Ruary Revelry (original)
Synopsis
While taking a brewery tour in Ruary, the group is interrupted by news of violence and seeming madness stemming from a freshly served batch. The proprietor beseeches the PC’s for help, and a bizarre series of events is revealed, leading to old secrets being uncovered and a fine batch of new brew being released after years of work.
Game Master Notes
This adventure is intended to be run in approximately 4 hours of uninterrupted real time.
The adventure is balanced for about 4-5 characters of any level of challenge/power (GM can dynamically adjust).
In general, the PC’s will be altruistic to assist the proprietor.
Flavor
Story Based Interaction
Many sections are heavily scripted and story emphasis is heavy. There is an optional ending which allows an easy wrap up with a single encounter. Alternatively, it has a great deal of story addition (with some corresponding conflicts) and is complex as it ties together a great amount of the background and interaction of the “Rice District” in Ruary – the cheaper one in which only 1 of the 10 great breweries makes it home.
Character Based Interaction
The characters have little in common and are thrown together haphazardly. There is little in the way of built in role-playing opportunities – the PC’s will have to make those happen through play.
Combat Based Interaction
Early on, there is little action or combat. As the story progresses, the combat takes on more difficult enemies, and their intelligence increases. Risk is minimal if the PC’s use their brains instead of entering into combat without thinking. A calamitous result in one area may provide the PC’s a taste of mob justice – leaving permanent wounds.
Reward
The reward is actually rather paltry for the epic complex story, if that direction is chosen. A great deal of adventure opportunities can be derived from this. Otherwise the reward is fair, and some intangible benefits arise due to the reputation the PC’s will gain. There are no great and powerful items – though much mundane equipment and trinkets can be gained.
Timeline
24 hours of game time will elapse. This makes it ideal as a side-trek for an existing campaign.
Brewery Tour Scheduled; hour 0 – Intro
Tour Begins; hour 1
Tour Interrupted; hour 2
Investigating the Rowdy Badger; hour 3
Tracking Down the Revelers; hour 4-10
Return to the Brewery; hour 11-12
Investigating the Rivalry; hour 14-15
Tracking Down the Elixir; hour 16
Finding the Cure; hour 17-24
Cast of Characters
Dairn, Necromancer of the Narcosa Guild of Salt Marsh.
Game NPC’s
Start: Folsom Brewery Tour
Amidst the festivities of Ruary you have found yourselves drawn into the moment. For some of you such carefree behavior feels odd, you even the most stoic and stern cannot help but sway to the beat, tap a foot or smile at actors and performers that line the streets. Seeking a moment’s respite you entered into a small storefront – a tea house – in a moment of uncharacteristic rain from dark clouds off the coast. Far from the quiet tea house you were expecting, it is abuzz with conversation and activity. You find yourself entered into a drawing with several others and even winning a tour of the Folsom Brewery – one of the 10 “great” breweries of Ruary. Strangely, the tour is early tomorrow morning.
Settle for a night of sleep.
INFO >
Folsom Brewery is part of the Folsom Brothers businesses – which includes Folsom Distillery, Folsom Farms, and the notorious Rowdy Badger Tavern.
Ruary is divided into districts named after grains used in brewing and distilling.
Folsom Family operates inside the ‘Rice’ district of Ruary – one of the poorer ones, and it is the only of the ‘great’ breweries in Ruary located in the district.
Making your way to the brewery you pass in front of a rather loud place – and you see the sign marking the “Rowdy Badger” above a large doorway. Someone crashes into you in the early morning hours as you enter the Rowdy Badger… frantic and sickly looking. Makes you think twice about this tour, but you’ve paid your money and the tour is supposed to be one of the best in Ruary. Besides, it’s early and few should be at the first tour of the day… and a fine day it is.
Cast of Characters:
Human (male), Dairn the Necromancer; 2nd level
= This is Edward’s character in the campaign he played last time
7-10 others of various walks and states.
Gathering and Introductions
Meet the other characters outside the brewery where a tour guide is waiting, and serving bitter kava to come awake.
