Endless Night: The Saloon Continued

ENDLESS NIGHT

A Fantasy Core Adventure

© Jerry Harris 2014

Published here as Open Game Content.

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

Adventure Overview Index

First Floor Index

Saloon Continued

Upon entry, the group should immediately be accosted by a few drunken Elves, who will grab a tray of drinks from a passing Ghoul waiter and insist they have a drink.  They’ll all be watching for them to take a sip and be ready to ridicule them afterward.

Characters imbibing will roll on the Wine Effects table below.  Characters can try putting it in their mouths without swallowing, but will have to find somewhere discrete to spit it out.  (Refs, have fun.)  Characters refusing will be snubbed for the rest of the party and ejected at the first opportunity.  Characters wanting more than one drink are really pushing their luck.  Don’t add in their ability bonus for subsequent tastings. 

Wine Effects

Roll 1d4 and add highest ability bonus to roll

1-Turned into a Goblin for 1 hour (6 turns), give player the stats for a typical Goblin, will also be ejected from the party immediately.

2-Enchanted Sleep for 1 hour, Requires a kiss from a Noble to awaken quicker (good luck)

3-Drunk and disorderly.  0 BAB and 0 Spellcheck for 1 hour in addition to anything the player wishes to role-play

4-6-No Effect, except for turning blue for an 1 hour

7- Cure all lost Hp (including negative) and any other enchanted condition

8-Permanent +1 to Dex or Int (but not beyond +4)

The drunk Elves should be brushed aside a rd later by a small, flying Pixie, Baron Louis.  (He is a Fey Pixie, not a mortal, character class ***Pixie****.)  In spite of his stature and fluttering, he seems deadly serious.  (Louis occupies some nebulous position in the court that puts him charge of Elvish covert activities.)  The Baron wants to hire the characters for a job against the Unseelie Court in the Main Dining room.  The Goblins have stolen a Crystal Gravy Boat from the court service set.  The Elves will grant the group any minor boon in their power in return for it.

Before any negotiation, Duke Torren makes a scene trying to enter the party.  “What do you mean I’m not allowed in without an invitation!” he yells at a guard, “I’m Duke Torren!”  That name might ring a bell with the players, it was on their recovered invitation.  “Let me see the invitations!  There this is mine!  There’s an imposter here!”  At this point, Prince Alex has noticed the situation, clears his throat, and regally waves Torren over to himself.  Torren storms across the room, muttering. 

Louis smiles at the characters, “Think about my offer,” before he flutters away.  The players may need to discuss their next actions.  If necessary, the characters can leave and re-enter this party without completing the Goblins’ mission against the Elves, though with some suspicion.  (The characters can leave the party at any time by leaving the Saloon.)      

I’ll leave it up to you about setting up any additional role-playing encounters here, such as the characters attempting to pick up debutant Elf maids, or schmooze Elf politicians for funding a new road to the character’s castle, or getting some hot stock tips from Elvish investors.  Or, more practically, handing out some useful gossip about the ghosts in the house, or even a plot hook for adventures involving the Elves for after this adventure.  The Queen and the Prince will prove to be unapproachable for mere mortals, such as the characters.  (Don’t worry, they’ll getting a formal introduction to Prince Alex later in this adventure.) 

Prince Alex later rises to address the crowd, “Duke Torren has recovered the most extraordinary artifact from Goblin territory.  He’s quite excited about showing it off, which is why he was so insistent about coming to the party.”  (Laughter from the guests.)  Torren stands, “From the very heart of the Unseelie Court, I bring this treasure to the Queen.”  At which point, he holds aloft a Crystal Rose.  “There none other like it in the entire Otherworld.  My Queen,” Torren genuflects and presents it to her, who daintily accepts it.

If the characters are on the mission for the Goblins and have their crystal rose with them, they’ve just gotten their opportunity to embarrass the Elves served up on a platter.  Of course, the players have likely formed their own plans for this party.  I’d hate to make any attempt at predicting player decisions when the only dictum for the encounter is: make mischief.  I also wouldn’t want to limit their creativity.  I should also mention that opening the Music Box from the Conservatory will not cause an embarrassing incident, but certainly would make for a heck of a distraction (or get away) as everyone starts dancing. 

However they decide to play it, one of the players must actually shout out, “For the true Queen, Natasha!” to finish off the deed.  At that point, the group is immediately ejected from the party and are suddenly standing alone in the Saloon.  Goblin Captain Noose (or another Goblin if necessary), will meet the group immediately afterward.  He’ll congratulate them and say that they are friends of the Goblins, for now.  What can the Goblins do for the group to return the favor?  Carter the cat appears before the group can answer, “Let them into the Servant Areas.”  Noose agrees and tells them that the doors are open to them.