Constructs

Constructs in D&D. (These others could likely be used for AD&D as well.)

A construct is a monster that is not actually alive, but which has been created magically. A Lesser construct is costly to make, and can be hit by any weapon. The Lesser constructs in the D&D system include iving statues (Basic Set), magen (game adventure X2), and juggernauts (X4).

A Greater construct is very expensive, but can only be hit by magic weapons. The Greater constructs include gargoyles (Basic Set), golems (Expert Set), and drolems (this set).
The following general rules apply to all constructs:

• They can be created only if the proper magical process is used. This often involves a special book, libram, or tome, plus special materials (which must usually be purchased), certain spells, and time.
• The time needed varies by the size and power of the construct, but is never less than a week, and may be greater than a year.
• They do not heal normally; magic must be used to cure them of any damage incurred.
• They are immune to the effects of poison (since they are not truly alive), and mental effects (charm, sleep, illusions, etc.).
• They do not reproduce; there are never “baby gargoyles,” for example.
• The DM may add special treasures (such as a book of gargoyle creation) if desired. Player characters may wish to use constructs to help guard castles, dominions, or special treasures.

THE RESURRECTION MACHINE

Resurrection is an interesting topic for discussion in AD&D, and D&D. Depending on your view and use, it alters and defines your campaign. I believe that a Gamemaster or Dungeon Master should put some thought into exactly what purpose it should serve in the campaign.

Will the playing characters have to go on a massive quest to seek out an artifact or deity? Will they have to gather up a gazillion gold coins to pay Pope Hat Bob to resurrect a fallen friend? Do they simply have to drag their buddy down to ‘Resurrections R Us’ to have a priest say a few words? Or is it really Resurrection In A Bottle where the characters buy a few Resurrection potions at the Quickie Mart before an adventure and start downing them like Red Bull?

It’s up to you.

Recently I stumbled across the following articles dealing with Resurrection. The first is from StupidRanger.com and discusses both the good and bad of raising characters from the dead. And the second is from Runecarver discussing mainly the downside of Resurrection. Give both a read if you wish, and then also take some time looking here, too.

In my campaign, I believe that Resurrection should beused, but sparingly. It is a tool for the Dungeon Master to deploy in extreme circumstances as a plot device, quest for the playing characters, or divine intervention. So anyway, damn the torpedos … let’s discuss quickly.

1. PLOT DEVICE:  “A plot device is an object or character in a story whose sole purpose is to advance the plot of the story, or alternatively to overcome some difficulty in the plot.” So an example of this would be the story of Lazarus of Bethany. The resurrection in and of itself is used to make the story and the campaign stronger. Perhaps the party goes on a quest to resurrection one of their own fallen recently in combat. Or maybe they are going to turn a nice bit of coin by setting into a dungeon looking for an artifact that will bring the Baron’s daughter back to life. Or maybe a divine being grants the party a favor due to some massive deed, and they wish for their buddy the halfling to return to life after being pincushioned by a million arrows. Either way, it’s all about making the campaign stronger because the resurrection takes some blood, sweat, and tears. Just don’t overdo it.
2. HOOK: “A narrative hook (or hook) is a literary technique in the opening of a story that “hooks” the reader’s attention so that he or she will keep on reading.” Again, this is used by the Dungeon Master to make the story and campaign better. Maybe the characters are looking for the Fountain of Youth, or a Red Bull of Resurrection. If it gets the ball rolling and the players are interested, then it’s not a bad idea. Again, don’t overdo it.
3. QUEST: Fighting your way through Hell to kill a bunch of devils is cool. Fighting a bunch of devils to get a cool magical item that brings your buddy back to life is even cooler. Making the resurrection an active quest allows it to become a part of the story. It’s not just the knee jerk reaction of a DM who is responding to a player who does nothing but whine about his character dying. “But but but … he was my FAVORITE first level fighter!”
4. DIVINE INTERVENTION: A higher power takes interest in the playing character, and restores her/him to life. I think now of a Dragonlance campaign from my high school years. A major character decided to take on Kitiara Uth Matar and was promptly killed by her Blue Dragon’s breath weapon. The remaining characters watched as the Elf’s smoldering body fell from the walls of the castle, and lay smoking in the courtyard. They gathered his body up and took it to the priests. However, Paladine was the being who granted resurrection, claiming that it was a miracle for the True Gods. Another good example would be the return of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings. He was “sent back to complete his mission.”

