Teratic Cohort Quests

Source: Briar and Bone (out of print)

Pare the Flesh, Keep the Bone

The Teratic Cohort are known to feed Ravening Gnarlokas the remains of their enemies. Once enough osseous material is collected, these outrider cohorts are rewarded with powerful artefacts.

Pick 1 artefact of power from the Investitures of Control table (see below), and make a note of 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, keep track of your warband’s efforts to harvest bone with a quest score. At the end of a battle, add 1 to your quest score for each of the following that are true:

• More enemy fighters were taken down than friendly fighters.
• Half or more of the enemy fighters in one or more warbands are taken down.
• Every enemy fighter with a Wounds characteristic of 20 or more is taken down.
• Every enemy leader is not taken down.

In step 2 of the aftermath sequence following a campaign battle in which you took part, add 1 to your quest score each time an injury roll is made for an enemy fighter.

In step 4 of the aftermath sequence, add 2 to your quest score if you won your last campaign battle.

You can complete this quest in step 4 of the aftermath sequence if your quest score is 7 or more. When you complete this quest, you obtain the artefact of power noted in your quest log.

Investitures of Control

Artefact
Nadirite-shod Hooves This soul-blasting material is lethal to anyone struck by a riders' flailing hooves. Once per battle, when this fighter finishes a move action, pick a visible enemy fighter within 1" of this fighter and roll a dice. On a 2+, allocate D3 damage points to that enemy fighter.
Soulpierce Javelin Once embedded, this weighted nadirite javelin is almost always lethal to remove. Once per battle, after the bearer makes an action, they can cast the Soulpierce Javelin. If they do so, pick a visible enemy fighter within 9" of this fighter and roll a dice. On a roll of 2+, subtract 1 from the Move and Toughness characteristics of that fighter until the end of the battle.
Spineslash The joints of this whip are crafted from flexible aelven bone — all the better to crack at bestial charges. Add 1 to the Move characteristic of friendly fighters with both the Beast () and the Teratic Cohort () runemark when they make a move action that starts within 6" of the bearer.
Discipline’s Clasp This tattered old tassel instils the bearer with the same ironclad authority of an Ossian general. Once per battle, the bearer can utter an unshakable command. When they do so, add 2 to the Move characteristic and add 1 to the Attacks characteristics of melee attack actions made by friendly fighters with the Teratic Cohort () runemark until the end of the battle round.
The Inex Paradigm This cartouche emanates the deathly radiance of Nagash’s morbid glory. Each time an enemy fighter uses an ability or makes a reaction while within 1" of the bearer, roll a dice. On a roll of 3+, that ability or reaction cannot be used or made.
The Helm of Grand Ossia This helm, said to be crafted from the bones of deposed generals, grants its wearer unmatched tactical expertise. Each time this fighter uses an ability or reaction that requires the Teratic Cohort () runemark, you are treated as having discarded one of your saved wild dice towards gaining the additional effect.

Conquer the Beast

Teratic Cohort leaders are locked in a permanent battle with their predatory, bestial selves.

Pick a Kavalos Centarii in your warband that can gain a heroic trait and note them in your quest log. You must choose whether they will conquer their beast through bloodshed or willpower.

Track their progress:

• Gain 1 bloodshed each time damage from this fighter’s reaction takes down an enemy.
• Gain 1 willpower each time an initiative phase ends and you have 2 or more saved wild dice.

In step 4 of a campaign battle’s aftermath, you can complete this quest if bloodshed or willpower is 5+.

When you complete the quest, give the fighter one of the Teratic Cohort Heroic Traits:

