Runequest Bonus Content - The Stone Idol of Jagrun Khan

Since the ongoing New Sorcery posts have another week or two ahead of them on Runequest Thursday, I though I would offer some bonus content for Runequest. This is an encounter area from the last session of my River of Cradles game. As written it is not a combat encounter, but the last paragraph has a suggestion or two on adding some if you want to roll that way. How you use Jagrun Khan, whether he is good, evil or indifferent to these concepts, is up to you.

The art is clipped from 'Chosain - Ancient Tiger Statues' by Torstein Nordstrand. his amazing art may be found here.

The Stone Idol of Jagrun Khan

In the midst of the Great Bog of the River of Cradles, in a clearing in the midst of a tree covered Island, stand an ancient stone monolithic statue of a ferocious-looking feline - the Stone Idol of Jagrun Khan. Twenty-five feet tall, composed of moss-covered basalt not native to the region, it gives off a sense of great age and power. The plinth is weathered, but the statue appears not to be. There are no markings on the statue or the base, but the whole radiates a subtle but powerful magic. Around the base, laid out on fresh-cut rushes, are offerings: eggs, pieces of smoked meat or fish, dried waterbuck and bushpig feet. If these are moved aside, larger bones are found, some much older, along with crudely stamped lead medallions and silver coins. Tracks criss-cross the area [newtlings, and some kind of smallish humanoid, primarily, but other larger prints are barely discernable]. Some can be followed in different directions, but none further than the waters edge.

Jagrun Khan was a powerful Beast Lord of the Dawn Age, the time when spirits were just learning to be gods. When Wakboth the Devil grew strong, Jagrun and other beast lords opposed him, just as Storm Bull did later on. The myths of the greater beasts hold that were it not for the wars of the Beast Lords against Chaos, Storm Bull would not have acquired the Stormcloak, the Devil would not have been weakened, and perhaps the world would have fallen utterly to chaos. Many beast lords fell in that struggle, Aurochs and Sun Elk were consumed by the Devil, their people left weak and friendless until the coming of Waha. Others, like Jagrun Khan’s brothers, Yinkin Shadowcat and Basmolion, were so savaged that they must give themselves to others to survive. Still others like Bagog and Thed, fell utterly to Chaos, and have become enemies of all that is good and full of life.

Jagrun Khan still hates chaos, especially the traitors who fell to it. He has nothing but disdain for his former brothers of the Three Elemental Cat Lords [Yinkin and Basmolion], for they were so weak that they must give themselves to men or the gods of men. Jagrun Khan has remained strong, retaining the Runes of Beast and Air.

Jagrun Khan is the powerful Spirit Lord resident in the statue. If an offering is made to him, he may choose to Mindspeak with the offerer. If he is impressed, he may offer to accept Permanent POW for spell knowledge [one POW per point of spell magnitude] of spells that he commands. His spells are not really common magic or sorcery, but function as common magic. A sorcerer can learn to integrate them with sorcery over time. Each week, make a sorcery check. After successes equal to the POW cost of the spell it has been integrated. Integrating it means that it may be manipulated like a sorcery spell in terms of duration, range and possibly in other ways. The spells [from the Legend Ruleset] he will grant are below, though others may become available in time:

Bandit's Cloak [Known as Hunter's Stance to Jagrun Khan]

Beast Call

Bestial Enhancement

Clear Path

Co-ordination

Demoralise

Endurance

Fanaticism

Mindspeech

Mobility

Pierce

Skybolt

Slow

Strength

Thunder's Voice

Vigor

If someone hopes to establish a continuing relationship with Jagrun Khan, and thereby learn more spells and perhaps gain other benefits, they must become a supplicant. This involves accepting a mutual bond between the supplicant and Jagrun Khan, which must be maintained by regular visitation [at least once per season] and temporary POWer sacrifice. The successful supplicant then has access to the above spell list and may choose freely which spells to learn and in what magnitude. [still with the permanent POW cost, however. Over time, such visitations could result in the formation of a Cult of Jagrun Khan. And with more supplicants and more POW, Jagrun Khan may grow into something more like his original self, even gaining the ability to grant access to greater magics, heroic abilities, etc.

There is a fallen ring of stones surrounding Jagrun Khan’s monolith. If it were set right [a task that would take 100+d200 Man-Hours] it would please him. It would also grant him greater strength, magic and perception.

Optional:

If the GM wishes, this encounter could include combat. Perhaps a small pride of Daggerfangs call the island home. Or, Jagrun Khan might demand that a supplicant duel a daggerfang - to first blood, or the death - at your discretion, before being found worthy. If you like, you can even play up the weird behavior of the cat as it stops fighting and walks calmly away after first blood, regardless of whether it won or lost the encounter.