Castle of the Falls

You have recently graduated from the LightRaider Academy and have left the town of Dayspring Highlands for a short trip. While on vacation you and your Academy friends are playing at the seashore. You have worked hard to earn graduation and are really enjoying the prospect of some carefree time on the sand and surf. But you are also eager for adventure and wonder if any can be found on these safe shores. You consider some of the possible exploits that await you far away when you are guided to step into one of the Passage Lakes and enter the Dragon Lands through a Hollow Tree.

The Dragon Lands comprise the greater part of Talania, the largest continent on the planet of Eden-Again. In the Dragon Lands live dark creatures and dragons, and those humans called dragon slaves. These poor victims are deeply under the enchantments and control of the dragons and can find freedom only through the Overlord of Many Names. Misguided, most do not even look for the liberty for they believe that they have it under the dragons’ rule.

It is now late in the evening and your group is out for a peaceful walk on the beach. While watching the waves glisten in the moonlight one of you suddenly spots an object bobbing in the water. Wading out to get it you discover that it is a bottle with a note inside. The note reads:

I have found you all trustworthy and true. Through me you have been made

worthy of being a TwiceBorn. You are now prepared for your first adventure.

But first I must make certain that you are worthy of the title “LightRaider”.

You are invited to the LightRaider Test. Will you go?

Of course you remember that a LightRaider is first of all a TwiceBorn, one of those that have undergone a spiritual rebirth when they accepted the OverLord and His sacrifice that set them free from the power of dragon enchantment. The LightRaider is among the special group of TwiceBorn who go on dragon raids into the Dragon Lands. The purpose of these raids may be missions of mercy, the rescue of dragon slaves, or perhaps to destroy some evil.

As you readily agree amongst yourselves to go on the LightRaider Test, you notice that the writing on the note is changing like a wisp of smoke. It is taking on a different from. You turn the paper to the moonlight and see a new message! As you read the words, they disappear and yet more appear, creating such a long message for such a small piece of paper. It reads as follows:

You are all my workmanship. Each of you has been recreated in the Power of the OverLord, through His Great Rescue. You have been recreated in me to do good works, and I planned the m long for you to do them.

My assignments often come as walks of Faith. I purposely leave details out, so that you can exercise your trust in me. I delight in seeing that you love me above all else, and that you will follow my wishes whether or not you can see the end of things. I am He who watches over your welfare. You have a choice to do it for yourself, or have me do it for you. I hope that you would let me lead you one step at a time.

I would have you go by faith into the Heinous Heights region of the Western Peaks, not far from the Highland Forest. To get there you must first go to the Peaks of the New Beginning and find a lake called Challenge. Once you are ankle deep in the Passage Lake, you will come out of the Hollow Tree in the southeastern region of the Dragon Lands. As you know, this is the way that I have decided to bring my LightRaiders into the dangerous land of the dragons.

Go, feeling my hand on your shoulder and my love covering your spirit. Though you will not see me I will be with you, I am everywhere, in all places at all times.

In the nearby town of Harbor of Joy you find some stables and borrow horses for the ride to the Vales of the Passage Lakes, about 250 miles away. You have only to ask for the horses and state your reason and they are loaned to you. People in the Liberated Lands are committed most of all to the OverLord’s cause. Many being former dragon slaves themselves, helping anyone to liberate others is a joy to them.

After you have obtained horses you set out immediately. After a few hours of travel, you decide to rest for the remainder of the night and set out again early the next morning. The few next days of journey are quite uneventful. You cross the White Ridge Mountains and travel across the Northern Plain. In five days you arrive at the Eastern Vale and ride down to Mount Challenge Passage Lake. A man named Ebron is ahead of you to collect your horses. He also has brought packs and supplies for you. “They’re all full and ready to go.”

