TEXT: An Adventure for Ars Magica Fourth Edition by Atlas Games
  © 1998 by Patrick and Jennifer Murphy
  A Mad Irishman Production
  (with apologies to C.J. Cherryh)
  SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
  1 Meet Sigurd
  2 Little Boy Lost
  3 Leshiys to the Left of Us, Leshiys to
  the Right of Us…
  4 The Enemy Draws Near
  5 Refuge in the Village
  6 Cumans are Coming
  7 Resolution
  BACKGROUND
  leksandr 
  Vasilyevich 
  Misurov
  (“Sasha”) has been kidnapped by
  the Grigorevich clan…he’s 
  the
  illegitimate son of a boyar 
  (Vasily
  Vasilyevich) and has been raised in the
  village of Vojvoda. There he served his
  “uncle” Fedya at The Cockerel, an inn
  where he worked as a servant and stable
  boy. (He was occasionally visited by his
  father, who was seeking some way to have
  him trained as a wizard or volkhv so as to
  aid him in his campaigns. His mother
  died several years ago.) This young lad
  has the Gift…everyone thinks him a bit
  strange and the villagers stay away from
  him, though he seems to have a rapport
  with animals. Recently, the Inn’s barn
  burned down, with Sasha’s uncle in it,
  and the villagers’ fingers were quick to
  point to Sasha as the culprit. Before
  everyone could decide what to do with
  the boy (banishment and stoning were
  the most popular options), the boy
  vanished.
  The Grigorevich clan had learned of
  Sasha’s whereabouts because they had
  known 
  Vasily 
  Vasilyevich’s 
  son
  supposedly had magical abilities. When
  they heard that a boy matching his
  description was responsible for using
  witchcraft to murder his uncle, they
  descended upon Vojvoda and snatched
  the lad in the middle of the night. Sasha
  is a clever and resourceful boy, however,
  and 
  he 
  escaped 
  from 
  his 
  Polish
  watchdogs and slipped away into the
  woods. So they begin their search anew,
  scouring the forest for the young lad.
  Matters are further complicated by
  the fact that the villagers are still looking
  for him, as are the forces of Vasily
  Vasilyevich; even the Covenant of the
  Tower of Thorns has taken an interest, as
  one of their number (Sigurd of Tytalus)
  is looking for an apprentice and this boy
  sounds like a good candidate.
  MEET SIGURD
  rekking through a forest of the
  Russian Principality of Galicia, the
  players will happen upon two men
  traveling together. They appear to be
  Scandinavian in descent, and while one
  looks like a Viking warrior, the other
  bears the trappings of a wizard.
  Parleying with the pair will reveal that
  this man is indeed a wizard of the
  Hermetic Order, one Sigurd of Tytalus
  (players may recognize the name as that
  of the pater of Spitihnev of Tytalus). He
  will be polite but not forthcoming with
  A
  T
  
  The Little Boy Everybody Wanted
  2
  the players as to why he is in the area. His
  covenant, Zavet Stlupa Trina (“Tower of
  Thorns Covenant”), is located some days
  away in the Pripet Marshes of the
  Principality of Turov-Pinsk. His voice is
  deep and gravelly, and carries a hint of
  cruelty.
  Sigurd will be quite interested in what
  the players are doing here, however,
  especially once it becomes clear they are
  not from the Novgorod Tribunal. He will
  attempt to find out what 
  sort 
  of
  important mission might bring them so
  far, and he is not above using magic on
  their grogs to find this out.
  After spending some time conversing
  with the characters, and after satisfying
  himself that he has some knowledge of
  why they have come to Rus, Sigurd will
  bid them farewell and disappear back into
  the wilds of Galicia.
  Unbeknownst to the party, Sigurd
  has heard of the boy Aleksandr and seeks
  him as a potential apprentice. If he
  discovers the characters at a later time
  with the boy, he will demand that the lad
  be handed over to him.
  Sigurd is a barrel-chested man of
  avereage height but whose form suggests
  dangerous power. His hair is long,
  straight, and blond, while his pale blue
  eyes gaze menacingly over all potential
  enemies.
