TEXT:  
   
  The Song of 
  The Song of 
  The Song of 
  The Song of 
  Harmonia
  Harmonia
  Harmonia
  Harmonia    
   
   
   
  A Legendary Lives Adventure 
   
   
   
  By Joe Williams & Kathleen Williams 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Copyright © 1990, 2007 by Joe Williams 
   
  Email me at: freeRPGs@comcast.net 
  
   
   
  2 
   
   
   
  2 
  The Song of Harmonia 
  The Song of Harmonia
  The Song of Harmonia
  The Song of Harmonia
  The Song of Harmonia    
  Who killed the old music teacher and why? 
  This mystery adventure is a challenge to both 
  players and referees. We have intentionally left this 
  adventure open ended. The mystery is completely 
  described, but how it turns out in your campaign is 
  up to you and your players. One of the advantages 
  of the Legendary Lives system is that it easily 
  allows you to flesh out an adventure during play, 
  making it uniquely yours. 
  Author’s Note: This adventure was written for 
  the first edition rules. Some conversions will be 
  required. 
  The Competition
  The Competition
  The Competition
  The Competition    
  The 
  adventure 
  starts 
  in 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  Riverwake, not far from the famed Alzarian library. 
  This huge structure contains the largest collection 
  of musical instruments and ancient scores in the 
  world. The Keepers of Alzarian train talented 
  musicians, and once every year, award the title of 
  Master to the most skilled. Minstrels and bards 
  flock to Alzarian seeking such status. After a 
  grueling 24 hour competition, a single contestant 
  will be awarded this honor. 
  Riverwake is currently a hotbed of activity, for 
  the competition is only two days away and the 
  population has more than doubled within the last 
  week. All inns, taverns, hostels and even stables are 
  filled 
  to 
  capacity. 
  Tickets 
  to 
  the Alzarian 
  competition have been sold out, and cost nearly 
  $300 on the black market. 
  Uncle Tad
  Uncle Tad
  Uncle Tad
  Uncle Tad    
  This scenario requires one of the characters to 
  be a bard or minstrel. While walking along, a young 
  boy delivers a spoken message to her. Carefully he 
  recites the following words from memory: 
   
  My dear student, 
  How glad I was to hear that you are in town! 
  Have you come to enter the competition? Alas! I am 
  too old and frail to compete any longer, but I still 
  tutor. This year I am training three competitors - 
  what an honor! But, I am troubled. One of my 
  students seems too good to be true, and I’m afraid 
  that magic might be involved. It would be a terrible 
  disgrace if any pupil of mine was exposed as a cheat. 
  Will you and your friends help me uncover the truth? 
  I look forward to seeing you soon. 
  Your old teacher, 
  Taddingsford Goldenleaves 
   
  The party member will remember ‘Uncle Tad’ 
  with loving fondness, though she has not seen him 
  in years. If questioned, the boy will state that Uncle 
  Tad paid him a bronze to deliver the message, but 
  he doesn’t know who informed him of the party’s 
  arrival. He can point the way to Tad’s cottage, or 
  the musician character can remember the way with 
  a MEMORY(Pas) roll. 
  Uncle Tad’s cottage
  Uncle Tad’s cottage
  Uncle Tad’s cottage
  Uncle Tad’s cottage    
  This one-room dwelling is on the outskirts of 
  town. The door is open and the party can see the 
  body of an old elf lying on the floor. He has been 
  savagely beaten around the head with a blunt 
  instrument, and is quite dead. The musician 
  character will recognize him as her old tutor, Uncle 
  Tad. A MEDICAL(Gud) roll indicates that he was 
  killed only a short while ago. 
  The room contains a small bed, a chest of old 
  clothing, a variety of musical instruments, a small 
  table cluttered with dishes, and three cupboards 
  holding pieces of leather and awls. Most of the 
  leather is punched full of holes. A small fireplace is 
  clean and contains no ashes. The room is in some 
  disarray, with crockery and clothing strewn about, 
  and has the appearance of being frantically 
  searched. Lying open on the floor next to the 
  
  The Song of Harmonia 
  3 
   
   
   
