Hmm, cool idea with the shoes Gremlin. my players would probably be entertained with the thought of annoying and harassing shoes. How about if the kids decide to come back and show pity for the old lady she runs into her cottage and retrieves a jar of toe jam for them. You could work with that and have it do various effects depending on the scenario.

Now about this sandman idea...I think you're on to something. I think the community would greatly appreciate it if you turned it into a small module detailing the specifics of the "tomb". Describing what trait tests are where, and special possibilities for the keen players and what not. And definitely a description of the Sandman and how he fights or interacts with the kids, because I can see some epic scenes with that.

 I've got the map and layout of the sandman's lair drawn out. Tomorrow I'll be going through and writing out all the things the players can/will encounter and hopefully have it up by friday. I'll be out of town over the weekend without internet so no updates then =(

 Here's what I have so far with the sandman's lair. Basic gist: obtain the enchanted dream catchers from the scarab riders by acquiring a key worn from a dwarven servant of the Sandman. The players will then be immune to the Sandman's ability to send kids into an eternal dream state. The narrative picks up assuming the kids were gobbled by the Quicksand Monster.

"When the players' descent through the seemingly endless bowels of the Quicksand Monster comes to an end, they plummet into a large pile of bones, sending bits and pieces flying everywhere. The hole in the ceiling through which the players fell quickly seals up, leaving no evident hope of return. The bones lie in a small alcove attached to a barely larger room. Torches lining the walls cast a dim glow, revealing the glistening, pure gold  hourglass dead ahead, as well as large piles of sand in each of the four corners of the room. No doors or windows can be seen.

The players may feel free to investigate the room, but only two things will yield obvious results the hourglass and the pile of bones. If the players investigate the piles of sand, all they notice is that the form looks like it was poured their over time. If the players focus on the hourglass, everything about seems to be made from gold, from the sand to the stand and even the glass has a gold shimmer to it. Choosing to ignore it will result in a 3rd grade pluck test to give into the temptation of stealing it off the pedestal. When touched (if touched), the illusion wears off, revealing an old, dusty and dilapidated hourglass. As if in response, the sands fill to the top and begin to pour and at the time 4 small tiles in the ceiling burst off with a torrent of sand gushing out into each corner. At this point, look at your watch/clock/time and tell the players they have 30 seconds to get out before escape is impossible. There are 2 possible escapes: get swallowed by the sand and be saved by the scarab riders (not much of an escape but you get the point), or search the bone pile and find the latched door underneath. 

**From here, all I've worked out is the path through the tunnel under the bones.**

Beneath the pile of bones lies a latched door, revealing a circular tunnel descending into a dwarven mining operation (not revealed till later). Loud banging and clanking, grunts and shouts can be heard from the tunnel below. A worn ladder offers the players an easy route down. When the ladder drops off, the players find themselves in a narrow system of tunnels. Ahead of them is a small opening in the wall with a well-fastened, iron grate blocking the exit, but it provides a good view into the open room. Looking through the opening, the players are able to see a large, cavernous mine inhabited by stout dwarves (wearing odd devices on their head) and earthen golemns. Scaffolds are mounted with dwarves chiselling away and large construction equipment is manually worked by the army of golemns. Players can attempt to break the grate with a muscle of 5th grade or a 4th grade juvie (dwarves can work against brute force, but the intricacies of stealthy infiltration eludes them). 

If the players decide to stay in the tunnels, it doesn't take long before they hear a faint skittering off in the distance that continuously grows louder. Trying to outrun the sound will take them to a dead end with another gated 'window' (should they try to escape). If the skittering catches up to them, a number of scarabs equal to the number of players will appear from the dark tunnels. The players should make a 5th grade seek to notice the scroll attached to the lead scarab. The scarabs won't attack unless attacked. The scroll contains a message from the Scarab King warning the players not to engage the dwarves because they are servants of the sandman, providing his golden sands and lost children in return for precious jewels and the occasional female specimen. Killing the scarabs makes reveals the scroll without needing a Seek check. If the players follow the tunnels the way the scarabs came, they will find the entrance to the Scarab Kings hideout. 

If the players at any time left the the tunnels and entered the cave, the dwarves and golemns immediately stop all work and focus their attention on the players, unless they manage a 4th grade hide (the static seek of dwarves). The leader of the dwarves, equipped with a bejeweled cane, dazzling crown and many other pieces of jewelry, will approach the kids. An odd contraption around his head sits holding his eyes wide open, and the players notice all the other dwarves have the same thing. He starts to question them about their escape from the Sandman. Mentioning the scarabs or skittering noises from the tunnels will perk his interest as he gets jittery with excitement. The dwarf introduces himself as Greedy, one of the fabled 7 dwarves, but he was cast out because of his kleptomaniacal tendencies. Greedy will try to employ the players to use his key (a scarab necklace that he wears at all times) to open the chest containing enchanted dream catchers that fizzle all attempts of the Sandman's to send victims into an eternal slumber. Refusing Greedy's terms will only result in having the golemns sicked on the kids to try and pin them and turn them over to the Sandman. Evading the lumbering giants isn't hard, and the kids would easily be able to make it back into the tunnels."

