Round One, Match Four: Nemmerle vs. Mythago
Island of the Apes
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Backstory – The town of Adem-Aziz always suffered at the hands of the Pasha Onan-Onur. He took the main portion of the gems the people worked hard to mine, the goods they created, the gold the panned from the River Aghanes, and even his pick of young virgin daughters. The people of the town lived in fear of the ruthless leader, a former war-hero granted his title after this land was conquered and taken from the peaceful Dakons (a race of intelligent gorillas). Many people feel that their suffering is karma, visited upon them by the gods for taking the land of the former occupants. To further offend the them, Onan-Onur even took the surviving Dakon young and raised them as his own guards and warriors – training out of them peaceful contemplative natures so they might use their strength and cunning ruthlessly in the Pasha’s service. Others felt that the Pasha must either have the approval of the gods, or had made some foul pact with some netherworld creature, for he was still alive even as three generations of townsfolk were born and died.
Among those people was Sevelin, a young man who left Adem-Aziz in his teen years vowing to become a hero and return to defeat and overthrow the pasha. The instigating event that led to this was the taking of his older beautiful sister to serve as one of the pasha’s concubines (concubines that usually ended up dead). Knowing he could not hope to defeat the ape-men and the war-hero, he left to find the means to avenge his sister who would be as good as dead by the time he returned. He made a rather public declaration of his intention and the townsfolk mocked him, and even years after he left jokes about the return of their
“local hero” were not uncommon, as if became synonymous with something that would never happen or that was impossible.
However, as the adventure begins, he has finally returned, nearly 35 years later – a grizzled and grim warrior.
Hooks:
There are several possible ways for the PCs to become involved:
-- Sevelin could be an old companion or master of one or more of the PCs. An npc introduced earlier in the campaign who recruits the PCs to defeat Onan-Onur and share in the wealth and bounty that they would all then earn and also re-distribute among the people of his town.
-- The PCs may have simply passed through the area and hear Sevelin make his public declaration of his arrival and intent, and may be drawn into it with an opinion during the debate on one side of another (see
Senseless Bickering below.)
-- Even if the PCs do not have an opinion they might be drawn in by trying to help Sevelin (or his attackers) after the town meeting.
-- More obscure hooks might include: having a party druid sent by his order to negotiate with the pasha about his gorilla guards and their treatment, sent by a friendly government they’ve worked for to try to gain the legendary tactician’s aid in some distant war or as part of a greater quest are seeking out the Temple of Jubilex to destroy it.
Public Declaration:
Whether the party arrives in Adem-Aziz with Sevelin or on their own, he will make a loud public pronouncement in the only sizeable tavern in town , where all the men of any note spend their evenings away from their wives, as do their sons who are close to or who have come of age.
As the town has no inn, it is most likely the party, if passing through, would settle here, if not to sleep in a corner with the tavern-keeper’s permission (and a few copper), then to meet someone to beg hospitality from. If the party does not stay here for some reason and Sevelin is not part of the hook for their arrival here, the DM can easily have them overhear people on the street or in the market talking about Sevelin’s pronouncement, and perhaps discussing whether he really is who he claims to be. They can also be exposed to the whole thing first hand by coming across him when some local folks trying to stop him attack him.
There should be a good amount of buzz and rumor in town that the party should get to here, and a character with a good information gathering skill might be able to learn more details about the history of Sevelin, his family, Pasha Onan-Onur and even the Dakons. However, no one suspects that the pasha is really a rakshasa. Whether or not Sevelin knows (or if the PCs can find out) depends on the DM, and what timetable he may want to work with in terms of the completion of this adventure and the level of party he runs it for (see
About Sevelin below).
