Adventure: The Wizard and the Dragon
Introduction for Players - The Wizard and the Dragon
For first time players, please read the Campaign Overview on this site's home page. Then, read the Introduction to the Ministry of Heroes.
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NOTE: This adventure introduction provides information that only the Players will know, and not any of the Hero or NPC characters. In fact, according to the Campaign Story, the Royal Family never finds out that this attack was directly ordered by Maargog, the Emperor of Da'rahad.
Year: 3014, according to the Calendar of the Elves:
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Due to the history of the Half-Orc Kingdoms, the people there have prepared themselves for invasions by sea from the Northern Wildlands. With extensive fortresses along the coast and a vast network of tunnels and safe houses, hidden by magic, the locals can respond very quickly and even endure occupation for a season. The Nobility has developed a sophisticated system of messaging using Owls, and can muster their Royal Guard across the entire Kingdom effectively.
But this particular invasion involves something that the Nobility has not prepared for - treason.
Ul'derrin, Half-Orc King of Ulgrid, has recently decided to start secret negotiations with D'nashk Re'at to strengthen his allies against potential expansion into his territory from Da'rahad. He has sent ambassadors to meet with the Royal Family and they in turn have sent some members of the Ministry of Heroes to represent them.
Unfortunately, spies in the Half-Orc's court have reported back to Maargog and he is looking for an opportunity to prevent this political relationship from forming. He has learned that the Half-Orc King is going to meet the Ministry of Heroes at the farthest western fortress along the coast, to be as close as possible to the traveling Heroes. So, Maargog has enlisted a Drow Wizard from his Court of Magicians to lead an assassination attempt on the Half-Orc King and the Ministry of Heroes during their meeting.
Maargog sent the Drow Wizard to the Northern Wildlands to meet with a Female Green Dragon. Together, they have gathered forces that include Winter Wolves, Orcs, Kobolds and Yuan-Ti (the Dragon prefers to use Yuan-Ti as her Captains, instead of Kobold Dragon Lords). With insistence from Maargog, the Wizard and the Dragon made a treaty to ensure cooperation under the Drow's Leadership, a not-so-mild point of irritation for the Dragon. But Maargog insisted that the Drow has been granted some powerful spells, so the Dragon has reluctantly agreed.
With the help of spies and under the cover of darkness, the Monster Forces have now secretly crossed the water and established a camp along a hidden coastline with some caves, located near the fortress. The Green Dragon set up a temporary base inside the cave system next to the Orc Camp with her Kobold Soldiers and Yuan-Ti Commanders. And, using information given by spies, the Drow has sent a large number of Monster soldiers into the secret tunnel system used to evacuate the Half-Orc nobility in the event of an invasion.
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The plan is to send a force of Monster Soldiers out in the open to the front gates of the fortress, then have the Dragon begin air raids against the gate and outer court yards. But this is only a distraction, for the Half-Orc spies will secretly let in the second force of Monsters from the basement entrance to the tunnel system. By the time the Half-Orc King and his Royal Guard realize what has happened, it will be too late...
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The Heroes' Journey:
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Your group has been gathered from the capital city of Landreer. After being selected and provided with weapons, supplies and the King's Seals, you travel by horse to the Military Outpost of Burl, and then on to Kaladron Pass where you will begin a long journey on the backs of Giant Eagles. Three will carry you and another three will carry supplies for both the Heroes and the Eagles. The leader of your group is given a Magic Ring that allows you to communicate with the main Eagle, and also summon it (with the rest of the Eagles) as needed if you are separated.
For seven days you fly while the sun is in the sky and then setup camp for rest each night. Then on the eighth day, you cross the final stage of the trip - a long stretch over the Waters of Haal from the Kaladron Peninsula. You arrive at the designated Half-Orc Fortress as the night approaches and are welcomed into guest rooms for one more night of rest. On the morning of the ninth day, you prepare yourselves to stand before King Ul'derrin and represent the Royal Family of D'nashk Re'at, and all gather for political talks in the Great Hall of the Fortress...
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Hero Travel Path
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Fortress Map
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Adventure Summary for GM
Warning: the information presented below is a spoiler alert for Players...
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Details below for each Episode are provided at a summary level only. The number of minion monsters and the strength of the boss monster/s are not specified - the assumption here is the GM will flesh out those details based on the game engine being used, the experience of the players and the character levels.