So far this is all I have, I'll be working on finishing it, but I have a lot of school work to balance with my Grimm . Please comment, I'd love to hear your suggestions, changes, new ideas or implementations...anything, as long as it's constructive!

I thought that I would point out this interesting Sandman tidbit from wikipedia. Perhaps some inspiration may ensue...

E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) wrote an inverse depiction of the lovable character in a story called Der Sandmann, which showed how sinister such a character could be made. According to the protagonist's nurse, he threw sand in the eyes of children who wouldn't sleep, with the result of those eyes falling out and being collected by the Sandman, who then takes the eyes to his iron nest on the moon, and uses them to feed his children. The protagonist of the story grows to associate this nightmarish creature with the genuinely sinister figure of his father's associate Coppelius.

I love this idea of the Sandman's Lair, especially the timed trap. Although part of me wants to bring the plotlines back to standard fairy tales.

 For instance, instead of a scarab king, perhaps the person trying to oppose the Sandman is princess Aurora of Sleeping Beauty fame, being assisted by her 3 fairy friends. In typically Grimm tragic styyle she did sleep for 100 years, and so did everyone in her kingdom, but unlike her everyone else continued to age. So by the time she was awakened by the Prince all of her friends and family had long-since died. Waking up in a kingdom of rotted bodies and skeletons drove her quite insane, however, resulting in the prince wanting nothing to do with her.  Now seeking revenge, she sews dreamcatchers on her magical spindle. Instead of scarab beetles, she has skittering giant rats (which can also instill the same creepy scene as the beetles). Her fairy friends are now too old to have any more power, other than perhaps flight - no wishes or spells, but they stay by her side and try to keep her safe out of a sense of responsibility for her plight. Also working for the Sandman is the evil witch that originally cursed Aurora.

 GameBear, you're the best. I really didn't like the scarab idea but it was all I could think of at the time. You answered my wish to add a more fairy tale aspect to it, so thanks! The idea of Aurora vs. Sandman seems perfect since she knows all too well what its like to sleep forever, so she's out to stop his madness. As for the twisted Sandman in Der Sandman....that is too cool to pass up. Perhaps the contraptions on the dwarves heads could be used to shield their eyes from his sand, as well as to keep their eyes open so they don't fall asleep (the original intent). I think I'll be making some changes to this one, you gave me a lot of ideas. Perhaps after they defeat the Sandman, the kids find a clue that points them to maleficent, who would be an unbelievable  finale to a Grimm saga, and her plans to not only overthrow the Rotten King but also twist the Grimm lands into a more terrible and twisted place than they already are. 

As for the Sandman himself, I'm thinking maybe he should have 2 stat charts - one for in the Grimm World and one for in the Dream World (although kids shouldn't be fighting him without dream catchers so they don't have to fight him in the dream world). He would be relatively weak in the Grimm World. I'd like his ultimate weakness lie in the kids that he has trapped in a slumber around his room. If the players go around waking the kids, the Sandman gets progressively weaker since his true self resides in the dream world created by his victims. 

Well, considering your amazing imagination i am glad i could give some inspiration in return! Perhaps Maleficent IS the dragon from page 202? I can;t wait to see what you finally come up with. i am sure to use it in my own campaign...

 Soooo I'm going to start my next session in a couple days, hopefully Thursday, and I thought I'd post what I have planned. Just an overview. 

I have already introduced my players to Captain Hook, he is part of a "resistance" group that took the kids in and hid them from the Rotten King's servants within the first 5 or so minutes. So the players think this group is on their side....well, they're not. Though they may be against the Rotten King (each one has been a victim of the Rotten King's cruel ways), they are still malevolent characters. The players were told to unite the peoples of the Checkerboard Kingdom against the Rotten King (the resistance group thought this to be an impossible task, but it's proving otherwise). Well, during our leave of absence, the kids have been resting up at the resistance group's hovel. Beginning our next game, Hook will approach the kids, telling them of a terrible fate that has become of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys of Never Land. They're not sure what happened, but Peter has simply disappeared and the Lost Boys have all gone insane. Hook has caught word that the native creatures want help from the Checkerboard inhabitants and he hopes to restore his former glory as Admiral of the Naval fleet for the Glorious Empire (in other words, he wants Peter Pan's treasure , everything else is just fluff) by helping them. 

On their way to the beach, the caravan will have to cross a bridge over one of the Rioting River's small outcroppings. Of course, no bridge is complete without a troll. But this bridge has 2 trolls. (Side Note: My players have an advantage with all trolls not in correspondence with the Rotten King. They rid a troll of a menacing witch and brought her head as a trophy. The nutcracker killed and beheaded her....don't worry, these children are still innocent. So the Troll carried good word from bridge to bridge, avoiding those marked by a Prancing Horse - the Rotten Kings emblem - ....but the players don't know that part). This bridge is clearly marked with a prancing horse on massive banner. Both trolls will ask for payment, "or else!" There are several ways around this, asking the members with them on the caravan for donations, using imagination/luck to try and find change in their pocket, preoccupying the trolls by turning them against each other and just moving on passed. 

