Adventure Synopsis Competition #2

[KJW]

Competition Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST, September 20th, 2009

This competition involves the creation of an adventure outline or synopsis. The undisguised purpose of this competition is to set up a collection of adventures for the Blue Moon Aurora website. Every entry to this competition may be posted on the website, with credit given to the author, though the entries may be slightly edited or reformatted. Besides bragging rights, the winner of the competition will also receive a $30 gift certificate to Amazon.com!

The judge for the competition will be KJW who will evaluate all entries and those which meet the standards for the competition will be put in a pool from which the winner will be randomly selected. The standards are for a clear, clever, and detailed entry on par with those which have been included in the Adventure Repository. Basically, just put a little effort into your entry and you should be fine.

The Rules
1. This competition is about creating an adventure outline, or synopsis, which can be used by other GMs for their campaigns and systems. This is about a narrative and there is no need for specific mechanics, maps, or the like. However, the more concise and useful the outline the better it will do in the competition.
2. The adventure synopsis can be for any of the following genres: contemporary/historical, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and superheroes. Remember the genre is the goal not a specific system or setting. This doesn’t mean you should try to be as generic or bland as possible, just that you avoid limiting yourself to a specific RPG.
3. Once you have your entry finished you can post it in this thread and you may edited it up to 24 hours before the conclusion of the competition.
4. Everyone can submit up to two entries, but if you submit two entries then they must cover two separate genres.
5. Look at the Adventure Repository for some examples.
6. Have fun!

Entries
Hell Hath No Fury Like a Ship Scorned by Dakini
A Bride to Keep the Peace by Dakini
Culture Crash by Crazy Monkey

[KJW]

Okay nearly a week has passed and let's keep this from becoming an Competition to Subsidize Crazy Monkey! Like the rules say you can do two entries and if they meet the minimal standards then they get tossed into the raffle which will select the winner. I mean how fun is that!

[Dakini]

I'm working on 2 entries. It's just taking me a while.

[crazy_monkey1956]

Monkey will have at least one posted some time this week.

Aren't family members ineligible?

[KJW]

Yes, I know, you're like family to me Monkey and so I decided family should be eligible to compete.

[Dakini]

Monkey will have at least one posted some time this week.

Aren't family members ineligible?

Afraid of a little competition, are you? Don't worry - I only compete here in areas that have random or blind assignment of the winner.

[Dakini]

First of all, I just want to say that this is a lot harder to do than it first appears! I may not do a second one. That said, below is my first entry:

[Dakini]

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Ship Scorned (Science Fiction)
The Nestrid Imperium produces ships with highly advanced artificial intelligences in their mainframe computer systems that run most ship operations, allowing even large and complicated ships to be crewed by relatively few people. The AI programs, however, have a tendency to be temperamental and it falls to the captain to negotiate between the AI program and the needs of the ship. For instance, one AI program became obsessed with observing new stellar phenomenon and insisted on changes to the desired trade route in order to get closer to a different type of star. In this adventure, the AI program became enamored with the captain himself, to disastrous results. This adventure idea was inspired by the short story The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey.

Act I: Prelude
The PCs are taking some R&R at a backwater planet when they are approached by a good-looking, lanky middle-aged man with an air of desperation, who introduces himself as Halineir Talh. He tells them that he has a cargo opportunity for them: a contract to pick up a shipment of genetically-modified plants and deliver them to the Fantarus IV space station. It is a prime, well-paid contract that needs done immediately. If the PCs are interested, he explains that the plants are actually on the nearby world of Albitra. All the PCs have to do is to take him on board to Albitra and he will make the necessary arrangements. He is only asking for transport and a finder’s fee once the PCs are paid.

If asked for more information, Halineir shows them his Nestrid Imperium captain’s license. He explains that the contract was actually his, but his ship was recently stolen and he has no way of getting off world. The plants were supposed to be picked up 2 days ago, but he’s sure that if they can just get to Albitra, the PCs can fulfill the contract and he can try to get more information about what happened to his ship. If the PCs investigate, he does check out as the registered captain of a light freighter called the Astral Queen. If they investigate farther afield, they find out that he is connected locally in the disappearance of a waitress named Terala, who was last seen on his stolen ship.

Note: If the PCs are not interested, Halineir begs them to at least give him passage off-world to someplace with more traffic. He doesn’t want to go to a Nestrid Imperium consulate, because he is afraid of losing his license if he reports the loss of his ship, but he’s hoping that at least in a busier system he can find someone willing to help. If the PCs take him off-world to some other system, the journey (in Act II) may need to be adjusted to get the PCs to Albistra.

