TEXT:  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Can Your Character Face the  
   
  Seven Challenges of Kartejan? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Seven Challenges of Kartejan  
  is a new GM adventure by Ken St. Andre 
   
   
  
   
   
  Rescue mission 
   
  GLEANED AND TRANSCRIBED FROM THE MIND OF 
   KEN ST. ANDRE 
   
  ARTISTIC RENDERING BY 
  DAVID A. ULLERY 
   
   
  
  TROLLHALLA PRESS 
  
  Rescue Mission--text copyright May 2012 by Ken St. Andre.  All rights reserved, may not be 
  reprinted without authorization by the author. 
   
  All illustrations copyright June 2012 by David A. Ullery. 
   
  All rights reserved. 
   
  Published in association with Flying Buffalo, Inc., (P.O. Box 8467, Scottsdale, Arizona, 85252. On the 
  internet at http://flyingbuffalo.com.  
   
   
   
   
   
  TROLLHALLA PRESS 
   
   
   
   
  
  Rescue Mission 
  By Ken St. Andre 
   
   
   
  Introduction:  This is an adventure for any first to third level humanoid character.  A few spells may be 
  allowed, such things as Take That You Fiend or Knock Knock, but mostly the player should rely on his 
  ability to fight or think his way out of situations.  Before starting, you may equip the character with any 
  weapon or armor available in the T & T rulebook that you have the ability to use.  You may have 100 gold 
  pieces in petty cash, and you can have 3 days worth of provisions.  Start with paragraph 1. 
   
  1. You are an Agent of the Empress—the fabled Death Minions of Lerotra’hh, and you have been 
  summoned to the office of Kennarith-ko, the Master of Combat Missions.  He’s a very busy dragon, 
  and he has a job for you.  He briefs you as quickly as he can. 
   
  T’rann Qann, son of H’rann Qann of the Flame Knife Uruks, has been captured by sea rovers.  He 
  is being held for ransom, but the Flame Knife Uruks simply don’t have enough money to pay.  As 
  part of the mutual defense treaty that the Empress has with most uruk clans and tribes, they have 
  asked for assistance in either recovering T’rann Qann or getting vengeance for him.  Your job is to 
  either rescue or avenge the young uruk.   
   
  That seems straightforward enough.  You head off to see the Transport Master in the palace 
  basements.  Once there, Karkorum the Transport Master offers you three choices.  Do you wish to 
  go directly to the encampment of the Flame Knife Uruks to speak to H’rann Qann—go to paragraph 
  5.  Or, you could go the seashore where the victim was last seen—go to paragraph 10.  Or, you 
  could be transported directly to the pirates’ island base—go to 15.  Choose one, and step through a 
  shimmering portal of light into your adventure. 
   
  2 As soon as a guard notices you, you are challenged and then taken to see the clan chieftain, H’rann 
  Qann.  He introduces you to Nardrak the clan shaman.  They tell you that they have located the 
  island of the pirates just off the coast a few leagues from your current location.  H’rann asks if you 
  wish to undertake the mission on your own, or lead a party of his warriors.  Several warriors 
  standing nearby look eager at the prospect.  If you want to go by yourself, go to paragraph 6.  If you 
  want to take a party of warriors, go to paragraph 12. 
   
  3. 
   The desert wolves get bolder and bolder the longer you put up with them.  They circle you 
  and try to dart in from behind or to the side.  Some uruks are watching you and grinning.  They love 
  to see a fight.  Suddenly it turns serious.  Roll 1D6 and add 1 to see how many wolves attack 
  simultaneously—each with a monster rating of 36.  (4D6 + 18)  Make your combat roll.  If you 
  have a higher total than the wolves, you beat them back—go to paragraph 8.  If you have a lower 
  total, they knock you down and begin to savage you—armor will help protect you, but you must 
  take the combat damage they dole out.  If that kills you, it’s the end and your mission has failed.  
  Kennarith-ko will have to send someone else.  If you still live, go to paragraph 9. 
  