Finally at the beach, the players are greeted by the beautiful Sea in  the most perfect conditions imaginable - sunny, slightly windy, perfect waves and plenty of tidal pools to play in. But this isn't uncommon, for this is how the Sea greats everyone. The players will notice one thing missing though, and that's any sign of a ship to sail to Never Land in. Small encampments have been set up dotting the shore for sailors waiting for ships to arrive. Simple necessities like food, shelter and bathrooms can be found here, but not much else, and for a price. But Hook has his own private encampment set up much larger than the others, already populated and being managed with supplies, caravans being emptied, and crew being issued commands. While the players are here, several things are going to be taken into consideration:

• What kind of oddities the shore washes up (I'm not sure if I'll do random or determined, because I like the first on the list for Dangerous Oddities pg 166).
• How they behave on the beach to determine which face of the Sea will arrive that night.
• Players' interactions with the Pirates to see if they find out Hook's ulterior motifs.
• Players' interactions with the Sea when she arrives in human form the night before their departure.

The next morning, the players will wake to the sound of Captain Hook screaming orders to his crew. Looking around they will see a giant peach "docked" in front of the encampment, being loaded with supplies in crates of all sizes. As the last box is loaded on the vessel, Hook hobbles over to the players, gestures to the peach and waits for them to board before finally setting out for Never Land. This is where my adventure will end on Thursday, and where I will pick up on Saturday, finishing with their perilous voyage across the see and their the trip through Never Land to save Peter Pan (see other forum post - the 3rd post).

 I'm back, with an update on our last session. Picking up where we left off, the players had just convinced two trolls to let them pass toll-free and had broken through the Great and Aweful Forest, emerging at the face of the sea. Captain Hook and his caravan lead the kids to his private encapment while they waited for an appropriate vessel to wash ashore to get to Never Land. Meanwhile, the players decided to go look for a conch shell (using luck) for the Dreamer to turn into a second Keepsake using his Bonus Keepsake ability. We decided that he could use his imagination to alter the shell into a spear like weapon that used Imagination instead of Scrap during combat (stature advantages are given as if using scrap still). Afterwards, I asked the players how they spend the rest of the day on the beach and they chose to spend it playing "splashing around and shit". Later that night during dinner with the pirates, a surpise awaited them as the chef slammed a giant octopus on the table, giving the first 7 pirates to present a Piece of Eight one of the octopus legs. Of course the players were in on this, rolling quickly to figure out what counts as a Piece of Eight (anything insignificant), so the Bully tossed in an apple core and the Dreamer gave up a stone foot. After recieving a leg of the octopus, they found out every octopus has something magical about its legs, but you never know what until you've eaten it. No immediate effects made themselves evident.

Night fell, and the time for sleep was upon them. All the single beds were taken or reserved, leaving only two sets of bunk beds with the top bunk already occupied. The bully chose to sleep with the fat pirate and the dreamer with the skinny pirate. During the night, the dreamer was asked to make a seek check to hear the pirate muttering about killing the lost boys and stealing their treasure, and perhaps even the treasure of Peter Pan. He didn't really know what to think of this, just casting it aside figuring "Eh, he's a pirate...". In the morning, though, the Bully had been kept awake all night by the constant snoring of the pirate above him, when suddenly he heard the scream of a little girl. When he gets up, he sees a small girl being dragged into the water by a crazed Lost Denizen (Used the Maiden of Gulls since they acted like children the day before). Being the kind of bully that likes to impress the women and grows up to be a douchebag doing douchey things to impress them, he naturally grabs his bat and thunders down to save her. Between the wresting fish-man-thing's disadvantages and the bully's double sixes for scrap, the Lost Denizen was sent flying into the sunrise never to be seen again by his friends or family. The Maiden was now equally as scared of the bully, but when he offered his hand to help her up, she offered her basket for him to pick from - receiving an Apricot. Turning around, he faced all of Captain Hook's fleet gawking at his raw power, and as if to reinforce the Sea's gratitude, a Giant Peach was sent ashore for them to load up and set out for Never Land.

Out at sea, the skies turned dark and the waters choppy. A man's voice could be heard out in the thick of the mist. The players weren't sure what it meant, but after a quick crack of lightning the sky and water turned a deep crimson and rain turned the water into a violent torrent. It was then that the players found out what awaited them when Hook shouted "M-m-m-MOBY DICK!!!!". Captain Ahab and his dingy of pirates were being dragged by Moby Dick head on towards the Peach, and when they arrived, the pirates breached the peach while Moby Dick assaulted the Peach. Turns out Ahab couldn't spear Moby when he finally had the chance and the two ended up falling Mad in loved due to the obsession they had over one another. Now they work as a team. At the beginning of each round, the players had to make a 3rd grade scamper to stay on their feet as Moby rammed the Peach, otherwise spend their turn getting up. The bully got tired of falling and decided to stay grounded and just crawl his way to Ahab and just assault his peg leg from the ground. I let the players roll for Captain Hook and they all decided to gang up on Ahab. After the first round, since the pirates mistakenly put the cannons inside the peach and can't see out, the player with the highest luck would roll, then roll two dice. He could add or subtract up to his performing grade level in luck to the 2nd result to determing which "o'clock" the pirates were ordered to fire the cannons at Moby Dick. (For instance: I have 3rd grade luck, I roll a 4 and perform at 3rd grade. Then I roll two dice for a 2 and a 3 making a total of 5. I can now add or subtract up to my Luck grade of 3 from 5 determing which "o'clock" the cannons fire. So I subtract 2, firing the cannons at 3 O'clock, right into the head of Moby Dick) If the players chose 1, 2 or 3 they hit Moby Dick and stopped him from his tyrade.