The tour is actually quite informative, you learn more about a process you had no idea could be so complex and even connected agricultural techniques and ideas. At over an hour, your feet are beginning to get weary of walking the hard floors of the brewery when an announcement is made by one of the master brewers, Brian Getz. “We have a brand new brew coming available for the very first time today in the Rowdy Badger – let’s head on over there and we can be part of the first tasting of the Plum Bridesmaid ale.” He absentmindedly walks while describing the flavors and basics of the brewing process. This particular drink has been something he and others have worked on for 2 and half years to present the first batch to the public today.
There are several cases with trophies and awards, indeed it goes back 2 thousand years. There is even a congratulations from the High King on supplying his retinue in Port Towne in an emergency banquet with a taste ‘above the cut’.
Tour Interrupted
He leads you down a connecting hall with guards and you can hear the tavern before you see it. Light, loud, and always on the edge of a fight is the Rowdy Badger. As Brian leads you to the bar for a tasting, a ruckus breaks out. It soon turns into a full blown fight, with chairs and mugs breaking left and right. A smashed keg and many broken items later Brian gets control of the situation. At this point he has brought you into the Taverners Reception hall – a small lounge where you would be safe. He re enters after 10 minutes quietly, looking over his shoulder. “I’m afraid there will be no tasting today. Indeed something terrible has happened and i am hesitant to ask this of you, but some of you are obviously well-off types and know how to handle yourselves. I’m looking for a small group to handle a problem discreetly… I’d be willing to pay well. I need a few members of the drinking public that sampled our new ale tracked down and brought back here – alive preferably. Something horrible has gone wrong with the batch and it’s a public relations nightmare. People are calling it the ‘plum demon’! What say you – any interested?” To which many an exuberant hand is thrust into the air. “I need sober minds for this… ” You find your hands going up hesitantly. Only a handful respond to the ‘sober’ qualification. Brian frowns but with great seriousness separates your group out from the rest. “There’s 100 silvers in it – more if you can return them all alive and even more if they are unhurt at all. Any bribes you need to cover, i’ll reimburse you for. Get yourselves ready.”
The PC’s obviously won’t be taking a lot in the way of weapons and armor other than what they informally took with them on the tour.
They can ask for spears, clubs, dagger, and the like of common weapons. Rope and other mundane supplies are available to take people into custody.
The victims, if asked about:
Violent and uncontrollable
Sloppy fawning followed by rages of anger
Seeming sober one moment and loopy the next
Bursts of unnatural strength
Spouting poetry and incomprehensible roaring the next moment
Investigating the Rowdy Badger
Brian says he has a quick list of names and descriptions of those that could not be subdued in the Rowdy Badger…”Each of them managed to escape before the brewery and tavern were sealed. They have run off into the crowds and are lost in the revelry. My thanks to you in this…” He guides you back out into the Rowdy Badger common room. “They all left from this one spot, so this is where you want to start for tracking them down… Use my name in your hunt to grease the way if you need be, speed is of the utmost importance.I’ll inform the local watch of what’s going on.”
List of Revelers to track from the Rowdy Badger fights
Haykim
Sarah
Halway
Jimmy
Wilkes
Millie
Berkley
Tracking Down the Revelers
Each of the 7 targets can be tracked using a combination of Persuasion (DC 10 [2 successes or failures]; to get reveler to focus and help set the party on their path) and Investigation (DC 10; optional – to get more information about the target; full name, and quick background = grants +2 on Persuade check to find).
Tracking an individual >
Fanning out, you question those nearby, flashing copper and collecting information. Each name and description gets more information and the information paints a picture of their movement through the crowd. There’s no consistency in terms of direction they went or their behavior… but you keep at it and paint the larger picture until you are ready to move in.
Seeking More Information on Each Person >
If the characters choose to get more information then for each person after the second there is a 10% cumulative chance that ‘Foo’ gets into a deadly drunk fight and kills someone or maims them horribly.
Foo’s Path of Destruction >
There is a chance to PC’s can save the victim but if they take the time to do that, there is a 33% chance of another victim as they are tracking Foo – and on and on. It is not merely a matter of bleeding, Foo uses a thin rapier and stiletto and does organ damage with pinpoint hits driven by his evil nature (such will be relayed by witnesses). It requires immediate attention using the Medicine skill DC 10 to prevent any permanent damage.
