Natterjack

The Marsh-Gibberer

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History

Before Time

Natterjack entered the World through the Rent during the Great Darkness, and in common with many Chaos deities, captured the essence of a Form Rune, in this case a Newt. Since the element of Water was part and parcel of Newt existence, Natterjack assumed the element and carried the Chaos War to the Gods of the Waters and was thoroughly and comprehensively beaten by Poseidon and his sons and daughters. The Sea God ruthlessly extirpated Chaos from his Oceans. Wounded and fearful, Natterjack fled the Wrath of the Lord of the Oceans and hid in those waters polluted by chaos but which were inland and could not be cleansed by Poseidon. Thus were born the Chaos-Marshes and Natterjack became the Marsh-Lord. However he had lost so much of his substance and power that he was unable to manifest himself outside the marshes and so took no further prt in the Chaos Wars.

Since Time

Entirely confined to the marshes, the cult of Natterjack is highly specialised and its membership is limited. It has become the most common cult within the Chaos-Marshes, but it is too fragmented and tribalised to be powerful. Occasionally, the Chaos Newts pour out of the marshes and raid nearby towns and villages and terrorising tribesmen, usually in Sea Season. Always they strive to extend the marshes limits.

Life After Death

Chaos Newts, like those in Kraken, believe in reincarnation. They know they shall be reborn to carry on the struggle to extend the marshes. However, mysticism is absent, worshippers merely believe without evidence. Life is bleak in the marshes and they practice cannibalism as a method of funeral practice and as a matter of course raise the bones as undead slaves. Natterjack simply is not strong enough to extend Divine Intervention of any type to his worshippers.

Runic Associations

Natterjack was a god, born out of chaos, who seized upon Newt, now wholly concerned with the Stagnant Waters.

Nature of Cult

The cult exists only because and for the Chaos Newtlings. It is achetypically chaotic with virtually no infrastructure. It is centred around survival and spreading Chaos and Chaos Marshes.

Socio-Political Position and Power

The cult exists only within the Chaos Marshes where, although very common, it cannot be said to be either powerful or influential. Only occasionally does a tribal Warlord rise to preeminence and dominate a marsh, let alone the land about the marsh.

Particular Likes and Dislikes

The hatred and fear of Poseidon has continued to the present-day, but that cult is rarely encountered. All the Chaos-Killing cults are feared as are all Fire/Heat cults. The cults of Light, (as opposed to Heat and Fire), are viewed with neutrality. Natterjack forms chaotic associations with the other marsh cults, to whit, Engariel, Uriah and of-course Primal Chaos.

Organisation

None, barely tribal hierarchy maintained by personal power and charisma.

Centres of Power and Holy Places

The Marshes.

Holy Days and High Holy Days

Wildday, Stasis Week is the Seasonal Holy Day, that in Sea Season being the High Holy Day.

Lay Membership

Open to any Newtling, Human, Ogre, Broo, Elf, Cave Troll, Beaver, Trollkin or Dragonewt that desires to survive in the marshes. Newtlings and related creatures form the majority of the worship. Acceptance is arbitrary but automatic, (almost), for any Newtling bearing a Chaos Feature. Laymen are required to spend one point of POW every Holy Day, and two points on the High Holy Day. They are the lackeys of the tribe, but will not be eaten unless there is no other source of food available, non-newts are always eaten before Newtlings.

Laymen gain free training in the cult weapon skills of 1 & 2-H Trident, and swimming and Hide in Water. Move Quietly, Spot/Set Ambush, Spot Hidden and Trial Weapon Making are at half price. Brew Newtling Poison, Brew Chaos Slime, Speak Gibberish, Hide in Cover, Jumping, Listen, Camouflage and Tracking are all taught at full cost.

The cult teaches laymen half price Extinguish and Binding; no other skills or spells may be learnt at lay-level.

The Laity are regarded as totally expendable by the upper hierarchies of the cult; they are advised to obey all members of the cult more powerful than themselves. They may attempt to initiate when they have 50%+ in Hide in Water, Set Ambush and a weapon attack, missile or melee.