They players successfully defeated the pirates and Ahab...and Moby Dick. They arrived at Never Land in the evening, with the sun setting behind the mountain and the clouds encircling the island turning an enchanting purple. With the first stars finally emerging, the players were asked to roll luck again and follow same procedures as above. Rolling two dice, then adding/subtracting their grade in luck from the last result to determine where on the island they land. I will continue their adventure on Never Land when they actually free all of the lost boys and Peter Pan, so far they've freed 3 lost boys.

 I figured I could go ahead and type up the players' experience in Never Land so far. Basically when they arrived at Never Land, I asked the player with the highest luck to roll and add/subtract his grade from a roll of 2 dice. 1-2 = Pirates Cove, 3-4 = Pixie Hollow, 5-6 = Mermaid Temples, 7-8 = Indian Hunting Grounds, 9-10 = Croaking Bog, 11-12 = Lost Boys Tower. They managed to get a 6 for the final score, leading them to the Mermaid Temple.

When the players arrived at the Never Land, the shore was a wasteland of destroyed temples and ruined statues and watchtowers. It was a calming scene, though, as the various gods and godesses strode out of the water to protect those beneath them. But the waters impossible to traverse, as the peach got wedged between a large temple and foreboding watchtower. Captain Hook ordered the kids to check out the temple while he and his men went and explored the tower. The players decided to wait till the pirates were out of sight and then followed them. Once inside the watchtower, the players came to a waterlogged hallway, using industrial arts and muscle to build contraptions and hold their breath through the hall. On the other side, though, it was obvious that they were no longer in the temple. (I took this idea from a post in another thread). As fishy breezes and slimy, moist walls and floors composed their new surroundings - they were then trapped inside a whale. The smell of smoke filled the cavernous room, and the players followed their way to the source until they could make out a toppled ship in the distance being used for shelter. Sneaking their way in, they found the ship to be empty, except for a boiling cauldron of stew and jars of preserved body parts. The players decided to get in a place where they could hide and focus until anyone showed up. Since it was a few minutes before that happened, I figured enough time passed for them to get a +1 bonus to hide instead. When the hag came stumbling in the door, she was dragging a lost boy in behind her. He was beaten and bruised, and from the looks of it - unconscious. The players decided to continue hiding only to watch her hurl the boy onto her table, lob of his fingers and toss them into the stew. The bully wouldn't have that, so he ran out and used his Threaten ability, gaining a +2 bonus on scrap. Since it was an ambush the players got to go again, and they decided to knock her unconscious. I figured to do this the players just need to land a hit that would deal enough damage to reduce the target to 0 health, but declare a non-fatal blow and leave them at 1 health and unconscious. The players succeeded and used boyscouts to string her up above her own cauldron. The dreamer used his 6th grade gaming to determine the hags soft spot (which I always set the difficulty equal to the grade of the target) and found out that it was her own concoctions, so they took this opportunity to extract as much info as they could. They also tied down the lost boy who looked extremely savage and wild. Both the hag and lost boy came to at about the same time, and the bully started his interrogation. They got enough information to figure out a way to release the lost boy of his curse and free his childish self (this one was Curley - always blaming himself - so they just used cool to calm him down and go Dr. Phil mode. After freeing the lost boy, he explained they were in a giant whale, and one player had the genius idea of using the cannons on board the ship to shoot out of the blow hole....but the others were afraid they might get hurt. So the lost boy lit the boat on fire (with the hag still in it...oops) causing the whale to sneeze and blow them out to shore. Several mermaids were on shore trying to seduce a few land creatures when the players as well as Curley plopped right into their tide pools. The mermaids were ecstatic to have their prince back and took him straight to their underwater retreat. A mermaid stayed behind to reward them with a gray pearl that can be swallowed in order to breath underwater. The players settled down to rest before setting off for Pixie Hollow.

