While traveling in the countryside, fellow travelers warn the heroes to beware the accursed village of Abyrwythynsternwdt, for its inhabitants’ strange ways soon infect those who travel there.  Visitors often find themselves accursed with The Syllabic Ague, a strange naming disorder that has afflicted the townsfolk.  Despite its convenient location along the Royal Road, most travelers avoid the wretched place.

Arriving in the village, undeterred travelers will discover that Abyrwythynsternwdt is an unsavory little hamlet whose reclusive inhabitants avoid contact with the outside world.  The Lord Mayor, Sir Fryrgnumthoft, is courteous enough, but the rest of the village is surly and distant.  Even the innkeeper, Esdibuv Fam, is reluctant to speak with outsiders.

It takes a great deal of coaxing before any of the locals will relate the strange tale of the villages history.  They will explain that many years ago, their village was known by a different name.  Unfortunately, a foul spell was placed upon them after they captured a vicious hag and burned her at the stake.  She cursed the village and its people, telling them that nobody would be able to say their names. That night as they slept, dreams came to them, dreams of a strange force tying their tongues in knots.

The next day, when they awoke, their village was no longer Trollethorpe:  It was now Abyrwythynsternwdt.  The Lord Mayor, Sir Bibor, was now Sir Fryrgnumthoft. His lovely lady, Dame Viviana, had been changed to Dame Figsojisdv. No matter what they did to address this bizarre curse, it failed. For some reason, they cannot remember or call each other by any names but these bizarre polysyllabic monstrosities. Even if they try to call each other by a truncated version of the name (for example, Sir Fry), they can’t. Similarly, they are unable to explain the problem to anyone who doesn’t have the curse. Even their animals suffer from the curse, such as the innkeeper’s fine horse, Wecrajvitm.

1.) The village is indeed under a curse.  Years ago, the area was preyed upon by a sinister witch, a stuttering peasant woman named Polly Celabic.   This malicious woman wielded potent magic and relished the imaginative and bizarre curses she could place on her enemies.  While she was eventually caught and was dispatched with rough peasant justice, the foul hag uttered a powerful curse upon the villages well that still torments the villagers to this day.  Anyone who drinks from the old well is subjected to the vile enchantment.  If the basis of the enchantment could be discovered, the curse could be lifted.

2.) There is no curse:  Some years ago, the villagers were visited by a strange holy woman:  This charismatic beldame convinced the villagers to convert to her unpopular sect.  The villagers and everything around them were given holy names, in accord with the customs of this strange group.  Concerned about being punished for their heterodox beliefs, the villagers keep the true origins of the names secret, along with the rest of their religious beliefs.  The witch tale is merely a joke played on pushy visitors.

3.) Its not a curse, but rather an odd blessing!  When the village captured and destroyed the witch, they were rewarded for their brave stand by an ancient god whose abandoned and ivy-encrusted shrine still stands near the village common.  The tongue-twisting names that have been given to them reveal amazing insights about their character and capabilities, if anyone could only comprehend the dead language preferred by the forgotten god.

Plot Description

Beside the road stands a large oak tree that the PCs must pass by as they approach a small country village about a mile or so distant.

Standing under the tree is a young woman, maybe late teens or early twenties. Her hands are tied behind her back and her ankles are tied together. There is also a noose around her neck, the other end of which is tied to the lowest branch of the tree, but with just enough slack that she may stand without being strangled.

As the PCs approach, the girl will beg them to untie her.

Possible Explanations

1. Execution

- The girl is a criminal and this is the local form of execution. The (somewhat gruesome) idea is that she has considerable time to contemplate her own end before she becomes too exhausted to stand up straight, at which point she will collapse into the noose and die of strangulation.

The nature of her crime is left entirely up the GM (anything from stealing a loaf of bread to mass murder, depending on just how draconian he wants the local justice system to be).

2. Sacrifice

- The girl is a sacrifice to a local demon or demigod and if she is not here at the appointed time (i.e. the PCs rescue her) there will be terrible consequences for the nearby village.

If she is to be sacrificed to a demon then this is price for appeasing it. If the PCs rescue her it goes on the rampage and attacks the village. The PCs now have a demonic monster to fight.

Alternately she may be intended for a minor deity, in which case her life energy is what the spirit needs to ensure that the villagers’ crops will grow.

Might also tie in (excuse the pun) with option 1 (we need a sacrifice anyway so we might as well use a lawbreaker).

3. Ambush

- The girl is part of an outlaw gang who prey upon travellers along this road (her bonds are quite loose and she is perfectly capable of removing them at any time). In this case as soon as the PCs come to her aid the rest of the gang (several large fighter types) jump out of hiding and attack.

Brothels and Intrigues

The PCs get called upon a job in a foreign city, with instructions to seek out a contact. This contact is a high paying prostitute, the mistress of her profession, who has many connections that the PCs have to call upon to complete their job. During their interactions it seems to the PCs that this ladys demeanour is unusually cold. On top of that, there is the complication that she shares a remarkable resemblance to a girl who the PCs had once encountered and parted with on a somewhat jarring note. For the girl was the daughter of a Lord who first ran into the PCs when she was chased by a group of thugs from whom the PCs rescued from, except that later the PCs were told by the Lord that the whole event was a prank that she often liked to spring on adventurers. Subsequently, the adventurers headed for the road again but then received a mysterious note from an urchin saying only that the girl had been kidnapped.

Possibilities/ Plot hooks:
1. The woman really is the girl from the 1st Encounter. Her kidnapping was real: she was captured by slavers but she managed to persuade an urchin to deliver a SOS note to the PCs but the PCs either ignored the note or couldn’t find her in time and she got sold into a brothel.

2. The woman is an imposter who, through magical means or otherwise, was made to look like the girl. She is an old adversary of the PCs who wanted to use sympathy from the PCs as a leverage to trick the PCs. This can be made into a side quest where the PCs try to untangle the fate of the real girl as well as dealing with the imposter.
Possible fate for the real girl
a. Same as 1, with the addition that the imposter is the mastermind behind the kidnapping or somehow linked to the mastermind who runs a scheme of kidnapping young women to use as free labor in brothels.
b. She is in fact safe and sound in her fathers house. The kidnapping was a prank and the imposter heard of her talk of this event and in her devious mind developed such a plot to trick the PCs.

3. The woman really is the girl from the 1st Encounter. She, however, isn’t really the Lords daughter as the PCs are led to believe. She is in fact part of his harem, the members of which he illegally captures and often resells to brothels when he is bored with them. She had already been with the Lord for quite a few years and it seems that throughout her personal charm, she will be a permanent fixture in his harem. However, she still yielded for her freedom and was carefully choosing the right moment to make her escape. But unfortunately, she chose wrongly and got sold into the brothel as punishment for her act of betrayal.

Bonus Plot (aka All-3-Jumbled-Into-1 as suggested by Muro, many thanks)

The woman is an imposter who, through magical means or otherwise, was made to look like the girl. She is an old adversary of the PCs who wanted to use sympathy from the PCs as a leverage to trick the PCs. As for the real girl, she really was kidnapped and sold into a brothel where the imposter came into contact with her and got the story of the prank she played on the PCs out of her. Additionally, the real girl isnt really the Lords daughter as the PCs are led to believe. She is in fact part of his harem, the members of which he illegally captures and often resells to brothels when he is bored with them. This girl, however, had already been with the Lord for quite a few years and is in fact one of his favoured mistresses that he has decided to keep permanently. (And for someone he decides to keep permanently, he really means business. He will stop at nothing to get the girl back!) On the girls part, she is someone with a strong character, who constantly yearns for her freedom and tries to escape from the Lord. The Lord, however, actually likes such spirited women and he in particular enjoys the thrill of hunting for his mistress when she escapes. The result of all these was that the girl was in the habit of periodically making escape attempts but every time she always got hunted down and the one time that she didn’t well, she got kidnapped and sold into a brothel.

This is not meant to be read as a stand-alone plot sub but rather an addition to the Tales of the Road Codex, utilising the format of Tales of Adventure.

Tales of Adventure are brief adventure plots or story elements, presented in a few paragraphs. What separates a Tale of Adventure from other plots is that it gives three different directions for the adventure to play out. They may be minor twists in how the original situation is presented, or they may turn the whole scenario upside down.

The few peasant cottages have been here for decades, but it was only last year when a splendid large manor has started to grow, built by craftsmen from the town a day’s journey away. The location is not bad, but so distant it doesn’t make sense for a wealthy merchant to live here - but that is exactly what happened.

The explanation followed soon enough. Due to a little cartographic oversight just recently discovered, this spot of earth officially belongs to both lord’s lands bordering to it. Because of the strict laws of the kingdom, no lord may tax the lands of another, effectively making this a land of no taxes!

Englbert, a wealthy merchant has jumped on the opportunity when it presented itself, and now keeps much of his possessions here, where they cannot be milked for their worth. Of course, a simple agreement could put an end to this, but the noble families hated themselves with passion for centuries, and this issue only fueled their latent grievances.

Possible Explanations:

1. The Entrepreneur - Englbert is exactly what he seems, a businessman that does not like his money to be taken by others. Staying most friendly with both families, he will make sure their conflicts do not stop one day, and will enjoy himself on his own property in the mean time.

2. The Caller - in an ancient prophecy of some kind, it is clearly written:
Place of all, place of none,
that will be this creature’s home.

The jovial merchant is trying to call/summon/create some bizzare monster/demon/whatever, which is as bad news as you can make it.

3. The Not-What-He-Seemed - well, yes, he is an agent of another power, and this all is an elaborate setup to entangle the families into more conflict. Either a neighboring lord would like to gain more lands, or it is a foreplay to war with another kingdom.

All options should offer plenty of plot-hooks, and job opportunities on all sides of the conflict.

This is an experiment in designing adventures in a format similar to that of the short “Tales of Terror” plots that have been used in horror-themed games. In this format, a short adventure setup is followed by three different explanations, each leading in a different direction.

Those interested in seeing the original “Tales of Terror” using this format may wish to go to Steve Hatherley’s website: http://www.talesofterror.net

As the heroes pass the lands, they will be contacted by the representants of a mining company, that have experienced a spree of bad luck in their mine recently. The heroes, considered crafty in this area*, are supposed to get rid of the evil spirits that are undoubtly the cause.

Options:

1. It is something supernatural indeed, a spirit of earth, the ghost(s) of a deceased miner(s), a leprechaun that moved underground (hey, treasure!), an insulted permonik or something else. Annoyed by the mine or something else, prepare to chase little folk that can teleport or become invisible through tight tunnels - though a riddling contest is also not out of question.

2. The digging has uncovered something else - a form of magical mineral is ignored among the ore, or in fact pure magic starts to seep from the depths. Reacting with the minds of simple miners, it is only a question until the strange effects grow in size and someone is really harmed. There is opportunity for wealth as risk, proceed with care.

3. You don’t need magic, when good old intrigue is never far among humans. And one of them would like to have a better position, while others stand in the way… see below for more details.

*) Some adventurers and their reputation will this suit just fine, others won’t - and if desired, more intrigue can be conjured - was it only misinformation that led to their hiring? Little money? Desperation? Or a greater purpose? (The mines owned by the barony, this is an innocent way to test them before using for something else, etc.)

A little more detail
It is a copper mine of the old style, so picture walls out of wooden boards, horses drawing cart trains on crude tracks, and plenty of poor miners doing their hard work. The tunnels will follow the veins of ore, vertical and horizontal if possible, but often going in any direction that seems profitable.

Gormain - is a push-man (directs one of the ‘trains’ of carts) over fifty, he has lost a few toes on the right foot in an accident a few years ago, it still haunts him that he could loose the whole leg. Sensing his approaching old age, he would at last want a reward for his many years of faithful service… and may go too far while aiming higher. His additional job of mine maintenance offers easy opportunities.

Nodem - the current wheelmaster, almost seventy, plans to retire soon. A wheelmaster controls the large wooden wheel that pulls loads and people out of the deep; it is a position of prestige and decent pay, requiring a feeling for the dangers of the mine and the strength of ropes, reserved for senior miners.

Traspan the doctor - quote “It is a good day when I have nothing to do.” It is universally known that he is not a ‘real’ doctor, as he has left the school too soon, but people still call him that way. He does minor paperwork if little is going on, but has deep knowledge of fractures and blunt trauma wounds, and plenty of practice with lesser wounds.

