Act I: Footprint of the Devastator
The first act of the adventure finds the heroes thrust into the Broken Hills on the western edge of the Brushnab Lands, likely investigating why Fort Durgin has gone silent.
Ruins of Fort Durgin
| You saw the smoke from miles away over the broken slate hills of the Brushnab, but when you finally stand overlooking what was once Fort Durgin, nothing you can conjure in your imagination could have caused such devastation. Where once stood a stone wall and battlements lay shattered rocks, none larger than a warhorse, and most melted to a blackened slag. Wooden buildings are piles of fuming ash, and stone buildings appear to have been consumed in a ghastly conflagration. In the center of the fort, a recent excavation, apparently burned directly through the living rock, still churns out a thick black smoke. |
Note: It is assumed that the characters were hooked into this mission by someone, though you could start the action here and fill in the backstory as you go.
The keep itself is a wreck, as described. Searching through the rubble reveals little, though a Tracking success can identify the spoor of trolls, some large serpentine creatures and the massive footprints of a large reptilian. No human remains are found.
The Hole
The hole appears to have been burned directly into the rock. It spans 30’ in diameter and the bottom cannot be seen. Dropping a torch or other light source reveals mounds of slag rubble at the bottom, about sixty feet down. Additionally, cuts of rope and a broken climbing seat can be found at the rim (Notice). Climbing down the hole is no easy matter and requires either a Climbing raise every 10’ due to the smoothly melted sides of the hole or sufficient rope to lower someone down.
Besides the slag, a dead troll lies under the rubble at the bottom of the hole, still wearing a climbing harness attached to a short length of frayed rope. A small natural cavern branches off to the northeast leading to a smashed stone door and a small barrow. Above the entrance in an ancient form of elvish are the words:
Keeper of the Peace
Slayer of the Demon Prince
Last of the Heroes of Deumatire
An appropriate Knowledge success reveals that this tomb belongs to Kela Thune, an elvish hero believed to be from a heavenly dimension. Many scholars opined that the being was truly an angel of a powerful god, who defeated Granig, a prince of the underworld, and then succumbed to his wounds.
The barrow contains a shattered sarcophagus, but the bones of the dead are gone. On a Notice raise, the heroes also note a conical shape in the dust on the wall where a massive horn was once mounted. Sifting through the rubble, the heroes find a silver necklace with a diamond pendant. It radiates magic if the heroes are able to detect it. The necklace is an artifact that grants the Armor power when the command word is spoken. The command word is the Elvish word for Peace.
Treasure
Necklace of Thune (Armor, Spellcasting d8, 10 PP)
The Shattered Tower
The north tower, though cracked and leaning, is mostly intact. Investigating this, the group finds that the main door is locked tight. Inside they find the wooden floor and staircase shattered and collapsed into the basement, though with a Notice success, they determine that something has been living in the tower. Thebasement of the tower is choked with debris and standing water, as well as some corpses of the keep’s defenders. Climbing through this mess requires a Climbing success. Failure indicates a fall of ten feet (Agility check or 2d6 damage from the fall and dangerous debris).
Examining the bodies with an appropriate Knowledge check or Healing check reveals that the victims were not killed here, and that most of their blood has been drained.
The basement is dark and cluttered, but a Notice check (penalties without proper lighting) reveals a small door. The door is locked, but leads to a 3’x3’ passage extending into darkness.
Redcaps’ Lair
Anyone with an appropriate Knowledge check (Fey, Dungeoneering, etc), can determine from the smell and marks inside the small door that this is a redcap lair. It is Common Knowledge that recaps are insatiable gamblers. If the party immediately stops and engages in a game of chance, the redcaps begin to filter into the tower basement (though none seem to enter through the passage and door). See Redcap Games below.
If the party braves the cramped passage, they encounter a number of traps and deadfalls along the twisting warren. For every 10’ moved along the passage consult the table below.
