Lorenzo Castagnini (Order #44578263)

Sacra Of Saint Hassel

Sacra of
Saint Hassel
Among the range of the Crown mountains is the solitary mount Pirchirione. At its peak, perennially shrouded by clouds,
is the Sacra of Saint Hassel, an Abbey devoted to one of the five Archangels. Very few have actually seen it, as you’d have to
climb all the way up the mountain and pierce through the thick layer of clouds to do so.

That involves a steep staircase of over five thousand steps, starting all the way down in Val Sussurra and climbing, twisting,
grabbing onto the jagged rocks all the way to the peak. Along the ascent, at least, are the Seven Tombs: according to legend,
Saint Hassel laid out seven points along the path to test the faith and purity of pilgrims, to determine whether they deserve
to reach their destination.

Many more legends feature the Abbey itself. Some claim that this is the place from which all Sainta of the Kingdom ascend
to the heavens, triumphantly carried by a team of putti belonging to the order of Bearer Angels. Another tale claims that the
Abbey is the place where all Occasian angelicata return after their vacatio to re-enter the heavens. Another still maintains that
beyond the clouds is the access point to the most humble of all otherworldly locations, still heavenly but a little worse for
wear: the Depleted Hyperuranion.

The Seven Tombs

Along the ascent to the peak are seven saintly tombs, each guarded by an angel known as “Septim”. The Septim Angel is
charged with testing the travelers attempting to reach the Abbey, and has the power to change its form to do so. If challenged
directly, however, the Septim will assume its true form, that of an angelic warrior woman (in this form, use the stat block for
the FairaldGA).
The seven tests, one per tomb, aim to discern whether the travelers are able to leave behind the Seven Weaknesses: Gluttony,
Greed, Envy, Sloth, Lust, Wrath, and Pride – if so, they will be allowed to meet Hassel. The Condottiero should not be fully
transparent about the nature of the tests, nor should they name the sins directly, refer to which one is currently being tested,
or keep track of previous tests. The latter especially, for the players, is a test in itself, and can lead to determining which ones
are still left. Everything should appear as natural as random encounters, and the Knaves should question whether they are
truly deserving of continuing the ascent.

1. First Tomb (Gluttony). The Knaves are greeted by a pair of gobbolin cooks who have just finished setting a table, cov-
ered in all sorts of delicacies. If any of the Knaves sit to taste anything, they will discover that the food is so good that they
cannot stop eating. To leave the table again, a Knave must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw; on a failure, they
are forced to keep eating. The DC decreases by 1 with each Knave that succeeds, leaves the table, or encourages the others
from afar. The saving throw can be repeated once every minute.

2. Second Tomb (Greed). A beggar is sleeping peacefully, his hat on the ground. He doesn’t look hungry or in need of help,
but if the Knaves walk past him without leaving a petechin (at the very least), the staircase suddenly turns into an eternal,
ascending spiral. The Knaves can make it revert back to its regular form by walking back, and leaving an offering for the
beggar.

3. Third Tomb (Envy). The temperature drops. The Knaves stumble into the same beggar, who (don’t ask) was able to buy
himself a very nice and very warm set of furs. If the Knaves try stealing it from him, he turns into a terrifying angel warri-
or; who will then chase them back down the staircase, and the party has failed the ascent. If they ask the beggar where he
bought the furs, he will point them back to the valley below, to some merchant or other. If they leave him alone, they can
proceed with no issue. The beggar will start following them, but soon become lost to sight in a blizzard.

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 Regions of the Bounty Kingdom

4. Fourth Tomb (Sloth.) After the blizzard settles, the

temperature continues to drop. As the Knaves reach the
fourth tomb, they come across the same beggar, warm-
ing himself by a fire. Any Knave who sits down, even

j
just for a second, finds themselves too comfy and unable
to get up again. In order to stand up, they must succeed
on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw; on a failure, they are
forced to stay by the fire. The DC decreases by 1 with
each Knave that succeeds, leaves the fire, or encourages
the others from afar. The saving throw can be repeated
once every minute.