  Age: 57; Size: 0; Confidence: 4
  Characteristics                                               
  +1
  Str
  -1
  Dex
  0 Stm
  -2
  Qik
  +3
  Int
  +1
  Prs
  +3
  Per
  +2
  Com
  Personality       
  Traits                                          
  +3
  Demanding
  +2
  Ambitious
  +2
  Cruel
  +2
  Curious
  +1
  Deceitful
  Virtues       and       Flaws                                          
  The Gentle Gift
  Deft Art (Mentem)
  Strong-Willed
  Fury (when wounded)
  Abilities                                                           
  Speak Russian 4, Speak Scandinavian 4,
  Speak Latin 4, Scribe Latin 4, Scribe
  Church Slavonic 2, Acting 2, Awareness
  2, Pripet Marshes Lore 4, Bargain 2,
  Guile 4, Church Knowledge 3, Single
  Weapon 3, Brawling 3, Etiquette 4, Faerie
  Lore 
  4, 
  Folk 
  Ken 
  3, 
  Forgery 
  4,
  Intimidation 3, Swim 4, Stealth 4,
  hermetic History 3, Hemes Lore 3,
  Certámen 3, Concentration 2, Finesse 2,
  Magic Theory 5, Parma Magica 5,
  Penetration 2
  Magical       
  Arts                                                   
  Creo 6, Intéllego 9, Muto 9, Perdo 12,
  Rego 9, Animál 5, Aquam 6, Auram 5,
  Corpus 6, Herbam 6, Ignem 7, Imáginem
  13, Mentem 12, Terram 7, Vim 6
  Combat       
  Totals                                               
  Weapon
  Init
  Atk
  Dfn
  Dam
  Brawl Totals:
  +4
  +3
  +3
  +0
  Fatigue: +4
  Soak: +2
  (leather scale cuirass)
  Body       Levels                                                    
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Fatigue       Levels                                                
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Olaf is 6’3”, 240 lbs. of black-haired, blue-
  eyed, 39-year old ugly muscle. He is
  mute and responds only to Sigurd’s
  commands. He wears half chain mail,
  carries a kite shield, and wields an axe in
  combat, though he also is armed with a
  short bow and a dagger.
  
  Patrick and Jennifer Murphy
  3
  Age: 39; Size: 0; Confidence: 3
  Characteristics                                               
  +1
  Str
  +1
  Dex
  +1
  Stm
  +1
  Qik
  0 Int
  0 Prs
  0 Per
  0 Com
  Personality       
  Traits                                          
  +3
  Obedient
  +2
  Patient
  +3
  Violent
  +1
  Unimaginative
  Combat       
  Totals                                               
  Weapon
  Init
  Atk
  Dfn
  Dam
  Axe & Shield: +7
  +9
  +11
  +9
  Axe Totals:
  +8
  +8
  +7
  +9
  Dagger Totals:+6
  +7
  +6
  +6
  Bow Totals:
  +3
  +4
  +3
  +4
  Brawl Totals:
  +4
  +5
  +3
  +3
  Fatigue: +7
  Soak: +15
  (half chain mail)
  Body       Levels                                                    
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Fatigue       Levels                                                
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  LITTLE BOY LOST
  esuming 
  their 
  journey, 
  the
  characters discover 
  a 
  tattered,
  disheveled and hungry Sasha. He
  will not trust the characters but if they
  show him kindness he will gladly accept
  food from them and at least tentative
  acceptance. He will be particularly drawn
  to maternal figures (or at least women)
  but only to the most kind of men. He
  does not understand what is happening
  to him, but can tell the players about the
  barn burning and people getting mad at
  him. Sasha inists that he didn’t burn
  down the barn, but that the ovinnik must
  have been angered and done it. He can
  explain to them what an ovinnik is (a
  spirit of the barn), and can tell them that
  he was taken away by men in the middle
  of the night if pressed, but remember
  that although Sasha is a clever young boy,
  he is distraught and confused. Players
  should be somewhat frustrated in their
  attempts to arrive at a clear conclusion as
  to what has happened to the lad. He
  might be made to remember that the
  unknown men who took him spoke in
  some strange tongue (they were Polish,
  and 
  players 
  may 
  learn 
  that 
  the
  Grigorevichi are allied with Polish forces
  in Galicia).
