Than Greyhawk: The Dragon's Bargain

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Contents 1 Setup: Than 2 Wolfgank 3 Travel to Furyondy 3.1 On the road 3.1.1 Troll camp outside Stalmarr 3.1.2 Bandits at Worlend 3.1.3 Crockport 4 Nukford and Zerind 5 Dragon cave 6 Time trip 7 Using this scenario

Setup: Than

Than gathered the party together and began to tell them that everything was going well, and that business is booming. He was looking much better than he had, but then suddenly collapsed.

Than has been burning the candle at about 20 ends, and recently has started taking a potion that prevents him from sleeping, in order to take on even more work. This eventually caught up with him.

However, the work has paid off. He is well respected by the city guard and administration at this point, and the populace is even starting to recognize his name.

After passing out, Than's sister arrived (coincidentally, it seems) and demanded that everyone leave. She looked after than for the next couple of days. After about 24 hours, he awoke, and asked to see the party. Over her objections, he did so.

Wolfgank

Than recently received this letter from a resident of Nukford who was in Verbobonc seeking employment for some of the people of the town:

Travel to Furyondy

After meeting with Wolfgank, the party decides to head north through Furyondy to help the people of Nukford.

On the road

On the way, they travel through:

• North-east along the Velverdyva to Stalmarr
• North-east along the major trade road to Libernen
• North-west along the trade road to Littleberg
• North along the mining roads to Worlende
• North through Chendl and Redoubt to Crockport
• North-east to Nukford

Troll camp outside Stalmarr

Upon leaving Stalmarr, the party ran into a group of two trolls and a young hill giant who were being persued by two Green Jerkin Rangers. The rangers helped the party to dispatch the three, and explained that they were wiping out a camp that they and their ilk had made, from which to ambush passers by. The rangers left the creatures' loot with the party as a reward for their assistance.

Bandits at Worlend

Just south of Worlend, at a river crossing, the party encountered what appeared to be a broken down merchant caravan, but quickly discovered that it was, in fact, a group of rather poorly prepared bandits. After subduing the highwaymen, the party brought them into Worlend to face justice.

Crockport

For the full account see Crisis in Crockport

The party became embroiled in an internal conflict in Crockport and managed to escape with a reward and the thanks of both the Countess and the local theives guild.

Nukford and Zerind

Upon ariving in Nukford, the party is greeted with confusion. They did not know that Wolfgank was going to hire adventurers, but the town agrees to honor his bargain if the adventuerers can route the dragon.

Hints indicate that the dragon may lie to the east, past the village of Zerind, in a cave that local children used to play in.

Upon arriving in Zerind, the party finds that it has been destroyed and the only remaining inhabitants are undead which grow more powerful nearer to a central building. In that building, they find a pillar which seems to be providing the undead with their mockery of life, and which blocks the use of Turn Undead. After defeating the undead, the pillar was destroyed and the party build a funeral pyre for the remaining bodies (none of the villagers seemed to be turned into undead, only their graveyards were used and then the undead or the dragon's bugbears killed everyone).

Dragon cave

Moving east to the dragon cave, the party found a number of groups of Goblin Engineers who were working to build out the dragon's lair and several traps within it. The party dispatched the goblins and took their rather large amount of treasure, and eventually encountered the dragon itself.

The dragon, Sa'n, immediately tells the party that it was he, not the true Wolfgank that the party met in Verbobonc, and that the "treasure" on the goblins was both their pay for the work to the dragon's lair and the stolen treasure of the town of Nukford. Since the party has retrieved the loot and the dragon has no need to attack Nukford again, it claims that the party has accomplished its goal and should return. After a scuffle ensued, the party retreated to the entrace to find it slowly shrinking. They left quickly and returned the items to Nukford and then proceded home to Verbobonc.

Time trip

On the way home, just outside of Worlend, the party was suddenly catapulted forward through time to a strange dungeon where Than claimed that they had told him of this incident and that they must help him to defeat the creatures in this Iuz keep before they can return to their own time. After doing so, the party is sent to a room where three hooded wizards wait. One of them removes his hood and tells them that they are time-traveling as a result of some sort of catastrophe that will happen in their future. It is unknown what thsi catastrophe will be, but it will occur south of Verbobonc. He advises that the party not try to avoid this fate. He also tells them that he captured them on their return through time, and that they will meet him again. He then sends them back and they arrive back on the road to Verbobonc.

Strangely, the only party member who did not appear in the future, Cheadle claims that he too was flung in time, but refuses to discuss it.

Using this scenario

There are four major parts of this scenario:

• Road trip (trolls, bandits)
• Crisis in Crockport
• Zerind undead generator
• Sa'n's cave

Any or all of these could be adapted to another game, though the road trip is fairly generic, and probably isn't worth using on its own.

Crisis in Crockport is a fine side-adventure for any adventure that requires travel through a major city, and ties in to a previous adventure for purposes of the ongoing Malhugh subplot.

The Zerind undead generator is fun flavor for any adventure where the players are being introduced to the shades of evil in the campaign world (playing the desperate spy of Iuz off of the young blue dragon, Sa'n).

As for Sa'n himself, this adventure is desgigned to introduce him as a recurring character, but a highly skilled group of adventurers could kill him. That's the choice the party has to make, once they find out that he's their employer.