....THREE HEARTS.…

.............OVER…..........

...GLITTERHAEGEN...

Three two-hour long romance-themed adventures for 13th Age characters of 5th level by ASH LAW.

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Love in a Time of Adventure Why is it that we are comfortable with slaughter, mayhem, and looting corpses in our games, but not themes of love? The answer is that most of us will never face down an orc armed only with our knowledge of the arcane arts and our trusty wand, but all of us have felt the pain and joy of love. It is easy therefore to treat an encounter with an orc as fun, but mushy stuff makes some of us uncomfortable. These three adventures follow classic, maybe even cliché quest formats: the delivery, the fetch quest, the treasure hunt. Classics. For groups that are looking for a little valentines day massacring without getting their characters directly involved in the romance they are great adventures; they can also act as a springboard for discussion on including romance themes in games (if you want to have such a discussion). I know of at least one 13th Age group that has a player character romancing an icon, and at conventions I often see One Unique Things that deal with romance, so maybe your group is ready for it. Or maybe not. If you do want to include themes of romance in the game here is my advice:

● Get buy-in from everybody first, and discuss boundaries. If your group is not into it then they are not into it. If you are not into it then you aren't into it.

● Check in on everybody on a regular basis. Make sure everybody is comfortable, and if not switch focus to a plot that doesn't involve the romantic life of a PC.

● PC-NPC romance works best. A GM can step away from playing a NPC to play other NPCs, giving everybody distance from the in-character romance and a chance to breathe. PC-PC romances are sometimes fun, but be aware that normally there isn’t that built-in distance from a character or situation with PC-PC romances.

● Expect to giggle. A lot. The first game you run a romance plot involving a player character everybody will giggle. Don’t worry, that will pass.

Courtly romance with the seventh son of a powerful wizard-lord in Horizon, romantic intrigue and betrayal in the Court of Stars, deserting from the barracks of First Triumph to go behind enemy lines and rescue a loved one from the Diabolist’s forces, chivalrous paladins of the Great Gold Wyrm on quests to prove their love, or just wooing the beautiful owner of your favorite tavern… there certainly is a place for romance in 13th Age for groups comfortable with it. Have a great Valentines Day. - ASH PS - Roses are red, violets are blue, Please take this short survey with a new adventure at the end of it: http://tinyurl.com/13THAGESURVEY We’d love to hear from you.

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...BURNING LOVE...

Infernatos the Devourer needs help delivering gifts to a blue dragon that he is in love with. The adventurers must get a cart full of gifts past the Thunderhead kobold tribe, present the gift to Corusca the Unforgiving, and read her the poetry that her paramore has written. The blue dragon is convinced that the red is just interested in taking over her territory and hunting grounds and must be convinced otherwise.

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A quest! The characters are approached in a tavern called the Red Dragon Inn, by a red-cloaked being that seems human. He explains that he needs a go-between to deliver flowers and chocolates to his beloved. His paramore believes that he is just after her lands and money, and he fears that a fight will ensue if he approaches her in person. He explains that he has been aware of the exploits of the adventurers for some time due to their spreading fame, and so has decided to clandestinely approach them for help. If asked his name he answers ‘Nate’. He will pay them 10 GP each, 50 each if her responsive is positive; his lady friend doesn't live that far away but this is very important to him which is why he’s willing to pay. Her home is guarded, so they’ll need to sneak in. As soon as any of the adventurers agrees he transforms into a huge red dragon (destroying a wall of the tavern in the process) and the adventurers realize that this ‘Nate’ is the notorious Infernatos the Devourer. Infernatos tells the adventurers that a cart-load of flowers and chocolates can be found a couple of streets away (just look for the burning florist’s shop). He also asks that they read his true-heart a poem that he has written for her. The poem is in ancient draconic but he’s sure that won’t be a problem for them, right? With a few last minute instructions on how to get to Corusca the Unforgiving’s cave (and a reminder that he knows where they sleep at night if they fail him) the mighty red dragon takes off into the skies.

A NOTE ON DRAGONS AND WHIMSY

The dragons in this adventure might come off as ‘whimsical’. That certainly isn’t our vision for all dragons in 13th Age. In fact the term most would use is ‘terrifying’. Feel free to introduce aspects that play up the terror of entering a dragon’s territory. Mention the smell of burning flesh that comes when the wind changes, the boulders rent asunder by mighty claws, the dead fish floating in the stream, the silence and lack of local wildlife, the sound of roaring that shakes the trees with its power. Then again this is an adventure released on Valentines Day, so maybe ‘darkly whimsical’ is the right note to hit. Try substituting the heads of residents of Glitterhaegen for the flowers and chocolates that the party is asked to deliver. After all, nothing says “I want to move into your territory” like a cartload of severed heads, especially chocolate covered severed heads.

Don’t forget to roll icon relationship dice at the start of every session and have any 6s give a positive benefit (such as a magic item) and any 5s give a benefit with a story complication.

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Characters Infernatos the Devourer - A red dragon who has travelled from the Magma Keeps to woo Corusca. Normally red dragons would court other red dragons, but Infernatos is overcome with admiration for the larger blue. He has spent years carefully transferring his hoard northwards so he can be closer to the target of his affection. Corusca the Unforgiving - A blue dragon. Her cave is large and her hoard larger, the floor of her home consists of smooth glass that the dragon herself has fused. Corusca’s territory near Fairwind Sound allows her to hunt not just land-animals but also the many larger fish that swim in the Midland Sea. She is suspicious of anybody who proclaims their love for her and wants to move into her territory, she has got burnt in the past. The Thunderhead Clan - A kobold band of dragon-worshipers who live in warrens near the entrance to Corusca’s cave. They want their dragon to be happy (happy dragons eat fewer kobolds). Important kobolds (that is to say ‘kobolds who other kobolds consider important’) are Chieftain Ipyip the Dragon-Talker (their leader and ambassador/priest to the dragon), Trap-Mistress Reehlaa (in charge of keeping their warren safe), and High-Lord General The Right Honorable Sir Fightboss Killmaster Yaargh (a snivelling runt of a kobold who has been ‘promoted up the ranks’ simply by out-surviving his peers). Kobold Name Generator (roll a d20 for each syllable, or use the italic names, and then use the last digit of the last d20 for random kobold attributes) 1 Ad ad aak Aaargh! 2 Dra ah ail Adasrall 3 Ee ali bee Ariakaa 4 Ha ap daa Dragorlik 5 He ar dah Eeriaaaaak! 6 Ip as den Haedroo 7 Ja ed doo Keedoo 8 Ki en esk Madree 9 Ma er kaa Mapodoo 10 Me ib laa Memeal

11 Ne ic lik Oledru 12 Ol ip lod Olorda 13 Oz ko pee Opizaak 14 Po ma raa Sooplaa 15 Ri me ral Tyblaah 16 Sa nes rke Wemerue 17 Ta or ree Worblee 18 We ria roo Yaoplak 19 Yip rka was Yiporra 20 Zor zu zin Yipyipale

_1 Angry _2 Brave _3 Cowardly _4 Curious _5 Heavily-muscled _6 Nervous _7 Pot-bellied _8 Scabrous _9 Scarred _0 Young

The Emperor knows that blue and red makes purple. Maybe purple dragons would be perfect for the imperial dragon riders. Maybe they would be a menace. Either way having agents in place ahead of time is probably wise. The last thing the troubled Dragon Empire needs is more dragons who are not under the Emperor’s control.

