Betrayal of the Dragon Queen.

d100 Oracle.

This is oracle is from the Low90 solo booklet for Lowlife 2090 by Parts Per Million.

01 – 10 No, and…
11 – 33 No.
34 – 50 No, but/because…
51 – 66 Yes, but…
67 – 90 Yes.
91 – 00 Yes, and…

Modifiers
Very Unlikely -40%
Unlikely -20%
50/50 0%
likely +20%
Very Likely +40%

I use this oracle for d100 systems as well as Lowlife 2090 and it will work just fine for Tales of Argosa.

The Characters.

In the last session (https://solorpg.co.uk/tales-of-argosa-solo-nine/) the characters completed a very small side quest for which I am going to award each 2xp.

Hedrag – Fighter, XP 12, HP 19, Level 2.
Hedrag had very little to do in the side quest so he just gets the 2xp for completing the quest.
Peran Freeshadow – Rogue, XP 11, HP 19 Level 2
Peran picked the locks on three doors so I gave him 1xp for that plus 2xp for completing the quest taking him to level 2.
Derowen – Ranger, XP 10, HP16 Level 2
Derowen killed a giant rat so gets 1xp plus 2xp for completing the quest taking her to level 2.
Morwen – Magic User, XP 10, HP 16 (current 14), Level 2
Morwen killed 2 giant rats but got bitten by one, she gets 2xp for her combat and 2xp for completing the quest. She needs to check to see if the rat bite gave her a disease (luck(con) save, d20 =8, all is fine). Morwen is also at level 2.

Threat packs.

Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures introduced the idea of threat packs to add menace and danger to a campaign and I am going to use the idea for this campaign.
I am not going to go into too much detail about how threats work, it is useful to know that threats have an Imminence Rating which represents how active and dangerous the threat is. A ration of 0 means inactive, while a rating of 7+ means the threat is a constant source of trouble.

To make the threat pack work I need to keep track of time and I need to know the current date. A simple lunar calendar will suffice. We also need to know what the threat is, so.

Date. Tuesday February 3rd.

Threat 1. Darowen and Morwens Farther heads an army moving north from the Southern Stepp,
Starting Imminence Rating. 0. (inactive).
Currently the army are camped for the winter some 60miles (3 hexes) south of Fort Brax and 200 miles (10 hexes) south of Northgate. The army is unlikely to break camp until March 20th when the imminence rating will raise to 5.

Threat 2. The Dragon Queen.
Starting Imminence Rating. 2. (low activity).
Dragons sometimes appear in dreams.
Next check to see if there is any activity by the Dragon Queen, Sunday 8th February (game time that is). If the companions do not have any interaction with the Dragon Queen by 15th of April the Imminence rating will raise to 3.

A little Downtime, February 3rd to 7th.

The companions take a (1d4+3) 6 days downtime in Northgate while they try to work out if they can, or even want to, help Lela, who sticks to the companions like a limpet.
Hedrag is non to keen to help the girl, nothing that they found in the late Silac Reynards now burnt down home seems likely to be of use in freeing Lelas mother and he is all for giving the girl everything they found including the silver coins and letting her get on with it.
Derowen sees her owl ‘Heckle’ return from wherever he went to, the party now not only have an old shaggy one eyed dog but an owl with a mind of its own as companions. Convinced that there must be something in the late Silac Reynards old journal that will help Lela, she spends a lot of time reading it but learns very little. She also replaces her lost longbow at a cost of 50sp.
Peran also in convinced that something in the burnt out ruins of Reynards house will not only help Lela but will allow the round door, locked by magic, to open. The house however burnt down to the ground and search as he may he finds nothing in the ashes and is unable to get to the basement and the locked round door.
Morwen seems lost in her own world and spends most of time alone in her room. She sells her pewter spoon for 100sp and spend 50sp on a hat and other items to make a hat which strengthens her mind against mental attacks. She also is able to learn a new spell, Lightning Bolt, she thinks this spell will be better that using a melee weapon. The nasty bite from the giant rat heals well as she is back up to full hp.

8th February.

Check to see if there is any activity from the Dragon Queen. d12 =5, No.
Question. Is there any activity from the army camp. Very Unlikely = No.

The companions spend time in Northgate looking for supplies and equipment to aid them in their perilous search for the lost dragon city of Dierthama. At the same time as they are shopping they also make enquiries about Lela’s mother, why she was taken by the Anointed and where they took her to.

I get the compainions to make a group Cha(Gather Info) check. Morwen and Hedrag both have the Gather info skill but both have low Charisma and fail. Peran also fails so the group have no success today.

Lela takes the companions to talk to people who knew her mother but none of them are willing to talk about her or say what may have happened to her.

As they are out and about they pick up a few supplies, Hedrag is lucky enough to purchase a battle axe, a crowbar and 5 torches at a total cost of 7sp. Peran also picks up 5 torches and he manages to purchase a light crossbow and 20 bolts at a total cost of 37sp leaving him with only 21sp. Darown somehow manages to secure a Healers Kit, she also buys a hooded lantern, 5 torches and oil for the lantern,she spend 1gp and 6sp in total. Morwen buys some ink and parchment as well as 5 additional torches, she spends just 4 sp.

Note – Healers Kits are rare and usually take 1d6 weeks to get but I decide that Derowen managed to get one the same day but paid over the odds for it.

9th February.

