Passing the Torch: An Adventure for Oldheads

Premise
The young village witch, Tanna Sparrow, has been missing for nearly three days. Tummy aches and stubbed toes compound as no one cares for their common ailments of the village. Her whereabouts are unknown.

Tanna left two nights ago in the dead of night down the southern road towards Nezzlebub’s tower. She took the side trail through the centipede cave to sneak into the tower’s bottom. Yet while inside the tower, she was captured by his undead minions and now is her prisoner. Her mission was to save her secret surrogate daughter, Emb, kidnapped by Nezzlebub’s undead servants.

Bumsq

The village of Bumsq is nestled in the rainy hill country. A sleepy settlement with muddy roads and smoky chimneys. The player characters find themselves residents here, familiar with the local faces.

Rusty Wheel

Folks at the Rusty Wheel tavern drink and gossip into the late night hours. A handful of attendants will testify they saw Tanna leave two nights ago but, in their drunken stupor, cannot agree which direction she left in.

In the shadowy corner sits a grizzled adventurer, her longsword firm in its red leather scabbard. Melussus was hired three days ago by Tanna to retrieve some slime mold from a centipede filled cave on the southern path. It was an easy task, sneaking in and out quickly, bragging that she was paid 3 gold coins to do it. She has heard the rumors of Tanna’s disappearance, but can’t be bothered to help without being promised a reward or share of loot.

Village Sheriff

Sheriff Duval is a hapless boozer. He isn’t much help -being a coward and all- but he warns that the path to Nezlebub’s tower is guarded by his skeleton champion, Urchion the Soul Splitter.

Village Elder

Elder Berry rocks on her chair outside all day, watching the comings and goings of anyone around. She swears she saw Tanna leave two days ago in the dead of night, trekking along the southern road. Elder Berry warns that the tower of Nezlebub looms in the distance, but has no clue as to why Tanna would go there. She says there is an old cave along the path, at the end of this cave is a clear water spring Berry and her friends used to swim in as children. Ever since the centipedes nested into the cave decades ago, no one has visited the spring since.

Tanna’s Hut

A half mile on the outskirts of the village, secluded from the community, sits Tanna’s hut. Charms of cowries and warlock’s weed hang from wood posts as the trail approaches nearer to her hut. A one room domicile, stout and rounded like an egg shelf cut in half. A clutch of chickens peck outside the doorstep, the inside looks dark and unoccupied. The front door is unlocked.

The stuffy and dark quarters are tightly packed, furnished with shelves, tables, a fire pit and narrow bed. Behind a standing leather skin screen is portioned off a section acting as a second, smaller room, containing a smaller bed and toy fox doll on top. Engraved into the bedpost is a name, Emb. On the nightstand next to the child’s bed is a salve for soothing burns.

Despite it looking as if Tanna has a child living with her, no villager ever remarks having seen her with a child before. To them, the existence of this child is completely unknown.

The most recent project on Tanna’s worktable is a collection of glassware and beakers interconnected by fine glass tubing. Samples of slime mold lay shriveled in bowls, crushed and mixed in a solution then distilled into a purple syrup. One such bottle is left on the table, labeled “Antivenom”. It would appear that several other bottles were filled and taken judging from the dust imprints of their absence on the shelf. There are 1d4 other potions

The notches by the door are emptied of the usual items: a wool cloak, walking stick, and satchel. Likewise, a sooty imprint in the shape of a sword is visible atop of the fireplace mantle, whatever blade occupied there shortly ago is now gone.

Path South

Along the path southwards it takes several hours to arrive in the domain of Nezlebub, craggy hills laced with dense fog and clouded skies. At a fork in the path, the side trail dwindles into the brush, leading to the centipede cave.

Continuing down the main path leads to a pass between rocks, a roped bridge stretches forward into the fog. Rising from the greyness, the crooked figure of Nezlebub’s tower points towards the sky like a dead man’s finger. Appearing from the fog before the rope bridge is Urchion the Soul Splitter. Bones rattle beneath the pitch black armor gilded with tarnish silver engravings of battling lions. Three glowing eyes appear from behind the darkness of a triple horned great helm. The snake curved greatswords is notched with the memories of ancient battles. Urchin allows non to pass unto the bridge unless he is defeated in combat.

Urchion the Soul Splitter
3 HD = 18 Hp
Body 12 Will 9
AV 6, DV 1, MV 6’
Attack as a greatsword, 2d6 damage.
Split Soul. When killing a foe, the greatsword cleaves through the very soul and is absorbed into Urchion. He regains 1d6 Hp with each kill.