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In Episode One (Betrayed), the Adventure begins in the great hall of the Orc Fortress, where Ul'derrin the Half-Orc King has gathered some of his Elders to meet with the Ministry of Heroes and sign a Treaty of Alliance. Also in the room is a Royal Guard Captain and a number of Guards. Then, as the talks get underway, the alarm from the Main Gate is sounded (a loud horn blast). Then, Guards at the back doors of the hall shout out that the doors have been locked and there is smoke coming under them. Then immediately after, another Captain rushes into the room through side doors with more Guards and closes them behind, giving orders to barricade them and the main entrance from the outer court yard.
The Captain reports that not only has a force of Orcs and Wolves shown up outside the main gate, and a Green Dragon has been spotted in the air, but someone has let in a group of Orcs and Kobolds into the lower chambers of the fortress using the secret tunnel system that is supposed to be an escape route!
The players must divide up all the NPC equally and defend the King against the first wave of attack as the main doors to the great Hall are broken down by a Troll, who then leads the assault supported by Wolves, Orc Soldiers and Kobolds.
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Next, the party of Heroes will escort the King to the lower chambers of the Fortress where they must fight off more Wolves, Orcs and Kobolds that are streaming through the secret tunnel entrance. All enemies must be defeated.
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Finally, the King and his Elders decide to split off from the Heroes - they will continue into the tunnel system to secure the opening to the surface as the Heroes head to the front courtyard to help defend against the Green Dragon who is making attacks from the air. The enemy is trying to clear the courtyard so Orc Soldiers can scale the walls and open the front gate from the inside. There is also a battering ram team to try and break down the gate, and the Dragon may periodically land to bash the gate with it's tail. If the Dragon receives 1/2 HP damage, it will retreat along with the Monster forces waiting outside the gates as soon as they see their air support leaving. Also, if all the ground forces are defeated, the Dragon will decide to retreat regardless of current HP damage.
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NOTE: For the court yard encounter, the Heroes are free to use the Ring Summons and call in the six Giant Eagles to help with the fight...
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In Episode Two (The Orc Camp), the Heroes lead a group of Half-Orc NPC Guards as they follow the trail of retreating Monster Soldiers back to a secret camp setup on a hidden beach. After dealing with a Monster Patrol, players must decide how to approach the camp - send the NPC to make a distraction and enter in the opposite direction? Or make an assault all together as a single force?
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Players will converge on the main Commander's Tent and discover the Drow Wizard and a Yuan-Ti Warrior discussing plans for retreat. The Drow Wizard will make an escape while the Heroes must battle the Yuan-Ti + Monster Soldiers.
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In Episode Three (Dragon's Den), Heroes must follow the beach from the Camp to a cave entrance, and they must fight through a series of chambers that include Traps, Kobolds, Yuan-Ti Warriors, Trolls, the Drow Wizard (with supporting Skeletons and Stone Golem) and the Green Dragon (with supporting Yuan-Ti, Kobolds and Troll).
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Monsters:
NPC:
Artifacts:
The Eagle Summons Ring was given to the Lead Hero when they left D'nashk Re'at on their long journey. It allows the Hero to communicate with the Eagles, and also to call them for help if they are separated. The Heroes must wait for the Eagles to arrive by flight, and the Eagles may only assist when the Heroes are outside.
The Bag of Gems is discovered in Episode 2, in the Commander's Tent (7). On the outside is written: ∑ = 12, and inside are 5 jewels, each engraved with a number: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7. These gems must be used to open the Magic Gate in Episode 3, located at (8).
Dungeon Maps:
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NOTE: The adventure will begin in the Great Hall (4). There are three Corrupt Guards waiting for the alarm (a load horn blast) to sound from the Main Gate when Wolves, Orcs and the Green Dragon are spotted. As soon as this happens, one Corrupt Guard will bar the doors from (7) to (4) and start a fire. The next Corrupt Guard will do the same with the doors between (8) and (4). Then they will quickly travel to the inner courtyard and into to the hall (9) and try to "act natural" as they wait for invading forces who have been let in by the third Corrupt Guard in the Cellars, and who will come up the stairs at (10)...
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1) Gate House. Archers can access the tops of the towers from inside the Gate House, and from any stairs that lead to the wall.
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2) Mounted Cross Bow: Takes two people to operate. Can fire on Green Dragon regardless of flight path (see 3 below). Replacement Guards can access from Gate House or any stairs that lead to the wall.
3) Main Courtyard: This is where the Green Dragon will concentrate air attacks (group attack using poison gas). Can only be attacked by ranged attacks.
4) Great Hall
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5) Storage
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6) Smaller meeting room
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7) Hallway and stairs up to second floor (Library, Royal Chambers, Sitting Room), also half way up is a door outside to wall that leads to Royal Privy (second floor of 17) - no one is on the second floor during this Episode...
