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Subj: The Hill of Gold

Date:	97-03-31 01:08:13 EST
From:	ilium@juno.com (Stephen P Martin)
To:	Ethesis@aol.com


Steve --


There is a lot to be done with this, but here is the quest as YOU wrote it.



THE HILL OF GOLD HEROQUEST

Originally presented in The Wild Hunt 53 and 61, with notes in TWH xx.
This quest has been greatly reorganized from its original presentation.



THE GENERAL QUEST

The Hill of Gold Heroquest is a yearly re-enactment of events from the
Godtime. In it, teams representing four deities (Yelmalio, Zorak Zoran,
Inora, and Orlanth) recreate their interactions during the Lesser
Darkness. It can be used as a threshhold quest for other patterns (see
below), as well as being a major quest in its own right. Sartar may have
used this quest to bring the Yelmalio forces to the Sun Dome Temple he
established.


	An individual questor can take the part of any of the four
deities. In Dragon Pass, each cult usually fields a team of seven
individuals (not counting allied spirits, etc.) at an appropriate temple.
The team must undergo purification and rebirth rituals, and may go on
preparatory quests as well. The gamemaster may decide to enact the quest
once every Long Year (seven years) rather than annually. Note that
results are written for individuals, but team results are the same.


	Members of a team need have only some cultic affiliation. Thus,
although the Orlanthi party is normally led by a Wind Lord or Storm
Voice, its members can include an Urox or Chalana Arroy worshiper (though
the latter will be at a distinct disadvantage at certain stages); Zorak
Zoran can have any troll or darkness creature; etc. Most teams are
composed of runelevels, with the occasional acolyte or advanced initiate.


	After the initial rituals, the seven questors (or the one
questor, if on the second level of the quest) represent the gods:
Orlanth, Zorak Zoran, Inora, and Yelmalio. Thus, the questors have
entered into the Land of Myth. When teams interact, each of the seven
finds themselves alone facing a single member of the opposite team. There
is no possibility of mass battles, or questors ganging up on a lone foe.


	At the end of the quest, the individuals or teams find themselves
"near" their starting temples, and will have the option of leaving the
Godtime. Most do so.


ORLANTH starts at the Wind Temple


ZORAK ZORAN starts at the Throne (in Shadows Dance)


YELMALIO starts at the Sun Dome Temple (in Prax)


INORA starts at Thane (foot of the Glacier)


MECHANICS


Each day, the questors will meet an appropriate team from the forces of
the other gods. They must then decide how to face them. A foe beaten in
combat (but not slain) loses a skill or power to the winner; generally,
the loser can select which skill or Divine spell is lost.


	A foe slain in combat results in the loss indicated below and the
slayer taking their choice of one skill or Divine spell. Think of all
skills and  spells as tangible objects, possessions of the owner. Thus,
an Orlanthi who slew a Yelmalion on this quest could take the Sun
worshiper's 120% Spear Attack and add it to his own 80%, resulting in a
skill level of 200%, and the Yelmalion having a 0% Spear Attack (i.e.,
not even at basic chance).


	A questor slain in combat returns the next day; this is a
function of the quest and the Hero Plane, and does not require use of
Resurrect or similar spells. However, the questor is treated as having
been dead for a day, and so suffers normal losses (i.e., in RQ3 he loses
1d3 from each of his characteristics). Thus, death is something to be
avoided on this quest, even if it is not permanent.


	Individuals may freely trade skills and appropriate Divine spells
at certain stages of the quest. If they do so and the mythic action was
also a trade, then the indicated benefits of that stage also occur.


	Parties need not accept surrender. However, once a skill or
Divine spell has been traded or taken, the parties cease to be in
contact. This works on an individual basis; the team is only reunited
after all of the individual combats have ended.


STATIONS OF THE QUEST


The first day pits Yelmalio against Orlanth and Inora against Zorak
Zoran. Yelmalio lost many spear powers here, for Orlanth wrested the
Lightning Spear from him. Inora lost all of her Darkness ties, while
Zorak Zoran lost all of his Cold powers.


	If the Yelmalion team or questor wins, he/they takes all of
Orlanth's Attack skill with a single Spear (i.e., 1-Handed Long Spear,
2-Handed Long Spear, etc.). If the Orlanthi wins, he takes one of the
Yelmalio's Attack and Parry skills for a single Spear.


	If the Inora questor wins she may sacrifice for the spells of
Summon and Command Shade. If the Zorak Zorani wins he may plunder a
single Frost spell from the Inoran (no POW sacrifice required, may take 1
point per 4 POW he possesses).


The second day pits Yelmalio against Zorak Zoran and Inora against
Orlanth. Yelmalio lost all of his Fire and Heat abilities, as is
well-known. Inora traded with Orlanth, gaining the Mountain Winds as her
cult avengers in return for giving up the right to prevent the winds from
playing in her mountains.


	If the Yelmalion wins he may wear Red and use the Heat aspects of
Fire -- he may sacrifice for Summon and Command Salamander, though the
POW sacrifice required is doubled, as it is for Zorak Zoran. If the Zorak
Zorani wins he may use Summon and Command Salamander at the normal costs,
instead of doubled.


	Inora and Orlanth normally trade the abilities listed here. Each
may give the other one of their cult special spells, as if they were
under the influence of the Issaries spell Spelltrading, though no
Spellteaching need be cast, and there is no chance of a failed roll. If
they do not trade, then if the Inoran wins she may sacrifice for the
spell of Cloud Clear. If the Orlanthi wins, any Increase Wind or Wind
Warp spell cast while within the mountains will have double effect.


The third day pits Zorak Zoran against Orlanth and Yelmalio against
Inora. Neither Zorak Zoran nor Orlanth was victorious over the other, and
so their questors can gain no benefit from this conflict except their
life, or the death of their enemy. Yelmalio and Inora each defeated the
other: Yelmalio gained the right to cast light upon the mountain peaks
(and so they catch the light first and release it last), while Inora was
able to resist the Sun (and so mountains remain covered with snow all
year). Again, therefore, the only results of this stage are the results
of the combat itself.


On the fourth day, the Zorak Zorani may return to the Throne, or he may
go on a quest against chaos. The Orlanthi may return to the Wind Temple,
or may begin any of a number of other quests, including the
Lightbringers' Quest or the Magic Weapons heroquest. The Inoran may
return to Thane, or she may set out upon the DrepnirQuest (see the
DrepnirQuest), having already received the required vision in her
conflict with Yelmalio.


	On the fourth day the Yelmalion must ascend the Hill of Gold in
an attempt to regain some of the power lost by his god.




THE YELMALIO QUEST -- Hill of Gold


The Hill of Gold is guarded by Darkness creatures, by Parasites, and by
Chaos (in that order). Successfully climbing the hill allows the questor
to search for a magic crystal which can be used to found a Sun Dome
Temple, for Divine Intervention, or for a reusable Sunspear spell.



PREPARATION


The same stations as listed above. If this quest is attempted without
going through the normal Hill of Gold quest, roll for encounters using
2d100, modified by preparation (thus the quest might actually be easier
if undertaken after long purification and preparation, with proper quest
provisions, or it might be very, very hard). If the gamemaster does not
have enemy HQ Teams prepared, he can use other foes:


0 or less
	Small Elemental (1d3 cubic meters per questor)

01-30	Large Elemental (2d4 cubic meters per questor)


31-60	Runic Animals (Fire: griffins, flame hawks; Storm: storm
bulls, wind children; Dark: giant insects, morocanth; Cold: bears, white
runners, Drepnir)


61-120	Other HQ Team (7 individuals)
	2d3 Rune Priests, 1d4 Rune Lords (acolytes if cult has no Rune
Lords), remainder are advanced initiates.


121-150	Single HeroQuestor (may have companion).


151-180	Hero


181-210	Subservient Deity (varies by cult)


211-240	Deity's servant(s)


241-270	Deity



CLIMBING THE HILL OF GOLD


After the three encounters (one for each of Orlanth, Zorak Zoran, and
Inora), the Yelmalion reaches the Hill of Gold. In most versions of the
myth, Yelmalio lost to Orlanth and Zorak Zoran, and made a mythic deal
with Inora.


	As he climbs the Hill of Gold, the questor will face the enemies
of Death, Darkness, and Chaos.


The Parasites (Death)


Roll 1d8 once for each questor


1-2	1d4 Head Hangers
3-4	1d2 Tape Worms
5-6	1 Blood Fluke
7	1d2 Spirit Leeches
8	1d2 Marrow Wights


The Forces of Darkness


Roll 1d6 once for each questor. Multiple rolls of 1-2 increase the size
of the elemental, not the number appearing.


1-2	1 Shade (1d6 cubic meters per roll)
3-4	1d2 Giant Insects
5-6	1d2 Bone Morocanth


The Forces of Chaos


Roll 1d6 once only


1-3	1d4 Scorpion Men per questor; all have chaotic features
4-5	1d3 Broos per questor; all have chaotic features
6	Dream Dragon Demon; 1d2 chaotic features per questor, at least
one per questor beneficial


THE SUMMIT


Any questors who survive to reach the summit of the Hill gain the chance
to search for magic gold crystals. All questors gain one chance to
search; those who succeed in a POW vs. POW roll against a POW of 25 gain
an additional chance, once for each success; failure causes a loss of POW
instead of magic points. For each search, roll 1d8 and consult the table
below; only one crystal may be taken (and one must be taken), but the
questor can choose from among all rolls (including rolling of the POW of
the crystal).


	Once a crystal has been found, the questor is returned abruptly
to the Mundane World, at the real Hill of Gold (in Vanch), regardless of
his starting point. He must return home by whatever means he has
available; for most questors, that means a long walk.


1-4	BLACK CRYSTAL


	Chaos-tainted: roll on the table in Elder Secrets, doubling the
POW roll, then roll for the crystal's chaotic feature (passed on to the
owner). The finder will know all attributes, but must seek magical
rituals to rid himself of the crystal. If he rids himself of the crystal
by Yelmalio's next high holy day, he is not himself tainted with chaos.


5-7	CLEAR CRYSTAL (gold-tinted)


	Good for 4 points of Divine Intervention: the next time Divine
Intervention is attempted, the first 4 points of POW loss will come from
the crystal. Once all points have been used up, the crystal is destroyed.


8	GOLD CRYSTAL


	The questor can select one of the following abilities: worth 8
points of Divine Intervention (as above); keep the crystal for a reusable
Sunspear spell (if the crystal is lost, so is the spell); can use the
crystal to found a Sun Dome Temple. Regardless of the variety chosen, the
crystal can store up to 3d6+6 magic points, as described in Elder
Secrets.








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Subject: The Hill of Gold
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From: ilium@juno.com (Stephen P Martin)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 01:05:39 EST




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