Adventure: Legend of the Golden Condor (Elephant & Macaw Banner)

24 Pages·2019·1.686 MB·English

by  J.M. Beraldo

B
em-vindo – welcome – to this adventure set in the fictional world of The Elephant & Macaw Banner.
“The Legend of the Golden Condor” marks an unprecedented moment in the development of
that world. Up until now, I wrote all the stories, books and comics related to the Banner, but
this adventure is the first written by a guest author: João Beraldo. And we could not have cho-
sen better! Beraldo is one of the leading authors of fantasy fiction in all of Brazil. His series Reinos Eternos
(Eternal Kingdoms), inspired by African cultures, is an epic read. Beraldo has also written supplements for
the popular Pathfinder RPG system, and scripted computer games such as Taikodom and Angest. It is a great
honour to be able to call upon him for this adventure.
And what an adventure! “The Legend of the Golden Condor” brings to life a fabulous story, with rich-
ly drawn characters and desperate situations. I love it! But I shall let the adventure speak for itself.
For those who do not have have the rulebook The Elephant & Macaw Banner Roleplaying Game, don’t
worry. You can get a free preview of the book (in PDF format) with the first 60 pages and all the basic rules
you need. You can also find a printable character sheet and other extras, such as paper figures to represent
your adventurers. You can find all this at: www.porcupinegames.com/EAMB
You could also convert this advnture to your preferred RPG system. The most important thing for us
is that you enjoy this grand adventure.
Boas aventuras!
Christopher Kastensmidt
26 October 2017
Credits Contents
Author: J. M. Beraldo The Story So Far ...................................................3
Producer & Art Director: Vitor Severo Leães
Adventure Overview ...........................................5
Editor: Douglas Quinta Reis
General Coordintor: Christopher Kastensmidt Playing the Adventure ........................................5
Cover Illustration: Yan Kyohara
Introduction ..................................................................7
Interior Illustrations: André Meister, Ernanda
Souza e Guilherme Da Cas Sâo Mateus Fort ...........................................................8
Graphics, Layout & Cartography: Filipe Borin
The Hermit’s Cabin ..................................................11
Copy Editor: Marcelo Cortez
Social Media: Victor Marques Batista The Shaman’s Camp ................................................13
Logo Design: André Vazzios
Protectors of the Forest ..........................................14
English Translation: Thomas McGrenery
The Slough of Despond ..........................................14
Published by: Porcupine Publishing
Village ............................................................................15
Grotto of the Sun .......................................................17
Conclusion ..........................................................20
Pre-generated characters ................................21
THE LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN CONDOR
© 2017 Christopher Kastensmidt. All rights reserved.
Based on the fictional world The elephant & Macaw Banner (A Bandeira do Elefante e da Arara)™,
created by Christopher Kastensmidt
English translation © 2019 Thomas McGrenery
1 3
The Legend of the
Golden Condor
J.M. Beraldo
THE STORY SO FAR kinds of dangers, from wild animals to terrible dis-
A
eases, marshes and swamps to hostile peoples. The
long time ago, several decades even journey only ended when, on a hectic night, fleeing
before the Portuguese arrived in from a territorial group of Guaianá, one of the war-
the Americas, is the very beginning riors spotted a golden bird that led them to a cave.
of this story. There the priestess’s body was laid to rest.
From the other side of the continent, the pow- But they were in Tupiniquim territory, hav-
erful Inca Empire expanded its control southwards, ing in fact just fought off warriors and hunters of
conquering territories which nowadays cover Bo- a nearby village. Curious about the invaders, the
livia and Argentina. In the wake of their conquests Tupiniquim went to the cave. After a brief confron-
were other peoples who resisted as best they could. tation, they managed to capture one of the last
Among these peoples was one whose name has sacred warriors. This was when the golden condor
long since been forgotten. They fought bravely, led appeared, reborn in the body of its priestess, and
by a caste of priestesses who worshipped a gigantic avenged its most faithful followers.