Initiate Membership

There is no test if the candidate has an obvious Chaos feature or is a Newtling, otherwise they must pass an arbitrary test as follows, those that fail are usually eaten.

(Spot/Set Ambush + Hide in Water + (INT+POW+CHA)×3%) ⁄ 1D6

Initiates are entitled to free training in Cult Weapons, Hide in Water, Swimming and Spot/Set Ambush. Half price Brew Chaos Slime, Spot Hidden, Tribal Weapon Making, Move Quietly and Speak Gibberish. The skills of brew Newtling Poison, First Aid, Hide in Cover, Jumping, Listen, Camouflage, and Tracking can be trained at full cost, no other skills are available.

Initiates are taught Binding and Extinguish for free; Speedart, Bladesharp, Detect Life and Detection Blank at half price and the spells of Countermagic, Darkwall, Detect Spirit, Detect Undead, Disruption, Fanaticism, Healing, Iron Hand, Mindspeech, Protection, Shimmer, Spirit Binding and Spirit Screen are all at full cost. No other spells are taught, and Firearrow, Fireblade, Ignite and Mobility are forbidden and forgotten if known.

Initiates are still subject to all the restrictions pertaining to Newtlings, (c.f. Kraken). Initiates may do as they please unless bullied into submission by peer/overlord pressure. Some stage raids in groups into the wilderness for food, but most never leave the marshes.

Runelord Membership - The Marshlords

The Runelords are called Marshlords in the cult, they rule by brute force and by charisma. An applicant must have 15+ POW and 90% in Hide in Water, Spot/Set Ambush, as attach, (melee or missile), a compatible Parry and any two of Watersense, Brew Chaos Slime, Brew Newtling Poison, Spot Hidden, Tribal Weapon Making and Tracking. Marshlords gain all the normal benefits of their status, usually binding their Ally Spirits into some Chaos Marsh creature, Dragonsnails being common favourites. Likewise they may attune Runemetal - Tin and Iron, but metalware of any type is rarely found in the marshes. A Marshlord's success is assessed by their ability to keep their people alive and gain food for the tribe. No Marshlords gains Divine Intervention due to Natterjack's lack of power.

Runepriesthood - The Marshpriests

The only requirement for Marshpriest is 18+ POW. The Runepriest gains all the normal benefits and restrictions of his status. As with Runelords, Allied Familiars are bound into chaos marsh creatures. DEX skills save for Hide in Water and Swimming become limited to DEX×5%, but DEX and DEX skills are readily trainable. The Priesthood provides the spiritual element, they speak much in Newtling and Gibberish to their tribes-people and are shown much respect, especially for their Runemagic powers, though these are limited compared with other cults.

Runespell Compatibility

The Runemagic, both Cult Special and Standard, is very limited. Standard Runemagics available are Dismiss Elemental I, II & III, Divination, Spell Teaching and Spirit Block. Natterjack Priests summon Small Undines as their elementals and gain access to the following cult special Runespells.

One Point Spells

Create Skeleton Range: Touch; Duration: Instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Raises moist bones that can fight at DEX×5%. Part of Natterjack Funerary Practice.

Marshmist Range: 160m; Duration: 4 hours; Stackable up to 6 pts; Reusable
Works any day in Sea Season, any but Fireday of Dark, Storm and Earth Season and Waterday of Fire Season. Causes mists to gather in hollows and build-up into a dank fog in 15 minutes. Visibility is equal to 32 yrds ⁄ pts of spell tacked. Duration is also affected by the season as in the table shown. The mists do not instantly disappear upon expiration of the spell, but slowly dissipate, however fog-banks are sharply defined.

Speak to Newt Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Allows the caster to speak with amphibian or Newt Rune creatures, one type per round, provided their INT is less than or equal to 3. Oratory may be used to influence them. Newts are generally all amphibians and most slimy-soft bodied creatures, (e.g. Squid and Walktapi etc).

Summon Chaotic Ancestor Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable
As Azraeli Ancestor Summon's spell, but the spirit is chaotic. Roll POW on 1D100 POW×1%: 3 CFs, POW×3%: 2 CFs, POW×5%: 1 CF, critical implies one roll on each table of CFs.

