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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
   
   
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  Captains of the 
  Scarlet Tabard 
   
  An Old School Supplement 
  For Fantasy Role-Playing Games 
   
  Created By 
  Kent David Kelly 
   
  With Inspiration From 
  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
   
  Cover Art By 
  Dean Spencer 
   
  Interior Illustrations By 
  Sebald Beham, Albrecht Durer, Gentile da 
  Fabriano, Theodor Kittelsen, William 
  McAusland, Harold Robert Millar, Thomas 
  Miller, Giovanni Battista Moroni, 
  Et Alii 
   
  Some Artwork © 2015 
  Dean Spencer, 
  Used with Permission. All Rights Reserved. 
   
  Some Artwork Copyright 
  William McAusland, 
  Used With Permission 
   
   
   
   
   
  Wonderland Imprints © 2019 
  Only the Finest Works of Fantasy 
   
  OSR 
   
  Dedicated To 
  The Bundle of Holding Charity and 
  Funding Drive Participants 
   
   
   
  Artoria Pia Fidelis 
   
   
   
   
  
   
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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  Description 
   
  Wrath and ruin, 
  Gold for blood, 
  Enemy of evil, 
  The Order of the Scarlet 
  Stands forever in defiance. 
  In vigilance we stand, 
  In valor we fight! 
  Long live Lord Artorius, 
  And all glory to Grimrook! 
   
  A sequel to the 2018 mercenary soldier 
  supplement The Order of the Scarlet 
  Tabard, CAPTAINS is a companion volume 
  which unveils the secrets of the most 
  famous mercenary company to rise within 
  the World of Oldskull.  Herein, you will 
  learn of the Order’s history, tactics, ranks, 
  and organization, with capsule descriptions 
  of all the most grizzled and doughty 
  mercenary captains that the Free City State 
  of Grimrook dares to offer.  You’ll learn of 
  the Order’s grinning half-ogre battering 
  ram, the deadly oil-wielding “Burninators,” 
  dogs of war, terrifying treasure carters, 
  master 
  halberdiers, 
  dungeon 
  falcons, 
  shield walls, and more. 
  Those ever-reliable men-at-arms who keep 
  your heroes alive as they delve through 
  dungeons deep are back in force, proving 
  that men-at-arms are always exciting and 
  entertaining, never boring.  If you’ve never 
  yet thought of mercenaries as being epic 
  supporting players, the you’ve never seen 
  the Order in action! 
  Your campaign’s adventuring parties can 
  maximize their survivability (and fun) by 
  just plunking down a few gold coins in the 
  name of these infamous Redshirts … men 
  and women o’ the scarlet — ready to fight 
  and die, one for all — in their glorious 
  pursuit of hard-won lucre and a reason to 
  be remembered for the ages.  Point these 
  PC-hired NPCs toward your world’s orcs 
  and ogres and let the bloody mayhem 
  unfold! 
  This supplement has been written to honor 
  the generous contributors who participated 
  in the highly successful 2019 Castle 
  Oldskull / Bundle of Holding charity and 
  funding drive.  Participants raised over 
  $2,000 for the Breast Cancer Research 
  Foundation, generating over $22,000 in 
  total sales of more than 6 million pages’ 
  worth of Castle Oldskull gaming lore.  In 
  recognition of their spirit, all of the NPCs 
  featured in this volume are partly inspired 
  by the user names of the top-funding 
  contributors.  Ladies and gentlemen of the 
  Bundle, consider yourselves immortalized 
  in the Chronicles of Oldskull! 
  This e-supplement will always be set to Pay 
  What You Want.  Please feel free to “tip” the 
  author, or to pay nothing at all.  Whatever 
  you decide, please download, plug the 
  Order into your game world, and enjoy! 
   
   
   
   
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  Grimmest Resolution, 
  Improbable Glory: 
  A Brief History of the 
  Order 
   
   
  Strange it was to these gallant and 
  sparkling cavaliers of Spain to look upon 
  this handful of men upon the hill, the 
  thin lines of bowmen, the knots of 
  knights and men-at-arms with armor 
  rusted and discolored from long service, 
  and to learn that these were indeed the 
  soldiers whose fame and prowess had 
  been the camp-fire talk of every army in 
  Christendom. 
  Very still and silent they stood, leaning 
  upon their bows, while their leaders took 
  counsel together in front of them.  No 
  clang of bugle rose from their stern 
  ranks, but in the centre waved the 
  leopards of England, on the right the 
  ensign of their Company with the roses of 
  Loring, and on the left, over three score of 
  Welsh bowmen, there floated the red 
  banner of Merlin with the boars’-heads of 
  the Buttesthorns. 
  Gravely and sedately they stood beneath 
  the 
  morning 
  sun, 
  waiting 
  for 
  the 
  onslaught of their foemen … 
   
  — The White Company, by Sir Arthur 
  Conan Doyle 
   
   
  The Order of the Scarlet Tabard is a 
  significant and storied for-hire mercenary 
  force, based in the Free City State of 
  Grimrook, serving treasure hunters and 
  fiend slayers throughout the monster-
  ravaged lands of mythic Tyrrhenia.  The 
  Order is based upon the (idealized) late 
  medieval and early Renaissance concept of 
  the Company of Adventure (or in Italian, 
  Compagnia 
  di 
  Ventura, 
  a 
  “Venture 
  Company”):  a free-spirited fighting force 
  which battles in the name of the highest 
  bidder, 
  while 
  adhering 
  to 
  a 
  quasi-
  democratic code of brotherhood and honor.  
  More particularly, the Order is inspired by 
  the tales and exploits surrounding the 
  “White Company” (Compagnia Bianca del 
  Falco) as led into battles throughout Italy 
  by Sir John Hawkwood during the mid- to 
  late 14th Century. 
  The Order’s earliest pre-origins date all the 
  way back to the Empyrean Age (c. 350 AD), 
  when the Empyreans (peoples of the mythic 
  Roman Empire) were beset on all sides by 
  ill-omened tragedies which caused the 
  grand Imperium to splinter under the 
  weight of incessant tides of war, plague, 
  dragon raids, monstrous migrations, chaos 
  magic, and “natural” calamity.  Many say 
  that through many merciless centuries of 
  conquest, the Empyreans — despite all of 
  their civil and cultural advances — 
  violently disrupted the worship of the Old 
  Gods.  Each land they came into contact 
  with was brutally changed, its spirit 
  ravaged and forced to serve the larger 
  conglomerated whole of the Imperium.  
  Many temples were razed and burned; 
  shrines and even sacred tombs were 
  destroyed.  Regional history was erased in 
  many ways.  As the Imperium’s armies 
  marched and conquered, converting the 
  vanquished peoples of Oldskull to the 
  Empyrean mode of worship, the powers of 
  the displaced ancient deities began to 
  wane.  In the name of self-survival the 
  weakened gods of the Achaean, Asgardian, 
  Celtic, Golgothan, Helvetian, and Khomite 
  mythoi worked together to bring forth 
  monstrous powers and deific blights — 
  both holy and unholy — in furious defiance 
  of mortal Empyrean supremacy. 
  
   
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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
   
   
  While these mythic forces tore at the 
  Imperium’s outermost borderlands, the 
  chaotic 
  gods 
  of 
  trickery 
  and 
  deceit 
  (Loviatar, Eris, Loki, Dolos, and Set 
  foremost among them) worked to weaken 
  the Empyrean hegemony from within.  
  Festering 
  resentments 
  between 
  clans, 
  castes, and factions were worsened by the 
  incessant subliminal god-fears which were 
  sown into the people’s dreams by these 
  Dissenting Ones.  Particularly effective 
  “rupture-dreams” of this deceitful nature 
  included unspoken fears of exile and 
  disenfranchisement; grudges held between 
  tribes and races, who were forced into 
  dishonest peace pacts by their Empyrean 
  conquerors; and the ever-nettlesome issue 
  of Empyrean citizenry. 
  That 
  seemingly 
  harmless 
  last 
  point, 
  actually, 
  served 
  to 
  bring 
  about 
  the 
  Imperium’s ultimate undoing.  Only born 
  denizens of Magna Roma (mythic Rome, 
  later known as Grimrook) could enjoy the 
  full wealth and benefits of Empyrean 
  citizenship.  The many other subjugated 
  Tyrrhenians were regarded as “lessers” or 
  “inferiori,” destined to fill the more menial 
  or martial roles, which in turn frequently 
  resulted in misery, poverty, or untimely 
  death.  And the conquered peoples of the 
  borderlands could never dream of any form 
  of high citizenry at all; they were merely 
  sacrificial servitors to the Imperium and 
  nothing more.  Resentments cultivated by 
  this cruel regime grew into hatreds that 
  fueled provincial rivalries, waves of exile, 
  betrayal, rebellion, and outright civil war. 
  Tensions involving the hindrances of 
  citizenship 
  impacted 
  the 
  Imperium’s 
  legions in a particularly insidious manner.  
  The most prized, well-equipped, favored, 
  and elite troops were citizen-soldiers born 
  of Magna Roma.  But the Imperium had 
  become so vast that these troops could 
  never serve upon every emerging war-front 
  on a timely basis.  They were outnumbered 
  and frequently too distant from the many 
  battlefields (with simultaneous battles 
  fought in lands which could be thousands 
  of miles apart).  Even the great spells of 
  arch-clerics and archmagi could only 
  assuage the most dire and pressing needs 
  demanding immediate stationing of the 
  elite homelander legions.  More and more, 
  Empyrean generals and tribunes relied 
  upon local troops and levies; and naturally 
  these disrespected soldier-thralls were 
  frequently poorly trained, ill-equipped, and 
  demoralized by the monstrous might 
  represented by seemingly endless tides of 
  the Imperium’s rising enemies. 
  By the time of the Draconian Scourges (c. 
  375-415 AD), losses were such that the 
  Imperium’s generals were compelled to ally 
  with capable foreign barbarians who dwelt 
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  beyond the Empyrean borders.  These 
  stalwart tribal warbands came to be known 
  as 
  the 
  Foederati, 
  or 
  Treaty-Tribes.  
  Promises of full citizenship for all barbarian 
  warriors who fought under the banner of 
  Empyrea (rather, all those who survived) 
  spelled 
  victory 
  in 
  many 
  otherwise 
  unwinnable conflicts along the Imperium’s 
  war-torn borderlands. 
   
   
   
  Fulfilled oaths of Foederati citizenship 
  created alliances.  It also created a trend of 
  utter dependency upon the Foederati 
  themselves.  Over time, despite victories 
  against insurgents, the incoming masses of 
  “barbarian-citizens” made the situations in 
  the outer Empyrean provinces even worse.  
  The peoples who were native to the 
  defended lands were incapable of rising in 
  status to the same degree as the Foederati, 
  and the Foederati in turn felt entitled to the 
  lands which they had fought for and saved 
  from monstrous incursions.  Rape, theft, 
  property destruction, and other vile crimes 
  became 
  commonplace 
  between 
  the 
  unsupported 
  and 
  disparate 
  provincial 
  factions. 
  Violent 
  disputes 
  between 
  Foederati 
  warbands, homelander Empyrean legions, 
  and 
  the 
  native 
  borderland 
  peoples 
  continued for decades and served to 
  fracture the Imperium from within.  By c. 
  470 AD — despite waning blights from the 
  Dissenting Ones and gods of other lands — 
  the realm of Tyrrhenia was a disunified and 
  scattered realm, replete with city states 
  that were ruled by rival barbarian warlords.  
  And by the mid-500s, even as humanoid 
  invasions and plagues arose to scour the 
  lands once again, the greater Imperium had 
  already fallen into ultimate decay.  Even 
  mighty Magna Roma was no longer a 
  national capital; it was simply an isolated 
  coastal city fighting to defend itself and 
  nothing more. 
  Each divided city survived on its own 
  through a fragile combination of balanced 
  power, martial rivalry, exploitative trade 
  with disadvantaged and lesser towns, and 
  political manipulation.  The might of the 
  divided Tyrrhenian warlords was tenuously 
  balanced by “Elder Councils,” consisting of 
  influential urban patricians who could 
  trace their lineage back to the great families 
  of Magna Roma.  The barbarian-blooded 
  warlords held most of the military might, 
  but the Elders held religious power … and 
  the golden purse strings (as well as the 
  hearts of many of the cities’ wealthiest 
  people). 
  By 600 AD, each insular Tyrrhenian city 
  state fielded two competing armies:  a 
  “federated” legion of pure-blooded cityfolk, 
  enfranchised by the Elders; and a “scarlet” 
  legion made up of the warlords’ socially-
  disenfranchised warriors, who frequently 
  fought more for reward than for loyalty.  
  (And who could blame them?  After all, 
  these 
  “scarlet 
  ones” were specifically 
  prevented from attaining the higher ranks 
  of citizenship which led to wealth, privilege, 
  and influence.) 
  Naturally, there were significant trade and 
  political rivalries (c. 620-700 AD) between 
  the Tyrrhenian cities during this era of 
  regional upheaval.  Whenever one city was 
  beset by humanoids or monsters, two 
  nearby 
  neighbors 
  would 
  exploit 
  the 
  situation by raising prices for needed food, 
  goods, and medicine.  Martial assistance 
  
   
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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  would be offered in the form of “scarlet” 
  mercenaries … for a price.  Worse, when 
  two cities went to war with one another, the 
  federated legions would only fight in a 
  limited manner while the “scarlets” were 
  bribed into suffering the greater hardships 
  (and loss of life and limb).  More than once 
  (c. 700-800 AD), an entire Tyrrhenian city 
  was razed when the raging scarlet ones and 
  the pure-bloods went to war amongst 
  themselves, leaving only a smoking ruin to 
  thousands of homeless exiles.  The pure-
  bloods who lost their cities in this manner 
  became utterly destitute, and were then 
  forced to serve as mercenaries themselves 
  — looked down upon by all — in the 
  “scarlet” warbands of other surviving city 
  states throughout the realm. 
  Eventually, as the deadliest monster 
  invasions waned over time (c. 850-1000 
  AD), there arose a tense system of détente 
  between city states, enforced by an 
  understanding 
  of 
  mutually 
  assured 
  destruction.  Resource and manpower 
  depletion had reached the point that any 
  further attrition could lead an urban 
  populace to disaster.  No city would wage 
  war on its neighbors for long, because the 
  price of doing so became catastrophic.  
  Every city stood ready to take advantage of 
  the first rival state that would subject itself 
  to another civil war, until there came a time 
  when no city would dare a major disruptive 
  conflict for any price.  This is why in 
  Tyrrhenia, the most common colloquial 
  term for “peace” is simply “a lack of war in 
  mother cities.” 
   
   
   
  This odd stalemate between rival urban 
  powers gradually became the norm.  As 
  more of the patrician families died out (c. 
  900-1050 AD), esteemed and proven 
  barbarian 
  families 
  at 
  last 
  gained 
  prominence in politics and trade.  A 
  century later (c. 1150 AD), the urban 
  populations were largely “mixed” to the 
  point that one’s ancestry was no longer a 
  guarantee of inherited social status.  There 
  were still armies to defend the cities in 
  times of war, but gradually the meanings of 
  terminology 
  morphed 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  “federated” troops served as a state’s 
  regional defense force, while “scarlet” 
  troops fought offensive battles farther afield 
  in order to keep humanoids and monsters 
  away from the outer farmlands and border 
  regions.  Enterprising young men and 
  women who sought an increase in their 
  potential wealth and status frequently 
  joined their city’s venturesome scarlet ones 
  regardless of their upbringing; and some of 
  these hardy souls fought for other cities’ 
  causes in defiance of monstrous evil.  The 
  ways of a confused wandering mercenary 
  caste had — over many painful centuries — 
  come to be regarded as respectable means 
  to a worthy profession, even a viable mode 
  of life. 
  For a time (c. 1150-1300 AD), the 
  mercenary caste expanded and its unique 
  subculture grew more democratic, free-
  spirited, and ornate.  The forces grew 
  strong enough to challenge the powers of 
  evil in their nether strongholds once again.  
  A significant number of Empyrean ruins 
  were explored and their infesting monster 
  populations were wiped out.  Impressive 
  recovered finds of gold and treasure led to 
  a greater formalization of mercenary codes 
  of conduct and “asset division,” and 
  eventually there arose small companies of 
  specialized treasure-hunting “scarlets” who 
  were associated with the mercenary trade 
  while not being affiliated with any one city.  
  Scarlet ones in this era were commonly 
  hired to serve adventuring heroes as 
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  bodyguards, scouts, treasure porters, or as 
  hunter-guides, sniffing out long-forgotten 
  entrances into the hoard-veiling crypts of 
  the underworld.  This golden age of ruin 
  exploration, 
  monster 
  eradication, 
  and 
  treasure recovery persisted for nearly 150 
  years. 
  And then came the darkest hour in 
  Tyrrhenia’s riddling history.  This new 
  terror came surrounded in vermin-touched 
  dust, upon insect-clouded winds, from out 
  of the Utter East.  The civilized Tyrrhenian 
  states learned of this terrible demonic 
  resurgence when the first Chaos Plague 
  emerged 
  as 
  the 
  Yellow 
  Death, 
  as 
  manifested by an avatar of the King in 
  Yellow in Anno Calvariae (Year of the Skull, 
  AC) 1348. 
  (Refer to the supplement Oldskull Plague 
  Doctors for further details concerning that 
  foul contagion, the sieges of Grimrook and 
  Serenisse, the King in Yellow, the heroic 
  resistance of the plague doctors, and the 
  deathless Triumphator known as the Lich 
  Queen.) 
  During this era many of the vaunted 
  mercenaries 
  of 
  Tyrrhenia 
  proved 
  themselves in battle and became known as 
  the True Scarlets, sworn to defend against 
  the forces of evil regardless of their beliefs, 
  mercenary employment, heritage, urban 
  fealty, or other loyalties.  
  The few 
  mercenaries of truly evil ethos (alignment) 
  who survived this era tended to drift away 
  into brigandry, outlawry, or across the seas 
  to other lucrative lands where evil is more 
  embraced by dark and nefarious corners of 
  outland society. 
  In Tyrrhenia, when the Lich Queen was 
  entombed and the undead legions largely 
  defeated, the Free City of Grimrook stood 
  as the dominant bastion of human and 
  demi-human power in the realm.  This was 
  largely due to its siege prowess and its 
  veteran army as commanded by the 
  uniquely powerful planar explorer (and 
  Supreme Overlord) Khom Orthrul, a man of 
  hale heart and bold conviction who has 
  somehow lived to be well over 100 years old. 
  (Refer to the Game World Generator, Deluxe 
  Edition — and the City State Design Guide 
  therein — for a few more intriguing secrets 
  in that direction.) 
  Khom’s triumphant leadership ensured 
  Grimrook’s unassailable position as the 
  most influential and well-defended city in 
  the region.  As various lesser Tyrrhenian 
  towns and cities fell prey to the undead 
  terror, the surviving citizens tended to join 
  mercenary and True Scarlet companies for 
  protection and salvation … and many of 
  these 
  militia-like 
  forces 
  drifted 
  into 
  Grimrook due to its relative safety and 
  supremacy as the Lich Queen’s reign came 
  to an end. 
  The full history of medieval Grimrook is too 
  convoluted to delve into here, but we will 
  touch on a few necessary points which 
  relate to the origins of the Order of the 
  Scarlet Tabard as a separate and fully 
  realized Compagnia di Ventura.  Grimrook 
  is unique in that it stands near to the great 
  nether planar nexus which is crowned by 
  the 
  Ushirian 
  Manor, 
  known 
  more 
  commonly as Castle Oldskull. 
  (Refer to the supplement Oldskull Trolls, 
  particularly the section detailing Groohlz-
  Drakha, for more details concerning the 
  secret history of Castle Oldskull.) 
  It is well known that there are massive 
  labyrinthine subterranean areas between 
  the Manor and the Free City, including the 
  dungeons deep, the Great Netherworld 
  Imperium, the vaults of the dimensional 
  rifts, and the infernal Pyres of Cacus.  
  Cacus, in turn, is an ancient demon-giant 
  and demigod — you can read all about him 
  in Herculean tales of Roman mythology — 
  who embodies fire, rulership over giants, 
  and defiance of mankind’s ultimate legacy 
  (and survival) in defiance of Chaos.  The 
  city of Magna Roma was founded when 
  
   
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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  Cacus was defeated and forced into the 
  netherworld … but his fiery legions have 
  raided and besieged the city many times 
  over the intervening centuries. 
   
   
   
  In recent decades, a deadly force of Cacus-
  allegiant monsters was defied by a Captain 
  of the Overlord … a man known as Artorius 
  o’ Braune, the Staunch-Hearted. 
  In AC 1387 there arose a powerful 
  monstrous force from the volcanic region to 
  the east of Grimrook’s outer walls, from out 
  of a poisoned place known as the Wastes of 
  Cacus, which lie beyond the city’s Plague 
  Quarter and the Lazar’s Gate. 
   
   
   
  A quake-eruption led to the emergence of a 
  full cohort of salamander men, supported 
  by fire giants, troll-giants, and pyro-hydra 
  war beasts.  Khom Orthrul’s legion engaged 
  this force to the east, but another 
  formidable nemesis of Cacus arose in a 
  separate eruption further to the north, 
  beyond Tor Tumble and the Sepulcrum of 
  the Mad Imperator.  This was Verimithraxa 
  the Contemptuous, an ancient crimson 
  she-dragon who had not been seen above 
  the surface in more than a century.  She 
  arose with a great Balorian demon astride 
  her, a Cacus-serving fiend known as 
  Gorthromai.  The dragon and her demon 
  ally incinerated much of Khom’s left flank 
  as 
  the 
  deceitful 
  salamander 
  men 
  simultaneously led a bloodthirsty charge, 
  which necessitated a wheeling maneuver in 
  which much of the Grimrook legion was left 
  vulnerable along its northern arc. 
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  The Overlord’s chosen Captain upon the 
  left, Artorius, was commanded (in great 
  haste) to lead a sacrificial rearguard action 
  which saved the Overlord and much of his 
  hard-pressed legion.  In a tumultuous and 
  bloody retreating battle — in which 
  Artorius lost his cousin, his friends, and 
  most of his valorous soldiers — Gorthromai 
  was slain by Bloodgaunt, Artorius’s vorpal 
  blade. 
  A devastating surge of Verimithraxa’s 
  dragon-fire left Artorius scarred and near to 
  death.  He was carried dying from the field 
  by the High Matriarch Vopisca Ovidia, one 
  of the ruling Ward-Scions of Grimrook who 
  is frequently at odds with Overlord Orthrul. 
  The Grimrook Legion, once behind the 
  city’s walls, repelled the forces of Cacus 
  while Verimithraxa — her dragon-fires by 
  evenfall were spent — was herself nearly 
  slain. 
   
   
   
  Powerful healing magics conducted in the 
  Temple of Sol Invictus saved Artorius’s life.  
  The Captain was hailed and honored as a 
  hero, and as savior of the Grimrook Legion.  
  But nevertheless in grief and bitterness he 
  refused the overtures of the Overlord and 
  relinquished his command. 
  The Overlord had a crisis upon his hands, 
  for 
  Artorius’s 
  remaining 
  men 
  were 
  determined to follow him into exile … and 
  Khom was in no political position to order 
  them to remain under his over-arching 
  command.  If he refused and superseded 
  their allegiance to Artorius, it was nearly 
  certain that the grieving Captain and his 
  troops would leave the city.  And who would 
  stand to stop them? 
  An initially very tense concord was reached, 
  in which Artorius would be allowed to 
  command his own surviving soldiers, while 
  the remainder of the Grimrook Legion 
  would remain allegiant under Orthrul.  The 
  new and celebrated Artorian faction — 
  christened at first the Scarlet Order 
  Resurgent, and soon after as the Order of 
  the Scarlet Tabard — was allowed to serve 
  as a True Scarlet-inspired company under 
  Artorius, with the significant proviso that 
  the company must forever remain based 
  within, and loyal to, the Free City of 
  Grimrook. 
  This rather masterful political stroke 
  strengthened the populace’s loyalty toward 
  the Overlord, while also creating a new 
  inspirational institution under Captain 
  Artorius’s own command.  Many citizens — 
  in 
  particular, 
  the 
  sons, 
  daughters, 
  brothers, sisters, and cousins to those 
  heroic soldiers who had fallen in battle 
  against Verimithraxa and Gorthromai — 
  volunteered to serve under the Scarlet 
  Order Resurgent while still remaining loyal 
  to the Free City and its ruler. 
  This put the Overlord in a delicate position, 
  because his earlier reputation (achieved in 
  war during the Chaos Plague) was largely 
  dependent upon his leadership of True 
  Scarlet mercenaries in support of the city’s 
  plague doctors and the Grimrook Legion.  
  
   
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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  The Overlord could not risk alienating his 
  people by preventing the blood-kin of 
  Artorius’s soldiers from joining the Order 
  Resurgent, if that is what they wished to do.  
  In compromise, all of these worthy souls 
  were allowed to join the Order, but a 
  proclamation was then made (with Artorius 
  at the Overlord’s side) that henceforth, the 
  Order would be required to maintain an 
  equal 
  and 
  meritorious 
  non-citizen 
  contingent “in honor of the courageous 
  warriors’ Scarlet ways of old.”  In other 
  words, for every Grimrook citizen who 
  joined the Order, a foreigner would also be 
  allowed to join; and in fact, a second citizen 
  could not join until a second foreigner was 
  accepted in as well.  Those foreigners who 
  served faithfully in the Order under 
  Artorius 
  could 
  attain 
  citizenship 
  in 
  Grimrook, making them devout subjects of 
  Khom Orthrul as well. 
  This 
  crafty 
  manipulation 
  created 
  a 
  situation in which the Order Resurgent was 
  devoutly loyal to Artorius, but the resident-
  recruits were nevertheless more loyal to 
  Grimrook City than they were to the Order 
  proper.  The Order was thenceforce 
  regarded not as a patriotic Grimrook 
  institution, 
  but 
  as 
  an 
  independent 
  mercenary force which grew due to a 
  foreign influx of power.  As such, many 
  Grimrookers stood to remain more loyal to 
  the Overlord than they were to the Order 
  Resurgent. 
  This measure also ensured that many of 
  the Overlord’s own people would frequently 
  seek to join the ranks of the Grimrook 
  Legion (as opposed to the Order), while 
  recruitment into the Order Resurgent was 
  measured and slowed.  It also created 
  significant goodwill between Grimrook and 
  the wandering outcasts and vagabonds 
  throughout the land, many who had 
  become homeless as a result of the ravages 
  of the Chaos Plague.  By joining the Order 
  and fighting well, these outcasts could 
  secure a path to full citizenship which 
  would ensure the safety of their families for 
  generations to come. 
  Ever since that uncertain era, the Order 
  has been hired out thousands of times, but 
  never 
  as 
  a 
  full 
  concerted 
  legion.  
  Dungeoneers seeking fellow protectors to 
  assist with their excursions beneath Castle 
  Oldskull hire handfuls of Order members at 
  a time, typically only for a few days.  
  Meanwhile, ship captains and caravan 
  masters employ dozens or hundreds of 
  soldiers at a time, with extended tours of 
  service lasting for several months or even 
  longer.  Some Order-supported expeditions 
  have even journeyed to the realms of the 
  Terra Novae and Tamoanchan, far across 
  the Sea of Storms. 
  Closer to home, cityfolk employ Order 
  soldiers 
  as 
  bodyguards, 
  sentries, 
  patrollers, treasure house guards, tavern 
  “bouncers,” and as scout-laborers in 
  dangerous reaches … including down in 
  the nefarious Undercity, as well as within 
  the marble mines which reach into and 
  beneath the Wastes of Cacus.  The Order 
  has lost many hundreds of soldiers, and 
  suffered many defeats over the years.  And 
  yet, the Scarlet Tabard has always stood 
  true, and its membership and strength 
  under the guiding hands of Lord Artorius 
  and his Scarlet Captains have only grown. 
  Over recent passing years the Order of the 
  Scarlet Tabard has come to symbolize the 
  Free City of Grimrook for many incoming 
  outsiders seeking solace.  The Order 
  champions fulfillment through bravery, 
  triumph through adversity, and kinship 
  between “brothers” and “sisters” where no 
  kinship would otherwise exist.  The lesser 
  nobles in the city scarcely tolerate the 
  existence of such a huge “mercenary” force 
  within their walls, but the Order has 
  endured 
  to 
  become 
  an 
  entrusted 
  institution. 
  The members of the Order largely respect 
  the laws of Grimrook, while Lord Artorius 
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  and the Overlord Orthrul — despite their 
  arguments and differences — maintain a 
  strong mutual respect which strengthens 
  the Order’s ties to its glorious city and its 
  people. 
  Grimrook is now regarded as the foremost 
  capital for the hiring of mercenary soldiers 
  in the known World of Oldskull, with no 
  end to the pressing need for doughty  
  “sell-swords” ever in sight.  Due to many 
  turbulent recent events — the skirmishes 
  against the Cinder Lords in the Vesuvian 
  south, the scourging of the undead and 
  wererat remnants from the Chaos Plague, 
  and the flickering dimensional gates which 
  usher in fiendish horrors from all the 
  Realms of Entropy — the call to join the 
  Order is more lucrative and urgent than 
  ever before. 
  Whatever the odds, and wherever the 
  battles, the ever-replenished legionnaires of 
  the True Scarlet will remain steadfast and 
  vigilant unto the end! 
   
   
   
   
   
  The Magnitude of the 
  Order 
   
  The Order of the Scarlet Tabard is the 
  largest and most powerful mercenary 
  company 
  in 
  the 
  World 
  of 
  Oldskull.  
  Indirectly, this can be attributed to the 
  Overlord Khom Orthrul and his uniquely 
  daring political manipulations.  (Few kings, 
  and certainly no tyrants, would ever trust 
  in the existence of some unaffiliated mini-
  army stationed within their city walls.)  
  More directly, the Order has grown over 
  time due to the heroic reputation of Lord 
  Marshal Artorius the Staunch-Hearted and 
  the courageous audacity exhibited by his 
  Scarlet Captains. 
  Due to losses and recruitment the Order’s 
  total membership ranges over time between 
  700 and 1,500 souls, of which some 150 
  positions 
  are 
  non-combatant 
  (being 
  porters, accountants, liaisons, laborers, 
  physicians, notaries, treasurers, stable 
  hands, and so forth).  Due to the frequency 
  of their subterranean excursions and 
  missions, the Order’s soldiery is over 85% 
  infantry in composition, although many 
  “footmen” are skilled horsemen who might 
  be termed “hobilars,” preferring to fight on 
  foot. 
  At the current time membership is high 
  (~1,300) 
  despite 
  frequent 
  losses, 
  uncertainty in the Terra Novan hinterlands, 
  and other hardships.  A full 900 of the 
  Order’s soldiers are currently employed as 
  contracted fighting men and women, with a 
  further 400 avidly seeking work. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  The Nature of the Order 
   
   
  So, with glitter of armor and flaunting of 
  pennons, their warhorses tossing and 
  pawing, the champions rode down to the 
  midway oak.  Behind them streamed 
  hundreds of archers and men-at-arms 
  whose weapons had been wisely taken 
  from them lest a general battle should 
  ensue. 
  With them also went the townsfolk, men 
  and women, together with wine-sellers, 
  provisions merchants, armorers, grooms 
  and heralds, with surgeons to tend the 
  wounded and priests to shrive the dying.  
  The path was blocked by this throng, but 
  all over the face of the country horsemen 
  and footmen, gentle and simple, men and 
  women, could be seen speeding their way 
  to the scene of the encounter. 
  The journey was not a long one, for 
  presently, as they threaded their way 
  through the fields, there appeared before 
  them a great gray oak which spread its 
  gnarled leafless branches over the corner 
  of a green and level meadow.  The tree 
  was black with the peasants who had 
  climbed into it, and all round it was a 
  huge throng, chattering and calling like a 
  rookery at sunset. 
   
