"You have proven your loyalty to the church of Thanatos, now take this powder and introduce it to the wells of every village in Karameikos."-Urga, High Priest of Thanatos addressing the faithful in a meeting in Mirros.
DM Briefing: Travelers and Merchants begin dropping small sacks of poison into the wells of numerous villaged across the Kingdom of Karameikos. Symptoms include boils and lesions and looks like the mummyrot plague.
I'm not sure if you are aware of this thread started by Spellweaver or not. It isn't necessarily campaign ideas as much as just adventures and events.
2. A Sinkhole opens in Kelvin
“Are you sure we won’t get in trouble?” Yan looked about nervously.
“We can sell that rock for a gold Royal now shut up and dig…” Boris speared his crowbar into the dirt by the boulder. The Crowbar vanished into the Earth along with the boulder and much of Mrs. Mealy’s Garden.
“What did you do?” Yan looked at his friend.
DM Briefing: A Sinkhole opens in the city of Kelvin. The Hole Expands threatening several homes. The Sinkhole drops 500 feet into a cavern the size of the city above it.
3. A Sword in the Peat
“Found it under the Peat I did. Look at it.” Stephan wiped the muck from its surface.
His companion stared at the blade and looked for the smiths-mark that should be...
“By Hala…It Cannot Be.” Iago fell to his knees in fear.
“Iago?” Stephan stared at his friend.
The sight of Stephan holding a sword aloft while leaning over his kneeling companion drew instant attention.
“He’s killed him!” The voice from the crowd was quite loud.
DM Briefing: A very old short sword is found beneath the peat diggings east of the city of Kelvin. The Sword has the blacksmith’s marks of Halav. Indeed, this is one of Halav’s swords crafted by the smith before he achieved immortality. The Sword is non-magical yet will fetch a price of a million gold Royals. As a consequence everyone will want it by any means.
"One of the Last Traladaran-held Estates...?"
"It produces near a hundred million gold Royals a year."
"Well there is that."
"Lady Marilenev's tithe to the Church of Traladara exceeds the tithe we get from every Thyatian in the Kingdom including the King."
"The Church of Karameikos must have it all."
"And those are very important points but how?"
"There are Clerics of Chaos in the Mountains to the North-east. It is time they moved against the Kingdom."
"Vanya help you if the Patriarch finds out."
DM Briefing: Senior Clerics in the Church of Karameikos begin plotting to take the Estate of Marilenev as a Bishopric. They flood the region of the North east with poorly guarded merchants with wagonloads of weapons.
"I hear ol Vigo was moanin about somethin tryin ta eat him when he went the Jakes at the Broken Mug." Boris squated above the hole in the ground and moaned at his constipation.
"Damn Drunk with his farytales!" Replied Yan from the next squat.
"You Know there are supposed to be tunnels dug beneath the city." Boris was thinking they might look into that soon.
"Yeah. Been thinking about...what the...ERRAGGG!" Yan's scream was Cut short.
"Yan? What you Screaming about? Yan?" Boris felt very alone as he staggered forward around the stall to look in on his friend. he watched as a naked foot and leg slid down a very narrow hole. The stall was sprayed with blood.
Boris made best speed for the Tap Room leaving a trail of dung in his wake.
"For Halav's Sake someone find me a Pot to go in..."
DM Briefing: A Gelatinous predator begins eating people who use the toilet or venture into cellars. This is a Permanently Hasted Gargantuan Black Pudding (stats: 8xHD, 2x Size).
Roger
Vigo turned to face the noise and watched wooden roofing tiles clatter into the dirt street. Vigo looked up at the cloaked shadow on the roof above him. The foe was an almost intangible piece of black cloth gripping a great Scythe.
"Scyth'r!" Vigo screamed and fled down the alley in a mad rush.
Vigo crashed through People standing in front of the Black Dog Tavern.
"The bugger has come for me..." He tried to make them understand as the cloaked figure dropped from the roof top into their midst and took Vigo with a single swipe of its pure enthropic Blade.
DM Briefing: A Shadow with a Scythe of Pure Enthropy descends on the city of Mirros and begins targeting several individuals who were all involved in a raid on a Temple when they were young adventurers. The Weapon itself has the abilities of a magic missile in that it automatically hits inflicting 1d6+1.
