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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nifft" data-source="post: 673917" data-attributes="member: 6562">Quickbeam vs NifftIngredients:Blind dire ape(s)Dwarven stone workVicious CircleRod of the pythonVery lucky sorcererMistaken Flag of Trucean adventure for 4-6th level charactersIhaphron is a jagged island rising from a fickle sea. The land is  ringed by long beaches, sandy to the west and south, rocky to the north and east. The south-east meeting of sand and rock provides a natural harbor, and next to this harbor lies a ruin.There is a natural lagoon to the east, where mangroves flourish.Past the sand, rock, and mangroves, a jungle flourishes. The soil is very fertile, and trees and underbrush alike exhibit a riot ofgrowth. The morning mist, driven inland by the morning seabreeze, lasts long under the deep shade of the canopy.Above the towering jungle can be seen two broken peaks, where the volcano behind this island's creation was last active. Most days, smoke can be seen rising from the shorter  southern peak.The island is inhabited by a peaceful community of Elves, who exist in harmony with the island's natural order, due to theirdedication to Druidic lore. For the last 30 years they have been led by Imlaer, a neutral good 6th level Druid.One month ago: A stout ship landed on the southern shore of  Ihaphron, near the old salt-crusted ruins. A large group of short, stout forms disembarked, then slapped each other heartily on the back  as they saw the condition of the ruins. "Good Dwarven stone work, lads! Set a hundred years by the sea, an'  good as the day she was hewn!"The Kzrud-Arenk Clan began the first stage of their Reclaimation Project under the watchful eyes of Karstin Kzurd and Salkan Arenk. (Karstin and Salkan are a married couple. Karstin is a LG Cleric of Pelor and Salkanis a Paladin of the same god. Either can be husband or wife -- with Dwarves, who can tell anyway? -- but I'll call Karstin "he". Both are6th level. If not Pelor, any god which allows LG priests and has the Healing Domain.)Two weeks ago: The Kzrud-Arenk Reclaimation Project (KARP for short) was proceeding as planned. Most of the interior doors and furniture needed replacing, but wood was easy enough to acquire.Strangely, food stores seemed to be dwindling more quickly than the quartermaster's forecasts indicated. Hunting parties were sent out and return with decent game and much strange (but tasty) fruit.One week ago: KARP scouts -- lightly armored fighters -- set  out into the jungle, to see if the old road was still intact. It was completely overgrown. Since the indoor work was mainly complete and the dwarves settled into their new quarters, a larger contingent of dwarves, armed with axes and fire, started to work at clearing the  underegrowth from the aged cobblestone road.5 days ago: While most of the dwarves were working on cutting through the overgrowth around the path, something horrible occured. A guard shouted the alarm from near the clan's living quarters, andsimultaneously a conflagration erupted atop the north wall, burning new construction and sending confused guards running (and falling).Luckily for the escaping figure, the guards didn't even look in the right direction -- and luckier yet, their attention was rivited on  someone else. For a scant minute before the alarm went up, a tall figure had stepped from the jungle, flanked by two enormous direapes, bearing a green flag (in fact, a large naturally square leaf). The strange figure was within 100 ft. of the wall when the fireball detonated.The dwarves on the wall can be forgiven for having mistaken the green flag for a battle-standard. In fact, it was a mistaken flag of truce -- Imlaer had wanted to  discuss why the dwarves were burning and cutting away at her jungle.The dwarves knew none of this. They knew only that an elf had come out of the woods and now fireballs were exploding. They jumped to the logical conclusion, and opened fire on the elf and her companions. Karstin, not wishing to unduly harm his unknownfoe, cast Blindness on each member of the trio -- only Imlaer resisted the effect.Meanwhile, the very lucky sorcerer was only seen by two dwarves before he turned himself invisible and flew away with his ill-gotten loot.4 days ago: The seige began. Karstin and Salkan had pulled their clansmen (and women) back within the walls of the former ruin, now known among them as New Fort Kzurd-Arenk, or  just "the Fort". Karstin