  — Sir Nigel, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
   
   
  The Order is an unusual institution, but it 
  is well known throughout the region and its 
  eccentricities are commonly accepted as 
  being “the way things are” by rival, foe, and 
  citizen alike.  The Company of Adventure is 
  accepted by the Overlord and the Grimrook 
  Legion, respected by most citizens, and yet 
  routinely mocked by some. 
  Rivalries between mercenary groups can be 
  extreme at times, and other powers — for 
  example including the Thieves’ Guild, 
  mariner 
  crews 
  from 
  foreign 
  lands, 
  Colosseum gladiators, and barbarians from 
  the north — tend to regard the Order as “a 
  sniveling mob of cowardly miscreants, 
  made weak by their simpering preference 
  for lukewarm gnome piss over a good and 
  ready tankard of Dwerrow ale.”  Or 
  something like that. 
  Drunken fights are frequent and Ordermen 
  are renowned for their inability to “stand 
  down” when it comes to returning unwise 
  insults in kind.  The Order’s soldiers are 
  certainly no strangers to the gaols, or to the 
  local magistrates.  By life’s very nature, 
  being a mercenary man-at-arms is a rough 
  and tumble trade.  In Grimrook it’s to the 
  point 
  that 
  the 
  Scarlet 
  Captains 
  nonchalantly regard tavern brawls as 
  “unarmed melee training.” 
  Chaos does not reign, however.  There are 
  certain rules of Scarlet Tabard conduct 
  which are so ubiquitously known that 
  outlanders and neophyte adventures are 
  sometimes caught unawares by the way 
  things are. 
  To be clear, these irreproachable and 
  largely 
  unspoken 
  rules 
  include 
  the 
  following: 
  ➢ Order members, hired or no, cannot 
  lawfully act against the Overlord or 
  his Grimrook Legion. 
  ➢ Order members cannot join the 
  Grimrook Legion. 
  ➢ Grimrook Legion members cannot 
  join the Order. 
  ➢ Order 
  members, 
  and 
  their 
  accompanying employers, can fully 
  expect the respectful act of being 
  marched to and from the city’s gates 
  under the Legion’s (or the Guard’s, or 
  the 
  Night 
  Watch’s) 
  supervision 
  regardless of the hour.  Locals term 
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  this “honorable and good,” while 
  paranoid employers from other lands 
  might call it “spying.” 
  ➢ Most Order members worship Virtus, 
  the Empyrean Lesser God of Men-at-
  Arms, Soldiers, and Tactics.  (This 
  belief was brought into Tyrrhenia 
  from Achaea, where Virtus was 
  originally known as Arete.) 
  ➢ Good and neutral priests throughout 
  the city will frequently heal Order 
  members at no cost, or at a greatly 
  reduced cost paid by Lord Artorius 
  personally.  In a city where over 200 
  shrines and temples exist, there are 
  more healers than anywhere else in 
  the world … and most priests recall 
  the Day of Verimithraxa well within 
  their living memory.  No debt to 
  heroes is ever paid in full. 
  ➢ Those Ordermen who perish in 
  service die knowing that they will be 
  buried in the places of honor within 
  the city walls. 
   
   
   
  The Order has a standing silent rule of 
  accepting 
  anyone, 
  however 
  weak 
  or 
  unproven, into the ranks … provided (a) 
  they have all of their limbs and at least one 
  of their eyes, (b) they are not evil (and are 
  willing to subject themselves to a Know 
  Alignment spell), and (c) they are either 
  more courageous, more determined, or 
  more intelligent than the average bear. 
  It should be noted however that some Order 
  members become evil over time, due to the 
  influence of the many priesthoods and 
  modes of appeasing worship which are 
  tolerated throughout the city’s wards.  It’s 
  a complicated situation. 
  Very generally, all nine alignments — 
  including the evil ones — have temples in 
  Grimrook, and the demon lords and arch-
  devils are worshipped by carefully-watched 
  priesthoods as a matter of appeasement 
  due to the city’s accursed history, in which 
  attempts to cast out evil priests very nearly 
  led to the city’s total destruction.  There is 
  also a deathly curse — Om Krol-kratha, 
  “The Empyrean Casuistry Undying” — 
  which was laid upon the city by the Lich 
  Queen which lashed this dire situation 
  even more irrevocably to all of Tyrrhenia’s 
  future survival.  The Overlord tolerates 
  ritualistic adherence to evil Elder Ways, 
  while mercilessly stamping out cults and 
  splinter factions who cause violent crimes 
  against Grimrook or its people. 
  As a result of this messy predicament, 
  Grimrook is a dangerous sanctuary city 
  which sees all manner of pilgrimages and 
  religious festivals throughout the year … 
  making it the largest, most important, and 
  most 
  unpredictable 
  city 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  Occidental realms.  This is a rather 
  complex consideration which basically 
  means that non-evil PCs will be prevented 
  from hiring evil NPC Order members, but 
  some of these nefarious people do exist for 
  other factions’ needs. 
  (Do not envy Lord Artorius … despite his 
  good inclinations, he has seen the future 
  curse-engendered destruction of Grimrook 
  in his nightmares.  Evil is loathingly 
  tolerated within the Order ranks, so long as 
  discipline forever holds true.  Order 
  
   
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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  members who become murderers will find 
  themselves prison-bound, or dead, without 
  fail.) 
  There are other alignment-driven problems 
  to be considered as well.  The eternal 
  proviso that “One must be Scarlet, and one 
  Grim” — referring to the fact that citizens 
  and non-citizens must be admitted in equal 
  numbers — can at tune cause fairly 
  significant delays while desperate outland 
  folk are waiting to join the Order.  Temple 
  almsmen 
  are 
  well 
  aware 
  of 
  these 
  unfortunates and tend to feed and shelter 
  them, provided they are willing to work as 
  temple servants until the Order finally 
  takes them in. 
  There are other game in-twists caused by 
  the Order’s unique tenets as well.  Perhaps 
  most 
  notably, 
  standard 
  mercenary 
  companies have a “must be able-bodied” 
  tenet of admittance … which in game terms 
  means that any man or woman of fewer 
  than 4 hit points (level zero) will be refused 
  entry into service.  However the Order 
  allows all such “lean of body” persons the 
  opportunity to prove themselves.  Astute 
  readers of the preliminary volume in this 
  series, The Order of the Scarlet Tabard, 
  might note that some Order members have 
  a mere 3 hit points to their names.  And 
  this is why. 
   
   
   
  Although the admittance of “all and 
  sundry” does indeed increase the Order’s 
  casualty rates, it also boosts morale, and 
  gives unpromising individuals a chance to 
  join the mercenary way of life even when 
  other companies refuse to accept them. 
   
  Paradoxes of Faith: 
  Reputation and Code of 
  the Order 
   
   
  Behind came a stream of howling archers 
  and men-at-arms, like a flood which has 
  broken its dam.  Down they slipped into 
  the 
  ditch, 
  rushed 
  across 
  it, 
  and 
  clambered on each other’s backs up the 
  opposite side.  Nigel, Raoul and two 
  archers gained a foothold in front of the 
  burning gate at the same moment.  With 
  blows and kicks they burst it to pieces, 
  and dashed with a yell of triumph 
  through the dark archway beyond. 
  For a moment they thought with mad 
  rapture that the castle was carried.  A 
  dark tunnel lay before them, down which 
  they rushed.  But alas! at the farther end 
  it was blocked by a second gateway as 
  strong as that which had been burned. 
  In vain they beat upon it with their 
  swords and axes.  On each side the 
  tunnel was pierced with slits, and the 
  crossbow bolts discharged at only a few 
  yards’ distance crashed through armor 
  as if it were cloth and laid man after man 
  upon the stones.  They raged and leaped 
  before the great iron-clamped barrier, but 
  the wall itself was as easy to tear down. 
  It was bitter to draw back; but it was 
  madness to remain … 
   
  — Sir Nigel, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  The perpetual, dangerous, and headache-
  inducing conundrum involving the nature 
  of good and evil within the city of Grimrook 
  creates problems for the Order.  The Order 
  is quite rightly seen as admitting potential 
  “evildoers” into the city, an appellation 
  which refers to all of those desperate and 
  violent people who might otherwise never 
  achieve citizenship in any other corner of 
  the world.  But when one considers the long 
  history of the Empyreans and the issues of 
  refused citizenship which led to the 
  eventual decline and fall of the glorious 
  empire, a greater philosophical question 
  arises:  “Is it more dangerous to forgive 
  potential 
  evildoers, 
  and 
  to 
  give 
  the 
  desperate a chance to prove and redeem 
  themselves; or is it more dangerous to 
  refuse the lowly any and all hope of their 
  future salvation?” 
  I’ll leave that deep and nasty riddle for the 
  philosophers to quarrel over.  However, the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  Order 
  is 
  built 
  upon 
  “acceptance of all” creates a huge potential 
  issue with hired soldier behavior.  As such, 
  it should be known that the Order of the 
  Scarlet Tabard has the strictest and most 
  punitive written code of conduct which its 
  members are daily sworn to.  This code 
  directly manifests itself in play because it 
  dictates 
  how 
  men-at-arms 
  comport 
  themselves in times of trial and violent 
  adversity. 
  When PCs order men-at-arms to fight to the 
  death, or to search for perilous traps, or to 
  leave their wounded comrades behind, 
  morale checks will be called for; and morale 
  failure (disobedience) will need to be 
  carefully adjudicated by the Game Master.  
  Order soldiers will act in accordance with 
  their individual alignments, true; but they 
  will also act in accordance with the Code of 
  Scarlet, and whenever there are conflicts 
  between the two, the code and disciplined 
  training will tend to win out in the end. 
  Usually. 
  As such, it pays to consider the nature of 
  the code and its wording. 
  The Code of Scarlet reads as follows: 
   
  I am a man / woman of the Scarlet Tabard, 
  and regardless of my oaths to god or family, 
  never shall I: 
  ➢ (I) Raise arms against the innocent. 
  ➢ (II) Defy the rightful Overlord, nor 
  betray the Free City of Grimrook. 
  ➢ (III) Ever betray my employer, unless 
  I am first betrayed. 
  ➢ (IV) Flee from a fight without a blow 
  being struck, unless my employer or 
  officer commands. 
  ➢ (V) Commit a violent deed in the name 
  of Evil. 
  ➢ (VI) Strike a man or woman of the 
  human race, unless I am first 
  attacked. 
  ➢ (VII) Similarly strike a dwarf, elf, 
  gnome, or halfling, unless I am first 
  attacked. 
  ➢ (VIII) 
  Accept 
  a 
  command 
  or 
  compulsion 
  to 
  betray 
  my 
  own 
  companions within the Order. 
  ➢ (IX) Lie to a commanding officer. 
  ➢ (X) Refuse a direct order from the Lord 
  Marshal, without willingly departing 
  the Order first, and then forevermore. 
   
  In practice and in game play, this 
  translates to the following: 
  ➢ Order members will refuse to join in 
  on Grimrook crime capers, up to and 
  including 
  many 
  activities 
  which 
  players 
  might 
  term 
  “urban 
  adventures.”  This means:  breaking 
  and entering, lying to officials to 
  obscure criminal activity, killing 
  citizens or guests of the city, stealing 
  
   
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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  treasure from citizens, and so on.  
  Players can be gently (?) reminded 
  that there are other more insidious 
  mercenary companies which can be 
  hired, along with worthy (?) members 
  of the Thieves’ and Assassins’ Guilds 
  who stand ready and willing to work 
  “dirty” for the right price. 
  ➢ Clause (III) can be touchy, because if 
  the PCs (as employers) screw over 
  Order soldiers and leave them to die, 
  the soldiers might well regard that as 
  treachery.  If any of them survive to 
  tell their tales, it might become rather 
  difficult for those PCs to hire other 
  Order members thereafter. 
  ➢ Clause 
  (IV) 
  means 
  that 
  Order 
  members are trained and disciplined, 
  and they have higher morale than 
  normal (averaging Morale 9 for 
  companions, 
  sometimes 
  higher, 
  depending on employer Charisma). 
  ➢ Clause (V) tends to get very testy 
  when the interpretation of the word 
  “violent” 
  is 
  stretched 
  due 
  to 
  extenuating circumstances. 
  ➢ Clauses (VI) and (VII) do in fact mean 
  that even if ordered to attack, Order 
  members will not attack humans or 
  demi-humans unless their side is 
  attacked first.  This can cause some 
  interesting tactical problems when 
  PCs are beset by bandits, brigands, 
  berserkers, etc. 
  ➢ Further, clause (VII) is a source of 
  social tension in the city.  Game 
  Masters might note that the races 
  “half-orc” and “half-ogre” are not 
  included in this list, and yes, that 
  directly relates to racial tensions 
  within the city wards.  There’s also 
  the interesting wrinkle involving evil 
  netherworld-dwelling 
  demi-human 
  races, such as the drow, Dvergar, 
  and others.  Order members are 
  sworn not to attack these races until 
  they are attacked first! 
   
  Beyond the code there are also a few other 
  practical matters to consider: 
  ➢ The cost to hire Order members is a 
  bit higher than the going rate for 
  most mercenary soldiers.  But then 
  again, considering discipline, morale, 
  reputation, and fighting ability, you 
  get what you paid for.  Anyone can 
  hire a few random ruffians out of the 
  alleys to do some violent deeds, but 
  hiring from the Order means that 
  serious business is afoot. 
  ➢ Player 
  Characters 
  might 
  well 
  encounter Order members in a 
  tavern, 
  looking 
  for 
  employment, 
  while they are planning a dungeon 
  expedition.  However, members will 
  never accept work in a tavern, on the 
  street, or elsewhere.  All offers of 
  employment are taken directly to the 
  Order Hall, and then a messenger 
  will return to the PCs — either 
  confirming or rejecting employment, 
  along with terms — within an hour’s 
  time. 
  ➢ Order members do not gain treasure 
  shares 
  while 
  adventuring; 
  they 
  accept agreed-upon pay instead. 
  ➢ The Gygaxian 1979 guide tells us 
  that normal men-at-arms will not 
  willingly venture below dungeon level 
  3, due to their low survivability in 
  lethal circumstances.  Order of the 
  Scarlet Tabard soldiers, however, will 
  do so if commanded, and if they 
  succeed in a morale check. 
  ➢ Overall, 
  Order 
  soldiers 
  have 
  a 
  reputation for high risk, sacrifice, low 
  survivability, and bravery in combat.  
  And they wouldn’t have it any other 
  way. 
   
   
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
   
  “By the rood!” cried the fierce man-at-
  arms, “I will see the color of their blood 
  ere I turn my mare’s head for the 
  mountains.  Am I a child, that I should 
  ride for three days and nought but words 
  at the end of it?” 
   
  — The White Company, by Sir Arthur 
  Conan Doyle 
   
   
   
   
  Three Sides to the 
  Spearhead:  Experience 
  Classification of Order 
  Soldiers 
   
  There are five major classifications of 
  mercenaries working in the Order of the 
  Scarlet Tabard:  officers (detailed later in 
  this supplement), non-combatants (the 
  clerks, 
  notaries, 
  etc.), 
  blade 
  squires, 
  companions, and free lances. 
  Player Characters will most frequently 
  adventure alongside companions and free 
  lances (with the occasional blade squires), 
  although officers will likely come into play 
  later if significant bodies of mercenary 
  troops are hired at one time. 
  ➢ Blade Squires (base morale level 8):  
  These are inexperienced troops who 
  have high morale and camaraderie, 
  but they have not yet seen battle.  
  They can only be hired in groups of 
  20 or more, and their survivability 
  tends to be low.  Morale is lower 
  when 
  compared 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  experienced troops.  But since their 
  pay rates are lower too, they are 
  popular choices for guard duty, 
  scouting, and overland travel where 
  dangerous monsters only “might” be 
  a potential problem.  (PCs tend to get 
  into violent messes, and the hiring of 
  blade squires by such adventurers 
  will be discouraged by Order officers, 
  because they’re well aware of the dire 
  bloody messes that occur when 
  adventurers go dungeon delving!  In 
  Game 
  Master 
  terms, 
  these 
  are 
  “troops 
  for 
  NPC 
  employers 
  or 
  overland journeys” for the most part.) 
  ➢ Companions (base morale level 9):  
  Companions are the most common 
  type of Order mercenaries.  They 
  have standardized weapons and 
  armor, and standard rates of pay.  
  They can be hired in units; in fact, 
  due to a contractual survivability 
  clause an employer must hire at least 
  5 companions at one time and the 
  troops must be kept together.  Their 
  morale tends to suffer (-1) if they are 
  not led by either an Order officer, or 
  by a charismatic (CHA 13+) and 
  capable employer. 
  ➢ Free Lances (variable morale, as 
  listed):  These unique soldiers are 
  individuals who commonly own their 
  weapons, armor, and equipment.  
  (They were self-trained earlier on 
  their own favored weapons, and 
  refuse to comply with orthodox 
  training ordinances when their lives 
  are 
  on 
  the 
  line.) 
   
  They 
  are 
  experienced and (usually) brave, 
  hailing from foreign armies or rival 
  mercenary companies.  However they 
  have not yet proven themselves to the 
  Order to the point of being classified 
  as “line troops,” which means that 
  they do not serve in units under a 
  
   
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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  Scarlet Tabard officer.  These are the 
  individuals who are most commonly 
  hired by PCs, because they are 
  available for hire singly.  The 
  individuals featured in The Order of 
  the Scarlet Tabard supplement are all 
  free lances.  Pay rates vary according 
  to 
  the 
  person, 
  their 
  preferred 
  weapons, 
  their 
  armor, 
  their 
  endurance, and their skills.  They 
  have quite different capabilities, but 
  generally the more you pay, the 
  better the soldier.  Caveat emptor! 
  ➢ (GM’s Note:  The distinction between 
  companions and free lances arose in 
  my campaign because sometimes I 
  wanted to offer unique persons with 
  adventure-hook details and special 
  personalities, which brought the free 
  lances into play.  At other times, I 
  didn’t want to wrestle with piles of 
  NPC stats to keep the game moving, 
  so more generic and standardized 
  companions were made available.  
  I’ve included both approaches here 
  so that you can decide which play 
  approach you want to take with your 
  own group.  Note that by design, a 
  small group will typically consist of 
  unique free lances, while a larger 
  group 
  will 
  consist 
  of 
  “generic” 
  companions for ease of statting and 
  rapid play.) 
   
  The weapons and armor used by individual 
  free lances are detailed in The Order of the 
  Scarlet Tabard. 
  For 
  blade 
  squires 
  and 
  companions, 
  equipment will be standardized as follows.  
  Note 
  that 
  these 
  Gygaxian 
  “loadouts” 
  assume that the length, speed, space 
  required, 
  and 
  weapon 
  vs. 
  armor 
  adjustment rules are all being used, which 
  explains (for example) why a soldier would 
  want to carry both an axe and a sword.  
  Some weapons are just plain better vs. 
  some particular armors and types of 
  enemies! 
   
  ➢ Light 
  Footman, 
  Blade 
  Squire:  
  Padded armor and shield; spear and 
  club 
  ➢ Light 
  Footman, 
  Companion:  
  Studded leather armor and shield; 
  spear and hand axe 
   
   
   
  ➢ Skirmisher, Blade Squire:  Padded 
  armor and shield; 12 darts and club 
  ➢ Skirmisher, Companion:  Ring mail 
  and shield; 15 darts and dagger 
   
  ➢ Heavy Footman, Blade Squire:  
  Chain mail and shield; battle axe and 
  broad sword 
  ➢ Heavy 
  Footman, 
  Companion:  
  Splint mail and shield; battle axe and 
  long sword 
   
  ➢ Armsman, Blade Squire:  Ring mail; 
  pole arm (GM’s choice) and club 
  ➢ Armsman, Companion:  Banded 
  mail; pole arm (GM’s choice) and 
  hand axe 
  
   
  Page 21 | 47 
   
  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
   
   
  ➢ Slinger, Blade Squire:  Padded 
  armor and shield; sling and club 
  ➢ Slinger, 
  Companion: 
   
  Studded 
  leather armor and shield; sling and 2 
  throwing clubs 
   
  ➢ Crossbowman, 
  Blade 
  Squire:  
  Studded 
  leather 
  armor; 
  light 
  crossbow and hand axe 
  ➢ Crossbowman, Companion:  Chain 
  mail; light crossbow and military fork 
   
   
   
  ➢ Arbalester, Blade Squire:  Ring 
  mail; heavy crossbow and club 
  ➢ Arbalester, Companion:  Chain 
  mail; heavy crossbow and short 
  sword 
   
  ➢ Archer, Blade Squire:  Studded 
  leather armor; short bow and short 
  sword 
  ➢ Archer, Companion:  Scale mail; 
  short bow and broad sword 
   
   
   
  
   
  Page 22 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  ➢ Longbowman, 
  Blade 
  Squire:  
  Leather armor; long bow and broad 
  sword 
  ➢ Longbowman, Companion:  Scale 
  mail; long bow, long sword, and 
  dagger 
   
  ➢ Light 
  Cavalry, 
  Blade 
  Squire:  
  Studded leather armor and shield; 2 
  throwing axes, broad sword, and 
  club 
  ➢ Light Cavalry, Companion:  Ring 
  mail and shield; 3 javelins, long 
  sword, and hand axe 
   
  ➢ Mounted 
  Crossbowman, 
  Blade 
  Squire:  Studded leather armor and 
  shield; 
  light 
  crossbow 
  and 
  horseman’s military pick 
  ➢ Mounted 
  Crossbowman, 
  Companion:  Scale mail and shield; 
  light crossbow and broad sword 
   
  ➢ Medium Cavalry, Blade Squire:  
  Studded leather armor and shield; 
  lance and horseman’s flail 
  ➢ Medium 
  Cavalry, 
  Companion:  
  Chain 
  mail 
  and 
  shield; 
  lance, 
  horseman’s flail, and short sword 
   
  ➢ Heavy 
  Cavalry, 
  Blade 
  Squire:  
  Banded mail and shield; lance, broad 
  sword, and horseman’s mace 
  ➢ Heavy Cavalry, Companion:  Plate 
  mail and shield; lance, broad sword, 
  and horseman’s mace 
   
  All blade squires and companions are 
  considered to be human, unless the GM 
  decides otherwise.  (There are also some 
  special troop types and demi-human rules 
  listed in the officers section of this 
  supplement.) 
  As a rule of thumb I would recommend that 
  if mixed troop races are preferred, demi-
  humans — who are clearly superior at low 
  experience levels — should make up no 
  more than 10-15% of the available troops.   
  I have not gone to the level of detail of 
  providing counts of each type of troop 
  available for hire in the city, because that 
  type of micro-management by the author 
  can actually hinder your campaign.  It isn’t 
  fair for me to dictate to you what you can 
  offer your own players when you’re 
  encouraging them to try out the concept of 
  NPC men-at-arms! 
  My advice to Game Masters is, assume 
  approximately 50 of each infantry troop 
  type (and 25 of each cavalry type, but not 
  intended for dungeon expeditions!) are 
  available for Player Character hire at any 
  one time, at most; and make adjustments 
  as needed during play. 
  Also, 
  feel 
  free 
  to 
  enforce 
  Charisma 
  adjustments to follower morale, loyalty, 
  and number of controllable troops if you 
  like.  Some GMs interpret those rules as 
  applying only to long-term henchmen and 
  retainers, while others prefer to use them 
  for all NPCs, up to and including mercenary 
  soldiers who might only be hired for a single 
  day. 
   
   
   
  Hiring Ordermen 
   
  The pay rates of men-at-arms in the Free 
  City of Grimrook vary, according to the 
  hardiness and experience (classification) of 
  the mercenary soldier, as well as the 
  esteem of the soldier’s company.  All of 
  
   
  Page 23 | 47 
   
  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  these factors influence soldier prowess and 
  morale, and — as any adventurer knows — 
  the morale of the mercenaries has a direct 
  impact 
  on 
  the 
  survivability 
  of 
  their 
  employers while engaging in dangerous 
  expeditions.  Those who are foolish enough 
  to skimp on bodyguard pay might well 
  regret their decisions once sword, fang, and 
  claw come to the fore! 
  Monthly pay rates for Scarlet Tabard free 
  lances vary widely between 1.5 and 6.5 gold 
  pieces per month, as demonstrated in the 
  Order of the Scarlet Tabard supplement.  
  Pay rates for blade squires and companions 
  however are standardized, as listed below. 
  The Gygaxian pay rates listed are per month 
  of “light duty” (guard duty, caravan 
  accompaniment, etc.), and are also per 
  week of “heavy duty” (certain combat, riot 
  duty, bodyguards of threatened persons, 
  etc.).  The listed rates are also used as rates 
  of pay for subterranean or dungeon 
  expedition accompaniment, whether the 
  service is for 1 day or up to 7 days. 
  The Order’s pay rates are: 
  ➢ Arbalester (heavy crossbow):  For a 
  blade squire, 2 gp / month (light 
  duty), 
  week 
  (heavy 
  duty), 
  or 
  expedition; for a companion, 3 gp. 
  ➢ Archer (short bow):  For a blade 
  squire, 2 gp / month (light duty), 
  week (heavy duty), or expedition; for 
  a companion, 3 gp. 
  ➢ Armsman / Pikeman (pole arm):  
  For a blade squire, 3 gp / month 
  (light duty), week (heavy duty), or 
  expedition; for a companion, 4 gp. 
  ➢ Crossbowman (light):  For a blade 
  squire, 2 gp / month (light duty), 
  week (heavy duty), or expedition; for 
  a companion, 3 gp. 
  ➢ Heavy Cavalry (heavy warhorse):  
  For a blade squire, 6 gp / month 
  (light duty), week (heavy duty), or 
  expedition; for a companion, 9 gp. 
  ➢ Heavy Footman (heavy armor and 
  melee weapons):  For a blade squire, 
  2 gp / month (light duty), week 
  (heavy duty), or expedition; for a 
  companion, 3 gp. 
  ➢ Light Cavalry (light warhorse):  For 
  a blade squire, 3 gp / month (light 
  duty), 
  week 
  (heavy 
  duty), 
  or 
  expedition; for a companion, 4 gp. 
  ➢ Light Footman (light armor and 
  melee weapons):  For a blade squire, 
  1 gp / month (light duty), week 
  (heavy duty), or expedition; for a 
  companion, 2 gp. 
  ➢ Longbowman (long bow):  For a 
  blade squire, 4 gp / month (light 
  duty), 
  week 
  (heavy 
  duty), 
  or 
  expedition; for a companion, 6 gp. 
  ➢ Medium 
  Cavalry 
  (medium 
  warhorse):  For a blade squire, 4 gp 
  / month (light duty), week (heavy 
  duty), 
  or 
  expedition; 
  for 
  a 
  companion, 6 gp. 
  ➢ Mounted 
  Crossbowman 
  (light 
  warhorse):  For a blade squire, 4 gp 
  / month (light duty), week (heavy 
  duty), 
  or 
  expedition; 
  for 
  a 
  companion, 6 gp. 
  ➢ Skirmisher (light armor and hurled 
  weapons):  For a blade squire, 1 gp / 
  month (light duty), week (heavy 
  duty), 
  or 
  expedition; 
  for 
  a 
  companion, 2 gp. 
  ➢ Slinger (light armor and sling):  For 
  a blade squire, 2 gp / month (light 
  duty), 
  week 
  (heavy 
  duty), 
  or 
  expedition; for a companion, 3 gp. 
   
  These are rates for the esteemed Order of 
  the Scarlet Tabard only.  Rates for soldiers 
  of other (cheaper) mercenary companies 
  will be equal to the blade squire rates listed 
  above. 
   
  
   
  Page 24 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
   
   
  If demi-humans are available for service, I 
  recommend a special pay rate of +1 gold 
  piece for infantry, or +2 gold pieces per 
  cavalry.  (The bonus for “game balance 
  reasons” should actually be even higher 
  than that, but “socially” these rates are 
  more reasonable in my opinion.)  Do not 
  under-estimate highly prized troops such 
  as 
  halfling 
  slingers, 
  dwarven 
  heavy 
  infantry, or elven archers!  Those minor 
  demi-human combat advantages really 
  tend to add up quickly when you’re dealing 
  with dozens of soldiers acting in formation. 
   
  Hiring Officers of the 
  Scarlet Tabard 
   
  In addition to the listed types of normal 
  soldiers, the Player Characters might also 
  express interest in hiring minor officers.  
  These are either fighters with normal (11-
  12) ability scores and hit points, or special 
  elite officers (Scarlet Captains) who are 
  detailed as individuals in this supplement. 
  Officers provide considerable firepower for 
  low-level PC groups, but they are only 
  available for hire if certain troop number 
  thresholds are reached.  Hiring Order 
  officers is quite an expensive undertaking, 
  but being dead is more expensive, to be 
  sure!  Make it clear to your players that the 
  option of hiring officers is potentially 
  available to the PCs, but let the players 
  decide if the service is worth the price.  The 
  prices are such that the question will 
  probably not arise until the PCs have 
  reached mid- or high experience levels. 
  Order officers will act in accordance with 
  the employer’s will, up to a point.  The 
  officers will also have firm opinions on the 
  point of who commands whom, and when. 
  If the employer is embracing command, 
  then this means (in play terms) that the 
  players’ PCs will issue orders to the Order 
  officer, and the officer will order the troops.  
  A simple command of “Attack!” from a PC 
  might well result in the NPC officer making 
  tactical 
  decisions 
  for 
  the 
  mercenary 
  soldiers, with heavy infantry charging, light 
  infantry in reserve, archers firing before 
  melee is engaged, and so forth.  But if the 
  PCs issue more tactical and detailed orders, 
  the officer will do his or her best to enforce 
  their perceived intent.  Of course, as always 
  highly dangerous or suicidal orders will 
  require a morale check. 
  Conversely, if the employer is delegating 
  command, the Order officer will command 
  the troops as he sees fit.  This means that 
  the NPCs will fight if the PCs fight, will flee 
  if the PCs flee, and so forth. 
  It is advisable for the Game Master to insist 
  on which approach the players would like 
  to try, to avoid arguments when combat 
  occurs.  Of course the command distinction 
  can change during play, but not discussing 
  it at all can be very problematic. 
  Some other command situations will need 
  to be considered based on whether or not 
  the PCs decide to assist officers, and the 
  number of troops controlled.  The following 
  guidelines are recommended: 
   
  (The Order will allow level 1+ PCs to hire 
  between 1 and 10 soldiers.) 
   
