Chapter 1: Blood and Omens

Applying Guy Sclanders’ Methodology

Session Overview

The party arrives at Fort Vindolanda on the Germanic frontier. Strange omens plague the camp, and the party is sent to investigate a nearby excavation where something ancient has been unearthed.

Level: 3 → Advance to 4 at session end Duration: 3-4 hours Key Goal: Investigate the excavation site and decide the spear’s fate Theme: Duty vs. Free Will (first exploration)

Guy Sclanders’ Principles Applied

Pressure Cooker Design: - Time pressure: The spear is corrupting the fort NOW - Incomplete information: Who can be trusted? - Escalating stakes: Personal → Fort → Rome → Divine

OGAS Integration: Legate, Augur, and Centurion all have clear goals THIS SESSION

Meaningful Choices: No “correct” answer; every choice has consequences

Pre-Session Preparation

Props & Handouts (Physical Immersion)

Essential Props: 1. Wax Tablet - Write the Legate’s orders in Latin on a small board 2. Red Dice - For corruption tracking (give corrupted players red d6s) 3. Omen Cards - Index cards with Latin phrases describing bad omens 4. Spear Token - Black painted dowel to represent the spear physically

Handout 1: Legate’s Orders (Latin/English)

MANDATUM LEGATI MARCI AURELII CORVINI

Ad milites electos:
Descendite in ruinas. Recuperate telum divinum.
Nemo tangat telum nisi ego permitto.

(To the chosen soldiers:
Descend into the ruins. Recover the divine weapon.
No one shall touch the weapon unless I permit it.)

In nomine Senatus Populique Romani.

Handout 2: The Vault Inscription

ELDER FUTHARK RUNES carved into the altar stone:
(A DC 15 History or Religion check, or asking Thusnelda
in Session 3, reveals the full meaning.)

Runes visible: TIWAZ  HAGALAZ  NAUDHIZ  ISA  OTHALAN
Translation:   War    Disruption  Need  Stillness  Ancestral land

Below the rune row, in old Germanic script:

"Here lies the God-Killer, the Spear of Broken Oaths,
sealed by the blood of heroes. May it never taste sunlight again.
Forged in vengeance. Quenched in divine blood.
The son of Mars fell here. His father's wrath lingers still."

At the base of the altar, a single line scratched as if
done in haste: "DO NOT WAKE WHAT SLEEPS HERE."

Handout 3: Omens Observed (Give to players as prop) - All camp dogs died at midnight (no visible cause) - Sacrificial sheep had black livers (sign of divine curse) - Ravens fly backwards over the principia - Springs run red with iron-tainted water - Sentries report shadows moving without bodies - Legionaries hear distant war-horns (no enemy visible)

Scene 0: Cold Open (5 minutes)

Purpose: Hook players immediately with visceral horror (Guy Sclanders: “Strong Opening”)

Start in media res - No preamble:

Read aloud (speak slowly, with dread): > Three nights ago. > > You dream. All of you, the same dream. You stand in darkness, ankle-deep in blood that doesn’t ripple. In the distance, a spear stands upright in the earth, glowing like a dying star. When you try to look away, you can’t. When you try to wake, you can’t. > > A voice—old, vast, furious—speaks a single word in a language you shouldn’t understand, but do: > > “MEUM.” (MINE.) > > You wake. Your tent reeks of copper and smoke. Outside, the camp dogs are howling. > > By dawn, every dog in Fort Vindolanda is dead.

DM Direction: Don’t answer questions yet. Cut to black, then:

Read aloud: > Now. > > The principia. The Legate’s headquarters. The air is thick with incense, but underneath it, you smell rot. Around the table: Legate Corvinus, eyes bloodshot and intense. Augur Cassia, pale as death, clutching a bloodstained cloth. Centurion Varro, one hand on his gladius, looking like he hasn’t slept. > > The Legate speaks. His voice is iron scraping stone: > > “You’ve been chosen. Not for honor. For survival. Something is beneath this fort. Something that killed sixty dogs in one night. Something that made the augurs vomit blood during morning sacrifice. We’ve lost four men already—two to madness, two to each other’s blades.” > > He unrolls a rough sketch of underground ruins. > > “You’re going down there. You’re bringing it up. You’re not asking questions.” > > Across the table, the Augur whispers: “Mars aversus est. The god of war has turned his face from us.”

