1. Locations

Wavecrest Tavern

Establishment

Despite no longer being at sea, Sigmund Bauerson runs a tight ship at the Wavecrest Tavern. The Wavecrest is, unusually for the area, a drinking hole of good repute and some class, despite being a little rough around the edges. The inn hosts a popular arm wrestling tournament each week.

The Wavecrest was built atop caves beneath the current waterline, and someone listening at the floorboards can hear the water surging beneath. A short while ago, a cave-in cut off the inn’s cellar from these caves, but it is only a matter of time before subsidence opens them up again.

Arm Wrestling

Player characters can participate in the inn’s famous tournaments of might to win the prizes: 10 gp and free drinks for the evening.

Arm wrestlers sit at a wooden table, their hands strapped together (to prevent slipping). Before the match begins, the arm wrestlers can make opposed Intimidate checks while the referee, a grubby goblin named Granks, straps their hands (the loser of the check takes a –2 penalty on the fi rst round’s Strength check). On Granks’s mark, the contest begins. The victor is the fi rst one to slam his or her opponent’s hand down, moving it in 30-degree increments. The starting point is 90 degrees from the tabletop.

Each round, the contestants make opposed Strength checks, with the loser’s hand moving 30 degrees toward the tabletop. If the higher result exceeds the lower by 10 or more, the loser’s hand moves 60 degrees. If the higher result exceeds the lower by 20 or more, the loser’s hand moves 90 degrees, which might not be an immediate victory if the loser of this roll won rolls before.

Any PC entering the competition faces the following competitors in turn.

  1. Bredoln Laranak: This hulking dwarf is broader in the shoulders than he is tall. Hailing from the Mror Holds, Bredoln (CG male dwarf expert 5, Strength 17, Intimidate +12) fi nds the wild atmosphere of Stormreach more to his liking. He is a master of intimidating the opposition with a cold hard stare and a practiced facial twitch. After the match, his stony face immediately softens and he laughs heartily, even buying the PC a drink whether he won or lost.
  2. Quinton Debly: An unlikely competitor in the contest, Quinton (CN male gnome fi ghter 2/adept 4, Strength 20, Intimidate +9) fools most of his opponents because of his short stature. He removes his robe before the match, revealing a heavily muscled frame that puts most humans to shame. His faith in Dol Dorn makes him especially skilled in contests of strength. Before the match, he prays, casting bull’s strength on himself (included in his Strength score). At the beginning of the second round, he uses his Strength domain granted power to add 4 to his Strength for that round. If Quinton wins, he immediately leaps onto the table, fl exing his biceps for the roaring crowd.
  3. Goragga: A laborer in Graystone, Goragga (N female ogre barbarian 2, Strength 22, Intimidate +8) is remarkably clever and charismatic for an ogre. She joined the Tharashk workforce out of a desire to see distant lands and enjoys meeting newcomers in taverns. She studies her opponents over the course of an evening; she can rage only once and wants to be sure to save it for her most able challenger. When raging, her Strength increases to 26 for 7 rounds.