A2a. Journey to the Tower
This scene takes place on the way to The Sleeping Tower
As this scene begins:
Flax and Gundren are traveling with the party
As the players depart the Green Goat Inn, Flax leads them toward Leilon’s southeast gate. Read or paraphrase:
The morning sun shines brightly over Leilon’s eastern wall, warming the air with the promise of approaching summer. The smell of fresh-baked bread mixes with the salty air of the sea breeze, which blows through the bustling street of unfamiliar faces.
If he’s leading the players, Flax trots ahead of them, anxiously glancing over his shoulder to ensure they’re still there while townsfolk gawk and stare at him
While traveling, Flax urges the players to hurry, his feet prancing nervously on the road. (“My hoard could be anywhere,” he whimpers. “And I need to get it back soon.”) If he hasn’t already, Flax can share his Loud Knowledge “Iomandra’s Visit.”
As the players approach the southeast gate, read or paraphrase:
Ahead, a twenty-foot-tall palisade rises around the town, its thick logs lashed tightly together and sunk deep into the ground. As it approaches, the muddy street runs through a pair of broad, timber-framed gates, through which a steady trickle of traffic comes to and fro.
As you pass through the gates, the town falls away, the road now flanked with wooden-fenced fields, their neatly-laid crops swaying in a sweet, wildflower-scented breeze. Across hills and meadows, the occasional pillar of white smoke marks the location of a nearby farmhouse. In the distance, a viridian forest around the base of a tall, craggy hill.
As the players travel, a curious Flax asks the players about themselves, beginning with whichever player has shown him the most kindness. Flax’s questions might include:
“Who are you? Where are you from?”
“What’s your favorite food? What’s your favorite game?”
“Are you an adventurer? Have you ever found treasure? Have you ever slain a monster?”
(To a player carrying a visible weapon) “Are you good with that? It looks dangerous!”
(To a player carrying a visible instrument) “What’s that? How do you use it?”
Ten minutes after the players depart Leilon, read or paraphrase:
Ahead, a dirt path branches north from the road into the tall grass beyond. Around it, rolling meadows stretch toward a low ridge that rises above the fields, its base vanishing behind a small wood.
At Flax’s direction, you take the northern path, leaving the main road behind. After a few minutes’ travel, the trees pull away, revealing the crumbling remains of a rounded stone tower at the base of the ridge a few hundred feet away.
If the players have befriended him, Flax shouts “Finally!”, his wings wriggling excitedly. He then turns to the players and asks, with puppy-dog eyes, “Race you there?”
If the players accept Flax’s challenge, he races them to the tower. (Use the Race rules to run this race.) This race has the following waypoints:
Distance | Waypoint | Events |
0 feet | Start | None |
50 feet | The Gully | This eight-foot gully is difficult terrain. A running creature can vault over the gully by succeeding on a DC 5 Strength (Athletics) or DC 5 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a failure, the creature falls Proneat the bottom of the gully. (Due to his fly speed, Flax automatically flies over the gully.) |
100 feet | The Tall Grass | The first creature to reach this waypoint startles a flock of quail, which fly from the brush and buffet the first creature behind them, forcing that creature to succeed on a DC 5 Dexterity saving throw or halve their speed next sprint. |
150 feet | The Mud Patch | A creature that runs through this ten-foot patch of slippery mud must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. A running creature can vault over the mud patch by succeeding on a DC 8 Strength (Athletics) or DC 8 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a failure, the creature falls Prone in the mud. |
175 feet | The Stream | This four-foot stream is difficult terrain. A running creature can vault over the stream by succeeding on a DC 3 Strength (Athletics) or DC 3 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a failure, the creature falls Prone in the stream. (Due to his fly speed, Flax automatically flies over the stream.) |
200 feet | The Sleeping Tower | None |
If Flax wins, he whoops happily and darts through the air in joy. Decrease his Anxiety Die by 1.
If Flax loses, he congratulates the victor, either cheerfully (if it was a close race) or disappointingly (if it wasn’t).
Proceed to A2b. Outside the Tower