Goatman's Goblet: Generator

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Sunday, September 13, 2020

Spoils of the Gorgon Coast: The Cult of Chalices [Randomizers]

Continuing on from yesterday, probably the hardest thing to cut from Spoils of the Gorgon Coast were the randomizers for the Cult of Chalices; the horrible cult which exists to support the Inheritors in their quest for monstrous divinity. The Inheritors in the book ended up getting more focus, as the direct antagonists; but the Cult of Chalices are the intended bad guys to fight and contend with. In all honesty I should've freely published these earlier, I was sort of holding off on it because I put out an offer for anyone who reviewed the book online to receive free further content from me; but that never really took on. C'est la vie.

Having gotten to write a bit of the setting material for Best Left Buried: Deeper, the Cult of Chalices do appear in some mentions, as does the Gorgon Coast; but they are contained to broader Maignish territory ceded in the collapse of the Imperium. I actually enjoyed writing some non-Italian/Spain inspired items away from the monstrous attitudes of the Gorgon Coast; but it is my hope that some folk might run campaigns and use my work to tarnish, invade, and destroy that broader, more beautiful world.

Blasphemous is a good tone to think on this from.

Blasphemous is a good inspiration.

Anyway.

As the state religion of the Coast, the Cult of Chalices influence much of the culture present in these modern days. All but the most outlying hamlet has at least one shrine dedicated to their bloodletting rites, all of storied history and some importance to the greater schemes of the faith. From the vaunted cathedrals of the city-state to the petty road shrine in the southern mountains, the influence of the Chalice is ever present.

[d10] Why is this site sacred to the Cult of Chalices?

An ancient Chalice-Bearer was exsanguinated where this structure now stands.
An Inheritor, first of their line, was birthed in this spot.
A martyr of the Ordo Mourner-Stigmata died defending the Chalice faithful here.
This was the site of an ancient purge against dissidents and heretics.
A terrible monster was blooded here, bringing safety and prosperity to the land.
The Basilisk was driven back from this site nearly a hundred years ago.
A false Inheritor who denied the Chalice was tortured to death here.
A mighty Chalice-Bearer who rose to the rank of Archon was born here, their afterbirth still stains the ground.
The Ordo Parasitium purged the last of a strain of vile blood at this location.
A wayward pilgrim's chalice was blessed by miraculous blood here, not emptying til all had their fill.

[d10] What else is of importance at this site?

An ancient chalice is enshrined within, stained red with age and use.
Xiphos swords from a more primitive age are held here in reliquary.
A pacified monster, brutalized docile, serves here.
Many ancient scrolls are held at this site, such is their importance.
Hidden catacombs beneath the site hold blood of ancient servants.
An adjacent wine cellar holds blessed sanguine from the days of imperial splendor.
Enshrined within is a gilded scroll that Chalice-bearers make pilgrimage to read.
A ritual room is attached, for rites of passage and fouler acts.
The ceiling of the site is a detailed painting of the night sky, with astrological signs painted in red.
Brass grotesques of agonized bulls and hateful men line the outside of the site.

[d10] What is it they are doing?

...holding sallow candles of ox-fat and singing the chant.
...polishing knives of elegant silver and hornwood.
...engaged in silent prayer, whispering over empty stone chalices.
...looking upon the splendorous displays of the faith.
...engaged in hushed talks of politics and war.
...contemplating the vintage of a phial of blessed blood.
...speaking the ills of the world and who is to blame.
...spilling crimson blood into a grotesque ritual basin.
...donning the Regalia Gorgoneia in preparation for a ritual.
...singing the chant of blood and truth, loud and wild.

[d10] Who is the Chalice-Bearer of this locale?

A lesser sibling to the local Inheritor...
A castrated Inheritor searching for purpose...
A zealot who drinks too deeply of vile blood...
A retired exorcist who holds the chalice for fear of demons...
A boisterous chaplain of the Inheritor's army...
An atavistic anchorite, blooded of the Dog-Men...
An eel-throated chanter of the Dissident Choir...
A flame-scarred theologian who fears the eschaton to come...
An emaciated martyr, bedraggled by botflies...
The flayed child of an Inheritor, destined by prophecy for the Blackened Throne...