The Great Gold Wyrm knows that not all ‘chromatic’ dragons are evil. Maybe love will mellow these two (or maybe they will join together to become a force of destruction and evil). If the pair can be convinced to join with the side of good it gives the Great Gold Wyrm leverage against his rivals and enemies The Three.

The High Druid supports the breeding of natural creatures on general principle, but needs to keep a close eye on this unusual pairing. A purple dragon might upset the balance of nature, but might be something that she can guide to stop the spreading stain of civilization.

The Prince of Shadows thinks two dragons combining their hoards close to Shadow Port is a great idea, especially if they occasionally leave it unguarded. It is an especially good idea if he has friends who have scoped out the lair beforehand for when it is unguarded.

The Three see an opportunity to gain a foothold of draconic power close to Glitterhaegen, maybe eventually setting up a puppet-ruler over Glitterhaegen. Of course different breeds of dragon uniting might set a bad precedent. This requires careful handling, and most importantly they need not to be seen to be handling it… the rulers of Drakkenhall like to appear as if their rule is an effortless expression of their draconic might.

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Challenges Just getting the cart out of Glitterhaegen and to the cave of the blue dragon is going to be tough.

Challenge (Only one shot at passing each one, one roll for success or failure. Don’t let one or two PCs hog the limelight, let each PC handle at least one challenge each.)

Success Failure

1. Get the cart away from curious onlookers Throw money = DC 15 and 20 gp Threats of violence = DC 20 Drive the cart away at high speed = DC 25 Gratuitous violence to the urchins and all other bystanders (without attracting the city guards) = DC 30

Proceed to the next challenge

See ‘Townsfolk of Glitterhaegen’

2. Avoid being detained by the city guards A simple bribe = DC 20 and 10 gp A complex bluff = DC 25 High-speed cart over a rising drawbridge = DC 35

Proceed to the next challenge

See ‘The guards’

3. Through the wilderness Up the coast = DC 20 Crosscountry = DC 25 Around the coast by boat = DC 30

Proceed to the next challenge

The next challenge has DCs 5 higher than they would otherwise be.

4. Kobold scouts Kill the scouts before they can flee = DC 25 Move slowly and silently, leaving no trace = DC 30 A cunning disguise = DC 30

Proceed to the next challenge

See ‘Kobold scouts’

5. Kobold ambushes Use magic to make the tiny menaces fear you = DC 25 A cunning bluff = DC 30 High-speed cart ride = DC 35

Proceed to ‘Wooing’

See ‘Through the Bitterwood’

Townsfolk of Glitterhaegen Recent events have made them rather curious, while others want to steal the cart or its contents, and others have pointed questions to ask. Treat the townsfolk as a series of traps rather than running any actual combats.

Street gang shakedown

Curious citizens Angry florist Angry mob

DC to spot/avoid: 25 Attack: +10 vs AC Effect: Lose 50 GP or take 3d10 damage

DC to spot/avoid: 25 Attack: +10 vs AC Effect: Next DC is 5 higher.

DC to spot/avoid: 30 Attack: +15 vs AC Effect: 6d4 damage

DC to spot/avoid: 25 Attack: +15 vs AC against each adventurer Effect: 2d10 damage.

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The guards The guards manning the city gate are checking everybody going in or out. It is nothing unusual, just a random Glitterhaegen shake-down. However, the adventurers have a cart full of chocolate and flowers and a bit of explaining to do. As you are at this section the ‘avoid being detained by the city guards’ challenge has obviously been failed. The guards are in no mood to actually fight heavily armed adventurers, but are not beyond roughing the adventurers up then hurriedly backing off while calling for backup (commonly known as ‘running away’) when it looks like an actual fight might start. If the adventurers fight the guards the guards either die, become too injured to fight, or run away. They get one good punch or kick in against 1d6+1 adventurers. The player who triggered the event is the ‘plus one’ but gets to pick who the other 1d6 are in the party.

Brass knuckles and steel toe-caps +10 vs AC—10 damage Kobold scouts These kobolds range the forest on the lookout for threats to the clan. They do not engage with enemies, they set up a trap and fade quietly into the leafy darkness to report back on the threat. The adventurers have one chance to catch the kobolds before they slip away (a DC 25 check). If they fail either use two of the traps below and increase the kobolds in any potential fight by 2d10 kobold handmaidens. Kobold traps

Classic pit trap Purple Roundhead ‘shrooms Swinging hives

The kobolds have dug a very deep spike-lined pit and covered it with a dirt-colored cloth. Getting back out is a move action if you use this trap in combat.

The kobolds have seeded a likely campsite with a toxic fungus. If the adventurers don’t spot it in time and set up camp there, they will be in for horrid skin-sloughing rashes.

Hornets nests on sticks swing-out at head-height at the adventurers! Worse, the nests are covered in glue; whoever gets hit by this will have a hornet’s nest stuck to their face!

DC 20 to avoid DC 25 to avoid DC 30 to avoid

+10 vs AC—4d6 damage +15 vs PD—4d8 poison damage +20 vs AC—2d20 damage

Through the Bitterwood The kobolds have been alerted to the presence of the adventurers and attack them, either right outside the cave entrance or deep in the woods. Use the kobold fight chart.

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Wooing You are finally in the cave with a huge blue dragon. A kobold clan waits in the wings, ready to attack. It is time to present the flowers and chocolate, and read some poetry written in an almost unpronounceable draconic tongue.

This is now a skill challenge. Each player in turn must narrate how they help to woo the dragon and make an appropriate skill check using an appropriate background, with a DC as determined by the below chart. When a player succeeds move one place upwards on the chart, but a failure moves the group one place down. Start where the chart says ‘Start...’

End! Woo! The dragon has been successfully courted. The kobold tribe might still attack on the way out, but at least Corusca the Unforgiving is pleased.

DC 30 You have navigated the worst of the poem, just don’t foul up now...

DC 25

Take 2d6 damage from rocks thrown by the kobolds. They are making it really hard to concentrate, but you will have to deal with them later.

Start ... DC 20 You need to convince the dragon that you are presenting gifts, but are not yourself

an edible morsel. Wooing a dragon is dangerous task.

DC 25

The stress is unbelievable. Either lose a recovery or make the next adventurer’s DC 5 higher.

DC 30 The draconic word for ‘beautiful heat-shimmer from lava’ and ‘mud’ are very similar.

You tell her that she has muddy scales... take 4d8 lightning damage from the dragon.

End! Boo! The blue dragon attacks! Corusca the Unforgiving has seen through your shallow ploy to read her bad poetry while you try to steal her hoard.

Each position on the chart has a listed consequence. When you move up or down on the chart the adventurer who made the roll takes the consequence listed.

