Wulf Ratbane
Adventurer
Dave Turner said:
Thanks for the kind wishes, but I am not ready to proclaim the Round Two curse kicked yet.
Wulf "Built In Excuse" Ratbane
[IRON DM] Winter '04 Tournament (IRON DM ANNOUNCED!)
- Thread starter el-remmen
- Start date
Thanks for the kind wishes, but I am not ready to proclaim the Round Two curse kicked yet.
Wulf "Built In Excuse" Ratbane
Dave, i am amazed by what you have written. i think the concept and execution are amazing. i loved the weeping herald (wishes he could steal it). I understand not being able to make everything fit. it can definitely be difficult. but what you have is very good. i suspect we wil be seeing more of you in future Iron DM contests and most likely soon in the winners circle!
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Semi-Final Round - Third Match-Up: Wulf Ratbane vs. CarpeDavid
Ingredients
-----------------
Will o’ (the) Wisp
Flooded Quarry
Broken Ones
Brigands on a Pilgrimage
Magic Wig
Exultation
It's getting a little harder.
You have 24 hours from the time stamp of this post.
Remember you 'ingredient review' at the end of your entry.
Remember, NO EDITING after you've posted.
Remember, NO READING your opponent's entry if he posts before you do.
Remember to include the the Round/Match and Opponent Info at the top of your entry (see above).
Good luck to both of you.
carpedavid
First Post
Got em.
Good luck to you, Wulf. Hopefully you'll need it.
Good luck to you, Wulf. Hopefully you'll need it.
Dave Turner
First Post
You're very kind, zenld. Your entry displayed what every Iron DM should be able to do: make lemonade out of lemons. A good Iron DM is one who, when confronted with poor ingredients, is able to produce a product even if it will be hoplessly cliche or obvious. I'm not saying that your entry was like this at all. Rather, I'm commenting more on the process than on any particular entry or set of ingredients. Your entry demonstrates that you are more familiar with the spirit of being an Iron DM than I am.
nemmerle said:
Hellfire and Brimstone
A ‘One Shot’ adventure for up to 8 players.
Recommended Source Book
The Book of Vile Darkness (BoVD)
Brief Synopsis
The Arch devil Mephistopheles, Lord of the Eighth layer of hell, self proclaimed God of Hellfire, is ready to take over the whole works. He has found a large vein of the diabolic element hellfire, and his of the wicked stuff has grown to the point where he can now make sentient life from it, hellfire elementals. In the heart of Cania, eighth layer of hell, he is creating an army of the creatures that he will use to conquer those in his way. There is only one problem. Baalzebul, Lord of the Seventh and arch enemy of Mephistopheles, has spies through out the nine hells, and knows what his rival is up to. He will not let it happen. He is sending in his Nyashk Warriors, elite arcane commandos of his army, to stop the whole works.
Nyashk Warriors
The Nyashk are the heart of Baalzebul’s army in times of war, in addition to being a special task for used to accomplish high priority assignments. They consist of 16 female fiendish bugbears, each Sor 12. For this adventure, the Nyashk are split, with several of them out on a separate mission. Only the few remaining (which the players will play) are there for this mission. You can pull their stats straight from the BoVD, or allow the players to customize them a bit. I prefer the latter. I would allow them to choose their own skills, feats, and spells. (However, I would require that they take the feat Disciple of Darkness, which binds them to their lord Baalzebul, and I would highly recommend that they choose polymorph self, or some similar spell, that could be used to go incognito.) If you wanted, you could also allow them to roll ability scores, with the proper racial adjustments, and choose their own equipment. They come with a harrow rod (3/day sprays a cone of acid 30 ft for 9d6), 6 masterwork daggers, a master work light crossbow, and fly head-shaped helmet. I would allow them to swap out any of that for comparable items, except for the helmet which they wear in honor of Baalzebul, Lord of Flies.
In the War Room
The game will begin with the party making plans with Baalzebul in his fortress’ war room. He will use arcane power to paint several images for the party. The first is the serpentine towers of the palace of Abysm, home of the Demon Prince Demogorgon. They are to retrieve a powerful artifact consisting of two Bullette shells. The shells have powerful interplanar properties, allowing them to be used as a vacuum across planes, and through even the most powerful wards. They are to go to the palace main audience hall, where they will meet with their contact; Frewkawddit (paints another image). Frewkawddit will assist them in finding the artifact.
From there, they will go to the material plane and seek out this town (paints another picture). The church of Pelor there has created a Sacred Well of holy water. One of the Bullette shells is to be stuck into the well. Then, the remaining shell will be brought here (paints a final picture). This is the site where Mephistopheles is getting his huge supply of Hellfire. You will stick the other bullette shell into the massive crater, which will extinguish the hellfire.
