Hero Wars
  Scenario
Glorantha
Issaries, Inc.
Market Place
Tribes
Library
News
Utilities

SKYFALL LAKE

Note! The conversion of this scenario to Hero Wars is a fan work. The hard-working volunteer has made all interpretations of game stats.

This episode is written for non-troll characters. They must enter troll territory and find a well-reported grog shop hidden in the woods. There one human must (and more humans may) enter into a good-natured drinking contest with the trolls. This should result in friendly enough relations that the humans can go on to Crabtown where a business deal can be concluded. The party can then return home.

The many opportunities for mishap are left to the narrator; if the adventurers decided to trash the grog shop, you must deal with the consequences. Stress to the players that the employer desires no hostilities, and will punish whoever starts a fight.

This episode is a mine for role-playing, since it avoids combat. The players have the rare opportunity to enter a troll community as a friendly or neutral party The adventure allows the narrator to play the situation as she wishes.

Most of the general data in Player Information is correct. The exact size of this troll settlement is impossible to tell; any of the cited figures might be right. The handouts contain the usual exaggerations by prejudiced humans. The mentions of iron are false, as are the stories of iron's presence in the hills.

The Task

The merchant will pay each of up to eight adventurers the following: first, either an opportunity to trade feats using Issaries Spell Trading secret or 100L cash after the job is done; secondly, 50L in advance and another 50L after the job is done (the narrator may allow the players to spend Hero Points to increase their Wealth at the end of the episode); thirdly, a fair share of any loot rightfully gained in self-defense while on the job.

The assistant who is accompanying the party is a gentle, experienced Issaries Goldentongue trader named Murius. He is smart, a non-combatant, and a skilled speaker and trader initiate of his cult.

Murius will use his Travel affinity feats (such as "Protection While Sleeping") for the journey, and will bring medicines which keep him awake for the whole journey. He is a non-player-character who should be handled by the narrator. After the first 24 hours, he will be groggy and disoriented, and should be played quietly.

As far as actual play goes, Murius' function is to maintain peace. His employer claims to have prepared the trip with the trolls, and the party is guaranteed protection if they follow normal procedures. If he discovers, or even suspects that any characters deliberately caused trouble with the trolls, he will say so, and that person will lose all payment as well as Murius' protection.

Murius has a set of written instructions from his boss. It is written in Tradetalk, and it is included in the handouts. Murius will share it with the adventurers.

Everything is fairly straight-forward; your task as narrator is to entertain the players without a fight.

Murius' object is to pick up four large spools of spider silk, and four other bundles containing miscellaneous troll items dredged from the lake.

The Overland Journey

Make Friendly Contact with Trolls (18): Bargain, Beg (-3), Haggle, Troll Customs.
Complete Victory: The trolls are friendly, and will trade or offer the heroes information about the journey ahead.
Any Other Victory: The heroes are able to approach the trolls and negotiate with them. They may need to bribe them to get any help or information out of them.
Complete Defeat: The heroes offend the trolls, who will either withdraw (if outnumbered) or attack (if they think they will win).
Any Other Defeat: The trolls want nothing to do with the heroes, and will retreat if approached. They will only fight if cornered by the heroes.

Crossing the hills, the expedition enters the flat lands beside the Skyfall marshes. An additional six hours pass before they reach the stream beside which they are to camp. Trolls met here are more likely to be aggressive and will not take kindly to thoughtless or destructive acts by adventurers. Nonetheless, gifts and bribes made here are likely to be accepted.

Bribe Trolls (14, or 5W if the heroes suffered a Complete Defeat trying to make friendly contact): Bargain, Bribery, Haggle, Spot Sucker.
Marginal Victory: The trolls accept the bribe, and will not take hostile action against the heroes.
Any Other Victory: The trolls are friendly, and may trade or offer the heroes information about the journey ahead.
Defeat: The trolls are not impressed by the bribe and will either retreat or attack, as noted above.

Most trolls met while travelling here will be reluctant to interact with the party. Keep in mind that the journey is much less important than the events to follow at the Grogge Shoppe and in Crabtown. If the adventurers attack or kill trolls on the way to the Shoppe, no one at the Shoppe will know of it.