Happily ever after? If the adventurers successfully complete their task then Corusca the Unforgiving gives them a sack of sapphires to give to Infernatos the Devourer. Just leaving with the gems and selling them earns the characters 1000 GP to split between them. Returning to Infernatos with the gems gains the adventurers his gratitude and 500 GP each (including the 100 GP each they were promised at the start). If they fail in their task they are paid the 10 GP each promised by Infernatos the Devourer. If they kill Corusca then Infernatos will attack them in a blind rage... or he might simply shrug his shoulders and ask them what her lair is like and mention that he is thinking of moving in now that it is empty.

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It was a very nice tavern before the dragon showed up

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A hillside with some rocks to hide behind is the perfect place for a kobold ambush

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The kobolds guard the entrance to the dragon’s lair from all intruders

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The dragon pounded the rock into sand, then blasted the sand into glass

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Kobold Fight Chart 

Number

of PCs

Kobold

Bravescale

Kobold

Handmaid

3 4 5

4 5 10

5 6 10

6 7 15

7 8 20

Handmaiden of Corusca the Unforgiving 3rd level mook [HUMANOID] Initiative: +4 Dragon-claw club +13 vs. AC—4 damage R: Lightning arc +14 vs. AC—4 lightning damage Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop free as a free action. AC 17 PD 15 HP 8 (mook) MD 11 Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 8 damage you deal to the mob.

Kobold Bravescale These iron-clad woad-painted kobolds don’t run away from danger! 4th level blocker [HUMANOID] Initiative: +9 Spear +9 vs. AC—13 damage

Natural roll is above target’s Wisdom (trapster): The kobold pushes or trips the target into a trap. See Trapster.

Disciplined maneuver: If the escalation die is 3+ and this creature has at least two bravescale allies in the battle, whenever an enemy moves to engage the bravescale, it can make a spear porcupine attack against that enemy as a free action. Spear porcupine +11 vs. AC—10 damage Lock shields: For each other kobold bravescale next to the bravescale or engaged with a creature that this bravescale is engaged with, the bravescale gains a +2 bonus to AC (maximum of +4), and each enemy engaged with the bravescale takes a -2 penalty (maximum of -4) to disengage checks. AC 20 PD 18 HP 55 MD 14

Trapster (roll d6) 1. Boiling oil squirting from a concealed bladder. 1d4+escalation die fire damage. 2. Pool of acid in a hidden foot-sized pit. 1d4+escalation die acid damage. 3. Hidden foot snare. Stuck (hard save ends). 4. Bellows-driven blowdarts triggered by tripwire. 3 ongoing poison damage. 5. Suddenly caltrops! Caltrops everywhere! 1d8 ongoing damage. 6. Hallucinogenic dust in a cloth packet. Confused (easy save ends).

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Corusca the Unforgiving Fight Chart 

Number

of PCs

Corusca Kobold

Handmaid

3 1 0

4 1 10

5 1 20

6 1 30

7 1 40

Handmaiden of Corusca the Unforgiving 3rd level mook [HUMANOID] Initiative: +4 Dragon-claw club +13 vs. AC—4 damage R: Lightning arc +14 vs. AC—4 lightning damage Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop free as a free action. AC 17 PD 15 HP 8 (mook) MD 11 Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 8 damage you deal to the mob.

Corusca the Unforgiving Large 7th level caster [DRAGON] Initiative: +9 Vulnerability: Force Shining claws +10 vs. AC—20 damage

Natural even hit or miss: Corusca makes two twin-tail attacks as a free action

[Special trigger] Twin-tail +10 vs. AC—12 damage and 2d6 lightning damage

C: Lightning breath +10 vs. AC (1d3+1 nearby enemies)—10 lightning damage

Natural even hit: Coruscating aura activates as though the target had just cast a spell at the dragon of 6th level or lower.

Intermittent breath: Corusca can use her breath weapon 1d4 times per battle, but not two turns in a row. Coruscating aura: When an enemy targets the dragon with a spell of 5th level or lower, the dragon can roll a save; success means that...

● The spell has no effect ● Corusca gains 10 HP ● The caster takes 2d8 lightning damage.

A 7th level spell only has one of the above effects. A 9th level spell has none of the above effects. Resist lightning 12+: When a lightning attack targets Corusca the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only does ½ damage. Flight: Like all dragons, Corusca can fly fast and well. Escalator: Corusca adds the escalation die to her attack rolls. Our hungry goddess: As a free action Corusca may eat up to kobolds per round, and gain 1HP

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per kobold eaten. AC 28 PD 20 HP 150 MD 20

Infernatos the Devourer Fight Chart 

Number

of PCs

‘Nate’ Infernatos

3 1 0

4 1 0

5 0 1

6 0 1

7 0 1

Infernatos the Devourer Large 6th level wrecker [DRAGON] Initiative: +11 Vulnerability: Cold Fangs, claws, and tail +17 vs. AC (3 attacks)—14 damage C: Firey breath +17 vs. PD (up to 4 nearby enemies)—10 fire damage

Miss: Half damage. Intermittent breath: Infernatos can use his breath weapon 1d3 times per battle, but not two turns in a row. Metal-heating aura: All enemies carrying metal items (swords, armor, belt buckles, jewelry, coins, etc) must save or take 5 fire damage at the start of their turns. Resist fire 12+: When a fire attack targets Corusca the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only does ½ damage.

‘Nate’ Double-strength 6th level wrecker [DRAGON] He looks human, until he breathes fire and starts punching through walls with his fists. Initiative: +11 Fist +17 vs. AC (2 attacks)—20 damage C: Firey breath +17 vs. PD (up to 4 nearby enemies)—10 fire damage

Miss: Half damage. Intermittent breath: Infernatos can use his breath weapon twice per battle. Resist fire 12+: When a fire attack targets Corusca the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on

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Flight: Like all dragons, Infernatos can fly fast and well. Escalator: Infernatos adds the escalation die to his attack rolls. AC 21 PD 20 HP 180 MD 16

the attack roll or it only does ½ damage. Escalator: Nate adds the escalation die to his attack rolls. Flee: Once per battle if ‘Nate’ is leaving the fight by turning into a dragon and flying off, everybody who takes an opportunity attack against him takes 60 fire damage. AC 21 PD 20 HP 160 MD 16

 

.MADE FOR EACH OTHER.

A forgeborn has created a companion, but needs help obtaining vital time-critical components to bring their love to life. It is a race against time to get some chunks of living metal and a mechanical heart, while the lovelorn forgeborn completes the final preparations.

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A quest! A forgeborn called Prax approaches the adventurers with a request. They might meet Prax in a tavern as the living construct seeks them out, or they might have gone to Prax’s forge to have armour and weapons repaired or modified and the forgeborn met them there. Prax explains that the life of an artificer can be lonely, and so in secret began to create a forgeborn to be a lifemate. Another forgeborn, Hammer of God, together with Trine and Rising Red Mist, found out about this and destroyed vital equipment and components in Prax’s workshop. Prax has set up another secret workshop, but needs the missing materials quickly or Galatos’ body will no longer be a viable vessel for life. Prax promises each character a piece of construct equipment (see the loot section) in exchange for helping source the last few materials needed to finish the construction of Galatos, the companion forgeborn of Prax’s own design. The adventurers will need to travel to one of the hidden workshops of Bella the Mad to retrieve a wand, and to the Steel Caves in Pocket Bay to fetch living metal.

“FREE DWARF-FORGED? NOT ON MY WATCH! GET BACK IN THE MINES!”

