The Legend of Skara Brae — A Neverwinter Nights mod

Mecandes’ Module Plot Outline

This is the outline of the general plot progression planned for our Neverwinter Nights (Aurora Toolset) mod based on Michael Cranford's classic computer RPG, Tales of the Unknown: The Bard's Tale. Inspiration is also taken from his sequel, The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight, and perhaps a sprinkle here and there from Michael A. Stackpole's plot for The Bard's Tale III: Thief of Fate.

Note: You'll also want to reference the "Skara Brae mod conversations.txt" file, and The Legend of Skara Brae short story (found in "The Legend of Skara Brae.pdf"); especially the outline at the end of the file which explains the original (and more complex) plot concept that served as the basis for the NWN mod plot summary found below.

Of course, the original plot was pretty sparse, and needed a lot of "fleshing out" in order to make it a more compelling gameplay experience for a modern AD&D-style module. As a huge fan of the original game, I spent quite some time thinking about ways to expand the story without changing the core elements set forth by the game. For me, for my own enjoyment, all of the core characters, areas, and encounters need to be present and explainable in the new plot.

One major source of inspiration for this "expanded universe" has been the official Bard's Tale Clue Book. Not just a walkthrough of the game, it is written in a narrative style, and to do this, the writers had already come up with characters and a bit of a backstory to establish them in the world. (e.g. Lord Garrick, the port city of Hamelin, etc., find their roots in the Clue Book.) Character names have come from the Clue Book, screenshots of parties in offical advertisements, and the pre-generated party names in the Commodore 64 versions of the games.

The Legend of Skara Brae maps—which are now all complete—have been created by myself, using the actual maps of the game for inspiration. Naturally, the mazes and endless random encounters of the original game no longer work for a modern module, but hopefully you'll find my maps to be true to the intent of the originals, with major encounters in generally the same area of the map, for example. Of course, I've also attempted to use the various contrivances and tilesets provided with the original un-expanded Neverwinter Nights to good effect.

Special thanks to Drainc for his tireless work in scripting the conversations, events, monster encounters, etc. -- and for putting up the web site where the module first found it's home: drainc.shorturl.com -- please be sure to check here for the latest versions of the mod.

God bless,
Mecandes.

Skara Brae - East Encounters here are suitably mild for a low-level PC. Rats, mad dogs and other "normal" things one might find in a city...

NPCs of note in this part of town:

Garth - this male dwarf fighter was an adventure of some renown in his youth, but now has a grievous and unhealing leg wound. He's now the local blacksmith, vendor of weapons and armour, and resides in "Garth's Equipment Shoppe." (It is hinted that he suffered his injury in an incident related to the Mad God's Temple.)

The Adventurer's Guild Two NPCs of note here:

Mecandes - this male human bard is hanging out in the upper floor where you start. You can't necessarily talk to him -- rather, he is "singing" the little actual Bard's Tale "song" from the game's introduction... just figured lines of the song would appear over his head at appropriately timed intervals, and just loop.
Drainc - when you enter the lower floor of the guild, this male dwarven cleric approaches you and initiates conversation. He simply gets you started and gives you your "push out the door," giving you a quick overview of the city, and suggesting you talk to Pellis at the Scarlet Bard Tavern.

The Scarlet Bard Tavern Three NPCs of note here:

Pellis - this old high-level male human fighter is the first major plot character. He tells you he is from the port city of Hamelin, and has come seeking the viscount of Hamelin, Lord Garrick. The viscount was last seen here at the Tavern. Old, suffering from illness due to the unnatural cold weather, Pellis asks you to help him find out what happened to the viscount. He asks you to talk to innkeeper, and fetch him some wine while you're at it...
William - this male human fighter/thief is a retired sea captain. He tells you that he doesn't know what happened to the viscount, but that he once caught Lord Garrick snooping around in his wine cellars. He gives you the key to the wine cellars if you offer to investigate.
Corfid op Orfin - male elven bard. Like Mecandes in the Adventurer's Guild, I thought Corfid could simply be singing scripted lines from the intro song for The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight. Possibly, he could be a henchman?