Name & Encounter
Killed
Injured
No Harm
Haykim Eeridu (diplomat from Doolun Emirates; 4 retinue – rapier) n
-10
4
10
Sarah Brendon (seamstress for local noble family)
-3
3
6
Halway Follers (coach driver) n
-2
2
4
Jimmy Quale; “Foo” (roustabout/rake)
The party actually catches him about to set up a young boy named Glenn to appear to have stolen from him in an effort to kill him in a duel. -k
6
3
0
Wilkes Sallow (chimney sweep) n
-2
1
3
Millie Galloway (mayor’s niece; 26) n
-8
6
12
Berkley Crayne; “bull” (teamster/hauler) i
-1
2
4
Negative: Mauled by crowd, -25 % wages
20+: Free drinks, dates, prestige, +25% wages
30+: Free drinks, dates, prestige (personally thanked by the mayor), +50% wages and “Folk Hero” background feature in Ruary for 10 years
Optional: Uninformed Watch
While one or more of the seven is being captured, a patrol of the watch stumbles on the scene. They have not yet been informed of what’s going on and must be either subdued (50 silvers to come out of reward later) or persuaded.
5 Watchmen:
HP: 6, AC: 13 (leather and dexterity), quarterstaff, club; 1 has a crossbow.
Return to the Brewery
After you have returned all the victims bound and secured, they are quartered until the effects wear off, Brian takes you aside again. Brian theorizes a competitor, or perhaps a personal grudge by someone against one of the master brewers is to blame. There’s a lot of angles he speaks out loud… you can see it’s driving him mad. “It cannot end here… I must know how this happened. I am sure it’s sabotage. We have at least confirmed it was something in the batch…”, which he asks you to try. After a lot of assurances of his own testing while you were collecting the victims, you agree to try it. The brew has a strange bitter aftertaste. It makes your face feel as if you are sucking your lower lip into your mouth completely – it is a horrible sensation and then comes the feeling like your head is floating – 10 feet above your body. All that on a single drop. “This could ruin me if I cannot get to the bottom of this. Will you help me investigate the vat this came out of? It’s been isolated for now and no one is going near it. I could use some help and I will pay you the same wages for this. I know its seems like a lot, but every second i’m not selling i’m losing fripping great wadges of cash.” You accompany him to the aging vat where the batch came from. A scaffolding has been quickly erected to easily climb to the top.
Let the PC’s get whatever mundane equipment they need.
What’s in the Vat?
You and Brian climb to the top of the scaffolding and in a surprising move he is passed an ax and he begins to shatter the lid. As he works, he yells over the din, “It’s part way open – shouldn’t be. I’m not taking any chances that something weird has not been dropped in there”. Everyone tenses up, grabbing makeshift weapons as splinters fly. It’s amusing, but you put hands on weapons too – just in case. The massive lid is staved in and he stops. Broken wood floats in the vat. No fins, eyes or tails move across it. It may have been easier with such a straightforward problem you could just kill and be done with. Brian sighs after a long moment of staring at the debris soaked in dark ale. “Shit. Get me the kit”, he yells. A carpenter’s toolbox is being passed up with what looks like some mad scientist kit of tubes, vials, flasks, jars and burners. He begins to get it set up as everyone but he and your team leaves the top to make room. Brian dips the first of the beakers to get a sample in and stirs the vat with a long pole when 2 figures float to the top in a gout of bubbles! It’s two human men, their eyes and tongues bulging out! Soaked and forever stained in plum ale, their fingers are wrapped around each other’s throat. “Holy shit, it’s Roberto and Leon.”, exclaims Brian as he stands looking perplexed.
There’s a lot of whispering and hushed conversations as the news ripples throughout the crowd. Brian stares at the 2 bodies, locked in an embrace of death and hate. No one touches anything. People come and look, climbing and dropping back down shaking their heads.
Finally Brian muses to no one in particular, “I wonder if it was over Ganea?” At which point the eyes flash at him, and the fingers tighten on each other’s throat, causing a vile sounding ‘croak’ to come from both… and the dead return to their unfinished struggle! Ale splashes everywhere and Brian tumbles off the scaffolding.
Dexterity DC 10 to keep hold or D4/2 damage controlled fall into scaffolding.
2 Chances to save someone from being bumped and flying over the edge: Dexterity DC 14 check + Strength DC 10 check; if they fail the person falls. Medicine DC 12 checks to set their break correctly and prevent them from never walking right again. DC 15 checks to find internal bleeding and stop before they die an hour later.
