Here, have a sup, just two piece of silver.
As the valiant PCs gallavant across the land, and travel down strange roads, they encounter a curious man and his push cart. Rolling on two rough cut wheels and covered with a bison-hide awning, he and his cart seem to be some sort of peddler. A bison's severed and preserved head swings from a support in the awning, a macabre thing that bounces with each bump the cart rolls over. The smell is more peculiar, a whiff of the slaughterhouse and a reek of the taphouse.
When the PCs approach, the vendor quickly assumes his pitch. 'Step up, step up. Have a sup, just two pieces of silver. It will put the spring back in your step, put an ace up your sleeve, reload your crossbows and sharpen your swords.' He says with obvious enthusiasm. The vendor himself is rail thin, his ribs visible, but almost vibrates with energy.
Possibilities
It Gives You Wings - By mixing boiling bison and cow intestines in his cauldron and adding generous amounts of suger to the mix and then mixing the resultant mixture half and half with beer or liquor, the vendor has concocted a medieval Red Bull. If the PCs accept drinks they will find their initiative improved in combat as well as not needing to sleep for a while.
The Cuckoo - Unfortunately for the PCs the Vendor is a deranged hermit who woke up one morning believing it was his task to start killing people. He made his cart, covered it with the hide and his talking bison head (which only he can hear, of course) and started on his merry way. The poison in his tonics is slow working so that he has time to sell a few and be on his way before customers starting dropping dead from the toxins. The PCs now have 48 hours to find him again and try to get an antidote out of him.
The Secret Formula - The Vendor is a genius, but rather than making alchemical potions and magic items he started making a tonic that aids digestion, sharpens the mind and calms the nerves. This tonic also happens to have a very pleasant flavor that children and adults alike love. His rough appearance comes from the fact that he has been robbed a number of times and doesnt take the time to eat enough while traveling.
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- Tales of the Road Wulfhere
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I like these short adventures. In fact I think I will no longer write the long epics, and damned be my average vote score. Well, except the campaign preparations for my table top RPs that is ;)
It is a twist on the traditional snake oil salesman, but a good twist. I especially found the bison head evocative. A nice touch that will improve the players' visualisation.
This is one of those you can put into your game with little or no effort.
Quarky... not a huge epic of an idea but one of those stop offs in the middle of a campaign or adventure that makes the party wonder if he is part of the larger plot. I am curious at the title though, I was expecting this to be tied in more closely with the other Minotaur subs.
Minotaur, Red Bull, and Minotauromachty is a painting of a guy fighting/fleeing from a minotaur with a bison-ish looking head.
This I call an encounter. Handily short, self-contained, with that little extra touch. I can imagine players requesting to see the NPC again (providing he is not of the poisonous sort ;) ).
...And if he is a poisoner, then they'll REALLY want to see him again!
I will use this guy. He's just too quirky and interesting not to. I'm kind of curious about what he calls his strange elixir...
Minotamakity? Minnow Tar machy? Minaminaminamachty? The classic I Love Lucy episode where she tries to sell a tonic (...that's mostly alcohol!) comes to mind.
Yup. This is Good. Mmm. Cow Intestines!
A lovely piece that I am definetly going to use.
Even if the PCs refuse to sample the 'brew' it is still a nice bit of color along the road. But, I doubt they will refuse.
I will have trouble forgetting this one, between the piece's name, Wulf's further tongue-twisting suggestions :), I Love Lucy, and the Bison head in general. Nice visual!
I like this short thing more then some long things.
Made better by actually reading the history of Red Bull today.
Quite nice - I'm really liking these three-pronged adventures.