golden condor, a guardian of the sky who carried the The Tupiniquim fled, but the stories about the
spirits of the dead to the world of the gods. Knowing woman said to be made of gold spread. Over time,
the risks that they ran, the leading priestess ordered the story has become distorted. It was heard by
an escape from the capital carrying the most sacred Portuguese sailors in São Vicente, Santos and Rio
of their relics: the condor’s golden egg. But it was too de Janeiro, finally arriving at the Portuguese court
late: in desperation, the warriors assigned to protect on the other side of the ocean. At a court event, a
the priestesses battled forces ten times greater than captain newly returned from the Americas report-
their own to reach the temple. There they found ed the legend of the golden holy one protected by
their leader dead, her fingers around the golden egg, sacred knights, attracting the attention of an im-
fixed like stone. Interpreting this as an omen, the pressionable Portuguese nobleman.
warriors placed the priestess on a palanquin and Rich and very religious, Dom Casimiro de Lu-
bore her away from the capital. cena, a nobleman of the Portuguese court, believed
During that night, while they camped far from that this was a clue to a centuries-old mystery:
the city walls, they had a vision: the golden condor the whereabouts of the Sacred Chalice of Jesus
landed before them and told them that if they fol- Christ. Dom Casimiro had recently read a number
lowed it to the cradle of the sun, they would find an of works that told the stories of King Arthur and
entrance to the underworld, where the priestess and his knights in search of the Holy Grail and made
the condor’s golden egg would be protected. the connection in his mind. If the Knights Tem-
Over the ensuing months, this group faced all plar were responsible for protecting Christ and his
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Adventure: The Legend of the Golden Condor
most sacred treasures, it was surely they who had visions of the confrontation of the Tupiniquim and
hidden the Chalice before the dissolution of the or- natives of other lands before the recent attack by
der two hundred and fifty years earlier. Dom Casimiro in search of information. They also
Listening to the legends about a sacred grot- face a very powerful entity while experiencing mem-
to filled with gold, Dom Casimiro was sure he had ories of the village’s inhabitants.
discovered the whereabouts of the Sacred Chalice. Guided by the vision, the group finds in the grot-
He left for Brazil with a private entourage, ready to to (G) Dom Casimiro’s last remaining soldiers facing
explore the farthest lands of the Captaincy of São an unusual creature within a lake of blue waters, and,
Vicente. further into the cave, the Portuguese noble himself
For weeks now, no one has heard anything before the mummified body of a Peruvian priestess
of Dom Casimiro or his expedition. Worried about covered with gold. Greed and uncertainty lead the
what might have happened, the captain-general of entity that protects the mummy to awaken it, and
São Vicente, Jerónimo Leitão, sends a group of ex- the group will have to deal with the curse while keep-
plorers to find Dom Casimiro and bring him back, ing Dom Casimiro alive and bring him back to the
alive if possible. Fort of São Mateus and finally to São Vicente.
ADVENTURE OVERVIEW DISTANCE BETWEEN POINTS
TIME
JOURNEY DIFFICULTY
The adventure begins in a camp on the banks of the (HOURS)
Tietê River. After a night to get to know one anoth- A / B difficult 3
er and learn about the region, the group sets out
A / C difficult 3
through the jungle towards the Fort of São Mateus
B / C difficult 5
(A), a small fortification that Dom Casimiro used as
a base of operations in his search. B / D difficult 3
The group finds the fort abandoned, except for A / D difficult 3
a single Portuguese soldier, driven mad, who hides
C / D difficult 3
in the chapel feverishly hugging a piece of gold. Ex-
D / E very difficult 6
ploring the fort and surroundings, the group discov-
ers Dom Casimiro’s notes and, connecting them to E / F very difficult 5
the gold piece, identifies a map showing where the F / G difficult 4
Portuguese nobleman would have gone.
After a brief encounter with a travelling sha-
man who turns into an eel (C) and a Jesuit hermit PLAYING THE ADVENTURE
protected by a swarm of giant mosquitoes (B), the
group heads towards the swamps, where they are This is an introductory adventure for The El-
attacked by Tupiniquim (D) who want to prevent ephant & Macaw Banner Roleplaying Game. It can
them from leaving the place. The Tupiniquim cease serve simply as a way to get to know the game or as
their harrying pursuit when the adventurers enter the beginning of a longer campaign. It can also be
the swamplands, leaving them to the mercy of the inserted in the midst of other adventures already
supernatural dangers therein (E). under way.