  In Pixie Hollow (which was disappointingly anti-climactic), the players set out to save Toodles, the lost boy that never gets to see much adventure. As they neared the pixie land, the environment took on 3 distinct settings. In one direction, mushrooms of all shapes, sizes and colors could be found. In another direction, there were large shards jutting out of the ground that reflected every color possible into the clearing. And straight ahead was a path the glowed as bright as Christmas Eve. The players decided to take the trail surrounded by crystal shards. Once they had trecked far enough in, the shards began to overrun the path until it became dangerous to move forward or back. The players decided to press on though and eventually the shards got distinctly sharp. At this point the players had to make a scamper to test to avoid being pricked and suffer it's ill effects. Luckily they all passed and were able to break through into an lush green clearing. In the middle was a large tree littered with structures as though it was inhabited by something. When the players decided to advance, 2 pixies lunged from the trees to halt them in their path. Briar and Thorn were their names, and they were instructed to protect Pixie Hollow from an invaders that might be companions of the captured lost boy. Well, the first thing the players did was mention the lost boys, which was overly suspicious to the guards. (I played out Briar's reaction as though the kids were getting violent, even though they were perfectly calm and diplomatic...this led to some rash decisions). So the Bully got fed up and slapped the pixies out of the way, but as soon as they head gotten a few feet in, a sharp prick was felt on the back of their necks and everything went black. When they finally awoke, they found themselves shrunken in size and inside a rotten tree stump. Skittering could be heard from all around and a voice crying "Happy Thoughts!? Happy Thought!? I have no happy thoughts!!!" came from somewhere in the shadows. The players decided to get back to back which I allowed to grant an additional +1 bonus to Guarding (see combat section of rules). By now Toodles was crawling his way out of the shadows with a sinister grin, and the dreamer decided to try and tell him a fantastic story of the real world using imagination. He passed and Toodles was calmed. It wasn't long before toodles realized that the termites surrounding them didn't have a master to hold them back, and with his faerie dust he and the dreamer were able to fly out (imagination test). The bully failed so he was carried by toodles. *Now this is where I waffled up and forgot that the players were still mini and that they need to find a cure, but I let them continue on to the Indian Hunting Grounds.

I'll post that part tonight or tomorrow, its much longer and exciting...and I deleted an entire post with the push of a button so I'm to unmotivated to type it right now.

 It was obvious that the players were nearing the Indian Village when they were greeting by a wall of spears topped with skulls that pierced the ground in a long line around an ominous relic in the center. Arrows littered the ground and stuck into the bloody dead bodies of unworthy intruders that led all the way up to the relic, and then stopping in a clear line. The relic was composed of an intricately carved totem of all the traditional animals and stood atop a mound that was pierced by numerous spears. The bully decided to try and figure out this trap and made a running start for the line of spears, halting just before crossing the line. As soon as he did several arrows whizzed passed and struck the ground before him. The players knew what was up and devised a plan (I usually don't have a solution for these problems, i just let the players come up with one and tweak it if i don't think its fitting and let them go with it.) **STORYTELLER TIP: let your players tell the story. If you decide that Badguy A is going to arrive when the players finally get comfy in the abandoned house, and they set up a look out to see him coming announcing "OMG I bet it's Badguy B! What do we do!?" make a quick change of plans so it's Badguy B, or you have a trap for them that involves tying up a wild animal to seduce the big bad wolf, but they come up with something much more bad ass, creative or fun (like kidnapping a grandma for the big bad wolf to enjoy), go with it and let that be the new solution. The players and you will be surprised how exciting it is to come up with new ways to debunk a problem, and the players especially will be satisfied feeling that was their genius that got them through the problem.** Sooo, back on track: the dreamer decided he would do the same as the bully, running at the spears and stopping just before in order to draw the indians' attention, then the bully would make a dash for the relic, grabbing one of the spears on the way, and plunge it into the mound. A few scamper checks on both parts and they successfully made it to the mound. The indians revealed themselves, jumping from the trees to greet them. A tall, strong female indian approached the players and introduced herself as Tiger Lily, and took them back into the village. When the players finally got situated and began asking about the Lost Boys, a warhorn sounded in the distance. The indians began to scamper and prepare for a fight, and a scout came back to announce that the Rotten Kings troops had just landed on shore. This was especially bad for Neverland because it was supposed to be shrouded from the Rotten King's influence. The player's immediately realized it was one of two possibilities: Captain Hook was working with the Rotten King and returned with troops and that was why he had disappeared after landing at the Mermaid Tide Pools OR that a certain wish that they made in a previous session with a wishing rock that they were warned was corrupt and evil had ratted them out to the Rotten King, who was tracking their  wishes. The players wanted to fight and help out, so Tiger Lily introduced them to Roaring Bear and Flying Viper. Roaring Bear would head a frontal assault on the beach with ranged support from Flying Viper. The players decided to go with Roaring Bear because he has a more badass name. When they arrived on the shore, Captain Hook was making a most gloriously epic departure from his ship with his pirate hoard flooding around him. They players decided to stay hidden in the bushes (Hide Check) and wait till the pirates were all occupied, they would then board the ship and use their cannons against them. When the time was right they made a dash for the ship (Scamper Check) and started making their way up the boarding ramp, only to be confronted by Smee. I think i used either 4th grade guard or Common Folk, either way he wasn't much of an obstacle. The bully threatened him from below, +1 bonus on scrap, then charged up with the dreamer and proceeded to push him off the boat (I just considered this a wrestle attempt). Now that they had the ship to themselves, or mostly to themselves, they started loading the cannons. I chose to make teamwork with muscle give a +1 grade bonus instead of an extra die...it just make more sense that way to me. The bully thought he'd be able to load the cannon by himself but it took the dreamer to help him. After finally knocking out all the pirates, they returned back to the village happy hearted and celebrating. (Idk why they didn't loot the ship lol, i had the amount of treasure based on the turns it took to kill the pirates) When they arrived Tiger Lily introduced a girl from the Real World that was found among the wreckage. This was how I introduced my Normal Kid, who was watching the whole Indian scene unfold just to get a gist of how to play the game. The players were finally able to get more information on the lost boy and discovered that Slightly, who was always referring and telling stories of Black Tuesday, used to frequent the village and was good friends with many of the its inhabitants. They had a nice thanksgiving style feast, of which indians are quite known for, then lined up in front of the nearby cave. The Indians were making offerings to something or someone within the cave, and when they asked Tiger Lily what was going on, she explained that recently every night there has been eerie music heard from within the cave and a child gets dragged off screaming, never to be seen again. So NAAATURALLY the players took it upon themselves to debunk this mystery scooby-doo style. Waiting for nightfall, the music finally began to play and the kids readied themselves for action. The normal kid with her Wind Up flashlight at the ready led the way into the winding cave. As the music got louder, I began to play The Charleston  and turned it up progressively as they neared. One of the players was actually able to recognize the song, explaining her parents were big swing dancer. When they got the bottom of the cave, they peered around the corner and found a savage child hunched over an old record player. They knew both had emerged around the 1920's and figured this was in someway significant. They decided to take a diplomatic approach and waltzed into the cave. Slightly was revealed by the light of a dim fire and was clawing and slashing at the players (from a distance...just a warning) and hanging cages were filled with malnourished indian kids. The players didn't have the country club to do the Charleston or any Swing dancing for that matter like they'd hoped, so they looked for an alternative. Realizing that baseball was big in the 20's, the dreamer used his marker to draw some baseball cards (imagination) which managed to calm the lost boy, but still not return him to normal. The bully then decided to use his bat to knock him a rock, and before they knew it, they had a nice little game going on and Slightly was back to normal. Horrified with what he had done to the kids, he quickly let them out and set them free. The indians were rejoiceful; Tiger Lily rewarded them with a tiger lily blossom, explaining that when it blooms, it has the power to transform into a real tiger and protect them (uses 2 points of imagination to activate). The players stayed there for the night to rest, getting patched up and regaining any spent traits. Tiger Lily and some of the scouts set them on their way to the Croaking Bog in order to find Nibs, the suave and charming lost boy.