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8) Breakfast room
9) Halls
10) Stairs down to lower level
11) Chapel
12) Bake House
13) Kitchen
14) Stairs up to Guest Floor (Guest Chambers, Storage) - no one is on the second floor during this Episode...
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15) Stables
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16) Servant Chambers
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17) Servant/Guard Privy
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18) Barracks, with stairs up to second floor and more Barracks.
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19) Mess Hall for Servants/Guards
1) Stairs up to Ground Floor: a force of Wolves, Orcs, Kobolds should already be coming around the corner to go upstairs and join the fight...
2) Storage
3) Storage
4) Dungeon Cells for prisoners
5) Armory - Corrupt Half-Orc Guard has opened the Armory and is handing out weapons to Monster Soldiers. There is a locked chest with useful Magic Items that any of these Half-Orc NPC will be able to open: King Ul'derrin, Half-Orc Nobleman, Half-Orc Captain.
6) Storage
7) Storage
8) Gate to secret tunnel system - currently open. One last force of Wolves, Orcs, Kobolds should be coming down the tunnel...
9) Leads to secret exit on the surface, about 1/2 mile in-land. This is where the enemy entered the tunnel system.
10) Leads to a secret Safe-House for the nobility, (the entrance is hidden by magic - even from inside the tunnel system), and then on to the next Half-Orc Fortress.
NOTE: The camp is only 1/3 full now that many Monster Soldiers have fallen in battle.​ Kobold Soldiers have returned to the Dragon's Cave, located farther down the beach (from the Gate at (4)). The Orcs are preparing to leave. Some are loading supplies onto the ship at (5), while others are plundering their fallen comrad's belongings in the tents.
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NOTE: the camp exists in 1 of 2 possible states = Calm and High-Alert.
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1) Monster Guards. From here (after the Guards have been taken care of) the Heroes can survey the camp site and decide what strategy to follow = send NPC to the Main Gate at (2) and climb down the cliff to sneak in through (3)? OR attack (2) head-on, together with the NPC, trying to take out the Guards quitely? It is not practical for the NPC to enter Gate (3), and it is not possible, due to the cliffs, for any character to start at Gate (4).
2) Main Gate. 2 Orc Archers as Guards. If Players loose initiative, Guards will sound the alarm (a loud horn blast) and the camp will transition to High-Alert.
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3) Side Gate. 1 Orc Archer as a Guard. If Players loose initiative, Guard will sound the alarm (a loud horn blast) and the camp will transition to High-Alert.
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4) Side Gate: 1 Orc Archer as a Guard.
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5) Ships, only 1/3 are being loaded with supplies. If camp transitions to High Alert, Orc Soldiers will take up defense positions on the ships. If the commanders in (7) are defeated, those Orcs will set sail to try and escape.
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6) If camp is Calm, there are a few Orc Soldiers going in and out of the tents along the edge of the cliffs, bringing supplies to the ships, and a few tired Wolves taking a nap. If camp is on High-Alert and the alarm came from (2) then this area will be clear. If camp is on High-Alert and the alarm came from (3), this area will have a force of Wolves and Orcs.
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7) Commander's Tent. 2 Orc Guards in front, blazing fire in the pit. Inside, Drow Wizard and Yuan-Ti Commander (with Kobold Guards) are discussing evacuation plans. When Heroes enter, the Drow Wizard will cast a spell to escape to the Dragon's Cave, and the Yuan-Ti + Kobold Guards will engage the Heroes.
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8) If camp is Calm, there are a few Orc Soldiers going in and out of the tents plundering items from other missing Orcs, and a few tired Wolves taking a nap. If camp is on High-Alert and the alarm came from (3) then this area will be clear. If camp is on High-Alert and the alarm came from (2), this area will have a force of Wolves and Orcs.
1) Kobold Guards
2) Poison Dart Trap - if sprung will notify Guards and Yuan-Ti Commander in (3)
3) Kobold Guards and Yuan-Ti Commander
4) Swarm of Bats
5) Kobold Barracks
6) Drow Wizard + Magic Trap + Skeleton Soldiers and Archers + Stone Golem
7) Yuan-Ti Commander Barracks
8) Kobold Guards + Troll + Magic Gate
9) Green Dragon + Kobold Guards + Yuan-Ti Commanders
Magic Gate:
This Magic Gate is located at (8). It is a thin green light surface that spans across the tunnel, and the lock mechanism is hovering in the center. The Heroes must use the gems from the Bag of Gems Artifact and place them in the correct order. Any mistakes will result in an electric shock attack.
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