He will then hand the players an amulet of the planes, and a small gem. “You will be able to take Bullette shells with you using this amulet. My agents have studied the artifacts, and though powerful, they are strangely susceptible to magic. When you use the amulet while one of you holds the gem, one, you will be transported into the heart of Mephistopheles layer, beside the crater of hellfire. Two, the gem will make me aware that of what you are doing. You will have backup to keep Mephistopheles and his minions busy so that you can finish your task.
The Palace of Abysm
The Amulet of the Planes will take the PCs within 5d100 of the Palace.Depending on how far they have to go, there will probably be opportunities with several demonic encounters. These can of course involve combat or not, depending on how the players play it and what kind of stealth they use. Demogorgon’s layer is a realm of salt water, rocky prominences used as rookeries for flying demons, and fetid swamps. Aboleths, Krakens, and other sea monsters battle in the depths, and all manner of demon live above water.
When they arrive in the audience hall, they will be overwhelmed by a mass of swirling bodies, a demon orgy. It is assumed that the players will be using some sort of stealth. If not, at some point the demons are going to look up from their carnal pleasures long enough to notice that the hated Nyashk are in the palace and attack. If so, Frewkawddit will not openly help them and blow his cover, but he will try and stealthily signal them to come down a particular hall, from there he will do his best to assist the PCs in escaping. If the PCs just stand and fight, taking on the hordes of demons, it will become apparent that they are going to get overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Anyway, let’s go back to the assumption that the PCs are going to be incognito or otherwise stealthing. If masquerading as demons other demons will try to pull them into the mix, and otherwise graphically fondle them. They will see Frewkawddit somewhere deep in the mass of bodies. He is a unique demon, large, sloppy, and slimy. Think of a demonic Jabba the Hut. He will have a succubus servicing his large bulbous member, who will be reluctant to dismiss. He will eventually tell the PCs that the artifacts are locked in a storage area in Demogorgon’s lab, and give the PCs a set of lock picks, explaining that he was unable to get a key, but was able to enchant the lock picks so that they will not set off any of the magic traps/alarms. He will then point them in the right direction.
Looking in the lab, they will see a large chamber with equipment and fiendish devices everywhere, several experiments in progress. There will be a pile of pitch black wood, and a magical gate open to some other place. Easily visible just inside the gate will be a Balor wielding a frostbrand battle axe, using it to cut down the black trees. There is also a quasit, who gives a reluctant crack of the whip with every tree the Balor fells. If the players spy from a distance, they will quickly discern from the Quasit’s pleading that the Balor is serving some sort of penance for questioning Demogorgon, and that the quasit is to give him a lash for each tree chopped down to add to the penance. However, the quasit is quite terrified. He is a Reluctant Slaver, who begs the Balor for mercy. Demogorgon wants a large supply of dark wood for upcoming experiments. (Dark wood is a twisted wicked looking tree with no leaves, indigenous to the abyss, having an immunity to fire, but also a weakness to frost weapons. Frost weapons must be used to cut and carve it, b/c it is otherwise hard as iron.) The quasit knows that when the Balor is done serving his time, he is meat. (It turns out that he is also serving a penance.) If the PCs arrive in the room disguised as demons, the quasit will immediately brighten, quickly hand the party the whip, thank them for relieving him, and fly from the room as fast as he can. At which point, they will have to deal with the Balor, and become Reluctant Slavers themselves. If someone does not attend him, giving him a lash for each tree, he will attack with the frostbrand axe. If they can’t some how find hide the fact that they are breaking in to the storage area from him (which should prove damn near impossible), he will question them hard. If they don’t come up with a great lie and a good bluff check, he will attack. If the PCs come into the room invisible or sneaking somehow, before they get half way across the room, the Balor will smell them and step back into the chamber to investigate. And the quasit and Balor will notice if the door to the storage area opens, if they don’t hear the party first. One way or another, they will have to deal with the Balor in combat.. Knowing that their enemy is raising an army of creatures with a sub-type of fire, they will grab the magic axe when the Balor falls.
They will find the locked storage area in the back of the lab, where the bellette shells reside. They will eventually get in, the enchantment of the lock picks allowing them to make untrained open lock rolls, in addition to suppressing the alarms and traps. Inside, they will find a collection of Demogorgon’s experiments that have gone wrong. Always an innovative fiend, Demogorgon was the original creator of Retrievers, and other wicked monsters. He tried to alter a Bullette and create a race that had special transdimensional/transplanar properties. What physical barriers they didn’t eat, they would be able to go through, not to mention being able to easily cross planes into enemy camps. However, he could never get them right. All that is left from the failed experiment is the shell from a single Bullette. The party has been told all along that they are looking for two shells, but it is really just one….sort of. They will find beyond the racks of oddities in the back of the room the huge bullette shell on the floor. Strangely, it is very light, and two or three of them can pick it up, but it is extremely awkward b/c of its size. However, this item is strangely susceptible to magic, and spells like shrink or even polymorph other will work to make it more manageable (although the latter would change the shell to a bone of another creature, or something else that makes sense). If the party tries to pick it up or drag it by its tail, the shell will come apart into two different shells. The one on the ground will actually be a turned inside bullette shell that will immediately begin to suck in like a vacuum where the head would be. The shell they pull off will be right side out, and will blow out the head whatever is sucked in through the inverted shell counterpart. When pulled apart the suction will be slight the first round, accelerating the second, and the third it will be full force. Any light object will begin being pulled toward the sucking shell, and then will be blown out the blowing shell. A cloud of dust will quickly be kicked up. This will continue until the shells are laid over top of each other, or until the blowing shell is placed in front of the sucking one. At which point, unless there is a strong force keeping them apart, they will be joined together that round, as the blowing shell pushes itself toward the sucking shell, which is itself sucking the blowing shell toward it. If one of them is touching it while they use the amulet to planeshift, it will travel with them.