5. Fifth Tomb (Lust). It is now impossibly cold. The path

cuts through the fifth tomb, to all effects a crypt, which
offers some shelter against the weather. Inside are three
sleeping figures, covered in warm furs; each Knave sees
them as irresistible and impossibly attractive. The way Bingo Greatsword
out of the crypt is blocked by a large boulder, which re- Weapon (greatsword), very rare (requires attunement to a crea-
quires a group Strength (Athletics) check, DC 15. Any- ture with good alignment)
one who does not take part or the Knave with the lowest A greatsword with a blade white like the candid clouds of
result will be drawn inexorably to the three figures. From the Zombingo, a simple guard decorated in silver, and a long
here, the Knave (or Knaves) will have to find a creative hilt wrapped in white leather. It comes from the hands of the
way of leaving the inevitable orgy that follows. Archangel Hassel and holds within it the light of all Bin-go’s
angles.
6. Sixth Tomb (Wrath). Three invincible knights await You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls you make
the Knaves here (use the knight stat block, with the with this magic weapon. You also deal an additional 2d6
following changes: when the knight is reduced to 0 hit radiant damage when you hit a fiend or undead with this
points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead.) weapon.
The knights start accusing the Knaves of having lain The greatsword’s blade shines and projects bright light in a
with their spouses back in the crypt. If the Knaves can 10-foot radius and dim light 10 feet beyond that. The light
keep calm during the invective, they can proceed with is considered to be sunlight.
no issue. If they let the words get to them, they will have When you hold this magic weapon, you can take a bonus
to face the three knights – they cannot be defeated, but action to say the greatsword’s magic word and make a pair
they will calm down and let party continue as soon as of shining, feathery wings appear from your back. You gain
the Knaves opt for a more diplomatic way forward. a flying speed of 30 ft. The wings remain until you take a
bonus action to pronounce the magic word again or you let
the greatsword fall or sheath it.

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 Sacra Of Saint Hassel

7. Seventh Tomb (Pride). The road snakes into a thick layer of clouds and sud-
denly stops at the foot of another tomb. A natural terrace offers a view over
the sea of clouds. Above them are only rocks and the unattainable peak. The
Knaves might think they have reached their destination (especially if the Con-
dottiero has been sly enough to make them lose count of the tests so far).
Behind the tomb is a small chapel carved into the rock, where a majestic angel
introduces himself as the Archangel Hassel and starts praising the party. He
extols their virtues, credibly and never exaggerating, and offer for them to

r
become the new wardens of the Abbey. If the Knaves accept the honor, they
obviously fail the test. If they refuse with humility, they complete the final test:
the angel takes on the form of an angel warrior, and admits that she is not, in
fact, Hassel, but his servant Fairald; she was the one to run the tests in her role
as a Septim. Finally, someone has passed all the tests and she can take her va-
catio, becoming an angelicata (use the FairaldGA stat block). The chapel door
opens and the final staircase appears, leading to the true Abbey.

The Tale of the

Fairald
Alda was a fair, pious, chaste young
woman. One day, she was targeted
by a group of sell-swords, and want-
ing to avoid dishonor, she climbed to
the top of a tower. She prayed and
prayed, and leapt into the void to
prevent being taken. Angels came to
her aid, and she landed unharmed
back on the ground. The villagers
welcomed her back in awe, but
many did not believe her story – so
instead of just shutting up about it,
Alda decided to repeat the leap from
the tower to prove she wasn’t lying.
But this time the angels, noticing
that she was only doing so out of
pride, just watched her smash into
the rocks below. Fortunately, how-
ever, Saint Hassel was watching from
above, and touched by her tragic
death, gifted young, fair Alda with
white wings, making her into one of
his heralds and re-naming her –oh,
you get it.
Saint Hassel’s Abbey
At the top of the mountain, surrounded by a thick carpet of white clouds, is a
majestic cathedral of white marble. From his throne of light, the Archangel Hassel
welcomes the Knaves, admits that they’re definitely less bad than others who have
tried, and gifts them the Bingo Greatsword. The time has come to head back to
the valley below, unless someone has the bright idea to ask to access the sphere of
Depleted Hyperuranion. If they have shown themselves particularly pious – high-
ly unlikely, but you never know – the FairaldGA might choose to start her vacatio
with the gang. At least for some time. Until she realizes who she’s traveling with.

