The Island of Godot
| Type | Dungeon |
|---|---|
| Status | Explored December 825 TA |
| Location | Dream |
| Hex | n/a |
| Campaign | Third Age of Man (early) |
| Adventure # | 17 |
Introduction
Only a few strongholds of Old Magic remain on the Island of Godot. The adepts and their coven which rule these fortifications are staggeringly powerful, but generally leave the townspeople along; much to the peasant's relief. Death becomes a certainty for those unfortunate enough to be noticed by an adept.
For centuries the townspeople of Rall have quietly worshiped Godot, hoping the evil covens would leave them alone. Then it happened. As the aging priest, Orriel of the Blue Hood, brought the morning's offerings to the silver statue of Godot in the temple, he saw two large bats land, change into human form, snatch up the statue, and disappear.
General panic swept the town. With their only source of protection and devotion missing, the town council decided to call on their sole remaining Old Magic artifact: the Talisman of Summoning. As the elders gathered around the Demon Circle, Orriel began the incantation which would save them or damn them. Slowly, clouds began forming as a storm crossed the plains. The wind began to rise as the forms of several heroes started to materialize on that ancient stone, seat of the Old Magic.
And here the story begins...
DM's Note
The recent tragedy in the dungeons below Teufeldorf Manor had left the party in dire straits. The entire party had been killed except for Hylax the Barker and Sir Zachary. The new members of the party were weak and inexperienced, not good travelling companions for their venerable counterparts. Something would have to be done in order to "balance the power" in the party (lest another Sir Brian du Bois / Art Bucheroni domination might occur). In order to solve this, a series of "dream adventures" were run - allowing everybody to play and use similarly-leveled characters. The dream experience could then be applied to any player character having the dream. The Island of Godot was the first of these dream adventures.
The Island of Godot
The Heroes
Each member of The Party was magically summoned to the Island of Godot in the form of a hero from the Isle's past.
- Argentina (Ranger)
- Micky Spicoli (Paladin)
- Hacker The Wild (Ranger)
- Calypso Serpent Strangler (Fighter)
- Roxanne Of The Garter (Magic-User)
- Rico The Chosen (Cleric)
- The Dwarf (Fighter)
The Villains
The Island of Godot was divided into a number of territories. Each of these areas was ruled over by an ultra-powerful being. Some were good, some were evil, and some were both.
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In addition to the powerful adepts, there were a number of lesser beings. Pawns in the games of the island. And yet, it is sometimes a mere pawn that changes the balance of power.
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Places of Interest
- The Crypts - Demon, Wolves, Gobllins
- Demon's Circle - Night Hag, Nightmare, Will-O-Wisp
- Stairs from Hell - Magical Hydra
- Hellspoint - Demon, Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls, Wights
- Godot - Humans (38)
- Cave of the Gap Dragon - Dragon
- Cave of Ancients - Mind-Flayers
- Druid's Circle - Unicorn
- Corwin's Refuge - Juman, Snakes, Muskrat
- Salist - Humans (26)
- House of Pride - Demon, Harpies, Gargoyles, Skeletons
- Wishing Well - Nymph
- The Last Battlefield - Orcs, Gnolls, Demons (2)
- Lucifer's Den - Demon, Medusa, Lemure, Skeletons
- The Pits - Wasps
- Belial's Lighthouse - Demon, Skunk
- Gatehouse of Mammon - Clay Golem
- Palace of Skulls - Demon, Minotaurs, Lycanthropes
- "The Last Unicorn" - Mermen
The Town of Godot
There are 12 buildings in Godot. These are:
- Home of Sparrow
- Home of Jay
- Home of Mockingbird
- James, Garth, Seth
- House of Crane
- Grandfather Godot's House
- Scout House
- Max, Fred
- House of Crow
- Meeting House
- Mead Hall
- Temple of Godot (Priests)
There are 29 villagers in Godot. These are:
Council of Godot
- Rhordan Thuur (Sparrow)
- Carafan Ralikor (Crow)
- Karak-Ak-Bherhim (Mockingbird)
- Preidim Kornstan (Jay)
- Thorrman Slaktar (Crane)
Priests
- Orriel (High Priest)
- Rorhl (Priest)
Warriors
- Maximillian Warmaster
- James Bowbender
- Fredrick Swordcrosser
- Garth Axegrinder
- Set Spearchucker
Scouts/Rangers
- Fleetfoot
- Pathfinder
Old Man - Grandfather Godot
House Sparrow - Clarissa (wife), Sprite (son), Jewel (daughter)
House Crow - Victoria (wife), Meadowflower (daughter), Sweet Pea (daughter), Lily (daughter)
House Mockingbird - Ash (son), Oak (son), Beech (son)
House Jay - Rachel (wife), Butterfly (daughter), Stork (son)
House Crane - Annabel (wife)
Adventure On The Island of Godot
It was a desperate time as the high priest used the last piece of magic that the townspeople of Godot had, the Talisman of Summoning, to bring the heroes of Godot back. As a great storm brewed, the party was greeted by Orriel of the Blue Hood and the village elders of the town of Godot, who told them the Idol from their temple had been stolen by werebats. Orriel pleaded with the party to help them. Before the party could respond, several large ravens appeared on the scene. The villagers fled to the north, and the ravens moved towards the party.
The two giant ravens with red eyes and bright yellow beaks landed behind the party and instructed them to give up, for Mammon, Adept of Greed was in possession of the statue. The ravens were the eyes and ears of the powerful Adept, and the party would often suffer under their piercing scrutiny. However, on this occasion the party ignored the warning and continued on their way.
The first encounter set for the party was with Charles Centaur. Charles, a helpful guide to the Island, was left by the party to the hungry trolls. He did not fare well. Oh well.
The party decided to check out the Crypts before journeying into town. These dungeons were the stronghold of Erinyes, Mistress of the Crypts. The Crypts were a series of burial mounds. The party dug into each mound looking for a clue to their existence. They spent an entire day digging before a clue was found. Stairs leading downward prompted the party to enter.
After travelling through some bizarre rooms trapped with animating statues and the like, the party stumbled upon Erinyes and her soul-absorbing jade globes. The Mistress was not able to absorb the party for they dispatched her (and 48 goblin guards) quickly. The orbs of death were deemed too dangerous, and they were left behind. However, some minor magical treasure was gained. The first encounter in Godot proved to be a successful one.
The party then decided to visit Corwin, a strange hermit who lived by the edge of the Lake. Corwin's hut was extra-dimensional - appearing as a 20' diameter round wooden structure on stilts. Inside the space was 50' in diameter. Corwin provided the party with some much needed information, and the party had made their first ally.
Armed with the knowledge of the Ruins of Xile, the party quested for the Rod of Hanapu, a mystical device said to have the power to dominate the actions of the Adepts.
But first, the party decided to make a brief stop by Godot to see if any information could be gained. No such luck. It is recorded that the Rod of Hanapu was recovered from the brownies which guarded Xile. Little remains of the ruins of Xile. A map shows the four guardians of the Rod. These were a shambling mound, an owlbear, a chimera, and a spirit naga. The chimera was an illusion that taunted the party with the curse:
"We are the minions of the Erge. Flee or die burning."
The spirit naga proved to be a powerful spellcaster, and her curse sent shivers down the adventurer's spines:
"You have destroyed my illusionary minions. Prepare to die by my spittle."
But, the naga was defeated, and the party reached their goal. Other than the Rod, the party gained some coinage, several potions, and a scroll. There was an elegant solution to this riddle, but only three documents speak of the test centered around the riddle:
"What is the truth of the one true God?"
Apparently the party did not opt for the elegant solution, as the chronicles record that in addition to the four guardians, nineteen ogres and three trolls were slain in order to gain the Rod of Hanapu. Even the troll threat, "We are the guardians of the Erge. Flee and we will not disembowel you." did not stop the party's bloodthirst. The riddle of Xile is lost in obscurity, but the Rod of Hanapu would play an important part in the upcoming adventure. As Corwin had told the party:
On the evening of the first full moon
of the Summer season, all the demons
of Godot converge on the Demon's Circle
to dance the Festival of Rights as
prescribed by the arch-angel of Hell, Satan.
He who wields the Rod of Hanapu rules the demons.
Unfortunately, the Rod of Hanapu did not come with instructions on its use. The party was in a quandary. They had the means to control the demons, but they didn't have the knowledge.
The next stop for the party was the House of Pride. This decision would prove to be a fatal one for the party. The House of Pride was an ancient manor house located deep in the Swamps of Despair. Our intrepid adventurers began their adventure into the swamp at the crack of dawn, but they were forced to spend the night by the setting of the sun. It was to be an eventful night. The party encountered a "bloated buffalo", more commonly known as a catoblepas. The party managed to escape the fate of Art Bucheroni (remember eating a Volkswagen?). Next came the swamp-gassed Crazy Phil. Phil convinced the party (in his own schizophrenic way) to invade Duessa's stronghold. With the help of a native, how could the mission fail? The party slept fitfully.
The next morning, the party continued on towards the manor. It was just outside the manor grounds that a sharp-eyed Argentina caught a glimpse of gold in the the bowels of a great tree. Greed overcame the fighter, and he went for the gold. He was promptly eaten by the Tangler Tree, Jason. By the time the party chopped Jason down, Argentina was gone. To the rue of the party, this disaster was a foreshadowing of the events to come in the House of Pride.
The Harpies of Duessa would attack (or excrete upon) the party unless they were persuaded by flattery (hail, o great and mighty ugliness) that the party should be taken to a meeting with Duessa. Since thirty-six harpies were killed, it can be assumed that the party didn't negotiate. The harpies did warn their mistress of the upcoming invasion. An endeavor that would fail, cost the party their possessions, and cost them the Rod of Hanapu.
The House of Pride had a deep secret based upon its name. Pride, you see, is a facade which hides nothing. In the same way, the House of Pride was an illusion of an opulent manor which was actually a empty shell. This illusion allowed Duessa to surprise the party and cast a high level spell which killed, charmed, or held all the adventurers except Roxanne. It was here that the Rod of Hanapu was taken by Duessa.
Roxanne fled to the safety of the Wishing Well. However, the ravens of Mammon had not been silent. They had reported back to their leader, and now approached Roxanne with a bargain.
| Mammon wishes to strike a deal with you against Duessa at the House of Pride. If you will steal her crystal staff, he will give a hoard of treasure and transport home. Come to my gatehouse if you wish to discuss terms. I will keep you safe, if you wish to help me... else, die. |
By figuring out the mystery of the well, Roxanne was able to retrieve the other members of the party and gain some vital information. First, Roxanne discovered that the powers of the copper, silver and gold Rod of Hannapu were: true sight, true hearing, true feeling, Power of Satan (a huge one-time fireball), and control of demons (only during the festival). More importantly, the command phrases to the last two were gained: "The power of Satan aid me." and "Be controlled by the power of the fallen arch-angel." Three other staves were identified. A crystal staff acted as a key to open a gate. An oaken staff with a dragon's head (good) would banish demons for a limited time. An oaken staff with a goat's head (evil) would summon the three furies of Christopher. In all cases, the command words for those staves was yet to be discovered. It was later learned the goat headed staff was the Cledgel of Screaming that was also immune to Silence.
From this information, the party decided to avoid the Gatehouse of Mammon (and its trap).
The time of the full moon was drawing near, and the party quickly needed to find some artifact to aid them in their quest. There was an encounter with Belial's glass pig. The pig, when set on the ground, would "sniff" out a particular magical item. The records surrounding the pig are lost, but it is believed that the party was led to the Cave of the Gap Dragon by the magical swine.
The Gap Dragon was so named because it lived in the gap between two large hills. The beast was an ancient yellow spellcasting dragon. As ferocious as the creature might be, the treasure it held was worth the gamble. The Cledgel of Smiting was an ancient device capable of delivering a deadly retributive strike. The cledgel was the dragon's headed staff. It had only enough charges to banish two Adepts. Breaking the staff, however, would banish all demons.
The party gambled, and won.
The final plan was now ready to be set into motion. The party would wait until the demons were in the midst of their dance, and then they would break the staff and banish all of them.
Before the full moon, the party was summoned to Lucifer's Den. All that survives of that encounter is a player's map, and an incantation used to counteract the gaze of Lucifer's medusa: "And to stone I return until the blood of the gods revives me."
Finally, the night of full moon arrived. A great storm was brewing in the crisp air. As the party watched on from their protected position, each demon arrived at the Demon's Circle (as by his rank). A haunting tune rolled across the plains. With the arrival of each demon, a different instrument could be heard playing the tune. Soon, the entire pantheon was assembled. It was Micky Spicoli (or so it is recorded) that broke the Staff and banished the demons. And so the Adventure to the Island of Godot ended.