Two Point Spells

Mudslick Range: 15m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable
A most fearsome spell. When cast in a marsh, or at least knee-deep mud or sediment, causes the mud for a radius of 2 yrds to become bottomless. All movement by normal creatures falls to 1 within the mudslick and every round they must roll (POW+DEX)×⁵⁄₂% or become stuck fast. If stuck, then they cannot escape by themselves, and every round must roll POW×5% to avoid sinking further, or POW×1% if they struggle at all. There are 6 levels of immersion in a marsh, it will be knee-deep unless the roll was fumbled, (Roll 1D6), subsequent immersion will embed the character as follows in the marsh.

In all chaos marshes there are places like this occurring naturally, it is possible that such places could be created by non-reusable use of this spell. This spell may be used offensively, but no POW vs. POW roll is required because the spell is cast at the ground not the victim.

Summon Marshcreature Range: 40m; Duration: 15 mins; non-Stackable; Reusable
Causes a swirling whirlpool at the point the caster indicates from which, on the following round, a random marsh creature will emerge. Roll 1D100 and consult the table below.

The creature will be neutral to the caster and will serve him if given 1 point of Battlemagic POW per 6 points of POW it has and will respond to instructions in Gibberish. However, a Newtbane will attack the caster immediately. Upon spell expiration the creature will vanish into another whirlpool. These whirlpools are fairly gentle swirlings and are not dangerous themselves.

Subservient Cults

Spirit of Reprisal

There is no cult spirit of reprisal aside from cult vengeance, but it is said that renegade cultists seem to suffer very bad luck in marshes thereafter. Newtlings almost never leave the cult, or the marshes as they cannot survive without water and all normal rivers and lakes are Poseidon death-traps for them.

Associate Cults

Engariel

The only Healer cult found in the marshes. She it was that saved Natterjack after he was ravaged by the Water Gods and in return he swore to help spread her diseases and so she gives him the following spell.

Cause Specific Disease (Warts) Range: Touch; Duration: Instant; Stackable; Reusable; 1 pt
Enables the caster to inflict the disease Warts upon the victim upon successful POW v POW roll. This is a very common disease amongst Chaos Newtlings, many of which sport strange growths and incrustations. A POW v POW roll is made for each point stacked and the number of successful points determines the severity of the disease. (See Engariel for a full write-up of both spell and disease).

Primal Chaos

Associate to all Chaos Cults, Primal Chaos is especially prevalent in marshes where some meres are pools of Chaos Slime. From Primal Chaos is gained the following spell.

Chaos Feature Range: Touch; Duration: Permanent; Non-Stackable; Non-Reusable; 3 pt
Causes a willing recipient to gain a chaos feature as per the random Chaos Features Table with all the normal side effects, (see Primal Chaos).

Uriah

The Chaos-Shamen are a small but powerful part of the Chaos Marsh environment and are found amongst the Chaos Newtlings, though they are not preferred as their bodies have serious limitations compared to most races. Uriah and Natterjack have a peculiar association as is common between Chaos Cults, for individuals from the two cults often prey upon each other, however Uriah offers the following spell to aid in getting food.

Possession Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 2 pt
Allows a spirit of the caster's choice to posses the body of a victim temporarily upon a successful POW vs. POW roll. The spirit can be a summoned ancestor, a controlled spirit, a fetch or the discorporate cultist himself. The spell lasts for as long as the ancestor/spirit is summoned for, or until the spell expires. A possessing spirit cannot directly harm a body while it inhabits it, however a common Natterjack tactic is to cause a possessed victim to walk into a bog and leave him there to die and then recover the body later.

Miscellaneous Notes

Cult Skills

Watersense Perception; Base: ??%; Training: EXP
An untrainable perception skill which functions at full effect in Marshes, as it does for normal Newtlings.

Track by Scent in Water Perception: Base: 25%; Training ???
Chaos Newtlings gain this skill, but it is useless in marsh waters as there is no "flow" to carry the scent.

