From: "Ward Narhi" <uszvnjs6@ibmmail.com>
Subject: Mister Forty-Four
System: Elric!
This is an adventure where I first introduce my Goldeneyes villain into my campaign,
albeit very obliquely. I ran this adventure and it went very well. I suggest 1-3 PCs can
tackle this one. Any more and some people would probably get bored. My inspiration for
this adventure was a couple of songs I heard which seemed to grow into this adventure.
This adventure may seem easy for the adventurers but the final conflict has quite a
surprise if they don't think.
The location for the adventure is a ficticious city in Argimiliar, so that it will more
easily fit into existing campaigns, and if the PCs fail it will not change any of the
major cities in the YK world.
Please email me and tell me what you think, or even better, how it went. Thanks!
MISTER 44
Synopsis
The adventurers are travelling and arrive in Carnavon, a decadent city in central
Argimiliar, and witness a gruesome murder. The players
investigate and become involved in halting a dark ritual from threatening the city.
Gamemaster Background
Goldeneyes, a tireless servant of Chardros, has arrived in Carnavon and decided this is an
ideal place to wreak some havoc. Long ago, Goldeneyes acquired a tome of magic and has
finally formulated a plot which uses its power to its fullest extent and Carnavon is an
ideal location. The tome in question is very old and written in an High Melnibonean in an
archaic style so is very hard to decipher. The casual reader will gain nothing from the
tome but the reader who spends more than six hours is liable to be cursed. A curse lies on
the book which compels, by use of an attacking demonic spirit, the reader to perform a
certain ritual detailed in the book. This ritual requires the caster to sacrifice 4 people
in a very specific way and then die himself for the ritual to be completed. Exact details
of this ritual are at the end of the adventure.
Player Introduction
The players are travelling to some destination and are nearing the infamous city of
Carnovan. Carnovan is known far and wide as a rather wild and corrupt city, as it profits
from man's weaknesses. Carnovan's major trades are slave markets, brothels, gambling
houses, taverns, drugs and stolen goods. The city's location at the intersection of two
rivers to form the mighty Grey river has caused it to grow dramatically through tariffs on
the multitudes of goods that pass through the area. (The Grey is a medium-sized river
which runs from central Argimiliar North to the Ocean.)
As you near the city, you are struck by the sprawl of the city. No wall protects the city
but it lies in the crook of two rivers which from a Y shape. The two rivers each are
bridged and have small wood forts on them which seem to serve more as a waystation for
inspection than for defense. As you approach the fort, you notice many travellers are
weighed down by huge bundles of goods, practically to the point of collapsing. The line
moves quickly and any adventurer that can read sees a sign saying in common, "All
carried items are tariff-free." The guards allow each person to pass as long as they
carry their own goods. Anything that falls or is carried by animal or cart is taxed. (The
city makes money by taxing caravans and ships but more importantly, it makes money by
travellers leaving behind much money, so they encourage visitors to come.)
Another interesting fact about the city is their rather abhorrent but practical method of
burial. From the wooden bridge, a funeral procession can be seen in the lower part of the
river. The body is thrown off the boat and the bricks around its ankles ensure it rapidly
sinks to the bottom. Luckily, the city derives its water supply from a spot upstream.
The First Two Murders
Entering the city you are assaulted by the foul odors and masses of people. Beggars,
harlots, merchants and laborers crowd the streets all seemingly in a hurry. Wandering down
the streets you see many inns, gaming houses, houses of ill repute. A crier is loudly
shouting the joys of, "The Tower of Delights" a brothel for men and women. He is
quickly drowned out by the noise of some sort of disturbance to your right. Shrill screams
can be heard emanating from a small hovel at the side of the street.
Assuming the party investigates, they enter the house and see a woman's corpse on a table
with its body mutilated in a very deliberate manner. Her eyes have been gouged out and her
internal organs in the abdominal cavity have been removed. Strange symbols seem to have
been painted in the victim's blood on the body and the table. This will be typical for all
subsequent murders. A piece of paper lies on top of the corpse written in Common. (It is
suggested these notes be distributed to the players.)
