Babes in London: Act Two, Scene Three C (Anika’s House, Part 8: Flashback—Friends of Kredak: Introduction)

SCENE THREE C: FRIENDS OF KREDAK

You are sitting around a rough, wooden table on benches worn smooth by use and time. The walls appear to be made of mud bricks and heavy wooden shutters cover deep, narrow windows. Outside a storm wind howls but, somehow, you know that the constant hiss against the shutters is sand, not rain. It is not a day to be outside. Or, possibly, a night. Who can tell? The storm has raged for so long it could be either. Your host is about to continue the epic he was reciting for your entertainment when there is a sudden thud from the trap door at the top of the stairs leading to the roof. For a few seconds it is followed by nothing more than the howling wind, and then a roar shakes the building. Either there’s a lion on steroids out there, or you’ve got company…

Let the PCs decide what to do. Inspired by the heroic deeds in the epic he was reciting, their host is all for climbing the stairs and taking a peek, something he does on his own if the PCs take too long discussing the situation. (A Senses [Earth] TH2 test is all that’s required to notice him picking up his scimitar and heading for the stairs; he’s not being subtle.) Roars and shrieks can now be heard from above and it sounds like there’s some sort of fight going on, on the roof. Their host is insisting he sees what is happening on his roof, but can be convinced to let the PCs go first (TH-1). If/when the PCs open the trapdoor read, or paraphrase, the following:

The wind is so strong that it snatches the trapdoor out of your hands and slams it open onto the roof. Sand stings your skin and beats against your robes, but you see the crash of the trapdoor has drawn some interesting attention.

There is a dragon to the left of you, his snout and claws bloody as he uses his wings to keep him on the roof. There are deep gouges in his chest and flanks, and the shaft of a snapped spear is lodged in one shoulder. The creatures between you are a strange mix. They look like an oversized cross between wild boars and men. Some are wielding scimitars and some spears. All are wearing what looks like a rough leather skirt at their waist with thick cloth bands criss-crossing the reddish-black bristles of their upper torsos. How they flew to the roof, you’ll never know, but they outnumber the dragon eight to one, and he is barely holding his own. The one nearest you turns: “Be gone,” it roars, “lest you join this one in death!”

Let the PCs decide what they are going to do. If they try to talk to the dragon they get no reply as he parries another spear thrust with a swipe of his foreclaw and struggles to keep his balance on the edge of the roof. (NOTE: The Red Boars of Set are particularly powerful. The PCs may need to use their draconic forms in order to survive this battle.)

If they try to recognise what they are facing, have them roll a Knowledge (Ancient Cultures: Egyptian – requires the Sage edge) TH5. PCs with Mythology gain a -1 modifier to the TH, cumulative with the -1 modifier awarded for either of Occult and Religion knowledge skills.
NOTE: This adventure is not sanctioned in any way, shape or form by Fantasy Flight. It is not an official product, and I am in no way affiliated with them or they with me. There is no relationship between us. This adventure is mine, for fun, and for you, because some of you asked me to finish it.

Also, if you like this adventure and want to play it, please go buy the official rulebooks from somewhere where the original creators and publisher of the setting will be paid. I got mine from a Melbourne game store, but I’ve found PDF versions of the Player's Handbook and the Gamemaster's Handbook are now available from DriveThruFiction. If you enjoy their world, this is the best way to thank them.