   
  4. 
   
             
  The question now becomes, are you smart enough to build a boat that will carry you across a mile 
  of open sea.  You set to work, and make something.  Make a L2SR on INT.  (25 – INT) (If you 
  have a Talent like Carpentry or Wilderness Survival) you may use it instead of  INT.)  If you made 
  the saving roll, turn to paragraph 14; if you missed it, go to paragraph 16. 
   
  5. 
   The uruk encampment is a large collection of tents erected around a massive furnace near 
  an oasis. It is in a small valley in a low chain of hills somewhere south of K’nor. Several hundred 
  uruks are present—this is a large and powerful tribe.  Desert wolves and riding lizards roam freely 
  through the camp.  If your kindred is uruk, then you will smell alright, and you can walk freely—go 
  to paragraph 2.  If you are any other kindred, you smell wrong, and quickly attract the attention of 
  the animals that gather around you in an ever-increasing pack of snarling beasts—go to 11. 
   
  6. An uruk warrior named Nerut leads you away from camp, and down to the ocean side.  He points 
  out an island more than a mile out to sea, and says that he thinks the chief’s son is there.  He tells 
  you that he is going back for a war party of warriors and that they will wait for your return with the 
  chief’s son not far from this location.  Then he leaves.  Turn to paragraph 10. 
   
  7 When you shout for assistance, the nearby uruks lose their grins, but immediately come to your 
  rescue.  Take 100 adventure points for doing the smart thing without needing a saving roll.  They 
  chase the animals away from you, and then one of them takes you to their leaders.  Go to paragraph 
  2. 
      
  8. The uruks see their animals being injured, and they can’t allow too much of that.  Animals are a 
  vital part of an uruk tribe’s ability to survive in the wilderness.  Several warriors run in and beat the 
  pack away from you with the hafts of their spears. One of them gives you a fangy grin, and leads 
  you over to see the chieftain. Go to paragraph 2 and continue reading from the second sentence. 
   
  
  9. The tribesmen do not want to see an emissary of the Death Goddess slain in their camp (but they 
  have lost most of their respect for you).  Warriors run in and beat the beasts off of you with their 
  spear hafts.  If you are dead, there is nothing they can do, but if you are still alive, they take you to 
  see Nardrak the Shaman.  He makes you drink a foul smelling potion, and smears even more of it 
  on your wounds.  The wounds begin to close right before your eyes.  As healing potions go, this one 
  is great. Within an hour, you have fully recovered, and even gained an additional CON point. 
  Nardrak then takes you to see the clan chieftain. Go to paragraph 2, and begin reading with the third 
  sentence. 
   
  10. You find yourself on a wild stretch of coastline.  Not far away a stream trickles into the sea.  Trees 
  and shrubs line the rivulet—plenty of wood is available if you’d like to build some kind of small 
  boat—nothing fancy.  A mile or more offshore, you can see an island rising from the waves.  If 
  there are pirates nearby, they are probably on that island.  If you’d like to build a boat, go to 
  paragraph 4.  If you think to search and see if there is already a boat hidden around here, go to 
  paragraph 41. 
   
  11.  Before you know it there are twenty or more beasts closing in on you.  These are savage desert 
  dire-wolves (monster rating 36 each (4D6 + 18).  They begin to dart in toward you and then leap 
  away.  If you decide to fight them, turn to paragraph 3.  If you decide to call for help, turn to 
  paragraph 7. 
   
  12 You tell H’rann Qann that you think it would be best if you had a party of 20 of his best warriors.  
  He grins savagely.  He likes this idea.  The shaman runs out and starts tapping warriors on the 
  shoulders until 20 have been assembled.  The chief says he doesn’t know how they will all get 
  across the water to where he thinks the boy has been taken.  You tell him that you’re going to show 
  him and his men how to make some rafts.  After a sturdy meal of spicy lizard stew, you and your 
  new war party are ready to start. 
   
