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Act Three: The Revelation

Scene One: Palanthas

Upon arriving in Palanthas, the group must pass an inspection to enter the city through the port or by road.

Overview

Once inside the city, the heroes can investigate, but learn very little beyond some disturbing rumors about wagonloads of prisoners vanishing into the desert and residents of Palanthas disappearing after arrests for trivial violations of local law.

Getting Started

The section describing the realm of Khellendros in Chapter Two of Dusk or Dawn offers some details on the city of Palanthas.

First Impressions

Palanthas is the former capital of Solamnia, now under control of the Blue Dragon and his human agents - including a cadre of Dark Knights. Though it has seen better days, it remains a thriving trade center.

You've heard that Palanthas was once the greatest city on Ansalon, and one of the most beautiful. Today, it still seems worthy of both titles, at least from a distance. The city's immaculate buildings and lofty towers seem as majestic and serene as Solace's vallenwoods.

If the heroes arrive by ship, a harbor master's boat meets them when they enter port in the Bay of Branchala. The procedure resembles the opening of Act Two, Scene One, with less polite officials. In fact, the harbor authorities ignore the heroes - they're only interested in the ship. However, as soon as the heroes go ashore. Dark Knight sentries on the docks question and search them (see below). Rig and Shaon stay aboard the ship, if they have joined the group, as does Groller.

Once the party leaves the ship, or if the heroes approach the city openly by land, they can observe a few more details - until a squad of Dark Knights stops them for an inspection and questioning:

The city shows little sign that one of the most fearsome dragons on Krynn is its overlord, but hints are there nevertheless. People and vehicles crowd the approaches to the city, but something seems absent: The atmosphere lacks any sense of joy or energy. Locals plod along as a measured pace, pausing now and then to cast furtive glances over their shoulders. Ahead, a squad of Knights in blackened armor stops everyone who passes. They dismiss most people with curt nods, but they seem to question and search others, particularly travelers such as yourselves.

Should the party try to sneak into the city, they appear to succeed. Chances are that the Knights do notice them, but do not approach immediately - they prefer to watch the heroes to see what they do.

The Story Continues

The Knights ask the heroes their names and their business in Palanthas, then search their belongings. Even if they find something they consider suspicious, they do nothing overt. They prefer to have the heroes followed, to see whether they have allies in the city. The characters from the Prologue don't know anyone in Palanthas, but other heroes might: If they're not careful, they could endanger their friends.

During this search, the Knights aren't really looking for anything in particular. They're here mainly to remind everyone that Palanthas is an occupied city. However, if the heroes purchased any "bottled dragon breath" in Scene Six of the last act, the Knights confiscate it. Should the heroes object, the Knights offer them a receipt for the bottles, assuring them they can pick up the items on their departure.

Assuming the heroes don't start a fight, they can enter the city. Even Knights of Solamnia wearing full armor can get in (though certainly they'll be followed).

Once inside Palanthas, the heroes can go pretty much where they please. All the city's temples are closed, and only a shiny round patch of inky blackness remains in the heart of the Shoikan Grove, where the Tower of High Sorcery once stood. There seems to be activity around the Great Library of the Ages, as Aesthetics continue working to replenish the historical collection that mysteriously disappeared at the dawn of the Fifth Age.

Most Palanthians would rather not be seen talking to strangers, but heroes with gentle tongues or open purses can discover the following local sentiments:

- "Life in Palanthas is good, even if the taxes are too high."
- "The Blue Dragon is a taskmaster and a skinflint, but he leaves us alone."
- "We haven't heard about Evil walking the land - you'd best worry about the brute press gangs. Teams of them have been grabbing people off the street and marching them away somewhere out east for work detail. You know they've got to be under orders from the Knights."
- "Always watch out for the Knights. They've never been exactly sympathetic when it come to rules and such. And now, if they catch you at something, they give you to the brutes."