As the valiant PCs gallavant across the land, and travel down strange roads, they encounter a curious man and his push cart. Rolling on two rough cut wheels and covered with a bison-hide awning, he and his cart seem to be some sort of peddler. A bison’s severed and preserved head swings from a support in the awning, a macabre thing that bounces with each bump the cart rolls over. The smell is more peculiar, a whiff of the slaughterhouse and a reek of the taphouse.

When the PCs approach, the vendor quickly assumes his pitch. “Step up, step up. Have a sup, just two pieces of silver. It will put the spring back in your step, put an ace up your sleeve, reload your crossbows and sharpen your swords.” He says with obvious enthusiasm. The vendor himself is rail thin, his ribs visible, but almost vibrates with energy.

Possibilities

It Gives You Wings - By mixing boiling bison and cow intestines in his cauldron and adding generous amounts of suger to the mix and then mixing the resultant mixture half and half with beer or liquor, the vendor has concocted a medieval Red Bull. If the PCs accept drinks they will find their initiative improved in combat as well as not needing to sleep for a while.

The Cuckoo - Unfortunately for the PCs the Vendor is a deranged hermit who woke up one morning believing it was his task to start killing people. He made his cart, covered it with the hide and his talking bison head (which only he can hear, of course) and started on his merry way. The poison in his tonics is slow working so that he has time to sell a few and be on his way before customers starting dropping dead from the toxins. The PCs now have 48 hours to find him again and try to get an antidote out of him.

The Secret Formula - The Vendor is a genius, but rather than making alchemical potions and magic items he started making a tonic that aids digestion, sharpens the mind and calms the nerves. This tonic also happens to have a very pleasant flavor that children and adults alike love.  His rough appearance comes from the fact that he has been robbed a number of times and doesnt take the time to eat enough while traveling.

Winter’s bite crept into every crevice, haunted every corner, when the ancient tinker Nickol Nacker came to the village.  Wandering from door-to-door, offering to mend their pots and kettles, the jovial man was full of energy.  While others were huddled for warmth around the meager fires the villagers could afford, he seemed impervious to the frigid winter winds.

When the man headed on his way, the village was filled with smiles.

Sometimes, travelers pass Nickol the tinker as the humble man sits by his campfire in the wild, carefully whittling at toys for future visits to the villages.  Smiling as always, he even tosses simple gifts to some of the passers by.  These might be simple, such as a wooden spoon or a calico pincushion, but they always come in handy later.  Apparently, the simple tinker has a knack for knowing what will be needed.

Not every visit of the Tinker’s is so jolly, however.  Many villagers have no use for the Tinker folk and rudely send them off.  Nickol has been known to stop where these ungracious folk dwell and ostentatiously shake the snow from his boots at the edge of their village.  Frequently, ill fortune has befallen that village soon after.

Possible explanations:

1.) Nickol is the incarnation of a Saint, sent by heaven to teach kindness and compassion to the village folk.  The humble gifts he gives are predictors of the future; where he gives weapons to little boys, the land will someday need defenders; where he gives baskets of fruit, famine waits to haunt the people.  Those who have learned by his subtle signs are sheltered from what ills may come.

2.) The elderly Tinker is actually a simulacrum, the artificial creation of a powerful mage; he travels the land to ensure that village folk are content with their lot.  When he finds a village where the folk are not content, he investigates to find out why.  The ones responsible for spreading discord will be brought to justice, whether they be peasant or churchmen, knight or rogue.

3.) No, Virginia, there is no tinker.  One of the local lords sends a band of men out every winter, all chosen from the eldest of his knights.  Disguised as tinkers, these men wander through neighboring provinces, assessing their military readiness.  They have found that disguising themselves in this way wins the affection of the local peasants.

This is an experiment in designing adventures in a format similar to that of the short “Tales of Terror” plots that have been used in horror-themed games.  In this format, a short adventure setup is followed by three different explanations, each leading in a different direction.  If enough of these are collected, a

Tales of Adventure

Codex will be assembled.

Those interested in seeing the original “Tales of Terror” using this format may wish to go to Steve Hatherley’s website:  http://www.talesofterror.net

Warning

This plot digs into a somewhat mature theme as racicm and does not reflect the opinions of the author in any way. Thus it is meant for adult players that can draw a clear line between real-life and roleplaying.

Introduction

A black man is being chased through the streets of the town, a dark skinned man in his thirties, a twenty man strong mob pursuing him with murder in their hearts. The man ends up on the characters’ doorstep, begging them to help him. "Protect me, and I shall reward you with power and wealth", he whispers as the mob rushes up towards the adventurers’ lodging. Outside the mob screams, "In the name of all that is holy and pure, release the heretic!", as they start banging on the door.

Scenario One

The man is an ex-seaman and pirate called Murazo, he has left the sea to explore these lands for fortune and glory. However, he found only racism and poverty, and not so long ago a former colleague of his arrived in town to wrench out of Murazo the whereabouts of the lost treasure he hid somewhere in the land. So his former colleague has set an angry mob on him, accusing him for being a heretic. Murazo however, has sworn not to tell anyone where he hid the treasure unless it will save him his life of course (pirate’s honor isn’t too much to brag about). Can the adventurers help the poor foreigner, and perhaps accompany him on a quest to reclaim that treasure?

Scenario Two

The black man is a con artist named Ruben, specialized in tricking well-meaning out-of-towners into selflessly helping protect his life, for which he swears eternal loyalty and servitude, as well as promises of wealth and power "as soon as I get back to my (insert person or group of influence of choice)". This time he has disguised as Ma-Am, the prince and heir of a foreign aristocratic trade house set up in the capital. He swears he is rich and powerful, but needs to get back home to get his hands on his wealth and influence, if only the adventurers could bribe off the racist mob and help him secure a transport to the capital (all his valuables has been stolen by the mob you see). His partner, is waiting outside, leading the mob, for the adventurers to bribe them to go away. Once that is done, Ruben will try his best to milk the adventurers of any resources they might have.

Scenario Three

The black man, called Ask, really is a mutant and heretic, his skin is black because of the sooth running through his veins instead of blood. He leaves sooth marks on everything he touches (which is why he wear gloves), and can feed only on charcoal. The wealth he has to offer stems from working as a middleman between unscrupulous merchants and any band of heretics and cultists , and the power he peddles is that of the Dark. The philanthropic adventurers might not learn the truth until it is too late.

This is an experiment in designing adventures in a format similar to that of the short "Tales of Terror" plots that have been used in horror-themed games. In this format, a short adventure setup is followed by three different explanations, each leading in a different direction. If enough of these are collected, a Tales of Adventure Codex will be assembled.

Those interested in seeing the original "Tales of Terror" using this format may wish to go to Steve Hatherley’s website: http://www.talesofterror.net

The heroes are lost in a brutal and empty desert land of drifting white dust, where stunted stands of ancient eucalyptus trees cling together in rows like withered old men. During the day, the heat and the choking dust make it a hellish, smothering wasteland; at night, the empty skies become frozen arcades of blue, and the heat is sapped from their bodies.

As they travel through this land, searching out some sign of civilization, they stumble across a large region of disturbed dust, where piles of unsettled sand stand head-high, and gnarled eucalyptus-limbs lie discarded, clotted with sap. Crossing through this surreal landscape, the heroes encounter a group of hard, weathered individuals, their hair greyed by the sun; these people are clad only in filthy rags, and are chained to each other with heavy bonds and collars. These individuals are carving through the baked desert earth with axes and spades, seemingly at random, creating great pyramids of loose earth.

But they are not long for this sight; a group of soldiers in bizarre dress and armament arrive on horseback, and shouting unintelligible commands, hustle the heroes away, driving them to an oasis over the nearby hill, where they are watched over by other soldiers; they are soon sent in the direction of the nearest city.

Possible Explanations

Prisoners: These individuals are criminals and rebels. The government of this debatable and hideous country must use their empressed labour to break up the dirt to build roadbeds and new outposts. They are very dangerous people, and the soldiers had the heroes’ safety in mind.

Slavery: This is just another expression of the common institution of slavery. The colonists who founded this kingdom capture all the men they can find of the native population and force them to work the soil. However, the rulers of the land find it their wont to present this slavery as a blessing to the savages, and thus attempt to hide the fact that the natives are hideously abused and oppressed.

Soldier’s Exercise: The emperor of this nation has secretly decreed that the soldiers of his armies are to be stronger than any others in the world. To this end, his counselors have devised ingenious and bizarre exercises, and these are now being tested on a select group of hard-bitten warriors. The emperor wishes this program to be in secret, so that other nations will not know his methods and emulate the success of his warriors.

The PCs are confronted by a highwayman, who rapidly discovers that they are more formidable than he expected.  Searching through his effects, they discover that he was in possession of a finely-crafted box containing 24 small vials of an inky material.  Each vial has a different symbol graven upon it; scholarly characters can identify these esoteric symbols as having to do with blackest necromancy.

The Possible Explanations:
1.) Letters from Beyond the Grave:  The “highwayman” is actually the servant of a local mage.  The liquid is enchanted ink distilled from the remains of the dead.  Normally, it allows the user to write questions on parchment and receive answers from the spirits of the dead, written in the hand of the deceased.  The servant, not knowing this, disregarded his orders not to open the vials.  Thinking it was merely fine ink, he used the ink without the appropriate protective rituals and became confused, possessed by the ghost of the long dead bandit chieftain.  The mage will be most irritated when he discovers what happened.

2.) The Miracle Medicine:  The vials contain ordinary colored oils, enchanted with a simple spell to seem potent materials of magic.  The highwayman has an associate that has been selling items like these in nearby towns, making all sorts of outrageous claims about the “Miracle Medicine”.  Characters attempting to sell the stuff, or who keep it in their possession, may be suspected of being associates of these swindlers.

3.) The Necromancer’s Effects:  The highwayman took these items from the remains of a strange wizardly fellow that he found in an isolated cottage nearby.  Characters questioning him (or reading a partially completed letter the rogue was writing to his sweetheart in a nearby village) can find this isolated hut.  Apparently, before his demise, the wizardly man was a necromancer, who had come to this desolate place to complete a terrible summoning.  The vials hold ichor from a strange alien demon, necessary for the ceremony needed to banish the conjured horror. 

Unfortunately, while there is evidence that the creature was summoned, it appears that the necromancer died before it could be banished again.  From his scattered notes, the characters can discern that the necromancer had ordered the beast to murder several enemies of his in nearby towns.

This is an experiment in designing adventures in a format similar to that of the short “Tales of Terror” plots that have been used in horror-themed games.  In this format, a short adventure setup is followed by three different explanations, each leading in a different direction.  If enough of these are collected, a

Tales of Adventure

Codex will be assembled.

Those interested in seeing the original “Tales of Terror” using this format may wish to go to Steve Hatherley’s website:  http://www.talesofterror.net

Coming upon a little village close to the sea, the heroes learn that something is not right in the local manufacture nearby. Several of the fishermen and workers working for it have vanished recently, the management denied any such reports.

Possible Explanations:

1. It’s the Mafia - as the business is quite profitable, and many desire to work here, while competition from individual fishermen is fierce, the employers have gone a little criminal. Pushing people that don’t want to be pushed, the vanished folk are victims of retribution - sometimes from outsiders, sometimes from other employers that have families pushed hard upon, too. If there is bad blood between those hardened by the sea, actual blood will be spilled very soon.

2. The mermaid’s kiss - the latest upsurge in fishing has alarmed a local spirit of the sea, or any similar creature that fits. In anger, it has started attacking the local workers. It either wants to *insert random ecological talk*, or simply wants a cut, a sacrifice to make it cooperate.

3. Nothing again - only a red herring, the vanishings have normal or different causes, rumours bogus or spread by jealous villagers. The heroes will emerge unscathed and badly smelling of fish… unless they poke around too much in sensitive places, and provoke into life option number one or two.

Additional details
The Mittle Fish has a very delicate meat, favoured by the upper class. It spoils very fast, therefore a quick preservation is necessary, typically by smoking and salting.

The most effective way of fishing is to herd a school into a square made of nets, with boats closing to each other, cutting off any chance of escape. While not easy to perform, the raw amount of meat is worth a fortune, if processed in time.

(The mittle fish can be freely substituted with tuna it is based on. Seen a report on TV today about one such manufacture owned by the old Phoenicians, and this came out of it.)

The adventurers are approached in some public yet semi-private place by lean dwarf, wearing a colorful cape with black feathers rim wrapped tightly around him. He looks around nervously before speaking to the characters in a low near-whisper with a clear tenor voice. "The Pigeon Loft will be open tonight. Two gold pieces per head secures entry. Conservative dress code. There will be the usual refreshments. Be there." The dwarf puts two fingers to his lips, making a near soundless "shssssss", before rising his cloak to cover his face and turns around on his heal dramatically, scuttling off.

Scenario One

The message was a secret code intended for someone else. The adventurers were in the right place at the wrong time, and somewhere near them stands group of bewildered spies wondering why their dwarven contact haven’t shown up yet. Incidentally, there is a pigeon loft in town, a ramshackle tower structure on the town gate or bridge. Entry to this loft is restricted to city officials and Watchmen, and the adventurers might find themselves in a lot of trouble should they try a bit too hard to gain access to this place. After all, the town’s carrying pigeon service is a serious matter.

Scenario Two

The dwarf, Moin, son of Dhrem, has been working hard at enticing the interest of any potential clients, as he and his business partners are hosting a promotion party for their latest business adventure/invention/art display. Their goods/services should be something which the adventurers would potentially be interested in, and it should be within their price range (nothing like luring money from your Player Characters). The happening at The Pigeon Loft will attract many middle class and lower upper class visitors, among them hopefully (for Mion and his people) a few clients and/or investors too. The exclusive nature of the party will secure a large attendance, and perhaps the adventurers will find the occasion a good opportunity for making friends and contacts, and perhaps even the odd enemy (Tip: This might serve as a good starting point for a campaign, the promotion party working as a way to put the group together and launch the plot).

Scenario Three

The ‘dwarf’ is really a hobbit actor, one of the troupes of the secret theater group called the Underground Opera that specialized in political satires and caricatures of public figures. Their shows are daring and skillful, popular with the local opposition and radical students, and has become something of a phenomenon in the towns underground society. The Pigeon Loft will surely be full tonight, as the troupe is doing a satire on the power of the guilds, displaying the local Noble as their puppet. Many people potentially valuable to the adventurers will attend. Likewise, the City Watch has finally caught up with the troupe and will send a squad to infiltrate the audience, to prepare for a town-wide crackdown the following morning. In addition, agents of several enemies of the guilds and the nobles of the town are rumored to attend, as well as an unknown foreign spy known only as the Shade. It will be an interesting night indeed, and remember; "It ain’t over till the fat lady sings…"

This is an experiment in designing adventures in a format similar to that of the short "Tales of Terror" plots that have been used in horror-themed games. In this format, a short adventure setup is followed by three different explanations, each leading in a different direction. If enough of these are collected, a Tales of Adventure Codex will be assembled.

Those interested in seeing the original "Tales of Terror" using this format may wish to go to Steve Hatherley’s website: http://www.talesofterror.net

The party heard the music pouring from the open door of the tavern. They looked at the darkening sky and knew they should continue on to shelter before the clouds made good on their threats but the music drew them in through the open doors nonetheless.  Save for the soft strumming of the lyre, and the soothing voice of the young bard, the place was silent.  No one held whispered conversations, even the barkeep and maids were still and attentive to the sad tale. 
The party quietly found seats and became as enraptured as the rest.

The blonde bard could be of no more than 25 summers yet he seemed to sing of experiences denied to even the most worldly and weathered. The music seemed to hang in the air, as if the words and notes were tangible and could be picked up and placed in your pocket for safe keeping.  When the last strain echoed off the silent walls every eye held a tear.  The audience seemed to inhale a simultaneous breath as if they had forgotten, until the last word faded, that air was necessary and they could not live on the music alone.

The crowd eagerly offered the bard whatever they had in their pockets. This one night would easily make his fortune.  He smiled at the crowd, bowed low and elegant and left the bar empty handed. As he walked through the doors memory of the song faded from the minds of the audience. Only the emotion and the name of the bard remained.

The party got back on the road but soon sought shelter from the rain in a nearby cave.  Within the cave they find the body of the bard. There is no evidence of what caused his death. Clutched in his hand is a weathered parchment containing the words to a song.  It is stained with ink from a bottle that is over turned nearby. It is a sorrowful
tale of a man that fortune smiled on and then abandoned. 

Possible Explanations:

1)  Truth In Rhyme: The poem was written by the bard and is the story of his own life.  It tells of his rise to wealth and fame and his eventual ruin which led to his suicide. 

2)  Poetic Justice: The bard stole the scroll from a well known, and more successful, bard hoping to gain a bit of the fame for himself.  The other bard, knowing his competitor to be a thief, wrote the poem with poisoned ink.
The slow acting poison allowed the man time enough to perform the song once before it took its toll.

3)  Your Soul For A Song: The bard obtained the song from a strange old fellow he met on the road. The man was dirty and his clothes were little more than rags. Over a camp fire, he told the man that he would give anything to have just one song that would make his name be remembered forever. The old man said he had just the thing for the young bard.  After performing the song the bard became well known and highly paid for his performances. He soon discovered, however, that his life was doomed to be twisted into the very image of the tale he told.

Full Item Description

The Stone of Mys is a large sapphire the size of a good sized egg.  It lightens in color in the center, being almost clear.  A faint glow or shimmer seems to emanate from it, and everyone who has seen it in person seems certain there’s something terribly significant about it, although they don’t know quite what.

History

Mys was a scholar and magician of middling talent.  He had done nothing particularly grand in his life, but he made a comfortable living.  When he died, his heirs duly went through his belongings.  Most of them were either sold or divided amongst various relatives or friends.  But there was one, an exquisite blue stone, that mystified everyone who examined it.  It was magical, there was no question about that, but no one was quite sure how.  It was finally given to a master mage who was thought to be the greatest in the land.

From there, the stories and reputation of the Stone only grew.  Word got out that it was a great treasure, that it could shape the destinies of men and nations.  Inevitably, it was taken from the master mage, “for the good of the kingdom”.  It was carefully kept in the treasury, and guarded well. 

Throughout the intervening decades, the Stone has changed hands; stolen by exiled royalty, taken in wars, looted from noble tombs.  Everyone is quite sure that it’s of great importance, but they still don’t know how so.  Generations of mages and wizards have tried to fathom its secrets, and all have failed.