Flushed Away
Screams echo throughout the chamber as the 2 figures locked in a mutual deathgrip go over the side and land with a sickening thud 20 feet below. They roll back and forth, silently intent on nothing more than each other’s destruction. Ribs poke through one of their chest cavity, while the unnatural angle of the other figure’s neck clinches the notion that these men are both dead – yet locked in mortal combat long after both had passed. As you clamber down to try and isolate and take them down they roll near the common sewer gate for the brewery and while one bashes in the skull of the other with a disgusting popping sound, the other tears the chain securing the sewer gate lid and pulls both of them into it, bringing it crashing down on the entrance!
They are gone down the drain.
Rats pour up from the sewer in some unnatural swarm.
Investigating the Rivalry
Afterwards all manner of weapons are grabbed and the sewer grate surrounded. After a minute, the clamour finally dies down. PC’s will be jostled and know it would be dangerous to fight in such cramped quarters. A few people try the bent grate and broken chain and cannot get it to move.
Brian is surrounded by brewery staff, he pushes his way through the crowd and grits through the pain of an obviously badly hurt ankle. “I’ve talked to the shift leads. These two have not been seen all day. Apparently they both arrived for work this AM before most of the others. Seems like they had their own agenda. Come on people – let’s get this stuck grate up and see if we can end this nightmare!” People nervously bring tools and work to repair the grate and get it open while Brian explains the well known rivalry the two had. “Leon and Roberto both wanted a woman named Ganea. She was in trouble, I told them both. Loose woman, unsavory sort if you ask me. But… hey, a beauty for the ages. Young body, old eyes. Trouble, yes sir.”
Both had professed their love and desire to do anything for the woman.
The source of the brew’s strange effect is the combination of potions each brought with them to give to her later. They were both told to go check on the plum brew (no one goes alone when so much is at stake) and got into a fight. They fell in and what they had on them mixed in the batch.
Roberto had a Love Potion.
Leon had a Revulsion Potion (to work against his rival).
The Vat
Brian offers an additional 50 silvers each if the antidote to the batch can be found.
On the scaffolding one torn pouch, stained beyond all recognition. [DC 14 History; local seamstress]
In the vat broken glass, etched with something. [DC 10 Arcana; mystical elixir]
The Bodies Resurface
The grate is finally repaired. You stand and stare at the foul rushing water below, contemplating your next step. Brian is brought over to you – nothing more than a twisted ankle from the incident so far. He orders supplies, rope and lanterns and appears to be going with you. Precious minutes tick by, but the way for the living needs to be safe where the dead care not. Finally as you are about to descend and massive shout from a thousand throats is heard from nearby. Not shouts of excitement, but one of horror. “Damn… the sewers lead right under the stadium next door… the rodeo is going on there now! Lets move! Through the north door and across the street to the back gate of the stadium!” You run next door as several people run screaming from the normally closed back entrance. Cries of ‘walking dead’ follow them. You rush to confront the zombies but can find nothing. Following a hallway, you burst into the main stadium grounds – blinded temporarily by the sun. Three rodeo clowns form up “I think you are in the wrong place pal!” says one of them – you can see they all have knives, “Your little drama aint gonna work, beat it – this is our gig!” Just as you try and explain, they run out of patience and rush you.
They can be intimidated, or they can just be beat down – but there may be questions later if any are killed. Afterwards the clown apologize – apparently some actor troupe had said they could do better in a bar fight the night before, so the clowns thought you were them.
Fun Times at the Rodeo
Afterward, you see a beautiful young man and woman with perfect bodies parading a wreath of flowers, blowing kisses and waving, oblivious to whats going on in the stands… she finally catches your eye, and is looking at you nervously as the crowd noise starts to subside. Suddenly cries come from your left and the wooden wall shatters in a kick from a bull that sends the gate flying in pieces. More screams come from your right as horses jump onto and over each other, kicking and rearing and killing a few of their number to break through the gate and spilling into the stadium with madness in their eyes. Into the stadium staggers a zombie with its chest kicked in, ribs sticking out and meat hanging out of its abdomen – but still going after the woman.
Let the PC’s decide what they are going to do.
They should have no more than 7 seconds as you count out loud.