Investigating the leather backpacks you find:

a traveling cloak

a change of clothes

a large knife

a tinderbox

a scarf and hat

a roll of bandages

a week’s provisions

five candles

cooking utensils

a bedroll

a hatchet

a water skin

portions of the Sacred Scrolls

the Great Liberation WordRunes

A few hours later, the harsh noonday sun shines down mercilessly and climbing the footpath has been exhausting. Your mouth is parched; sweat runs down your face and body while collecting into little trickling rivulets. Your breath now comes in short gasps.

Through a gap in the trees the RaidTeam can see a castle in the distance. “Inside the castle,” says the familiar voice of the OverLord, “You will find one held captive. This is the woman that I have sent you to free. Be careful for the castle is guarded.” Then, like the wind, the voice of the OverLord is gone although His presence is still felt.

You all slide your backpacks to the ground and stop for a rest. As you rub your weary legs and shoulders, your mind retraces the experiences of the past years at LightRaider Academy in Dayspring Highlands. What a privilege it was to attend, but how difficult too, learning your personal strengths and abilities, struggling to master a few powerful WordRunes, testing your survival skills and fitting yourself with spiritual armor, and learning to master three different weapons.

You ponder the nine Character Strengths given to you by the Eternal Spirit:

Love - is the ability to be selfless.

Joy - is the ability to be content in all situations because the OverLord is at work in them.

Peace - is the ability to be calm because you know that the Almighty is with you.

Patience - is the ability to be steadfast under difficult circumstances.

Kindness - is the ability to be available for usefulness and service.

Goodness - is the ability to do what is right and virtuous.

Faithfulness - is the ability to be loyal to the OverLord and dependable.

Gentleness - is the ability to know and respond to the needs of others in a humble way.

Self Control - the ability to have the discipline to work towards a righteous goal.

In DragonRaid your nine Character Strengths (the fruit of the Spirit) will determine whether you have the spiritual strength to do certain things. The DragonRaid Adventure Learning System is really an allegory of spiritual warfare. You and your friends will be battling against the deceiver, his dragons and other evil creatures. The purpose of DragonRaid is to teach vital skills for spiritual warfare in the real world.

Now it is time to take a StarLot (a ten sided die) and roll it to determine each of your nine Character Strengths. Roll once for each Character Strength. Record these numbers on your character sheet.

As you review all these capabilities in your mind, you realize that they could be put to the test in the castle this very night. With this in mind, the RaidTeam decides to continue on a little further before dusk, climbing down the tricky footpath. Combining the gathering darkness with the loose dirt and rock will make the trail a true test of your agility.

Now find where Agility is listed on your Character Sheet and roll the StarLot to determine your Agility rating. The success or failure of many actions is determined by using a Character Strength or Character Ability Rating, a roll of the StarLot (which represents outside factors), the Success Grid, and something called a Difficulty Level. The Success Grid is found on your Character Sheet.

The Difficulty Level of a task indicates the relative degree of proficiency required for success in a given situation. The simpler the task, the lower the Difficulty Level. Thus, a Difficulty Level of 1 (usually noted as DL1) indicates that an action is very easy; while a Difficulty Level of 10 (DL10) means that an action is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Now let’s make an Agility check to see how well your character can climb down this tricky path.

Take your Agility rating and find that number on the left side of the Success Grid. Making it down the hill is set at Difficulty Level 2. Find DL2 on the top of the Success Grid and cross-reference the two numbers. You are looking at the percentile number needed to make your Agility at Difficulty Level 2 success roll. You must roll that number or higher in order to make it down the path safely. Roll 2 StarLots after predetermining which one is the tens digit and which one represents the ones digit.

Those that pass their Agility test making it down the tricky trail without falling.

Those that fail the test trip and fall and receive 1 StarLot roll minus 3 (SL-3) damage to their Physical Vitality.

Now everyone will need to calculate his Physical Vitality. Physical Vitality is the measure of a character’s overall health. Find this by adding all of your Character Strengths together and dividing the number by 2. The higher your Character Strengths go the higher your Physical Vitality will be.