 I found a great list of ad hoc, quick reference material and encounters for players that you can use for story hooks, distractions...really anything. 

The List of Benign Urban Encounters:

Chamber pot emptied near/on
Cats chasing each other dart past
"Please watch this cart for me, just for a minute."
Birds of prey circling overhead
Urchin approaches for minor scam
Shadow passes across the ground
Smoke rises in distance (brush fire)
Feeling of deja vu
Insect swarm/nest on building
Howling/barking in the distance
Beggar asks for alms
Children pester party
Local teen wants to join party
Graffiti on building
Stumble onto amorous teens
Child looking for pet frog
Snake slithers away
Street vendor (food, drink, trinkets, etc.)
Rainbow in the distance
Group of bats rise in the distance
Drunken fist fight
Stumble on lover's quarrel
Religious pilgrims with vow of silence are jeered at
"Recognized" by a drunk
Overturned vegetable cart
Criminal held in public stock
Sudden sun shower
Wind kicks up
Street performer(s)
Religious fanatic
A discarded, tattered cloak
A rusty old weapon found in gutter
Dark storm cloud approaches
Large beetle buzzes around head
Kids playing game (hide 'n seek)
Criminal in custody is marched past
Mother looking for child
Sandstorm
Small dust whirlwind
A dead ox causes a gridlock
An overturned cart causes a gridlock
A few sun bleached papers blow by
Well-armed adventurers pass by
Roof tile falls, barely missing party
Approached by prostitute(s)
Smell of baking/cooking
Pimp ("you messin' with my woman?")
Wailing baby
One person chasing another
Stench of feces
Ray of light seems to surround one person
Unusually cool breeze
Rats are following you
You get a dull, throbbing headache
Injured bird lies helpless
Skunk smell
Eerily quiet
Customer angry with shopkeeper
Food fight occurring
Stung by a bee
Arid dust coats your mouth
Cop/guard walking a beat
Spoiled brat wants party item
Someone teleports away
Very friendly cat
Parent scolding child
Someone bumps pouchnothing's missing
Find a copper piece
Parade in honor of minor saint, hero, etc.
Foreigners arguing in their own language
Allergic reaction to exotic spice/pollen
Discount holy water salesman
Witness a minor crime
Something scurries away (chipmunk)
Street preacher accosts you
Witness a major crime
Two religious processions meet head-on
City watch follows you for 2d4 blocks
Find a silver piece
Dogs chasing each other run by
Very active beehive nearby
Howling gust of wind
Approaching lightning storm
Crow squawks repeatedly at approach
Rubbery mass stuck to your boot (gum)
Step in crap - dog, dire rat, etc.
Someone stomps in nearby puddlesplash!
Street cleaner sweeps by
Unconscious stranger on side of road
Pair of small birds harass you
Feral cat is trailing the party
A case of mistaken identity
Cloud shaped as holy symbol
Shopping list for potions is found
Old ring is sticking out of the dirt
One person has an intense itch
Hawk takes mole/mouse near party
Find a gold piece
Loose chickens peck at the street
Passing child drops pottery, cries
Raven lands in path, stares, leaves
Injured mounted scout charges through the street
Noble is carried past in a sedan chair
Two hooded people whisper on street
Young consumer is watched closely
Singing floats out of nearby building
Circus wagon trundles past, animal calls
Weapon sharpener approaches party
Large flock of birds flies acrobatics, then darts away
Private guards flank a door
Distracted senior totters straight for party
Weary knight is mobbed by adoring children
Partial eclipse of the sun
Emaciated children tug at party sleeves
People cheer for the party
A strong, young, healthy beggar asks for coin
A politician on a box of soap during a speech makes eye contact with a PC
A cat is stuck in a tree and mewls at the PCs
An escaped pet rodent rolling around the street in its ball bumps up against a PC's leg
A religious leader and his incense burning retinue cuts across the PCs' path
A diseased old man resting in a chair asks for help standing up
A paint can spills from above and splashes PCs
Political activists on parade beckon the PCs to join
A dangerous fish in a tank bumps loudly against the glass
A bee stings a nearby child who blindly runs to a PC for soothing
A small bird egg drops out of a nest from above and land intact nearby
An elf walks by with living snakes wrapped around his shoulders
A visitor stops to ask for directions to an interesting place
A fish vendor bends over to vomit and people point and laugh
A sheet of music blows into a PC's face
A garbage bin rattles; inside is a tied sack of kittens
A depressed bard asks sing-song, rhetorical questions of the PCs
A dangerous-looking racoon has claimed an apple cart as hismerchant beseeches PCs
A known crime boss sits and reads while sweating shoe shine boy buffs and casts the PCs worried looks
A woman with too much fashion going on breaks her shoe and stumbles into a PC
A man gets down on one knee and proposes, drawing a crowd and knotting traffic
A beggar with his hand down a drain hole brings up a ring and immediately asks the PCs to buy it
Three performers in masks surround the PCs and do a ring dance around them
Clothing tossed out a window during a lovers' spat lands on a PC
A woman drops a basket of fruitcan the PCs dodge before squashing some?
A crazy man points at PC's equipment and lists its magical propertiesand he's right!
A little boy confronts the PCs and shoots them with an imaginary crossbow
PCs pass an alleyway blocked by a new spider web
A fishmonger dumps a cart of rotten fish for scavengers to clean up
A young noble passes trailed by a pickpocket
A messenger collides with the PCs and numerous papers start blowing around
A body of an evil wizard tied to a stake, body still smoking
A chatty bard walks alongside the party
A chess match
A person passed out from too much drink, looted, with writing on forehead