She and her friend sit paralyzed as you rush to intercept. Right before you are there, you can see she recognizes him and then the problem is solved before you have to do anything. A massive bull spinning in fear and frenzy kicks with both its back legs and the zombie is literally sent flying through the air. Sailing over 30 feet, it strikes a piling and explodes like a canvas bag of blood and meat dropped from 100 feet hitting the ground. It’s a shock by any standard. The young man next to her feints as she retches uncontrollably. In the main stadium ground, a zombie with its head nearly completely severed off staggers around, ‘looking’ for the girl you presume.
The zombie will stop as the PC’s take it all in, right its head, and come after the woman, who scream like a siren and wont shut it off. The PC’s can intercept it about 10’ away from her.
Bronc Horses
Bronc Bulls
Zombie-in-Love
Avoid the angry animals!
AC: 8 (10 when within 20’ of his love), HP: 22
Undead fortitude is DC = damage only when within 20’ of his love
The woman is Ganea.
She tells the story of an innocent flirtation with 2 married men – they both knew she was flirting with the other… and there were more. She was always flirtatious. But her love is promised to Jayzer – who is only 16. Her family has promised her to the young cabinet maker. She never knew anyone would take her words seriously.
After the fight with the zombie, no one knows at which stage which one was where. The one killed with the broken neck had a pouch though, and a few glass shards in it. The insignia is of a locally known “wise woman” named Sheila – this would seem to be a full version of what was found at the vat in the brewery. It should be pretty obvious that some sort of love potion or near-that was to be used, and the idea was shared by both of the men. Have Brian or someone else voice it if the PC’s do not.
The Wise Woman’s Demise
The embroidery on the pouches all point to the source of Sheila the old “wise woman”. After checking around, you discover that she has a hut in a clearing on the eastern outskirts of Ruary, near older meadows and copses, and is a well known dealer in potions and trinkets, as well as midwife and veterinarian. Brian keeps the clues he has so far and stays to clean up and explain the mess while you follow up with Sheila – “She’s gotta know what they had, and should be able to get some antidote and save the batch we worked so hard on. I hope so anyway, i have a lot of moola riding on this. Go there now – i’ll let the watch know again and someone will be following you, but i will delay them as long as possible so you can get what you need out of her before they likely lock her in a cell untill this is all sorted out.”
No one accosts them as they make their way out of town.
Directions are easy and it’s found within an hour.
Perception DC 14 to hear one of the brewery staff mention “What about the contamination from the dead guys!?” “Novelty”, says Brian.
It’s quiet outside the hut. A fire burns and nothing seems to move. It’s a generous sized hut. A barns stands to the south of it, and east is a path through old meadows. Many things are hanging, drying in the fading light. You notice now, the sun is going down. Well, maybe in an hour – buts low on the horizon and light is dimming fast. You knock on the door and there is no reply. Testing it, the door is unlocked. You open the door, expecting the worst. Inside, nothing stirs and its tidy and kempt.
Investigation DC 12: There was a struggle here and it was covered up. The trail leads to her garden through woods a eighth of a mile east – there is clay and moss to be found. And a Survival DC 11 check will reveal local common knowledge about the clay in the Apothecary’s Vale. Otherwise the PC’s may need to hire a tracker to answer the question and get them there.
The remains of a wooden holy symbol of Darupet can be found in the fireplace (fresh fire), burned and ruined.
Many of her wares have been stolen; there is a lot of empty racks and cupboards.
Finding the Cure
This is an optional part of the adventure if time allows it. The complex ending is longer and more interesting (optional with time).
Easy Ending: Pet Snake
Eventually you come upon a rattlesnake, hiding under a dresser that makes no hostile moves toward you. In fact, you eventually get a sense it is trying to get your attention without startling you. It curls itself around a statue of Darupet time and again and eventually you pick it up. For a moment, the world is falling out from under you. You see a faint outline – perhaps a spirit – of the woman matching the apothecary’s description. It speaks some strange words and calls out a name which you are unfamiliar with. You see from her eyes. Inside the cottage, sated and slumbering is a snake coiled up under a dresser. A man pleading with her and she shakes her head. In a manic frenzy he kills her when her back is turned. The vision goes dark for a long moment and returns. “I will walk you through creating an antidote if you lay my spirit to rest and find this man Vergo and bring him to justice.”
By description the PC’s can track the man in the vision.