  3 
  workbench is a small, empty strongbox. Neither 
  money nor the murder weapon can be found. 
  Uncle Tad holds a broken cane is his right 
  hand and a piece of leather in his left. This leather 
  is also full of holes. A character who suspects the 
  holes may be a form of braille can try to decode the 
  lettering. On a Passable or better Literacy roll, the 
  character is convinced that the holes form a code, 
  but he doesn’t know what it says. On an Awesome 
  roll, the character learns that it is a line of music. A 
  LEGENDS(Sup) roll is needed to identify the tune 
  as part of the Song of Harmonia (musicians have a 
  +1 column shift on making this roll). 
  See Questioning Kessia for more information 
  on the Song of Harmonia. 
  Outside the Cottage
  Outside the Cottage
  Outside the Cottage
  Outside the Cottage    
  There is a river just a few steps from the front 
  door, where a boat is moored. A close examination 
  of the boat and a SEARCH(Gud) roll will reveal an 
  empty coin purse with the initial ‘C’ embroidered 
  on it. This is the personal property of Baron 
  Cheswick 
  Mousetone 
  (see 
  below), 
  and 
  if 
  confronted with it, he will claim that a pickpocket 
  must have swiped it from him some hours earlier. 
  Constable Turnipfield
  Constable Turnipfield
  Constable Turnipfield
  Constable Turnipfield    
  After the party has searched the room, they’ll 
  be interrupted by a fat, little woman and a tall, bluff 
  fellow who is clearly a law man. Hannah 
  discovered Uncle Tad’s body only moments before 
  the party arrived, and scuttled off to find Constable 
  Turnipfield. Now they both view the party with 
  suspicion, and only a SINCERITY(Gud) roll will 
  convince them that the characters are not the 
  murderers. Constable Turnipfield will attempt to 
  arrest the party if he is not convinced of their 
  innocence, but otherwise, he will accept them as 
  friends. 
  Turnipfield is definitely out of his depth when 
  it comes to murder, and he will ask the party to 
  assist him with his inquiries, especially if one of the 
  characters is a Firbolg, interrogator, soldier, or if a 
  character makes a AUTHORITY(Grt) roll. He will 
  offer them free room and board at the jail house if 
  they accept. Of course, the musician character will 
  have personal reasons for wanting to find Uncle 
  Tad’s killer. Constable Turnipfield carries a small 
  club and a whip. He has the following skills: 
   
  STR: Pas 
  AGI: 
  Por 
  INT: 
  Pas 
  RUN: Por 
  HOS: Pas 
  COM: Gud 
  DAM: Gud 
  BP: 
  4 
  Hannah
  Hannah
  Hannah
  Hannah    
  Hannah lives in the cottage next door. Ever 
  since Uncle Tad went blind a few years ago, she’s 
  done all his marketing and cooking for him. Uncle 
  Tad had been very excited about the upcoming 
  competition for many months, but his interest 
  seemed to drop off in the last few days. She heard 
  him grumbling about ‘finding out for himself’ and 
  ‘the disgrace if it’s true!’ but she’d didn’t know 
  what he meant and didn’t ask. She assumed he had 
  pre-competition jitters, for he had been training 
  three pupils this year, and she knew it was quite a 
  strain. 
  It was Uncle Tad’s habit to wake early, eat a 
  simple breakfast of bread and cheese, and tend to 
  his garden. Then he’d play the instrument of his 
  fancy for about an hour before his first student 
  showed up. Today, she remembers, he’d been 
  playing a flute. She saw the first pupil arrive by 
  boat, but did not see him leave. The second student 
  always came by the Town road, so she never saw 
  him arrive; however, she did hear him playing the 
  lute for a short while. Then Uncle Tad began 
  shouting at the poor boy, but she couldn’t quite 
  make out the words. She did not see the third 
  student arrive for she’d been off to the market, but 
  she saw her leave the cottage just before she 
  herself returned home. Since each lesson lasted 
  about an hour, she assumed that the third student 
  had her singing lesson, and then left. It was about 
  half an hour later that she brought Uncle Tad his 
  noon meal and found him dead. 
  The Three Students
  The Three Students
  The Three Students
  The Three Students    
  Hannah can identify the students by sight and 
  by the instrument they play, but she does not know 
  
  The Song of Harmonia 
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  4 
  their names. For your convenience, names and 
  other pertinent information are listed here: 
  Revald Frothingham: Revald comes from a 
  wealthy hill folk family. He has black hair, green 
  eyes and a sulky manner. Pompous and arrogant, 
  he is secretly unsure of himself and his musical 
  ability. He reacts poorly to criticism, and fears 
  rejection. He plays a recorder. Revald is staying 
  with his friend, the Baron Cheswick Mousetone, at 
  the Woodwind Inn. 
  Darris Slane: A Ratling, Darris is quite 
  ashamed of his heritage, and tries to pass himself 
  off as human. He is very convincing (though a 
  fellow Ratling will recognize him immediately), 
  and Hannah will describe him has a young boy 
  with long brown hair and brown eyes. An 
  ALE(Gud) roll is needed to spot him for what he is. 
  A nervous fellow, Darris’ weakness is gambling. He 
  has a room at the Whistle & Tamborine Pub. He is 
  an accomplished lute player. 
  Kessia Chandri: She belongs to the powerful 
  Chandri family, a vast serpentine clan with political 
  and religious connections in nearly every city in 
  the world. Most of their money is made in the slave 
  trade, and some day Kessia will inherit a great 
  fortune. When she travels, Kessia wears a long 
  robe and veil to hide her features. Hannah will 
  describe her as a tall, regal lady, not realizing that 
  she’s a serpentine. Most of the time she is 
  cloistered in her room at the Woodwind Inn. She is 
  a singer. 
  In Town
  In Town
  In Town
  In Town    
  The natives of Riverwake are a gossipy lot, and 
  it should be quite easy for the party to get the 
  names of the students and their addresses just by 
  describing them to an old codger or bartender. You 
  may wish to include a variety of wild rumors to 
  spice up your story. For example, it could be said 
  that Revald is a master swordsman, Darris is really 
  the son of an elven princess or Kessia is hideously 
  ugly and must cover her face so she won’t cause 
  delicate people to faint. Some of this information 
  may have a tinge of truth to it, but the players will 
  have to ascertain how much. 
  The party should have the opportunity to 
  question two of the students before nightfall. The 
  third should not be made available until the next 
  day. 
  Players may wish to search the suspects’ 
  rooms for clues. 
  Questioning Kessia
  Questioning Kessia
  Questioning Kessia
  Questioning Kessia    
  Kessia is staying at the Woodwind Inn, the 
  most expensive lodgings in town. She has a suite on 
  the upper floor which she shares with four 
  serpentine guards, and a human companion named 
  Lionel. She is treated like royalty by these guards, 
  and they will immediately attack if they feel she is 
  in any danger. Kessia is in close, constant contact 
  with her powerful father with the use of messenger 
  pigeons. She will be on the roof sending him a 
  message when the party arrives. It will take her 
  some time to come down and greet them. She will 
  express sorrow over Uncle Tad’s death. Kessia 
  carries a large whip and under her cloak wears 
  plate mail on her chest and arms, as well as a chain 
  helmet. She has the following skills: 
   
  STR: Grt 
  AGI: 
  Pas 
  INT: 
  Gud 
  RUN: Gud 
  HOS: Pas 
  COM: Gud 
  DAM: Gud 
  BP: 
  4 
   
  The serpentine guards each carry flails and 
  shields. They have these skills: 
   
  STR: Gud 
  AGI: 
  Grt 
  INT: 
  Pas 
  RUN: Pas 
  HOS: Grt 
  COM: Pas 
  DAM: Gud 
  BP: 
  4 
   
  Lionel wears complete chain mail, and carries 
  a long sword & crossbow. He has these skills: 
   
  STR: Grt 
  AGI: 
  Grt 
  INT: 
  Pas 
  RUN: Pas 
  HOS: Pas 
  COM: Gud 
  
  The Song of Harmonia 
  5 
   
   
   
  5 
  DAM: Gud 
  BP: 
  3 
   
  When questioned, Kessia will say that she had 
  gone to her lesson, and found the door to the 
  cottage closed. Thinking that Uncle Tad had 
  forgotten about her, she simply returned to her 
  room at the inn. 
  (In actuality, Kessia found the door open, and 
  Uncle Tad dying on the floor. As she cradled him in 
  her arms, he gasped out: ‘He has the Song of 
  Harmonia...don’t let him compete...stop him...’ 
  before he succumbed. As a musician Kessia 
  immediately realized the importance of his words. 
  About 50 years ago, the bard Harmonia created a 
  sensation by playing a magical song at the Alzarian 
  competition. Whenever the song was played or 
  sung, those that heard it became completely 
  entranced. For nearly three days, all those in 
  Riverwake were like souls without wills of their 
  own. They obeyed Harmonia’s every request. 
  Mostly, she wanted them to return to normal. 
  When the townsfolk finally recovered, Harmonia 
  was offered Master status on the condition that she 
  destroy the words and music of her song. It was 
  believed that she had done so. 
  If even a few notes of the song were played, 
  the power would probably be enough to sway the 
  judges to vote for the performer. While Kessia has 
  no intention of cheating at the competition, she 
  knows what the song could mean to her father, the 
  slaver. She intends to recover the Song of 
  Harmonia for her family. She has sent an 
  anonymous note to both Darris and Revald in an 
  effort to determine which of her fellow students 
  has the Song. See Questioning Darris and 
  Questioning Revald, below.) 
  A laundry basket in Kessia’s room contains a 
  hastily discarded robe with a blood-soaked sleeve. 
  If the messenger pigeons on the roof are examined, 
  a note will be found tied to one of their legs. It 
  reads: ‘Proceed with caution. Song is immeasurable 
  treasure but so is my lovely daughter.’ 
  Questioning Darris
  Questioning Darris
  Questioning Darris
  Questioning Darris    
  Though Darris is staying at the Whistle & 
  Tamborine Pub, he is not at home now. His room 
  contains a cot, a dresser with drawers that stick, 
  and a washbasin. In the dresser is a list of IOUs to 
  Uncle Tad equalling $402, along with a piece of 
  parchment that reads: ‘R.F. 500 to 1, K. C. 200 to 1, 
  D.S. 4 to 1.’ The top of the parchment is marked 
  with a smiling cat. Tucked in the pocket of an old 
  tunic is a note reading: ‘I know about the Song. 
  Your reputation will be ruined if you do not come 
  to the Lyre pavilion tonight at 8:00 p.m.’ Darris 
  doesn’t know it, but this note is from Kessia. 
  Although he knows nothing about a Song, he plans 
  to attend the meeting because he is fearful that 
  someone intends to reveal his Ratling heritage 
  before the contest. 
  The bartender will direct anyone searching for 
  Darris to the Little Lewis Lute Shop on Market 
  Street. Here, a panicking Darris is directing Lewis 
  to make him a new lute - on credit. If questioned, 
  he will stammer that his old lute was broken and 
  he needed a new one quickly, before the contest. 
  Darris’ manner is furtive and suspicious, and when 
  he is told of Uncle Tad’s death, he is clearly afraid 
  that he will be accused. He will tell lie after feeble 
  lie until the truth sounds suspicious. He will also 
  try to run away and hide at the first opportunity. 
  (Uncle Tad had a soft spot for Darris, and often 
  helped him pay off his gambling debts. He warned 
  Darris to stay away from Happy Jack the gambler 
  before the competition, but Darris placed a bet he 
  couldn’t pay, then lost. When Happy Jack 
  threatened to break his fingers, Darris went to 
  Uncle Tad for help. The old man gave him a stern 
  lecture, then gave him all his money to pay off his 
  debt. Darris did so, then placed another bet, which 
  he also lost. As Darris fled Happy Jack’s gambling 
  house, he tripped and smashed his lute. Happy 
  Jack’s goons are currently trying to find Darris, and 
  it won’t be his lute they break this time). 
  Darris carries a small sword and two daggers. 
  He wears leather armor. Darris has the following 
  skills: 
   