Once the player-characters reach Crabtown, however, word of any attack has likely reached the town authorities, and the adventurers may be forced to flee. Trollkin may have been watching from a distance if the adventurers attacked a troll, or troll hunters may find evidence of the struggle, such as a dead troll. If only wild trollkin have been killed, the trolls will not care, but if the player-characters have killed normal trollkin, the trolls may well react unfavorably: trollkin are at least as valuable to trolls as goats and dogs are to humans, and the trolls will not be pleased to learn that the visitors have been destroying valuable property.

THE GROGGE SHOPPE

Then they come to a junction with two markers, each pointing down a different trail. The correct choice is the Y-stick in the ground, with a bone in the crotch of the Y pointing left. A gourd weights the bone against the ground to keep the bone from being shifted. This is the way to the Grogge Shoppe.

The incorrect sign is that of an impala skull with a stick through one eye socket pointing to the right. The right-hand trail leads to a pit trap, left to the narrator to handle. The trolls occasionally check the trap to see if anything has tumbled in.

This is a critical decision. The players have to figure out which path goes to the Grogge Shoppe.

Choose the Correct Path (15): Find Safe Path, Know Trolls, Tracking, Wilderness Survival (-3).
Complete or Major Victory: The gourd is a symbol representing drink and, therefore, the Grogge Shoppe; the left-hand trail is the correct path. The skull represents danger, so the right-hand path should be avoided.
Minor or Marginal Victory: There are more troll tracks heading to the left. That is probably the way to go.
Marginal, Minor or Major Defeat: The character has no idea.
Complete Defeat: The impala skull represents food and, therefore, hospitality. The right-hand path must be the correct one.

Outside the Shoppe

A thick, old, very dirty curtain flaps along a cliff face. It's held up by stone spikes wedged into the limestone. To enter the Grogge Shoppe, raise the curtain and walk down into the dim interior.

Inside the Grogge Shoppe

Five trolls, three trollkin, and one gargoyle are in the cave. Note character locations on the plan, and play them as follows.

SPOONER: the bartender and owner, Spooner is an Argan Argar initiate, adroit at languages. Although the rite noted in the employer's instructions is little-known to humans, Spooner has done it often and knows it well. He should be the speaker whenever the adventurers must be answered. He orders the three trollkin about, and also translates for Watcher, the troll who cannot understand any language but Darktongue.
3 TROLLKIN: they have no personalities. Have Spooner send them scuttling about to do work and to provide comic relief.
GROGGER: this wingless gargoyle is a loyal slave to Spooner. He usually sits at the spot located, acting as a chair for his owner. Upon command, he leaps up and does his stuff, surely leaving an opponent groggier than before.
THE WATCHER: he sits slumped on the floor. Sometimes he mumbles in Darktongue to Spooner, who may send a trollkin to him with a ladleful of this or that.
GROWLER: though his voice is low and raspy, he makes himself clear. He, too (what a coincidence!), speaks the language of the adventurers. He is fairly sober and speaks confidently to humans. He is dressed like a hunter.
SQUEAKER: dressed like a warrior, he makes no hostile moves. His armor is on, his helmet off, his weapons beside him. He doesn't want to fight and won't be provoked. He has met humans before; he likes to gamble.

The Ritual

Spooner says, "Welcome to the Frog Grogge Shoppe Inn. This is, as you somehow know, the secret entryway into my home city, granted to me by Her Mightiness Cragspider, Goddess over all the world. If you can meet a few special requirements, you and all of your party can enter Crabtown as friends.

"Here is what you must do. First, take a good large swallow from any one of these kegs which you select. Secondly, take a drink from any one keg which I select. Thirdly, take a drink from any one keg which someone else selects.

"After that you will be guided to town by one of my trollkin, and you will be announced as friends."

Someone, of course, must accept.

"Glad to hear that. Before we begin, would you or any of your friends like some human beer before we begin? It is good to trolls, you know, and I sell it cheap. Only one silver for a mug of real ale."