He followed her from Apothecary’s Vale in hopes of her preparing a drug (‘Gref’ – a dried and smoked slightly wet leaf) – Vergo had bought from her before when he had a job and money.
He is an out of luck, in debt, an addict has several crimes to his credit.
Her body is buried out in the meadow.
Vergo by name and by description in the eastern slums is well known enough.
The West End Warehouse – A Drug Den
Vergo has made many new friends after returning with a stash of drugs. Many are just herbs, but a lot of the junkies mix and match, and tensions are high when the PC’s arrive… it’s a powderkeg of violence ready to explode and Vergo is the fuse.
The east side has many old warehouses. The west end of one row is where you track Sheila’s killer to. From a distance, the dilapidated warehouse can be seen to house several junkies. A few cries and shots as they argue can be heard. Vergo is not alone.
Tracking the Apothecary’s Killer
Complex Ending: Web of Lies
Eventually you come upon a rattlesnake, hiding under a dresser that makes no hostile moves toward you. In fact, you eventually get a sense it is trying to get your attention without startling you. As you stand back, it slithers to the burned out fireplace and wraps around a charred piece of wood – curling itself around what appears to be the remains of a statue of Darupet time and again and eventually you pick it up. A vision flashes before your eyes as the snake – the familiar of some sort for the apothecary – imparts knowledge of what must be done. For a moment, the world is falling out from under you. You see a faint outline – perhaps a spirit – of the woman matching the apothecary’s description. It speaks some strange words and calls out a name which you are unfamiliar with. You see from her eyes. Inside the cottage, sated and slumbering is a snake coiled up under a dresser. A man pleading with her and she shakes her head. In a manic frenzy he kills her when her back is turned. The vision goes dark for a long moment and returns. “I will walk you through creating an antidote if you lay my spirit to rest and find my killer and bring him to justice. The snake must be killed and its blood drained. After the snake’s body is burned, mix the blood with ashes and find where the my dead body is. Mix the remains of the snake and me together. Then you will be granted a vision or communicated the antidote.” It seems straight forward – Find her body, reunite it with her spirit fetch vitality, and it will help the town one last time.
A few questions can be asked
The snake is happy to come along until such a time as its sacrifice is needed – it will be easier, especially if the PC’s just decide to kill it without asking it where the body of Sheila was buried (though they can track it if needed).
It will defend the PC’s if they agree to take it with them
This was only last night that this happened
It’s not connected in any way to the love triangle – it’s just bad timing
The Apothecary’s Garden
Ahead is a clearing. Grove is clean – kept neat. A couple of older women and one your have gathered at its edge and are talking amongst themselves. As you approach they turn as a group. “See, I told you she would come back and take care of this mess.” The blind one looks in your direction, “Yes, and they have the smell of blood on them. They have touched every part of this woven tapestry it seems. And now they are here to cut the final cords.” All nod in agreement and step aside. “She awaits you under the tree. But!… the loam does not give up the gifts offered to it so easily. Be careful. That which is not dead, it just keeps coming back! Like a damn case of the pox or the consumption. Good luck kids.” They all laugh and step aside – making sure to keep any others that are arriving away from the garden while you do whatever it is that you came to do, which you are now seriously questioning. About 15m from your position, in the center of the clearing, as a raised bed with a small tree in it. The tree sways in the breeze… except… wait, there is no breeze.
Let the PC’s cast spells and prepare.
As you get closer the tree sways and shakes a little more. Blossoms drop from its branches… no, wait, those are not blossoms. Motes of white light. The whole thing gets stranger and stranger the closer you get. The tree, for lack of a better word, ‘groans’ as you get near. You can barely see a nearly buried hand covered in dirt poking out from the roots – the body of Sheila.
Let the PC’s cast spells and prepare.
The tree shakes and groans more, and small sputters of light motes gather faster. As one of you crosses some invisible threshold, the sparks leap out and the tree attacks!
As each layer of life is peeled back, a dream-vision is granted. Each dream can be a hint or smaller adventure for the GM to run.
Awakened Tree
-Powers: Spike Growth 1/day (used at range if the PC’s attempt to burn it at a distance – it will then crawl out by its roots and attack), animate brush 3/day
When the tree is defeated:
The last blow is struck and the tree lies in ruins and you move to exhume the body from where its roots once stood. Saving you the trouble, a fresh corpse rises from the earth while a mote of white light rushes at the nearest of you – striking you and stunning you for a moment while it delivers a vision.
