Runequest Thursday, Lucky #13: Hell Sisters!

Here are the Datafiles that I wrote up for out last Brightwater Saga session, in which the heroes, having begun the settlement of Brightwater, have set up a market with a traveling priest of Issaries, the Lightbringer god of Trade and Travel. The Brightwaters hope that the Waterday Market will become a season event for the region, attracting many folk who are interested in things other than raiding them. Time will tell.

The Waterday Market definitely attracted the attention of the Lunar Empire, which, ruling from Pavis over a quite un-ruly bunch of displaced Sartarites, local Orlanthi, and Praxian nomads, is always interested in activity in the zone of the River of Cradles they have earmarked for settlement by Lunar colonists.

And so, a few days into the five day long market, A contingent of lunar soldiers appeared on a river barge, commanded by the four Hell Sisters detailed here. The Hell Sisters are a unit of heavy cavalry similar to the cataphracts of the Sassanid Persian Empire. They are armed with bow, lance, shield, and scimitar, heavily armored, and on half-armored horses, but are also sorceresses of considerably ability, with spells ideal to their purpose as elite warriors.

Now when the Hell Sisters' horses first carried them from the barge, all the Brightwater heroes could think of was the wargear and the rich panoply of garments and accoutrements that they represented; each a fortune, could they but be convinced to give it up. The heroes were bouyed up by the fact that there were about 250 Praxian nomads at the market at present, khans and priests of Waha and the Stormbull among them, none of whom were friendly with the Empire, or of horse people.

Then the Brightwater sorcerer and shaman noted that spells crawled all over the Lunar horsewomen, that each has a spirit bound to her, and that there were at least three elementals in their thrall. This and the rest of the barge crammed with Lunar Peltasts and Phalangites, made they reconsider.

When the lead Hell Sister announced herself and her authority from the Red Goddess and her intent to levy a tax of 500 Silver [this is a silver based economy in which 500 Silver is equivalent to a years salary for a seasoned mercenary] from the market, which would negate much of the profit garnered to that point.

The situation was balanced on a knife edge. hands were creeping toward hilts, and spells were being considered, when a lookout on the from the watchtower Mindspoke to one of the heroes that there another barge attempting a stealthy approach through the reeds from up-river. The Brightwaters decided to pay rather than face a fully prepared force, when their own people and allies were mostly equipped for fun and ease.

The Hell Sisters detailed here are from Squadron Purgatori, and represent those Sisters who have just reached the minimum standards for the Company as a whole. There are other squadrons, such as Infernal and Abyssal, with significantly more experienced members. You may wish to have a look at my system for Sorcery, which the Hell Sisters use extensively.