The general population of Palanthas knows no more than what has been related above. If the group decides to ambush a squad of Dark Knights and question them (a very dangerous maneuver), all they can learn is that Khellendros wants slaves: a lot of them, and right now.

Atmosphere

When speaking for a Knight of Takhisis, the Narrator should make a big show of greeting any Knights of Solamnia in the group. "Welcome to your former capital," he should say mockingly. "We're taking very good care of it for you."

In the city, locals remain constantly wary: They're living in a police state. The movie 1984 portrays the exact atmosphere Narrators should try to convey here.

Actions

Heroes wishing to conceal something during the Knights' search must make an average Dexterity (Perception) action. If the action fails, the Knights find the object despite the hero's efforts. A mishap means the Knights catch the hero attempting to conceal the item and confiscate it, no matter what it is.

Getting a commoner to talk to the group requires an average Presence or wealth action. In the event of a mishap, the citizen flees from the group in terror, and a squad of Dark Knights appears in visual range down the street (or near missile range, if the group sneaked into the city or aroused suspicion during the entry inspection). The heroes can avoid the Knights if they successfully open the distance between them beyond visual range. If the dark paladins catch up with the group, they attack to subdue.

Characters

The Knights usually travel in squads of ten. If a fight breaks out, another group of ten arrives within five minutes:

Dark Knights: Human adults, various demeanors, Adventurers. Co 7, Ph 8, In 5, Es 6, Dmg +8 (two-handed sword), Def -5 (plate).

Palanthians: Humans of varied age and demeanor, Unknown and Rabble. Co 5, Ph 5, In 5, Es 5, Dmg 0 (unarmed), Def 0 (common clothing).

Outcome

The adventure can take two different routes from here.

- When the heroes leave the city on their own, the story moves to Scene Two.
- If they fought the Knights and lost, they are given over to a brute press gang. The Narrator can turn to Scene Four.

Scene Two: Brutes

This scene comes into play after the heroes have left Palanthas for the surrounding countryside or as they approach the city by road from the south. It can occur more than once, depending on how the group decides to travel.

Overview

Khellendros has dispatched teams of brutes to scour his land for the human captives he needs to create a new type of nefarious monster - the dragonspawn. The brutes are most active in the area immediately east of Palanthas, but a few groups have worked their way as far south as Solamnia (hence the rumor about brute raids in Act Two, Scene Four). Whenever the heroes travel overland through the Blue Dragon's territory, they encounter teams of brutes.

Getting Started

Chapter Six in the Book of the Fifth Age offers more information on the creatures in this scene and their special abilities.

First Impressions

The text below sets the stage for this scene, which begins after the heroes have journeyed at least a day within Skie's realm:

You're well into the Blue Wastes now. Less than fifty years ago, the arid barrens around you were some of the most productive cropland in Ansalon. Khellendros must be powerful indeed to work such a profound change over an area this large.

The Story Continues

If the heroes have not yet encountered the brutes, they next pass through a small village. Someone has coaxed a crop out of the dry fields, but there are no people in sight. A few oxen grazing in an otherwise empty field seem to be the only creatures present.

A quick look through the village reveals signs of recent habitation, weedless gardens withering in the heat, domestic animals wandering around, and cold hearths with fresh ashes. Alert heroes can spot deep ruts from a heavy, wheeled vehicle leading off to the east.

This village has been raided by brutes, ordered by Khellendros to take as many human captives as they can as quickly as they can. They move about the countryside in massive wagons hauled by elephants. When they reach a suitable hunting ground, they stop the wagon and fan out, grabbing any humans they find.

Once the heroes leave the village, they spot a brute team (or part of one) on a hilltop. The brutes immediately try to close range and attack (see "Actions").

A full team contains a wagon, one elephant, and four brutes. Three brutes usually go hunting, leaving one behind to guard the wagon. The Narrator is free to decide whether the heroes encounter a wagon or just the hunters. To randomly determine how many brutes the heroes might meet. Narrators can draw one card from the Fate Deck; the number of brutes depends on the card's suit:

- Dragons: The heroes meet four brutes with a wagon containing a number of captives equal to the value of the card.
- Crowns: The group encounters a parked wagon with one brute guard. The wagon contains a number of captives equal to the value of the card.
- Swords: Three brutes appear, with a number of captives equal to one-third the value of the card, rounded up.
- Orbs: The heroes encounter no brutes at all and can proceed to Scene Three.
- Other suits: The group runs across three brutes with no captives.

Heroes who have played this scene before do not need to enter another village. Instead, they see one in the distance but before they get there a group of brutes (as determined above) confronts them.

The Battle

The parties begin this encounter at artillery range if the prison wagon is present, or at near missile range if the brutes are hunting alone. In either case, the Blue's minions immediately attempt to close to melee range, to take advantage of their strength in counterattacks against the heroes. Teams with a wagon leave one brute behind to guard the human captives.

These agents of Skie neither retreat nor surrender - they have no desire to face their dragon overlord with news of failure. Should the heroes defeat the brutes, any guard left with the wagon tries to drive off and escape with the prisoners.

Atmosphere

The dusty "Blue Wastes" are not blue, of course; the area carries the name of the Blue Dragon, who created it. To simulate the hot, dry conditions. Narrators could turn up the lights and the heat - even bring in a space heater to make the players sweat a little.

The abandoned village the heroes visit seems desolate and tragic; they might hear a door or shutter creaking and banging in the wind.

Actions

Locating the wagon tracks leading out of the village requires an average Perception action. An action score of 20 points or higher also allows a hero to notice the elephant and brute tracks. Otherwise, he can tell only that the vehicle was very large and heavy.

Perhaps the group doesn't realize the village is recently abandoned. If the leader of the party succeeds at an average Reason action, he figures that the people could not have been missing from here for more than a day or two.

Casting a successful divination spell in the village, using sensitivity, or speaking with the stray animals with animism reveals that some hulking creatures came and hauled the villagers away. (The animals say the creatures had a big "wheeled barn" drawn by a huge, longnosed beast.)

Heroes who capture a brute can use an average Presence (Presence) action to force him to reveal where he and his fellows take captives (see Scene Four).

Characters

When hitched to a prison wagon, the elephant suffers a -1 penalty to its Agility (or Coordination) score.

Brutes: Hostile nonhumans. Co 6, Ph 11, In 6, Es 8, Dmg +8, Def -5, also missile weapons (great bow).

Prisoners: Humans of varied age and demeanor, Unknown and Rabble. Co 6, Ph 5, In 5, Es 5, Dmg 0 (unarmed), Def 0 (common clothing).

Elephant: Animal. Co 8, Ph 33, In 2, Es 2, Dmg +8, Def -4, also trample.

Outcome

The story can take many different paths from this scene.

- If the group follows the tracks left by the brutes' wagon, the adventure continues with Scene Three. (If the group has already played that scene, the Narrator can turn to Scene Four instead.)
- Heroes deciding to go to Palanthas should return to Scene One.
- If the group came to Palanthas by ship and left Rig, Shaon, and Groller behind, they return to discover that brutes raided the ship and hauled those characters away. Play continues with Scene Three if the heroes leave Palanthas to look for their comrades (or with Scene Four if the group has already played Scene Three).
- Should the brutes defeat the heroes, the Narrator should go to Scene Four.

Scene Three: Spawn

Heroes have a chance to encounter the horrific dragonspawn themselves, either before or after the group visits Palanthas.

Overview

Khellendros has dispatched some of his dragonspawn to help the brutes locate victims. As the heroes explore the area around Palanthas, a trio of spawn disguised as farmers tries to capture them.

Should the heroes capture the spawn instead, they could find themselves in dire circumstances later in the adventure.

Getting Started

Dragonspawn are fully described in the sidebar in this scene.

First Impressions

This scene begins in the late afternoon during the heroes' travels. An unusual creature soaring overhead might catch the heroes' interest (see "Actions"), but it quickly flies away if spotted.

