Farewell, an Adventure.

General Information

It's 2012. All over the world people joke about the Mayan apocalypse. Wizards in the The Two Families argue about the ancient rules that forbid them to use elemental magic to keep their houses cool in summer, instead of wasting money and energy with air conditioning technology. Nobody paid much attention when Margareth Varela starts her farewell, a coming of age tradition that includes traveling to a near city. Now, at the end of the day where she was meant to return, they notice. She hasn't come back. Something went wrong and they don't know what to do because this has never happened. Even worst, Margareth is the heir of the Keeper. Was she targeted for that? And who would be able to do so? She may be young, but she's one of the strongest wizards in town. Maybe it's just an inconsequential delay but, if that's not the case, the whole structure of their community will shake. Is urgent to find her and put an end to the evil plans of whoever had prevent her from coming back home!

Players

This one-shot can be played by a single person. One or two more people could take part, in the same or different routes. This adventure doesn't require an character profile, but it wouldn't hurt either.

The rest is not for players to read. Proceed with caution.

Goals

Main goal

Find the lost Keeper's heir.
Figure out enough secrets in the town Track the clues in the city Meet the mastermind behind Margareth's disappearance Take the bus back to the town, with Margareth, before the fifth day.

Other possible achievements

Couple's therapy

Give a happy ending to Greg's (a.k.a. Closure) love story, by recommending him to let go.

Lessons

Take Genieve's route, and convince Margareth to come back to town and explain her decission, it leads to Genieve and Margareth talking about it at the bus station.

Happy endings

Convince Leonardo to talk with Raúl and work with him.

Sad beginnings

Convince Fred to do the Banning ritual

Become a protagonist

Meet the mastermind behind Margareth's disappearance in the Public Library and fight. People around will notice some odd things, and give them a rational explanation if they care; but Alan can almost see the truth, and writes his version of your story.

Become a villain

Meet the mastermind behind Margareth's disappearance in "The Iron" Bar and solve things peacefully. Enough of the conversation will be heard by Haru and inspire a short story about a cult, with Margareth as the victim.

Events and Locations

The player starts in the town's inn, but right after the goal and stakes are clear they will have power to chose any of the locations at any time. Each day is divided in 4 turns, the last being during the night. Visiting a location takes one turn. Traveling between city and town takes two turns. Each location will offer different events, some will be unlocked by actions or previous events, other by showing up in the right moment, and others will always be there. The events are detailed next, while the location itself is described in its own article.

Day 1. Night.

The town's Inn

Exposure. Beginning of the story.

The player hear the news: Margareth didn't come back from her Farewell. To help, they need to chose a character to approach:

Greg (He's your friend, and everyone knows how much he loves that girl).

Raúl (it's just businesses: bring the heir’s keeper back safely, get paid for it)

Fred (Margareth's family needs support in this hard times)

Genieve (She cares for the community as much as you do)

After that, they will have the choice to continue to investigate the town, or to go to the city immediately. The choice is always for the player, but there is some leading depending on previous decisions.

Raul will suggest the player to go to the city, and either way he'll go to the opposite place.

Fred will start here, and suggest the player to stay too.

Greg will try to start here, but he will follow with the player.

Genieve will go to the city, but even if the player goes there, she will follow a different path.

Days 2-4

Exploring the town

Clues about Margareth's personality

Inside the house

Leads to investigate her room and find out about her skills and interests

Fashion, art & culture

Unnecessary items build or modified with magic

Not psychology, politics, laws or history

If the player is working for Raúl, Leonardo will warn not to trust him. The player can:

Politely ignore it.

Ask why. Leonardo will explain that Raúl has caused him trouble, and he disrespects the people and the laws.

If the player tries to convince him to forgive Raúl, or to work with him at least now, he will explain that, as a child, Raúl was a lot like Margareth, but he became worst with time; she learnt to respect the rules instead. He will join the player in the journey, and try to be polite if they meet Raúl.

The garden

Leads to find out that she's a mean sister, and a selfish person.

"Here's where she push me from the tree and later say I jump as a joke. There is where she hide the good toys so the other children couldn't pick them... "

Info about Margareth's ideals, and her relationship with Margareth.

The ruins

Hints on her wish for freedom, and how she doesn't really respect the rules (but it seems all innocent; the magical forest seems nice, even if she was warned that doing that could cause damage to the other species that used to live there, the tea party most have been from before she understood the laws...)

If Greg or Fred are with the player, it will be mentioned that Greg always was on her side, even more so when he fell in love, but she didn't seem to care much for him.

Exploring the city

Clues about Margareth's disappearance

It starts in Laurel's house, the map is in the room where she was staying. After that, they can visit any of the marked places. In most of them they can find red herrings about regular crime and, if they are lucky or very inquisitive, job offers.

