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Introduction:
This scenario was the first one I ever wrote for RQ. It is for RQ2 and is fairly basic, but does present the PCs with a few moral dilemmas.
Part One:
Situation:
The PCs are travelling along a roadway through the pass between Jaldon's Woods and Wintertop in Dragon Pass when they arrive at the village of Hafsgate.
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While in the village, perhaps resting for the night at the inn, or even if simply passing through, the PCs will be smothered with hospitality and attention. They will be given flowers, villagers will smile happily at them. They will be offered free drinks at the tavern, etc. Later, the village elder will ask the PCs if, for a substantial reward, they would help save their small village.
The elder explains that the Crimson Bat is rumoured to be heading this way, and it is quite hungry as a result of the recent campaigns against lands of Fronela recently lifted from the Syndics Ban. None of the village folk are or will consent to become laymembers of the Bat Cult, since none in the village love Chaos or the Lunar Empire. In addition, the villagers do not want to raid fellow countrymen to gather sacrifices for the Bat, and in fact will steadfastly refuse to do so.
However, a group of bandits has been raiding the area (including Hafsgate) and the villagers would love to see these brigands meet a horrible end in the fangs of the Crimson Bat. The elder figues that the bandits plus any foreign slaves the bandits hold may be enough to satiate the Bat. He offers a reward of 300L per PC, and a few villagers will accompany the PCs on their raid. The elder estimates that the bat will arrive in anywhere from 3 to 18 days, and always arrives during nighttime.
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Vonishgt Hamilkar - Elder of Hafgate and Initiate of Orlanth Rex
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Action:
The bandits, numbering ten members and fifteen slaves, should be taken alive in order to be worthy of consumption by the Crimson Bat. The encampment is about 1.5 days from the village, and the elder can tell the general direction of the camp from the village. A guide from the village who saw the camp while out hunting will lead the PCs to the camp, and three stout villagers will accompany the PCs to aid them in the raid.
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Enchil - Hafsgate Guide and Lay Member of Foundchild
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For the 3 stout villagers, use Militia #1-3 from the Felton's Loyal Farmers section of the Militia & Mercenaries RQ2 supplement, or use suitable low ranking militia statistics. The three are named Druek, Forner, and Mallithar. The former two are males and the latter a feisty female.
The Bandits:
The bandit lair is located in Jaldon's Woods.
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Refer to the above map and the following key.
a) A privy used by the bandits. The hole is 0.5m in diameter and 2m deep and about half full of offal and waste.
b) This stockade is formed by large logs laid sideways. These logs will provide protection for a humanoid's hit locations 1-8 if standing behind it and 1-11 if crouched behind it.
c) This leather and hide tent is propped up by wooden poles. There is a man-sized flap opening in the southern face and inside is a plush bison fur pallet, a brass brazier filled with ashes, and a tree stump table with an animal hide map of the Wintertop area. A locked chest holds the Troll Mace (adamantium with Bludgeon 3 matrix), boots, a cloak, 500L, 17W, and a set of cold weather sable clothing (worth almost 1500L).
d) A fire ring with various ashes, rocks, and animal bones.
e) Covered deadfalls some 5m deep and set with wooden stakes. Anyone falling in will be attacked by D4 1H short spears at 45%.
f) Mangy pallets belonging to the lay banditry as numbered.
s) Snares set at 65% comouflage. These will catch a leg and spring the victim up against the treeside nearest them. This will stun the victom unless Con+Pow or lower is rolled on D100. Stun will be for 20-Con melee rounds. Also, the victim will take D3 damage to the limb entrapped and D6 to a random location from the impact.
+) Branches set to swing out with wooden spikes attached to them. These are camouglaged at 65%. If sprung, they attack as D6 daggers at 50% to the chest on a creature of Size 7-14, abdoment on a creature of Size 15+, and to the head on a creature of Size 3-6. They will pass over a creature of Size 2-.
The slave pen holds 25 slaves, as follows:
#1 is an elf
#2-4 are trolls
#5 is a trollkin
#6-20 are human Esrolians (Ernalda, Issaries, and Orlanth worshippers)
#21 is a broo (not infected by disease)
#22 is a human Lunar
#23-25 are members of a wandering Players troupe
At night the campire is lit. There is a 30% chance that each bandit is awake. There are always two of them awake for certain, acting as guards. During the daytime, there is a 50% chance that all of the bandits are present, otherwise there will be 5 bandits here (f1-f8) and the remainder (Thoromang, Ovarret, and the others) will return to camp 25% per hour.
