Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Part 3

FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Adventure Index

Good Witch Hunting (0 XP, this should only be a minor fight):

Interviewing a banshee may be a little ambitious. A better course of action would be to interview the witch for more information. If the players voice an interest in meeting Mara, immediately a heretofore silent handsome young man who was playing a lute speaks up. He introduces himself as Sean Robins, local bard. He would happy to direct the characters to Mara’s abode for a small consideration on their part. Over the course of an overly long trip outside of town, Sean will ask the characters who they are and how they came here. The players are free to ask whatever else they want to. (The bard may also start singing, if the Ref is so inclined to regale the players.) It is twilight by the time they get near the house. Sean will hold out a small silver pot and thank the characters for their kindness. (The players would be wise to be generous.) He will tip his hat and bid them adieu.

(Sidebar: Sean Robins is the main source of local gossip and seems to know everything going on in town. He is also the area historian. At least part of the story of the O’Gradys, Kavanaghs, and Elise, has been passed down to him, but with the admonition to never tell it, except to bring down a curse on the clans. Sean is also quite the randy “swordsman.” The witch has to this point, spurned his advances. Sean’s delivery of the characters to her at this particular time was not whimsical, as they will see. Oh, and now Sean knows who the characters are and will be tracking down any knowledge about them for future reference.)

The characters come upon a small dilapidated farm on the edge of the woods. Two scarecrows guard a small field. Assuming the characters knock at the door, there won’t be answer and there are no visible lights on inside. If the characters attempt to break in, the inside of the house contains defensive wards, DC 18 Fort Sv, or out 1 turn. But likely before the characters should take such a drastic action, there in the near darkness, an odd black mist begins to form and move towards the house. As long as the characters are near the house, they will suffer no effects from it (otherwise it’s a DC 18 Fort sv or out 1 turn). In fact, it is fairly obvious that as the Black Mist approaches the property it is stopping at the edge of it, and then moving around sides, surrounding it.

(Sidebar: The property itself is actually warded against any magical attack. The two scarecrows are magical defensive constructs, but are outside that ward field and are knocked out by the mist in this encounter.)

Out of the mist several misshapen human-ish figures wearing full-face masks (with a grilling over the mouth and nose and lenses over the eyes) enter the property. They are surprised that the mist has not penetrated the area. Upon seeing the characters however, they simply attack. There are 4 Orcs and 1 Sergeant Orc. That these guys aren’t human won’t become apparent until someone unmasks a dead Orc. They will all fight to the death. (In this case as opposed to other Orc encounters, this is an assassination squad, which has been sent to kill Mara. They can’t come back without killing her.) Nearing the end of the fight, there will be a bright flash of light inside the house.

(Sidebar: The presence of intruders and the magical mist attack on the property have set off an alarm at Mara’s offsite workshop. She’s just teleported herself back using a magic amulet. By the way, if the characters figure it out themselves, the masks that the Orcs were wearing are actually gas masks. They can keep them, otherwise Mara will later.)

The Black Mist begins to rapidly dissipate after the fight. An attractive forlorn female figure holding a stick (wand) will open the door soon after the characters have dispatched the Orcs. The young woman asks the characters to identify themselves. She will be satisfied if they say they’re Royal agents and show their seals. Mara puts away the wand and introduces herself as Mara Keening. She looks over the dead bodies and identifies them as members of the local Orc clan. “They are occasional raiders. Don’t know what they’re doing here. They should know better.” She’ll then thank the characters for their defense of her home and invite them in.

Mara will offer some hot tea and biscuits, and will apply her First Aid to anybody wounded. There is nothing immediately visible in the home that screams “Witch,” but rather just a simply country dwelling. If asked if she is a witch, Mara merely admits to being a widow farmer of small means and some skill with herbs and potions. Mara will also admit to having dealings with the Kavanaghs for various services, some healing herbs, a few potions, and a few paintings around their estate (which are actually protective wards against the O’Grady banshee). She will profess to not knowing anything about the Black Mist. (Partly true, but the character’s description will set off warning bells for her. In the morning, she’ll look over the scarecrows and property and have a good idea of what the attack consisted of and who did it.) She’ll likely not have any worthwhile answers to any other questions about herself.

There is a loud, banging on the door. It’s a courier from the Kavanagh clan. He’s looking for characters. (Given that they left the pub with Sean to go to Mara’s, it wasn’t hard to track them down.) The Kavanagh estate has come under attack by some sort of witchcraft in the form of a Black Mist, and most of the people there have been incapacitated. A bunch masked men, no doubt O’Gradys, have taken off with most of the cattle, as well as captives. Nialls is asking for the help of the king’s men to recover them. The cattle and masked men were last seen headed toward Moin Coltna Bog. The courier sets off looking for more help. Mara offers to lead the characters towards the bog, which she will. Afterward, she goes to the estate to help with the wounded. The characters are on their own.