Part Four: Shrines
An Expedition through the Chaos Wastes is not entirely without solace. If they choose their route with care, the Ubersreik Five will encounter uncorrupted Shrines, where they can seek favour of wholesome gods in the form of Miracles and Boons.
But, of course, such favours are not earned without sacrifice.
TYPES OF SHRINES
Thus far, Olesya has scried three types of Shrine within the Chaos Wastes. Shrines of Strife attract the attention of bellicose gods, whose gifts invariably focus on slaying the foe. Shrines of Harmony are favoured by deities who prefer bestowing gifts of fortitude and healing, rather than destruction. Last but not least, Shrines of Fortune are associated with fickler gods, who favour worldly possessions – and often a little mischief.
If presented with a choice of Shrine, the Ubersreik Five have the opportunity to choose the one that best suits their strengths, weaknesses and combat strategies.
MIRACLES & BOONS
Upon reaching a Shrine, each member of the Ubersreik Five is presented with a selection of Miracles and Boons. To purchase them, our heroes must sacrifice Pilgrim’s Coins found during their Expedition.
Each Miracle can be purchased only once. It is a powerful gift that benefits the whole party, either in the form of sacred artefacts to be used on the next stage of the journey, or blessings that empower all the heroes for a limited time.
By contrast, Boons are unique to each member of the party. Each provides a boost or special ability to the hero who purchases it until the Expedition ends in either success or failure.
Careful choice of Miracles and Boons is vital to a successful Expedition! But remember, any coins sacrificed at Shrines are lost!
GODLY GIFTS
That’s nearly it for this part of the Pilgrim’s Guide, but let’s finish by spotlighting two of the sacred artefacts that the Ubersreik Five can purchase as Miracles: The Jade Censer and Morgrim’s Bomb.
The Jade Censer
The Jade Censer is a gift bestowed by Rhya, Goddess of Life and Living Things. It is said that the censer’s chambers contain not incense, but Rhya’s own divine blood that falls upon the world as life-giving rain when winter fades. When the censer’s magic is invoked, that same blood becomes an invigorating mist that heals wounds and spurs the worthy to fresh effort. It should not be forgotten that while Rhya is first and foremost a benevolent deity, she is also a hunter …
Morgrim’s Bomb
Morgrim is the dwarfen Ancestor God of Engineering, fascinated by the workings of devices and machines. So the story goes, he created his first bomb to slay a mighty Bloodthirster during his father Grimnir’s desperate quest to end the threat of Chaos.
Though the secret was lost to Morgrim’s descendants, those who seek his favour may find themselves rewarded with a device that, while a mere shadow of the original bomb, outmatches mortal contraptions. Strangely, Morgrim’s bomb doesn’t seem to employ black powder at all, but some essence unknown even to the most experienced of engineers. ‘Seems to’ because no one has even found a way to pry the shell apart without ushering themselves into the mournful ranks of the deceased.
