With only three players, including a new guy (Xiker), I presented the group with a strong lead for treasure...
During a raucous party night at Ming's Tavern & Hostel, a fight breaks out and an old Aquinian adventurer named Ostorio is stabbed. Chaos erupts, and as he collapses on the table in front of Ropala (barbarian) and Brother Tom (cleric), he pushes a bloodied, crumpled map into the hands of Ander, a young magic-user who had just met the other characters, saying, "Beware the toll of the bloodstained idol!" before dying.
The band is low on funds, so they hire themselves as caravan guards headed north towards Belack, which is also located on the map. The night before they leave, the map is stolen from them by a pair of stealthy characters.
Finally arriving in Belack, Ander uses his magic to befriend the innkeeper and discovers that a group of strangers had just left from the inn that morning, headed into the hills to the east of the town, towards the Kezakian tribal lands. Their description matches that of the map-thieves.
The next day, the three intrepid adventurers track their quarry (who are on horses) into the rocky, rugged land near the mountains, but are ambushed by Kezakian tribesmen. Rushing ahead to escape the trap, the group comes up against a ruined wall that blocks the cliffside trail. The wall is held by the small group of thieves, who offer a truce with the party to fight off the savage tribesmen who are quickly approaching.
A bloody battle ensues, and most of the tribesmen are slain, and all of the thieves in the group, as well. In fact, Brother Tom managed to curry some divine favour and avoid mortal wounds more than once!
Ropala, Brother Tom and Ander approach the entrance to an ancient temple carved from the cliff face and examine the strange stone doorway that is riddled with handles, latches and rings. While Brother Tom is tending the wounds of the young sorcerer, the rash barbarian Ropala tries to pull a few of the latches. He cries out in terror as the door does not swing outwards, but rather crashes down upon him, crushing him instantly into a red paste.
The cleric and the sorcerer enter the mysterious temple and discover a giant-sized golden idol encrusted with red jewels. When a pair of tribesmen pursue them into the temple, the idol comes alive with some dark sorcerous power and attacks the group. Brother Tom is paralyzed with fear, but Ander drags him from the chamber, and the whole temple collapses around them in an explosion of rock and choking dust.
The bloodied and battered pair loot the bodies of the thieves and barbarians at the wall, take a few horses and return to Belack to ponder their next moves.
Can you tell which classic Swords & Sorcery tale this is a rip-off from?
0 comments:
Post a Comment