"Leave Dragon Fang alone and flee
or prick your flesh today.
The toll for trespass here is steep;
you can't afford to pay."
Children's rhyme from Dragon Fang.
In which the Hero of Dragon Fang defeats the Goblin Horde.
"Who will rid us of this curse?" she cried. "Who will destroy the power of the Goblin King and save our fair lands?"
And many came forward - strong knights with mighty retinues and foreign princes with their armies behind them. But none could stand against the Goblin King.
One day, a simple serving boy came into the Queenâs chamber and found her weeping. He knew why she cried. He knew what he must do. And when people asked him why he was leaving the castle, and by what leave he travelled the land, he said, "I am about the business of my Queen."
Drawn from the Legend of the Hero of Dragon Fang.
This is your chance to be the Heroes of Dragon Fang. This is your chance to be the legend. All characters will be members of the same tribe.
To simulate this ancient age of heroes, and to distinguish the Prologue from the rest of the adventure, this section should probably be played using RuneQuest, or even DragonQuest.
"Prophesy is a poor guide to the future.
You only understand it when the events are already upon you... and not all of the prophesies are good ones.
There is darkness and fire still ahead of us: there are no guarantees that any of us will survive it."
Delenn, Bablyon 5, Ceremonies of Light and Dark.
In which the Wife of the Hero of Dragon Fang dies, surrounded by her loving children and faithful retainers.
"The Prophesy is a reptilian thing that hides inside them. When they are thinking about it, stroking it, nurturing it, it is quiet and peaceful.
...
If they ignore the Prophesy, they will be haunted..."
Drawn from the GMs notes on running The Wife of the Hero Dies.
Prophesies are a stock tool in role-playing. They are almost always encountered in fragments, or collected at great peril. They have invariably been preserved for 1,000 years or more. Often they make no sense at the beginning, and sometimes even less sense at the end.
Where do all these Prophesies come from?
All the characters must have a good reason for being in the room of this dying matriarch.
By the end of the prologue, all your characters will be dead. Perhaps most will have died peaceful, natural deaths.
For the Logue, I would like to create the sense of time having passed. To this end, I would like to run this section using Dungeons and Dragons, or perhaps Pendragon.
"This was the type of thief that could steal the initiative, the moment and the words right out of your mouth."
Terry Pratchett, Sourcery
In which the characters are outsiders seeking an audience, with larceny in their hearts.
His voice was rich, and cultivated. I didn't like it.
'"At the next full moon, there will be a great festival at Dragon Fang, a great celebration. I find that there is a certain amount of confusion at such times. It is a time when a great castle opens its doors to entertainers; jongleurs, bards, performers of all sorts. You take my meaning?"
He deliberately kept his face hidden. We took his meaning.
One possible opening for Treasury (part 1), if you take my meaning.
Treasure is another staple of fantasy role-playing. It is encountered in the strangest places - caves, hoards, dungeons. And often it is stolen, or taken by force.
All the characters should have some reason for being allowed into a castle during a time of celebration.
For it is above all gold and silver, and beyond all jewels. Neither rock, nor steel, nor the fires of Morgoth, nor all the powers of the Elf-kingdoms, shall keep from me the treasure that I desire.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion; The Quenta Silmarillion
In which the Lady of Dragon Fang, as a young woman, puts on a grand feast for a suitor.
Quickly! quickly! Polish that vase. Hang that tapestry on the West wall. Our Lady is entertaining a suitor, and the Treasury must shine!
But what is this thing called treasure. And what do you do with it when you have it?
All characters have some reason to be caring for a great treasure. Imagine you are working at a great Art Gallery, for example.
"The past is like a puzzle, like a broken mirror reflecting your life. When you piece it together the image keeps shifting and you change with it. It could destroy you, drive you mad. It could set you free."
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
In which the characters gather together the pieces of a puzzle.
Lord Fang is researching a Prophesy. He needs someone to help him unearth all the scattered parts. Ideally, he is looking for a team with some understanding of lore, who can travel without attracting attention and are not too concerned about the law.
But in the end, he'll take whoever he can get.
Characters will be some of those from Treasury (parts 1 or 2), if they have survived.
Religion, n. A daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance the nature of the Unknowable.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
In which the Lord and Lady of Dragon Fang entertain an important guest, and the characters come of age in a flurry of activity.
Festival time! A daughter has been born to Dragon Fang and it is time to celebrate. Even the Princess is coming to visit the little baby.
All the characters should be young men or women, about to come of age, living in or near Dragon Fang.
Come not between the dragon and his wrath.
William Shakespeare, King Lear, Act 1, scene 1
In which the impossible happens.
You will be playing the same characters as in Dragon Fang, if they survived.
My recommendation is that you hide, and when there is nowhere left to hide, run. Then again, maybe that's just me.
The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.
G. K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles
In which the teenage Daughter of Dragon Fang is rescued from a terrible Dragon and returned to her rejoicing parents.
The Dragon is dead.
The Princess is rescued.
What happens now?
Characters will be supplied.
All those ... moments will be lost ... in time, like tears ... in rain.
Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty, Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, original screenplay written by Hampton Fancher
In which Lord Fang, a lonely old man, requires the services of his three familiars.
Characters will be supplied.