  STR: Por 
  AGI: 
  Grt 
  INT: 
  Pas 
  RUN: Grt 
  HOS: Por 
  COM: Pas 
  DAM: Pas 
  BP: 
  3 
  
  The Song of Harmonia 
  6 
   
   
   
  6 
  Questioning Revald
  Questioning Revald
  Questioning Revald
  Questioning Revald    
  Revald and Baron Mousetone are also staying 
  at the Woodwind Inn. They are accompanied by six 
  men-at-arms (wearing the Mousetone livery). 
  When told about the death of his tutor, Revald’s 
  attitude is callous and uncaring. Uncle Ted, he says, 
  was a critical, nasty man who always made him 
  nervous and spoiled his performance. Why, if the 
  Baron hadn’t insisted, he wouldn’t even study with 
  the rotten geezer. Revald will state that he went to 
  his lesson as usual, and returned after about an 
  hour. If prodded, he’ll mention a ‘tall, dark 
  stranger’ lurking about, a weak lie. If he becomes 
  agitated or defensive, Baron Mousetone will 
  dismiss him to another room. 
  (Baron Mousetone gave Revald a small 
  passage of music to include with his piece for the 
  Alzarian contest. Unfortunately, Uncle Tad was one 
  of the townsfolk who heard the Song of Harmonia 
  as a boy, and recognized it’s haunting notes as 
  Revald was practicing it. The old man confronted 
  Revald, and told him that he would see to it that he 
  was disqualified if he used it during the 
  competition. Revald told the Baron, who told him 
  to keep his mouth shut and to be more careful.) 
  Revald wears chain armor on his chest and 
  arms, and carries a sword. He has the following 
  skills: 
   
  STR: Pas 
  AGI: 
  Gud 
  INT: 
  Pas 
  RUN: Grt 
  HOS: Gud 
  COM: Pas 
  DAM: Pas 
  BP: 
  3 
   
  Baron Mousetone’s guards carry swords and 
  wear chain helmets, plate chest and leg pieces as 
  well as chain on their arms. They have these skills: 
   
  STR: Grt 
  AGI: 
  Pas 
  INT: 
  Por 
  RUN: Por 
  HOS: Pas 
  COM: Gud 
  DAM: Gud 
  BP: 
  3 
  Questioning Baron Mousetone
  Questioning Baron Mousetone
  Questioning Baron Mousetone
  Questioning Baron Mousetone    
  The Baron is a very urbane pleasant fellow 
  who enjoys fine wine, art and of course, music. 
  He’ll tell the party that he hired Uncle Tad as a 
  tutor for his friend Revald because he was the best 
  - in the last ten years, six his students won the title 
  of Master. The Baron is very sympathetic, and will 
  even offer his services to track down the murderer. 
  (The Baron Mousetone owns virtually the 
  complete score of the Song of Harmonia, and gave a 
  small passage to Revald to include with his piece. 
  The Baron secretly runs a variety of gambling 
  operations, and plans to make millions on the 
  Alzarian competition by betting on Revald, the 
  dark horse. When Uncle Tad threatened to expose 
  Revald, Baron Mousetone decided to have him 
  killed. The Baron sent out one of his trusty guards 
  to dispatch the old fellow. This man rowed 
  downstream, killed Uncle Tad, then left by the 
  Town Road, leaving the boat behind. It was he who 
  left behind the coin purse, which once held 
  payment for this heinous crime). 
  Baron Mousetone wears chain mail and, 
  carries a beautiful, bejeweled short sword. He has 
  the brittle Song of Harmonia tucked inside the 
  hollow hilt of his sword, which he always carries 
  with him. He has the following skills: 
   
  STR: Gud 
  AGI: 
  Grt 
  INT: 
  Gud 
  RUN: Pas 
  HOS: Pas 
  COM: Grt 
  DAM: Gud 
  BP: 
  4 
   
  If the players have an opportunity to search 
  the Mousetone rooms, ask them to make SEARCH 
  rolls. On a Good roll, the character finds a note 
  reading, ‘I know about the song. Your reputation 
  will be ruined if you do not come to the Lyre 
  pavilion tonight at 7:00 p.m.’ It is hidden in the 
  Baron’s desk. On a Great Search roll, a player will 
  find a false bottom in a trunk. Inside is a ledger of 
  gambling debts and profits. The last entry reads: 
  ‘Happy Jack’s, Riverwake. Alz.Comp. $10,000 R.F.’ 
  
