The Tyranny of Saint Cuthbert
The Tyranny of Saint Cuthbert is a short adventure for four 3rd-level characters. It is set in the small village of Bovin, a week's journey from Collos, the nearest large city. Although set in Greyhawk, it can be adapted to most campaign settings.
Adventure Background
Two years ago, the local church of St. Cuthbert in Collos came into conflict with the druid Agnusson, who lived in a nearby forest. Agnusson had technically been poaching in the forest, as all woods are sovereign property of the king. By ancient tacit agreement, such laws are not enforced against druids. This did not dissuade the clergy of St. Cuthbert, however. Among their members was Dolon the True, who was ready to become a consecrated harrier. As a test of fidelity, he was given the task of finding Agnusson and bringing him to justice.
Dolon faithfully set out into the woods, intent on capturing the druid. Agnusson, with his powers of woodland stride, trackless step, and wild shape, easily evaded the agent of St. Cuthbert. After a year of searching, Dolon broke under the frustration. He torched the thorp which he thought was harboring the druid. The thatched huts burst into flame easily, and the thorp was leveled. He returned to Collos, empty-handed and broken-hearted.
His superiors were not forgiving of his failure and not pleased by his destruction of the peasants' homes. Dolon, bitter with defeat, began to slide from his alignment of lawful neutral towards the side of evil. He gained a level as a ghost-faced killer. The other members of the church were all too happy to transfer him to a small temple in the nearby village of Bovin.
Bovin's mayor, Scrofadd Pinkleson, is a weak leader and a greedy man. The village, never terribly prosperous to begin with, is suffering from a drought. Unhappy sheep farmers have begun to turn to banditry, and Scrofadd fears both the threat of peasant revolt on one hand and the displeasure of the king on the other. The leader of the local temple to St. Cuthbert, Eldin the Cudgel, was quick to offer the services of his militant brethren in maintaining order. When Eldin requested reinforcements, among those sent was Dolon.
The drought is due to Agnusson, who uses the control weather power of his orb of storms to selectively decimate the crops of the farms in the area. He is not particularly cruel or vengeful -- he just sees it as the most fitting way to exert pressure against the rulers of this region. He has taken up residence in Mosslin Woods, near Bovin.
In these woods he met Shayn Swanhill. Shayn is a marshal and a member of the Knights of the Fleece, who are dedicated to eradicating tyranny and defending the common folk of the land. He is the leader of the 'bandits' who are trying to overthrow Scrofadd Pinkleson and his cronies. He is well-supported in weapons, if not in men, by other Knights in Collos. He has hired Flin Smogg, a shady merchant, to smuggle weapons and other supplies to his base.
Adventure Synopsis
Upon arriving in Bovin, the characters encounter trouble with the authorities when it is presumed they are aiding Flin Smogg in his weapons smuggling operation. On further questioning, Scrofadd offers them a chance at redemption by attending the secret weapons exchange as undercover agents of the law. They meet Shayn and see him arrested. They are subsequently met by Agnusson and given his side of the story. The characters must stage a jailbreak and free Shayn. Once free, he organizes the peasants into a mob to overthrow the local government. As the revolt ensues, the characters storm Dolon's house and bring him to justice.
Adventure Preparation
This adventure requires the D&D core rulebooks. The marshal class, of which Shayn has levels, is in the Miniatures Handbook. Consecrated harrier, the class Dolon was trying to qualify for, is in Complete Divine. Ghost-faced killer, the class he ended up with, is detailed in Complete Adventurer. DMs may also want to review the description of St. Cuthbert as presented in the Player's Handbook.
The following maps may be used to run this adventure:
Overview of the Area:
<http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/1HiddenCoast.jpg>
(Mosslin is the Mossy Woods)
The Village of Bovin (Poisson):
<http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/4VillagePoisson.jpg>
The Local Garrison:
<http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/mw_garrisonfort_qpq9q2_72dpi.jpg>
Dolon's House:
<http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/04_Mansion_72ppi_312rrr.jpg>
The Bovin Temple of St. Cuthbert:
<http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/02_Mansion_72ppi_bf02.jpg>
Adventure Hooks
* The PCs are hired by Flin as protection for his caravan, from the 'bandits' said to frequent the route. This allows the DM to strongly implicate them later in the smuggling ring. Astute PCs may notice [Appraise (DC 15) or Craft (Wainwright) (DC15)] that his cargo of wagon wheels contains one which seems of very high quality. Flin explains that this masterwork wagon wheel is for a royal coach. In reality, the wheel is being used to smuggle eight masterwork clubs, each disguised as a stave of the wheel. The clubs are for Shayn Swanhill.
