Environmental Studies
You're sure you've followed the directions you were given, but upon reaching the spot where the training field you're looking for is supposed to be, you see and feel nothing but blinding sunlight and intense heat.
Just as you're about to turn around and head back to the sickly-looking creature who directed you to this barren spot in the first place, a section of the desert seems to shift as a pale young clan member pushes a sandy tarp out of his way. He stands up straight in front of you, his skeletal hands brushing at the front of his robes.
"Welcome!" he says, managing to squeeze more reckless enthusiasm from that one word than most members of the clan of Famine probably have in all their years of speaking. He leads you down into the hole the tarp was covering. The space inside is clean and cool. "You may call me Ktur, fledgling. Today we'll be working with some of... well... these things!" He gestures at six boxes, identical in size, but with wildly different contents. Each resembles a human child's diorama, only slightly larger and with considerably more movement inside. Oh, and they're also entirely made of glass. And almost all closed up. Maybe they don't look much like dioramas at all.
Ktur pushes one toward you. "Here, this one seems to suit."
Quote:
Determine which miniature environment Ktur has chosen for you.
Roll 1d6.
1: The box Ktur directed you toward looks a lot like the surroundings outside: bleak, bright, and sandy. You will be working with a desert environment.
2: You can barely make out a tiny mountain and a stand of snow-topped pine trees through the mess of whirling snow. You will be working with an arctic environment.
3: A heavy mist hangs low in this box, but the treetops that blanket its highest points are a bright cheerful green under the sun. You will be working with a rainforest environment.
4: Your box seems almost boring compared to some of the others left on the table. Inside stretches a large field covered with tall grasses that wave in the breeze. You will be working with a prairie environment.
5: You've seen fish tanks? Well, Ktur hopes you like this one. You will be working with an underwater environment.
6: Woo! You're on fiah! Or at least your box is. You will be working with a volcanic environment.
Roll 1d6.
1: The box Ktur directed you toward looks a lot like the surroundings outside: bleak, bright, and sandy. You will be working with a desert environment.
2: You can barely make out a tiny mountain and a stand of snow-topped pine trees through the mess of whirling snow. You will be working with an arctic environment.
3: A heavy mist hangs low in this box, but the treetops that blanket its highest points are a bright cheerful green under the sun. You will be working with a rainforest environment.
4: Your box seems almost boring compared to some of the others left on the table. Inside stretches a large field covered with tall grasses that wave in the breeze. You will be working with a prairie environment.
5: You've seen fish tanks? Well, Ktur hopes you like this one. You will be working with an underwater environment.
6: Woo! You're on fiah! Or at least your box is. You will be working with a volcanic environment.
"Now," the horseman continues, "I've been doing a lot of research on these, and boy, do I mean a lot. What we're trying to have happen here is a whole... growing... situation, but some of these places just don't seem to like plants and animals very much, or at least the kinds anyone can live on." He looks at you with a measure of ominous sincerity, the bangles in his hair tinkling merrily in opposition to his demeanor. "Go forth! Experiment! Shine lights on it, throw some FEAR in there, shake it, whatever you think will get things to grow." One of his wings juts out at random, almost knocking a nearby potion off of the table.
Quote:
Each environment has 30 HP, except for the prairie which has 40. Roll 1d12 and follow the prompt corresponding to your roll. Continue rolling until you have either obtained three Horseman Points or your environment runs out of HP.
1: FIRE! Something catches fire inside your diorama. Try channeling a little bit of FEAR in there. It might help. Or maybe not. You lose 5 HP in desert and rainforest environments, 10 HP on the prairie, and none underwater, in the arctic, or on the volcano.
2: Whatever you tried this time, nothing happens. Ktur looks at you as if you're close to one of the most worthless things he's ever seen. Then he goes back to picking at his toenails with a grungy stick.
3: There's too much water! You lose 5 HP in the volcano and arctic, 2 HP in the rainforest and prairie, and none in the underwater and desert environments.
4: What's that? Whatever you just did caused a tiny, colorful flower to sprout in your environment. The landscape is so small you can barely see it, but Ktur seems impressed. You earn one Horsemen Point.
5: Did you fall asleep? It sure seems that way for all the good you're doing. Luckily, nothing happens.
6: A swarm of vicious looking bugs appear out of nowhere and burrow into the ground, ruining any progress you have made and leaving a bunch of giant holes in their wake. You lose 15 HP.
7: If you are working with the underwater environment, suddenly your whole diorama goes black. When the water clears, all the tiny plants and animals are gone. You lose 5 HP. If you are not working with an underwater diorama, nothing happens.
8: In a moment of frustration, you shake, kick, yell at, or even look at your environment wrong. You lose 5 HP.
9: You have no idea what you did wrong, but your environment is suddenly looking worse for wear. You lose 3 HP.
10: A tiny animal scrambles into view, then disappears back into hiding. Ktur deems the appearance of the beast a wild success! You earn one Horsemen Point.
11: Ktur approaches you and tries to assist. His attempts do absolutely nothing. Maybe that's why he asked you to help in the first place.
12: A pack of what look like little gnomes appear in your diorama. They light a tiny bonfire (yes, even underwater) and generally mess up the joint. The desert, volcano, arctic and underwater environments lose 2 HP, the prairie loses 10, and the rainforest is unaffected.
1: FIRE! Something catches fire inside your diorama. Try channeling a little bit of FEAR in there. It might help. Or maybe not. You lose 5 HP in desert and rainforest environments, 10 HP on the prairie, and none underwater, in the arctic, or on the volcano.
2: Whatever you tried this time, nothing happens. Ktur looks at you as if you're close to one of the most worthless things he's ever seen. Then he goes back to picking at his toenails with a grungy stick.
3: There's too much water! You lose 5 HP in the volcano and arctic, 2 HP in the rainforest and prairie, and none in the underwater and desert environments.
4: What's that? Whatever you just did caused a tiny, colorful flower to sprout in your environment. The landscape is so small you can barely see it, but Ktur seems impressed. You earn one Horsemen Point.
5: Did you fall asleep? It sure seems that way for all the good you're doing. Luckily, nothing happens.
6: A swarm of vicious looking bugs appear out of nowhere and burrow into the ground, ruining any progress you have made and leaving a bunch of giant holes in their wake. You lose 15 HP.
7: If you are working with the underwater environment, suddenly your whole diorama goes black. When the water clears, all the tiny plants and animals are gone. You lose 5 HP. If you are not working with an underwater diorama, nothing happens.
8: In a moment of frustration, you shake, kick, yell at, or even look at your environment wrong. You lose 5 HP.
9: You have no idea what you did wrong, but your environment is suddenly looking worse for wear. You lose 3 HP.
10: A tiny animal scrambles into view, then disappears back into hiding. Ktur deems the appearance of the beast a wild success! You earn one Horsemen Point.
11: Ktur approaches you and tries to assist. His attempts do absolutely nothing. Maybe that's why he asked you to help in the first place.
12: A pack of what look like little gnomes appear in your diorama. They light a tiny bonfire (yes, even underwater) and generally mess up the joint. The desert, volcano, arctic and underwater environments lose 2 HP, the prairie loses 10, and the rainforest is unaffected.
Horsemen Points
- Match your dice roll to the results above while playing. You obtain points according to if it declares a win on that roll
