9568 Moonlight Madness.pdf - Free

like are all possibilities. The animals can be real (attracted
by Shap’s animal summoning spells) or illusionary (as will
likely be the case if the DM opts for the more exotic spec-
imens-e.g., tigers and crocodiles-rather than wood-
lands equivalents like snakes and bobcats).
“Excellent,” says the Burgomeister, beam
the prosecution have any objection to the jury selection?”
“No objection, your honor,” says Vandric, after a
quick whispered discussion with Vanessa.
“Please be seated in the jury pen,” says the Burgo-
meister, pointing to the fenced-off area. The animals
quietly file into the pen, and Theodora closes the gate
behind them.
”Make your opening statement,” says the Burgo-
meister.
Vandric steps forward. ”The charge of lycanthropy
is easily proven,” he says grandly. “My own sword has
the capability of detecting werebeasts. Let’s put it to
the test.”
With that, he flourishes the sword (to the “ooohs” of
the assembled crowd) and points it at the player charac-
ters one by one. It hums audibly each time, even if that
character has actually not been infected with lycanthropy
(no doubt disconcerting uninfected characters who’d
counted on being cleared by this magical test). Alter-
nately, the sword could remain silent when pointed to
such characters, causing the Burgomeister to mutter
something about “Guilt by association.’’
inute,” interrupts the ranger. ”
cross-examine that sword .” Vandric hands the sword to
Stewart, who holds it out and stares at it. The sword
hums up and down the scales, while Stewart frowns and
shakes his head. Finally, it hums a distinctive melody
(e.g., ”Moondance”). Stewart nods, hands the sword
back to Vandric, and says, “No further questions.”
Next, Vandric turns and addresses the crowd di-
rectly. ”How many of you have been attacked by
vicious werebeasts in Thornburg?” he asks. Nearly all
the villagers raise their hands. ”Now, how many of
you can identify at least one of the defendants as one
of those werebeasts?” Afew hands go down. “Two?” A
few more hands go down. Vandric continues in this
fashion, until at last roughly half the townspeople
have hands raised to identify all the defendants as
their attackers. With a nod to the judge and a wave of
his hand, he says, “The prosecution rests.”
”Does the defense have any final statements?” asks
the Burgomeister.
“You guys might as well go ahead,” says Stewart
”Can’t do yourselves any more harm now.”
21
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to the court. Their statements will be greeted by booing
and jeering from the crowd (unless they make an abject
confession, in which case their rapt audience listens with
horrified attention). Sir Vandric objects to any requests
from the characters to face their accusers directly, on the
grounds that the characters will undoubtedly change to
wereform and endanger innocent lives. Should any PC
shift into wereform at any point for any reason, a rain of arrows
(mostly illusionary, to conceal the sleep arrows hidden
within) soon brings him or her down, leaving a
convincing-looking corpse. The Burgomeister looks at the
body and says ”Shot while trying to escape, note it in the
record.“ He then moves to wrap up the proceedings.
each a verdict,” announces the Burgomeister.
”Considering the facts,” says Vandric, ”is there any
need to deliberate?” The animals mill about in their
pen, growling and spitting, then take their places
again.
”What is the verdict?” (asks the Burgomeister.
One of the animals growls, as if in answer. ”Guilty
as charged,” announces the ranger, knocking out his
pipe and stowing it away. “I still say they should be
hanged. We can always burn them afterwards, just to
be sure.”
The crowd surges forward, laughing and shouting.
Under Vandric‘s direction, they thrust their torches
into the dry wood underneath you. As the flames rise
up to obscure your vision, the whole scene seems to
swirl and then fall apart before your stinging eyes.
Suddenly your vision clears. The crowd, the Burgo-
meister, Vandric and the ladies, and Stewart all disap-
pear and your ears ring with the sound of eerie laugh-
ter receding into the woods in all directions. The
flames seem to have all gone out and you’re lying, still
tied, in the empty amphitheater atop the unlit bonfire.
Rescue
Muldoon, the local druid, makes a habit of periodi-
cally clearing the area of Snap’s snam and pixie traps-
they disrupt the natural patterns of the forest. As the
characters struggle with their bonds, a lone leather-clad
figure in a cloak enters the clearing and sits down in the
last row of the amphitheater, where he strikes up a
whistling conversation with a passing jay (or owl, if it’s
still nighttime). Muldoon says nothing to the group,
merely sits and watches them until addressed. He will re-
lease the characters if asked, otherwise he simply
watches them struggle and chats with the local wildlife.
The characters must come up with some reasonable
method of releasing themselves. Any reasonable plan
will work, but they must come up with it themselves. If