When any orders for beer are filled, Spooner says, "Let's begin now. You may choose your own poison, as they say. What? [looks shocked] Why yes, of course you must pay for the drinks, [looks angry] What are you trying to do, ROB ME? That's better!"

Some other answers Spooner may make are just below.

Q:	Who made up the names of these drinks?
A:	There was a fellow named Willworth through here several times. He did it. I really don't know what those words mean. We have our own names in Darktongue.
Q:	Who wrote this menu?
A:	Once there was a woman here who had a remarkable feather. She did not drink here, though she did eat like everyone does, and she made this for me with her feather for payment.
Q:	What are in these kegs?
A:	I cannot tell you.

And there are other speakers besides Spooner:

GROWLER: I will help you out for money.
SPOONER: That is against all the rules.
GROWLER: Look, you guys, maybe I can help you another way. First of all, do you make bets?
SQUEAKER: Bets? Count me in!

At this point, introduce the betting motif if you want. See the next section. Side Bets.

Side Bets

Growler bets that the human will be slightly affected by a drink. He bets a small amount. He wants other people to bet against his assumptions.

Squeaker always speaks second. He always bets that something far worse will happen to the person, and makes much larger bets.

They are both wrong the first few times. Their bets show, in fact, that they have no idea how the drinks affect people. The names hint about effects which might occur, however, and if the adventurers understand that they may be tempted to bet against the trolls themselves.

The trolls are glad to bet. In fact, they suggest that all the humans take up the task of testing each of the vats and make greater and greater wagers.

However, Squeaker knows a lot more than he first shows, and at some point will make a huge bet on something quite silly which will occur from the drink of the narrator's choice. The event occurs exactly as Squeaker says it will, he will win, and the two trolls will laugh their heads off at the adventurers, and then collect their winnings.

Sample Dialogue

GROWLER: I bet you 12 lunars that his eyes fall out.
SQUEAKER: I bet 25 lunars that he never eats solids again.

GROWLER: I bet 14 lunars that he gets a case of the Shakes.
SQUEAKER: I bet double that and say that his hair will turn gray and that he'll lose the use of his fingers.

GROWLER: I bet 8 lunars and a clack that this is the drink that changes humans into bears.
SQUEAKER: No, I bet you 39 lunars that the man will laugh, then choke till he turns blue, have the runs, and then go berserk.

GROWLER: I can't believe that he'll drink that one! I bet he never gets rid of the smell! 15 lunars!
SQUEAKER: I saw this one happen before. I bet 23 lunars that he goes blind for a week, then catches Wasting disease.

GROWLER: Wow! I've seen this! 17 lunars says he dies!
SQUEAKER: I think that he'll get smarter and that all his hair falls out. 22 lunars.

During this the two trolls drink heavily and, acting quite drunken, they always urge more ale upon the humans with whom they are betting. They'll even buy drinks for their marks.

Those who enjoy imbibing may be taken advantage of by experienced sharpies like Growler and Squeaker.

Stay Sober (10, +2 for each round of drinks): Drink Alcohol, Large (-5), Resist Poison (-3), Tough (-5).
Any Victory: The hero does not get drunk.
Any Defeat: The hero is drunk, to a greater or lesser degree, and will suffer a penalty on any attempt to avoid Growler and Squeaker suckering him or her into a bet (see below).

When the player-characters are nicely drunken, the trolls make an exorbitant bet. If the players understand what is happening, the narrator must insist that those adventurers can only refuse if they:

Resist Sucker Bet (17, +2 for each level of defeat in the "Stay Sober" contest): Cautious, Quick-Witted, Resist Fast Talk, Spot Sucker (-1), Stay Sober, Stubborn (-1).
Victory: The hero realizes that the trolls are trying to sucker him and refuses the bet.
Defeat: The hero accepts the bet.

This exorbitant wager may be anything that the narrator chooses, and can apply to any of the troll drinks that have not yet been tried. The effect should be ridiculous, but not fatal. This special effect applies only for this one drink, and the beverage's normal effects may or may not apply as well. In justification, the narrator can point out that troll drinks are not standardized, and that this particular batch had some unusual trace elements.

