Dark Continent Redux: The Native Temple

Dark Continent Redux

A Fantasy Core Adventure

© Jerry Harris 2016

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Playtest Rules.)

Dark Continent Index

Interior Index

  

       

The Native Temple

2 XP for defeating Kurtz’s troops.  (-3 XP for accepting Kurtz’s offer.)  1 XP for taking the Native’s offer.

The ancient native Temple is mostly a ruined set of enclosed walls in a clearing by the river.  From a broken down section of the wall, a voice calls out, “Kurtz has been watching you.  He wants to make you an offer.”  From behind the wall, out step a couple of the Characters’ old friends, the Demon Hosts Rockman and Gas.  (Oh, these guys were too cool to throw away on just one encounter.)  They will beckon the group inside.  The Demon Hosts will stand in the middle of the enclosure. 

This doesn’t smell like a trap at all.  Kurtz has been very impressed with the Characters’ progress.  He knows what their mission is, maybe he even agrees with it.  Maybe he should be killed for what he’s done.  But they’ll never do it as they are.  Rockman and Gas will both say that they were once men like the Characters are, puny and mortal.  Kurtz can change them into Demon Hosts and then they can do whatever they want.  Maybe join Kurtz.  Maybe kill Kurtz.  Maybe the rest of the Demon Host will join them in killing Kurtz.  Kurtz can instantly teleport them to his lair and begin the change.  All the Characters have to do is agree.  There is a glowing teleport circle in the center of the temple.   

(I am not making any allowances for the Players accepting the offer.  Sigh.  Okay, fine.  Jump to the Final Encounter.  Give the Characters superpowers and let them fight it out with Kurtz, maybe have a few the other Demon Host come in and help.  Afterward, tell the Players that their Characters have now succumbed to evil and are running Kurtz’s scheme themselves.  Roll some new Characters with the mission of killing their former Characters and pick up the adventure again right here.)   

 

If the Characters refuse the invitation to talk or refuse Kurtz’s offer, Rockman and Gas attack (and the teleportation circle stops glowing).  10 Chimp-Men and the Chimp-Men Chieftain swarm over the walls of the enclosure.  10 Ape-Men and an Ape-Man Leader come up from behind.  Thankfully, the monkey men are mostly there to either keep the Characters pinned in or surrounded.  They don’t attack, unless attacked themselves.  This is the Demon Host’s show.  If the Characters can kill them, the monkeys start to attack, but if their leaders are killed (and they’ll be at the forefront of the battle), the rest will disperse.   

When the Characters are finally left alone, they’ll notice that there’s a large number of Native Warriors standing along the treeline.  They’re just watching.  If the Characters saved Seeker earlier, he comes out to meet them with an elderly Witch Doctor, who makes a speech in the native tongue.  Seeker will do the translating.  (If the Characters didn’t save him, then it’s just a native named Seeker.)   

“The Elder says you are mighty warriors.  He has heard my tales and now seen you for himself.  We face a common enemy, the colonist you call, Kurtz.  He is the one responsible for the rebellion.  He is the one creating the Demons.  Some of the people followed him, wanting to throw out your kind.  But now, he has replaced them with monstrous animals or had them possessed by demons themselves.  He must be stopped.  We want your help.  Our god can offer you wisdom in how to find and defeat Kurtz.  Do you accept?”

I hope the Players say, “Yes,” here, though given what happened with the Demon Host, I can understand them being leery.  If they accept, go to the next encounter with Satha.  If not, the Natives leave, and then you ask the Players, “Now what?”  Perhaps they have a brilliant plan in mind.  Maybe you’ve made up some random encounter tables for jungle travel.  Otherwise, you can have them meet Seeker again, who might lead them to Kurtz’s Plantation.  Perhaps another native may arrive as an emissary of Hellion and escort Characters to the Dragon Boneyard.