Adin was the town fool of Tralee. It’s not that he was stupid, although he wasn’t exactly the brightest person you’d ever meet. It was more that he wasn’t that lucky, sort of clumsy, perpetually clumsy, accident-prone, and the accidents seemed to mostly affect other people. But he meant well. He always tried to help the folks around the town, but things didn’t quite go as he planned.
One day Adin tried to help the baker make some cakes. As Adin was pouring the batter into the pans he spilled the batter all over and onto the floor, the baker walked in, slipped on the floor, and the pan of fresh, out-of-the-oven bread the baker was carrying went flying out the window. Adin went to get a towel off the counter to help clean up the mess on the floor, but he knocked the eggs off the counter and onto the baker, who looked at Adin and pointed towards the door.
Another time Adin went to help a washerwoman doing some laundry. She told him to put the clothes on the line. It looked like things were going well – Adin put a number of shirts on the line, but then with the next shirt Adin pulled the line down. He tried to put it back up but was having some trouble. The washerwomen went over to help him sort things out, but she got caught in the line, lost her balance, spun around, and landed in her big tub of soapy water and dirty laundry.
There was the time Adin distracted the barber who accidentally cut a client’s moustache half off. Adin spooked a cow, and the cow kicked the farmer that was milking her off his stool and into the muck. Adin left the bottom half of the butcher’s shop door open, a dog ran in, grabbed the string of sausage the butcher was working on, and dragged the sausage and butcher out the door. It seemed that no matter what Adin did it always turned into some type of accident for someone.
If Adin’s accidents weren’t enough for the people of Tralee to endure it happened that one day a swordsman, the world’s greatest swordsman, came to Tralee and challenged the townsfolk. “I, the world’s greatest swordsman, claim this town as mine! If any of you dare, challenge me now! If not, this town is now and forever mine, and you all my subjects!” The townspeople, being simple folk, did not dare go up against the world’s greatest swordsman, not even the constable. Adin, not being the brightest person you’d ever meet, didn’t think this was right. He stepped forward from behind the crowd and said to the world’s greatest swordsman, “If no one else will challenge you, then I will.” The townspeople, who yes were exasperated with Adin from time-to-time, but did not want to see him harmed in any way, hung their heads low. The constable stepped forward and said to the world’s greatest swordsman, “Sir, he is the town fool. Please, pay no attention to what he says. He’s never even held a sword.” The world’s greatest swordsman smiled and said, “He’s the only one of you in this town with any courage. Today he will hold a sword . . . and it will be the last thing he ever does. Now give him your sword.” The constable reluctantly handed Adin his sword and Adin calmly, as natural as ever, strode over into the middle of the street to meet the world’s greatest swordsman. The world’s greatest swordsman drew his sword and said to Adin, “Now boy, let me teach you a thing or two.” The world’s greatest swordsman motioned for Adin to raise his sword and come at him. Adin did, and the world’s greatest swordsman deftly knocked the sword out of Adin’s hand. Laughing, “You stretched forward too much, boy. Step, you have to step when you lunge. Otherwise you over stretch and expose yourself too much.” The world’s greatest swordsman bade Adin pick up the sword, Adin did. “Try again, boy. This time, step when you lunge.” Adin did, and the world’s greatest swordsman deftly parried and disarmed Adin once again. “Too tight boy, too tight. You have to hold the blade loosely, like you’re holding a maiden’s hand.” Again the world’s greatest swordsman bade Adin to pick up his sword. Adin did. “Try just this one more time, boy. Step, and hold the sword loosely.” Adin began to step forward as he lunged, but he was holding the sword so loosely that mid-step he dropped the sword on the ground. Adin stopped and looked down at the sword. The world’s greatest swordsman let out a great, bellyful laugh. As he did, Adin, feeling a bit silly for dropping the sword, and without being bade to do so, quickly picked up the sword, stumbling forward a bit as he did, and unintentionally stabbed the world’s greatest swordsman thru the middle of the chest. Adin froze, as did the world’s greatest swordsman, but just for an instant, before the world’s greatest swordsman fell backwards, dead in the middle of the street.
So now, Adin, no longer the Fool of Tralee, is the Hero of Tralee. And is still not asked to help with the baking, or the laundry, or the milking, or the etc, etc, etc.
How to incorporate aspects of the story into your gameplay:
Tralee, now in the Demi Plane, is a safe–ish place, but Adin is still accident-prone and a certain amount of silly mayhem ensues.
Adin’s sword/the constable’s sword is a lucky weapon.
If the players make any trouble while they are in Tralee they will have to face Adin – and any number of mishaps may befall the players while Adin somehow manages to be immune and/or not be bothered/hit by their attacks – magical and non-magical.
Adin may act as a guide for the players out of/thru the Demi Plane with very accident-prone and unpredictable and hilarious results – but nothing too harmful (DM’s discretion of course) – more annoying than anything.
Perhaps the ghost of the former world’s greatest swordsman roams around outside Tralee and wants revenge on Adin, or the ghost is constantly berating himself for being killed by a fool that dropped his own sword. Maybe the ghost of the former world’s greatest swordsman roams the Demi Plane telling travelers and others of his great victories, but is a bit sensitive when asked how he died.