  
   
  Page 25 | 47 
   
  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  ➢ If the PCs have hired between 1 
  and 4 Order soldiers, no officers are 
  available to assist for hire.  The 
  troops will be directly commanded by 
  the PCs. 
  ➢ If between 5 and 10 soldier are 
  hired, the PCs can also choose to 
  hire a sergeant.  A typical sergeant is 
  a level 1 fighter with between 7 and 
  10 (1D6+4) hit points.  The sergeant 
  will have the same weapons as the 
  “companion”-level 
  majority 
  troop 
  type that he leads; for example, a 
  longbowman 
  sergeant 
  would 
  be 
  equipped with long bow, long sword, 
  and dagger.  Sergeants will also have 
  +1 armor class, to a maximum of 
  plate mail and shield; for example, if 
  chain mail is listed for line troops, 
  the sergeant will wear banded armor.  
  They give a +1 morale bonus to the 
  soldiers that they lead.  The pay rate 
  for a sergeant is equal to the 
  companion rate x 10, which means 
  that a longbowman sergeant’s rate is 
  60 gold pieces.  Officer pay rates are 
  never discounted. 
   
  (The Order will allow level 2+ PCs to hire up 
  to 20 soldiers.  A 2% total troop fee discount 
  applies at this tier; therefore hiring 20 
  mounted crossbowman companions, which 
  normally costs 120 gp, would only cost 
  117.6 gp.) 
   
  ➢ If between 11 and 15 soldiers are 
  hired, the PCs can choose to hire 1 
  or 2 sergeants.  A sergeant can 
  command up to 10 troops on his 
  own; if only 1 sergeant is hired, the 
  remaining troops will be under the 
  PCs’ direct command. 
  ➢ If between 16 and 20 soldiers are 
  hired, the PCs can choose to hire 1 
  (junior) lieutenant, or 2 sergeants.  A 
  typical lieutenant is a level 2 fighter 
  with between 15 and 20 (1D6+14) hit 
  points.  A lieutenant — capable of 
  commanding up to 20 troops on his 
  own — will have the same weapons 
  as the “companion”-level majority 
  troop type that he leads, plus a fine 
  sword 
  (long, 
  bastard, 
  or 
  two-
  handed).  Lieutenants will also have 
  +2 armor class, to a maximum of 
  plate mail and shield.  They give a +1 
  morale bonus to the soldiers that 
  they lead.  The pay rate of a 
  lieutenant is 200 gold pieces per 
  month. 
  ➢ Note:  Hiring more than 20 soldiers 
  to accompany an underground or 
  dungeon 
  expedition 
  will 
  be 
  considered highly unusual … but if 
  the GM and the players can handle 
  the logistics, more power to them!  
  The GM must decide if there is an 
  “upper 
  limit” 
  for 
  dungeon 
  accompaniment. 
   
  (The Order will allow level 3+ PCs to hire up 
  to 30 soldiers.  A 4% total troop fee discount 
  applies at this tier.) 
   
  ➢ If between 21 and 30 soldiers are 
  hired, the PCs can choose to hire 1 
  senior lieutenant, or 2 or 3 sergeants.  
  A typical senior lieutenant is a level 3 
  fighter with between 23 and 30 
  (1D8+22) hit points.  The senior 
  lieutenant — capable of commanding 
  up to 30 troops on his own — will 
  have the same weapons as the 
  “companion”-level 
  majority 
  troop 
  type that he leads, plus a fine sword 
  (long, 
  bastard, 
  or 
  two-handed).  
  Senior lieutenants will also have +2 
  armor class, to a maximum of plate 
  mail and shield.  They give a +1 
  morale bonus to the soldiers that 
  they lead.  The pay rate of a senior 
  
   
  Page 26 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  lieutenant is 300 gold pieces per 
  month. 
   
  (The Order will allow level 4+ PCs to hire up 
  to 40 soldiers.  A 6% total troop fee discount 
  applies at this tier.) 
   
  ➢ If between 31 and 40 soldiers are 
  hired, the PCs can choose to hire 1 
  commander, 2 lieutenants, or 1 
  senior lieutenant and 1 sergeant.  
  Further, if the PCs are only level 4, 
  the Order will insist that officers be 
  hired; for PCs of level 5+ this will be 
  optional.  A typical commander is a 
  level 4 fighter with between 31 and 
  40 (1D10+30) hit points.  The 
  commander 
  — 
  capable 
  of 
  commanding up to 40 troops on his 
  own — will have the same weapon 
  types 
  as 
  the 
  “companion”-level 
  majority troop type that he leads.  He 
  will also possess a +1 weapon of the 
  primary type wielded (long bow, long 
  sword, pole arm, etc.).  He will have 
  +3 armor class, to a maximum of AC 
  1.  He will have a chance to have 
  either +1 armor (10%), a +1 shield 
  (10%), or both (5%), with a 75% 
  chance of having only a magical 
  weapon but no magical armor.  
  Commanders give a +2 morale bonus 
  to the soldiers that they lead.  The 
  pay rate of a commander is 400 gold 
  pieces per month.  
   
  (The Order will know the approximate 
  experience levels of higher-level PCs through 
  rumor and reputation; a standard ratio 
  should be applied following the above 
  guidelines, e.g. a group of level 7 PCs would 
  likely be allowed to hire up to 70 Order 
  soldiers at a time.) 
   
  ➢ If more than 40 soldiers are hired, 
  the PCs will have the option of hiring 
  1 Captain of the Scarlet Tabard to 
  accompany the group.  Further, if the 
  PCs are below experience level 6, the 
  Order will insist that 1 Captain be 
  hired.  There will be special troops 
  types available for optional hire, as 
  listed 
  under 
  each 
  captain’s 
  description.  The pay rates and 
  command ability for the captains are 
  listed in their descriptions in this 
  volume. 
   
   
   
  Skirmishes and Land 
  Battles:  The Size of 
  Larger Order Units 
   
  If the Game Master wants to feature PCs 
  commanding mercenary troops in land 
  battles, the following bits of information 
  might be helpful. 
  Because the Order exists through allowing 
  groups to be either commanded or not, in 
  forces ranging in size from 1 to 100 or more, 
  the term “unit” becomes rather laughable 
  from a command perspective.  The Order is 
  not an army … but it can act like one when 
  required, if the price is high enough. 
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  The following unit sizes are recommended 
  for miniatures or large-scale engagements: 
  ➢ Hand (or in the White Company, a 
  Lanze):  This is a squad of 3 to 5 
  men. 
  ➢ Contubernium:  A unit of 6 to 15 
  troops, commanded by a sergeant or 
  a lieutenant. 
  ➢ Troop:  A unit of 16 to 45 troops, 
  commanded by a lieutenant, senior 
  lieutenant, or commander. 
  ➢ Host:  A unit of 46 to 90 troops, 
  commanded by a commander or a 
  captain. 
  ➢ Centuria:  A unit of 91 to 110 troops, 
  commanded by a captain.  Internally, 
  a centuria is wryly referred to as a 
  “Gallowglass Cohort.” 
  ➢ Maniple:  A unit of 111 to 130 
  troops, commanded by a captain. 
  ➢ Company:  A unit of 131 to 250 
  troops, commanded by a veteran 
  captain. 
  ➢ Cohort:  A unit of 251 to 500 troops, 
  commanded by an elite captain or 
  the Lord Marshal. 
  ➢ Great Host:  A unit of 501 or more 
  troops, 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  Order’s 
  full 
  maximum strength; commanded by 
  the Lord Marshal and captains. 
   
   
  Goodly Men and Women 
  of Renown:  The Great 
  Captains of the Order 
   
   
  “At your age, a man should have a hot 
  head and a high heart.  I also had both 
  and fought for my lady’s glove, or for my 
  vow, or for the love of fighting. 
  “But as one grows older and commands 
  men, one has other things to think of.  
  One thinks less of one’s own honor and 
  more of the safety of the army.  It is not 
  your own spear, your own sword, your 
  own arm, which will turn the tide of fight; 
  but a cool head may save a stricken field. 
  “He who knows when his horsemen 
  should charge and when they should 
  fight on foot, he who can mix his archers 
  with his men-at-arms in such a fashion 
  that each can support the other, he who 
  can hold up his reserve and pour it into 
  the battle when it may turn the tide, he 
  who has a quick eye for boggy land and 
  broken ground — that is the man who is 
  of more worth to an army than Roland, 
  Oliver, and all the paladins.” 
   
  — Sir Nigel, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
   
   
  Above the standard sergeants, lieutenants, 
  and 
  commanders, 
  there 
  are 
  unique 
  individuals who are renowned for their 
  fighting prowess, wisdom, and — truth be 
  told — their combative eccentricities and 
  occasional 
  foolhardiness 
  in 
  battle.  
  Collectively, these men and women are 
  known as the Scarlet Captains. 
  
   
  Page 28 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  These individuals are based (very distantly) 
  upon the names, but not the identities, of 
  real-life people who contributed to the 
  Bundle of Holding / Castle Oldskull charity 
  and funding drive.  You can feel free to use 
  them in your own campaign, although if 
  you use them in a published supplement I 
  would ask that you please maintain this 
  association with the real-life contributors if 
  you feel that you can do so. 
  I thank you in advance! 
   
   
   
  Captain Hierarch I: 
  Lord Marshal Artorius o’ Braune 
  (The Staunch-Hearted, Demon Slayer, 
  High Commander of the Order of the 
  Scarlet Tabard) 
  ➢ Description: 
   
  As 
  told 
  in 
  the 
  introduction to this volume, Lord 
  Artorius is regarded as a hero by the 
  citizenry of Grimrook due to his past 
  actions in the field.  His ethos is quite 
  evident, as the Code of Scarlet — as 
  sworn to by every soldier in the Order 
  — manifests his personal beliefs.  He 
  is haunted by the conviction that 
  Grimrook’s ritualistic veneration of 
  evil deities will culminate in disaster, 
  but the Lich Queen’s curse of Om 
  Krol-kratha has bound the Elder 
  Ways and the city to a dark destiny 
  which cannot be averted.  Running a 
  famous 
  mercenary 
  company, 
  regardless of one’s ideals, is a never-
  ending 
  study 
  in 
  compromise!  
  Despite 
  his 
  authority 
  as 
  Lord 
  Marshal, Artorius still prefers to be 
  hailed 
  as 
  “Captain” 
  by 
  his 
  compatriots. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  The entire Order 
  of the Scarlet Tabard follows and 
  obeys Lord Artorius’s commands.  He 
  confers a +3 morale bonus (to a 
  maximum morale level of 12) to all 
  soldiers he personally leads into 
  battle from the forefront.  When 
  forced to command behind ranks, 
  the morale bonus is +2 (to a 
  maximum level of 11). 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  Lord Artorius will 
  only ally with Player Characters if 
  they are serving a death-defying 
  cause that will greatly favor the Free 
  City of Grimrook.  The GM must 
  decide when the circumstances are 
  appropriate.  Being a mercenary 
  company 
  commander, 
  he 
  must 
  demand a fee of course or his 
  reputation amongst his men and 
  rivals would be on the line!  His 
  required rate of pay is 2,000 gold 
  pieces 
  per 
  week 
  or 
  dungeon 
  expedition.  However, he will not 
  demand any shares of discovered 
  treasure while serving alongside a 
  worthy adventuring party. 
  ➢ Special Troops:  When Lord Artorius 
  agrees to a commission, he can call 
  upon any of the Order’s specialists to 
  assist him. 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  High Elf, Male, 
  Level 7/10 Fighter/Magic-User.  STR 
  18, DEX 14, CON 13, INT 17, WIS 11, 
  
   
  Page 29 | 47 
   
  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  CHA 16.  Hit Points 56.  Alignment 
  Lawful 
  Neutral 
  (with 
  Good 
  tendencies).  Plate Mail +2, Shield +3, 
  Vorpal Blade (Bloodgaunt), Dagger 
  +2, 
  Bag 
  of 
  Holding, 
  Cloak 
  of 
  Elvenkind, Net of Snaring, Ring of 
  Djinni Summoning, 3 Potions of 
  Extra-Healing. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Arthur 
  Braune, a long-term fan, for his 
  ongoing 
  encouragement 
  and 
  support. 
   
   
   
   
  Captain Hierarch II: 
  Sir Joshua of the House of Wright 
  (Bravest 
  of 
  the 
  True 
  Companions, 
  Illustrious Lord Captain) 
  ➢ Description:  Sir Joshua is the 
  master 
  of 
  the 
  Order’s 
  cavalry 
  contingents.  He prefers to ride a 
  spirited Illyrian charger, free of 
  barding, 
  for 
  maximum 
  maneuverability upon the field of 
  battle.  While adhering to the greater 
  code of chivalry as honored by his 
  house he is nevertheless, through 
  and through, a mercenary and a bit 
  of a joking scoundrel.  He will 
  attempt to mercifully spare the lives 
  of any non-evil foes who are bested 
  by his units in battle, unless 
  specifically 
  — 
  and 
  perhaps 
  repeatedly 
  — 
  ordered 
  to 
  do 
  otherwise. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Due to his 
  experience level of 10, Sir Joshua can 
  command up to 200 soldiers on his 
  own without assistance.  He confers 
  a +2 morale bonus to cavalry 
  (mounted or dismounted), or a +1 
  bonus to infantry. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  When Sir Joshua is 
  available for service, his rate is 1,200 
  gold pieces per week or dungeon 
  expedition.  He rarely adventures 
  underground these days but will 
  bravely do so in the name of a worthy 
  cause. 
  ➢ Special Troops:  When Sir Joshua 
  agrees to a commission, he can call 
  upon any cavalry units in the order.  
  At his behest, cavalry will also serve 
  as hobilars, riding to the field or area 
  of battle, and fighting on foot if 
  necessary. 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Half-Elf (of Sylvan 
  descent), Male, Level 10 Cavalier.  
  STR 17.12 (plus girdle), DEX 15.83, 
  CON 17.49, INT 14, WIS 11, CHA 15.  
  Hit Points 84.  Alignment Chaotic 
  
   
  Page 30 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  Good.  Full Plate Armor +2, Broad 
  Sword +2 Giant Slayer, Lance +1, 
  Girdle of Stone Giant Strength, 
  Horseshoes of a Zephyr, 2 Potions of 
  Extra-Healing. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of Holding fund contributor Ser 
  Joshuak of Wright, #1 contributor. 
   
  Captain Hierarch III: 
  A Man Called “Khaos” 
  (Companion of the Sharpest Blade, 
  Master of the Outlanders, Vaunted Lord 
  Captain) 
  ➢ Description:  “Khaos” — true name 
  unknown — is the notorious loose 
  cannon of the Order.  He tries to 
  charge his troops into battle at the 
  first excuse for action, strategically 
  or otherwise.  He only grudgingly 
  takes orders, especially to retreat.  
  His saving grace is that the men and 
  women 
  he 
  commands, 
  the 
  Outlanders, positively adore and 
  nearly worship him. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Khaos can 
  command up to 180 soldiers on his 
  own. 
   
  When 
  commanding 
  the 
  Outlanders, he gives them a +3 
  morale bonus.  When commanding 
  other troops however, they suffer a -
  1 penalty to morale. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  When Khaos is 
  available for service, his rate is 900 
  gold pieces per week or dungeon 
  expedition.  He must be allowed to 
  command his own troops on behalf of 
  the employer.  He does not like riding 
  horses, and prefers subterranean 
  exploration and combat missions.  
  The battle cry “Crom, witness!” has 
  been known to escape his lips from 
  time to time.  Fortunately silver spray 
  paint does not exist in the World of 
  Oldskull. 
  ➢ Special Troops:  Khaos commands 
  the blade squires who are known as 
  the Outlanders.  These are the 
  rough-and-tumble people “from afar” 
  who desperately crave Grimrook 
  citizenship. 
   