The Sacred Well
The town with the sacred well is just recovering from a recent plague. Baulwin (human cleric 17 of Pelor) asked his god for a miracle, to save his town. The plague was spreading so fast that even with all his spells dedicated to healing, he could barely dent its progression. The answer to his prayers was the sacred well, now filled with holy water that also had a healing property, curing the disease. The well it located just outside the church, which is located on the out skirts of the town. Baulwin is a retired adventurer, who now serves as the head of the church. Helping him out is his old blind adventuring buddy Corwyn (human Monk 17, has blind fight feat), and two or three 1st level clerics with no battle experience. Baulwin and Corwyn are past their middle years, and have the ability score adjustments, while the 1st level clerics are barely more than boys, just learning the ways of the cleric.
How things go for the party on the material plane is largely dependant on the actions they take. If they use stealth, they could conceivably be there for days, interacting with the townsfolk, and even purchasing scrolls at the local magic shop to aid them in their task. Or they could come out all guns blazing, which will bring the clergy down upon them around the church, or the local sheriff and guards if in town. (Sheriff warrior 4, guards warrior 1.) When they planeshift in, they will again be 5d100 away from their destination, and I would randomly determine where they appear (1-20 within view or inside a town or village, 21-60 farmland, 61-00 wilderness), as well as anyone spotting them. If they appear to humans as fiendish bugbears or as demons in disguise, they will almost surely run away. In addition to encounters they could have, they will also still have to deal with moving the shell and concealing it, if it’s still at its natural size. When they get to the well and it’s still at normal size, it won’t fit down it. They will either need to shrink the shell to get it down there, blast the well (and a good sized chunk of land) away, or dig (polymorph to a large burrowing animal?). This should provide a good challenge to them. If they are discovered for what they are, or otherwise caught, Corwyn and Baulwin will come after them. And there are still sick people that come to the well to drink all day, as well as regular religious ceremonies.
Once the shell is separated and submerged in the holy water, they will have another problem to deal with. Holy water will start shooting out of the shell they still have, which if submerged, will cause them 2d4 points of holy damage a round, and 1 point if splashed. It’s shooting out strong enough that if they are near the front half of the shell they are going to get splash damage.
Back to Hell
When they transport to the eighth layer, they will arrive in what appears to be a vast cavern. It will be very hot, and there will be countless small and medium sized hellfire elementals, and a handful that are large or greater. Treat them as fire elementals, except their damage is diabolic and not affected by various resistances to fire. They will be at least 200 ft from the volcano-like opening, surrounded by hellfire elementals. Mephistopheles will be floating up off in the distance. He will immediately be aware of them, and start taunting them. Baalzebul will send his three Pit Fiend body guards to occupy Mephistopheles and create a distraction, but they will not arrive for 1d10 rounds. During that time, Mephistopheles will taunt the players for being fools, but will let his new creations deal with them. Assuming the shell is full sized, it will be spraying holy water out of it front end in a 40 ft cone. Any elementals that are submerged in the holy water will be destroyed. The first round after they realize this, they will flee. The next round, however Mephistopheles will have them rally back toward the players, although they will now approach only from the sides and back of the shell. A player wielding the frostbrand axe will find that he deals a death blow everytime against the elementals. They will quickly begin shying away from this character. If the players can get the shell in the hole, steam will pour out of it mingled with eerie wails, and the players should probably use the amulet one last time to go home post-haste.
Ingredients Recap
-------------------------
Demon Orgy Where the players meet there contact, Frewkawddit, who points them in the right direction of the Bullette Shell, and gives them enchanted lock picks to get to it.
Lock Picks Enchanted by Frewkawddit and given to the party to use to steal the bullette shell.
Reluctant Slavers The quasit administering the penance to the Balor, and then the party itself when the quasit thrust this duty upon them mistaking them for demons come in relief.
Frost Brand, Battle Axe Weapon the slave Balor uses to chop the iron-like dark wood. A PC can then use it as an effective weapon against the hellfire elementals.