Pressure Cooker Element: Players don’t control the situation yet—they’re already deep in crisis

Scene 1: Meeting the Legate

The party is summoned to meet Legate Marcus Aurelius Corvinus in the principia. He’s a hard man in his forties, scarred and ambitious.

Legate’s Briefing: - Three days ago, a work crew digging a new well discovered ancient ruins beneath the fort - They unearthed an iron spear covered in strange runes - That night, all the camp dogs died - The next day, the augurs found corrupted omens: black livers, reversed bird flights - One worker touched the spear and went mad, killing two companions before being subdued - The Legate wants the party to go down into the ruins, secure the artifact, and bring it to him

Complications: - Augur Cassia Liviana interrupts, warning that the omens forbid disturbing the spear - Centurion Varro suggests destroying it immediately - The Legate overrules them both—Rome must possess this weapon

Decision Point: Will the party obey orders or heed the augur’s warning?

Scene 2: Descent into the Ruins

The excavation site is a crude shaft dug through Roman stonework into older Germanic structures. The air grows cold as the party descends.

The Shaft:

The hole is perhaps six feet wide – big enough for two men abreast if they don’t mind touching. The Romans who dug it used short-handled picks; you can see the tool marks in the clay, getting more careful as they got deeper, as if the workers began to feel something wrong. A rope ladder, poorly anchored. Below: darkness, and a smell like old metal and earth that has been wet for a very long time.

The descent is 40 feet. Anyone carrying a torch will notice the flame leans downward in an unnatural draft. This is worth remarking on but has no mechanical effect: it simply feels wrong.

Chamber 1: The Hall of Shields

The ladder deposits you on damp earth that exhales cold air with every breath you take. Your torchlight rolls down the length of the chamber and vanishes into a dark archway thirty feet away.

Between you and that archway stand shields: dozens, maybe a hundred, hung edge to edge so that the walls resemble a silent legion. Wolf heads worked in iron, boars in bronze, a hand with three fingers raised, a serpent coiled to strike. None are Roman. All are angled as if waiting to be seized.

The air smells of leather and rain that never dries. As you pass each shield, the torchlight throws your shadow across its face, and for a heartbeat it feels as if the warriors who carried them inhale with you.

At the far end of the hall the arch gapes, swallowing light, inviting you onward whether you wish it or not.

Exploration:

DC 13 History: The symbols belong to at least four distinct Germanic tribes, none of which coexisted in the same region. These shields were collected here, not stored by one people.
DC 15 History: The boar symbol is Marcomanni. The three-fingered hand is pre-Roman Cherusci. These tribes have been rivals for centuries. Someone gathered their war-gear in one place.
DC 14 Religion: This is a trophy hall, but not a Roman kind. In Germanic tradition, weapons and shields left in a sacred place belong to the war-god. This room is an offering.

No combat here. The shields don’t move. They watch.

Chamber 2: The Chamber of Chains

The passage squeezes you into a chamber whose ceiling hovers just above a legionary’s helm. Every sound you make bounces back with a dull metallic echo.

Chains hang from the stone in ranks. Thin chains that could encircle wrists, thick ones meant for something with a neck wider than a man’s chest, all swaying a fraction despite the still air. Hooks, collars, blunt ends. A smear of verdigris on one link, frost on another.

None of the collars are human sized. Whatever stood here did so willingly or with the weight of a god keeping it still.

Across the far wall a single rune has been carved deep enough to chip the stone. TIWAZ, the war-rune. Below it, a Roman hand scratched a line of Latin: “We turned back here.” The words look more like a prayer than a report.