"You fools! You shall bow down in abject fear as my master is
recalled from his pit. May the cults of chaos purify you before
you are allowed into his unholy presence. He shall reward the
worthy and trample under the scoffers, the unbelievers, the false
ones."
The woman appears to be some sort of priest of law, as evidenced by her priestly robes and
holy symbols about her neck. Soon after some city guards will come by and exclaim,
"Sheesh, not another one! We just had one of these crazy murders 2 days ago."
They will then go about cleaning up and asking some routine questions. They are not
investigators and really don't care. If they are questioned they will say a female was
found in the same state 2 days ago. If questioned further, they will reveal a note was
found and is being kept at the guardhouse. They will show it to the PCs if they ask. This
note is as below:
"Women, women come and go
stop talking about me like they know.
Men, bought and sold
and the world keeps turning
people cold, people burning"
"Nothing but the knife to live for
Five lives, all I need.
Give me one good reason
to take your life."
The guards are not taking any of this very seriously. Murders are not uncommon and they
are hardly professional investigators.
The Third Murder
Characters can investigate to their heart's content. Feel free to roleplay out the
investigation as much as you like. Unless they are very good, another murder occurs two
days later. This one is of a priest of law again. His body is found in his house near the
river docks. Again, similar rituals seem to have been performed on it. The paper on the
body is as follows:
"Greetings from the dungeons where the red, red rivers run
Why do you seek salvation through the holy ones?
Is she a virgin or is she a whore?
I don't really give a damn, I'm Mr. 44!"
"From the bottomless pit with nothing in it
a void filled with unclean spirits.
The hound of Chaos on a long, long leash
can you count the number of this beast?"
Mr. 44!
Every time I kill a priest demon's work is done. Fire and damnation delivered by the
unholy one. Future prisoners of Chaos, knockin at death's door to each his own fate
yields, I'm Mr. 44!
GM: Now the players finally have enough to really investigate. The note from the first
murder has these clues written into it. The women coming and going and men bought and sold
alludes to slaves or prostitution. The second paragraph alludes to the ritual he is
performing. He needs five murders to complete it. The note from the second murder is just
the rantings of a madman and has no clues. The most recent note just names the murderer
and details that he is killing priests of law and makes a vague allusion to fate.
The murderer calls himself Mr. 44 for the purposes of his crimes. He is a prostitute at
the Tower of Delights by the name of Dalrin. Twenty-five days ago Dalrin met a
"streetvendor" who sold books. Dalrin always enjoyed reading and when the
strange-eyed gentleman showed him an ancient tome written in a language few people know,
he couldn't resist buying the book at such a bargain price. Once back at the tower with
his book, he started reading it and the curse on the book took over. Dalrin is a fairly
strong individual and has coerced the proud spirit to write the notes and has snuck in
some clues as to who he is and what is going on. Dalrin came from an very well educated
Dharijorean family that went bankrupt and Dalrin was forced into a life of prostitution to
get by and does not like it at all. It does give him a lot of free time though. The Tower
of Delights, the largest brothel in Carnovan is widely known as the best in the city. It
is quite large and has over 100 prostitutes in its employ which are commonly referred to
by the proprieter by number. For example, Dalrin is referred to as #44.
Investigations
The players start to investigate and as they draw attention to themselves, Goldeneyes will
see they are investigating. The characters may be in a crowd and if they make a [Listen]
roll hear the faint sound of buzzing and if they make a [Search] roll may catch a glimpse
of a man in his mid-40s or so with gold eyes, staring at them from through the crowd. He
will rapidly disappear in the crowd though.
Goldeneyes has hired a gang of goons to rough the PCs up a bit, and thus frighten them
away from the investigation. A group of men just a little bit larger than the party
attacks the group. They use clubs and are just looking to rough them up a bit. They are
typical bullies in that once they start losing they flee. If questioned the thugs will
betray that they were hired by a hooded man that gave them the creeps.