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 Regions of the Bounty Kingdom

The Fairald
After centuries working under the Archangel Hassel, Septim Fairald can finally take her vacatio and spend a couple decades on
earth. After wielding the powers of a Sacrosanct, the angel has chosen to diminish her powers to better blend in with humans.
Her goal is to find the best of what the Kingdom’s people can offer, nurture it, and let it bloom into something immensely
virtuous for the glory of the Ternal Father. She’ll have to look for quite some time...

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 Sacra Of Saint Hassel

The Fairald check, or sav-ing throw. The Fairald can also use
Medium humanoid (Angelicata), lawful good Divine Providence when an attack roll is made
against her. She rolls 1d20, and then decides
Armor Class 14 (leather armor)
whether the attack uses the attacker’s roll or hers.
Hit Points 38 (7d8 + 7)
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. Actions
War Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage.
16 (+3) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 13 (+1) 14 (+2)
Angelic Light. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit,
Saving Throws Con +3, Cha +4 range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) radiant
Skills Insight +3, Medicine +3, Perception +3, damage.
Religion +3 Halo (1/Day). The Fairald generates a circle of
Senses passive Perception 8 light around her head that emits celestial light
Languages Unknown Language, Vernacular for 1 minute. The halo projects golden-colored
Challenge 4 (450 XP)  Proficiency Bonus: +2 bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light 10
feet beyond that. Any allied creature, including the
Born in the Light of the Ternal Father. The Fairald, in the bright light is under the effect of the
Fairald has advantage on saving throws to resist or bless spell.
end the blinded condi-tion on herself.
Spellcasting. The Fairald casts one of the following
Head in the Clouds. The Fairald subtracts 5 from spells, requiring no material component. Her
her passive Perception score (already included in spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12):
her stats)
A will: light, prestidigitation, spare the dying
Born to Aid. When the Fairald casts a healing 1/day each: detect magic, enhance ability, lesser
spell, she heals the maximum number of hit points restoration, thunderwave
possible. 2/day: detect evil and good
Divine Providence (1/Day). When the Fairald 3/day: cure wounds
makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving
throw she can call up-on Divine Providence and
roll an additional 1d20. She can choose to use this
feature after making the roll, but before knowing
whether it’s a success or failure. The Fairald can
chose which d20 use for the attack roll, ability

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 Regions of the Bounty Kingdom

The Dieciterre
This is the name given to the six towns clinging to the insidious shoreline between
San Timone Mugugno and Vetera. Each of them is basically a bundle of houses

i
built with no regard to safety nor physics, to the point that food dropping off your
plate might fall straight into the sea below. Tight little alleys, the size of a crack
in the wall, twisting under rain-drenched arches; nooks barely lit up by a few lan-
terns, crusted up with brine. Incredibly steep steps, wind-swept squares, equally
nasty-looking people and clouds. Iron cages creaking against faded, overcast skies,
a final reminder of the Quinotaur’s passage. The cages hang from poles, trees, and
beams at the entrance of each of the towns, and are reserved for the most unwel-
come of outsiders, to prevent them from being a nuisance or just to let them die
of exposure. Old, rusty, and sinister in sound and look, the cages are a symbol of
the hospitality of Dieciterre.

