder Isles
very evasive and very defensive. If pressed, she may
countryside, High Dudgeon is only known as such
become angry. She only reveals the truth when the
because it is slightly uphill from Low Dudgeon. Of
characters have discovered the seven horseshoes and
course, in the past decade it has prospered at Low
presented her with the evidence.
Dudgeon’s expense, but even though it has grown a little
wealthier and acquired more land, it has barely changed

11
in terms of population or facilities offered. There is an
inn, a smithy (which is also a provisioners), a mill (which
grinds flour for Low Dudgeon as well as for High), and
a few other small trades. Mostly though, it is a farming
community growing a variety of subsistence and cash
crops that are sold at the market in the nearest town or
city (depending on where Games Masters locate the
Dudgeons).
The village stands at a crossroads, and so tends to be
a little busier than Low Dudgeon, reflected in the fact
that it has an inn rather than a tavern, with bigger
stables and more rooms for rent. It is still a small, quiet,
parochial town though, and its inn is small and pokey
compared with the larger big city affairs.
During the three days of the midsummer games, only
a handful of people are left in High Dudgeon; most
troop down to Low Dudgeon either to participate or
spectate. Thus, visiting High Dudgeon just before the
games start is the best time to gain more information.
If the characters stipulate they intend to investigate a
specific place, such as the inn, then refer to the places
noted below for the information (and disinformation;
there are some red herrings); otherwise, you can abstract
the investigation of High Dudgeon as outlined in the
three bullet points noted in The Investigation section
back on page 8. Thoroughly investigating High
12
Dudgeon takes the best part of a full day, leaving time to
travel to and from the village, enjoy a leisurely lunch,
and perhaps waste a little time in speculation or idle
chatter with locals.
Here’s what the characters learn through the
abstracted investigation process:
Streetwise or Research
• Plenty of people have been through High Dudgeon
en-route to Low Dudgeon for the games, mostly
vendors, entertainers, the usual charlatans
(someone mentions the lanky purveyor of ‘luck
charms’ noted in the encounters earlier), and a few
visitors from further away who make the journey
for the midsummer tournament. If there have been
any wizards, magicians, sorcerers, warlocks or
witches though, they’ve failed to make themselves
known. The lanky charm purveyor did perform
some card tricks to amuse the local children, but
not what one would call ‘real’ magic.
• There’s strong sense of disappointment that
relations between High and Low Dudgeon are
souring. The two villages were always very close,
but things have definitely deteriorated with each
High Dudgeon victory. They villagers know that
Village of High Dudgeon
some in Low Dudgeon think they’re cheating, but
they are insistent that they’re not. They have
nothing to hide and have frequently told Low
Dudgeon this. And it’s not as though Low Dudgeon
are poor performers in the games: they just seem to
suffer from bad luck.
Perception or Folklore
• High Dudgeon exhibits nothing that could be
considered out of the ordinary. It’s certainly more
prosperous than Low Dudgeon, and it doesn’t have
the slight shabbiness of the other village. But this
doesn’t appear to be down to magic; the people can
be seen to be taking a pride in their community.
People are tending gardens, repairing fences,
whitewashing walls, fixing shutters, and so on.
• Searching for signs of magic – charms, sigils,
enchantments and so on – draws a blank, save for
one peculiar carving found in one of the beams in
the inn, directly above the fireplace. It was installed
when the fireplace had to be repaired about 10
years ago. This deep, swirling pattern could well be
a magical focus of some form, and no one in High
Dudgeon knows its origin. Some of the locals claim
that kissing it increases one’s personal allure, while
others say kissing it makes the teeth rot. Neither is
true. The pattern is merely the work of woodworm,
active when the tree was standing, and then
exposed when cut (at the sawmill in Low Dudgeon,
as it happens).
Influence or Insight
• Certain locals, tired of Low Dudgeon’s growing
bitterness, believe that Low Dudgeon is the
architect of its own misfortune. “Maybe they upset
the Hillhollow Fairies, due to all the wood they
cut,” someone speculates. If the characters follow
up on the fairy angle, an easy Folklore roll soon
uncovers that there is, indeed, a fairy shee known as
Hillhollow somewhere in the woods close to Low
Dudgeon. But the fairies rarely show themselves;
the shee is small, and unconcerned with the mortal
world. In fact, no one can recall the last time a fairy
was seen.
• The blacksmith of High Dudgeon, Semmence the
Thewed, was, for a time, quite smitten with one of
the Low Dudgeon women, whose husband had
abandoned her for some dancer from Ys who could
perform some erotically interesting routines with
scarves and root vegetables. He was always up and
down to Low Dudgeon, and he’s worth talking to –
13
especially as he was captain of the tug o’war team
for several years. He doesn’t compete anymore –
not since the woman rebuffed his advances.
• It becomes clear that the locals genuinely are not
hiding anything. If they are, then they are all, to a
tee, highly accomplished liars. Cheating on the
High Dudgeon side, magical or not, is going to be
exceedingly difficult to prove.
Places of Note
The Inn
The Broken Windmill Inn is so called because it is built
from the ruins of an old mill that collapsed during a
storm 50 years ago. The place is said to be haunted, but
that’s largely a rumour spread by subsequent owners to
drum up additional trade. The landlord, Melench, is a
middle aged, beady eyed follow who, for reasons he
doesn’t care to share, detests Ulflanders, especially the
South Ulfish. Any characters who are Ulfish detect a
distinct coldness when Melench hears their accent, and
he tries to charge then double for any food or drink
bought.
Despite this irrational loathing, Melench is reasonably
talkative and noncommittal about the Low Dudgeoners.
Of course, he hopes that High Dudgeon maintains its
winning streak, but if they don’t, well, probably for the
best, because from what he’s heard, Low Dudgeon has
been getting quite upset, and it wouldn’t be good for
trade. Melench isn’t one to miss a trick though, and if
the characters ask if any magicians (known or suspected)
have passed through or spent any time in High
Dudgeon recently, he asks what it’s worth, and when
paid with a florin or so, leans in conspiratorially and
says, “Well, there was this one fellow. Wore a green cape,
and had a sort of a wand thing tucked into his belt. Sat
over by the fireplace all night. Kept looking at the
strange sign etched the wood (the woodworm trail,
noted above), and made a drawing of it in a little black
notebook. Left the next day and paid more than he
needed to. Magician type, if you ask me. Might have
been that Murgen in disguise.”
This is rot of course, and if the characters corroborate
the story with any of the Broken Windmill’s regulars,
they chuckle and say that Melench is really referring to
Bostock the Poet (the wand being a goose-quill), who
stops by every month or so on his way to visit his aunt in
the large town. If Bostock’s a magician, he could start
by magicking-up some decent poetry, because the stuff
he composes is pretty dire stuff.
The Smithy
Run by Semmence the Thewed, the smithy also serves
as the local store and provisioner, with that side of the
business being managed by Semmence’s brother, Thin
Giddly. Semmence is certainly well named: he’s the size
of an ox with massive arms to match, and a deep voice
like a breaking thunderhead. Giddly on the other hand,
is as round and fat as a prime porker, and has a
disconcerting squint. The smithy is busy: people on their
way to the midsummer games have brought horses in to
be shod, have repairs made to various bits of
ironmongery, and a dozen other tasks to keep
Semmence and his apprentice, Duff, occupied for the
next three days. On a successful Influence roll,
Semmence will talk to the characters directly; if that
fails, then Thin Giddly talks to them instead.
• Semmence fell for the beautiful spinster Renya a
few years ago, back when he used to compete in the
games as captain of the tug o’war team. He visited
Low Dudgeon several times a week, hoping she
might accept him as a companion. She was always
sweet to him, and Semmence thought that they
might have taken things further, but there was a
sadness to her that stopped her committing. In the
end, Semmence stopped visiting and now can’t
even visit Low Dudgeon, because seeing her brings
back all kinds of painful memories of what might
have been. This huge man has a heart as soft as a
cloud, and is clearly deeply affected by the failed
romance.
• He does know about Renya’s husband absconding
14
with the dancer. “Odd, that. Ronulf was devoted to
Renya, and who wouldn’t be? Most beautiful
woman between here and Daffdilly Bay.”
• If the characters roll a Critical Success in the
Influence roll to learn what they can from
Semmence (or Thin Giddly), the smith makes a
strange remark: “Mind you, Low Dudgeoners have
some odd ways. I mean, that lucky horseshoe nailed
above the sawmill’s sign. I mean, it’s upside-down!
Why would anyone nail a lucky horseshoe upside-
down?”
The New Mill
After the old windmill collapsed during a storm, a new
one was built a little way outside the village, and it is run
by the Ganch sisters and their half-cousin, Forynd. In
reality, they are a ménage a trois, with Forynd spending
one night with the older sister, the next night with the
younger sister, and the third night with them all
together. A Critically successful Insight roll observing
the three together picks up on this strange relationship,
although overtly, they display no public signs of
affection. Messalina Ganch, the older of the two sisters
by five years, runs the day to day workings of the mill
with Forynd, while Euridyce Ganch makes collections
and deliveries. Her rounds take her down to Low
Dudgeon frequently; she delivers flour to Vespule the
Baker, who is perhaps the best bread-maker in the
region, and claims to have a sourdough starter brought
to Hybras from Emperor Caligula’s own bakery. The
Ganch sisters have little to say about Low Dudgeon, but
Village of High Dudgeon
do remark that Vespule is one of those who is very bitter
at the ten-year losing streak. One of the contests is speed
pie eating, and it’s one where the High Dudgeoners
routinely win. On the last delivery, just a week ago,
Vespule made some barbed remark to Euridyce about
how easy it would be to start buying flour from
somewhere else, if High Dudgeon kept on humiliating
them. “More comments like that,” Messalina says, “and
Forynd here will go down there and knock Vespule’s
block off.” Forynd, who looks like he’d have trouble
knocking the skin off a rice pudding, nods his head
seriously and repeats “Yeah. Block off. Yeah.” Messalina
(it’s her solo turn tonight) gently pats his hand, while
Euridyce gazes at him admiringly. Again, if the
characters succeed Critically in an Influence roll, or
happen to say anything about upside-down horseshoes,
Euridyce frowns, scratches her armpit, and then says,
“Come to think of it, I’m sure I saw a horseshoe fixed to
the wall above the flour store.” She can’t remember
whether it’s prongs point up or down though.
The Fields
The fields extend in several directions behind the main
buildings of the village, and there are still some people
tending the crops. If questioned directly (Influence roll),
they can reveal the following:
• A few people of High Dudgeon are beginning to
feel uncomfortable around the games, and suspect
there might be trouble this year. The grumbling is
getting louder and the comments snider.
• If there was ever a magician in High Dudgeon,
don’t you think there are better things to use magic
on than winning a few stupid games? Four years
ago, there was an outbreak of apple mites that
almost decimated the orchards, and the year before
that, the drainage in the south field had to be
completely re-dug. That’s what they’d have a
magician cast spells on; not waste it on who wins at
Cat Herding.
• Mind you, you get some funny folk turning up for
the games. The normal traders are alright, but the
charm sellers and fortune tellers can be a bit
peculiar, and one year there was that fellow with a
third arm in the middle of his back, who charged
two farthings to see it and three farthings to touch
it. And that one time when someone had a spider-
baby and charged a florin to look at it (several of
them shudder at the memory). The farmers
wouldn’t be surprised if one them might be a
magician, and casting spells during the games to
make Low Dudgeon lose.
15
The Twott Acre
Practice Camp
Midway between the two dudgeons is a field, just in
front of the tree line of Hillhollow woods. This is where
the competitors from High Dudgeon have established
their practice camp for the games. It makes it quicker to
get to Low Dudgeon for the games themselves than
hiking all the way between the two villages, and it helps
build morale among the competitors. The Low
Dudgeon competitors have their own practice grounds
close to Midsummer Meadow, so it’s not as though High
Dudgeon is doing anything different.
The characters, if they approach the camp, are
treated with suspicion. There have rumours of Low
Dudgeon resorting to tricks and sabotage in an attempt
to break the High Dudgeon winning streak, and anyone
unknown to the High Dudgeon competitors is viewed as
a potential troublemaker. Trying to talk to anyone in the
camp results in the character(s) being asked to leave, and
then forcibly ejected if necessary. With around 50 or so
High Dudgeoners present, the characters are really in
no position to argue.
However, it is possible, using Stealth, to take up a
sneaky position in the tree-line or one of the hedgerows,
and quietly observe. The characters gain one fact from
the below list (choose randomly) for every 15 minutes
they watch from hiding.
1. There is no evidence of any magic being
performed, although some of the warm up rituals
are a little odd.
2. There’s a distinct mix of competencies. The tug
o’war team looks tough to beat, and the Cat
Wrangling competitors are especially nimble.
3. The speed pie eaters are obviously fasting in
preparation for the main contest, but the log tossers
are in fine-fettle, even though the distances
achieved may be a bit lacking (a different technique
might help).
4. The donkey jousters though, have sluggish and
temperamental mounts, and don’t look at all
comfortable. The blindfold hop-racers, especially
the women’s team, are not especially fast; and the
eel catchers seem a bit on the squeamish side.
5. On a successful Perception roll, another figure can
be glimpsed among the trees, watching the
practicing. There is faint waft of lavender too. After
 a moment or two, this additional spy melts into the
trees and is gone. There are no tracks, but there is a
definite lavender scent in the immediate area where
the figure was seen.
6. The High Dudgeon competitors occasionally scout
the perimeter of the camp, checking for potential
spies. As the checkers get within a couple of metres
of where the character(s) is hiding, they are
summoned back, and fail to notice the spy in their
midst.
7. As evening draws in, a wagon appears from the
direction of High Dudgeon. Euridyce Ganch has
brought a barrel of ale from The Broken Windmill
for the competitors to enjoy with their evening
meal, which is being prepared in one corner of the
practice camp: a full roast pig, turning on a spit over
an open fire, which smells wonderfully delicious.
8. If there is any cheating going on, it’s impossible to
spot. Perhaps there is some performance enhancing
elixir in the ale that arrives from The Broken
Windmill, or contained in the basting liquid of the
roasting pig, but the characters witness no form of
foul play.
The Village of Low
Dudgeon
Where High Dudgeon is an agricultural community,
Low Dudgeon cuts wood, saws, makes charcoal, and
fishes for eels in the River Dudge. Crafts are based
around woodworking, but there is also a smithy, and
Vespule the Baker, once a native of Port Posedel, is
reputed to be the best bread-maker outside of Ys. Even
before the string of defeats, Low Dudgeon took the
midsummer games more seriously than High Dudgeon,
and it was Low Dudgeon’s founder, Old Father Cibble,
who came up with the idea to celebrate the arrival of
midsummer. In those days, the fairies of Hillhollow
Shee sent a team or two, but that ended when
Hillhollow Shee decided that its fairies were getting too
‘heavy’, and withdrew from manifestation.
Shabby compared to High Dudgeon, Low Dudgeon is
lacking sparkle. Colours are drab, people a little more
listless, buildings a little unkempt. Low Dudgeon, if
anything, feels sad. They live for the midsummer games,
and so continually losing them is a bitter blow.
Investigating Low Dudgeon can take place at any
time, and the What’s Going On encounters provide
several avenues of potential investigation. But of course,
16
there are certain other things one can uncover,
described in the sections that follow.
The Seven Horseshoes
As part of his spiteful plan to punish Low Dudgeon,
Olias of Hillhollow placed seven upside-down
horseshoes at strategic points around the village, as
follows:
1. Attached to the base of one of the gateposts leading
into Midsummer Meadow, where the games and
fair are held. The horseshoe is covered by long
grass, but a successful Perception roll if one knows
to look in the vicinity soon locates it.
2. Above the lintel of the main door to the stables
attached to the tavern, on the inside, and almost
into the eaves. It can’t be seen from outside, but if
anyone is lodging in the stables, it can be noticed
accidentally on a successful Perception roll at
Formidable grade; or if one is looking for a
horseshoe specifically.
3. On the inside of the village well, on the north side
of the wall, about a metre from the rim. It’s moss-
covered and rusty by now, but if one is looking for
it, quite distinct.
4. The smithy’s horseshoe is located on the rear-side
of the building, facing a disused water trough for
horses. It is at knee height and partially covered by
weeds.
5. The baker’s horseshoe is above the lintel of the