The number of thugs should be about 1 more than the number in the party. They will try and
ambush (50%) the party.
THUGS
STR: 12+1d4
All other Stats: 3d6
HP: 14
No armor
Small Clubs: Att 60%, Par 45%, Damage 1d6+1d4
Eventually the players should figure out the clues and find Mr. 44's abode in the Tower of
Delights, but he will not be there. If his room is searched, a successful [Search] roll
will reveal a small chest hidden in the back of the closet. The book is there in the
locked chest. PCs can either pick the lock or break into the chest as it is not all that
solid. See the end of the adventure for details on the book. Dalrin is not there as he is
out seeking his next victim and in fact has found him!
The Fourth Murder
If the players are slow in figuring out the clues, another murder occurs. If they are
fast, then another murder occurs soon after they determine Dalrin is the murderer, as
Dalrin has located his next victim and just finished killing him. Dalrin will not return
to the Tower of Delights until the next day, as he wants to drink in a tavern on the other
side of town. The victim in question is a female priest of Arkyn and she was murdered in
her shrine. Eventually, Dalrin will make his way back to the Tower. Players may notice
that he is quite serene and unworried.
PCs can wait for Dalrin to return the next morning and he does. They can attack and kill
him quite easily as he has no combat skills to speak of, and will not put up a fight. If
captured, Dalrin will remember little if anything. If his body is inspected, blood can
easily be found on his clothing. The city guard will desire to bring him to justice if he
is captured alive.
The party can quite easily learn of the final murder, as the body is discovered soon
enough and the final note is as follows:
"You're only looking for what I want
but it's lonely here and I think you know
I'm waiting
Don't make me wait in vain
bide my time while I'm waiting,
for the end."
The Death of Dalrin
If Dalrin is captured alive, he will be imprisoned for a day and then the city's mayor
will sentence him to death by burning to be carried out the following day. Dalrin will be
tranquil and accept his fate. If the party allows this to occur see the paragraph "If
Dalrin is slain....". PCs may ask for advice from "mystics" in the city if
they suspect that Dalrin is the final victim of the ritual and some support and some
opposition will arise. Characters will need to convince the mayor and powers of the city
that they should wait to kill him (either roleplay it out or allow a successful [Fast
Talk] roll). People will be clamoring for Dalrin's blood, so this may be difficult.
Some will even think the party is in on it if they try and delay the execution. This is a
perfect opportunity for some intense roleplaying. A mob will start forming up and unless
the party does something to calm them (either roleplay or a successful [Oratory] roll),
they will try and get Dalrin and hang him immediately. The best solution is for a sorceror
to be summoned from a larger city nearby who can "exorcise" the demon possessing
Dalrin. Even if this occurs, Dalrin will still be put to death, but the city will not
suffer the consequences.
If Dalrin is slain before the spirit possessing his body is exorcised, dire consequences
will occur. Goldeneyes chose this location to distribute the book because of their unique
method of burial. He knows thousands of corpses, from cadavers to skeletons, are in the
river. If the ritual is completed, the dead will be possesed by minor spirits that
Chardros sends from his home plane, and they will move to wreak their vengeance upon the
city. Adventurers caught within the city can try as mightily as possible to stave off the
invasion but it will fail and Carnavan will become a town of undead. Escape from the city
is not too difficult. Combat will occur for a bit, but powerful PCs will have little
trouble breaking free if they try to. Many people escape but many more die in the city.
Carnovan will pass into history as a city infested with undead. (See further adventures)
TYPICAL UNDEAD OF CHARDROS
STR: 3d8
CON: 2d8
SIZ: Variable as per human
INT: Only a rare few have any intelligence. All others act as
automatons killing all living creatures in their domain. The
few with intelligence can control the less powerful minions.
POW: 2d8 but the intelligent ones will be higher.
DEX: 2d8
APP: not applicable
They can attack with their hands at Att 50% and do fist damage. Some may either start with
weapons or find weapons. Their skill can vary.
