Runebearer Hide and Zeke, Podreczniki RPG, Runebearer

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Hide and Zeke:
An Introductory Adventure for Runebearer
Introduction
At that point, events will transpire that will involve the PCs
in the search for some missing children. However, getting
them to Rundam is the job of the GM. Some possible
explanations are below:
Hide and Zeke is an adventure for beginning Runebearer
players and GMs. In this adventure, the PCs will investigate
the disappearance of a group of children and explore an
abandoned house. PCs should have skill levels of 8-12 in a
mix of skills. Tracking is an extremely useful skill in this
adventure, and concealment, investigate, and a high
perception score are helpful as well.
• PCs could be guards at one of the nearby logging camps.
One day, they are granted some R&R and trek to Rundam
for supplies. They happen to arrive on the day of the
Coming of Age feast, and are invited to join the villagers.
• PCs could be traveling to, or from, another adventure.
Any remote location in northern Bostonia could be in
Rundam's general vicinity.
• If one of the PCs is an herbalist, or alchemist, he could be
in this region looking for a rare herb, or reagent. Rundam
could be a planned stop, or the group could get lost dur-
ing a trek through the hills.
• In a new campaign, one or more of the PCs could be
young, disenchanted villagers from Rundam looking for
a life of adventure elsewhere. The events of this adven-
ture could be the spark that sets them traveling.
• PCs who are bounty hunters could be searching for a
band of slavers that are rumored to operate in this area.
The GM could use the slavers in this adventure to pro-
vide details to the bounty hunter PC.
• Priests or priestesses could have been assigned to travel
to Rundam and watch and document their ceremonies.
The History of Rundam
Up until 100 years ago, Rundam was isolated from Bostonia;
its inhabitants paid homage to no Baron, and they
worshipped pagan gods. Woodsmen serving Lord
Rigentropp made contact with the village and used it as a
base to support new logging camps. Through contact with
the loggers, and priests, the Rundamites were integrated into
Bostonian society, and became subjects of Lord Rigentropp.
As the logging trade prospered, so did Rundam. The Lord
built a road, connecting the once isolated village to the rest of
Bostonia. Merchants started to make regular visits and
construction started on a sawmill.
Rundam's decline started in y771, Black Rains brought
sickness to the region. Soon after, a group of white ratlings
attacked several of the camps, and then raided Rundam,
burning much of the village. The destruction bankrupted the
nobles who managed the logging operation, and forced the
remaining camps to close. Rundam returned to being an
isolated backwater.
Rundam Today
Today, Rundam is still recovering from the events of 33 years
ago. Rundam is a farming community with about 300
inhabitants. It is surrounded by acres of rich hillside fields
and pastures, and several lush hardwood forests. Loggers
have slowly made their way back to the region; a few nearby
camps purchase provisions here, and use the road the
transport wood to the larger towns to the south.
Hide and Zeke
In Rundam, children are considered adults when they are in
their early teens. Every few years as needed, Rundam
welcomes its grown children into the community with a huge
feast, and a blessing from the local Ilpader. The feast is
followed by a ceremony in which the new adults hike
through the woods, and as a test of their teamwork and
courage, sleep the night at a "haunted" house.
How the PCs Get Involved
The start of this adventure presumes that PCs are passing
through Rundam on the eve of its Coming of Age ceremony.
1
The Adventure
The Feast and the Morning After
• Conversation to wait for the perfect lull in a heated dis-
cussion to start asking questions.
• Persuasion to convince one of the upset mothers that the
PCs are here to help.
• Orate to shout down the crowd and convince them to
deal with the crisis in a calm fashion.
While traveling through the wilderness of northern
Bostonia, you and your companions stop at the village of
Rundam on the eve of its spring festival. Though you had
heard that the people of this village were simple and
insular, this evening they invite you to their table, and
break bread with you.
Of course, once the PCs have the villagers' attention, they
will ask questions about the situation. The GM should
answer those questions based on the information provided
elsewhere in this adventure. However, some suggested
topics, and their answers are listed here.
Your hosts are eager for news, and stories of adventure. In
return, you treated to a night of wine, and song. The
festivities lasted late into the night. However, your long
journey tired you, and you retired to your rooms long
before your hosts.
The next morning, you wake with a heavy head, and the
taste of the local brew coating the back of your throat. You
had planned to get a late start, perhaps chat a bit with
your hosts at breakfast. However, as you make your way
across your room, and throw open the shutters, something
tells you that you missed breakfast.
Topic
Answer
What is
wrong?
Concerned Mother:
The ceremony has
gone terribly wrong. Our children have
gone missing.
Old Timer:
I'd say wolves got 'em by now.
The sun shines high in the air; it is almost noontime.
