Babes in London: Act One, Scene Two

This scene contains the first of the crunch—some monsters from Mythic Arabia.

A Note on Playtesting: There hasn’t been any—the GM I’d organised pulled out before I stopped writing, and there hasn’t been another. I’ve tried to gauge the balance using The Fire Within, but these things really need a playtest shakedown. If you have some experience in this system, go over these monsters and make any tweaks you deem necessary to ensure a balanced encounter. Feedback on the balance, here, would be greatly appreciated.

SCENE TWO: DRAGONS ENTWINED

…And  the girls are gone. The park is gone. And Latham Road with its kirtle of close-packed houses and its shopping strip consisting of a milk bar and bakery, greengrocer, news agency and butcher shop is also gone.

This has happened before, and it always seems for real, with memories and knowledge rising to the surface that are yours, and yet completely new.

This time, you know you’ve come through a forest. And you came to ask a favour, but what it was, you can’t remember. The undergrowth that has impeded your progress for the last three days, has thinned, and you can see green-tinged sunshine signalling a clearing ahead.

The elm trees surrounding the clearing are bigger than the ones at the park, and the round-a-bout has been replaced by a small mound. There are no children here, though. No, no children. Just two dragons reclining together, their heads raised as their emerald and sapphire eyes regard your surprise with gentle amusement.

“We heard you were coming,” the great-clawed beast dragon says, “but we didn’t know it would take you so long to get here…”

Somehow her words rankle, but there is a disturbance in the forest and a bird cries out in alarm. The beast dragon lifts her head, suddenly alert. One minute the golden scales and lithe form of the other dragon is there, and the next it has disappeared. Beside you, one of the elms utters a sigh: “Here we go again,” and unsheathes unexpected claws, sprouting a draconic head that glances at you with amber eyes.

“They never give up,” it says, as it turns and lashes out at a blur of movement exploding from the undergrowth. There is a sickening crunch, and an oddly pungent odour fills the air. You’re not too sure what the clawed elm just hit, and there isn’t time to ask as more shapes emerge from the bushes.

Now is the time to ask the PCs to turn to the Alban descriptions for their dragons. When they are ready, roll initiative, and read or paraphrase the following accordingly:

Scorpions! You realize that you’d thought this was long over—that those you’d fought who had a link to scorpions were long dead. Your heart sinks—if the Servants of Set have risen once more… Then you realize that these aren’t the same scorpions. For a start these are blue, and they have riders, bloated creatures also blue-skinned, looking like wizened old men save for the talons that serve them as claws. You know who sent these… but the name won’t come to you, and the first of the scorpion-riding elder is preparing to attack. His mouth opens in a hideous battle grin, revealing rows of pointed teeth, and it launches itself towards you.

Blue Imps:

Era Mythic Arabia; Race Supernatural being; APL 1; Init 8; Aspects Fire 5, Water 3, Air 3, Earth 4; Health 7m <3 / 3+ / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach -2/0 ft.; Armor 2; Karma 10; Karmic Range 2; Stride 5 ft. (Fast);

Claws 6/L; Bite 4/L; Sequences Double Gut, Overhand Stabs, Flying Fork

Agg F10/W1/A1/E1-Power + L Weapon Strike + Power + R Weapon Strike: Dmg +20

Neut F5/W3/A3/E2 – L Weapon Strike + R Weapon Strike: Dmg +5

Skills Athletics 5, Melee 5, Quickness 4, Senses 4, Stealth 5, Will 4

Edges Daunting 3, Dervish 4, Follow-Through, Resilient 5, Stealthy

Powers Heir of the Storm 3 Witch’s Countenance 3

Traits Fae

Blue Scorpion Mounts:

Era Mythic; Race Supernatural animal; APL 1; Init 7; Aspects Fire 5, Water 3, Air 2, Earth 2; Health 2m <3 / 3+ / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach -1/1 ft.; Armor 8; Karma 10; Karmic Range  2; Stride 13 ft. (Fast)

Combat

Pincer (2): 6/L; Stinger 8/M; Sequences None

Agg F9/W3/A0/E0 – Grab + Press + Press + Stinger

Neut F5/W3/A2/E2 – L Pincer + R Pincer + Press + Press

Def F0/W8/A2/E2 – Dodge sequence

Abilities

Skills Athletics 4, Melee 5, Quickness 5, Stamina 4, Senses 4, Stealth 5; Edges Aggressive 2 (Melee), Durable, Rapid 3, Survivor 1; Powers Heir of the Storm 1;Traits Spined, venomous

Imp & Scorpion Tactics: The imps have taken an aggressive stance and launch themselves from the backs of their mounts using their Flying Fork attack sequence. The scorpions attack until destroyed. The imps attempt to destroy the characters until only one of them is left alive. At this point, if it is able, the last imp activates a magical ring that returns it to its master in distant Arabia.

NPC Dragon Tactics: Assume there are enough imps and scorpions to keep the NPC dragons busy. The imps and scorpions listed here are for the PCs only.

Ending the Flashback: The flashback ends as soon as the last imp has been destroyed, or disappeared to report to his master. Once this happens, read or paraphrase the text in Act I, Scene III.

Note: These creatures won’t occur again, as they are a link to the next arc. For now, they serve to alert the characters to the minions of Set, who are the main focus of this arc, and they begin the groundwork for the next series of adventures.