The Bandits:
All lay bandits have Move Silently 45%, Hide in Cover 45%, Camouflage 45%, and Climb 45%.
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Thoromang - Runelord of Black Fang, Leader of the Bandits
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Dither Regaleyes (f1) - Laymember of Black Fang
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Falstaff (f2) - Laymember of Black Fang
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Hamsholt (f3) - Laymember of Black Fang
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Grakkor (f4) - Laymember of Black Fang
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Stolbreath of Tarsh (f5) - Laymember of Black Fang
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Firnith Fiilf (f6) - Laymember of Black Fang
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Hestrikul (f7) - Laymember of Black Fang
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Magepir (f8) - Laymember of Lanbril
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Ovarret (f9) - Warrior from Peloria (no cult)
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Part Two:
Situation:
When the party returns to the village, they have D3 days of rest and recovery before a force of uz arrives about 200m outside of the village. A Mistress Race Kyger Litor Rune Priestess and three dark troll bodyguards will come forward to parley and demand the return of the Troll Mace found in the bandit encampment. They will not pay for the item. If the PCs acquiesce, all will be well. If the PCs refuse, the trolls will assume the village is in league with the bandits and the Zorak Zorani will be brought forth to attack. If the bat has not yet come, the village elder will suggest that the trolls, if they could be captured, would be good Bat-fodder. If the trolls assault the village, the GM must assume at least another 40 or 50 villagers will come to the defense, with statistics as the three who accompanied the PCs. Nevertheless, the PCs should feel quite out of their depth here, as the villagers will likely cut and run if things begin to go badly.
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Char-guz - Rune Priestess of Kyger Litor
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The remainder of the troll force consist of:
3 dark troll bodyguards (initiates of Kyger Litor)
5 dark troll infantry (laymembers of Kyger Litor)
11 trollkin (laymmembers of Kyger Litor)
6 great troll berserker (initiates of Zorak Zoran)
As the PCs are expected to wisely give up the Troll Mace rather than fight, no statistics are presented for the remainder of the troll force. Use average statistics, with the bodyguards being somewhat elite. The berserkers have average great troll statistics, but all of them know the Darkwall spell. In addition, they have the following weapon skills:
#1-2 = Maul at 40 / 40
#3-4 = RH and LH bastard swords at 50 / 20 each
#5-6 = Heavy mace at 45 / 45 and large shield at - / 35
Each troll has 2D100L. Each trolling has D100C.
The bodyguards have the following battle magic:
#1 = Disruption, Darkwall, Protection 2
#2 = Darkwall, Countermagic 1, Befuddle
#3 = Healing 2, Darkwall, Bludgeon 1, Farsee
Part Three:
Situation:
When the Crimson Bat comes, it will be accompanied by its usual retinue as per Cults of Terror (including 25 initiates). The Bat will need 25 victims. If enough have not been rounded up prior to this, then as the crimson glow of the bat appears on the last night, the elder will prepare a feast in the party's honour (for their raid on the bandits and their success with the trolls) and drug the wine with POT 15 sleep poison. Victims who are not overcome by the poison are at 1/2 stats and skills, while fully affected persons sleep comatose for D4 hours. The villagers will then attempt to subdue any PCs and use them to reach the required sacrifice to the Bat. The PCs will have to cow or defeat the villagers enough to make their escape. If the villagers do not have enough victims, they will simply pack up and flee.
Denoument:
Although Part One is meant as a straight fight, the latter two parts are meant as morality pieces, and the GM should run them as such. Will the PCs set any of the slaves from the bandit lair free? Doing so will endanger the villagers. Will they try to flee with the Troll Mace (earning the continuing emnity of the troll priestess) and doom the village to the trolls. Will they fight the trolls? Will they give up the Mace? There is a lot of opportunity for role playing here. Will the PCs perhaps buy or kidnap some of the trollkin to round out the sacrifice? And if Part Three is enacted, how will the PCs react? Will they take their revenge on the entire village? Will they force the villagers to roud out or form the entire sacrifice? Will the PCs simply flee?