Possibilities

1. The Stone is truly an artifact of great power, but not in the way that people believe.  Mys was a follower of chaos, and created the stone as a way of formenting instability.  It is spelled to be desirable and to make people want it, to the point they’d do anything to have it.  Much like the Golden Apple in Greek legend, it exists solely to cause discord between the powers that be.

2. The Stone is one of a pair; they were separated when Mys’s belongings were divided.  The sister stone is black and seems wholely unremarkable.  The two stones are a sort of magical amplification system: the black stone absorbs ambient magic, and stores it in the blue stone, where it can be accessed by one attuned to it.  The glow of the blue stone depends on how much magic it has in it.  Given the amount of time that has passed since the secret has been lost, it is unlikely that anyone will learn how to attune to it.  But the black stone still absorbs magic around it, and it’s entirely possible the blue stone will eventually overload…

3.  The Stone does nothing.  At all.  It was created by Mys in a fit of drunken pique.  He was angry about the condescending way that other mages treated him, and decided to show them all.  It’s not even a real sapphire, it’s glass.  Mys created it to show up other mages.  He had a master craftsman create the gem, then laid just enough enchantment on it to make it seem like it was magical.  The glow is one part illusion, and one part the way the glass was cut to create it.  Most of the residual magic has worn off, leaving just the glow and a magical aura.  People think it’s special now because it’s the Stone of Mys, of course it’s special.

During the night a foreign ship, The Merriwell, battered and weather torn, sailed up to the town docks. It just sat there in the harbor, and hails from the harbor master and the watch produced no results. A small detachment of watchmen and a pilot was sent to investigate, but the ship proved to have been abandoned.

The first possible scenario

The crew of the Merriwell were attacked by river-pirates and marauding mercenaries, a few miles outside of town. A single crew member, a young deck’s boy named Trond survived (he hid during the fight), and managed to loosen the ship as the pirates were taking a break, and steer it towards the town despite the heavy winds and rain during the night. Just outside of town he was hit by the ships rudder, knocked overboard unconscious. When found he might be able to give valuable information about the pirates that will make tracking them easier. By the way, the Merriwell was carrying a shipment of Weapons and supplies for the Imperial Garrison in town, all of which were carried off by the pirates. Should they get their hands on a sizable amount of weapons, these pirates could become a great threat to the people of the region. The major is digging deep into his treasure chest to finance a search and destroy mission - making offers that adventurers like the PCs can’t refuse.

The second scenario

The ship was hired by an explorer charged with mapping and investigating the remoter branches of the river. He left several weeks ago, together with a hardy ship crew of rivermen and sailors and was not expected to return for several weeks hence. The following night, it is discovered that the ship is still inhabited, sort of, as a handful of dead spectral crewmen haunts the ship from sundown to sunrise. Every sundown they go busily to work readying the Merriwell for sailing, somehow managing to always find the materials and tools needed, after all such tools were stripped from the ship by the harbormaster. When the ship is ready, the ghostly crewmen simply sit down waiting, tying knots and maintaining the vessel. Come sunrise, they rig down the ship and vanish. They seem to be ready to take the ship somewhere, but perhaps they need additional crew? (Should no crew volunteer, the ghosts will soon visit the shanty bars by the docs, having spectral drinks they bring themselves, and silently checking out the guests). At this point the PC’s should be forced to act.

The third scenario

A single body, that of the captain, was found tied on the ship’s helm the captain’s log is recovered and tells of strange events that had taken place during the ship’s journey. These events led to the gradual disappearance of the entire crew apparently owing to a malevolent presence on board of the ill-fated ship. An animal described as a large dog is seen on the ship and leaping ashore. The ship’s cargo is described as silver-sand and boxes of ‘mould’ or earth from a haunted island.

This is an experiment in designing adventures in a format similar to that of the short "Tales of Terror" plots that have been used in horror-themed games. In this format, a short adventure setup is followed by three different explanations, each leading in a different direction. If enough of these are collected, a Tales of Adventure Codex will be assembled.

Those interested in seeing the original "Tales of Terror" using this format may wish to go to Steve Hatherley’s website: http://www.talesofterror.net

Plot Description

A barrier, crudely constructed out of tree branches, blocks the road. This presents no real obstacle to travel and the PCs can easily bypass it they so wish.

Beside the barrier is a four-man tent of the kind commonly used by the Kings Army and a small handcart on which is a wooden cage containing several homing pigeons. Setting in front of the tent are three scruffy looking soldiers playing cards and drinking tea. The soldiers uniforms are frayed and dirty but their weapons (crossbows / muskets / swords / spears / whatever) are in good repair.

As the PCs approach the barrier the sergeant greets then and demands, in the name of the King, that they pay a toll to travel the Kings’ Road. Note that the amount demanded should not too excessive, roughly what would be expected for a road toll.

If the PCs pay the toll the soldiers will drag their makeshift barrier clear and allow them to pass, if not they will release one of their homing pigeons but will take no other action unless attacked.

Possible Explanations

1. Genuine Toll Booth - The soldiers are exactly what they claim to be.

If the PCs refuse to pay the toll they will be arrested as soon as they enter the next town and held until the local magistrate is holding court (in about 3-4 days). The magistrate will then order that they pay a heavy fine for refusal to pay the Kings’ taxes. He will accept neither excuses nor protestations of innocence nor pleas of poverty.

2. Highway Robbery - The soldiers are actually highway bandits running a simple, but highly effective, scam.

By posing as toll collectors their victims normally hand over the loot without a fight, as long as they don’t get greedy of course. Also, they are unlikely to be reported since the victims do not even realise they have been duped.

The pigeons are just wild birds captured to compete the disguise (genuine toll stations always have messenger pigeons).

3. A Test of Honesty - The station is set up by the local authorities (lord / town council / whatever) to test the honesty of approaching adventuring parties (like the PCs).

Those parties who pay the toll (and thereby demonstrate their honesty) will be welcome in the next town, those who do not will find the town gate barred to them.

It is not a large township, but a prosperous one, surrounded by fields of wheat, and orchards of apple, and pear. The wheat is tall in the field, but weeds push their green heads up through the sea of gold. The orchards are heavy with fruit, the branches bending under the weight. Why has none yet been harvested?

