"Rubies of the Black Flame" by David Morgan (Volcano Fortress Runner Up) 1

Here’s the deal, see. The King’s Guard captured the Leader of the Society of the Black Flames and the Society is the most powerful assassins’ guild in the realm. So when the Guild retaliated by kidnapping the King’s daughter, it was a real coup for them. They started sending back body pieces until the King agreed to pay the ransom. They wanted their leader back as well as a small chest of very rare flame rubies. The King’s got his daughter back and the Church has healed her up again, but now he’s raising an army to go and crush the Society out of existence.

All this political stuff is interesting I’m sure, but we could care less about either of them. We just want the chest of rubies. There should be exactly 50 of them. Your methods are up to you, but this should clear your debt with us in full. Do the job right and we’ll even toss in a 10,000 gp bonus. Fail us and you’ll wish you’d never been born.

For 12th level characters
Comments from the Judges:

... an exciting an interesting adventure, with a fundamentally good design.
Very clever and deadly.
This adventure must have been written under light emanating from a coal ember from hell.

Here’s the deal, see. The King’s Guard captured the Leader of the Society of the Black Flames and the Society is the most powerful assassins’ guild in the realm. So when the Guild retaliated by kidnapping the King’s daughter, it was a real coup for them. They started sending back body pieces until the King agreed to pay the ransom. They wanted their leader back as well as a small chest of very rare flame rubies. The King’s got his daughter back and the Church has healed her up again, but now he’s raising an army to go and crush the Society out of existence.

All this political stuff is interesting I’m sure, but we could care less about either of them. We just want the chest of rubies. There should be exactly 50 of them. Your methods are up to you, but this should clear your debt with us in full. Do the job right and we’ll even toss in a 10,000 gp bonus. Fail us and you’ll wish you’d never been born.

For 12th level characters
Comments from the Judges:

... an exciting an interesting adventure, with a fundamentally good design.
Very clever and deadly.
This adventure must have been written under light emanating from a coal ember from hell.

Here’s the deal, see. The King’s Guard captured the Leader of the Society of the Black Flames and the Society is the most powerful assassins’ guild in the realm. So when the Guild retaliated by kidnapping the King’s daughter, it was a real coup for them. They started sending back body pieces until the King agreed to pay the ransom. They wanted their leader back as well as a small chest of very rare flame rubies. The King’s got his daughter back and the Church has healed her up again, but now he’s raising an army to go and crush the Society out of existence.

All this political stuff is interesting I’m sure, but we could care less about either of them. We just want the chest of rubies. There should be exactly 50 of them. Your methods are up to you, but this should clear your debt with us in full. Do the job right and we’ll even toss in a 10,000 gp bonus. Fail us and you’ll wish you’d never been born.

For 12th level characters
Comments from the Judges:

... an exciting an interesting adventure, with a fundamentally good design.
Very clever and deadly.
This adventure must have been written under light emanating from a coal ember from hell.

Here’s the deal, see. The King’s Guard captured the Leader of the Society of the Black Flames and the Society is the most powerful assassins’ guild in the realm. So when the Guild retaliated by kidnapping the King’s daughter, it was a real coup for them. They started sending back body pieces until the King agreed to pay the ransom. They wanted their leader back as well as a small chest of very rare flame rubies. The King’s got his daughter back and the Church has healed her up again, but now he’s raising an army to go and crush the Society out of existence.

All this political stuff is interesting I’m sure, but we could care less about either of them. We just want the chest of rubies. There should be exactly 50 of them. Your methods are up to you, but this should clear your debt with us in full. Do the job right and we’ll even toss in a 10,000 gp bonus. Fail us and you’ll wish you’d never been born.

For 12th level characters
Comments from the Judges:

... an exciting an interesting adventure, with a fundamentally good design.
Very clever and deadly.
This adventure must have been written under light emanating from a coal ember from hell.

Here’s the deal, see. The King’s Guard captured the Leader of the Society of the Black Flames and the Society is the most powerful assassins’ guild in the realm. So when the Guild retaliated by kidnapping the King’s daughter, it was a real coup for them. They started sending back body pieces until the King agreed to pay the ransom. They wanted their leader back as well as a small chest of very rare flame rubies. The King’s got his daughter back and the Church has healed her up again, but now he’s raising an army to go and crush the Society out of existence.

All this political stuff is interesting I’m sure, but we could care less about either of them. We just want the chest of rubies. There should be exactly 50 of them. Your methods are up to you, but this should clear your debt with us in full. Do the job right and we’ll even toss in a 10,000 gp bonus. Fail us and you’ll wish you’d never been born.

For 12th level characters
Comments from the Judges:

... an exciting an interesting adventure, with a fundamentally good design.
Very clever and deadly.
This adventure must have been written under light emanating from a coal ember from hell.

Here’s the deal, see. The King’s Guard captured the Leader of the Society of the Black Flames and the Society is the most powerful assassins’ guild in the realm. So when the Guild retaliated by kidnapping the King’s daughter, it was a real coup for them. They started sending back body pieces until the King agreed to pay the ransom. They wanted their leader back as well as a small chest of very rare flame rubies. The King’s got his daughter back and the Church has healed her up again, but now he’s raising an army to go and crush the Society out of existence.

All this political stuff is interesting I’m sure, but we could care less about either of them. We just want the chest of rubies. There should be exactly 50 of them. Your methods are up to you, but this should clear your debt with us in full. Do the job right and we’ll even toss in a 10,000 gp bonus. Fail us and you’ll wish you’d never been born.

For 12th level characters
Comments from the Judges:

... an exciting an interesting adventure, with a fundamentally good design.
Very clever and deadly.
This adventure must have been written under light emanating from a coal ember from hell.

Here’s the deal, see. The King’s Guard captured the Leader of the Society of the Black Flames and the Society is the most powerful assassins’ guild in the realm. So when the Guild retaliated by kidnapping the King’s daughter, it was a real coup for them. They started sending back body pieces until the King agreed to pay the ransom. They wanted their leader back as well as a small chest of very rare flame rubies. The King’s got his daughter back and the Church has healed her up again, but now he’s raising an army to go and crush the Society out of existence.

All this political stuff is interesting I’m sure, but we could care less about either of them. We just want the chest of rubies. There should be exactly 50 of them. Your methods are up to you, but this should clear your debt with us in full. Do the job right and we’ll even toss in a 10,000 gp bonus. Fail us and you’ll wish you’d never been born.

For 12th level characters
Comments from the Judges:

... an exciting an interesting adventure, with a fundamentally good design.
Very clever and deadly.
This adventure must have been written under light emanating from a coal ember from hell.

Here’s the deal, see. The King’s Guard captured the Leader of the Society of the Black Flames and the Society is the most powerful assassins’ guild in the realm. So when the Guild retaliated by kidnapping the King’s daughter, it was a real coup for them. They started sending back body pieces until the King agreed to pay the ransom. They wanted their leader back as well as a small chest of very rare flame rubies. The King’s got his daughter back and the Church has healed her up again, but now he’s raising an army to go and crush the Society out of existence.

All this political stuff is interesting I’m sure, but we could care less about either of them. We just want the chest of rubies. There should be exactly 50 of them. Your methods are up to you, but this should clear your debt with us in full. Do the job right and we’ll even toss in a 10,000 gp bonus. Fail us and you’ll wish you’d never been born.

For 12th level characters
Comments from the Judges:

... an exciting an interesting adventure, with a fundamentally good design.
Very clever and deadly.
This adventure must have been written under light emanating from a coal ember from hell.