A tree, a length of rope, and a (maybe not so) innocent victim. Wotcha gonna do?
Plot Description
Beside the road stands a large oak tree that the PCs must pass by as they approach a small country village about a mile or so distant.
Standing under the tree is a young woman, maybe late teens or early twenties. Her hands are tied behind her back and her ankles are tied together. There is also a noose around her neck, the other end of which is tied to the lowest branch of the tree, but with just enough slack that she may stand without being strangled.
As the PCs approach, the girl will beg them to untie her.
Possible Explanations
1. Execution
The girl is a criminal and this is the local form of execution. The (somewhat gruesome) idea is that she has considerable time to contemplate her own end before she becomes too exhausted to stand up straight, at which point she will collapse into the noose and die of strangulation.
The nature of her crime is left entirely up the GM (anything from stealing a loaf of bread to mass murder, depending on just how draconian he wants the local justice system to be).
2. Sacrifice
The girl is a sacrifice to a local demon or demigod and if she is not here at the appointed time (i.e. the PCs rescue her) there will be terrible consequences for the nearby village.
If she is to be sacrificed to a demon then this is price for appeasing it. If the PCs rescue her it goes on the rampage and attacks the village. The PCs now have a demonic monster to fight.
Alternately she may be intended for a minor deity, in which case her life energy is what the spirit needs to ensure that the villagers' crops will grow.
Might also tie in (excuse the pun) with option 1 (we need a sacrifice anyway so we might as well use a lawbreaker).
3. Ambush
The girl is part of an outlaw gang who prey upon travellers along this road (her bonds are quite loose and she is perfectly capable of removing them at any time). In this case as soon as the PCs come to her aid the rest of the gang (several large fighter types) jump out of hiding and attack.
Scrolls
Twists, chapters, and details meant to stream with the submission — not general discussion.
No scrolls yet — leave one if you have a twist worth keeping.
Sign in to plant an idea scroll.
Enjoyed this? Sign in and cross blades for Dragon Lord — five clashes, up to 25 XP.
Sign in to cross the blades.
Enjoyed this? Sign in and Grant your Favor.
Sign in to Favor
Discussion
Reader talk, questions, and feedback — not scrolls.
No comments yet — be the first voice in the hall.
Sign in to join the discussion.
Also in
Codex hubs that gather this piece with similar work.
- Tales of the Road Wulfhere
Bonds
Curated bonds across the Citadel — sign in to bind a bond.
Links to this article 1
- Tales of the Road Wulfhere linked by Dragon Lord
Use alongside
Submissions that pair well with this one at the table.
-
Abyrwythynsternwdt, the Village of the Unpronouncable Name
The villagers paid dearly after they slew the stuttering old crone!
-
Nickol Nacker
Every winter, a humble tinker man wanders through the villages, giving toys to the children...
-
Where the Road May Take You
How many roads must a man walk?
-
The Undertown Killer
To be a detective is not the fun it seemed.
-
The Last Tomorrow
Wherever the PCs have gone recently, they have heard the talk. The Doomsday Machine of Toothless Amalgam has stopped spitting out birdseed. The End is nigh.
-
The Song of Sorrow
The bard tuned his lyre for the 5th time. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. Ancient eyes greeted him. This would be his last performance, it had to be…
A good and simply done submission.
yep, perfect for the scroll. Short, sweet, and loaded with potential.
A variant could be that she is not begging to be released, but is a willing sacrifice. How will morally driven PC's react to that?
Great job!
What they said! :)
Of course, the girl wouldn't necessarily be truthful when the PCs ask what happened. The punished criminal might claim that she was falsely accused, or the sacrifice might be reluctant to discuss her situation for fear of summoning the demon.
I like this one. Short and sweet.
Nice, quick, non-derailing. Perfect little encounter!
As said above
Much better than the last rope-involving submission I saw around here. And even though it came first, it doesn't make the statement less true.
I've always liked the various ways that the Tales of the Road can turn. Nicely done.
I popped into the travel plots to help my son find idea for his pathfinder campaign and found this little gem. Plenty of possibilities here, and I look forward to finding out how it goes after his game today.
Just wanted to let you know I used this submission tonight in a game. Party went in a random direction so I started rolling random dice. Randomly decided that she was a sacrifice, then randomly chose zombies as the assailant. The party saved her, but now they need to deal with a cheated necromancer.
thanks for setting me up for the next few sessions.