Get Bargle!
by Travis HenryIntro:
We'll traverse the "Kill Bargle" adventure from the final issue of DUNGEON magazine #150 (Sept. 2007). The adventure is converted to the Twelvefold Mystara (12MY) system.Yet note...
...there'll be a couple of surprises. Yes, small and huge surprises!
12MY is a narrative-based, freeplay, rules-lite, mathless d12 system which is customized for the World of Mystara. It's even simpler than BECMI. 12MY based on Diogo Noueira's "Lost in the Fantasy World" RPG.
Make up your own 12MY character, or play a pregen Iconic character from the Moldvay "magenta box" (e.g. Morgan Ironwolf), from the Mentzer "red box" (e.g. Fleetwood the Fighter).
Aleena's lifeblood calls for twelve heroes to arise and bring Bargle the Infamous to justice!
Link to:
-Twelvefold Mystara RPG players manual
-12MY character sheets with 3 ability slots, with 7 ability slots for character advancement
-Get Bargle! illustration slideshow
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Outside and Ground Floor (Mistamere Level 1)
-While Touchberry and Black Douglas snuck toward the western gap in the wall, Thunderhead strode up to the gate to distract the kobolds. ...Whereupon the carrion crawler reached out of its hole and grabbed him, and paralyzed his leg. But his companions came to his aid and felled the monstrosity.
-Merrick, a purple-robed Magic-User, had come to the castle early in the morn, in hopes of getting the reward before anyone else (early bird gets the worm). But saw there were too many kobolds, and so watched in the woods hoping for an opportunity. He was relieve when three adventurers showed, up and he came out and introduced himself. It took some convincing before Thunderhead could be convinced he wasn't Bargle though! We also met Merrick's familiar Victor who appeared from time to time. (Played by RW baby who sometimes popped into daddy's lap and waved at us!)
-After some close calls (Thunderhead and Merrick were felled), they then downed all the kobolds, but kept one to intimidate. The two fallen heroes recuperated, but were left with some scars: Merrick retained a sprain in his toe, and Thunderhead was a left with a fear of kobolds (which he worked quite hard to overcome during the rest of the adventure).
-The saved kobold, Meepo, was surprisingly compliant and helpful. Turns out that kobold loyalty doesn't run very deeply in regard to the Kobold Chief or Bargle.
-Meepo didn't speak Common, but led them through the ground floor using gesticulation. Often with Touchberry holding onto his tail, to make sure he stayed put. Meepo did warn them of the three Kobold guards in the stairway, and the party made quick work.
-Since Meepo promised to lead them to treasure (the universal language of D&D), they chose to bypass further exploration of the ground floor (i.e. Level 1). Except they did stop and look at a hatbox which was near the stairwell. Black Dougal was cautious, given his previous death in the Haunted Keep a couple years ago. And rightly so, since the box string was lined with the black dust of the sassone root...a lethal contact poison. Merrick then blasted the string with a magic missile, and they discovered a platinum hat-pin with a spiral disk design.
Upper Dungeon (Mistamere Level 2):
-They smashed the crystal statue of Bargle.
-Meepo faithfully led them pass the pet rats.
-They studied the statue of Gygar (Gygax/Zagyg). And decided they needed to find a special Orb to activate the statue.
-Against Meepo's advice, they opened the door of the crypt. And at the sight of ghouls, quickly closed it again.
-Meepo warned them of the Kobold guards, and they aced their group stealth check and slipped by unnoticed.
-Meepo led them to treasure: the chieftain's guardroom, where they grabbed some stuff. Improvising, they dressed Meepo in the chieftain's spare garments.
-With Meepo looking the part, and with newfound confidence, Meepo led the party to the Kobold Throneroom. The kobold bodyguards were dumbfounded at the sight of Meepo in full regalia. And the party bruskly deposed the chief, pushing the crown off his head. That humiliation was enough for Meepo to take the throne and receive the oath of alliegiance from the bodyguards.
-A celebration was in order. The kobold community was summoned, and a feast of what suspiciously looked like dog-flesh was served hot off the spit.
-The party decided to first search for the Orb of Gygar. The kobolds had seen a stone ball in one of the back rooms, but thought it of no value.
-Shazak, the Kobold Intepreter, led them to the place, where they slew some Oil Beetles. And found the stone Orb next to a similar, broken statue of Gygar.