“Dredge it they Says. Do it Quicker they Says, Trade pays your wages, they says.” Purvis the Wizard waved his Rod of Civil Works and the sand loaded on the Barge.
“Who says what?” The odd voice came from all around him.
“Who said that?” queried Purvis as he looked around him.
The wet sand began to tower to its full height pulling even more sand onto the barge.
“I said that.” The very ancient and aquatically-evolved earth elemental was in the mood for conversation.
“Pefh! No sandbar here.” Purvis dived into the harbour water and swam for shore.
“What about me?” The twelve foot tall sand-bar wanted answers.
“Not my department, I’m Civil Works.” Purvis was having none of it.
“Want to hear about how the water gets the grit out of all my crevices?”
“Definitely not!” called Purvis as he headed to the nearest tavern.
DM Briefing: An ancient (and aquatically adapted) Earth Elemental decides to make its home in the Harbour of Mirros to the inconvenience of Ships in the Harbour.
"I was just saying that it seem silly."
"What do you mean?" Arlo Von Gaunt queried Boris.
"That the King's Treasury would have fifty two Firkins of Silver simply walked down to a ship in the Harbor." Boris whispered as the army of Porters walked past in teams of two with a small barrel branded Treasury of Karameikos on a litter between them. They were escorted by a hundred Guardsmen.
"They're paying it to Darokin for the Annual Shipment of Grain."
"I Think it's silly." replied Boris to his new companion.
"You think that twenty-six thousand pounds of Silver is Silly."
The Silver was loaded into the hold.
"I simply think it silly that they didnt have better protection of the Ship."
DM Briefing: Robbers steal a ship moving 260,000sp of Karameikian Coin to the Republic of Darokin.
The great brass ball turned as the steam sprayed from its opposing arms.
“What exactly does it do?” Stephan stared at the Gnome-built engine with wonder.
“It is Technology!! It drives the future. It powers the…the ships of industry!” Buttleknnose was struggling for words on his Knees with his hands in the Air.
Shuuu…Shuuu…Shuuu…Shuuu….went the great steam engine echoing all the way down the valley. It didn’t seem to be driving anything in particular.
“But what exactly does it do?” Stephan looked at his companion who was attempting not to break into laughter.
“Um, well, nothing right now. Gear’s broke.”
“Well the folks down the valley would appreciate it if you fixed the noise, particularly the loud bang that happens in the morning.”
“Yeah! It’s putting off the milking cows.” Arn the dairy farmer was finally getting a word in.
“That wasn’t the Buttleknnose Steamball™. That was the Buttleknnose SteamKannon™.” Buttleknnose was on a roll.
“Will you ask him what “™” means or shall I?” Stephan stared sternly at the smiling farmer…
DM Briefing: A Gnome builds some steam based technology to the detriment of the future.
"It was big and shiny and round and polished mirror-like, like a...a mirror and there were lights and it flew and ..." Stephan held up a hand to pause the young Halfling.
"So what you are saying is that a big shiny flying discus abducted your sheep?"
"Nono. That was the Thingummy that they flew off in. It was funny-looking elves with pointy ears and silver clothes and lightningbolt wands with funny grips and they all went about saying 'resistance is pointless' and 'prepare for the harvest' and 'cor! that's a pretty sweater'...scared the missus an all."
DM Briefing: Blacklore Elves with Magic-built flying Saucers and Lightningbolt rayguns abduct some farmers Livestock and take them back to their secret base on the dark side of the Moon.
“Our initial investigations of the Tower in the Great Crater have provided valuable Data.” Prince Malachi looked around the Council Chambers at the few Princes and Princesses of Glantri who cared to show up.
“Witness reports that the Tower ‘burrowed to the surface’ have been verified. The Geological Data is on page three of the report. The Tower itself is of Entropic origins and has an aura consistent with an artefact of Entropy” Malachi paused and looked at princess Hillsbury.
“We are however still unable to penetrate the Interior.” Princess Hillsbury smiled at his personal failure.
DM Briefing: The Tower has been penetrated by Synn the Night Dragon (a.k.a. Dolores Hillsbury). To activate the tower, she must sacrifice the princes and princesses of Glantri (She has already sacrificed prince Kol). Activating the Tower causes everyone in the Great Crater to evolve into Gargantuan versions of themselves (Gargantuan: HDx8, Sizex2).
