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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wulf Ratbane" data-source="post: 1377639" data-attributes="member: 94">Semi-Final Round - Third Match-Up: Wulf Ratbane vs. CarpeDavidIngredients-----------------Will o’ (the) WispFlooded QuarryBroken OnesBrigands on a PilgrimageMagic WigExultationTHE LONG FROSTan adventure for low to mid level heroesBackgroundThis Greyhawk adventure takes place on Oerth near the famed Hanging Glacier of Alisedran. This location is significant as it is one of the few places where the goddess Loviatar—though not of Greyhawk—is able to exert her influence over this world. Loviatar is a Finnish goddess, the Mistress of Pain, and her domains are pain, suffering, and evil, along with the merciless and unpredicatable aspects of cold and water.Near the glacier there lies a small village, prosperous as small villages go, primarily for its quarry. Volcanic action from below, glacial action from above, and the rich gold, cobalt, and iron deposits combined to create a beautiful, colorful striated rock that was prized by builders across the Flaeness. The quarry supported the town for many years until the miners struck a volcanic steam vent that quickly flooded the quarry with warm, mineral-rich water. The flooded quarry is no longer active; steam and fog fill the air and its banks are steep and slick. Few now would dare to venture too near the quarry.Worse things than steam and mist arose—and still rise—from that deep fissure in the glacier.The village leader was a barbarian Jarl named Geldulf. Geldulf had the good fortune to marry a much younger woman, the buxom golden-haired Aino. But as the quarry business dried up, so too did Geldulf’s wealth and prestige, and with it Aino’s devotion to her older husband. She soon regretted her marriage and her misspent youth and beauty. She would go often to the quarry to bemoan her fate and curse her husband, who, though older, was not yet so grey as to release her from her vows anytime soon.The essence of Loviatar took advantage of Aino’s weakness and vanity, and whispered promises to her. Skin as pale as snow, hair as bright as starlight, evermore…This thought stuck with Aino, haunted her. She prayed at the quarry, every day—How?—until one day her prayer was answered:Bring a young girl here… For every tortured scream, another year…Geldulf meanwhile was busy trying to save his village, which had fallen on hard times. To keep his people from abandoning him, the barbarian and his men soon turned to old pursuits: raiding and pillaging the nearby farming communities of the lowlands. He traveled far and was gone often, but returned home often enough to keep his people fed and content—and, of course, to appreciate the beauty of his young wife.It was some time—and seven missing girls—before justice caught up to Aino. Geldulf’s hands were tied, and his justice swift. Over the cries of his young bride, the truth of Aino’s vanity and the awful details of her unholy pact were discovered. For her vanity, Geldulf took her scalp, and for her evil deeds, she was stoned and driven naked and screaming into the snow.Geldulf keeps his bride’s golden hair with him to this day. Sometimes at night, he can hear the screams of his bride on the chill wind. The hair grows still, strong and golden.ENTER THE PCsThis adventure is rather tightly bound to a specific locale and a specific climate, but once the PCs are in such a climate, where a comfortable hearth and a warm meal are in short supply, one need only place a village in their path to start them on the adventure.1)    The PCs arrive in a neighboring village shortly after a raid by Geldulf and his barbarian brigands. The town begs their aid in tracking Geldulf down and bringing him to justice once and for all. This is a fairly straightforward approach.2)    The PCs arrive in Geldulf’s own village just before Geldulf’s return. Lodging is available but food is scarce (at least until Geldulf returns). The PCs can easily tell that there’s no farming or grazing to be done on the rocky patch of ground where the village sits, and when Geldulf and his men return (bloodied, but draped in booty) it will be fairly obvious how the village meets its needs. The PCs may note that the villagers do not seem particularly proud of their Jarl, and they accept looted food and drink reluctantly. If the PCs inquire, they will easily discover that the villagers would gladly be rid of Geldulf and move on to other towns. Geldulf keeps the town together by force: Anyone who tries to leave is hunted down, whipped cruelly, bound painfully, and dragged back to the village. (Some tell of being whipped or bound with rope made of golden braids, rope that bites, chafes, and burns with indescribable pain.)Eventually, the PCs may hear the tale of Geldulf and Aino (“Twas a turning point for Geldulf…”), and the villagers will beg them for help.While the PCs are gathering this information, Geldulf and a small band of his most loyal men will take up their torches, mount up, and disappear into the night again, headed towards the old quarry. If the PCs are tracking Geldulf from another village, they may pass through his village (as above) to hear the story and reinforce the need for justice, or they may track him directly to the quarry.WILL-O-WISPAfter being driven from the village, Aino managed to stagger up to the old quarry, where she soon expired. Loviatar kept the letter of her bargain: Aino's evil spirit now haunts the area as a will-o-wisp with pale flesh and electric “hair” as bright as starlight (though of course she can turn invisible or alter the color of her glow as needed). At times, when she is feeling particularly capricious (such as watching a victim sink into the water), she can even manifest her horrible twisted countenance, sending shivers down the viewer's spine