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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Greybar" data-source="post: 660234" data-attributes="member: 4938">Amidst the night's fog on the canal-docks of the City of Midrushing stands a lone figure.  He cuts a sharp figure dressed in the blue and white of the city guard, but his head hangs heavy.  His rapier dangles in his hand as he looks down upon the fog that rolls upon the canal's water.  He removes the feathered hat that is the symbol of his captaincy, and gravely tosses it to float upon the waters of the canal and be swallowed by the fog."O Captain, My Captain"is an adventure for heroes of level 4-6.Ingredients: Fogged window, City Captain, Simple lock, The Moaning Diamond, Financial Coup, and a brace of GargoylesBackground: The Rise of a City and it's CaptainCaptain Thomas Wrightson rose through the ranks of the city guard as a bold and incorrigible man.  The powerful in the City recognized him for one that could not be bought by any one of their number, and thus was a safe and wise choice for a prosperous city.  His reputation amongst the people was impeccable.  Women from every quarter of the city swooned at his heroic figure and flashing blue eyes.  Young boys took up old blankets to be their capes and fought river-reed sword duels to recreate his victories over the bandits that once preyed on the canal traffic that is the city's financial lifeblood.  In a climactic end to his first year as City Captain, he personally fought a duel with the leader of the bandits, Revyn Thorp.  If the tales be true, he crippled Thorp's good sword arm and then ran him through. Thorp's body fell into the Rushing River and was never seen again.After the successes of the first year Captain Wrightson won for Midrushing a reputation for safe commerce it had never had before.  Midrushing gained a great financial coup as traffic surged on the canals that bypass the rapids that give the river its name.  The noble houses of the City drank to Wrightson's name (and their profits) and raised him to a Lordship in thanks.  In these heady days, Captain Wrightson took a wife, a beautiful young girl named Penelore who he met as she sang at the tavern that the guardsmen favored.  The bards of the city loved the tale: she a beautiful orphan and he a dashing commoner raised into the ranks of the powerful.  The entire city cheered their wedding.But that was last year.  Tonight the Captain stands alone.  Tonight the great hall of the city has been burgled and the emblem and chief treasure stolen.  The Moaning Diamond, brought to the city by its founding nobility over two hundred years ago, is gone.  Fate leads Captain Wrightson to the unconscious watchman soon after the deed. Once woken the watchmen describes the figure he saw as he blacked out and points in the direction of the canal's city docks.The captain rushes to the docks and through the fog sees a figure enter the cabin of a private home-barge.  Lightly stepping up from the docks to the barge's deck, he wipes away the mists from its fogged window, revealing to him the thief: his wife Penelore.  Reeling from the shock and betrayal, he falls back upon the docks, senseless.Act 1: To Action! or the fish take the hookThree hooks are provided in the challenger's entry...The Good Citizen Hook: As his head clears the Captain thinks of one group, one band of heroes, that can recover the Moaning Diamond and bring justice to the city.  He does not trust in his own ability to act clearly and with justice, so in the dark of night he pounds upon their doors to hear his tale and perform this great boon for him.The Roguish Hook: The local thieves guild has also prospered with the City.  The total wealth moving along the canals more than offsets the thinner pickings. But with this theft the entire guild will need to lie low, and so the guildmaster is motivated to set things right and quickly.  The PCs are offered the job of bringing the Moaning Diamond back so that the guild can placate the authorities by having it re-appear in a politically effective manner.  The PCs are instructed to spy out Captain Wrightson to gain information and then proceed.  (use hook below from there)The Four Heroes went into a Bar hook: The PCs, enjoying the tavern at night between adventures, are surprised to have the captain of the guard crash through the doors.  In a daze, half-sane, he tells his sad tale to the wonderment of the assembled people.  Our heroes are motivated by the fame and reward that will obviously come to those who recover the Diamond.The heroes can learn easily from Captain Wrightson that Penelore was on a barge on the canals. By logic or asking locals it will be obvious that the fastest way for her to escape would be down-canal and to the Rushing River.  