Ninja Wars.pdf - Dorks and Dragons!

Act 6—Fire!*This act can be used whenever the DM sees fit earlyin the development of the adventure. The PCs can beinvolved or not, at the DM’s option. If they’re not involvedthe DM can give them the appropriate informationfrom the “Probable Outcome” section thatfollows.If the PCs are to be involved, this act can be playedout whenever the PCs are abroad on the streets atnight (perhaps directly after Act 4 and the destructionof the bell). Read the following:The night breeze is freshening, and carries asymphony of scents: flowers, the perfume of apassing courtesan, food cooking, and—from the etaarea—the harsh chemicals used in tanning, and theunmistakable odor of blood from the town’s singlesmall slaughterhouse.And, suddenly . . . smoke. A red glow lights thesky over among the ramshackle eta huts. Cries ringout: yells of pain and dismay, punctuated by sharporders.FirestarterIf the PCs respond immediately and head towardsthe fire, they have the opportunity to learn a littlemore about what’s going on; read the following section.If they hesitate, skip this encounter entirely andgo on with “The Firefighters”. If they don’t investigateat all, find some appropriate way of giving them theappropriate information from “Probable Outcome”;it’s as if they haven’t been involved at all.The street is suddenly full of people: terrifiedpeasants, grim-faced samurai. Despite the fear thatappears on many faces, they’re all heading towardsthe glow in the sky.No, not all. A single figure pushes through thecrowd, hurrying away from the blaze. His face andclothing are nondescript, and none of you recognizehim.But he recognizes you. As your eyes meet, yousee terror flash across his face. He turns and runs,knocking people off their feet in his desperation toreach the small, dark alley across the street . . .This figure is Onoshi.Onoshi (0-level male human): AC 8; MV 12; hp 7;#AT 1 or 3/1; Dmg 1-3 (knife) or 1-6 (karate); THAC020; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 9; AL LN.Proficiencies: karate. Honor: 2.Onoshi is the 20-year-old son of an Aru fishmonger,hence of the sho class. He wears an undistinguishedkimono, with a knife concealed in the sleeve. Remember:possession of weapons is illegal for all but samurai.Any samurai who finds this knife in his possessionwill immediately take Onoshi’s head, without askingany questions. If the PCs want to be able to ask Onoshiabout his actions, they’re going to have to protect himfrom the righteous wrath of any NPC samurai whohappens to be nearby. Onoshi has been trained in karate;thus his Armor Class and high number of attacks.He knows two special maneuvers: circle kickand feint.In addition to his highly illegal knife, Onoshi carries10 tael. He received this princely sum in return forsetting fire to a peasant’s minka in the eta area oftown. When the PCs spot him, he’s trying to get awayfrom the scene of the crime. If pursued, he’ll do whateverhe can to get away; he knows the winding backstreetsof the city better than the PCs, so he has a goodchance of succeeding if they don’t go after him immediately.Should he be caught or cornered, he’ll fight:throwing his knife at any pursuer who looks remotelylike a spellcaster preparing a spell, then using his karateskills. Onoshi fights fiercely, but not to the death,and always with an eye to escape. As soon as it’s apparentthat he’s outmatched and that escape is impossible,he flings himself to the ground, begging formercy. If the PCs keep him alive, he’ll answer anyquestions . . . intermixing the responses with a goodmeasure of pleas for mercy, of course.Unfortunately, he can’t tell the PCs much. Yes, hewas approached by a man who wanted him to set fireto the minka. But the man was a stranger; Onoshi hadnever seen him before. He can’t even say whether hisemployer was from Aru, or a stranger to the town,and has no idea as to the man’s rank or motivation. Hedescribes the man as “mid-height, with dark hair anddark eyes, wearing a plain dark kimono" . . . which, ofcourse, is of no help at all.The FirefightersIf the PCs decide to head for the site of the fire, readthe following:As you hurry towards the glow, you’re filled withforeboding. There’s been no rain for more than aweek, and minka— particularly in an eta village—are notorious fire-traps. You could well be witnessesto a firestorm like the one that devastatedmuch of Juzimura several years ago.But when you reach the spot, you see an amazingsight. The fire is totally under control—almost extinguished,in fact. There’s a well—organized bucketbrigade fighting the fire, and others are tossing wateron the roofs of nearby buildings to prevent itfrom spreading. As you watch in amazement, thefire is completely quenched. Tired and grimy—butexultant-the eta and others turn away to return totheir homes or businesses.If the PCs want to find out anything about the fire,they’re going to have to ask the spectators and participants.The PCs must work hard to extract all of thefacts, which are as follows:23