A couple of short encounters for a party in need of action: Temple of Ehlonna Dereilon and Red Dragon.
Author: Mike McKweon
2 For the Road
by Mike McKweon (Qstor@aol.com)
(Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission
from the author.)
Temple of Ehlonna Dereilon (in the Dim Forest. Based on against
the giants: the liberation of Geoff)
Before the coming of the shadow dragon to the village the temple of
Ehlonna was the spiritual center of the village. The wood elves also paid
homage to Corellon and the other elven gods but the temple holds a special
place in the village. It is said that Ehlonna herself blessed the stone
temple many years ago when Flann woodmens first made contact with the elves
of the forest. The temple was a simple one story stone structure. Tan colored
wooden doors with iron worked handles the shape of unicorns greeted travelers
up the path to the temple. Inside was the main worship hall. Rows of pews
lead the way to the alter and the lectern. Inside the faithful would listen
to the glory of the deeds of the Maiden of the Forest. Behind the alter
craftsman had contructed a stained glass portrait of the godess and a unicorn.
It is said that two arrows used by the godess lay inside the alter. Behind
the alter lead the way to the dwelling place of the priests. Here they
would store their belongings and the bows which where their main weapons.
About 4 priests were stationed at the village, a human one often visiting
from outside the forest. Only the most senior priest had his own room.
There was no kitchen or dining area, the priests ate with the villagers
outside the temple. A small library and a dressing area compleated the
inside of the temple. In the back of the temple stood an archery range,
here the priests would sponser contests for the faithful in the favorite
sport of the godess.
Adventure seed: CY591 - a High priest of Ehlonna asks a ranger
or elf in the party to travel to the village to recover the sacred arrows
of the godess. There is a 50% chance they will encounter a mature adult
female shadow dragon in the ruins of the village. Shadows lurk in the village
as well. The PC's will be well rewarded by the priest should they fulfill
the task.
Red Dragon: Based on Dragons of the Flanness.
High in the Southern Crystalmists near the border of sterich, in a long
abandoned dwarf hold lies the wyrm Vesmonstran. On a pile of gold that
rivals the treasure house of Ivid, for hundreds of years he has slept.
Solitary and greedy, he fits the temperment of his kind. In the days when
the Kingdom of Keoland was young he raided keep after keep, gathering gold
and silver to satisfy his greed. No warrior or wizard was strong enough
to defeat him or wise enough to find his lair high in the Crystalmists.
Never bothering to have mated, he counted coins alone in the deep. After
gathering his great hoard it is said that the dragon entered a deep sleep,
for hundreds of years he has slept undistrubed by gold seeking adventurers.
His pride has made him feel safe inside the stone cavern he calls home.
The dwarfs of the valley have left him alone. It is said that his hold
includes several magic tomes of the Suel, a golden magical chalice of Heironeous,
and a sacred ax of Clanngeden.
Possible Adventure seeds: However from underneath the Oerth,
the dark elves have discovered his lair. What role does the dragon play
in this? With the defeat of the giants in Sterich will the wyrm see a chance
to see greater glory once again? How will the dwarfs of sterich, shut inside
their fortresses react to this? Is the fragile leadership of the country
ready to stand united against the threat? Will his pride and greed be his
undoing? Is their a female red that seeks to produce his spawn? Is he lustful
after this long slumber? Is HE the one seeking to spawn?
Vesmonstranuan: Red Dragon Wyrm - CR 23 HD: 37d12+370 (650 hp)
AC: 42 (-4 size, +36 natural), Att. Bonus: +48, Saves: Fort/Ref/Will -
+30/+20/+27, Weapon (DC) 22d10 SV (38) (DC) 35 (SR) 30, Speed: 40 ft.,
fly 200 ft. (clumsy); ST 41, DX 10, Con 31, Int 24, Wis 25, Con 24; Special
Abilites Damage reduction 20/+3, Caster level 17th, He can also cast cleric
spells and those from the Chaos, Evil, and Fire domains as arcane spells.
Feats: Flyby attack, Snatch, wingover, improved initiative, sunder, power
attack, quicken spell, Hover, and Cleave
Spells:
Read Magic, Detect Magic (seven others)
1st: Alarm, Enlarge, message, magic missle, feather fall, indentify,
tenser's floating disk
2nd: melf's acid arrow, darkness, levitate, blindness, knock, see
invisibility, Glitterdust
3rd: fireball, magic circle against good, hold person, clairaudience,
tounges, gust of wind
4th Wall of fire, shout, polymorph self, illusory wall, fire trap
5th cloudkill, dominate person, telekensis, dipel good
6th true seeing, move earth, guards and wards, control water
7th teleport without error, Prismatic spray, greater scrying, spell turning
8th Unholy Aura (cleric), Incendiary cloud (cleric)