Scene1 – The Bard
Wandering thru the dense forest, the sun starts to settle, the PC can make an vigilant test (+3). A flickering light shines thru the tick bush. On a small glade sits Blackhawk the bard (see Adventure Pack1 Page 20).
“Hello my friends, come sit by the fire.” He moves his spiked club to make a free seat on a lug.
“How about sharing some ale with me, to hear a story that could change your life? Trust me, I promise on my tutors from Ylhurandy. ”
The quite drunk bard takes another deep mouthful of his drinking-horn and holds it in the direction of his visitors to get a refill.
“ I tell you the story of Alseher, a mystic who knows the past, the present and the future, who’s guiding could lead to more wealth even I can imagine, and I met some rich bastards. But before I go on, you need to know that he got rules. First, one question each. Rumors say that no man ever meet him twice. Second rule, every prophecy comes with a price, made not in common goods. Third, he speaks always in riddles, the solving lays with the recipient, but that didn’t change the truth of his words.”
He stops, taking another drink and watching if his audience believes in his words.
“You don’t believe me? I met a man once, who found his fortune by Alsehers words. He is a lord now, somewhere in the region around Kurun.”
If the PCs ask about the price he paid:
“He refused to talk about that, but as he fell asleep, in his nightmares he stumbled words of betrayal, good friends and things hiding in the shadows.
How to find the Alseher:
“East of Jakaar, about 5 miles outside the border, there is a ring of stone pillars, with runes engraved, older than the forest itself. In the middle is a small hole, so deep that you can’t see the ground. There you have to sacrifice something of value for you, to get permission to entry.”
After that story, his words got more and more vague, as his mind got more and more drunk, till he finally fell asleep. He talks more and more weird stuff about Davokar, the elves and so on. The GM can wrap more vague seeds in this at his wish.
Scene 2 – The Stone Pillars
With an vigilant (-5, -3 if they got bushcraft) test, the PC can find the mentioned position. Otherwise they have to pay a guide. Finding the guide needs a persuasive (-3) roll, to find someone with the matching knowledge. Somehow the pathfinders avoid this place. Bevause of this the price is quite expensive with 15 Taler minus the success grade of the persuasive roll. +2 Taler for each grad of failure.
“That is the place you wish to find” says the guide, stopping a few hundred meters before. “I go no further. “ With a “good luck” he leaves the PCs.[
The GM decides if the sacrifice is worth the entrance. It should be of sentimental value. An amulet of an old love or some trophies of a hard fight for example. Money works only for greedy people, but it has to be a sum that hurts (10-30% of the total wealth).
With the passage granted, the ground turns to quicksand, drowning everyone in the mud. A quick (-8) roll to get back on solid ground. Everyone else couldn’t change their fate. Deep breath, than the world gets dark. Roll on resolute to stay calm and hold your breath. Failure means swallow tainted dirt an taking W6 Damage + W4 temporary corruption (without reduction).
Nobody can open the gate again, after he had entered once.
Scene 3 – Alseher
The Air is thin and moist… but breathable. The eyes need a moment to focus within a cave, only lit by fluoresce moss. Relieved that the ground didn’t swallow you for good, you try to guess where you are.
“Visitors, look, we got visitors.”
An old gray man only wearing tatters and with a skull in his hands, approach the group. He moves the skull around, like he shows him every face of the visitors, stopping a bit longer the more corruption a PC possesses.
“They look somehow dump” “Ugly, even in the dark” “Should wash èm, they are a bit muddy.
The old man talks to the skull like he’s a living person, muttering rude about his guest. After that procedure, while he doesn’t respondto questions in any kind of way, he took a step back.
His voice suddenly changed to an unnatural tone.
“We are Alseher, what is your request.”
With witchsight (+2) you can see that the eyes of the skull flickering purple.
Proposal for propacys:
-Solution for an actual problem
Open to the GM
-Remove corruption:
The toad eat flys, you better don’t be one, with shadow white, from the sun on the hill you come.
Near the village “Sun on the hill” (see last entry) is a swamp. In the middle of is a small lake with clear blue water, but home to a King Toad (Monster Codex Page 58). The water can remove up to 20 permanent corruption in total, 1 point per 10 minutes you bath in it. If the lake ever reach 20 absorbed corruption, it turns corrupt, with dark water. The King Toad got Undead 3 and gets resurrected if he died before. He follows the adventurers who did this to him
-Treasure and Expedition
You found this rubble, just go twice and then double, the troll awaits, his crown that baits
20 Miles from Jakaar lays a troll hideout full of treasures including a magical crown
– Fame and Noble
His beard is weird, can’t miss that lord, blood in the streets, try to steal his brothers orb.
In the near future, the adventurers see a person who match to the description. Following the weird beard noble, they hear a conversation with him and a boss of a thief and assassin gild. He wish to steal an orb, sign of rule of his house from his brother and kill his loyal followers. Helping one side or the other could lead to a title and/or a small land with residence.
-Heroes and Church
That pointy ear, a gruesome one, sun god’s village on the hill, will soon be done
2 days travel from Jakaar is a new prios loyal settlement called “Sun on the hill”. In one week it gets attacked by an elven warband.
What happens if(bad things):
-Try to harm or kill Alseher
Before an PC make a move Alseher says “We wouldn’t do that if we were you.” If that didn’t stop the Sc the ground swallow him *1(-8 on quick to avoid). Swallowed PC roll 3 times on resolute (-3, -5, -8) each failure means 1 permanent corruption. Eventually the PC wake up a few miles from Jakaar, naked and unaware of the last hours or all regarding Alseher. Equipment scattered around (or lost on the decision of the GM).
If the PC hit Alseher once he died on that wound, his old voice back “Why did you betray me…” -> see grab the skull. The PC is worthy by a price in blood in the eyes of the skull.
– Grab the skull
Attack -10 to get a hand on it (cause Alseher foresees every movement and avoid contact just by an inch). If contact is made, the skull checks if the SC is worthy. Roll on every attribute once.
Less than 5 = unworthy 5 or more = worthy
After that the roof collapses. If the PC is worthy he is the new Alseher and become an NSC. Everyone except Alseher (including the unworthy) got swallowed by the ground (see *1 above).
If the SC is worthy, instead of him the old man lays between the naked PCs. Every memory of the worthy PC or Alseher is lost (new adventure seed if they ask the Adventurers in the city about her lost comrade and they don’t know who they mean)
The old man (former Alseher) has no memory, except his name “Drankhan” (new adventure seed)
Next time somebody visits Alseher, the person holding the skull is the former worthy PC.
Scene 3 – Way out
The prophecy is spoken, the old man got his normal voice back “Catch your breath” he smiles
It’s getting dark in a second, as the roof collapse on the visitors. They are moved by streams of mud to the surface.
A strong (-3) roll is necessary to get out off the last layer of the muddy grave. Failure means one round without air. Already freed SC can assist, reducing the (-3) to (0).
Free again, smelling the fresh air… still dazed by the confused meeting and the riddle on the mind.