Scene Three: The Siege
This scene assumes that the heroes traveled from Agan's Cabin and arrived at Tarney Hall safely.
Overview
The heroes arrive at Tarney Hall only to find that the trollekai have taken all of their friends. As soon as the heroes arrive, the trollekai attack en masse, forcing the heroes to spend the rest of the night trapped in the Hall fending off the creatures.
Getting Started
The Narrator should review the trollekai entry at the end of the adventure. Also, the Narrator should note that the use of summoning magic is prohibited by the daemon warrior's foul magic.
First Impressions
After a treacherous and uncertain journey through the night, you arrive back at Tarney Hall.
The imposing building now lies in ruins. The double doors that lead into it are shattered and claw marks maw its exterior. The inside is dark and cold, devoid of any life.
The Story Continues
The trollekai attacked Tarney Hall when the heroes were gone. The heroes may have already been aware of this if they had stayed behind in Act One, Scene Three: The Fury of the Storm. The ehroes' allies were all taken by the trollekai.
The trollekai, however, missed the footman's dragonlance that hung above the fireplace. The heroes should find the dragonlance and secure it before the Narrator initiates the trollekai attack. Also, the Narrator should make sure that the heroes know which rooms have windows and which rooms do not. The trollekai reported back to their master, but were sent back because they had overlooked the dragonlance.
Area One: The Hall
The great hall is littered with debris and chips of wood. Claw marks marr the stone walls on the inside as they do on the outside. The great table that is shaped like a horseshoe seems intact, but great cracks marr its smooth wood surface. A low hanging chandelier now lies shattered in a pool of its own glass not ten feet from the door. Many of the weapons that had lined the walls of the Hall have been torn off of the wall and strewn about the floor. Several torches, their dying embers still glowing faintly in the darkness, lie brokenly on the floor.
There is not much left in the Hall. The trollekai demolished everything in their search for the remaining weapon.
If the heroes search the room, they must make a challenging Perception action. If successful, they discover a ring of strength in a small jewelry box that is buried under an overturned table. The ring is maed of platinum and clasps a ruby. They also find a hastily scrawled note from Jaedyn pinned under a broken piece of wood. The note reads:
My friends, time grows short! The demons are at our door! We're holding them off with our torches, but they are growing bolder! Sir Steelguard has hid a mighty weapon, a true dragonlance, from the demons! He believes that it is the dragonlance that the fiends are searching for! We must hurry! If we can last until the day, the we can bring the fight to them! They've broken through . . .
If the action fails, the heroes find nothing.
Area Two: The Fireplace
The fireplace seems sturdy enough, made of brick and mortar, with a mantle full of shattered bits of clay. Two shattered windows flank the fireplace like some grim honor guard. A broken plaque hangs crookedly above the mantle. Small metal support rods jut out of the wooden surface as if waiting for their charge to be returned. The dust on the surface of the plaque traces the outline of a long, slender object.
Engraved on the plaque are the words: "To Thomas Steelguard, in honor of the fallen but not forgotten Sir Dregor uth Manuel."
The footman's dragonlance belonged to Agan's friend, one of the adventurers who fought the daemon warrior during the Chaos War, Sir Dregor uth Manuel. Sir Dregor left his valuable weapon with his friends, Agan and his wife, after they had slain the deamon warrior in order to travel to Whitestone Glade in Sancrist and aid the Knighthood rebuild in the new age. He planned to return when he was ready, but he never got the chance. Ten years ago, he was slain opposing the Beryllinthranox the Green's take over of Qualinesti. When he died, Agan handed the dragonlance to Sir Steelguard because he believed that another Knight of Solamnia should possess it.
If the heroes search the area and announce that they look in the fireplace, they will find the dragonlance secured a few feet up the shaft. If the heroes search without designating the fireplace, they must succeed in a challenging Perception action to find the footman's dragonlance.
Area Three: The Weapons Room
Beyond the formidable stone door is a lightless, windowless room is crammed with weapons and armor of every type and size. A large rack stretching nearly twenty feet in length dominates the west wall. Melee weapons of every description hang on the rack, from long swords to quarterstaves. Armor of every type hang from the walls, as do bows and various other missile weapons. Stacks of quail-feathered arrows and quarrels lie in large, but neat stacks against the northern wall. A large, gold and purple tapestry depicting a crown, a sword, a rose, and a kingfisher hangs on the southern wall.
This room contains every item listed in the Appendix Two: Arms and Armor section of the Book of the Fifth Age. Also, there is a chakrum of renown, a broad sword of distinction, and a suit of plate mail of renown located in the room. All of these magical weapons can only be detected by some sort of divination or sensitivity spell.
