Oard Adventures in Mystara
by Sean Meaney"Psst! I've got a time travel mirror you can use."
A Peoples Revolution
Recommended Location: Karameikos, Glantri, Heldann, Northern Reaches
Description: The Bailiffs dispatched by the local lord to collect grain tax have failed to return from the Village of Humprey.
What's going on: The locals are in the middle of a technological boom. A travelling sage has taught the local blacksmith how to build a mechanical grain harvester. The Humprey Push-Scythe allows a single individual to harvest four acres an hour. He has also taught them to manufacture a repeating crossbow that fires bolts from a drum barrel of twenty and must be wound like a clock in a single turn before use. The Sage is an ordinary person dispatched from an Oard Re-education Facility to "assist" the locals in their technological rise.
The Lords Bailiffs simply stumbled into a peasant uprising and were disposed of on their arrival.
Humprey Push-Scythe
The push-Scythe allows the farmer to harvest a grain crop at four acres per hour (4x rate of peasant labourer).
(Weight: 50lb, value: 500gp)
Humprey Repeating Crossbow
Must be wound like a clock with a special handle that fits on the end of the barrel. The weapon fires up to twenty bolts from the crossbow drum barrel
(Weight: 30lb, Weapon Cost: 250gp//Ammunition: 10gp/bolt, Range: 100', Damage: Heavy Crossbow+1, Reload: 1 Turn to reload the drum)
PC Involvement: The Party is called in to investigate an isolated village refusing to pay its taxes in farm produce. They find the locals have declared independence from the local lord and have declared them selves the People's Union of Humprey. They will be ambushed on the road by twenty peasants armed with Humprey Repeating Crossbows. If the party capture the Sage, they find a mind immune to torture and interrogation.
The Lord dispatches fifty light footmen from his castle a week after the Adventurers with orders to exterminate the villagers. If the People's Union crush the soldiers (with PC help) they spread to control the Lords estate within a year.
An Angry Mob
Recommended Location: Luln, Karameikos
Description: A Wizard in Luln is being lynched by local peasants.
What's going on: The Wizard has been feebleminded by an Oard device called a Subjugator Ray which causes the Wizard to be unable to cast spells. An Oard traveller surprised the Wizard with the Ray while in the local tavern and hypnotised the Villagers also there into lynching him.
PC Involvement: The PC's can stop the Lynching. The Wizard and Peasants don't recover from the effects of the Subjugator Ray however (that takes a Wish). Until they are cured, the peasants will attack any identified wizard attempting to Lynch them. When word gets out, rival wizards show up to loot the Wizard's residence.
An Iron Dragon
Recommended Location: North of Radlebb, Karameikos
Description: Farmers in a region of wilderness report an Iron Dragon (Drolem) on the Rampage north of Radlebb wood. The Drolem has destroyed their farms and killed their livestock. The Baron of Verge puts out a call for reliable Adventurers to look into it.
What's going on: The Oard are clearing out a region of its population. They are Mining minerals in an abandoned mine in the Area and needed cover. IF adventurers follow its trail of destruction back to the source they are led to a mine that has been recently worked. Dwarf miners will be unfamiliar with the technique.
PC Involvement: The PC's can stop the Drolem (Oard Robot). It will have some value to a Wizard fetching 1000gp-4000gp. They can also discover that someone used it to cover their mining activity-Something that took Tin, Lead, Copper, Iron, Gold, Silver, Platinum, and some Silicon. Over a thousand tons have been mined in a single week.
Examination of the mine site by a Dwarf skilled in mining for a year will allow improvements in their mining skill (+1).
Starfall
Recommended Location: Reedle, Darokin
Description: A wizard seeks Adventurers to look for a Shooting Star that fell from the sky near Reedle.