Up-canal and then up-river is certainly possible with a reasonable barge-horse as well.  Gather Information will lead to the knowledge that a barge has indeed slipped down-canal in the night, stiffed the dockmaster his fee, and taken one of his tow-horses.  He gladly offers a few remaining horses as steeds if needed to recapture the villain.  There are two locks between the city and the Rushing River.  Once the barge hits the river it will gain speed and quickly cross beyond easy capture. The hunt is on.Act 2: The Guarded LockBy horseback, rowboat, or sail the heroes will pass through or by one of the canal's locks prior to catching our thief.  This lock is guarded by ruffians of Penelore's employ to prevent pursuit.  The tow-road that runs along the canal switches banks at this lock via a wooden bridge.  The bridge crosses over the lock just after the downstream gates to give the most clearance possible.  These ruffians are just beginning to light fire to the bridge as the heroes approach in order to both destroy the land path and perhaps block the river path as well.For the GM, this is also an opportunity to familiarize the players with what a simple lock is like and how it operates.  This will save distracting explanation at the final scene of the adventure.  The lock is 70 ft from gate to gate and 10 feet wide.  At each end are wheel-drive sluices that can let the water equalize between canal and lock.  After the water is equalized, the gates themselves can be opened by long counter-balanced beams.  Running across the top of gates themselves is possible, but their wet slippery tops will require a Balance DC15 check.As the ruffians are vanquished, the heroes see two winged shapes observing the fight and then winging down-canal.  To a keen eye these can be distinguished as a brace of gargoyles.Act 3: The Final LockThe heroes catch sight of Penelore's barge as it enters the final lock.  Two ruffians have leaped out to open the sluices on the downstream gate.  The gargoyles dive upon the heroes with stony cries.  Penelore  comes to the deck of the barge, holding the Moaning Diamond.  True to its name, the diamond can be heard like a distant foghorn.  Penelore will reveal herself to be the daughter of Revyn Thorp, her vengeance upon the City of Midrushing now almost complete.  With the diamond she will score her own coup upon the city and field a force to equal her father's until the City begs for her mercy.The GM is encouraged to keep the fight raging over the gates and banks of the lock, and finally up onto the barge.  When the heroes get to the barge to confront Penelore, the downstream gates buck free from the too-hasty opening off the sluices and the barge lurches down into the Rushing River.Penelore is a Rogue and a Bard, and quite handy with a rapier or crossbow.  Match her to your heroes to give them a good final fight.She will use charm person, claim she's carrying the Captain's unborn child, look past the heroes and shout "Now, Father!", or anything else to get an advantage on the PCs.Wrap-up:While persuasive heroes could certainly change the fate, here are some basic consequences to work from:* If the heroes return victoriously with the Diamond before the city rouses with the dawn, then all can be put right save for the broken heart of the Captain.  The nobles of the city will convince him to remain, though he may never be the same again.  The new heroes of Midrushing will be accoladed by the nobles, but any celebration is dampened by the sad mood of the people and their fallen Captain.* If the heroes return after early morning but successful, the city will be in an uproar and the nobles already moved to anger and betrayal.  They will have already condemned Captain Wrightson and be unable to back down without losing face, even if the heroes have accomplished their mission.* If the Diamond is lost and/or Penelore escapes then the Captain will be held for trial.  Heart-broken and accused of betraying the city that he loves and once loved him, he will be found dead by his own hand in his cell, his heart pierced by a dagger begged from guard.Notes for the GM:* Primary theme elements here are the darkness and the fog.  The sounds of the canal and silence of the night are complementary to this.  The moans of the diamond are like a distant foghorn, seemingly directionless in the dark and fog.* Urgency - the players must be driven to catch up to Penelore.  Remind them of this if they ever think of taking 20 on a check.* The scenario is certainly written with a heroic swashbuckling feel in mind.  Bold proclamations by both hero and villain are encouraged.* A simple lock:<img src="http://oha.ci.alexandria.va.us/oha-main/images/oha-cnl-4-full.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></blockquote>

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