This shows that spiritual strength often makes the body stronger and healthier. Once a character’s Physical Vitality is reduced to zero they are considered dead. Anyone that failed the Agility test above loses one StarLot -3 points of Physical Vitality. This loss is temporary as a character can be healed back to full through rest or healing but this you will learn later on. Now back to the mission.

Dusk is approaching and you settle down to review a few WordRunes.

Before you continue you need to learn these WordRunes otherwise you will not be ready for your journey at dusk and your daring raid. Memorize them well!

In DragonRaid you release the wonderful power of WordRunes by memorizing and repeating them perfectly. In each game you are only allowed to read a maximum of three WordRunes, but you will want to memorize as many as possible.

A look at WordRunes:

(1)----------------------------- JOYFUL THANKS WORDRUNE

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a. -------------------------(2)

(3)-------------------------------“Be joyful always, pray continually

give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God’s will for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a. ------------------------(2)

(4)--------------------------------JO 1 D.L.1----------------- (5)

(6)---------------------------- By saying the Joyful Thanks WordRune, a

LightRaider may add 2 to the Joy Character

Strength. Lasts for one encounter.

May be used once per day---------------------- (7)

(8)---------------------------JO +1 mu SS+1 mu------------ (9)

1) The WordRune’s title

2) When you say a WordRune you must begin and end with the scripture reference.

3) Scripture quote

4) This is the WordRune’s Character Strength (CS) requirement. Your rating for the CS mentioned must be at least as high as this number to be able to use the WordRune.

5) This is the Difficulty Level (DL) of the WordRune. Your Sword of the Spirit rating (SS) must be equal to or greater than the DL to use the WordRune since all LightRaiders start with a Sword of the Spirit rating of 1; they may use only DL1 WordRunes.

6) This paragraph describes the WordRunes effect.

7) In DragonRaid WordRunes can used as often as specified here.

8) This tells how many maturity units (mu) are awarded to the required Character Strength if you recite the WordRune correctly. Maturity units are awarded only when the WordRune is said from memory, not when read. It takes 30 maturity units to move up 1 rating in that Character Strength.

9) This tells how many maturity units are added to your Sword of the Spirit upon accurate recitation of the WordRune. When you accumulate 30 such units, your Sword of the Spirit rating will advance to 2 and you will be able to use WordRunes that are at difficulty level 2. Maturity units are awarded only when the WordRune is said from memory, not when it is read.

The following are some WordRunes that you may need to know for this mission:

CROWN OF LIFE WORDRUNE

Revelation 2:10c

…Be faithful, even to the point of death

and I will give you the crown of life.

Revelation 2:10c

FA 1 DL1

By saying from memory the Crown of Life

WordRune, a LightRaider may add 2 to the

Faithfulness Character Strength. Lasts for only

one encounter.

May be used only once per day.

FA + 1 mu SS + 1 mu

PERFECT PEACE WORDRUNE

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect peace

Him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3

PE 1 DL 1

By saying from memory the Perfect Peace

WordRune, a LightRaider may add 2 to the

Peace Character Strength. Lasts for only one

encounter.

May be used once per day.

PE +1 mu SS + 1mu

JOYFUL THANKS WORDRUNE

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a

Be joyful always: pray continually:

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this

is God’s will for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a

JO1 DL 1

By saying from memory the Joyful Thanks

WordRune, a LightRaider may add 2 to the Joy

Character Strength. Lasts for one encounter.

JO+1 mu SS + 1 mu

GOOD POWER WORDRUNE

2 Thessalonians 1:11b

…that by his power he may fulfill

every good purpose of yours and

every act prompted by your faith

2 Thessalonians 1: 11b

GO1 DL 1

By saying from memory the Good Power

WordRune a LightRaider may add 2 to the

Goodness Character Strength. Lasts for only

One encounter

May be used only once per day

GO+1 mu SS+1 mu

POSSIBILITY WORDRUNE

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s workmanship, created

in Christ Jesus to do good works, which

God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

JO 4 DL 1

The LightRaider who can say from memory the

Possibility WordRune will see a looking glass

appear. When the mirror is taken and looked

through at a dragon slave, the holder of the mirror

will be able to see what that person could become

if he were to receive the OverLord into his life.