  Their 
  ethics 
  are 
  questionable.  They will fight bold-
  heartedly 
  while 
  under 
  Khaos’s 
  command.  When commanded by 
  others, 
  however, 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  unpredictable and a bit unruly.  
  Their primarily favored clever tactics 
  are “hack and slay,” along with the 
  ever-popular “pointy end goes in the 
  bad guy.”  Beyond that they’re a bit 
  tactically 
  challenged 
  due 
  to 
  bloodthirst and enthusiasm.  The 
  Outlanders have the lowest survival 
  rate of all the troops in the Order. 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Human, Male, 
  Level 9 Barbarian.  STR 18.93, DEX 
  16, CON 16, INT 12, WIS 9, CHA 15.  
  Hit Points 89.  Alignment Chaotic 
  Good 
  (with 
  Neutral 
  tendencies).  
  Leather Armor +2, Bastard Sword of 
  Sharpness, Spear +2; non-martial 
  magic items are frowned upon as 
  “cursed trinkets of the milksops” and 
  are either destroyed or bestowed 
  upon companions. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of Holding fund contributor Khaos. 
   
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
   
   
  Captain Hierarch IV: 
  Valeria of the Dogs of War 
  (Mistress of Hounds, Commander of the 
  Desert Sky Archers, Lord Captain) 
  ➢ Description:  Valeria Canthae is the 
  wilderness tracking and combat 
  specialist for the Order of the Scarlet 
  Tabard.  She has served from the 
  Hyrcanian forests to the Khomite 
  wastelands, and it is said that she 
  can 
  track 
  just 
  about 
  anyone, 
  anywhere … for a price.  She loves to 
  use war hounds both for tracking 
  and combat missions.  Her favored 
  weapon is the long bow, and melee 
  combat is avoided whenever possible; 
  nevertheless she is an exceedingly 
  deadly swordswoman as well.  She 
  bears a particular hatred toward the 
  Dvergar (subterranean dwarves) who 
  murdered 
  her 
  family, 
  and 
  will 
  actually refuse hirings that make her 
  subservient to dwarven characters of 
  any kind. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Valeria can 
  command up to 180 soldiers on her 
  own.  When commanding ranged 
  troops 
  (slingers, 
  archers, 
  skirmishers, etc.) or Hound Masters, 
  she gives them a +2 morale bonus.  
  When commanding other troops, she 
  gives a +1 morale bonus. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  When Valeria is 
  available for service, her rate is 900 
  gold pieces per week or dungeon 
  expedition. 
  ➢ Special Troops:  When Valeria is 
  available for service and liaison (at 
  the GM’s discretion), whether or not 
  she is hired she will also offer the 
  Order’s esteemed Hound Masters for 
  service.  These specialized fighters 
  are not otherwise available.  They are 
  equipped 
  as 
  heavy 
  companion 
  footmen, and each can control 
  1D4+1 war hounds.  These troops are 
  expensive, and their rate is 9 gold 
  pieces 
  for 
  themselves 
  and 
  an 
  additional 2 gold pieces per hound 
  they control.  No more than 5 Hound 
  Masters will be available to serve at 
  any one time.  Hounds will only obey 
  orders given by their masters, but 
  they are all experienced in over-
  ground 
  tracking, 
  pursuit, 
  and 
  subterranean combat.  Valeria also 
  commands the Desert Sky Archers, a 
  mostly-female contingent of 40-60 
  (depending 
  on 
  recent 
  losses) 
  companion longbow archers.  These 
  archers can only be hired when 
  Valeria herself is hired. 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Human, Female, 
  Level 9 Ranger.  STR 15, DEX 17, 
  CON 16, INT 14, WIS 15, CHA 13.  
  Hit Points 66.  Alignment Neutral 
  
   
  Page 32 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  Good.  Elfin Chain Mail +2, Long Bow 
  +1, 20 Arrows +2, 10 Arrows +4, 5 
  Arrows of Slaying (various), Displacer 
  Cloak, Ring of Spell Turning. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of Holding fund contributor Desert 
  Sky Archers. 
   
   
   
  The Dogs of War 
   
  The following war dog breeds (sub-races) 
  are featured in the World of Oldskull.  Each 
  specialized Hound Master will command a 
  different breed, and the bracketed numbers 
  can be used to roll D20 (for rarity) to 
  determine 
  which 
  breed 
  each 
  master 
  controls.  All dogs controlled by a single 
  master will be of the same breed. 
  Standard war dog statistics can be found in 
  the 
  1977 
  hardcover 
  bestiary; 
  only 
  variations from those provided figures are 
  detailed below. 
   
  ➢ [1-3] Aquitanian Alaunt:  Armor 
  Class 5, Move 150’ (50’), Hit Dice 
  2D8+2, minimum hit points 12, # 
  Attacks 1 Bite, Damage 2D4. 
  ➢ [4-5] Belgaean Bloodhound:  Armor 
  Class 6, Move 120’ (40’), Hit Dice 
  2D8, minimum hit points 10, # 
  Attacks 1 Bite, Damage 1D6+1.  
  Tracks as a level 8 ranger. 
  ➢ [6-8] Empyrean Molossus:  Armor 
  Class 5, Move 120’ (40’), Hit Dice 
  2D8+2, minimum hit points 12, # 
  Attacks 1 Bite, Damage 2D4.  Gain 
  +1 to hit and damage bonuses for as 
  long as their allegiant side has 
  suffered 
  no 
  casualties. 
   
  These 
  bonuses are erased (for 24 hours) as 
  soon as an allied person or hound 
  falls unconscious or dies in battle. 
  ➢ [9] Hibernian Beast of Bremen:  
  Armor Class 6, Move 120’ (40’), Hit 
  Dice 2D8+2, minimum hit points 14, 
  # Attacks 1 Bite, Damage 2D4+1.  
  Difficult to control, not available to 
  (or controllable by) anyone with less 
  than 1 year of war hound handling 
  experience. 
  ➢ [10-11] 
  Hibernian 
  Wolfhound:  
  Armor Class 6, Move 120’ (40’), Hit 
  Dice 2D8+2, minimum hit points 12, 
  # Attacks 1 Bite, Damage 2D4.  Gain 
  +1 to hit and damage bonuses vs. 
  non-magical beasts (wolves, bears, 
  etc.). 
  ➢ [12] Indian War Hound:  Armor 
  Class 5, Move 120’ (40’), Hit Dice 
  2D8+2, minimum hit points 13, # 
  Attacks 1 Bite, Damage 1D6+1.  
  Unshakeable morale for as long as its 
  master is willing to fight. 
  ➢ [13] Lysimachan War Dog:  Armor 
  Class 6, Move 120’ (40’), Hit Dice 
  2D8, minimum hit points 10, # 
  Attack 1 Bite, Damage 1D6+1.  Very 
  faithful; gain +1 to hit and damage 
  bonuses vs. any enemies who have 
  attacked their master. 
  ➢ [14] 
  MacRothian 
  Kell 
  Hound:  
  Armor Class 6, Move 150’ (50’), Hit 
  Dice 2D8+1, minimum hit points 11, 
  # Attacks 1 Bite, Damage 1D6+1.  
  Tracks as a level 4 ranger. 
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  ➢ [15] Magnesian War Dog:  Armor 
  Class 6, Move 120’ (40’), Hit Dice 
  2D8, minimum hit points 10, # 
  Attacks 1 Bite, Damage 1D6+1.  Gain 
  +1 to hit and damage bonuses vs. 
  humanoids. 
  ➢ [16] 
  Marathonian 
  War 
  Hound:  
  Armor Class 5, Move 120’ (40’), Hit 
  Dice 2D8+1, minimum hit points 11, 
  # Attacks 1 Bite, Damage 2D4.  Will 
  fight to the death over the bodies of 
  any fallen comrades unless ordered 
  to disengage. 
  ➢ [17-20] War Mastiff:  Armor Class 6, 
  Move 120’ (40’), Hit Dice 2D8+2, 
  minimum hit points 13, # Attacks 1 
  Bite, Damage 2D4.  Very high morale 
  (10). 
   
   
   
  Captain Hierarch V: 
  Master 
  Halberdier 
  Malaeus 
  the 
  Elemental 
  (“The Stony,” “The Old Man,” Foremost 
  Banneret of the Scarlet Tabard, Senior 
  Captain at Arms) 
  ➢ Description:  Malaeus never speak if 
  no fight.  You hire Malaeus?  No?  
  Then why speak? 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Malaeus can 
  command up to 160 soldiers on his 
  own.  When commanding in relatively 
  simple circumstances in which curt 
  orders can be given (e.g., attack, fall 
  back, 
  open 
  fire, 
  close 
  ranks, 
  withdraw, etc.), he gives a +2 morale 
  bonus to his soldiers.  In complex 
  situations where longer commands 
  must be shouted and relayed, this 
  bonus is reduced to zero. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  800 gold.  Take or 
  leave. 
  ➢ Special Troops:  Malaeus prefers to 
  command 
  footmen, 
  particularly 
  armsmen 
  (pole 
  arm 
  specialists), 
  whenever possible.  As a pole arm 
  master of the Helvetian “Gaxegon” 
  martial 
  school 
  he 
  is 
  singularly 
  proficient at doing so.  He inspires 
  his men to stand firm in grim 
  shoulder-to-shoulder 
  circumstances.  If the troops are 
  capable of fighting in formation, they 
  can balance their pole arms in the 
  curvature of a crescent shield, or 
  even on one another’s shoulders.  
  This gives them a +1 Armor Class 
  bonus and a +1 to hit for as long as 
  the formation can be obtained.  The 
  circumstances are up to the Game 
  Master.  For example, in a 10’-wide 
  corridor, these troops can fight three 
  abreast, with three in the front rank 
  and three in the mid rank fighting 
  over their shoulders.  But if they are 
  interspersed with (unruly) PCs in 
  those two ranks, the formation 
  
   
  Page 34 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  bonuses do not apply.  Similarly, if 
  there were 40 armsmen in a field, 
  they could likely make a formation 
  unless 
  they 
  were 
  completely 
  surrounded; but a mere 20 men 
  would have a much harder time, 
  unless they could stand in a defile or 
  smaller area (such as with their 
  flanks shielded by a rushing river). 
   
   
   
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Human, Male, 
  Level 8 Fighter.  STR 18.13, DEX 11, 
  CON 18, INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 9.  Hit 
  Points 73.  Alignment True Neutral 
  (Gods not care for Malaeus?  Malaeus 
  not care for gods.)  Splint Mail +3, 
  Large Shield +1 (crescent, allows a 
  specialized master to attack with a 
  thrusting, but not slashing, one-
  handed pole arm attack while also 
  using a shield), Halberd +1, Amulet 
  of Life Protection (mmm, stone 
  pretty). 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of 
  Holding 
  fund 
  contributor 
  Elemental. 
   
  Captain Hierarch VI: 
  Master Agent Goladir 
  (Commander of the Night Stalkers, 
  Second Banneret, Vaunted Captain at 
  Arms) 
  ➢ Description:  Goladir Terenthius is 
  the master of guile, in charge of 
  clandestine troops who serve when a 
  more delicate touch is required.  He 
  speaks eloquently, and is rather 
  charming when he wants to be.  He 
  tends to be a bit racist toward 
  “bumblers,” by which he typically 
  means half-ogres, half-orcs, and the 
  occasional ill-mannered dwarf. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Goladir can 
  command up to 160 soldiers on his 
  own, when necessary.  By preference, 
  however, he is uncomfortable when 
  commanding more than 20 hand-
  picked individuals at time.  All 
  dwarves, elves, gnomes, half-elves, 
  and halflings gain a +1 bonus to 
  morale while being led by Goladir.  
  However, all dwarves suffer a -1 
  penalty, and all half-ogres and half-
  orcs suffer a -2 penalty. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  When Goladir is 
  available for service, his rate is 800 
  gold pieces per week or dungeon 
  expedition. 
  ➢ Special Troops:  When Goladir is 
  hired, he and the Order allow all 
  simultaneously-hired troop positions 
  to be filled by demi-humans.  This 
  results in the creation of a temporary 
  unit termed the Night Stalkers, with 
  infravision 
  and 
  other 
  special 
  abilities.  All are companions and 
  level 1 fighters (not just men-at-
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  arms), and hiring costs are doubled.  
  These troops all have proficiency in 
  one 
  “weapon 
  of 
  subterfuge” 
  (including blowguns, darts, sword 
  canes, throwing knives, etc.) in 
  addition to their normal combat 
  capabilities.  Discretion is their 
  motto.  Minimum Intelligence for 
  Night Stalkers is 13, minimum 
  Dexterity 14.  They are usually 
  employed as scouts, agents, decoys, 
  or 
  intimidators, 
  not 
  front-line 
  fighters.  Those who need front-line 
  combat troops might want to look 
  elsewhere. 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Gray Elf, Male, 
  Level 6/7 Fighter/Thief.  STR 13, 
  DEX 18, CON 12, INT 15, WIS 14, 
  CHA 14.  Hit Points 43.  Alignment 
  Chaotic 
  Neutral 
  (with 
  Good 
  tendencies).  Leather Armor +2, 
  Short Sword +3, Dagger +1, Boots of 
  Elvenkind, Ring of Invisibility. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of 
  Holding 
  contributor 
  Peter 
  “Goladir” Schuster. 
   
  Captain Hierarch VII: 
  Radoslava the Tranquil 
  (Matriarch of the Aegis, “The Shield 
  Mother,” Third Banneret, Captain at 
  Arms) 
  ➢ Description:  Radoslava is renowned 
  both for her sheer refusal to become 
  angry, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  legendary 
  tempests which occur on the rare 
  occasions when someone finally 
  manages to piss her off.  She is a 
  devout cleric of Virtus but is sworn to 
  the Order.  As the foremost healer 
  within the company, she is regarded 
  as a protectress and respected 
  defender by all. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Radoslava can 
  command up to 140 soldiers on her 
  own.  Whoever they are, they all gain 
  a +1 morale bonus; she is universally 
  liked.  Her handpicked troops, The 
  Wall, gain a +2 morale bonus.  
  However, 
  she 
  is 
  deemed 
  “too 
  important to sacrifice,” which means 
  that she can only be hired under 
  circumstances 
  in 
  which 
  Lord 
  Artorius 
  grants 
  his 
  personal 
  approval. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  When Radoslava is 
  available for service, her rate is 800 
  gold pieces per week or dungeon 
  expedition. 
   
   
   
  ➢ Special 
  Troops: 
   
  Radoslava 
  specializes in defensive combat and 
  protective maneuvers.  She will only 
  lead heavy footmen (with a few 
  armsmen) into battle, regardless of 
  an 
  employer’s 
  wishes. 
   
  This 
  dedicated contingent of 70 or so 
  grognards is known as “The Wall.”  
  Her chosen men and women tend to 
  be older veteran companions who 
  have outlived their brothers and 
  sisters in arms.  Their minimum 
  Wisdom is 14 and they each possess 
  a minimum of 7 hit points.  Those 
  who serve in The Wall suffer a -1 to 
  their to hit rolls, but they all gain a 
  +1 tactical AC bonus as well.  If 
  
   
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  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  Radoslava 
  is 
  there 
  to 
  directly 
  command 
  them 
  in 
  shield 
  wall 
  formations, without an employer’s 
  command 
  intervention, 
  the 
  AC 
  bonus is improved to +2. 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Mountain Dwarf, 
  Female, Level 6/5 Cleric/Fighter.  
  STR 15, DEX 10, CON 17, INT 13, 
  WIS 17, CHA 15.  Hit Points 49.  
  Alignment Lawful Neutral.  Plate Mail 
  +1, Shield +4, Hammer +2, Throwing 
  Hammer +1, 3 Potions of Extra-
  Healing. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of 
  Holding 
  fund 
  contributor 
  Radoslava the Tranquil. 
   
   
  If the charge of the horsemen had been 
  terrible from its rush and its fire, this 
  steady advance of a huge phalanx of 
  armored 
  footmen 
  was 
  even 
  more 
  fearsome to the spectator.  They moved 
  very slowly, on account of the weight of 
  their armor, but their progress was the 
  more regular and inexorable. 
  With elbows touching — their shields 
  slung in front, their short five-foot spears 
  carried in their right hands, and their 
  maces or swords ready at their belts, the 
  deep column of men-at-arms moved 
  onward. 
  Again the storm of arrows beat upon 
  them clinking and thudding on the 
  armor. They crouched double behind 
  their shields as they met it.  Many fell, 
  but still the slow tide lapped onward … 
   
  — Sir Nigel, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
   
   
   
   
  Captain Hierarch VIII: 
  Sir Aleksandir the Imperious 
  (Orc-Slayer, Bane of the Salamander 
  Men, Fourth Banneret, Senior Captain) 
  ➢ Description:  Sir Aleksandir is a hot-
  headed yet chivalrous hero of the 
  Scarlet Tabard.  He was orphaned 
  during 
  the 
  murderous 
  orcish 
  incursions of the 1380s and was 
  raised on the streets of Grimrook by 
  members of the Thieves’ Guild, the 
  Night Watch, and the chevaliers’ 
  Order of the Darkened Rose (which 
  has since fallen into disrepute and 
  been disbanded by the Overlord).  
  Despite some disciplinary issues he 
  is regarded as a rising star.  If he ever 
  survives to become more temperate 
  and even-handed, he might well lead 
  the Order of the Scarlet Tabard in 
  decades to come. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Aleksandir can 
  command up to 140 soldiers on his 
  own.  In engagements where his 
  troops are battling evil humanoids 
  (gnolls, orcs, goblins, etc.), his 
  fearless heroics will give his soldiers 
  
   
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  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  a +1 bonus to morale.  If Aleksandir 
  suffers grievous wounds in such a 
  battle, his soldiers also gain +1 to hit 
  and damage. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:    When Aleksandir is 
  available for service, his rate is  700 
  gold pieces per week or dungeon 
  expedition. 
  ➢ Special Troops:  Aleksandir lives a 
  rather impoverished life; he donates 
  nearly all of his wealth to “his” troops 
  and upgrading their equipment.  All 
  soldiers commanded by Aleksandir 
  will be armored in half plate (AC 4) or 
  better, even the light archers and 
  skirmishers.  Every soldier will also 
  have a great helm and a short sword 
  in addition to any other listed 
  weapons.  His modified infantry units 
  move slowly due to these extra 
  burdens, 
  but 
  he 
  is 
  equally 
  comfortable 
  commanding 
  either 
  dungeon troops or cavalry in battle. 
   
   
   
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Human, Male, 
  Level 7 Cavalier.  STR 16.61, DEX 
  15.94, CON 17.30, INT 13, WIS 10, 
  CHA 12.  Hit Points 55.  Alignment 
  True 
  Neutral 
  (with 
  Chaotic 
  tendencies).  Field Plate Armor +1, 
  Two-Handed Sword +1, Lance +1, 
  Ring of Free Action, 2 Potions of 
  Extra-Healing. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of 
  Holding 
  fund 
  contributor 
  Alexander Nevsky. 
   
   
  In Ulthar, which lies beyond the river 
  Skai, once dwelt an old man avid to 
  behold the gods of earth; a man deeply 
  learned in the seven cryptical books of 
  Hsan, and familiar with the Pnakotic 
  Manuscripts of distant and frozen Lomar.  
  His name was Barzai the Wise, and the 
  villagers tell of how he went up a 
  mountain on the night of the strange 
  eclipse. 
  Barzai knew so much of the gods that he 
  could tell of their comings and goings, 
  and guessed so many of their secrets that 
  he was deemed half a god himself.  It was 
  he who wisely advised the burgesses of 
  Ulthar 
  when 
  they 
  passed 
  their 
  remarkable law against the slaying of 
  cats, and who first told the young priest 
  Atal where it is that black cats go at 
  midnight on St. John’s Eve. 
  Barzai was learned in the lore of earth’s 
  gods, and had gained a desire to look 
  upon their faces.  He believed that his 
  great secret knowledge of gods could 
  shield him from their wrath, so resolved 
  to go up to the summit of high and rocky 
  Hatheg-Kla on a night when he knew the 
  gods would be there … 
   
  — The Other Gods, by H. P. Lovecraft 
   
   
  
   
  Page 38 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
   
   
  Captain Hierarch IX: 
  Barzai the Wise, “The One and Ever-
  Returning” 
  (Fifth Banneret, Veteran Captain) 
  ➢ Description:  The elder known as 
  Barzai the Wise bears a unique 
  distinction in that he can only be 
  hired upon specific request made to, 
  and approved by, Lord Artorius 
  himself.  (He cannot leave the Order’s 
  halls without Artorius’s approval, 
  either.)  The reason for this is that 
  Barzai is completely insane.  He 
  believes that he is the incarnation of 
  a 
  Dreamlands 
  priest 
  who 
  was 
  abducted 
  by 
  the 
  Other 
  Gods, 
  transported ethereally into the World 
  of Oldskull for the purpose of 
  gathering a sect of warriors.  These 
  warriors are purportedly destined to 
  journey through the nether to seal 
  the deadly dimensional rifts which lie 
  beneath the labyrinths of Castle 
  Oldskull.  Complicating matters, 
  Barzai is the man who stabilized 
  Captain Artorius (and kept him from 
  dying) until High Matriarch Vopisca 
  Ovidia could carry his body out from 
  the battlefield.  If not for Barzai, 
  Artorius would have died upon that 
  day.  More harrowingly, Barzai’s 
  nonsense babblings concerning the 
  “future opening of the demoniac 
  ways into the Realms of Entropy” 
  ended up being 100% prophetic, but 
  that is a tale for another tome … 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Barzai is unfit 
  for command.  However, most of the 
  older veterans in the Order would 
  gladly and proudly lay down their 
  lives for him.  As such, there are 
  about 100 old zealots in the order 
  who possess unshakeable morale.  
  Unfortunately, these elite grognards 
  will only take the field when Barzai is 
  there to lead them.  They all suffer -
  30’ movement rate, -1 to hit and -1 
  damage due to age and war injuries, 
  but on any natural 20 they inflict 
  double reduced damage (while crying 
  out “For Ulthar!” as they strike).  Lord 
  Artorius knows that he would lose 
  these men if Barzai was removed 
  from command; and still, there are 
  many old employers who insist upon 
  Barzai’s hired assistance to this day.  
  It’s all rather complicated and a bit 
  embarrassing. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  Barzai will refuse all 
  payment, but Artorius will feel 
  obligated to accept 700 gold pieces 
  on behalf of the Order’s soldiers per 
  week of Barzai’s service, or per 
  dungeon expedition.  Expeditions 
  below Castle Oldskull dungeon level 
  6, or involving the troll demigod 
  Groohlz-Drakha, will not be approved 
  by Artorius and Barzai will be 
  expressly 
  forbidden 
  from 
  accompanying the party (due to his 
  
   
  Page 39 | 47 
   
  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  abject lack of control when triggered 
  by such revelatory things). 
  ➢ Special Troops:  As noted for 
  Command Ability, above.  All of these 
  veterans are companion footmen 
  (50% light, 50% heavy).  Other 
  soldiers will not accept Barzai as a 
  commander. 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Human (?), Male, 
  Level 6 Cleric.  STR 8, DEX 9, CON 
  13, INT 15, WIS 18, CHA 17.  Hit 
  Points 34.  Alignment Lawful Neutral.  
  Bracers of Defense (Armor Class 3), 
  Ring of Protection +3, Quarter Staff 
  +1, Gem of Seeing.  For whatever 
  reason, Barzai is completely immune 
  to all mind attacks and mind 
  reading, whether the attempts be 
  made by Know Alignment spells or 
  psionic blasts from a demon lord. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of Holding fund contributor Barzai 
  the Wise. 
   
   
  … 
   
  — Paltyria, the Blood Spinner 
   
   
  Captain Hierarch X: 
  Paltyria the Blood-Spinner 
  (Foremost Signifer, Senior Commander) 
  ➢ Description:  Paltyria Endromion is 
  a Sister of the Ivory Mask, an 
  Occidental monkish order whose 
  sanctuary is said to lie somewhere 
  beyond the northern Tyrrhenian 
  peaks.  She has taken an oath of 
  silence and relays her battle orders 
  through hand signals and veteran 
  intermediaries.  Few people have 
  even seen her face, but she seems to 
  be polite, curious, and honorable to 
  a fault.  She is enraptured by random 
  things which tend to distract her 
  with 
  some 
  frequency; 
  known 
  examples include cats, children, 
  wind instruments, and sculptures. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Paltyria can 
  command up to 120 soldiers on her 
  own.  However, she is reliant upon 
  experienced 
  troops 
  who 
  are 
  accustomed to her eccentricities.  In 
  circumstances where she cannot 
  command effectively — a recent 
  example being a Darkness spell 
  which eclipsed her in its radius — 
  her troops become confused and 
  suffer a -1 penalty to morale. At all 
  times, Paltyria insists in fighting 
  alongside her troops.  She leads from 
  the front, using a combination of 
  armed and unarmed tactics.  If an 
  employer 
  insists 
  upon 
  having 
  another vanguard, advance scouts, 
  etc., she walks beside them.  She 
  requires a certain degree of patience 
  to contend with, but her record is 
  exceptional. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  When Paltyria is 
  available for service, she will accept 
  600 gold pieces per week or dungeon 
  expedition … and then the moneys 
  are given directly to her soldiers.  
  Lord Artorius has discussed this with 
  her numerous times, but hey, it’s a 
  one-sided conversation. 
  ➢ Special Troops:  Paltyria will only 
  work with certain soldiers, and they 
  are not cavalry (they go too far afield).  
  A few mission-specific troops of each 
  type will accompany her, as selected 
  by her, not the prospective employer.  
  All hand-picked soldiers will have at 
  least 6 hit points. 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Human, Female, 
  Level 6 Monk.  STR 15, DEX 18, CON 
  16, INT 12, WIS 16, CHA 8 (she’s 
  rather frustrating).  Hit Points 27.  
  Alignment Lawful Neutral.  Ivory 
  
   
  Page 40 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  Mask +2 (treat as armor, +2 AC), 
  Hand Axe +2, 3 Javelins of Lightning, 
  Wand of Wonder. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of 
  Holding 
  fund 
  contributor 
  Spinplasm. 
   
   
   
  Captain Hierarch XI: 
  Marwinion of the Seven Fingers, “The 
  Master of Mayhem” 
  (Treasure 
  Master, 
  Second 
  Signifer, 
  Vaunted Commander) 
  ➢ Description:  Marwinion — some 
  would call him “The Master of the 
  Mead-Halls” — is a colorful dwarven 
  captain who has seen more than his 
  share of Really Weird Shit over the 
  last several decades in mercenary 
  service.  He is a treasure master of 
  notorious repute, renowned for his 
  ability to stack any and all potential 
  hard-won treasure that is recovered 
  for an employer.  “Treasure” means 
  gems and coins, but it also means 
  scrap armor, chunks of marble, 
  waterlogged 
  books, 
  and 
  other 
  miscellaneous doodads.  He has 
  improvised unique dungeon carts 
  with sturdier wheels, chambered 
  leather 
  satchel-grids, 
  near-silent 
  greased axles and the occasional 
  iron-shod battering ram plate (what?) 
  along with other ad hoc innovations.  
  His motto is “No purse too small, no 
  copper too heavy.”  He’s extremely 
  popular with employers, and is 
  typically booked out months in 
  advance. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Theoretically, 
  Marwinion could command up to 
  120 soldiers on his own.  In practice, 
  20 is pushing it, and he will likely 
  refuse to lead higher groups unless 
  the employer is willing to accept at 
  least 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  command 
  responsibility.  Troops who serve 
  under Marwinion do not gain a 
  morale bonus; many know they are 
  unlikely to return, but if they do, 
  they’ll probably come back rich.  In 
  recent years, Marwinion was involved 
  in an incident in which he somehow 
  loaded 
  a 
  dungeon 
  cart 
  with 
  pyrotechnics … resulting in the 
  death of an orc chieftain and several 
  dozen followers.  Any humanoids 
  within a 20-mile radius are 30% 
  likely to know the sordid details, and 
  if so they suffer a -2 morale penalty 
  when facing a force which includes 
  Marwinion and his crew. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  When Marwinion is 
  available for service (which is rare), 
  he requires 600 gold pieces per week 
  or dungeon expedition. 
  ➢ Special Troops:  All companion 
  soldiers serving under Marwinion are 
  dwarves with a minimum of 7 hit 
  points.  There are no archers or 
  cavalry, but there are footmen, 
  arbalesters, and skirmishers. 
  
   
  Page 41 | 47 
   
  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Hill Dwarf, Male, 
  Level 4/5 Fighter/Thief.  STR 14 
  (plus girdle), DEX 15, CON 15, INT 
  13, WIS 8, CHA 11.  Hit Points 24.  
  Alignment Chaotic Good.  Splint Mail 
  +1 (lock picking is manly, but hiding 
  in shadows is for lil’ nancy-pants, 
  Come at me ye bastards), Battle Axe 
  +1, Girdle of Hill Giant Strength, 
  Ring of Fire Resistance, Rope of 
  Climbing. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of Holding fund contributor Master 
  Mayhem. 
   
   
   
  Captain Hierarch XII: 
  Placidia of the Molten Cross, “The Ever-
  Burning” 
  (“Redshanks,” Third Signifer, Veteran 
  Commander) 
  ➢ Description:  Placidia is a good-
  hearted, child-like pyromaniac who 
  trains her troops in the combative 
  use of flaming oil.  She preaches a 
  combination of personal safety and 
  aggression against evil (“Burn early, 
  burn often”) which has resulted in 
  the highest troop survivability rate 
  for all commanders throughout the 
  history of the Order.  Although rather 
  reserved and tranquil under most 
  non-combat 
  circumstances, 
  she 
  becomes positively fervid when it’s 
  time to lay fiery waste to the mazy 
  corridors which run every which way 
  underneath Castle Oldskull.  Her 
  troops are rather protective of her 
  and her eccentric ways.  They 
  recently managed a significant kill, 
  incinerating three mummies in a 
  death pit, which has brought them a 
  fair amount of quizzical admiration.  
  All of the valuable treasures were 
  melted, but “At what price glory” and 
  all that, right?  Employers need to 
  lighten up and get their misguided 
  priorities straightened out. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Placidia can 
  command up to 100 soldiers on her 
  own.  Her favored troops by far 
  however 
  are 
  the 
  enigmatic 
  “Burninators,” a specialized unit of 
  50-odd souls replete with unique 
  equipment (studded leather armor, 
  improvised “goggle” lenses sewn into 
  leather face hoods, moistened face 
  wraps, torch-clubs with sharpened 
  stake tips, and oil flasks in various 
  shapes and sizes).  Pay rate is 10 gold 
  pieces 
  per 
  Burninator. 
   
  When 
  commanding this group, her troops 
  gain +2 morale.  Other more orthodox 
  soldiers suffer a -1 morale penalty. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  When Placidia is 
  available for service, her rate is 600 
  gold pieces per week or dungeon 
  expedition.  She will not undertake 
  wilderness journeys or ship-bound 
  service, and dungeon missions are 
  strongly preferred.  She likes dead 
  ends, pits, death traps, narrow 
  corridors, locking doors, precarious 
  stairways, and long walks on the 
  beach. 
  
   
  Page 42 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  ➢ Special Troops:  (As defined under 
  Command Ability, above.) 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Half-Elf (of High 
  descent), Female, Level 5 Fighter.  
  STR 13, DEX 15, CON 17, INT 12, 
  WIS 9, CHA 14.  Hit Points 41.  
  Alignment Chaotic Neutral.  Studded 
  Leather Armor +1, Short Bow +1, 
  Dagger of Venom, Ring of Fire 
  Resistance. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of Holding fund contributor Molten 
  Cross. 
   
  Captain Hierarch XIII: 
  Patrus 
  Joyun-Hammerfall, 
  “The 
  Battering Ram” 
  (Fourth Signifer, Proven Commander) 
  ➢ Description:  Patrus is a fearsome-
  looking half-ogre champion, with a 
  snaggle-toothed smirk and a heart of 
  gold.  Lord Artorius realized long ago 
  that 
  the 
  disenfranchised 
  untouchables of Grimrook — the 
  half-ogres, half-orcs, and other near-
  monstrous creatures — were unfairly 
  treated in the city as a result of 
  appearance, 
  poverty, 
  and 
  long-
  standing 
  stigma. 
   
  Patrus 
  rose 
  through the ranks and nearly all of 
  the misfits in the Order look up to 
  him.  He possesses no tactical 
  brilliance, but his fervor and massive 
  girth more than make up for any 
  strategic deficiencies in his nature.  
  He is famed for his ability to smash 
  down doors with his shoulder, as well 
  as enemies with his misshapen 
  cranium. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Patrus can 
  command up to 100 soldiers on his 
  own.  He is held in silent disfavor by 
  dwarves, 
  elves, 
  gnomes, 
  and 
  halflings in the order, as well as older 
  veterans (many of whom lost their 
  families 
  back 
  in 
  the 
  orcish 
  incursions).  He gives a +1 morale 
  bonus to half-orcs, a +2 to half-ogres, 
  and a -1 penalty to other demi-
  humans.  He is also capable of 
  parleying with hostile humanoids, 
  providing adventurers with a role-
  playing opportunity that they might 
  not otherwise be able to embrace. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  When Patrus is 
  available for service, his rate is 500 
  gold pieces per week or dungeon 
  expedition.  He has built up a 
  significant amount of hurt toward 
  elves and half-elves in particular, 
  and groups willing to hire him that 
  include such characters may well 
  require some additional coaxing and 
  reassurance 
  before 
  Patrus 
  will 
  commit his “Basturges” to battle.  
  But when he commits, he is loyal and 
  he inspires loyalty from his soldiers. 
  ➢ Special Troops:  All troops led by 
  Patrus will be either half-orcs (70%, 
  with 6 or 7 hit points) or half-ogres 
  (30%, with 12 to 14 hit points despite 
  being experience level zero). 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Half-Ogre, Male, 
  Level 5 Fighter.  STR 18/00, DEX 8, 
  CON 18, INT 9, WIS 7, CHA 5.  Hit 
  Points 68.  Alignment True Neutral 
  (with Good tendencies).  Makeshift 
  Chain and Iron Plate Armor +1 (AC 
  3), 
  Two-Handed 
  Sword 
  (Flame 
  Tongue), Ring of One Wish.  (Refer to 
  the Oldskull Half-Ogres supplement 
  for more information.) 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of Holding fund contributor Patrick 
  Joynt. 
   
  Captain Hierarch XIV: 
  Mahir Gormheart, “The Perfidious” 
  (“The Dun Falconer,” Fifth Signifer, 
  Proven Commander) 
  ➢ Description:  Mahir Gormheart is a 
  suave and pernicious old gnome who 
  
   
  Page 43 | 47 
   
  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  holds 
  onto 
  grudges 
  for 
  several 
  decades, 
  bringing 
  up 
  highly 
  uncomfortable 
  shreds 
  of 
  trivia 
  whenever he feels the idle need to 
  gaze down (up?) his ample nose at his 
  many, various, tall, and sundry 
  inferiors.  He is also one of the 
  craftiest and finest falconers who has 
  ever lived.  Uniquely among captains 
  of the Order of the Scarlet Tabard, 
  Mahir does not command troops; he 
  commands birds of prey.  Those who 
  hire him will also hire two or three of 
  his famed and frightening gyrfalcons 
  by default. 
  ➢ Command Ability:  Technically, 
  Mahir could command up to 100 
  soldiers on his own.  However, he 
  would only do so if he was directly 
  ordered by Lord Artorius; and, truth 
  be told, Artorius is a little afraid of 
  him. 
  ➢ Hiring Terms:  When Mahir is 
  available for service, his rate is 500 
  gold pieces per week or dungeon 
  expedition.  His falcons can fly in 
  tunnels and even fight in dungeons 
  while aloft.  They are perfectly trained 
  and practically fearless. 
  ➢ Special 
  Troops: 
   
  Gyrfalcons.  
  Mahir’s falcons are of the greatest 
  size and endurance for non-magical 
  birds (HD 1, hit points 8 each).  Their 
  unique traits are as follows:  [1] Gyra, 
  +2 to hit and +1 damage (“Go for the 
  eyes, Gyra!”); [2] Velocis, fastest of all 
  (flying movement rate 360’ above 
  ground, 
  180’ 
  underground 
  in 
  sufficient light); [3] Magicia, faerie-
  born and gifted with 150’ infravision; 
  [4] Intamira, the most evasive (AC 3 
  in flight instead of 6); [5] Fortissimo, 
  strongest and deadliest (damage 1D3 
  claw / 1D3 claw / 1D2 beak instead 
  of 1D2 / 1D2 / 1); and [6] Majestica, 
  eldest and wisest and capable of 
  rudimentary gnomish speech.  Mahir 
  will grieve when any of his falcons 
  die, but he and his apprentices have 
  many fledglings who are being raised 
  to follow in their elders’ paths upon 
  the wind. 
  ➢ Game Statistics:  Burrow Gnome, 
  Male, Level 4/4 Fighter/Thief.  STR 
  14, DEX 17, CON 15, INT 14, WIS 12, 
  CHA 7.  Hit Points 30.  Alignment 
  True 
  Neutral 
  (with 
  Chaotic 
  tendencies).  Leather Armor +1, 
  Short Sword +2, Throwing Dagger 
  +2, Bag of Holding (which he will 
  actually stash wounded falcons in, in 
  times 
  of 
  extremis), 
  Ring 
  of 
  Invisibility, 2 Potions of Extra-
  Healing. 
  ➢ Dedication:  With thanks to Bundle 
  of Holding fund contributor Mahir 
  the Perfidious. 
   
  And there you have it.  Thanks to all of you 
  who participated in Wonderland Imprints’ 
  first funding drive, and I hope to be able to 
  entertain you with more of my gaming 
  supplements in the future! 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  Page 44 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
   
  Then came two-score more archers, ten 
  more men-at-arms, and finally a rear 
  guard of twenty bowmen, with big John 
  towering in the front rank and the 
  veteran Aylward marching by the side, 
  his battered harness and faded surcoat in 
  strange contrast with the snow-white 
  jupons and shining brigandines of his 
  companions. 
  A quick cross-fire of greetings and 
  questions and rough West Saxon jests 
  flew from rank to rank, or were bandied 
  about betwixt the marching archers and 
  the gazing crowd. 
   
  — The White Company, by Sir Arthur 
  Conan Doyle 
   
   
  Onward, True Scarlets.  Toward fate and 
  the city walls, and thence to the grand 
  gates of Castle Oldskull.  Huzzah! 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  About the Author 
   
  Beginning play as a chaotic neutral normal 
  human with one measly hit point to his 
  name, KENT DAVID KELLY eventually 
  became apprenticed to a magic-user of ill 
  repute ... a foul man who dwelt in the 
  steamy deeps of the Ivory Cloud Mountain. 
  After this mentor carelessly misplaced an 
  intelligent soul-sucking sword and then 
  died under suspicious circumstances, his 
  former henchman Mr. Kelly escaped to the 
  deeper underground and there began 
  playing Satanic role-playing games. This, 
  the legends tell us, occurred in the year 
  1981. 
  Hoary wizard-priests who inspired Mr. 
  Kelly in his netherworldly machinations 
  included 
  the 
  peerless 
  Gygax, 
  Carr, 
  Arneson, 
  Cook, 
  Hammack, 
  Jaquays, 
  Bledsaw, Moldvay, Kuntz, Schick and 
  Ward. Sadly, a misguided made-for-the-
  basements movie entitled Mazes and 
  Monsters 
  gave 
  Mr. 
  Kelly’s 
  parents 
  conniptions in 1982. As a result of that 
  blasphemous Tom Hanks debacle (and 
  other more personal lapses in judgment), 
  Mr. Kelly was eventually forbidden from 
  playing his favorite game for a considerable 
  length of time. 
  Nonplussed but not defeated, he used this 
  enforced exile to escape to a friend’s 
  alehouse, and there indulged himself in 
  now-classic computer RPGs such as Zork, 
  Telengard, Temple of Apshai, Ultima, 
  Tunnels 
  of 
  Doom, 
  The 
  Bard’s 
  Tale, 
  Phantasie, Pool of Radiance, Wizard’s 
  Crown and Wasteland. He then went on to 
  write computer versions of his own FRPGs, 
  which led to his obsession with coupling 
  creative design elements with random 
  
   
  Page 45 | 47 
   
  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  dungeons and unpredictable adventure 
  generation. 
  Mr. Kelly wrote and submitted his first 
  adventure for Dungeon Magazine #1 in 
  1986. 
  Unfortunately, 
  one 
  Mr. 
  Moore 
  decided that his submission was far too 
  “Lovecraftian, horrific and unfair” to ever 
  serve 
  that 
  worthy 
  periodical 
  as 
  a 
  publishable adventure. Mr. Kelly, it must 
  be said, took this rejection as a very good 
  sign of things to come. 
  In the late 80s and 90s, Mr. Kelly wrote 
  short stories, poems and essays ... some of 
  which have been published under the 
  Wonderland Imprints banner. He wrote 
  several dark fantasy and horror novels as 
  well. Concurrently, he ran Dark Angel 
  Collectibles, selling classic FRPG materials 
  as Darkseraphim, and assisted the Acaeum 
  with the creation of the Valuation Board 
  and other minor research projects. 
  At this time, Mr. Kelly and his entourage of 
  evil gnomes are rumored to dwell in the 
  dread and deathly under-halls of the 
  Acaeum, 
  Dragonsfoot, 
  ENWorld, 
  Grognardia, Knights & Knaves, ODD, and 
  even more nefarious levels deep down in 
  the mega-dungeon of the Web. 
  There he remains in vigil, his vampiric 
  sword yet shivering in his hand. When not 
  being sought outright for answers to 
  halfling riddles or other more sundry sage 
  advice, he is to be avoided by sane 
  individuals at all costs. 
   
   
   
   
   
  Legal 
   
  Open Game Content 
  Open Game Content may only be Used 
  under and in terms of the Open Game 
  License (OGL). 
  Please note that there are quoted passages 
  from public domain sources (boxed text as 
  cited) within this document. This entire 
  work is designated as Open Game Content 
  under the OGL, with the exception of the 
  trademarks “Castle Oldskull,” “Wonderland 
  Imprints,” “Only the Finest Works of 
  Fantasy,” and with the exception of all 
  artwork. These trademarks, artwork, and 
  the Trade Dress of this work (font, layout, 
  style of artwork, etc.) are reserved as 
  Product Identity. 
   
  Open Game License 
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a 
  The following text is the property of Wizards 
  of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc. (“Wizards”). All 
  Rights Reserved. 
  1. Definitions: (a) “Contributors” means the 
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  “Derivative Material” means copyrighted 
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  “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, 
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  display, transmit or otherwise distribute; 
  (d) “Open Game Content” means the game 
  mechanic and includes the methods, 
  procedures, processes and routines to the 
  extent such content does not embody the 
  
   
  Page 46 | 47 
   
  Castle Oldskull Supplement CST1:  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard 
  Product Identity and is an enhancement 
  over the prior art and any additional 
  content clearly identified as Open Game 
  Content by the Contributor, and means any 
  work covered by this License, including 
  translations and derivative works under 
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  abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or 
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  “Trademark” means the logos, names, 
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  products 
  contributed to the Open Game License by 
  the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” 
  means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, 
  format, modify, translate and otherwise 
  create Derivative Material of Open Game 
  Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the 
  licensee in terms of this agreement. 
  2. The License: This License applies to any 
  Open Game Content that contains a notice 
  indicating that the Open Game Content 
  may only be Used under and in terms of 
  this License. You must affix such a notice 
  to any Open Game Content that you Use. 
  No terms may be added to or subtracted 
  from this License except as described by 
  the License itself. No other terms or 
  conditions may be applied to any Open 
  Game Content distributed using this 
  License. 
  3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open 
  Game 
  Content 
  You 
  indicate 
  Your 
  acceptance of the terms of this License. 
  4. 
  Grant 
  and 
  Consideration: 
  In 
  consideration for agreeing to use this 
  License, the Contributors grant You a 
  perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-
  exclusive license with the exact terms of 
  this License to Use, the Open Game 
  Content. 
  5. 
  Representation 
  of 
  Authority 
  to 
  Contribute: If You are contributing original 
  material as Open Game Content, You 
  represent that Your Contributions are Your 
  original creation and/or You have sufficient 
  rights to grant the rights conveyed by this 
  License. 
  6. Notice of License Copyright: You must 
  update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of 
  this License to include the exact text of the 
  COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game 
  Content You are copying, modifying or 
  distributing, and You must add the title, 
  the copyright date, and the copyright 
  holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
  of any original Open Game Content you 
  Distribute. 
  7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to 
  Use any Product Identity, including as an 
  indication as to compatibility, except as 
  expressly licensed in another, independent 
  Agreement with the owner of each element 
  of that Product Identity. You agree not to 
  indicate compatibility or co-adaptability 
  with 
  any 
  Trademark 
  or 
  Registered 
  Trademark in conjunction with a work 
  containing Open Game Content except as 
  expressly licensed in another, independent 
  Agreement 
  with 
  the 
  owner 
  of 
  such 
  Trademark or Registered Trademark. The 
  use of any Product Identity in Open Game 
  Content does not constitute a challenge to 
  the ownership of that Product Identity. The 
  
   
  Page 47 | 47 
   
  Wonderland Imprints ~ Kent David Kelly 
  owner of any Product Identity used in Open 
  Game Content shall retain all rights, title 
  and interest in and to that Product Identity. 
  8. Identification: If you distribute Open 
  Game Content You must clearly indicate 
  which portions of the work that you are 
  distributing are Open Game Content. 
  9. Updating the License: Wizards or its 
  designated Agents may publish updated 
  versions of this License. You may use any 
  authorized version of this License to copy, 
  modify and distribute any Open Game 
  Content originally distributed under any 
  version of this License. 
  10. Copy of this License: You MUST include 
  a copy of this License with every copy of the 
  Open Game Content You Distribute. 
  11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may 
  not market or advertise the Open Game 
  Content using the name of any Contributor 
  unless You have written permission from 
  the Contributor to do so. 
  12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible 
  for You to comply with any of the terms of 
  this License with respect to some or all of 
  the Open Game Content due to statute, 
  judicial order, or governmental regulation 
  then You may not Use any Open Game 
  Material so affected. 
  13. 
  Termination: 
  This 
  License 
  will 
  terminate automatically if You fail to 
  comply with all terms herein and fail to 
  cure such breach within 30 days of 
  becoming 
  aware 
  of 
  the 
  breach. 
  All 
  sublicenses shall survive the termination of 
  this License. 
  14. Reformation: If any provision of this 
  License is held to be unenforceable, such 
  provision shall be reformed only to the 
  extent necessary to make it enforceable. 
  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 
  2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors 
  Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris 
  Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, 
  James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. 
  Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, 
  based on original material by E. Gary 
  Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
  Captains of the Scarlet Tabard, Copyright 
  2019, Kent David Kelly. 
  END OF LICENCE 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Castle Oldskull/Castle Oldskull Scarlet Tabard/Castle Oldskull Captains of the Scarlet Tabard.pdf