Hackmaster: Journey of Mutumbo #3: The Ettin's Riddle

The Journey continued on to Nobquin's Keep, only encountering an underpowered Grel Raiding Party, and monks from the Cult of Apotheoisis, an apocalyptic cult the gives the PLAYERS the hee-bee geebies everytime I mention them.

They learned a great deal from the cult and scared off the Grel using low-level magicks. GM Note: This cult was a huge part of the finale of my last 2nd Ed AD&D campaign. They were tricked by an evil spider god that he was their "God of Goodness and Light Returned." The few PCs that managed to survive did so thanks soley to the NPC relationships they created over the years.

As they arrived in Nobquin's Keep, they spotted a two-headed giant terrorizing the village. After making some connections (and healing the wounded), the group was hired by the town to hunt the Ettin. Early the next morning, while Cecelia was doing her morning jog GM: Gotta work off those gluttony attacks when you're a hot half-elf valkyrie , she spotted the Ettin, one head asleep, sneaking into town and praying behind the Church of Akana.

The party quickly deduced that the Ettin was once a former cleric who had been cursed, and the writing they noticed behind the church was a riddle the Ettin must solve to get his old life back. They met up with the 'good head' and began helping him, but he was still obstinate in his current state, so it was taking awhile....then the villagers showed up with torches and pitchforks, waking up the "evil head" All Hades broke loose, villager's bodies flew everywhere and the mage blacked out (multiple personality of an old lady). After much carnage, Cecelia prayed to Sif that the curse could be broken * bzzztt...2nd wish off the lucksword* The ettin changed back to Kyrin, the formerly full-of-himself cleric of Akana.

Kyrin eventually helped rebuild the bridge he had destroyed as an ettin and became a productive member of the community. The group got paid, and sent on their way (between Dalmar being the a-hole he is, Cecelia's jiggly morning jogs straining a few marriages, and the Arbeow's drunken tomfoolery at the beer pavillion, the town was happy to see them leave).

This was a conversion of The Ettin's Riddle (duh ), one of the original free adventures WOTC put on the website for 3E. I used this scenario for the only game of 3E I ever GMed. One good player turned a two hour game into an hour, by asking the right questionns and emphatic role-playing with the ettin. Since my group had no members so caring, I upped the stubborness factor of the cleric/ettin and agitated the townsfolk a bit more. The only reason I ran this adventure in the opening of my campaign was that I had finished painting an ettin, a cleric of Akana, and a bunch of Ravenloft Townsfolk minis and wanted to use them

Next Stop: The first part of the Journey of Mutumbo ends in Anon-Maxis, and a tip of the hat towards the genius that is KODT.