The group is guided by supernatural sounds and The adventure presumes to begin with that
odours to an old indigenous village (F) that seems to the group is at a camp on the banks of the Tietê
have been abandoned and burned. There they have River, north of the town of São Paulo. At this time,
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THE ELEPHANT & MACAW BANNER | ROLEPLAYING GAME
the Tietê is a clean and entirely navigable river, not miss the opportunity to witness it with
and São Paulo, only a poor town centred around her own eyes;
the Jesuit College. The group may be in the camp José got himself into deep trouble: if he doesn’t
returning from their travels or preparing for a new pay 5,000 réis soon to the Capitão do Mato
journey, or they may even be each coming from a Teófilo, known as ‘The Caribbean’, he will have
different place when they meet to spend the night his skin torn off while he yet breathes.
there.
That’s when they learn of the reward offered Each player may choose one of these charac-
for Dom Casimiro’s safe return. The payment: ters to portray. If the group already has a campaign
3,000 réis for each member of the successful expe- in progress, players may use their pre-existing
dition. characters. In this case, the mediator may assign
At the end of this book, there are five charac- motives to each member of the group or simply of-
ters ready to be used. Each of them has a personal fer the reward as motivation for the adventure.
motivation to be involved in the journey:
Matheus Barbosa is an old friend of one of
the soldiers on Dom Casimiro’s expedition, the
soldier named Evaristo (met at G3);
Jean-Guillaume was commissioned by
the Jesuits of the College to investigate the
supposed history of miracles and the Sacred
Chalice;
Filipa Penna received a mission from Captain
Nuno Gonçalves to retrieve the diary of the
nobleman in exchange for having her name
cleared and honour restored;
Isadora de Luna y Falcó is sure that the
legend actually refers to
witchcraft, and she can
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Adventure: The Legend of the Golden Condor
INTRODUCTION This is a good time for the mediator to intro-
The following text may be read aloud as an in- duce the player characters, telling the players who
troduction to the adventure for the players. Para- each one is and what their goal is, so that the players
phrase as you see fit, however: as long as you con- can make an informed choice of whom to play. Make
vey the key facts (underlined), your own rendition room for players to include their own ideas, such as
is always more engaging than simply reading from having characters who know each other, whether
the page. past events connect them in some way, or whether
they are only together by coincidence or for the pur-
A week ago, you were summoned into the
poses of this journey alone. Do not force anything.
presence of none other than Jerónimo Leitão,
captain-general of São Vicente. Initially, none If someone is not yet comfortable with how to play
of you could comprehend how it could be that their character, let them discuss with the group
such an unusual group as yourselves could be
what they want to reveal to each other.
dragged in front of the master of these lands,
Also give the opportunity to talk to other
chosen by the King himself. But he was quick to
explain: A Portuguese nobleman by the name characters in the camp. You can create some char-
of Dom Casimiro de Lucena has disappeared in acters or introduce ones you have used in other ad-
the jungle in the interior of the captaincy, and
ventures. Allow players to contribute as well. Per-
Jerónimo Leitão cannot permit any evil to be-
haps the brother or rival of one of their characters
fall a member of the Portuguese royal court in
the territory it is his duty to oversee. So he sent is in the camp. This can generate some interesting
out a call for a group of people with diverse conflicts that can be brought back into future ad-
abilities and, promising a reward of 3,000 réis
ventures.
to each member of the expedition that brings
Let the participants test their skills. A friendly
back the noble, safe and sound, to São Vicente,
sent you off on their journey. shooting competition may arise between charac-
You departed upriver from São Vicente ters, or perhaps someone wants to fish, cook or sew
and, after days far from civilization, docked at
a banner for the group. Another interesting activity
a nameless encampmenton the banks of the
would be to try to get information about the region.
Rio Tietê, a day or so’s journey from the near-
est settlement, the small, poor town of São Here is some information that the characters could
Paulo, where the Jesuits catechize the natives obtain by talking to other travellers or just listening
of the region.
to their conversations:
It is night and you are tired from the jour-
ney, anxiously awaiting the chance to finally
eat some hot food Only one old bandeirante here has previously
There are two dozen people here, scat- been to São Mateus Fort, and he laughs when
tered around a few campfires where deep
someone refer to the place as a fortress. He
pots boil with game meat and fish. They are
says it is nothing in comparison to the forts of
bandeirantes and hunters coming and going
from expeditions, stopping here to sleep São Vicente and Rio de Janeiro;
overnight and share food and stories.
