Mad Artificer
The party, a ragtag group of 3rd level adventurers, hears a word from the town of a mad artificer who has been kidnapping and experimenting on the townspeople. The town pleads with them to investigate. Arriving at the cave where he is believed to be holed up, the party finds a cave leading into the mountain. And here the party finds themselves.
Setup
- Establish Marching Order
- Learn who's playing what. Adjust plans on the fly accordingly.
The Cave
As the party squeezes into the cavern, the larger of the party have to hunch to keep their head from the ceiling. There are no immediate threats within, other than some small spiders. Investigating the turns leads them to find the kidnapped townsfolk... or what's left of them. Mangled bodies, bizarrely stitched together, failed experiments, you suppose.
There are 2 entrances to the dungeon proper. The Hearth and Corpse Disposal
The Hearth
Entering the dungeon, they find a roaring hearth to one side, with some smithing equipment before it. Along the walls are suits of armor. Once the party goes more than 2 spaces south of the entrance to the room, 6 of the suits awaken. They form a phalanx, barring the party from advancing further into the cave. In a Whisper (voiced like the dark brotherhood door) one of the suits demands to know why they have come. Regardless of the answer, the armors are not moved. They warn the party to turn back or be forced to turn back. The party can fight them, or turn back and find the other way in through Corpse Disposal
The longer the party hesitates, they form up in a diagonal line advancing towards the party. This intentionally makes them ready targets for AoE spells. Animated Armor
The Button
Entering through either The Hearth or the #West Wing