[DnD] Crusader (GFF D&D Adventure 2)

After an extended period of wild gesticulation and half-understood discussion with the locals, the group eventually secures directions to the dilapidated neighborhood of Stag End. From there, it's a simple matter to locate Lord Broden's home: none of the other residents have a warhorse stabled outside their hovels.

Broden is tending to the steed, half-dressed in a suit of plate. A symbol of Bahamut hangs around his neck, and he sighs heavily as the party approaches.

"Here about the sword, are you? Look, I don't mean to be short with you but there's a minor zombie problem I've got to go resolve. After that, I'm going to sleep, probably for a good three days. Have you got a city map?"

He studies the battered map with a frown and draws a circle around the location of Finagill's home.

"There you go. The sword's probably somewhere inside. If I had the time to find it myself, I would, but frankly I am — to put it lightly — a little busy. I warn you, you're the fourth group to come see me about this and none of the others have come back. Perhaps they just looted the place and then abandoned their responsibility, perhaps something unfortunate happened to them within. I can only warn you to be cautious. Finagill was a paranoid old man at the best of times, and his home's defenses have probably outlived him. He was getting senile toward the end, muttering this word over and over: 'Sarathar'. No idea what it means, but it seemed important to him."

Normally I wouldn't condone this sort of wholesale looting, but I need my sword returned to me and I lack any significant wealth of my own. You'll know it when you see it — it's a silver broadsword with a lion's head on the pommel; 'Crusader' is etched into the blade in Dwarven script. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what will happen should you steal it from me."

Thus informed, the group makes it way to Finagill's abandoned home. It's a simple dwelling; two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a study. There's no obvious evidence of anything magical, or even that the former occupant was a wizard at all.



Jam it back in, in the dark.

It ain't likely that anything fancy will be hidden in the foyer, but just to be sure I give a good look around anyway. After that, I go into the kitchen and help the man-golem search.

I wonder what a single wizard would do with two bedrooms?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Argumentus understood the principle of finder's keepers, taking his time to browse through the absent wizard's cupboards, looking for goodies to fill his belly after such an arduous journey.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Motsognir started pulling on coathangers and lamps and things, hoping to open a secret compartment. It all seemed to simple at the moment.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Well, to be more precise, I hop on the floorboards hoping to hear something squeak, I check under chairs and potted plants and things of that nature, check behind framed paintings looking for any clues, &tc.

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Argumentus finishes whatever meal he may have partaken of and wanders the house, eventually reaching the bedroom with Bob. He spots the mirror and moves toward it in order to find any morsels that may have been stuck in his unkempt facial hair.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Gabriel was well aware that sneaky finding of things was not his forte. He leaned against the wall near the bookshelf and flipped through the texts idly, dropping them on the floor as he went. He flipped over the bed, kicked aside the pillow, generally tapped at walls with a gauntlet-clad fist and even stomped on the floor for a bit.

Crazy old man probably hid everything under a convenient bearskin rug anyway.

FELIPE NO

The party rifles through the entire house, finding absolutely nothing remarkable.

Argumentus finishes his meal of stale, weevil-infested bread and moves to a mirror to clean the remaining weevils out of his stubble. In a typical move, he briefly confuses the face of the reflection with his own and moves to brush off the reflected weevils. Unfortunately his hand passes right through the surface of the glass and, overbalancing, he tumbles through entirely and disappears from sight.

Argumentus falls out of the other side of the mirror with a thump, and finds himself in a cramped room whose contours remind him of delicious pie. Along with the mirror, four additional doorways appear in the stone walls. Four identical statues depicting a young man in wizard's robes stand in a line, staring blankly toward the northwest corner. Five levers jut out of the floor on the west wall, and a small hourglass sits in a niche above them.



What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

1x2 is 2
2x2 is 4
2x3... 7?
4x4?????

Argumentus couldn't handle the numbers. He plays with the magic mirror, sliding his hand in and out between the ethereal rift, hoping somebody notices his disembodied hand on the other side.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

The dwarf walked into the other room, busy reading a book about magic traps in dungeons. Unfortunately he skipped right past the chapter on mirrors as transportation and read the bit on moving walls that throw you into holes what have dragons in them.

Without thinking he reached out and placed the book into Argumentus' hand. He stopped, glanced over and called out:

"I guess the mirror is the doorway, boys. The Big Slow found it."

And with that he stepped through the mirror and looked around.

"Well, doesn't look like anything is rushing out to kill us. That's a start."

There's nowhere I can't reach.

The wizard must've spent all his money on magic mirror-doors since I was able to hear the commotion from the bedroom clear across the house. Even if you're a master of the arcane, you must always remember to invest money in good solid craftsmanship! What will your magic do for you when your commode breaks from under your rear end?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Argumentus was fascinated by the single shiny lever. Its allure compelled him to act.

activate lever second from top

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

The levers are marked A, B, C, D, E from north to south. Argumentus pulls lever B toward himself. Neither the doors nor the statues respond, but the hourglass in the wall immediately flips over. It looks like the sand in the glass will take about three minutes to pour out.

Or, 48 hours forum time

I was speaking idiomatically.

The idea of his time slipping away causes Argumentus to panic. He frantically begins operating other levers, starting with lever D.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Argumentus pulls lever D. There is a pleasant chime.

Ding!

FELIPE NO

ding dongs the bell

Argumentus pulls lever A

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Motsognir, stepping gingerly through the mirror, sees Argumentus pulling levers and quickly tries to stop him before he kills everyone.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Lever A. Ding!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Argumentus shrugs off the dwarf with his mong strength, he has finally achieved a terrible purpose.

Activate lever E

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Argumentus ignores Motsognir's pleading and pulls Lever E. Instead of the pleasant ding, there is a loud and unpleasant buzzer. An electric shock travels up the lever and into Argumentus' arm, and he reflexively releases it.

All the levers flip back up to their original positions.

4 damage to Argumentus

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

The shock just makes him EVEN ANGRIER!

activate lever B
activate lever D
activate lever A
activate lever C

How ya doing, buddy?

Ding,
Ding,
Ding,
Ding!

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Ding!

Argumentus adjusts his groin plate and pulls the E lever.

FELIPE NO

Argumentus pulls Lever E. There is another ding, and then a tinny and faltering voice emits from one of the statues.

"Combination. B. D. A. C. E. Door. E. Closing."

Suddenly the reflection in the mirror disappears, and it becomes a sheet of ordinary glass.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Mmmmmmmmmmmm?

Argumentus investigates the statues and then repeats the same combination with the levers to see if the mirror will open.

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