Header

Advertisement

The

Brothers Scorosi

December 28th, 2011

Joshua Zaback

Masters and Minions Archive

            Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting edition of Masters and Minions, where we endeavor to bring you new and exciting encounters week after week.  For those of you who don’t know me I regularly do the Tuesday article, Grave Plots, and am filling in for Justin this week.  Since I normally focus on plot hooks and adventure ideas, I thought it this might be a great chance to sort of change direction and create a fun little encounter with a trio of inhuman bounty hunters known only as the Brothers Scorosi.

The Brothers Scorosi

            The Scorosi are a clan of minotaurs who were cast out of their homeland long ago, following a war for succession in which they chose to support the wrong candidate for king.  Left without a home or allies, the Scorosi clan became mercenaries, offering their exceptional skills and fearsome presence to the highest bidder.  Over the generations, the Scorosi gained success as soldiers of fortune with a reputation for accepting contracts without asking any questions and carrying out their missions without fail.  It was often said of the Scorosi clan that only death could stop them from completing a job, once undertaken. 

            Eventually the Scorosi’s fame as mercenaries earned them an invitation back to their homeland to serve in the king’s personal guard.  Happy to return to their homes, many of the Scorosi accepted the king’s offer to serve by his side.  A small minority of Scorosi, still bitter about their treatment by the king’s family, choose to remain mercenaries, going their separate ways and finding their own way in the world.

            Over time warfare and retirement depleted the mercenary’s numbers until only two brothers, Stoldir and Gherent, were left to carry on the tradition.  Today the Brothers, lacking the support of their clan, have scaled back operations somewhat, preferring to take contracts as personal security, assassins, or bounty hunters, rather than accept employment as soldiers.  Their complete lack of scruples, coupled with their reputation for ruthless efficiency, has made them a favorite problem solver for the wealthy elite of the underworld.  Eventually, looking to expand their services and improve their performance on combat-oriented missions, the Brothers Scorosi put out the word that they were looking for a healer who wouldn’t ask questions.  They eventually settled on a gnoll by the name of Rhet, a druid who found Gherent bleeding to death in an alley and saved his life.  Rhent’s lack of loyalty to a deity and lax moral standards turned out to suit the Brothers’ needs, and the three of them soon became a team.

The Encounter

            The PCs might encounter the Brothers Scorosi in a number of different situations, depending on your needs.  They might have been sent after the PCs or someone in their charge, forcing a deadly confrontation.  They might have been hired as guards for one of the PCs’ enemies and the PCs will be forced to undertake a combat with their deadly foes on their own terms.  They might even be hired by the PCs or their employer to serve as allies against a greater challenge.  The possibilities are endless.

            However the PCs find themselves facing the brothers, once they’ve committed to a contract they always see it through, and diplomatic action or bribes do not not faze the inhuman mercenaries.  While they will retreat if a fight turns against them, by no means does that mean the PCs are done with the Brothers, who will attack time and time again until one party or both are dead. 

Stoldir Scorosi

            The stronger of the two brothers is also the leader; he accepts contracts as well as undertaking any internal management of the group.  His skill at arms may have earned him his place as the gang’s leader, but his real talent lies in his skill at tracking his targets and in his cautious, calculating approach to solving problems.  A patient man, Stoldir never rushes into a situation and, indeed, never goes into a situation unless he is confident of the outcome, always forming a contingency plan for when things go awry.  Fiercely loyal, Stoldir’s personal honor and self-image rest on his ability to fulfill his given tasks, and he expects to one day die in that pursuit.

Tactics: After receiving a contract, Stoldir will track his target, either through traditional means or by bullying information out of people who might know more.  Once he has located his target, he hands the task of gathering further information over to his brother while he plans where and how to best attack his foes. He favors ambushes planed in relatively tight quarters where he can prevent his foes from escaping.

            In battle, Stoldir uses his greataxe and horns to engage highly durable targets, looking to take them down as quickly as possible.  He usually tries to flank targets with his brother and will often go out of his way to do so.  If he gets an opportunity to attack a spellcaster, he typically chooses to use his Power Attack feat in order to bring down the dangerous and lightly armored foe more easily.  Stoldir hates to abandon an escape route and has an uncanny ability to detect a trap. If he thinks he will be ambushed and cut off from retreating, he refuses to approach unless he is sure of victory.

Natural Cunning (Ex): Although minotaurs are not especially intelligent, they possess innate cunning and logical ability. This gives them immunity to maze spells and prevents them from ever becoming lost. Further, they are never caught flat-footed.

Gherent

            Of the two brothers, Gherent is perhaps the more cunning, though his guile is rarely accompanied by cleverness.  He follows his brother’s instructions explicitly and will not deviate from any order he is given, instead returning to his brother to orchestrate any changes in the plan.  Greedy and merciless, Gherent pursues his work with the furor of a man who loves what he does.

Tactics: Before engaging a foe in battle, Gherent is charged with scouting his enemy discretely, and preferably from a distance, to probe them for weaknesses.  This process usually takes a few days and he only engages in combat on his own if he is discovered.

            If encountered alone, Gherent attempts to flee to the safety of his companions and uses his powerful shortbow to harry any pursuers.  When fighting on his own terms, Gherent wades into melee with his magical battleaxe and horns, gaining flanking with his brother if at all possible.  Inherently cowardly, Gherent is often the first to flee from battle, and the first to suggests murdering their targets while they sleep.

Natural Cunning (Ex): Although minotaurs are not especially intelligent, they possess innate cunning and logical ability. This gives them immunity to maze spells and prevents them from ever becoming lost. Further, they are never caught flat-footed.

Rhet

            The druid is a hired hand, though he feels fiercely loyal to the Brothers and will lay down his life to protect them.  Of wicked temperament, Rhet believes that nature is mighty, uncaring, and favors those who favor themselves – and he tries to favor himself as much as possible.  This self-interest led him to become a mercenary and fuels his passion for violence and wealth.

Tactics: In combat Rhet holds back from the action, allowing the Brothers to do most of the fighting and concentrating on keeping them well.  When the mood strikes him, he attacks from a distance, using his longspear to keep his foes at bay.

Well, that’s it for this week’s Masters and Minions; I hope you find these exciting demi-humans to be great fun.  Until next time, I would like to wish you all the best in your gaming endeavors.