  Players may notice that the boy is
  unusual; in fact, he has the Gift and may
  make someone a fine apprentice.
  “Sasha” is 4 feet tall and weighs about 70
  pounds. His sandy blond hair is short
  and fine, and his intelligence is made
  clear in his blue eyes. His face is wide,
  almost square, with a sharp nose. He is
  left-handed.
  Age: 7; Size: -1; Confidence: 1
  Characteristics                                               
  0 Str
  -1
  Dex
  +1
  Stm
  -2
  Qik
  +3
  Int
  0 Prs
  +2
  Per
  0 Com
  Personality       
  Traits                                          
  +3
  Loyal
  +2
  Shy
  +3
  Insecure
  Virtues       and       Flaws                                          
  Cautious Sorcerer
  Inoffensive to Animals
  Ways of the Forest
  Premonitions
  Small Frame
  Chaotic Magic
  Judged Unfairly
  R
  
  The Little Boy Everybody Wanted
  4
  Abilities                                                           
  Speak Russian 4, Premonitions 3, Animal
  Handling 2, Kiev Lore 1, Stealth 1, Swim
  1
  Combat       
  Totals                                               
  Weapon
  Init
  Atk
  Dfn
  Dam
  Brawl Totals:
  -1
  -1
  -1
  +0
  Fatigue: +1
  Soak: +0
  (unarmored)
  Body       Levels                                                    
  OK, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Fatigue       Levels                                                
  OK, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  LESHIYS TO THE LEFT
  OF US, LESHIYS TO
  THE RIGHT OF US...
  ot long 
  after 
  finding 
  young
  Aleksandr, the party will run afoul
  of a leshiy and his family. These
  mischievous creatures will try their best
  to irritate and befuddle the group,
  leading people off their trail, mimicking
  others’ voices, and using illusions to
  delude. Little Sasha should demonstrate
  his worth by having everyone put their
  clothes on backwards, which so confuses
  the leshiy he lets them go, perhaps after
  appearing briefly to converse with these
  interesting humans.
  The vast forests of the Slavic lands are
  home to the leshiye [lyesh-EE-yeh],
  territorial faeries whose name is derived
  from les ‘forest’. Thought to be the
  product of a union between a woman and
  a demon, the leshiy [LYESH-ee] is a
  mischievous, 
  though 
  good-natured,
  creature that harasses travelers who enter
  his forest domain. Most often they lead
  astray those who attempt to find their
  way through the forest, 
  sometimes
  making wild and distracting 
  noises
  (including mimicing human voices or
  sobbing) 
  or 
  obscuring 
  paths 
  and
  landmarks. Many have entire families
  that assist in perpetrating these pranks.
  Leshiye often let the victims go when
  they grow bored; alternately, one may sit
  under a tree, undress and put all of one’s
  clothes 
  on backwards to ward 
  his
  glamours. The leshiye 
  are dormant
  throughout the winter but are extremely
  malicious when they reappear in the
  spring.
  Leshiye frequently appear as creatures
  with blue cheeks, bushy eyebrows, and
  green eyes and beards. At the forest’s
  edge he might be small as a dwarf, but
  when striding through the heart of the
  forest he might be as tall as the trees. The
  leshiy has no shadow, and may appear in
  outlandish costumes: perhaps with a
  caftan buttoned backwards, his shoes on
  the wrong feet, and a brilliant red sash.
  They may also assume the form of other
  creatures or of an inanimate object.
  Creature        
  Might                 Size                              
  35
  +2
  Characteristics                                               
  +5
  Str
  +4
  Dex
  +3
  Stm
  +2
  Qik
  +2
  Int
  +3
  Prs
  +1
  Per
  +2
  Com
  Personality       
  Traits                                          
  +1
  Honest
  +2
  Moody
  +3
  Kind to Animals
  Powers                                                            
  5 Change size
  15 Communicate with Animals
  15 Control Animals
  9 Control Auram
  10 Shapechange to Animal or Plants
  10 Shapechange to Object
  N
  
  Patrick and Jennifer Murphy
  5
  Leshiye are immune to all Auram effects
  cast 
  in 
  their 
  domain, 
  and 
  can
  automatically dispel any Animál spell cast
  on their animals.