 List of Benign Wilderness Encounters:

Large patch or hill of flowers
Squirrels chasing each other
Something stirs below the water's surface
Birds of prey circling overhead
An earsplitting squawk
A shadow passes across the ground
Smoke rises in distance
Deja vu
Many thousands of ants crawl
Howling/barking in the distance
Patch of vines strangling a tree
Skeleton of an animal
Skeleton of a humanoid
Writing carved into tree
Large patch of brightly colored mushrooms
Few scattered and broken arrows or bolts
Snake slithers away
1' hole penetrates the ground
Rainbow in the distance
Group of bats rise in the distance
Tree falls in the distance
Broken, rotted wagon wheel
Bear tracks
Deer tracks
Wolf/dog tracks
Unusual patch of very lush growth
Sudden sun shower
Wind kicks up
Dead, rotted, burnt, headless troll body
Giant mushroom grove
Discarded, tattered cloak
Rusty weapon
Dark storm cloud approaches
Large beetle buzzes around head
Large boot tracks in mud
Dug, shallow hole
Remnants of old campfire
Sandstorm
Small dust whirlwind
Puddle/nearly dry watering hole
Few sun bleached papers
Large bird (heron) seems to follow you
Stack of rocks piled high
Giant feather
Sweet smell of honeysuckle
Small pond
Bog
Stand of birch trees
Stench of feces
Ray of sun light hits tree or bush
An unusually cool breeze
Couple of rats are following you
You get a dull, throbbing headache
Injured woodland creature lies helpless
Skunk smell
Eerily quiet
Field of dead trees
Humanoid statue (flesh to stone)
Stung by a bee
Arid dust coats your mouth
Odd crystalline growth
Ogre skull
Abandoned shack
Very friendly skunk
Wild boar
Wild horses
Find a copper piece
Caterpillar or grub-infested tree
Coyotes fighting over a kill
Mother bear protecting cubs
Hatched eggs below abandoned nest
Large insect moult
Something scurries away (chipmunk)
Patch of berried bushes
Large splatter of bird droppings
Old, rotted horse carcass
Large tree with face image in bark
An oasis
A rusty suit of armor
Active bees nest
Howling gust of wind
Approaching lightning storm
Crow squawks repeatedly on approach
Disabled wagon with nearby dead campfire
Disheveled shrine or grave marker
Rats are rummaging through PCs' food
Cloud of insects moves across path
Rocks falling in the distance
Pair of small birds harass PCs
Feral cat trails the party
Large animal crashes through the brush
Cloud shaped like a holy symbol scuds out of sight
Shopping list for potion is found
Old ring sticks out of the dirt
One person's ears begin to ring
One person has an intense itch
Hawk takes mole/mouse near party
Stick-figure voodoo doll(s) found
Tornado
Earthquake (mild, moderate, or severe)
Great toppled tree, roots outstretched
Creek bars path
Fern-filled clearing
Beaver pond/dam
Rocky outcropping
Ancient snag filled with tiny holes
Carpet Of spongy moss over large area
Cave or large den
Groundhog colony: big holes, mounds of dirt
Tree with bark chewed or clawed off the bottom
Picked mushrooms laying on stump to dry
Sentry animal (probably bird or rodent) raises alarm
Burned area (trees standing, no undergrowth, all black)
Fool's gold sparkles in the dirt
Huge spider's web
Huge stick insect or mantis moves into the foliage
Pleasant voice seems to chant on the breeze
Fish bones
Punctured waterskin or flask on path
Forgotten dagger jammed into stump or earth

 List of 30 other random encounters:

Although Benjy the grey cat likes everyone else in the tavern, it hisses whenever a certain PC passes by.

