September Short Adventures 30: Other Mother

Preamble

A September of Short Adventuresis an OSR Challenge initiated by Matt over at the Asshat Paladinsblog. You can click on the Moustache Dragon over on the right-handside-bar (just above Features) to learn more about all of this stufffrom Matt directly. All of our 25 (possibly more...) entries areformatted along the lines of what Matt calls the Get Ready, GetSet, Go! format. In a nut-shell, this approach breaks eachadventure into a Title, Three escalating sections of adventuredetails (the Ready section is limited to an elevator pitch only 2sentences...), and a final catch-all section for any NPC notes/stats.The idea is to keep it short, simple, easy to read without any maps,drawings, diagrams or 8X10 glossies. Keep description to a minimum,avoid lengthy exposition, and no casts of thousands -- unless it's aninvading horde of three-eyed orcs or goblins riding purple wombats.

We're also going to aim to keep thingsgeneric, setting agnostic and thus portable or adaptable to anycampaign/setting using the particular rules-set we'll be using in anygiven September Short Adventure such as Mutant Future,Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry (White Box), etc.

FreeRules

Labyrinth Lord:http://www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.html

Mutant Future:http://www.goblinoidgames.com/mutantfuture.html

Swords and Wizardry (White Box):http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/whitebox.htm

September Short Adventure Number 30

Title: Other Mother

Rules: Swords and Wizardry (WhiteBox)

Ready

Manfred Urdrangibar, former student of the ethically-impaired madman Doktor Morbius has continued his explorations into the blackest arts known to science. But to what nefarious end?

Set

Evidence will continue to pile-up like bodies that something very, very wrong is going on out at the ancestral Keep of the Urdrangibar family. The local worgs are seeing to it. They are dragging corpses of missing persons back to the village and leaving trails that lead clearly to the lands of the Urdrangibar family, including the secret clearing where the Loyal Retainers have traditionally done their sordid hostage-buying business with the local bandits. (see Short Adventure 28: Skin Trade)

The elders of the Urdrangibar family have become increasingly concernedand now quite upset at having their secrets revealed. They do not know yet that it is the worgs behind it, and instead might be likely to blame things on the mucking-about of those Player Characters, especially since they are undoubtedly foreigners, not from around these parts, vagabonds and probably have had dealings with those mountain nomads. (see Short Adventure 27: Burning Hatred.) The worgs have used any/every opportunity to help foster this suspicion, going to great lengths to 'help' the PCs with their investigations.

Theghouls of the Lost Valley have put two and two together after interrogating their erstwhile ally Herr Doktor Morbius and they are themselves concerned that Manfred Urdrangibar is up to no good. The kind of 'no good' that could adversely impact them. However, they are an unknown quantity until the events of Short Adventure 29: Sour Note play themselves out.

Go!

First-off the LoyalRetainers of the Urdrangibar family will deliver an invitation to thePlayer Characters. If they pay the family a visit, they will be addressed by Baron Urdrangibar himself and charged with clearing his good family's good name. The baron will use all his guile, wiles andsome rather impressive blandishments, minor titles, trinkets, a few scrolls of obscure but low-level spells and other bribes and inducements to convince the Player Characters that all the disappearances and bad things going on are the fault of Herr DoktorMorbius. If they aren't buying it, the Baron will reveal that Morbius is working with the ghouls of the Lost Valley, going so far as to produce one of Morbius's own misshappen henchmen whom the PCs can interrogate at-will—at the end of the questioning the Baron will insist that the pitiful thing will be destroyed, of course.

The Baron will maintain all pretense of polite behavior and observe all the niceties, including the provision of sumptuous suites for each guest for overnight.

Should the PCs decide to attempt to go exploring the old Keep, they will find ample opportunity to do so just after Midnight as all hell breaks loose and the Keep is attacked first by one group, then another.

In the ensuing chaos the PCs have roughly an hour or two to go exploring the old Keep, to get embroiled in its defense, or to make an escape--or just about anything else they care to do.

The worgs have sent in a team of Prowlers and the ghouls have sent in some agents (with a new and improved flesh golem courtesy of Morbius) to find out just what Manfred Urdrangibar has really been up to...but none of them arefully prepared for the horrible truth.

Whether the PCs join forces with the ghouls or worgs or go it alone is entirely open.

What is inevitable is that these ancient rivals and enemies are going to discover what is going on in Manfred's laboratory, one way or another.

The laboratory is huge, having been carved out of a natural cavern hundreds of years ago to form something akin to a chapel for one of Manfred's ancestors. At the very center of the dimly red-lit chamber is a colossal, writhing mass of flesh that resembles a bizarre combination of a gigantic Venus of Willendorf and the Diana of Ephesus...it is a living, breathing, faceless mass of human flesh that produces copious amounts of fresh, sweet blood for the Elders of the Urdrangibar family who have been vampires for a long, long time.

Manfred adapted the methods he learned from Herr Doktor Morbius to fashion a living amalgamation of parts, pieces and even whole bodies in order to create the huge fleshy abomination that he has taken to calling the 'Other Mother.'

The pseudo-golemic 'Other-Mother' is Manfred's crowning achievement, and it might have enabled his family to forgo their predatory ways...but alas the Keep is under attack and the ghouls and worgs will quickly realize that this blasphemous perversion of flesh and blood could over turn everything if it is not stopped immediately. They will probably do everything possible to make sure that one of their team gets out to carry word to their faction, the rest will attack the abomination with everything they can bring to bear.

Will the ghouls cooperate with the worgs or PCs to destroy the 'Other Mother?'

This is a perfect time for some well-rolled and well-played Reaction checks, charisma usage, and convincing arguments on the part of the Player characters...

Manfred will hide behind the towering tumorous body of his unholy creation and not engage the PCs in combat. He instead will spend his time gathering up his notes and papers to keep them away from the intruders. The Other Mother will defend him with Her bulk, tentacles, tumorous masses, and those nasty clone-spawn that She can disgorge from time to time after swallowing a victim or two. She is possessive and very dedicated to Manfred's well-being and will do everything in Her considerable power to protect him from the intruders and especially those unwashed and ill-mannered Player Characters.

Every 2d4 turns another group of 1d4 random attackers will enter the chamber and join the fight until the 'Other Mother' is finally destroyed once and for all. You can also throw in an Angry Mob of villagers, if you like. This is a climactic show-down and the culmination of all too many plots, schemes and nefarious plans all going down in flames at once.

Once the ersatz group of 'heroes' are on the verge of destroying the 'Other Mother,'it will use its last dying breath to extrude a winged polypous spawn that will envelop Manfred in a gooey embrace and attempt to carry him away from here on buzzing almost hummingbird-like wings. If the group manages to trap or kill the flying polyp-thing, it will disgorge 2d4 clone-spawns of Manfred that will run away in different directions, each one using secret passages, trap doors, or whatever else is within reach to beat a hasty escape.

Some version of Manfred Urdrangibar will most likely continue...as will a new and improved form of the Other Mother...but that is a problem for another day.

After Destroying the Abomination
Once the Other Mother is destroyed, it's just a matter of cleaning-up a few dozen vampires and their minions. Killing-off the remaining Loyal Retainers who will never surrender, never flee, never give-up. Sorting out the ghouls, dealing with the loot-crazed bandits, avoiding the torch-wielding Angry Mob, and noticing that the worgs are gone -- or are they?

If the flying polyp-thing escapes, just where will it take Manfred?

Will he continuehis blasphemous experiments? Almost certainly...

Will any of his clone-spawn also escape? Will they then take up his insane experiments as they slowly come into possession of Manfred's memories and warped genius? Almost definitely...

What comes next? I shudder to think...

Loose Ends

The Urdrangibar Family Elders are all vampires (there are approx. 2d6 of the things), and they didn't get this old and powerful without knowing when to cut losses and wait out a temporary set-back, and for a practically immortal undead, even the sacking of their family's Keep is just a momentary inconvenience. It is very likely that at least one of the Elders foresaw some of what is happening and has prepared contingency plans. These are very old vampires, and they each have at least ten levels in at least one class, probably a spell-casting one...so they are not going to be easy to take down and will not submit to this accumulation of rabble and opportunists. They will withdraw, abandon the field and bide their time so that their revenge will be all that much more sweet and terrible when it comes...so now the Player Characters have made enemies of some nigh-immortal undead sorcerers with a real grudge against them...


And you thought that the worgs could get spooky and manipulative...

The rest of the family are most likely to pretty much get killed by all these enemies in one place at one time, though you might have 1d4 survive just to keep the family name alive...


The elders might have some sort of back-up plan for this particular contingency as well, and they still have loyal agents and allies in the surrounding regions, so this could get interesting and complicated as still more rivals and former allies seek to profit from the Urdrangibar family's fall, while supporters and followers try to restore them or protect them until they can rally those forces still loyal to them for a come-back...this is just the start of all sorts of fun stuff!

The Baron Urdrangibar will never surrender despite the odds, and most likely fall in the midst of defending his beloved Keep. If so, then it is suggested that his body will not be recovered and some small group of 1d6 Loyal Retainers carry away their beloved Baron to some secret crypt out in the mountains, perhaps in another hidden valley where the rest of the Urdrangibar family have their tombs, etc. He will not be taken prisoner, as the few personal guards he has will make sure that his body never falls into enemy hands. At least one of his personal retinue is a full vampire, so in a worst case situation, the vampire will assume gaseous form or change into a bat-form large enough to carry off the Baron. If however, the PCs are able to prevent this from happening, they will find that having the Baron's body on their hands will prove a dire challenge in its own right--it will serve as a weirdness magnet, attracting all sorts of sycophants, followers, minions, slaves, and followers, even cultists will arise who worship the Baron...all of them intent on recovering the body and resurrecting the Baron. So, if the PCs do succeed in preventing the Baron's removal from the scene...it won't be an easy victory, and it will lead to a lot of skullduggery, conspiracy and worse.


But then, that makes it all that much more fun...

Notes / NPCs

GhoulAgents(3d4) [HD 2; HP 12; AC 6[13]; ATK 1 claw; Move 9; Save 17; CL/XP:3/60; Special: Immune to Sleepand Charm,Save or be paralyzed for 3d6 turns.] Note: Each wears a bone ring thatallows it to move about in daylight under the guise of its mostrecent victim. These agents of the ghouls have infiltrated the Keepand are seeking answers that they are not prepared to discover.

Flesh Golem Mark II(1d4) [HD 12; HP 88; AC 7[12]; ATK 2 axes; Move 10; Save 9; CL/XP24/2,000; Special: Only lightning(which heals the thing), fireand cold spells (onlyslow it down) affect it, and you need a +1 or better weapon to harmit.] This is one of Morbius's new-models and wields a pair ofscythe-bladed war axes and obeys any command from the ghoulscompletely and literally.

WorgProwlers (1d4)[HD 4; HP 20,20,18,18,16,15,14,12; AC 6[13]; ATK 1 Bite; Move 18;Save 15; CL/XP: 4/120] Note: These creatures are supernatural andhave been trying to steer the PCs toward some sort of confrontationat the Keep in order that they might disrupt Manfred's work on theflesh golems.

WorgHybrids (2d4)[HD 4; HP 20,20,18,18,16,15,14,12; AC 4[15]; ATK 1 weapon/spell; Move9 (14 mounted); Save 15; CL/XP: 12/220] Note: These creatures aresupernatural and are the elite shock troops that the worgs have beendeveloping in order to face the threat of Manfred's flesh golems.They are all equipped with a random variety of +2 weapons and cast1d4 random spells.

LocalBandits (4d6) [HD 3; HP 14 on average; AC 6[13]; ATK 1 weapon;Move 10; Save 15; CL/XP: 4/80; Special: +1 to hit worgs, move withouttrace through the woods, move silently as a thief.] The bandits areextremely upset over the way that the Urdrangibar family have cut themoff from any further dealings, so they have come to raise trouble andmake mischief. It is a matter of pride to them – they've served thefamily well and loyally for centuries. Now they are drunk, angry, andstirred-up by worg-cultist agitators.

TherioclastTroopers(6d10) [HD 3+1; HP 12 on average; AC 6[13]; ATK 1 weapon; Move 12;Save 16; CL/XP: 4/80; Special: +2 on Saves vs lycanthropy] Grim anddour warriors who might be either Humans, Dwarves, Elves orHalflings. Studded-leather armor, crossbow (with a mix of silver andiron headed bolts), silver-headed hand-axe or blessed scythe,rune-engraved short-sword and skinning-dagger. These are hard-bittenprofessionals who exterminate shapeshifters and each one has a 10%chance to spot one outright. Someone has delivered incontrovertibleevidence to Somber Jill that the Urdrangibar family are up tounspeakable things and she is not losing a single minute in attackingthem all out...