At a local convention I whipped this adventure out. Joey Turco of Gamerati was playing his regular 13th Age dwarf character, and instantly sided with Hammer of God. I did not see that coming. The adventure didn’t even leave the tavern, the heroic adventurers piled on Prax and beat him into unconsciousness and then handed Prax over to Hammer of God for a couple of silver coins. When you run this adventure be prepared for some characters to have strong feelings about forgeborn; some will want to free them, others may see them as soul-less property, and other player characters may want to destroy them as abominations. It may be best before the game to ask each player to come up with a short backstory of how they became Prax’s friend.

Characters Prax - A lovelorn forgeborn who seeks to construct a companion, Prax is an expert sculptor and makes a living repairing fellow constructs. Prax intended to carry out the final steps in bringing Galatos to life, but while making a modification to Hammer of God accidentally allowed his creation to be seen. Galatos - The as-yet lifeless companion of Prax. Galatos has alabaster-white body plating and is covered in swirls of inlaid gold. Hammer of God - Hammer is a bombastic forgeborn who earnestly believes that only the “children of the gods” (mortal races) have the right to create life, and that constructs making other constructs is an abomination. Hammer of God was physically repulsed by the one glimpse of Galatos’ lifeless body that

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was accidentally revealed to the disgusted construct. Trine - A friend of Hammer of God. Trine believes in the superiority of constructs, desiring to rule over the mortal races. Trine keeps such opinions secret. When Hammer of God came to Trine and told of what had been seen, Trine decided to kidnap Prax and Galatos once the creation process is completed. Rising Red Mist - A forgeborn with a head styled like a horse’s head. Rising Red Mist is a former friend and patron of Prax, and helped to unknowingly source many of Galatos’ components. Rising Red Mist is a wizard, and is angered that Prax tricked the components from them.

The Archmage used to try to regulate and control the creation of living constructs like the forgeborn, but with his power waning and his wards failing he can no longer maintain his monopoly. If the forgeborn could become self-policing in such things, and self-sufficient, then that would be something off his plate so he can concentrate on the bigger picture.

The Crusader believes that an army of steel-shod warriors with iron bones is something that he wants. Enslaving demons and adding them to his army is grand, but a race born to the sound of marching feet would be better. If he knows about what is going on in the backstreets of Glitterhaegen he is likely to be supportive, but will certainly expect the new creatures to join him.

The Dwarf King has a stake in this. Forgeborn? The correct term (according to him) is ‘dwarf-forged’. Some dwarves feel that their dwarf-forged servitors should remain in the darkness of the mines, while others are proud to see the results of their craft walking the world above. It is unknown which side of the coin the Dwarf King will come down on.

The Lich King is always seeking new ways to grow his power. He has heard of the existence of an undead forgeborn (‘Forgefang the Undying’) and that has piqued his interest. He is willing to take his time understanding the full ramifications of this, but what are a few years to one who has existed for untold centuries. If this forgeborn will create another for love, later might not the same forgeborn try to raise that companion from the grave?

The Prince of Shadows thinks that a true-breeding (or at least ‘self-constructing’) race of forgeborn is a fantastic idea. They will be young, naive, and open to his manipulation. Glitterhaegen is right in his backyard, and if he helps usher a race into wider existence they will owe him a big favor. The Prince of Shadows likes it when entire races owe him favors.

Don’t forget to roll icon relationship dice at the start of every session and have any 6s give a positive benefit (such as a magic item) and any 5s give a benefit with a story complication.

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Into the steel caves. The fabled steel caves are dangerous, surrounded by wasteland through which metal spikes jut up at crazy angles. These spikes kill anything venturing too close, exploding out of the ground to impale anything that moves. Even low-flying birds get skewered. Not only that but deadly steel raptors live here. Ask around the table if anybody has a plan for getting past the spikes. Whichever solution the players come up with it requires three DC 20 skill checks to succeed without a hitch. Pick the most obvious character to make the first skill roll. Every success brings the party closer to the steel caves. If they fail ask them what went wrong, and then ask the player who failed the roll to decide if this was a bad thing for everybody (everybody rolls a save (11+) or loses a recovery from mishaps) or if it was really bad for one other person (that other person loses a recovery and must make the next skill check at +5 difficulty). Once three successful skill rolls have been made the player characters are at the entrance to the caves.

Steel raptors. As the adventurers enter the caves they hear the sound of something large moving about, a clack-clack-clack like steel claws on a metal surface. They also smell ozone, and can feel a vibration through the ground. Stalking into sight is a steel raptor. It looks like a steel-plated wingless and eyeless dragon, but it moves with the deadly sinuous grace of a hunting cat. It freezes in place as it comes into sight of the adventurers, one of its six legs raised off the ground. Armoured plates in its head slide back to reveal a single orb of glowing furnace heat, its huge cyclopean eye. It swings its head about, seemingly blind to their presence but aware that somebody might be there. The steel raptor (also known as a forge predator) is an intelligent pack hunter, smarter than a dog or a wolf. This steel raptor in front of the party is moving loudly and feigning blindness so that the rest of its pack can slip into position around the party. It is a DC 35 check for the adventurers to spot this. Have whichever player has stated that their adventurer is at the back of the party make the roll: if they succeed it is a normal fight, if they fail it is an ambush.

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The shining lake. The adventurers press further onwards underground, the oddly glowing water of the steel caves lapping against their feet. Up ahead they can see large conglomerations of slowly shifting metal, roiling in slow motion in the water. The caves are not free of danger. Even with the steel raptors dispatched the living metal itself is a hazard, solid one minute then a liquid the next. The living steel is capable of simple reactions to its environment, slowly moving about and growing spikes when threatened. Wither the steel really is alive or if the metal just has unusual properties is unknown, but it is necessary for the forgeborn that Prax is creating. Shining Lake Hazard Chart The dangers one faces in these caves are not usually found elsewhere. Make sure each character gets to face at least one danger.

Electrical arc Sudden spikes Rocks fall

Lightning leaps across the The living metal of the cave A sleeping steel raptor is curled

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cavern, arcing between roof and wet metal.

shifts configuration without warning.

up on the ceiling. As it shifts in its sleep rocks clatter down, dislodged by its claws.

DC 20 to avoid DC 25 to avoid DC 20 to avoid

+10 vs PD—4d6 lightning damage

+15 vs AC—4d8 damage +10 vs AC—4d6 damage

Quickiron Thunder of the gods Kobolds!

What looked like a flat section of metal is a sticky metallic fluid known as quickiron.

The whole cave shakes, the cause is unknown. The sound of ringing metal is as loud as if a mad god with a hammer is striking the caverns.

Kobolds are sneaking about the cavern, carrying... A GIANT GLOWING MAGICAL DIAMOND! They are too far away for you to catch them*, they shoot some arrows as soon as you spot them and then dart off to disappear in a side passage.

DC 20 to avoid, for each adventurer

DC 20 to avoid, for each adventurer

DC 30 to avoid

10 thunder damage, and thunder attacks do double damage until the end of the adventure.