Roll
|
Result |
Description |
Damage |
| 1-3 |
No Trap |
N/A |
N/A |
| 4-6 |
Deadfall |
Stone Block Falls |
2d6 |
| 7-8 |
Spikes |
Spikes fire from ceiling and floor |
2d6 |
| 9 |
Pit |
30' deep pit |
3d6 |
| 10 |
Greek Fire |
Gout of fire from a hidden spout. (Catch fire on a 5 or 6) |
1d10 |
Passing through this gauntlet leads to a room crowded with gaming tables, rotting food and a few copper coins. If the heroes engage in a game of chance here, the redcaps drift out from their hiding places. See Redcap Games below.
If the party lingers here for more than a few minutes, Durdingle directs his redcap subjects to attack.
Redcaps – 3 per Wild Card
Redcap Games
If the party lures the redcaps out with games of chance, they begin to appear in two's and three's until there are about three per Wild Card in the party. Though quiet at first, they begin hissing at bad plays or rolls, whooping for truly inspired moves, and finally clamoring to be the next gamer to take part.
After a few rounds, win or lose, the redcaps offer bottles of their special beer. Unfortunately for the heroes, it’s brewed from the blood of their victims. Anyone drinking the foul stuff must make a Vigor check or retch for 1-6 minutes. Afterwards, a second Vigor check is required or the victim receives a Fatigue level.
At some point, one of the redcaps bets with a steel gorget. On it is an ivory fist clenched around a bundle of arrows. This is the symbol of the Bleakmen, sorcerers and warriors in the service of Kas’Deya, the cambion. If pumped for information, the recap reveals #8 in the Information section below.
Their clan leader, Dirdingle, hides and watches until a few rounds of a given game with his minions are completed. If it looks like the heroes are losing, he steps out of the shadows to take part. Otherwise, he stays hidden until either all redcaps are defeated, or if one of his subjects has somehow gambled away its freedom to one of the characters.
Dirdingle's Gambit
| A large redcap steps out of the shadows, and you can tell he is ancient. His gnarled face is covered in random patches of white hair and his cap, dragging the floor, drips with blood. The creature motions to any of his subjects engaged in play, and they immediately move back allowing their leader a seat at the game. |
Dirdingle plays a game call Finger, in which two opponents attempt to chop the other’s finger off with a redcap cleaver.
The rules are somewhat arcane, but proceed as follows. First, a third-party Chopman is chosen who acts as the “referee” for the game. Both opponents are blindfolded, and the Chopman flips a coin. Typically the lower ranking opponent calls the coin flip, though there are variations whereby the higher ranking opponent can either take the opponent’s call or decline. Each opponent is then given a redcap cleaver and the referee calls “Finger!” The opponents place their off-hand on the table and extend an index finger. There are no specific rules on where each opponent’s hand should be, though it is very clear that the base of the palm must touch the play surface, and neither opponent can touch the other. While the opponents arrange their hands, the Chopman circles the play area chanting a singsong redcap poem about finger soup, finger pie, etc etc. He may do this as long as he wants until finally slapping the winner of the coin flip on the shoulder. This designates that opponent as the Chopper and the other opponent as the Finger. The Chopper must immediately chop down onto the table attempting to sever the other’s finger. If he or she misses, the Chopman flips the coin again, and play proceeds. If the opponent’s finger is severed, the game ends and bets are exchanged. If the Finger’s finger is not severed, play proceeds. If the Chopper hits any other part of the Finger’s body or the Chopper’s own finger or hand, the game ends. The Finger can also call the game before the next coin flip.
Bets are made on all aspects of the game, including who will be the Chopper/Finger, how many times the Chopman will circle, if the Chopper will hit the Finger’s digit or other body part, if the Chopper will miss, or hit his or her own finger or body part, and if the Finger will move before the Chop (automatic disqualification) or call the game before the next coin flip.
In gameplay, the rules are as follows:
- Secretly flip a coin to determine the Chopper.
- The actual Chop is a Fighting attack at -6 (unless the Chopper is cheating)
- Dirdingle always cheats. Roll a Stealth check if Dirdingle is the Chopper. If successful, he peers under his blindfold and attacks at a -2 instead.
- The Finger rolls a Guts check to keep his or her finger on the table.
- If the Chopper is successful and the cleaver deals a Wound, the opponent’s finger is severed.
- If the Chopper misses by 1, the cleaver deals damage to the Finger’s arm or hand for normal damage.