The Scarlet Bard Tavern Wine Cellar

A couple of small encounters with rats in this cellar.

Gwendolyn - an adventurous barmaid, who you find in the process of fetching wine. Eager for an excuse to have a little adventure, she can be easily convinced to join the PC as a henchman -- whether or not she becomes a henchman, she suggests that the large rats must be getting in somehow, and recommends that the PC search for the way they are getting in. (As a henchman, she'd just be a low-level female half-elf fighter/thief. I'm not sure if this would be possible, but perhaps her death could be scripted to happen at the end of the sewers, assuming the PC goes there. Otherwise, she'll find an excuse to leave and stay in the wine cellar, "I better get back to work," if the PC tries to take her upstairs. Not entirely necessary, but could be fun to script this way somehow...

The Sewers - East Generally speaking, the random encounters on this level would include rats and spiders, some identified as "Black Widows." Major encounter:

Spider God - this nasty large spider (perhaps a Phase Spider of some sort? Whatever is an appropriately hard encounter for the PC) resides in the NW corner of the map, where I've placed an altar-like room.

The Sewers - West Random encounters here would include rats & spiders, and then perhaps wolves as one gets deeper. A specially placed band of orcs guards the NW exit to Mangar's Tower, and should be very hard for the PC to beat (they don't, in fact, need to fight them at this point...) The little puzzle in the Sewers involves a crippling beam of light that shines down an important corridor. In fact, you don't actually need to go there to finish the low-level element in the sewers. This light trap would be scripted to check the current game time and be disabled during hours when it is dark outside. "Pass the light at night." Before the light trap, there is a hint that says, "There are tracks here, leading east." Beyond that spot, and around the corner at a dead end, you find the body of Lord Garrick. He is carrying a piece of parchment that serves as a major plot item -- although the ink is water damaged, the following can be made out: "Know this, that the man called Tarjan, thought by many to be insane, had through wizardly powers… proclaimed himself a god in Skara Brae a hundred years ago. His image is locked in stone until made whole again…" The PC needs to have read (or hold in his possession?) this parchment when he goes to the Mad God's Temple, in order to gain entry to the catacombs. Perhaps a nice weapon or suit of armour would also be found on the Lord's body. Perhaps the parchment should also inform the PC something to the effect of, "You should take this to Pellis." Major encounter:

Orc Captain - I thought it might be a fun homage to Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring if the meanest Orc captain here was named "Lurtz". :) He doesn't have dialogue, necessarily -- unless he's the scripted event that kills Gwendolyn? (Maybe that'd be too much like the movie... haha.)

Meanwhile, back in the Scarlet Bard Tavern...

If you talk to him again after entering the sewers, William the innkeeper will reward you modestly for discovering the sewer entrance (all you have to have done is simply entered the sewers... quite simple.)
If you speak to Pellis again, he will reward you somehow for finding Lord Garrick's body, and then direct you to seek out the Mad God's Temple in the Gran Plaz.

Skara Brae - Gran Plaz

Encounters here become tougher than the east end of the city, and include some low-level undead (due to the presence of the Mad God's Temple.)

NPCs of note in this part of town:

Roscoe - this male gnome magic user is basically a vendor of magical items, and resides in the building labelled "Roscoe's Energy Emporium". [For fun, inside Roscoe's, I created a portal that leads to a 16 x 16 forest area, representing the Wilderness map from Bard's Tale III. I figured I'd try to come up with some amusing "accident" by Roscoe that has caused this strange hole in time... Wasn't going to have any interiors on the Wilderness map -- just random tough encounters I figured... a secret little place to gain experience, nothing more really... unless time permits later... a heap of clever ways to integrate it are already forming... haha. But I better get back to working on the plot-related stuff!]

Omar Ghaklah - this male gnome magic user is a customer at Roscoe's Energy Emporium; perhaps he and Roscoe can be engaged in some sort of humourous conversation when the PC first enters.
Bedder - an old male half-elf general merchant found in the Gran Plaz; most would think him crazy to still have his business set up, considering the state of the town, but "he'd sell his mother to a band of lonely orcs" if he could make a buck...

