Fantasy Core Ireland--Adventure Part 6

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

Adventure Index

An Invitation (0 XP, in fact if you’re playing this right, the players will be wanting to pay XP to escape. In spite of the fact that the characters are here to get information and weapons, make things unpleasant and uncomfortable for characters here. Any encounter with the Sisters should make the characters feel dirty, threatened, or used, at least at this level.):


Sean Robins approaches the group immediately afterward their meeting with a delivery. It is a green rose and a sealed letter. Inside is a piece of parchment with glowing handwritten script, “Won’t you come visit for a spell? You may find my company enlightening. Lady Di.” Sean will already know that the letter is from Di, by virtue of the color of the rose. (Lady Nim uses red roses. Lady Nyx uses blue.) If asked, he’ll tell the characters that it is an invitation from one of the three Fey Sisters who live in the Enchanted Glade by nearby Lough Derg Lake. (They’re described further in the NPC section, which will be posted at the end.) All they need to do is go there with the invite and say her name. He’ll give directions (in return for a tip).

Following the directions to the lake, a flowery arch will appear in a meadow and passing through it will take the characters into a pristine arboreal paradise. They will be greeted by Di’s gruff Treat butler, Carson, and be taken into a large tree with a luxurious apartment inside. The naturally glamorous Lady Di lounges on an ornate wooden reclining sofa and warmly greets the characters, offering seats and refreshments. Di is the middle sister of the girls with somewhat poor esteem and comes off a bit needy and very jealous of her older sister, Nim. This attitude should definitely come out while meeting with the characters.

Di has become aware that her very good friend Mara is in some trouble. (A little bird told her, literally. Also, they’re not good friends. Di just thinks they are.) “You’re all my friends, too. Right?” That disreputable spider woman witch, Ines, that her older sister associates with, is the problem. “Nim really shouldn’t be keeping company that strange woman. It reflects badly on all of us.” Apparently they both have grudge against Mara. Di doesn’t know what Ines’ deal is, but Nim went after Mara’s handsome husband, Jack, and wouldn’t take “No,” for an answer. “She . . . took things a little too far. I mean, really, she’s supposed to be the ‘Ice Queen.’ I’ve never seen her so obsessed.” Di won’t elaborate other than to say that Mara and Nim haven’t gotten along since. “Nim’s so mean to people, but I’m so nice. Don’t you think?”

(Sidebar: To say the least. Nim took Jack’s heart out, but Mara was able to get the body back. He’s not exactly dead, dead, but needs a magical ceremony to be reunited with his missing organ. Mara’s wants Jack’s heart back. Nim wants Jack’s body back. Neither has been able to apply sufficient force on the other to make it happen. See Mara’s character description for more.)

Lady Di had allowed Mara into the Enchanted Glade to gather some Otherworld roses last week. And Nim’s cloud servants attacked her, and that’s when Mara lost her cloak, before she was able to escape.

(Sidebar: Mara wanted the flowers for their pollen, which she plans on using on Nim in a special concoction. Di did not know that though. When Nim found out, she figured out immediately what Mara was doing and had her attacked. Obtaining Mara’s cloak was a tremendous opportunity. Nim and Ines had been working on a magical concoction that was essentially a weaponized gas version of Ines’ spider poison. The both of them adding their own special essence to it to make it work. With the “Black Mist,” Mara’s cloak, and a minor test use, which nearly started a clan war, they set out to frame Mara. )

“We’re all good friends here and want to help our friend, Mara. Right? Friends help each other.” (She has no idea whether they’re friends with her or not.) Di brings out her magic dagger and magic bow and hands them to characters. Ines is a lycanthrope that takes giant spider form and normal weapons won’t work on her, but magic and silver ones will. Di is lending them her weapons. They will return to her on their own tomorrow night (they’ll just disappear), but she’d prefer that they deliver them back to her themselves. Di is hopeful that this is just the beginning a deep, meaningful friendship, “Not like Nim’s or Nyx’s friendships. They’re all fake, just like their own personalities.” There could be many potential benefits in a trusting relationship for everyone involved. “In every way,” she purrs.

Di doesn’t know where Ines is, but Mara might. A little bird flies in tweeting. Mara is in trouble. “Go help her!” And with that, the characters are suddenly back in the glade (thankfully, enough exposition for now). It is twilight. (Darn that Otherworld time dilation.) The tweeting bird reappears and flies around like it wants them to follow. Mara’s farmhouse is about 10 minutes away by a fast horse.