Okay so this will be confusing unless you play D&D, actually it might be just as confusing if you do play because this is the first campaign I've written which hasn't just come off the top of my head with the DM guide next to me. Some of it follows my law and some of it fairy law but I tried to keep it true to the characteristics of the game. Feel free to use this with your own group or whatever, it's a pointless read otherwise.
The title is supposed to be a play on the quote 'life may not be fair, but it's fairer than death'
A child of poison has been lost, the un-seely court offer a reward for her return in one piece before four moons has passed.
Chapter One. Changing times.
The group gather in the town centre where a crowd has formed. Up on the billboard a notice has been posted in a strange language. Near you, an old haggard woman screams "A curse, a plague, all be warned, darkness is near."
If a player chooses to speak to another town's person the response will be 'whatever it is, it can't be good.'
Option One, History.
Low level understanding: The writing is fairy.
Midlevel understanding: It has been signed with the mark of the unseely court
High level understanding: It's a letter asking for help, written by the unseely court.
Option Two, Religion.
Low level understanding: The message has been written recently.
Midlevel understanding; The message is in fairy.
High level understanding: The message has been signed with the mark of the unseely court.
Option Three, Translation.
A member must speak fairy, the member who translates the letter is told, it's up to them who else they tell.
Option four, Magic.
Low level: The message is in fairy, and shows traces of dark magic.
Midlevel: The message is a wanted poster, there is a reward offered.
High level: The message is asking for the return of a child, the unseely court offers a reward.
If a translation has been made, the king summons you to his private rooms, here he offers you a greater reward if you are to find the child and return them to his custody.
You may accept or decline his offer. The king will tell you it is out of your place to ask foolish questions if you ask him why.
Accept; You are sent back to where the game began, jump to 'if no translation has been made'
Decline; Three wolves attempt to stop you leaving. Once you have defeated them you may go to 'if no translation has been made'
If you are bloodied before you have killed the wolves, three guards come and take you to the prison cells. You must talk your way out of the jail as the bars are resistant to both magic and brute strength. You may then continue to 'if no translation has been made.'
If no translation has been made, around you are three buildings, a witches coven, a church, and a doctor's home.
Option One; Witches Coven.
Option one: Talk to the witch
Low level response: "ack it's mischief, mischief! Tricks in the dark from the little folk, the dark ones have lost a daughter, mischief, mischief!"
Mid level response; "The children, the children from the other side, the unseely, the dark ones, they've lost a daughter. they need her, need her before bastille."
High lever response; "The fairy kind, they came in the night, causing mischief, they've lost one of their own, a daughter, a daughter of the unseely court, a child with a poisonous name. She must be returned by Bastille, by the moons zenith. You'll need a map to find their home, on the wall over there." She points to a map which you can take if you like.
Intimidation will cause the witch to panic and begin a battle. The witch has an AC of 16 and a total HP of 27, she is bloodied at 11. If you fail to kill the witch before you are bloodied she will banish you from her home and warn you not to pass her or her sisters again.
Option two: rout around the witches house.
Perception, low level: You find a book open on the floor, it's written in fairy and speaks of Bastille's day.
Perception, mid level: You find a note with a rough translation made in it in the common language, however something has been spilled on the old paper, leaving only a few lines readable. 'bastille's day our moons, a daughter ha stolen find her name darkness is coming.'
Perception, high level: You find a map pinned to the walls which marks where our world meets the land of the fae, if you look closely you can see three homes circled in ink, the witch isn't looking so you may take it if you like.
Option three: attack.
If you fail to kill the witch before all of you are bloodied, she will banish you from her home, warning you to never cross her again, she also warns to to watch out for her sisters.
If you kill the witch, you may take what you want from her home, this includes two healing potions and a map with three homes as well as the fairy borders marked on it. But be warned of other witches in your travels, they have a knack for knowing when their blood has been spilled.
After leaving the coven, you may visit another building if you would like to, or you can follow the map, just watch out for the goblin infestation which has been plaguing the town for a little over a week.
Option two, the church.
Inside you find a man of the lord reading and making notes, he looks distressed and sickly around the eyes.
Option one: Talk to the man.
Low level response: The man looks up and jumps on seeing you there, he tells you, "I don't have time for hooligans getting involved, this is a serious matter that need be dealt with by a professional, now go before you get yourselves killed!"
Mid level response: 'I'm not supposed to tell you anything, it's too dangerous, but it would be unjust for me not to warn you, the little folk are planning a return, the unseely court is in power once again and they have big plans, I would leave while you still can."
High level response: 'I'm not sure I should say, though I'm sure you will find out soon enough. The unseely court has risen to power once again, the land of the fairy is out of balance, more folk joining the dark side. That might explain the goblin folk we're been seeing so much around these streets, there's always more mischief when their land has been disturbed. They're looking for a daughter, the poster says with a poisonous name, though what that means I don't know. There isn't a lot fairies deem poisonous."
The players may intimidate the man to get a mid level response if they have a high enough level.
Option two, look through the books scattered across the floor.
Low level perception: You find an old book that speaks of the seely and unseely courts, you find out that for fairy to be stable, the courts must be in balance, you read that it is always dangerous when the unseely court tip the scales of power.
Mid level perception: You find an old scroll on the floor, resting in a puddle of water, from what's left you make out that sometimes fae folk switch human babies with their own for their amusement, thse children are called changelings. You also read that it isn't uncommon for the little folk to try and retrieve their children later in life, often around Bastille's day.
High level perception: You find a book that tells you that for fairy to be stable, the courts must be in balance, you read that it is always dangerous when the unseely court tip the scales of power. A few pages on the books reads about changelings, children switched at birth for little folk, you are told that fairies often try and retrieve their kin after thirteen years, usually around bastille's day, you also read that it is rumoured that the high queen of the unseely court's daughter is a human child, and that for years the town's folk have feared the queen will come for her real child.
Option three: attack.
The man is an unarmed human with an AC of 11, if you hit him with anything above a 5 he will die. Players may use perception still to find the books.
After leaving the church, the players notice the witches door is open, you can hear the witch cackling about little folk.
Option three, the doctor's home.
Option One: Talk to the doctor.
low level response: The doctor tells you that he has begun translating the poster and has discovered that fairies are looking for a child who's name means poison. He believes this to mean she is named after a herb, tree or mineral which is dangerous for fae kind.
Mid level response: The Doctor tells you that the dark fairies are looking for one of their lost children, the poster says they are named after a poison. He says he has begun to make a list of plants and minerals that are poisonous or dangerous for fairies and fae kind. So far the list reads; Rosacae Fern, Mela Rare Oak, Rowan Wood and Nox Orchid. He says there are girls with names similar to these about the town, though he doesn't think many of them are the right age.
High Level response: The doctor tells you that he has translated the message to discover the dark faries, of the unseely court, are in search of a child, he says that the child has been named after a poison and so he has made lists of all known fairy poisons and then listed children of the village who's names are similar to these poisons.The list reads: Rosacae Fern, Mela Rare Oak, Rowan Wood and Nox Orchid. He says that while many children go by similar names, the fairies will be looking for a child between the ages of 7 and 14. He suggests you look for Rosacae, Rowan and Nox. He does not know where in the village they live.
Option two: Perception check.
Low level perception: You find a sheet of paper headed 'poisons' there is a short list written in scratchy handwriting. The list reads; Rosacae Fern, Mela Rare Oak, Rowan Wood and Nox Orchid.
Mid level perception: You find a sheet of paper with the header 'fairy poisons' there is a short list with pictures below. The list reads Rosacae Fern, Mela Rare Oak, Rowan Wood and Nox Orchid.
High level perception: You find a list headed 'plants known to harm/ kill fairies/ to prevent fae magic' The list reads Rosacae Fern, Mela Rare Oak, Rowan Wood and Nox Orchid. There are drawings of each plant, circled are the names 'Rosacae, Rowan and Nox.'
Option three: attack.
Though the doctor is wise, he is not a fighter and has a very low armour class, if you role higher than a 5 you will kill him. You may still do a perception check.
After leaving the home, you may visit another building if you would like to, or you can go in search of the children, just watch out for the goblin infestation which has been plaguing the town for a little over a week.
The DM may place goblins and townsfolk where they please, when the group encounter a goblin they must go into battle, if the group encounter a knight of the castle, after declining the king's offer, they must battle, If the group encounter a towns person they may ask for help/ information. The group may go back to the witch, the doctor or the holy man at any point if they have not gathered all available information.
Town's folk info.
If asked about the map: 'It appears to show the boarder of our world to fairy, it looks like it's near the crossroads.'
When asked about changelings: 'it will do no good to say that word around here, many folk believe even uttering it will bring the fairies to us, especially those living about the tavern. Not that i blame them, there's enough mischief happening around there for a toad's circle on midsummer.
When asked about Bastille's: 'it's another word used for midsummer, when the fairies magic is strongest, that's what they like, the in-between times, dawn, dusk, the seconds before the rain begins to fall, that's when you see them. Confident little tricksters they are then.'
When asked about the children: There's a boy that works at the stables called Nox, he's a nice lad, good with the horses, just moved into town a couple years ago. Roasacea and Rowan are sisters, they live near the tavern with their mother, quiet girls, a little odd but they've never caused any trouble.
At Roasacea and Rowan's home.
Outside the home is an earn, on opening the earn you can discover a buckets worth of salt.
If you knock on the door, Roasacea will answer. She is slight and fair of hair, she has wide green eyes and tanned skin, she welcomes you into their home where you see Rowan, she is tall with short brown hair, she is carrying a tray full of biscuits and offers you one. If a character accepts a biscuit they're HP will drop by five as they leave the home.
Option One: Talk to the girls.
Facts to be revealed through questioning.
Roasacea is 16.
Rowan is 13.
They were both born in the summer.
Their mother works as a barmaid in the tavern.
Roasacea looks like her mother.
They are best friends.
Option two: perception check.
Low level: You notice a picture of the girls and their mother on the mantle piece, Roasacea looks a lot like their mother.
Mid level: You sense magic around Rowan.
High level: You notice the photo, you sense magic around Rowan and the food in her hands, you also notice that she seems nervous.
Option three: attack.
If you attack Roasacea, she will die, however the emotional response you evoke from Rowan releases a burst of magic from her, she takes 10 off of everyone's HP before running and hiding.
If you attack Rowan you must beat her AC of 19, her HP is 30. She prepares to fight back, however her sister stops her and asks to talk instead.
You may reason with Rowan until she agrees to go with you.
On leaving the house you are ambushed by four goblins, once you have defeated the goblins townsfolk come from the tavern to see what all the commotion is, amongst the folk is Rowan's mother, she sets a mob on you for trying to kidnap her daughter.
The DM may choose which monsters they would like to use. If the team survive they move to the next map, the crossroads or the King's palace for chapter two.