The Nature GM

Again I greet you with a manipulated image that I will attempt to justify with an adventure concept. This one, I feel, is a particularly tall order.

There is only one reasonable explanation that would result in a girl approaching such a massive and dignified carp. You see it too, of course. Let us jump right in.

Adventure Hook

The castle of Baron Cyprin is encased in a mysterious, magical bubble. No one has exited the castle since the bubble appeared three days ago, and no one has dared enter.

The player characters may hear of this at an inn or along the road from a passing merchant. Either way, as soon as the characters are alone, a girl approaches them and begs their help getting inside Baron Cyprin’s castle.

The girl says she is the daughter of one of the cooks who had been sent to the market, but actually she is Andrina Cyprin, only daughter of the baron.

Andrina’s Story

Andrina is quite cagey on how she is the only resident of the castle who was not caught in the magic bubble. She begins with the lie that she is the cook’s daughter sent to the market for “beets, turnips, and…quail” and sticks to it for as long as possible.

When it becomes clear that she is lying, Andrina (who is around ten years old) becomes upset. She cries that everything is her fault, and if only she had not dropped the pearl.

It gradually comes out that Andrina took a large silver-blue pearl from the resident wizard’s quarters without her knowledge. She had been playing with the pearl near the castle moat, and it fell in. She watched in horror as a carp immediately ate the pearl, and her horror only deepened as the carp began to grow, and grow, until it was easily 15 feet long. The air began to fill with large bubbles, and Andrina fled.

Since then, she has been looking for brave heroes who can help her right her wrong, and she is very happy that she finally found this adventuring party. She will ensure they are paid handsomely for saving her father’s castle.

Entering the Castle

Cyprin Castle is completely encased in a magical bubble that fills the outer wall. The party can see the dome of the bubble over the keep tower. It has an opalescent sheen and appears to be filled with a gaseous vapor. The bubble gives a slight resistance when passed through, but nothing more.

The outer gatehouse is closed and barred from within. It is a 20-foot vertical climb up to the parapet of the gatehouse and a 40-foot climb elsewhere along the outer wall.

The moat is diverted from the river to flow under the outer wall and surround the keep within. A grate blocks the opening that the water flows through.

Andrina wants to find the wizard Orevia and ask her about the pearl. Orevia’s quarters are in the northeast tower. There is a narrow window 40 feet up the tower wall that the party could squeeze through.

No one is guarding the walls, and no sounds can be heard within the gatehouse. Given enough time, the party can scale any of the walls without interruption.

Inside the Bubble

The bubble that surrounds the castle is filled with an ether that has the residents enthralled. When the party enters, they must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or become enthralled by the carp. The DC increases by 1 for every hour spent inside.

Anyone who is enthralled immediately heads towards the inner courtyard, just inside the main gatehouse. They may chant “Aaaaoo Juuuun” as they walk. If they take any amount of damage, they immediately snap out of the thrall and are immune to it for the next hour.

Servants of the Carp

The carp has positioned itself in the inner courtyard, hovering 10 feet off the ground in a cloud of bubbles that are fueling the magical ether. Many of the castle residents are busy preparing great platters of food that they bring out to the carp to enjoy, and those not so engaged are simply swaying near the carp, chanting “Ao Jun” with contented reverence.

The one exception is the wizard Orevia. She is in her study, patiently reading through all of her books and journals, one after another.

The outer courtyard has horses, pigs, and chickens grazing unsupervised. It also contains a single sentry standing in front of the the inner gatehouse who will sound the alarm if a threat is detected. A swarm of enthralled castle servants will come out and bring the party to the carp.

Ao Jun

If the party finds Orevia and snap her out of the thrall, they learn that Ao Jun is a water dragon spirit who was trapped in the pearl Andrina took. Ao Jun wants to return to his original body, and he commanded Orevia to find out how. Ao Jun himself might tell the party this, for he is a proud water dragon and does not enjoy being a carp, however large and dignified.

Orevia has no knowledge of how Ao Jun can return to his original serpentine form. She hypothesizes that if they can get the carp to spit up the pearl, that will end the possession. She thinks that slaying the carp might also be effective, but she is uncertain what powers the water dragon possesses.

In addition to mind control powers, Ao Jun can interfere with the ability to resist his magic (e.g. Silvery Barbs) and slam someone with a sphere of water.

Andrina may suggest that they try to trick the carp, but she is unlikely to have a good suggestion on how. She is ten, after all.

Facing the Carp

The party finds itself facing off against Ao Jun in carp form. Perhaps they slay it. Perhaps they trick it. Perhaps they manage to summon the pearl from within its bowels. Perhaps they let Andrina be swallowed by the carp and triumphantly retrieve the silver-blue pearl in which Ao Jun’s spirit is contained.

Whatever the case, Ao Jun gives a roar of anger, the carp shrinks down to its original size, and the castle residents regain their senses as the magical ether dissipates.

Baron Cyprin will surely award the party with a generous amount of gold, and Orevia will do her best to ensure the pearl that holds Ao Jun remains firmly in her possession.

Conclusion

Thank you again to KELLEPICS for making another delightful image available. I did not notice until writing that the creator is the same for both this image and the one featured two weeks ago; apparently I like their style.

Check out the Exploring Castles website for more about the parts of medieval castles and this article by Marlon for a real legend about the dragon Ao Jun.

And thank you, reader, for joining me on this fanciful adventure. Until next time.