+10 vs AC—2d12 thunder damage

+20 vs PD—2d20 poison damage

* You can use this to lead into the adventure ‘Omenquest’ which is available here at the end of the survey: http://tinyurl.com/13THAGESURVEY

Heavy metals. Bella the Mad disappeared many years ago, but her legacy is still remembered. During her life she was a master trap-builder, vault designer, and inventor. Many modern construct components owe a lot to her designs, and chief among them is said to be an artificial heart capable of feeling love. It is not known why Bella disappeared. Most say she died of old age; others claim that she replaced her body bit by bit with steel over the years, and when she could no longer hide her transformation she simply put on a metal mask and slipped away to join the ranks of the Forgeborn. In some quarters it is whispered that she was killed or captured by an icon, others joke that she walked into a trap of her own creation on her way to make a mug of hot mulled wine. Whatever the truth of the matter she left behind dozens of hidden laboratories scattered along the coast from Pocket Bay to Fairwind Sound. It is to one of these laboratories that Prax dispatches the adventurers. Prax requires the artificial heart for the new forgeborn. The laboratory is trapped, and some of his contemporaries know where it is so might be waiting for the adventurers.

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Sure enough at the hidden laboratory the trio of Hammer of God, Trine, and Rising Red Mist await the adventurers (see the Forgeborn trio fight chart). At first they try reasoning with the adventurers. Hammer of God does most of the talking, explaining how a construct making a construct is an abomination that runs contrary to the natural order of things. If that fails Trine attacks without warning, and the other two forgeborn join the enraged Trine in the attack.

Happy ever after! The metals and Bella’s mechanical heart have been located, and Prax brings Galatos to life. The two fall instantly in love with each other - they were literally made for each other. In gratitude Prax creates a forgeborn artifact for each adventurer (see the loot just before the maps).

...or is it happy ever after? Here are some ideas for further adventures related to this one. They are not ‘canonical’, but rather are springboards for your own wild imagination as to what may happen next.

● Galatos is ‘invisible’ to all the gods. This makes the newly created forgeborn both a threat and a potential valuable resource for the dark-god worshiping Crusader and his light counterpart the Priestess.

● Other forgeborn come to Prax to learn, and soon an underground school has sprung up to teach the secrets of creation to other forgeborn. Somebody is killing forgeborn and harvesting their bodies for components. Whoever it is learnt their trade at the school. Prax needs help keeping the ‘invisible school’ a secret. Meanwhile copycat killers start to appear, targeting the forgeborn-created forgeborn.

● Refugee souls from another realm need bodies and have selected the nearly indestructible forgeborn race to inhabit. This starts a shadowy war between the forgeborn and the refugees.

● Forgeborn on the surface are rare, there are many more of them in the Dwarf King’s mines. Prax’s actions have sparked a rebellion. The forgeborn underground needs help smuggling free’d forgeborn to the surface. Dwarven abolitionists clash with mine owners, halting production and endangering the empire.

● Forgeborn are starting to split into sub-races. Forgeminds with psychic crystals growing in them, forest-forged with antler-like branches and vines, rusting deathforged with bone plating, godforged with their gold and ivory bodies, hellforged with their burning iron skin, spellforged with their lightning blood. The icons

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are all scrambling to claim one of the new kindreds as their servants, potentially starting a war of constructs. What is behind this sudden development of the forgeborn race?

● Forgeborn are beginning to lose their free will, becoming intelligent yet soul-less automatons. What is causing this, and can it be stopped or reversed? Where are the souls going?

● A forgeborn creator mystery cult venerates the Dwarf King, and believes that by becoming more dwarf-like in spirit that they will grow closer to their creator. The Dwarf King encourages the mystery cult, but a branch of the cult have recently began sacrificing dwarves to ‘eat’ their spirits. Meanwhile Prax’s actions has the potential to cause a split within the main body of the cult.

● Some forgeborn have started taking on gender, modifying their outer forms to fit the cultural expectations of the mortal races. Other forgeborn reject this fad, and try to make themselves as inhuman as possible. Clashes between ‘gendered’ and ‘fleshless’ forgeborn become common in Glitterhaegen. The bulk of forgeborn remain on the sidelines, but it won’t be long before a construct civil war starts.

● Galatos has the ability to command non-sentient constructs. Prax and Galatos break up and Galatos becomes a powerful megalomaniacal villain. A heartbroken Prax seeks out the adventurers to help him make a forgeborn companion. Apparently Galatos was not Prax’s first or last attempt.

● Inspired by Prax a team of forgeborn sacrifice their souls and components to create a forgeborn dragon called Steelheart. Steelheart begins killing other creatures, gaining their powers by eating their hearts. With every kill the dragonforged becomes more powerful. While it is ridding the empire of monsters, some of the icons view it as a growing threat or as competition.

● All over the Dragon Empire previously unthinking constructs are waking up to self-awareness. This is a major problem for several of the icons, and they put a price on the head of all forgeborn.

● The Lich King invites Galatos and Prax to the Necropolis where he promises to perform a marriage for them. What is the fallen king up to?

● It is prophesied that Prax will rise to become an icon called The Artificer. The prophecy mentions that this new icon will end the age and destroy one of the other icons. Prax is now at the center of a huge web of intrigue and assassinations. If the prophecy is true then helping Prax become an icon will gain the adventurers great power (and even greater enemies)... but what if this is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Forgeborn Loot Forgeborn Armature

Cape, Cloak, Mantle

Sitting on the upper back, this armor-plated accoutrement sports four extra arms. (Extra arms do not allow one to attune to extra magical gloves or rings, those need to be worn on your real appendages)

Always: +1 bonus to PD (adventurer); +2 PD (champion); +3 PD (epic).

Outside of combat you can also perform tricks with relative ease; stunts like rubbing your stomach while patting your head (while also juggling balls and writing in a diary and drinking a cup of tea). How often this comes in useful we leave entirely to your imagination.

The arms take too much concentration to directly control in a fight; instead, the wearer of the armature can give one of three mental commands. Setting or changing the command is a quick action.

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Offencive Defensive Grappling

Maybe the arms are wielding extra weapons, maybe they are gesturing while you are casting a spell, or maybe they are just repeatedly punching your many enemies in the face.

The arms move to block incoming attacks, deploying small circular shields that unfold from the forearms. The arms can even block attacks of which you were not yet aware.

The arms grab at opponents, preventing them from moving away from you, giving you more opportunity to inflict punishment upon them.

Reroll any damage dice that come up ‘1’, taking the new result.

Gain +1 to AC. This bonus stacks with bonuses from other magic items and from wielding a shield (although the bonus is from a magic item, it is not the result of magic but of the physical actions of the item).

Enemies take a -4 penalty to disengage from you.

If the wearer of the arms becomes helpless the GM may allow the arms to continue to fight for one turn more (or may not - GM’s call really). In the case of the arms being set to ‘defensive’ or ‘grappling’ they follow the rules above, in the case of ‘offencive’ the character deals miss damage to engaged enemies while helpless.

Recharge 16+: Reroll a failed skill roll or save that might have been helped by having more than the usual number of arms. You must convince the GM that having the extra arms might help you out.

Quirk: The arms take on a life of their own, disobeying commands and getting in the way.

Forgeborn Gauntlet of Arcane Potency

Glove

The gem in the palm of this gauntlet glows when empowered by a spell.

