A Fantasy Core Adventure
© Jerry Harris 2016
(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Playtest Rules.)
Obligatory
1 XP for not getting thrown in prison.
The Characters debark straight into trouble. They are immediately accosted by a fat clerkish-looking man in a wide hat, a cheap white suit, and a cigar, accompanied by 4 thuggish men. The fat man demands the group’s travelling papers, flashing a seal that might be Commonwealth issue for a government official. He’ll glance at their papers and declare them forgeries. At that, he puts his cigar to them and once on fire, tosses them into the harbor. He tells them they’re in big trouble and demands they come with him. The Thugs move to disarm and bind the Characters.
Thug (x4)
HD 1 (d8), Hp 5, AC 12 (None)
Fort +1, Ref +4, Wis +0
Melee: Club +2 to hit 1d6
If this doesn’t start a fight, these may be the wrong Players for this adventure. I’m not even entertaining the possibility the Characters go along with this. If need be, have the Thugs start robbing them while disarming them. At the first sign of resistance, the fat man calls for the town guard, while the Thugs break out their clubs on the Characters. A Commonwealth Sergeant and 4 Soldiers show up 2 rds after the fracas starts. They’ll immediately demand that everyone they drop their weapons and put their hands up. The Thugs will comply, chuckling. The fat man smirks at the Characters and goes to talk to the Sergeant.
Suddenly, a well-dressed nobleman beneath a parasol held by a native appears by the soldiers first, “Sergeant, these newcomers are with me,” he says with accent much like foreign man at the Characters’ initial meeting. At which point, he takes the Sergeant aside from the fat man and says something quietly to him, while slipping him something. The Sergeant nods, and the Characters are released. The fat man attempts to protest that the Characters don’t have proper documents, but the nobleman adds, “And Sergeant, I don’t believe this gentleman and his associates are actual Customs agents.” The Sergeant agrees and takes the men away, but he’ll warn the Characters about using weapons or magic in public, “We’re civilized here.”
The nobleman addresses the Characters directly, “I think someone was trying to take you out of the game, before you even got to play.” He introduces himself as “The Baron,” and adds that the Home Station dungeon is notorious for its ill treatment of malefactors. “You best be on guard. Home Station considers itself to be highly civilized, for a slum straddling smarmy jungle river. The whole city is also very edgy and paranoid with the native revolt going on.”
“I trust we all know why we’re here. You wanted to meet the famous . . .” the Baron will wait for someone to say “Kurtz.” “Yes, you have some business to conduct with him, I understand.” He’ll note that they’ve lost their travel papers. This will keep them from going into the Interior. They’ll have to be replaced, which will be difficult given the corruption and bureaucracy in the Home Station government. The Baron will get the ball rolling on that.
They should find rooms at the Home Station Hotel down the street, already paid for. They need to get cleaned up for this evening. They are invited to dine with himself and Kurtz’s fiancé at the Kurtz’s Townhouse. The Baron will bring a carriage around for them. In the meantime, they can visit the nearby market for any goods they need. The hotel bar is excellent and informative about the local situation, but please keep out of trouble. “See you this evening.” The Baron and his parasol-holding native leave and the Characters are allowed a moment of peace.
If the group wishes to visit the market, they can find about any sort of goods and weapons. Armor will be limited to mostly leather and perhaps a metal breastplate, which they’ll be warned will be impractical for jungle travel. There is a magic shop for magic-using Characters. Certainly they’ll be asked if they’re mercenaries fighting the uprising, even asked if they’ll be joining with Kurtz to fight the natives.
The Home Station Hotel is the best hostel in town, albeit not hugely impressive looking. The group’s rooms are nice in any case. They might take the Baron’s advice about going to the bar. Many of the locals, as well as traders frequenting the city, hang out here. It’s upscale, without being pretentious. (Always wanted an excuse to say that.)
The uprising situation in the colony is about the only topic of conversation. While things at Home Station are civil, anyone who’s been in the Interior of late will report nearly lawless conditions, if not an outright battle zone. The trail to Central Station is no longer safe. Settlements around Inner Station are nearly under siege from constant attacks. Anything east of Inner Station has been abandoned. The colonists are mad about the rebellion. They thought they had treated the natives fairly. “We brought them civilization. We’ve given them jobs. We ended their barbaric practice of slavery. Such ingratitude!” If the natives, who are doing all of the serving jobs at the bar, have any opinion, they keep it to themselves. The colonial government doesn’t seem to have a clue on how to pacify the country. The only bright spot is this Kurtz fellow. His exploits in the Interior are the only actions keeping the natives in check.
As the sun goes down, a carriage comes for the group. The Baron is waiting for them inside.
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