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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MortalPlague" data-source="post: 6505438" data-attributes="member: 62721">StrawmanA 5th Edition D&D Adventure for 4th Level PCsIn Roan Valley, there is peace.  But in distant Cleftwood, there is war.For ten years, the Roan tribe has sent their best young warriors to fight with their cousins against the cyclops threat.  Very few return.  The war has turned against the Cleftwood forces, and they need more and more soldiers.  With heavy hearts, the elders of the tribe have sent more and more sons and daughters to fight, younger and younger; as soon as they can hold a bow, they leave for Cleftwood.Darriabran had not always been different.  An encounter with Vellendria of the Falling Leaves, a Lady of the Summer Court changed all that.  Smitten by her beauty, and enchanted by the sound of her voice, Darriabran pledged himself to her.From that moment, he was not like the other centaurs.  His words would carry more weight when he spoke, and when angered, he could inspire fear in those who tried to confront him.  At first, the gifts of Vellendria confused him, but as he spent his mornings trotting through the woods of Roan Valley, he felt at peace.  He felt the lure of nature, heard the song of the fey, and knew his was a different destiny.When they sent him to Cleftwood, he disappeared.A Plea For HelpThe PCs are approached by the centaurs while passing through the Roan Valley.  There are many small hamlets scattered about where the centaurs trade with farmers.  The area is rolling grasslands, with a number of small forests about.  It is tranquil and pastoral.  Serious trouble is rare.A group of five centaurs meet the PCs, led by an older grey-bearded centaur named Abanno.  He proudly introduces himself as the Khan of the Roan Valley Clan, and will ask the PCs if they are capable hunters and warriors.  He doesn't seem to value magic or religion overmuch, and will sniff at any claims of magical might.  He is pleased by those who boast and brag about their feats.  He will gladly boast of the time he put an arrow in a hill giant's eye, or the time he out-wrestled a giant python while bathing in a pool.  Many of his stories feature admiring nymphs looking on.After a bit of introductions and bragging about accomplishments, he will get down to business.  The Clan has been sending their young warriors to Cleftwood, but the last six months has seen every group attacked by a scarecrow the size of an ogre.  The four centaurs with Abanno are clearly terrified at the mere mention of this thing (for centaurs are superstitious creatures and suspicious of magic), but Abanno has seen a lot in his day, and takes it in stride.  He wants the PCs to destroy this thing, so that they can continue to support their cousins in their war against the cyclops forces.He will agree to give the PCs three small amethysts worth 150 gold pieces each if they slay the beast.  If they seem reluctant, or press for a better reward, he will agree to throw in a pouch with 10 platinum pieces.  Any PC who is suspicious of his motives may make a DC 15 insight check to reveal that he is being awfully generous for a centaur.The Hunt BeginsThe centaurs are pleased to aid with the hunt, showing the PCs to where the giant scarecrow has been sighted recently.  They will happily boast of their own exploits, with Abanno laughing uproariously at every tale, even though he's heard them time and time again.  Abanno is gregarious and jovial to a fault.  Insightful PCs (DC 15) may begin to notice that this is a facade, the Khan is more devious than he lets on.Soon enough, the PCs will arrive at the place where the attacks took place.  Here the road flirts with the outskirts of a large forest; there is a thin strip of woodland, with trees and bushes to block clear line of sight to the fields beyond.  But there is clearly signs of conflict; many hoofprints are all about, and many of the bushes have been thoroughly trampled.Curiously, there are no tracks besides hoofprints, though there are some scarecrow pieces laying about on the ground.  Bits of straw and flaps of leather are littering the ground; the scarecrow was certainly here.  The lost pieces lead the way back out into the field beyond the small copse of trees.It's clear that the centaurs are nervous here; this scarecrow monstrosity is nothing they understand or are willing to confront.  Only Abanno seems composed, and even he mutters about strange happenings and curses.Ride Out With Me!The trail of scarecrow parts is easily followed.  Once the PCs are in the field proper, they can get a good look at the area; there is a band of grassland about three hundred feet across, before another forest begins.  There is one huge oak tree in the middle of the clearing, twisted and gnarled.  Its branches are heavy and they dip low, providing plenty of shade beneath it.  The PCs don't know it, but the scarecrow-creature lurks here, invisible.The Scarecrow is, in fact, a fabrication by Darriabran to rescue his bretheren from their march to war.  He knew he could not stand idly by while young centaurs were sent to their deaths, and he alone had the capacity to do something about it.  Relying on his people's superstition (and inspired by the local farmers), he built a scarecrow-suit with wood and leather, stuffed it with straw, and fastened it to his equine frame to give it mobility.  He has sticks to move the arms, and the legs bounce as he gallops along.  He is no master craftsman, and his scarecrow suit loses pieces with regularity.  But so far, it has not been forced to stand up to close scrutiny.Each time he rescued young centaurs, he would send them into the forest, to the fey lady Vellendria.  She would help them find their way through to greener pastures, where they would be free from conflict.As a warlock, Darriabran knows the One With Shadows invocation, which allows him to become invisible when he does not move in dimly lit areas (such as the oak tree's canopy).  So there he will wait until the PCs draw near, and then he will spring to action, attempting to spook them with loud noises, aggressive movements, and faerie fire.But wait!  The moment the scarecrow appears, Abanno and his four centaurs emerge from the woods behind the PCs.  During the second round of combat, the centaurs begin to pepper the scarecrow with arrows.  Abanno, as it happens, knows enough about Darriabran to have guessed the truth, and he knows that he needs to put the young warlock down.  But if Darriabran is killed by the elders of the tribe, he becomes a martyr; instead, the centaurs will kill him with the PCs aid, then they will turn on the PCs and slay them.  That way, Abanno can return to his tribe with crocodile tears, saying they arrived too late to save poor Darriabran, but at least they avenged his death.Darriabran's centaur-suit is very protective.  On the second round of combat, it will offer him superior cover against all attacks (a +5 bonus to AC).  On the third round, enough bits will have fallen off of his armor to reduce that bonus to normal cover (a +2 bonus).  By the fourth round, the scarecrow suit will be nearly down to its frame from all the vigorous conflict.On the third round, two of the abducted young centaurs emerge from the woods on the far side of the field, and begin to fire at Abanno and the older warriors!  The PCs, caught in the middle of a vicious battle between Abanno and Darriabran will be left to choose a side.  It ought to be clear that the juvenile centaurs are aiding the scarecrow.  And the Khan and his men are definitely trying to bring the scarecrow down.  If the PCs are confused about the switch-up, Darriabran may ask for their aid, trying to plead his case while Abanno argues that Darriabran is a no-good warlock who must be put down.If Darriabran is slain, Abanno will turn on the PCs and try to kill them, unless he and his centaurs are badly hurt.  His side of the story is much more compelling if he has a corpse or two to back it up.Wrapping Things UpIf he survives the encounter, Darriabran will thank the PCs for their help.  With Abanno out of the way, he expresses that he will try to talk some sense into the other elders, and stop them from sending their sons and daughters to die in Cleftwood.  Abanno's was the strongest voice for war, after all.The reward promised to the PCs is found in Abanno's pouch, and Darriabran will not object to them taking it.  In addition, the young warlock will give them a small pouch filled with Dust of Dryness as a token of his gratitude.Adventure ElementsKnight in Shrinking Armor | This is Darriabran in his scarecrow armor.  The armor sheds pieces, and thus shrinks, which has an effect on his AC (which also shrinks).Desperate Bluff | Darriabran donning the scarecrow suit is a desperate bluff, trying to spook his people into no longer sending their young to war.  Also, Abanno's attempt to kill Darriabran and blame it on the PCs is a desperate bluff to solve the problem for his people.Centaur Politics | The adventure revolves around the conflict of young centaurs being sent to war, which is certainly a political issue.  In addition, Abanno's plan to kill Darriabran is informed by politics; he wants to have the warlock's death shown in a certain light for his own benefit.Underground Railroad | Darriabran is rescuing the young centaurs and sending them to Vellendria, that they may find a new home free of war and strife.Juvenile Disciple | The young warlock is a juvenile disciple.Abomination from the Farm Realm | The scarecrow suit is the abomination from the farm realm.</blockquote>

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