Feel free to adjust the amount of each bet to suit the cash which the adventurers typically carry. The trolls are good for their word; they'll always be able to pay up. They are not absurdly rich - this is a light entertainment, not a chance to strike it rich.

The Grogge Shoppe Drinks and How They Work

Besides the drinks listed as available in the Grogge Shoppe, narrators are urged make their own to suit their fancies. All drinks are served in large mugs about a liter capacity. The following notes about specific drinks include appearance, effect upon trolls, effect upon humans, and other notes as needed.

DRIVE CAREFUL WINE

Of typical troll ingredients, most of it is boiled plants, about 15 varieties. The lumps are chopped beetle of a type valued for its powerful digestive juices which help ferment this stuff. The chunks crumble easily and are easily swallowed.

This drink is a troll favorite in taste, but not specially noted for any physical effect.

The chemicals may sicken human drinkers. Each mug is a Debilitating poison with a potency equal to the number of mugs swilled, cumulative for life. The human body cannot break down these poisons:

Drink Drive Careful Wine (# of mugs drunk): Eat Anything, Drink Alcohol, Resist Poison, Tough (-5).
Any Victory: No effect, except for a transitory queasy feeling when first drinking.
Marginal or Minor Defeat: The drinker is nauseous. Treat as Hurt (-1 penalty to all actions) for a number of hours equal to the number of mugs drunk.
Major Defeat or Complete Defeat: The drinker is violently ill. Treat as Injured (-50% penalty to all actions) for a number of hours equal to the number of mugs drunk.

During the recovery, only healing magic brings any solace to the otherwise helpless victim. This poison never breaks down. If a person ever tries this drink again, he or she must once again roll against the accumulated potency or be sick. (The number of mugs should be entered on the player's character sheet as a flaw: "Has Drunk Drive Careful Wine". The level of the flaw is equal to the number of mugs drunk. If she wants to keep this effect of the drink a secret from the player, the narrator may record this secretly.)

It is commonly believed that one may build up tolerance to many troll drinks, and the referee may wish to amuse himself by encouraging players to try this with Drive Careful wine.

OLD ROTGUT

Trolls like Old Rotgut because it numbs them into a comforting stupor which can be shaken off quickly if desired. The effects are short-lived as well, though persistent drinkers have pink teeth from the stuff.

For humans, this drink is a potency 15 Debilitating, Lethal poison. Successfully resisting the poison reveals Old Rotgut to be astonishingly pleasant.

Each mug is resisted against separately and, if successful, does no harm. Additional drinks are not cumulative. Some human debauchers are known to prefer Old Rotgut despite the damage (healable by magic), but even most alcoholics recognize the danger of that trap.

SKULLBUSTER

Trolls love Skullbuster because it dulls their sensitive hearing and dilates their weak eyes. They perceive this distortion of perception as a high. Skullbuster reportedly tastes very good, though some trolls think that the Grogge Shoppe uses too much elf skin during the soaking process.

Humans who drink Skullbuster show no apparent effects for a day after they drink it. When a victim wakes the next morning, he or she suffers a penalty of -1 to all Mental Skills, as if the character had received a Hurt for each mug drunk. This penalty does not affect Physical Skills, Affinities or other Abilities, except at the Narrator's discretion. The effect remains until the victim successfully resists the poison:

Shake off the Effects of Skullbuster (1W): Resist Poison, Tough (-5).
Any Victory: All penalties from the drinking of Skullbuster are removed.
Marginal, Minor or Major Defeat: The drinker cannot try to shake off the effects for another day.
Complete Defeat: The character goes into a coma that night and cannot be awakened until cured magically.

The roll can be made once per day.

POWZIE

Trolls drink Powzie for its kick. Each mug drunk by a troll may affect him, in much the same way as it affects humans (see below). However, for trolls, the Resistance for the contest is only 17, and the worst injury that the drinker can suffer is a Hurt. A troll who overindulges in Powzie merely goes unconscious. Powzie is for trolls who drink to forget. Watcher, the sot slouched in the comer of the Grogge Shoppe, drinks this.

Humans who drink Powzie never finish a mug without having to stop. Each swallow rushes directly to the head, and the effect accumulates until the drinker is overcome. Powzie! An adventurer who chooses this drink may be felled by it several times, but the trolls will insist that he or she finish the drink.

Powzie is a potency 10W Instant, Lethal poison.

Drink Powzie (10W): Eat Anything, Drink Alcohol, Resist Poison, Tough (-5).
Complete Victory: The drinker downs the Powzie in one! Squeaker and Growler are, for once, speechless.
Major or Minor Victory: The drinker cannot finish the drink in one go and must roll again. This time, however, the Resistance is only 10, as there is hardly any Powzie left to swallow.
Marginal Victory: The drinker cannot finish the drink in one go and must roll again. This time, however, the Resistance is reduced to 15, as there is not as much Powzie to swallow.
Marginal Defeat: Powzie! The drinker is Dazed, and still has more of the drink to finish. After recovering from this defeat, he or she must attempt to finish the drink. This time, however, the Resistance is only 15, as there is not as much Powzie to swallow.
Minor Defeat: Powzie! The drinker is Hurt, and still has more of the drink to finish. After recovering from this defeat, he or she must attempt to finish the drink. This time, however, the Resistance is only 15, as there is not as much Powzie to swallow.
Major Defeat: Powzie! The drinker is Injured, and still has more of the drink to finish. After recovering from this defeat, he or she must attempt to finish the drink. This time, however, the Resistance is only 15, as there is not as much Powzie to swallow.
Complete Defeat: Powzie! The drinker is Dying, and still has more of the drink to finish. If he or she recovers from this defeat, he or she must attempt to finish the drink. This time, however, the Resistance is only 15, as there is not as much Powzie to swallow.

EROSION OUZO

Erosion Ouzo is an acid. It's caustic, and placing something over the surface will let the bubbles pop there, with clear results. Skin will be mildly burned. Metal will be tarnished and slightly eroded. Cloth will be burnt away.

Trolls like this drink. It goes directly to their rock stomachs, where it joins the digestive juices to ignite massive heartburn, setting off chemical reactions which flush the body of acids. The result is rapid euphoria lasting about half an hour per mugful.

A human takes damage from the acid in this drink. It is quite possible to melt away by trying to swallow this stuff. Treat Erosion Ouzo as a potency 10-5W Instant, Lethal poison, depending on the strength of the mugful.

RAINBOW DELIGHT

In the yellow stage. Rainbow Delight is chewy and smells like citrus. In the red stage it is salty and usually chugged quickly. In the purple stage it is tangy and aromatic. This social drink for trolls is much favored. Making it is a secret known only to trolls.

For humans, the yellow stage can be swallowed with great difficulty only after prodigious chewing:

Swallow the Yellow Stage (18): Eat Anything, Strong (-3), Tough (-5).
Any Victory: The drinker swallows the drink.
Any Defeat: The drinker cannot choke the chewy mass down, though he or she may try again with a -1 penalty after taking a rest or drinking another drink to clear the palate.

Once it has been swallowed, the yellow stage is a potency 15 Debilitating poison. It is not lethal, however, and the drinker can never suffer a worse consequence than "Injured" after drinking it.

The red stage is extremely salty to humans, but is otherwise palatable and without ill effect.

The purple stage is a concentrated alkali, burning the human target. Treat it as a potency 10 Instant, Lethal poison.

A single mugful has two of each of the drinks in it. As one color is consumed, the contents cease turning that color. For instance, if an adventurer drinks both red drinks, the stuff begins to alternate between yellow and purple.

ALE

The Results

They may or may not be or become drunken, though one of them must drink.

If the players have debts, then they surely will be allowed into the town. Nothing will happen to them at all, either, even from their angry debtors. Not paying off results in pursuit by those appropriate at the end of the episode.

Regardless of the betting, Spooner will send a trollkin to lead the humans to the Crabtown temple of Argan Argar. The trollkin is very ordinary, and refuses to speak to humans.