Gibberish Knowledge: Base: 00%;
The native language of Walktapi and other Newt type creatures, must be used to communicate to most marsh creatures including those summoned by Runemagic. See Demosthenes for training costs.

Marsh Creatures

The Chaos Marsh-lands feature many strange creatures not found elsewhere in the world.

Barragoon

STR	CON	SIZ	POW	DEX	Move	Attack	Weapon SR	Damage
as SIZ	2D6+6	as was x1½	3D6	3D6	4	Grapple at DEX×5%	4	See Below

This creature looks like undead, but is actually alive and formed from fungi and some slimy green marsh plants. It forms from a dead and rotting body that is fully submerged in mud. The body must be dead before Dark Season and rises at the beginning of Sea Season. It uses the dead flesh and bones as the substance with which to construct itself and lives for only one year. The Barragoon lurks by paths in swamps at the bottom of deep pools waiting for travellers, it attacks, (POW×3% to avoid surprise), by attempting to grapple, if successful it immobilises its victims and plunges back into the mere to drown the victim who will rise next Sea Season as another Barragoon. Baragoons have no armour, do not feel pain and will keep moving until their torso is destroyed. In appearance they look like hideous black and green humanoid masses, smell of rotting flesh and often with white bone showing-through, especially in what would be the "face". They are vulnerable to fire and take double damage from this element. POW×5% chance of Chaos Feature.

Corpse Candle

INT 3D6, POW 3D6+6

Also known as "Marsh Lights" or "Will-o-wisps", these are baleful spirits which hate life and lure innocent and curious people to their deaths by displaying "lights", usually life candles, that can be seen for long distances on clear nights. Upon closer approach, the victim will "see" things murkily in the water, often just pale light but sometimes the glitter of jewelry will be observed or some other thing of value. If the victim now approaches to where he/she is just above the light, the spirit manifests as a palely glowing, putrefied face and attack POW vs. INT. If successful, the victim is struck by a spell similar to Harmonise and will be transfixed. There often is jewelry and other valuables amidst the bones of past victim's at the bottom of such pools. These spirits do not manifest on Freezeday indicating that the lights are illusory.

Leech

STR	CON	SIZ	POW	DEX	Move	Attack
1	2D6+6	1	2D6+6	3D6	1	see below

These small creatures loiter in pools and creep under clothing and armour to feed on the blood of their victims. The victim only has a POW×1% chance of noticing the initial attack. There are two types, the first is black, brown, yellow or white and will make one successful attack per week taking 1-3 CON points. The other is blood-red in colour and takes 1-3 points of CON and POW every round and will attempt to kill its victim. 95% of leeches are the former type, but both have a POW×5% chance of possessing chaos features. Leeches frequently carry diseases (POW×3% chance). Each attack takes an hour to perform; the leech remains attached and will repeat its attack each Godsday if not removed

Marshfrog

Marsh dwelling varieties of Cliff Toads with identical stats and abilities save that their skins are glutinous and they hide-in-water waiting for prey.

Moonmist

INT 3D6, POW 3D6+6

Another form of marsh-ghost allied to the Moon Rune. It manifests as a bank of fog or mist, usually on an already misty night. It renders visibility to only 1 yard. It then creates illusions and phantoms that attack the individuals in POW vs. POW. It tries to panic the victims into running or fleeing hoping they become ensnared and this is its true horror, for it will envelop a dying man and consume his spirit as he dies unconscious, unable to resist. Sometimes a Moonmist attacks in a victim's sleep. Each can attack, but one person at a time, but it will often probe members of a party to find one more susceptible than his companions.

