A quick hook-sheet for tonight's game...

Adventure Noticeboard:

1- "Reliable and trustworthy freelancers required for collection of rare herbs near Castle Greyhawk Ruins. Special equipment will be supplied, and magical aid offered as reward for efficient retrieval. See Kondradis Bubka at the Guild of Wizardry to make formal application."

The herbs wanted are Orris root and flowers. Orris is an extremely rare herb found growing in hill ravines- it is of use in the creation of divinitory potions- Clairaudience, Clairvoyance, Sight, and Treasure Finding. Most ready sources in the Cairn Hills have been over-harvested- the site near Castle Greyhawk has been neglected due to its dangerous position- at the southeastern foot of the bluff, right by the Mouths of Madness. In order to harvest the root, which must be brought in good quantity and with root intact and flowers fresh and uncrushed, must be harvested with a gold or silver blade. Bubka provides a silver dagger- on loan, for the purpose. As a reward, a rare and valuable item is offered, a Potion of Treasure-Finding. The item is usually quite valuable, but this batch was faulty- rendering the imbiber incapable of speech for several weeks.

See F,F&F p18 for details on Kondradis Bubka.

Orris flower.

2- "Wanted, bold and curious adventurers for collection of wall-scrawlings from old Zagyg's Gatehouse. Rubbings wanted for academic purposes. Success may result in a lucrative contract! See Listrimmus Wainright at his rooms in the Silver Dragon Inn."

Wainright is the wayward younger son of Lord Wainright, a vain and idle aesthete seeking to make his name at the Grey College with a thesis on adventurer's epitaphs. He will pay 50gp for the graffiti he has heard adorns the gatehouse, and offers a 5gp per item inducement for further rubbings if the group succeed.

The gatehouse is occupied by 12 Sotted Goblins (RC180), a group of merry humanoids who will, if approached respectfully, offer the party a drink and make no further quarrel with them. They make use of an odd construct- the befuddled statue, a Living Rock Statue (RC208) that for some reason does the bidding of those who currently inhabit the Guardhouse. It has some basic speech “Yes, small masters...”. The cellar of the Guardhouse, until recently collapsed, was dug out by the creature at the command of the goblins. A dozen cases of brandy were found. All in all 2500gp worth of fine liquor remain.

The goblins have been here for several weeks- for now tolerated by the Dwarves of the Grand Staircase, some of whom feel the workings of the Castle should not be meddled with. A few of the others would do something about it, hating goblins as they do.

3- "Wanted- adventurers for a retrieval job at the Mad Mouths. 500gp paid upon receipt of goods. No sly schemers need apply. Ask after Greygus Harelip at the River Rat."

Indiscreet, vainglorious or braggart PCs may well get caught up in a brawl at the River Rat if they play their cards wrong. Greygus would be otherwise handsome. He requires the return of a rust-red rope of fine quality (a Rope of Climbing) belonging to the Thieve's Guild. It was carried (on loan) by an adventurer ( a Guild Member) who was lost in the Caves, fighting pigmen (orcs). His only surviving companion provided reliable information as to where he was lost- in a cave on the northeast of the Castle bluff, before he died- for other infringements against the guild.

Other Events:

Twk Men on the Road: The party meet a pair of bold dragonfly-mounted Twk-Folk knights-errant, Millinkafloriola and Grandogaldini. They greet the party and offer to trade for information. They will trade for a dram (1/8 of a fluid ounce) of salt, or green-gill spores (found only upon Green-Gill mushrooms in moist caves, which the Twk-folk find unpleasant to visit), or for a strip of fabric if a PC wears nice clothes. Perhaps for an ear-spangle or such too. 20gp buys a pound of salt. (A tad inflated, but I decided it was rare enough in the Free City to justify that...)

Each item proffered gains one piece of information:

*Goblins inhabit the Old Gatehouse.

*Bandits dwell beyond the wood to the southeast of the Twk-Folk Wood.

*A fair maiden dwells on an island in the gardens by the Castle's Great ruined South Tower- her beauty is not meant to be surveyed by ordinary men.

*The ornate gardens to the east of the South Tower are entirely carniverous- though somehow a man dwells there, tending to the greenery.

*A group of adventurer's have been noted entering and leaving a cavern in a culvert by the southern road- perhaps this is another route into the Castle dungeons?