They go over a small rise that reveals a lone tree with silhouettes of people hanging off of it. Upon closer inspection they find three young men that are all naked and unconscious, a slight breathing in each of them can be detected.
This will have to be off the beaten path a little. Having them chase some game or something could easily lead them to this.
They go over a small rise that reveals a lone tree with silhouettes of people hanging off of it. Upon closer inspection they find three young men that are all naked and unconscious, a slight breathing in each of them can be detected. They are suspended by two ropes that are connected to a bone that is thrust through each of their breasts. Blood trickles from the wounds as they gently sway in the breeze.
If they release the men they will meet no resistance.
At some point some tattooed men with scars on their chests matching where the hanging men were hung by will arrive. Preferably not too long after they take the hanging men down. If the players didn't release the men then the tattooed men roughly tell them to move on. If they did release them then the tattooed men get very angry and very violent and try to capture the players. Hopefully they will succeed.
When caught they find out that they will be held until the three men are fit to see them. The men were going through a ritual to become warriors. They will not take kindly to their endurance test being interrupted. Unless the party can think of a good way to redeem the men or escape, the men will most likely take their lives in a substitute ritual to make them warriors.
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If the tattooed men speak a a language that nobody knows then that could make it more interesting. A wizard with speak any tongues would then be very handy.
It could also be a chance for a player that isn't real proactive in the game to be sucked in. Who could have known that he is the only one that can understand these people?
Casualty of the Rebuild!
I did not understand why this was put in the 'requires edit' sandbox until I remembered that at some point you asked me to test the challenged system with one of your old posts. I believe this was the one I chose and you probably voted for its removal too Strolen. ;)
I put it back on the site where it belongs.
Forgot to vote: One of those encounters you throw at your players. A solid submission that adds flesh to the bone and makes journey more exciting.
Nice one - simple but hints at a much deeper culture - love the fact that the PCs don't know the cultural significance
Solid little stand-by - 3/5
An excellent example of the fact that a post doesn't have to be long to be good.
I expect the purpose of this encounter is to teach the lesson of learning about places you are going to go, as in most circumstances freeing the victims is the 'correct' behavior. Given the lead in is the PC's have been led off the beaten path, this is not likely to have happened, so the PC's either will have done something normally immoral (leave em to hang), or they will be led into a possibly lethal encounter with a tribe over cultural differences.
I'd expect _some_ type of foreshadowing to hint at the correct behavior.
Not everything is as it seems.