Desert of Desolation XIX

Sir Blanque - swordsman and handsome, dashing noble half mer-person

Marion - stabby stabby dagger specialist; Nihrain who currently carries the Runestaff

Destiny - Menastrai sorceress covertly raised on Melnibone

Bomilcar - Weeping Waste nomad from a chieftain's family

The Desert of Desolation campaign book provides the three encounters the characters have already had, and states that three of the minarets are already on the towers of the central hologram they are supposed to join; three of the corresponding side-shapes are darkened. The suggests that someone else (or perhaps multiple groups) has already accomplished three of the six tasks, which seems very unlikely given all of the interplanar shenanigans involved. So I made it six. There are particular campaign reasons for the final one, although the players don't know that yet.

I'll make this brief as a way of describing the three extra ones I used. Two of them were taken from the first White Dwarf Compendium, the same volume that contains The Halls of Tizun Thane, which was one of the earliest adventures I used for this Stormbringer campaign. I've always been wanting to run these two again...

Grakt's Crag

I ran this on a previous occasion, and it almost caused a party wipeout. Basically, it's a complex full of traps and ingenious puzzles, which `I` converted to various elemental-type nastiness. At the end is a rather unpleasant demonic thingie. None of this presented too much of a challenge to the four adventurers, although Bomilcar did his usual conflicted act a few times - sometimes he's brilliant at finding things the others miss, and then sometimes he pretty much sets off whatever is lurking there. Anyway, the group made it through to the final confrontation, and the poor terrified demon practically threw the minaret at them. "I know who you are!" it screeched. "Leave me alone! Don't hurt me!"

And yes, I do remember this when it first appeared

Destiny felt sorry for it (!) and cajoled it into explaining that it was bound here to protect this object until its rightful owners appeared - and the descriptions of the four friends was rather accurate. The demon interpreted its duties to mean that now they are here, it doesn't need to fight anyone any more.

Pool of the Standing Stones

This one is mostly memorable because of several events that turned out to be rather comical, at least from the players' point of view.

This one was in White Dwarf nr. 12!

First of all, on their way up a suspicious regular mound-shaped hill to the top, the characters find a wee man running down the hill towards and past them at full speed, with a terrified look on his face. He doesn't even see them...

Next, Destiny decides to dive into the rather lovely looking pool, only to find out the hard way that it's an illusion. Her demon armour saves her from anything more unpleasant than some hurt dignity.

The group forces its way through the entrance hidden at the bottom of the 'pool' and gets into a tremendous fight with some guards. Marion does so much damage to one of them that she more or less paints the wall of the hallway in his blood...

At this point the party is greeted by someone coughing politely behind them. "Excuse me," he says in perfect High Melnibonean. The four friends turn round to see what this means, and are greeted by a rather unusual sight: a sort of draconian person with a distinctly Melnibonean cast to its facial features. "I saw the poor unfortunates you scared away running down the mound, and decided to investigate." He (for it is indeed a 'he') introduces himself, but his name is pretty much unpronounceable, even for Destiny. The group invites him to tag along with them, and he assents. "Nice mural" he says, looking at the results of Marion's dagger work. "I think we must be related" he says to Destiny. She mutters something I return about this confirming her suspicion that her people are descended from dragons; "I think you're right; at least, we probably share a common ancestor."

Anyway, eventually the group meets with yet another demonic protector after a series of encounters and events; the place is being used by a bunch of deeply unpleasant brigand types, and their leader turns out to be a demon that has gone rogue. "I broke my binding" it says, smiling toothily. It then ushers the group into its treasury and shows them the minaret. "I know that's why you're here, so you might as well take it. But please leave me with my other trinkets."