Child Cyclops (Lv.
1-5)
A
n unusually intelligent young cyclops has been
having run-ins with human hunters, adventurers,
and trade caravans along the road and in the
adjacent hills. There have been numerous
sightings of this cyclops, who has been reported
to observe travellers from a distance, but fleeing
if pursued. The cyclops has not been aggressive,
but the local folk know better than to take their chances with
such a violent and dangerous species. Players may encounter
the cyclops in a chance encounter while travelling, or they may
have been hired to seek it out and investigate by local officials.
Inquisitive Youngling
However you decide to place this encounter, it should ideally
begin with the young cyclops and the party noticing each other
from a safe distance. The cyclops, named Tronk, is non-
hostile unless provoked. Tronk is highly curious and unusually
intelligent for his kind. He approaches the party and calmly
asks, in broken common, if they can show him "a magic".
Tronk has seen adventurers cast spells before, and he is
captivated by "pretty colors and nice sounds".
Roleplaying Tronk
Tronk is a 9 year old cyclops who is unusually intelligent, both
for his age and for his species. He carries an uprooted sapling
for self-defense, though he aims to use it as rarely as possible.
Tronk is relentlessly curious, especially when it comes to
magic. He wants to be helpful in any way he can, and he asks a
lot of questions, ranging from "Why do you wear those things
on your feet?" to "How come I don't have magic?". He can give
the players information on the surrounding area or perhaps
interesting events he has witnessed, if asked, at DM discretion.
If threatened, Tronk prefers to retreat, but not out of fear - he
just strongly prefers to "not squish the little ones". If he has to,
he will ferociously defend himself.
Tronk can converse for the party for as long as the DM sees
fit. Eventually though, it will be time for Tronk to return home.
It is at this point that he will let the players in on some key
information:
"Okay, Mom says I not travel far. She get mad when I talk to
little ones, like the ones we put in the cages. I go now. NO
FOLLOW."
If pressed, Tronk can reveal the following information on a
successful DC 10 Persuasion or Deception check:
Tronk's mother regularly keeps human captives to cook
and eat. Currently, there are two living captives being kept
in the cave.
Tronk does not like to eat humans, preferring sheep and
other livestock.
His mother is the only cyclops that lives in the cave other
than him.
They keep two dire wolves as pets
Tronk's mother has eaten 10 humans over the last few
months. She treats them as rare delicacies.
After revealing any or all of this information, Tronk insists
that he must leave. The players may try to appeal to Tronk's
sense of empathy and convince him to help them rescue the
captives. Doing so requires a successful DC 18 Persuasion
check. Otherwise, should the party wish to rescue the
captives, they have other options:
Stealthily follow Tronk back to the cave (group DC 10
Stealth check)
Follow Tronk's tracks back to the cave (DC 10 Survival
check)
Deceive Tronk into revealing the cave's location (DC 10
Deception check)
The Cave
The cave that Tronk lives in with his mother is a single,
cavernous room with a 40 foot high natural ceiling. By day,
Tronk's mother is usually found either stoking the large firepit
in the middle of the cavern or tending to the small handful of
sheep that are crudely fenced off into the room's northwest
corner. The two wolves rest 10 feet beyond the cave's
entryway, gnawing on discarded animal bones. By night,
Tronk's mother sleeps soundly on the floor of the cave, using a
naturally-raised portion of rock as a pillow, with the wolves
curled up beside her. There are two wooden cages, 6 feet high
and 4 feet wide, against the east wall of the room. Inside each
cage is a scared captive:
Tallius, the good-looking, charismatic son of a local noble
who had been out with a hunting party.
Vera, a travelling merchant who can tell the players where
the cyclops left her cart. It may still be loaded with
valuables.
Rescue
This encounter can be resolved in any number of ways, many
of which cannot be outlined here. Whether or not the party
has convinced Tronk to help can have important influence on
the encounter's resolution. If he has been convinced, Tronk is
receptive to the party's ideas for rescue, and is willing to
distract his mother or perform similar tasks to aid the party.
He will not, however, hurt his mother in any way himself or
allow the party to hurt his mother. Should his mother come to
harm, Tronk will attack the party without hesitation.
The cages have simple doors barred with large logs, which are
practically impossible to lift from the inside. Opening a cage
requires a successful DC 15 Strength check. Assuming the
party does not just fight their way out, the DC of any group
Stealth checks is variable and dependent on the
circumstances they have created for themselves.
 Building on this encounter
If you're looking to build on this encounter, here are
a few ideas to get you started:
Do the captives in the cave have any personal
connections to the characters? Can they be used
to deliver new information or plot hooks?
Is Tronk under the influence of a spell,
increasing his intelligence? Who might do such
a thing?
Can complications be added to this encounter,
such as the arrival of other nearby cyclops or
marauding goblin gangs?

Alex | TavernTales