Exploration:

DC 12 Investigation: The chains are old – centuries old – but the iron hasn’t rusted. Something in the air down here preserves them.
DC 14 Arcana: A faint divine aura clings to the chains. Whatever they held was something that required divine binding to contain.
DC 16 Religion: The TIWAZ rune above a binding site has one meaning in Germanic tradition: this was a sacrifice of restraint. Not a prison. A gift to the war-god. Whatever was chained here was given willingly – by whatever was chained, or by the tribe that sealed it.

The chains are still. No sound. No movement. If the party lingers more than 5 minutes, one chain at the far end sways once, slightly, with no air movement to explain it.

Chamber 3: The Vault

The final chamber opens into a perfect circle. The domed ceiling catches every breath and rolls it back, so even your heartbeat sounds like it belongs to someone else. Moisture beads on the walls like cold sweat.

At the center stands a granite altar carved from a single block that predates the Roman stones around it. The floor slopes inward toward the altar, as if the entire room bows.

Upon the altar rests a spear eight feet long, forged of iron so black it seems to swallow light. Runes coil along its haft, glowing a slow ember-red. Two stone pegs cradle it, unchanged for centuries, and the chains from the previous chamber lie slack around the base as though they gave up trying to hold it.

Within five feet of the altar the air stops moving. Sweat does not fall. Dust does not drift. The silence looks back at you.

Spear Reveal Read-Aloud (use when the party crosses the threshold):

The moment your lead foot breaks the invisible circle around the altar, the torchlight gutters sideways and the temperature drops to winter. The spear lifts the hairs on your arms without moving. Every rune flares once, illuminating the chamber like a heartbeat.

You understand, without being told, that this weapon is awake. It has been waiting. And now it knows your name.

The Spear’s Presence:

Before anyone touches it, every character with a Wisdom of 14+ feels a pull – not physical, but directional, the way a man feels a fire when his back is to it. Something is paying attention.

The 2 Animated Armor guarding the vault lurch into motion the moment the first character steps fully into the chamber. They don’t attack immediately. They position themselves between the party and the altar.

One of them speaks. Or rather: something speaks through it. The voice is wrong – too many registers at once, like several people speaking the same word at slightly different times.

“DO NOT TAKE THE SPEAR. THIS IS THE LAST WARNING THIS PLACE HAS TO GIVE.”

Combat Encounter: 2 Animated Armor (CR 1 each)

If the party backs out of the chamber: the armor follows only to the threshold, then stops. They can be avoided entirely if the party retreats, discusses, and re-enters with a plan. The armor attacks anyone who reaches for the spear.
If defeated: the spirits do not go quietly. As each suit collapses, a sound escapes it – something between a scream and a sigh – and the words are always some variant of: “You have chosen this. Remember that you chose.”

After the combat: The First Touch

If a character reaches for the spear:

It is colder than the air around it. The runes pulse once under your hand, and then – for just a moment – you are somewhere else.

A battlefield. Dawn. Thousands of bodies. The spear in your hand, slick with a blood that isn’t red.

A voice that is not a voice: “You could end this. All of it. One campaign. One decision. No more dying. Yours.”

Then you are back in the vault, holding an iron spear, and your hand is shaking.

DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure: the character gains 1 level of corruption and is Shaken (cannot willingly release the spear until the start of their next turn). On a success: they resist, but the pull is real and they know it.

Scene 3: The Spear

The Spear of Mars rests on a stone altar, surrounded by broken chains. It’s eight feet long, made of black iron, covered in glowing red runes.

Mechanics: - Anyone who touches it must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw - Failure: Visions of glory and conquest flood their mind. They gain 1 level of corruption (track this) - Success: They resist but feel its pull

Properties (if attuned): - +2 magic weapon - Deals an extra 1d8 necrotic damage - Disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws - User becomes increasingly aggressive and paranoid

Roleplaying: The spear whispers promises: - “You could be a hero” - “Rome will kneel before you” - “Your enemies will break like wheat”

Scene 4: Return to the Surface

As the party climbs out of the shaft, the night air hits them and then the shouting.

Read aloud:

You hear him before you see him.