outside storeroom, and partially obscured by some
sacking that was tacked to the eaves to prevent rain
getting in. When the wind blows in the right
direction, it can be seen.
6. The sawmill’s shoe is attached to the swinging sign
outside the main entrance; or rather, attached to
the beam the sign swings from, and on the side of
the sign facing away from the main direction of
traffic. Unless looking closely at the sign, it’s easy to
miss.
7. Renya’s shoe, the very last to be placed, is located
above her cottage door, obscured by the ivy.
None of the horseshoes are attached by nails,
although on a casual glance it seems they are. They are
placed magically, and no amount of physical force will
remove them. However, if one wills the horseshoe to
come away, while gently holding it, it can be removed
easily. Willing a shoe free requires a successful roll of the
character’s Willpower, Opposed by Olias’ own
Willpower of 34%. Each attempt drains a Magic Point
Village of Low Dudgeon
(which is felt by the character as a tingling sensation
followed by a brief numbness in the fingers, and a loss
of speech for 1d3 minutes). Multiple attempts are
permissible, but each costs a Magic Point regardless of
success or failure. A Folklore roll suggests that willing the
shoe to detach might be the way to do it, if the shoe is
indeed enchanted.
Every shoe successfully removed has a cumulative
12% chance of alerting Olias. If alerted, he comes to
investigate and is forced to make himself visible. Should
the characters approach him, see Confronting Olias on
page 25.
General Investigation
Here’s what the characters learn in Low Dudgeon
through the abstracted investigation process:
Streetwise or Research
• A small, but increasingly vocal group is responsible
for spreading increasingly hostile rumours and
17
accusations about High Dudgeon. Led by a pair of
charcoal burners they meet nightly in the tavern to
spread dissent and foment a violent confrontation
with High Dudgeon at all costs. Their support
builds as the games wear on. The ringleader is
Black Tam Shandy, a small but tough charcoal
burner who wears a permanent scowl and is
missing two fingers on his left hand.
• The scuttlebutt has it that if High Dudgeon wins
for an eleventh time, a mob will gather on the road
between Low Dudgeon and the camp at Twott’s
Acre, and confront the High Dudgeoners once and
for all. Black Tam Shandy will lead the mob, and on
his signal, attack.
• The results of all the games going back for at 25
years are available: Beldwain is the unofficial
archivist of the village and he has a copy. Going
back over the wins and losses for each year shows
that on the first day of the games, Low Dudgeon
tends to be in the lead. On the second day, the losses
 mount, and by the third day, there is no hope of
recovery. A further Bureaucracy, Gambling, or
Research roll also notes that the Low Dudgeon
losses are consistently down to misfortunes on the
Low Dudgeon side, rather than good fortune on the
High Dudgeon side: competitors trip; equipment
fails; players contradict each other and argue…
there is little to suggest or prove that magic is the
culprit. Furthermore, High Dudgeon doesn’t win
by an outstanding margin: it’s the accumulation of
small things that lead to Low Dudgeon’s final
defeat.
Perception or Folklore
• There is talk among some locals of trying to make
contact with Hillhollow Shee to see if the fairies
might use their magic to help Low Dudgeon win.
There is a firm belief that High Dudgeon is using
magic, and if they can, why can’t Low Dudgeon?
• A (very) few people are wondering if maybe the
problem lies with Low Dudgeon. It isn’t a popular
view, but a (very) few people note that things haven’t
been going for the village generally in other areas
for the past 10 years. Is it the case that the village is
cursed? If so, by whom? It’s easy to lay the blame at
High Dudgeon’s door, but is it fair?
Influence or Insight
• Low Dudgeon’s losing streak started exactly ten
years ago. It’s become worse every year since.
Perhaps the source of the problem is in Low
Dudgeon rather than High Dudgeon? Nine years
ago, the biggest scandal was when Renya’s husband
Ronulf ran away with a dancer from Ys, and
everyone agrees that this was most peculiar given
how devoted Ronulf was to Renya.
• One of the villagers, Mildreth, the wife of the
charcoal burner Black Tam Shandy, happens to
make a cryptic comment in the course of
reminiscences about the events of the last 10 years.
“Course, everyone feels so sorry for Renya after her
husband ran off, but she’s not so saintly. I know it
for a fact.” She remains tight-lipped on the specifics
unless a character can succeed in making a
Formidable Influence roll Opposed by Mildreth’s
Willpower 58%. If so, it appears that Mildreth saw
Renya and Olias flirting in the woods just before the
midsummer games a decade ago, and while she
hasn’t connected Low Dudgeon’s bad luck with
Olias, her sympathies towards Renya were shaken.
She’s never said anything until now.
18
Places of Note
The Tavern
A sprawling ‘L’ shaped building, The Hollow Hill Hall
is run by the husband and wife team of Plovid and
Ursula Buckle. On the face of it, they are a happy and
jovial couple, deeply united in the welfare and comfort
of their customers. They smile at everyone and each
other, exchange jokes and ribald comments, and are the
life and soul of the tavern. Behind closed doors, they
loathe each other to the point of murder. The hold their
vicious arguments in whispers, throw callous insults at
each other with abandon, and while Plovid might be
smiling and joking with customers while at the bar,
Ursula beside him beaming with pride, she is, under the
counter, away from sight, digging her fingernails into his
thigh hard enough to draw blood. A Critical Insight roll
might notice a certain tension between the two, but to
the world at large, they are a loving and devoted couple.
This enmity is the result of years of simmering
resentment, exacerbated by Olias’ curse on the village.
They no doubt loved each other once, but now they’re
likely to kill each other at some stage. Plovid doesn’t
believe that High Dudgeon is cheating; naturally, Ursula
is utterly convinced that they are, and should pay for it.
To customers, it is light banter; in private, the barbs
come out.
During the midsummer games, the main hall of the
tavern is turned into a makeshift dormitory, with rough
mattresses made of old sacking filled with hay coming
out from the stores. A couple of spare rooms are
available for rent at extortionate rates, but afford a little
privacy and are relatively free from the lice and weevils
inhabiting the sacking mattresses. The stables are also
available for sleeping, but anyone paying to use them
must find their own space and make their own
arrangements for bedding. There is plenty of hay on the
raised platform above the stalls themselves, but the
stables are hot and smelly, and appeal only to the very
desperate.
In terms of catering to the masses, The Hollow Hill
Hall specialises in eel. It comes in many, many forms
and is always the central dish of the day, all day, every
day. Mushrooms, watercress, wild garlic, sorrel, and
nettle soup also feature on the menu, served with good
bread from the village baker. Plovid is in charge of
brewing the tavern’s ale, which is very strong and very
good.
As is common with a tavern like this in a small village,
gossip is easy to come by, goes through multiple degrees
of exaggeration, and is then released into the wild to
Village of High Dudgeon
cause confusion and dissent. The chief topic is the
degree to which High Dudgeon is cheating, which
magician they’ve bribed to magically aid them, and
detailed speculation on how they managed to get the
Ska somehow involved. The few High Dudgeoners who
venture into the Hollow Hill Hall tend to leave fairly
quickly, or attract withering stares and a few cutting
comments from certain Low Dudgeoners, which
increases the tension. So far, no fights have broken out,
but that can rapidly change, and becomes increasingly
19
risky as the midsummer games wear on.
If the characters are on the tavern on the
eve of the games, there is a 25% chance of
a brawl between High and Low
Dudgeoners starting. This increases by 15%
each night of the subsequent 3 days of the
games, meaning that by the evening on
which the games end, there is a 70% chance
of a fight occurring. Such a brawl involves
2d6 brawlers, roughly equal in both sides,
and pulls-in and additional 1d6 outsiders,
which may include the characters. This is a
typical fisticuffs bar room brawl, but if
anyone draws weapons, things can rapidly
escalate as the rabble takes steps to arm
itself with chair-leg cudgels, table-leg clubs,
and broken bottles. See Black Tam
Shandy’s Charcoal Thugs, on page 33 for
sample bar room brawlers.
As mentioned earlier, the stables are
where Olias fixed a cursed horseshoe, on
the inside of the main entrance, close to the
eaves. If one is sleeping on the hay platform
above the stalls, one is almost directly
parallel with the horseshoe, but of course,
it’s easy to overlook how it’s been fixed. But
anyone spending the night here may, as they
wake up (and make a Perception or Folklore
roll) happen to notice an upside-down
horseshoe and wonder why someone put it
the wrong way up.
The Village Well
Ten metres deep, the well is in a traditional
style of a waist-high perimeter wall with a
stone shaft dropping into the well waters
below. It is covered by a gabled housing that
holds the bucket and winch. The well is
about two metres in diameter.
In times past, it was customary to offer
thanks to the spirit of the River Dudge
before dipping a bucket, but only the most
superstitious bother any more. It’s a shame, because the
well does indeed have a spirit: a naiad (see Lyonesse,
Halflings and Twixts, page 413), and she is aware of all
magical happenings in Low Dudgeon. She knows that
Olias made the curse, and why he made it. She also
thinks, somewhat peevishly, that is serves the Low
Dudgeoners right. Once, she was worshipped almost;
now, she’s no more than an afterthought. Naiads love to
be adored, and when they’re ignored, resentment soon
follows.
When in the vicinity of the well, have a character
make a Folklore roll. If successful, they see one of the
older residents drawing water, and before lowering the
bucket offering a quiet prayer. If questioned, the villager
says it’s just habit, but some believe that the well once
had a spirit.
If characters happen to make an offering of
something personal, speak nicely, and show the spirit
some respect, have that character make either a
Customs or Courtesy roll. If successful, the naiad
manifests as a small, childlike mermaid with silvery hair,
wide, fish-like eyes, and pronounced lips. She will, in
time honoured fashion, answer three questions honestly
before disappearing, so if the characters do manage to
summon her, they should choose what they ask carefully.
In relation to Olias, she says that he is heartbroken, and
only if his heart is mended, and his true love restored to
him, might the curse be lifted. She can also point out the
horseshoe Olias embedded in the wall, and mention
that it has six sisters, all as forlorn as she.
The naiad isn’t inclined to appear to any of Low
Dudgeon’s residents; or at least, not until they’ve “all
said sorry properly and shown how much they love me.”
What she means by this is at least two thirds of the
village making an offering of something personal and
ensuring that every time they dip their bucket, they offer
their love and thanks. If they do that, or sincerely
promise to, then the naiad will tell some like Beldwain
or Chaylot what she knows of Olias and Renya:
otherwise, it will be up to the characters to do the
convincing.
The Smithy
Knacker the Smith is not as huge and burly as
Semmence of High Dudgeon, but he compensates in
precision for what he lacks in brute force. Knacker can
size a horseshoe precisely at a glance, never makes a
mistake when making the shoe, and is known to be a
perfectionist. He’s been Low Dudgeon’s smith for some
18 years, and he remembers well the morning 10 years
ago when he found some scoundrel had broken into his
smithy and stolen seven perfect horseshoes that he had
to make all over again. If shown one of the shoes
around Low Dudgeon, he recognises it instantly, and
can even identify the horse it was intended for. Knacker
is feared when it comes to tavern Quiz Night at the
Hollow Hill Hall.
His apprentice is Shanna, a 14 year old, red haired girl
who wants nothing more than to be a blacksmith. Or a
knight. Or a Squire to a knight. She’s eager to please,
20
and very keen not to let Knacker down. He constantly
threatens to find a new apprentice, a boy, if she doesn’t
learn to get things right first time, every time. In truth,
Shanna is a little scared of Knacker, but at least he
doesn’t beat her. If he tried, she’d find some creative
uses for the tongs and nail punch they use every day.
Shanna is very observant, and she has noticed, or
thought she noticed, a strange figure lurking just at the
tree-line of the village a day or so ago. She didn’t have
time to investigate and hasn’t seen the figure since, but
if she does again, she won’t hesitate to try to get a better
look. Shanna can easily be recruited to help the
characters. She likes to feel useful, and if she thinks
there’s a conspiracy or plot to be involved with, she’s
ready to help. She also knows about the upside-down
horseshoe on the horse trough behind the smithy, and
knows there’s a similar one in the stables of the tavern.
She’s never though anything of it before, but now
someone’s come to mention it.
Shanna knows all the local children, and if rewarded,
can get a good number of them involved in the hunt for
further horseshoes, which creates a Find Horseshoe skill
of 75% for the group. The children she recruits involve
the Twalon children (see The Sawmill, opposite), and
the shoe attached to their sign is one of the first to be
found.
The last thing either of them expect is the horseshoe
to be found magically cemented to the old water trough
behind the smithy. Naturally, Knacker identifies it as one
of the seven purloined all those years ago, but has no
idea how it came to be there. “Probably a High
Dudgeon prank,” he says. “Those bastards will do
anything to beat us.” Knacker is very firmly in Black
Tam Shandy’s camp, and will be one of those in the
ambush party when the games have ended. Hidden
beneath some old coals sacks in the smithy are several
sets of iron knuckles he’s been making when Shanna
isn’t looking (or so he thinks: she knows everything that
he’s up to), and these are destined for the fists of Black
Tam’s Charcoal Thugs.
The Bakery
Vespule the Baker is a bellicose man of considerable
girth, a ruddy face, and peculiar rolling gait, almost as
though he’s being kneaded by giant, unseen hands.
Vespule originally comes from Port Posedel in Blaloc.
He left there, he says, for a simpler life. In reality, he fled
the place because he brutally murdered the master
baker he’d been apprenticed to, and stole his prized
sourdough starter, which was indeed brought to the
Elder Isles from the bakery of Emperor Caligula
Village of Low Dudgeon
himself. There is still a reward for Vespule’s capture,
although after 27 years, few remember the terrible
crime. The widow of the slain baker is still alive though,
and would recognise Vespule in an instant, despite the
enormous belly he’s since developed.
There’s no doubting Vespule’s talent: his bread is
fabulous. Conversely, the man who makes it is a stain on
humanity. An arrogant bully, he scolds his bakery staff
with an acid tongue, and doesn’t much care who sees
him do it. He loathes the High Dudgeoners, but that’s
more because Vespule is simply a nasty piece of work.
He enjoys taunting Euridyce Ganch of the New Mill in
High Dudgeon; threatening her with ordering his flour
from somewhere else brings him great joy, and he knows
that he can get away with it.
Were it not for the fact that Vespule and Black Tam
Shandy hate each other, Vespule would no doubt be
among those intending to break some High Dudgeon
heads should they win again. As it is, Vespule’s wise
enough to stay back. Any violence is likely to be quelled
at some point by the baron’s soldiers, and Vespule isn’t
so stupid as to put himself in harm’s way like that. He’s
well aware of Black Tam’s plans of course; people love
to gossip when they buy their bread. It’s also crossed his
mind that there’s more profit to be had in dropping a
quiet word to the baron than being involved in any
violence. Vespule would love to see Black Tam swinging
from a gibbet, so, when the moment is right, he’ll be
delivering a gift of his finest bread to the baron’s tent
during the games, and making mention of some
worrying things he’s been hearing.
Vespule is also aware of the inverted horseshoe
attached to the outside flour store. He’s tried wrenching
it off, but it’s nothing’s worked. He intended telling
Knacker the Smith about it, but forgot. It’s not
important; he doesn’t believe in all that ‘bad luck’
business. You knead your own luck in this world; just like
kneading bread.
The Sawmill
Run by the extensive Twalon family, the sawmill
processes much of the timber cut from the forest. The
huge cutting shop is filled with an ingenious array of
pulleys, cogs, levers, and belts that power several large
wood saws used for paring down tree trunks into planks.
The Twalon family work harmoniously, tending the
mechanisms, planing and shaving rough cut planks into
smooth, level boards, and working miracles with trestle-
powered lathes to turn all manner of shapes. Grandpa
Twalon is a master carpenter, as are Pa Twalon, and
Uncle Twalon. Grandma Twalon and Ma Twalon are
21
adept with chisels, routers, and reamers; and the Twalon
offspring, ranging from Elder Twalon down to Little
One, tend to all manner of chores and duties. The
Twalon family aren’t exactly sure how many there are in
the family: Ma Twalon always seems to be pregnant,
and its possible there are thirteen or fourteen children in
total. She knows them all by sight though, and so is sure
no one is missing.
Grandpa Twalon is the brains behind the sawmill.
The mechanism that powers everything came to him in
a dream, he says, and while it took five years to put
together, it’s worked flawlessly ever since. Mind you, he’s
the only one who can repair it. After Grandpa Twalon
dies, the machinery, if it ever does fail, will fail for good.
This is the Twalon’s most closely guarded secret.
