vanity-delve/samples/gilded-court-404.md

THE CAIRN OF THE PATIENT LORD

the barrow keeps its order, and you have joined the queue.

VANITY · Barrow · Depth 2 · 4 heroes · 6 areas + an authored ending Seed gilded-court-404 · generator 0.1.0 · catalog barrow@1

Skeleton seed, not a replay seed. It reproduces the fiction, the area order, the heat and the hoard tiers. It does not reproduce encounter composition, mood or hoard contents — those come from the Forge, which is not seeded.

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The truth (GM only)

The Cairn of the Patient Lord. The Patient Lord bound a procession by oath they could not break, so that someone would always go behind them. The Patient Lord is second now, and cannot bear it. The prize is the crown worn first, and only once — the proof of precedence. The Silent Host are still performing the ritual they were buried for; they are handled by courtesy. The motif is precedence, and the danger is procession: the barrow keeps its order, and you have joined the queue.

They will ask you: "Who goes first?"

Pressure

• The clock. Roll 1d6 on a trigger, or every 3 Turns. 1 or under — something comes. Telegraph one Turn ahead.
• Triggers this delve: announced · loud · seenTwice · disturbed
• The tab. Target 5 Banes by the ending. Banes are offered by named beats, never hoped for.
• The danger is procession: the barrow keeps its order, and you have joined the queue.

The way through — the appeasement

Anyone may stand aside and let it go ahead of you. [VANITY: Poise — 2 successes] On success it goes first, and The Silent Host will not open hostilities first. Cost: +1 Vanity now, +1 Bane on the tab. Shine now, bill later. Repeatable in every area. Say the Bane aloud when it banks — the table must be able to see the route is open.

Factions

• The Silent Host (undead) — still performing the ritual they were buried for. Handled by courtesy.
• the Barrow-Wardens (undead) — sealed this place and stayed to make sure. Handled by proof of right.

Planned fights: 2 of 6 areas · base heat fight

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AREA 1 — The Mourners' Steps

approach · institution

A stair too grand for the door it serves. The queue disturbed — three of the dead pushed aside. One of the Host — reading out an order of precedence to an empty hall. When you walk in, it pauses and asks where you fall in it. None of it is accident — it was done this way on purpose.

GM. The list must be read in full before anyone may proceed. This is how the place was ordered, and it still is. They can: name your own place in the order and it will be honoured, exactly. [Poise 2: stand aside and let it go ahead of you] also works here, as everywhere. Looking closer: [Observation — 1 success] buys who did it, and roughly when

Banners in strict order, and one you could move. reordering them opens a way and insults everyone buried here. [Wits 2] → you reorder them correctly and a way opens Miss → you reorder wrongly and insult everyone buried here: +1 Bane Or leave them: the way stays shut, one Turn to find another.

trigger: announced · bane beat: announcing · fallback: The Silent Host will receive anyone who behaves as a guest (one Bane on the tab, and they will expect it again) · if skipped: move its cue fragment into the next area so the motif still completes.

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AREA 2 — The Lesser Vault

complication · ritual

Banners in sequence, each house a place further back. A seat at the head of the hall dragged back, as if to sit in. Two of the Host — refusing, each of them, to go through a door second. When you walk in, they both look at you to break it. None of it is accident — it was done this way on purpose.

GM. Neither may be seen to yield. The office is still being performed, for someone who is no longer served by it. They can: rule between them and the loser attaches to you as a lesser. [Poise 2: stand aside and let it go ahead of you] also works here, as everywhere. Looking closer: [Observation — 1 success] buys who did it, and roughly when

A corridor that will not let two walk abreast. whoever goes first meets whatever is there first. [Poise 1] → you settle the order and whoever leads meets what is there, ready Miss → you argue in the corridor and something arrives while you do Or send one scout: slow, one Turn, and they are alone.

trigger: loud · bane beat: noticing · fallback: The Silent Host will receive anyone who behaves as a guest (one Bane on the tab, and they will expect it again) · if skipped: move its cue fragment into the next area so the motif still completes.

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AREA 3 — The Antechamber

complication · ritual

A herald's script with the order still marked. Someone has walked the corridor the wrong way, scuffing one side. One of the Host with a herald's staff — announcing arrivals to an empty stair. When you walk in, it announces you, inventing a rank. None of it is accident — it was done this way on purpose.

GM. The post requires arrivals and there have been none. The office is still being performed, for someone who is no longer served by it. They can: accept the invented rank and the barrow will treat you as it. [Poise 2: stand aside and let it go ahead of you] also works here, as everywhere. Looking closer: [Observation — 1 success] buys who did it, and roughly when

A door that opens only for the foremost of a party. someone must be named first, aloud, and the others must accept it. [Flair 2] → someone is named first, aloud, and the door opens for them Miss → the naming is disputed and the door reads that as no answer Or let the barrow choose: it picks the loudest, and remembers.

trigger: announced · bane beat: relicUse · fallback: The Silent Host will receive anyone who behaves as a guest (one Bane on the tab, and they will expect it again) · if skipped: move its cue fragment into the next area so the motif still completes.

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AREA 4 — The Records Room

turn · demand · fight · cache

A door only one person may pass at a time, and only first. A numbered flagstone lifted and not replaced. A living robber — prising number-plates off the flagstones. When you walk in, they freeze, then offer you one. None of it is accident — it was done this way on purpose.