Recharge 16+: As a standard action cast any at-will spell you know into the glove, the spell is not ‘cast’ but has instead empowered the glove.

Forgeborn Gauntlet of Puissant Reach

Glove

The cylinders that surround the forearm of this gauntlet spin with a high-speed whine in battle. White-hot iron nails shoot out upon command.

Recharge 16+: When you hit with a basic ranged attack make a second basic ranged attack that deals

Forgeborn Gauntlet of Mighty Insight

Glove

The forearm of this gauntlet is set with brass and porcelain eyeballs.

Always: As a quick action command one of the eyeballs to detach (or re-attach). Treat the eyeball as a temporary familiar, giving it the familiar abilities flight, scout, and

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Once the glove is empowered, until the end of the fight: At the start of each round roll d6: If you roll over the escalation die you deal your level in damage (of the same type as the spell empowering the gauntlet) to each foe that moves into engagement with you or begins its turn engaged with you. If you roll equal to or under the escalation die you may cast the spell as a quick action on your turn.

Quirk: Desire to crush objects

2d4 x level fire damage

Quirk: Always sizing up potential opponents

talkative. Eyeballs with the talkative ability do not speak but instead produce an inch-high monochromatic illusion that they can use to display still or moving images and tinny sound. The eyeballs might fly on gas jets, walk on tiny articulated legs, scuttle like mechanical spiders, or just simply roll along. You can always see whatever the eyeballs see. You can only have one eyeball doing something at a time, but can have up to 3 detached at once.

Quirk: Over-inquisitive

Forgeborn Helm of Elemental Deduction

Helmet

Colored lenses on tiny arms slide out of recessed slots in this metal helm.

Always: +1 bonus to MD (adventurer); +2 MD (champion); +3 MD (epic).

Tell the GM that you are actively looking for a particular type of thing that can be described with one word (“Gold”, “Footprints”, “Doors”, “Keys”, “Clues”, “Ambush”, “Fish”, “Nobles”, “Coins”, “North”); you may roll 2x d20 for any skill check involved in your search and take the better result.

With concentration (it takes a minute or so) you can see through a nearby non-magical solid object, though this requires keeping still and staring hard at the object being looked through.

Quirk: Calm analysis of situations, possibly aloof emotionlessness.

Steel Raptor Fight Chart 

Number

of PCs

Steel Raptor

3 2

4 3

5 4

6 4

7 5

Steel raptor ambushes: If these creatures spring their ambush successfully then three of them can

Steel Raptor Their purrs sound like swords being sharpened, and they move like very graceful very very fast very big cats. Their six powerful legs sport claws sharp enough to leave marks in stone, and their beak-like armoured maws can snip right through metal. 6th level wrecker [CONSTRUCT] Initiative: +14 Sundering bite, rending claws +11 vs. AC (2

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act with a move and standard action, and the escalation die goes up to 1. Then roll initiative normally and proceed with turns in initiative order. Nastier specials Each steel raptor is unique. If the players are having too easy a time you can throw an unexpected curveball or two at them mid-fight. Acrobat: This steel raptor gains +2 to defences against all ranged attacks, as it twists and leaps with cat-like speed and grace. Defensive posture: This steel raptor rolls up into a ball, like an armadillo or pangolin. Once per battle it can sacrifice its next move action this battle to only take half damage from an attack. Really smart: Once per battle as a quick action the steel raptor pulls a trick that makes its target weakened (save ends). Tricks could include swatting a wand out of a wizard’s hand, headbutting the cleric as she is about to call upon her deity, etc. Speech: This steel raptor is smart enough to speak, and it uses this to yell something distracting as it attacks (granting it a +2 to one attack in the battle). Spell eater: Once per battle this steel raptor can make a spell miss by literally eating the spell. Spikes: Razor-sharp blades and barbed spikes slide out from the beast’s armoured plates. The steel raptor does 5 damage on a miss. This raptor flies: With a metallic ‘Snikt!’, blade-like wings slide out from under the steel raptor’s armoured plates. It can fly like an eagle.

attacks)—14 damage Pack hunter: If more than one steel raptor is engaged with a target, each steel raptor does an extra 7 damage on a hit. Furnace vision: The steel raptor can not only see creatures that are invisible, intangible, ghostly, etc... but any creature that is using a spell such as invisibility or blur, or is shadow-walking, phasing, ghostly, or similar; takes 7 fire damage at the start of each of their turns until they are again fully visible Armored: These creatures are literally steel-plated, even their bones and muscles are metal. On rounds where the escalation die is odd they take half damage from all odd attack rolls, on rounds where the escalation die is even they take half damage from even melee attack rolls only. AC 22 PD 20 HP 80 MD 16

Steel Raptors and the Icons The Dwarf King employs these creatures as guardians, and the Crusader’s army employs them as hunters. Both the High Druid and the Priestess regard them with suspicion if not outright hostility. The Lich King seems to fear steel raptors… his power is over undeath, but can a living construct really die?

Forgeborn Trio Fight Chart Number of

PCs

Modifications to the fight

4 Trine and Rising Red Mist now roll d4+1 for determining the number of

inbuilt crossbow or spinning cogs attacks they may make each turn.

5 Give Hammer of God and Trine +6 to AC

6 Hammer of God’s HP starts at 180

7 Give Trine and Rising Red Mist +6 to attack

Hammer of God Trine Rising Red Mist

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6th level wrecker [CONSTRUCT] Initiative: +9 Mighty fists +11 vs. AC (2 attacks)—7 damage, and 5 ongoing damage

Natural even hit: Make a stomp attack as a free action.

[Special trigger] C: Stomp +11 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies)—5 thunder damage, and the target is vulnerable (attacks against it have crit range expanded by 2) until the end of the battle AC 22 PD 20 HP 90 MD 16

5th level archer [CONSTRUCT] Initiative: +9 Arm-blade +10 vs. AC—18 damage R: Inbuilt crossbow +11 vs. AC (1d3 attacks)—7 damage, and Trine may move as a free action immediately following the attack (up to a maximum of 3 extra moves per turn). Iron sights: Trine gains a cumulative +1 to hit (maximum of +4) against a target for each time it misses that target during the battle. AC 21 PD 19 HP 70 MD 14

5th level caster [CONSTRUCT] Initiative: +9 Burning chains +11 vs. PD—12 fire damage and the target is hampered and stuck (hard save ends both) C: Spinning cogs +11 vs. MD (1d3 attacks against nearby or far away enemies)

Natural even hit: Target is hampered (hard save ends). Natural odd hit: Target is confused (easy save ends). Natural even miss: Target takes 5 force damage. Natural odd miss: Target is dazed until the end of its next turn.

Aftereffect: Targets who successfully save against the hampered or confused effects of this spell immediately take 10 force damage. AC 21 PD 17 HP 70 MD 19

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The steel raptors prowl the shores of the Steel Caves, gouging the living metal with their claws.

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The water laps gently against the glowing metal, yet the floor under the water isn’t rusted at all.

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Bella’s towers mostly lie in ruins, but beneath the ruins can be found many interesting things.

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Bella the Mad had more than one hidden laboratory.

The glowing goop on the floor is not a good thing; there is still an upright tank of it left.

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The hidden workshop of the lovelorn forgeborn artificer

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...HEART OF STONE...

A naga has had her fiance turned to stone by a jealous medusa. The adventurers must quest for three rare components of a stone-to-flesh potion while avoiding the monstrous servants of the medusa noble. The wedding is just a couple of days away, can true love find a way?

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A quest! Each adventurer in this adventure has long had a mysterious patron, a mystic who calls herself “Serpent’s Truth”. Though they have never met her she has helped them, using magical messengers to communicate. Sometimes she asks favors in return for her advice, sometimes she sends aid in the form of scrolls or potions delivered by magically conjured serpents. Go around the group and ask each player to recount a time when the mystic called Serpent’s Truth helped them. The mystic now calls upon them to meet them in her home in Glitterhaegen. It is a large mansion, obviously the home of somebody very wealthy. Many servants and guards maintain the place and keep their mistress safe. From the appearance of the place it looks like a wedding is being prepared, and in the main hall where an altar has been set up stands a statue of a surprised looking dwarf dressed in the clothing of a dwarven groom (presumably Serpent’s Truth has had this statue created as a stand-in for rehearsals - she didn’t it is Silas). Many golems and other magical constructs patrol the grounds. When ushered into the inner rooms of Serpent’s Tooth, the players are faced with a naga! These magical and long-lived creatures are rumored to be magic users who have shed their skins in order to attain more powerful forms. This creature is Serpent’s Tooth, or as she is more properly known Sa-An-En-Al-Hia-Sul. She explains that she was due to marry her love, a dwarven rune-smith called Silas Longstone, when her ‘friends’ intervened and transformed him to stone. She has now appeased most of her friends by changing wedding venues, but can’t risk angering others by transforming him back. She needs them to make a potion out of three ingredients and get the refleshed Silas to a hidden temple in the Bitterwood, all by nightfall. If the adventurers will do this deed for her she will be very grateful, and offers the party some of her rare spell-crystals (crystals that hold many grimoires worth of knowledge).

“Nagas are to the flow of magic what fish are to the ocean”

Art by Rich Longmore, from the new 13th Age Bestiary.

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The Diabolist thinks that such a marriage might cause chaos between the naga and the medusas. Beautiful, delicious chaos. The diabolist has such wonderful plans for this couple, but first they must be married… Of course the Archmage is always at odds with Nagas, and a marriage between a Naga and a Dwarf could strain relations between the Archmage and the Dwarf King.

The Elf Queen is both ‘sister’ to and occasional rival of the High Druid. Having the nagas on her side would perhaps benefit her greatly. The nagas have never been able to master druidic magic, perhaps they might prove able to bypass druidic protection rituals.

The Orc Lord knows that the Lich King deals with nagas. They share the same quest for longevity and power. Lich’s often give their phylacteries to nagas for safekeeping, or so it is said. The Orc Lord is cunning, and is willing to have his pawns help this naga as a way of gaining trust (trust that he will later betray, of course).

The Priestess strongly disapproves of anybody shutting down a wedding. Even monsters deserve a happy ever after, don’t they? Besides, the Archmage is a powerful ally and a gift of magical knowledge gained from the nagas would keep the alliance strong.

The Prince of Shadows deals in secrets and knowledge. The nagas know ancient secrets, and hoard knowledge. A simple quid pro quo deal, a marriage safeguarded now for some useful information later. Maybe he’s even attending the wedding in disguise? No, probably not. But maybe.

Characters Serpent’s Truth aka Sa-An-En-Al-Hia-Sul - A naga who has amassed a fortune through indirectly influencing many events to benefit her trade investments. She is genuinely in love with Silas Longstone. Silas Longstone - A dwarven rune-smith and master of enchantments. He originally built a trading relationship with Serpent’s Truth in order to gain from her lost secrets of rune-smithing, but fell in love with the serpent. It was he who arranged for her mansion in Glitterhaegen. Lady Starscale - A medusa noblewoman and a very old friend of Sa-An-En-Al-Hia-Sul. In their youth when the world was a very different place they adventured together. Now she is the secret force behind much of the trade in the eastern half of the Midland Sea. She normally lives in Drakkenhall but has travelled to Glitterhaegen for the wedding. It is Lady Starscale who turned Silas to stone over an argument about the wedding venue. Lady Starscale wants her friend to take a couple of centuries to reconsider the whole marriage idea. Sa-An-En-Al-Hia-Sul has promised not to turn Silas back to flesh herself, so Lady Starscale has dispatched her servants to stop anybody fetching the ingredients for a potion that will return him to life. Slaah - A half-lizardman servant of Lady Starscale. He doesn't like his job, but he fears his mistress and is well paid. He doesn't understand his mistress’ motives half the time, and certainly can’t understand why Serpent’s Truth is still her friend. Baroness Kob - A medusa, one of Lady Starscale’s entourage. Father Rockthorn - A dwarven priest hired to conduct the wedding. The other guests - Harpies, Chaos Mages, Non-Humanoid Druids, Ancient Elven Nobles, a Rakshasa nethermancer deep in conversation with an Ogre Mage, a gaggle of Lamias (the bridesmaids), a Marilith demon, etc. Oh, and lots of very nervous dwarves trying hard not to look like a walking buffet.

Don’t forget to roll icon relationship dice at the start of every session and have any 6s give a positive benefit (such as a magic item) and any 5s give a benefit with a story complication.

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The Purple Silvercress. Near the center of Glitterhaegen the city founders built a park. Through the ages the park has been expanded, sold off for building land, burnt, used as a military training ground, converted to farmland during sieges, and forgotten. Only a few parts of the original park remain. In one of the forgotten corners bloom unremarkable flowers called purple silvercress.A fact forgotten by all but the naga is that purple silvercress absorbs magic. Flowers that are ready to harvest glow, but the glow can not be seen by most mortal creatures. Serpent’s Truth has provided the adventurers with goggles that allow them to see the purple silvercress’ glow. Lady Starscale has sent some of her servants to destroy the flowers, and when the adventurers get there they find Starscale’s creatures doing such that. Lady Starscale doesn't want Silas returned to flesh, and is willing to risk her followers lives in a fight. Lady Starscale’s servants are willing to compromise, but need to be convinced to do so. If negotiations fail (or never take place), then a fight is inevitable. See Starscale’s Servants Fight

The Fire-Blooming Cyanamid. In a private garden in one of Glitterhaegen’s more prestigious residences resides the fire-blooming cyanamid. This rare carnivorous plant attacks the roots of plants that grow near it with red-hot roots. Only grass and moss can grow near the fiery predator. Creatures venturing too close must contend with spurts of fire and whipping tendrils from beneath the ground. It takes three DC 15 skill checks to approach the fire-blooming cyanamid’s mound without initiating a fight with it, two DC 25 skill checks to harvest the flower without triggering a fight, and three further DC 20 skill checks to sneak away. A failure on any one triggers a fight with the cyanamid, and possibly with guards from the residence that the garden is part of, and a failure on one of the DC 25 checks means that the person making the roll takes 2d12 damage. See Cyanamid Fight