What’s it like As is often the case in the Kingdom, the name does not entirely reflect reality
around here – or rather, not any more. Of the ten town that had earned the name at the time
of the Draconian Empire, the decem terrae, only six remain. If you read up on the
The entire Dieciterre region is ideal history of the region, it’s a miracle so many actually did.
for anyone looking to escape from
someone, or something, else. No one Of the four that did not make it to the present day, Basalto is the one that very
asks questions, as long as you bring few even remember in Quinotaria. It’s only thanks to the hard work of historians
petechins and no trouble. There are and erudite folks that we know that Basalto crumbled into the sea at some point in
very few docks, and it’s hard to reach the first century after the fall of Plutonia. The records state it fell due to “a ruthless
land, it rains a lot, and no one leaves last-ditch effort”; it is unclear, however, whether this refers to the digging works
their home unless necessary. For a started in the region, reaching their conclusion around Basalto, or an intentional,
sea area, there is very little traffic, if late, attack on the town itself. Equally unknown is the current location of its
other than the dead fish in the boats. ruins at the bottom of the sea.
And yet, much like taxes, trouble will
eventually find the Knaves in this Better known is the history of Ripacrusca, which was razed to the ground by a
area too. Frangian expedition. The town had harbored a community of Marked, during a
time when the latter were seen as bad omens.

The destruction of Ripacrusca, however, did not bring any good luck to the
region: barely ten years later it was the turn of Portoverde, a small fishing village
hidden in the eponymous bay. The story goes that a local boy was in love with
a Dracian prince’s daughter, and had convinced her to flee to the surface with
him. One night, with no warning, the prince’s armies attacked and destroyed the
village, killing everyone.

The most recent town to disappear was Calacastagna, a small settlement over-
looking the eponymous cove. Around twenty years ago, it was chosen as residence
by the Grimaldoni gobbolin gang, so lewd, filthy, and aggressive that the entire
town was lost within a few years – except for the gobbolins.

From ten to six, the towns currently still around are: Monterospo, Vernacchia,
Cornachiglia, Violastra, Menarola, and Rioconfesso.

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 The Dieciterre

Monterospo Cornachiglia
A gloomy fishing village. Among the rocks just off the port’s A tiny town huddled at the top of a cliff. It can only be
piers is a stone statue of the Quinotaur, older even than reached by the Marbled Staircase: a long, long, long se-
the Dieciterre themselves. Monterospo is home to a florid ries of flesh colored steps. Cornachiglia is one of the more
sailing community, which includes a large colapesce com- recently built settlements, and was founded by a crew of
munity from the Liscabianca beach – a small patch of sea malebranche who shipwrecked on the jagged rocks of these
protected by the rocks forms the ideal environment for these shores. No real infernal legacy can be found in town these
bizarre amphibious creatures. Some fishers in Monterospo, days, other than the friendly local greeting: “go to Hell.”
much like their peers in Vernacchia and Cornachiglia, are
very suspicious of their colapesce competitors, especially
their innate sea knowledge and related skills; others, howev- Violastra
er, have learned to make the most of them. Also known as Black Bells, Violastra is the only town that
cannot be reached from the sea. The locals gather here if
they need to escape Sidonian pirates. The locals have also
Vernacchia taken up the habit of painting their church bells black so
Another fishing village. Not far from this drab cluster of that they cast no reflections and pirates cannot see the town
houses is the Maimuna cave, partially submerged and ru- glinting off the gray cliff side.
mored to house the spirit of a woman who sought shelter
here to escape a gaggle of drunken sailors. The legend claims
that the Maimuna spirit now tries to capture men who move
too close to it, and that during stormy days, her wailing can
be heard among the rocks.