The trollkin carries a staff to which are tied a gourd and some other junk, dangling on red ribbons. One item is a little silver bell which the trollkin keeps ringing as they go.

CRABTOWN

Using the word 'building' to refer to troll structures may be inapt. Trolls have little skill at architecture and usually excavate rather than build or grow surface constructions. They do often imitate other peoples by constructing temporary above-ground shelter.

Troll buildings or structures are always patchwork unless they get outside help (as Sir Scissor did years ago from human). Trolls are indiscriminate about materials: a single irregularly-stacked wall might contain rocks logs, bits of cloth, dirt, reed matting, bones, and skins stretched over openings. Such walls are precarious, tumbling down in the wind or collapsing when a trollkin tries to scale one.

Approaching the Town

The path winds through large boulders; the adventurers can hear and see figures paralleling the way. These are trollkin guards. They will not attack and will run away if attacked, but they will keep pace all the way As messengers come and go, the number of trollkin gradually increases.

Half way along, the party is stopped and questioned at a guardpost, even accompanied by a trollkin from the Grogge Shoppe. The guards are standard warriors of appropriate level selected from the sample troll statistics at the front of this book. This is a good time for everyone to check their adventurers, perhaps to heal them; now is also a good time for you, through Murius, to remind everyone of their duties and responsibilities.

The path through the rocks becomes difficult rising and narrowing abruptly to make a strong defensive position. More trollkin guards stand here. The path goes downwards, then turns sharply right. Turning a comer, the adventurers get their first glimpse of Crabtown.

POINT (1). This is the first of four viewpoints related to the map of Crabtown. From here the town is a dirty brown and gray collection of irregular buildings. A steep barren hill dominates the left side of the town; the flanks of the hill are steeply eroded. The bleached bones of a large creature can be seen between the hill and the lake beyond. Many buildings cluster together in an area perhaps 150 meters square.

Many trollkin scrabble about, stuffing their mouths with goods which surely will be gone later, eaten by bigger trollkin. Unarmored trolls in a variety of costumes are emerging, stretching and yawning. Drums beat. Patrols of scouts and bands of hunters come and go.

A well-worn path leads into town. Murius now directs the way. The trollkin guide accompanies the party without comment.

POINT (2). To the left are many buildings. To the right is the Brawling Ground. Several trolls are here, mostly naked, wrestling with each other. Some trollkin carry bundles of arms and armor out from shacks and prepare it in the open to be put on.

The supervising troll sights the humans and approaches them. He kicks aside the guide trollkin with the bell. He deliberately struts into the humans, ignoring them but shoving them aside and trying to knock them down. If the humans fight back, he will be glad to brawl for a moment. If any in the party draw weapons, he backs away shouting. His yells immediately bring a half-dozen armed and armored trolls, and six more will arrive every two minutes for the next six minutes.

The troll is Karvorki the Hungry, leader of the local Zorak Zoran temple. He dislikes humans and wants to provoke a fight, but he knows the rules and will not attack anyone protected by Spooner's ritual. Even if waves of warriors spew from the nearby temple, they will not attack, though they do threateningly gesture and try to drive the party away.

Realize the Troll(s) are Not Attacking (17): Brave (-2), Common Sense (-1), Quick-Witted, Recognize Foe, Troll Customs.
Any Victory: The trolls are threatening, but the hero remembers that the party is protected by the Grogge Shoppe ritual.
Any Defeat: The hero firmly believes that the trolls are attacking.
Complete Defeat: Not only are they attacking, they look hungry too!

If the adventurers want to flee, point out the two larger buildings as sturdy and defensible sites. The party's reception is quite different, depending on which building is chosen. The Spider Priests will be hostile and violently eject them, but will not pursue the combat past the temple doors. The Food Store owner politely receives the party and treats them kindly, as customers. If the adventurers insult the proprietor, a troll named Jop the Happy, he states that he will happily sell their carcasses later, and sends a trollkin to register his claim with the tribal leaders.

