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Summary:
The PCs encounter a God Impersonator portraying the culture villain Aholnahuacatl (Ah-hawl-nah-HWA-catl) as he makes an appearance in the marketplace. This is primarily an opportunity to roleplay and as such a great deal of freedom is offered to both DM and player.
Assumptions:
The PCs are comprised of some strangers from Jerranq, far to the north, and are dwelling in the City of Ghostly Feathers in Xicalanca. At least one PC can speak Azotlan or has access to a tongues spell. They also have access to the marketplace (likely by means of the scenario entitled Fired Up!).
Location:
Marketplace in the City of Ghostly Feathers in Xicalanca.
Historical Date:
701 A.C. Hitzenaxopoinatl (winter)
DM's Introduction:
A God Impersonator is a human being, usually a warrior captured
in battle, who plays the role of a god or other cultural icon
over an extended period. During that time they enjoy a luxurious
lifestyle, and they do not stint since at the end of a year or
so they have a date with the sacrificial altar.
Aholnahuacatl is one of the culture villains of the Azotchtlan, and his behaviour is a living example of all that an honourable citizen should never be. He is bedecked in expensive and outrageous clothing that calls attention to his wealth. He lounges about lazily during the height of the workday, mocking those going about honest toil. He snatches anything that takes his fancy without consideration, stuffing himself greedily on sweets and strong drink.
In the mythos of the Azotchtla, the source of his wealth was a mystical item that regularly created food, drink and trade goods out of thin air. This was given to him by the Serpent King in return for Aholnahuacatl's two daughters - it need hardly be said that such a transaction is a grave affront to everything proper and good.
Although he currently enjoys the fruit of his transgression, Aholnahuacatl is going to get his just desserts - he will eventually be "transformed" into a tapir and then hunted down.
The Entourage
The Impersonator is accompanied by a number of retainers who are there to control him. Their primary duty is to prevent any ambition of escape, but they also keep the God's whims from being harmful. Aholnahuacatl might demand a tasty orange from a street vendor, but won't be allowed to steal his best merchandise. An unmarried girl might be required to dance before him, but she won't be in danger of rape.
His entourage also keeps an eye on the public, making certain that they do not mock the proceedings and also performing the mundane tasks of crowd control.
The public reaction to the Impersonator will vary by the individual. There are those who are wholly taken up by the moment and will throw their hearts into the event, lustily boo-ing the Impersonator (when his back is turned) and loudly calling on the gods to punish his sins. But most will behave towards the Impersonator in an indulgent manner, much the way American adults would around a store-front Santa when kids are nearby. They will pretend to fear the Impersonator, should he address them, and parents with children will use this as a teaching moment. Most people will only encounter a particular deity's Impersonator once in their lifetimes, so most look upon the opportunity favorably with only the hardest of hearts ignoring the spectacle.
Dramatis Personae
Aholnahuacatl
The warrior now known as Aholnahuacatl was taken prisoner after he charged a group of Xicalancan nobles trespassing in Huexotzinga. He managed to completely impale his enemy with his longspear, which while glorious, left him weaponless in the second inning. After capture he quickly accepted the offer of becoming an Impersonator, and who wouldn't? By doing so he gets to live a full extra year, and moreover enjoy nothing but decadent luxury. While he vowed to seek escape during this time, the ceaseless vigilance of his captors and the distraction of unending liquor and women have all but resigned him to his fate.
He's a clever lad, though, and willing to at least try to get away. Whether or not he can do so depends on the party being either willing participants or unwitting dupes.
Acolmitzli
Acolmitzli (ah-coal-MITCH-lee) is the chief jailer of the Impersonator and is responsible for making certain that he does not escape. As the "vizier" to the god he stays close to him, and often speaks in his name. He uses his skills in Spot, Listen and Sense Motive to both keep his charge from harm and to be aware of situations where escape might be a possibility.
