May Entry: Tanaka's Challenge
Since I missed out last month (even though I'm still too busy), I decided to try and squeeze a chase adventure, specifically designed for the CWBP Kaidan seting (as opposed to my intended published version.) I plan to do 3 to 5 tiles (maybe more) at 24 x 36 inches, 1 inch = 100 ppi, thus 20 pix/foot scale.
Since 12rounds (Kimmo) was so kind as to create Lord Izo Tanaka http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...naka#post53005 I decided to make him the main antagonist of this adventure chase!
Tanaka's Challenge: adventure for 3 - 4 PCs levels 2 - 4, as oriental adventurers in the setting of Kaidan.
The Daimyo of Hamato Province in southern Kaidan, is the inscrutable Lord Izo Tanaka (vampire of ravens). Having learned that the PC party has been adventuring in his realm and performing acts of subterfuge and espionage, he became very curious.
Tanaka is secretly the master of the Hidden in Hamato province. The Hidden is the known name of the five ninja clans of Kaidan, the Muto clan is located in Hamato, near Uesumi, northwest of his castle. Perhaps he could entice the party to visit his castle, so he could create a challenge to test their skills.
Lord Tanaka has learned one of the PCs has been courting the daughter of a local silk dyer, so he sent a troop of Raven Samurai to fetch her, with a message to her father, "Tell her lover to sneak into my castle and take her back, if he succeeds, I will set her free."
The PCs have disguised themselves as merchants, unarmored and only lightly armed, bearing gifts for his lordship. Members must include at least one ninja, from a family outside Hamato province, and one Monk, though may include up to four, none of Samurai Caste, however, preferrable all of Heimen (Commoner) Caste.
Once in the Daimyo's Court hall (chamber in top left of map), while the party is in audience with Lord Tanaka, the girl betrothed to the PC member is brought in. Tanaka decrees, "I will count to 100, you have that much time, before I sound the alarm, if you can escape my men, my castle and my town, I will set you all free as innocents. 1, 2, 3..."
Map Tile 1: Tanaka's Castle, Oten-jo, Hamato Province, Empire of Kaidan
(Rooms are not labeled, just described in text below, for better use in VT)
Starting Chamber (top left of map tile 1), the Raven Court: sitting on the raised platform to the north of this room is Lord Izo Tanaka. Room also contains one minister (presumeably a spellcaster), and at least twice as many fully armored samurai as PC party members.
The party and the girl must exit into the hall to the south. Looking west, a troop of 24 armored samurai are marching away from the PCs, but are closest should the alarm be set off. Looking east, the Lord's Seer, a dark necromancer (onmyoji sorcerer) and a band of acolytes are crossing the arcane bridge which ends up as the hallway from the west. A maid pops from the door just east of the entrance of the courtroom. The PCs may actually bump into this girl as she simultaneously comes out the door with an armload of cleaned kimonos, knocking them to the floor. (Of course this is the best avenue of escape, as the PCs don't know the layout of this caste.)
Into the stone hallway going north. The first chamber to the west contains a dozen samurai and ashigaru involved in a high stakes game of dice. If the PCs pop in here, 12 assailants will be following them out. The second chamber further down is the kimono laundry room with two female workers within. Just as they reach the door of the laundry chamber, the Castle alarm rings out.
A balcony opening to the west has a full view down the cliffside to the town below (320' down). However just beneath the balcony about 8 feet beneath is a curved gable a bit less than 3 feet wide, though precarious, one could slip down towards its southern eave and with only a five foot leap could reach the roof of the wall parapet to the east. Crawl to the southern side and drop to the parapet wall below. As they run past the front edge of the fortress, a dozen guards are seen running towards the stairs going up to the parapet. Also archers are firing at the PCs from the balcony they came from.
If they reach the parapet tower on the south end, ashigaru guards begin charging up the spiral stairs towards the PCs. They will be forced to leap off the walls and into the murky moat below... so ends Map Tile One...
Haven't decided how many tiles to create, I'm just winging this adventure!
Edit: I have to take the doors out, they would be placed by the GM, not me...
GP
