W3: Flight of the Red Raven
Over a hundred years ago, the logging village of Azurestone entered into an accord with the enclave of druids who protect the ecosystem of the surrounding territories. The sign of this pact is the Staff of the Red Raven. So long as this staff is possessed by Azurestone, the accord remains. The staff has been stolen. If it is not retrieved before the upcoming annual summit between Azurestone and the enclave, the accord will be broken. The accord has never been anything less than shaky. Without it in place, open hostilities are sure to begin due to the aggressive logging Azurestone engages in.
A militant, zealous druid arranged for the Staff of the Red Raven to be stolen. Without the staff, and thereby the accord, the druids can defend the deforestation Azurestone is engaging in. He arranged for a freelance thief to steal the staff. It was delivered to a ranger in the nearby forest who then took the staff to the druid. The ranger killed the thief without the druid’s knowledge or permission to eliminate the witness.
As the party travels through the forest toward the Fog Peak Mountains, they will be engaged by the new monster. It is a cross between a dire badger and a porcupine. It is smaller than a dire badger, but covered in venomous quills. A complete Ecology and Origin of Species will be provided in the adventure.
The main obstacle the players must face is time. If the staff is not retrieved before the summit, the accord will be broken and the uneasy peace will end. In a more confrontational sense, two encounters will slow the party and provide combat elements in the adventure.
First, a group of mounted half-orc raiders will attack the party in the wilds between Azurestone and the mountains. The half-orcs have nothing to do with the enclave or Azurestone; they’re just bandits.
The second is an intentional ambush by the druid. At the base of the mountains is a river, swelled over the banks by recent heavy rainfall. A summoned water elemental attacks the party as they cross the slippery, nearly washed-out bridge.
An additional obstacle the party will face is the mountain itself. Weather and terrain will be a difficult obstacle to overcome. The further up the Fog Peaks the party goes, the worse the weather gets. Without the proper equipment or magic, they are likely to be fatigued from exposure for the final encounter with the druid.
As the party climbs the mountain, the final encounter begins to shape. They will have an aerial view of Azurestone and the surrounding forest. They will then see the effects of Azurestone’s aggressive logging. When they finally reach the druid, they will be faced with a moral decision. The druid is not evil. He is a radical zealot defending the forest he helps protect. He also arranged for the stealing of the staff and is working against peace. Do the players attack and kill the druid, see things from his side and leave, try to capture him and bring back the staff, turn him over to the enclave, or something else entirely? There is no wrong choice, nor is there a right one. There should be inter-party discussion, probably leading to in-character arguments and intense philosophical differences.
This should prove to be greatly enjoyable to both player and judge as it contains aspects every adventure type. It is a mix of investigation, combat, role-playing and character interaction, and value judgments, with a bit of moral ambiguity on the top. The pressure and pace should be intense, as there is a race against the clock. The combats will be challenging due to design and terrain. The options should prove insightful. The outcomes of the adventure should vary widely and depend heavily on player personality and party makeup.
The party will have two primary adventure hooks: help the druids reign in their zealot or help Azurestone keep the peace. It is possible for both agendas to be represented, depending on party makeup.
The villain is not clearly defined. This is done intentionally. Is the village in the wrong for over logging, straining the accord, and damaging the ecosystem? Is the zealous druid in the wrong for believing his ends justify his means? This is presented as a struggle between two non-evil groups who have clearly opposing viewpoints. The party is drawn in to judge between two groups who are neither right nor wrong.
