Claws of Karanak Quests

Source: Predators and Prey (out of print)

Treasure of the Hunt

Karanak favours those who are tireless in serving Khorne’s will. As you track your prey through the darkest hollows of the Gnarlwood, you may discover treasures of blood and brass that resonate with infernal power.

Pick 1 artefact of power from the Treasures of the Hunt table (see below) and note it in your quest log. You cannot pick an artefact of power already borne by a fighter in your warband.

While embarked upon this quest, you must keep track of the progress your warband makes, represented by a progress score.

At the start of the first battle round in each battle, pick one enemy battle group on the battlefield. Your opponent must pick one of the fighters from that battle group to be your prey. At the end of the battle, if your prey has been taken down, add 1 to your progress score.

Yon can complete this quest once your progress score is 3 or more. When you complete this quest, you obtain the artefact of power that was noted in your quest log.

Treasures of the Hunt table

Artefact
Boots of Inevitable Vengeance One who wears these cursed boots is turned into an inescapable hunter — at the cost of never being allowed to pause and rest ever again. Add 2 to the Move characteristic of the bearer. In addition, at the end of the bearer’s activation, if the bearer did not make a move action or a melee attack action, allocate 2 damage points to the bearer.
Cloak of Scorn This mantle of sorcerer skin is daubed with blood-runes of primordial might, thwarting any craven efforts to slay the wearer from afar. The bearer is considered to be in cover when they are targeted by a missile attack action. In addition, subtract 1 from the damage points allocated by each hit and critical hit (to a minimum of 1) from missile attack actions that target the bearer.
Hatred’s Bite These twin axes blaze with Khorne’s loathing for cowards, and any who dare to shrink from combat are sure to feel their rage. Add 1 to the damage points allocated by each hit and critical hit from melee attack actions made by the bearer. In addition, when the bearer makes the 'Strike Them Down' reaction, do not roll a dice: simply allocate D6 damage points to the enemy fighter making a disengage action.
Spear of the Red Moons Crafted by corrupted tribes as an offering to the Blood-Maw Wolf, this spear always hits its mark. Those it impales are quickly and violently exsanguinated. Once per battle, the bearer can use this artefact as a bonus action. When they do so, pick a visible enemy fighter within 8" of them and roll a dice. On a roll of 2+, allocate 4 damage points to that fighter.
The Incisors These hungering axes devour the blood of the slain, sustaining the warrior who wields them. Should their thirst not be satiated, however, the cost is severe... At the end of the bearer’s activation, if the bearer made an attack action, you can remove up to 3 damage points allocated to the bearer. Otherwise, allocate 1 damage point to the bearer.
Wrath’s Awakener A single blast on this horn, ripped from the brow of a daemon, rouses the spirits of fury in nearby fighters, often driving them out of their minds in the process. Once per battle, the bearer can use this artefact as a bonus action. If they do so, until the end of the battle round, add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of melee attack actions made by other fighters within 8” of the bearer.

The Blood God’s Talon

Khorne is not miserly with his blessings; he only demands that they be used to reap blood and skulls. The more worthy the foes slain in his name, the greater glories he will lavish upon the killer.

Pick a Packlord in your warband that can gain a heroic trait and note them in your quest log.

While embarked upon this quest, in step 4 of a campaign battle’s aftermath sequence, you can complete this quest if an enemy leader or an enemy fighter with a Wounds characteristic of 20 or more was taken down in that battle by an attack action made or ability used by the fighter noted in your quest log.

When you complete this quest, you can give that fighter one of the heroic traits from the Claws of Karanak Heroic Traits below.

Claws of Karanak Heroic Traits

Heroic Trait
Alpha Predator While any blood will satisfy this warrior, they have a particular afinity for the hunting and slaying of great beasts. Melee attack actions made by this fighter score a critical hit on a 5+ if the target fighter is a leader or has a Wounds characteristic of 20 or more.
Bone-shattering Pounce This warrior’s favourite tactic is to launch themselves bodily upon afoe, bearing them to the ground. Add 2 to the Strength characteristic of melee attack actions made by this fighter during an activation in which they have already made a move action.
Crimson Whirlwind This warrior utterly loses themselves in the fury of close combat, axes and blades whirling around with furious abandon. When this fighter makes an attack action, if none of the hit rolls score a critical hit, their controlling player can change 1 of those hit rolls to a critical hit instead.
Harrowing Roar The blood-freezing howls unleashed by this warrior drive all rational thought from an enemy, thwarting their cunning plans. Once per battle, this fighter can use this heroic trait. When they do so, pick an enemy fighter within 6" of and visible to this fighter. Until the end of the battle round, that fighter cannot make disengage actions and cannot use abilities.
Leashed to the Master Branded by their god’s mark, this warrior is little more than a vessel of Khorne’s rage, spurred on by the blood of friend and foe alike. Once per battle, this fighter can use this heroic trait as a reaction after a fighter is taken down within 3" of them. When they do so, this fighter can make a bonus move action and then can make a bonus attack action.
Scaled Flesh The flesh of this warrior is coated in crimson scales, similar to the Flesh Hounds of great Khorne, offering a formidable layer of protection. Add 1 to this fighter’s Toughness characteristic.

A Call To Murder

Your warband is awakened by the monstrous howl of a Flesh Hound in the distance. A worthy soul has been sighted, and you are commanded to claim it for Khorne. No doubt the quarry will consider themselves a 'champion' of some other, weakling warband. Tear your way through the warlords of the enemy until you full catch the scent.

While embarked upon this quest, you must keep track of a sacrifice score. Add 1 to your sacrifice score each time an enemy fighter with the Hero () runemark is taken down.

While your sacrifice score totals 3 or more, you can fight battles using the 'The Jaws Snap Shut' quest battleplan. If you do so and you win the battle, in step 4 of the aftermath sequence, you can complete this quest. If you do so, in step 5, you can relocate your warband's encampment to an 'Skull-strewn Lair' (see below) and do not need to spend any glory to do so.

battleplan

Quest Battleplan: The Jaws Snap Shut

No foe can escape the jaws of Khorne’s chosen hunters. Now their backs are to the wall, and they have no hope of evading your axes. Still, this prey is wily, and no doubt they will try to evade your claws with tricks and ruses. Khorne cares not for such things. Find them. Kill them.

Attacker And Defender

In this battle, the questing player is the attacker and the adversary player is the defender.

Terrain

Set up terrain as normal.

Deployment

Use the deployment map below. The defender is blue and the attacker is red.

Victory

One battlefield edge, shown on the deployment map, is an escape route. At the end of each battle round, if any of the defenders fighters from their Hammer or Shield battle groups are within 1" of the escape route and are more than 3" from all enemy fighters, they escape. Remove those fighters from play but do not count them as being taken down.

The defender wins the battle as soon as half or more of their fighters from at least one battle group have escaped. Otherwise, the attacker wins the battle as soon as half or more of the fighters in the defenders Hammer and half or more of the fighters in the defenders Shield have been taken down.

Twist

Determine a twist as normal.

The Aftermath Sequence

The adversary player receives the following bonus in the aftermath sequence:

Renown to be Earned: The adversary player adds 1 to each renown roll they make in this aftermath sequence.

Encampment Location: Skull-strewn Lair

Location	Location Bonus	Points Limit	Reputation Modifier
Skull-strewn Lair Surrounded by totems of bone and raw, blood-dripping meat, these caverns are taken as lairs by the Claws of Karanak. Your warband can return between hunts to offer tribute to the Hound of Vengeance, as well as hoard the treasures ripped from mangled foes.	Add 1 to renown rolls you make for fighters from your warband with the Hero () runemark. In addition, in step 5 of the aftermath sequence, you can pick 1 fighter from your warband and send them forth to claim a treasure. To do so, roll on the the table below.	1150	+3

Claws of Karanak Lesser Artefacts

D66	Result
11-16	Return Empty-Handed Your warrior returns with nothing of worth. This result has no effect.
21-26	Meagre Pickings Your warrior returns with minor spoils that can be sold or bartered for materials. [Reward] You receive D6 glory.
31-33	Skulls Of The Quarry All skulls are destined for the skull throne, but until it is offered in tribute, this one also serves as a potent lodestone of Khornate energies. [Perishable] Add 1 to the damage points allocated by each critical hit from melee attack actions made by the bearer. The bearer cannot make disengage actions.
34-36	Gnarl-ichor Taken from the gore swamps of the Bloodmad Ravage, this potent life-fluid can be used to consecrate a weapon in Khorne’s name. [Consumable] The bearer can use this lesser artefact as a bonus action. If they do so, add 1 to the Strength characteristic of melee attack actions made by them until the end of the activation.
41-43	Skull Bolas Taking the form of sinew-bound ropes weighted down with skulls, this supply of bolas can be used to tie up an enemy at a critical juncture. [Consumable] The bearer can use this lesser artefact as a reaction when a visible enemy fighter within 1" of them makes a disengage action, before that fighter moves. If they do so, until the end of the battle round that enemy fighter cannot make a disengage action; their controlling player must choose a different action for that fighter.
44-46	Stranglevine Lash This vicious example of Ghurish flora can be used to throttle a foe, so long as the wielder can keep it under control. [Consumable] The bearer can use this lesser artefact as a bonus action. If they do so, until the end of their activation, add 1 to the Range characteristic of the next melee attack action made by the bearer.
51-53	Clawed Vambrace Though easily damaged in the brutal press of melee, this item of bone-moulded armour can be employed to punish any who make clumsy strikes. [Perishable] When the bearer makes the ‘Counter’ reaction, add 2 to the damage points allocated to the attacking fighter by that reaction.
54-56	Greater Turandon Fang Harvested from the remains of these bucket-jawed predators of the Gnarlwood, these curved fangs make for useful side-weapons in the close press of a melee. [Consumable] The bearer can use this lesser artefact as a bonus action. If they do so, until the end of the activation add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of melee attack actions made by the bearer.
61-62	Fangtooth Cord Hung with the sharpened teeth of Khorne’s daemonic hunters, this simple trinket grants its bearer the impetus of a loping Flesh Hound. [Perishable] Add 1 to the Move characteristic of the bearer.
63-64	Goremoon Circlet Crafted on those grim nights where the sinister Goremoon dogs the shadow of Gnorl Half-Eaten, these circlets contain a reservoir of feral, bestial strength. [Perishable] Add 1 to the Strength characteristic of melee attack actions made by the bearer.
65-66	Favour of the Hound Your warrior finds a powerful relic, coated in gore, just a short distance from your encampment — surely a sign of Karanak’s favour. [Reward] Immediately choose one item from the Treasures of the Hunt table; you receive that artefact of power.