At first light you will depart, heading
Tupiniquim natives live in this region. Some
northwest in search of the fortress of
negotiate with Europeans, but others hate
São Mateus, where Dom Casimiro was to
establish an outpost in Tupiniquim territory. them. It is always wise to be careful when deal-
But before then, it may be good to get ing with them;
to know your travelling companions, and to
find out what you can about the dangers that
Nomadic Guaianá natives also prowl the region,
await you in these wild lands.
and they rarely get along well with the Europeans,
so be careful in case of confrontation;
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THE ELEPHANT & MACAW BANNER | ROLEPLAYING GAME
Going north-west, the jungle becomes more other and with the characters in the camp, let the
dense, but it turns into marshes in some places night scene come to a close. Early the next day, the
where tributaries of the Tietê River drench the group will set off towards the São Mateus Fort, go-
earth. No one claims to have passed through the ing up away from the river. The trip to the fort will
region, but they say it must be difficult to cross take about 3 hours of travel through the forest.
and infested with mosquitoes;
A. FORT OF SÃO MATEUS
Some travellers believe in a legend about a for- The Fort of São Mateus is a disappointment for
est spirit living nearby. It is not friendly unless characters accustomed to European forts with
it sees you as a protector of the woods and ani- high stone walls and solid wooden gates. Built on
mals. If this is the case, you will have protection a low hill in an open field, it is little more than a
for the rest of your life. But otherwise...; few wooden houses surrounded by a wall of logs
about 3 varas (3.3 metres) high. An observation
Every now and again a shaman from the region tower, also made of wood, stands out above the
visits the camp to trade medicinal herbs, skins palisade.
and hunting tools. The fellow is friendly but
considered slightly mad. They say he talks to Some pieces of information that characters
animals. would know according to their abilities are:
Cartography or Land Navigation lets you
After the player characters interact with each know that from the top of that tower a person
Fort of São Mateus
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Adventure: The Legend of the Golden Condor
would have a wide view of the region, seeing far fighting to the death in order to protect their young.
beyond the forest immediately around them.
Soldiery lets you know that this fort would PECCARY
never withstand a prolonged confrontation, but Size: G
could perhaps be enough against disorganized na- Speed: 3
tive forces. They would just shut the gate and wait Habitat: Forest, Savannah
inside, as long as they had provisions. Number: 2
Architecture, Artillery or Carpentry lets you Physical attacks: Bite 1 (damage 2)
know that the palisade is quite strong and prepared Endurance: 6
to withstand fire and even some harquebus gunfire, Passive Defence: 2
though it would never withstand a cannon. Active Defence: 3
In addition to this information, it is soon
clear to anyone paying attention that the tower
is empty and that there is no sound coming from A2) The fort’s central courtyard is made of beat-
inside the fort. Nor does anyone approach them en earth and is where the garrison would usually
as they get closer. Furthermore, the entrance gate dine, pass the time between patrols in the jungle
seems to be slightly ajar, not barred. and train. There are four small wooden houses (A4
to A7) of different sizes, all with doors closed, the
A1) The entrance of the fort is protected by a dou- tower in the centre (A3) and a covered area where
ble wooden gate, which is far enough ajar for a thin meals are made (A8).
person to sidle in. From afar you cannot see the There is not a soul to be seen in any of these
interior of the fort, but someone approaching the places.
gate can see a small part of the interior courtyard
without having to push the gate. A3) The observation tower is almost 10 varas
On the ground in front of the gate are traces (about 11 metres) in height. It is a very simple struc-
of the movement of many people and some ani- ture made of logs and wooden boards. A rough lad-
mals. An intermediate feat of Tracking identifies - der leads up to a basket about one vara by one vara
amid traces of at least a dozen men on foot - a pair in size, covered by a thatched roof.
of more recent trails entering the fort, as well as From the top of the tower, it is possible to
that of some sort of swine. observe for several kilometres in all directions,
Inside the courtyard is a family of peccaries marking the location of the river to the southwest,
(wild pigs) who went in search of food in the fort and a swampy area to the west, and an open area to the
ended up trapped inside when the wind blew the north where there seems to be some sort of rustic
gate closed. As soon as the gate is opened, they try to building. An easy feat of Cartography allows you
burst out of the fort and flee towards the woods. Un- to create a functional map of the region from this
less someone tries to stop them, they will go right by, observation, identifying the estimated travel time
squealing ferociously but not attacking. between those points. If someone with Land Navi-
Should any player character attempt to stop gation observes the landscape from the tower, you
or attack them, the two parents will retaliate while will have a bonus of +2 on later tests to navigate
their half a dozen piglets attempt to flee into the the region.