If the holder were to look through the mirror at a

fellow member of the TwiceBorn, the holder would

see more clearly how the OverLord wishes to use

that person for good works.

May be used twice per day

Jo+1 mu SS+1 mu

HUNGRY BELLY WORDRUNE

Philippians 3:19

Their destiny is destruction, their God

Is their stomach and their glory is their

shame. Their mind is on earthly things

Philippians 3:19

SC 4 DL 2

A LightRaider who can say the Hungry Belly

WordRune perfectly can reduce the Swampwort

Sin Enchantment by 2.

May be used once per day

SC + 2 mu SS + 2 mu

FEARLESS WORDRUNE

Joshua 1:9a

Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Joshua 1: 9a

CO 4 DL 1

Any LightRaider who can say the Fearless

WordRune will add 3 to the Courage Character

ability. Lasts for one day.

May be used only once per day

JO + 1 mu SS + 1 mu

GATE OPENING WORDRUNE

Psalm 118:20

This is the gate of the Lord through

which the righteous may enter.

Psalm 118:20

GO 6 DL 1

The Gate Opening WordRune, when articulated

correctly, opens gates that protect castles, towers

fortifications, and other types of buildings in the

Dragon Lands. This WordRune recognizes the

OverLord’s sovereign rule over all things, even over

evil.

May be used as often as necessary

GO + 1 mu SS + 1 mu

HIGH RESCUE WORDRUNE

2 Peter 2:9

…The Lord knows how to rescue

godly men from trials…

2 Peter 2:9

FA 6 DL 1

If a LightRaider can say the High Rescue WordRune

it allows him to use a WordRune that is up to 2 levels

higher than his Sword of the Spirit rating

May be used as needed

FA + 1 mu SS + 1 mu

CONSPIRACY TRICK TEAMRUNE

Psalm 64: 2

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,

from the noisy crowd of evil doers

Psalm 64: 2

PA 4 DL 1

The RaidTeam that can say the Conspiracy Trick

TeamRune from memory will be hidden from dark

creatures. In order to remain hidden, LightRaiders may

not move or talk.

May be used only once per week.

PA + 1 mu SS + 1 mu

The sun sets behind the cliffs, it’s blaze of color reflected in the spray from the cascading waterfall. As darkness spreads across the sky, you stand up and stretch your aching muscles. In your mind you review the Character Abilities that you will use tonight.

In Dragon Raid all skills are derived from the Nine Character Strengths, just as many abilities come from the fruit of the spirit in real Christian life. This is simulated in DragonRaid by the use of equations involving Character Strengths and Character Abilities.

For example you will soon need the skill of Listening. Your Listening ability (LIS) is a combination of Peace, Patience, and Self Control. The equation is:

Listening = (2PE + PA+SC) / 4

On your Character Sheet you will find listed many Character Abilities. For this adventure you will need to compute the following Abilities and write down their value on your Character Sheet {use the LightRaider Worksheet as an aid if desired}.

CHARACTER ABILITIES

Every LightRaider has the following Character Abilities:

Courage = (LO + JO + GO + FA + SC) / 5

Endurance = (JO+ PE + 2PA + FA + 2SC) / 7

Forgive Wrongs = (LO + JO + 3PA + 2GE) / 7

Hope = (3JO + PE + PA + FA) / 6

Knowledge = (JO+ PA+ GO +FA) / 4

Listening = (2PE + PA + SC) / 4

Quiet Movement = (PE + PA + SC + EN) / 4

Vision = (PA + FA + HO) / 3

Wisdom = (3LO + JO + PE + KI + GO + GE) / 8

Each player can choose 3 of the following Optional Abilities for his LightRaider character:

Acrobatics (AC)- Acrobatics is the ability to perform feats of skill and agility above and

beyond those needed in everyday life. This skill is usually used for

entertainment. Treat this skill as Agility +2 or Climb Skillfully +1.