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 Regions of the Bounty Kingdom

Menarola Things to do in Dieciterre

The oldest and most combative town, whose people pride The Knaves reach Menarola, looking for more infor-
mation about the legendary Nonexistent weapons
themselves in having repelled all pirate attacks, be they Sido- 1 master, and his best student, the duelist Mandacciu-
nian, Atrechian, or homegrown. The merit may reside with ga. When they find him, however, there is a surprising
a legendary Nonexistent weapons master who lived here for family reveal.
a hundred years and taught multiple generations of fishers The daughter of a rich Vernacchia merchant has set off
how to fight… or maybe with the exceptional fortification 2 into the Maimuna cave, certain to find her dead moth-
known as Bastion. None of the Dieciterre has ever been er. The Knaves are tasked with bringing her back safe.
known for its welcome to outsiders, but Menarola most The gruesome twosome of assassins Pine-nutGA and
definitely holds the record for the least welcoming of the BasilGA hire the Knaves to seed chaos in Monterospo.
3 All they have to do is feed some rumors to colapesci
region, and perhaps the whole Kingdom. and fishers respectively, and let the blood flow in Lis-
cabianca. Why? Stop asking questions.
A one-eyed man offers thirty petechins in exchange for
Rioconfesso 4
filling the Black Bells with rags, to muffle their ringing.
Also known as the Marked Town. Rioconfesso has become This will prevent them from sounding the alarm, and al-
home to many Marked through the years, much like Ripa- low pirates to get some stuff done around here finally.
crusca before it. Those who are marked move here from all A researcher from the Bonomia Bona Mater is con-
corners of the Kingdom to find a place to live in relative vinced that the Marked in Ripacrusca were, in fact,
5 cultists of the Abyssal Father, and that was why they
peace, without the stigma associated with their condition. were exterminated. The Knaves are to accompany him
It is also home to the most fragrant variety of basil in the in exploring the ruins in exchange for a few petechins.
entire region. An older citizen of Rioconfesso heads to look over the
walls, hoping to see her husband return from the war.
6 Her husband is actually Messer Ponce Bracospino, a
hermit from the Diluvio region, who will gladly offer a
reward to anyone bringing him news of his wife.
A smugglers’ exchange is supposed to happen at mid-
night; the meeting point is the lighthouse of Brumon-
ta Point. As the smugglers are dragging their boat to
7 shore, however, they are attacked by a group of Dra-
cians. The Knaves can help their clients, ignore the
whole thing, or help the Dracians hoping for some sort
of reward.
No one truly knows what sort of mysteries are hiding
among the submerged cyclopean ruins off Dieciterre.
Old sailor Buletto is happy to rent out his boat for three
8
days, for the low cost of ten petechins. Even if they
reached the spot, though, who gets to dive in to find all
that (alleged) treasure?

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 The Dieciterre

Pine-nut and Basil

The worst of the worst. Two assassins for hire, despised even by other assassins; the type of people who, if Death were to meet
them on the road, it would take the longer route. Dangerous alone, together they’ll make you a thing of the pasta.
Pine-nut is a gobbolin, small but sturdy, dead-ugly, and implacable in hand-to-hand combat. Basil is highly skilled with the
blowgun. Tall, lanky, was marked by the Quinotaur as a child, which made him into a toad-like creature: wide mouth, crack-
ling voice, very few hairs on his head, just behind his ears, and large square pupils at the center of orange irises. Unfortunately,
a kiss will not make this one into a prince.
As close as peanut butter and jelly, these are the killers you cannot afford to meet – or to hire, for that matter.

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Lorenzo Castagnini (Order #44578263)
 Regions of the Bounty Kingdom