To help get the adventure moving again, I consulted the adventure generator tables in the D30 Sandbox Compendium. I got –
Trigger = Warning
Location = Citadel/Keep
Artefact = Mirror

Weather = Much hotter. The rain has eased and it is quite warm for February, still chilly though.

The four companions with their owl, dog and the girl Lela, set out again to see if they can find any news about Lelas mother.

As they make their way towards the Starshadow District and the Stargazers Citadel a man, dressed in the red cloak and black tunic of an Anointed Warrior, mace in hand and ready for combat if need so, steps out in front them, “Hail friends, you have the girl Lela, we have her mother. If the girl wants to see her mother again she must bring to us what her mother stole and hid”.

Lela seems to recognise the man, “He is the son of Trisene, landlady who runs the Elfhome tavern, I heard you had joined the Anointed”.

Peran asks, “How can we find what you want if we know not what it is or where to look”.

The Anointed Warrior looks at Peran, “You burnt down the house the girl thought it was hidden in. Thankfully she was wrong. Her mother now tells us, voluntarily, that it is hidden under the city in a part of Yulm Varsune. Find the Fay Arches and seek the way underground and down there her mother says is the mirror of dragons, find it and return it to the Stargazer and her mother will be freed”.

Hadrag, hand on his new axe, asks “How can we trust you, how do we know her mother is alive”?

“You have little choice, if you do not find the mirror the girl will never see her mother again”.

“Why can’t you go and get the Mirror, why do you wish us to go” Morwen asks.

“We could but why risk our necks when you can find it and bring it to us. We are sure you would not let the child down”.

“We will find it and bring it to the Stargazer but be warned, if anything has happened to her mother you will not go unpunished”.

The Anointed Warrior just laughs, “find it”. he replies and then walks away.

The dungeon under the Fay Arches.

As they make their way to the Yuln Vardune district, Lela tells them that her mother did mention a Star Gate she had found which led to an ancient underground passage, though Lela was certain that what they seek was to be found in the old house that they burnt down.

Derowen has the General Lore skill, so she makes a Int(Gen Lore) check to see if she knws anything about Star Gates, needing 11 or less on d20 she rolls 13. I allow Darown to use one of her rerolls,, she rolls 17 this time, even worse. Darowen knows nothing about star gates.
Morwen, Darowns sister has Arcane Lore so she makes a Int(Arcane) check, needing 19 or less she rolls 17, not a great roll but she knows something of these star gates.

At the Fay Arches they stop. Hadrag asks, so what are we looking for, where do we find it and what do we do if we do find it”?

Darowen shakes her head, “I don’t know, it could be a gate in the shape of a star maybe”?

“I have some knowledge of them”, Morwen says, “They are old elvish portals, magical, I remember learning that there are several around the city. If there is one near here I should be able to sense it but to open it I am not sure I have the ability”.

“Lela says her mother opened it, is she a mage girl”? Peran asks.

“No, she was just my mother”.

“Then if we find it we should be able to open it”.

Question. Can Morwen sense anything magical near her. Likely +20%. d100 roll =92, Yes, and…

Morwen begins to look around the area, she can sense magic almost everywhere around the Fay Arches. She decided to cast a Whispers of the Watchers spell to tell her where the star gate is.

Morwen makes a INT(Arcane Lore) check. Needing 19 or less she rolls a 9, a great success. She has to make a Dark Dangerous Magic check, needing to roll higher than 2 on a d8 she rolls 2. Roll d100 on the DDM table, she rolls 37. Morwen casts no shadow for (1d12)7 months and her DDM reverts back to 1.

Morwen waves her arms and speaks in a strange language, calling across the vale to help her locate the star gate. As she walks away from the Fay Arches she senses strong magic coming up from the ground, almost calling to her. She stops, looks down and a strange gateway in the shape of a star appears before her and opens.

Morwen calls to the others, “I have found it, we can enter”.

The daylight illuminates the entrance to an ancient elven underground labyrinth,

As the companions walk towards Morwen and the open star gate, Lela runs forward to dash into the labyrinth, Darown is quick enough to catch hols of her, “No you don’t young lady, you can wait up here, Heckle will watch over you”.

“And the dog can stay with you too”, Hedrag says, “we don’t need a silly girl getting into trouble distracting us down there”.

Lela is annoyed that she must stay up top with a stupid owl and a one eyed mutt as company but the companions insist that she does.

The star gate opens into a passage just wide enough to allow one person through at a time. Darown lights her new lantern and draws her short sword, she enters first. Peran enters second, he two is ready with his short sword. Morwen lights a torch and holds it with one hand while in her other she holds her dagger. Hedrag is the last to enter, longsword and shield at the ready.

Question. Does the star gate close behind them once they have entered? 50/50. d100 roll = Yes, but…

After Hedrag enterd the gate shuts, but Hedrag, cursing as the light from outside fades, turns and pushes the gate and it opens again. Hedrag breaths a sigh of relief and shouts back to the dog, “if the girl does anything stupid, come down here and get me”. The dog barks as if it understood every word.

“Quiet”, Morwen hisses at Hedrag, “who knows what can hear us down here”.

“Keep you hat on”, Hedrag replies, “by the way whats with the new silly hat”?

“Head protection, I need it thanks to idiots like you”, replies Morwen.

The companions begin to delve further into the labyrinth.

Next time, the companions explore the labyrinth, can they find the mirror of dragons?