Bullette Shell Trans-planar artifact created by Demogorgon’s failed experiments, used to bring the sacred well’s water to Mephistopheles layer.
Sacred Well Well of holy water, created by the cleric of Pelor’s miracle, used to extinguish Mephistopheles vast vain of hellfire that he was using to build an army.
Well, that sucked. I was going to edit my entry this morning at work, only my boss pulled me into a meeting before I had a chance. It was all I could do to step out in time to get the entry in with just a minute to spare, let alone give it a good once over or put in bold and italics. So you'll have to forgive me for any grammar and formatting inadequacies. The meat of it should still be good, but if I had a chance to edit it I'm sure the entry would be easier to understand and use, not to mention shorter and more direct!
Well, back to work. I probably won't be able to read the competition's entry till tonight......
Well, back to work. I probably won't be able to read the competition's entry till tonight......
Winter Iron DM 2004 Tourney
Round Two – Second Match-Up:
cstyle vs Enkhidu
The Ingredients:
Demon Orgy
Reluctant Slavers
Bulette Shell
Frost Brand, Battle Axe
Lock Picks
Sacred Well
The Adventure:
All’s Well that Ends Well
Adventure Notes:
All’s Well that Ends Well is an short adventure meant for PCs of 11th to 12th level.
Background
H’quru is a strong walled desert city, long ruled by the Caliphs of the Shom. It is a jewel of the desert known for valuable spices, mines full of pure veins of silver and gold, and the deep wells that are the lifeblood of the city.
However, if the water wells are the life’s blood H’quru, then a different well is its heart: the Well of Holy Flame. Legends abound of the sacred well and its power, and when the Shom first laid stone in H’quru that power protected them from the fell beasts and otherworldly fiends that stalked the desert night. Yet as H’quru grew, so did the number of pilgrims seeking to gaze upon its wonder. The masses came, bringing with them little more than empty bellies, parched tongues, and diseased breath; and to fight this growing plague, the Well was sealed during the reign of the first Caliph. Since then, every third year the Well is unsealed at midnight to light up the starry sky and H’quru celebrates the Festival of the Flame in its glow. Come morning, however, the Caliph seals the Well once again, keeping it safe for another three years.
NPCs
Caliph Shoshua b’Shom: Aristocrat 8
The Caliph’s line has ruled H’quru since its founding, playing one noble family off another in more troublesome times in order to maintain their grip on H’quru’s throne, and the current Caliph is no stranger to his family’s heritage: he is decadent, pampered, and utterly ruthless. He also happens to be well loved by the people, as his rule has been considered fair and his armies have been successful in battle. As such, many of his extravagances and vices have been overlooked by the masses, including his harem.
The Caliph’s harem is the stuff of legend: encompassing women of all races and types and as large as a one of H’quru’s battalions. So much of his business is conducted among them that his scribes and viziers have set up offices right outside the harem chambers and some of the women have been pressed into service, running messages back and forth between the Caliph and his advisors and sometimes accompanying him on his more public appearances.
For the past two weeks, the Caliph has been under the charming influence of B’rana and Kharmina – two succubi posing as members of his harem. He is at this point firmly under their control.
Kharmina and B’rana: Succubi (each CR7)
B’rana and Karmina are, using their significant polymorph capabilities, posing as two new members of Caliph Shoshua’s harem. They arrived in H’quru less than a month ago, and had almost completely dominated the Caliph two weeks later. Now, one of the two is always at the Caliph’s side, and together they control him utterly.
The succubi are bent on the corruption of the Well of Holy Fire, and plan on doing just that when the Well’s seal is broken. Using unholy and carnal rites, they plan on using the Well as a permanent gateway into the Abyss.
B’rana has in her possession an item of note in this adventure – a scroll inscribed with a symbol of lust. This effect is similar to that of a symbol of insanity or of persuasion, excpet that it instead causes an overwhelming feeling of lust in those that fail a Will save against it. Those affected by the symbol become rather “free” with their affections. Symbol of lust is a arcane spell of 7th level that last 10 minutes per caster level.
Sack and Govan: Ranger 6/Rogue 5 and Sorcerer 10
Sack and Govan are members of the Ring of Freemen, a shadowy cabal of morally ambiguous demon slayers. Their purpose is simple – to hunt down, root out, and kill demons – and they are not picky about their methods. Members wear Lock Picks as pendants and pins as a subtle symbol of their membership.
Sack and Govan have been hunting B’rana and Kharmina since they first found evidence of their presence, and finally tracked them (through a number of methods) to the Caliph’s harem. Knowing that secret entrance into the palace – let alone the harem chambers – might be difficult at best, they decided to gain entrance another way – by posing as slavers specializing in “entertainment” with gifts for the Caliph. Their plan is to give the Caliph two girls for his harem, and then take their place with the use of Govan’s alter self. That should give them enough time to find and destroy the succubi.