- If the Chopper rolls a 1 on the Fighting die, regardless of the Wild Die roll, he or she hits themselves for normal damage.
Information
There are a few ways to get information out of the redcaps. If one is incapacitated or captured in a fight, Dirdingle, if he lives, will offer information for his subject’s return. Any captured redcaps can also relate most of the information below. Finally, recaps will gamble for anything. Information is free to them, so they’ll be puzzled, but happy to gamble for something valuable in exchange for information. Dirdingle only reveals information in exchange for his or his subject’s lives or if defeated in Finger.
Information (roll 1d10 or choose)
1 – The fort was home to many pale ones. Like you. Until the big worm came!
2 – There were dark skins and green skins. Both put the place to the sword after the fire monster melted the place.
3 – Pale skins riding many horses came after the attack. Just a few days ago. They fought with green skins and then rode on into the hills.
4 – Fire worms. There were many hands worth of them. Their eyes and mouths and tails were fire!
5 – The big worm dug into the ground and the dark skins and green skins followed on ropes. They stayed there for many turns of the sky. Climbed out and left.
6 – The big worm talked. Her voice rattled the ground.
7 – No one wanted to play. Only eat the redcaps that came out. We hide the whole time.
8 – Pale skins riding sick horses came a few turns of the sky ago. They come from the hills. Many heads on their pommels. They meet with the green skins and ride out.
9 – (Dirdingle) – The worm, it was a dragon with many heads. Its walk shook the ground and its voice rattled the teeth in my head. We listened to her in our warrens and heard she sought a horn of crystal. Probably found it in that hole.
10 – (Dirdingle) – She left with her fire worms and dark skins. But the green skins, the ones you call trolls, live in a camp on the bald hill. They still patrol this area, sometimes every night.
For blood, gems or as a bet in a game of chance, Dirdingle will allow one of his redcaps to lead the party into the hills and point out Bald Hill where the trolls reside.
The Trolls and Bald Hill
Rael-Vin left a small troop of trolls a few miles away led by Irinz, minor chieftain of their kind. The chieftain and thus his troops sting at being left behind and do little other than drink and curse their mistress. By the first evening after the heroes arrive, the trolls catch their scent and Irinz sends a group to investigate. He watches the proceedings through his brass telescope. If the heroes appear to defeat his minions (using magical fire or the like), he breaks camp and flees with the remainder of his troop, dispatching another group to forestall pursuit.
Trolls (Each group is 2 per Wild Card)
Irinz (Wild Card -- likely not encountered in this scene)
If any of the trolls are captured, an Intimidation success, and each successive raise provides the following information (The trolls speak only their language):
- Work fer Irinz…he our true master…not that…slimy bitch wyrm.
- Raise1: The Devestator she call herself. She find the clear horn and go east with her fire get. To the green hill.
- Raise2: Irinz break flesh with demons. He build a demon out of grass and wood. It guard the camp.
The Camp
| A godawful stink rises from a wooded hollow just below the summit of Bald Hill. Pushing through the trees you find a deserted campsite. A huge wicker figure, humanoid and prone, lies in the center of camp with a smoldering firepit seemingly dug through its chest. The firepit is stacked with charred wood, bones and skulls. The only sound is the drone of a thousand flies feeding on the rotting heads adorning the wicker structure. |
The heroes can track the trolls back to the camp with a Tracking success, though Irinz and the rest of his troop should be long gone. The campsite is deserted, though Irinz left his wicker construct to further delay the heroes. If the firepit is approached, the thing comes alive and attacks, rising to its full height its fiery heart beating in it chest.
Wicker Giant (Wild Card)
Once defeated, the heroes can find a charred satchel in the firepit. Inside is a slag of melted coins (200 gp) and a scorched leather map. Though difficult to decipher, Fort Durgin is clearly marked, as is the camp. A short dotted line leads to a cluster of three hills, the center one dyed green.
Emerald Peak is easy enough to see from where the heroes stand on Bald Hill (about 2 days ride through the hills). The map depicts the easiest trail to the peak, and the entrance to the dungeon where the Devastator resides.
Navigator
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