A great and terrible monolith in the deep of the Phlogiston loomed before their hammership. The helm crashed and the hammership soon followed.
"By the Immortals! What is that thing?" Captain Halav stared at the incredible sight as the small wooden vessel fell into its gravitywell...
DM Briefing: The PC's, having ventured into Spelljammer Space encounter the Starship Warden, a fifty mile long, twenty five mile wide, 8&1/2 mile thick derelict (and potential Dungeon) adrift in the Phlogiston.
"Fire!" Alexis listened to the cry as her fireball gems struck dry timber in the Nest. No Moon made her invisible on the flying broom. The explosions shook the poorest district of Mirros and began their work. Rescuers were going to their deaths, the impoverished populace was in anarchy. Within moments the entire quarter was an inferno.
DM Briefing: Senior Clerics in the Church of Karameikos plotting to take the Estate of Marilenev as a Bishopric employ a Thyatian Mage to carpet bomb that region of Mirros known as THE NEST with fireball Gems.
"The Magos bleeds, my friend." Kuzama whispered to her companion the latest rumor.
"Aye. I hear the River Magos flows with an unholy redness. As though the Mountains were bleeding..." Stephan invoked the ritual of Halav for simply speaking of such evil.
DM Briefing: The Magos river runs bloody red from it's source. Fish in that river float dead on its edges. A Cinnabryl Vein has been discovered at the source of the river by some mordrigswerg dwarves who are using it to make weapons from an alloy of Cinnabryl Known as Corrupted Steel (not RED STEEL). These are Enthropic Weapons which inflict + <Entropic plague requiring a will check at -8 penalty or become half fiendish>.
The process requires the washing out of the redness of the steel to create a dark and rotting look to the steel.
"Are you sure he took the poison?" Senator Fiorenza needed to know.
"Yes." The Assassin did not enjoy being interrogated by his employers.
"Are you sure it will work?"
"Fiates Rose is impossible to detect, and immune to all magical and clerical cures. The Emperor is a dead man within three days."
DM Briefing: The Young Emperor of Thyatis is poisoned by something that can neither be detected as poison, nor cured by wizard or clerical magic. This leaves the Thyatian Empire with a child for an emperor.
Special Category: The Mystaran Past
16. On the whim of an Emperor
The Emperor of Thyatis stared at the old map. Oddly Alphatia wasnt on it.
His aide leaned forward to examine the curiosity.
"Um? Sir? Shouldn't that bit be labled Empire of Alphatia?"
Emperor Zendrolion snapped a look of disgust at the disloyalty of his staff.
"If I say there is no such place as Alphatia, then that is all." The aide straightened and cleared his throat.
"Yes my Emperor!"
The Emperor's Aide carried word to the Cartographers guild. Overnignt, Every map was altered and new ones issued.
DM Briefing: Emperor Zendrolion Issues new Maps. Maps without any sign of Alphatia. Irrelevent until you colonize a piece of vacant coast based on that map and the Alphatians show up to tax your Wizard-Baron.
Frandos the Malificent looked out across the Great Crater. The staircase being carved into the steep embankment, by an army of underskilled humanoids learning the art of stone masonry, was a wide avenue on the roof of the homes on the lower level.
"As you can see my lord, it is a house with a view and you will not regret the location..." Prince Kol's Aide smiled as he sold the better aspects of the city being carved into the Caldera.
DM Briefing: The PC's are granted a nice house in the Great Crater in a Lottery by which Mages from the Great School of Magic might be lured to live in the great Crater.
"They are looking for answers."
"Then it is time we gave them some."
"You will personally spoil a tax shipment of wine coming to the King from within the Marilenev Estate."
"But that would Expose Me!"
"Yes Moray Vaco. And that is why you will go to ground with the Humanoids in the Cruth."
"You are mad!"
"No, Just setting you in place to lead the humanoids against Traladaran Settlements there."
DM Briefing: The clerics conspiring to take the Marilenev Estate begin exposing their own as plotters to destabilize the patriarch and turn the Traladarans against the Church of Karameikos.
"I intend to father my children upon you." Bargle stroked her cheek and smiled at his own rising pleasure.
"Get off me you monster!" Aleena pushed him away.
"Your my property now."
"My Husband will get you." She was pure hate.
"Who? Him? He came looking for me at Mistamere." Bargle pulled back the curtain to reveal a very dead and tortured Traladaran shackled to a torture frame. Aleena recognised the broken form before her instantly.
"Noooooo!!!!" Aleena's Scream echoed across the flying castle...
DM Briefing: Her Husband murdered by Bargle, Aleena is abducted from Threshold by Bargle the Infamous. The PCs must penetrate his flying fortress and rescue Aleena.
"What?" Desmond turned his head quickly to catch a view of the shadow moving beyond his field of vision. Nothing.
Desmond shook his head and walked off.
"Heerraaa!" One of his guards screamed.
Baron Kelvin ran to the sound. The Guard was dead.
"Sound the Alarm!" Kelvin's loud voice screamed the words.
Guardsmen poured into the hall.
"We have an intruder. Find him now. And someone deal with him." The Baron pointed at the body. Guards Scurried off and a few carried off their dead companion.
Baron Kelvin returned to his chambers to retrieve a weapon. His mace hung on a hook on the inside of the door.
"Why do you need a mace when you have a perfectly good sword in your hand?" The voice came from nowhere. In his hand he now held a sword. The blade coated in the blood of the Guard.
DM Briefing: Baron Kelvin develops an alternative Personality. It is Chaotic Evil and of the Fighter Class.
"Eoward Radu! You are banished from Traladara for all time!"
The Terrible voice was instantly heard by every one in the kingdom of Karameikos. Eoward Radu looked up at the Sky. The sky distorted and became the face of Halav.
DM Briefing: For Eoward Radu, he becomes the most despised and mistrusted man in all of karameikos. Once this gets out to other nations, He will be the most despised individual in the world.
This is a crisis of Faith for the Cult of Halav. Suddenly they are no longer sure that King Stephan is the reincarnation of Halav.
"King Halav! That we might clear away the horrors of the past, It is at the heart of our petition that you should grant us that ground upon which the ruins of Castle Doom do fester. Let us heal these wounds by constructing a Monastary to Petra that shall provide haven and education to both churches and pave the healing path to unification." King Stephan waved forward his servant. The young Cleric handed the petition to the servant and Bowed at King Stephan.
"I Shall give this honest consideration. Halav Knows we need it in these times." Stephan Smiled.
DM Briefing: A few establish a new faction in the Church. They are the Monastic Rose of Petra. They petition King Stephan for the Hill overlooking the Town of Fort Doom. They wish to demolish the ruined castle and build a Monastary on the site. The Monstary is open to followers of Petra from both churches.
"The sound of the storm, the fireplace, and the tavern patron themselves, conceal the sound of the stranger as he enters the common room. The short figure removes its wet cloak , and you see an elf of the Callari before you, dressed in the simple clothes of his people. Conversation in the tavern halts, as everyone's attention is focused on the stranger for a few moments. The elf turns to the innkeeper, and as the inn patrons return to their bussiness and resume their conversations, you notice the innkeep talk to the elf for a few moments, and then point at your group, nodding his head."
DM's Briefing : The elf is Loenari, a simple horse handler of the Callari. He is looking for his daughter Valiria, an adventuring ranger, last seen in Threshold with her adventuring company. He is just a simple elf (expert 2, horse handler), and asks the group for help. As a reward, he is able to offer a very finely bred Callari white riding horse, his only possesion of value.
The group must search for clues about Valiria's group, and then travel to the haunted castle ruins that were their destination. The first part of the adventure includes the search for clues, and the days spent traveling.
"Your travels brought you across the wilderness, to a small village. As the sun sets between gathering storm clouds, you enter a small tavern in the village center. The sign outside its front door reads "Eleonora's Retreat" in Traldaran. The patrons and tavern keeper, all hard working men, tanned and rough, look at you with unfriendly eyes."
DM's Briefing : The villagers here are "classic" traldarans, superstitious and hard working. The reason for their suspicion are the monsters haunting the village, every night for almost a month. Fortunately, it shouldn't be too hard to gain at least some of the villager's trust by defeating the monsters - a group of shadows or wraiths. This part of the adventure focuses around interogating the villagers and locating the undead attackers. The undead's treasure is a corpse carrying a medallion, depicting a noble traldaran couple. The corpse can be identified as one of the lost elf's daughter's companions. The villagers will galdly offer the adventurers all their help, together with dire warnings, and a brave hunter will guide them to the ruins.
25. The Pirate Lantern
"Have I Made it?" Devor Mandrazy looked about. He had managed the dimension door to the hold of the merchantship. He lowered the Pirate Lantern and pulled the hand drill. The noise of his work was easily muffled by the flurry of crew activity on deck.
His pirate raider was struggling to close the distance.
A Dozen holes along the length of the ship and water began pouring in through the hull.
Water was around his ankles when a voice came from above.
"Saboteur!"
Armed marines began pouring down the ladder into the hold.
Devor grabbed up his lantern and was gone.
DM Briefing: Pirates are discovered to be using Magic items specificly made for them. They have wizards in Alphatia turning out Magic items of all manor. Stats for the pirate lantern: Dimension Door Usable 2/day non rechargable (30 charges). A platinum lantern frame encasing a petrified 2' gelatinous cube. Once the charges are used up, the gelatinous cube grows to full size attacking the user.
26. Damsel in Distress part III
"The day is stormy, and ligntning flashes as you come near some ruined castle walls, a few hills away. Your guide, pale and nervous, turns to you. "Please, my friends, the castle and the land here are cursed. Turn back now, come to the village. You are good people, but if something bad happens to you here, you don't stay dead proper". Hearing your refusals, he makes a sign against evil, and leaves, not before granting you a bottle of holy water. As you go nearer , the castle walls looming above you, you think about how superstitious these villagers can be. It's just another ancient ruin filled with monsters and traps, right ?"
DM's Briefing : The characters enter the ruined castle grounds and explore the wall towers and the central keep (and any outer buildings the DM cares to add). In the keep, there are two main inhabitants, both ghosts, both with unusual ghostly special powers. One is the ghost of the traldaran noble who ruled from this castle a century ago, and one of his half elven bride. Both died tragically, the husband turned into a werewolf, killing his wife, then taking his own life (yes , he is a werewolf ghost !).
They both manifest special powers, drawing the characters into shadowy realms that mimic the past. The husband's shadow realms can be entered from a hall of mirrors. The woman's from a picture of her in a long hallway of such pictures. In the shadow realms, (treat as shadow spells, nothing is real there) the characters must solve each realm before the ghost can be dispatched.
In the husband's realm, the castle cannot be entered. The characters are outside, with horses. It's a dark night, and they are supposed to hunt a roving werewolf (the one that infected the lord).
In the wife's realm, the characters are trapped inside the keep, and must save the fleeing woman (who is actually the missing daughter - the ghost chose her to play this role, because of their resemblace to each other) from the horrible werewolf that is after her.
Shadow enemies are based on their originator's imagination and fear - they may be stronger than what they really were. Still, they are only shadow.
The keep and castle grounds can have other enemies and traps too, such as a band of Ogres, based outside the keep, or stirges living in one of the ruined towers.
The adventure ends when both shadow realms are completed, husband and wife reunited (and finally dead), and Valiria safe with the characters (or not, as it may turn out).
Petrov spat out the wine.
"What in Halav's name? Its befouled." Petrov walked away from the Barrel in search of an Axe.
"Are you sure? This is supposed to be from one of the rarest and most exclusive vinyards in Glantri." Franz sampled the mug.
"By the Immortals it tastes like pickled hog."
"Exactly." Petrov drove the axe into the wood of his stolen prize until the timbers shattered.
The Corpse of a pickled young elf could be made out amongst the shattered wood.
"Yeergh!" Franz released the contents of his stomach on to the ground.
"Right! When you get done turning out your meal, fetch that tame cleric. I want to know who this corpse is and who killed her before sunset."
"Then What?" Franz sprayed the ground again with his stomach contents.
"Then We break open the other six barrels and find out if this is a one-off."
DM Briefing: A shipment of wine stolen during a change of residence by the Prince of Boldavia turns up in Karameikos. The wine contain Pickled Elves for flavouring. The Elves (requiring a speak with the dead) were abducted from the Elf Principalities of Glantri and are infact being pickled for food purposes.
"We didnt kill those villagers lady Aleena. Please belive us."