With so many Twalons, quite a number of them are
participants in the games. The trunks for the Lumber
Tossing contest are provided every year by the Twalon
mill, and Second Eldest Twalon is the current record
holder for Lumber Tossing. His great rival is Watt
Gabney of High Dudgeon, but while they are rivals,
they are also good friends, and the Twalons are above
bad sportsmanship and grudges. It’s a shame Low
Dudgeon has lost so consistently, but then, Life Comes
in Lumps, as the Twalons say. They don’t bear any ill-
will towards High Dudgeon, and stay out of the
simmering arguments down at the Hollow Hill Hall.
Almost Youngest Twalon, a bright-eyed boy of seven,
knows that there’s an upside-down horseshoe on the
wrong side of the saw mill’s sign post. He also knows
there’s one on the gatepost to the meadow, and one
above the door of the spinster’s house, because he’s kept
an eye out for them. He’s tried telling others, but it’s
always so noisy in the Twalon house, with everyone
talking over everyone else, that it’s hard to make
yourself heard. It’s no matter. Almost Youngest Twalon
is certain the horseshoes aren’t all that important.
Although they are odd…
The Twalons are a joy to be around. Friendly,
boisterous, noisy, helpful, busy. They’re the one family
that has been an undemanding friend to Renya. Ma
Twalon visits Renya frequently, taking several children
in tow, and Renya visits the Twalons too. Ma Twalon
knows Renya’s sadness, and also understands that
there’s something in Renya’s past that she’s covering up.
She was forever playing in the woods when younger, but
now never sets foot in them. Ronulf ’s betrayal clearly hit
her very, very hard.
Midsummer Meadow
On the far side of Low Dudgeon is Midsummer
Meadow, where the annual games take place. Entry is
via a large wooden gate in the rickety perimeter fence
separating the meadow from the rest of the village. In
places the fence has collapsed entirely, and no one really
cares; it hasn’t been used for grazing in decades.
Olias placed a horseshoe in one of the gateposts at
about ankle height. Long grass and a clump of dock
leaves cover it, but pushing them aside easily reveals it
presence.
Currently the meadow is packed with tents, carts, and
wagons that line all four sides of the perimeter. On the
grass beyond the meadow are yet more tents, filled with
people who have come from far and wide to watch the
games. Entertainers of all kinds, mingling with traders,
have turned the inter-village contest into a complete fair.
Music plays, jugglers juggle, hawkers pitch their wares.
In the centre of the meadow, marked out by an inner
perimeter of loose rope, is the contest area, where the
games take place.
The games range over three days. Although the High/
Low Dudgeon contests predominate, visitors can try
their hand in informal ‘all comers’ contests. Thus, if
someone wants to try their hand at Donkey Jousting,
they can. These all comers contests are just a bit of fun;
the matches between High and Low Dudgeon are
serious affairs, and never more serious than this year.
Games Without Frontiers
The games are as follows. There are separate contests
for men and women, and some contests consist of a
series of heats, leading to a final between heat winners:
• 100 Yard Dash: a standard foot race.
• 200 Yard Dash: a standard foot race.
• 500 Yard Relay: Team members are placed at 50 metre
intervals. A live eel is passed from one to the other.
• Arm Wrestling: the traditional sport
• Blindfold Hopping Races: As described. Can hop on right or
left leg. No changing legs mid-way. Must complete three
circuits of the perimeter
• Boulder Carrying: Carrying a succession of heavier and
heavier boulders over a longer and longer obstacle course.
• Buttock Racing: Competitors shuffle along on their backsides,
attempting to be the fastest over a 200-yard distance
• Cat Wrangling: Fifty annoyed cats are let loose in an
enclosure; competitors herd them into a sack. Most in the sack
in the shortest period of time wins. Ties are judged on number
of scratches.
22
• Catch-the-Dagger: Dagger is thrown directly upwards;
competitors aim to catch them with a clapping motion. Ties
broken on fingers lost.
• Donkey Jousting. Like traditional jousting at a tilt, but on
donkeys and using broomsticks
• Eel Fencing: Fencing, but using live eels. Competitors use a
variety of techniques to send their eels into a trance that makes
then go rigid, and then fencing commences. Three strikes to the
chest or head wins.
• Egg-Drop Racing. A race around the perimeter while
clasping an egg between the buttocks. Breaking the egg results
in disqualification.
• Endurance Squatting: Competitors assume a squatting
position and maintain it for as long possible. Record is two
and half days.
• Foot Wrestling: as above, but using feet.
• Turning: Competitors without teeth trying to scrunch their
faces so that their chins touch their noses. Points scored for
style and chin/nose overlap.
• High Jump: How high one can jump from a crouch.
• Knuckle Cracking: Competitors take it in turns to crack their
knuckles down on the outstretch knuckles of the opponent.
Points scored for sound made, and how much the opponent’s
arm moves. Flinching deducts points
• Log Tossing: See how far a 6 metre-high pole can be thrown
– a bit like Caber Tossing
• Low Jump: Really, limbo dancing.
• Precision Farting: Judged on ability to hit a particular
musical note. Additional marks for musicality and aroma.
• Spear Lobbing: Like the javelin event, but using a boar spear.
• Speed Pie Eating. Pies are made from fermented eels and
extra ripe cheese.
• Tug o’War: the traditional team sport with sets of eight on
each side attempting the pull the others over a central point
• Turnip Bobbing: Like apple bobbing, but the barrel is filled
with turnips, live eels, and offal.
Games Masters are invited to invent more.
No mechanics are given for these games, but if the
characters end up participating – either in all comers
contests, or being invited to join a High or Low
Dudgeon team, abstract the outcome using one or more
Opposed skill rolls with appropriate difficulty grades.
Log Tossing for instance, is going to be Brawn based, as
is Arm Wrestling. Knuckle Cracking is likely to be
Endurance and Hit Points based, while Precision
Farting might be based Athletics (or left to the experts).
The point is that the games are bizarre, sometimes
The Games
painful, and sometimes dangerous. The High and Low
Dudgeoners practice for these events and make them
look easy; but something like Catch-the-Dagger requires
a nerves of steel and quick wits, especially in the finals,
where multiple daggers are in play.
All the games attract spectators, cheerleaders,
hecklers, and sideline critics. Some games get more
spectators than others (usually the more dangerous ones,
although Precision Farting is always popular), but there
is always an audience. And through it all, the perimeter
stalls and trade stands have something to offer. For three
solid days, there is a huge amount of revelry and merry-
making, although this year, everyone is aware to some
degree of the very serious undercurrent between the
two villages.
For added spice and interest, there are also con artists,
pickpockets and cut purses working the crowd. If the
characters spend any length of time in one place in the
meadow, they may well be targeted.
Black Tam’s Charcoal Thugs
A group of 8-10 hardcore hooligans, these men are
professional charcoal burners who spend days or weeks
in the the forest tending their charcoal furnaces.
Hardened by life outdoors and the rigours of the job,
23
they are cynical and bitter. They spend much of their
time in the meadow, congregating near one of the ale
and cider tents, mugs in hand, drinking steadily from
dawn until dusk. They watch the games, especially the
dangerous ones, and a few of the men compete. Mostly
they watch the High Dudgeon competitors, observing
weaknesses and strengths, and quietly discussing tactics
for the ambush they intend to set when the games are
finished. Eavesdropping on the Charcoal Thugs is
possible, and can help thwart any surprise an ambush
might spring. However, if anyone is caught, they will be
discretely followed by one or two of thugs and, when
alone and at an opportune moment, beaten soundly,
dragged into the forest, and tied up in one of the remote
charcoal lodges so that they can’t be of any more
hindrance. If this happens, there is a chance that Olias
sees what is happening and may come to a character’s
assistance in some way: Olias hates the Charcoal Thugs.
The Baron
Baron Molecricket is the noble in charge of the district
where the Dudgeons lie. He is responsible for collecting
rents, tithes, policing the roads and adjudicating in
minor disputes. Moderately wealthy, reasonably
influential, Baron Molecricket is a middle-aged man
with a dowdy wife, a pair of semi-useless sons and one
daughter of marriageable age. He’s looking for a
husband for her, and hasn’t had much luck. If any of the
characters is of a noble background, or looks remotely
noble and wealthy, then Baron Molecricket considers
him a potential son-in-law.
He, the dowdy wife, useless sons, and marriage-ready
daughter travel down from the baronial pile by carriage
for the final day of the games. Baron Molecricket makes
a bog-standard speech praising the skill, dedication,
talent, and pain threshold of the competitors, wishes
both sides well, and then goes and places a bet on High
Dudgeon. He’s not really a gambling man, Baron
Molecricket. The family watch with varying degrees of
wry amusement and boredom, although the useless sons
like the donkey jousting, and, for some odd reason, the
marriage-ready daughter enjoys the eel-fencing. His
wife hates the lot and spends most of the games getting
squiffy on apple wine.
A tent is erected for the baron and his entourage,
which includes six men at arms armed with swords, light
crossbows, and long spears. These are pretty competent
fighters, and dedicated to saving the baronial family’s
skins. Attacking the baron is a sure-fire way to
experience the joys of impalement.
During Baron Molecricket’s stay, it is customary for
him to hear petitions. There is usually a queue of local
people with various complaints at the back of the tent,
and in the afternoon three or four are chosen at random
(i.e., they’ve bribed one of the men at arms beforehand)
to have their petitions heard. Vespule the Baker always
ensures that he is heard by sending one of the bakery
urchins to deliver several loaves of wonderful bread, a
basket of pastries (which mother and daughter adore),
and toffee apples, which the useless sons like. This
generally gets him a private audience with Molecricket,
and an opportunity to cause mischief. This year, it is to
let the baron know that Black Tam Shandy is plotting
armed insurrection and bloody mayhem upon the High
Dudgeon competitors. There is a 55% chance that
Baron Molecricket is paying attention and actively
decides to do something about it. This means leaving
behind three of his mean at arms to keep an eye out and
arrest any troublemakers. If things get really out of
hand, they are to send word, and Molecricket will send
a dozen mounted warriors to break some heads if
necessary.
Renya’s Cottage
Renya has lived here all her life. Her older brother and
sister moved away some time ago. Her father died when
24
she was perhaps 11, and her mother passed peacefully
three years ago. For a year, she shared the cottage with
her mother and husband, Ronulf – until Ronulf had his
head, heart, and loins turned by a blond haired, blue-
eyed trollop from Ys. So now Renya lives in the cottage
alone. She takes in washing and needlework from
around the village, helps Ma Twalon with her ever-
expanding brood down at the sawmill, and occasionally
has to deter a would-be suitor from either Low or High
Dudgeon (most recently Semmence the Smith).
Renya is extraordinarily beautiful, and she seems to
grow more so with age. Of medium height with long,
full, auburn hair and hazel eyes, she is impossible to
miss. When younger she flirted outrageously with the
village boys, but always kept her heart for Ronulf. He
was never the most handsome of the village lads, or the
most athletic, or the most intelligent; but he was always
pure of intention, and he and Renya enjoyed an easy
friendship that blossomed into love. The men of the
village were also envious of Ronulf, and perhaps some
of them had a part to play in introducing him to that
dancing girl. So when Ronulf left her, she was utterly
heartbroken.
Her dalliance with Olias the fairy was nothing more
than a harmless flirtation, she thought; a young girl, on
the edge of 17, and clearly desired by a fairy! What girl
wouldn’t be flattered? They did nothing more than talk,
play games, and kiss now and then; nothing more.
Renya’s heart belonged to Ronulf, although she never
explained that to Olias. After all, fairies know
everything, don’t they?
So her brief fling with Olias that fateful summer was,
to Renya, nothing more than that. At the end of the
games she went back to Ronulf and, that autumn, they
married. There were no children, although they tried,
and that has always nagged Renya. Is that why he ran
away perhaps? Because she was not as fecund as Ma
Twalon? Ma Twalon said not to worry, but Ma Twalon
had nothing to worry about.
And so Renya is alone. She has shunned intimacy with
men. All men. Only heartache results. If Ronulf were to
reappear, he would be told coolly and politely to go back
to Ys and whatever life he’s made for himself there.
Renya is happier alone, without complications. She
rents rooms in her cottage every midsummer, and sure
enough, every year there’s some man who makes a pass,
but she can see the signs a mile away and has her
defences ready. Renya smiles sweetly, is always polite,
always firm, and always, always declines. The baron
came one year, and she though he would be a hard man
to refuse; but somehow she was able, and the baron
went away and never bothered her again.
Renya and Olias
All this is Olias’ doing. His curse prevents any other
man from having Renya if he cannot have her. She does
not know this, not does she suspect it; but if the
characters’ investigation brings matters to the fore, and
Renya is confronted with the pattern, she suddenly
understands, and is furious.
Confronting Renya
Renya is the key to this whole mess. To lift the curse,
there needs to be a reconciliation between Renya and
Olias; the characters are the ones who need to bring it
about before the end of the games, or horrible violence
will ensue.
The first step in this process is for the characters to
learn what part Renya plays in all this. Hopefully the
clues they’ve collected during their investigation
establishes that something in Renya’s past connects her
with Low Dudgeon’s situation, but they need Renya to
be honest about what happened with Olias that
summer. Getting her to open up shouldn’t be
impossible, but neither should it be easy. Getting Renya
to open up should be a handled as a Social Conflict task
(see pages 480-481 of Lyonesse). The characters need to
make four of the following rolls, in any order:
1. Customs: to frame their petition correctly in ways
that Renya will find hard to avoid.
2. Influence: to coax the truth from her piece by
piece.
3. Insight: to accurately judge Renya’s mood, and
avoid simply angering her.
4. Willpower: Renya can be obstinate; the characters
need to overcome it.
The four rolls can be made by one character or
several. If any of the characters have an appropriate
Passion that might offer a more appropriate substitute
for one of the above rolls, then by all means use it. Rolls
can be augmented by either Passions or Eloquence.
Renya also gets to roll four times, as follows:
1. Deceit: to avoid exposing her brief flirtation with
Olias.
2. Love Ronulf Passion: to convince the characters
that she has always loved Ronulf
3. Willpower: to withstand the questioning.
4. Loyalty to Low Dudgeon Passion: this is
handled differently. If she succeeds in her Loyalty
roll, the score counts against her, because in her
heart she realises that to help Low Dudgeon, she
must reveal the truth. If she fails in her Loyalty roll,
then the score counts in her favour, because she is
able to place her own needs above those of her
25
community.
It takes 30 minutes for each of the characters’ rolls, so
the whole conflict plays out over two hours.
• If the characters score zero in their rolls, they have
been clumsy in their attempts to coax the truth
from Renya. If they score higher than Renya, then
she tells them either enough of the story (see the
History section at the start of the scenario) for them
to piece together what happened, or all of it. If
Renya scores higher than the characters, Games
Masters should choose which parts of the history to
offer the characters, based on the difference in
scores. But the characters should know that Renya
is holding back.
• If the characters need to do something else to get to
the complete truth, they can show Renya the
horseshoes they’ve found hidden around the village;
take her to visit the naiad (if they’ve met her); or let
Renya know that Black Tam Shandy is planning an
ambush of the High Dudgeon competitors. Any of
these things will help Renya understand that now,
after all these years, she has to be honest.
Once the characters understand that the fragile
relationship between Renya and Olias is at the core of
this whole mess, they need to find Olias, and bring him
and Renya together.
Renya may already be on the lookout for Olias, but
the fairy, still bitter after all these years, has no intention
of revealing himself to her. The characters are going to
have to engineer a meeting of some kind. Here are the
ways in which it can be done.
1. The Findthing Searchfor cantrap, cast successfully
with the object being any fairies in the vicinity of
Low Dudgeon
2. Find and remove horseshoes, forcing Olias to come
and investigate.
3. Persuade the naiad to ask Olias to reveal himself;
this requires a successful Courtesy roll or Hard
Influence roll
4. Go to the old yew tree in the forest, where Renya
and Olias used to meet, call his name, and make a
successful Hard Courtesy roll, or Formidable
Folklore roll. If the characters convince Renya to
accompany them, the skill rolls are one grade easier.
Confronting Olias
Like all fairies, Olias is fickle, driven by strange whims,
extremely particular, prone to flattery, and easy to take
offence. He is still smitten with Renya, and despite the