The Mad God's Temple

Brilhasti - this male human monk "guards" the entrance to the catacombs. He is crazed and not entirely coherent, but ultimately he demands that you utter the name of the "Mad One" in order to gain entrance. If you've found Lord Garrick's body in the sewers, you know this to be "Tarjan". The mad monk Brilhasti disappears after giving you the key to the catacombs (he survives to face you again in Bard's Tale III).

Catacombs - Upper If possible, in the north half of this level, the only encounters should be monks, members of the cult of Tarjan who aren't too happy about you entering the catacombs. The occasional single skeleton encounter might be found in a couple of the rooms that contain graves. In the south area of the dungeon, more skeletal encounters could be introduced. Major encounters:

Bashar Kavilor - this male human sorceror is the High Priest of the cult of Tarjan. He doesn't particularly appreciate you interrupting his grisly human sacrifice, and attacks.
Sphynx - in the room beyond Bashar, you find "Bashar's pet grey dragon." (Actually a "white dragon", the weakest and dumbest variety.) He's just hungry, and attacks. This dragon should be crippled in a way that allows the low-level party to defeat him, of course.

Catacombs - Lower This level contains random encounters with all manner of undead. I wouldn't think the cult's monks would be down here. Major encounters:

Soul Sucker - she lives in the dead-end room near the centre of the map, and is an optional encounter. She'd be a vampire (is there such a thing in the game?), or perhaps a succubus, if not...
King Aildrek - the undead “witch king” -- a lich (of suitable power for our PC). In ancient days, he was Tarjan’s principal opponent. Tarjan vanquished him, made him his slave, and now Aildrek is a powerful undead minion of the cult of Tarjan. He is keeper of the Eye.

After defeating the witch king, and receiving the plot item called "The Eye" (which looks like a green gem, if possible), the portal nearby will become active, and allow the PC to teleport back up to the interior of the Mad God's Temple. Somewhere in this level, the PC finds a couple of major hints that they should next visit Baron Harkyn's Castle. They are a ghostly voice saying, "Seek the Mad One's stoney self in Harkyn's Domain.", and the inscription, "To the tower fly - a mad one die - once lost the eye." Skara Brae - West Encounters here become tougher than the Gran Plaz, and include evil races such as orcs, kobolds, etc., which are coming from Mangar's Tower, basically. NPCs of note in this part of town:

Brian Isli - this male human paladin is found here, fighting the orcs near the stables... he offers to be a henchman.

Harkyn's Castle - Main Floor Baron Harkyn is the local city magistrate, sort of like it's "mayor". Initially, you are not attacked by anyone in the hall where the throne resides. However, after you enter the corridor or the jail area (see below), you are considered an intruder and attacked on sight. I figure encounters here would generally consist of human and/or dwarf fighter types. In the jail area, perhaps you can gain some experience if you free captives from some of the cells. In the original game, it would say, "Who wants to sit on the throne?". If your bard did it, it unlocked the door behind the throne. Since not everyone is going to play a bard, I figure it could just say, "Three marble steps lead to the Baron's throne. Do you want to A) Sit down or B) Leave."... Sitting could just give the message, "You hear a sharp click behind you," and unlock the door. (P.S. Examining the door hints that there's a nearby switch.) Major encounters:

Guard Captain - this male human fighter is the Captain of the Guard and he guards the secret corridor behind the throne. He's a major encounter for two reasons: Firstly, when you enter the room, you walk in on he and Baron Harkyn in a heated conversation -- the Baron has had some sort of alliance with Mangar, and it has gone sour... the Captain of the Guard slays Baron Harkyn before your eyes, revealing that he has been bought off by Mangar. He's also an important encounter because he is carrying a plot item called the Silver Square, needed in Mangar's Tower.
Robed Men - a few magic users simply called "Robed Men" are found in the room in the NE corner. It might be hinted that they have a connection to Mangar somehow.
Jabberwock - this is the name of the pet hydra who guards the Crystal Sword that is found in the treasure room off of the royal bedroom. Not sure if there is a hydra mob -- maybe a drake-type thing?