Vision-Dream 1: The Killer [short complex ending; all can have this dream] A man fumbles in the darkness, pushing around a darker shadow. A young face becomes clear, a woman’s voice says “Vergo, you have a wife and child… you should be home not spending your wages on such things as this.” He answers, “I have to work more hours with another wee one – i need the Gref to keep me awake, that’s all – i won’t end up like those others.” The motions of a clock’s hands spin past you, and the same face is hooded with others as a myriad of petty crimes takes place for one face standing over them as they call his name “Chaso”; more time passes and the same face, older than it should be for the passing of time, angry, in ill health and a mind destroyed by addiction… it was he who killed her. She who once tried to help him became his latest victim.
= Visions of her death point to the killer – find real proof and get justice OR avenge her death. Vergo stole from her because of a drug habit and a group of young men are hooked on drugs and manipulated by a local up-and-coming crime boss challenging the status quo.
Zombie
When the Zombie is defeated:
The last blow is struck and the zombie lies in ruins and you move to take the body and perform the ritual. Saving you the trouble, the skeleton of the wise woman sheds its skin and attacks you while a mote of white light rushes at the nearest of you – striking you and stunning you for a moment while it delivers a vision.
Vision-Dream 2: The Daughter
A vision of Sheila, young and before any wisdom was in her eyes. Run away from a farm with a young man who both have love in their hearts. To the big city they go, where Sheila becomes with child. Her lover leaves her for another, and Sheila gives birth to her daughter. A daughter she is forced to leave on the doorstep of the White Sisters, with nothing more than a stone carved with the healing hands of Aerna painted white tied about her neck. Time passes and the daughter becomes one of the White Doves – an angel or mercy, crusading for women’s rights. Beaten, near raped, and threatened several times she finds a woman who thinks will help her and instead dupes her and she loses everything and finds solace with women the White Sisters have helped. They seek shelter each night together, and each night are afraid for their lives. She still has the token and believes some day she will find a shelter for her and the women she ministers to.
= An unexpected inheritance; the reputation of the apothecary is shadowed – clear the air and give a girl living in poverty a new chance. Her “friend” treated her as a slave – find her and her circle. The house “Marpes” would have sold the women to a brothel and needs to be punished.
Skeleton
When the Skeleton is defeated:
The last blow is struck and the skeleton lies in ruins and you move to take the pieces and perform the ritual.As you gather up the pieces, the skeletal hand attacks you while a mote of white light rushes at the nearest of you – striking you and stunning you for a moment while it delivers a vision.
Dream 3: Witness to a Secret
= A murder and rise to power of the last mayor. He wed into a powerful local family and inherited. A fortune by murdering his wife when she was pregnant. The child (Glenn) was safe and is 10 now (see encounter for the revelers for more details).
Creeping Claw
Skull – Snake will give clue indicating now is the time, in addition to the other women waiting in the wings.
The last blow is struck and nothing moves on the battlefield. The group of ladies at the edge of the clearing cheer, telling you to pick up the skull, indicating some level of finality must have been achieved. As you pick up the skull, a mote of white light rushes at the nearest of you – striking you and stunning you for a moment while it delivers a vision.
Vision-Dream 4: The Patron
You are in a warm place. A warm field, where grasses talk in the breeze, and a warm lavender smell fills the air. You feel safe, and the insects chirp, birds flutter and all seems well with the world. Something brushes your hand and you look down to see a serpent. The snake looks at you, the wisdom of the ages reflected in its eyes. Your gaze feels caught and you feel yourself pitch forward, falling into the endless mote of the serpent’s eye. Down and down, into its eye, and into its memories. Ancient is the serpent, an extension of the woman named Sheila. From the images captured in its eyes, you see a story told. The woman Sheila was a witch, serving the great Fey powers. The serpent was her fetch – though an extension of the Fey powers as well. It watched, and by extension the great Fey, from hidden places through creatures under its own influence, in day and night, as a great story unfolds.
= A conversation with a great power and a chance for power. Chance to gain Warlock Power or level. The power – the spirit of the ____ wants to contain the PR nightmare these dreams may unlock. The PC has an option of doing a small boon for a single Eldritch Sign of 5th level or lower power.
