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Monday, April 10, 2023

Lost Galmagia Week 14: The Lair of the Lagomorphs


The retinue of the Elf mercenaries The Green Sword Company lived in rooms 4.1 and 4.2 with the more martial members of the order and when the Giants Shadow fell not all of them attempted to get away from the city, perhaps not realizing its doom was approaching. Once it was obvious there was no escape the 10 of them (Hazel, Holly, Strawberry, Silver, Cowslip, Bluebell, Dandelion, Acorn, Buckthorn, Daffodil, Woundwart, Campion) activated the trap on 4.2's door and transformed into rabbits to hide when the orcs raided the lower levels. But that raid never came. Being elves (and rabbits) their time sense isn't the best and they have no idea how long they've been here, and since they volunteered for the transformation it doesn't have the 24 hour time limit - they are rabbits until they decide to stop being rabbits. In addition, time spent in 4.1a doesn't count to the 24 hour time limit, but if the PCs are polite the whole place counts as a Place of Safety, where they can completely heal and recover spells. 

They have no fear of "Bigeyes", the Owlbear, as they can command it in Elvish. (yes they can speak, as can the PCs in rabbit form. Their children, of which there are dozens, are just normal rabbits and cannot; the curse is weird, as are elves, who don't give them a lot of thought.) 

The elves have recreated a mini-court here in their warren, the king and queen titles passing from one couple to the next over time - it's currently Acorn and Dandelion - who are the most formal and chivalrous of the set. If the PCs are transformed into Rabbits the Knights of the Court (Hazel and Holly) will rescue them from Bigeyes (assuming the PCs didn't already antagonize room 4.1a) and invite them in. They will tell the PCs that yes, they can restore the PCs to humanity, but only if they become knights of the court, which will require a quest. 

The PCs will be outfitted with tabards making them squires William o' the Kit,  

4.3 The Entrance
This boomerang shaped chamber at the top of the warren allows entry in or out of room 4.1, and is guarded by Strawberry and Silver, two very diplomatic rabbits who will see to the PCs immediate needs. Suspicious PCs (anyone who asks) will sense the two are sizing the PCs up somehow, but this i just to have tabards made in their sizes. If Hazel and Holly aren't here, Strawberry will call them to "take our guests down below..."

4.4 The Big Room
Sliding down out of the entrance leads to a room full of normal rabbits, doing normal rabbit things. While Hazel and Holly take the PCs through this space, as Silver leaps off ahead to 2.8 (again, tabards must be made). None of the other rabbits will speak to the PCs because they are normal rabbits. 

4.5 The Enchantment Room
Here is where the elf rabbits can still work magic - the room is festooned with runes carved into the roots of the great tree overhead. Any of the elf rabbits can do things here, but Cowslip and Bluebell have the most proficiency with it: creating and transforming objects. Any conventional rabbit sized materials (that are not iron) can be created here. The runes have made the tree overhead magical, so if the PC pick any of the 6 fruits from it, those will act as Quall's Feather Tokens, becoming useful one use magic items. 

4.6 The Storage Area
This space is used to store things that were of value to the rabbits before they transformed. There are books here, scrolls, jewelry, etc. that the elves have no use for now but know they will want when they change back. 

4.7 The Court
Here is where Acorn and Dandelion hold court. If the PCs are presented here they will explain all that has transpired, and be somewhat reticent to believe the PCs stories of it being safe to exit. They will also explain how they can lift the rabbit shape but only if the PCs become members of the court (this is classic Seelie Court BS hazing, and anyone with experience with the elves will know this, and know they have to go through it anyway). The PCs can request either trial by arms (in which case they must face Woundwart and Campion in non-lethal combat) or accept a quest (see 4.9). Succeed and the elf-rabbits will deem that they have proved themselves, provide them with tabards marking them as knights of the order of William O'Kitt and the Golden Rabbit, and have a big party with lots of lovely fruits and vegetables and petals of elvish wine. Fail and they will be asked to join the other normal rabbits, trying again for the next court in 2 days. Its assumed the PC rabbits get at most 2d6 hours outside the warren each day, so it will be 2 days at least before the 24 hours or up and the transformation ends. or maybe longer....

4.8 The sleeping room
The PCs will be invited into the sleeping room overnight, either joining in the communal sleeping in this room or having their own private chamber in 4.8a. Anyone in 4.8 proper will be assumed to be joining in a rabbit orgy - postcoital conversation is the best time to convince them to return to their normal forms and head back to Deepwater. In any event, the PCs will be told to exit the warren and the elf-rabbits will restore their forms (or the 24 hours will wear off). 

4.9: Masquerade 
if the PCs accept a quest they will be sent back out to the world above to find a gem-encrusted golden hare broach, buried in the far wall "where the green sword has furthest reach" i.e. the spot where sundown of the artificial sun causes the swordpoint of the statue atop 4.2 to fall at sundown. The PCs will have to figure out that riddle, and then evade the Owlbear to get to that spot. That spot is also home to a foxes den - another dragon sized threat to the rabbits - but since the elf-rabbits are following along and hiding they will keep the Owlbear from killing them, and sic it on the fox. The real puzzle is finding the jewelry's hiding place and then figuring out how to get it out from behind a stone in the wall as a rabbit....



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