   
  You follow the nameless stream for several miles until it reaches the beach.  Although the land is 
  generally desert, there are plenty of small trees and shrubs growing on the banks of the stream.  
  Before you get too close to the ocean, you set your warriors to cutting down trees and weaving 
  ropes out of the hardy desert grasses.   
  
   
  The uruks will imitate your design exactly in building their own boats.  The question is, how good 
  of a boat builder are you.  You get to work and construct a boat-thing.  Make a L2SR on INT.  (25 – 
  INT) (If you have a Talent like Carpentry or Wilderness Survival you may use it instead of  INT.)  
  If you made the saving roll, turn to paragraph 17; if you missed it, go to paragraph 19. 
   
  13   Try to make a L3SR on Luck.  (30 – LK).    If you made the saving roll, go to paragraph 16; if you 
  missed it, go to paragraph 19. 
   
  14 Waiting until sunset, you manhandle your raft-thing down to the ocean. It is difficult to get it past 
  the breakers, but you manage it.  You simply paddle it toward the island in the distance.  A couple 
  of hours later you arrive.  You pull the boat-thing up on shore and conceal it using some brush and 
  boulders.  Then you scout toward the center of the island.  Cresting a small hill, you find the pirates 
  camp.  They have built a palisade of pointed stakes around a simple camp with a few cook fires and 
  bedrolls.  You can see the captive tied to a pole that is stuck in the center of the camp.  Once in a 
  while a human pirate will walk by and kick the urukish youth, or otherwise taunt him.  He endures 
  it all silently.  You count the number of pirates in 
  camp.  There are 23 of them.  At least 4 seem to 
  be on guard duty at all times.  During the darkest 
  part of the night, all the fires but one have gone 
  out, and except for the four guards, everyone 
  seems to be asleep.  You now have to decide.  
  Will you try to rescue the captive by yourself, or 
  will you go back and bring an uruk war party to 
  the island?  If you want to stay solo, turn to 
  paragraph 21.  If you’d like some help, turn to 
  paragraph 18. 
   
  15 You find yourself on an island.  It is a couple of 
  miles in diameter and hilly. You explore for a 
  while, and soon find a good harbor on the 
  seaward side.  Not far inland is a palisaded 
  camp.  Two boats—a sloop and a dhow—ride at 
  anchor.  Colorfully dressed humans are busy 
  doing various work.  Some are gathering 
  coconuts from the palm trees on the beach.  
  Others are carrying boxes from the beach toward a palisaded encampment. Some of the men have 
  parrots on their shoulders.  They are all armed with cutlasses, boathooks, marlin spikes and other 
  marine weaponry.  They sure look like pirates.   
   
  “Hey, you!”  Suddenly a squad of men walks out from behind a boulder and spots you.  That shout 
  is to attract your attention.  How will you react?  Run, fight, or try to talk your way out of this 
  situation.  If you run, turn to paragraph 20; if you fight, turn to paragraph 22; if you try to talk your 
  way out of it, turn to paragraph 23. 
   
  16 While paddling through the waves your boat falls apart.  If your character is wearing armor, go to 
  paragraph 24.  If not, go to paragraph 25.   
   
  
  17 The boats hold together well, and in a couple of hours you manage to make your way to the island.  
  After a bit of fumbling around in the darkness, you find your way to the pirate camp.  The main 
  camp gate isn’t even completely shut.  You decide on the frontal approach—that is you sneak up as 
  close as you can get, and then charge.  Slithering across the sand, you can only hope that the guards 
  are mostly tired and sleepy and don’t see you.  Make a L2SR on Luck (25-LK).  If you make it, turn 
  to paragraph 26; if you fail, turn to paragraph 27. 
   
  18 You retrace your steps, make it back to your boat, and paddle back to shore.  Then you work your 
  way upstream and as dawn shows her rosy fingers, you reach the camp of the Flame Knife uruks.  
  They wake up the chieftain for you. Turn to paragraph 12. 
   