Pine-nut Actions
Multiattack. Pine-nut makes one attack with his
Medium humanoid (Gobbolin), neutral evil
Wicked Sword and one melee attack with his Dagger,
Armor Class 15 (studded leather) or two ranged attacks with his Daggers.
Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16) Wicked Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
Speed 30 ft. reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA damage. In addition, if Pine-nut rolls a 20 to hit, the
14 (+2) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) target takes 10 extra slashing damage.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +2 reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4
Skills Athletics +4, Deception +3, Intimidate +5, + 3) piercing damage.
Nature +2, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +7, Survival +3
Senses passive Perception 11
Bonus Actions
Cunning Action. Pine-nut takes the Dash,
Languages Vernacular
Disengage, or Hide action.
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus: +2
Incite Basil (Recharge 5-6). With a stream of
Peak of Pissiness (2/Day). Pine-nut strikes with all mumbled curses, Pine-nut incites Basil to fight more
his bottled-up rage. Once per turn, when Pine-nut viciously. If Basil can hear Pine-nut and is within
deals damage to a creature with a weapon attack, 30ft. of him, until the end of Pine-nut’s next turn,
he can deal 5 extra damage to that creature. Basil deals 3 (1d6) extra damage when he hits with a
As Base as Dung. Because Pine-nut delights weapon attack.
in using foul language on all occasions, he has Reactions
disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks. Jinx It (1/Day). When a creature within 30 ft. of
The Art of Ambush. Pine-nut has advantage on Pine-nut rolls a 20 on an attack roll, ability check, or
initiative rolls and on any action taken during the saving throw, Pine-nut can use his reaction to force
first turn of each combat. them to repeat the roll and keep the new result.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Pine-nut deals an extra 7 Hands off Basil!. When Basil is within 30ft. of
(2d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon Pine-nut and takes a critical hit, Pine-nut can make
attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or an attack with a melee weapon against a creature
when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Pine-nut within reach.
that isn’t incapacitated and Pine-nut doesn’t have
disadvantage on the attack roll.

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 The Dieciterre

Basil Actions
Multiattack. Basil makes two Serrated Dagger
Medium humanoid (Marked), neutral evil
attacks or two ranged Blowgun attacks. He can
Armor Class 14 (hide armor) replace one attack with a use of Spellcasting.
Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16) Serrated Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to
Speed 25 ft., swim 35 ft. hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA damage. In addition, if Basil rolls a 20 to hit, the
13 (+1) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) target takes 5 extra piercing damage and is grappled
(escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, Basil can
Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +4 only use his Serrated Dagger to attack the grappled
Skills Arcana +4, Intimidate +3, Nature +4, creature and has advantage on the attack rolls to do
Perception +3, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7, so.
Survival +3 Blowgun. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range
Senses passive Perception 13 25/100 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing
Languages Vernacular damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus: +2 Constitution saving throw or take 3 (1d6) poison
damage and be poisoned until the start of Basil’s
Mark of the Quinotaur. Basil received the Mark of next turn.
the Quinotaur, which gives him frog-like features.
Spellcasting. Basil casts one of the following spells,
Amphibious. Basil can breathe in air or water. requiring no material components. His spellcasting
Hallucinogenic Head. Any other creature can ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12):
use their action to lick Basil’s head. Whoever licks At will: acid splash
Basil’s head starts to look out of focus and has 1/day: false life
advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to
Bonus Actions
hide for the next minute.
Cunning Action. Basil takes the Dash, Disengage, or
Frog Hop. Basil’s long jump is up to 20 feet and his Hide action.
high jump is up to 10 feet, with or without a running
start. Reactions
Hands off Pine-nut! When Pine-nut is within 30ft.
Frog Friend. Using simple gestures and sounds,
of Pine-nut and takes a critical hit, Basil can make
Basil can communicate basic concepts to any frog
an attack with a melee weapon against a creature
or toad.
within reach.
Marshland Stealth. Basil has advantage on
Sadist. When Basil reduces a creature to 0 hit
Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in
points, he gains 10 temporary hit points.
marshlands.
Scar of the Mark. Basil has advantage on saving
throws to resist or end the charmed or frightened
conditions on himself.
Disfigured. Basil has disadvantage on Charisma
(Persuasion) and Charisma (Performance) checks,
but has advantage on Charisma (Intimidate)
checks.
Assassinate. During his first turn, Basil has
advantage on attack rolls against any creature that
hasn’t already taken its turn. Each hit Basil scores
against a surprised creature is considered a critical
hit.

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 f

-Legend -

Lorenzo Castagnini (Order #44578263)

 The Rampant and their
Grandtree

The Rampant and their

Grandtree
Life for the nobility is hard in the Bounty Kingdom. There No one remembers who the first was to carve these words.
are many houses, and never enough land between the shores The truth is that the Grandtree has been standing for over
of the seven and a half seas. Blue blood (or whatever passes six hundred years; that is, since the legendary queen Mar-
for it) is everywhere, and often flows freely due to dagger gherissa di Avoja – tired of the amount of noble knobheads
and blade, thanks to long feuds between barons, baronets, around her – passed a law known as “The Purge Decree”:
duke-counts, and marquis. Many of these nobles revel and for forty days, all nobility could kill each other. The exact
thrive in a mire of violence and cruelty, but many others phrasing stated: Any man or woman of noble lineage upon
would like a more quiet life, please and thank you. Among earth or water may be legally felled by another man or woman
them are many cadets and scions of larger and smaller fam- of noble lineage. To avoid the massacre, a couple of younger
ilies, third and fourth descendants, inexperienced heirs, and and less combative bluebloods started climbing trees, which
daughters who’d rather not enter a nunnery. The good news are neither earth nor water. Those who gathered upon the
is: there is a place for all of them to find shelter and avoid Grandtree found it so comfortable that they never came
their duties – the Grandtree, home of the Rampant. down, and started calling themselves the Rampant.
This gigantic beech tree, the size of a hill, is a fully opera-
tional hanging city in which young feud deserters can start
a much lighter life with just their clothes, a pair of boots, Things to do on the Grandtree:
and a satchel with mommy’s favorite jewels. They can spend
Our heroes (so to speak) have learned that young
all day discussing philosophy, high concepts, and hot air, duke Salpinto da Colombinola has tattooed on his
putting on performances for their peers in the evening, and 1 butt cheek a limerick with the instructions to his fam-
maybe train a wild bat or two from those who live in the ily’s lost treasure. They have, therefore, reached the
tree. In order to join the Rampant community, one must be Grandtree to pants him.
of noble stock; there are many, of course, who feign nobili- A bat relieves itself onto the head of a member of the
ty or forge their pedigree simply to walk these leafy streets, 2 gang, and as they chase it, the Knaves come face to
face with an enormous tree.
where some of the best looking young people are rumored to
walk – which is obvious nonsense, as they’ve been marrying One of the Knaves receives a letter: You should know
3 that that night, nine months ago, has borne fruit. Yours,
each other for generations now, meaning that the only thing Baroness Lietabolda da Svenarsi, Rampant Grandtree.
they excel at is the lack of chin, jawline, straight spines, and
The Knaves are guests of the Grandtree, for whatever
a regular shaped skull. reason, when young, hot-heated Count Marcalfredo
There is a small ritual performed when one joins the Ram- Luigipiero dei Langurioni falls madly in love with one
4
pant: carve an effigy into a branch of the Grandtree, as of them. At the same time, he decides that another
rough and badly done as possible, to represent one’s family member of the gang is their lover, and he starts an en-
tirely arbitrary feud with both.
of origin. The effigy is then burned while singing a brief,
barely rhyming song to mock them all. Finally, for reasons Duke Granellin has died with no heirs to his name, but
many lands south of Pavida – except there are rumors
forgotten by all, the aspiring Rampant must accept a plate 5 of a son in Grandtree. The Knaves could choose to
of snails, taste one, and spit it out again. bring him the news in exchange for a few petechins,
or simply impersonate said son.
Very few remember the origins of the Rampant’s Grandtree. Easy-peasy: 10 Big Pieces in exchange for the head of
The only trace left is an inscription at the base of its trunk, Baroness Stellonza Richodemi da Giubrinella, elderly
6 dweller of the Rampant community. Less easy: Stel-
traced again yearly with ink, so that it won’t fade: No rivalry,
lonza used to be a formidable and feared duelist, and
dynastic dispute, or other blood feud may find root here. A little no one remembers.
below it:

+BEECHES – BITCHING

- 95 -
Lorenzo Castagnini (Order #44578263)