Medusa Tears. The final ingredient is the hardest to harvest, medusa tears. Normally an adventurer would have to kill a medusa and harvest the tear ducts and hope that they are enough to do the job. Too much time has passed for just the tears to turn stone back to flesh, and killing a wedding guest would be unacceptable to Serpent’s Tooth. To get one of the medusa guests to cry (with sorrow, joy, laughter, or by use of onions) works this way… start by making a DC 20 check. If it is a success reduce the DC by 5 for the next character to try, and by 5 again if that is a success. Each success brings the difficulty closer to 0. Once the difficulty is 0 the medusa sheds a tear and the party gathers it. For every failure raise the DC by 5. Once the DC reaches 35 it is no longer possible to attempt to gather a medusa’s tear (they are kicked out of where the medusas are, the medusa cries but slithers or runs away as she does so and the tears are lost, etc). It is down to the players what backgrounds they use and how they attempt to wring tears from the cold-blooded serpent women. If all else fails the adventurers might have to fight a medusa. See Medusa Fight

Get him to the temple on time! Finally the adventurers need to hassle to the wedding, taking the still groom with them, via boat, to the Bitterwood and the hidden temple there. If they have avoided a fight so far then the medusa’s forces try to stop them, either at the mansion, the docks, or at the hidden temple (see Medusa Fight or Starscale’s Servants

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Fight). If they get him to the wedding then love has won the day.

Poor Silas Longstone, turned from flesh into stone.

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Gently glowing Purple Silvercress flowers line the well-trod path.

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The Fire-Blooming Cyanamid tolerates no other flowers in its presence.

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This old dock is perfect for quietly smuggling grooms.

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The secret Bitterwood temple is popular with medusas.

There is a large statue garden out back...

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Starscale’s Servants Fight Chart 

Number

of PCs

Slaah Armed

servants

3 1 0

4 1 10

5 1 20

6 1 30

7 1 40

Armed servant 3rd level mook [HUMANOID] Initiative: +4 Dagger +13 vs. AC—4 damage R: Crossbow +14 vs. AC—4 damage Mob mentality: If the number of armed servants engaged with an enemy or group of enemies and outnumbers them 3-1 they do 6 damage instead of 4 with their daggers. AC 17 PD 15 HP 8 (mook) MD 11 Mook: Kill one armed servant mook for every 8 damage you deal to the mob.

Slaah the half-lizard Double-strength 7th level leader [HUMANOID] Initiative: +9 Twin swords +10 vs. AC—20 damage

Natural even hit or miss: Slaah commands one ally to make a basic melee attack as a free action.

C: Poison spit +10 vs. AC (1d3+1 nearby enemies)—10 poison damage Leaping lizard: Slaah can leap great distances and cling to walls while moving, but must return to the ground to fight with his swords. Swaying dance: As a move action Slaah may use some of the serpent magic that he knows. He may either grant all the armed servants +1 to hit OR may lower his AC by 1d4 until the start of his next turn to teleport to any spot nearby or far away OR may only do half damage with his next attack but make two attacks instead of one. Disloyal: Slaah can be bargained with, and is willing to call an end the fight and walk away alive if he thinks he can report failure to his mistress and get away with it. AC 28 PD 20 HP 150 MD 20

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Fire-Blooming Cyanamid Fight Chart 

Number

of PCs

Cyanamid Mansion

Guards

3 1 - AC 24 5

4 1 - AC 25 10

5 1 - AC 26 15

6 1 - AC 27 15

7 1 - AC 28 15

Mansion Guards 3rd level mook [HUMANOID] Initiative: +4 Wooden clubs +10 vs. AC—8 damage AC 17 PD 15 HP 7 (mook) MD 11 Mook: Kill one guard mook for every 8 damage you deal to the mob.

Fire-Blooming Cyanamid Large 7th level wrecker [PLANT] Initiative: +9 Vulnerability: Cold C: Flailing tendrils +10 vs. AC (4 attacks against nearby or far away enemies)—5 damage

Natural even hit or miss: The target takes 5 fire damage. No target can take this more than once a round.

C: Flame Burst +10 vs. PD (1d3+1 enemies nearby its central flower)—10 fire damage Full blast: If only 1 target is hit it takes a further 10 ongoing fire damage. Feed me, adventurers! Feed me now!: Every time an adventurer is hit or a guard dies the Cyanamid heals 10 HP. Immobile: The plant can not move from its central mound. Its high PD represents its ability to pull in its bloom, and its high AC represents the fact that it is armoured by a hillock of soil. AC 21+1 for each party member PD 20 HP 140 MD 30

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Medusa Fight Chart 

Number

of PCs

Medusa

Wedding

Guest

Lamia

Bridesmaid

3 1 0

4 1 1

5 1 2

6 1 3

7 1 4

Lamia Bridesmaid Women on top, serpent on the bottom. 3rd level troop [HUMANOID] Initiative: +4 R: Bow +8 vs. AC—10 damage Slither: Lamia never provoke opportunity attacks, even when firing their bow while engaged in melee combat. Nastier Specials Lioness Lamia: This lamia is like a centaur, but with a lioness’ body. When she fires her bow in combat she claws at enemies; she does 5 damage to one enemy engaged with her that is not the target of her bow attack. Insect Lamia: Though she looks fully humanoid and could pass for human or elf, this creature can dissolve fully or partially into a swarm of roach-like insects. When she moves out of engagement with an enemy that enemy takes 5 poison damage. AC 19 PD 17 HP 45 MD 13

Medusa Wedding Guest Double-strength 6th level wrecker [HUMANOID] Initiative: +11 Snakes and Daggers +11 vs. AC (two attacks)—10 damage and 10 ongoing poison damage.

Natural 18+ hit or miss: The medusa can make a petrifying gaze attack against the target as a free action.

[Special trigger] Petrifying gaze +11 vs. MD—20 psychic damage and the target must start making last gasp saves as it turns to stone. Caught by an eye: When an enemy rolls a 1 or a 2 on an attack against the medusa, the medusa can make a petrifying gaze attack against that attacker as a free action. AC 22 PD 16 HP 160 MD 20 Oh, and remember...

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format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement. 2. The License: This License applies

to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game

Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content

distributed using this License. 3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License. 4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration

for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have

sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License. 6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the

COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder's name to the COPYRIGHT

NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute. 7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly

licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered

Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered

Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game

Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. 8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are

distributing are Open Game Content. 9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License

to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. 10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of

the Open Game Content You Distribute. 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written

permission from the Contributor to do so.12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due

to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with

all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License. 14 Reformation: If any provision of this

License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000,

Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and

Dave Arneson. 13th Age. Copyright 2012, Fire Opal Media; Authors Rob Heinsoo, Jonathan Tweet, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. Pathfinder RPG Core

Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. Castles & Crusades, Copyright 2004, Troll Lord

Games; Authors: Davis Chenault, Mac Golden.

©2014 Fire Opal Media. All rights reserved. Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and

are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, icons, place names, new deities, etc.), dialogue, banter and comments from Jonathan and Rob or ASH,

plots, story elements, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.) Open Content:

Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Fire Opal Media game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License

version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. 13th Age is published by

Pelgrane Press under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast,Inc. 13th Age is a trademark of Fire Opal Media. ©2013 Fire Opal Media. All rights reserved.

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