The next morning, the Narrator should read players the paragraphs below:

Your group reaches the crest of a hilltop. The gentle downward slope before you contains a tilled field with a small wood of stunted trees growing at the base. The scent of wet earth tickles your nostrils.

Three figures wrapped in cowls and flowing robes are coming up the hill carrying buckets. When they see you, they drop their buckets and scurry back into the wood like frightened jackrabbits. You've never seen men move so fast. The layers of robes they're wearing don't seem to slow them down much.

Beyond the wood rises the thatched roof of'a farmhouse and a barn.

The Story Continues

The figures the heroes spied are not the farmers they appear, but three blue dragonspawn - creatures the likes of which the heroes have never seen. To disguise themselves, the spawn have wrapped up in loose robes that resemble desert garb. (Brutes carried away the real farmers days ago.)

One of these spawn spotted the heroes yesterday afternoon as it flew over the desert. That evening, it got together with two comrades and decided they had the best chance of taking the heroes alive by employing some kind of ruse, rather than simply diving out of the sky and cutting loose with their lightning breath.

If the heroes pursue the disguised spawn through the trees, they see the three figures scurry into the house and slam the door behind them. A split second later, all the shutters in the house slam shut, too.

The spawn maintain their nervous farmer act as long as they can. No matter what the heroes do or say, the spawn reply, "Go away and leave us alone, you nasty brutes!" They hope to frustrate the heroes enough to catch them off guard.

The Battle

If the heroes break into the house, the spawn ambush them. On the other hand, if the group starts to leave, the spawn burst out and attempt a surprise counterattack (they won't come out except to assail the group from behind). In this case, the heroes need not attempt to avoid surprise as long as they keep an eye on the house. The heroes cannot surprise these spawn.

Once a fight begins, the spawn won't surrender or retreat. Should one die, one continues fighting while the other tries to open the range. If successful, it uses its lightning breath on the heroes. They can capture a spawn by attacking to subdue or using Blister's net, if she is with them.

The farmhouse's yard contains a chicken coop and a barn. The brutes killed and ate all the chickens, leaving bloody feathers scattered about. The farm's animals broke out of the barn days ago to wander off in search of food and water.

Atmosphere

If the heroes try to reason with these "farmers," the spawn pretend to be suspicious but open-minded, with comments like, "All right, then prove you're not an brute!" followed by, "Yeah, that's just what a brute would say!" The Narrator should adopt a deep, rasping voice for the spawn.

When the heroes finally get a good look at the spawn, the Narrator should do his best to convey the horror of gazing upon the terrifying fusion of human and dragon features. Did these figures used to be people? What inhuman force would create such monstrous hybrids?

If a spawn is slain, the Narrator should play up the effects of its death, described in the sidebar - blue sparks erupt from the creature's dissolving body, and every hero feels his hair stand on end.

Actions

The afternoon the scene opens, the scout can make a challenging Perception action to notice the spawn overhead. If he sees it, he can tell only that it is a flying creature about the size of a man.

Breaking down the farmhouse door requires an average Strength action. After a successful average Perception action, a hero inspecting the yard finds old tracks made by large humanoids. An action score of 20 or higher identifies them as brute tracks and also locates a few fresh tracks made by clawed feet. A similar search of the hillside uncovers wagon tracks (if the group was not already following them).

Characters

The dragonspawn in this scene were created by the Blue Dragon, Skie.

Three blue spawns: Hostile nonhumans. Co 8, Ph 12, In 5 (25), Es 8, Dmg +10, Def -5, also dragon breath, sorcery (electromancy), dissolves into an electrically charged cloud at its death.

Outcome

This scene ends with a variety of choices:

- The heroes can follow (or keep following) the wagon tracks to Scene Four.
- Should the spawn defeat the heroes, the Narrator also turns to Scene Four.
- Going to Palanthas from here takes the adventure back to Scene One. If the heroes left Rig, Shaon, and Groller there, they discover that brutes raided the ship and hauled these three away. The story continues with Scene Four if the heroes leave Palanthas again to find them.