"The Iron" Bar

-In any of the first days they may talk to a young woman (Haru) or a more mature man. Both will probably talk about the mysterious man that left with Margareth. She will also explain that that was the first night she worked there.

In the fourth night they may meet Margareth.

She will just have found a job unless they had fought her during both interviews. In that case, they can choose between fighting (random results) or trying to convince her(success).

If she has no job, she will fight them.

Public Library

In any of the first days they will meet another which. She will tell them about the previous ban. If they ask, she will describe the mysterious man, or confirm that it's him. If they are with

If they are noisy or talk to the witch inside the library, the librarian will throw them out and they won't be paying attention at the board.

If they are quiet and respectful of the library rules, right before leaving they will notice a job offer an the date of interviews in the board.

But there would be no warnings about library rules, ""it's a matter of common sense," the librarian will say)

If they find out why the places where marked, before the night four, they will also find out that she has an interview here on the fourth day. If she's confronted, she will fight. (Same thing if they coincidentally inspect the library on the fourth day).

A boutique where nobody seems to buy anything

If they find out why the places where marked, they will also know that she has/had an interview here on the third night. If they try to talk or capture her there, she will fight.

If they coincidentally inspect the library in the third night, she will run.

Otherwise, they will only find out that they don't have enough personal because Laura, their best employee, was kidnapped a week ago.

The park

Here they will meet the mysterious man.

If they ask about Margareth he will be honest about her, but not about her plans.

If they ask about the banning, he will seem happy with his life.

Either way he pretend to be helpful, and lie about the places in the map.

Elegant apartment's building

-They will meet Genieve or Raúl (if they are working with them), or may be accompanied by Fred or Greg.

Fred remembers that Maggie used to say that she would live in a building just like this, but that was before she knew that the keeper never leaves the town for long.

Greg plans to live here because Maggie says this is the best building in the city.

Genieve is worried because Margareth doesn't really care for the restrictions of magic and she may break them if she is trouble (or just because), maybe she already did.

Raúl’s theory is that “Maggie could have been targetted by wizards ploting against the current structure of the Two Families, otherwise, she would have just killed the attacker without leaving trace of it.

They will meet the mysterious man, who lives here.

Genieve or Raúl will take their own way again.

Day 5.

Bus station in the city

Closure.

Winning

Capture her in:

The library

The bar

The boutique

Convince her at the bar

This open different endings, while they wait at the bus station on the morning of the fifth day:

If they are working with Genieve or Fred: Try and convince Greg to do the banning Spell, or try to convince him not to (and fail).

If they are working with Fred or Greg: they may try to convince Greg to talk to Margareth (he'll get a broken heart) or to forget her (it's the best for him, really).

If they chose to work for Raúl: he’s not paying. Technically, they didn’t bring the heir back.

Loosing

If she escapes from the fight in the bar, they loose. She'll run far away and someone more capable will have to go after her.

If she escapes from two fights and they don't meet her at the bar, they loose. She'll run far away and someone more capable will have to go after her.

If they don't meet her at the bar in the last night, but they fought her less than twice, she will have a job, feel happy, think about it, and come back on her own in the morning of the fifth day. They won't know anything until the night (yes, they will make 3 moves for nothing).

This is the seed of a one shot adventure, designed for Adventure April. That's why it is public even if probably I would be the only one to give use to this information. It's a sort of prequel of the novel, which means that those who have read any entry about the Wizards, may have and idea about the outcome, but this adventure is about the path, not the goal. If you have plans or interest in playing this adventure, you don't want to read this article.

Plot type

One Shot Adventure

Related Characters

Related Organizations

The Two Families

Related Locations

A distant town

Themes

Leaving home
Childhood memories & shared secrets Childhood items Raúl and Margareth are mean with their respective siblings Young love (Greg) Margareth could finally put an end to Greg's hopes.

Responsibility
Every choice has consequences The few choices that seem "free" have greater consequences The rules for each spell have relevance on the plot. Leaving things behind, changes

Fight Results

Option A: Random
Throw 1D6. If the player is alone, it requires a 1 to succeed If the player is with Fred, it requires 1, 5, or 6 to succeed. If the player is with Greg or Leonardo, it requires 1 or 6 to succeed.

Option B: Decisions
If the player is alone, Margareth wins. If the player is with company, they win.

Hooks

Exploring town
Findings in Margareth's room the garden ruins Advice from Leonardo

Exploring the city
The map of the city has some marked locations. Answers to the right questions in the bar The witch in the library tells the story of the last Banning ritual Finding out why those places where marked in the map. Conversations in the apartment's building

Red Herrings
Common crime and disappearances discovered in each point of the city The mysterious man

Cruel Tricks

Do I know you?

The love story was never meant to be.

Children's games

For the character, or a player who hasn't read Margareth's profile, the ending will be... oh, well.

Treason

Raúl won't pay

Entry for Adventure April 2022

Competition Homepage