Mini-Adventure, The Sacking of the Capital

Upon becoming trapped within the painting, the party is inexplicably torn asunder. Half find themselves dressed in opulent garments, attending a lavish ceremony inside a resplendent hall, while the other half, garbed in roughspun and leathers, are amidst barbarians prepping for an imminent siege.

The room stretches on all sides as far as you can see -- a vast array of thick stone pillars interspersed with statues clothed in gowns, rising out of a smooth stone floor to support a white plaster ceiling. The walls are bedecked with ribbons and flowers. Torches burn brightly in all the halls and rooms.

The frescoes on the walls depict

The PCs find themselves dressed for the occasion in fine robes and tunics. Any weapons or equipment they still possess, though overt use of these will attract attention.

By questioning or eavesdropping the PCs can learn the following:

The festivity is city wide, celebrating the 561th year since the founding of the Capital and its glorious achievements. Never has this occasion been more ostentatious. No expense was spared. Sacrifices are given to the gods. Wine stores were plundered and fat farm animals were slaughtered by the thousands. All to dispel all those nasty rumors about the outbreaks of disease and famine in the countryside, barbarian incursions at the borders, strange vessels flying unknown flags spotted in the waters offshore, and the like.

The guests will speak of distant lands and provinces of the empire; names that the PCs will only vaguely recognize, but nothing that is completely familiar to them. in fact, the guest can't even name the Capital in which they are currently in. Only referring to it in elaborate and flattering epithets: "The greatest city. Torch of reason." "Bastion of culture and civilization."

Spotting the Traitor

Subtle hints:

• • The Traitor is the only one not drinking the wine.

  • They overhear him whispering "Soon."

Overt:

• • The Traitor bumps into one of the PCs and slips a (mostly empty) vial of poison into one of their pockets in order to frame them later.

  • One of the PCs spots the Traitor poisoning the wine bowl or cask.

The Barbarian Camp

It's dusk when you find yourself standing upon ground stained with the blood of countless battles, torn and muddied by the feet of hundreds. As  far as you can see, the fields are covered with campfires, and ragged warriors move like swarms of black ants, preparing for a day of blood and death. Huge banners, bearing symbols of clans and tribes, sway gently in the wind.

As the PCs regain their senses, they realize  stand at the edge of the barbarian camp, its vastness immediately evident. The chatter of foreign tongues, the clang of weapons being sharpened, and the smell of roasting meats assail their senses.

An encampment, vast in size but clearly bearing the brunt of hardship, stretches out. The tents, while large, show signs of wear and tear, patches sewn onto patches. The usually bustling campfire sites have only sparse flames, and the smell of food is almost non-existent. A muted atmosphere weighs heavily, the sound of children's laughter notably absent.

As the PCs gather their wits, they take in their attire: worn-out leathers, tattered cloaks, and rusted or broken metal accessories. Their weapons are blunted or chipped. One thing is clear - times have been tough.

The barbarians around don't give them second glances; their arrival, while mysterious to the PCs, appears to be unnoticed in the dire state of things. Yet, the PCs aren't mere bystanders in this scene.

A frail elder, his back bent but eyes sharp, approaches one PC and murmurs, "Karn, the young ones need guidance. They've never seen days this lean. Share your tales of past hardships and how we overcame them."

Another PC, with a sack that seems to have some herbs, is immediately surrounded by a few desperate faces. "Mara, do you have any herbs to ease pain? The cold nights are making old wounds ache."

Yet another PC, with a makeshift map etched onto a piece of tanned hide, is quickly approached by a group of scouts. "Bren, the water sources we know are drying up. Do you have leads on any other locations?"

Nearby, an open space in the camp looks to be set for a gathering. At its center, a faded banner, representing the combined might of these tribes, flutters weakly. A grand tent is pitched and sturdy guards stand at attention all around it. A discussion or strategy meeting is imminent, likely to address the pressing concerns of dwindling resources.

The other PCs are treated with a mix of suspicion and reverence. They soon realize they're seen as seers, prophesied to guide the barbarians in their most significant conquest. They can either assist in the attack or find ways to delay it.

Through conversation or eavesdropping the PCs in the Barbarian Camp learn the following:

The barbarians seem haggard and starved. Circumstances have not been favorable to them.

"The vote of the Senate has taken from the many and given to the few. Those who wear the Golden Wreath grow sick with every kind of wickedness. They are filled with greed, deceit and malice. They condemn and enslave. They betray their friends and murder those they loved. They do all this and call it...just."

Through conversation, the PCs may learn or experience the following recent events:

• A messenger pigeon has avoided the arrow storm that has been the city's defenses, but relief at the bird's survival is short-lived, for it has arrived with dire news: a week-long delay for expected forces to arrive with reinforcements and supplies.

• 
  

The drums of war sound, and the barbarian PCs must make their choice clear. They can secretly sabotage siege weapons, lead a misguided assault, or genuinely try to breach the walls.

Time and events seem to accelerate around the PCs, making them bystanders, mere islands in a storm of chaos and bloodshed. In quick succession, the PCs will witness:

Barbarians seem more focused on genocide and destruction, rather than loot or rape, though those are secondary objectives.

All around you, the butchered bodies lie in heaps, some dismembered in a blood-bathed orgy beside others killed so efficiently that there is no blood at all. 

Countless cries of agony drift across the devastated city, along with the acrid smoke of burning flesh. And now, ash falls like snow.

Ultimately the characters will not be able to prevent the destruction of the capital, and thus the death of civilization itself. Surprised and hopelessly outnumbered, most of the city’s defenders will die before they even realize their enemies are within the walls. A few gathered in the palace about their rulers to make their final stand, but once the tide of violence recedes all lay stark in their own blood.

The Traitor, if he or she is an NPC and has survived this far, will be killed by the invading barbarians.

With their mutual enemy slain, the barbarian stand triumphant over the hacked and bloody corpses of their enemies, and then swiftly fall to arguing among themselves and violence quickly (and inevitably) ensues. Where once civilized man had fought against barbarian, now the barbarous battle each other in a new fresh wave of violence.

After the adventure is concluded, they get one opportunity to snatch some fallen loot before they have to leave - a golden goblet, some jewelry, religious icon.

They then hear a voice:

"All that once was is gone and who can bring it back? All has fallen away, to ruin, and you cannot salvage this world. The entire continent has descended to darkness, pain and destruction. The great cities burn and now the world lays under ash and rubble."