Dragonspawn

The newest horror to afflict Krynn in these troubled times is the dragonspawn, or simply "spawn." These magically created creatures are larger than humans. They stand a few inches shy of seven feet tall and weigh about three hundred pounds. They have humanoid bodies with wings, toothy snouts, and clawed appendages. These creatures differ from draconians in that they used to be human, and it shows - behind its reptilian features linger faint vestiges of the creature's lost humanity.

The Spawning Ceremony

A spawn is formed by infusing a seed from the spirit of a draconian into the body of a human captive during a painful ceremony. The invading essence eventually corrupts and ejects the victim's own spirit. However, the exact details of the spawning process remain unknown. Witnesses report that it must be conducted by a Great Dragon and requires the presence of the draconian donating the spirit seed as well as a human captive. Only humans make suitable hosts for the draconian spirit.

The Great Dragon begins the ceremony with a long incantation to draw out a portion of the draconian's essence and implant it in the victim. The shock can kill the donor draconian, but most survive. (The Narrator must make a successful average Endurance action on a random draw for the draconian to live through the process.)

In addition, the dragon has to give something of itself to quicken the spirit seed. The Blue Dragon, Khellendros, purportedly sheds a few tears while performing the magic required. Each color of Great Dragon would create a unique subrace of spawn based on this catalyst.

During the week following the ceremony, the victim slowly becomes corrupted inside and out. His body transforms into that of a winged, reptilian monster whose scaly coloration matches that of the Great Dragon involved in the rite. While this physical metamorphosis is inevitable, an individual can hold the inner transformation at bay: A successful average Spirit action allows the victim's true essence to hang on, fighting to eject the invading spirit (see "Afflicted Heroes" on page 43). However, even strong-willed or good-hearted humans often die in the spawning process, while Evil men more readily embrace it. Failing the action means that the Evil essence grown from the draconian spirit seed ejects the victim's tortured spirit from its body after a week and takes its place. No one knows what happens to this tragically displaced human spirit.

Spawn Abilities

All spawn can fly like dragons. In addition, their scales match the color of the dragon that created them, and they have a special breath ability identical to dragon breath, except they can use it only at near missile range (see the section on "Dragons" in Chapter Six of the Book of the Fifth Age for details on dragon breath). Though immune to dragonawe, spawn cannot inspire it. Like draconians, spawn all manifest an unusual effect related to their draconic nature at their death.

When Khellendros the Blue created the first spawn as a side-effect of experiments he was conducting, he realized the creatures had great value as minions. The dragon who creates a spawn can see, hear, feel, touch, and taste whatever the creature experiences. The dragon cannot actually read the spawn's mind, however, and cannot automatically tell if it still holds a shred of the victim's original personality. (He might surmise that something is amiss if the spawn fails to obey an order or undertakes other suspicious activity.) Receiving sensory impressions from these creatures takes all of a dragon's concentration, however, so he cannot spend all his time monitoring them. When concentrating, a Great Dragon can simultaneously receive and process sensory input from a number of spawn equal to its Reason (or Intellect) score. The dragon can always pinpoint the spawn that generated a particular impression.

Skie found draconians quite willing to cooperate with his spawning ceremony, as they viewed the ritual as a chance to procreate. Because the spawn has the personality and memories of the draconian who donated the spirit seed, the creature could be considered the donor's offspring. With so few draconian females in existence, the draconians fear their race might die without the evolution of the spawn.

Like their human predecessors, spawn can reproduce. However, only magically created spawn have a mental link with their dragon creators; second-generation spawn lack that connection, even if they remain in the dragon's service. A spawn's immunity to dragonawe and other powers make it a valuable servant in any case.

Afflicted Heroes

If the human essence refuses to give in to the invading spirit, it has to fight to keep control of its body. Heroes who succeed in a challenging Spirit action retain control for the day and can act normally. For that day, he has the spawn's Physical abilities but keeps his own Mental abilities, including sorcery, mysticism, and race/role advantages and disadvantages. A hero must attempt a new action daily.