Harkyn's Castle - Upper Floor The Baron's private study, located off of the library, has a couple of things of note:

Sir Grady - a good male human paladin. You stumble upon him here reading the Baron's diary -- Sir Grady is incredibly distressed at what he is reading, and through him (or the diary itself, from him), that Harkyn was a secret follower of the cult of Tarjan. Mangar was looking to unleash the power of the Mad God and form an alliance with the undead. We learn that the Baron intended to bribe Mangar; to try and get a portion of the power from Mangar when all was said and done. After learning this, the exchange between the traitorous captain of the guard and Harkyn on the level below suddenly makes sense. Sir Grady is devastated, fully unaware of the Baron's treasonous (and evil) side... he offers to become a henchman.

Another parchment in the Baron's study talks about something unrelated: The discovery of a Crystal Sword that the Baron thinks holds great magic somehow, if only he could discover it's secret. It reveals that the Crystal Sword is locked safely away in his private chambers on the level below. (It's a quest item the PC needs to get, and thus should get a journal entry...) Encounters:

Legions of Baron Harkyn - These were 99 viking berserkers in the original game -- residing in the Barracks found in the NE area of this floor. Basically, everyone in the castle is mistaking you for the Baron's murderer, and these guys attack you on sight like the others.
Mad God - In the original game, the statue of the Mad God automatically comes to life if you approach it while in possession of the Eye. (Alternately, here, I suppose that the statue could be made a container, and have the script trigger when Eye is placed within?). I think I'd make the "Mad God" that appears one of those Balor demons -- and perhaps specify somehow that it is "an avatar of the Mad God" (as opposed to the actual mad god himself, somehow -- that's left for Bard's Tale III, where he appears in wizard form...)

After the battle with the Mad God's statue, a portal opens which -- if entered -- teleports the PC to Skara Brae East, just inside the gates of Kylearan's Tower. Kylearan's Amber Tower

The only encounters in Kylearan's Tower would be mechanical automations like golems and the other few creatures that reside under that category.

In the original game, this level is meant to be a big puzzle-like test of skill. Kylearan is the good wizard of Skara Brae, and he's a bit peculiar -- making you beat his puzzles before sending you off to your final encounter with Mangar. Major encounters:

Crystal Golem - in the original game, this golem would keep coming back to life unless you fought him with the Crystal Sword. Here, perhaps this could be a Shield Guardian (particularly if other golem types are found elsewhere in this level). Ultimately, the Crystal Sword must be in the PCs possession to get past this creature, who guards the path to Kylearan's personal chambers. The Crystal Golem also has the Silver Triangle plot item (or, Kylearan gives it to you...)

NPCs found within:

Markus - a male hobbit thief. He isn't evil, he's just treasure hunting. Perhaps he fills in some blanks regarding the Crystal Golem, in case the PC needs more hints about the Crystal Sword. He offers to join as a henchman. (Kylearan is amused by Markus' attempts to figure out his traps and snares, and is not hostile about him...)
Kylearan - the neutral good male human wizard of Skara Brae. He tells you the rest of the story, basically -- that Mangar and his brother, Lagoth Zanta, are scheming together to build an evil army to lay siege to the Castle of Candarr where the good king presides over the land. He gives you the Onyx Key, which allows you to enter Mangar's Tower. (In the original game, you needed to go back through the sewers first -- you only received a key for Mangar's tower gates after you entered his tower.)
Phenglei Kai - this ancient true-neutral male elf wizard is visiting Kylearan and offers to be a henchman after you talk to Kylearan.

Mangar's Tower ...not entirely conceived yet, but three major encounters before Mangar himself include the Key Master (holds the Silver Circle, perhaps?), the black coffin of the Vampire Lord, and two sleeping Red Dragons. Mangar himself is an evil male human wizard, the final encounter of the module, of course.

It should be noted, too, that Michael Cranford's vision for The Bard's Tale was based in his deeply Christian faith. (More information about this often unknown aspect of The Bard's Tale can be found at http://www.geocities.com/thebardstale/about.html ) In keeping with this, the temples in the game should resemble mediaeval Catholic churches (i.e., priests should be human males), and Mangar, Aildrek, Tarjan, etc., should be portrayed as Satanic.

Mecandes

“Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgment... even the very wise cannot see all ends.” — Gandalf