The Zorak Zorani do not pursue the party, nor do those trolls make further trouble once the humans leave the area around their Brawling Grounds.

POINT (3). To the right are buildings. The trollball team is seen, in uniform, heading to the ford from their locker room and back along the trail to their practice grounds. The local team is called the Total War team.

To the left are many trollkin hovels and another marsh. This marsh is guarded by armed trollkin who suspiciously watch the humans.

POINT (4). To the right is a neat, square-built house, the Argan Argar temple. Several trollkin work outside, toting bags or laying out fish to dry on the sloping sides of the shacks. To the left are more houses. Beyond them is the lake. As is typical, its surface today is covered with a thickening fog, stirred around by cold winds. Already some fishing boats are being rowed out into the mist. Overhead, the air is gray and misty.

A butler, wearing a jester's motley cap, stands by the carefully-made swinging door to the temple. The butler comes forward to speak with the trollkin with the bell. The butler looks over his shoulder at the humans. The trollkin motions, nods, and points to each of the party. The two trollkin whisper in Darktongue with accents impossible to understand.

At last the butler turns to the adventurer who performed Spooner's ritual, saying, "Fum Sir Sisser to is customs: Hi! Te lord is out now, so plest be seated and eat or sleep to is arrival. Plest do not straying fum tis spot."

Murius is embarrassed that the butler did not address him directly, and demands the statement be repeated. He then turns and repeats the message a second time to the adventurers.

Everyone should settle down and wait. This is an opportunity for the player-characters to be tempted by their own curiosity. If they wander off, you are on your own to guide them.

TROLL-TOWN ENCOUNTERS

The best method of showing off the scenery is to move along the path and, where marked as on the accompanying map, direct the adventurers' attention to interesting points. The full descriptions of these points of interest are left to the narrator, who should spend a little time studying the points and their relationship.

The following table shows the percentage of occurrence for each building use in the town. Trolls tell what is inside these unmarked piles by looking at subtle clues on their outsides, something humans should not attempt. The information is generally of use and may help in an adventure. Though this table can be used for any troll town or settlement, adjust the priests accordingly.

Who Lives Here?

* occurs only in this village

If an adventurer were to go knocking on a troll's door, the inhabitant undoubtedly would have been doing something beforehand: what he was doing determines his reaction to being disturbed.

Typical Troll Activities

Sir Scissor

He shows off by constantly going about in daylight. He is not at all intimidated by light, since he wears sunglasses made of natural volcanic glass.

Sir Scissor is not his troll name, which he keeps a secret. He gave himself the name Sir Scissor after many years of dealing with humans.

He is much influenced by human contacts he has made as an Argan Argar merchant, but these ways have been altered to suit troll tastes. Sir Scissor has on decent though unkempt robes of heavy wool, dyed a bright red. He wears a stout fur cap and a broad leather belt with a silver clasp, and many bags of varying size hang from his belt. If viewed carefully, movement can be seen beneath his robe. That is his rat familiar.

He carries a heavy crossbow, uncocked. Behind him come two slave trollkin carrying another of their kind, dead and already partially butchered. The dead one has no clothes and was apparently a wild trollkin.

Sir Scissor leads a leashed trio of creatures. They strain against his grip, glad to be home and done with the hunt. Two of them are cave trolls with blindfolds over their eyes. The third is a trollkin with an unusually large nose; it struts about and sometimes whines. Its eyes have been poked out.

Proud of his hunting team. Sir Scissor is flattered if anyone comments favorably about them. The unfortunates on the leashes have been treated to go abroad in daylight, and the dark troll is sure to point that out.

Sir Scissor formally greets Murius, and then begins the troll custom of introducing them to his home. Use this opportunity to show players troll customs. First, the greetings are made. Then several trollkin bring large bags of varying cleanliness. Sir Scissor then allows the adventurers into his house, casting a nicely-made sack over each head, symbolizing entrance into welcoming darkness. Always bag the jumpiest adventurer first, and let him make some trouble. After being welcomed inside and unbagged, use these customs: pointing-out of possessions, feeding live animals to guests, and bargaining for goods. Additional information can be found in Trollpak, if you have that publication.