Acrobatics = (PE + SC + AG + EN + HO) / 5

Blend With Surroundings (BWS) Blend With Surroundings is the ability to blend into a

natural setting. At times, a LightRaider needs to be able to do this to avoid

detection from dragon slaves or Dark Creatures. Blend With Surroundings is a skill needed in order to one day become a Knight of the Way or Rescue Master.

Blend With Surroundings = (2SC + PA + 2EN) / 5

Climb Skillfully (CLS) Climb Skillfully is a character’s ability to climb surfaces such as

cliffs, buildings or even trees. Climb Skillfully is a skill needed by those who wish to one day become a Rescue Master

Climb Skillfully = (JO + PE + PA + 2SC + EN + CO) / 7

Converse With Animals (CA) Converse With Animals is the ability to communicate with

non-talking animals. Converse with Animals is needed to become an Animal Master

Converse With Animals = (JO + KI + GE) / 3

Boating (BOT) Boating is the ability to pilot small watercraft on inland bodies of water.

This includes streams, ponds, rivers, lakes and canals.

Boating = (AG + PA + PE) / 3

Hatred of Evil (HE) Hatred of Evil is defined as a burning to destroy evil in any

form. Hatred of Evil allows a LightRaider to impose a greater amount of damage when fighting Dark Creatures, and HE increases a LightRaider’s ability to attack because he is outraged at the evil. Bonuses for Hatred of Evil are based on the ability rating as listed below.

Hatred of Evil = (L0 + 3GO + 2FA + KN + WIS) / 8

Hatred of Evil Attack Bonus Damage bonus

Skill of

1 +0 +1

2 +0 +1

3 +1 +1

4 +1 +1

5 +1 +2

6 +1 +2

7 +2 +2

8 +2 +2

9 +2 +3

10 +3 +3

Herbalism (HEB) - Herbalism is the ability to find and use herbs and plants in the wild for medicinal purposes such as aloe to relieve burns or specific plant roots to counteract poisons.

Herbalism = (FA + KN + GE + VIS) / 4

Medicine (MED) Medicine is the skill of treating wounds and diseases with natural means For each point of skill level, one point of damage may be healed per day, per patient, when using this skill. The difficulty level is decided by the seriousness of the wound.

Medicine (MED) = (KN + LO + MC+ PA) / 4

Wounded - any loss of PV, DL 2

Seriously wounded - PV 10 to 6, DL 5

PV of 5 or 4, DL 6

Unconscious - 3 or less PV, DL7

Merciful Compassion (MC) Merciful Compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy

or another’s suffering or misfortune it is also the desire to help those in need. Both Encouragers and Renewers need this skill.

Merciful Compassion = (LO + PA + 2KI + GE) / 5

Persuade Hostile Foe (PHF) Persuade Hostile Foe is the ability to talk an opponent into doing something you want him to do.

Persuade Foe = (2FA + SC + KN + 2WIS + CO) / 7

Riding (RI) is a skill used for packing, harnessing, and riding certain beasts of burden.

The skill is also applied to riding a horse, a pony, or a warhorse in mounted combat.

Riding = (AG + 2CA+ (or 1 KI) +PA +SC) / 4

Righteously Mingle with Evil (RME) Righteously Mingle with evil is

defined as a character’s ability to resist being spoiled in evil surrounding.

Righteously Mingle With Evil = (LIS + RT + GE + 2HE +KI + SC) / 7

Sailing (SA) Sailing is used for piloting medium to large sized wind driven watercraft on bays, inlets, sounds, and the High Seas. Sailing can also be used to pilot oared vessels.

Sailing = (PA + PE + AG + KN + VIS) / 5

Siege Engineering (SEG) Siege Engineering is the ability to design, build, and