Glåugust Challenge 2: “Books as treasure. No spellbooks.”

 

I’m doing a thing. It’s called “Glåugust” and from context, it seems to be about GLOG stuff. Being an incorrigible contrarian, I’m trying to do the challenge but with DCC RPG.

The Book of The Dwarven Tribes

The Master Dwarf created seven Ancestors, and from these came the Seven Tribes of Dwarvenkind. The Master and Ancestors do not speak in metaphor, for such is merely beautified lying; so of the sixteen extant tribes, nine are lying about their natures and origins. This truth caused severe civil wars among the dwarves, until they felt hemmed in both by human upstarts and underworld raiders, and decided to adopt a stance of polite intolerance towards other tribes. But, what if incontrovertible proof could be found of the identities of the True Seven Tribes?

The Book’s covers are made of indigo-colored metal, possibly adamantine, while the clasps, and both internal and external hinges are made of an unknown, pale green alloy. It will likely be found closed and secured but it cannot be locked in any meaningful way. Dwarves immediately recognize it as something important, and barring any obvious danger, must make DC 12 Will saves or attempt to reach it, by force if necessary. The inner pages are eight sheets of a dull red metal, inscribed or perhaps engraved in Old High Dwarven: Even those dwarves who do not know their racial tongue recognize that it is important to all dwarvenkind.

For those dwarves who read it, the first page is the preamble and introduction, detailing the Commands of The Master Dwarf: Each subsequent page names an Ancestor, their tribe, and additional edicts (if you don’t want to create your own, the seven tribes are Elethnes, Eakfen, Mungerys, Gowilpres, Sunborlis, Malharger, Bolglendor). A dwarf reader must make several rolls: First, a d16, with a roll of 1-7 indicating they are of the True Tribes, while an 8+ shows they are a False Tribe. Dwarves discovering they are of a False Tribe lose 1 Point of Luck and must make a DC 15 Will save or lose 1d3 points of Personality and another 1 point of Luck; to discover that you may indeed be a maggot warped by the ichor of Chaos Titans or rocks that began mimicking their predators is a grievous wound to the psyche.

The Book is an artifact created by eight god-like beings and is effectively impervious to all mortal actions both mundane and magical. Its base value is 500-1000 ([1d6+4]x1000) gp or equivalent to mere collectors, but dwarven rulers may offer up to 10000 gp or titles and land grants for it. Attempts at chicanery may well prompt dwarven princes to simply use force of arms to acquire the book. Even the mere knowledge of this Book’s existence will likely re-ignite civil wars and pogroms.

Is that worth it?