Dragon Storm Card Based RPG

Presented by Art by Susan Van Camp

Wolf Recue
by Mark Harmon

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“Wolf Rescue” by Mark Harmon

Montac pressed against the slimy stone wall. Every fiber in his body told him to run. Through a stone opening streamed a light, and the piercing screams that tore at his brain. He clamped his mouth shut, afraid he would scream. Inching his way to the opening he cringed at the sounds. Slowly he turned and

peered inside. Tied over hot coals he saw a blistered, weakened werewolf: Next to him stood a robed figure reveling in the pain. Light seemed to be ebbing from the tormented body into the Necromancer. Montac summoned his courage and shifted

into werewolf form as he leapt through the window.

"Not today fiend." growled Montac.

Then it was over, Montac woke, sweating profusely, and swore. He would be traveling north in the morning, and hoped he would not be too late.

Wolf Rescue is a Dragon Storm Adventure designed for three young characters. It can be expanded for more characters by adding cards to each of the acts. Features are listed with specific cast members, but game masters should feel free to rearrange cards to keep players on their toes.

First Impressions:

When the characters are just south of the adventure area, one of them will have an extremely bad nights sleep, and will have dreams such as the one above. The dreamer will know that visions reflect what is happening just one day north of where they are. As they travel north they will find evidence of slash

and burn farming being done by warp village inhabitants. The local farmers they see will be half starved humans and orcs who have shackles on their legs to keep them from running. They will have no more than 4 HP each. The characters will also see occasional lax wakana and madspawn guards, they look healthy and well fed. Outside of the village they will spot an old Elethay ruins; it is the place of the vision.

ACT ONE:

 Terrain areas as locations: Stormlands Plains Scenes: Warp Village, Elethay Temple Ruins, Freelance Necromancer, Warpspawn Marauders Cast: Apprentice Necromancer (named Chance) with Toughness, Detect Shape shifter, Fatigue, Warp Blast, Stun Blast, Death Drain, and Wealthy. Cast: Wakana Fighter (Used as a guard) Cast: Madspawn with Tentacles feature (Used as a guard) Cast:Human Werewolf (A character card used as a cast member) He has no cards and only 2 HP left.The Story: The village is run by a necromancer. He uses the humans and orcs as slave labor guarded by his wakana and madspawn. This gives him a fine living and a way to watch and see if any of the humans become shape shifters. Food costs 2 gold in the village. If the characters enter the village the locals will initially treat them as adventurers. They know the boss pays for information.

The necromancer (Imrys Van Tinval) has captured a young werewolf and is draining the life from the shape shifter to add magic to himself. There will always be a madspawn and a wakana with the dying werewolf. Imrys uses fatigue spells daily on the werewolf to keep him from ever having any cards. They have converted an old Elethay Temple into a special place to drain captured shape shifters. Hidden on the old temple walls there is writing that indicates another Elethay temple is two days to the north. The writing is current, as though someone was leaving a secret message.

ACT TWO:

 Terrain as a location: Stormlands Forest Scenes: Bandits Cast: Orc Nomads (1 or 2) one of them has a Hunter Anchor card Cast: Human Farmers (1 or 2). Features: Well SuppliedThe Story: One day to the north of the village is a Stormlands forest. In the forest there is a small group of bandits who have made a deal with the necromancer, they don't bother his people and he doesn't bother them. The bandits will try to lay an ambush for travelers, but they are leery of attacking parties leaving the village. They are afraid they could be working for the necromancer. If the bandits find out the characters are shape shifters or Valarian's they will tell the characters that they know that a witch lives in the blighted bog to the north.

ACT THREE:

 Location: As chosen by the Gamemaster Scenes: Plague Beasts, Nighttime Encounter Cast: Warped Squirrel Cast: Drakkel Features: As chosen by Gamemaster

The Story: The plague beasts are not associated with anyone else in the scenario. They are scavengers. Use the plague beasts to create paranoia in the players by having them hear and see glimpses of the Drakkel or warp squirrel in the night. These beasts will only attack if the characters let their guard down.

ACT FOUR:

 Location: Blighted Bog Scenes: Elethay Temple Ruins, Adventurers, Foul Weather, Refugees Cast: Human Fighter (A witch named Anakar Vilanso, used as Refugees) He has a Witch Background, Ancient Lore, Dual Strike, Nightvision, Find Safe Campsite, Silent Movement, Perception, Earth Power, Two Healing Bolts, and Fear. Items: Two Healing Potions, Kasalorn's Charm. Cast: (Used as adventurers) Human Fighter with Well Supplied, Bat Wings. Cast: (Used as adventurers) Dwarf Fighter with Fire Breather, Vigorous Strike. Cast: (Used as adventurers) Elven Fighter with Dual Shot.The Story: Again going north, the characters move into a blighted bog where there is another Elethay temple ruins. This ruins is currently being searched by a group of adventurers, hoping to come up with some item of value. These adventurers have been in high Warp areas too often and have gained Warp features.

ACT FIVE:

 Location: As chosen by Gamemaster Scenes: Freelance Necromancer Cast: Apprentice Necromancer (named Chance) with Toughness, Detect Shape shifter, Fatigue, Warp Blast, Stun Blast, Death Drain, and Wealthy, and his pet Madspawn Tentacles.The Story: The characters should be pursued by the apprentice necromancer.Since neither the necromancer nor his madspawn have nightvision they will spend their nights camping and their days tracking the characters. As with all good necromancers, this fellow will attempt to surprise the characters, tracking them until he gets the chance. If the characters are watchful and sneaky they may be a be to reverse the tables and jump this guy. This part of the adventure should be used when, where and how the Gamemaster wants to do it.

Running The Game:

In Act One the characters may choose to kill the werewolf, denying the necromancer his pleasure or they could free him. Given a chance the frightened young shape shifter will run south, attempting to escape everybody. He is terribly scared and won't even trust those who free him, for now. (Maybe he will show up later in the campaign to aid or inform the characters?) The village necromancer will send out his apprentice necromancer (Chance, Act Five) to hunt down those who ruined his fun. If the characters get to the second Elethay Temple Ruins, (Act Four) they will be tired and unsure of why the temple is in a warp area. Use Vilanso the witch to help the characters.

The characters may also attempt to gather some information about Elethay and Jikadell. Elethay is the old earth Goddess who favors shape shifters, she is shown in three forms: Warrior maid, armed with a spear and buckler, abundant mother, cradling a child at her breast, and wise woman, holding a staff from which leaves and flowers sprouted. Jikadell is the necromancer's replacement for Elethay. When Necromancers take over an area they replace Elethay temples with Jikadell temples. Jikadell temples glorify the ideals of working diligently for the temple leaders and necromancers to gain the protection of Jikadell, who protects people from the destructive warp storms created by shape shifters who desecrate the world.

Wrap-Up

If the characters have evaded the pursuit by the end of the adventure, they may want to return to the warp village and harass the necromancer in charge, Imrys Van Tinval. This would be a tough job, but possible. If the characters choose to do this create your own encounter stack for the village. Spend some extra time showing the effects of having a necromancer as a village ruler: the wakana and madspawn are vicious and the people are in really bad shape. Villagers would be extremely difficult to rally because they are nearly dead of starvation, and afraid of Imrys. (C) 1996 Mark Harmon

This site is copyright to Susan Van Camp 2007. Art on this site is copyright to Susan Van Camp.

Please do not download or use the art from this site in anyway without the express approval of Susan Van Camp.

e-mail questions to Susan at svancamp@mac.com

For Questions about Dragon Storm, or the web page, e-mail Mark at markharmon@mac.com

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