The door that leads into the room is solid rock, over a foot thick. It swings easily on a hinge and can be secured by an iron bar from the inside. This fact is important for the heroes to note, as it might save their lives later on in this scene.
There is a secret door in the southern wall. That wall is covered with the banner of the Knights of Solamnia. The wall behind the banner is designed swings open like a door into Area Four: The Storage Room. However, the door is stuck, requiring an average Strength action to open.
Area Four: The Storage Room
This small, unlighted, cramped room without any windows is stocked full of supplies and food. Barrels and jars line the shelves, allowing little room for any to walk around.
This is the storage room for Tarney Hall. the secret door that connects this roon with Area Three: The Weapons Room does not open from this room. If the heroes search the room, they must perform an challenging Perception action. If successful, they find twelve doses of Mishakal's healing balm, each dose contained in a small clay container. They also find a scroll of petrification reversal, which simply changes one person who was petrified less than a month ago back into flesh and blood.
Area Five: Augin's Room
A shattered window allows a damp breeze to slice through the room. Broken glass covers the floor and parts of the small cot that lies agains the northeastern wall. A small desk with several pieces of parchment sits beside the bed and a small chest rests agains thte southwestern corner. A small painting of a knight of solamnia astride a goldn dragon hangs proudly in the middle of the south wall.
This was Augin's bedchamber. The papers on his desk are sketches of people and animals. Many of his drawings feature a girl with raven black hair who is his love interest in Hazuk.
The chest is locked but easily picked with an average Dexterity action or broken open with a challenging Strength action. Inside are several sets of tunics and trousers, as well as several pieces of steel that the lad has been saving up { no relevant treasure value }.
Area Six: The Kitchen and Scullery
The kitchen is a mess with pots and pans scattered across every surface. The cabinets have been ripped apart and the counters clawed and smashed. The backdoor on the northern wall swings crazily on one hinge in the chilly night air. A smashed window allows a shaft of moonlight to light the glass-filled sink below it.
This room is where Augin and Thomas prepared their food. There are several knives in here that the heroes can use as weapons if need be { the knives all act like dagger, inflicting +2 damage }.
Area Seven: Thomas Steelguard's Room
Three smashed window, two on the southern wall and one on the eastern wall allow shafts of moonlight to cast an eerie, milky white glow over the room. A large trunk, secured with a massive padlock, sits against the northeastern corner of the room. A large bed with coarse sheets sits to the side of the chest against the northwestern corner of the room. A large desk with inkwells and brushes lies against the southeastern wall. A large and extravagant tapestry depicting Huma battling the Dark Queen hangs above the bed and encirles the western, eastern, and northen walls, beginning at the door and ending at the window on the eastern wall.
This room belonged to Sir Thomas Steelguard. The desk contains the beginning son a treatise about the decline of the Knights of Solamnia after the Chaos War.
Inside the desk are two emeralds worth 20 steel each { a combined treasure value of 1 according to A Saga Companion }, a pouch with 200 stl { a pouch of steel with a treasure value of 6 according to A Saga Companion }, and a dagger.
Picking the lock of the chest requires a challenging Dexterity action, while breaking the lock requires a daunting Strength action. The chest contains some clothes, and a mace of renown known as Darkslayer. See Thomas Steelguard's descriptuion in the Character Index for more information on Darkslayer.
The Battle
Trollekai Attack Tables |
Number | Result |
1-3 | Roof Attack |
4-6 | Door Attack |
7-9 | Wall Attack |
10 | Draw Again Twice |
|
Suit | Result |
Arrows | One trollekai |
Shields | Two trollekai |
Helms | Two trollekai + hostage |
Swords | Three trollekai |
Moons | Three trollekai + hostage |
Orbs | Three trollekai + 2 hostages |
Hearts | Four trollekai |
Crowns | Four trollekai + hostage |
Dragons | Draw Again Twice and Add Result |
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As soon as the heroes have searched the Hall and discovered the dragonlance, the Narrator should initiate the trollekai attack. The heroes should know which rooms are secure and which ones are not. Twenty-four trollekai attack the Hall from all sides. Every opening is an entrance for them. To make things easier for the Narrator, eight charge through the double doors in Area One, six from the two windows by the fireplace in Area Two, one from the window in Area Five, two from the backdoor and one from the window of Area Six, and six from the windows in Area Seven.
However, the heroes should not know how many trollekai are entering. The creatures attack quickly and randomly, emerging from the darkness like denizens of the Abyss. The Narrator should make sure that the heroes realize the futility of the situation. Although they may be unsure of the exact number of attacking trollekai, they should be aware that there are a great deal more of the creatures than they can effectively deal with.
The heroes can do anything to fend off their attackers, but a battle seems unlikely. If the heroes do fight, the trollekai will simpky kill them, since they have no more need of victims. In fact, all attacks by the trollekai during this scene are made normally { the damage is the Physique score plus the Damage Rating }.
Running out of the Hall is not a viable solution either, since the trollekai will simply follow them and cut them down. Summoning magic was negated by the daemon warrior in Scene Two: The Seeds of Chaos, so sorcerers cannot magically teleport the heroes away from the Hall.
The ideal way for the heroes to stay alive is to light some torches and hide in one of the windowless rooms. Area Three: The Armory, is the perfect room. With only one entrance, the trollekai can be held at bay with the light of the torches until day breaks.
If the heroes choose this option, then they are still beseiged by the trolls. There are still seven hours until daybreak, and the Narrator should draw a random card from the Fate Deck every hour and consult the provided tables
What occurs is the number of trollekai indicated attack in the area loacted. Each area, the Roof, the Door, and the Wall has three structure points. Each time the trollekai attack a particular area, that section loses one structure point. If all the structure points of one area are lost, then all actions in that area to defend against the trollekai are one degree more difficult. Therefore, if the trollekai attacked the Wall three times, then all defense actions made by the heroes against the trollekai are one degree harder for the rest of the night. This effect is cumulative, meaning if both the Wall and the Door lose all of their structure points, then all defense actions are two degrees more difficult.
Hostages are merely some of the victims that the trollekai kidnapped. None of the hostages brought will be Augin, Thomas Steelguard, or Jaedyn Faerglaze. Instead, the trollekai will leave the victim outside of the area that they are attacking so that their cries can be heard. This is merely a ploy to lure the heroes out into the open or to get them to lower their guards.
Light can be very effective in keeping the trollekai at bay. All defensive actions gains +1 bonus for every two small light sources, such as a torch. Large light sources, such as a ragin fire, give a +1 bonus. Any magical light gives all defense actions a +2 bonus. All of these bonuses are cumulative. However, the trollekai will direct their attacks at torch bearers and sorcerers with magical lights.
All of the trollekai will retreat if any one of their number is reduced to 3 Physique points or less. However, they will protect their comrades and make sure that none of their number is ever hurt too badly if they can help it.
Roof Attack
In a roof attack, the trollekai actually begin tearing into the roof. They bash down on the roof with their stong, clawed hands, causing the ceiling to crack and sending stones raining down on the heroes. All heroes must succeed in an average Agility action or be struck and dealt 2 damage.
The heroes can ward off the trollekai if the one of them makes a daunting Presence (Spirit) action. The bonuses afforded by any light sources and the penalties imposed by the lack of structure points count towards this action.
Door Attack
The trollekai attack the door and attempt to tear it down. If they have a hostage, they will leave the hostage outside the door, weeping, and wait for any heroes to show themselves before attacking.
The heroes can ward off the trollekai if the one of them makes a desperate Presence (Spirit) action. The bonuses afforded by any light sources and the penalties imposed by the lack of structure points count towards this action.
Wall Attack
The trollekai try to enter by bashing down the walls of the Hall. Actions to avoid surprise are not Trump during this attack.
The heroes can ward off the trollekai if the one of them makes a desperate Presence (Spirit) action. The bonuses afforded by any light sources and the penalties imposed by the lack of structure points count towards this action.
Atmosphere
The mood of this scene should be one of nerve-wracking tnesion. The heroes should be edgy, nervous, and afraid, waiting for the next attack in fear. To capture some this this mood, Narrators can dim the lights and take away all frivolous, non-game related material, such as food, drinks, and trinkets. Eerie musci can also help set the mood.
Actions
All of the action for this scene are described in their corresponding entries.
Characters
Kara Half-elven. Qualinesti half-elf female young adult, rash demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 8X, Dx 7A, En 6C, Str 6B, Re 7B (49), Pe 6A, Sp 5D, Pr 7C, Dmg +4 (cutlass), Def -2 (leather armor), also sorcery (pyromancy), secondary weapon (dagger/+2), and missile weapon (longbow/+6).
Rezik. Human middle-aged male, cantankerous demeanor, Novice. Co 4, Ph 5, In 4, Es 3, Dmg +0 (fists), Def -2 (leather armor).
Trollekai. Undead. Co 5, Ph 12, In 2, Es 4, Dmg +14, Def -4, also regenerate, aura (fear), immune to poison, resistant to mysticism, resistant to sorcery, and camouflage.
Outcome
If the heroes survive the night intact, go to Act Three, Scene One: The Fateful Dawn.
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