So there you have it … my thoughts on the Resurrection Machine. I’d like to hear how you handle this topic within your own campaign. And remember … not only the good guys get Resurrected. Sometimes even Bargle can come back for a little fun thanks to a handy resurrection spell.

 

Death and Dying in AD&D

I have been playing D&D for roughly 27-30 years now. I have had many characters die, and many survive. In looking back, it’s always the ones who died or nearly died that I remember the best.

One of my first games of D&D involved me showing up to a gaming session and being handed a character sheet. “You are playing a fighter,” the DM explained. “We’re playing in an Oriental campaign. Think of him as a Ninja. He has a sword and a long knife. Oh, and he has a bag too. If he opens the top it shoots out Hellfire so make sure to point it in the right direction.”

I don’t even remember that character’s name but I totally remember how he died. He was killed by an Ogre wearing Boots of Invisibility. The Ogre was running up and down the hallway, and my character tried to figure out what was going on. He got in the way, and got smashed. For several adventurers after that, the DM would described the sound of thumping as the Ogre jogged by and we would all cringe. Nobody else wanted to have a smooshed character.

I recently invited a friend of mine named Julia to play some AD&D with us. Her response was simple enough: “No. I get too attached to my characters. Then I don’t want to play the role-playing game because I’m afraid that they might die.” This statement was interesting to me, and it provoked some thought about the issue of Death and Dying in role-playing game campaigns.

In the world of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, most players are using their characters to act out the role of an adventurer in one form or another seeking treasure and wealth. Gygax made this quite clear in his discussions about handling treasure in a lower level campaign. He advised that a wise Dungeon Master would tell the players that their characters are running low on coins due to their above average lifestyles, and it was time for the characters to hit the dungeons again to make some money.

So if the playing characters are seeking adventure, wealth, and treasure that means that they will be intentionally placing themselves into the way of monsters, traps, and other dangers that very well could end their lives. Thus, the death of a playing character is not only expected, but perhaps should be planned out. But that’s food for thought for another post.

In any case, Dungeon Masters should realize that the possible death of a character is just as important in the grand scheme of things as any other part of the campaign, and should be given some thought. Where exactly does Death and Dying fit into your campaign, and what role will it play when the dice start clattering on the table?

First of all, be clear and concise. Explain during the opening phase of the first adventure that death and dying is a possibility. Explain that you, as the Dungeon Master, will not be going out of your way to kill any playing characters. However, make it clear that choices within the game have consequences. Egress and retreat is as much an option as engaging in combat. You should be very clear that just because the playing characters encounter a situations, trap, or monster does not mean that the encounter is balanced or intended for mastery. There may be some situations or creatures within the adventure and campaign that they will not be able to defeat and should be avoided. Also remind them that the skills of out witting an opponent earns them XP just as quickly as hacking it into pieces. Sometimes a party fo adventurers must run away to fight another day!

Secondly, make note of the game mechanics you will be using to determine death. Will you call for saving throws? Will you use SYstem Shock checks? Will the playing character in question be dead upon reaching “0″ hit points or will actual death come only after slipping to “-10″ hit points? Make sure to go over this information before slogging through a gaming session. For example, in my homebrew AD&D campaign, I use the following: dropping to “0″ hit points leads to unconsciousness and “-10″ is death. This allows the players to gauge what chances they wish to take with their precious playing characters.

 Next, consider the availability of healing sources. You may think about making your campaign a bit deadlier by restricting access to healing spells, abilities, and magical items. You might get rid of spells and magical items that bring people back to life. This includes spells such as raise dead, raise dead fully, reincarnation, and clone. This makes the campaign a lot more deadly. For example, in my homebrew Blackmoor campaign, Healing Potions do exist but they are few and far between. However, I recall several AD&D campaigns from my past where healing potions were readily available, and consumed by the dozen. It just depends on what kind of game you want to offer to your players.

And while we are on the subject: What about spells that overcome death? Resurrection, for example. In my view, the rule of thumb here is to be logical enough to allow Resurrection to happen from time to time for a really, really good reason. However, it’s not something that happens every day to every person. Otherwise, consider the impact that happen in society. Death wouldn’t really matter because everyone would respawn like a video game. Death might become trivial, or perhaps even recreational. Always consider the impact such things would have on the world around the playing characters.

