(Chris Jolliffe)

It is known that to cross the river of the dead, one must pay a toll to a ferryman, who will take you to the far side from which there is no return. Sometimes, these grim boatmen do not wait for the dead to arrive and instead wait by the water's edge in mortal lands.

A Ferryman will appear much as any other boatman offering transit across a river or lake. Their features are usually half-concealed by a hooded cloak such as many outdoors folk might wear, and their voice will be dry and toneless. Their vessel will look much like any local ferry, albeit rather old and often bearing some subtle decoration relating to death, for example a bone motif, black or white roses or lilies, but this may not be immediately obvious (roll 3d6 vs Intelligence). His vessel carries up to three passengers.

The Ferryman will hold out his pale hand for payment – always in silver and always two coins per traveller. He will refuse any other offer, and his vessel will remain otherwise immobile.

If anyone attempts to strike or harm the Ferryman or board his boat without permission, the attack will miss as the boat and boatman fade to nothing, only to reappear in an instant some twenty feet or so across the water. He will raise a finger and point, then disappear again. His attacker then suffers a death-curse with a MAGICAL ATTACK of 3d10; if they succumb, the ferryman will reappear ready to take them across in his customary grim role.

Anyone paying the ferryman is quite literally on their way to death. If the vessel reaches the far side, anyone on the boat will die, and their bodies will fall to the ground on the far shore.

Only on board the boat can the Ferryman be fought, and the narrow confines will make this a difficult contest. Only the person nearest can fight him directly, and there will be no room for lengthy weapons such as polearms or two-handed swords. Anyone else on the vessel may assist only with spells; even missile weapons would be impossible to employ. Any attempt at combat also requires a 3d6 vs Reflexes roll for each attack; if this is failed, the attacker falls overboard, suffering the same 3d10 death curse. If they survive this, they may strike for the shore but will always find themselves back on the original side, no matter how close the other shore might have been.

The Ferryman attacks by drawing the life force from their victim with an outstretched hand, like a Sorcerer's Inflict Wound¹⁾ spell. If the Ferryman is defeated, he will disappear, and the boat will bring them safely to the far shore. Waiting for them will be a pile of silver, the Ferryman's takings, amounting to 2d100 florins.

This article first appeared in Casket of Fays Issue 10 .