fact that 70 years have passed in fairy years since he first
met her, his love for her is undiminished. Sadly, his
desire to punish her for favouring Ronulf has clouded
his judgment, and that desire for punishment still
prevails.
Olias wrongly blames the games on what happened.
By his reasoning, if Renya hadn’t gone to watch the
games, she would have forgotten Ronulf and remained
with him. So, he is punishing the games as much as he
is punishing Renya. He is enjoying the suffering and
resentment Low Dudgeon is experiencing. Fairies can
be like that.
If successfully summoned to the characters’ presence,
Olias is sullen, insouciant, obstinate, and contrary. The
only human he has any time for is Renya, and his desire
to punish her means he does not intend talking to her
26
directly. He is prepared to remain in the
characters’ presence for precisely 30 minutes
(an absolute age for a fairy), so they need to
work quickly. If Olias is threatened by force,
he defends himself and uses his magic to
punish the characters. He will also never lift
the curse.
The characters need to convince Olias to
life the curse. All he needs to do is utter
Bidorke’s Pithy Restoration and touch each
horseshoe; but convincing him is going to be
another Social Conflict test, using the
following skills for the characters, all at a
grade of Hard.
1. Customs: to re-establish the old trust
that once existed between Hillhollow Shee
and Low Dudgeon
2. Eloquence: to flatter Olias, and
break down the armour of insouciance
3. Folklore: to introduce an
understanding of fairy protocols into the
dialogue, that Olias will appreciate
4. Influence: to convince him to do the
right thing.
Olias has his own rolls:
1. Deceit: to try to cover his true
feelings for Renya
2. Insight: to anticipate the characters’
arguments
3. Willpower: to resist the characters
4. Punish Renya Passion: self
explanatory
• If the characters win the contest,
Olias agrees, grudgingly, to lift the curse, but
only when a year and a day has passed. The
characters should be careful before accepting this:
Olias means fairy years, which equal seven mortal
years. A Folklore or Insight roll should alert the
characters to the catch in the promise.
• If Olias wins the contest, the curse must remain;
however, he is willing to reconsider if Renya agrees
to become his lover, as she had promised, and
return with him to Hillhollow Shee.
• If the characters won the Social Conflict round
with Renya earlier, then she makes a Loyalty to
Low Dudgeon roll at a grade of easy. Succeeding
in the roll means she accepts Olias’ terms.
• If Renya won the Social Conflict exchange, she
makes a Loyalty to Low Dudgeon roll at a grade of
Formidable. If the roll fails, she rejects Olias’
Ambush at Twott’s Acre