can create enough food and water for 54  people each day. His clan numbers 50, so he will not begrudge a small party their daily rations.Outside, Nature's fury had begun to manifest. Imlaer would  have prefered to buff and unleash her companions against the interlopers, but a pair of blind dire apes would be too at risk, and for too little chance of doing serious damage -- she quickly learned that no matter what she summoned, not even a small earth elemental could budge the mildly enchanted dwarven stonework of the Fort.Most shocking of all, though, is the disappearence of Karstin's Rod of the Python -- a gift from his order, as the python is the symbol of the healer.Now: Morale is low on both sides. Imlaer has been harrying the dwarves as best she can, while Karstin's troops have been taking pot-shots at anything which looks like it might move.The viscious circle of mistrust, hostility and escalation  is about to set these two basically Good forces against each other in pitched battle.What Really Happened: Karstin's ship had a stowaway. A  human named Vultar (NE Sorc7), who fancies himself quite an able thief, heard about the "expidition" and thought that where dwarves go digging up ruins, there's sure to be treasure a-plenty. He easily hid during the two day trip, flying out of the ship under cover of invisibility. He had been skulking around the Fort while it was under construction, but when the majority of the dwarves  left to work on the cobblestone road, he saw his chance and snuck into Karstin and Salkan's bedchamber. He stole what magic items he could find along with a small sack of gems.When he was spotted, he paniced and hurled a Fireball at the most obvious group of guards he could see -- the ones on the wall -- hoping to kill (or at least scare away) most of the archers. The two dwarves who actually saw him were on the ground and not affected by his Fireball. They saw him holding the Rod of the Python and the other items, then they saw him disappear. Only one of the guards who saw him is convinced that he wasn't an elf ("I knows my big'uns, an' he was a human or I ain't four feet tall!").When Vultar took to the air and saw what was going on, and realized  that the elf was going to take the fall for his theft, he nearly wet himself laughing. He followed Imlaer back to her village -- invisible and flying the whole while -- and decided to even the odds by lifting whatever magic she might possess as well. The next day when she left to harry the dwarves, he flew into her chamber and stole her Rod of Flame Extinguishing. (Her blind dire ape guards smelled the intruder, but could not describe him to her -- they didn't see him after all.)Now Imlaer thinks that the dwarves a) have a way to strike at her village; and b) are planning on burning down significant parts of  the jungle.Meanwhile, Vultar is desperately looking for a way off the island -- his ill-gotten gains do him little to no good here.Enter the Party: Hooks1) On day 5, Karstin sent an Animal Messanger back to the  mainland requesting help. His message is scrawled quickly and is somewhat vague as to the exact nature of the threat: "SEND HELP -- giant beasts attacking from jungle -- spell casters among them -- may The Shining One grant you speed!"2) The party heard about the expedition and joined in as "hired help" -- or more, if one of the party members is either dwarven or a member of the correct Church.3) The party has a Druid or Bard who learns of an interesting people, full of lost lore both musical and magical, who live on an island merely two day's journey from the coast. They are on the island when the Dwarves arrive and the trouble begins.4) The party is caught in a storm while traveling near the island by sea -- very likely, given what Imlaer has been doing to the weather around the island -- and are washed up on shore  near the Fort. The Fort offers obvious shelter, but the jungle  is nearby as well. Whichever way they go, they are greeted with  caution by the appropriate faction.Diplomacy: Imlaer is unfriendly to Dwarves, Clerics and Paladins.She is friendly towards Elves, Druids, Rangers and Bards.If the party is more than half Dwarves, she will attack.(Friendly trumps unfriendly -- she will be friendly to a dwarven Druid or elven Cleric of Pelor. Surprised at first, then friendly.)She is otherwise indifferent.Karstin is friendly towards Dwarves, Clerics and Paladins.He is unfriendly towards Druids, Barbarians, Rangers and Elves.If the party is more than half elves or half-elves, he will attack.