What's going on: An Oard Entry Impact Capsule has come down in the Mountains. The Engineer of the Oard Survey Ship (detailed in SPLASHDOWN and FOOTHOLD) has ejected from the ship. They find an Iron Golem wandering about a large Smashed "Egg". It is constructing a Bunker (if allowed to finish). The Oard has perished. The "Smashed Egg" is the Entry Impact Capsule from an Oard Ship. Markings on the Capsule translate as "EIC-1". The Iron golem will not allow the PCs to leave with the Oard and will need to be overcome.
PC Involvement: The PC's might be hired to retrieve the falling star.
The Lifeboat
Recommended Location: Anywhere in the Sea of Dread
Description: A ship stumbles across a strange lifeboat in the middle of the ocean.
What's going on: Another of the Crew of the Oard Survey Ship ejected over the Ocean. The "Lifeboat" is an Entry Impact Capsule from an Oard Ship. Markings on the Capsule translate as "EIC-5". The Oard is in Hibernation and will revive if brought onboard. The Oard will attempt to hypnotise the Captain and Crew into slavery.
PC Involvement: The PC's might encounter the Oard controlled ship at sea or coming into the isolated fishing village they are in. If the Oard makes it to a village it will enslave the locals (A PEOPLES REVOLUTION should provide a good suggestion as to what happens next).
Splashdown
Recommended Location: Gulf of Marilenev, south of Karameikos
Description: Sailors report seeing a huge "thing" fall from the sky into the gulf of Marilenev.
What's going on: The "Engine" to the Survey ship has come down in the gulf. There is not much left and it is sitting on the Seabed. Adventurers will find the Ship remains mostly intact and under repair by a pair of iron Golems. Unfortunately the Engine is Days from going critical and any water in "engineering" will cause it to trigger early. The implosion of the engine will create a whirlpool located five hexes south of Specularum. The Whirlpool will last for a year before dissipating.
PC Involvement: The PC's might be hired to go on an undersea adventure.
Foothold
Recommended Location: Eastern Thanegioth Archipelago
Description: The Forward Section of an Oard Vessel has come down on an Island of Cannibals east of the Isle of Dread.
What's going on: The Forward part of the Ship has crashed in the Thanegioth Archipelago. The Islanders are being re-educated by the "Sky Gods" while the Robots (a dozen Iron Golems) begin mining operations.
PC Involvement: The PC's might encounter the Oard dismantling their ship section and constructing a base while exploring the region. This event Takes place AC1010, POST Nuwmont 1 for obvious reasons.
Cannibals Cannon
Recommended Location: Eastern Thanegioth Archipelago
Description: Cannibals invade the Isle of Dread. Their small war galley confronts a Thyatian vessel harboured at Port Mora. The artillery round explodes on impact destroying the ship it hits utterly.
What's going on: IF you decide the Oard have gone un-noticed until Thyatis invades the region in AC1020, then there should be an Oard Dome with full cloning facilities just off the Coast. An Oard Dome can be found in CM6 Where Chaos Reigns. The Re-educated Natives will be working on developing Fire Arms (using a (unduplicatable even by a wish) mix of gunpowder made from minerals only found on their Island) and have the equivalent of a small war galley fitted with a single huge forward facing cannon.
The Cannon and Six shots with Gunpowder would be worth fifty thousand gold pieces to the Emperor of Thyatis who is once again frustrated by the prospect of not having gunpowder weapons. The Thyatians may learn of the incident but will find the mineral reserves soon run out.
The Cannon
(Range: 1000' Damage: 20d6, Weight: 2 Tons//Artillery Explosive Shot: 500lb/ Reload Time: 1 turn to reload).
PC Involvement: The party might be on the Thyatian Vessel only to wash ashore on the isle of Dread after the destruction of their ship.
Invasion of the Twaelar Empire
Recommended Location: The Sea of Dread, Near the Thanegioth Archipelago (Sometime after 1020AC).
Description: The Twaelar Empire stops raiding the surface as they come under attack by Oards.