and standing their hair on end.The fog and steam from the warm quarry, the wind, and the driving snow make vision difficult, and if the party is tracking Geldulf, Aino will try to lure them close to the edge of the quarry. PCs who follow the wisp may slip at the edge of the quarry (Balance checks and Swim checks all around!).THE BROKEN ONESPerhaps more dangerous than the will-o-wisp are the seven water-logged and mineral-crusted wights who also haunt the quarry. These are the remains of the seven girls brought here and tortured by Aino, and subsequently animated by the evil will of Loviatar. They still appear as young girls, none older than about sixteen-- but their arms and legs are broken and twisted, the flesh of their young breasts ripped, their ears torn off, their eyes plucked out, their faces smashed and mangled. Worse yet, each girl’s abdomen has been cut open. They will stagger forward out of the darkness, clutching at their bellies, trying to hold in the several large rocks that Aino used to sink them to the bottom of the quarry. If necessary they will pull rocks from their bellies to hurl them at the PCs. The Broken Ones will try to grapple PCs who stray too close to the slippery edge and drag them to the bottom of the quarry.As servants of Loviatar, the Broken Ones will not harm Geldulf or any other devotees of the Mistress of Pain.THE BRIGANDSGeldulf and his men have been perverted through contact with Aino’s cursed hair, which Geldulf usually wears on his hip. In battle, he wears it under his helmet, and swears that he can feel the pain of every blow he strikes. When worn in this way, every blow Geldulf strikes, no matter the weapon, gains the wicked enhancement (+2d6 damage to the enemy, +1d6 damage to the wielder). Geldulf also has a mighty longbow made of tusk and bone, strung with Aino’s bright golden hair, which similarly gains the wicked enhancement. Geldulf has also used the ever-growing hair to make twisted rope, a whip for meting out punishment, even boot laces for himself and his men.Geldulf began coming to the quarry shortly after driving Aino out of the village, to find solace in the solitude. Though he does not know the name of the spirit who guides him in this place, he has nevertheless become a devotee of Loviatar—and will remain so unless freed from curse. After every successful raiding trip, Geldulf and his men make a pilgrimage to the quarry, to throw a portion of their rewards into the water, and to rest and recover in the warm mineral salts. They are unaware of The Broken Ones who inhabit this place, though they have seen the will-o-wisp from time to time. Perhaps instinctively, Geldulf will do it no harm and does his best to avoid it. If the PCs are clever they may be able to catch Geldulf and his men here while they are bathing, though Geldulf usually leaves at least two armed guards on the bank, and they swim in shifts. Geldulf is never without Aino’s magic wig.If the PCs attack, Geldulf (and his men) will surely rage. Geldulf in particular delights in combat. If the PCs catch him unarmored, they will get a major clue here: each time he strikes a blow, deep bruises flash across Geldulf’s body as well as his enemy. Rather than appearing concerned by this, Geldulf will bellow with exultation, not only each time he wounds himself, but each time he is wounded. It is impossible for him to conceal his delight in pain. Geldulf’s exultant raging and ranting grows in intensity until the PCs realize the very real possibility that he will bring down a significant portion of the snowy mountain on top of everyone. If he is dropped (dead or unconscious), he will let out a mighty bellow that will surely do exactly that. To win this fight safely, the PCs must find a way to subdue him: hold person, calm emotions, command (surrender) and the like will surely end his rage. At the DMs option, healing magic, a positive energy burst, or other acts of goodness and kindness may have the same effect, if the PCs seem genuine in their intent.As soon as Geldulf is relieved of Aino’s hair—which he will not do willingly except under the most amazing circumstances (such as a Diplomatic PC desperately trying to redeem him)—he will seem to shrink, grow old, and very repentant.On the other hand, bad things may start to happen to the PC who now possesses the hair…LOOSE STRINGSThere are a number of ways to conclude or extend this adventure.1) The PCs must destroy Aino’s hair. The DM may rule that the hair is a minor artifact and resists any attempt to destroy it, at least until it has exhausted the negative energy it has absorbed from the pain inflicted around it. A new pilgrimage of kindness and mercy—as opposed to merciless justice—may do the trick. The hair will wither and turn grey as the journey goes on, eventually turning to white dust and blowing away as the journey is concluded.2) The PCs may have to find and seal the fissure at the bottom of the quarry.3) In this twist inspired by “The Ring,” there may be no way to rid oneself of Loviatar’s curse. Even if the hair is destroyed, the only way to be rid of the curse is for the burden to be shouldered by another (as the PCs did for Geldulf). A character who takes the wig from Geldulf and destroys it may seem fine for a time, until the PC goes wild in a display of remarkable cruelty. At this point the other PCs may notice the brilliant blond roots sprouting from their ally’s head… Ingredient Recap:Will o’ (the) Wisp-- Aino's spiritFlooded Quarry-- the locale: the quarry, the warm springs, the glacier, lots of snow and atmosphere, and a fine place for Loviatar to manifestBroken Ones-- Aino's young victimsBrigands on a Pilgrimage-- Geldulf and his pain lovin' croniesMagic Wig-- Aino's hairExultation-- Geldulf's pleasure from pain; a clue and an avalanche hazard</blockquote>

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