(Friendly trumps unfriendly -- he will be friendly to a dwarven Druid or elven Cleric of Pelor. Surprised at first, then friendly.)He is otherwise indifferent.Imlaer can be made friendlier by: - a Druid, Ranger or Elf with a successful Diplomacy check [DC 20] - restoring her blind dire apes' sight - bringing her proof of who stole her Rod of Flame Extinguishing - bringing her the Rod itselfKarstin can be made friendlier by: - a Cleric (of the same god), Paladin (any) or Dwarf with a successful   Diplomacy check [DC 20] - calming the weather - bringing him proof of who stole his Rod of the Python - bringing him the Rod itselfIf the party can make Imlaer Helpful, they can get her to stop making the weather nasty.If the party interviews both of the dwarves who saw the thief on day 5 they can determine that one of them is full of BS (Sense Motive, DC 15) -- he barely saw an outline, and filled in his "memories" based on what he heard others say afterwards ("Elf attack!"). This will only become noticeable if he's pressed for details.If the party can make both sides Helpful, they can get them to parlay.Vultar's Lair:Vultar has set up for himself a decent little lean-to atop the smoking volcano. He figures that it gives him a good view, while it covers his own campfire's smoke. He's mostly right -- but his fire is visible from the north side of the island (past the smoking peak). Neither of the  warring factions is currently there, as their conflict takes place on the southern coast. The party might see it, though. (Spot check in the early evening, DC 20.)When the party discovers him, he uses Change Self to appear as an  Efreeti, after casting Resist Elements (Cold) on himself. He will always keep a 3rd level spell slot open for Fly, and a 2nd level  spell slot open for Invisibility. He prefers to open combat witha Fireball.However, he need not be fought. All he wants is a way off of the island. He'll bargain with the party -- always trying to keep the Rods, which he hasn't yet identified, for himself.If the party came on their own boat, he'll try to trade them items  for safe passage to the mainland. This could be trouble, for the party's boat may be docked in or near the dwarven Fort.It is NOT going to be easy to get him to surrender willingly -- the party will have to hunt him for three days, while he throws everything he's got at them, trying to kill them. Of course, the party will soon learn the extent of his spells, so preparing for his tactics won't be hard after the first fight. After three days, he's pretty much starving, since wilderness survival isn't his strong suit.Conclusion:If the party returns both sides' items AND get them to parlay, they can arrange a novel solution: the druids help dwarves clear the old road; "eco-friendly" and builds respect between the races. The dwarves re-start the mine at the end of the old road, and share the wealth with the elves. (Imlaer feels that such metal weapons are unnecessary, but her lover is a Ranger and he lets it be known that he wouldn't mind a nice adamantine longsword.)Reward:The party either gets (some of) the items Vultar stole if they behave evilly, or they get IOUs which they can redeem for new enchanted darkwood or adamantine weapons or armor if they behave in accordance with good.A very evil party could kill Vultar and take everything, but escaping the island might not be simple.*** NPCs and Forces **** Clan Kzurd-Arenk *20 Expert 33 Expert 520 Fighter 22 Fighter 32 Paladin 21 Paladin 4Karstin KzurdSalkan Arenk* Thorp of Ihaphron *10 Expert 29 Children1 Expert 41 Expert 624 Ranger 25 Ranger 32 Ranger 41 Ranger 68 Druid 14 Druid 22 Druid 31 Druid 4Imlaer* Vultar * Human Sor7, Neutral EvilStr: 11, Dex: 16, Con: 11, Int: 12, Wis: 13, Cha: 17Skills:Concentration: 10Move Silently: 8 (5)Hide: 8 (5)Bluff: 8 (5)Feats:Improved InitiativeSilent SpellStill SpellWeapon Finesse (Rapier)Vultar's Spells:1- Change Self1- Unseen Servant1- Identify1- Magic Missile1- Shield2- Invisibility2- Knock (or Aganazzar's Scortcher)2- Resist Element3- Fireball3- FlyPosessions: (will not trade)+1 Flaming RapierKarstin's Rod of the PythonImlaer's Rod of Flame Extinguishing5 pearls (110 gp each)Loot (will trade)Imlaer's potion box (6 Cure Moderate Wounds, 2 Barkskin, 2 Remove Disease)Imlaer's darkwood shortspear +1Karstin's bag of gems (6 rubies, 350 gp each)Salkan's large shield +1Salkan's adamantine dagger</blockquote>

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