Nero Adventure Weekend Module: The Merchant's Horse. by Lee Sonko I don't think this was every run. this module is available on disk for easy editing. Just ask for a copy. you can reach me at NACHA on Argus or 396-3508 average time 1 1/2 hour equipment needed: 1 merchant, 6-12 monsters, a path, a clearing between 50 and 100 yards from the path, a "cave" on the far side of the clearing. A strong, small metal ward key and a small lockable metal box (they will be eaten by a monster and must survive the "journey") characters: Merchant: His name is Sconman. He is from Ravenholt and was visiting his great aunt Grizelda 1/2 days walk from Ravenholt. It was Grizelda's 75th birthday! He is dressed like an average merchant. He is in is 40's. he acts and speaks very intelligently. he carries a dagger. In his home town he has been a successful businessman for 20 years, selling everything from grommets to jewelry to the finest water clocks in the land. stats: he is a first level scholar with: read/write read magic 4 1st level celestial 3 2nd level celestial 1 3rd level celestial first aid small weapon spells active: 3 body, bless, greater bless, costume, shield greater shield, (9 body points, 8 armour points), magic armour, 3 endows spells ready for today: 3 disarm, 1 endow, 3 repel, 1 pin. He is carrying: 8 silver, a key to his lock-box and a very well hidden amulet around his neck with charges ever of SHUN. This item is not for sale as it was given to him by a good friend to protect him. If trapped, the merchant will try to expel all of the charges to keep it out of the party's hands. encounter 1: a merchant comes to Ravenholt a bit winded. He asks the first group of trustworthy looking people he finds to help him find his horse. "I am looking for a good tracker. My name is Sconman. I am a merchant from lowtown. I was on my way back from my aunt's 75th birthday party, walking through a darker part of the forest when my horse was spooked by this horrible howling scream somewhere off the trail. Immediately, he just jumped up on his hind legs and took off into the woods. I would normally be able to accept the loss but in one of the saddle bags was the ward key to my shop. I can't afford to wait for the ward to dissipate. It is only an hour or so walk. I can pay you <1/2 silver per party member per level>." encounter 2: clouds are starting to move in. After a 45 minute walk, Sconman stops the party and says that this is the spot that the horse ran off. On the path there are in fact horse and human tracks. [should the horse prints be represented with cardboard horse shoes? or would a real trail be best? the party would likely have a very hard time finding a real trail in the dark but finding cardboard prints by a light spell is do-able.] The horse prints lead off the trail in one direction. Sconman has trouble remembering which way the horse ran off. [Marshall: give a bonus to the party member that catches the trail first]. If the party can't find the trail after 5 minutes, Sconman remembers which way the horse went. encounter 3: the sky is getting very dark with clouds and the party can see and hear lightning a few miles away. The party must REALLY track the horses prints. The prints first lead straight off the trail, then loop back on themselves and proceed in another direction. (make the circle about 75 feet around). After tracking the circle, the tracks are very easy to follow and lead across a clearing. If they loose the trail for more than 15 minutes, it will start to rain, the trail will be lost and the module is over. encounter 4: When the party reaches the middle of the clearing, it begins to look like it is going to rain orcs n' trolls any second. The thunder is very loud and the storm seems directly upon the group. All party members wearing metal get a slight tingly feeling. party members with metal armour and weapons feel suddenly very odd, "like some force is gently pulling your skin upward". after that, the party has only a few seconds to react; quick timing is important. 10 seconds after the marshall says "..like some force.." the party hears a loud rushing sound, then the rain starts. It is so loud that they can't hear each other unless they yell at very close range. Every 5 seconds, lightning strikes the field, 50% of the strikes hitting players (generally hitting metal armour and such!) [real lightning has never been used in NERO. I would guess that it should do variable damage 8-32 points. also, because it is real electricity, not "eldritch lightning" it would knock the victim unconscious for 10 minutes, wakable after 1 minute like a sleep spell.] encounter 5: If the party follows the tracks straight across the field in the rain, they will find a cave. It is too dark outside and raining too hard to see into it at all. Even the entrance to the cave is 10% prone to lightning strikes. The cave is very dark and smells awful. Lying toward the back of the cave are 2-6 sleeping . Also in the cave are some large scraps of leather which Sconman recognizes as remnants of his saddlebags, some piles of monster dung (in one of which the ward key is in), several very large piles of flesh and bone, one pile reaches almost to the ceiling. If the party is quiet and stays no more than 10 minutes, the monsters won't wake up. If they disturb the larger piles of bones, they will fall loudly and wake the monsters. Or if they killing blow any of the monsters, they will make a dying cry and wake the rest of the monsters. Inside the stomach of one of the monsters is Sconman's lock-box with 6 gold inside. He will search for the box nonchalantly. As soon as he finds it, he will take out the the promised <1/2 silver per party member per level> and give it to the party forgetting that he doesn't want them to know about the rest of the money in the box. He then tries to hide the box. If they find it, and become forceful about taking it from him, he stands at the entrance to the cave and SHUN's and REPEL's all that approach him. To this commotion the monsters will awaken. (Muhahaha). If that doesn't stop the party, he will use his 3 endows to run away very quickly back to town and report a robbery to the sherriff. encounter 6: If they kill the monsters and move them, they will find a hole in the wall just barely large enough to fit one of the monsters. If they go in, they will find nothing but trouble. The smell is so bad that one of the party will suffer NAUSEA. In another cave, there are 4x as many monsters than were in the first cave. If they can defeat them, they will find another exit and a few silver pieces lying on the ground. and everyone lives happily ever after.