Not long after, the PCs find another foe, again in a porcelain mask. He clearly remembers the PCs, and from his demeanor and jabs it is clearly the same person. However, when the mask is removed, the same thing happens: it was apparently tied onto a lifeless corpse.

This pattern repeats itself off and on for some time. Depending on your needs, the PCs might find clues leading to the true villain’s identity by searching the dead bodies, or he might remain concealed for years, popping up when opportune to stymie your players.

Sultan Abdurahman is 104 years old, and survived only by one of his nine grandchildren, Rasshid ibn Taj ibn Abdurahman, the current heir to the throne. Abdurahman is always accompanied by his advisor, Nazim, a man who seems almost as old as the king himself. Known only to the Sultan himself, Nazim is actually a genie who’s advised every sultan in the city’s history. Nazim is bound to three duties: enforce the city’s laws, ensure the city prospers, and follow the dictates of the sultan. Each of the duties is equally important and given equal weight.

The PCs arrive at a somewhat inopportune time, as the same night they arrive there is an assassination attempt on Sultan Abdurahman. The attempt is botched, and it is relatively easy to discover that Nazim was behind it.

If the PCs suggest to the Sultan that it was Nazim, he dismisses that as preposterous (since he believes Nazim cannot harm him) When confronted, Nazim is clearly despondent about the attack, but unapologetic. He explains that Abdurahman, though once a great and powerful leader, has simply grown too old. He is older than any mortal has any right to be, and his mind has been ravaged by age. The Sultan no longer looks after his city as he should, is easily confused and his memory is all but gone.

The laws of the city are very clear, though: so long as Abdurahman still draws breath, only he may lead it. Thus Nazim orchestrated the assassination attempt so that the leadership would pass to Rasshid.

As if to punctuate Nazim’s accusations, the next day the Sultan holds court, and many seek him out for help. He seems to listen to them, but when asked for aid he has no idea what was just said, but rather he was (for example) entranced by the memory of a monkey he once saw stealing a fig from a goat. Nazim does his best to cover up for the Sultan, but there is little that can be done.

Something happened recently, though. The ogres have formed a new raiding party, but this one has otten much farther. They’ve already sacked 3 villages and fought off two militias and a unit of the king’s best. The king hires the PCs to find out what’s gotten into the ogres.

The catalyst of these events is a blight on the ogres’ crops– specifically, on their hops and other plants important in the production of their alcohol. When the alcohol supply dried up, it enraged the ogres. On top of that, without the constant inebriation dulling their senses and judgment, it turns out that they’re amazingly skilled fighters and tacticians, taking full advantage of their size, the terrain, and other factors to defeat any who challenge them.

It also fills them with a deep obsession, leading them to go to extreme lengths to win their love’s affections. A few days after the mirror is installed, people all over town are going insane. Friends and siblings fight and sometimes even kill each other due to the madness.

Doing some investigation, the PCs might find out that Arnett’s uncle was killed when he was a boy in a duel for a maid’s honor, and his grandfather killed a man to win over his grandmother. Shattering the mirror will release the fae, which must then be killed or bargained with to release everyone from its glamour.

Baron Obarof, the lord of the area, is not terribly concerned about the welfare of his missing subjects. In fact, as tax day is fast approaching, he suspects that the worthless worms are hiding so that they can avoid his collectors. To show them the folly of their plans, he intends to reclaim and redistribute any farmsteads which don’t pay in full on tax day. Oberaf nonchalantly explains that anyone who disappears and then miraculously reappears will be put to death for tax evasion.

The truth is that the Gray Wolves, a secret militia dedicated to the eradication of evil and defense of the innocent, has been sequestering the families in hidden save havens. They are preparing to overthrow Baron Obarof for his gross negligence, greed, and contempt towards his subjects. They do not know how long the coup will take, and want to ensure that Obarof can’t harm the innocents in retaliation to the Wolves’ actions.

A young street urchin, having heard of the good deeds the PCs perform, asks them for help. Over the past week, many homeless people have been disappearing. His own brother just disappeared last night. The city watch doesn’t particularly care; if anything, they figure this is a blessing that’s getting rid of some of the city’s trash.

Eventually, the PCs track down the brother. He, and a couple other homeless people, are being held in a cramped cage in the basement of a run-down tenement. When they find the kidnapper, it doesn’t take much coercion to get him to spill the beans.

For the past week, Marcus has been busily circulating an offer through the grapevine. He’s offering a 500 gold bounty on any head delivered to one of his safe houses, but there’s a catch. The head has to be delivered tomorrow, and it has to be a fresh kill.

The kidnapper, and several others like him, have gotten the idea to get a head start on the bounties by rounding up some of the folks that the watch won’t miss. However, tomorrow the entire city will likely be engulfed in a blood bath!

Along the way, the PCs meet up with some German scientists with their own military escort who are bound for the same site. The commander of the US troops decides that it’s in their best interests to work with the Germans, and so the two groups go together to investigate.

When the source of the mysterious radio signals is finally located, it’s discovered to be an alien craft hidden in the heart of a pyramid. The following day, while the scientists are investigating it, the Germans betray the Americans and kill all of the troops. One of the soldiers manages to warn the PCs, but they’re now on their own and must make sure the technology doesn’t fall into German hands, not to mention escape with no military or survival training!