In part 1 I used the Sly Flourish 8 steps to game prep to help me get my adventure up and running. I passed over the Potential Monsters entry which was a mistake as there are potential monsters.

WOLF
#4d4 AC 12 HD 1+2 (5hp each) Bite 1d8 Nat 19 knocked prone, Str contest to stand up.
S13 D14 C15 I4 P12 W10 Ch6 L4.
Move Far. Adv when tracking, and extra +1 to attack when outnumber foe.
Reac: 2-4 Hostile 5-6 Hungry 7-8 Cautious 9-10 Curious 11-12 Friendly.

ANIMATED STATUES (REBADGED ANIMATED ARMOUR)
#1D4+3 AC 15 HD 2 (7hp each) Sword 1d6 Nat 19 Target’s armour also animates and begins suffocating the victim S12 D8 C10 I- P10 W- Ch- L5
Reac As creator’s orders

The Oracle.

ToA suggests using the set of ‘bones’ dice and ‘deck of signs’ open question oracle cards which I believe will be made available on kickstarter when ToA is launched on that platform. As I don’t have either and I want to use ToA as written if I can, I will use the alternative suggestion given in ToA.

If yes or no is equally likely use 50%, or if one answer is substantially more likely use 75% (or 25% for the
unlikely result).
For the Deck of Signs, substitute your favourite open question oracle.

And finally, just before I start the adventure, I am giving it the title of –

Betrayal of the Dragon Queen.

Scene 1. The wolf pack.

The party are making their way through the snow towards a tiny hamlet where they know they can rest at the wayside inn for the night.
The snowfall has at least subsided but snow lies thick on the ground slowing their speed. They are still a good hour from the hamlet and the sun is low in the winter sky. Tired, cold and wet they begin to feel they may not be alone.

With the highest perception (17) I get Peran Freeshadow, the rogue, to make a perception check to see if he notices anything following them. He rolls a 4, a great success,. Not only does he realise something is following them but he knows what they are.

“Wolves, behind us. I’ll climb this tree, get a better look at them”.

With a Dex of 17 Peran has little difficulty climbing a tree, another great success.

Peran calls down to the others, “Indeed, wolves. I count seven, no eight of them and they gain quickly upon us”.

Hedrak draws his longsword, “two each then, I call that a fair contest”.

Derowen notches an arrow in her longbow “I see one, not an easy shot but I think I can fell it”.

Only Morwen looks concerned. With only a longsword which she is ill used to using and no spells of help to her she knows she may be in some danger.

Derowen the ranger fires an arrow at the one wolf she can get a good aim at. (roll to hit 10 +3 AB =13. A hit for 6hp). With a brief howl the wolf tumbles into the snow, Derowens arrow did its job.

Combat round 2

Morwen rolls for initiative to represent the whole party. She needs 14 or less and rolls 10.
Derowen aims another arrow at a second wolf. Roll to hit 9 +3AB = 12. A hit for 4hp. The wolf is down to 1 hp.

Combat round 3

Derowen rolls for initiative to represent the whole part this round. She rolls 5 and easily passes.
Derowen fires a second arrow at the already injured wolf. Rolling 13 +3AB she hits for 9hp. A second wolf falls victim to her longbow.

The remaining 6 wolves continue to try and encircle the group.

Combat round 4

Peran rolls for initiative this time. Again a low roll of 6 means the party still have initiative.
Two wolves encircle Peran whilst three of creatures move on Morwen.
Derowen drops her bow and draws her short sword. She realises the wolves are almost upon them and there is no advantage to firing a third arrow. She sees that her sister Morwen is being singled out by the wolves so moves towards her.
Hedrak runs to assist Peran

Peran attacks the wolf in front of him with his short sword. Rolling a nat. 19 he inflicts 1d12 damage +blade trauma. He rolls 9 and another wolf drops.
Morwen is able to attack a wolf with her longsword but using such a weapon is not easy for her and she only rolls a 6, well below the 12 needed. The wolf is able to retaliate but also fails to make contact.

Combat round 5

Hedrak rolls 9 for initiative and the party retain the advantage. Seeing the girls outnumbered by the wolves her moves to help them.
Peran attempts to strike the wolf behind him, he rolls 9, a miss. The wolf tries to bite Peran, it rolls 5 also a miss.
Derowen attacks the wolf nearest to her, rolling 18, a hit but inflicts only 3 damage. The wolf is able to attack back and inflicts 6hp on the Ranger. Derowen is down to 8hp.
Morwen strikes at one of the wolves near her, this time she rolls 13 a hit. Her strike is true and she inflicts 8hp, a fourth wolf is down.
Hedrek is able to get a strike on a wolf and does 6hp. There are now but three wolves alive. One of the three remaining makes to bite Morwen. It rolls a 1 to hit, a critical failure. The creature only manages to bite itself, causing it to suffer 1 hp.

With only three wolves left, they must pass a will check of their moral fails. They fail and flee from the party.

Morwen goes to her sister, “you are injured”.
Derowen dusts herself down, “Not so badly. Let make haste to the tavern, its getting long in the day and whilst the wolves wont trouble us again, who knows what else is out here”.

Question. Does anything else happen to the party on their way to the little hamlet and tavern? 50/50. d100= 60. No.

The party decide to push on to the little hamlet where at the aptly named ‘Crying Wolf’ tavern a hot meal, a warming fire and a bed for the night awaits them.

Scene 2. The Crying Wolf tavern.

Question. Is everything as expected at the Crying Wolf tavern? 50/50. d100 = 63. No

The party entered the little hamlet just as the last of the days sunlight faded away. The four were pleased to see the door to the Crying Wolf and entered expecting the tavern to at least have a handful of locals and a few weary travelers making use of the ale and warming fire instead the place was empty save the barkeeper and an old man sat by the fire puffing on a very smokey old pipe.

Hedrak walks up to the bar and puts 3sp down on the counter, “we need two rooms for the night my good sir, and a warming meal for each of us if you will, and some of your finest ale to wash the food down”.

The barkeeper simply nods and gestures the four to take a seat. The old man by the fire takes his pipe from his mouth and speaks, “come, sit by me and warm yourselves whilst you wait for your food, you all look in need of warming”.

As they take their seats at the table by the fire near the old man, the barkeeper brings a pitcher of ale and four tankards over, four bowls of hearty broth follow soon. The old man continues to puff on his pipe filling the air with thick intoxicating smoke. As the warmth, food, ale and smoke begin to make the four adventures relax, so the old man begins a tale.

“You’re searching for the ruins of Dierthama you say, the lost city of the ancient ones, dragons as we know them”. He weaves a tale of a once mighty ancient civilization of magical dragons and their great queen. How her magic turned her to evil, twisted her into a despotic ruler. How she unleashed the dragons against all who opposed her. How four mighty adventures found a way into the city fortress of Dierthama and defeated the Dragon Queen, destroying the city and her dragons with the horn of Karagoss. He tells of where the horn was found and of other magic items of great power used to destroy the city and its dragon horde.

Somehow the old mans story seems very real to the four PC’s, they are the ones who fought the dragon queen and brought down her evil reign.

In the morning the four awaken, non of them remember leaving the barroom for their beds, nor do they feel rested.

Derowen stops Hedrak, “so the city or rather its ruins do exist, that old man proved us right”.

Hedrak nods in agreement, “indeed and to find and the secrets it hold we must first find the Horn of Karagoss”.

In the next post the characters continue their quest for the ruins of Dierthama,the city of Dragons and more secrets are revealed.