  The Song of Harmonia 
  7 
   
   
   
  7 
  Happy Jack’s
  Happy Jack’s
  Happy Jack’s
  Happy Jack’s    
  A sign depicting a smiling cat hangs over the 
  door to this tavern. The gambling emporium is 
  virtually empty during the day and crowded with 
  patrons in the evening. Happy Jack is a large man 
  who controls all the gambling that takes place in 
  Riverwake. He holds a marker from Darris for $500 
  and has accepted a bet from Baron Mousetone for 
  $10,000; however, he will not give up this 
  information willingly. 
  Players who wish to gamble at Happy Jack’s 
  may play Squoosh, a roulette-type game of chance. 
  A character wins back FATE(Grt) times his bet; on 
  a Good or lower roll the character loses. 
  Getting Thumped
  Getting Thumped
  Getting Thumped
  Getting Thumped    
  During the course of the game, the players 
  may be set upon by various parties. The Baron 
  Mousetone will wish to stop any investigation, and 
  he will send his guards to do the job. Kessia’s men 
  may also attack simply because they feel she has 
  been threatened. If she realizes the party is 
  searching for the Song as well, her father will send 
  men to stop the player’s activities. Happy Jack’s 
  men may assume the party is hiding poor Darris, 
  and threaten them. At any rate, the party should 
  suffer from a lot of bewildering encounters with 
  fighters of all shapes and sizes, all working for 
  different ends. 
  At the Lyre Pavilion
  At the Lyre Pavilion
  At the Lyre Pavilion
  At the Lyre Pavilion    
  Baron Mousetone will keep the appointment 
  with Kessia at the Lyre Pavilion at 7 o’clock. She 
  offers him a deal: she’ll keep her mouth shut about 
  Revald’s cheating if Mousetone will give her a copy 
  of the Song of Harmonia before noon tomorrow. 
  The Baron will agree, then draw his sword to kill 
  her. Immediately, her men will swarm over the 
  pavilion to her rescue, and his soldiers will come to 
  his defense. In the fierce battle, Baron Mousetone is 
  disarmed as he barely escapes. 
  Confes
  Confes
  Confes
  Confessions
  sions
  sions
  sions    
  After the battle, Kessia will confide in the 
  party and try to enlist their help to secure the Song 
  of Harmonia from the Baron. Of course, they do not 
  realize that the Song is in their hands. Make sure 
  that one of the party members adopts the sword, 
  or, if there is no takers, have Kessia take it into her 
  possession. The Baron must retrieve that sword, 
  and he will try anything to get it before the 
  competition tomorrow - bribery, theft, false 
  accusations, kidnapping, anything. 
  The End
  The End
  The End
  The End    
  If the Baron does not recover the Song of 
  Harmonia before the competition, Revald will fail 
  miserably. If it is recovered, Revald will win and 
  the Baron will offer to sell the Song to Kessia. If 
  Kessia obtains the Song, she will send it via pigeon 
  to her father, who will use it to make his slaves 
  more docile and manageable. If Darris has the 
  Song, he will turn it over to Happy Jack’s in lieu of 
  his gambling debts. If the party has the Song, they 
  may sell it, give it away (perhaps to the Alzarian 
  library?) or destroy it. Neither Darris nor Kessia 
  will use the Song to win the competition. If your 
  players are interested, you may roll a d6 to 
  determine who wins the competition if Revald 
  does not perform. On a 1-2, Kessia wins, 4-6 Darris 
  wins. 
  
  The Song of Harmonia 
  8 
   
   
   
  8 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Legendary Lives/Legendary Lives The Song of Harmonia.pdf