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Introduction

It is Jaimer Buckload's fault in every respect. If only he had not bragged about being able to find and retrieve any artefact from wherever it was hidden, you would all be sitting in the club armchairs of the Perelline Society of Explorers and Finders of Ways right now, nibbling on ginger biscuits and sipping hot tea while debating the possibility of making scientifically significant discoveries.

Explorers' Lodge

Ancient Map

During the monthly meeting of the Explorers, Jaimer was strutting his stuff and bragging when his greatest competitor tossed an old map on the table and yelled: "I found this map! Now I dare you! You, however, are not going to do anything because you are a coward."
"I am not and I will show you! This map has instructions, and I want to follow them to the letter so that I may recover whatever is hidden there."

The parameters for success, such as required evidence and incentive goals, were laid forth. For his squad, Jaimer could only recruit other guild members and equip them with appliances held by the Guild. There could be no use of violence against people.

The Mission

Main Goal

Find the object and bring it back without raising suspicion. This will ultimately lead to a success, although a narrow one. The Society of Explorers will accord a stronger reputation to the crew if they achieve a greater number of additional successes.

Bonus Goals

Retrieve Ancient Knowledge.

Discover Secrets.

One more point toward the team's win is awarded whenever a bonus goal is achieved.

Note: Some content blocks in this article (marked with a red background) as well as some layers on the map are hidden by default. Unlock them by joining the GM group: GM Do not join/read these blocks if you want to experience this one-shot as a player.
GM info / spoilers.

This is GM information

Failure

The mission is a failure when the squad gets detected, does not collect the target item (eg because the time ran out) or if one of its members drops to zero hit points.

The Squad

There are five people involved in this particular field expedition. Each one of them has qualities and defects that may either benefit them or work against them in some manner. Everyone starts with 3 hit points ... it is academics, after all: weak and frail!

Jaimer Buckload

Jaimer Buckload

Gnome. Born and grown up in Perelline. Student at the School of Arcane Arts, didn't learn a thing and got ejected after creating a humorous predicament for some of the teachers. His and the teachers' humour were on different levels. He always has a stack of ledgers with him and is scribbling down things when given the chance.
Traits:

• Strong: he can lift or pull up another squad member.

Flaws:

• He cannot stand the thought of being around vile creatures like snakes or spiders and will avoid them under any circumstances.
• Additionally, he is required to sniff every blossom that he has not previously encountered.
• On top of that, he is a connoisseur of fine cuisine, and if he comes into contact with food, he becomes immovable for the duration of a full round. If he is standing close to Ti-Mi Dris, and Ti-Mi Dris is in a chocolate eating spree, they will both be unapproachable while eating chocolate.

Janne Ette

Janne Ette

Gnome. Studied at the Institute of Historical Studies to become an advisor for Queen Eleanor Rani of Farenia in matters of the past. Read more about Janne Ette.
Traits:

• She is the history expert of the team. Janne is the person you should inquire about when it comes to past events, people, and forgotten places.

Flaws:

• Afraid of heights: she is unable to utilise the grappling hook trolley.
• She is highly prone to getting a cold after swimming and will lose one hit point afterward.

Lora Ineh

Gnome. Lora is the scientific expert of the team and learned her parts at Gnome Workshop in Bridgeport. She had to leave with them due to an accident. It is unknown if she was shortsighted before the accident. She says the accident caused it.

Lora Ineh

Traits:

• She is a magic user.
• She knows about plants and potions.
• Her spectacles make it possible for her to read in total darkness; nevertheless, she has to go very near to the text (1ft or less).

Flaws:

• Lora can barely see beyond 10ft, causing her to be unable to use ranged items like the Swap Blaster, The Grappling Hook, or ranged spells etc), can also not be a lookout for approaching cult members.

Ti-Mi Dris

Ti-Mi Dris

Gnome. Immigrant from Mo-Lung in Han who has been trained in the Way (don't ask him which way, he won't tell). He always has an eye on sweet things.
Traits:

• He is a magic user. Yes, that's it. That's all.

Flaws:

• Chocolate aficionado: When it is his turn, roll 1d6. On a one or two, he is distracted for the entirety of the round by the chocolate that he discovered in one of his pockets and is munching it down. During that it is possible to move him forward (into hiding, for example) by pushing him, but he is unable to perform any other activities because his hands are occupied with unwrapping chocolate. On a five or six, he can proceed with the planned action without raising the Alert Level, even if it normally would.

Tobler Celen

Tobler Celen

Gnome.
Traits:

• He is the sneaky one and can move behind another creature (even close) without being seen or heard.
• Can also use the trolley on the Grappling Hook rope right above a cult member without getting noticed.

Flaws:

• Can't swim or dive.
• Allergic to mushrooms (takes 1 hit point damage upon contact with them, ontop of any other damage the mushrooms may cause by default).
• Allergic to bees and will stay away from them.

Special Equipment

Daze Bomb

A small device emitting a very fine powder, stunning creature within reach for 20 seconds. The powder can also get removed and dropped into fire or a drink to cause the same effect. A timer can be set to 1 to 60 seconds. Does not raise the Alert Level.

1 use, timed, 15ft radius

Freez-o-matic Alpha

When holding this gadget onto the surface of a liquid and pushing the button at its top, the liquid will freeze over within seconds. The crystalline structure of the ice is pretty unstable and will dissolve again after 30 seconds. The freezing water makes a crunchy noise and will be audible within 30ft, raising the Alert Level if anyone is within this range.

1 use, radius: 15ft

Grappling Hook Gun

The package consists of an Easy-Release Gnomomatic (tm) 3000 Connector, a Silk-Sling Rope with Ultra-Hook Arrow, a small Extra-Stable Two-Wheel Trolley (that can move ontop of the rope) with sitting sling and a Flashzap Gun for the arrow. Usage: Attach the connector at the starting point, use the gun to shoot the arrow to get a tight rope stretched to the target location and use the small carriage to cross the distance (can be pulled back and forth by a second rope). Unhooking the arrow will also unlock the connector on the other side and the gun will drill back the rope into a cartridge. Only works between two really strong palm trees. If the arrow hits within 30ft of another creature, the Alert Level goes up by one.

strong user only, 3 uses, range: 50ft

Magic Eye

A pair of items. Attach one device to a surface and see through the other one as if you were standing on the location of the first item (static view, no turning, 45° cone, visibility same as user).

max. 100ft range between items

Necklace of Mind Control

This necklace allows the wearer to control someone's mind to 12 seconds. The controlling person can see through the target's eyes. The actions are limited to simple command like walking around, picking up/dropping something, opening/closing a door, any other commands do not work. The target will not remember what happened, but will get alert if something unusual occurs (like seeing one of the squad) and the mind control will break in this case, the target will be shortly dazed (time enough to sneak away), but the Alert Level will go up by one.

magic user only, 1 use, range: 50ft, duration: 20 seconds

Snap Dragon

Snap Dragon by Tillerz using MidJourney

This gadget looks like a tiny dragon. If you press down its wings and throw it into a direction, it will fly 30 feet for 6 seconds into that direction and in a slighty erratic pattern, making a few squaky noises, and then vanish.

1 use, noise radius: 15ft, range: 30ft, duration: 6sec

Swap Blaster

The user of the blaster shoots at another person and will immediately swap positions with them. A tiny point of light shows up on the targetted person.

2 uses, range: 50ft

Tome of Time Travelling

Activate the book to begin documenting the events that are occurring in close proximity. Delete such occurrences by ripping out the used pages (travel back in time). Range between activation location and travelling back in time location cannot be more than 60ft.

magic user only, 1 use

Udan Mind Tricks

A scroll containing udanic mind trickery. Using it causes a target to forget what happened right this moment (past 10 seconds), be confused for a few (6) seconds and then continue as if nothing happened. Does not raise the Alert Level.

magic user only, 1 use, 1 target, 30ft range

Notes

Other Equipment

The squad has all special items listed in the sidebar at their disposal (one of each), but not everyone can use every item (see red marked stats/conditions). Additionally they have the items listed on the right. Everyone should tell which of the objects they are carrying with them.

20 sheets of pergament in a water proof container

a whole bunch of charcoal pencils

the map

15ft rope

simple knife

Emergency Beacon - The team may utilise this item to escape in the event of an emergency or after their mission is complete. The other explorers who are waiting on the ship may evacuate them.

Map

The map depicts a number of structures and the pathways that connect them. The southern part of the city serves as the primary entry point. The following notes are detailed in several paragraphs of text:

There is an infinite supply of wealth in the Sacred Chamber.

The entrance to the location is protected by a handful of locks that are dispersed all across the city.

Bearers of wisdom are the only ones who can unlock them.

The locks are powered by a force that may be found in the southeast quadrant of the city. This force needs to get activated.

Those who violate the boundaries will be swallowed by the serpent.

GM info / spoilers.

This is GM information

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Go to the article Temple of Death.

Temple City

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