Once this scene is concluded, the party may rest or go on, as you wish. Unless you want to continue to explore the town, nothing else of importance need occur here.

If the adventurers got this far without offending anyone, don't despair - be glad you have interested and sensitive players. Let them rest, travel home, and get paid. Then, on the next adventure, use the pursuit force statistics as enemies in your own episode.

THE PURSUIT

It is possible to attack the offending adventurers inside Crabtown, but that is unsporting and contrary to a good tale. If anything happens in town, it should be a hairsbreadth escape, perhaps with alarm drums booming as the party runs like hell to escape.

The party, having escaped, has no difficulties until they reach the flatlands by Skyfall Marsh. There avenging spider riders, in hot pursuit, attack.

Adjust the number of pursuers to an amount creating a fair fight. Remember, these trolls do not need to kill the whole party. They do demand vengeance, and their payment should be exorbitant (two humans alive or dead, for instance, or four horses). If these can be gained, the spider riders have achieved victory and will depart, leaving the survivors behind. The trolls do not care whether the offending adventurers or the entirely innocent are killed or returned to Crabtown.

The narrator may want to give the adventurers a chance to negotiate with the spider riders, or to betray two among them to the wrath of trolls. Adjust the situation to the adventure's flavor and your desires.

The pursuers are professional soldiers in the employ of Cragspider. They are competent and should be used that way. They are led by a priest of Aranea. They all ride large tarantulas. Each tarantula is accompanied by swarms of giant wolf spiders which are furry and can jump and bite. Each spider party is identical.

Players' Information

As the pursuers draw closer, the players can see that they are being chased by gigantic gray tarantulas. Squatting on the backs of the tarantulas are trolls; each tarantula carries two dark trolls and one trollkin. The brownish objects are packs of man-sized wolf spiders. Here and there, leading the packs, stride larger green and spiny lynx spiders, trying to govern the movements of the unintelligent wolf spiders.

Playing the Attackers

The trolls stop their tarantulas about 30 meters from the party, and send in the wolf spiders. The trolls hide behind large shields. The lynx spiders advance and then spray webbing over the humans while the wolf spiders surge forward. The lynx spiders concentrate on a single target with their webbing, then move on to another; the wolf spiders keep biting until they or their foe is defeated.

A lynx spider will attack by biting if an attacker successfully reduces its AP total in close combat. Each will bite a foe once, then move to another target if another attack reduces its AP.

If the party defeats three or more spiders without having any of their own members die, the tarantulas and trolls join in the attack. The trolls will not move in if their wolf and lynx spiders are winning easily, but will instead attack the party with missile weapons.

If all the lynx spiders are put out of action, the trolls move in to keep command over their wolf spiders. If the party starts to win easily, the trolls may just flee, using some wolf spiders as a rear guard to delay pursuit. The wolf spiders prefer to attack mounts rather than heavily-armed human mercenaries.

NON PLAYER CHARACTERS

Troll Hunters

Wild Trollkin

Sir Scissor

Troll Hunting Party

Troll Warrior

Weapons and Armor: Lead armor and shield ^5, Heavy Mace ^4, Javelin ^3.
Significant Abilities: Close Combat 8W, Command Spiders 5W, Net 1W, Ranged Combat 19, Ride Spider 17, Roaring Voice 16.

Troll Mahout

Weapons and Armor: Lead armor and shield ^5, Heavy Mace ^4, Javelin ^3.
Significant Abilities: Close Combat 3W, Net 19, Ride Spider 17, Ranged Combat 19, Steer Tarantula 1W.

Trollkin Slave

Tarantula Mount

Lynx Spider

Wolf Spider

A typical hunting party will have 6 wolf spiders, led by a lynx spider pack leader, and one tarantula with its troll crew. The narrator should feel free to amend these numbers to match the situation and the capabilities of her party.

PLAYER HANDOUTS

They include:

FROM THE EMPLOYER

FROM THE TEMPLE OF KNOWLEDGE

TO BE HANDED OUT LATER

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL