Runequest Thursday #170 - Gonn Orta Redux!

In my ongoing Brightwater campaign, the heroes are searching for any way to aid them in their assault to free the Moonbroth and its oracle from the Lunars. The clock is definitely ticking, because the Temple to the Reaching Moon nears completion. And so the Brightwater Company decided to venture to Gonn Orta's Castle to see if he had any information or items to tip the balance in their favor.  

If you are unfamiliar with Gonn Orta, I can direct you to no better source than the rightly famed and well-loved classic of Gloranthan lore, Griffin Mountain (revivified by Moon Design in a newer edition), which has a full write-up on Gonn Orta and his "castle". I don't want to reprint that here, because it would be disrespectful, but you will find hours of entertaining reading, gaming, and Gloranthan lore in this tome of Balazar and the Elder Wilds - as well as Gonn Orta, of course.

My Gonn Orta follows much of what is written, but I altered a thing or two, and added a list of items available for purchase. You are free to use these in whatever way your see fit.

Gonn Orta’s Castle

Gonn Orta is a legendary fixture of the region of Dragon Pass, both literally and figuratively. He is perhaps the best known giant extant today. As an Issaries Priest of long standing, he is also considerably more accessible than many giants, who are generally regarded and dangerous and extremely deadly brutes at the best of times. To any who can make a Lore: Dragon Pass success, Gonn Orta is known to reside in a “castle” somewhere in the Rockwood Mountains. A special success will provide the information that the castle of Gonn Orta is somewhere within the Eleven Big Giant Mountains, within the Rockwood Mountains, and a location for a pass that will gain access to this range. Beyond this, prospective shoppers of Gonn Orta’s legendarily magnificent array of good must explore.

You can find full details on Gonn Orta, the “castle” and his assistants in the terrific classic Griffin Mountain, so I will not provide more than the above. But I will provide the list of goods that I came up with as available for sale, as well as a new character that I developed as Gonn Orta’s ‘interface” with the rest of the world. Gonn Orta, being an ancient giant several hundreds of feet tall, moves slowly or not at all, and has sat on a ledge overlooking his castle valley for the last few centuries. He speaks just as slowly, but his mind is considerably more agile, and can interact with the Black Treasurer in a span of time that even busy adventurers will not mind too much.

The Black Treasurer (golem of Black Granite): Since many of Gonn Orta’s fellow Issaries giants travel, Gonn Orta traded with a number of potent Mostali crafters to make the Black Treasurer. The Treasurer is a direct reflection of Gonn Orta’s mind, and can communicate with Gonn Orta mentally when within the Giant’s Castle. The Black Treasurer is also a fine guardian for the castle.

This gigantic humanoid may well be mistaken for a giant wearing black plate armor. It can act on its own as well and has, over the years, become its own creature in many ways. When Gonn Orta is interested in an item, the Black Treasurer slows down slightly, as the great old giant’s attention is drawn (Insight at -20% to notice). Gonn Orta may then cast Mindspeech, through the Black Treasurer, to speak directly to the owner of the item of interest.

You can find a datafile for the Black Treasurer as an attachment.

A Note of Prices: These prices reflect the level of wealth available in my campaign and are lower than is standard. Adjust them accordingly to fit your sense of wealth and availability.

Gonn Orta’s normal rates of items he has in abundance:

• Spirit Binding/ POW Storage Crystals: In any amount of POWer from 1 to 20. (500L per POW). Note that a POW 1 crystal, not terribly useful as a POW storage device, can hold any normal Bound spirit.
• A plethora of weapons that act as a Spell Focus for a single weapon spell, each costs 800L per point of the spell.

Successful bargaining will finesse the offer higher by the difference between the winner and the loser level of success (Better Normal Success vs lesser Normal 10%, 1 Level of Success 20%, 2 levels of Success 30%, 3 Levels of success 50%).

Unique Items for sale:

1. Builders’s Level [+20% to Engineering, Lift 4, Summon Gnome 4, 20,000L] This engineering tool is obviously a Mostali creation, as evidenced by its plethora of gears, dials and moving parts. All of these move when the level is employed, but the item is controlled in the normal way for a magical item and requires no skill in engineering to make function.
2. Horn of Mist (2000L)  This curving horn appears to be made of misty glass, but is in fact semi-solid mist when held. Wind the horn to create an area of fog equal to 10 ft radius per POW spent, or clear the same amount of fog, dust or other airborn particulates.
3. Sunelk’s Shortbow, STR 14 Min, +10 to hit, +4 Damage, grants +20% to ride checks (2500L), with 3d6 steel-headed arrows [50L each] A Shortbow in the Praxian style, made from the antlers, bone and sinew of the sun elk. It is exceptionally powerful and cunningly crafted. The bonuses to hit and a damage are not magical, but a portion of the spirit of the beast whose parts make up the bow resides in it, and grants a magical bonus to Ride Checks. Gonn Orta threw in the steel arrows to sweeten the deal.
4. Moonbroth Bowl: (2000L) These simple bowls are made from clay taken from the prophetic well at Moonbroth. If they are later filed with water drawn from that well, a Moonbroth Bowl can be used as a scrying device to the Well at Moonbroth or any other Moonbroth Bowl that currently contains water from its well. Originally these bowls were used as a means of communication between priestesses of the temple at Moonbroth. The Scryer must spend 1d4 hours in meditation, staring into the water, casting 1d4 POW into it each hour. At the end of the required time the scryer should roll her Magic Skill or POW x3%. On a success, she can gain a glimpse of the temple area, or another operating Bowl. She can also communicate with anyone else doing this ritual at the same time, regardless of the distance between them.
5. Saint Traynor’s Waster: Description: A wooden training greatsword, of fine workmanship and balance, but obviously heavily used.

Cults: Humakti specifically, but any swordsman would value it immensely.

Knowledge: Saint Traynor’s Waster is a training sword, called a waster, that has become legendary. Often confused with the Wooden Sword, The Waster is deservedly famous itself. It is a smaller greatsword, such as was used in ancient times, only a little over 5 feet in length, but heavy and very solid. Experienced warriors who have handled it speak of its weight, but also of its speed and responsiveness. It is said that something of the soul of Traynor is imbued in the weapon, and that those who are found worthy, may learn ancient secrets of sword-work.

History: Saint Traynor was an Esrolian Sword-Knight of Humakt during the time of Arkat. A master with a greasword, he died when his training hall was overrun by enemies.  The knight faced his foes with only an arming coat, his gauntlets, and his training sword. Followers of the Saint say that Humakt was impressed by the courage, dedication and skill of his hero, and allowed the knight’s prowess to pass into the weapon he chose to wield to his death.

Procedure: Saint traynor’s Waster cannot be reproduced with anything less than the direct intervention of Humakt.

Powers: Saint Traynor’s Waster is unbreakable as long as its wielder does not retreat. It does damage as a greatsword, though the wielder may choose whether the damage is deadly slashing damage or stunning temporary damage.

The Waster’s true powers are unlocked only by someone who has attuned the weapon. Although Traynor’s soul has long gone on to Humakt’s Hellhall, Humakt himself requires that the attuner overcome a POW of 24 in order to make the Waster his own. If this is done, the Waster grant’s an immediate and permanent +10% to all sword skills. In addition, Traynor’s Waster will also teach potent Sword Talents to its wielder. Each one may be “unlocked” by a deed judged great enough by Humakt, and carried out while wielding the Waster. The GM may also require the payment of some other attribute (Hero/Luck/Permanent POW Points). The nature of the Sword Talents has varied over time, but all are said to have been known by the Sword Saint himself, and passed into the Waster on his death.

Value: 20,000L to any warrior, more to those who know more of its secrets. Humakti will offer, and require the acceptance of, 50,000L or more.

6. Missing Charm (10,000L) This brooch is a simple silver ring containing a nondescript circular dome of milky grey-white agate. When affixed to the clothing of a wearer, it is inert unless attuned. Once attuned, it disappears from normal view, but is still detectable by magic. Once attuned, the Missing Charm protects the wearer and any mount he rides (maximum total Size of 60) from missiles of all sorts: arrows, sling stones, Blast spells, lightning bolts, darts, javelins, etc. If it is an attack that causes physical damage from a distance, the Missing Charm may affect it. Roll to hit with any missile attack as normal, but then the wearer should roll percentiles - each successful attack has a 50% chance of missing the target as the Charm subtly pushes the attack off target. Anyone within 2 yards of the Wearer may be hit by a redirected attack, and can attempt to avert such a fate by rolling their choice of POW x5%, DEX x5%, or Evade.
7. Tome of Secrets (3000L) This book may not be purchased, but a use of it can be had for the stated amount. A large bronze bound book embossed with runes for Truth, Illusion, Death and Mastery, with pages of ancient vellum. Each page contains a single name, scribed in black ink, and a thumbprint in red-brown ink (blood). Whoever signs his name in the book may ask a question of it. When he seals the query with his blooded print, the Book will drain 1d4 characteristic POW from the questioner, and the answer will print upon the page. There the letters will remain for 1 hour before fading. The book has several dozen signatures and only ever appears to have 1 blank page remaining. (Famous Signatures include: Arkat, Ethihrist, Nysalor, Brion) Secret: This book has a POW of 30. If it is defeated in Spirit Combat and attuned, it can be owned, conferring Advantage on ANY Lore skill check to the owner.
8. The Bleak Grimoire of Arcadius (4000L) a small and unassuming book (obviously a travelling spellbook, faced in faded natural vellum, the Bleak Grimoire is associated with the sorcerer Arcadius the     , a sorcerer and survivor of the Empire of the Wyrms’ Friends. Once per reader, if 1d4 Hours are spent studying the Grimoire, the reader may make a Sorcery Check to immediately gain an increase of 1d3x5% in Sorcery and the same number of spells as the rolled number of hours. Spells: Conjure Dismiss Fulminar 4, Countermagic 4, Lightning 5, Vision 4, Draconic Ascent 3, Leech 4, Lesser Ward 3.
9. Heroic Vambraces (14,000L) This pair of hardened hide vambraces must both be worn to be effective. They cannot be worn with other arm armor, but confer 6 AP on each arm themselves. Each is marked with and embossed border incorporating the rune for Mastery. They feel normally heavy when lifted or carried but when worn are light as feathers and have no ENC penalty for the wearer. In addition, they grant the paired spell Strength/ Vigor 4, which the wearer may cast only upon himself. Each rank of the spell costs 2 POW, and increases the STR and CON of the Wearer by 2 (so for 8 POW, the wearer gains +8 to each attribute for the next 5 Minutes). Any figured characteristics and other such dependant upon these attributes also goes up (melee “to hit” and Damage Bonus, Hit Points, applicabl Skills, etc).
10. A woodcut depicting fighting techniques (5000L) A woodcut in the style favored in Esrolia, depicting various sword maneuvers between a pair of combatants. Careful study reveals a secret of the art of the sword. Choose a Feat of Arms for the sword: Over the course of 1d6 weeks of practice, a student may learn the feat of arms as if he had an instructor.
11. Barntar’s Battle Cup (6000L) Not all folk relish the thought of charging into battle, sword held high. For the Orlanthi carl (or the god who represents them in the Orlanthi Ring), such thoughts are for others. This humble wooden cup smells of hops, barley and molasses. Once per day, when filled with water, the cup transforms its contents into a rich and satisfying dark beer that confers all the benefits of a full meal, a +10% to the imbiber’s Warfare skill and their highest weapon skill, as well as granting a +4 POW bonus resist hostile magic and against fear for 1d4x hours thereafter.
12. Sliver of the First Tree (20,000L) This sliver of an unknown wood is about the length of a child’s forearm. If planted in a temple to a diety of earth, life or fertility, and given sufficient power (something on the order of 100 temporary POW), it will grow (over the course of 1 day) into a Tree Warrior that will serve the one who made it. If the Tree Warrior is slain, so long as the sliver is recovered, it may be regrown in the same way.

Unusual Crystals:

1. Enhanced Healing Focussing Crystal 3 (13,000L): This blue-white crystal doubles the Magnitude of a Healing spell cast through the Crystal, up to the total of +4. It also grants Advantage on any roll involving healing, medicine, herbalism.
2. Spell Reinforcing 2, Strengthening Crystal 2 (6000L): This faceted onyx crystal increases the number of POW devoted to a spell for pushing past Countermagic, etc. up to a total of 2. The caster is free to add more, but if he adds at least 2 POW for this purpose, the Crystal adds +2. The Crystal also increases the Magnitude of any spell that is so Reinforced by 2 ranks (A Befuddle would not benefit from this last, but a Disruption or Blast spell would). The Crystal can be used in this way twice before it must be recharged by being exposed to the night sky on a clear night from dusk until dawn.
3. Enhanced Spirit Supporting Crystal 2 (8000L): This pearly oblong crystal adds the listed number to the POW of the attuner for purposes of spirit combat. It also increases the Attuner’s CHA by 2 when worn.
4. Enhanced Flawed Rejuvenating Crystal of Spell Resistance 3 (8000L): This greenish-yellow crystal allows, three times per day, the attuner to add +3 POW to her personal POWer when defending against hostile spells. The choice must be made before the roll is made. The Crystal regains its uses at dawn of the day following their expenditure. Whenever worn, this crystal also acts as a Mindspeech 3 Matrix.