"I Do, but you need to surrender yourself to trial, running will just hurt your position."
"We tried. Killers attacked us when we did."
"What do you mean?"
"You need to be aware of some evil creeping into..."
A crossbow bolt grazed Aleena and drove into the wall.
"We've put you in Danger."
That attack came from inside the Residence.
"They have people inside the residence?" Aleena was in shock.
"They have agents everywhere. It may be better if we remain criminals on the run."
DM Briefing: The party find themselves blamed for the massacre of a village. Attempting to seek legal outcomes, the party are attacked by agents of the real villains at every turn putting friends and loved ones in danger.
The corpse surfaced near the small boat, as Arko the fisher was preparing a line, taking him by surprise.
"By Petra's uncle...a floater!"
Arko turned the lesioned corpse face up revealing something ugly and deformed. The shiny almost wizard like clothing suggested he should be pulled in.
He didnt look long dead so perhaps the patriarch could save him...
DM Briefing: A body surfaces in lake Windrush near Threshold. Taken for a deformed wizard, the drowned man is raised from the dead yet has no memories of who he is. "Silvio of Windrush" as he is soon come to be known as finds gainfull employment with a Blacksmith. His skills in metalworking soon become apparent as he turns out weapons of Masterful quality.
Silvio of Windrush is in fact an OARD. There is a time travel mirror on the bottom of the lake (the mirror was there before the lake was). The OARD was sent through to investigate but drowned, loosing all memory of his past and mission.
"Now sir if you will look through this simple lens you should see some improvement to your sight." Silvio held up a small frame of brass with two circles of diamond carved glass.
The bell rang on the shop door. It was Aleena Halaran.
"Lady Halaran! Wonderful to see you! I'll be right with you..."
Silvio returned his attention to his first customer.
"By Petra she is Beautiful...I never realized." The customer coughed and put down the glasses.
"Wonderful! I'll take them." Silvio smiled.
"Fourty gold Royals as agreed." Coins were exchanged and the elderly wizard left with a nod to Aleena.
"Now where were we?" Silvio of Windrush pulled the large wooden case from beneath the counter and flipped the lid to reveal a great brass Spyglass.
Aleena smiled at the gift for her father's birthday...
"Thank you Sylvio. A wonderful lense."
DM Briefing: The Artisan known as Sylvio of Windrush (An OARD) finally opens his own shop in Threshold and begins crafting lenses for shortsighted wizards, and a fine range of telescopes.
Silvio took a breath full of air and sank beneath the surface of the lake. Franz took a breath and followed him.
It didnt take long to reach the Diving Bell anchored near the shore.
The two companions surfaced in the airpocket of the dive bell.
"As you can see, the bell holds several minutes of good air and can be replenished with a simple mechanical aparatus. From here a diver can plunder the riches scattered on the sea floor." Franz looked at the mirror sitting on the muddy bottom now a few feet below him.
"Is that a gold framed mirror?" Franz pointed out the treasure he had spotted.
"Indeed. There are many treasures for salvage even here at the bottom of a lake."
DM Briefing: Silvio of Windrush discovers the OARD mirror while testing out a diving bell of his invention. He gives it to his financial partner as a gift.
The mirror winds up in the offices of Franz Thwaket in Mirros. It is from here that a number of OARD eliminate Franz and take over his half of the Diving Bell business.
Thwaket and Windrush Diving Bells becomes a front for the OARD.
Wendel the Sworder looked down into the valley.There scattered across the side of a Mountain was the shattered iron hull of the Twilight Sky. The Alphatian Flying Carrier that had laid seige to the city of Glantri at the height of the War.
It had gone down in the Wendarian Ranges with all hands.
"By the Immortals!" The carnage was terrible and awe inspiring. The contents of a once glorious empire were scattered across the mountains of Northern Glantri.
Wendel didnt see the Predator lurking in shadow. It came at him with furious speed.
DM Briefing: The PC's stumble across the wreckage of the Alphatian Flying Carriership scattered across a mountain in the Wendarian Ranges. There amongst the wealth of lost wizard magic are numerous powerful predators that were summoned to attack Glantri.
32. The Twilight Sky
DM Briefing: The PC's stumble across the wreckage of the Alphatian Flying Carriership scattered across a mountain in the Wendarian Ranges. There amongst the wealth of lost wizard magic are numerous powerful predators that were summoned to attack Glantri.