GM. They worked out the order is what keeps the doors shut. Here the want is explicit — the place asks something of whoever enters. They can: take a plate and go first anywhere — the Host will hate you for it. [Poise 2: stand aside and let it go ahead of you] also works here, as everywhere. Looking closer: [Observation — 1 success] buys who did it, and roughly when

A queue of the dead, and a way to step round it. waiting costs two Turns; pushing in costs the Host's patience. [Poise 2] → you step round without breaking the order, and the Host allows it Miss → you push in: +1 Bane and the queue closes behind you Or wait: two Turns, and the Host thinks better of you.

Fight — 1 Ghoul and 2 Skeletons. Harmed by anything. the Ghoul goes for court dress first — send someone plain.

Foe	atk	def	Grit	Nerve
1× Ghoul	4	3	4	5	on a hit, a free Called Shot to freeze for a round
2× Skeleton	3	2	1	5	fearless

Cache hoard. Flagstone — a numbered flagstone, prised up, number one: once, insist on going first and be obeyed. Take it free; using it costs +1 Bane on the tab; while you carry it, you go first into everything from now on.

trigger: announced · bane beat: relicUse · fallback: The Silent Host will receive anyone who behaves as a guest (one Bane on the tab, and they will expect it again) · if skipped: move its cue fragment into the next area so the motif still completes.

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AREA 5 — The Lower Cut

descent · wound · pocket

A procession that doubled back on itself. Banners pulled down and stacked without regard for order. A procession — passing through, unhurried, with you in its way. When you walk in, it does not stop or go round. None of it is accident — it was done this way on purpose.

GM. It has right of way and has had for three centuries. This is the damage the want did to those who had to satisfy it. They can: stand aside and be counted courteous; join it and be counted one of them. [Poise 2: stand aside and let it go ahead of you] also works here, as everywhere. Looking closer: [Observation — 1 success] buys who did it, and roughly when

A stair where the order of descent is visibly recorded. whoever goes last is remembered as having gone last. [Poise 2] → you settle the order before you descend and the record reads as a party, not a rabble Miss → you descend in a scramble: whoever is recorded last is treated as least by the Host from here Or descend however you like and accept the record as it falls.

Pocket hoard. Staffprec — a staff of precedence, laid down and not taken up: once, decide the order of anything, and be obeyed. Take it take the Vice Pride; using it costs +2 Banes on the tab; while you carry it, you may never be second while you hold it.

trigger: seenTwice · bane beat: refusal · fallback: The Silent Host will receive anyone who behaves as a guest (one Bane on the tab, and they will expect it again) · if skipped: move its cue fragment into the next area so the motif still completes.

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AREA 6 — The Robing Room

threshold · anchor · battle · chest

A seat at the head of everything, occupied. A rank-plate prised off and dropped, still shiny where it sat. A queue of the Host — waiting to pass a door, in strict order, not moving. When you walk in, the queue opens a gap at exactly your rank. None of it is accident — it was done this way on purpose.

GM. The first in line is waiting for someone who never arrived. The thing the whole barrow is arranged around is close. They can: take the gap and go with them; take the front and they will remember it. [Poise 2: stand aside and let it go ahead of you] also works here, as everywhere. Looking closer: [Observation — 1 success] buys who did it, and roughly when

A claim to settle: which of you the barrow should address. settling it opens the way; refusing to settle it does not. [Poise 2] → the claim is settled and the barrow addresses one of you from now on Miss → it is not settled, and the barrow keeps asking, in worse places Or refuse to settle: the way on does not open.

Battle — 1 Wraith and 3 Skeletons. Harmed by blessed, silvered or magical weapons ONLY — say so before initiative. it will take an appeasement over a fight every time.

Foe	atk	def	Grit	Nerve
1× Wraith	5	3	10	5	INCORPOREAL — chill touch ignores armour and drains 1 max Grit
3× Skeleton	3	2	1	5	fearless

Chest hoard. Coronet — a small crown, sized for someone who never grew: +1 die when others must defer to you. Take it free; using it costs +1 Bane on the tab; while you carry it, you must be addressed correctly or lose the benefit.

trigger: disturbed · bane beat: relicUse · fallback: The Silent Host will receive anyone who behaves as a guest (one Bane on the tab, and they will expect it again) · if skipped: the ending opens with them holding nothing the bottom problem wants.

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ENDING — The Audience

⟨ AUTHORED SLOT — this is the seam ⟩

Areas 1–6 are what DELVE generates. This is what it hands over.

Cue — fragments

• a corridor that will not let two walk abreast

The Patient Lord — is second now, and cannot bear it. Wants: to be first in all things. Handled by giving them what they want, at a price.

They open by asking: "Who goes first?"

Party's route	The audience
Appeased it even once (stand aside and let it go ahead of you)	It listens. It will trade the crown worn first, and only once for the real thing, done to its face. [VANITY: Poise — 2] or take Rattled.
Refused throughout, tab under 4	It offers a Vice — take the shine, bank the bill. Refusing starts the fight.
Carrying the crown worn first, and only once	It wants that more than it wants you.
Fighting	Winnable by two engaged heroes. Name what harms it before initiative.

Before initiative, always say what can hurt it. Playtest 1 was unwinnable because the table discovered the immunity by failing.

Trigger glossary

• announced — entered somewhere grandly — the big doors, a shout, a herald
• seenTwice — reflected, echoed or witnessed twice over in one place
• loud — a raised voice, a broken door, steel on stone
• lingering — stayed in one place longer than it takes to search it
• disturbed — struck or moved something that had not moved in centuries

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Generated by DELVE for the VANITY RPG.