Below you, in the village square, dozens of villagers have
gathered. The crowd shouts, and hollers. Many of the men
wave fists, pitchforks, and hefty sticks. A couple of the
women are crying.
Angry Family Member:
Shut up, old man.
Wolves
Trapper:
Yes didn't you hear them,
howling and barking like mad? But then,
you were out cold. Sure was a miserable
night for the ceremony.
It seems an angry mob has gathered outside your
window.
Other Villager:
Those weren't wolves
howling. Those howls were unnatural.
The PCs might think that the villagers have turned on them,
but that is not the case. What has happened is that after the
PCs went to bed last night, the villagers performed their
Coming of Age ceremony. Six village children received a
blessing, and marched into the woods to camp at a nearby
"haunted" house.
Ceremony
Calm Villager:
Every year, the children
who are old enough to work the lord's
land go out into the woods and camp the
night by old Zeke's house. One or two of
them go in and bring out a souvenir - just
an old candlestick, or the leg from a chair.
Next morning, they all return.
The children are late returning, and the villagers started to
organize search parties. However, rumors of wolves, and
ghosts have stirred them into a panic. When the PCs see the
scene, it is chaos with various families are arguing - some
wanting to wait another hour, some wanting to form a mob
to storm the abandoned house, and still others warning of the
house's history.
Excited Villager:
But now it's midday and
they are still gone. Something terrible has
happened. Maybe old Zeke has them!
Zeke's
House
Villager:
It's to the north of here, up Bald
Hill. There is a trail through the woods
leading right to it, but it might be
overgrown. No one goes up there, but for
this ceremony. It is a creepy place.
If PCs observe for a moment, they will be able to hear
snippets of the argument, and possibly (Conversation DL 7,
Perception DL 12) catch some basic information; some
children are missing, and a house, and perhaps wolves (or a
ghost) are involved.
Creepy
Place
Villager:
It is a huge house, but no one has
lived there since old Zeke was han… died
there. Some folks say the place is haunted
by Zeke's ghost.
Questioning the Mob
PCs that go down to the mob to investigate will have a tough
time insinuating themselves into the discussion. People are
yelling, arguing, sharpening their pitchforks, or weeping.
PCs could use any of several skills to gain the attention of one
of the villagers (all at a DL of 7):
2
Ebenezer Crow
Topic
Answer
When the conversation begins to lag, or it looks like the PCs
are done with their questioning:
Zeke's
Ghost, or
Hanging
Old Timer:
Ezekiel Crow was a rich
recluse; lived here about twenty years
ago. He was into a whole slew of badness
from what I hear. Some say he was a
warlock, and Ilpader Mantram hanged
him for it.
Suddenly, a gravely cackle interrupts your conversation.
You turn to see an old man dressed in a formal jacket, and
breeches. Though once fine, his clothes are as withered as
his skin. He tugs at the tuft of wiry, gray hairs on his chin,
and lets out another laugh, which quickly turns to coughs.
Anyway, there's always some story or
another about how old Zeke is coming
back to take revenge on this village for
hanging him.
Once the old man recovers, he addresses the villagers,
"Ha! You miserable lot, look at you. Aren't you wishing
you hadn't hanged Ezekiel now? He did nothing to you,
left you alone, and you ignorant fools hanged him for it."
Unnatural
Beast
Trapper:
I used to keep traps up by
Crow's old house. I don't any more. See,
one night, I was checking a couple of my
traps. It got late, and the sun was setting,
but I thought, "Why bother coming back
up here tomorrow?"
More coughs then, "But he's back now isn't he. You know
it is true. You can feel the pricking on the back of your
neck, and the chill in your bones. You murdered him, and
left his body for the roaches. But now, he's found a way to
return. Ha! Now he'll make you all pay."
The crowd breaks into chaos as some people begin to pray
for salvation, while others try to shout the intruder down.
One woman faints, while two hotheaded villagers start
walking toward the ancient man with blood in their eyes.
So, I was searching around the house,
maybe thirty yards away, when I heard a
noise in the bushes. I looked up and there
was this huge thing - half man, half rat. Its
eyes were glowing, and it was dragging
these long steely claws on the ground. It
spotted me, and I held my axe up, hoping
it would keep its distance. It just threw its
head back and laughed, belching fire high
into the air.
Give the PCs a chance to silence Ebenezer Crow, and calm
the angry villagers. To convince the hotheaded villagers to
leave Eb alone, PCs will have to interpose themselves, and
make a skill check (Persuasion or Fast Talk DL 10).
Otherwise, they will have to physically restrain the men.
I ran like the Deceiver himself was at my
back. Never been close to that place since.
In a few moments (or if the PCs do nothing, or are having
trouble gaining control of the situation), the village priest,
Ilpader Garland arrives.