  Vulnerable to religion
  Combat       
  Totals                                               
  Weapon
  Init
  Atk
  Dfn
  Dam
  Kick Totals:
  +8
  +10
  -
  +15
  Club Totals:
  +11
  +13
  +10
  +25
  Fatigue: n/a
  Soak: +35*
  *Iron weapons do +2 damage
  Body       Levels                                                    
  OK, 0, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Fatigue       Levels                                                
  OK, 0, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  THE ENEMY DRAWS
  NEAR
  nly a day or so later, some of the
  Grigorevichi scouts will stumble
  upon the group. Three Poles (from
  among Miezsko, Tadeusz, Stefa, Henio,
  and Zbysek) will demand that the boy be
  turned over to them if they discover him.
  They will not attempt to take him if the
  group is too large, but will return in force
  to force the issue by force later. They
  speak Russian and one speaks some
  German. Sasha recognizes the men as
  being from the group which kidnapped
  him. He will attempt to flee should the
  party try to turn him over to the Poles.
  Characteristics                                               
  +1
  Str
  +1
  Dex
  +1
  Stm
  +1
  Qik
  0 Int
  0 Prs
  0 Per
  0 Com
  Combat       
  Totals                                               
  Weapon
  Init
  Atk
  Dfn
  Dam
  Sword Totals: +9
  +9
  +10
  +6
  Bow Totals:
  +5
  +4
  +5
  +4
  Brawl Totals:
  +6
  +5
  +5
  +1
  Fatigue: +5
  Soak: +4
  (half metal reinforced armor)
  Body       Levels                                                    
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Fatigue       Levels                                                
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  REFUGE 
  IN 
  THE
  VILLAGE
  hould the party flee to Aleksandr’s
  village (or any neighboring village,
  for that matter), they may be in for
  a chilly reception. The villagers have all
  been convinced that Sasha is a koldun, an
  evil sorcerer who must be put to death.
  This has been encouraged by the volkhv
  Svetoslav, who doesn’t like the idea of
  some young wizard whose talent is so
  promising eventually becoming a rival of
  his.
  The villagers will attempt to take the
  boy from the party (though they are
  easily intimidated, especially by magic) if
  he is made known to them. They will
  wish to take him to Svetoslav so that he
  can pass judgement on him (this will be a
  death penalty). Given stiff resistance, the
  villagers will attempt to take him by more
  surreptitious means.
  Some sample villager names are Male:
  Piotr, Vasya, Dmitri, Ivan, Gleb, Yuri;
  Female: Ilenka, Irina, Olga, Tatyana
  Svetoslav stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall, and
  weighs 163 pounds. His brown hair is
  O
  S
  
  The Little Boy Everybody Wanted
  6
  wavy and unkempt, and his hazel eyes
  betray a cunning intelligence.
  Age: 39; Size: 0; Confidence: 3
  Characteristics                                               
  0 Str
  0 Dex
  +1
  Stm
  0 Qik
  +1
  Int
  +1
  Prs
  +1
  Per
  +0
  Com
  Personality       
  Traits                                          
  +3
  Self-serving
  +1
  Nervous
  +2
  Opportunist
  +1
  Helpful
  Virtues       and       Flaws                                          
  Divination
  Hex
  Overconfident
  Reclusive
  Magical Air
  Abilities                                                           
  Speak Russian 5, Brawl 2, Chirurgy 4,
  Folk 
  Magic 
  3, 
  Herbalism 
  3, 
  Hex
  (spoiling) 4, Legend Lore 3, Favor of the
  Gods 5, Survival 1, Scribe Cuts and Lines
  1, Travel 6, Control 5, Alter 5, Ritual 5
  Combat       
  Totals                                               
  Weapon
  Init
  Atk
  Dfn
  Dam
  Brawl Totals:
  +4
  +3
  +3
  +0
  Fatigue: +4
  Soak: +2
  (half fur)
  Body       Levels                                                    
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Fatigue       Levels                                                
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Characteristics                                               
  0 Str
  0 Dex
  0 Stm
  0 Qik
  0 Int
  -1
  Prs
  0 Per
  -1
  Com
  Combat       
  Totals                                               
  Weapon
  Init
  Atk
  Dfn
  Dam
  Spear Totals:
  +6
  +7
  +2
  +6
  Brawl Totals:
  +4
  +3
  +3
  +0
  Fatigue: +1
  Soak: +0
  (unarmored)
  Body       Levels                                                    
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Fatigue       Levels                                                
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  CUMANS ARE COMING
  fter a few more days, the last of the
  forces searching for the boy will be
  made 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  players.