Expositorichitli, the Helpful Bystander
This rather chatty fellow will take a shine to one of the party members and stand nearby, commenting on the action and willing to explain any aspect of the goings-on in lengthy detail. He doesn't have any agenda or real purpose other than to serve as a convenient way to fill the party in on what's going on.
The Encounter
The encounter with the Impersonator can be done in any large, public place. Appropriate venues for the encounter include the marketplace, the docks or other areas where large numbers of men are working, or by passing any major temple. For the purposes of this scenario the marketplace will be assumed.
Certainly there will be a great deal of buzz that accompanies his arrival. The first group of three retainers will cordon off an area, and Aholnahuacatl will then arrive carried on a litter by four further retainers, with his vizier acting as a herald. Most people will stop what they are doing to observe and participate in the spectacle.
It's worth taking a moment to view the garish sight of the man - he's covered in enormous plumes of orange, green and purple and bears a lot of brightly polished brass ornaments. Even Mr. T would admit that Aholnahuacatl has gone a bit overboard with the bling, so overweighted is he.Chances are good that he's at least a little bit drunk as can be seen from the wobble as he walks around - or it could be due to his enormous shoes with their ridiculously curling toes.
If Aholnahuacatl sees people hard at work he will mock them and compare their situations: they, sweating industriously in the hot sun while he gets to relax in the shade. Someone in the crowd is sure to shout out that his wealth comes from selling his daughters. Similar back-and-forth will occur as the Impersonator enjoys his chance to boss around the locals, demanding that pretty women dance before him, stealing treats from the vendors, and generally being an ass. People who behave "correctly" to him by being polite or fearful will be rewarded with one of his enormous brass chains, for a Lord is gracious to his followers.
When he sees the party a bit of hope will spring up in his heart. Recognizing them as outsiders, the Impersonator will want to interact with them and will try his best to create a ruckus, attempting to escape in the chaos.
How the party responds to him will dramatically affect his chances, slim though they are. His outfit is designed to prevent just this - his shoes are difficult to walk in, the chains slow down his movement by adding encumbrance, and the many feathers make it near-impossible to blend into the crowd.
Can He Escape?
To keep things simple, we'll treat his escape attempt as a Sense Motive check by Acolmitzli opposed by a Bluff check by Aholnahuacatl. The latter is assumed to roll a 10. But there are many modifiers to this.
Acolmitzli gains (in addition
to his Sense Motive bonus of +4):
+2 if four or more "other retainers" are observing the
Impersonator
-2 if he is actively focused on some other character besides the
Impersonator
-2 if he believes Aholnahuacatl is drunk (he isn't)
-4 if someone nearby acts in a threatening manner
Other distracting environmental factors such as fire, fighting
etc. as determined by DM
Aholnahuacatl gains (in addition
to his Bluff bonus of +0) :
-2 if he makes the attempt while wearing the curling shoes
-2 if he makes the attempt while wearing his crown of feathers
-2 if he makes the attempt with Medium Encumbrance or greater
(comprised mostly of his necklace chains)
As can be seen from the above chart, Aholnahuacatl doesn't have
a chance as things stand. His modified Bluff check without any
sort of aid, distraction, or shedding of costume is a miniscule
4. Even on a Sense Motive roll of 1 by Acolmitzli, he will be
caught. To succeed, the Impersonator must somehow create a large
distraction and find a way to rid himself of as many of the encumbering
items as possible.
The Plan
The first step in the Impersonator's plan is to rid himself of as many of his brass chains and emblems as he can without arousing the suspicion of his jailer. During this period he will interact with the crowd, demanding items and services and rewarding them with his trinkets. This allows the DM to describe the action with the helpful summaries of Expositorichitli. If the PCs chooses to stay and observe the scene and prove sufficiently interested to listen to the bystander, the Impersonator will succeed. If not, the encounter ends.
Next the attention of Aholnahuacatl will fall on the PCs. He will loudly and theatrically demand tokens of submission from them, for they are filthy foreigners (this will actually cause the crowd to look more favouably on the PCs, since the Impersonator's actions are always incorrect). If the PCs are confused or hesitant, the Vizier will loudly call out that it is proper and seemly to bow before the God Aholnahuacatl, and give a brief bow himself, which will be repeated by many in the crowd.
