2 - Making Bachad Characters

This chapter provides suggestions and optional rules for making characters who grew up in the Bachad tribe, or that are generally well suited for playing in the Bachand Saga campaign.

Procedure

Follow the usual character creation procedure (see RuneQuest rulebook p23), but with the following changes:

Far Place Homeland

A new homeland, Far Place, can be chosen for characters who are Orlanthi from Alda-Chur, Alone, or the areas in between. This is the homeland for members of the Bachad tribe, unless your character was adopted into the clan, or is an outsider.

Far Place characters roll their family history as if Old Tarsh until 1582 (included), and then as Sartar after that date. If an event has specific rolls and modifiers for the Far Place, use that instead.

Family History

This chapter offers alternative family history events more suited to characters originally from the Far Place homeland, like Alda-Chur and Alone. This is of course the case for members of the Bachad tribe. It also starts earlier than the family history in the RuneQuest rulebook to accommodate not only the campaign frame of the Bachad Saga, but also any other campaign set not too long before or after 1611.

The default setting for the Bachad Saga campaign begins in 1610 with young 18-years-old characters who were recently initiated into their cults. Start rolling family events in 1569, as your character’s grand-parents become adults. Ignore death results until 1572, when they give birth to your parents. Retire your grand-parents around 1590 if they are still alive. Your parents’ history starts then, but ignore death results until 1592, when your character is born. Retire your parents in 1609, if they’re still alive: their fate is now in the hands of the GM and your group!

Ignoring death results: treat any event resulting in death as “almost killed”. If rolling on the Random Causes of Death table, treat the result as an incident that merely nearly killed your ancestor.

Refer to the RuneQuest Early Family History on the Jonstown Compendium for more family history options, or make your own.

Year 1517

Participating Homelands: Old Tarsh, Lunar Tarsh, Sartar A large Chaos Flood erupts from Snakepipe Hollow, causing great hardship for people living nearby, especially in the Far Place.

Year 1517 Events

Modifiers Old Tarsh, Lunar Tarsh, Sartar: +5 to D20 roll. Far Place: +10 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-8 Normal year.
9-11 Your ancestor heard about the Chaos Flood, and was indirectly impacted. Gain Hate (Chaos).
12-19 Fought Chaotic creatures swarming the lands. Gain Hate (Chaos) at 70%, or add +20% to it.
20 Killed by a Chaotic creature. Gain Hate (Chaos) at 70%, or add +20% to it. Add +1D3% to Reputation.

Year 1520

Participating Homelands: Old Tarsh, Sartar, Esrolia King Sartar is apotheosized in Boldhome.

Year 1520 Events

Modifiers Sartar: +10 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-15 Normal year.
16-20 Witnessed Sartar’s apotheosis. Gain Loyalty (Sartar).

Year 1538

Participating Homelands: Old Tarsh, Lunar Tarsh, Sartar Palashee Longaxe, a Tarshite rebel, joins forces with Prince Saronil of Sartar and the Earthshaker temple. They drive the Lunars out of Dragon Pass and, thanks to Earthshaker magic, destroy the Lunars’ Temple of the Reaching Moon. Palashee rules as King of Tarsh, from the captured city of Furthest.

Year 1538 Events

Modifiers Lunar Tarsh, Old Tarsh: +10 to D20 roll. Sartar: +5 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-11 Did not get involved with Palashee’s rebellion.
12-20 Participated in, or fought against, Palashee’s rebellion.

Palashee’s Rebellion

D20 Result
1-10 Survived. If Lunar Tarsh, your ancestor fled at the same time as King Philigos, retreating back to Lunar lands.
11-15 Witnessed the destruction of the Temple of the Reaching Moon. If Lunar Tarsh, gain Hate (Old Tarsh) or Hate (Shaker Temple). Otherwise, Gain Loyalty (Sartar) or Loyalty (Shaker Temple).
16-18 Killed during the destruction of the Temple of the Reaching Moon. If Lunar Tarsh, heroically defended the temple against the rebels: gain Honor Passion. Otherwise, heroically assaulted the temple: gain Honor Passion.
19-20 If Lunar Tarsh, your ancestor was killed by Shake Temple magic: gain Hate (Shaker Temple). Otherwise, fought valiantly against Lunar magic: gain Honor Passion and +1D3% Reputation.