Teratic Cohort Heroic Traits

Teratic Cohort Heroic Traits

Heroic Trait
Crushing Trampler By smashing headlong into their prey, this warrior denies effective counter-attacks. Each time the bearer finishes a move action, pick a visible enemy fighter within 1" of this fighter and roll a dice. On a 2+, that fighter cannot use abilities or make reactions until the end of the battle round.
Ossian Alpha The roaring spirit within this fearsome warrior can be unleashed at a moment’s notice. Once per battle, after this fighter ends a move action within 3" of one or more enemy fighters, each friendly fighter with the Teratic Cohort () runemark within 6" of this fighter can make a bonus move action of up to 6". Each of those move actions must end within 1" of one or more enemy fighters.
Primal Inciter A Cohort Centarii can whip the bestial warriors that accompany it into violent frenzy. If one or more enemy fighters are taken down during this fighter’s activation, if this fighter made one or more move actions in that activation, add 1 to the Attacks characteristic of melee attack actions made by friendly fighters with the Teratic Cohort () and the Beast () runemark within 3" of this fighter until the end of the battle round.
A Pale Rider This warrior exudes an aura of death and its presence on the battlefield is a portent of doom. At the end of each battle round, roll a dice for each enemy fighter within 3" of this fighter. On a 3+, allocate 1 damage point to that fighter, and remove 1 damage point allocated to this fighter.
Predatory Aspect This warrior harbours a savage instinct. Perhaps it is the Ghurish bones from which it was crafted, or the bestial souls trapped within. Either way, when this aspect comes to the fore, expect violence. At the start of the initiative phase, pick one of the following aspects. This fighter gains the associated bonus until the end of that battle round. - Unbreakable: Increase this fighter’s Toughness characteristic by 1. - Dominating: While this fighter is within 3" of one or more visible fighters from their battle group, add 1 to each of those fighter’s Move characteristics. - Savage: This fighter gains the Beast () runemark.
Lambent Gaze The flaws and fears of their prey are laid bare to this construct’s cold, distant stare. At the start of this fighter’s activation, pick an enemy fighter within 3" of this fighter and roll a dice. On a 3+, that enemy fighter cannot use abilities or spend levels of renown until the end of the battle round, and are not considered to have any heroic traits, lesser artefacts or artefacts of power until the end of the battle round.

Secure the Lair

The animus of the Teratic Cohort can be anchored by lairs such as these, where their skeletal constructs rest.

Track a search score:

• Add 1 to your search score each time you send forth a fighter.
• When your score reaches 4+, you may battle using the Clear the Lair quest battleplan.

If you win the battle and your search score is 4+, in step 4 of the aftermath sequence, complete the quest.

When you complete the quest, relocate your encampment to Osseous Predator’s Lair for free.

battleplan

Quest Battleplan: Clear the Lair

The lair that will quieten the soul matter of the skeletal beasts under your command has been found. Only one obstacle remains: a warband has set up camp within and conducts rituals in anathema to Nagash’s ultimate goals. The lair must be cleansed of the living, and in so doing, punish the mortals for having the audacity to even dare to deny Nagash’s right to rule the cosmos.

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

At the end of a battle round, if there are one or more defending fighters in three or more battlefield quarters, the defender wins. Otherwise, the battle ends after 4 battle rounds. When the battle ends, if the defender has not won, the attacker wins.

Twist

The Teratic Cohort force the battle to progress at such a demanding pace that no living enemy has any hope of keeping up. Exhausted enemies are lured into indefensible positions, trapped, surrounded and ultimately destroyed.

• Fighters cannot make the wait action.
• After players have declared how they will use their wild dice in the battle round, do not count the number of singles each player has. Instead, the attacker picks a player. That player has the initiative.

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: Osseous Predator’s Lair

Location	Bonus	Points Limit	Reputation Modifier
Osseous Predator’s Lair Constructs of the Teratic Cohort quieten their bestial souls and await the command to march to war.	+1 to renown rolls for fighters with the Hero runemark. In step 5 of the aftermath, send 1 fighter with both Teratic Cohort and Beast runemarks to scout. Roll on the Scouting Result Table.	1150	+3

Scouting Result Table (D6)

Roll	Result	Effect
1	Nothing to Report	No effect.
2	Hidden Paths	Set up this fighter as if from another battle group.
3	Lone Ambusher	If in reserve, set up with another group. If on battlefield, gain bonus move.
4	Pathfinding Stalker	Set up with another fighter as if from another group.
5	Trailblazing Fiend	If in reserve, entire group enters play as if they had already.
6	Pack Leader	If in reserve, group enters as if already. If not, all get a bonus move.