A Knight Inn

After explaining to the King that aside from a few goblins, who have been dispatched of, there are no bandits up at the deserted hilltop village known as Bandits camp; the characters return to the Inn to spend their well earned bounty of five gold coins. 

The usual landlord is not present, instead a larger than life seasoned adventurer is serving at the bar. 

Also present are;

-an eight foot tall Troll brandishing a four foot tall tree stump club, the inn's Bouncer. 

-an Elven minstrel playing various songs ranging from bawdy to serene,

-two drunk Dwarfs singing the Dwarven Beer song ("Beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer," ... the expression and rhythm make all the difference) 

-a mother and her child, who is complaining what a no good, low down sonofabitch her deadbeat alcoholic husband is and how she's going to give him a piece of her mind when he gets out of jail or whatever hedge he has fallen in this time. (Readers of the previous adventurer Jail Break will recognise the character who has hired some assassins to murder his nagging wife who he says is the reason why he drinks). 

-a woman sweeping the floors

-one of the many N from N's farm, the biggest food production in the area who everybody relies on.

-Bob the Blacksmith and his beautiful teenage daughter who he does not let out of his sight. 

-an aging Knight who is too old to fight but not too old to teach what he knows, who served under both the old King and the old Kings father, the old old King, both of whom were better Kings than the current one. 

-two shady rogues drinking in the shadows.

-several farm laborers and other general peasantry. 

Karma (from past episodes):

The player characters (Wizard and Warrior) are accompanied by two rogues (barbarian girl and StrongMan) from the Bandit Camp. StrongMan is known to the Town Watch and has a price on his head of 50 gold coins for murder (he proclaims it was self defense, he was attacked and struck back only as reflex). The PCs are seen in public to be hanging out with known bandits, despite their recently having been rewarded by the King who hired them to clean up the Bandit Camp.

Events: 

StrongMan walks directly to the bar and orders drinks. 

Barbarian Girl walks directly to the bar and orders drinks. 

Conversations can be overheard in the background, plot-hooks for further adventure story lines involving farming and how the N Farm is hiring guards to protect it from the bandits. A mother is explaining to everyonein a loud voice that her husband the Drunk is going to get it when he arrives. She is consoled by the Old Knight. Her young son is dragged along with her, he is shy and quiet.

The Town Guard walk in and cause a problem for the StrongMan who is recognized. He refuses to go with them and attacks the Guard, who blos a strange blue dust into his face, he immediately falls unconscious. At which point the Troll Bouncer literally picks the troublemakers including the Guard up and throws them all out through the front door. The fight continues outside. Barbarian Girl runs outside to protect her friend, insulting the PCs as useless for their not doing the same thing. 

This stresses the Warrior character who runs out of the door as he uncontrollably turns into a werewolf. He knocks out one of the Guards, pins another to the Inn wall and threatens him with a terrifying animal snarl before dumping him in a muddy puddle, while the third Guard runs off terrified into the darkness. Barbarian Girl gently soothes the werewolf/Warrior PC who reverts to Human form. The PCs stash the unconscious but uninjured StrongMan's body in the alley at the side of the Inn and return to the bar to continue drinking. 

The stand-in Barman/Seasoned Adventurer recognises at once the Warrior to be a shapeshifter and gives him something, a small vial of potion called MoonGlow which will help him to tame his wild nature. There is only a small amount in the bottle but it smells strong and inhaling it is sufficient to gentle his temper. They talk with the Seasoned Adventurer who is looking to hire other adventuers to follow the trail of an old map he has recently acquired, where there is much ancient treasure said to be buried. The PCs agree to accompany him, although it is a one month journey there and another month journey back again. 

The PCs talk with the Old Knight who tells them he will train them in fighting. They arrange to meet him in the morning, in the Inn, so he can show the fighters some good moves. 

The Barman calls time and everyone leaves except for the Dwarves who are sleeping in their seats and who have paid for lodgings anyway, and the PCs who do not wish to risk being accosted by the Guards who by now are looking for a dangerous Werewolf. They go and wake up the StrongMan and bring him inside, paying the 1GP for lodgings which turns out to be a bench in the main room of the Inn. 

There are two knocks on the front door (which is barred); a heavy insistant knock of the Guards, which is ignored and a special rhythmic knock code at which the Sesoned Adventurer opens the door and exchanges osmething through the crack in it with somebody unseen. He explains to the PCs that to survive, it is best not to ask questions of that which does not concern you unless you feel strongly that it does concern you. This is a part of strengthening your instincts, which you will rely on to survive out there in the wilds. He then relates a story about how he and a group of adventurers once survived an attack by Gnarl-Wolves while they were camping in their lands not far from where the location on his map leads to. 

The next morning the Old Knight arrives and instructs the Warriors in some fighting moves. Then the Bandit Queen arrives and instructs the PCs they are to accompany her immediately to the location she previously mentioned, the Ancient Wizards lair, to ransack it of any magickal artifacts they can find there. The Seasoned Adventurer and the two Dwarves insist they come along too.

StrongMan, Warrior/Werewolf, Barbarian Girl and Bandit Queen are all pleased to be leaving the town region where the Guards are looking for both of them. 

NEXT: Ancient Wizards Lair