However, Sack and Govan are Reluctant Slavers at best, as they actually had to purchase slaves and play the role to the hilt. As a former slave himself, Sack has an especially difficult time playing the part correctly.
Sack has one item of note in addition to his regular complement - the three Lock Picks he wears around his neck as a symbol of his Freemen status are magical in nature – one can act as a Chime of Opening, one can enact freedom of movement, and one can be used to break enchantment with a touch (spell effects at 15th level of ability). Each pick can be used only once, turning to dust afterward. The break enchantment pick will act as a failsafe, and automatically be used if the wearer is put under the effect of any type of enchantment for more than one round.
The Well of Holy Flame and the Festival of Fire
H’quru’s Well lies in the center of a large square near the palace. It is a simple yet well made stone and mortar well, however when uncapped this well spurts a jet of flame equal in intensity to a wall of fire[/I[. Sitting atop the well is the heavily engraved and magicked exoskeleton of what the H’qurans term a “sand shark” (actually a Bullete Shell), and such a shell has served as the cap of the Well since the first Caliph.
Every three years, in a ceremony full of pomp, the current Caliph presides over the release of the Holy Flame. This somber release culminates in the Cleaving of the Seal (done both physically and metaphorically by the Caliph using the a ceremonial axe said to have been used to quench the flame when it was first capped – the axe is a Frost Brand in Battle Axe form). When the seal is broken, the flame rushed upwards in a great pillar that lights up the streets of the city. It stays there until first light the next morning, when the revels cease, the ceremonial axe is used to quench the Holy Flame, and the well is recapped by a new Bullete Shell for another three years. This is the H’quran tradition, and anyone familiar with the city will know if it.
The weeks leading up to the Festival of Fire involve a number of activites, including Olympic style games, contests of horsemanship, and the Hunt. The Hunt is a contest of prowess and skill that is meant to provide the Caliph with a new capseal for the Well. The winners of the Hunt (the first to return with the carcass and/or shell of a bulette) are rewarded richly and given a place of honor during the festivities.
Adventure Hooks
Ideally, PCs will become involved with the happenings around H’quru’s Well of Holy Flame as guests of the Caliph. Some possible methods of making the PCs “official guests” follow:
-If H’quru (or another large desert city) figures heavily in the campaign already, then it is possible that the PCs are already well-known heroes. If this is the case, the Caliph will invite them to his palace for the breaking of the Well’s seal – such an invitation is considered an honor in H’quru..
-The PCs might join the Hunt, and if they are victorious will be guaranteed close contact with the Caliph.
-The PCs might be diplomatic envoys, sent to inquire about trade agreements (new or old), military alliances, or the like.
All other adventure hooks should at minimum put the PCs in close contact with the during the day of the Well is to be unsealed for revelry, feasting, etc in preparation for the night’s ceremony.
Events
Some of the events covered below occur “offstage,” and events will follow this basic timeline unless the PCs intervene.
-One Month Before
The succubi arrive in H’quru and begin work on the Caliph. Soon after, Sack and Govan begin tracking the demons. The Caliph calls for the beginning of the Hunt.
-Two Weeks Before
The succubi complete their domination of the Caliph. Sack and Govan track the demons to H’quru and formulate their plan. Soon after they are posing as slavers and buying slaves.
-One Week Before
If the PCs have not yet arrived in H’quru (for example, to participate in the Hunt), they do so now. The Hunt should now be over, and the Caliph’s wizards and viziers begin preparation of the bullete shell/capstone. Sack and Govan arrive in H’quru and begin working on seeing the Caliph. This week will be marked by Games, and the PCs should have plenty to do if they participate.
-The Day Of…
Feasting, carousing, and other revelry abound in the Caliph’s palace. At this point, the PCs (through appropriate hooks) should be guests of the Caliph, and are invited to attend the festivities.
By the time the feasting begins, the Caliph will have two succubi shadows that follow him wherever he goes. He will seem at times befuddled, and there will be gossip about his new favorites among the revelers. Though he will perform his duties, it will become obvious that he is only interested in sating his appetites for wine, women, and food. Through inquiry, the PCs might discover that this is out of character for the Caliph.
For their part, the two succubi will begin charming revelers wholesale, and beginning with the guards. They will steer clear of the PCs unless the PCs seek them out (at which point the PC in question becomes fair game). This charming will better allow them get cooperation during the night when they begin their unholy rites.
During one of the feasts that the PCs attend, they may meet either Sack or Govan. Of the two, Govan is much more well at ease with the pairs plan, and it will show (in addition, Govan is a charismatic individual with no mean skill in Bluffing, Diplomacy, and other interpersonal skill). On the other hand, Sack is close mouthed and very obviously ill at ease. Observant PCs might notice the Lock Pick pendants both wear – curious PCs will get harshly rebuffed if they inquire about them, and Sack will take careful note of them. Both men are nervous about their cover, and are not very willing to trust the PCs. If, however, if during conversation the pair finds out that the PCs have ever come into conflict with fiends, they may cautiously decide to join with the PCs to kill the succubi.