  19 As you and your uruk warriors 
  paddle toward the island, the wind 
  picks up and soon the waves are 
  battering at your make-shift 
  boats—battering a bit too hard 
  because they come apart.  Uruks 
  aren’t used to water.  They panic 
  and drown.  You may also be in 
  trouble.  If you are wearing armor, 
  turn to paragraph 24; if you’re not 
  wearing any armor, turn to 
  paragraph 25. 
   
  20 As soon as the pirates spot you, 
  you take to your heels.  Try a 
  L1SR on DEX (20-DEX).  If you 
  make it, turn to paragraph 28; if 
  you miss it, turn to paragraph 29. 
   
  21. You have a simple plan to rescue the young uruk—sneak into camp, release him, and then sneak 
  back out.  You notice that the main gate isn’t even completely closed—these guys aren’t expecting 
  any kind of attack.  Before you left the city of Khazan, you equipped yourself with a few magical 
  talismans—one of them will cast a Hidey Hole spell on you for ten minutes.  There’s no time like 
  the present.  Activating the spell, you boldly walk toward the camp, push the gate open, and step 
  inside. 
   
  “Arrrgh, Jojo, did ye see the gate move by itself jus’ now?” asked one of the night guards. 
   
  “Nar, din’t see nuttin. Yer had too much grog, Boorie Boy!” 
   
  “No sech a thing as too much grog, Jojo!” 
   
  “Har har har har har!” Pirate humor . . .  
   
  A few more steps carries you to the side of the captive.  He is sleeping.  Quietly and cautiously you 
  cut the rope that ties him to the pole.  Then you cut the ropes that bind his feet.  This wakes him up, 
  but you hiss at him in urukish “Quiet!  Nardrak sent me.”  He is quick-witted for an uruk and 
  
  realizes that a rescue is taking place.  But, just as you are freeing his hands, one of the four sentries 
  decides to check on the prisoner.  He starts walking your way.  If you wish to freeze in place and 
  hope the guard will turn away before he realizes what is happening, turn to paragraph 30; if you 
  decide to attack and kill that guard, turn to paragraph 31. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  22.  There are four pirates. And a killer parrot. (1D6 + 2) These are ordinary sailors. Three of them are 
  armed with knives (2D6 + 2) and one has a cutlass  (3D6 + 3).  They average 3 combat adds a 
  piece.  So their total is 10D6 + 23.  Their total CON is 52, and the parrot has 4 of that and will be 
  the last to die.  Every time you inflict 12 points of damage, one of the pirates will be knocked out 
  and dying—you may reduce the enemy by 2D6 + 5.  Don’t forget spite damage.  Fight to the finish.  
  If you beat all the pirates, take 400 adventure points and you may roll 4 times on the random 
  treasure generator on page 70 of edition 7.5 and then go to paragraph 32.  If they beat you, then 
  you’re dead.  The rescue fails.  The End. 
   
  23.  You hail the pirates and walk up to them.  You make up some fantastic story about being 
  shipwrecked and how glad you are to see them.  They look at you in amazement.  How persuasive 
  are you?  Make your L3SR on Charisma (or if you have the Talent Persuasion or Bargaining you 
  may use that instead.) (30 – CHR).  If you make the saving roll, they decide to take you to see their 
  captain—go to paragraph 33.  If you fail the saving roll, they think you’re lying and attack you—go 
  to paragraph 22. 
   
   
  24. You just can’t swim in armor.  This probably means that you die now, but there are a couple of 
  possibilities that could save your life.  If your character knows the Fly Me spell, you may use it 
  now.   Through a supreme effort it will be possible for you to rise above the water and stay in the 
  air long enough to kick off all the armor.  Armed only with a knife, and that only if you had one, 
  you fall back into the ocean a few minutes later, and will have to swim for your life—turn to 
  paragraph 25.  Alternatively, if you are a rock troll and don’t actually need to breathe, you may just 
  sink to the bottom of the ocean.  It is dark down there, and uncomfortable, even for rock trolls, but 
  
  it won’t kill you.  You will be lost, and it may be a long time before you ever find your way back to 
  shore.  Back in Khazan and the uruk camp they will wonder what happened to you.  Perhaps 
  someday you will be able to tell them.  But for now the rescue fails, and you will not be seen again 
  for weeks or months.  If neither of these possibilities is true, then it’s down down down to a watery 
  grave and THE END. 
   
