04 Night's Watch.pdf - Chaos Bleeds

Chapter 2: The Wall & The Giftsef ’s last name. With a foul chuckle, he revealed that he’d been sent herefor murdering a woman with that last name, a noblewoman at that—orat least that was her claim.Through Black Harlow and a visit shortly thereafter to the LordCommander, Josef discovered that his father had left home for King’sLanding at King Robert’s behest, taking his sister Marilayne as well.She was traveling through the city, shopping, when the crowd turnedugly and she was separated from her guards. She was later found dead,and Black Harlow was identified as the man who killed her. Rather thanspill a Brother’s blood, even if he could, he left.OppositionJosef came willingly to the Wall, but he will not go back to it easily.He could be convinced to return, possibly, but it would be difficult. Hewould rather die at the hands of his brothers than kill any of them; hisheart is broken and it threatens to break him as well. Use the UnluckyGambler template for Josef (page 28).Unknown FactsIf the group is united and does not raise arms against him, it is possiblethat he could be convinced or shamed into returning, through a successfulIntrigue. Otherwise he’ll run until his brothers hunt him down.Looking for CracksPatrols on the Wall search for structural issues, each composed of tworangers and two builders. The Watch maintains mules specially trainedto walk the Wall and keep their footing on the slippery ice. One in fourof these patrols follows the base to look for cracks in the foundation andsigns of tunneling.SetupThe Lord Commander has dispatched a regular patrol to walk the baseof the Wall down to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and return, looking forcracks, sheeting, melting, sabotage, or other signs of decay.Halfway to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, the mules suddenly become skittish.The ground has a strange spongy feel to it and the ice of the Wallsparkles with a sapphire gleam, refracting the light strangely. Whateverthis is, it isn’t normal and it’s the characters’ job to find out the causeand make it right.ObjectiveDiscover the cause behind the odd appearance of the Wall.Known FactsSuccessful Awareness tests will reveal the strange color of the ice andthe spongy ground. Animal Handling tests will reveal that the mules areobeying their training by refusing to step on ground that feels unstable.A Formidable (12) Knowledge test will reveal that these pieces of evidenceadded together indicate some sort of tunneling, most likely witha heat source being used to melt the ice.TerrainThe terrain is cleared for a half-mile on either side of the wall. Tunnelersmust therefore start out in the woods beneath cover, preferably at thefurthest point from the manned castles, and dig for the better part ofa mile before they have hope of passing the Wall. It is not an endeavorfor the faint of heart, and yet here it would seem that a group has nearlysucceeded.Unknown FactsA minor group of free folk have begun tunneling under the Wall.Their leader, an older war leader who goes by Snowscar, is tired ofwaiting. He has observed the Watch growing weaker over the yearsand believes that now is the best time to strike. They are shoring upthe walls of the tunnel with wood split from trees further into theHaunted Forest and stone they have traded for. Deep within the tunnel,where the ground is frozen by the ice above, hot coals are placedinto holes bored in the ice and earth, weakening the ground so thatthe diggers can move forward.OppositionSnowscar uses the War Leader wildling template (page 95), while therest of his men are Scouts (page 96). There are six of them plus him,with two in the tunnel at any given time, one harvesting wood and stoneto use to shore up the tunnel, and the rest on guard.Unknown FactsSnowscar hates the Watch and is set on finishing the tunnel and returningto take the free folk under the Wall and killing every blackcloak they find. The Watch patrol must find some way of sealing thetunnel if not collapsing it and of ensuring that Snowscar does not tryagain.Unwanted VisitorsOut of nineteen standing castles on the Wall, only three of them areoccupied—and none of those at their full capacity. That leaves sixteenstanding, empty castles, with visitors every few days but few who wouldsearch the place top to bottom. For those who don’t mind the cold, thechance to live in a safe, secure, only occasionally partially occupied castleis head and shoulders above a cramped, drafty farmhouse or a patch ofdry-ish bracken. Winter is coming, and who knows how long it will lastthis time? Better to find shelter while you can.As the Watch has withdrawn from its castles, it has sealed them upagainst intruders. Each one should stand against a future when it mightbe useful again. Some have stood empty, still useful against an unlikelyfuture, while others have fallen to ruin. One of the abandoned castlesin a better condition than most is Woodswatch-by-the-Pool (page 59).Woodswatch stands next to a water source and a forest full of game.Water, food, shelter… what more could a person need?Benjen Stark suggested some time back that the Watch beginsending patrols now and then to stay at the abandoned castles for a71