The goal of the Impersonator now is to extend the interaction with the party, and if at all possible, give them (and only them) the word that he would like their help. He will behave as if he is drunk, stumbling about, and them using one of the PCs as a "support" to straighten himself up. At this time he will try to communicate his need, possibly by whispering into the party member's ear. Alternatively he could try to steal a kiss from one of the female PCs, pretend to pickpocket one of them - anything that will give him the opportunity for a quick communication.
A successful DC5 Sense Motive check will suffice to give the PCs the notion that he wants to get away, with each 5 points scored above the minimum giving them more certainty that he wants them to play along. If the PCs choose to depart at this time, or refuses further interaction, the Impersonator will fail and the encounter quickly ends as he goes off to sulk.
He will next try to arrange it so that a trade is made of his crown of feathers for some obviously worthless thing one of the PCs is wearing. If the party makes a show of some bargaining, he will continue to raise his bid price by removing additional items, eventually including his shoes.
Finally, he will try to raise a ruckus by growing increasingly agitated with one of thePCs, finally demanding that the Helpful Bystander sacrifice them before him. Naturally, the Bystander has no desire to do this and will pretend to be misunderstand, all the while bowing before him comically and repeatedly. If the PCs increase the level of confusion by shouts, threats, operatic leaping about or what have you, then the various distraction modifiers will apply to the final escape attempt.
Finale
The DM has the option to end this as he wishes - by die roll or decision. The Impersonator can escape for good, or be caught at a later time, or never make the attempt as the DM pleases. The DM can even run the chase through the streets of the city, especially if the PCs take part in either helping the Impersonator escape or by helping to capture him.
Should the PCs participate in his escape and not be blatantly obvious about it, they will not fall under suspicion. If they are so stupid as to draw weapons in the marketplace, or admit that they helped his escape to the local officials, so be it, but otherwise they will suffer no adverse reactions.
In any case, the PCs' encounter with the Impersonator of the God Aholnahuacatl is now complete!
Characters
| AHOLNAHUACATL
CR 1 Male human Fighter 1 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses Listen +0, Spot +1 Languages Azotlan AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 hp 7 (1 HD) Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -1 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee unarmed +2 (1d3+1) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +1; Grp +2 Atk Options Improved Unarmed Strike Special Actions Furious Charge Abilities Str 12, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 11 Feats Furious Charge, Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (longspear) Skills Climb +3, Intimidate +3, Jump +4, Listen +0, Spot +1, Swim +3 Possessions heavy necklace chains (16), large curved shoes, feathered headdress, heavy robes |
| ACOLMITZLI CR
3 Male human Fighter 1/Rogue 2 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +5; Senses trapfinding; Listen +5, Spot +6 Languages Azotlan AC 12, touch 11, flat-footed 12; Dodge hp 12 (3 HD) Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1; evasion Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee dagger +3 (1d4) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +2; Grp +2 Atk Options sneak attack +1d6 Combat Gear obsidian dagger Abilities Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10 Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (dagger) Skills Climb +2, Diplomacy +2, Escape Artist +4, Jump +2, Listen +5, Hide +6, Move Silently +6, Sense Motive +5, Spot +6, Swim +2, Use Rope +4 Possessions combat gear plus leather armour |
| OTHER RETAINERS
(7) CR 1/2 Male human Warrior 1 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0 Languages Azotlan AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 10 hp 6 (1 HD) Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee light mace +3 (1d6+1) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +1; Grp +2 Atk Option Power Attack Combat Gear light mace Abilities Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10 Feats Power Attack, Weapon Focus (light mace) Skills Climb +4, Intimidate +3, Jump +4, Swim +4 Possessions combat gear plus leather armour |
Experience Points:
In addition to normal experience (which in Therra is half of that recommended in the DMG), each party member should be rewarded as follows: