The Eye of All-Seeing Wonder

Issue Five | Summer 1995

Mayhem Mansion

A short adventure for the Sharu’una fief campaign wherein acquaintances are renewed, friendships begun and enemies come by. It is suitable for a small group of low-level characters, ideally generated using the Sharu’una character generation rules in the accompanying article. Obviously, it would be advantageous if as many players as possible were members of the Round Rock clan. The scenario won’t take long to play, and should be viewed as an introduction to the fief.

Background

The wealthy Bauyene lineage of the Blue Shadow Clan have decided to re-open a summer mansion that they maintain in the hills near Vu’u. The mansion has not been used for about 50 years and is thought to be in some disrepair. The Blue Water Clan were contracted to inspect and renovate the property but for some reason they have declined to accept the contract. In fact, they did send two separate teams of workers to the property but neither stayed more than a single night. Now, the Bauyene have offered the contract to the Round Rock clan who will gain substantially both in terms of money and status if they are able to undertake the renovation. However, first they must find someone who is willing to spend a night in the place...

Dramatis Personae

Angredai’s Mission

Angredai will authorise a member of his clan (a player who will nominally be in charge of the party) to recruit some muscle —clanless warriors and others who will work for a small sum. He authorises the following rates to be paid:

Clanless Persons: 1K/day + food + "a good word"
Very Low Clan: 1.5 K/day + food + shamtla if killed
Low Clan & above 2 K/day + food + shamtla if killed

If successful, all will receive a 10K success bonus.

He will issue the following caution:

“Remember who owns this mansion and its contents. We’re trying to set an example here, so I wouldn’t like anything to happen that might prejudice our chances of getting further work from this clan. If you find anything, anything at all, give it to (player in charge) and I’ll make sure it is returned to its rightful owners.”

The search for the necessary characters might be a good way for the players to get to know each other.

Larnesh’s Story

The players will have heard that there have been strange goings on at the mansion. They may wish to find out more, and a journey to the market will introduce them to Harish hiQoprosh who can be a useful source of information for a hlash or two. He mentions that a young carpenter, Larnesh, was part of one of the previous work parties at the mansion and tells the players where to find him. In exchange for a few goblets of cheap wine, they can get the following story.

(The following information is available to anyone with the necessary skills to research it)

The Bauyene mansion is several hundred years old and was built on the site of an earlier mansion. It was originally owned by the Tumkun lineage whose last member, Eruval hiTumkun, died about 60 years ago. A legal dispute over the inheritance of the mansion was settled only recently.

Eruval hi Tumkun was well known as a traveller, scholar and collector.

The Mansion

Ground Floor: There are many rooms and lots of debris. One room has the word "danger" scrawled in charcoal on the wall opposite the door. This refers to the dry rot fungus which has made the floor unsafe! Should anyone cross the room to where the writing is then the floor will give way.

Falling through the unsafe floor (D3 damage) reveals a level below the cellar. There is a sealed door (sealed with aged, brittle wax), around which glowing tendrils of mist can be seen. The door can be forced open to reveal a small underworld.

A short corridor leads from the entrance to two alcoves where two mrur are waiting. These have 10 hit-points each, combat values of 16 with their swords and they wear 2 point armour with medium shields. Their Magic Resistance is 14. (You may wish to substitute something tougher if your party are up to it).

Once the mrur have been defeated, the corridor leads to a room containing a sarcophagus and a table. The sarcophagus is old—it couldn’t possibly be Eruval himself in it. On the table is a lacquered wooden box, decorated with an elaborate Ksarulian motif, a set of scrolls and a pile of loose papers, weighted down by some bracelets.

The bracelets are gold inlaid with copper and tiger’s eye. (They may be worth 250 kaitars to someone who disobeys Angredai’s strict orders) The scrolls are historical documents in Engsvanyali and Classical Tsolyáni. The papers are rough research notes in a crabbed, modern hand. It seems that these form part of Eruval’s private collection which, for one reason or another, he kept in a very safe place. The research notes deal with Eruval’s unsuccessful attempts to locate the lost palace of Ssirandar XIV—perhaps a player will be able to complete them?

Opening the sarcophagus will reveal a mummified corpse. Burning the corpse will stop the strange hauntings, but taking it to the Temple of Ksarul or Thúmis in Hekellu will bring a 50 kaitar reward. (Don’t explain why to the players—its nice to have a possible scenario link kept in reserve!)

The Ambush

On emerging from the mansion, the players will find that a group of Kilalammuyani bandits, headed by Zugratsu, have enterd the mansion. They will, of course, attempt to rob the players but won’t actually harm them except in self defence. If defeated the bandits will be found to be carrying 12 Kaitars between them in small coins.

If he is taken alive, Zugratsu will beg for clemency. If he is granted this, he will be forever in the debt of the players and their true friend—perhaps someone who can dig them out of a tight spot in another adventure.

Character Statistics

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• The Book of
  Visitations of Glory
• 
• Issue 1
• Issue 2
• Issue 3
• Issue 4
• Issue 5
• Opening the Way
• History is Bunk!
• Joyful Sitting Amongst Friends
• Skein of Destiny
• Gardásiyal
• Another Charge from Incomparable Understanding
• Celestial Harmonics
• The Forty Seven Names of Thúmis
• Sharu’una Fief
• Freaks and Favours
• Mayhem Mansion
• A Noble Feast
• Issue 6
• The Blue Room
• Tékumel Tales
• Tékumel Links
• Related Links
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