forest. Once the piglets have escaped (which they
will do within three rounds unless someone pre- A4) The largest of the buildings is where the
vents them from escaping), the adults beat a retreat soldiers of the fort slept. Twelve hammocks are
as well. However, if cornered, the parents will keep stretched between the walls and a central post,
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THE ELEPHANT & MACAW BANNER | ROLEPLAYING GAME
all empty. On the floor near the walls, underneath have taken away all the guns and ammunitions stored
where each hammock is attached to a wall, are small here in haste, but did not do the same with the food.
chests of clothes and bags with personal belong-
A6) Adjacent to the dining room and kitchen is a
ings. If someone searches the bags, they will find a
small building with the door ajar. If someone en-
total of 150 réis in various coins, an antique viola
ters or peers inside, read or paraphrase the follow-
with the name Virgílio engraved on the neck, a pot
ing description:
with a balm to ward off mosquitoes (identifiable
with an easy feat of Herbalism), two tallow candles
and a small bag of cloth sewn and attached to a
The interior is illuminated by a window pro-
rope as a necklace. This last is an amulet of Calming tected by a grille. Inside is a rough wooden ta-
made by a Yoruba priest and given to protect one of ble set on two tree stumps, on which is a map
of the area. Points are marked on the map
the soldiers from the magical powers of the jungle
with indecipherable inscriptions, scrawled
creatures. Fearing that Dom Casimiro would see
as if written by a madman. The walls and
the amulet and judge him a heretic, the soldier hid the floor are covered with books and pieces
the amulet among his clothes. Anyone who wears of paper on which are notes and drawings
concerning a wide variety of subjects.
the amulet on their necks is immune to attacks of
madness. The amulet’s African origin and its func-
tion of magical protection may be identified with
an intermediate feat of Folklore or Identify Magic An intermediate feat of Cartography by some-
(Counterworking level 2). one who has climbed the tower identifies the nearest
clearing on the map, where there is a building (B), a
As well as these objects, a character with
point just beyond the swamp about two days’ jour-
Prestidigitation or Tailoring level 2 will spot a hid-
ney from the fort (F), and a third point near the river,
den pocket sewn into a piece of clothing. Inside is
where there is a question mark (C).
a gem hidden by another soldier. It is a rough topaz
The walls and the floor are covered with books
that can be sold in the city for about 200 réis.
and pieces of paper written and drawn on about
A5) Between the dormitory and the wall of the fort various subjects. Someone able to read Portuguese
is a large shed with the door locked by a padlock. It is (level 2 of Portuguese) will quickly identify reports
possible to break the door with attacks (Endurance about the Templars and the Holy Grail. With level 2
4), an intermediate feat of Physical Strength or with in French, they will recognize legends of King Arthur
the key from Dom Casimiro’s office (A6). The interi- and the Round Table, and, with level 2 in Spanish, re-
or is quite dark, due to the lack of windows and the ports on people of Spanish America who worship the
piles of barrels, sacks and shelves everywhere. In- Sun and the Moon and bathe in gold.
side there are provisions for a dozen men to survive This is the room Don Casimiro took for himself,
for another two or three weeks, mostly dried meat, where he planned his incursions and made his notes.
flour, hard bread, water and wine. Most of it is stored The three points marked on the map are locations
in sacks and vats, difficult to transport in the jungle. where scouts indicated they found clues to the where-
It would be possible for players to take 5 days’ worth abouts of the grotto of gold (locations B, C and F).
of food and water each without overloading their As well as the documents, there is a hammock
backpacks and bags. where the noble slept and a chest where it is possi-
Some boxes are tilted against the wall opposite ble to find the key to the storehouse (A5), the key to
the food. Two dozen lead bullets for pistols and har- the chapel (A7), an ornamented and very valuable
quebuses, as well as a single charge of gunpowder are Bible (3,500 réis, if sold to a noble or merchant in
scattered on the ground nearby. Someone seems to the city), an ornate dagger set with semiprecious
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