Hunter and Hunted One Shot
This tale takes place in the southern country of Sunwilde. A fitting name given the staggeringly hot temperatures and punishing sun that shines down daily with hardly any rain. It is a land of endless deserts and dense jungles. You all find yourselves traveling to one such jungle. You are a group of mercenaries and fixers. You've each been paid handsomely by your benefactor - King Umra-A-Tawil of Olorun. You are to travel up the Aewij (AhWoj) River, enter the jungle and reach a long abandoned Temple ruin in the shadow of the Idaraya Mountain, Where a group of miners have mysteriously gone missing. You are tasked with bringing back the miners, or news of their demise to the king.
Plot points/Scenes
Scene 1: On the river:
Your group sits on a barge chartered by the king. Its captain is a swarthy man by the name of Kassem. He is completely bald with rippling muscles. An open purple vest and cut off black trousers adorn him and 2 long swords sit at his belt. He stands at the rear manning the rudder, keeping your party between the two river banks. You listlessly drift up the river toward your destination. The heat and insects are getting to you. But the sooner you get this done, the sooner you get paid.
Players may introduce themselves and begin the action.
Your barge, known as the madman, drifts toward your destination, a few hours of just stewing in your own sweat, the noises of the jungle, and the soft sloshing of the boat are your only companions apart from your present company. Eventually You can see the river bends and twists and eventually funnels into a dense jungle far up ahead. You are instructed to debark once the river reaches that area, then it is a few hours hike to the temple.
Kassem: "So... What pointless errand has our benevolent king sent you on?
Me? I keep my ass out of the jungle. Too many wild beasts and too many places they can sneak up on you. If I'm out at sea or traveling the Eternal desert, at least I can see danger coming. Usually from miles away! But here?"
Kassem's thought is cut short as you hear a *whoosh* a projectile of some kind whizz across the boat. Suddenly you see Kassem go silent and begin to double over. As he topples to the ground, the top of his skull falls off his head as if cut by some invisible blade. His brain matter sloshes across the deck of the boat.
You can not see who attacked the boat BUT
You notice the boat is now unmanned and drifting toward the river bank!
DC15 dex check to keep the boat from crashing into the riverbank.
You look around and see nothing
Every few minutes or so, It will launch projectiles at your boat to try and kill or maim you.
(DC20 perception check): You notice a glimmer of some kind, like some sort of mirage. like the forest took the shape of a humanoid figure as it moves from tree to tree (Disadvantage to hit it)
Eventually the attacks stop. You remain vigilant and on guard for anything else that may want to harm you. Luckily there is very little navigation required, just keep the boat in the center of the river and you will make it to your destination.
Scene 2: The Temple of Bones:
Your river ends at a steep waterfall. You disembark to the shore (DC 12 dex checks all around) to moor the boat safely.
You come to a rough stop as the boat moors itself onto the silt bottom of the riverbank.
You each disembark into the soft lush floor of the jungle. The canopy is thick with green leaves, the scorching sun barely pokes through offering a nice reprieve from the unforgiving heat from the sun.
Who is leading the party?
DC10 Survival check to make it to the temple safely.
You wind on through the jungle. insects buzz and wildlife of all kinds vocalize all around you.
Leader of the pack makes a Perception check.
DC10 - on a success he notices mining gear scattered all about. Pick axes, unlit torches, rucksacks. No other signs of life in the dense jungle except for the bugs and flora flourishing all around you.
Your path eventually leads you to an opening. You can see the remnants of a pyramid. Only the front facade remains. The rest is toppled in ruin.
Do you go closer?
(Trap, DC 16 to spot, avoid, and disable)
Player that activated the trap: You feel something wrap around your ankle and you feel the irresistible pull upwards. You are now hanging upside down, vulnerable.
(AC of 10 to cut, 2 HP vulnerable to slashing)
as you get nearer, you notice skeletons.... bones.. skulls.. spines. Still red with blood and remnants of sinew. They are piled up around the steps of this pyramid as some sort of ritual, or sacrifice.
Suddenly you hear leaves rustle next to you as a spear comes hurtling toward (pick a player make an attack roll).
You can not see whatever threw this at you.
Roll initiative!
TPK: You watch this reptilian humanoid slowly come to (Last player bleeding out) it is wearing some sort of armor on its face. It removes the facial armor and you are greeted by a wholly alien face. this is a being hitherto unknown to this world. Its mouth is 4 mandibles that move indepently of one another, Its eyes glow a pale blue. It's skin reptilian looking and seems perpetually wet. It takes the blood of your allies and smears it on its face turning it a deep crimson.
it looks down at you with what you can only surmise is a look of satisfaction. Victory perhaps? Then you see it unsheathe two sharp curved 2ft. long blades that emerge from its wrist. It examines the blade for a moment as a surgeon would. Then the last thing you see is the wrist blade flying toward your neck. Then all goes black.
Players Win: You look down at this creature bleeding out. it's blood is a sickly green color. The blood itself seems to have a sort of luminescence as it stains the temple floor around you. it looks up at you gasping for air. You see it bring its fist to its chest as what you can only surmise as a sign of respect. You notice on its wrist however, there is a beeping sound along with what looks like a liquid vial with liquid running out of it to a different vial filled with a black substance. It begins making a noise that resembles laughter.
(dex saves for explosion)
Plot type
A Oneshot
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