Mask Adventure 11b: The Dig Site

Map for Digsite

   Leaving the Moaning Forest the PCs will easily find the area of the dig site with Omar's help. Before the party gets to the open area of the dig site they might encounter a patrol. Shar has put four 8 man patrols to walk the perimeter of the dig site to discourage intruders from observing what her group is doing. The patrols are instructed to observe those that stumble near the area and only bully them off if needed, in other words if they get too close. The patrol is also instructed to alert the rest of the camp if the intruders know of the dig or if the intruders are the party. Shar has told the patrols to specifically be looking for the PCs.

   The party has a 50% chance of encountering a patrol during the day and 25% chance during the night, conduct surprise normally. If the patrol spots the party the leader of the patrol will blow a small horn that will alert the camp that the intruders are armed and aware of the site. On the 4th round of combat 2 other patrols will join the combat. On the 5th round the last patrol will join the combat. If the patrol has half of their members disabled or killed and it seems as if they are losing the combat they will turn and run. If a patrol is eliminated before the other patrols arrive the the party has the standard chance of encountering each patrol as above. If the party hides this chance can be reduced at the DM's discretion.

   No matter the outcome of the patrols the PCs will either investigate the dig site, try to attack the camp, sneak into the dig site, or negotiate with Shar. If she is alerted to their presence by a patrol she will try to capture them by force in the daylight using as many men from the camp as possible and her mercenaries. The idea is to capture the PCs. If the encounter is at night she will lay a trap to capture the PCs as they sneak in. Remember that if Shar is aware the PCs are in the area she will know of whatever they do, remember she does have the mask of divination. Unless the PCs took measures to block this allow her to surprise them in the ambush.

   Once captured she will take the masks from the PCs and hold Elan and Omar hostage in a different part of the camp, tent #3. They will both be tied and gagged. Feeling as if she has gotten what she wanted from the PCs she will freely discuss any matter with them, except who she works for. She will explain that the mask of divination has started to reveal the location of the mask of evocation in the last few days. "The divination mask seemed to tell me this information on its own, I did not purposely activate the mask for information. I was wondering the whereabouts of the fire mask though when it happened. From what the dinination mask told apparently the fire mask is not too far from here strangely enough. That's a proper term for it, right?" she will ask a PC wizard, "fire come from evocation magic? Fire mask?" She will continue, "Apparently it is a red demon face, how appropriate."

   She will explain to the PCs that they found a dungeon within the dig site and that the PCs are to go down there and retrieve the mask of illusion. If the PCs protest she will explain that they are more experienced than the 2 men already lost to traps within the place. She is aware that she needs her men to watch the PCs and keep order. She also knows that the party is expendable. If need be she will threaten to kill Elan and Omar if the party does not do what she wants, and she will do it too.

   If by chance the PCs defeat Shar the rest of the dig site workers and mercenaries will leave seeing as their employer can't pay them anymore. The PCs will have the dig site and the divination mask all to their own.

   In the camp there are 6 other patrol leaders and 48 armed men as above. There are also 20 hired dig site workers. The workers will flee from combat or surrender if confronted not wishing to die or fight.

1. Main Tent: Shar and her marauders sleep in her. She has 1/3 of the tent sectioned off for her. Grug, Marne, Reavis, and Proth sleep in the rest of the tent. Shar keeps her belongings in a chest that is is trapped with poison gas (Fort DC: 20, no save: paralyzed, save: violent coughing that alerts others) The trap is DC 35 itself to disarm. The others have chests of their own that only they have the key. Proth is a new member to the group Shar picked up along the way here to replace her former priest.

2. Phantasm's Quarters: Phantasm requested his own quarters and Shar obliged him. Even though he is part of her group she still finds him eerie to be around at times. The tent is adorned with various curtains of different scintillating colors: blue, red, yellow, and green. Each of these are designed to play small illusions on those that peer through them or try to walk around them. Different figures seem to move and shift when entering the tent amidst the shadows of the candlelight and curtains. Phantasm does this to scare away the unwanted or mislead any who would want to harm him. There are 5 different areas in the tent itself. PCs trying to work their way through the tent must save or be confused inside the curtains (Will DC: 25) and only have a 1 in 5 chance of finding the correct curtain that Phantasm is behind. If they succeed the save they can find Phantasm's where abouts within 2 rounds.

3. Supply Tent and Prison: This is normally a supply room but is also where Elan and Omar will be imprisoned if the party is captured. Phantasm will sprinkle a non-detection dust (as spell) in the tent so the PCs will not be able to find them. Both NPCs will be behind a series of crates and barrels to hide them from peering eyes.

continue...