Act II: Journey
During the course of the journey to Albistra, more of Halineir’s story comes out. He arrived on the world they found him a little over a week ago, for a little vacation after some long and boring transport jobs. His first day on world, he picked up a girl named Terala at the Paradise Shores beach resort and after a long day of partying brought her back to the ship for the night. In the morning, his ship’s AI program (whom he calls Astra) suggested that he let the girl sleep in and surprise her with fresh fruit for breakfast. He headed out with just his clothes and a little cash, and as he was returning, he saw the ship taking off. He was left without significant money or equipment, and he lived on the beach for days, approaching any travelers he could for information or passage off-world. He tried to investigate Terala to determine whether she had established contacts to organized crime or shipjackers, but was unable to determine anything. Locals knew her well as a good-natured waitress and were very concerned about her disappearance. The only conclusion that Halineir has been able to draw is that his second-in-command, Jorst, has stolen the ship. Jorst is a taciturn and rather slow individual, so it doesn’t make much sense, but it seems like the only option. Halineir is beside himself with worry over both Terala and Astra, who has been his constant companion for over a decade and who he is quite fond of, though he admits that she does have a jealous streak.

Act III: Albistra
Once the PCs arrive at Albistra, they discover that the Astral Queen arrived in system several days ago and picked up the plants. They also learn that a young woman fled the ship during the loading of the cargo and is still hanging around the spaceport trying to get passage back to the world they just came from. If they search her out, she is indeed Terala, who says that she was taken hostage by Astra, who she describes a ‘crazy jealous computer’. Terala says that Astra rambled on about making sure that Halineir learned to appreciate her and tells them that Jorst argued with her repeatedly about going back for Halineir, but Astra refused to agree until more time had passed. At this Halineir gets quite shamefaced; he says that Astra tends to get very jealous when he shows attention to other women and he really was a fool for bringing Terala back to the ship. Halineir tells the PCs that he would compensate them handsomely if they can help him recover his ship, though of course he doesn’t have any funds on him now.

Act IV: Confrontation
At this point, if the PCs agree to help Halineir, they may decide to chase after the Astral Queen to the Fantarus IV space station (if they have a fast ship) or to communicate ahead to have someone else determine where the ship is going after it leaves the station. Either way, they will discover that when the Astral Queen reached the space station and began to unload the plant cargo, it was targeted by a group of actual shipjackers. Jorst was injured and captured trying to repel the attackers and Astra responded by shutting the ship down; the shipjackers have managed to secure her in a cargo bay but have been frustrated so far in their attempts to override her systems and start her up. The shipjackers have paid off station security, so it’s up to the PCs and Halineir to fight or sneak through their defenses and get to the Astral Queen. Once they reach the ship, only Halineir himself can convince Astra to open up and turn on ship systems; Astra is quite humbled now and eager to have Halineir return.

Act V: Conclusion
If the PCs have helped Halineir recover the Astral Queen, Halineir will see that they are well compensated, though the real reward may come from salvage of the shipjackers’ equipment and spoils. The PCs’ connection to Halineir would also serve as a good lead-in to the Nestrid Imperium and could be the springboard for more adventures.

[KJW]

Huzzah! We have an entry! Right now Dakini has 100% odds of winning the raffle - fight nepotism put in your own entry!

[Dakini]

A Bride to Keep the Peace (Fantasy)

This adventure tackles the popular themes of war, peace, and arranged marriage. There is a lot of flexibility built into the adventure, which can be adapted for either a group campaign or a duet. Possible adaptations to the story are indicated in the notes, many of which depend on the particularities of your campaign setting. For instance, the adventure assumes the typical fantasy races of elves and humans. If the relationship between these races is different in your setting, feel free to change the elves to any race that is somewhat mysterious and isolationist and the humans to whatever the majority race is in your setting.

The border between the human Kingdom of the Lakes and the isolationist elven lands known as the Radiant Forest has long been fraught with tension. The relentless human desire to expand is in direct conflict with the elves, who value large areas of untouched natural space. Tensions recently reached a boiling point when an aggressive group of human settlers crossed a river that had been an unofficial boundary line to clear many acres of forest for homesteads. The elves responded by awakening forest guardians to destroy the homesteads. The two lands now stand on the brink of full-scale war.

Act I: The Summons

The PCs are summoned to the royal court where a tentative peace treaty is being completed between King Malithar and envoys of the elven council. Central to the treaty is a prophecy made by the high priest of the most respected religion of the Kingdom of the Lakes and confirmed by the elven envoys: Lasting peace between the two races can only come through blood, either blood of war or blood of marriage. The two sides have agreed to marriage in lieu of war and the second son of King Malithar is to be married to an elven princess. The PCs are asked on behalf of the King to travel to the elven lands and provide escort for the elven princess back to the Kingdom of the Lakes.