conditions and storms away. If Renya should opt to leave with Olias, the fairy
• If Renya is not present, then she needs to be beams, dances, picks up Renya in his arms and swings
convinced, brought to the shade of the old yew tree, her around, proclaiming: “You shall be a princess! I
and reconciled with Olias. have a palace! Do you like palaces? You shall have
everything; dresses, cakes, wine, servants – whatever you
Should Renya reject the terms, the characters have
want. My father and mother and 74 brothers and sisters
one last chance to try to convince her that this is the only
will love you as I do! We shall rule, and we shall…” And
way to bring Low Dudgeon’s woes to an end. This can
as they whirl, they fade together into the shadow of the
be done in the following ways:
yew. Never to be seen again, and Low Dudgeon’s curse
1. Impress on her the impending violence Black Tam lifts. If the games are underway, by the time they have
is planning; taking her, on the final night of the ended, Low Dudgeon will have won, for the first time in
games, to where the violence is going to take place, 10 long years…
or where it is going on, will move her to acceptance:
she does not want blood on her conscience.
2. Let her know that if the elders of Low Dudgeon Ambush at Twott’s
discover the truth, that Renya could have saved the
community, how will her life be if she does not? Acre
Ostracism and possibly worse might follow. If the curse is lifted before the end of the games, Black
3. Convince her that life with the fairies could be Tam Shandy and his Charcoal Thugs, along with the
wonderful and magical; her life now is empty and other dozen or so malcontents from Low Dudgeon, are
listless. Perhaps she can find love with Olias. forced to abandon their plans to beat seven shades of
excrement out of the High Dudgeon contingent, and go
4. Enlist the help and encouragement of Ma Twalon
and get steaming drunk instead. There’s always next
(who always sees the common sense point of view)
year.
5. Any other creative argument the characters can Should the curse prevail, Low Dudgeon loses, High
construct not covered by any of the above. Dudgeon wins again, and Black Tam and his assorted
thugs slip quietly away from the meadow to take up
Note that Olias will not force Renya to come with him;
positions along the hedgerow between Low Dudgeon
he is not about to ensorcel her or abduct her. Indeed, he
and Twott’s Acre. If the baron has despatched his men
expresses his wishes with a certain diffidence; but, in the
at arms, they wait in Twott’s Acre itself, ready to either
same proximity, the characters can tell that, despite the
intervene, or send for help.
anger Renya displays, and Olias’ vindictive insouciance,
If the High Dudgeoners have been forewarned of
there is a mutual attraction. The body language of both
trouble, they have taken a little time to arm themselves
indicates it, as do the words they use. Olias, ageless and
with makeshift clubs, a couple of boar spears taken from
exotic, is a creature of beauty, and so is Renya: older,
the games, plus stones, rocks and packets of gravel.
wiser, and more mature. They complement each other.
They march together up the road in a confident file, and
Renya demands to know if Olias was behind Ronulf ’s
are ready to give as good as they get.
betrayal. He claims he was not. It was the waning of
If they are unaware, and too busy celebrating, Black
Low Dudgeon’s luck, rather than anything Olias did
Tam and his rabble wait until the High Dudgeoners get
directly, that brought Ronulf and the dancer together.
within 10 metres or so, and spring their ambush. Volleys
Olias swears it was not his doing or intention.
of stones and slingshots come from either side of the
If, in the end, Renya refuses to go with Olias, the fairy
road taking the High Dudgeoners by surprise.
shrugs, offers a deep, deep sigh and says, “then so be it.
Meanwhile, five or six Charcoal Thugs armed with iron
The curse shall last a year and day and then lift. I will
knuckles, wooden clubs, and iron bars emerge from
not return here. I care not what happens to you, what
their hiding places behind the High Dudgeon lines, and
the villagers will do, or what anyone else does. Why
attack from the rear.
should I? Why should I?” And he fades into the shade
All hell breaks loose, as a violent melee ensues between
of the yew tree, and is never seen again. The curse lasts,
the two groups. The violence is bloody: gouging,
as indicated, for a further 7 years. The horseshoes, if
stabbing, broken bones, and little care for who gets hurt
removed from their hiding places, magically return
or how. The characters, if they intervene, need to pick a
there, and disappear magically when, at last, the curse
side, and end up facing either a Charcoal Thug or a
lifts.