SomberJillis their leader. She is a 10^thlevel Fighter/Magic-user of indeterminate descent and no tolerancefor shapeshifters whatsoever. She wears blessed chainmail, carries aflaming sword and the silver-headed hand-axe and crossbow (withsilver-headed bolts). Adjust her stats to best present something of achallenge to your players, but not an overwhelming one. Her CHAR isat least 15, otherwise her other stats are all open to yourinterpretation. (We might further develop her if there isinterest...)

OtherMother(1) [HD 12; HP max. (regenerates 2 pts/turn); AC 9[10]; ATK 1Slam/Engulf/Spew; Move 0; Save 7; CL/XP: 14/26,000; Special: Slamattack has 25% chance of adhering for follow-up Engulf attack, Saveor be swallowed and be cloned within 1d4 turns, Spew does acid damageas per Black Dragon, spawn minion-clones from swallowed opponents.]Every opponent swallowed by the Other Mother serves as a template forit to clone fresh minions, each new clone that gets spawned causes3d6 damage to the victim until they reach zero hp at which point theyare absorbed/digested and no longer clonable. The clone-spawn servethe Other Mother with complete disregard for their own well-being andemerge completely naked, but will have spells available to them ifthe swallowed victim had spells memorized or available. Theclone-spawn only have 3 HD unless they are able to survive longenough to better integrate the memories/abilities of the victim, aprocess that takes several days but produces an exact replica of thevictim that serves the Other Mother with total loyalty.

ManfredUrdrangibar(1) 6^thlevel wizard with a focus on golem-making, flesh-working, and veryfew (if any) attack spells. This isn't his fight. He never reallywanted to do things quite this way. They made him do this, or sohe'll loudly declare. The Other Mother will see to it that he gets toescape and carry on his work elsewhere, away from his family'smeddling and all these enemies who don't appreciate his genius.

Other Mothers' Little Helper (Flying Polyp-Spawn) (1) [HD 6; HP 36 (regenerates 1/turn); AC 9[10]; ATK 1 sting; Move 120 (extremely maneuverable flight); Save 13; CL/XP: 12/600; Special: requires +1 or better to hit due to speed and agility in the air.] Sting can either cause 3d6 damage, paralysis for 2d6 turns, or impregnate victim (irregardless of gender) with a clone-cyst that will grow rapidly (in about 3d4 turns) into a full-grown clone that serves the Other Mother with complete loyalty (unless they make a Save and are Confused for 1d4 turns after which they have some really difficult identity issues...). The clone-cyst will cause 2d4 damage per turn until it is killed, removed or gives birth. All damage to the cyst is shared with the host on a 1 for 1 basis. Removal of the cyst takes 1d4 turns and inflicts double damage on the host and they must make a Save or have a small fragment of the thing lodge inside them and go dormant for 1d100 days...

Clone-Spawn of Manfred (2d4) [HD 3+1; HP 14; AC 9[10]; ATK 1 fist/weapon/spell; Move 9; Save 16; CL/XP: 4/80; Special: has 2d6 random spells, casts all spells as though 6th level despite current hit dice, carries all of Manfred's memories and a few 'upgrades' courtesy of the 'Other Mother,' including regeneration (1 hp/turn) and a form of parthenogenic reproduction as well as the seed-spores of a new Other Mother...] 

LoyalRetainers (3d4) [HD 6; HP 36 on average; AC 4[13]; ATK 1 weapon;Move 10 (30 when mounted); Save 13; CL/XP: 4/80; Special: +2 on Savesvs magic, regenerate 1 HP per turn unless burned, freely cast Charmin place of an attack.] Tall and emaciated-looking, the LoyalRetainers are elegant in their traditional finery and carry +2 curvedlong swords and an array of secondary weapons includingcuriously-crafted composite short bows dating back to thesemi-mythical hordes of an ancient conqueror who once dominated thisarea as part of a vast, now vanished empire that is credited withhaving driven-out the serpent people. They are old, very old andsmell like catacombs even in the brightest daylight. Most suspectthat they are not really human...

TheLoyal Retainers will arrive every 2d4 turns until a total of 120 have beendestroyed. None of them will retreat, surrender or parley.