In my games, the system runs like this: Adventures are dangerous things that make one later for dinner. You might come home with a bag but it’s possible you’ll come home in a bag. Players are well aware of the hit points a playing character has as a resource, and should manage that resource properly to keep the character alive. Since I view hit points (HP) as a source of vitality and wellness, then a character who is reduced to “0″ HP will fall unconscious. At that point, the character is Dying. Unless properly attended to and given some form of logical medical treatment the character will continue to lose HP until reaching “-10″ HP at which point the character is dead, dead, dead. When the character is dead, he’s dead. The only exception would be a planned out plot hook involving a magical item, divine being, or some other event that would return the character to life. Again, this would require some planning for the Death of the character during the campaign.

If your players are going to react like this person did in the Chick Tract called "Dark Dungeons" then you have so many other problems going on other than how to mitigate Death in a game of Dungeons & Dragons.

Keep in mind that the possibility of Death and Dying can be a better monster for the game. Knowing that their character may die in the middle of a conflict makes them think about their actions a little more. The player characters will be a bit choosier about the fights they pick, and will run away from fights more often. High level characters will be rarer, as bad luck and player lapses will take a higher toll. This option gives character death more impact. It should be a sad and momentous event when a character dies—not just a delay in the proceedings. At best, it sharpens the players’ perceptions of how mortal their characters are. At worst, it leads to general player dissatisfaction. It is not recommended unless the players are mature enough to view the death of a character as exciting as the generation of one.

For example, I can remember playing a D&D 3.5 game a few years back. My friend Jason was playing a Cleric. He was having a good time playing the role, and in a crucial moment his character sacrificed himself to save the rest of the party. Although the Cleric died, everyone else lived. It wasn’t planned, but it was awesome.

After the game, I congratulated Jason on playing his character to the max even to the point of giving his life for others. I offered to allow Jason’s character to be resurrected by a divine being who would “return him to life until his task was done” but Jason refused. He liked the idea that his Cleric gave his life to protect the others, and believed that resurrection would only cheapen the event. The Cleric was dead, and that was a good thing. Time to make a new character for the next adventure!

Remember that Death and Dying serve a purpose in the game of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. It is the constant looming consequence to every actions within the game. It is the greatest monster to be avoided and defeated … or perhaps embraced and enjoyed.

The Tower of Damara

The Tower of Damara

About a month has passed since the Fellowship returned to Blackmoor from the Tomb of Xagyg. They have settled into their assigned chambers within Castle Blackmoor. Some have been relaxing and enjoying the relative safety of their new base of operations. Others have busied themselves by seeking employment, volunteering with the Free Companies, or mastering their trade. But today is different. Word has been sent that Lord Faedorn of Alfheim wishes to send some of you on a quest to the Cairn Hills. You are to seek out the ruined Tower of Damara where you should seek an entrance that will lead you to the passages below. There you will seek out an Orb, once used by the Witch Damara to scry out hidden and lost places. Upon finding it, you must return it with all haste to Castle Blackmoor and give it to Lord Faedrun.

Answering the call were: Seraphine, Lucian, Perigen, Tathar, Sir Robert Hull, Gaelion, and Etienne.

The companions gathered, and headed off towards the Cairn Hills. They travelled by horse, shortening the time. Upon reaching the Cairn Hills, they scouted out the area near the Tower and made camp for the evening within the woods not far from the Tower. In the morning, they set off refreshed and ready for adventure. Leaving the horses behind in the care of Lucian and Seraphine, the others entered the Tower.

1. Entering the Tower

• They found themselves in a small chamber with a single door leading into what was once the tower. With some investigating, they discovered that a small group of Goblinoid creatures had camped there the night before. They had built a fire in front of the door. They also found that a large boulder in the chamber was actually a Galeb Duhr which has taken residence in the upper ruins of the tower. The creature is neutral towards them, neither offering help or hindering their quest. The creatures does tell them at a band of “little orcs” camped in the chamber last night and entered the door after asking him about the same Orb they are seeking. It also wandered them that an evil wizard named Bargle is using this tower, and that going below would surely cause them to meet him. The Fellowship continued on, thanking the Rock-Herder for his advice.
• Entering the Tower, they found a stairway leading down and a small door set into the floor. They also noticed that webbing covered the ceiling. As Perigen tugged with all his might on the cellar door, a small hairy spider fell from the ceiling on to his back.  Sir Hull knocked the spider from the cleric’s back, and it scuttled away up the stairs. They opened the door to show a ladder leading down into another larger room.

2. Damara’s Resting Spot

• Leading the way down the ladder, Perigen found that the ladder ended abruptly and would require a 10 foot drop down to the floor near a large stone coffin. Carefully dangling and dropping down into the room, they found that there was a door to the right, a statue to the left, and a stairway leading down across the room.
• Investigating the statue they discovered it was a statue that resembled the Dwarf Hero from the Tomb of Xagyg. (Zigby the Dwarf) although none of them could recall his name at the time.  Attention was drawn from the statue when the Paladin attempted to open the lid of the stone coffin. (Tathar had determined that it radiated magic inside, and Robert found that it also radiated evil.)
• Robert Hull began to lift the top off of the coffin, and a screeching shriek pierced the air. Two red glowing eyes met his gaze, and he was the form of a Black Skeleton glowing within the coffin. Robert wasted no time in slamming the lid shut. (This is the Lich form of Damara the Witch.) With the lid shut, the Lich returned to its endless sleep again.
• At that point, the ceiling began to descend on them. They noticed that indentations were in the ceiling to allow the fixtures (coffin, statue) in the room to slide into place as the ceiling met the floor. But if they stayed where they were they would be crushed. Quickly, they rushed for the stairs and descended into the darkness.

3. The Stairs

• Heading down they found that the stairway ended in a wall of magical darkness. Before they could formulate a plan, they heard footsteps and voices coming from the darkness towards them. They listened, and found that it was squeaky voices speaking in Goblin saying “Quick up the stairs! Back the way we came! Before it gets us!” The footsteps were moving rapidly and getting closer. They tok up positions, and prepared to engage the creatures when they emrged from the darkness.
• Four Kobolds, armed to the teeth and laden with many adventuring supplies, ran out from the darkness and skidded to a halt in front of the adventurers. Without a moment to waste, battle was engaged. The Paladin swung his sword in a wide slash, killing three of the Kobolds. The other two were dispatched just as quickly with a combination of arrow, hammer, and magic missiles. But then they heard it … lumbering footsteps and a growl. Something was coming up the stairs and it sounded big … and mean.
• Within moments, a huge Troll emerged from the darkness as well. The five companions joined their combat arts to defeat the Troll but not before it bit mightily into Robert’ shoulder, rending both metal and flesh. It thrashed its head side to side, nearly killing the Paladin. Finally, it fell lifeless on top of the wounded Paladin. Freeing Robert from beneath the beast, they wisely used their oil to set it aflame.
• Now during the battle, something curious happened. A Web spell was cast from an unknown source, and momentarily trapped Etienne and Perigen within it. With the aid of Tathar cutting the webbing loose, both the Ranger and Cleric were able to force their way out. With the Troll dead, and on fire they now became aware of a low voice chanting in the language of magic somewhere beyond in the darkness.
• Tathar focused his concentration on the voice, and cast Charm Person. The spell seemed to have no effect. Etienne raised his bow and fired three arrows into the darkness where he believed the voice was located. The first arrow clattered against bare rock, but the other two thudded soundly into flesh. The chanting stopped, and they heard a thud like a wet sack of potatoes hitting the floor.

4. The Gaping Hole

• The darkness fell away suddenly, revealing the passage beyond. The stairs extended on to a ten foot gap. Beyond they could see an open archway that led into a room. The room appeared to be a wizard’s chamber complete with a glowing circle scribbled on to the floor. They thought they saw something fluttering inside the room. Something the size of large bats casting shadows as they moved around the room in the glare of the glowing summoning circle. On the other side of the gap, they saw the body of a man wearing blue robes laying in a pool of blood. The Ranger’s arrows had struck the chanting Wizard in the shoulder and neck. (With modified rolls due to the darkness, the Ranger’s player still rolled a miss, critical hit, and perfect hit for the three arrow shots.)
• Robert tossed a stone down the hole, and listened. It seemed that there was at least a 150 foot drop, if not more. They dragged the burning body of the Troll to the hole, and kicked it in. The foul smelling beast was filling the stairway with black smoke that made them choke.  Watching the burning Troll fall, they saw it hit a small ledge about 120 feet down, and then bounced off to drop another 50 or so feet into water.
• To cross the gap, they used a combination of a rope bridge, belay, and a Spider Climb spell to move each of them across the hole safely. It took some time to do so, but none of them ended up falling into the Pit. (Refer to pages 17-19 in the AD&D Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide for more information.)

5. The Wizard’s Room

• Here the companions met two Imps. They managed to kill one, and dispelled the other when Tathar began to nullify the summoning circle by kicking over the braziers at each sector of the circle’s edges.
• With the Imps defeated, they looted the room finding two rubies (one worth 100 gold and the other 1000 gold.) They also located the Orb of Damara on a table in the room.
• They also beheaded the Wizard, taking his head back to Blackmoor Castle in the hopes that his was Bargle. (It was not. It was one of Bargle’s many apprentice’s.)

6. Going Home

• The companions departed the Tower the way they came, finding the ceiling trap had reset itself. They journeyed forth victorious, riding with all speed towards Blackmoor with the Orb.

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Knock knock knocking on Valhalla’s Door

Red did his best to keep his wits about him throughout the journey. However, he became aware that he was fully lost within the dark depths of the Baron’s complex. He had faith in his companions though, especially the Gnome who seemed to have a good understanding of where they were throughout the exploration. Traveling through magical doors was far from something that Red was accustomed to having grown up on a rather plain farm for most of his life.

And the magic user seemed to be pretty intelligent. He often spoke about things that he really didn’t understand. But that just seemed to be the way of magic-users. They could perceive mysteries that others would never fully comprehend.

When the party came to a rather dingy looking room covered in bat dung and broken furniture, he fully expected that there would be monsters popping out to eat them. He scanned the room with his torch, looking for any large piles of dung that might conceal lurking creatures. He was wrong, of course, and his companions proved to be the most dangerous foes for the moment.

The bats didn’t bother him much, beyond putting out his torch. However, when the cleric of Thor tossed a torch on the broken furniture, he had his doubts that things were really going well. Again, he started to wonder if he should be at home eating a warm meal and enjoying the comforts of the farmhouse.

The danger of the bonfire that resulted from the cleric’s torch was one thing … but when the wall fell open releasing a torrent of water that washed away the crew’s magic-user … he was certain that the gods were against them. Perhaps Loki was playing a joke on them, he thought, recalling tales told over campfires by his Uncle.

Using the Gnome like some kind of fishing lure, they lowered him through the gush of water into a cavern where the magic-user was busy drying out his spellbook. Finding that the magic-user was safe, but soggy was good news. However, he had his doubts that the Druid would survive the inferno in the next room started by the cleric.

However, it all turned out for the best. Smelling of guano and smoke, the party regrouped. They managed to negotiate through a few more magical and secret doors until Red was once again completely lost as to his true location within the complex. Even if he had any doubts about adventuring with this motley crew, he was bound to stick with them if he’d ever get back to Hogsend. But they all seemed to be a good lot of folks, so he figured if he stuck with them for long enough, everything would work out in the end.

Finding another room, Red started to light a few of the torches on the wall in case of any melee that might break out. Light was important, and since it seemed like someone had been in this room recently, that was his focus for the moment. As he started to put some fire to the sconced torches within the room, the Druid snatched up a rug and hurried away to set it on fire. Maybe setting things on fire was a normal activity during such expeditions. Who knows? Red certainly wasn’t a veteran at these sorts of things … and it seemed to be important to light everything on fire for some reason …

And then suddenly, Red found himself in a different room. Everyone seemed to be just as surprised at the sudden, apparently magical, shifting of location. And he couldn’t help but notice that the Druid was no longer with them. Apparently, he was too busy setting things on fire in the other room to have been magicked into the current location.

It wasn’t long until they found another magical door which ultimately lead them into a cavern. The ceiling was littered with holes, and there was a cluster of boxes far off in the rather huge cavern. Before Red could suggest that he walk over and check things out … the Ranger tossed his torch out there to provide a better glimpse of the boxes. Rangers seem to be good at a lot of things, and this was no exception. The Ranger managed to land his torch on the boxes with adept skill, setting them on fire! Yes, again with the setting of fires … Red was sure now that setting things on fire was an important part of exploring a dungeon. He would have to remember that for later! If all else fails, set something on fire!

With the boxes burning bright, everyone became grossly aware that these boxes were actually coffins. And the coffins … naturally … contained the dead. Or in this case … the Undead. Yes, Red’s stomach dropped a bit as several Skeletons stood up, and started to rush towards them. It was a thing of childhood nightmares, and Red prepared for a scrap. He stood his ground, pushing down the natural instinct to run away from the Undead creatures lurching towards him. He raised his shield, dropped the torch, and withdrew his newly acquired short sword.

Red was aware that most of the others started to retreat towards the door. He decided that he would make a stand, hopefully allowing some of the others to escape. With any luck, he could fight the monsters off until everyone else got through the door, then he could get the Hell out of there before they feasted on his warm flesh.

Red was amazed as the cleric started to shout out the name of Thor. The skeletons seemed to be deterred by the might of the Thunder God, and retreated. However, not all of the creatures feared the wrath of Thor. Despite the mighty effort of the cleric, a few continued forward. Red raised his shield, gritting his teeth for the initial crash of melee. He prepared to smash at them with his blade, but did not get the chance!

Both skeletons lashed out at him … and he reeled backwards. He fell back, aware that boney fingers were tearing at his skin. He thought he could hear the cleric shout out to Thor yet again, but it seemed far off … and then everything went black.

Fire, Red. You should have set them on fire, you fool! Have you learned nothing during this adventure?!

Read more about Red and his crew at Epic Words.

A Tale of Two Chickens

Almost every good story has a struggle between good and evil, with evil usually having the upper hand. Evil can be in the form of a vicious conqueror, an invading alien race or a dark, faceless syndicate. In this case, it was a pair of chickens. A pair of uncooperative, clandestine chickens. No really. You’ll come to understand later.

The city of Hogsend seemed to be a good place for Bo to begin his new career as a Treasure Hunter. His departure from the farm was looked down upon by this Uncle and Aunt who had taken him in at a very young age. His mother died at birth, and his father had been placed in prison for stealing horses. Working on the shared farm lands bred Bo into a broad-shouldered, husky young man. Called “Red Haus” by his family and friends, he was well liked as much for his good nature as his work ethic. However, “Red” wanted more. And when it came time, he set off on his own.

Now Red found himself browsing at the Armorer’s stall, comparing his new chain mail to the available wares. After some time, the proprietor’s hard gaze finally caused Red to turn and consider seeking out something to fill his belly. Instead, his attention was drawn to a ruckus at some nearby tents.

A mostly naked man, wild in the eyes, was running away from several angry pursuers. Red raised an eyebrow, surmising that from the strange assortment of loot in the madman’s arms that he was likely a thief. As Red watched, he realized that the madman thief shifted his path rapidly, and was heading directly towatds him. Caught off guard, Red raised his hands defensively seconds before the collision. The madman smashed into him, pausing only for a second before running away.

The young man shook his head, and laughed. And then suddenly, his heart sank. “My sword,” he shouted. He slapped at his empty sheath helplessly.

And so Red joined the chase with the odd troupe of other victims, chasing after the madman. As luck would have it, the final victim was a priest offering blessings to players entering the gambling tents. The madman collided with the priest, slowing just enough to allow Red to catch up with him.

Red launched himself forward, tackling the thief. Although Red was big, the thief’s stamina was fueled by his madness. Realizing that he had staggered the thief, Red started to pummel the madman with his meaty fists in an attempt to knock him to the ground. The last thing Red saw was the pommel of his own sword lurching towards his face. Then, everything went black. As he went down, Red could swear that he heard chickens squawking. How strange.

When Red woke up, the rest of the group was carrying on a conversation with the thief. Well, he wasn’t really a thief, but instead a Baron down on his luck. Really down on his luck. Apparently someone had killed him, and then assumed his identity through some kind of witchcraft. But apparently, he was raised from the dead by something called a cleric. But then the cleric was killed. It was all very confusing.

His Uncle had told him of witchcraft and magic, although he really didn’t understand how it could be possible. Red listened to most of the conversation, gathering that the Baron wanted them to get some kind of ring from a underground complex. He would have caught more of the details, but his attention was fixed on the strange assortment of folk around him. Especially the one holding a writhing knapsack holding two rather ill-tempered chickens.

So after awhile, Red joined his new friends on the quest to help the Baron. Apparently something called a Doppleganger was the chief foe, a mythical creature able to assume the likeness of others … in this case the Baron.

They traveled to a cluster of trees near the Baron’s manor. Finding the entrance to the dungeon was easy enough, what with all the other people who did the searching and finding part. Red just stood around and watched. He kept an eye on the odd fellow with the chickens, and made sure to keep his trusty guard dog, Viceroy, close in case of danger.

Entering the dungeon, through a secret doorway embedded in a large tree, Red used one of his torches to provide a source of light. He took the lead, and kept his shield at the ready fully expecting terrible beasts to leap from the shadows at ant moment. Strange creatures indeed must lay ahead. I mean, who puts a door in a tree anyway? Odd and cruel beings, that’s who!

The odd fella with the chickens took out from feed, and coaxed the chicken to enter the room before the group. Apparently, the chicken was meant to be a patsy for any murderous intent that might be lingering in the darkness ahead. Nothing exciting happened, other than the chicken strutted around and made a lot of noise. Stupid chicken.

Entering into a large room, Red noticed that one of the walls was made completely of thick glass. Dark shapes lingered beyond the glass. He gave it a wide berth at first, but was coaxed closer by the priest. Giving his new companion a second torch, they stepped closer to the glass wall.

They saw that it was some kind of odd display with three bird-like beings posed in an elegant manner. Raising an eyebrow, Red watched as the others looked around for a concealed entrance to the room with the bird-men. He glanced at the chickens again, fully reminded that he could be hanging out at the farm filling his belly with a home cooked meal instead of rummaging around in the musty darkness with this motley crew.

After a little while, Red agreed with the others that it was time to move on. The priest suggested the left hand door leading north. This door led into a large round room mostly taken up by a big, muddy pool. In the midst of the mud was some badly rusted armor and a fancy looking sword. It almost seemed that the sword gleamed in the torchlight.

The man with the chicken seemed to think it was a good idea to toss the ornery thing into the pool for some reason. Maybe it had something to do with some other kind of poultry witchcraft. The chicken refused, of course, and ended up causing a ruckus at the edge of the pool. The odd man started chasing his chicken, trying to herd it into the water. The priest gave chase as well. Within seconds, Red was watching something that seemed like it should be happening at the fairgrounds in the Bazaar, not a dungeon. Not being a part of the nonsense, Red stepped back by the door to make sure that nothing nefarious was sneaking up on them from behind. After all, those damned chickens were loud as the Hells.

Suddenly, the chicken ran between the priest’s legs and there was a loud splash as the man fell roughly into the muck. Red could have sworn that he saw the chicken crack a sinister grin. Not possible, right? Chickens can’t smile can they? As the priest sat in the mud, the chicken did sort of a victory dance at the water’s edge. The other chicken started to made a lot of noise, almost seeming to cheer in sinister satisfaction.

Red started to laugh, but not for long. Suddenly, the mud began to move as if by magic. The mud formed into the shapes of men, and started to hurl balls of mud at the priest. There was a flurry of activity and someone tossed Red the end of a rope. “Pull!” someone shouted, so he did. All of the excitement had the big guy dazed for a moment. Red realized that they were making a group effort to pull the priest away from the mudmen and out of the pool. This plan proved fruitless as the mudmen pelted him with mud, and the rope broke in half.

Red rushed forward and did his best to put himself between the priest and Mudmen. We was aware that someone was shooting arrows at their enemies as well, but his focus was keenly on the advancing monsters. He was pelted with mud, fighting off the creatures who literally flung themselves at him as living weapons. He helped to carry the priest to safety at the pool’s edge. A powerful slash of the sword from the pool, tossed to him by the priest before he fell, splattered and destroyed one of the mudmen. Red kept trying to fight them off, taking steps backward to get out of the pool.

As Red finally exited the pool, the mudmen seemed to lose interest and slowly returned to their quiet slumber. As the others helped the priest remove the hardened mud from his body, Red started to break away the rapidly hardening mud from his own body.

He cast a look at the chickens, and frowned. He shook his head, and mumbled under his breath. “Damn chickens.”

Read more about the adventures of Red and his crew at Epic Words.