Animals loe in their pens, water all but gone, feed gone. Most have turned to eating what they can reach from their pens and stalls. Grass is mowed to the ground, and trees nearby are stripped of leaves and bark. Some animals have succumbed to hunger, or thirst. Some less scrupuluous have taken to eating their dead. Still, the bell tolls…

The outermost houses are empty, some doors stand open, curtains blowing in the wind. Windows are broken by the stones of vandals, and some of the houses have been tossed, valuables taken, breakables broken. No vandals are seen, and the tracks, if any seek them are at least two days old. Each house is the same, but all are looted of food stuffs, especially meats and cheeses. There is an unpleasant smell in the houses, a bitter coppery smell.

Along the way, there is a well, with a dipping bowl. Perhaps the heros will stop and drink from the bowl, and refill their water skins and canteens.

The walls are unmarred, no bolt or ballista has scored their surface. The gates stand open, there is a hand painted sign on the lefthand gate.

Father Preserve Us

The city inside is much the same, windows broken, and shops looted of valuables. Some valuables lie not far away, discarded for some unknown reason. There are no people, no bodies, no sign of battle or conflict, only petty vandalism. Still, the bell tolls on…

There is a large stone church, with a bell tower. The heros can see the bell, a shining brass piece rocking back and forth as the bell sings its clear note. The doors of the church are open, but there is a stinging smell coming from it, one that assaults the eyes, and upsets the nose, makes the stomach clench in nausea and the bowels liquid and weak. For it is the unmistakable scent of death.

They can hear a single voice, between the strikes of the bell, the voice is singing hymns, but which ones cannot be discerned unless the heros decide to investigate. If they do not, the singer comes forth from the church.

“They live my father…” the old man says, adorned with the vestments of a priest, cassock threaded with gold, and a mitre with humble jewels on it. The hem is stained with gore and mud, his hands wringing, more of the dark black crud under his nails. “Preserve them, they live.”

“This is good, there is little room left in the catacomb. So many dead, yes, so many dead.”

Plot Hooks.
- Dont Drink the Water - in a tale of unforseen consequences, the well is infested with the disease that destroyed the town. It is cholera, and as the town gathered more water to care for the ill, they spread the disease rapidly among them. If the PCs took water from the well, they have become infected/carriers of the disease. Can the characters find a cure, or do they spread the disease to the next town, or find the next town closed to them as suspected carriers of death?

- Poisoning the Well - The priest of the township is a hearty, and spiritual man who became dangerously upset when the town stopped accrediting its success to the blessing of the gods, and to the works of their own hands. The townsfolk became, in his eyes, decadent and corrupt, teasing about with sorcery, and indulging in gluttony and debauchery. He poured a cursed potion into the well and has punished the infidels for their evils. AS above, if the PCs have taken water, they have been poisoned, and have a limited amount of time to prove their ‘worthyness’ to the old priest, or find a suitable cure. A fairly normal investigation of the priest will ensure he confesses his deeds to the PCs, for the work of his god is not done in great secrecy.

- Song of the Dead - The township sits upon a confluence of necromantic essence, a congregation point for hungry ghosts, shades, and spectres. An alignment of the heavenloy bodies, coinciding with a lunar eclipse allowed the dead to rise, and they slew the living with their negative essence, stealing life with a touch. (ala The Phantoms from the Final Fantasy movie) The priest survives their nightly rising as the sound of the blessed bell keeps the ghosts at bay, but only so long as the bell rings. The ghosts are not very active during the day, but are drawn to the living at night. The old man is desperate, and half mad with sleep deprevation, and malnutrutition. The Heros have to find a way to eliminate the confluence of dark essence. This could be as easy as having the entire town purified and blessed, or as difficult as destroying the overabundance of essence by removing graveyards, and building monuments to the essence of life, and beauty.

Two Little Piggies Went to the Market

This is a plot scenario with three possible explanations for the GM to expand upon. Short, concise and ready to use. Make your pick.

Plot Description

Two local merchants were found dead last night, both seemingly poisoned (the cause of death not yet identifies). Herr Josran Naville, a travelling salesman of textiles and fabrics, was found dead in his bed at home, his lips smelling suspiciously of sweet herbs. Local burgher and sheep-merchant Herr Jemen Elman was discovered dead in the street, a few blocks from his well-to-do town house, a similar sweet odor on his lips. Jemens body was in good condition, although his clothes were soiled from street murk and vomit (seemingly containing some blood). Josran however, had fresh scratches on his neck and throat, and his face and pillow was soaked in blood from oral bleeding. The City Watch stands clueless as to what have happened to the two merchants, but it is worth noting that none of the men showed signs of being robbed or otherwise assailed when they were found. There’s a reward for any information that can shed light on the case. And in comes the PC’s.

Scenario One

Josran and Jemens were rivals in trades. They had been so for years, and every time they crossed paths, the encounter grew more and more vicious. Few remember exactly what they are fighting about, it seemed not to matter much, the two just didn’t like each other. Last night the two got into a violent argument in a local drinking establishment, the tenth such argument they had had in as many nights, and everyone was getting fed up with the pair, none more so than the local Guild Master of the Merchant Guild. The Grand Master himself, with heavy investments in the wool and textile industry decided that enough was enough. Not only were the two merchants setting the entire Guild in a bad light, they had also revealed or threatened to reveal Guild secrets as they accused each other of their crimes and amorality. He therefore had them both poisoned by his servant and henchman, who administrated a liberal amount of arsenic into both men’s drinks, confident that the poison, should it ever be identified, would not be tracked back to him. (Vomiting, oral bleeding and scratch marks are due to, in order: poisoning, tongue biting, and clawing at the throat in a desperate attempt to breath). The Grand Masters only problem is that his henchman managed to get himself robbed on his way back to his luxurious town house, and the thugs got away with not only the vial of poison, but also the letter containing the written instruction on how to administrate the poison, and rough sketches of the two merchants to be killed. Now, it is only a matter of time before this information turns up in the wrong hands, and the Grand Master is taking every step to deal with the situation.

Scenario Two

The two merchants had just closed a good deal, and were sharing a meal and quite a few drinks last night to celebrate. They visited all the beer houses and wine rooms in town, getting drunker by the hour, until they ended up at a rather shady bar. The owner was happy to serve the two guests, and since they were so drunk he thought he could manage to sell them some fruit brandy that had turned out bad in brewing. Sell it he did, and the two merchants were too drunk to tell the difference. Now, the owner is a honest and moral enough kind of guy, and he never intended to hurt no one, but both guests soon became quite ill with all the signs of poisoning. He had his son help the guests getting home, and particularly Elman had to be walked home, in the need of support all the way. But before reaching his town house, Herr Elman had started complaining of pains in his chest and left shoulder, and soon the owners son found the merchant to be dead (he is not aware that the other merchant also died during the night). The bar owner is now very nervous and has decided to flee town. He has spent all day roaming around town trying to sell his bar at half the rate it is worth, while his son have been packing their belongings onto their small cart. The tavern owner has just found a buyer who might be interested, and with a little luck he might be off before morning.

Scenario Three

Herr Josran Naville and Jemen Elman were not what they said they were. Both were cultists of a secret Brotherhood, planning a dark operation to take over the Merchant Guild in town. The two planed to summon a spirit-demon to take control over the local Merchant Guild Grand Master, setting themselves up as the powers behind his throne, building a power base for expanding their cult. A ritual area was prepared in the woods east of town, and all the preparation and the sacrifice of 3 black lambs was executed according to the text. Something went wrong with the summoning however, and the demon, its name roughly translated as he that seduces with sweet kisses, broke loose and overcame the cultists, delivering onto them it’s poisonous sweet kiss, and letting them flee back to their homes for comfort in death. (Vomiting, oral bleeding and scratches are due to violent reactions from receiving the poison kiss). Meanwhile, He that Seduces With Sweet Kisses has decided to complete the mission it was summoned to do after all, with the only alteration that the demon itself will now rule the Merchant Guild’s leader. Now, if only the cultists had understood that in the ancient text, "black lambs" is a metaphor for children under a year old, they would have succeeded in their operation, securing the demon a permanent manifestation in the physical world. Now, if He that Seduces With Sweet Kisses can only find three babies to sacrifice to its masters, then he can complete the ritual and make sure he isn’t returned to his hell at midnight.

This is an experiment in designing adventures in a format similar to that of the short "Tales of Terror" plots that have been used in horror-themed games. In this format, a short adventure setup is followed by three different explanations, each leading in a different direction. If enough of these are collected, a Tales of Adventure Codex will be assembled.

Those interested in seeing the original "Tales of Terror" using this format may wish to go to Steve Hatherley’s website: http://www.talesofterror.net

Good luck- Mike.

Plot Description

The PCs come to place where a sidetrack branches off from the main road.

A man dressed in peasant garb stops the PCs and requests their aid. He claims that his village, which lies down the sidetrack, is sorely plagued and in need of brave adventures such as themselves.

If the PCs inquire further he states that the village priest is a demon in human form and that he has been performing unspeakable rituals in the name of his dark gods.

He asks the PCs to go to the village church and deal with the demonic cleric.

Possible Explanations

1. Evil in the Church - The village priest has indeed been replaced by some demonic or undead doppelganger. The creature is extremely tough and virtually impossible to kill in a straight-on fight.

The real priest is being held prisoner by powerful enchantments, kept alive only because the demon needs his life force to maintain its presence on the mundane plane.

The key is to break the enchantments, thereby releasing the priest and destroying the demon.

2. Petty Vengeance - The village priest is just that, a village priest.

A man of very little imagination he tends to take the teachings of the Holy Books a bit too literally and, as a result, imposes quite a lot of fines and penances for a variety of petty offences that most priests turn a blind eye to. This has, of course, made him deeply unpopular with the villagers.

The peasant, having had one penance too many imposed upon him, has finally had enough and decided to give the priest a taste of his own medicine. He figures that a bunch a violent monster-killers (enter the PCs) are just what he needs to give the priest a really good scare.

3. Deception - As above, the priest is simply a priest.

However the peasant is a demon seeking to spread as much mayhem as possible. Sending a group of honourable adventures to kill an upstanding village priest is just the sort of thing he finds entertaining.

On a journey the adventurers travel through a particularly strange forest, full of odd butterflies and black animals. The forest offers little in the way of harm, and soon they are clear of it.

When the adventurers exit the forest, they arrive at a village. Problem is everyone appear strange, their clothes outlandish and their dialect thick with accent. When the adventurers close in on anyone, they make religious gestures and back away, as if they were afraid of the travelers.

Possible explanations:
1. Isolated Community: The PCs have arrived at an isolated community, sheltered from the rest of the world by the strange forest, called Deadrealm by the natives. According to local lore, the spirits of the dead dwell in the forest and the only ones that ever emerge from that wood are the restless dead come to claim the living. True enough, for the forest IS connected to the realm of death and a particularly vile spirit has drifted in the wake of the party, inactive at day. But when night falls, the screaming begins!

2. Cursed Forest: The forest is cursed and so is anyone that walked within it. The peasants truly believe that the characters are already dead; they just don’t know it yet. Problems begin when the PCs health starts deteriorating quickly, their arms growing frail and their breathing short. Soon wounds start appearing on the bodies of the characters and as time proceeds, they get more and more sick. Within two weeks they will all be dead. The solution lies in talking with the villagers. For they can tell that within the forest is the tomb of Indisthe, and only by appeasing her wrath can they hope to survive. She rests uneasy, her presence the source of the curse. Not before the great injustice has been avenged, will her soul know peace. Note: As long as they stay in the forest, the characters won’t die, but on the seventh night they will turn into butterflies.

3. The Taint: The Villagers are the descendants of the followers of Sandastur the Black, the rebel Prince. Following his defeat several centuries ago, his followers were cast out of the grace of the King and the Churches. Turning to darkness for guidance, these people no longer tolerate the presence of followers of the King. At daytime these villagers are normal, like you and me, but at night they change their guises, becoming literal nightmares of horror and fear, were-shadows – a mold of living flesh and corrupted spirits. If the PCs decided to stay at the village inn, they are in for an interesting night indeed. If they camp in the wilderness, the perimeter guards will hear odd sounds from the dark, for the were-shadows dare not come close to fire.

This is an experiment in designing adventures in a format similar to that of the short “Tales of Terror” plots that have been used in horror-themed games.  In this format, a short adventure setup is followed by three different explanations, each leading in a different direction.  If enough of these are collected, a

Tales of Adventure

Codex will be assembled.

Those interested in seeing the original “Tales of Terror” using this format may wish to go to Steve Hatherley’s website:  http://www.talesofterror.net

There manfred, I repaid the favor!