27
High Dudgeon Thug (see page 33). It is chaos as the
fighting becomes fierce, and it carries on either for
1d4+6 rounds until the men at arms intervene (if
deployed), or the Curse of Low Dudgeon takes effect
and, true to form, Black Tam and his hooligans start
losing to the High Dudgeoners. As the fight goes against
them, some start to flee, others hide, until, at least, Black
Tam finds himself surrounded by furious High
Dudgeoners and is forced to either surrender, and take
the kicking of his life.
Renya and Olias might intervene too; much depends
on how and when they are reconciled.
No one should die in the Twott’s Acre Ambush, but
people will definitely get hurt, and the violence causes a
rift between the two villages that can never be healed –
not even by the games. High Dudgeon refuses to
participate any longer, and Low Dudgeon’s fortunes
drift and falter over the course of the next 7 years (or
forever, depending on what happened with Olias).

Rewards and
Recriminations
Remember Beldwain and Chaylot, the Low Dudgeon
elders? They were looking for proof of High Dudgeon’s
cheating, convinced that there could be no other
explanation. If the characters manage to help get the
curse lifted, the elders try to renege on their obligations,
and only offer half the agreed amount (because
discovering that Low Dudgeon was the source is not
what they want to hear). If the curse prevails, and High
Dudgeon win, they insist on only paying a quarter of
the agreed amount because obviously the characters
failed to provide the evidence of chicanery that was so
clearly present. Renya might be able to convince the
elders otherwise, if she comes clean and shows that the
characters are truly not at fault here.
So there may or may not be a happy ending. Should
the characters reconcile Olias and Renya, Olias gifts the
characters an acorn that seems to glitter in the sunlight
and glows amber in the moonlight. This acorn marks
the bearer as a friend of Hillhollow Shee, and so a friend
to fairies (for a time). Showing the acorn to a fairy
obliges that fairy to help the acorn bearer (although not
necessarily anyone else). They may also receive payment
from Beldwain and Chaylot, and even be feted by the
village of Low Dudgeon in celebration of their victory.

Who knows how things will turn out?

28
 ery few of the non-player characters
V encountered in this adventure are going to be
engaged in combat, with the exception of
Black Tam Shandy’s thugs and some of the villagers,
should a barroom brawl break out, or the ambush at
Twott’s Acre take place. Most non-player characters
need only be defined by their skills, and so that is what
we have given here. If more detailed statistics are
needed, such as Hit Points Attributes, then use the
People section on pages 426 and 427 of the Lyonesse
rules. Detailed statistics are given for typical thugs,
villagers, and men at arms later in this section.
Otherwise, the most important skills and Passions for
the main non-player characters are listed below. Don’t
hesitate to add any additional skills you feel may be
needed, and don’t forget that non-player characters, just
like the player characters, can Augment one skill with
another skill (or a Passion), if needed.
Non-player characters are listed alphabetically.
Baron Molecricket
The local bigwig, Baron Molecricket really just wants a
quiet life. He doesn’t like anything that upsets the
equilibrium, and hates having to exert himself unduly.
But, if things come to it, he will flex his muscles; or
rather, send his Men at Arms to do the flexing on his
behalf.
Skills
Athletics 30%, Brawn 33%, Bureaucracy 66%, Deceit
29
78%, Eloquence 68%, Endurance 20%, Evade 40%,
Folklore 56%, Lore (noblemen) 56%, Lore (Politics)
75%, Oratory 55%, Perception 45%, Research 50%,
Willpower 40%
Passions
Covet Power 66%, A Quiet Life for Me 60%
Combat Style
Nobleman (rapier, buckler) 30%
Beldwain, Low Dudgeon
Elder
Balding and rather pompous, Beldwain seem to be in
the grip of a perpetual cold, with a running nose and
frequent sneezes. He isn’t contagious, but he is
somewhat unpleasant to be around for long periods,
especially as he has an annoying habit of concluding
each sentence with a humphing sound.
Skills
Athletics 35%, Brawn 33%, Commerce 75%, Craft
(Carpentry) 75%, Deceit 55%, Drive 55%, Endurance
30%, Evade 40%, Folklore 66%, Influence 64%,
Perception 53%, Streetwise 42%, Willpower 40%
Passions
The Art of the Deal 66%, Loyal to Low Dudgeon 60%
Combat Style
Self Defence (knife) 35%
Black Tam Shandy
A ghastly little bigot with a chip on his shoulder, Tam
Shandy is a sour faced man who likes to agitate and
cause trouble. Like most bullies, he’s brave when
surrounded by his sycophantic thugs, and an abject
coward when confronted alone. One can place more
trust in a slug. He lost two fingers on his left hand when
they were badly burned in his charcoal pit.
Skills
Athletics 40%, Brawn 43%, Craft (Charcoal Burning)
90%, Endurance 60%, Evade 40%, Folklore 56%,
Influence 68%, Perception 35%, Stealth 75%, Survival
77%, Track 68%, Unarmed 70%, Willpower 34%
Passions
Bully the Weak 66%, Hate High Dudgeon 60%
Combat Style
Woodsman (hatchet, knife) 60%
Chaylot, Low Dudgeon
Elder
The epitome of the middle aged busy-body, Chaylot
commands a lot of respect in the village, but mainly
because he makes it her business to pry into everyone’s
business. She might have respect, but few actually like
her.
Skills
Athletics 30%, Brawn 33%, Bureaucracy 66%,
Customs 75%, Eloquence 68%, Endurance 20%,
Evade 40%, Folklore 60%, Insight 76%, Oratory 55%,
Perception 45%, Research 50%, Willpower 40%
Passions
Gossip 66%, Know Everyone’s Business 60%
Combat Style
Self Defence (distaff) 35%
Cluge the Charm Seller
Tall and fox-faced, Cluge is a cunning chancer who
always manages to come up smelling of roses. This is his
first time in Low Dudgeon, and he is keen to make as
30
much money as he can, in whatever way he can. His
charms and amulets are utterly bogus of course, but he
never let that stop him.
Skills
Athletics 55%, Brawn 33%, Commerce 90%, Courtesy
60%, Customs 63%, Deceit 80%, Drive 55%,
Eloquence 84%, Endurance 48%, Evade 40%,
Influence 64%, Insight 88%, Perception 53%,
Streetwise 62%, Willpower 75%
Passions
Seize the Day 66%, Adore Luxury 70%
Combat Style
Well-travelled Rogue (Rapier and Dagger) 77%
Euridyce Ganch
Simpering and matronly, Euridyce lives in the shadow
of her sister Messalina, and agrees with everything her
sister says and commands. Despite her demeanour, she
is an expert in erotic arts, much to the delight of cousin
Forynd.
Skills
Athletics 40%, Brawn 20%, Commerce 75%, Courtesy
53%, Craft (Milling) 55%, Craft (Techniques of Erotic
Satisfaction) 65%, Drive 55%, Eloquence 56%,
Endurance 40%, Evade 44%, Folklore 65%, Insight
44%, Perception 63%, Streetwise 60%, Willpower 35%
Passions
Erotic Pursuits 75%, Love Gossip 60%
Combat Style
Run Away 55%
Knacker the Smith
Meticulous and careful, little escapes the keen gaze of
Knacker the Blacksmith. He is also one of Black Tam
Shandy’s supporters, believing that High Dudgeon
needs to be taught a violent lesson. Hawk-faced and
hawk-eyed, he cuts a sinister figure in the gloom of the
forge.
Skills
Athletics 55%, Brawn 60%, Commerce 80%, Craft
(Blacksmith) 90% Eloquence 42%, Endurance 58%,
Evade 51%, Folklore 70%, Insight 75%, Perception
84%, Streetwise 68%, Willpower 70%
NPCs
Passions
Being Precise 90%, Hate High Dudgeon 75%
Combat Style
Hammer and Tongs (Hammer, Tongs, Knuckleduster)
68%
Ma Twalon
Matronly Ma Twalon is the mother of the immense
Twalon brood. No-nonsense, practical, organised, and
overflowing with homely common sense, Ma Twalon is
suspicious of grifters, gossips, backstabbers, bullies, and
those who take advantage. She is apparently scared of
no one, and simply by folding her arms and tapping her
foot, she can command the respect of armies. Even
Black Tam Shandy is afraid of her.
Skills
Athletics 58%, Brawn 41%, Craft (Run Household)
106% Eloquence 56%, Endurance 70%, Evade 34%,
Folklore 80%, Insight 90%, Perception 69%, Willpower
90%
Passions
Love Family 99%, Care for Renya 87%, Hate Idiots and
Bullies 85%
Combat Style
Fold Arms and Tap Foot 86%
Melench the Innkeeper
Jovial with an easy manner and twinkle in his eye,
Melench is a complete rogue (but a likeable one), and
keen to extract as much money from unwitting
customers as he can, without causing offence.
Skills
Athletics 40%, Brawn 60%, Commerce 75%, Courtesy
53%, Eloquence 56%, Endurance 60%, Evade 44%,
Folklore 65%, Insight 70%, Gambling 33%, Perception
63%, Streetwise 60%, Willpower 55%
Passions
Covet Money 66%, Love Gossip 60%
Combat Style
Not in My Gaff (Fists, Headbutt) 55%
31
Messalina Ganch
Unsmiling and cool, Messalina does not suffer fools
gladly, having enough to do with her sister, Euridyce,
and cousin Forynd. She is an astute businesswoman, and
is not afraid to stand her ground with anyone. Her eyes
seem to be fixed in a perpetual frown, and if she ever
laughed, it was many years ago.
Skills
Athletics 54%, Brawn 66%, Commerce 98%, Craft
(Milling) 75%, Deceit 55%, Drive 55%, Endurance
60%, Evade 40%, Folklore 62%, Influence 74%, Insight
64%, Perception 53%, Mechanism 64%, Streetwise
42%, Willpower 80%
Passions
Loyalty to High Dudgeon 80%, Loathe Chancers 60%
Combat Style
Self Defence (Bale Hook) 35%
Olias
Olias is a fairy of Hillhollow Shee. Vain and peevish, he
likes to get his own way, and is prone to dreadful sulks
when he does not. The king of his shee, King Arazmian,
has reprimanded him many times for this behaviour, but
still Olias will not med his ways. He is obsessed with
Renya, but intent on punishing her, and everyone
around her, until she chooses him over any other lover.
Despite his nonchalant cruelty, when he gets his way,
Olias is usually joy and charm, quickly forgetting any
grudges he may have held.
Skills
Athletics 69%, Brawn 44%, Endurance 54%, Evade
74%, Fairy Magic 75%, Folklore 56%, Lore (Forests)
76%, Perception 45%, Willpower 34%
Passions
Love Renya 90%, Punish Renya 74%, Enjoy Sulking
68%
Combat Style
Fairy Duellist (Rapier) 52%
Spells
Bidorke’s Pithy Restoration, Chavnarsa’s Indolent Ease,
Findthing Searchfor, Fociador’s False Lead, Perrabi’s
Spurious Curse.

