```col-mdflexGrow=2.5===# Outline## Players' Information The players are seated, eating, or drinking in [[landmark/the-pendragon-inn|The Pendragon Inn]] on the Street of Caravans, when a dwarven warrior in full mail enters the inn, followed by what appears to be a female dwarf, heavily wrapped in a black hooded cloak, with her face totally veiled. The warrior seeks out the innkeeper, requests a top-quality private room, preferably on the first floor, and tips him generously to do something in preparing the room (if the players manage to overhear the request, or think to bribe the maid, they will find that all mirrors in the room were removed, and the windows covered with drapes). Moments later, the dwarf and the lady are shown to their room. The dwarf carries the luggage, which includes a small, locked chest.Perhaps twenty minutes later, the dwarven warrior returns to the pub, orders a beer, and looks about the room with a measured eye. He approaches the table at which the players are seated, and introduces himself as [[person/nain-arn-dolbekki|Nain arn Dolbekki]] of Manadanoch (a half-legendary dwarven city far to the north). He is seeking the services of a powerful and talented mage, and requests their aid in locating such a wizard, as he has never been to Haven before. Nain will offer the players a reasonable amount of gold to help him locate the wizard he needs. If one of the players happens to be a mage, Nain will question him at length to determine how experienced they are. The spell he needs is REMOVE CURSE, although he will only reveal this if the player himself appears to be of high level). Nain will meet the players the next morning and go with them to seek a mage. Regardless of the success of their mission, when they return to the inn, Nain will find the lady's room has been ransacked, and both Lady [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]] and the chest of gold missing. A stone figure of a man, in a threatening posture, stands in one corner of the room, and there are signs of a struggle. The luggage has been ransacked and thoroughly searched, and anything of value is gone. Nain, swearing revenge, will seek the players' aid in recovering the lady and the gold. He will offer no explanation of the stoned thief.## GM's Notes Nain (#1722) is a member of the royal guard of the ruling Queen of Manadanoch. The veiled woman he is escorting is her daughter [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]] (#1723), acknowledged (until recently) as the most beautiful dwarven maiden ever born. Unfortunately, [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]]'s beauty incurred the jealousy of a powerful sorceress, who laid a horrible curse upon the maid - that any who looked upon her face would be turned to stone. The sorceress was killed, but the curse remains unbroken, so Nain and a dozen others sworn to [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]]'s service departed with the unhappy maid (heavily cloaked and veiled to prevent any others from being affected by the spell) to seek a mage capable of removing the terrible curse. The trip has been long and hazardous; Nain is the only one of the escorts left alive.Nain will not reveal the exact nature of the spell he seeks to any but a mage he feels can help him. To all others he will only say he needs a high-level mage. Although reasonably open about himself, he will reveal nothing of [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]]'s true identity. He will always refer to her as "the Lady” and is obviously neither her husband nor a kinsman. [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]] herself is a gentle soul and is horrified at what has happened to her. She will shun all contact with anyone except Nain, pretending not to speak nor understand any of the common tongues. Nain is totally devoted to [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]], and will do anything to ensure her safety, although he will not risk his own life needlessly, since he is the last of her escort.While Nain was away with the players the one day, a trio of thieves broke into [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]]'s first floor room. While attempting to take the chest's key from [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]], one of thieves ripped away her veil, gazed at her face, and was forthwith turned to stone. The plucky dwarven girl attempted to scare away the remaining thieves but was foiled when one proved to be immune to her curse. Not one to waste an opportunity, the thief overpowered the girl, and wrapped her in a blanket to prevent her using her "power" against his partner. The thieves then made good their escape, taking the chest, all other valuables, and the maiden with them.If any of the players are members of Haven's [[organization/thieves-guild|Thieves' Guild]], there is a 60% chance that they will recognize the stoned thief as "Dodger" McGee, a known second story man and mugger of the Guild. There is a 45% chance, if they recognize him, of also knowing that he hung out with a pair of two-bit operators named [[person/doc|Doc]] (#1724) and Snake-eye (#1725), somewhere in [[settlement/the-labyrinth|The Labyrinth]].There are any number of ways that the players can pick up clues to help them recover the missing dwarven girl and the treasure. If they do not recognize Dodger, there is a 15% chance of finding someone in [[settlement/the-labyrinth|The Labyrinth]] who does. However, this approach also has an excellent chance of tipping [[person/doc|Doc]] and Snake-eye off that someone is looking for them. There is a guest at the Pendragon, the traveling mage [[person/myrddin|Myrddin]] (#1717), who has considerable clairvoyant powers, and might be persuaded to read his Tarot cards, revealing the following:"There were three, one doomed, one who escaped, and one who had a shield. Seek the missing rose among the thorns, before the weapon turns upon its wielder, and is lost."There is also a 10% chance for every hour spent combing the bazaar at [[settlement/thieves-market|Thieves' Market]], that the players will discover a piece of [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]]'s jewelry for sale at some dealer's stall. A bribe has a 1% chance per 5gp offered to remind the stall keeper of who sold him the piece, and that they lived in [[settlement/the-labyrinth|The Labyrinth]]. Questions (accented by a little cash, coppers will suffice) of street rats, if handled properly, can lead the players to the Briarthorn, a seedy rooming house in [[settlement/the-labyrinth|The Labyrinth]], where the thieves stay, and where they are holding [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]] captive.The thieves have a room in the back of the inn, on the second floor. Caldor, the innkeeper, will not stop the players if they saunter in as if they belonged there. But he will certainly be suspicious if they act sneaky or ask questions. There is a 40% chance that either [[person/doc|Doc]] or Snake-eye are out when the players attempt their rescue, but they never leave [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]] alone. [[person/doc|Doc]] is immune to [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]]'s curse, but Snake-eye is not (and neither, for that matter, are the players or Nain, unless they make saving rolls against INT at a penalty of 6 - it's a very high-powered curse!). If anybody succumbs to the curse, it will be discovered that the usual de-petrification measures (the various powders and potions available in any area where creatures capable of turning one to stone exist) have only a 5% chance of working, due to the effectiveness of the original curse.When the players rescue her, they will discover [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]] tied into a chair. Her morale is quite low currently, and she has been contemplating solving the problem of her "malady" in the only way easily available - gazing into a mirror (save vs. INT at +9). Checks should be made hourly against [[person/sigrid|Sigrid]]'s WIS. If she fails the roll, she will attempt self-petrification - she is however, a generally sensible girl, and one attempt is all that will be made.If a mage has been contacted regarding removal of the curse, he will discover that the curse was applied by such a powerful mage that removal is quite difficult. The one mage in Haven capable of counteracting the affliction is [[person/karilinia-inturisdan|Karilinia Inturisdan]] (#1764), a member of the [[organization/circle-chamber|Circle Chamber]], who is unlikely to be available on short notice. The removal will be very costly in terms of both time and money (just for supplies), and the magician's fee is quite likely to be a rather difficult quest. Players may, at their discretion, elect to accompany Nain on this quest.``````col-md**Start / Locations** - **Key Participants** - ---### World Anvil Metadata**Id:** 6a3785ed-a090-42aa-949e-da36d73d4b1e<br>**Entity Type:** Article / plot<br>**Category:** Haven Encounters and Scenarios<br>**Tags:** FCoH-plot```