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Pits of Hell

   The Fifth Trumpet.  1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fall from the sky to the earth.  The star was given the key to the shaft of the abyss; 2 he opened it and smoke poured out of the shaft like smoke from an enormous furnace.  The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft.  3 Out of the smoke, onto the land, came locusts as powerful as scorpions in their sting.  4 The locusts were comanded to do no harm to the grass in the land or to any plant or tree but only to those men who had not the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 The locusts were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months; the pain they inflicted was like that of a scorpion's sting.  6 During that time these men will seek death but will not find it; they will yearn to die but death will escape them.
            Revelation 9:1-6
 

The Chaos Embassy
     Since live prisoners from hell are so rare, the Chaos Embassy will pay anyone who can bring one in.  The live specimens are interorgated and studied.  Here is what the Chaos Embassy has learned of our enemies so far.

           Name: Gnome
     Attributes: ST 10   DX 6   IQ 8   8 extra points  MA 10
   Canibalistic: They prefer to eat the allied races, but will eat each other.
Special effects: Dark vision

           Name: Drow
     Attributes: ST  6   DX 10   IQ 8   8 extra points  MA 12
   Canibalistic: They prefer to eat the allied races, live and slowly.
special effects: Mage sight

           Name: Ogre
     Attributes: ST 25   DX  8   IQ  7   1 extra point  MA 10
   Canibalistic: They prefer to eat the allied races, children especially.
Special effects: fire resistance
                 (double exp needed for a point,
                 Giantism (ST / DX = number of hexes)
                 Dark vision

           Name: Sprite
     Attributes: ST  4, DX 12, IQ  8, 6 extra points  MA 8/16
   Canibalistic: They prefer to eat the allied races, in large stews.
Special effects: +3 DX with thrown or missle weapons
                 Fly
                 Dark vision

           Name: Troll
     Attributes: ST  8   DX  8   IQ  8   8 extra points  MA 10
   Canibalistic: They prefer to eat the allied races, bone marrow first.
Special effects: Only one hex in size, unlike homeland trolls
                 Detect magic
                 Dark vision

           Name: Goblin
     Attributes: ST  9   DX  8   IQ  7   8 extra points  MA 10
   Canibalistic: They prefer to eat the allied races, in festive bar-b-ques.
Special effects: Dark vision
 

Entrance to the Pits
     The entrance to the old Dwarven mine shafts is guarded full time by a platoon of halberdiers.  Should any chaos creature get past them, there are several loaded cannon aimed at the entrance.  These are maned full time by men with torches.  The idea is that after fighting through an entire platoon of halberd weilding soldiers, the cannon will have plenty of time to be fired.  Hopefully collapsing the entrance itself.
     The few teams that return from the pits on successfull mission, or with prisoners, are guarded and searched in the courtyard by Chaos Embassy soldier.  Devices are used to search them for Mithril and magical devices.  Any such found are confenscated and locked into solid iron boxes.  The teams' information is taken down, and any prisoners brought are paid for.  After the stuff in the boxes has been sent to the Hall of Elven Magic, and treated for curses, traps, and possession, they will be returned to the team.  This typically takes one week.  In the event of a major artifact it will take a Month, as the wizard's guild will want to study it in detail.

Missions

The demon spawning
      There are pits within the pits.  It has been determined that these are used to grow new demons.  They are small black little things easily identified by the sulfurous smoke coming out of them.  The chaos creatures treat them with respect and awe.  Even worshiping the holes.  They cast their offerings into them.  People, magic, hearts, blood, and such.  Over the pit set into the wall, or on a dias, is usually a small alter.  There will be some kind of pagan idol on the alter.  They are usually enchanted as a proxy for some greater evil so it can watch over the pit and the developement of its children.  Finding the location of one of these spawning pits is extreamly valuable inteligence.  Do not trie to take one out, or disturb the idol.  Exit the pits as soon as possible and report the location.  A properly equiped and more advanced team will be sent in to clean it out.

The rains
     Once every year it rains on the island of Branya.  This is when the forces of chaos try to retake the surface of the island.  Very few people survive this experience.  After being drafted and sent to Branya, adventurers may do what ever they wish.  They may join a guild, take missions, or do nothing at all.  It doesn't matter.  At the end of the year when it rains chaos will find them and they will have to fight.

The throne room
     Three missions in the entire history of the war have come back from the sixth level of the pits.  All three reported finding an empty throne room with seven thrones.  A central throne at the end of the room, with three on each side of it along the wall.  Adventurers who have sat on these thrones have undergone physical and mental changes.  Some growing horns, scales, even wings.  It has been theorized that allies captured by chaos who aren't eaten are taken to this room and forced into the chairs to become chaos creatures.  Another theory has it that after being eaten the remaining body parts are put in one of the chairs to magically revive them into chaos creatures.  Some advanced thinking on the subject holds that all of the chaos creatures used to be allies who were killed, eaten, and then revived into the twisted being they are.  Further that fighting the chaos creatures is a no win proposition.  That to make real progress one should focus on the demons and devils behind the operation.

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