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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FitzTheRuke" data-source="post: 8164220" data-attributes="member: 59816">Race to the BottomWindow of OpportunityNameless ThingsWeird MagicUnlightable LanternOccupied Mine Old WaysFaster Car Background:Many centuries ago, dwarves built a mine under a mountain by the sea. They dug upward, from their underground kingdoms to the higher parts of the mountain. When there was little left to be had (by their standards), they abandoned the place and sealed the ways that led back to their lands. Two entrances remain: A lower, secluded cove where the dwarves once loaded ore onto hired ships to trade far away, and one high in the mountains, discovered decades ago by humans, who built a small mining town nearby to dig out what little the dwarves left behind in their last, highest tunnels.Unfortunately for the townsfolk, a few months ago, a greedy hag named Frau Klegg discovered their mine and took over the miner’s quarters, occupying it as her lair. Further, she began using her weird magic to enslave - first the miners themselves, and then the rest of the town - converting them into nameless things that do her bidding. What few townsfolk remain cower in fear that they will be snatched up and enslaved.Magic Items – Frau Klegg has used her weird magic to create three magic items:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Unlightable Lantern. A normal-looking lantern apparently full of oil. In truth, it holds stolen memories. When a creature attempts to light it, they must roll an appropriate saving throw, or lose the memory that they attempted to light the lantern, and other memories: The first time they fail, they lose a childhood memory and the name of an object in their possession. If they attempt to light the lantern again and fail, they forget their own name, and the names of others. On a third failure, they forget all knowledge and language, only retaining the most basic ability to remain alive. As a side-effect of the hag’s weird magic, their bodies begin to mutate. Over the following day, they become a Nameless Thing.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Klegg’s Ladle. A large ladle made of a twisted hardwood. A creature who uses it to stir a pot can choose: 1) the food therein becomes poisonous; 2) anyone who consumes the food is charmed until the following dawn.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Folding Boat. Frau Klegg keeps this hidden under a rundown wharf in the secluded cove as part of her escape plan.</li> </ul>The Adventure:The PCs are travelling by a mountain pass that goes past the town. Just as they spot the town ahead, they are attacked by 1d3 Nameless Things - a strange, hairy, long-armed humanoid that tries to subdue one of them and take them up into the mountains. The town is mostly deserted. The few cowering townsfolk who are left will ask for help, explaining that these creatures have been stealing folks and taking them to the mine. They offer a modest reward and appeal to the PCs better nature. If they refuse, the townsfolk will treat them as best as desperate people can but will take every opportunity to ask them to reconsider. When the PCs leave, they will be attacked by 2d4 Nameless Things.If they subdued a creature during either encounter, it simply moans and mumbles incoherently. If they track where the creature was from or where it was going, (perhaps because a PC or NPC was taken), or if they agreed to help the townsfolk, they will eventually find their way to the mine.The Mine:1) Entrance. The mine is closed by a wooden gate, which is left unlocked.2) Dark passageway. From the gate is a long, slowly curving passageway. Frau Klegg keeps her Unlightable Lantern hanging from the first support beam, with a flint and steel on a lower peg, to tempt any villagers who arrive to try to light it.3) Miner’s quarters (hag’s lair). The mine is far enough away from town that miners stayed in shifts, occupying these quarters. Frau Klegg has turned this into her lair, furnishing it with desiccated plants and mummified animals. She keeps an enormous cast iron pot cooking on a low fire. Many things best left unnamed have gone in this pot, which she happily stirs with her ladle while singing nonsense.4) Minecarts. Six minecarts are stopped here on two parallel tracks that head up and down into two tunnels. Rubble lies strewn about where the downward tunnel was sealed but is now broken open.5) Newer mine. The upward direction of the tracks takes you to the until-recently active mine worked by the town’s miners. Nameless Things now occupy this mine, doing the hag’s bidding.6) The Old ways. The downward direction leads to the old dwarven mines, unused for centuries. There may be many interesting adventures down there, but nothing is left worth mining.The Hag:Frau Klegg is no fool – she recognises the threat of adventurers right away. She will try to avoid combat, offering them ‘stew’ from her pot (stirring with her ladle). There may be a window of opportunity for the PCs to get in a few rounds of combat, but if she can, Frau Klegg will grab the lantern, her ladle, and/or some other treasure, and flee into the mine. She will get into the first minecart and speed off into the Old Ways, cackling. If the PCs don’t want her to get away, they will have to follow.The Chase:It is best to handle the minecart chase abstractly, in 3 to 5 stages, with a skill check relevant to a hazard at each stage. The dwarven mines are immense, and the entire trip takes about an hour. Regardless of trouble along the way, all minecarts will arrive at the cove within minutes of each other, unless they don’t arrive at all. The overall path of both tracks head along a central corridor with many side-tunnels. Frau Klegg has travelled this route enough times to have perfected the task. She travels at a steady pace and succeeds at all checks relevant to the chase.Start Your Car:The minecarts were once clamped together in a train but are currently detached. Each car can hold up to two medium creatures. Though the overall grade is downward, in some places it is flat (or even travels upwards) so that the cars slow down enough to get out and push. A PC must make a strength check to push the car onto either of the two tracks to get it going. The second car that the PCs push onto the track is the faster car. By some fortune or design, it has grown less rust on its wheels and runs smoothly. Anyone using this car has advantage on all checks made to increase its speed.Hazards:Though the dwarves built sturdy cars that will not leave their tracks, many other hazards occur along the way. Examples include: 1) a disturbed swarm of bats that attack; 2) low-hanging partially collapsed ceiling that must be ducked; 3) debris on the tracks that slow the cars; 4) the hag switches the track behind her so the following cars move into a side-tunnel (where they stop, but can be pushed back to resume the chase); etc.A Window of Opportunity for combat will occur when the tracks travel into an immense open cavern. The cars slow on a long stretch of flat track, with the two tracks diverging around a deep crevice. Frau Klegg’s car will slow first, allowing even the slowest car to arrive in the area. Set the car’s relative position based on their handling of previous hazards. After four rounds of combat, if she has not been beaten or otherwise stopped, Frau Klegg’s car will travel into the next tunnel and the chase is resumed.The Cove:Abandoned for centuries, the docks and trade-buildings have fallen to decay. Frau Klegg tried to trade here with some smugglers a few weeks ago, but when she didn’t like their offer, she murdered them, burned their ship, and raised them as zombies. If she makes it to the cove ahead of the PCs, she will gather a group of 3d4 zombies (all that remain) to attack the party at the mine’s exit. She will do whatever she can to get to her folding boat. If she gets it into the water and the PCs are still chasing her, she will use her weird magic and stir the water with her ladle (if she has it) or a paddle (if she does not) and create the effect of a fog cloud to mask her escape.Endgame:If the PCs manage to defeat Frau Klegg, they can gather the three magic items and a substantial treasure besides. If they possess the Unlightable Lantern, they can determine, after a short rest, that they can destroy it by placing it in a sufficiently hot fire (a cook fire, or a smith’s forge). This will return the memories to the townsfolk and end the weird magic curse that has turned them into Nameless Things.</blockquote>

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