* A PC cleric may be asked by the church of St. Cuthbert to render aid to the brethren in Bovin.
* Scrofadd, or a higher-level noble, may ask the PCs to investigate either the bandit problem or the drought.
* A PC may have family in Bovin that are affected by the drought, the bandits, or the heavy-handed rulership of the mayor.
* Rumors (true or false) of a great treasure in Mosslin Woods may attract the PCs.
* The PCs may simply be passing through Bovin and become caught up in events.
Beginning the Adventure
The Tyranny of Saint Cuthbert is largely a site-based adventure, although the actions of the PCs (especially if they are not good-aligned or are strongly lawful) may alter the course of events significantly. The adventure proper begins when the characters arrive at the gates of the village.
The Village of Bovin
1. A Difficult Entrance (EL 10)
The PCs arrive at the front gates of Bovin. A pair of guards are interrogating travelers and searching their belongings. At least a dozen other guards look on, many of them pointing loaded heavy crossbows at those being searched. Characters of martial bent may recognize that the number of militia seems unusually large considering the size of the village. The guards are charging various tolls and fees, and confiscating the occasional weapon. A Knowledge (Religion) (DC10) check reveals that all of the officers seem to be followers of St. Cuthbert, along with a number of the other guards.
Creatures: 3 3rd-level warriors (officers), 6 2nd-level warriors, 6 1st-level warriors, with a similar detachment in a building near the gates.
Tactics: The guards rely on sheer numbers and the power of intimidation to preclude the possibility of combat. If it comes down to a battle, they attempt to cut down their foes under a hail of crossbow bolts. Reinforcements are called almost immediately.
Development: Even if the PCs are not traveling with Flin Smogg, they are unfortunate enough to be next in line when he is searched. Flin, in his greed, has attempted to save a couple coppers by not declaring the masterwork wagon wheel and paying the necessary toll for importing such a luxury item. The guards, upon discovering this and questioning him, begin arresting everyone in sight, including the PCs. The officers explain that they are not being arrested, merely detained for questioning, although a Sense Motive (DC15) check reveals that he is not being entirely truthful.
If the PCs acquiesce, they are brought into the garrison for questioning. The party is locked up, and individual characters are grilled for several hours on their involvement in weapons smuggling and their support of the bandits. Flin Smogg, for his part, blames everything on the PCs.
2. The Garrison
This building is old, but sturdy. The PCs will have ample opportunity to examine the inside of their jail cell while they are detained. A knowledge of the layout may prove useful to the party later, if they decide to free Shayn.
After an indeterminable wait, the party is brought before Scrofadd and Dolon. Although Scrofadd initially tries to portray himself as leader of the village, it soon becomes apparent that Dolon is really calling the shots.
Dolon makes the party an offer. If they agree to accompany Flin to the previously-arranged weapons exchange, and assist in the arrest of the bandits who arrive, the charges against them will be dropped. If the party refuses, they can rot in a jail cell for the next twenty years, as far as Dolon is concerned.
Scrofadd takes a less-hardline approach with the PCs, attempting to convince them that they'd be helping the village deal with the real threat of banditry. Neither of them stoop to offering the PCs any kind of reward, although Scrofadd hints (incorrectly) that he'd be able to put in a good word for them with the king.
3. The Exchange (EL 1)
Assuming the PCs take up Dolon on his offer, the exchange occurs at midnight, in an empty and abandoned field that borders Mosslin Woods. Flin Smogg is in attendance, along with Dolon, in addition to the PCs. Before long, two hooded and cloaked figures emerge from the woods. One approaches Flin and removes his hood. This is Shayn Swanhill. He glances at Dolon and the rest of the party, and begins to haggle with Flin over the price of the weapons. In reality, he is using Bluff to transmit a secret message, which players with Sense Motive may be able to grasp (refer to the rules on Bluff and Sense Motive for further details.) His secret message is to the party -- he is trying to warn them not to trust Dolon. Shayn recognizes Dolon, but is not quite ready to simply flee the situation.
After a couple minutes of haggling, Shayn reaches a deal. He speaks briefly to Agnusson, the other cloaked figure, who looks up at the party. Dolon immediately recognizes him and virtually goes berserk. He draws his sword and charges in to slay the druid. Shayn intercedes, the party gets involved, and thus battle is met.
Agnusson merely attempts to flee, and by virtue of his druidic powers, succeeds escaping Dolon once again. As he disappears into the night, he shouts out "Look to the fleece to discover the truth!" Shayn is captured by Dolon. If he's seriously injured, Dolon uses a potion to heal him enough to be in no danger of dying. Dolon wants to interrogate him over Agnusson, not to mention the banditry.
True to his word, Dolon dismisses the charges against the PCs. They are free to spend the evening in the local inn.
4. A Plea for Help
At some point during the next day, one of the PCs receives an animal messenger from Agnusson in the form of a young lamb with a ribbon of green material tied around its neck. PCs may recognize the material as being the same as that of Agnusson's cloak. On the ribbon is a message from Agnusson, written in Druidic, instructing them to return to the clearing.
If the PCs decipher and follow the message, they are met by Agnusson, once again on the edge of the woods. He bids them welcome and invites them to his home in the forest. Upon arrival, he explains the entire situation to the PCs. He asks their help in freeing Shayn from the prison, so that he may lead a revolt of the farmers against Dolon and Scrofadd.
Good-aligned and chaotically-aligned PCs should be eager to help. Lawful PCs may be less willing, but the DM can play up the angle that Dolon has been abusing his powers beyond the scope of the law. If the PCs agree to the mission, the druid urges them to set off immediately.
5. Jailbreak (EL 3)
The capture of Dolon last night resulted in a wild celebration, and as such, the garrison is thinly manned by tired guards. The PCs should face a fair battle to gain access to Shayn.
Shayn is locked in a prison cell -- the same used to hold the PCs only the day before, in fact. He is shackled to the wall and slumps unconscious against his restraints. The keys to the cell and the manacles are held by Dolon, as he didn't entirely trust the guards with such an important prisoner.
Players may attempt to bend the bars of the cell using Strength checks as usual, and similarly attempt to break the chains holding Shayn. Alternatively, a character may try to pick the locks (they are of good quality.)
Shayn is exhausted from a night of questioning and torture, and unable to walk on his own. The characters may well decide to simply carry him -- he weighs 180 pounds. Any degree of magical healing will restore him to enough health to walk out on his own power.
6. Revolution (EL 5)
Once Shayn is reunited with Agnusson, the druid gives him a powerful draught of healing. They discuss plans for the upcoming revolt. The druid will cause a torrential downpour in the area with his orb of storms, which they expect will render ineffective the crossbows that so many of the guards carry.
With Shayn and Agnusson leading the peasants, the PCs are asked to make a simultaneous strike against Dolon in his own home. He is a dangerous opponent, but defeatable, especially if unprepared and without his followers.
The heavy rains cause the barren fields to turn to mud, which should be treated as difficult terrain. As the horde of peasants brandishing weapons descend upon Scrofadd and his cronies, the PCs should make their way to the final confrontation with Dolon.
Tactics: Dolon is fervent, but not crazed. If the battle goes against him, he uses his Ghost Step ability to flee combat.
Concluding the Adventure
If the PCs have aided Shayn and Agnusson, the village is free from the grip of tyranny and the crippling drought. A fair and impartial mayor is later appointed by the king himself. The characters will have the eternal gratitude of the entire village.
If the revolt fails, the village will continue to suffer, and probably wither away entirely within a generation.
Further Adventures
Word of the characters' actions, positive or not, will likely reach the ears of other Knights of the Fleece. They may prove to be valuable allies or dread enemies for the PCs.
If Dolon escapes, he may become a recurring villain for the party. If the PCs aided Dolon, he won't actively go out of his way to hurt them, but he's too selfish to offer any help to them.
Ingredient Summary
Unsuccessful Bounty Hunter: Dolon, once called The True, was unsuccessful in his attempt to catch the druid Argusson and thus become a consecrated harrier.
Masterwork Wagon Wheel: The smuggler Flin Smogg uses the ruse of a masterwork wagon wheel to smuggle masterwork clubs into the village.
Lamb: Shayn Swanhill is a Knight of the Fleece. Agnusson uses a lamb as an animal messenger.
Rain: Agnusson causes a lack of rain that crippled the village, and then causes a torrential downpour to ensure the success of the revolt.
Strength: A number of Strength checks may be required to free Shayn from the prison. The theme of the adventure is the misuse of strength becoming tyranny.
Thatched Hut: Dolon, when he failed to secure Argusson, burnt the thatched huts of a small thorp to ground.
--
Roger