  25.  Splash!  You are swimming for your life.  Are you a good swimmer, and do you know where 
  you’re going?  You must make two saving rolls in order to survive—L3SR on CON (30 – CON) to 
  swim far enough, and L3SR on INT (30 – INT).  If you miss 
  either one, you will eventually be lost at sea.  If you make both 
  of them, you will manage to drag yourself ashore on the 
  pirate island.  You rest until morning and then turn to 
  paragraph 15. 
   
  26.  You and your warriors are not noticed in the darkness 
  until you are less than ten yards from the gate.  
  Then you stand up and charge.  A silent 
  charge would have been good, but who 
  can keep uruks from yelling?  
  Chaos!  Blood!  Battle! 
   
  It comes down to this.  
  There is a mighty battle 
  inside the compound.  One 
  uruk is a good match for 
  two pirates, and that 
  makes it close because 
  the pirates outnumber 
  your band about five to 
  two.  The battle could 
  go either way.  You 
  run directly to the 
  captive and set him 
  free.  Just as you get 
  him to his feet, the 
  pirate captain, a 
  man known as Scurvy Jakk comes up and attacks you.  It’s a fight to the finish.  If you beat him, the 
  rescue will be a success.  If he wins, the pirates will be victorious.  Scurvy Jakk has a cutlass in one 
  hand (3D6 + 3) and a belaying pin in the other (2D6 + 1).  He gets 15 adds in combat, and has a 
  CON of 17.  Fight it out, man to man.  Don’t forget spite damage.  If you win, turn to paragraph 34; 
  if you lose turn to paragraph 35. 
   
  27.  You wouldn’t expect pirate guards to be alert, but one of them is, and spots you.  He waves a torch 
  and shouts the alarm.  There is nothing for it, but to get up and charge.  Fortunately, most of the 
  pirates are asleep and they don’t manage to get the gate barred in time.  Screeching like demons you 
  and your troops burst into the compound where you are met by blurry-eyed pirates in a fight to the 
  finish.  Turn to paragraph 26 and start with the second paragraph of that section. 
   
  
  28.  You escape.  Pirates aren’t really into chasing people.  They will go back and tell the captain about 
  the stranger they encountered, and the guards will be  a bit more alert.,  Wherever you have a saving 
  roll based on pirate activities, for the rest of this adventure, it should now be one level higher.  
  Meanwhile, you elude the pirates.  Turn to paragraph 36. 
   
  29.  Alas, you trip.  The pirates run up and attack you.  Turn to paragraph 22. 
   
  30.  If you have a Talent for Hiding or anything similar, now is the time to use it.  Otherwise, make a 
  L2SR on Luck (25 – LK).  If you make it, go to paragraph 37; if you fail, go to paragraph 38. 
   
  31.  Since you are invisible, you get one free attack on the guard.  Roll your combat damage.  If you did 
  more than 15 points of damage, go to 39; if less than 15 points of damage, go to 40. 
   
  32.  Killing these pirates is bound to cause trouble.  Still, it gives you more time to scout the island.  
  Turn to paragraph 36. 
   
  33.  They take you to the pirate camp on the island.  It is a stockade surrounding an open area.  In the 
  center are the Captain’s tent, and a pole to which the captive uruk is tied.  Captain Scurvy Jakk 
  interviews you and asks if you’re willing to join his pirate crew.  You would be a fool to say no, 
  and so you become a pirate.  All afternoon you tell the pirates how you were shipwrecked and lucky 
  to find them, but that evening after midnight when everyone but the guards has gone to sleep you 
  decide to make your move.  Turn to paragraph 21. 
   
  34.  You win!  The pirates are wiped out, although only 5 uruk warriors survive.  It was a glorious 
  battle.  You take some time to loot the camp, and come away with about 500 gold pieces worth of 
  treasure.  On the beach you find a dory that belongs to the pirates.  You use that to row back to the 
  mainland, and soon afterwards you are in the uruk camp.  You share the gold with the chieftain, and 
  he praises you and says his tribe will always be loyal to the Death Goddess.  You should get a 
  commendation for this.  After the feast, you set out to return to civilization and perhaps another 
  mission for the Empire.  Take 1000 adventure points for completing the adventure.  THE END. 
   
  35.  You lose.  Scurvy Jakk won the fight and killed you.  The uruks were all wiped out.  The young 
  captive was never ransomed and died by torture.  The Flaming Knife uruks pulled out of the 
  alliance and went around telling everyone how the Empress had let them down.  What a disaster!  
  THE END. 
   
  36.  Later you scout toward the center of the island.  Cresting a small hill, you find the pirates camp.  
  They have built a palisade of pointed stakes around a simple camp with a few cook fires and 
  bedrolls.  You can see the captive tied to a pole that is stuck in the center of the camp.  Once in a 
  while a human pirate will walk by and kick the urukish youth, or otherwise taunt him.  He endures 
  it all silently.  You count the  number of pirates in camp.  There are 23 of them.  At least 4 seem to 
  be on guard duty at all times.  During the darkest part of the night, all the fires but one have gone 
  
  out, and except for the four guards, everyone seems to be asleep.  You now have to decide.  Will 
  you try to rescue the captive by yourself, or will you go back and bring an uruk war party to the 
  island?  If you want to stay solo, turn to paragraph 21.  If you’d like some help, turn to paragraph 
  18. 
   
  37.  You are not discovered.  You manage 
  to free T’rann Qann and conceal him 
  inside your Hidey Hole.  You manage 
  to sneak out of the compound, return to 
  your boat, cross the ocean, and return 
  to camp.  H’rann Qann is well pleased 
  with your success.  He offers you a 
  reward of 100 gold pieces and an uruk 
  scimitar with a big diamond set into the 
  hilt.  This is a wavy bladed scimitar 
  worth 4D6 + 3 in combat, and the 
  diamond in its hilt easily brings its 
  value up to over 500 gold pieces.  After 
  the victory feast, you say goodbye and 
  make your way back to civilization, 
  ready to go on another mission for the 
  Empire when the time comes.  THE 
  END. 
   
  38.  The guard spots you and raises a 
  shout.  After that things go bad quickly.  
  Although you fight valiantly, you are 
  overpowered and captured.  Then you 
  are tortured and questioned.  Then you are killed and the hostage is killed.  What a disaster!  THE 
  END. 
   
  39.  You killed that guard quickly and quietly.  No one noticed.  Turn to paragraph 37. 
   
  40.  You failed to kill the guard cleanly.  His shout wakes the camp.  Go to paragraph 38.                    
  41.   Make a L2SR on Luck. (25 - LK).  If you make the saving roll, you will find an old rowboat 
  barely larger than a canoe with a pair of oars inside it.  If you decide to use it to get out to the 
  island, climb in and start rowing.  Then go to 13.  If you fail the saving roll, you find nothing and 
  must try some other way to reach the island--go to paragraph 4. 
   
  End of Adventure 
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Check out these other Tunnels & TRolls
  Tm Adventures written by the 
  Troll God, Ken St. Andre, and Illustrated by David A. Ullery 
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A~ an a~ent of ilie Deaili Goaa~~, rour mi~ion i~ ~~le. 
  Ju~t oefuena a ~De of ~ava~e urub ana outwit an i~lana full of ru~le~~ ~ea raiaer~. 
  
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