Mudskipper

STR	CON	SIZ	POW	DEX	Move	Attack	Weapon SR	Damage
3D6+6	3D6	3D6	3D6	2D6+6	2/8	Bite at DEX×5% Spine at DEX×5%	5 S/MR	1D8 + DB 1D6+1 & Poison

An odd and chaotic looking creature looking like a lumpy-fish, though it is in fact a Newt Rune creature. It has a large fishy body leading straight into a large head with big bug-eyes and wide mouth filled with spiney teeth, it has a finned tail and front flippers with which it swims well especially in muddy water or over pure mud, but can only crawl with effort. It attacks by bitting with its fearsome teeth and with the spines on its dorsal fin which it can shoot at DEX×5% to 20m range, they have a Paralytic and lethal venom on them of Potency equal to the creature's CON and any Mudskipper has 2D6 of these spines available at any one time. Each grows back in a week. Like most Newt-like creatures, Mudskippers have little true armour and are vulnerable to fire, taking double damage. Mudskippers have Watersense and Hide in Water at 90%. They have a POW×5% chance of a Chaos Feature. Locations are as follows.

Newtbane

STR	CON	SIZ	POW	DEX	Move	Attack	Weapon SR	Damage
4D6+6	2D6+6	3D6+6	2D6+6	1D6+12	2/8	Bite at DEX×5%	4	2D6 + DB

Well guess what! Another horrible creature that hides in water and leaps out to surprise unwary passers-by, save that a Newtbane's favourite food is Newtlings and it will ignore all other prey unless it is starving, (failed POW×5%). In form, it is like a turtle with flippers and armoured carapace, but the head is fearsome having large fish-eyes and a colossal gape armed with long, sharp spiny teeth. It is immune to Newtling poison. It is a strong swimmer and can easily catch a Newtling in clear water, however it can be outdistanced overland. It can Spit Acid of 1D6 potency to 10m at DEX×5% accuracy. If not hungry, Newtbanes are placid and will not attack unless provoked, when they most likely spit once and swim-way submerged. They appear allied to the Reptile Rune and this might have some connection with their hostility to Newtlings. Their heads are truly hideous with many bony projections. They have Hide in Water and Listen at 90%, no Watersense and POW×5% chance of a Chaos Feature.

Newtbane Hit Location Table

1D20	1	2	3-12	13-14	15-16	17-20
Location	R. Hind Flipper	L. Hind Flipper	Body	R. Fore Flipper	L. Fore Flipper	Head
Armour	1	1	8	1	1	4
Hit Points	−1	−1	+2	−1	−1	-

Slimeworm

STR	CON	SIZ	POW	DEX	Move	Attack	Weapon SR	Damage
As SIZ	3D6	1-6D6	3D6	4D6	2/-	Bite at DEX×5%	4	D4

Relatively harmless creatures, save to vegetation! They are long and worm-like with shaggy green outgrowths that look like algae growing on mudbanks. They have Watersense and Hide in Water at 90% and have developed very quick reflexes to catch their prey. Normally they munch such vegetation as they find, including Barragoons! But they will also hunt elves, attacking with a poison Bite. Against non-plants it is a potency CON ⁄ 3 irritant poison, but vs elves, (et al), it is lethal and paralytic with Potency equal to CON. It then persues its victim and consumes the corpse. It has a POW×5% chance of a Chaos Feature and is usually very docile, even when provoked. It only hunts elves when hungry and other food is scarce.

Slimeworm Hit Location Table

D20	1-8	9-16	17-20
Location	Tail	Body	Head
Armour	-	-	-
Hit Points	+2	+1	+1

Starting Character Natterjacks

Chaos Newtlings have the same stats as normal Newtlings, but have POW×5% chance of having at least one Chaos Feature. They gain the following skills and spells.

Weapons
1-Handed and 2-Handed Trident, and Harpoon. One attack and one parry is at 50% plus bonuses, the others are at 25% plus bonuses.

Skills

• Swimming at 70% plus bonuses, Speak Newtling at 80% plus bonuses.
• Watersense, and Hide in Water at 50% plus bonuses.
• Spot/Set Ambush, Spot Hidden, Move Quietly, Tribal Weapon Making, Speak Gibberish are all at 30% plus bonuses.
• Track by Scent (in water) and Hide in Cover are at 25% plus bonuses.
• Brew Newtling Poison is at 10% plus bonuses

Spells
Extinguish, and Binding for free plus 1000sh of the half price spells. The character must be presumed an initiate if the requirements are met.

Equipment
The only equipment is a complete set of weapons, Trident and 1D4 Harpoons.