The children start to sing a song about beheading whenever a certain PC enters the vicinity.

The spider seems drawn to one PC’s leg and constantly crawls up it.

A strange smell follows one PC throughout the month, a pervasive graveyard stink that is commented upon behind his or her back by others.

All the birds fly away as the characters enter town, screeching and calling in terror.

Downstairs in the inn, one particular character is unsettled by the way the man in the portrait’s eyes seem to follow him. Upstairs in his room is an identical portrait that has an identical effect.

The insect legs the character finds in his stew wriggle about despite the absence of a body.

Throughout their stay in the village, the cockerel keeps appearing by a character’s side and crowing, even at night and no matter where he or she hides.

Troubled Jik warns one character that the “devil rides in the hump upon the characters back.” As the rumor spreads throughout the village, all the locals begin to notice the imaginary hump with its devil passenger on the PC.

People keep approaching the character and offering their condolences about his or her cousin Maud and the terrible and bizarre gardening accident that caused Maud’s sudden death.

Throughout the week, the same scarecrow seems to turn up in fields the PCs walk past.

How come the children’s nursery rhyme keeps referring to one of the PCs by name? And worse, why is the rhyme about eating slugs, bugs, and thugs?

Every bad person the PCs meet during the next three adventures is rumored to have a henchman called Grust the Merciless. Grust regrettably never actually makes an appearance.

The same face keeps appearing in crowds everywhere—a rotund, somewhat ruddy complexioned fellow with a huge, flat, red nose. Chug Hoppwell is actually the PC’s biggest fan, and takes great joy in following their exploits—he’s merely admiring them and has given up his job and home to see them in action as much as possible.

Everyone in the village seems afraid of one of the PCs. As the PC crosses the street, people cross to the other side; as the PC enters a tavern, a drink is poured and no charge made; when the PC approaches a shop, it closes. The PC actually resembles an infamous murderer and pirate called Thrashnan who terrorized the village a summer ago. The locals cornered Thrashnan, who had kidnapped a trio of innocent villagers, in a barn. Terrified that he would escape the local barred the barn doors and set fire to the place. As he and his prisoners were burning, Thrashnan swore he would come back from the dead. The villagers, of course, will never willingly reveal what happened but begin to discuss what to do about the return from the dead of the infamous killer.

Throughout the adventure, a wolf pack is heard howling.

The same magpie follows the PCs throughout the week—a sure sign of ill-fortune: one for sorrow as the old rhyme goes.

In the graveyard, the PCs each find a grave with their name upon it, most dating from the same year a century ago.

As the PCs enter the tavern, the town clock strikes noon, and at that exact moment, Chape, the tavern owner’s dog, expires at their feet.

The chicken fight abruptly stops as the PCs walk by, and inexplicably, all the chickens rush into the coop, fighting to get into its safety first.

A seventh daughter of a seventh daughter claims she has seen one of the PCs in two distinct dreams she’s had. In the first dream, three things happen: he meets her, avoids her, and is then eaten by a huge six-headed crocodile at midnight. In the second dream, he meets her, marries her, and they live happily ever after. After telling her tale, she smiles toothlessly up at him.

As they are playing cards, the PCs suddenly discover that there are twenty aces of spades in the pack.

As the PCs enter the market, a bard is singing a song about a man who was a werewolf but didn’t know it—he came to a town on market day with a bard who sang a song about a man who was a werewolf and didn’t know it. In the chorus, it transpires that the werewolf’s name is the same as one of the PCs.

Rumor has it round these parts that when a group of strangers enters town on the Festival of Saint Garuday, the dreaded Vampire Lamprey of the Great Lake shall rise and eat all the local unmarried women. As the PCs ask what day it is, the townsfolk fall silent…

The wicker men, whose numbers match those of the heroes, are “merely ornamentation” the locals claim…

As the PCs enter town, it begins to rain black rain.

The man in the ancient portrait in the Lord’s House does indeed look exactly like the character. His name? Deathly Lord Rache the Slayer of Innocents, the devil who swore to return…

“Sixteen men shall rise, rise up from their graves, this very night they’ll rise and take the strangers there.” Old sailor’s song sung when strangers or groups of heroes enter taverns

Although they can never prove it, all the characters have the uncanny feeling that they are being watched whilst in town. As they finally leave town a huge-eyed dog appears from a barn and tries to follow them.

“Adventurers are yeh?” says the guard on the town gate. “They never last long in these parts on account of the terrible night things—things that are both terrible and which appear nightly…”