At some point in the afternoon, Gavon and Sack will present the Caliph with his new gift, and ask only ythat they be allowed to prepare them for the evening’s festivities before they give them entirely over to the Caliph’s care. The Caliph will accept the gift and the girls will be carted away.
-Festival and Ceremony
When the Caliph goes to prepare for the ceremony, the revelers will be escorted into the courtyard surrounding the Well. Sharp eyed PCs will notice that the girls presented to the Caliph by Sack and Govan are present but are wearing decorative daggers and a set of Lock Picks as pendants. These are in actuality the pair of demon hunters altered to look like their “gifts.”
Before the PCs can investigate, the ceremony will begin and end quickly, with the breaking of the seal. When the seal breaks and the flames leap into the air, those too close to the flame will be burned (as a wall of fire), while the rest of the revelers go wild. This crowd should be the equivalent of a mosh pit, with all that entails.
While the crowd goes wild, the succubi use their symbol of lust, and the mosh pit quickly becomes more friendly. The succibi take part in the friendliness. Within rounds, revelers will have shed clothing and gotten to “know” one another in a biblical sense. During the confusion, Sack and Govan will attempt to make their way over to the demons. At this point, just about everything should happen at once.
The succubi, at the height of the frenetic orgy, will begin their unholy rite with the sacrifice of the Caliph, who will be hurled into the flame without his ceremonial axe. At that point a portal will open that allows demons to come into the Prime. This effect is equal to the Summon Demon ability of a vrock (35% chance to summon 2d10 dretch) each round. The dretch, if they come through will actually join in the festivities, coupling with just about anything that moves, though this Demon Orgy will also result in a bloodbath as revelers dies while in the throes of passion. When this happens the succubi revert to their true forms.
If the succubi proceed uninterrupted, this Well will become corrupted and the portal will be permanent. If the PCs intervene (or if Sack and Govan interrupt the demons) the portal will be temporary, but will continue to spew out demons as long as the well is uncapped. Only by quenching the Flame with the ceremonial axe (which is lost in the crowd) and capping the Well with the shell (which was close at hand already for the actual closing ceremony) will the portal close.
Aftermath
If the PCs close the portal, they still have a number of problems – demons running amok, a new power vacuum in H’quru, and the political and religious fallout caused by the (possible) corruption of the Well. That should keep ‘em busy.
********
Quick Ingredient Recap:
Demon Orgy: Part of the unholy rites that open a portal to the Abyss.
Reluctant Slavers: Govan and Sack
Bullete Shell: the Cap of the Well
Frost Brand, Battle Axe: the ceremonial axe that quenches the Holy Flame
Lock Picks: Symbol of the Ring of Freemen, a clue to the identy of the altered demon hunters, and Sack’s safety net
Sacred Well: The Well of Holy Flame
Round Two – Second Match-Up:
cstyle vs Enkhidu
The Ingredients:
Demon Orgy
Reluctant Slavers
Bulette Shell
Frost Brand, Battle Axe
Lock Picks
Sacred Well
The Adventure:
All’s Well that Ends Well
Adventure Notes:
All’s Well that Ends Well is an short adventure meant for PCs of 11th to 12th level.
Background
H’quru is a strong walled desert city, long ruled by the Caliphs of the Shom. It is a jewel of the desert known for valuable spices, mines full of pure veins of silver and gold, and the deep wells that are the lifeblood of the city.
However, if the water wells are the life’s blood H’quru, then a different well is its heart: the Well of Holy Flame. Legends abound of the sacred well and its power, and when the Shom first laid stone in H’quru that power protected them from the fell beasts and otherworldly fiends that stalked the desert night. Yet as H’quru grew, so did the number of pilgrims seeking to gaze upon its wonder. The masses came, bringing with them little more than empty bellies, parched tongues, and diseased breath; and to fight this growing plague, the Well was sealed during the reign of the first Caliph. Since then, every third year the Well is unsealed at midnight to light up the starry sky and H’quru celebrates the Festival of the Flame in its glow. Come morning, however, the Caliph seals the Well once again, keeping it safe for another three years.
NPCs
Caliph Shoshua b’Shom: Aristocrat 8
The Caliph’s line has ruled H’quru since its founding, playing one noble family off another in more troublesome times in order to maintain their grip on H’quru’s throne, and the current Caliph is no stranger to his family’s heritage: he is decadent, pampered, and utterly ruthless. He also happens to be well loved by the people, as his rule has been considered fair and his armies have been successful in battle. As such, many of his extravagances and vices have been overlooked by the masses, including his harem.
The Caliph’s harem is the stuff of legend: encompassing women of all races and types and as large as a one of H’quru’s battalions. So much of his business is conducted among them that his scribes and viziers have set up offices right outside the harem chambers and some of the women have been pressed into service, running messages back and forth between the Caliph and his advisors and sometimes accompanying him on his more public appearances.
For the past two weeks, the Caliph has been under the charming influence of B’rana and Kharmina – two succubi posing as members of his harem. He is at this point firmly under their control.
Kharmina and B’rana: Succubi (each CR7)
B’rana and Karmina are, using their significant polymorph capabilities, posing as two new members of Caliph Shoshua’s harem. They arrived in H’quru less than a month ago, and had almost completely dominated the Caliph two weeks later. Now, one of the two is always at the Caliph’s side, and together they control him utterly.
The succubi are bent on the corruption of the Well of Holy Fire, and plan on doing just that when the Well’s seal is broken. Using unholy and carnal rites, they plan on using the Well as a permanent gateway into the Abyss.
B’rana has in her possession an item of note in this adventure – a scroll inscribed with a symbol of lust. This effect is similar to that of a symbol of insanity or of persuasion, excpet that it instead causes an overwhelming feeling of lust in those that fail a Will save against it. Those affected by the symbol become rather “free” with their affections. Symbol of lust is a arcane spell of 7th level that last 10 minutes per caster level.
Sack and Govan: Ranger 6/Rogue 5 and Sorcerer 10
Sack and Govan are members of the Ring of Freemen, a shadowy cabal of morally ambiguous demon slayers. Their purpose is simple – to hunt down, root out, and kill demons – and they are not picky about their methods. Members wear Lock Picks as pendants and pins as a subtle symbol of their membership.
Sack and Govan have been hunting B’rana and Kharmina since they first found evidence of their presence, and finally tracked them (through a number of methods) to the Caliph’s harem. Knowing that secret entrance into the palace – let alone the harem chambers – might be difficult at best, they decided to gain entrance another way – by posing as slavers specializing in “entertainment” with gifts for the Caliph. Their plan is to give the Caliph two girls for his harem, and then take their place with the use of Govan’s alter self. That should give them enough time to find and destroy the succubi.
However, Sack and Govan are Reluctant Slavers at best, as they actually had to purchase slaves and play the role to the hilt. As a former slave himself, Sack has an especially difficult time playing the part correctly.
Sack has one item of note in addition to his regular complement - the three Lock Picks he wears around his neck as a symbol of his Freemen status are magical in nature – one can act as a Chime of Opening, one can enact freedom of movement, and one can be used to break enchantment with a touch (spell effects at 15th level of ability). Each pick can be used only once, turning to dust afterward. The break enchantment pick will act as a failsafe, and automatically be used if the wearer is put under the effect of any type of enchantment for more than one round.
The Well of Holy Flame and the Festival of Fire
H’quru’s Well lies in the center of a large square near the palace. It is a simple yet well made stone and mortar well, however when uncapped this well spurts a jet of flame equal in intensity to a wall of fire[/I[. Sitting atop the well is the heavily engraved and magicked exoskeleton of what the H’qurans term a “sand shark” (actually a Bullete Shell), and such a shell has served as the cap of the Well since the first Caliph.
Every three years, in a ceremony full of pomp, the current Caliph presides over the release of the Holy Flame. This somber release culminates in the Cleaving of the Seal (done both physically and metaphorically by the Caliph using the a ceremonial axe said to have been used to quench the flame when it was first capped – the axe is a Frost Brand in Battle Axe form). When the seal is broken, the flame rushed upwards in a great pillar that lights up the streets of the city. It stays there until first light the next morning, when the revels cease, the ceremonial axe is used to quench the Holy Flame, and the well is recapped by a new Bullete Shell for another three years. This is the H’quran tradition, and anyone familiar with the city will know if it.
The weeks leading up to the Festival of Fire involve a number of activites, including Olympic style games, contests of horsemanship, and the Hunt. The Hunt is a contest of prowess and skill that is meant to provide the Caliph with a new capseal for the Well. The winners of the Hunt (the first to return with the carcass and/or shell of a bulette) are rewarded richly and given a place of honor during the festivities.
Adventure Hooks
Ideally, PCs will become involved with the happenings around H’quru’s Well of Holy Flame as guests of the Caliph. Some possible methods of making the PCs “official guests” follow:
-If H’quru (or another large desert city) figures heavily in the campaign already, then it is possible that the PCs are already well-known heroes. If this is the case, the Caliph will invite them to his palace for the breaking of the Well’s seal – such an invitation is considered an honor in H’quru..
-The PCs might join the Hunt, and if they are victorious will be guaranteed close contact with the Caliph.
-The PCs might be diplomatic envoys, sent to inquire about trade agreements (new or old), military alliances, or the like.
All other adventure hooks should at minimum put the PCs in close contact with the during the day of the Well is to be unsealed for revelry, feasting, etc in preparation for the night’s ceremony.
Events
Some of the events covered below occur “offstage,” and events will follow this basic timeline unless the PCs intervene.
-One Month Before
The succubi arrive in H’quru and begin work on the Caliph. Soon after, Sack and Govan begin tracking the demons. The Caliph calls for the beginning of the Hunt.
-Two Weeks Before
The succubi complete their domination of the Caliph. Sack and Govan track the demons to H’quru and formulate their plan. Soon after they are posing as slavers and buying slaves.
-One Week Before
If the PCs have not yet arrived in H’quru (for example, to participate in the Hunt), they do so now. The Hunt should now be over, and the Caliph’s wizards and viziers begin preparation of the bullete shell/capstone. Sack and Govan arrive in H’quru and begin working on seeing the Caliph. This week will be marked by Games, and the PCs should have plenty to do if they participate.
-The Day Of…
Feasting, carousing, and other revelry abound in the Caliph’s palace. At this point, the PCs (through appropriate hooks) should be guests of the Caliph, and are invited to attend the festivities.
By the time the feasting begins, the Caliph will have two succubi shadows that follow him wherever he goes. He will seem at times befuddled, and there will be gossip about his new favorites among the revelers. Though he will perform his duties, it will become obvious that he is only interested in sating his appetites for wine, women, and food. Through inquiry, the PCs might discover that this is out of character for the Caliph.
For their part, the two succubi will begin charming revelers wholesale, and beginning with the guards. They will steer clear of the PCs unless the PCs seek them out (at which point the PC in question becomes fair game). This charming will better allow them get cooperation during the night when they begin their unholy rites.
During one of the feasts that the PCs attend, they may meet either Sack or Govan. Of the two, Govan is much more well at ease with the pairs plan, and it will show (in addition, Govan is a charismatic individual with no mean skill in Bluffing, Diplomacy, and other interpersonal skill). On the other hand, Sack is close mouthed and very obviously ill at ease. Observant PCs might notice the Lock Pick pendants both wear – curious PCs will get harshly rebuffed if they inquire about them, and Sack will take careful note of them. Both men are nervous about their cover, and are not very willing to trust the PCs. If, however, if during conversation the pair finds out that the PCs have ever come into conflict with fiends, they may cautiously decide to join with the PCs to kill the succubi.
At some point in the afternoon, Gavon and Sack will present the Caliph with his new gift, and ask only ythat they be allowed to prepare them for the evening’s festivities before they give them entirely over to the Caliph’s care. The Caliph will accept the gift and the girls will be carted away.
-Festival and Ceremony
When the Caliph goes to prepare for the ceremony, the revelers will be escorted into the courtyard surrounding the Well. Sharp eyed PCs will notice that the girls presented to the Caliph by Sack and Govan are present but are wearing decorative daggers and a set of Lock Picks as pendants. These are in actuality the pair of demon hunters altered to look like their “gifts.”
Before the PCs can investigate, the ceremony will begin and end quickly, with the breaking of the seal. When the seal breaks and the flames leap into the air, those too close to the flame will be burned (as a wall of fire), while the rest of the revelers go wild. This crowd should be the equivalent of a mosh pit, with all that entails.
While the crowd goes wild, the succubi use their symbol of lust, and the mosh pit quickly becomes more friendly. The succibi take part in the friendliness. Within rounds, revelers will have shed clothing and gotten to “know” one another in a biblical sense. During the confusion, Sack and Govan will attempt to make their way over to the demons. At this point, just about everything should happen at once.
The succubi, at the height of the frenetic orgy, will begin their unholy rite with the sacrifice of the Caliph, who will be hurled into the flame without his ceremonial axe. At that point a portal will open that allows demons to come into the Prime. This effect is equal to the Summon Demon ability of a vrock (35% chance to summon 2d10 dretch) each round. The dretch, if they come through will actually join in the festivities, coupling with just about anything that moves, though this Demon Orgy will also result in a bloodbath as revelers dies while in the throes of passion. When this happens the succubi revert to their true forms.
If the succubi proceed uninterrupted, this Well will become corrupted and the portal will be permanent. If the PCs intervene (or if Sack and Govan interrupt the demons) the portal will be temporary, but will continue to spew out demons as long as the well is uncapped. Only by quenching the Flame with the ceremonial axe (which is lost in the crowd) and capping the Well with the shell (which was close at hand already for the actual closing ceremony) will the portal close.
Aftermath
If the PCs close the portal, they still have a number of problems – demons running amok, a new power vacuum in H’quru, and the political and religious fallout caused by the (possible) corruption of the Well. That should keep ‘em busy.
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Quick Ingredient Recap:
Demon Orgy: Part of the unholy rites that open a portal to the Abyss.
Reluctant Slavers: Govan and Sack
Bullete Shell: the Cap of the Well
Frost Brand, Battle Axe: the ceremonial axe that quenches the Holy Flame
Lock Picks: Symbol of the Ring of Freemen, a clue to the identy of the altered demon hunters, and Sack’s safety net
Sacred Well: The Well of Holy Flame
