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When the Rain King's army was disrupted by Dhersion's guerrilla activities, they split in two. The bulk of the soldiers and the three clerics turned around and returned to Adoette. But, the leader, the sorcerer, and a handful of competent soldiers pressed onward. Their mission originally was to retrieve the staff that the Rain King lost in Gressa, but things have not gone as expected!
When the army set forth from Ranita, they were told that a horrible otherworldly monster had attacked the king and his entourage in Gressa. They were prepared to battle this monster and take back the staff. However, when they arrived, they found that the place had been visited recently and that the staff was nowhere in sight. When they arrived at Adoette, they still believed a monster was in the area. However, it became clear that the trek was no longer a monster hunt, but had turned into a fugitive pursuit. As they were not prepared for this kind of outing, the bulk of them decided to turn around and go home.
The smaller group, however, decided to see if they could find out more. As they approach the village of Koko, they are willing to fight, but would prefer to talk.
This smaller group consists of 19 people total: The leader, three veterans, four archers, the magician, and ten warriors. All of the beasts of burden (and the supply cart) remained behind with the larger group. They have supplies only to last them a few days.
The magician, Kaliska, is a 34-year-old, fifth level Sorcerer who does not consider herself to be much of a follower of the Rain King. In fact, she was quite surprised when she was selected for this mission. At first, she considered it an honor, but when she learned who else was selected, she realized it was more of a curse. The mission, it turns out, is considered high risk - and the people selected were picked from the “expendable” ranks.
Statistics for the army:
Niichaad, (CN) leader of the Rain King's army:
Ftr4: CR 4; Size M (6'0"); HD 4d10+8; hp 30; Init +4 (+4 Improved
initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 16; Attack +6 melee, or +4 ranged; SV
Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 14, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 12,
Cha 9.
Equipment: Scale mail w/large wooden shield (+6), Longsword (1d8+2),
Shortbow (1d6), Dagger (1d4+2)
Climb +9, Craft +6, Handle animal +5, Hide +0, Knowledge (arcana)
+3, Listen +1, Move silently +0, Spot +1, Swim +8; Blind-fight,
Combat reflexes, Endurance, Improved initiative, Improved unarmed
strike, Quick draw.
All of the other veterans are male and their stats below are based on the “NPC Fighters” section on pages 52-53 of the DMG.
F1) Fighter/3 Str:16 hp:27 AC:17 Init:+5 Attack:+7 (1d8+3) : Qochata
F4) Fighter/2 Str:16 hp:19 AC:17 Init:+5 Attack:+6 (1d8+3) : Oya
F5) Fighter/2 Str:16 hp:19 AC:17 Init:+5 Attack:+6 (1d8+3) : Okabitum
Common to all veterans: Dex:13 Con:14 Spd:20' Armor: Scale mail w/large wooden shield (+6) Primary weapon: Longsword (1d8) Secondary weapons: Shortbow (1d6), Dagger (1d4)
The 4 Archers are each a 1st level Fighter as above, except they have no shields and are armed with a Longbow, rather than a Longsword.
A3) Male : Quats
A5) Male : Shilah
A6) Male : Segenam
A7) Female : Lenmana
Fighter/1 Str:15 Dex:14 Con:13 Spd:20' hp:11 AC:15 Init:+2 Attack:+3
(1d8) Armor: Studded Leather (+3)
Kaliska, (N) magician of the Rain King:
Sor/5, CR 5; Size M (5'1"); HD 5d4+5; hp 17; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd
30'; AC 11 (+1 Dex); Attack +3 melee, or +3 ranged; SV Fort +2,
Ref +2, Will +5; Str 13, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 19.
Appraise +5, Concentration +9, Craft +12, Disable device +5.5,
Hide +1, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Listen +1, Move silently +1,
Perform +7.5, Profession +8, Scry +6, Search +7, Spellcraft +10,
Spot +1; Craft wondrous item, Enlarge spell, Expertise.
Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/5): 0th -- Detect Magic, Ghost Sound,
Light, Mage Hand, Ray of Frost, Read Magic. 1st -- Charm Person,
Reduce, Shocking Grasp, Sleep. 2nd -- Blindness/Deafness, Web.
Weayaya, (CN) Warrior/1:
CR 1; Size M (6'3"); HD 1d8-1; hp 7; Init +3 (-1 Dex, +4 Improved
initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 9 (-1 Dex); Attack +1 melee, or +0
ranged; SV Fort +1, Ref -1, Will -1; Str 10, Dex 9, Con 9, Int 14,
Wis 8, Cha 8.
Climb +4, Disable device +4, Hide -1, Jump +4, Listen -1, Move
silently -1, Speak language +2, Spot -1, Swim +4; Improved
initiative, Two-weapon fighting.
Dos-o-litz-a, (NE) War1:
CR 1; Size M (5'6"); HD 1d8; hp 8; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.;
AC 11 (+1 Dex); Attack +2 melee, or +2 ranged; SV Fort +2, Ref +1,
Will +3; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 7.
Hide +1, Jump +5, Knowledge +1, Listen +3, Move silently +1, Spot
+3; Endurance, Weapon focus (rapier).
Guyapi, (NE) War1:
CR 1; Size M (5'3"); HD 1d8+1; hp 9; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.;
AC 11 (+1 Dex); Attack +4 melee, or +2 ranged; SV Fort +3, Ref +1,
Will +0; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 14.
Gather information +4, Handle animal +4, Hide +1, Intimidate +4,
Listen +2, Move silently +1, Ride +5, Spot +2; Alertness, Blind-
fight.
Apenimon, (LN) War1:
CR 1; Size M (5'9"); HD 1d8-1; hp 7; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.;
AC 11 (+1 Dex); Attack +2 melee, or +2 ranged; SV Fort +1, Ref +1,
Will -1; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 9, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 12.
Handle animal +3, Hide +1, Knowledge (religion) +0, Listen -1,
Move silently +1, Open lock +3, Spot -1; Power attack, Quick draw.
Note: This “Apenimon” is not to be confused with the Janni of the same name1). He is just an example of the risks of using a common (and limited) random name list.
Etlelooaat, (NE) War1:
CR 1; Size M (5'3"); HD 1d8+3; hp 11; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10;
Attack +3 melee, or +1 ranged; SV Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +0; Str
15, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Appraise +3, Concentration +5, Hide +0, Innuendo +1, Listen +0,
Move silently +0, Ride +4, Spot +0, Swim +4; Mounted combat, Ride-
by attack.
Alo, (LN) Warrior/1:
CR 1; Size M (6'2"); HD 1d8; hp 8; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.;
AC 11 (+1 Dex); Attack +3 melee, or +2 ranged; SV Fort +2, Ref +1,
Will +0; Str 14, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 13.
Handle animal +5, Hide +1, Intimidate +3, Jump +6, Listen +0, Move
silently +1, Spot +0, Swim +4; Power attack, Sunder.
Twadudastut, (NG) Warrior/1:
CR 1; Size M (5'2"); HD 1d8+1; hp 9; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.;
AC 12 (+2 Dex); Attack +4 melee, or +3 ranged; SV Fort +3, Ref +2,
Will +0; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 12.
Escape artist +4, Hide +4, Listen +0, Move silently +2, Spot +0,
Swim +7; Quick draw, Two-weapon fighting.
Abukcheech, (N) Warrior/1:
CR 1; Size M (5'10"); HD 1d8; hp 8; Init -1 (-1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.;
AC 9 (-1 Dex); Attack +4 melee, or +0 ranged; SV Fort +2, Ref +1,
Will -4; Str 16, Dex 9, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 3, Cha 13.
Hide +1, Innuendo -3, Intimidate +5, Jump +5, Listen -4, Move
silently -1, Ride +3, Sense motive -2, Spot -4; Lightning
reflexes, Weapon focus (guisarme).
Vipponah, (LN) Warrior/1:
CR 1; Size M (5'10"); HD 1d8-1; hp 7; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 30
ft.; AC 12 (+2 Dex); Attack +4 melee, or +3 ranged; SV Fort +1,
Ref +2, Will +2; Str 17, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 7.
Climb +5, Handle animal +2, Hide +2, Jump +5, Listen +2, Move
silently +2, Search +2, Spot +2; Blind-fight, Quick draw.
Etlelooaat, (CN) Warrior/1:
CR 1; Size M (6'4"); HD 1d8+1; hp 9; Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved
initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+2 Dex); Attack +5 melee, or +3
ranged; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will -1; Str 18, Dex 15, Con 12, Int
11, Wis 9, Cha 10.
Handle animal +4, Heal +1, Hide +2, Intimidate +4, Listen -1, Move
silently +2, Spot -1; Improved initiative, Power attack.
Koko is slightly closer to the Rain King's domain than Adoette, since there is a Lomasi village only ten miles to the north-east. However, they have friendlier relations with the kingdom than does Adoette, and so are less suspicious overall.
Naturally, they are still suspicious and have heard through the grapevine of what happened at Gressa. (Though they know only vague details and will be able to offer little new information to the party).
The chief of Koko, Machakw, is a simple man, who has relied on his physical strength far more than his (almost non-existent) leadership skills. His warrior, Nootau, has served as functional chief for years - and the bulk of the village understands and accepts this arrangement. It is with Nootau that Vincent negotiated.
Kakawangwa is unlike other shaman the party has encountered. She is a fourth level Adept and can cast several simple spells. During the winter months, she often casts an endure elements against the cold so that she doesn't have to bundle up as much as the others. Also, she is a crude alchemist and has access to several hallucinogenic compounds with which she claims to see the future.
Statistics for the prominent villagers:
Chief: Machakw, (LN) Male Com/4:
CR 3; Size M (6'2"); HD 4d4+16; hp 24; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10;
Attack +6 melee, or +2 ranged; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +3; Str
18, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 7.
Climb +11, Handle animal +5, Hide +0, Listen +0, Move silently +0,
Spot +0; Endurance, Iron will, Point blank shot.
Warrior: Nootau, (N) Male Exp/4:
CR 3; Size M (5'10"); HD 4d6+12; hp 32; Init +4 (+4 Dex); Spd 30
ft.; AC 14 (+4 Dex); Attack +3 melee, or +7 ranged; SV Fort +4,
Ref +5, Will +6; Str 11, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 12.
Appraise +3.5, Balance +10, Bluff +8, Climb +9, Concentration +10,
Diplomacy +7, Forgery +6, Hide +4, Jump +5, Knowledge +10, Listen
+2, Move silently +4, Sense motive +4, Spellcraft +10, Spot +2,
Swim +1, Wilderness lore +5; Run, Skill focus (climb), Toughness.
Shaman: Kakawangwa, (LN) Female Adp/4:
CR 3; Size M (5'0"); HD 4d6; hp 16; Init -2 (-2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.;
AC 8 (-2 Dex); Attack +1 melee, or +0 ranged; SV Fort +1, Ref -1,
Will +7; Str 8, Dex 6, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 10.
Craft +8, Heal +9, Hide -2, Jump +1, Knowledge (arcana) +9,
Knowledge (religion) +8, Listen +3, Move silently -2, Spot +3,
Wilderness lore +9; Heighten spell, Scribe scroll, Spell
penetration.
Adept Spells Prepared: 3/3/1.
Level 0: cure minor wounds, light, mending
Level 1: cure light wounds (x2), endure elements (cold)
Level 2: cure moderate wounds
She has already case endure elements on herself (and so is able to
wear less restrictive clothing)
Despite the preparations and planning, the party's first real challenge will be the surprise attack by a Wyvern. Ideally, this will happen while the party is not in contact with the villagers. It will also happen before the army (and therefore before Dhersion) arrive.
Wyvern, 57 hp
HD: 7d12+14
Init: +1 (Dex)
Speed: 20 feet, 60 feet fly (poor)
AC: 17 (-2 Size, +1 Dex, +8 Natural)
Attacks: Sting +9 melee (1d6+4 and poison)
Bite +4 melee (2d8+2)
2x Wings +4 melee (1d8+2) (when on land)
2x Claws +9 melee (1d6+4) (only during Flyby Attack)
Special Attacks: Poison, Improved grab, Snatch
Special Qualities: Scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: STR 19, DEX 12, CON 15, INT 6, WIS 12, CHA 9
Skills: Listen +13, Move Silently +9, Spot +13
Feats: Alertness, Flyby Attack
Summoned by chaos, this beast will be thrown at the party with no warning. Give the Wyvern and the party Spot rolls to observe each other. Those who fail will be surprised for the first round. Those who make their rolls by 10 or more, will also spot a Blue Slaad in the nearby woods. It will disappear shortly after summoning the Wyvern.
It will start the attack with a flyby attack (Two claws). If both of these hit the lucky recipient, that person is grabbed and will be carted off to be stung to death. If, however, either attack misses, the Wyvern will turn around, land, and attack on the ground. Note that the Wyvern doesn't fly well to begin with, so if it does grab someone, it will not be able to make much distance before being forced to land and finish off its prey.
When the army arrives at Koko, Niichaad will send his senior lieutenant, Qochata, to approach the village. He will approach with a fir branch held horizontally over his head - the traditional sign of parley in this culture.
In a small role reversal, chief Machakw will be suspicious of the parley, but Nootau will insist that they allow him in. Nootau is more suspicious of the “foreign” adventurers than he is of the Lomasi soldiers.
Niichaad has no interest in fighting an entrenched village with reinforcements from the party. If pressed, he will retreat. However, unless the party initiates something, it is unlikely that a fight will break out. Mostly, Niichaad wants information - and is willing to let the party leave unharmed if they answer his questions.
Specifically, he wants to know what the party's allegiances are. He will ask if they have been sent by the “Ooljee” - a term that means nothing to the party, but will be recognized by the people in Koko as a tribe from the far north.
A moment of confusion will likely occur when Nootau relays the party's warnings that the Rain King has summoned the monsters that plague this region. Niichaad and his people know nothing of this and will likely dismiss it as paranoid speculation.
Once convinced of the party's neutrality, Niichaad and his soldiers will take the road to the NE and head back to Ranita. Before leaving, though, Kaliska will quietly warn the party that the Rain King may have summoned the creatures as the party asserts, and will almost certainly be sending more people after them.
Once the Lomasi have left, Kakawangwa will introduce herself and tell the party that she believes they have been sent from the spirit world to lead this adventure. Whether it is an evil or good quest, though, she cannot say. She will offer to read the fortunes of the party, but as this involves several hours and require the characters to ingest some rather dangerous hallucinogenic drugs, they should have some trepidation! Bigby, in fact, with his knowledge of alchemy, will steadfastly refuse.
Those that partake should make a Fort roll against DC15 to avoid falling unconscious for 1d12 hours. After this period of time, those that fail will remain essentially useless for another 1d20 hours.
However, those that make the Fort roll will see a clear vision that may or may not have some bearing on their future. The visions are specific to the viewer as follows:
Roget:
You find yourself having tea with Malila, the Rain King, in your father's library. He sips quietly from the cup - which bears an emblem that doesn't seem familiar to you. This puzzles you, as you're quite familiar with all the dinnerware in the palace. The setting does not seem unusual to you, though, as you've known the king for years. You briefly wonder how long it has been.
Into the library walks the queen, Matchitisiw. (pronounced “mat CHEET eh soo”). She is as attractive as usual, despite being rather old. What is she? Forty? Fifty? No, you remember her looking like this back in the second age - which was over 1,000 years ago.
She wears a flimsy, sheer robe, that clings to her skin as if she has just come from a bath. As soon as she enters the room, she locks eyes with you and approaches quickly. She leans down and kisses you tenderly. Her face and lips are moist as if she is covered with dew. You get an instant erection - which embarrasses you tremendously, as her husband is still sipping his tea next to you.
Without breaking eye contact, she pulls back from your face slowly and says, “You know I'll be needing a new husband soon.” Her smile has a wicked playfulness.
You wake suddenly and cannot recall even a hint of the design on the tea cup that puzzled you so. Nor can you recall the details of the king or queen. You know who they were, but wouldn't recognize them on the street if you saw them today. Plus, the bit about remembering the queen from 1,000 years ago is clearly nonsense.
Note: This prophecy proved to be the heart of the evolving story and led to a number of secret messages to come.
Roderick:
The young woman who you have seen twice before is sitting next to you on the steps of your grand temple. It took you years to build and required the funding of dozens of the world's wealthiest people, but it's finally done and the relief is only starting to settle in.
“We've never been properly introduced,” the young woman says suddenly, breaking your reverie. “My name is Matchitisiw.” (pronounced “mat CHEET eh soo”)
She extends her hand to shake - which strikes you as rather cute. You're certain she just learned that recently - as people in this land don't usually shake hands.
When you grasp her hand, it is moist - not clammy from sweat, but moist as if she had just dipped it in water. Also, she has this mischievous smile that sort of cheers you up. (You're not sure why you needed cheering up in the first place, but it's still nice). Mixed with this emotion, though, is an unsettling sense that you are sexually attracted to her. She is rather young, but not entirely TOO young. Still, it seems inappropriate.
Then she looks behind you, and you're gaze is drawn in that direction. Your temple is bigger than it should be. In fact, it is ENORMOUS! It seems to be a half mile tall, made of blocks of stone so large they could not possibly have been moved without magic. Your heart skips a beat as you realize that this is NOT your temple. It is something alien and scary. And there is a sigil above a gigantic door that fills you with dread.
When you wake, you cannot for the life of you remember what that sigil looks like.
Note: Again, this was an important prophecy. The sigil turned out to be the symbol of Chaos – though I don't think I knew this at the time.
Kesi:
You are in battle. It is fierce. Your opponent is fast. So fast, it's very hard to keep up. He (or is it she?) has a large alien-looking weapon. You have your staff - but it becomes more and more cumbersome to wield.
Suddenly, your opponent strikes your staff as you bring it up to defend yourself. The wood shatters. You find yourself on the ground - in a small field of grass. There is no sign of your opponent. A gentle breeze blows and the sun is high in a beautiful blue sky.
You roll your head to the left and see a small frog hop toward you. It is bright blue and says in a clear voice, “The lords of chaos rule now.”
Note: This prophecy never really came to fruition. I tried to incorporate it a couple of times, but never successfully.
Dhersion:
You are standing in front a small, unruly crowd of the well-birthed. Kings, Queens, Gods, and Monsters fill a small, ornate hall. You are VERY nervous. It is up to you to bring order to the chaos that the room seethes with. Which story can you tell? Which moral is appropriate?
Suddenly, it comes to you. A tale of grandeur and importance. Of love and loss. It's so good, you almost bring a tear to your own eye. And, in the end, you probably do - not from the story, but because the crowd of important people has become so enraptured, they have forgotten their own squabbles. It is a moment you know will be told of for centuries to come.
When you awake, you have NO IDEA what the story is that you told. Nor do you know the vaguest detail about it, other than it could enthrall gods.
Note: Of all the prophecies that were actually used, this one was the most of a stretch. The “Kings, Queens, Gods, and Monsters” were the rulers of the Etenaî “kingdoms” in the river valley west of the mountains, each of whom bears the name of an actual god.
Vincent:
An aged wizard sits across the table from you. He has lost nearly everything he once had. His greatness has fled from him and has left behind a hollow shell. It was the perfect time to strike, and you are nearly giddy that you were able to take advantage of it.
He reaches from below the table to bring forth a small sack. Your excitement grows. This must be the treasure you have been waiting for. A wizard's fortune, soon to be yours.
From it, he pulls a single item. A small jade figurine of a frog, no more than a couple inches across. It is nice, but clearly no more than a trinket. It's not even magical. The frog has a mischievous smile, and as you pick it up from where the wizard has placed it, the frog says, “Is this not what you expected?” You suddenly become disoriented.
The next thing you sense is that you are falling backwards. You fall for several seconds and the panic within you grows. You know what is coming soon - and you're not looking forward to it. You try to twist around so you can react to the impact better, but as you do, you realize you are probably a half mile above a plain that stretches from horizon to horizon. It is twilight, and the details of the land around you are not clear, but hurtling past you is an immense tower of stone. You are jarred awake.
When you awake, the encounter seemed extremely surreal. So much so, it is hard to make sense of it. The wizard's face is not clear to you at all, nor are you quite sure why you knew he was a wizard, or how you knew the frog figurine wasn't magical. The only thing you are sure of is that somewhere, there is a tower of stone larger than anything you have ever seen or heard of. And your destiny is intertwined in it somehow.
Note: This is the wizard, Kendrick – and will be the first prophecy to be revealed. See The Tower at Dibe for more information.
Should the game be too short…
Large Mist Elemental, 65 hp
HD: 8d8+28
Init: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 20 feet, 40 feet swim/fly
AC: 19 (-1 Size, +4 Dex, +6 Natural)
Attacks: Slam +10/+5 melee
Damage: 1d8+4
Special Attacks: Mist mastery
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction: 10/+1
Everything else: Same as Medium Water Elemental
Drawn by the power of the staff, this elemental will at first be non- combative. However, if the party does not quickly send it home, it will attack.