The Mask Shaman

The Mask Shaman of the Osawkee tribe has gone missing, along with his apprentice .
If the player characters haven't encountered the Osawkee, they can still meet this plot with a random encounter/placed encounter in the Wisconsin Free Lands

Structure

Exposition

1. If there is a player character who is a Native American, that player character is viewed as an honorable elder by the spirits. As such this character will be asked by the spirits to seek out the Osawkee and hunt down the plant shaman. This will come as a surprise to the Osawkee tribe who,
   1) probably have no idea who the character is and why the character would get such a vision; and 2)don't know what the plant shaman has to do with the missing mask shaman.
   In this case, the plant shaman will try to kill the player character using a proxy/minions, and if that fails, will try to escape.


2. If the player characters come across the Osawkee naturally, it may come up that they are searching for their missing mask shaman. In this case, whether the players become involved will depend upon the desire of the players, and whether the tribe needs them to work of a debt, help, gain favors or other reason why the tribe may ask for or need the player characters' assistance.
3. If the player characters come across the tree and the dead mask shaman first, the plot kicking off will depend upon the players' investigation skills. it is also possible that they may run into Osawkee after the tree encounter and be able to pick up the plot then

Conflict

The people around the plant shaman begin to suffer the effects of "bad medicine," the plant shaman blamed it on the mask shaman.
According to the plant shaman's evidence, the mask shaman had been abusing his female apprentice. Investigation of the crime scene will initially make it look like the young apprentice murdered her master.
The plant shaman does not go with them to investigate the crime scene if they go. The Plant shaman is actually the murderer, because he was actually the one violating the spirit power and the mask shaman had caught on. There was no abuse of the apprentice. That was just a smokescreen.

Rising Action

If the players deduce the plant shaman's culpability, they will need to hunt him. He has gone missing as well.

Climax

When they finally confront the plan shaman, he has become a plant monster.

Falling Action

This is the boss battle.

Resolution

The Osawkee tribe will want to know what happened. If the players do not debrief them, the tribe will begin treating the players as hostile, surmising that they are keeping something from them. Otherwise the tribe will be effusively grateful for resolving "their" crisis. (some of the tribe may be a bit resentful that outsiders had to resolve their internal issues, but will be glad for the resolution nonetheless) Depending on how the players play it, there is a chance the players could be asked to become members of the tribe.
If the players do not resolve the plant monster issue, it will end up killing off the rest of the tribe and become a wandering nemesis, making future encounters fertile for adventure.

Components

Hooks

1. The player characters see a corpse at the foot of a gnarled tree. Upon closer examination, the tree appears to have an angry snarling face.
2. The player characters meet with the Osawkee and find out that their Mask Shaman has gone missing along with his apprentice.

Stakes

The spirits who have given the plant shaman their gifts want them back, which can only happen upon his death. The opportunity for atonement has passed.

Red Herrings

1. The angry face on the tree is actually an unfinished war mask the mask shaman was in the process of creating. Unless the players know the capabilities of a mask shaman, they will probably think anything but that when they see it.
2. There are rumors the Mask Shaman was abusing his young female apprentice. These are false rumors started by the plant shaman after he realized the mask shaman was close to discovering his activities.
3. The plant shaman has also blamed the recent spout of bad medicine upon the mask shaman, who is not here to defend himself. It is actually due to the plant shaman's actions.

Relations

Allies

Osawkee can be allies if the characters allow them. If the plot starts at the Osawkee tribe, they could actually ask the characters for their help finding the mask shaman if the party handles that discussion in such a way. Otherwise the Osawkee could be adversaries and treat the party as interlopers into their own sensitive internal affairs.

Adversaries

A rogue plant shaman is the murderer of the mask shaman.

Related Characters

• Kee-o-kúk

Related Organizations

• Osawkee