Thursday, February 16, 2017

Red London Bestiary: The 3 Sovereigns


While the Martian menace poses the greatest external threat, the internal threat posed by the Crimson Court may be far more dangerous. Ensconced in different geographies, the constriction of travel has allowed an uneasy truce to form between them. Once at each others' throats, the alien invasion has opened doors within European society and made strange bedfellows out of the three Sovereigns. They each work to solidify their individual hold and topple the Grand Alliance, hoping to make a truce with the Martians, and pursue their individual goals.

La Reyna - Spain - In her mountain fastness high in the Spanish peaks, la Reyna cultivates gardens of the Red testing and nurturing mutations.  The discovery that the Red is fertilized by human blood spurred her further discovery that vampires can feed on the Red itself. Already immune to its gaseous pollution, spreading new, virulent strains is in their best intrest.  It doesn't hurt that she's formed a fairly extensive cadre of followers, mortal and immortal.

Attributes- Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d10, Strength d12+2, Vigor d10
Skills-  Shooting d8, Fighting d10, Persuasion d12, Notice d10, Stealth d8, Taunt d10
Pace 6, Parry 7, Toughness 8
Charisma +4
Special Abilities

Undead - +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; Immune to poison and disease; no wound penalties 
Bite - Strength 
Claw - Strength +d4
Dream Killer - Once per night, La Reyna can attack any character she can see in their dreams for 2 turns.  Soak derives from Spirit.
Fanatics - When la Reyna is hit by an attack, any of her goons jumps in front of the attack and suffers damage instead.
Levelheaded - La Reyna acts on the best of two cards.
Mist  - She can become mist if she passes a Smarts roll at -2.
Seduction - Male characters wishing to attack her do so at a -2.
Sire - Anyone slain (by bite) or bitten by la Reyna has a 50% chance of becoming a vampire in 1d4 nights.  Weakness (Sunlight) - She catches fire if she's in the sun.  After that she takes 2d10 damage per round
Weakness (Holy Symbols) - A character can repel La Reyna with a brandished holy symbol.  If she wants to attack them directly she has to beat them in an opposed Spirit roll.
Weakness (Stake Through the Heart) - If la Reyna is hit with a called shot to the heart (-6), she takes damage normally.  If she fails the Vigor test then she disintegrates.


The Dragon - Eastern Europe - With Britain lost and the Great Walls going up to create Fortress Europe, mass deforestation has increased the incidence of wild animal attackson civilized fringes.  No one's really sure when the creature known as the Dragon first emerged, but even its most human form sports a mane of lupine jaws.  The dimmest of the three Sovereigns, its hivemind cunning makes up for a lack of study.

Attributes- Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d12+4, Vigor d12
Skills-  Climbing d8, Fighting d12, Intimidation d12, Notice d12+2, Stealth d8, Tracking d10, Swimming d8
Pace 10, Parry 8, Toughness 8
Special Abilities

Undead - +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; Immune to poison and disease; no wound penalties 
Arcane Resistance - +2 Armor vs magic; +2 to resist magic
Change Form (Wolfking) - The Dragon can take an action and break into a pack of Dire Wolves joined at the tail.  The pack is 4 + Wounds remaining.
Claws - Strength+d6
Fast - The Dragon discards any card lower than 4, drawing a new one.
Fear -2 - When confronted by the Dragon, characters need to make a Spirit roll at -2 or deal with Fright
Improved Frenzy - The Dragon makes two attacks each turn without penalty.
Pounce - The Dragon can leap its Pace to gain +4 to hit and damage.
Weakness (Bells) - The ringing of churchbells is painful to the Dragon, he must make a Spirit roll each turn or suffer a -2 penalty.
Invulnerability - The Dragon can only be wounded by silver weapons. Anything else just Shakes the beast.
Silver Vulnerability - Silver weapons cause normal damage


The Serpent - Egypt - A cobra close to the heart of the British Caliphate, the blasphemous pharoah awoke from the dead when an unscrupulous archaeologist broke into his tomb.  Since then he has taken to building a network of assets reaching to the highest echelons of British government.  Through alchemical drugs, forbidden knowledge, wiles of the flesh, grave goods, and unyielding labor; the Serpent has found a way to woo every pawn into his pocket.  Where la Reyna has sycophants and the Dragon simple beasts, the Serpent cultivates elite talent and turns them against one another for his own amusement.

Attributes- Agility d4, Smarts d10, Spirit d10, Strength d12, Vigor d12
Skills-  Persuasion d10, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d10, Spellcasting d12
Pace 6, Parry 8, Toughness 10, Charisma +2 
Special Abilities
Undead - +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; Immune to poison and disease; no wound penalties
Death Touch - Every raise on an unarmed Fighting roll automatically inflicts one wound.
Arcane Background (Magic) - Slumber (mesmerizing tone), Barrier (wall of darkness), Summon Ally (Sentinel of stone), Bolt (torrent of asps), Obscure (swallowing light), Defelction (armor forms from scarabs), and Zombie (ritually prepared corpses).  The Serpent has 40 Power Points.
Invulnerable - Can only be truly killed by the blades of his Royal Guard, Otherwise he reforms in his sarcophagus hidden in the Valley of Kings.

Weakness (Fire) The Serpent's body is full of chemicals to maintain its semblance of life.  Some are incredibly flammable, causing him to suffer +4 damage from fire.


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