What's going on: The Oards at the Thanegioth Foothold Site have begun an invasion of the Twaelar Empire. The Sea people come under attack from an army of a hundred Iron Golems (Oard Robots) lead by ugly-looking surface dwellers who breathe water (Aquatic Environment Adapted Oards). The Oards are intent on totally assimilating the Twaelar Empire and mining its resources to build a new Spaceship. They will brainwash the Twaelar People into servitude.
PC Involvement: The PC's might be hired to go on an undersea adventure to investigate why the Twaelar conflict with the Surface has broken off. They might encounter a lone Twaelar citizen fleeing the Empire for help.
The Cannon-powder Plot I: Show and Tell
Recommended Location: Thyatis City (Sometime after 1020AC).
Description: Advisers from the Savage Coast demonstrate the use of gunpowder in Thyatis City. In a Demonstration of the power of Cannon-powder, a single barge with huge cannon mounted centre barge is signalled into the Harbour to Fire on an anchored vessel. The Cannon hits its target from just under a thousand feet. The Target Ship (a large sailing ship purchased for the demonstration) explodes in a fireball and is destroyed utterly.
Unfortunately the creators explain that there are two problems with it. One: The Cannon-powder is only useable in very big Artillery, not hand Weapons, and, Two: The Cannon-powder has a special Oard additive that causes it to detonate within three hundred feet of an actively casting magic-user. A couple of Thyatian Generals see that as more of an advantage than a problem though. The Emperor begins buying the ingredients from the relevant nations on the quiet.
What's going on: The Oards have just sold the Thyatians on Cannon-powder. This particular mix requires a special tar that bubbles up on the Isle of Dread. If the Thyatians are going to control the only Cannon-powder outside the Savage Coast they must take and hold the isle of Dread against all enemies. Considering the Freeport at Tanaroa is currently (1020AC) exporting the Tar by the shipload, the Security of Thyatian Empire is a stake. Other ingredients include a Salt extracted from seawater in the Gulf of Marilenev, A Charcoal found only in the burning of timber from Alfheim, and Sulphur from a Volcano in Ierendi. -The Tar must be mixed with the Charcoal made from Alfheim Wood (no-longer exported) and then with Ierendi Sulphur (not exported), and With Marilenev Salt (currently exported in small volumes by the Estate of Marilenev).
The Thyatian Cannon
Thirty Feet long, ten feet radius, a Steel-alloy made from Ylari Sand, Iron from the Thyatian Empire, and Carbon from Thyatian Hinterlands Timber. Cost of manufacture: 50,000gp, Reload Rate: 2 Turns, Range: 1 Mile, Weight: 50 Tons
Explosive Artillery Round
A 4' diameter Iron shell, Damage: 20d6 (100'radius)/detonates if exposed to magic within 300'.
Cost: 1500gp Weight: 3 Tons
The Cannon-Powder Wad
1,000gp/shot to manufacture is a 4' diameter cannon-powder wad weighing a ton.
PC Involvement: The PC's might be on the expedition to take the Isle of Dread or caught on the island when the Thyatians Invade. Worse still, they might be involved in the future Invasion of Karameikos, Ierendi, or Alfheim to secure access to the other ingredients.
The Cannon-powder Plot II: No Permit, No Wizard
Recommended Location: Thyatis City, Empire of Thyatis (just prior to 1025AC)
Description: The Emperor requires all Wizards in the City of Thyatis (The Cannon-powder Millworks are located here) to carry and display Identification.
What's going on: For reasons of national Security, Wizards are no longer allowed to wander freely in Thyatis City.
The Cannon-powder Plot III: War
Recommended Location: The Western Defence League (Sometime after 1025AC).
Description: The Ingredients to the Thyatian Cannon-powder and the cannons leak out. The Western Defence League cuts off access to the ingredients for manufacturing the Thyatian Cannons and Cannon-powder out of self interest. The Thyatians declare war.
What's going on: The Oards have just leaked the requirements of the Cannon-powder to pit the Thyatians against the Western Defence League. Thyatis must have their ingredients for cannon-powder and cannon-steel.
As the ingredients come from many nations in the Western Defence league, they must invade.