Failing at the Spirit action means the hero loses control of his body to the draconian spirit for the day; the foreign spirit uses all the spawn's ability scores. If the hero suffers a mishap, the invading essence not only takes control of his body for a day but can use his knowledge and powers freely as well. The spawn retains its own Physical abilities and uses either its own Mental abilities or the hero's. If the hero uses sorcery, the spawn has two pools of sorcery points: its own and the hero's.

In any case, the hero must struggle continuously to maintain control. Every time he suffers any stress - attacking, defending, incurring injury, using magic - he must make another challenging Spirit action to retain control. (He never has to attempt more than one such action in any given minute, though.)

An afflicted hero can fly and use the spawn's special breath ability. However, doing so is like inviting the spawn to take control of his body. For each use of the spawn's breath ability and at the beginning of each hour of flight, the hero makes an additional challenging Spirit action at a -2 action penalty to maintain control.

Heroes who rescue a partially transformed companion are well advised to keep an eye on their friend and to be wary of sudden attacks or more devious betrayals, due to the hero's unwitting contact with the spawn's Great Dragon creator. A hero who regains control over his body after any temporary loss to the invading essence has no knowledge of what happened while the spawn was in control. Likewise, the foreign spirit is aware of only those events it witnessed itself (unless the hero suffered a mishap).

A mystic can banish a spawn's spirit from a human host using powerful mentalism or spiritualism. Once the spirit has left his body, the hero collapses, remaining only semiconscious for a day. During the next twenty-four hours, the former victim remains helpless as his body slowly reverts to its original form.


Scene Four: The Camp

The heroes have come to this scene either as captives of the brutes or by tracking the prison wagon's trail here. Narrators may have to alter some description, depending on whether the heroes are freely reconnoitering the camp or imprisoned here.

Overview

The brutes take their captives to a ruined village. When they have collected enough prisoners, Khellendros himself flies in and conducts the spawning ritual.

Getting Started

The Narrator can refer back to the sidebar in the previous scene for details on spawn.

First Impressions

If the heroes have been captured, they see the scene described below from the vantage point of a prison wagon pulling into camp. The brutes stripped them of their armor, weapons, and equipment hours ago, before shoving them into the wagon.

Otherwise, heroes make the observations described below from the cover of a large outcropping of rock:

You've reached the remains of a village. The six surviving buildings are made of stone, now scorched by fire. Five of them are cottages with sagging thatch roofs, and the last is a small temple with a mostly intact slate root.

A tree-shaded pool fed by a sluggish stream beckons from one end of the village - the smell ot fresh water and green grass seems as sweet as any perfume after your trip across the desert. The crumbled ruin of a tower stands at the other end ot the settlement. A narrow, unpaved road that runs past the pool and up to the ruins separates the clump of cottages from the temple.

A prison wagon - essentially a massive steel cage on wheels-waits on the road before the temple. An occasional shout comes from within the vehicle. An elephant stands chained to a tree near the pool, and a tall humanoid with a brutish face and blue-painted skin watches them. Another brute stands near the ruin, and two Knights in dark armor walk a slow circuit around the temple.

While free heroes watch, a second wagon rolls into camp and halts beside the first. Captured heroes are inside that wagon. Everyone can see the following:

The brute near the pool helps the driver unhitch the elephant from the wagon and chain it to a tree beside the other beast. He returns to his post while the driver hands some keys and a bundle of equipment to an approaching Knight. The dark paladin inspects it briefly, then gestures abruptly toward one of the images. The brute silently takes the bundle into the indicated building, then vanishes into another cottage. Hooking the keys onto his belt, the Knight resumes his patrol.

The brutes leave captured heroes locked up in their wagon: The Knights want to keep them where they can see them, rather than risk them stirring up the prisoners held in the temple. They refuse to respond to any questions.