Not a scream, not a song. A rising chant that rides the wind like sparks from a brazier. When you crest the shaft you see him framed by the principia’s torchlight: a Gallic stone-hauler, shoulders like pillars, standing over three fallen legionaries.

Each fist grips a gladius slick with fresh blood. He is barefoot on the flagstones, toes flexing, eyes rolled back until only the whites show. Breath pours out of him in clouds despite the summer night.

“The spear calls, the spear drinks, the spear wants a champion.” He does not shout the words. He lets them fall like lit coals.

His head turns as though a wire hauls it. He looks to the party member holding the spear. His smile is wide enough to hurt.

What he mutters between attacks: - “Do you feel it laughing?” - “Mars does not wait for cowards.” - “Give it to me and I will keep you safe.” - “We were promised rest if we bled enough.”

Combat Encounter: Corrupted Worker (use Berserker stat block, CR 2)

He focuses exclusively on whoever carries the spear. If no one carries it, he attacks the closest party member and screams “WHERE IS IT – GIVE IT TO ME – IT’S MINE–”

Resolution options:

Party choice	Mechanics	Consequence
Kill him	Standard combat. He fights to the death, prioritising the spear-bearer.	He dies mid charge. His last word is “Mars” whispered like a confession. Morale in camp drops; whispers about the party spread.
Subdue him	Opposed Athletics (DC 13 if two legionaries assist) to grapple, then DC 12 Medicine or Sleight of Hand to bind him without killing.	He collapses weeping, vomits dark bile, and remembers nothing when he wakes. Cassia can question him for visions that linger.
Deny line of sight	Hide or move the spear 60 feet away, or cast magical darkness between him and the weapon.	He freezes mid step, confused, then sobs as he realises his hands are covered in blood. He becomes a terrified witness who can describe the spear’s whispers.
He breaks free	If the party stalls or he slips a grapple (roll each round), he sprints toward the gate with DC 14 Athletics to catch him.	He vanishes into the night. Two days later the scouts find him dead of exposure with both gladii snapped. The Legate blames the party for letting the madness spread.

Whatever happens, the fort’s legionaries have seen enough. Quiet spreads through the courtyard as the crisis ends. Men look at the party, then at the wrapped spear, then look away.

Conclusion

The Legate demands the spear. The Augur begs them to destroy it. Centurion Varro looks to the party for guidance.

Key Questions: - Do they give the spear to the Legate? - Do they try to destroy it? - Does anyone attune to it?

Advance to Level 4

DM Notes

OGAS This Session

NPC	Objective	Goal (Session)	Agenda	Secret
Legate Marcus Aurelius Corvinus	Control the most powerful military artifact unearthed in a generation.	Secure the spear in his personal custody before Rome or the Senate learns of it.	Use the party as deniable retrievers, silence the augur, craft a “routine excavation” cover story.	Already dispatched a private rider to his patron in Rome; the party is not the first team he sent down.
Augur Cassia Liviana	Prevent the divine catastrophe that has haunted her dreams.	Keep the spear below ground or, failing that, keep it out of Corvinus’ hands.	Seem cooperative while feeding the party doubts and secret guidance.	Performed an augury about the party and knows they decide whether Rome burns, but not how.
Centurion Titus Varro	Keep his cohort alive and functional as command unravels.	Learn what the spear truly is before the Legate deploys it disastrously.	Place loyal soldiers between Corvinus and the party, stall for time, listen to every faction.	Heard a young legionary whisper “I understand him” during the worker’s frenzy; reassigned him and told no one.

Refusal Contingency

If the party refuses the Legate’s mission:

Party action	Legate’s response	Consequence
Polite refusal	He doubles the pay offer. If still refused, he assigns another unit and the party is confined to quarters while that unit goes down. The unit doesn’t come back.	The party is then re-ordered to complete the mission. The stakes are now visible.
Citing the augur’s warnings	He has Cassia removed from the room. He’s heard enough about omens. The party is given one hour to reconsider.	Cassia finds the party during that hour and pleads with them to go down and destroy the spear before anyone takes it.
Outright defiance	He invokes military discipline. They’re legionaries. Orders are orders. DC 18 Persuasion to make a case compelling enough that he backs down – which requires evidence he doesn’t have yet.	If they hold out: he sends them with a Centurion escort as “motivation.” The Centurion is Varro, who privately tells the party: “I’d go too if I were you. Better you go knowing what you’re walking into than someone else go not knowing.”

