Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Bledsaw Memorial Adventure Background

The City State of the Invincible Overlord boasts of a hundred taverns as good or better than the Wild Boar. Tonight you've come to this particular public house not for the succulent roast pig nor the nutty brown ale. Nor has the floor show, featuring Bullfrog Bertha the she-orc knife-thrower and her nubile assistants, drawn you to this particular wretched hive of scum and villainy. Instead, you seek a conference with a traveling wizard known as Mantlarr the Hooded. For he is the only magic-worker in the Wilderlands said to know the spell wax to flesh.

You never particularly liked Six-toes, but he is your sworn swordfriend and needs to be turned back to his normal, non-waxy self. Why he chose to sass that efreeti is still a mystery. He probably deserves his fate, but the wee git was carrying the map to the Treasure Vault of Sittorak. It is now a waxen lump inside a waxen backpack. Six-toes might be expendable to some of you, but you all agree that you need that map!

Upon your arrival at the Wild Boar the one-eyed barkeep directs your attention to a table in a shadowy corner, far from the general hubbub of Bullfrog Bertha's show and the audience of carousing ne'er-do-wells. The figure waiting for you is Hooded indeed, drapped from head to foot in purple robes. Not even hands or face are immediately visible. The black hole where his visgae should be shows little more than an occasional glimmering haziness, a certain faint scintillation that is there for but a moment and then is gone, only to return a moment later. With a guesture Mantlarr beckons you to sit and soon food and drink is put before you. The wizard does not join in you in your refreshment, opting instead to discuss business as you dig in.

It is clear that Mantlarr does not and perhaps cannot speak the Common Tongue, for his speech is a collection of inhuman buzzings and dronings. A jewel around his neck glows as it translates his alien words. "I know the spell you seek, to release your companion from his waxen prison. Cast it I will, in exchange for rendering a service to me."

You exchange knowing glances among yourselves and guesture to the wizard to continue.

"Many worlds have I crossed in search of the Seven Silver Volumes. One of the Seven lies here on your planet. The Volume of Silver made its way into the possession of the wizard Ool Ploonkif. His library is hidden below this place, three levels below the streets of the city. I will lead you to the entrance to the first level. When you return with the book, I will release the six-toed one from his prison of wax."

8 comments:

  1. Is "Mantlarr" a reference to B-Comics Legend Bill Mantlo?

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  2. That is what we call "Legit."

    It sounds like Mantlo embodied as a Sectaur, in fact.

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  3. Anonymous7:50 PM

    Those first two paragraphs are a GREAT hook for an adventure :) Nice work. Will you be releasing this?

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  4. Anonymous6:09 AM

    Hell yes! Now that's some adventure. Of course, I do feel a little bad for poor Six-toes' player - I guess he'll have to run another character for this one, unless he's supposed to be an NPC.

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  5. This was background for a one-shot. Six-toes in an NPC.

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  6. Damnit, Jeff, why's your game table gotta be in another state?

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  7. I'd play that.

    I swear that wizard reminds me of someone...

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