The Tome
The title has long ago been rubbed off the cover of this dark brown book. It is not that
thick and the writing is difficult to follow. It is written in High Melnibonean. The curse
of the book is such that a spirit will attempt to possess the reader. After 6 hours of
reading the mind of the reader will be more receptive and weakened by what the book talks
about and the demon will start subtly attacking him.
Each hour after 6 roll POW vs the demon's power of 26 or be possessed with 96-00 always
being a failure. The reader will not know he is being attacked. The persistent reader can
decipher these things at these hours:
2 hours: A very evil book. Describes many ways to sacrifice people
properly to Chardros.
6 hours: Much power is promised to the reader of the book. Describes
the many rewards the reader shall gain by mastering the contents of
the book. Also describes the history of the author, as a man who was a
misunderstood genius of his time. He was persecuted but the book does
not reveal what happened to him. Reveals location of his residence as
a city named Seplis, under the cemetary in the city. If libraries are
consulted, or [Young Kingdoms] is rolled, the PC may discover/know
that the southern Filkharan city, Seplis, was razed by barbarians from
Oin and Yu 85 years ago. Possible adventure site may still exist there
for the excavating inclined.
10 hours: The book seems to detail some magical spells as well, but
the spells are not listed in recipe form. Rather, parts of each are
sprinkled throughout the book so only the assiduous reader will learn
them. Spells hinted at are spells to prolong life, revive the dead,
and attain perfection!?!?
12 hours: Some of the spells seem to involve human sacrifice in a very
gruesome way. Interspersed among this are tales of an artifact of
great power called the Hand of Glory, said to hold the power of 15
sorcerors in it. It was last seen being wielded by the honorable mage,
Lithui. Research or a critical on [Young Kingdoms] will reveal that
Lithui was a fearsome Melnibonean mage who attained immortality after
creating a construct, Ras Haluud, to destroy humankind. Later, he
repented his decision and tried to hunt the construct down to defeat
it but failed and has never been seen since. A PC from western Jharkor
or western Dharijor or Myrhynn may recall (35% chance) a haunted and
sacred mountain being called Immortal's Rest. Possible adventures may
ensue.
15 hours: Study of the book has made you fairly proficient in
vivisection. Gain +25% in [Physik].
20 hours: The nature of the book is revealed and the reader learns
about the curse.
And so on. Feel free to add/delete to/from the book as much as you like, as this is a
perfect means to introduce new adventures to the party. But, remember the dangers inherent
in the book. Most of the spells alluded to in the book are not real spells but failed
experiments. The great ritual of raising the undead is true, however. It requires four
deaths in a ritual manner, and that the slayer then be killed by the righteous. A grand
afterlife is promised for the slayer.
Further Adventures
If the city falls to the minions of Chardros, the PCs may want to return to raid the city
of riches. While a whole city's riches are ripe for the taking, the undead flourish and
some rather powerful ones have been attracted to the city. Meanwhile, many adventurers
have already started raiding the city, so some more accessible areas have already been
cleaned out.
Another possible adventure is the party wanting to atone for their mistake. The city can
be either totally expunged of undead by slaying them all (not going to happen!) or the
players can find Dalrin's body and have it blessed by Priests of Law to purify it,
before giving it a Lawful burial outside of the city. Finding Dalrin's body may be a
problem as it may have moved from the last time the party saw it. To finish the cleansing
of the city, the demon of the book must be destroyed. Unfortunately, the demon now is in a
body and has become ruler of the city! But, if this is all done, the undead from the
ritual will perish and the city will become a more conventional "ghost town".
Finally, further adventures can still be defined by the Tome the adventurers found. It
might detail places of worship to the Chardros or lost hordes of treasure. The
possibilities are endless but the risk of reading the book may dissuade PCs.
So, please email me with your comments. I am especially interested in hearing how the
adventure went with your campaign. I have a couple more I am interested in typing up.
There is a second adventure to this one which is less linear and has a variety of possible
endings.
By Ward Narhi, uszvnjs6@ibmmail.com, with some ideas from songs and
various other sources.