Senseless Bickering
The buzz in town is multi-faceted. While many people are just amazed at the “local hero’s” return, many of them openly mocking him as they have no frame of reference for him or his family and how much they suffered, there will rise up a certain portion of the population of the town that are for the status quo because things have changed with the pasha in Sevelin’s absence. For many years now the tyrant has retreated into his palatal home, a place of pure white stone, with a gleaming tower etched with ivory iconography. Town legend has it that it was Sevelin’s sister that domesticated him and made him forget his cruelty, but instead of being grateful, the gossipy townsfolk have exaggerated the tales into one of her sexual prowess, and the bawdy tales are favorites at the tavern, among adolescents who whisper them to each other and giggle, and even among the housewives, who portray her as lustful whore. The tales about Sevelin’s sister, Trina, and what she did with Pasha Onan-Onur and his gorilla guardians would make a sailor blush.
Wherever the party goes they should hear some
senseless bickering among townsfolk of all ages about Sevelin’s true origins, the role of his sister in the pasha’s behavior, what the results of Sevelin coming back now and going to the palace will be, all with their own theories and loving to hear themselves talk and speculate. No matter what, most people will talk about Sevelin with disrespect and mockery.
Now some of these concerned citizens feel that Sevelin (if that is who he really is) is going to stir up the old master and ruin the years of peace they have had. Whether it is right after the public pronouncement, or during the day in the market or some other chance for the party to act as witness, he will be bullied and then attacked to keep him from leaving to the Pasha’s palace.
Umit – a local mason and respected member of the community and his young sons and a few of their friends (maybe a dozen or 16 people) will surround Sevelin and try to convince him to leave town and not return or mess with the Pasha and bring his wrath down on the town. At first he will use reason (though the boys’ cudgels will make obvious what will happen if reason is not listened to) to convince Sevelin that it was best left alone and that the town had enjoyed over 20 years of peace since he has been gone and not to ruin it.
Umit (Exp4/N). The young men with him, should be a mix of commoner, warrior and expert, none probably higher than 2nd level. None wear armor, or have any special skills or feats in the area of combat. This is not meant as an encounter to challenge the PCs in terms of combat, but rather test their conscience and how they handle the growing dilemma. Of course, if the party is there
with Sevelin they may feel more inclined to come to his aid, but his reaction to being attacked may surprise them.
Sevelin will not listen, and if attacked will defend himself mercilessly.
About Sevelin
If the PCs came to Adem-Aziz with Sevelin they may be surprised by his change in humor and personality. The old adventurer as always had an exaggerated sense of himself and his importance, and it was the driving force in his life and training and through every danger he had ever faced that he that he would get to return here and be the hero for his town that he could not be for his sister. He imagined himself returning to cheering crowds, swooning women and awed-whispers. The sincere lack of respect he will get instead will be a huge blow to his ego, and he will refuse to see any other side of argument aside from doling out justice to the pasha. Once he realizes how the majority of town sees him he will curse them and call them weak and complacent, and accuse them of having short memories. He will draw the ire of townsfolk by pointing them out and saying the names of daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces and betrotheds that were taken by the pasha, or the names of men who might have failed the pasha in his exacting demands for goods and services and was tortured to death, or publicly disemboweled.
He takes any disrespect about his sister very seriously and will attack anyone (to subdue) who badmouths her in his presence.
However, when attacked by Umit and his young thugs, Sevelin will be merciless and fight to kill, having had enough.
The point of this is to create a difficult situation for the PCs. Obviously, their attitude towards him will be greatly colored by how well they know him, but if he is a former companion of the PCs (perhaps helped them some adventure early in their careers and/or provided training or information) they should be shocked by his change in personality in the face of this situation. Before that the DM should play him as determined, but kind, someone with a good attitude who always encourages others to push themselves to achieve their dreams and goals, and immensely loyal.
While it should be obvious that Umit and his boys attacked first, Sevelin (F6/Rog3) should have little problem with them – and will generally drop one or two a round. Sevelin’s levels should be adjusted so that he can be pretty handily defeated by the party as a whole, but one on one (or one on two) he should be able to take any of them.
Note: If the party is not with Sevelin, after the massacre of Umit, some other concerned townsfolk may try to hire the party to stop him, offering them gold, silks, even the hands in marriage of some younger daughters (as long as they take them away) to do so. If the party agrees to this questionable line of action, the DM should insure that Sevelin is already on his way to the palace, in order to build drama as the try to stop him before he arrives, or even have to go in after him.