I think I might use this idea soon. My campaign is in Wendar and should fit well into the game. I might even have the PCs see the airship attacked by a dragon from some distance and have them travel to the scene.
33. Buy me some Stone
The Wagons moved up the rocky trail toward New Xorg. Magebuilt walls encompassed a rapidly growing community of walled suburbs teaming with Orcs. Brawls could be seen in the streets...Indeed there was a crowd betting on a fight. Waste was being thrown from the steps into the gutter and the smell was foul and toxic.
Erina of Threshold held her nose. It was worse than the foul streets of Mirros. Get in, buy twenty wagons of Stone, and get out.
Still there was something wrong with the prospect of an orc City.
DM Briefing: New Xorg is located on the southern edge of the ORCLANDS of Darokin. It is a recently established Quarry town employing its orcish population in stonecutting.
INFO on NEW XORG can be found on the Vaults of Pandius (including maps).
"Now the concept of a glut is over production. Because there is much produce, the buyer or merchant can pick an choose from available producers to get produce at lower prises." Devon was starting to slur from too much wine.
"Now If a farmer wants to push prices up, he needs a shortage of the product or a Monopoly...whats in this?" Devon blinked at the mug of wine.
"Is Radishes...So whats this monopoly thingy if everyones got one?" said farmer Durn.
"Um Its where like you is the only one with a crop." Devon Passed out.
"You mean like where the other farms are burned down and their crops torched?" No reply.
DM Briefing: A drunken economist explains the concept of Market forces to farmers. A few Barns are burned and crops put to torch. There is a sudden wheat shortage in Northern Karameikos as the PCs are called in to investigate acts of Agricultural Terrorism.
"I tell you I saw it! It wern't no child! It was a fiend!" Afern the ropemaker jerked his head side to side at a shadow still moving around him as they dragged him into the cell.
"Wa! Demons!" came the cry from the many cellmates of Afern.
Jailer Cadesa shook his head and walked back to his seat by the door.
"What in Petra's name is wrong with them?" His companion guardsman shook his head.
"Been pulling them in all night. Ordinary folk just seeing demons. This one killed his daughter. Said she turned into a monster and tried to eat him." Cadesa returned to his ale but he couldn't stomach it. Mirros was in an uproar as the demonic epedemic spread.
DM Briefing: A massive shipment of ergot contaminated ryebread is sold cheap by bakers in Mirros. By evening over a thousand of the populace are sick, hallucinating, or dead.
Franz leaned back on the haypile and stared at the morning sky. They young farmhand could only wonder at the distant lands an magical sights he should be experiencing.
"Franz? Franz lad, you done with the hay?" Frarmer Stephanov marched around the load of hay that was mostly on the wagon.
"Hoy! Back to work! This needs to be shipped to Verge tomorrow." Franz climbed to his feet only then noticing the two black spots in the distant sky and the terrible flicker of thunderous fire between them.
"What the?" Franz pointed at the sky and flying citadels that were closing the distance toward their little farm.
"By Zirchev!" Farmer Stephanov ran to the farmhouse.
Magical Fire snapped and flashed as they continued to draw closer.
Then one began a descent reminicent of a thrown stone while it's opponent continued bombardment. It fell toward the small farm with increasing speed until it touched below the ground and dug in.
A wave of tilled sod rushed out from the impact and rolled through the farm house throwing it aside.
Franz climbed out from under the collapsed haystack and snatched up a hayfork.
"Woah!" Franz watched as the remaining Citadel drifted over it.
DM Briefing: Two flying citadels engage in open hostilities over Northern Karameikos. One of them is finally shot down by the other near Verge. Who, what and why are left entirely to the DM.
"This sword belonged to a soldier in King Stephan's Guard. He was killed in a Riot...yours for a hundred gold Royals." The Black marketeer wiped the blade slowly across his sleeve.
"Interesting...I'll Take it." Del Marko exchanged a sack of coin for the weapon.
DM Briefing: Black marketeers begin selling trophy weapons of Warriors of the Kings Guard who die. The price for a trophy weapon is ten to a hundred times the market price of a new weapon. Some begin killing and ambushing members of the King's Guard just because their weapon's have value.