The PCs should have an opportunity to meet Prince Thaddeus at this point. He is an attractive young man who enjoys the arts, courtly society, and political intrigue. He hopes his new wife will be an asset to him at court and asks the PCs to send him a letter as soon as they reach the elven lands to apprise him honestly of the princess' beauty, talents, and interests. He has penned a love poem addressed To the Mysterious Companion of My Heart that he wants to be delivered to the princess.

Notes: Depending on the number and ability of your players, you can tweak this basic framework. For instance, if your group is primarily a fighting group, providing escort alone may be sufficient. However, if one or more of the PCs is a capable and proven negotiator, perhaps final details remain to be negotiated and the assignment includes ensuring that the treaty is ratified in its current form by the elven council. If you are running a duet campaign, the PC may be appointed to head up the princess' security or to protect or assist the lead negotiator.

Act II: The Arrival

The journey to the Radiant Forest can be as long as suits your setting's geography, as the PCs must travel from the royal court all the way to the border of the human lands and then into the elven lands. As they reach the border, they will face increasing hostility from human settlers who feel that King Malithar should be sending an army to support them against elven aggression, rather than a pretty convoy of gifts for the elven bride. There should be at least one overt attack on the convoy while they are camped one night, with the attackers attempting to disrupt and vandalize the convoy (such as by shooting flaming arrows at wagons full of gifts). Once the river is crossed and the convoy enters the elven lands, the PCs see few elves but feel that the forest itself it watching them and is not pleased with their presence.

Act III: The Princess

Once the elven tree city is reached, final negotiations take place and the PCs get to meet Princess Cuilwen, though one of her attendants, who is a "handler" assigned by the council to manage the situation, limits the PCs' time with her. Although Cuilwen is lovely, she is also clearly unhappy about the impending marriage. For instance, she is unwilling to speak in the human language and greets the prince's love poem with obvious disdain. If the PCs persist in spending time with her, they will discover that she loves the outdoors, is an accomplished archer and rider, and knows very little about human society. She shares the belief of many of her people that humans love to clear cut natural areas in the name of civilization and are obsessed with breeding and expanding in order to achieve dominance over the world. If the PCs do an exceptional job of finding out more about Cuilwen, they will discover that she is being met in secret by an elven warrior named Faelon; he has been in love with her for many years and is trying to convince Cuilwen to run away with him.

Notes: This Act could easily be expanded to cover more than one gaming session depending on the PCs' level of involvement with the negotiations and the amount of opposition within the elven lands over the treaty. There can be any number of formal events: ceremonies to welcome the envoys and receive the gifts, an occaison for Cuilwen to perform for the envoys, meeting of elven council, etc. All of these present possibilities for intrigue and subplots. Various family members could also be introduced to add more problems if desired.

Act IV: The Return

Eventually, the last details are hammered out and the convoy is assembled for the return to the Kingdom of the Lakes with Princess Cuilwen, who is accompanied by numerous attendants and a retinue of bodyguards, who include Faelon. The return journey should be very stressful. The princess is increasingly distraught. Much of the elven retinue is also clearly unhappy. Once the convoy reaches the border, the wrath of the human settlers comes out in full force, with crowds lining the path to jeer and throw things. The first night after this happens, Faelon will decide that the situation is intolerable and that the princess must be rescued. If the PCs have managed to befriend the princess (a difficult task), she will resist the idea of escape and Faelon will have to kidnap her. If the PCs have not befriended the princess, she will go with him willingly and be that much more difficult to track and recover.

Act V: The Future

Things could go several ways at this point. Princess Cuilwen is generally miserable at the idea of marrying a human, but willing to obey the dictates of the elven council in order to preserve peace for her people. If the PCs get her to the royal court without incident, she will, albeit grudgingly, marry Prince Thaddeus and the PCs will be rewarded for their efforts and have a life-long friend in Prince Thaddeus.

However, if the human settlers near the border get close enough to harm or insult Cuilwen, or if the PCs worsen the situation in some way, she will do her best to escape with Faelon. If the PCs fail to recover her, the Kingdom of the Lakes will view her escape as a flagrant insult and breach of the treaty and will declare war. Even if the PCs do recover her, she may decide that the situation is intolerable and refuse to proceed. In that case, the PCs have to decide whether to forcibly take her to the royal court or to allow her to return to the Radiant Forest. Either way, Prince Thaddeus will blame the PCs for the failure of his potentially happy marriage, relations between the two lands will be strained even further, and war will become that much more inevitable.