Centipede Cave

In the foggy thicket, following the side trail leads to a narrow opening into the hillside. Pitch black and silent, an eerie stillness lingers inside the blackness. The cave consists of five small interconnected chambers. Moving from chamber to chamber in a hurry can be done so long as a light source persists.

Chamber One

The corpse of a long dead adventurer is picked apart, their bones scattered and armor pieces rusted and useless. Three unlit torches, a pouch of d66 silver and a bronze handaxe accompany the corpse.

Leads to Chamber Two and Four

Chamber Two

Nestled on the ceiling are 2d6 giant spotted centipedes, descending to hunt at the first sign of light or movement.

Giant Spotted Centipede
1 HD = 3 Hp
Body 6 Will 2
AV 12 DV 2 MV 12’
Bite, 1 damage.
Spotted Venom. Prey bitten must pass a Body save or be afflicted with a painful venom, losing -1 DV and taking 1d6 Hp damage.

Leads to Chamber One and Three

Chamber Three

Growing along the cool walls are clumps of drooping slime mold. While disgusting, it is a well known antitoxin, nullifying venoms and poisons if made into a poultice.

Leads to Chamber Two and Four

Chamber Four

Coiled in the center of the chamber is a segmented horror, spotted chitin plates wrap around the massive form of a gargantuan mother centipede. Squirming in its coiled center are 2d6+2 giant centipedes. Any clear commotion or violence attracts the entire families attention.

Mother Spotted Centipede
2 HD = 12 Hp
Body 14 Will 2
AV 8 DV 1 MV 8’
Bite, 1d8 damage.
Spotted Venom. Prey bitten must pass a Body save or be afflicted with a painful venom, losing -1 DV and taking 1d6 Hp damage.
Coil Crush. Grapled foes are warped in the hundred legged form, taking 2d6 additional damage.

Leads to Chamber One, Three and Five

Chamber Five

The steady trickle of water echoes in the dark chamber. A pool of crystal clear water flows into a natural six foot deep basin in the floor. Spending a turn to bathe in the pool restores 2d6 Hp. The first time bathing here also raises Luck by 1. Water can be bottled for later use, restoring 1d6 Hp.

Leads to Chamber Four and to Outside.

Outside

A slit in the hillside deposits one at the base of the ancient stone tower, mossy steps carved into its side wind upwards leading to its back entrance.

Nexlebub’s Tower

Old Foyer

Behind the great wooden doors from the outside rope bridge, the chamber expands in the tower’s belly. Carved into the stone floor is a great rune. Magic Users recognize it as such, and may roll under their Will to interrupt it as a rune to reverse gravity. Indeed, stepping onto the rune causes it to glow. Everyone in the foyer must pass a Body save or is lifted 1d6x10 feet into the air, dropping suddenly and taking 1d6 damage for every ten feet fallen. The runecna be avoided by edging along the walls and up the stairwell.

However, halfway up the stairwell a trap is laid for ascenders. A block of stone punches from out of the wall, shoving the front party member unless they pass a Body save. Failing means they fall 1d4x10 feet (taking damage as above) and additionally activating the gravity rune, affecting everyone in the room with the trap.

The steps lead to a single locked door seventy feet at the top.

Top Chamber

At the top doorway comes a maniacal laughter. A round chamber is illuminated by a pool of green slime, above which suspends an iron cage containing Tanna, cradling her young ward, Emb. Nezlebub menacingly pulls two levels, a white lever and black lever which respectively raise and lower the cage, all the while mocking the witch and her ward. He soliloquies on and on (as wizards are wont do) about dissolving them in slime to use their powers to increase his own might as a wizard. Five empty brained zombies clap in approval for their master. This goes on until interrupted.

Zombie Servant
2 HD = 6 Hp
Body 14 Will 5
AV 10, DV 0, MV 6’
Attack as a shortsword, 1d4 damage.

Nezlebub the Evil Wizard
3 HD = 9 Hp
Body 6 Will 15
AV 10, DV 2, MV 10’
Attack as a dagger, 1d4 damage.
Knows 2d6 Random Spells.
Spell of Aging. Select 1d6 HD worth of targets. Targets roll d100 over their own age. Failure means they age by 2d6 years and lose their choice of 1 Body or Will.

Upon being freed, Tanna thanks the rescuers and offers her service as a friendly witch of sagely purposes, able to gift 6 Healing Potions, 3 Mana Potions and teach 3 new spells. The child, Emb, appears to have been badly burned, half her face taut with long healed over burn marks. Tanna took in Emb as an infant several years after she was left on her doorstep, half burned by fire. Caring for her in secret she sensed a powerful presence about the child, a great will found in all powerful magic users. Tanna and Emb return to their quiet life together on the outskirts of Bumsq, where Tanna teaches all hedge magic she knows to her young apprentice.

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