OR make an attempt at real power and seek out a priest of Balthazaar to shine the light of truuth in the dreams and partner with the them to reveal the intrigue – this will secure the position of the druids in the course of the investigation which will reveal the Spirit of the horse spirit Epona to have blessed the nearby fields a millennium ago. It will also reveal a White Sister priestess who accidentally poisoned Epona’s acolyte and her horse in a bit of competitive contests wherein the White Sister tried to celebrate her competitors victory at the end and ended up killing her but covered it up! And the real offender is the local crime family of Saytell who swapped out a shipment of Formia wine – commonly used as a ‘celebrants’ wine, to the White Sisters to frame them. Reporting to the high priest of The Church of Light in the region, Frederno, the Priest of Ikribu managed to cover it up. And, when a Justicar of Balthazaar heard the confession he was going to expose it but he had a heart attack arguing with the priest. His journeyman Krol Kastig – who overheard the whole heated argument forced the priest of Ikribu to bear false witness and say that the old Justicar was killed by bandits, and that he would have been too were it not for the noble self sacrifice and intervention of the brave journeyman. The journeyman Krol, who gave himself a grievous wound that would cause himself to walk with a limp all his life, was appointed local head priest of the White Church in Ruary – with Frederno stepping down! Everyone loved the folk hero tale. Frederno took to drink and one night let slip to a whore the sordid tale – though he blacked out and forgot that he had sone so… he is now just a priest everyone calls coward (he can no longer handle confrontations) behind his back and is thinking of killing himself – ____. She blackmailed Krol for the last 2 years and he could do nothing (the spirit of a Justicar could easily be recalled to bear witness to their final moments) as Ganea the whore was a favored dalliance of many local politicians and priests – scandal and dishonor would be spread far and wide. Krol has a book that he uses to scourge himself of his thoughts of killing Ganea – drawings of him killing her in many way, sentences and stories of elaborate deaths and gruesome ones. Ganea herself has a book she keeps hidden of her payments and what she heard from Krol in case anything happens to her. She tells Krol she has it, it is no lie, but tells none of her friends where it is or what’s in it – she thinks they are too nosy and would betray her. All of this from the eyes of a serpent, gliding along the ground and out of sight. And then the snake appears in a mirror, and her mistress Sheila appears with her. In the mirror sheila sees something that scares her, and she is overcome with sadness. She speaks to the mirror or the snake, you are not sure. “So be it, my time is coming nigh.” And who know what will transpire when i am gone, but lies murder a part of the world, and i am part of life not death. Into this mirror i set all these remembrances, so that the lies of the world will not cause them to be forgotten. I will shatter then this mirror, so that it will not be noticed by the higher powers of those involved. In the well of my property, which has long dried up, i will put these shards of memory to be reassembled by those who would not forget. The story they will tell will do much damage, though the truth will heal all wounds in time.”
Find the Mirror of Broken Dreams
Mirror of Memory
The well is sitting on a piece of property 20 acres. Its all completely overgrown. A trip to the town hall and its planning office is in order.
Thwarted Plans
= Chance someone will find out and try and slip a fake map (requires forgery)
Hired by a man in a plain tunic and and trews – claimed that the PC’s had raped his sister.
Reconstructed Past
Mirror that haqs the entire story reflected in broken pieces that once its assembled it can be made it. The Wise WOman (Warlock) of ___ observed all this sordid tale through the eyes of her familiar and animal servants. She then trapped the memories in a mirror, brole it and scattered the pieces in a well that is a tiny poretal to the Feywild! The only piece the PC’s find is the one granted in the ‘vision of intrigue’ because it is the starting point.
Familiar can try to go and get them
Characters can enter the well themselves
It will lead the characters to go into the well and become tiny!
Fight
Piece 1-5: Ants
Piece 6: Cockroaches
Piece 7: Centipede
Piece 8: A windy chasm
Piece 9: A flash flood
*Piece 10: Flies
Reassembling the Mirror
The True Evil
Vision will be revealed when the origins tracked down to White Sisters. The crime family office has Ear Worms. Crystals sacred to Malek – no one is really sure why DC 18 Religion.
Ear Worm: Vibrations and auditory whispers to evil thoughts in your ears
Spinagon
Darkness
5 Lemures
1 Imp