I wasn't sure at first, three guys couldn't come at the "last" minute, so we wound up playing short. I was concerned that the adventure I had prepared might be a bit too tough for them. Boy did they prove me wrong! : )
I adapted an old Dungeon sidetrek adventure. An evil wizard; Kielgharn had feebleminded a centaur and forced him to become the beast of burden for his wagon.
The party came up on this bizarre and distrubing sight, just as Kielgharn was trying to pass through the small village of Farmington. The locals (inspired by an elf who knew the centaur) were yelling at the evil wizard, demanding he free the Centaur. Kielgharn in turn whipped the centaur, forcing him to continue hauling the small wagon. He had a deadline, and nothing else mattered.
Things got interesting at this point. Alkanash the gnome cleric of Thoth tried using diplomacy to convince the wizard to stop, no dice, Zebulon the half-elf cleric realized the wizard could really harm alot of innocent folks, so he started quickly moving the villagers away, Howston Levee the paladin, readied himself just outside of town for the battle soon to come.
The wagon got outside of the village, with Alkanash not far behind and Howston stepped out demanding the centaur be freed, then things got nasty.
Kielgharn then laughing evilly summoned a fiendish ape and unleashed it on the hapless villagers! Villagers ran screaming in all directions! Zebulon raced to the ape, getting its attention, taunting it (quite successfully). Howston attacked the wagon wheel trying to cripple the vehicle, but the wizard managed to escape with the wagon intact. Zebulon knowing the ape would soon rend him limb from limb ran for all he was worth (towards the paladin and the wagon), the ape raced after him, Zebulon could feel the beast's hot breath on the back of his neck! As soon as the beast passed Howston, the paladin struck smiting the evil beast for all he was worth!
Meanwhile Alkanash had jumped on the back of the wagon (Acrobatics anyone?) and was soon locked in combat with the wizard on a runaway speeding wagon pulled by a feebleminded Centaur!
The ape tore into Howston, his armor saved his life, and Zebulon standing behind him with healing magics didn't hurt. Quicker than I would have thought the noble paladin had felled the beast. The villagers cheered, but what of the wizard? What of Alkanash?
A battle of wills and spells was taking place on the wagon. Alkanash resisted fear, was splashed by acid, missed by a whip, he in turn was nickel and diming the wizard here and there. Then it happened the wizard struck down the brave cleric with blindness! But even that didn't stop the cleric he continued fighting the wizard even while blind! Meanwhile with the wizard no longer beating him the centaur stopped. This allowed Howston and Zebulon to catch up to the wagon. They found not a dead gnome companion, but a wizard on the ropes, now ready to parlay. For Howston seeing the poor nearly dead centaur meant no parlay, only swift justice at his sword!!
The villagers rejoiced, not a single villager had been hurt!
The party were treated like the heroes they were, rested up for the night (Zebulon didn't sleep alone), and headed out the next day for the Shrine of the Oracle, they still had those special silks to deliver there from the Spider Farm and Alkanash needed his sight restored + they had a centaur to get unfeebleminded!
The gaming didn't end there...the shrine was found, a Troll Bridge successfully crossed, Zebulon managed not to get killed for eyeing the priestess in the sacred baths, vision was restored, deals were made, party set out again, a Dire Boar was bribed, and stirges were fought...*whew* a busy day!
No comments:
Post a Comment