-Bringing the Orb to the first statue unlocked the heart of the statue, with a panel revealing a +1 Longsword of Extinguishing and Fire Resistance, and a scroll of invisibility.
-Having gained these key treasures, the party consulted and decided to lure Bargle into a trap, by having the kobolds send word that they found some prisoners which Bargle would be interested in. They laid a trap, and Bargle came, and began to speak in his usual insolent way. Merrick was positioned with invisibilty scroll to sneak up and clasp Bargle's mouth closed, to stop spellcasting. While the rest of the party enacted "Et tu Brute", along with a vengeful kobold pile on.
-Which they did. But when the pile cleared, Bargle's features melted into the bluish white featureless shape of a doppelganger. Not Bargle.
-The party decided to take the fight to Bargle, with an army of 24 kobolds, including the cooks (who wielded pots and pans). Kobold Expedition to Get Bargle.
Lower Dungeon (Mistamere Level 3):
-Shazak guides the party (an kobold army) through the Lower Dungeon. Warns of ogre guards.
-Merrick plays the role of Bargle. Dresses up in the doppelganger's clothes.
-The former kobold chief, none the worse for the wear, joined in the expedition against Bargle. He has as much a grudge against Boss Bargle as anyone.
-Shazak tricks the ogre guards by saying that Bargle is returned with prisoners.
-Passed the first guard no prob.
-But in next room, one of the ogres beats Merrick's disguise check. The ogre lunges for Merrick, but the party commands the kobolds to swarm, and the party hammers on the ogres. Only one kobold is swatted and felled.
-In tapestry room, the ex-chief recalls that Bargle's lieutenants would call out a password in Common, but the chief doesn't speak the language. Shazak asks him to recall how it sounds. He remembers it is something like: "Aw kheyl Bargo!"
-The party pieces it together as "All hail Bargle!" Which they reluctantly proclaim. And a living crystal statue (in Bargle's likeness of course) steps out from behind the tapestry and welcomes them.
-At "Bargle's Altar", the kobolds deface Bargle's icon, and take their offerings back. Including the deceased rat.
-The ex-king and Shazak lead the party through the hall of statues, with Merrick's disguise keeping them safe. But that's as far as the ex-king had ever gone.
-Hall of doors: Using the army of kobolds, they open all the doors at the same time. From his diminutive perspective, Touchberry spots a gray ooze in the ceiling of one of the nooks. Merrick detects that one of the nooks is magic. Black Dougal's "find prey" ability leads them to the west door, though he's getting confusing signals, since the prey seems close and far away at the same time.
-Since the western nook's secret door won't open without closing the door behind them, they pack in only 10 kobolds to come with them. Thunderhead overcomes his fear of kobolds by heaving two more kobolds on his shoulders.
-Bargle's throne room. The usual fight. Yet there's the usual doppelganger fizzle at the end. Again!
-They find a secret door.
-Real (?) throne room. Fight Bargle. Bargle summon's water elemental from pool. Bargle hits with a wall of fire, frying one poor kobold. But Touchberry's boldly thrown short sword pierces hits the mark, shattering his potion bottle of gaseous form at the same time. And the other heroes connect...not to mention the kobold pile-on. Bargle is downed.
-Waiting for this one to fizzle into a doppelganger, but his blood is real, not bluish ichor of doppelganger. They gather Bargle's stuff, and ransack his bedroom. Merrick takes Bargle's outfits [as seen in various depictions of Bargle, from GAZ1 Stephen Fabian, to K:KoA, to the Paizo illustration.]
-As Touchberry gathers the gems from Bargle's throne, he set off a button which slides the throne aside, revealing a passageway leading back into the mountain...
And then the bonus scenes...
***
Here's a dramatic account of the final stages of the adventure. There was a time crunch, so much of this was resolved through freeplay montage scenes. And as I type this up, I'm adding in a few details which were prepped but didn't quite make it into the narration.
The surprise? A red dragon.
I mean, two red dragons.
Actually, three red dragons.
***
Level 3: In a cavern in the mountainside, via the passageway beyond Bargle's throne, they confronted Venthavaxus the Mighty, Bargle's ally.
[The small dragon is mentioned at the end of the original Castle Mistamere adventure, and named in the Paizo adventure, but in both cases, the encounter was left undescribed.]
...Who turned out to be a pipsqueak...definitely a "small" dragon.,,a 2-foot-tall mini-me version of the Elmore Red.
The little guy could only manage a wee wittle puff o' smoke which would barely toast a marshmallow.
Venthaxus begged the party to not take his stuff, which was nothing more than a scattered sprinkling of coins.
The conniving munchkin suggested the party instead continue on to the next level, and take his older brother's stuff...and share it with him.
Which they did.
***
Level 4: The party made it through the maze, slew the minotaur and took his treasure chest. [As illustrated at the end of the original Castle Mistamere adventure.]
And then: the dragon lair of Pyrosternia, young adult. [As seen on the AD&D trading card.]
Which they snuck past using invisibility. With the help of Black Dougal, the party had aced all their group stealth checks, throughout the adventure.
Touchberry managed to quickly scoop up a load of gold on the way, and so secured their alliance with Venthavaxus. Touchberry, who is quite an expert treasure-gatherer, also nabbed the Axe of Extinguishing, the Shield of Extinguishing, and the magical Dust of Extinguishing. (To go with the +1 Longsword of Extinguishing found in the statue bust of Gygax...I mean Zagyg...I mean GYGAR, back in the Upper Dungeon of Castle Mistamere.)
***
And then...they proceeded to deepest level. [The 1987 Bally D&D pinball machine has a graphic which says there are five dungeon levels.]
***
Level 5: Leaving Pyrosternia's lair, they exited into a pillared collonade, open to the night-time sky, and floating above an eerie misty groundless space, with a full moon. Though it was previously daytime. They must've shifted into a place outside of time and space. [As illustrated in the pinball game promo brochure.]
The collonade led into the base of a single mountain whose roots extended into the mists, as if it reached to the root of planet Mystara. Here in the Spirit World, behind Castle Mistamere, where the northern Wulfwolde Hills meets the Black Peaks, there towers the the mystical MOUNTAIN OF MYSTARA, whose spiritual roots extend throughout the planet.
Entering, the party discovered the mountain is hollowed out and fitted with blue stonework and gothic architecture, such as cathedral windows, and stone pillars with coiling gold serpent motifs, and blue castle towers. [As seen in the pinball game art]
Which led into vast lair of green marbled pillars and steps. [As seen on the Elmore painting, in the LJN Action Figure Colorform set, and in the 1987 pinball game.]
This is the Dragon Lair of Ancient Red (a.k.a. Gib Evets). [As named in the Spellfire card.] Ancient Red is the parent of Pyrosternia and Venthavaxus. Ancient Red is huge. And totally immune to magic spells and items...except for the Items of Extinguishing.
The tale of that battle will live in Mystara's memory. The heroes wielded the Items of Extinguishing, which played a key role. [As seen in the D&D pinball game.]
The heroes hit the "Magic Millions" strobe crystal at the top of the lair. [As seen in the pinball game.]
And thereby overpowered Ancient Red.
In front of them each appeared a magical replica of the Shield of Mystara...a gleaming white shield with a red dragon motif. [As seen in two illustrations in K:KoA]
Unbeknownst to the heroes, the Shield of Mystara functions as a Alternate World Gate [as seen in Mentzer's Book of Marvellous Magic], which can bring the characters home to Mystara, from wherever they are in Earth or other worlds.
The heroes exited up a stairway to the right, up to a glowing yellow portal.
Whereupon the Challengers (the RW players) returned to their Earthly homes (at their computer desks), and the Characters returned to the Gold Dragon Inn, where they received their Coin. (1000 gp)
***
For illustrations of the various Red Dragon sources see the end of my "Get Bargle!" slideshow
***
Notice: The aldermen of Threshold wish to thank:
-Touchberry the Halfling (Lance D.)
-Thunderhead of Norwold (Nate M.)
-Black Dougal the Revenant (Jonathan R.) ...back from the dead
-Merrick the Magic-User (Stephen C.) ..now dressed in Bargle's finest.
For bringing Bargle to justice.
***
And what's this?...As the heroes celebrate at the Gold Dragon Inn...who walks in but...ALEENA...she has been raised from the dead! Praise the Immortal Chardastes!
***
And a note arrives via rat courier:
And weE de KoBOLdz tank our noo frindz veddy veddy mutch for kickinG owt de meen BosS. LoNg liv de KoBOld Keengdom uv Kassle mISTaMEEr!!! Longg liv KEENG MEEPO!