Runequest Thursday #26 - Kazakorang, the Dream Dragon
According to the Borderlands Campaign pack for Old School Runequest, which I am using [heavily modified] for my campaign, there is a dream dragon that makes its home in a well known geographical feature of the region - the Five Eyes.
The Five Eyes are a set of five caves with easily visible openings in the sandstone cliffs overlooking the Zola Fel River about 10 miles south of the settlement of Brightwater - home to the Player Characters and a hundred or so settlers that they safeguard. Five Eyes has been a subject of considerable interest to some of the heroes [Wyrmhere, please keep all fingers within the confines of the vehicle!], but they have not been able to afford the time to explore it. And of course, they did not know that a dragon lived there.
Until recently.
One of the player was unable to attend last session and asked if her character, Zoe, could be doing something while the rest of the PCs were off getting ambushed and managing the rescue of some neighbors from some other neighbors. Since Brightwater had been recently visited by an Issaries trader [Biturian Varsh] and his Praxian wife, who mentioned odd goings on at the riverbank below the Five Eyes, involving a bunch of Lunars, Zoe decided to scout that out while the rest of the heroes took themselves north to Arrowsands. Without going into much detail, she ended up hiding in one of the Five Eyes, and met Kazakorang. So now you get to meet him too.
NOTE: In Glorantha, dream dragons are so named because they are the dreams of True Dragons, beings of near godlike power that sleep for ages. Some are so big that they become geographical features - like mountain ranges. True Dragon dreams are so potent that they can attain reality, often acting on the primal urges of their true dragon selves. They are usually the only type of dragon that a hero will encounter outside the Hero or God Planes. Dream dragons can vary according to the subconscious fantasies of the dragon dreaming them, and may appear anywhere on Glorantha. As near as can be determined, the dreamer cares little for the fate of its dreams, but it might just be possible for a dream dragon to grow so powerful and become so real that it attains the status of its creator. Such fancies are generally only of interest to scholars and poets.
ALSO NOTE: If you want a map of Kazakorang’s Lair, you need look no further than the Borderlands Campaign for Runequest, which is sadly out of print. Borderlands and Beyond, however, is Moon Designs reprint of the same material for use with Runequest 6. I don’t have it, but judging from the table of contents, it will have the map of Five Eyes, and the whole set is a great resource. Of course, you can use any location map with only a tiny bit of work, so there is that.
ALSO ALSO NOTE: The Five Eyes complex in my game is significantly different than the one in Borderlands, just as my Kazakorang is different from Krang, the Borderlands’ Dragon.
So, without further ado, here is Kazakorang, the Dream Dragon.
Kazakorang is a dream dragon of moderate acquisitiveness and aggression. Relatively young as such creatures measure age, he has become interested in the goings on of the region, as well as the treasures to be found there. He can occasionally be seen soaring far above the Zola Fel River, The Great Bog, or other portions fo the River of Cradles, and has recently become quite interested in the peaks of Vulture Country. A not infrequent soaring companion is a massive crag condor only slightly smaller than the dragon himself.
Kazakorang enjoys hunting, and there is little in the a region that can withstand him. A favorite meal is Shovel-nose, of which even the dragon can only eat a portion. Thus it is not uncommon for daggerfang packs to peer eagerly skyward to see if the great winged form is circling overhead.
The dream dragon is not above extorting tolls from passing river traffic or hapless caravans, growing his hoard thereby. However, he is not rapacious, nor is he particularly violent; unless, he is thwarted or attacked, in which case he is extremely thorough in the expression of his displeasure.
According to the visitor Zoe, Kazakorang was once acquainted with a sage of Lhankor Mhy, probably a century or more ago. Apparently they would play a game, possibly like chess, for wager, possibly as another means to increase the dragon's hoard without making too many enemies. The dragon seemed incapable of remembering many of the details of the sage's person, but opined that it would be nice if Zoe could arrange such diversions in future.
Location
Melee
Ranged
Armour
Hit Points
STR
37
R. Hind Leg
1-2
1-2
10
15
CON
22
L. Hind Leg
3-4
3-4
10
15
SIZ
43
Tail
5-6
5
11
14
DEX
12
Hindquarters
7-8
6-7
12
17
INT
17
Forequarters
9-10
8-9
12
17
POW
20
R. Front Leg
11-12
10-11
10
15
CHA
16
L. Front Leg
13-14
12-13
10
15
Actions
3
R. Wing
15-16
14-16
9
12
Move
12
L. Wing
17-18
17-19
9
12
Fly
18
Head
19-20
20
12
16
SR
15
HP
47
Traits: Breathe Flame (4D6, 1d6+3 rounds to recharge), Dark Sight, Formidable Natural Weapons, Night Sight, Mastery Rune, Selective Knockback.