Ilpader
Mantram
Old Timer:
He was a character. Spent
more time asking questions, and buried in
his books than actually preaching. He was
the one that started the fuss with Zeke -
asked a bunch of us about him; went up
there a few times to talk with Zeke.
A young man in priestly robes pushes his way through
the crowd. As they see the priest, the mood of the villagers
changes immediately; the blood in their hearts is replaced
with shame. The mob goes quiet, and the Ilpader speaks.
"Eb Crow, you get back home now. None of these people
have harmed you, and only the grayest of them knows
anything about Zeke. Children have gone missing, and we
need to find them. If you're not going to help with that
task, then you need to go home."
One day, he summons a bunch of us to the
church, shows us a bunch of drawings,
and started talking about how Zeke had
made a deal with an evil spirit. He had
this necklace he took from Zeke's house,
some kind of unholy symbol.
Questioning Ebenezer Crow
Astute players might think to question Ebenezer Crow about
his brother.
The Ilpader led us to Zeke's house, and we
confronted him. He denied everything.
We kept him there, and searched his
place. We found a book that none of us
could read. Mantram said it was a book of
rituals, proof of Zeke's sorcerous ways.
Ebenezer lives in a tiny house a couple hundred yards
from the rest of the village. It is clear that Ebenezer is a
capable and independent man. The yard around his house
is cluttered with various tools, and from the looks of it, old
Eb is building traps, skinning animals, curing meat, and
chopping firewood.
So we hanged him.
Where is
Ilpader
Mantram
now?
Old Timer:
Oh, he is long gone, left soon
after that mess with Zeke. Probably off to
find another warlock. Ilpader Garland is
here now. Maybe he can tell you more
about it.
You knock on the door, and can hear muttering, and
shuffling from within.
3
Eb Crow is a bitter, old man who hates the village of Rundam
for what they did to his brother. He will open his door, and
talk to PCs, if for no other reason than to make it clear that he
will not help them. It is very unlikely that he will volunteer
any information.
Topic
Answer
Magic
I don't know. Zeke was always talking
about power and spirits. Mostly made it
up, I reckon. Still, toward the end, his talk
got stranger and stranger.
PCs might remind Ebenezer that the victims of this incident
had nothing to do with the fate of Ezekiel. If they bring up
this argument, allow them a skill test (Persuasion DL 17) to
get Eb to talk. In addition, can be bribed with goods
amounting to 50p or more (Bribery DL 10 or DL 8 if the GM is
particularly impressed with the bribe).
Where is
Grave?
Behind his house. I can tell you where to
look. Gives directions that require a skill
test (Navigate DL 5) to follow.
Hanged
Mantram charged up to the house with a
bunch of villagers, rousted Ezekiel out of
bed, and hanged him. They almost
torched the house, but Mantram wanted
to search it for evidence. Of course, there
was nothing there.
Topic
Answer
Ezekiel
Ezekiel was my brother. We were thick, he
and I. Traveled all over this blasted place;
made a fortune and lost it just as quick.
Yeah, those were the days.
The Village Priest
Fortune
Oh, is that what this is about? (scowls)
Well, I suppose I can brag a bit about it;
it's all gone anyways. About 20 years ago,
Zeke and I made a killing smuggling
whiskey and rum.
Once Ebenezer Crow is dealt with, Ilpader Garland calms
the crowd, and convinces them to wait while he sorts out
the matter. He proceeds to talk quietly with several of the
villagers. When he is done with them, he walks over to
your group and takes you aside.
"I know several men will go charging up to that
abandoned house. I also know that these people have
some strong superstitions, and firmly believe that Zeke's
ghost has something to do with the missing children. I am
afraid that someone will do something foolish, and hurt
himself, or someone else."
Smuggling,
Whiskey,
or Rum
Oh yeah, we ran whiskey back when Lord
Gadsden was in power here. He owned a
huge brewery in Jherod and made it
illegal to buy anything else. Well, the stuff
was too expensive, and tasted like
pigswill. Zeke and I distilled our own
whiskey, strong and sweet, and sold it to
every inn and alehouse within 50 miles.
"I need someone with a cooler head, and experience in
dangerous circumstances. If the stories you spun last
night have any truth to them, you fit that description
perfectly. Now, I can't offer you much, but whatever I can
spare is yours. Will you please lead the search party?"
(Lost in remembrance) Yes, we made
quite a pair of thieves, Zeke and I. We
would make the stuff in his basement,
sneak it out the tunnel, make haste to the
coast, or south toward Jherod.
Father Garland is worried about his village. Several children
are missing, and though the Father does not believe in Zeke's
ghost, he wants to be certain. He sees the PCs as experienced
warriors, and hopes they can deal with whatever threat
exists, as well as keep his people from trouble.
Tunnel
There is a tunnel leads straight from the
Zeke's basement north to the road. We
could smuggle our goods even when the
Lord's guard was camped in Rundam.
The PCs might want to ask the Ilpader a few questions. Some
suggested answers are listed below.
Rundam
A bunch of cowards, and yokels. Let the
Deceiver have them. Ha! Let Zeke's ghost
have them.
Topic
Answer
Ghost
I think my brother found a way to come
back from the grave. Just before that priest
hung him, he told me that if anything
happened to him, he would find a way to
see justice done - even if it meant digging
himself out of his grave.
Zeke, or
Witchcraft
Well, it was a long time ago - before my
time actually. But yes, Ezekiel Crow was
hanged by Ilpader Mantram on charges of
witchcraft. From all I have read, the
charges were flimsy - nothing more than a
couple trinkets, and a book no one could
decipher. Ezekiel claimed he found them
years ago, but Mantram was looking for
witches.
Grave
Ezekiel wasn't buried in the churchyard.
He was hanged for practicing magic, and
so he was buried out in the woods, behind
his house.
4
the slavers and their dogs (the howling and barking heard in
the village).
Topic
Answer
Once the children were subdued, the slavers took a secret
tunnel they found in Zeke's basement that led to a road. Their
plan was to follow the road to the coast, and their ship. Once
they board their ship, they will sail to the cobrat lands; in
some kingdoms, human children fetch a small fortune.
Where is
Ilpader
Mantram
I don't know. He left long before I arrived
at this parish. I heard rumors of another of
his "investigations" in a small parish in the
western part of James Barony.
Investiga-
tions
From what I understand, Ilpader
Mantram is a self-proclaimed witch-
hunter, and spends more time searching
for devils than he does saving souls.
However, their plan went awry when their wagon broke
down in the darkness. They did not fix the wagon at night for
fear of search parties seeing their lights. So, they waited until
morning, fixed the wagon and continued down the road. The
PCs are hours behind, but can still catch up if they figure out
what has happened.
Ceremony
I don't understand it, or approve of it, but
these people have held it for many years
with no mishaps. There have not been any
children of age for quite some time, so last
year was the first I actually saw of it. I
can't tell you much more than you already
know.
Optional Addition to the Plot
Even stranger is the fact that the slavers were waylaid along
the road early this morning. A group of white ratlings had
been scouting this area for months, searching for a powerful
ancient site. Just yesterday they found the site, but realized
that they require a blood sacrifice to enter.
Wolves
There are wolves in the region, but they
mostly stay far from Rundam. I heard the
wolves last night as well, but I could not
tell how close they were to the village, or
the house.
They headed toward Rundam with an eye for stealing one or
two humans from their fields. On their way, they happened
to run into the slavers carrying a wagon full of sacrifices.
Impatient, the ratlings stopped the slavers and "convinced"
them to give up their booty. The ratling group and the
ancient site they are trying to explore will be published in the
second part of this adventure.
Zeke's
Ghost
I am not concerned about a ghost, as much
as I am concerned about a group of
frightened, hotheaded, young villagers
tromping about through those woods.
Setting Off
Unnatural
Beast
I have never seen of such a thing, nor have
I heard about it outside of the local
alehouse. It is more likely that the children
have gotten themselves lost, or are
playing a cruel joke on us.
As you prepare to leave, the priest speaks to the villagers.
When he finishes, a group of six young men wielding
crude weapons approach you. "Outsiders, the Father has
told us you have agreed to search for the missing
children," he motions to his group. "We are coming to help
you."
Payment
Yes, I understand you will want to be paid
for your services. As I said, I don't have
much. I will gather the church funds, and
take a collection from the families outside.
We might be able to scrape together 200-
300 coins. I hope that is enough for you.
Let the PCs decide what to do with the six villagers. A skill
check (Tactics DL 10) will indicate that these men have never
seen life or death combat. If the group allows them to help,
then refer to the following stats:
The Real Story (GM Eyes Only)
Villagers
Everything is as it seems in the village of Rundam. No one
knows the fate of the children, and no one here has anything
to do with their disappearance. Everyone is eager to help in
any way they can.
Physical
10
Initiative
0
Swiftness
10
Attack
8
Mental
10
Damage
1d6+1d4
The children did travel to Zeke's house for their initiation
rite. They made camp, and then attempted to enter the house
to find a suitable trophy. Unfortunately for them, a group of
slavers passed through Rundam a year ago posing as traders.
Talking to the locals, they caught wind of the strange
initiation rite.
Perception
10
Defense
9/
8
/6
Move
6
Armor
0
Hit Points
28
Seeing the chance for easy money, the slavers returned to the
site a week before the ceremony, and set several traps for the
unwary children. Those that entered the house were caught
in the traps. Those that remained outside were ambushed by
5
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Runebearer Hide and Zeke, Podreczniki RPG, Runebearer

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