  Though these forces belong to the boy’s
  father, Vasiliy Vasilyevich, the players
  may end up fighting them because they
  do not realize this, because they oppose
  his treatment of the boy, or because of
  the nature of the forces which have been
  dispatched for him, for the next forces to
  find him will be Cumans, known as
  Polovtsy to the Russians, and allied to the
  boy’s father and others in Kiev.
  The leader of this band is Tureng, a
  member of the “Swift Feet” tribe of the
  Polovtsy. His orders are to retrieve the
  boy unharmed, so he will not attack
  unless absolutely necessary. His forces
  include three shapechangers and he and
  his other eight men are mounted on
  hardy horses (remember to add charging
  and/or 
  higher 
  ground 
  bonuses 
  to
  mounted warriors’ attacks).
  Characteristics                                               
  +1
  Str
  0 Dex
  +2
  Stm
  +1
  Qik
  0 Int
  -1
  Prs
  A
  
  Patrick and Jennifer Murphy
  7
  +1
  Per
  -2
  Com
  Combat       
  Totals                                               
  Weapon
  Init
  Atk
  Dfn
  Dam
  Sword Totals: +9
  +6
  +10
  +5
  Lance Totals: +11
  +11
  +7
  +7
  Brawl Totals:
  +6
  +4
  +5
  +1
  Fatigue: +7
  Soak: +9
  (full ring mail)
  Body       Levels                                                    
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Fatigue       Levels                                                
  OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Magic        
  Might                      Size                              
  15
  -1
  Characteristics                                               
  +2
  Str
  +2
  Dex
  +4
  Stm
  +1
  Qik
  +2
  Int
  0 Prs
  +4
  Per
  0 Com
  Powers                                                            
  Strike Dumb, ReCo 15/ReAn 15, 3 points
  — If the shapechanger gazes at its prey, it
  can paralyze the creature unless it makes
  a Stm roll of 12+
  Combat       
  Totals                                               
  Weapon
  Init
  Atk
  Dfn
  Dam
  Bite Totals:
  +5
  +6
  +4
  +6
  Fatigue: +4
  Soak: +14
  Body       Levels                                                    
  OK, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  Fatigue       Levels                                                
  OK, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated
  RESOLUTION
  layers being what they are, there are
  any number of possible outcomes to
  this adventure. What follows are
  simply some possibilities based on the
  decisions that the players make.
  • If they turn the boy over to Vasily
  Vasilyevich: The party will have
  earned Vasily’s gratitude. He will be
  amenable to sending the boy off with
  them to be trained as a wizard (after
  all, he’d be safer far away), with the
  understanding that upon completion
  of his training, he will return to his
  father’s court to aid him in his
  political endeavors (never mind that
  the Code prohibits this or that the
  father is unlikely to still be in power
  when he completes his training).
  • If they turn the boy over to the
  forces of the 
  Grigorevichi: The
  adventure is over as far as the party is
  concerned. The boy will be taken
  away but will likely escape his captors
  once again. He may show up years
  later for payback.
  • If they turn the boy over to the
  magus Sigurd: They will have gained
  some small favor with the Tytalus,
  though not too much. After all, it’s
  his territory and he’s the elder magus,
  so 
  he 
  expects 
  such 
  treatment.
  However, they boy was found by the
  player characters and turned over to
  Sigurd they will gain some small
  Hermetic influence. This option may
  be combined with the first option;
  that is, the players may turn the boy
  over to his father but suggest that his
  magical training come from the
  Tower of Thorns. Still, the Tytalus is
  a cruel and demanding master; once
  again, 
  maybe 
  Sasha 
  meets 
  the
  characters some day as a bitter and
  twisted young magus.
  P
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Ars Magica [multi]/4th edition/Fan-made/The Little Boy Everybody Wanted.pdf