No matter what, at this point the choice lies with the PCs about how involved they are going to get, because if they do not go to the palace either with, after or instead of Sevelin the adventure is for all intents and purposes over (as long as they don’t stay in Adem-Aziz too long (see
If Sevelin Goes Alone).
Note: Some characters may want to make more of a deal about establishing Sevelin’s origins (i.e. is he just a trouble-maker opportunist, or is he really out for vengeance?). There could be various tests of his knowledge, and perhaps he might have some document and/or birthmark that identifies him as who he says he is.
The Truth About Pasha Onan-Onur
The real Onan-Onur was killed when conquering the Dakons. His forays into the gorillas’ sacred jungle led him to accidentally release the imprisoned form of what they called their “fearsome living god” – a rakshasa of great power, in the form of a tall man with an ape’s head and shoulders. (
Note: I am using the traditional description of a Rakshasa from Indian legend that described them as having the heads of tigers, apes or other beasts – but stat-wise its powers are no different than those listed, except that instead claws it pummels with its fists, and should have a strength of 21). The rakshasa took over the dakon community, slaying all those that defied him and raising the young who were in worshipful awe of him to do his bidding. He also took the form of Onan-Onur, and took his title of Pasha ruling over Adem-Aziz and five other towns all equidistant from his island palace, using all the resources to maintain his decadent lifestyle.
However, as the gods decided in the divine plans, even an evil ape man can fall victim to love, and that he did.
There is some truth to the tales of Sevelin’s sister, and while the explicit details of the legends are all false, Trina and the false Onan-Onur did love one another. Imagine a Beauty & Beast like tale, where in the guise of the human pasha she earns his respect and he her love, as her unwillingness to grovel or beg for her life, or to give in to his lusts for the sake of gentle treatment drew his admiration; his genuine caring for the Dakons, who while having lost their docile nature, were still a race of philosophers and poets, was something that also fulfilled his desires, was something she could empathize with.
He finally even revealed to her his true form, and she did not balk, for love is blind.
It took years, but slowly she used her influence over him to cease his endless campaign of terror on the people under his charge, he got rid of his harem, talked of her as his wife, and the Dakon’s cultural advancement grew, as they began to put on plays for the couple, and perform rhythmic music and poetry. It was a golden age on the palace island.
Being something of an aesthetic, Onan-Onur, who took his discipline and art in terms of torture and pleasure very seriously, encouraged them. In fact, feel free to give him a few levels of monk, because I think any rakshasa worth his salt should be able to do kung-fu and deflect missiles (you know, like bless crossbow bolts).
But, as all these types of fairy tale type tales must end, Trina died.
Overwrought, Onan-Onur retreated even further away from the towns he rules and sequestered himself in the
ivory tower that stood above the rest of his palatial estate, leaving the Dakons to their own ways and doing nothing but bemoaning his loss and having maddening one-sided conversations with Trina’s ghost, who he believes can only manifest in the tower.
The truth is, however, that the ghost of the beautiful woman is tied to an exquisite diamond ring Onan-Onur gave her when he decided he was going to marry her, but on the even he gave it to her she was poisoned by a jealous dakon female who had hoped to be his consort. It is the ring, the sign of their love that keeps her tied to this plane.
The Island Palace
The rakshasa’s palace is located about six miles from each of the six towns he rules (imagine the towns spread out like a semi-circle from “the island”. It was built atop a great bluff with a wide river cutting it away from the rest of the land and emptying into the sea. The island of stone actually towers over the surrounding land, and there is a several hundred-foot drop into the roaring water below.
There are six
covered bridges leading into a system of caves in the island itself. The bridges are covered to allow the water-phobic dakons to cross them and guard them without being freaked out by the body of water below. (you can read more about dakons
here). However, the dakons have not kept up the bridges for the last twenty years, so they are in various states of disrepair. (The pasha would get human craftsmen form the towns to repair them as the Dakons could not be trusted to deal with the bridges too much) The DM should make crossing the dark-bridges as difficult or as easy an encounter as he likes. Other monsters have settled into some the bridges, like dire bats, perhaps a troll or two, a nest of some dire predatory bird or they can be literally falling apart, and some could have an upper weight limit before crashing down into the gorge below.
The bridges themselves lead into a series of caves that with carved steps that lead up to the homes of the dakon community and the pasha’s estate, all of which are nestled into the thick jungle that covers this rocky island.
The DM should spare no words in describing the beauty of this place, both natural beauty with waterfalls and huge flowering ferns, to manicured gardens and small plazas with mosaic floors. The civilization of the dakon should appear genteel and advanced, with signs of sculpture and other arts and crafts. All the Dakons should be at least 3rd level experts with a level or two of fighter. A warrior class of the gorillas would only have two levels of expert and four to six levels of fighter, depending on the party’s level to challenge them with some elite troops. The dakons do not fight with weapons, though a whole feature of the warrior caste is the crafting of elaborately decorated weapons of stone and bone.
Those with setting where they use the “psionics is different” option might want to use these intelligent gorillas as a way to introduce mental powers, as perhaps they have developed this art as well.
There are about 60 dakons spread out across this entire island.
The dakons will still fight to defend their community and the palace, but having been mostly left alone by the
reluctant rakshasa they have returned to their more reasonable ways without the reoccurring influence of their master. They may be willing to negotiate and explain that their master is “sequestered” as they call it, and it is best not to disturb him.
Sevelin will be unwilling to go along with any plan that does not include killing the dakons, and then imprisoning and executing the pasha (if he has not yet learned that the pasha is a rakshasa, if so then he will settle for just coming up with a way to kill him).
The area of the caves that leads beneath the palace itself connects to the palace dungeons, a place of many torture devices and the DM should add some colorful characters that are imprisoned here to be linked to information or a plot hook for another adventure.
One prisoner in particular is an old blind and crippled dakon whose hair has turn silvery white. He is called Doku, and has been kept for his prophetic visions, but has often been tortured when they were not to the pasha’s liking. The scars and twisted limbs from hot irons and repeatedly broken bones should be enough to pull the heartstrings of enough PCs.
Unlike the other dakons his family had tales they passed on secretly about the origins of the master and his true nature. He encourages the PCs (Sevelin will try to convince the party they are wasting time by talking to him) to destroy Onan-Onur, and can explain to them about the need for a blessed crossbow bolt. This will likely be the first time the party is learning about the pasha’s true nature, and it should strike fear into their hearts.
Doku can also tell them about the sacred cave he was freed from and how to find it, and how if he can be lured back there somehow they might have a way to defeat him without having to kill him. (See
The Sacred Cave below).
The spirit of Kala, the dakon female who poisoned Trina, haunts the dungeons. This twisted and pained spirit attacks anyone entering what was once her cell and those in the hall in that area (but will not leave the dungeons or the kitchens one level above). If the party is able to figure out a way to communicate with her, they can find out about Trina’s ring.
DMs that want to link The Sacred Cave more tightly to the rest of the adventure could also include some slimes and jellies in some of the lower damp passages as mini-encounters.
The Ivory Tower
Onan-Onur has left the Ivory Tower where Trina lived untouched, it looks exactly as she left it, except now dusty and dim. The
]rakshasa has become
reluctant to rule his old way and give in to his cruel and evil urges for he fears that it might drive the spirit of his beloved away. Nearly mad, there are times where he raves and smashes things, or begs the silent spirit to come back to him. Part of him even contemplates suicide, but he knows the hell that awaits him would not have her there.
Here the adventure and the “solution” to the adventure is in the hands of the PCs (and Sevelin, if he is with them).
-- If they have not found out about his true form as a rakshasa, and then try to attack or take him prisoner, he will begin to rave and defend himself, the violence against him breaking his last desire to not be evil as his frustration reaches the limit. Most likely the party will not have the resources to defeat him in this case and will have to flee.
-- If the party learns about the Sacred Cave from Doku they might try to figure out a way to draw Onan-Onur there and trap him once again in the Pit of Jubilex. A clever party might try to steal the ring and do something else to the spirit of Trina to get Onan-Onur to react.
-- The party could try to convince or physically prevent Sevelin from attacking the rakshasa, ensuring at least a few more years of peace.
Trina the Ghost – The spirit of this girl never speaks, she simply weeps and tries to comfort the ape-headed beast-man. Confronted with the sight of the ghost of his sister Sevelin will go mad with rage and attack Onan wantonly. He will then take it upon himself to put her soul to rest. All he need do is kill the rakshasa to do this, but killing the rakshasa also turns Trina’s ghost into a vengeful spirit that will attack all she comes across until the following dawn, and then she will disappear forever.
The Sacred Cave
In ancient times the people who lived in this area worshiped the Demon-Prince Jubilex, Lord of Slime, Snot and Blood. There is a temple built to the demon on the island that has two entrances. The front entrance to the cave leads to a shaft before the main altar of the temple room. On the other side of the shaft is a great carved statue of Jubilex that coughs and sputters and sneezes out slime of all kind, running out from nostril-like holes like
excessive mucus, filling the shaft before it.
The shaft takes decades to fill, and while the proto-demonic mucus is in there any dropped into the shaft will be frozen in time and space; a kind of incubating area where the various slimes are developing into what they will become, having the effect of paralyzing and forcing unconscious who ever falls in there.
DMs wanting to make this encounter area more dangerous (either as a place to draw the Rakshasa or as a place to hide if the attack on the island goes wrong) should have the place have a fiendish black pudding guardian.
The rear of the cave which is behind and below the main temple chamber has a great door and lever that when opened empties the great shaft of slime (this is how it is maintained and kept from overflowing. As they emerge from the incubation shaft the various hunks of slime transform into jellies, oozes and slime – However, the vast majority tumble into another seemingly bottomless shaft that leads to the Underdark (or whatever campaign setting equivalent) while a few fall into the rear cave and will be there to deal with. This was how the real Onan-Onur freed the rakshasa that killed him.
The DM may also want some lower passageway in that seemingly bottomless shaft connect to the dungeon levels of the palace.
Conclusions
If the PCs fail to defeat/destroy Onan-Onur, his ire and cruelty will be raised once again, and once again the people of the six towns around him will begin to suffer his wrath and that of his dakons.
If the party steals or destroys the ring that holds his lady love to this plane, then he will become a relentless enemy (and perhaps recurring villain) who will stop at nothing to make them pay and suffer, including hunting down and torturing/killing members of their family, using subterfuge and his role as a leader to ruin their reputations, etc. . .
If the party allows
Sevelin to Go Alone, the result will be much like the first and if the are still in Adem-Aziz or on the road between any of the six towns they should come across a group of Dakon warriors traveling to alert the towns that their tribute is required once again.
A whole other possibility, could be the party leaves the area entirely and while doing something else come across information implying that the pasha is a rakshasa – perhaps making them feel guilty for abandoning those people.
If Onan-Onur is defeated, the dakons will be that much more willing to negotiate a peace as long as they are left alone to follow their artistic and philosophical pursuits. They might even agree that the covered bridges be destroyed. An interesting follow up to this result might be that once word reaches the Sultan or whatever central government there is, troops could be sent to re-take the palace and re-assert control on the area, engendering the dakons once again.
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Review of Ingredients
Ivory Tower – A part of the pasha’s palace where his love once lived
Reluctant Rakshasa – Onan-Onur, the depressed rakshasa, reluctant to return to his evil and decadent ways.
Excessive Mucus – The slime that oozes from the statue in the Temple of Jubilex
Local Hero – This is what Sevelin thinks of himself as, but what the local people use as a mocking term of derision for him.
Covered Bridge – Entryway to the island – covered to deal with the dakons’ fear of water.
Senseless Bickering – The people of Adem-Aziz’s endless discussion about the possible results of Sevelin’s plan, and about his true origins.