Corruption Mechanic

Track corruption levels (0-5) for any character who touches or attunes to the spear: - Level 1: Disturbing dreams of conquest - Level 2: Disadvantage on Wisdom saves - Level 3: Must succeed DC 12 Wisdom save to retreat from combat - Level 4: Must succeed DC 14 Wisdom save to avoid attacking allies when bloodied - Level 5: Fully corrupted, becomes NPC under DM control

Optional Encounters

Scouts’ Report: Germanic tribe activity increased in the forest
Camp Tensions: Legionaries are terrified, some talk of desertion
The Augur’s Warning: Private conversation revealing that the spear belongs to Mars and was used in a divine war

Skill Audit: Session 1

How to run these checks at the table:

DC 13 History (Hall of Shields): - Land 5 below: They notice four distinct styles. Give them the observation: the work is different on each wall. Nothing more yet. - Exact: Four tribes, none of which coexisted in the same region. Let that sit. The interesting question is now in the air: why are they together? - 5 above: Four tribes plus the geographic arrangement tells the story: someone had authority over all of them. Plant that question now; Session 3 answers it.

DC 14 Religion (Hall of Shields): - Land 5 below: This room feels sacred. The character cannot say why. That is enough. - Exact: Germanic trophy tradition – this room is an offering to the war-god. The shields were brought here deliberately. - 5 above: Offering rooms in this tradition are actively maintained. Someone has been here recently. This is not a historical site. It is a working one. Let that breathe before you move on.

DC 16 Religion (Chamber of Chains): - Land 5 below: TIWAZ connects to war and sacrifice. That is the surface. - Exact: Sacrifice of restraint – the chained entity gave itself willingly. The chains are not a prison. - 5 above: The chains are still active. Whatever was bound here is not fully gone. And the party just brought the spear into the room. Do not announce this mechanically. Describe it: one chain swings, just slightly, toward the wrapped spear.

Temporal gate: worker behavior (Scene 2, before Scene 4):

This check only exists if someone watches the excavation workers while they are at work in Scene 2. If nobody looks: Scene 4 is a full surprise and that is appropriate.

DC 13 Insight, while watching the workers: The Gallic stone-hauler has been showing pre-attack signs for an hour. Unusually focused, muttering, hands on his tools between hauls. He is not being worked hard. He is working himself.
On success: The party has a full action before initiative when he breaks. They were paying attention. Reward that.
Miss the check or miss the window: Scene 4 is a surprise. Standard rules. Do not feel bad about it.

Corvinus refusal: partial success structure:

Do not make this binary. The DC 18 for outright defiance is correct, but give it texture: - 5 below DC 18: He sends a Centurion escort as “motivation.” The Centurion is Varro, who quietly tells the party: “I’d go if I were you. Better you go knowing what you’re walking into.” - DC 18 exact: He backs down. Gives them 24 hours. They have the night. - 5 above DC 18: He backs down and, unexpectedly, respects them for it. Assigns them as lead investigative unit with Varro as their direct liaison, not their guard. Corvinus does not show this respect openly, but the assignment shows it.

Corvinus temporal gate (Session 1 only):

Any time during Scene 1, before the party agrees to the mission. DC 14 Insight. One attempt.

What the check reveals: Corvinus is afraid of something specific, not just ambitious. The signs of ambition are there – forward posture, controlled voice – but underneath them he looks at the staircase twice in two minutes. He is managing the party while managing the expected arrival of someone he owes. On 5-above: the player understands this is not about the spear’s power. It is about what the spear represents to a man with a debt.

Why the window closes: once Tribune Lucius arrives, Corvinus goes into full political mode. His body language changes. The fear goes underground where it does not show. The tell disappears. The party has Session 1 only.