[crazy_monkey1956]

Culture Clash (Written as Fantasy, but the basic setup can work in any genre)

The player characters are enjoying some much needed downtime in their favorite tavern when a group of foreigners enters, travel weary and needing a place to stay. The locals immediately turn unfriendly and a brawl could ensue if the PCs don't intervene.

Act 1: Barroom Brawl

The foreigners (humans from another land, members of a race normally seen as "evil," or whatever fits the GM's world) are from a culture with which the PCs homeland has had numerous skirmishes and conflicts. The PCs themselves may have had run-ins with people from this land.

This particular group is not looking for trouble, but the locals would rather simply kick them out at best, lynch them at worst. Depending on the actions of the PCs, this could become a brawl or the PCs could solve the situation diplomatically, getting the locals to backdown.

Regardless, the PCs (and the locals) soon learn that this group is simply the first wave.

Act 2: Refugees

Hundreds of the foreigners begin pouring into the city over the next few weeks. They are fleeing a natural disaster that has decimated their homeland. The PCs will be recruited by the constabulary to help with crowd control and getting the refugees settled in temporary encampments where ever there is room.

Past conflicts and old grudges spring up, with fights and clashes occurring daily. The PCs will have their hands full just keeping anyone from being killed. If the PCs sympathies are with the locals, their task will be especially difficult.

Act 3: Resettlement

An envoy from the sovereign arrives in the city to assess the situation and determines that the refugees are to be relocated to the northern border where a new settlement is being built. The PCs will be asked to escort and protect the refugees during the trip. In addition to the usual hazards of the wilderness, the PCs will have to fend off attacks from ruffians bent on kicking the refugees while they are down.

Act 4: Negotiations

After settling in, the foreigners begin discussing re-establishing their nation in the new settlement, while the local sovereign feels they are now his subjects since he provided them with the hospitality of his nation. Negotations will be heated and the PCs will be in the thick of it. More combat oriented PC groups can instead be on the alert for assassination attempts from subversive elements on both sides.

Act 5: Peace

Depending on how the negotations resolved, the PCs will have a powerful new ally or a potential new enemy. The political landscape of their home has changed irrevocably and the repercussions will felt for generations to come.

[KJW]

Three entries so far that's not bad at all. I think my favorite so far is A Bride to Keep the Peace.

[KJW]

Eleven days left and Dakini has 66% odds of winning and Crazy Monkey has 33% odds of winning...but maybe you want a chance? Well then put in an entry and we'll see!

[KJW]

About a week left on the competition!

[KJW]

Just the weekend left!

[KJW]

Alright, the first contestant to roll a 1d6 on Invisible Castle and post it here will set the number. I have sent the rubric, randomly determined, to Wordartist for honesty sake. Crazy Monkey has two numbers on a d6 and Dakini has 4, the winner gets $30! So who will win, what will be the magic number, who else is really excited about this? Okay, probably no one...

[Dakini]

Alright, the first contestant to roll a 1d6 on Invisible Castle and post it here will set the number. I have sent the rubric, randomly determined, to Wordartist for honesty sake. Crazy Monkey has two numbers on a d6 and Dakini has 4, the winner gets $30! So who will win, what will be the magic number, who else is really excited about this? Okay, probably no one...

[url=
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2262218/] 1[/url]

[Dakini]

I'm very excited and I rolled a 1 and I have no idea what the rest of your message meant but excited to see the outcome!

[KJW]

The rubric was 1, 5 Crazy Monkey and 2-4, 6 Dakini so the winner is Crazy Monkey. Congrats to the Monkey!

Of course, the better and more detailed entries lost with this method and it didn't drum up that many more entries so I'll probably need to rethink the process for the next one, probably in November. Still we did go from one entry to three entries so that's an improvement. I will be putting these up on the site today or tomorrow.

[crazy_monkey1956]

Well, hot diggity. Monkey defies the odds once more!

Perhaps a group judging process next time (those who haven't submitted an entry get to judge the entries or something like that).

[Dakini]

Oh well. At least I'll get recognition on the site!

Congrats, Monkey.

[Dakini]

And I second the suggestion of a group judging process next time.

[KJW]

Hm, that's an idea - a poll to select the winner. That might be a better idea also to involve people more in the process. Anyway the gift card is sent! Monkey is now the two-time champion of the Adventure Synopsis Competition!

[crazy_monkey1956]

Thank ye kindly.