Skills: Athletics 80%, Brawn 100%, Evaluate 90%, Gaming 70%, Influence 75%, Lore (any) 90%, Perception 75%, Stealth 60%, Gambling 60%, Survival 60%.
Common Magic 100%: Countermagic 4, Demoralise 2,Detect Magic, Detect Gold, Glamour 3, Heal 4/6, Mobility 4
Kazakorang does not have the spells in red readied at the moment since he has insufficient INT to prepare all his spell levels. He cannot cast them until he swaps out a number of levels equal to those he want to prepare, which will take him roughly an hours' time. He has Heal 4, but not Heal 6, at present. Because of his draconic Intellect, he can retain the spell in his memory, withouth having to reacquire it from a grimoire.
Languages: Draconic 100%, Auld Wyrmish 50%, Firespeech 89%. Pavic 50%, Tradetalk 50%, Pelorian 45%, Praxian 40%.
Weapon Type Attack Reach Damage Special
Claw/Claw 75 1 1D10 + 2d8 Grip
Bite 85 1 2d6 + 2d8 Impale
Tail Smash 60 3 1d10 + 2d8 Stun, Sunder [Rear only], Trip
Breath 80 - 4d6#
# Breathe Fire: 4d6 vs. CON on the Resistance Table – Success = 4d6 CON Damage; if the breath fails to overcome, it inflicts half damage to HP, but not to CON.
Combat Notes
Selective Knockback – A dragon may choose whether to do knockback or not if its damage equal or exceeds the SIZ of an opponent. If it chooses to, the distance is as normal 1 yard for each 5 points or part thereof over the SIZ of the target, and the Target [if it is conscious] must roll DEX x5 or fall prone.
*Mastered Rune – Mastery – Dragons have a form of Rune Mastery for the Mastery rune itself. This grants them Reflective Mind, and Dragonbond.
Reflective Mind – Anyone attempting a mental spell against a dragon, runs the risk of being affected themselves. Whether the attacking spell succeeds or fails, the caster must also defend against an attack of the same spell reflected back, at the Dragon’s POW.
Dragonbond – If a dragon chooses, it may witness an oath and making it magically binding. For each point of Temporary POW the dragon devotes to the Dragonbond, the Oath receives that level of Potency. If the terms of the Oath are ever broken, the subject bound by the Oath is attacked by a Disruption equal to the Potency of the Oath. A Dragon is limited in the Potency of Oath it can bind, to 1/3 of its POW [Round Up]. So Kazakorang could impose a Oath of Potency 7. No magic short of divine intervention can protect against the damage from an oath that is broken. If the subject accepted the terms of the oath, she may not resist the effect. If the Bond was imposed against her will, the Disruption must overcome her POW on the Resistance Table [using the Dragon’s POW]. Finally, a dragon will know if its oaths are ever broken.
Breathe Fire – 15 yards long, 1 yard wide at mouth, 5 yards wide at end, expands every 3 yards.
Kazakorang’s Hoard –
Kazakorang has a small but respectable hoard, sequestered in a shelf of rock in the back of his sleeping chamber. This is a sample of what it could be. Since some of y players read these posts, I won’t swear to the actual hoard and this one being the same.
400 clacks, 1325 Lunars, 42 Wheels
A dozen gold nuggets worth a total of 1200L
7 small gems – garnet, turquoise,
A jagged, mountain-shaped piece of creamy yellow jade suitable for carving about 1 cubic foot – 600L
1 medium sized emerald – 450L
4 Point Spell Storing Crystal
A stone, suitable for throwing or with a sling, with Darkwall
7 point POW storage Crystal
A finely crafted and embellished plate gauntlet for the right hand [AP 8+1, Enc 2], which grants a permanent Protection 1 upon its wearer. Greater levels of Protection add to this, such that casting Protection 2 means the wearer of the Gauntlet benefits from Protection 3.
Why don’t I mind if my players see Kazakorang’s stats, you ask? Let them. And let them tremble in fear! It will be some time before they are likely to be doing anything other than ‘Yessir, Nossir’ in Kazakorang’s presence. It might also suggest that there are better things to do than attack the dragon.