If Rig, Shaon, and Groller were taken from the heroes' ship, they are held in the first locked wagon.

The Story Continues

The small temple mentioned earlier houses the prisoners in this village, while the six Dark Knights in charge of the camp live in the biggest cottage. Three Baaz draconians reside in a second cottage, and four brutes occupy two more. The fifth one serves as a storehouse.

Prisoners receive food and water twice a day - just enough to keep them alive. They are not allowed any exercise.

Four Knights and two brutes remain on guard at all times. The Knights keep watch over the temple and patrol the village's perimeter, while the brutes stand sentry on the road, one at each end of town.

This scene remains unchanged until the heroes do something. They begin the encounter at far missile range from the guards. Watching a while before acting allows them to see two more Knights patrolling the outskirts of the village. All the guards seem bored - they won't notice the heroes until they take overt action.

The Battle

Heroes may attempt to break out of their wagon or attack - or both. The two sleeping brutes emerge from their quarters and join the fray after five minutes, and the two off-duty Knights appear in seven.

Once the heroes attack, there's little they can do except fight, using standard combat actions. At least two heroes wielding fire or making a lot of noise can panic the elephants and force them to bolt through the town, knocking over the wagons and trampling anyone on the road.

The Aftermath

During the battle, the Baaz lie low, but the heroes might find them if they defeat all the other guards, then search the village. The draconians know the prisoners were set to be transformed into spawn and can be intimidated into talking.

The brutes, on the other hand, know nothing about their mission and fail to understand the significance of Skie's visits: He just flies in some nights, does something, then departs, leaving the camp empty.

The Knights know only that they are here to guard prisoners. Skie dismisses them whenever he's ready to perform a ritual and hires new guards as the village fills up again. The Knights assume the prisoners are food for the dragon.

The prisoners in the temple and wagons can find their own ways home if freed.

Atmosphere

The village looks like any typical enemy encampment from a war movie. The Knights make their rounds in lock step, and the brutes look bored. If the players seem hesitant to act. Narrators should indicate to them that this scene is not going to change: The Knights' booted feet will continue their monotonous tramp until one of the heroes does something.

Actions

The heroes have the normal chance to surprise the guards in the camp. If they track the movements of the pair walking the perimeter, they can set up an ambush.

Captured heroes could use a mystic charm spell to prompt the guard with the keys to unlock the wagon (Dark Knights' susceptibility to mysticism makes any card played automatic trump). While the heroes cannot persuade him to open the wagon, they might trick him into opening it with the old "my friend is sick" routine - an average Presence (Perception) action.

Prying apart the bars on a wagon requires a desperate Strength action and instantly gets the guards' attention. Picking the lock is a challenging Agility action.

It takes a challenging Presence (Spirit) action to make the elephants break their chains and bolt. (Only one hero can make the attempt before the alarm is sounded.) The heroes can't break the beasts' chains, but could pick the locks on them.

Characters

The camp holds the following characters:

Three Baaz: Draconians, sensible demeanor, Adventurers. Co 8, Ph 6, In 6, Es 7, Dmg +4, Def -3, also glides, turns to stone at its death.

Four brutes: Hostile nonhumans. Co 6, Ph 11, In 6, Es 8, Dmg +8, Def -5, also thrown weapons (hand axe).

Eighteen prisoners: Humans of varied age and demeanor, Unknown and Rabble. Co 6, Ph 5, In 5, Es 5, Dmg 0 (unarmed), Def 0 (common clothing).

Six Dark Knights: Human adults, various demeanors, Adventurers. Co 7, Ph 8, In 5, Es 6, Dmg +8 (two-handed sword), Def -5 (plate), also missile weapons (crossbow/+5).

Elephant: Animal. Co 8, Ph 33, In 2, Es 2, Dmg +8, Def -4, also trample.

Outcome

When the heroes leave the camp, the Narrator should turn to:

- Scene Three, if it has not been played; or
- The Epilogue, if Scene Three has been played (or if the heroes are captured).

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