[d10] What is it that makes them unique?

...they have fangs like a crocodile and the wild hair of a beast.
...they seek the offal of a basilisk to perform a sacrament of stone.
...their body is host to many parasites, slowly turning them to stone.
...their hands are clawed like a vulture and their voice is like the breaking of bones.
...a third eye upon their head bleeds with beatific stigmata, a mark of greatness.
...they wear a stone mask, grotesque; their inner truth made outward.
...they wear a raiment of crimson, dyed with the blood of a hundred "lesser beings."
...they clutch tightly an ancient Imperial blackware chalice.
...they deeply fear loss of influence in the coming war, that they will be usurped.
...they have begun to pen their grand works in virgin blood, binding a terrible spell to the page.

[d6] The Cult of Chalices perform many profane rituals. What is the catalyst of this one?

Demands the sacrifice of wild bulls...
Commands the drowning of a child in monstrous blood...
Calls for the bedding of a virgin and a vile monster...
Demands the consumption of ancient blood...
Calls for slathering oneself in the ashes of charred royalty...
Commands the consumption of a warrior's heart…

[d6] What will result from this ritual succeeding?

...it will produce an Inheritor of great value in the coming age.
...it will provide insight into dweomers that prevent the coming age.
...it will mantle the ritualist with monstrous mien.
...it will enkindle the soul with mastery of immolation.
...it will be the cause of calamity against hated foes.
...it will bid the Imperator's genus loci to inhabit a new Stone Herald.

[d10] In places of splendor, what treasure does the Cult of Chalices display?

A grand tapestry, dyed in the sanguine blood of martyrs and monsters.
A stained glass window depicting the Chalice casting a red glare on the world..
Blessed candles rendered from the fat of fallen peers of the Ordo Mourner-Stigmata.
An ancient chalice of clay, cracked with age and stained deep blackish red within its basin.
An altar of simple stone with a deep basin so that all may drink from it heartily.
A grotesque teapot of scowling monster faces, large enough to hold a beating heart.
A set of small onyx statues depicting pilgrims carrying chalices.
Resplendent painting of monsters and heretics drowning in a sea of boiling blood.
A carpet, stained red and woven from the hair of the fallen faithful.
A set of red-bound books concerning the nature of contagions and purification rites.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Warhammer Fantasy: The Apothecary (Trappings/Randomizers)

I got very bored the other night as contracts working for other companies ran dry and felt the desire to write some randomization tables for my own enjoyment before getting back on to my own personal projects. As I'd been enjoying reading the newest edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, I felt a desire to make something for it. Originally, the following tables included far more tables and sub-tables, covering all four stages of the 4th edition version of the Apothecary career's trappings.

But I got tired of writing for this and would rather work on my own things, so I figured it was better to post what I have now rather than allow it to fester in my google docs until the end times come to claim me.

These tables skew towards a Reiklander rather than a dwarf or an elf; and in theory a halfling could feel adequate for most of these tables. I had actually done some research on Apothecaries as a professional tradition and was going to write some things proper on that, but I'm not being paid for this and I'd rather concentrate my efforts elsewhere.

I hope this is of some value, to someone, somewhere, somehow.

d10 - Leather Jerkin

A rustic brown jerkin, simple and inoffensive; a jerkin for the everyman’s apothecary.
A deep red jerkin of dyed leathers, a bit worn to the touch but soft all the same.
A sea blue leather jerkin, comfortable and with slashed stripes upon the sleeves.
A hearty maroon jerkin, with puffed sleeves and a low-cut collar.
A softly tanned jerkin, almost velvet to the touch; a comfortable garment for long hours.
A long grey jerkin, nearly a full jacket. Cumbersome but keeps out the cold and wet.
A well-cut black jerkin, a bit sinister to some but it keeps out the stains and wears well.
An ivy green jerkin with a threaded pattern about its hem which contrasts nicely.
A warm yellow jerkin, it stains easily but invokes comparisons to a spring sunrise.
A comfortable tawny jerkin, well-tailored and resilient; with a professional’s longevity.

d10 - Leather Jerkin; Toggles, Buttons.

It has brass clasp toggles, shaped like frogs.
It has brass clasp toggles, shaped like flowers.
It has whalebone buttons, smoothly carved.
It has whalebone toggles, roughly etched.
It has wooden buttons, carved like leaves.
It has wooden buttons, rough and uneven.
It has brass buttons, cross-shaped and embellished.
It has silver buttons, shaped like Shallyan doves.
It has pewter buttons, roughly shaped like Morr’s skulls.
It has gilded buttons, shaped like hearts with a small red stone in the center.

d10 - Jerkin Miscellania

Affixed to the side opposite the main hand is a handy, yet small, satchel pouch.
On the inner flap of the jerkin is a flask loop for holding a draught safely.
Affixed to the lapel is a wooden pin depicting a Shallyan dove with a key.
Affixed to the lapel is a wooden pin, depicting the provincial colors of the Guild.
It has skull-shaped cuff-links of black stone at the end of each sleeve.
It has a high collar with tight clasps, in the event one needs to cover their mouth and nose.
Needles and thread are kept pinned through the lapel, for sake of repairs and stitching.
A bone fetish to Taal is affixed to one sleeve, in thanks to the nature he provides.
It has a heavy, oiled hood which can easily keep out the wet.
Its interior is comfortable, lined with resplendent fabric of Tilean make.

d10 - Personal Book (Cover/Design)

A simple calf-bound tome of soft, waxy leather and pulpy paper.
A bradel bound journal of resilient vellum and leather.
A long-stitched rag paper tome, loosely bound and crude.
A crudely strung sheath of papers, folded for book-keeping purposes.
A marble boarded book with wooden cover boards and fine vellum.
An oversewn book with flimsy paper and a sturdy cover of cloth-wrapped wood.
A nonce-volume style book with a fine leather cover and firm copper clasps.
A lavishly leather bound tome with a Shallyan figurehead of polished tin.
A girdle-bound journal with an oiled leather hood to keep out the wet.
A macabre skinbook made from a martyr of the Shallyan order who wished to continue gifting knowledge posthumously.

d10 - Book Miscellania

Within are a few pressed flowers, their beauty captured and their potential noted.
You inherited this book from your master, and it contains many useful notes--albeit hard to read.
You’ve errantly drawn warring snails and cats in the margin of a few pages.
More than a few pages show stains from failed experiments, which sadly obscure methodologies that worked.
The book is slightly dented and creased, but it has served you as a weapon well in the past.
Within it are a set of lovely ribbons to mark your page; they cost far more than they should’ve.
Stamped across the first page are numerous names of previous students who used this journal for their research.
You’ve scrawled risque notes on a few items of study by using lemon juice. Heat can reveal them.
Your master hastily redacted several important notes and removed a few pages before handing this to you.
Stamped upon the front page in embellished design is your name and notice of your acceptance into the Apothecary’s Guild.

d10 - Healing Draught (Bottle)

A cheap clay growler, cork but durable.
A strong, round druggist’s bottle made of amber glass.
An alabastron of tin, embellished with khazalid designs.
A mass-manufactured glass phial, stamped with an Imperial cross.
A conical flask, stopped with a cork; not meant for carrying draught.
A round bottom flask of Bretonnian origin, resplendent in artifice.
A simple wine bottle, hardly clean but useful in a pinch for such purposes.
A peasant’s jam jar, filled to the brim and tightly sealed to keep in freshness.
A powder horn, cleaned of its substances and sealed with wax.
An elven crystalware phial, a treasure deserving to be filled with much finer alchemy than a mere draught.

d10 - Guild Licence (Origin)

The Carroburg Guild of Apothecaries
The Upper Teufel Guild of Apothecaries & Low Alchemy
The Reikland League of Apothecaries
The Ostermark Chancellor’s Affiliated Guild of Apothecaries
The Sudenland Burgher’s League of Apothecarial Arts
The Guild of the Middenheim Apothecarium
The Noble Union of Altdorfer Apothecaries
The Kemperbad Apothecarial Guild
The Marienberg Apothecary Society
The Nuln Guild of Unguents and Apothecaries

d10 - Apothecary Manuals

Regarding the Four Humours: A Thesis on Inner Balance.
Through Shallyan Eyes: A Treatise on Addiction.
The Nehekharan Riddle: A Historical Survey of Ancient Unguents.
Flies on the Marrow: An Exploration of Plague Remedies.
The Sylvanian Imbibition: A Treatise on Youthful Remedies.
The Fraudulent Concoction: Regarding Charlatans, Quackery & Hedge Witches.
The Guild Treatise of Sublime Luting and Historic Preservation Techniques.
Gardens of Shallya: Practical Herbalism and Proven Remedies.
Cold Honey & Wormwood: The Kislevite Traditions (Translated.)
Grand Tilean Pharmaceuticals: From the Earliest to Present Times.

d10 - Apprentice (Quality)

An enthusiastic apprentice, who sadly has little skill.
A bucolic apprentice who thinks themself better than this trade.
A nebbish apprentice, hesitant and fearful of breaking things.
A lazy apprentice, barely an asset but adept when work is done.
A morose apprentice, far too interested in how such things might kill.
An apoplectic apprentice, infuriated by any setback or failure.
An arrogant apprentice, who believes to know better than you on all matters.
A humble apprentice, with a curious mind and a trusting condition.
A bold apprentice, willing to take risks and have your back in all things.
A reliable apprentice, able to maintain a workshop and keep a valid ledger.

d10 - Apprentice (Quirk)

They are a halfling with ties to the Mootland markets.
They are Tilean, and own a few small untranslated texts.
They are Estalian, and exceptionally cautious of anything weird.
They are of noble birth, and have a way of making connections.
They do truly believe in the Apothecary’s craft and its rich history.
They are a Physician’s Guild member seeking to expand their horizons.
They are an herbalist, hoping to better their craft and understanding.
They are on loan from the Shallyan Priesthood, who pay for their room and board.
They are Strigany and well-versed in coaxing potential from wasted reagents.
They are on loan from the Golden Order, humiliated and forced to learn “low alchemy” for a term.

Your Situation

d10 - Personal Troubles (Apothecary).

You owe a terrible debt from a failed attempt entering the Physician’s Guild.
A dwarf swore a grudge against your concoctions, claiming it gave them the trots.
Your treatment of a noble’s venereal disease has lead to unfortunate implications.
After doing the best you can in an unwinnable situation, folks now call you “Morr’s Friend.”
Your master thinks you a ham-handed witless fool and won’t let you do anything which might advance your craft.
Due to an incident with the Apothecary’s Guild entrance exams you are expected to pay rental fees on all equipment.
The Physician’s Guild have gone out of their way to slander you as a charlatan and a poisoner.
Children gag in the presence of your concoctions, which does not help endear you to anyone.
The criminal element wants to profit off the illicit drug trade and they expect you to assist, willingly or otherwise.
You fear that this field is not the best one for you and must now balance the career while seeking means for a proper education.

d10 - Shameful Deeds

You peddled stimulants to distractible students, all too aware of their addictive nature.
You sold diuretics to nobles who feared for their own attractiveness, to terrible consequence.
You once misused a reagent, accidentally producing a highly toxic poison which caused grave illness to a client.
In a fit of spite, you once dosed your master’s drink with weirdroot. They’ve never been right since.
You realized too late the herbal concoction you’d been using to grant a peaceful release to the dying was in truth, horrifically painful.
You’ve been known to dip too deeply into your own supply of illicit substances, to pass the time.
You’ve been suspected by the law of dealing in illicit drugs, and you allowed another to take the fall.
You are a plagiarist, having cheated on your entrance exams into the Apothecary’s Guild.
You dream too often of the putrefaction process, and you feel ashamed when you walk in Shallya’s halls.
You loathe your station, and had you power and magical potential you know you’d be far grander than any Gold Wizard who looks upon your work as “low” alchemy.

d10 - Short-Term Ambitions

Make rent by selling off your “Specialty” medications.
Gain the respect, however begrudging, of your master.
Grant the reprieve of comfort to the sick or dying.
Save the life of someone who will scorn the Physician’s Guild as a result.
Perform a kindness to Shallya with your services.
Craft a remedy to aid those who cannot afford “proper” care.
Secure a supply of reagents to assist in your research.
Determine the source of a local sickness.
Provide aid in preventing an outbreak of sickness before it can begin.
Impress a noble or high paid academic with your knowledge of remedies.

d10 - Long-Term Ambitions

You wish to acquire a tome of Arabyan alchemical lore.
You hope to cure a prominent noble of an ailment.
You seek station and clout from your work in service to Shallya.
You hope to ensure a quick recovery from whatever plague strikes next.
You wish to publish a treatise on chemical remedies.
You hope to achieve a ranked position in both the Apothecary & Physician’s Guilds.
You wish to be responsible for survival against the Chaos God of Plagues.
You seek to chart a treatise of rare herbs and cultivate a private collection.
You hope to serve the Emperor as Apothecary-General and receive a noble station.
You hope to set up shop as an Apothecary and see it succeed without scandal.

d10 - Apothecary Contacts

A Shallyan hospice worker who appreciates your efforts.
A hedonistic young rakehell who trusts you are always carrying.
A gullible and misguided old noble who trusts your counsel.
A soldier who owes you more than just a drink.
An engineer who has abused your medications.
A member of the Physician’s Guild, much to their chagrin.
A watchman who needs your stimulants to stay alert.
An herbalist who supplies you as best they can.
A racketeer who has promised to help you corner the market.
A mystic, who claims too loudly, that spirits have a hand in your work.

d10 - Your Specialty

A runny ointment, numbs weary aches and muscle tension.
A fetid balm, prevents infection and soothes inflammation.
A stinky lotion, which makes supply and sensitive the skin.
A bitter pill, which thins the bloods and eases tensions in the mind.
An herbal compound, when smoked it assists in focus and relaxation.
A swill-like elixir, which numbs aching teeth and soothes vomitous guts.
A bubbly tonic, which helps one see clearly when hungover.
A draught for aiding in healing wounds, an Apothecary’s mainstay.
A dangerous inhalant, when huffed it makes one delirious but happy.
An injection of vital balancing humors, causes a slight tickle and pleasant mood.

d10 - Blanchitsu (to make things odd/unique.)

You drag along a snotling in a wheeled cage, the test subject of more risque concoctions. Always rashy and inflamed, a miserable shrieking beast with few teeth left.
You carry a vivisected piglet in a glass reliquary, its organs labelled, its body pinned open. A useful facsimile of human anatomy.
You’ve horrific acid burns down half your body, the results of trying to make an unreasonably large yield of a drug innocuous in smaller doses.
You wear a bandoleer of unlabeled vials, some broken and crudely sealed with wax. You know at least one of them was something expensive to make.
You hide a few small bags of herbs and paltry reagents within your hair, tied crudely but hidden and never out of reach.
The tips of your fingers are stained unpleasant colors due to frequently working without gloves. They’re very sensitive and smell oddly.
You wear a garland of garlic, onions, and the odd stuffed crow. It pays to keep such warding reagents upon you at all times, as it keeps out other stinks.
You have a well-worn leather plague mask with a drooping, saggy nose. You inherited it from your master’s master who didn’t do a good job stitching it up.
You have horrid, flaking, often reddened skin due to an allergy to common reagents you work with every day. Such is the price of your craft.
You carry around a keepsake of your work with the poor, a sealed jar of terrible tumors and carved out bits of gout. It is part of some broader research of course.