Wild Adventure - The Song of Hammer & Anvil
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 9:12 pm
STORYTELLING OUTLINE:
Part One: Encounter - Volunteer Wife
Part Two: Combat - Hunting Marsh-ogres (Full of hate +1; Weakened)
Part Three: Journey - Hammer and Anvil
Part Four: Combat - Hobgoblins (Easily ambushed)
COMPANY CHALLENGE: To search for a stolen hammer and anvil.
ADVENTURING PHASE:
Part One: A Broken Smith
On a particularly cloudy day in Esgaroth, the companions visit the town hospital by invitation of a prominent woman named Runa, who is a volunteer healer, and the wife of a town official. Runa is caring for a man who is wounded and feverish: a smith from a village south of town who claims to have been attacked by large Goblins that carried off his magical hammer and anvil while leaving him for dead. They said their master needed it for something important. These tools are very special and valuable to him, passed down from many generations before him. He swears that all weapons made with them have sharper edges. Without them, he has lost all purpose and may even lose the will to live. If the companions recover these tools and rid the village of the Hobgoblin threat, they may help to restore his hope and become heroes to the hospital's volunteer wives of Lake-town. Just before the man falls into a deep sleep, he whispers these words: "When the magic hammer strikes the anvil, the sparrow sings it's song."
Encounter Evaluation:
This encounter is based on Valour.
0-1 Runa is slightly concerned about the company's ability and offers only a small purse of coin equal to 1 point of Treasure if they complete the quest before the man dies.
2-3 All the wives are satisfied with the outcome and contribute to a reward equal to 1 point of Treasure for each of the companions if they complete the quest before the man dies.
4-6 As above, and Runa offers the companions free care at the hospital and lodgings at her residence for the winter. She mentions that her husband would also be very interested to speak with them about future assignments.
7+ Runa is very impressed with the player-heroes; apply the results above, and she gives them a bottle of Reedmace, enough for the entire company to benefit for the entire Adventuring phase (see Lake-town page 21).
Part Two: Hungry Ogres
Beyond the southern shores of the lake, along an opening path through the bogs in the direction of the man's village, the player-heroes come upon a hunting party of hungry, hate-filled Ogres. These creatures of legend have been stirred out of their holes in the marsh and are scouting dangerously close to Lake-town.
Part Three: A Wondrous Search
The journey through the Long Marshes on the eastern edge of Mirkwood is dangerous and hard, but it is only 25 miles and will only take a little over 2 days to arrive at the abandoned village. This requires 1 Fatigue test at a severe TN 18 difficulty. The Loremaster can also make 3 rolls of the Feat die to determine if it is a Blighted area (use the rules found on page 223 of TOR). If so, they must make 1 Corruption test each day of travel at TN 14 or gain 1 Shadow point.
The search for the hammer and anvil should be spontaneously narrated and the player-heroes given opportunities to propose tasks of Search, Explore, and whatever else seems appropriate. The final clue should be the sound of a sparrow; but this also brings a sudden revelation of horror that the tools are in current use!
Part Four: The Camp of Nasty Goblins
In a final scene, the companions gain the advantage to ambush a camp full of Hobgoblins busy sharpening weapons using the magic hammer and anvil. Some try to escape west towards the Mountains of Mirkwood after the arrival of some Great Bats.
Epilogue
After defeating the Hobgoblins and recovering the hammer and anvil, the company should return to Esgaroth with the items and to collect their rewards. Use the same numbers for the return journey.
Part One: Encounter - Volunteer Wife
Part Two: Combat - Hunting Marsh-ogres (Full of hate +1; Weakened)
Part Three: Journey - Hammer and Anvil
Part Four: Combat - Hobgoblins (Easily ambushed)
COMPANY CHALLENGE: To search for a stolen hammer and anvil.
ADVENTURING PHASE:
Part One: A Broken Smith
On a particularly cloudy day in Esgaroth, the companions visit the town hospital by invitation of a prominent woman named Runa, who is a volunteer healer, and the wife of a town official. Runa is caring for a man who is wounded and feverish: a smith from a village south of town who claims to have been attacked by large Goblins that carried off his magical hammer and anvil while leaving him for dead. They said their master needed it for something important. These tools are very special and valuable to him, passed down from many generations before him. He swears that all weapons made with them have sharper edges. Without them, he has lost all purpose and may even lose the will to live. If the companions recover these tools and rid the village of the Hobgoblin threat, they may help to restore his hope and become heroes to the hospital's volunteer wives of Lake-town. Just before the man falls into a deep sleep, he whispers these words: "When the magic hammer strikes the anvil, the sparrow sings it's song."
Encounter Evaluation:
This encounter is based on Valour.
0-1 Runa is slightly concerned about the company's ability and offers only a small purse of coin equal to 1 point of Treasure if they complete the quest before the man dies.
2-3 All the wives are satisfied with the outcome and contribute to a reward equal to 1 point of Treasure for each of the companions if they complete the quest before the man dies.
4-6 As above, and Runa offers the companions free care at the hospital and lodgings at her residence for the winter. She mentions that her husband would also be very interested to speak with them about future assignments.
7+ Runa is very impressed with the player-heroes; apply the results above, and she gives them a bottle of Reedmace, enough for the entire company to benefit for the entire Adventuring phase (see Lake-town page 21).
Part Two: Hungry Ogres
Beyond the southern shores of the lake, along an opening path through the bogs in the direction of the man's village, the player-heroes come upon a hunting party of hungry, hate-filled Ogres. These creatures of legend have been stirred out of their holes in the marsh and are scouting dangerously close to Lake-town.
Part Three: A Wondrous Search
The journey through the Long Marshes on the eastern edge of Mirkwood is dangerous and hard, but it is only 25 miles and will only take a little over 2 days to arrive at the abandoned village. This requires 1 Fatigue test at a severe TN 18 difficulty. The Loremaster can also make 3 rolls of the Feat die to determine if it is a Blighted area (use the rules found on page 223 of TOR). If so, they must make 1 Corruption test each day of travel at TN 14 or gain 1 Shadow point.
The search for the hammer and anvil should be spontaneously narrated and the player-heroes given opportunities to propose tasks of Search, Explore, and whatever else seems appropriate. The final clue should be the sound of a sparrow; but this also brings a sudden revelation of horror that the tools are in current use!
Part Four: The Camp of Nasty Goblins
In a final scene, the companions gain the advantage to ambush a camp full of Hobgoblins busy sharpening weapons using the magic hammer and anvil. Some try to escape west towards the Mountains of Mirkwood after the arrival of some Great Bats.
Epilogue
After defeating the Hobgoblins and recovering the hammer and anvil, the company should return to Esgaroth with the items and to collect their rewards. Use the same numbers for the return journey.