Dragonewts Dream (1539-1544)

Participating Homelands: All The mysterious event called the Dragonewts Dream begins. Living Dragonewts crawl into their ancient cities, sealed them with magical wards, and disappeared from view. For the next few years, “phantom” Dragonewts are seen in great numbers, seemingly performing various rituals and tasks, sometimes involving phantom buildings or even cities. Anybody disturbing them faced dire consequences.

Dragonewts Dream Events

Modifiers Old Tarsh, Sartar: +5 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-14 Saw the phantom dragonewts, but left them alone.
15 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
16-18 Witnessed the disruption of the phantom dragonewts’ activities, and subsequent reprisal. Gain Fear (Dragonewts).
19 Involuntarily disrupted the phantom Dragonewts, and got killed. Gain Hate (Dragonewts).
20 Voluntarily disrupted the phantom Dragonewts, and got killed. Gain Fear (Dragonewts) at 70%, or add +20% to it.

Interim Years (1545-1554)

Participating Homelands: Old Tarsh, Lunar Tarsh. The Tarsh civil war begins. Prince Phargentes (brother of King Philigos, the “lawful” King of Tarsh) leads an army to try and take Tarsh back from the rebels.

Interim Years Events

D20 Result
1-8 Normal year.
9 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
10-15 Fought in the civil war. Gain Honor Passion.
16-19 Killed in the civil war. If Lunar Tarsh, gain Hate (Old Tarsh). If Old Tarsh, gain Hate (Lunar Empire).
20 Died with great glory in the civil war. Gain Honor Passion and 1D3% Reputation. If Lunar Tarsh, gain Hate (Old Tarsh). If Old Tarsh, gain Hate (Lunar Empire).

Year 1555

Participating Homelands: Old Tarsh, Lunar Tarsh, Sartar Tarsh and Sartar defeat the Lunar Army and kill King Philigos at the Battle of Karnge Farm. After armies have disbanded, Lunars ambush and kill Palashee Longaxe. Tarsh falls back to the Lunar Empire, under the rule of the newly appointed King Phargentes.

Year 1555 Events

Modifiers Old Tarsh, Lunar Tarsh: +10 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-12 Normal year.
13-20 Participated in the Battle of Karnge Farm.

Battle of Karnge Farm

D20 Result
1-10 Survived.
11-17 Died in battle. If Lunar Tarshite, gain Loyalty (Red Emperor or King of Tarsh). If Old Tarshite, gain Hate (Lunar Empire).
18-19 Died heroically in battle. Gain Honor Passion and +1D3% Reputation.
20 Present at the ambush where Palashee was killed. If Lunar Tarshite, gain Loyalty (Red Emperor or King of Tarsh) and +1D3% Reputation. If Old Tarsh, gain Hate (Lunar Empire) at 70%, or add +20% to it.

Interim Years (1556-1568)

Participating Homelands: All In 1560, Tarkalor Trollkiller defeats the Darkness-worshipping Kitori and forces them back to the Troll Woods. He reestablishes the Volsaxing kingdom between Sartar and the Holy Country. In 1565, Prince Jarolar of Sartar dies in combat while fighting Tarsh King Phargentes. He is succeeded by Prince Jarosar.

Interim Years Events

Modifiers Old Tarsh, Lunar Tarsh: -5 to D20 roll. Esrolia, Grazelands: +5 to D20 Roll.

D20 Result
1-4 Involved in the Unrest in Tarsh (below).
5-8 Followed Prince Jarolar in Battles Against the Lunar Empire (below).
9-12 Followed Tarkalor in the Kitori Campaign (below).
13-17 Normal years.
18-20 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).

Unrest in Tarsh

D20 Result
1-15 Fought the Lunar Empire’s occupation. Gain Loyalty (Old Tarsh).
16-19 Killed by Lunar soldiers. Gain Hate (Lunar Empire).
20 Died with glory in a act of sabotage against the Lunars. Gain Honor Passion and +1D3% Reputation.

Battles Against the Lunar Empire

D20 Result
1-15 Fought the Lunar Empire. Gain Loyalty (Sartar).
16-19 Killed by Lunar soldiers. Gain Hate (Lunar Empire).
20 Witnessed the death of Prince Jarolar. Gain Hate (Lunar Empire) at 70%, or add +20% to it.

Kitori Campaign

D20 Result
1-15 Fought the Kitori along Tarkalor. Gain Loyalty (Sartar).
16-19 Died in battle against the Kitori. Gain Hate (Trolls).
20 Died with glory against the Kitori. Gain Honor Passion and +1D3% Reputation.

Interim Years (1569-1578)

Participating Homelands: All. Prince Jarosar of Sartar is killed by Lunar spirits in 1569. He is succeeded by Prince Tarkalor. Unrest continues in Tarsh against the Lunar Empire, but more sporadically, as people start to embrace the Lunar culture.

Interim Years Events

Modifiers Old Tarsh, Lunar Tarsh: -5 to D20 roll. Esrolia, Grazelands, Prax: +10 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-3 Involved in sporadic violence in Tarsh. Roll on the Unrest in Tarsh table from the previous years.
4 Witnessed Jarosar’s assassination. Gain Hate (Lunar Empire).
5-17 Normal years.
18-20 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).

Year 1579

Participating Homelands: All In Tarsh, King Phargentes dies peacefully of old age in 1579, and is succeeded by King Moirades, although the offices of King of Tarsh and Provincial Overseer get separated, the latter being appointed by the Lunar Empire. Sporadic uprisings have been squashed, and the Lunar culture predominates in Tarsh. In Sartar, King Tarkalor gives the Yelmalio cult lands that become the Sun Dome County.

Year 1579 Events

Modifiers Sartar, Esrolia: +5 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-17 Normal year.
18 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
19-20 Helped prepare the lands for the Yelmalio cult. Gain Loyalty (Sun Dome County).

Year 1582

As per the rulebook.

Year 1583

Participating Homelands: Sartar, Old Tarsh, Far Place Prince Terasarin of Sartar founds Alone, amid the deep and hostile forests of the Hidden Valley, with other Tarsh survivors from the Battle of Grizzly Peak, where they aim to retire in peace.

Founding of Alone

If you rolled on the Battle of Alda-Chur event table on the previous year, and if your ancestor survived, roll on the following table. Modifiers Far Place, survivors of the Battle of Alda-Chur: +5 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-10 Your ancestor went home.
11 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
12-20 Your ancestor participated in the building of Alone. Gain Loyalty (Sartar) or Loyalty (Tribe).

Interim Years (1584-1590)

Participating Homelands: Old Tarsh, Sartar, Far Place. During these interim years, Terasarin oversaw the construction of the King Road in Sartar, which connects Dangerfort to Alda-Chur.

Interim Years Events

D20 Result
1-11 A normal year.
12-17 Helped build the Royal Sartar Road. Gain Loyalty (Sartar).
18-20 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).

Year 1591

Participating Homelands: Old Tarsh, Lunar Tarsh, Sartar, Far Place The Kingdom of Sartar is invaded by the Lunar Empire. Belintar, God-King of the Holy Country, secretly supports the Sartarites against the Lunars.

Year 1591 Events

Modifiers Sartar, Far Place: +5 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-10 Normal year.
11 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
12 Killed in a battle between Sartarites and Lunars. If Old Tarsh, gain Hate (Sartar). If other, gain Hate (Lunar Empire).
13 Died with honor in a battle between Sartarites and Lunars. Gain Honor Passion and +1D3% Reputation.
14-20 Fought in skirmishes between Sartarites and Lunars, but surived.

Interim Years 1592-1596

Participating Homelands: Far Place The Far Place tribes are now settled down, with a new generation born into the highlands. However, in 1593, the XX clan of the Bachad tribe, occupying lands too high up on the slopes of the Indigo Mountains, is wiped out by trolls from the Redstone Carverns.

Interim Years Events

D20 Result
1-10 Normal year.
11-13 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
14-18 Witnessed families displaced, wounded, and killed by the trolls. Gain Hate (Trolls).
19-20 Ancestors were killed by the Indigo Mountain trolls. Gain Hate (Trolls) at 70% or add 20% to it.

Year 1597

Roll as per the rulebook.

Year 1602

Roll as per the rulebook.

Interim Years (1603-1604)

Roll as per the rulebook.

Year 1605

Roll as per the rulebook.

Year 1606

Participating Homelands: Sartar, Far Place The Maboder tribe is annihilated by the Telmori Wolfbrothers, who took advantage of the fact that many tribes had been weakened by the Boldhome campaign and other various tribal disputes. In Alda-Chur, Orlanthi priests try to raise the population to expel the Lunar missionaries among their tribes. Unrest will continue for several years.

Year 1606 Events

_Modifiers_ Far Place: +5 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-10 Normal year.
11 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
12 Witnessed the Telmori murder entire families. Gain Fear (Telmori).
13 Killed by the Telmori. Gain Hate (Telmori).
14-19 Listened and agreed with the Alda-Churi priests. Gain Loyalty (Sartar).
20 Killed or imprisoned while participating in acts of defiance against the Lunar occupation. Gain Hate (Lunar Empire).

Year 1607

Participating Homelands: Sartar, Far Place Jomes Wulf conquers the Telmori lands, pushing the Wolfbrothers backs and establishing Wulfsland between them and the nearby Sartarite tribes.

Year 1607 Events

D20 Result
1-15 Normal year.
16 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
17-18 Witnessed the Telmori being defeated by Wulf.
19 Participated in Wulf’s fight against the Telmori. Gain Loyalty (Wulfsland).
20 Killed during Wulf’s campaign against the Telmori. Gain Honor Passion and +1D3% Reputation.

Year 1608

Roll as per the rulebook.

Year 1609

Participating Homelands: Lunar Tarsh, Old Tarsh, Sartar, Far Place. Tarsh, the Far Place, Sartar, and even the troll lands of Dagori Inkarth are constantly raided by the Tusk Riders. Tribes and factions came together for the Great Boar Hunt, but success was questionable. Around Alda-Chur, unrest spreads across the local tribes, as Harvard Ironfist of the Vantaros tribe is secretly encouraging feuds in order to rise to power.

Year 1609 Events

Modifiers Far Place: +5 to D20 roll.

D20 Result
1-8 Normal year.
9-10 Involved in feuding between tribes. Gain Hate (Tribe) (the Vantaros or Princeros tribes are good choices).
11-12 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
13-20 Participated in the Great Boar Hunt (below).

Great Boar Hunt

D20 Result
1-8 Survived.
9-15 Killed by the Tusk Riders. Gain Hate (Tusk Riders).
16-18 Died with great glory slaying Tusk Riders. Gain Honor Passion and +1D3% Reputation.
19 Witnessed the bloody sacrifices at the Ivory Plinth but somehow escaped. Gain Fear (Tusk Riders).
20 Captured by the Tusk Riders and sacrificed at the Ivory Plinth. Your ancestor’s spirit was trapped with Death Binding (see RuneQuest Bestiary, p70) and they can’t be contacted with spirit magic until a proper burial is performed. Gain Hate (Tusk Riders) at 70%, or add +20% to it.

Year 1610

Roll as per the rulebook, but add the following.

Participating Homelands: Far Place The Righteous Wind rebellion against Harvar Ironfist begins, but is quickly crushed. Harvar destroys his Orlanthi rivals inside their holy site at Gamla’s Leap. As the city of Alda-Chur is ravaged by civil war, Harvar seizes control of the region with the blessing of the Lunar Empire. He orders all Orlanthi clans to purge themselves of anyone who rejects the Lunar way. Refugees go either to the south, or to the wilderness around Alone.

Year 1610 Events

D20 Result
1-7 Survived the unrest.
8-10 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
11-16 Witnessed Harvar’s men take control of Alda-Chur. Gain Hate (Sun Dome or Lunar Empire).
17-19 Killed in the ethnic purge. Gain Hate (Sun Dome or Lunar Empire) at 70%, or add +20% to it.
20 Died with glory fighting against Harvar’s coup. Gain Honor Passion and +1D3% Reputation.

Year 1611

Participating Homelands: Far Place Harvar Ironfist is named Duke of Alda-chur. He raids Alone, burns half the town and kills many. The survivors are forced to pay a heavy tribute, and agree to give up Orlanthi worship, at least in appearance.

Year 1611 Events

D20 Result
1-8 Survived.
9-11 Died of other causes, see Random Causes of Death table (rulebook, page 35).
12-20 Witnessed the Sack of Alone (below).

Sack of Alone

D20 Result
1-9 Survived.
10 Died in battle. Gain Honor Passion.
11-13 Killed by Harvar’s mecenaries. Gain Hate (Sun Dome).
14-15 Killed by Harvar’s Lunar allies. Gain Hate (Lunar Empire).
16-17 Died with glory fighting against Harvar’s army. Gain Loyalty (Sartar) and +1D3% Reputation.
18-19 Witnessed the horrible murder of many families. Gain Fear (Sun Dome).
20 Outlawed by Harvar and the Lunar Empire for 1D6 years. Gain Hate (Sun Dome or Lunar Empire).

Making Younger Characters

The Bachad Saga starts with young 18 years old characters who have only recently had their adulthood rites and initiation into a cult.

Go through normal character creation but with the following optional rules: