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<blockquote data-quote="Wisdom Seeker" data-source="post: 7842746" data-attributes="member: 6954514"><p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p><p>Laconic Sphynx</p><p>Thieving Caravan</p><p>Astral Jaunt</p><p>Last Crownbearer</p><p>Affluent Troll</p><p>Crystal Seal</p><p>Fountain of Love</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Pendragon: Love Eternal</u></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Royal Brat</strong></p><p>During the war on the continent, the party is assigned by their liege to guard a minor Frankish prince who is to be betrothed to a more important princess in the same general region. <strong><em>Sir Mallun the Subtle</em></strong>, the Prince’s bodyguard, is an experienced soldier (Notable Knight with an Intrigue and Romance skill of 16 each) and seems willing to swallow his pride if it means his Prince remains safe. In contrast, the thirteen-year-old <strong><em>Prince Hollus Sonne</em></strong> is not willing to tolerate any backtalk from the PCs, mostly out of a sense of inadequacy. The kingdom Hollus is to inherit is small to the point where he is barely a king at all, and he enjoys what little authority he can exert. </p><p>When they plan to stop at the nearest town as it begins to get darker, Sir Mallun requests his liege stay here. The Prince accidentally kicks the story off by demanding that the group continue. The party will probably be making Energetic rolls and grumbling as they have to deal with the lad longer, but soon things get exciting.</p><p></p><p><strong>Ambush</strong></p><p>A band of robbers led by a troll happen to jump the Prince and your group on the road. When the troll (use the <em>Small Giant</em>, but with Mace 16) sees the crown on the Prince’s head, he immediately wants it for himself, bellowing and charging into the middle of the group and cutting a great swath into it. Danger should be emphasized here, especially because this troll does not suffer from dim-light hindrances. The bandits try to seize as many wagons as they can, and, at no fault of the player knights, they mostly succeed due to sheer numbers and the element of surprise. Against the Prince's wishes, Mallun takes the crown off his liege and throws it to the troll. </p><p>As soon as the troll gets the crown, he prepares to leave, only fighting player knights that pursue. Among other things, there is an assassin present, who searches for the Prince but retreats if injured or when the troll does. Mallun notices him, which is why he threw away the crown, and he will admit this when accused of it. When the damage is surveyed, only the supply wagon remains in the group’s possession. The Prince, of course, is furious his symbol of rulership is gone and demands the player characters retrieve it. Player characters would be right to accuse Mallun of cowardice, but he insists that he had ‘proper motivation’ for his actions, and intends to reciprocate the ambush to much more devastating effect.</p><p></p><p><strong>Royal Visitation</strong></p><p>The party can head out the next day to the stolen royal caravan to find a group of twenty or thirty drunkards with a huge ‘Troll King’ in the center. The troll from before, <strong><em>Uberon</em></strong>, wears garish, if fancy, robes hobbled together overnight from the Prince’s clothing. True to his simple-minded nature, he essentially acts like a royal buffoon, wielding a mighty ‘royal scepter’ club and bashing the brains of anyone who dares to ‘refuse the King’. The raiding party humors this because his power is essential to their success. Since the attack took place under the cover of dark, none of the thieves recognize a knight who does not go out of his way to make himself known. Any member of the party who refuses to ‘pay taxes’ as they approach will feel his hot wrath as he attempts to beat them within an inch of their life. </p><p>A clever PC may manage to convince the proud troll to hand over his crown ‘so they can tell it’s real’. The crown is gold with a huge sapphire set in the center. The sapphire has magical properties, which will become important later. Whether the troll is killed or the crown retrieved by guile, the crystal will prove important in the near future. A secret that might be noticeable by a PC with high Awareness and Intrigue is that the assassin from before is here. If he is killed and searched or otherwise shaken down, he carries a scroll revealing that <strong><em>King Sonne</em></strong> knows that the Prince is Mallun’s son. If Mallun is with the party on this expedition, he will attempt to kill the assassin and pocket the scroll before any other knight does.</p><p></p><p><strong>Seal</strong></p><p>As the player knights either attempt to return the gem (as they ought) or to find a way to sell it (this should cost Honor), someone with a high Awareness will notice that the gem has been fractured very slightly at some point in the conflict. Things start to go very wrong: Space warps, creatures appear out of nowhere and vanish, the sun rises and falls with excruciating slowness or blinding speed. The gem has a magical seal on the flow of time designed to extend the wearer’s lifespan and to give the ruler more time to think or react. </p><p>Since the gem has finally suffered a fracture, its magic is acting erratically and it must be destroyed. Either the Prince or a party member versed in Faerie Lore knows that on time-related issues, one consults a sphynx. Dangerous as it may be, the issue is now in their hands: The crown is fixated on one player knight, preferably the one that damaged or retrieved it, and if more than a week passes, the sphinx comes to them. <strong><em>Derull</em></strong>, the creature in question, is a no-nonsense gynosphinx with the combat statistics of a Griffin (but with Claws 21). She demands the party give away the crown, until she is shown that the crown bearer cannot get rid of the crown willingly. </p><p></p><p><strong>Strange Journey</strong></p><p>Derull refuses to explain further until the party follows her deeper into her lair. Her lair quickly extends into a strange otherworldly realm that she calls the <strong><em>Astral Plane</em></strong>, as it acts as a bridge between places and times. Even as player knights step cautiously into the ether, stone floats from the abyss of swirling colors to guide their feet towards the destination the sphynx is leading them. </p><p>Enemies of all sorts appear to seize the gem, mostly bald, elf-like creatures with strange magical swords and armor claiming it is too valuable for the party’s foolish minds to comprehend. Adventurers and thieves from across time and space attack the knights with magic and blade, desperate for the gem’s power. One attacker is even a weakened vampire hoping to take its power. The sphinx refuses to explain where she is leading the knights, as is her severe and secretive nature. She finally points out a hovering platform made of carved stone, not floating earth, to the party, and guides them there. </p><p></p><p><strong>Love's Price</strong></p><p>Walking up to the hovering outcropping, the knights can see a deep bubbling fountain, the <strong><em>Eternity Depth</em></strong>, from where the gem was begotten. As they realize the fountain goes deeper than the outcropping itself, Derull explains why she was hesitant to tell the story. The gem was retrieved from this fountain, originally created by a wizard for his princess and lover. As age soon began to take him too and she couldn’t bear living without him, she asked him to make a second. When he returned for the second gem, he achieved it, but was killed soon after by a greedy berserker. </p><p>When the princess heard, she gave her lover’s crown to their secret son, traveled to the Astral Plane, and dove into the fountain from which the gem was generated. The crown is the Princess's, and Sonne is her descendant. Now the party member bound to the crown must either toss themselves in willingly with the crown or the effects will propagate forever. The knights have the option to fight Derull, but if she is able to seize the crown at any time, she will drag it into the Eternity Depth and vanish into ether, leaving the party her treasures. If the crownbearer goes willingly, the wizard’s soul protects them from destruction, taking his crown and letting them go free, ending the effects and furthermore reducing the knight’s physical age by up to 10 years. </p><p></p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p><p>The wizard is now together in death with his love. Impressed by their courage, the sphinx gives them whatever treasure they ask for among her historical trove and becomes a powerful ally to them in the future. If the party kills the sphynx and doesn't throw away the crown, they are trapped forever in the Astral Plane.</p><p></p><p>Prince Sonne is furious when he hears the knights have lost his crown forever, and accuses them of stealing it and making up an unbelievable story to cover for it. If nothing else is done and his parentage remains a secret, he dismisses them with meager pay. If the scroll is presented to him, he is shocked to find out that he is not legitimate. Immediately, he becomes much more Humble and thanks the player knights for their help before changing out of his royal clothing and heading out with his real father.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wisdom Seeker, post: 7842746, member: 6954514"] [B]Ingredients[/B] Laconic Sphynx Thieving Caravan Astral Jaunt Last Crownbearer Affluent Troll Crystal Seal Fountain of Love [B][U]Pendragon: Love Eternal[/U] Royal Brat[/B] During the war on the continent, the party is assigned by their liege to guard a minor Frankish prince who is to be betrothed to a more important princess in the same general region. [B][I]Sir Mallun the Subtle[/I][/B], the Prince’s bodyguard, is an experienced soldier (Notable Knight with an Intrigue and Romance skill of 16 each) and seems willing to swallow his pride if it means his Prince remains safe. In contrast, the thirteen-year-old [B][I]Prince Hollus Sonne[/I][/B] is not willing to tolerate any backtalk from the PCs, mostly out of a sense of inadequacy. The kingdom Hollus is to inherit is small to the point where he is barely a king at all, and he enjoys what little authority he can exert. When they plan to stop at the nearest town as it begins to get darker, Sir Mallun requests his liege stay here. The Prince accidentally kicks the story off by demanding that the group continue. The party will probably be making Energetic rolls and grumbling as they have to deal with the lad longer, but soon things get exciting. [B]Ambush[/B] A band of robbers led by a troll happen to jump the Prince and your group on the road. When the troll (use the [I]Small Giant[/I], but with Mace 16) sees the crown on the Prince’s head, he immediately wants it for himself, bellowing and charging into the middle of the group and cutting a great swath into it. Danger should be emphasized here, especially because this troll does not suffer from dim-light hindrances. The bandits try to seize as many wagons as they can, and, at no fault of the player knights, they mostly succeed due to sheer numbers and the element of surprise. Against the Prince's wishes, Mallun takes the crown off his liege and throws it to the troll. As soon as the troll gets the crown, he prepares to leave, only fighting player knights that pursue. Among other things, there is an assassin present, who searches for the Prince but retreats if injured or when the troll does. Mallun notices him, which is why he threw away the crown, and he will admit this when accused of it. When the damage is surveyed, only the supply wagon remains in the group’s possession. The Prince, of course, is furious his symbol of rulership is gone and demands the player characters retrieve it. Player characters would be right to accuse Mallun of cowardice, but he insists that he had ‘proper motivation’ for his actions, and intends to reciprocate the ambush to much more devastating effect. [B]Royal Visitation[/B] The party can head out the next day to the stolen royal caravan to find a group of twenty or thirty drunkards with a huge ‘Troll King’ in the center. The troll from before, [B][I]Uberon[/I][/B], wears garish, if fancy, robes hobbled together overnight from the Prince’s clothing. True to his simple-minded nature, he essentially acts like a royal buffoon, wielding a mighty ‘royal scepter’ club and bashing the brains of anyone who dares to ‘refuse the King’. The raiding party humors this because his power is essential to their success. Since the attack took place under the cover of dark, none of the thieves recognize a knight who does not go out of his way to make himself known. Any member of the party who refuses to ‘pay taxes’ as they approach will feel his hot wrath as he attempts to beat them within an inch of their life. A clever PC may manage to convince the proud troll to hand over his crown ‘so they can tell it’s real’. The crown is gold with a huge sapphire set in the center. The sapphire has magical properties, which will become important later. Whether the troll is killed or the crown retrieved by guile, the crystal will prove important in the near future. A secret that might be noticeable by a PC with high Awareness and Intrigue is that the assassin from before is here. If he is killed and searched or otherwise shaken down, he carries a scroll revealing that [B][I]King Sonne[/I][/B] knows that the Prince is Mallun’s son. If Mallun is with the party on this expedition, he will attempt to kill the assassin and pocket the scroll before any other knight does. [B]Seal[/B] As the player knights either attempt to return the gem (as they ought) or to find a way to sell it (this should cost Honor), someone with a high Awareness will notice that the gem has been fractured very slightly at some point in the conflict. Things start to go very wrong: Space warps, creatures appear out of nowhere and vanish, the sun rises and falls with excruciating slowness or blinding speed. The gem has a magical seal on the flow of time designed to extend the wearer’s lifespan and to give the ruler more time to think or react. Since the gem has finally suffered a fracture, its magic is acting erratically and it must be destroyed. Either the Prince or a party member versed in Faerie Lore knows that on time-related issues, one consults a sphynx. Dangerous as it may be, the issue is now in their hands: The crown is fixated on one player knight, preferably the one that damaged or retrieved it, and if more than a week passes, the sphinx comes to them. [B][I]Derull[/I][/B], the creature in question, is a no-nonsense gynosphinx with the combat statistics of a Griffin (but with Claws 21). She demands the party give away the crown, until she is shown that the crown bearer cannot get rid of the crown willingly. [B]Strange Journey[/B] Derull refuses to explain further until the party follows her deeper into her lair. Her lair quickly extends into a strange otherworldly realm that she calls the [B][I]Astral Plane[/I][/B], as it acts as a bridge between places and times. Even as player knights step cautiously into the ether, stone floats from the abyss of swirling colors to guide their feet towards the destination the sphynx is leading them. Enemies of all sorts appear to seize the gem, mostly bald, elf-like creatures with strange magical swords and armor claiming it is too valuable for the party’s foolish minds to comprehend. Adventurers and thieves from across time and space attack the knights with magic and blade, desperate for the gem’s power. One attacker is even a weakened vampire hoping to take its power. The sphinx refuses to explain where she is leading the knights, as is her severe and secretive nature. She finally points out a hovering platform made of carved stone, not floating earth, to the party, and guides them there. [B]Love's Price[/B] Walking up to the hovering outcropping, the knights can see a deep bubbling fountain, the [B][I]Eternity Depth[/I][/B], from where the gem was begotten. As they realize the fountain goes deeper than the outcropping itself, Derull explains why she was hesitant to tell the story. The gem was retrieved from this fountain, originally created by a wizard for his princess and lover. As age soon began to take him too and she couldn’t bear living without him, she asked him to make a second. When he returned for the second gem, he achieved it, but was killed soon after by a greedy berserker. When the princess heard, she gave her lover’s crown to their secret son, traveled to the Astral Plane, and dove into the fountain from which the gem was generated. The crown is the Princess's, and Sonne is her descendant. Now the party member bound to the crown must either toss themselves in willingly with the crown or the effects will propagate forever. The knights have the option to fight Derull, but if she is able to seize the crown at any time, she will drag it into the Eternity Depth and vanish into ether, leaving the party her treasures. If the crownbearer goes willingly, the wizard’s soul protects them from destruction, taking his crown and letting them go free, ending the effects and furthermore reducing the knight’s physical age by up to 10 years. [B]Conclusion[/B] The wizard is now together in death with his love. Impressed by their courage, the sphinx gives them whatever treasure they ask for among her historical trove and becomes a powerful ally to them in the future. If the party kills the sphynx and doesn't throw away the crown, they are trapped forever in the Astral Plane. Prince Sonne is furious when he hears the knights have lost his crown forever, and accuses them of stealing it and making up an unbelievable story to cover for it. If nothing else is done and his parentage remains a secret, he dismisses them with meager pay. If the scroll is presented to him, he is shocked to find out that he is not legitimate. Immediately, he becomes much more Humble and thanks the player knights for their help before changing out of his royal clothing and heading out with his real father. [/QUOTE]
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