Plovid the Landlord
The landlord of Low Dudgeon’s tavern, Plovid spends
his private time feuding with his wife, Ursula, and
plotting intricate ways of doing away with her (horrible,
but she’s doing exactly the same), while in public he is
the genial tavern host. Plovid has a talent for saying the
right thing to the right person, in the right way, making
them feel welcome and listened to.
Skills
Athletics 40%, Brawn 60%, Commerce 75%, Courtesy
75%, Eloquence 70%, Endurance 44%, Evade 40%,
Folklore 65%, Lore (Customer Psychology) 80%,
Insight 77%, Perception 63%, Streetwise 70%,
Willpower 48%
Passions
Loyal to Low Dudgeon 60%, Loathe Ursula 88%
Combat Style
Not in My Gaff (Fists, Headbutt, Cosh) 51%
Renya
Blessed with startling beauty, cursed by a vindictive fairy,
Renya leads a sheltered life in the village, trying to avoid
the attentions of would-be husbands and casual
admirers. She is quiet, demure, and prefers the
company of her friend Ma Twalon and the boisterous
Twalon family. She is feisty when angered though, and
has a deep sense of making things right.
Skills
Athletics 41%, Brawn 33%, Craft (Needlework) 95%
Deceit 36%, Eloquence 51%, Endurance 36%, Evade
40%, Folklore 66%, Insight 60%, Perception 56%,
Research 50%, Willpower 61%
Passions
Avoid Relationships 75%, Love Ronulf 48%, Loyalty to
Low Dudgeon 70%
Combat Style
Unarmed 30%
Semmence the Smith
Massively built, and the epitome of the strong and silent
type, Semmence leaves the talking to his brother, ‘Thin’
Giddly, and concentrates on working red hot iron. Few
try to mess with Semmence, and usually a snarl from
32
him has people scuttling for safety. He hates Black Tam
Shandy, and if there is any trouble between the two
villages, and Shandy is involved, Semmence makes it his
business to punish the little upstart. Of course, he
continues to carry a torch for Renya, and quietly
remains hopeful she may look favourably on him.
Skills
Athletics 55%, Brawn 88%, Commerce 60%, Craft
(Blacksmith) 85% Eloquence 28%, Endurance 66%,
Evade 51%, Folklore 70%, Insight 48%, Perception
44%, Streetwise 70%, Willpower 77%
Passions
Love Renya 75%, Loyalty to High Dudgeon 75%
Combat Style
Fists of Steel (Unarmed) 80% (1d4 Damage Bonus)
Vespule the Baker
Portly, cunning, and a bad seed all round, Vespule
believes his talent for baking gives him license to abuse
others and cause trouble. He likes to have influence, and
has cultivated his relationship with Baron Molecricket
carefully. Of course, if any knew of his real past, it
would be a different story.
Skills
Athletics 36%, Brawn 60%, Craft (Baking) 98%,
Commerce 72%, Courtesy 80%, Eloquence 76%,
Endurance 40%, Evade 30%, Folklore 55%, Lore
(Psychology) 76%, Insight 75%, Perception 60%,
Streetwise 66%, Willpower 56%
Passions
Hide Past 75%, Look After Number One 90%
Combat Style
Unarmed 44%
Typical Local
Skills
Athletics 40%, Brawn 43%, Endurance 60%, Evade
40%, Perception 35%, Stealth 43%, Willpower 34%
Passions
Loyalty to Village 75%
Combat Style
Barroom Punch-Up (Fists, Feet, Chair Leg), 55%
NPCs

40%, Perception 35%, Stealth 43%, Willpower 34%

Villager/Barroom Brawler
Passions
Action Points 2
Loyalty to Village 75%, Fear Black Tam Shandy 60%
Damage Modifier None
Combat Style
Magic Points 12
Thug Life (Fists, Club, Knuckledusters) 65%
Movement 6 metres
Initiative Bonus +12
Typical Man at Arms
Armour None
Man at Arms
1d20 Hit Location AP/HP
1–3 Right Leg 0/6 Action Points 3
Damage Modifier None
4–6 Left Leg 0/6
Magic Points 10
7–9 Abdomen 0/7
Movement 6m
10-12 Chest 0/8
Initiative Bonus +13 (–5 for armour) = +8
13–15 Right Arm 0/5
Armour Half Plate
16–18 Left Arm 0/5
19–20 Head 0/6 1d20 Hit Location AP/HP
1–3 Right Leg 0/5
Typical Charcoal Thug 4–6 Left Leg 0/5
7–9 Abdomen 8/6
Charcoal Thug
10-12 Chest 8/7
Action Points 2 13–15 Right Arm 2/4
Damage Modifier +1d2 16–18 Left Arm 2/4
Magic Points 12 19–20 Head 6/5
Movement 6 metres
Skills
Initiative Bonus +10
Athletics 57%, Brawn 58%, Courtesy 53%, Eloquence
Armour Leather Apron 2AP 43%, Endurance 60%, Evade 44%, Folklore 40%,
Insight 33%, Gambling 33%, Perception 43%, Ride
1d20 Hit Location AP/HP 62%, Willpower 40%
1–3 Right Leg 2/6
Passions
4–6 Left Leg 2/6 Loyal to Baron Molecricket 65%, Love Battle 60%
7–9 Abdomen 2/7
Combat Style
10-12 Chest 2/8 Militia (longsword, heater shield) 70%
13–15 Right Arm 0/5
16–18 Left Arm 0/5
19–20 Head 2/6

Skills
Athletics 40%, Brawn 43%, Endurance 60%, Evade

33
 n High Dudgeon is intended to be a light-hearted
I scenario with a serious moral dilemma thrown in
for good measure. It includes a little physical
confrontation now and again, but at its heart, it’s an
investigation, with the characters piecing together a
number of clues to unravel the source of Low
Dudgeon’s misery, and the reason behind it.
While the adventure gives the characters plenty of
scope for how they structure their investigation, there
are a number of tips Games Masters should be aware of
to help the scenario to run smoothly.
Introduce the Horseshoes
Early
Although they are hidden, establishing the strange
motif of the upside-down horseshoes at an early stage
helps the characters understand that something is amiss
in Low Dudgeon. It also gives them a reason to
investigate other locations, and come into contact with
lots of the non-player characters. Finding them all
shouldn’t be too easy, but introducing them as a clue
early on may help the plot to advance at a swifter pace.
Follow Up on the What’s Going
On Rolls
The additional information on pages 8-10 is a great way
of introducing clues and useful information to be
followed-up. Make sure that each player gets to roll on
the What’s Going On table, make a note of their
encounter, and ensure there’s an opportunity to expand
34
on it, either immediately or later in the scenario. It helps
build relationships, atmosphere, and vital information
the characters are likely to find useful.
Establish Relationships
Most of the non-player characters in the scenario have
some useful information to impart, either about the
horseshoes, Renya’s strange history, or the High/Low
Dudgeon relationship generally. Get the characters to
speak with locals in both villages, and build-up some
profitable relationships that can be used to help keep
momentum in the plot. These are small communities:
everyone knows everyone else, and rumours soon
spread. Some suggestions:
Semmence the High Dudgeon Smith: his courtship
of Renya hints at something sad and wrong in her past.
He’s keen to help, even though Renya may not come to
love him.
Shanna the Apprentice Smith: Knacker’s apprentice
is one of those teenagers who is searching for her
purpose in life, and keen to prove herself useful. She
bridges the gap between children and adults, and we all
know that children can sometimes get themselves into
places where adults might be a little reticent. Making
good and creative use of Shanna can be a real help for
the characters.
Black Tam Shandy and Mildreth: Black Tam is a
classic thug and troublemaker, and his wife, Mildreth,
saw Renya and Olias together all those years ago.
Knowledge is power, but Mildreth is the sort that likes to
show how much she knows, and having a loose tongue
in the vicinity of the characters can aid them in
uncovering the truth.
Ma Twalon: No nonsense Ma Twalon is a great ally in
getting Renya to divulge what truly happened. She is
kindly and caring, but having such a large family to
manage, she is adept at keeping people in line, cutting
through obfuscation, and making sensible decisions. She
also cares for Renya, and wants to see her friend happy
again.
Have Olias Lurking Around
The fairy who is the cause of Low Dudgeon’s misery
enjoys returning to make sure his curse is effective. The
characters should catch sight of him from time to time,
or catch sight of something, even if they are not
immediately aware of who, or what, Olias is. And of
course, if they interfere with the horseshoes, Olias soon
knows about it, and makes it his business to see just who
is poking into his affairs.
Don’t Let Failed Rolls Slow
Play
A potential hazard with investigative scenarios is that
failing a crucial roll when looking for a clue can cause
things to grind to a halt. To prevent that from
happening, ensure that a failed roll means that while a
clue is found, it may take longer, or attract some form of
unforeseen consequence. Make good use of the Success
But... Rule on page 195, which sure that skill rolls that
are off by only a few percentiles are mot miserable
failures. And don’t be afraid to hand some clues out
without the need for a roll; keeping the story flowing is
every bit as important as rolling the dice.
turn out to be true; however, the wizard has nothing
to do with anything that has happened.
• The horseshoes carry a maker’s mark; however, it
just so happens that Semmence’s mark, and
Knacker’s, are not dissimilar (a coincidence, but
there you go). The characters may deduce that the
horseshoes have their origins in High Dudgeon.
Either Semmence or Thin Giddly can confirm that
the mark is Knacker’s. If the characters do not
believe Semmence, Knacker or Shanna can
confirm it.
Live Play Videos
You can find a detailed play through of this scenario on
Inwils’ YouTube channel. It shows how the story builds,
the use of characters and NPCs to establish and build
relationships, and how to manage the use of Passions,
stage conflicts such as a bar room brawl, and implement
various aspects of the rules.
Pre-generated Characters
We have made the characters used in the Live Play
video (Madam Neneveh’s Festive Fellows) available as a set of
pre-generated characters to help speed up the game.
The characters can be used as they are, customised as
needed, or used as inspiration for characters the players
create.

Run Interference
There are those in Low Dudgeon who want an excuse
to take violent retaliation against High Dudgeon: Black
Tam, Knacker, Vespule... Despite the characters
working for Low Dudgeon’s benefit, these
troublemakers are intrinsically suspicious of outsiders,
and are likely to enjoy interfering in the characters’
investigation; or using the characters to further their
own agendas.

Throw in Some Red Herrings

Offering up some red herrings adds variety to the
scenario, but too many become frustrating and slow
play down. Some herrings worth considering:
• Rumours of a magician in High Dudgeon may well

35
 All is not well in the village of Low Dudgeon.
For 10 years now, Low Dudgeon has consistently
lost the annual midsummer games to its neighbour,
High Dudgeon.

How can this be? High Dudgeon must be up to no good.

Perhaps a sorcerer. Perhaps underhand tactics.
Perhaps something in the water.

It is down to the intrepid adventurers to investigate, and

get to the root of the matter before things turn ugly...

In High Dudgeon is a complete adventure for the

Lyonesse roleplaying game, for 2-6 characters.
The scenario includes all
maps, encounters, non-player character details, and
Games Master notes.

TDM702