WONDERS

of the WILD
A Wilderness Companion for Blood & Bronze
and Other Fantasy Games of High Adventure and Role Playing

Text
Olav NYGÅRD

Artwork
Sam PERKINS-HARBIN • World Map
(c) each artist, respectively. Used herein under license

Thanks to
Johan NORDINGE • Jocke ANDERSSON
Gustaf BROWALL • Mike BERGAMOTTE
Christoffer LINDAHL • Emil THUNSTRÖM
Joseph WALERKO

Revision 2016-04-22
www.bloodandbronze.com
4 WONDERS OF THE WILD

WILDERNESS Expanding the World

ADVENTURES This booklet provides chance encounters for
When traveling the wild, all characters must a handful of zones. As the referee, you are en-
test Vigor. If the traveling party totals at least couraged to populate the other zones of the
one success per adventurer, they may exit the map in similar fashion, changing details, crea-
zone they are currently in or arrive at a specific tures and events to suit the different climates
location within the zone. Otherwise the party and conditions found therein. Start with the
suffers misfortunes (opposite), and the refer- closest zones, and proceed towards the fringes
ee decide where they end up. Regardless, the as they adventurers venture there.
referee rolls for chance encounters.
CREATING A ZONE
A journey's length is determined by the number Set a theme. A zone is recognized by its terrain
of hexagons traversed; its duration by dividing and climate. When you create a new zone, start
this length by the travel speed for the zone. by outlining the general look, feel, smell and
sound of the area.
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS
Roll encounter di(c)e and check the cor- Decide the zone's dominant feature. Each
responding entry for the current zone. zone should contain one thing that is truly ex-
tra-ordinary: a powerful foe; a supernatural
Interpret the result as imaginatively as you
event; a volcano, ghost city or other dangerous
can. Elaborate the entry, using your imagina-
location; a sorceror, demon or deity; or any-
tion and inspiration from things you have seen,
thing else you can think of. This feature can be
heard, read or experienced. Sometimes you
small or large, but its precense will dominate
will find that an entry inspires an adventure in
the zone physically, mentally or both. Make
its own right. Others will feel less engaging,
sure that this feature suits the theme, either by
and still other times the players will devise a
reinforcing it—like a fire-sorcerer in the des-
plan to avoid the encounter altogether.
ert of shifting sands—or contrasting it—like a
Mark it on the map. If the entry provides a lo- snow-capped mountain in the same place.
cation that the adventurers can return to, mark
Populate the zone. For the most part, your
it on the map.
chance encounters should contain a location,
Once the encounter has played out, cross someone or something encountered there and
it out and write your own. The new entry a small treasure, trap or other secret to uncov-
can be as similar or dissimilar to the old one as er. Consider the zones location, its theme and
you like, as long as it isn’t identical. This way, dominant feature. For example, a populated
the charts will continue to provide you and area might have a lot of soldiers, bandits and in-
your friends with literally endless adventures. trigues, whereas less-traveled zones might have
more monsters, savage tribes and lost ruins.
HUNTING & FORAGING
If the player characters lack food and water, KEYED LOCATIONS
they may attempt to hunt and forage for surviv- Chance encounters is a simple tool for running
al. Doing so will force the adventurers to slow wilderness exploration, but you can also add
their pace, reducing the travel speed by 1 hexa- keyed locations to your map. Mark a hexagon
gon per day. For particularily barren landscapes and key it like a room in an adventure location.
the referee can require each player to make a If the adventurers pass through that hexagon­—
search test, equating each success with food and and only then—will they have a chance of en-
water for one person. countering this specific location.
 MISFORTUNES 5

Misfortunes 12 2d6 assassins: pwr 3, save 11, end 16.

Armor 5, hidden weapons (dmg 1d6).
When the adventurers suffer misfortunes The assassins are masquerading as com-
during their travels, roll a twenty-sided die. mon folks. Someone wishes the adven-
turers dead—decide who and why.
# MISFORTUNE
13 Lack of water. Unless the PCs carry
1 Minor mishap. A sprained ankle, broken water themselves, they are dying from
rib, or larger abrasion slows the party thirst (rules booklet, p. 49).
down. Increase travel time by 1 day.
14 Hunger and thirst. All rations and water
2 Bad weather. Travel time is prolonged the PCs carry are spoiled or spent. The
by 1d4 days. adventurers must forage or suffer thirst
3 Bad terrain. Travel time is prolonged by and starvation (rules booklet, p. 49).
1d6 days. 15 Broken equipment. Perhaps the mer-
4 Lost. One of the PCs must check Sens- chant was a liar, the craftsman a fool
es: on a hit they are finally able to re- or it is simply wilderness taking its toll
cover their path—increase travel time on the artifacts of men. All PCs must
by 1d8 days; on a miss they end up in check Craft: on a miss, one of their
another zone or location than they were carried items breaks.
heading for—roll twice for chance 16 Exhausted. The road takes a tremen-
events, once for this zone and one for dous toll. All PCs get one point of ex-
the new they stumbled into. haustion per day’s travel. These points
5 Circling vultures, stray dogs or similar of exhaustion counts as equipment for
makes travel unpleasant and makes encumbrance purposes, and recovers
stealth and surprise impossible. at a rate of 1 per day in a city, inn or
6 A menacing pack of 3d4 jackals: similar.
pwr 1, save 5, end 4. Bite (dmg 1d6). 17 Major mishap. A mud slide, flood or
7 2d4 wild beasts. Hyenas, baboons, rep- wildfire, depending on terrain. All PCs
tiles or similar, depending on terrain: must check Vigor: on a miss they are
pwr 2, save 7, end 10. Bite (dmg 1d8). caught and must enter next encounter
8 2d4 large beasts. Lions, gorillas, hip- or adventure bloodied (half endurance).
popotami or similar, depending on 18 Sun-sickness. All adventurers must
terrain: pwr 3, save 9, end 16. Natural check Might: on a miss they are beset
weapons (dmg 1d10). by nausea and vertigo and must roll
9 An marching enemy host forces the twice and choose the worst outcome
PCs to flee, hide or risk being caught for all checks and saving throws until
or worse. 4d10 soldiers: pwr 2, save 8, they have spent a full day indoors or
end 14. Armor 5, spears (dmg 1d8). underground.
10 2d6 bandits: pwr 2, save 8, end 12. 19 Roll again and combine the result with
Armor 3, clubs or maces (dmg 1d8). a chance encounter.
11 2d6 hired fighters: pwr 3, save 9, end 20 Roll twice and combine.
14. Armor 5, spears (dmg 1d8).
Someone thinks the adventurers owe a
debt and hired fighters to collect it—
decide who it is and what they want.
6 WONDERS OF THE WILD

The Great Barrens of Karkal

The land surrounding Sippar is arid, consist-
5 A mourning woman, her hair pale
from sorrow and her name lost to
grief, seeking her daughter Vana. The
ing of sand and stone interrupted by occasion-
daughter was taken by a band of slavers and the
al boulders of limestone or basalt. Vegetation
woman carries 400s in silver to buy her back.
is sparse, mostly thistles and thorny bushes of
stunted growth, but here and there small copses Mourning woman: pwr 2 (+Vigor –Craft),
of date palms and twisted citruses offer their save 5, end 18. Unarmed (dmg 1d4; no crit).
shade and meagre produce. The proximity to
Sippar makes it relatively civilized, but reavers
often brave the area to pray on the caravans car-
rying wealth to and from the merchant city.
6 A rabble of paupers start following
the PCs. They cry for alms and curse the
adventurers, clinging to their clothes and slur-
ring unintelligibly. If the PCs drive them off
Flat: Travel speed is three hexagons per day.
they will try to retaliate by stealing rations and
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS (2D8) luring out a giant lizard to eat the adventurers.

2 The warm wind brings the laughing

voices of a group of women, bathing
in an azure pond of remarkable depth. The
Paupers: pwr 1, save 3, end 5. Crude tools
(dmg 1d6; no crit).
group is led by Amala, a young woman of dusky Giant Lizard: pwr 4, save 12 end 36.
complexion. They hail from a cavernous set- Armor 8. Saw-like tooths (dmg 1d10).

7
tlement of hog-farmers an hour’s travel away,
The site of a recent battle. 2d10 measly
and Amala will allow the adventurers to follow
amorites led by Ezial are scavenging the
them there to eat and rest if treated with cour-
battleground. If the PCs spend a day searching
tesy.
as well, they will find a bone crown but the
Bathing women: pwr 2, save 7, end 10. Crude amorites will become hostile if they notice; de-
tools (dmg 1d6; no crit). manding that it is given over to them.
Amala: pwr 2 (+Guile –Senses), save 10, end Amorites: pwr 2, save 8, end 8. Bronze javelins
6. Small axe (dmg 1d6). (dmg 1d6; thrown: reach 1).

3 A long line of prisoners of war are be-

ing escorted to Sippar by a troop of
well-armed soldiers. One of the prisoners is
Ezial: pwr 3 (+Vigor –Craft), save 9, end 18.
Armed with a slender bronze axe (dmg 1d6+1).
Bone crown: Treasure: 1800s. Restores to life
an Akkadian prince, promising a bountiful re-
a recently dead on whose head it is placed. If
ward if he were to be freed and brought to his
the crown is removed, the head detatches from
kinfolks in Ashur.
the body and she immediately returns to death.

8
Prisoners: pwr 2, save 6, end 6. Naked and un-
A group of 8 ragged men have sought
armed: dmg 1d4; no crit.
shelter amongst some large boulders.
Soldiers: pwr 2, save 7, end 16. Bronze armor They are escaped slaves from Sippar, and will lie
and shields (armor 6; def 2). Spears (dmg 1d8). as best they can to avoid being caught. They will
prefer to assassinate the PCs in their sleep over
Prince Uddut: pwr 2, save 8 (–Might) end 8.
going back into slavery, but are helpful if treated
Naked and unarmed: dmg d4; no crit.
well. Should the slaves be brought back, they

4 In an abandoned quarry, lies an in-

complete statue of a winged beast. At
daybreak it shivers as if trying to break free.
are worth 150 shekels each as treasure.
Ragged men: pwr 2, save 6, end 7. Armed with
cudgels (dmg 1d6; bludgeon 1d6).
 THE GREAT BARRENS OF KARKAL 7

9 A caravan carrying purple clams to

Eshnunna for a wealthy merchant
named Zusul-Sabar. The caravan consists of
13 Khemal the Fair, a beautiful
young prince, carried on a pa-
lanquin by two massive slaves. A third
2d4 carts, 6d8 slaves and 2d12 armed guards. and shorter slave by the name of Gobo scur-
The cargo of each cart is treasure worth 700s ries alongside, babbling reassuringly about the
in Eshnunna, but only 240 outside of that area. prince’s qualities and the fine outlooks of his
future. They are headed for a city of tents to at-
Caravan Guards: pwr 2 (+Might –Guile),
tend a great festivity (see 14).
save 7, end 14. Armor 6. Spears (dmg 1d8).
Massive slaves: pwr 3 (+Might), save 10, end
Zusul-Sabar: pwr 2 (+Senses –Lore), save 6,
32. Sickle-swords (dmg 1d6; versatile 1d8).
end 8. Armor 5. Bronze khopesh (dmg 1d6+1).

10
Gobo: pwr 2 (+Lore –Might), save 6, end 16.
The adventurers are hailed by a
Bronze dagger (dmg 1d6).
dozen toll-collectors, expecting
a tenth in tax for all goods they are car- Khemal the Fair: pwr 2 (+Guile –Vigor),
rying. The toll collectors are led by Farrak, a save 8, end 12. Armor 7. Mace (dmg 1d8).

14
corrupt notary secretly keeping half of the col-
In the middle of the desert, a city
lected wealth from his masters in Sippar.
of tents has sprung up. Here, a
Toll collectors: pwr 2 (+Guile –Vigor), save drunken revelry is held to the deafening sounds
6, end 12. Armor 6. Bronze spears (dmg 1d8). of countless cicadas. The ecstatic festivities
culminates in an ancient ritual—led by Tuol
Farrak: pwr 2, save 7 (+Senses –Guile) end 6.
Aham, a copper skinned priest from Borsip-
Armor 7. Bronze mace: dmg 1d8.
pa—where two teenage boys are sacrificed to

11 A group of bandits has surround-

ed a surprisingly well-defended
caravan. The caravan has has dug in on a stony
summon the vile cockroach demon Bahaga.
Bahaga, the cockroach demon: pwr 4/3
(+Lore –Senses), save 14, end 45. Carapace (
hill, hesitant to attack but unwilling to give
armor 9). Spiked legs (dmg 1d12). Paralyzing
up. The caravan is bound for Mari and carries
shriek. All hearing must check Might or lose
precious goods for a noble family there. If the
their next action.
adventurers are spotted, both sides will try to
sway them to side with their cause. Tuol Aham: pwr 3 (+Guile –Vigor), save 9,
end 18. Armor 4. Iron blade (dmg 1d8; iron).
Bandits (10): pwr 2, save 8 , end 18. Salvaged
armor 4. Axes (dmg 1d6). Revelers: pwr 2, save 6, end 10. Miscellaneous
weaponry (dmg 1d6).
Caravan guards (12): pwr 2, save 7, end 14.
Bronze armor: 5. Spears: dmg 1d8.
15 Among limestone pinnacles claw-

12
ing the skies like fingers of a dying
An oasis, where the male sage
man, a fiery red Lamasu hunts.
Dinah has set up camp. Dinah is
searching for the carcass of a great crawler god Haragal the Lamasu: pwr 4/4, save 14
that collapsed onto the earth at the end of the (+Vigor –Craft) end 60. Thick fur: armor 5;
second era according to myth. Attacks with old man’s teeth: dmg 1d6+2;
piercing or lion claws: dmg 1d10 (roll twice,
Dinah: pwr 2 (+2 Lore), save 8, end 18. Sim-
choose highest). Outruns a horse and can fly.
ple robe and wooden staff (dmg 1d4). Knows
1d4 lotus spells and carries an equal amount of
lotus powder. 16 The Reavers’ Fort, or roll twice and
combine.
8 WONDERS OF THE WILD

The Tall Grass Steppe

A vast stretch of sun-burnt grass, bending and
4 A band of slavers, rolling their wag-
ons towards Borsippa to sell their
human cargo to the reed-folk merchants
rising under the hissing desert wind like the
there. In one of the wagons, trapped behind
swell of a sea. Only seldom is the monotonous
bars of sturdy wood and bound by sinew-rope
line of the horizon broken by desiccated bushes
sits a young woman. She will plead the adven-
or low trees outlining wide wadis, or by sudden
turers to free her from her misery, and reunite
stones placed here by the giants of old. Without
her with her elderly mother.
such landmarks, travel would seem hopeless
and Slavers (2d6+3): pwr 2, save 6, end 9. Pro-
tected by bricolage armor and narrow shields
flat: Travelspeed is two hexagons per day;
(armor 4; def 2), fighting with tall stone-ham-
three by chariot or mount.
mers (dmg 1d8; first strike: may attack first at
the beginning of combat, regardless of initia-
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS (2D6)

2
tive; wt 5).
Innumerable termite mounds are
scattered over the area, like tomb-
stones of a subhuman civilization. Anyone
threading the ground will be swarmed and
5 Four wounded travelers, toiling to
repair their broken cart and captur-
ing stray donkeys noticeable unwilling to
slowly eaten by the termites (+1d4 damage, heed their masters. Surrounding the cart are
ongoing; shields and armor effectless). Sever- signs of ambush and strife, together with half-
al wanderers have met their death here, and a-dozen corpses. The living men are in fact the
their bleached remains lay scattered between ambushers, now masquerading as the merchants
the mounds. One of the corpses is carrying the they killed. They are anxious to leave the scene,
horn of the locusts. Every round an adventurer and will offer food and drinks in exchange for
spends searching the bodies, her player rolls a help with mending their cart. If presented with
ten-sided die. She finds as many shekels as the an opportune moment, the travelers will drug
die indicates; on a 9 she successfully finds the the adventurers with a potent sleeping drug,
horn. steal their valuables and abandon them.
The horn of locusts: When blowing the horn Sleeping potion: Drinker must check Might:
of the locusts, test Lore. For each 5+, 1d100 on a miss she falls unconscious for 1d12 hours;
locusts burst forth from the horn to swarm and on a hit, she stays awake but suffers a negative
propagate (860 shekels). reroll to all actions for the same amount of

3
time. Any strong shock or damage suffered
A withered statue of a majestic wom-
allows the drinker a new Might check. Rogues
an glances west; probably a queen of
may roll checks twice and choose best.
old, signaling her claim of the land. The
statue’s thick features and braided hair are col-
Reavers, disguised as travelers (4): pwr 2,
ored jet by ancient paint. Its left arm is missing
save 8, end 8. Clad in blood-stained mer-
without trace, but her right hand forms a circle
chants’ clothes, and fighting with curved
with thumb and index finger like a magnifying
knives (dmg 1d6) and short bows (dmg 1d6;
glass missing a lens. In its shadow, six speckled
reach 1; 4 arrows).
lions are dozing.
Speckled lions (6): pwr 2 (+Vigor), save 5,
end 14. Teeth and claws (dmg 1d6+1).
 THE TALL GRASS STEPPE 9

6 A new irrigation canal. The canal is

currently under construction by eleven
slaves under the supervision of two engineers
9 A burned down hamlet. A single survi-
vor curses and cries for vengeance. If the
adventurers bring him the heads of the four sol-
and their leader Olumad Hana. A twelfth slave diers (7) who killed his family and plundered
is tied to a pole, bleeding from lash-marks and their home, he will repay them by revealing a
terribly swollen from innumerable stings and secret door in the Ziggurat of the Apes (10),
bites. He attempted escape and was nearly eat- leading straight to the jewel hidden at its center.
en alive by terrible ants when he sought to hide
Old man Tarban: pwr 1, save 7, end 5. Clad in
among the pylons they construe (see 2).
dirty clothes, smeared in blood and soot.

10
Workers (11): pwr 2, save 5, end 8. Shovels
An ancient ziggurat. The ziggurat
and pickaxes (dmg 1d6; no crit)
houses a host of very territorial apes
Engineer (2): pwr 2 (+Craft), save 6, end 12. and their queen who worships a giant aquama-
Equipped with sextants, measurement sticks rine (2000 s; withers in sunlight: -100 shekel’s
and long daggers (dmg 1d6[). worth per day outside the ziggurat).
Olumad Hana: pwr 3 (+Senses +Guile), save Apes (12): pwr 3, save 4, end 30. Fighting with
9, end 12. Clad in a many-layered tunic and their fists (dmg 1d10; bludgeon 1d6) or hurling
wide trousers, armed with a mace of office blocks of baked clay from their ziggurat (dmg
(dmg 1d8; wt 2). 1d8; thrown; always as called shots).

7 A sumerian war band, a hundred and

twenty strong, drawing north and
west, led by the ambitious deputy Lamar.
Xila: pwr 3, save 15, end 24. Clad in finest silk
and adorned with a headdress of gold and lapis
lazuli (425 s), wielding a tall bronze axe (dmg
They are seeking to conquer a golden statue 1d10; wt 4) and whispering enchantments be-
from an ancient monastery in the foothills of tween vermillion lips. 3 doses lotus powder.
Sardun and bring it before their ruler as a token Enthrall (lotus spell). Target must check
of power over the sun. Lore or suffer a negative reroll to all actions
disproved by the caster; on a hit it recoils. The
Sumerian warriors (120): pwr 2, save 7, end
effect lasts for 1d6 weeks, but can be broken
14. Clad in gleaming harnesses (armor 6) and
prematurely by performing an act of love or
armed with sky-blue wicker shields (defense 2)
compassion benefitting the caster.
and duck-billed axes (dmg 1d8).
Lamar: pwr 3, save 9, end 27. Wearing an
electrum harness (armor 3, def 5/10 against
11 An abandoned pit where precious
gems have been mined. The mining
stirred a wicked toad-dragon, hibernating un-
fire; worth 450 shekels) and fighting with a
derground in wait for the next flood.
two-handed shotel made from blackened bronze
(dmg 1d8; impact: roll twice and choose best; Dragon Toad: pwr 4, save 8, end 62. Bite
shield breaking; wt 6; 220 s). (dmg 2d6). Free action, once per turn: sticky

8
tongue (reach 2). Target must check Senses or
By a dried out creek, a large field of
be caught by the creature’s tongue, giving it
wilted yellow bromegrass sways to an
a free success for its bite attack the following
unfelt breeze. The dry grass is home to liz-
round. 56 precious gems can be retrieved from
ard-headed ostriches, hunting in 1d6 packs of
its stomach (worth 2d20 x gems retrieved).
2d4 individuals each.
Lizard-Birds (2d4): pwr 2, (+ Vigor) save 4,
end 14. Claws and toothed beak (dmg 1d8).
12 Roll twice and combine.
10 WONDERS OF THE WILD

The Rocky Desert

A desert of stone pillars, black boulders, gravel
4 Near the yawning mouth of a nar-
row cave, a young woman is bound
as a sacrifice to a hideous god. With every
and rocks. Beast-men and savage tribes rule the
loud noise, there is a 1-in-6 chance that the ma-
land, and the lack of water and food makes trav-
ny-limbed demon will crawl forth from its nest.
el dangerous and hard.
Many-limbed demon: pwr 4/2/2 (+Vigor),
Rugged terrain: Travel speed is two hexagons
save 10, end 60. Triple attacks: claws, feelers,
per day.
stinger (dmg 2d6).
Barren: Foraging takes a full day.
Vana, the bound woman: pwr 2 (+Vigor),
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS (2D6) save 9, end 14. Fighting with whatever she can

2 A gale, screaming like a thousand find (dmg 1d6; no crit).

5
madmen, torments this land of crook-
A small village ruled by Nagar the
ed basalt boulders. A keen ear can pick up the
Bent; its inhabitants sick with a fatal
howling of 13 jackal-headed men prowling the
disease seeping up from the ground. To al-
land, nigh inseparable from the wind.
leviate their suffering, the villagers buy slaves
Jackal men (13): pwr 2 (+Might), save 7, from passing slavers (see 6) to sacrifice to their
end 10. Wearing threadbare clothes and wield- malicious god (see 4). Given the chance, the vil-
ing toothed obsidian blades (dmg 1d8; bleed- lagers will sacrifice the PCs as well.
ing +2; wt 4).
Once every day spent here, each adventurer

3 The hollow, semi-petrified carcass

of an enormous lizard-like creature.
Two bandits, Ben-Mennaka and Mena, have set
must check Might. On a miss, she suffers one
point of damage that cannot be healed in the
Rocky Desert.
up a camp in its mouth. There is a 2-in-6 chance
Nagar the Bent: pwr 3 save 9 (+Lore –Guile)
that they are home—sleeping, cooking food
end 14. Copper harness (armor 3), jawbone axe
or tending their equipment—otherwise they
(dmg 1d10)
are nearby. Buried in the sand is a hoard of 232
shekels in silver. Villagers (25): pwr 2 save 6 (+ Craft –Lore)
end 6. Stolen weapons (dmg 1d6)
Ben-Mennaka: pwr 4 (+Guile – Lore), save
13, end 20. Wearing an armor of lizard’s scales
(armor 7; 10% retrievable after defeat) and
equipped with a narrow shield (def 2) and a
6 A band of 21 amorite slavers, herd-
ing a group of slaves towards Mari.
If asked, they inform the adventurers that Vana
meteorite khopesh (1d8; iron; wt 2). have been sold to the inhabitants of a nearby vil-
lage (see 5).
Mena: pwr 4 (+Craft – Guile), save 15, end
20. Wearing thick leather armor (armor 2) and Amorite slavers (21): pwr 3, save 8, end 14.
fighting with a bronze cudgel (1d8; bludgeon Moving with great grace (def 3) and fighting
1d12; wt 4). with cruel blades of black stone (dmg 1d8; wt.
4) or hurling thin harpoons (dmg 1d6; pierc-
ing +2; thrown. Pinning: on a critical hit the
harpoon sticks. The target suffers a negative
reroll on all physical actions. In addition, the
caster can forfeit her turn to instead let the tar-
get choose: suffer 1d6 damage or be reeled in.
Breaks on a 1-in-six).
 THE ROCKY DESERT 11

7 Ruined citadel remains. When the sun

hangs low, the degenerate citizens of a
nearby settlement come here led by Chugal the
10 A caravan under the supervision
of Rabik Sima, carrying palm-wine
from Mari to the merchant Zusul-Sabar in
Deviser. The people toil with mad and clum- Sippar. Unknown to the caravaneers, the wine
sy sorrow, trying to restore the building to its has been poisoned by agents of Yor Khalbim in
original grandeur despite lacking the knowl- an attempt to assassinate the merchant. Mark
edge and motoric skills needed to do so. They the date of their arrival in your calendar.
are very fond of bright colors and fineries.
Rabik Sima: pwr 3, save 9, end 14. Dressed in
If aided, they will cry affectionate tears, but if white and armed with a long spear (dmg 1d8).
anything is stolen from the citadel they will en-
His caravan drivers (18): pwr 2, save 5, end
ter a murderous rage.
12. Slingshots (dmg 1d4; missile: reach 1) and
Citizens (15): pwr 1, save 4, end 12. Stone axes (dmg 1d6).

11
tools (dmg 1d6; no crit).
Two naked men—impaled on
Chugal the Deviser: pwr 2, save 4, end 30. sharpened sticks but still alive—
Tall spear (dmg 1d8). are drawing the attention of four large liz-

8
ards who impatiently await their demise. A
A small settlement of mud-brick huts,
band of tribesmen, led by their warrior queen
near a bountiful orchard. A group of
Zuraza, are cheering the lizards from a nearby
children are playing by a pomegranate tree,
boulder.
throwing rocks at the ripe fruits to make them
fall.The village elder, Bar Handa, offers a golden Tribesmen (14): pwr 2 (+Might), save 5, end
bracelet (armor 4; durable: on a missed armor 16. Fighting with stone clubs (dmg 1d6; blud-
roll, armor rating is halved instead of breaking. geon 1d6; wt 2)
Only when armor drops below 1 does it break;
Zuraza: pwr 4, save 9, end 30. Wielding a
worth 700 s) for the return of her son Doud,
heavy bronze axe (1d12; expert fighter: roll
who was kidnapped by desert nomads and
twice and choose highest; 2-handed; wt 5)
brought to their city of tents (see Karkal 14).

9
Lizards (4): pwr 2, save 5 (immune to sorcer-
Among boulders of dark-veined
ous effects) end 20. Metallic scales (defense 5),
granite, a tall statue of a portly wom-
bite (dmg 1d10)
an glances north. The noble appearance and
the scale of the statue tells of royal lineage. Her
arms are held so that her wrists meet, with her
palms facing the sky. Among the boulders, a
12 A howling demon, rushing across
the desert with the speed of the
wind. It will follow the adventurers like a con-
pack of wild dogs is resting. stant wail of woe and a small tornado of ill luck:
blowing sand into their eyes and their food,
Wild dogs (20): pwr 1 (Vigor 3), save 4, end
alerting others of their presence and extin-
7. Teeth (dmg 1d6). Bearer of disease. When a
guishing flames. On stormy days, there’s a one
character is bit by a wild dog, there is a 1-in-20
in six chance that the demon leaves the adven-
chance that the unclean bite also transfers dis-
turers for good and a two in six chance that it
ease. Afflicted characters will catch a high fever
grows in power.
and begin salivating constantly. Their maximum
endurance is lowered by one per day until dead
or properly treated. A successful Might save
halves the pace. Pack tactics. All dogs will tar-
get the same PC until attacked by someone else.
12 WONDERS OF THE WILD

The Wailing Hills of Gána-Ga

These hills are generally safe to travel, busy
5 A brisk and life-giving rain falls
during the evening, making toad
large as a man’s head come out of the
with trade and teeming with life, for Nippur—
ground. During night, the drone of their calls
the Sumerian religious center and home to En-
sounds like distant drums and humming pipes.
lil, the god of fertility and growth—lies here.
Criss-crossed by roads: As long as the adven-
turers keep to the roads, no Vigor test is needed
6 In a sparse forest of cypresses echo-
ing with the sad cries of peacocks, a
woman sits kneeling by the side of a pit
to cross the zone.
trap shouting at a fellow wanderer caught
Mountainous: Travel speed is one hexagon per in it. The man in the trap is badly wounded, but
day, two with a guide. still reluctant to climb out as he is actually the
woman’s prisoner.
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS: 2D8

2 A fair-eyed traveler named Tarrash

pursues the party, eager to travel with
them as a guide. At the most opportune mo-
Hudura, the captor: pwr 4 (+Guile – Lore),
save 13, end 20. Wearing hardened leather (ar-
mor 5) and equipped with a meteorite khopesh
ment, he will try to murder one of the adven- (1d8; iron; wt 2) and a flatbow (dmg 1d8; mis-
turers in a way that makes her death seem like sile: reach 1; 6 arrows).
an accident, in hope of taking her place.
Ewan, the prisoner: pwr 3, save 9, end 6/18.
Tarrash: pwr 4 (+Guile), save 12, end 20. Improvised weapon (dmg 1d6; no crit).

7
Armed with a poisoned knife (dmg 1d6). Poi-
The hills level off in a large plateau,
son (1d6 doses): +1d6 dmg ongoing, recovers
where a field of purple crocus grow.
on a 5+; Might saves for half.
The women of a nearby settlement work the

3 A persistent thunderstorm creates

flash floods of muddy water, cascad-
ing down the hillsides and nearly drown-
fields, while their men idly process the harvest
and trade dye and resin with each other.
The people of the crocus (2d10+10): pwr 2,
ing the PCs. Each player must check Vigor:
save 5, end 8. Hoes and pickaxes (1d6; no crit).
on a miss her character is swept away and has
a 3-in-6 risk of losing a piece of equipment in
the mud. Once the rain subsides, traversing the
area takes twice as long.
8 Two meeting caravans of donkey carts
block the road completely as their
drivers shout insults and argue resentfully

4
over who is to give way in a tricky pass. The
A band of eight sick pilgrims, seeking
PCs must either slow their pace to match (add-
aid and protection. The pilgrims will
ing 1d6 days to their journey) or leave the road.
cling desperately to the adventurers, pleading
for help and catching up with them late at night Mahram: pwr 4, save 10, end 18. Dressed in
if left behind during the day. For each day spent fine silk and wielding an axe with long handle
in their company, each adventurer has a 1-in-6 (dmg 1d8, versatile 1d10; wt 4). Leader of the
chance of becoming infected (1d4 dmg per day, home-bound caravan and refusing to give way.
recovery is halved, heals on a 7+).
Milam: pwr 4, save 10, end 18. Better dressed
If escorted to the Shrine of Ablution in Borsip- than his rival, with a taller axe of expert crafts-
pa, the pilgrims will offer one medicinal root manship (dmg 1d8, versatile 1d12; wt 5). Mah-
each, doubling all recovery dice when ingested. ram's brother and bitter rival in trade and love
Sickly pilgrims (8): pwr 2, save 9, end 4. caravan drivers (4d6 each): pwr 2, save 5,
Humble clothes. Unarmed (dmg 1d4; no crit). end 14. Short spears and knives (dmg 1d6).
 THE WAILING HILLS OF GÁNA-GA 13

9 A retinue of ageing bureaucrats re-

turning from Borsippa. The group has
set up camp by the head of a broken bridge,
12 A young woman of noble birth.
The woman is fleeing from her older
sisters—two criminals convicted of poisoning
roasting tarantulas over a sagewood fire and their mother, now seeking to end her life as
drinking away their time with sparkling wine. well (see 13). She carries a small pouch of heir-
Without the skills to navigate the mountain or looms, worth 310 shekels, and is willing to part
strength to climb across—but insistent on not with half in return for safe passage to Borsippa
returning back—the retinue is stuck. If the PCs where she intends to get on a boat and start a
help them reach Nippur, they offer hospitality new life somewhere else.
and leeway with taxation as reward.
Illiara: pwr 3 (+Craft), save 5, end 14. Long
Bureaucrats: pwr 2 (+Lore), save 7, end knife (dmg 1d6). Can concoct several potions.

13
12. Clad in exquisite—albeit old—robes and
Two female warriors of noble
armed with ceremonial weaponry (dmg 1d4;
birth. The pair pursue their young-
unbalanced: while often ineffective, the weap-
er sister, who poisoned their mother and laid
on’s design occasionally makes it surprisingly
blame on them (see 12). Now shunned by
deadly—for critical damage, roll 1d12).
their kin in Nippur, the warriors live only for
Guliam the long-bearded, their leader: revenge. One of them is carrying a dark brass
pwr 3, save 12, end 10. Keeping his long beard horn (worth 450 s). If sounded, all who hear
rolled with silk ribbons and his equally long hair it must forfeit their actions to instead writher
in a blue turban rising like a minaret from his in terror until the noise subsides (Might saves).
head. Armed with a heavy mace (dmg 1d10).
Galia and Hasara: pwr 3 (+Might), save 6,

10 The rough lands give way to a shal-

low vale, full of blooming camel
end 18. Clad in bronze harnesses (armor 5) and
wielding tall spears (dmg 1d8).

14
thorns. Here, a small caravan bound for Kish
A procession from Kish—carry-
has set up camp. Deserted by the soldiers who
ing stone idols and gleaming em-
were paid to escort them, their leader is willing
blems—passes by in the distance.
to pay the PCs 30 s each to take on this role.
Ishaban, the merchant: pwr 2, save 9, end
10. Dressed in turqoise and armed with an oval
15 A group of bandits lying in am-
bush as the evening mist rolls in.
shield (def 3) and a narrow blade (dmg 1d8). Bandits (2d6): pwr 2, save 8, end 8. Fighting
with curved knives (dmg 1d6) and horn-bows
His caravan drivers (8): pwr 2, save 5, end
(dmg 1d8; reach 3; 4 arrows).
14. Short spears and axes (dmg 1d6).

11 A company of excisemen. The group

is interrogating a group of soldiers by a
16 Remnants of a royal road from a
past eon. By its eastern side, the un-
hinged doors of eighty-eight ransacked mauso-
circle of pillars. In the center of the circle of
leums stare like empty eye sockets. Four spec-
pillars stand a tall statue of a man, his shadow
ters live in the shadows, sucking life from those
moving over the them like a sun-clock's dial.
who step out of the sunlight.
Excisemen (10): pwr 2, save 6, end 12. Bronze
Specters (4): pwr 3, save 10, end 6. Soul drain
spears (dmg 1d8).
(special: for each success, target permanently
Badar, their leader: pwr 3, save 9, end 10. loses 1 point of a randomly determined ability
Shield (def 4) and a bronze mace (dmg 1d6). score). Cannot be harmed by normal weapons,
suffers 1d10 dmg per round in sunlight.
Soldiers (2d4): stats as the excisemen.
14 WONDERS OF THE WILD

The Forest of Thorns

The land here is covered in brown thistles,
5 Beneath the gnarled roots of a large
fig tree lives a squat gray-skinned
tribe ruled by Umarat, the Artisan. During
small trees and dense bushes with long thorns.
daytime they dwell in their lair, crafting delicate
Travel is slow or painful: 1 hexagon per day items from stained glass and a bluish metal for
or 2 hexagons without extended rests. trade with passers-by. Every new moon, they
adorn their tree with gleaming objects, light
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS (2D8)

2
fires and sing soft hymns in a dead tongue.
A band of kuthi raiders led by Oxol
Othak are torturing a prisoner. If res- Umarat, the Artisan: pwr 3, save 6, end 16.
cued she offers to work as guide for the adven- Wearing fine silken clothes and fighting with a
turers for three months, making them arrive meteorite axe (dmg 1d8; iron).
without misfortunes wherever they choose to
People of the Underfig (21): pwr 2, save 5,
go during that period.
end 12. Misc. tools (dmg 1d6; no crit).

6
Raiders (2d4+3): pwr 2 (+Senses -Guile),
A pit trap with a wounded wanderer.
save 6, end 12. Obsidian clubs (dmg 1d8).
Around it, a large pack of wild dogs drawn
Oxol Othak: pwr 3 (+Lore -Senses), save 9, by the smell of blood are waiting. If the PCs ap-
end 16. Heavy bronze axe (dmg 1d10). proach, the dogs will try to steal away anything
that can be eaten before returning to their cubs.
Surin, their prisoner: pwr 3 (+Lore), save
7, end 12. Clad in sturdy clothes and unarmed Wild dogs (4d6): pwr 1, save 4, end 6. Bite
(dmg 1d4; no crit) but with her bow (dmg 1d8; (dmg 1d6).
missile: reach 2) and axe (dmg 1d10) nearby.
Djibri, the wounded wanderer: pwr 3, save 9,

3 A yew tree, the height of fifteen men

and a circumference of twelve paces.
end 4/20. Short spear (dmg 1d6). Four rations,
six fathoms rope, 1d20 shekels.

7
From its branches, the gruesome corpses of
A sage searching for red viper eggs.
ten dead humans are hanged. The corpses are
The Sage hides by a rock among the thorny
smeared with feces and mutilated: hands cut
bushed as a war band passes in the distance.
off and stuffed into their gaping mouths, sharp
sticks driven through the eyes and scalps cut off Hum-Kulakum: pwr 3 (+2 Lore), save 10, end
and tied back as beards. One or more of the 22. Simple robe and bronze spear (dmg 1d8).
corpses can be successfully identified by the 1d6 viper eggs, hatching in 1d10 days. Knows
PCs. Roll 1d6: on a 1 it is someone they hate, 1 spell and carries 1d8 doses of lotus powder.
on a 2-5 it is someone they have met but don’t
Warriors (2d6 x 10): pwr 2, save 7, end 14.
necessarily know, on a 6 it is someone they
Wearing gleaming bronze harnesses (armor 6),
knew or cared about.
red shields (def 3) and axes (dmg 1d8).

4 A large ruined temple. The temple is

ransacked and its idols smashed. During
night, wraiths of the slain come here to lament
8 A wrinkled wanderer, old but of re-
markable physical strength, heading
for Nippur. She offers to guide the PCs there
their deaths and steal life from the living. Any-
as she has traveled this path many times before.
one spending the night within sight of the tem-
ple recovers no endurance during the night, and Amiria, the wanderer: pwr 3 (+Might), save
instead suffer 1d6 damage. 14, end 24.Wearing a leather harness (armor 3)
and equipped with a spear (1d8) and a flatbow
(dmg 1d8; missile: reach 1; 6 arrows).
 THE FOREST OF THORNS 15

9 Six stout jackal men escort 17 odalis-

ques stolen from a noble in Nippur. 14 A group a wanderers. They tell a
cautionary tale of a traveler of fair mien
(see Wailing hills 2) who caused them many
Jackal men (6): pwr 4, save 10, end 22. Obsid-
accidents that eventually killed three of them.
ian battleclubs (dmg 1d8; bludgeon 1d8; wt 8).
They chased him off, but have since come to
Odalisques (17): pwr 2, save 8, end 7.Wearing believe that he was working magic upon them.
embroidered gowns, unarmed (d4; no crit). If the adventurers kill the man, they will be re-

10
warded with ownership of the fallen comrades’
An ambush. Among profuse carob
houses in the canal gardens to the south-east.
trees, the adventurers are ambushed
by eight mercenaries led by Karagin the mauler. Wanderers (5): pwr 2, save 5, end 12. Clad
They accuse the adventurers of having stolen a in sturdy clothes, and fighting with adzes (dmg
scroll of demonic lore from their captain. 1d6) and javelins (dmg 1d6; thrown).
Mercenaries (8): pwr 3, save 6, end 16. Wear- Malmaran, their leader: pwr 3, save 6, end
ing battle-torn leather war-gear (armor 2) and 12.Yellow clothes and a large turban, adze (dmg
armed with duck-billed axes (dmg 1d8; wt 2). 1d6) and a small bow (dmg 1d6; missile: reach
1). A small ring with a bull-headed bird (80 s).
Karagin, their leader: pwr 4, save 8, end 16.
Horned helmet (armor 3), poisoned blade (dmg
1d6; 1d4 dmg for 1d8 rounds, Vigor halves). 15 The thorny bushes here are home
to hundreds of birds. Any loud nois-

11
es will startle the birds and send them circling
A small village of swine herders
and crying to the skies, drawing the attention
and twig-collectors. The villagers
of a violent group of apes living nearby. Among
live in fear of a beast-man (see 12) that has killed
the bushes lies the corpse of a man, decom-
some of their kin and many of their swine.
posed beyond recognition. A golden ear-ring

12 The lair of a beast-master of some

renown. Living more like the crea-
tures he controls than a man, he uses his powers
with an ox-headed bird (50 s) lies in the dust.
Apes (2d6+3): pwr 3, save 4, end 30. Fighting
with their bare fists (dmg 1d10; bludgeon 1d6)
to raid nearby settlements.
or fangs (dmg 1d6; piercing +2).

16
Raballah, the beast-master: pwr 5, save 15,
By a wadi full of desiccated bush-
end 22.Wearing layer upon layer of animal pelts
es with foot-long thorns, a giant
(armor 8) and fighting with an enchanted knife
serpent has its lair. The serpent has two heads
of pure gold (dmg 1d6; piercing +3; can dam-
and two of every internal organ. Any attack
age ghosts; worth 400 s). Can control six beasts.
dealing more than 10 damage has a 50% chance
Bears (1d6): pwr 4, save 9, end 25. Dmg 1d8. of separating the halves, making the creature

13
twice as dangerous.
A group of bandits have set up
camp here. Bandits (2d6): pwr 2, Giant serpent, two headed: pwr 5/5, save
save 8, end 10. Javelins (dmg 1d6; thrown). 10, end 40. Thick scales (def 5), venomous
bite (dmg 1d8; 1d6 dmg for 1d6 rounds; Might
Dehud, their leader: pwr 3, save 6, end 18.
halves). Hypnotic glare: each round as a free
His rotund body is covered by a cape of red silk,
action, the left head can hypnotize a character
and he fights with a spectacularly long pike that
into submission (Lore saves). If split in two,
allows him to strike first but only every other
each half gains the same stats as above—minus
round (dmg 1d20; piercing +4; reach 1; first
any damage already suffered. However, only the
strike; unwieldy; wt 10) or a small brass knife
left head is capable of this hypnotism.
when opponents come too close (dmg 1d6).
16 WONDERS OF THE WILD

Canal Gardens
Verdant fields, separated by straight ditches
3 The construction of a new irrigation
canal has temporarily come to a halt,
as a large group of farmers have gathered
where egrets and flamingoes patrol or deeper
to protest it. The farmers claim that the new
canals where narrow canoes scurry with pro-
canal unlawfully taps water from theirs. A canal
duce or construction material between wad-
inspector has been summoned from Borsippa to
ing buffaloes and flowering water lilies. Ev-
adjudicate the dispute, but the farmers accuse
erywhere are small farmsteads and abundant
him of bias through intermarriage and have sent
orchards, where copper-skinned men collect
for the well-respected engineer Olumad Hana
harvest or drive oxen to till their fields while
(see Steppe 6) to overrule his decision.
the women dig new ditches or supervise the
division of water with their infants sleeping on Ni Rhazal, the corrupt canal-inspector:
their backs in cocoons of flax. pwr 4, save 9, end 16. Clad in a many-layered
robe over orange trousers, armed with a mace
Travel speed is 2 squares by foot or boat.
of office (dmg 1d8; wt 2). 30 shekels in silver.
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS (1D6)

1
Canal diggers (20): pwr 2, save 4, end 7.Tools
A group of houses, irrigated by several
(dmg 1d6; no crit).
ditches and canals shooting through
the lush gardens like capillaries of a leaf. Disgruntled farmers (12): pwr 2, save 4,
The settlement is headed by Pakhara, a recent end 10. Tools (dmg 1d6; no crit) and slingshots
widow who carries out her responsibilities with (dmg 1d4; missile: reach), but 10% also have
dignity and diligence. Her husband died while spears (dmg  d8; thrown).

4
traveling with produce to Nippur, and she re-
At night, strange atmospheric phe-
sents Malmara (see Thorn forest 14) for not
nomena shed an eerie light over the
returning his corpse nor his belongings which
land. Crops are extraordinary rich. A band of
would lawfully be hers.
smugglers operate in the gloom, carrying their
Pakhara: pwr 3 (+Lore), save 10, end 12. small rafts between canals to avoid the deputies.
Cudgel (dmg 1d6).
Smugglers (2d8): pwr 2, save 7, end 16. Clad
Farmer: pwr 2, save 5, end 8. Tools (dmg 1d6; in dark clothes and coats of woven reed (armor
no crit). 2), and fighting with basic weapon (dmg 1d6).

2 In a small grove of sweet-fragranced

citrus trees buzzing with jewel-col-
ored insect two statuesque, androgynous
5 Five orchardmen, repairing a broken
fence while lazily minding their graz-
ing water buffaloes. They speak of a great
humans have set up a small camp. Their skin beast (see 6) that has killed some of their cattle
has a strange hue not found in this land and their and driven them away from their home.
accent has an ancient ring. If treated with cour-
Orchardmen (5): pwr 2, save 6, end 8. Spears
tesy, they will offer the PCs to share their camp.
(dmg 1d8).

6
Dhaba: pwr 4, save 14, end 24. Dressed
The burrow of a huge crocodile that
in robes, the color of almond flowers, and
wreaks havoc among the unprepared
equipped with a tall axe of curious design (dmg
farmers. Crocodile: pwr 3, save 6, end 40.
1d12; guard breaking; wt 4; 75 s).
Armor 6, bite (dmg 1d10). Once the crocodile
Dhima: pwr 4, save 12, end 28. Wearing robes, gets hold, it will pull its prey into the water to
the color of mango flowers, and equipped with drown it. To tear herself free from the jaws, a
a similar axe (as above). character suffers 1d10 dmg.