Tonight the rioting familiars take the centre stage as they get ready to defend their right to life free from the yolk of oppression. Or something to that effect, not many people speak two-headed monkey.
So grab a coffee, some fruit or other snacks as we go into negotiations or combat in tonight’s encounter!
The Rioting Familiars
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The courtyard hung in uneasy silence, the weight of the moment pressing down as the adventurers stood before the assembled familiars. It was no accident, no trick of chance, the Charm of Concord glimmered faintly in the monkey’s grasp, its fractured bonds pulling beast and master alike into disarray. Yet here the familiars were, not fractured but united, eyes bright with a cunning far beyond mere obedience. The raven Sable croaked from a nearby wall, feathers slick with shadow, and in his call the others shifted as one, as though some silent command tied them together.
A choice now faced the party. They could draw steel and spells, prising the amulet back by force, but the united familiars moved with the certainty of those defending a cause rather than hoarding a prize. Or they could test a different path. Perhaps seeking to parley, to understand why creatures bound by magic had broken free and chosen to act in defiance of their masters. The air shimmered faintly, as though the Charm of Concord itself pulsed with anticipation. Every step, every word, would decide whether this forgotten courtyard became a battlefield or the birthplace of an unlikely accord with the rioting familiars.
For D&D Systems
D&D Statblock for Tailed Fox, Swarm of Ravens and Two headed Monkey – created in Tetra-cube.
Thanks for visiting tonight for another set of updates for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back over the weekend for more updates and lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Tonight we look at the scene of chaos in the Ashford-on-weir Courtyard where the party find the gang of familiars who have stolen the Charm of Concord.
So grab a coffee, maybe a few bladders of jugs of water, as we check out tonight’s map!
As the party enters the courtyard they are greeted a forgotten, quiet, moss-covered space nestled between the city’s stone wall and the Eyeless Spire’s looming façade. As they look in the cacophony of sounds stills and the air shifts. The midday suns glare warms the stone and makes the hidden courtyard, shattered fountain and shaded trees look very enticing. The little courtyard forgotten between walls and the houses of Ashford-on-weir lay still except for the smallest breeze that made the palms dance above and against the ten feet tall walls.
Tucked behind a glimmering golden statue of a coiled snake lay the ruined reliquary; its ward-crystals fractured and faint hums fading into uneasy silence.
Familiar cries echo from above, and suddenly the courtyard stirs. A murmuration of ravens circles overhead, wings slicing through pale light before settling on the charred edges of the reliquary and among shattered crystals. At first, the party suspects they’re dealing with a clever thieving gang that used the ravens, but this felt different.
Then the familiars reveal themselves. Not merely mindless minions, but agents of a singular purpose. A two-headed monkey swings in from a darkened corner, its fingers delicately wrapped around the Charm of Concord. Near it, the three-tailed fox; whose pale fur seems to glow even under the sun, stances protectively beside the amulet, snarling softly at any who draws near. A sleek owl, limp trays of parchment clutched in its talons, flutters into view, cooing gently as if urging calm.
The creatures’ eyes meet the party’s, and in that moment, the truth becomes chillingly clear: these familiars have orchestrated this heist. No panic flares as the party have strength, skill and size on their side but soon there is a tense, uncanny stillness, as if watching what the adventurers decide to do next. And its then that the party realise that there are more eyes on them than they originally thought.
Thanks for joining for another map night this week. Don’t forget that we have a few more nights left this week so make sure to come back each day to see what I add to this adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Tonight we get back on the trail of trying to find what happened the Charm of Concord and where our primary suspect, for now, Yasil is. However all the party find are Pawprints and Broken Wards… Something is not right
So grab a coffee, maybe a net or lasso as we wrangle up some pets in tonight’s adventure!
Pawprints and Broken Wards
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Pawprints and Broken Wards – Created in WordPress.
The writ from Aleris opened doors that would have otherwise stayed firmly closed for the party as they asked around the Eyeless Spire. However, the resounding information they got from the various mages, scholars, staff and teachers they questioned was that their animal companions or magical beasts had been acting strangely since the morning.
The party’s second stop was the market’s east quarter, where word had spread of a bizarre incident earlier that morning. A team of draybeasts, large four-legged mammals with small trunks and flexible monkey-like tails, had bolted mid-haul, overturning a cart of lacquered crates and chests that spilt their contents over the ground. By the time handlers had regained control and the onlookers had calmed down, several small but valuable items had vanished. Not taken by thieves, but spirited away by a flock of large black birds that had been watching from the rooftops.
Further enquiries led them to a disused courtyard between the spire and the old city wall. Here, they found more signs of disorder; chewed rope bindings, pawprints that stopped abruptly mid-step, and a scattering of broken ward-crystals that should have been all but impossible for an animal to tamper with.
In the midst of the mess sat a small brass charm in the shape of a feather on top of a rock. It hummed faintly with residual magic, the sort used to send a familiar to carry messages without a master’s instruction. Someone, or something, had used it recently.
Judging by the footprints and the other evidence they had seen, they were expecting a small Tabaxi or other creature that shared characteristics of the prints they had followed so far. However, they were surprised when a familiar raven cawed at them from a nearby wall before flying off with a dozen or so other ravens that rose in a strangely ordered flock.
And then there was the case of Yasil still being missing. The city guard’s search had turned up nothing, no sign of forced departure, no witnesses who had seen him leave or any clue of what had happened. One stable hand who mucked out stables at the inn where the party were staying swore he had seen the young apprentice at dawn, walking calmly through the east gate in the company of a pale-furred fox with three tails. The oddest part was that the stable hand was certain Yasil had not been carrying his satchel or anything at all.
Whatever had taken the Charm of Concord was beginning to look less like a lone apprentice’s blunder and more like a coordinated theft, carried out by creatures that should not be working together at all.
Thanks for dropping by for another night at my tabletop. Don’t forget as we passed the midway point we have maps and monsters, well creature stat blocks left for this week. So make sure you don’t forget to come back the last few remaining days this week to stay up to date with what’s happening at my tabletop. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
The categorist Aleris and Sable, her Raven, are the caretakers of one of the many vaults in the eyeless spire and it was under their apprentices watch that the talisman went missing. But something feels off to the party.
So grab a coffee, some parchment for notes as we delve into tonight’s adventure!
Aleris and Sable
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Aleris and Sable – Created in WordPress.
The Eyeless Spire loomed above the rooftops like a silent windowless sentinel, which is where it got its name the eyeless spire. Its smooth black stone broken only by narrow slits where birds flew in and out of delivering packages and messages. The streets around it were quieter than the markets, but still alive with the hum of people, commerce and of course, the magical beasts that called this city home. The flicker of wards and telepathic communication was everywhere and for some in the party the sense was dizzying.
Inside the spire, the air carried the faint scent of parchment, candle wax and dust. The party were recognised quickly and were shown to a room on the seventh floor where Aleris Quall, clerk of the Eyeless Spire, was waiting for them and tapping her foot nervously. She was a slender half-elf with silver hair pulled neatly back, she wore deep blue robes that matched the ink stains on her fingers. Behind her desk, piles of scrolls and ledgers were stacked with impossible precision, yet a small tray of half-finished letters hinted at how quickly the day’s events had unsettled her.
‘You met Sable,’ she began, her voice calm but strained. The black raven was perched on the back of her chair, feathers puffed and eyes darting around the room. ‘He’s usually the most dependable creature I’ve ever worked with. Since last night, however…’ She trailed off, glancing at the bird, who tilted his head sharply as if to cut her off and daring her to go further.
Aleris leaned forward, lowering her voice. ‘You may suspect why I’ve asked for you to come here. The Charm of Concord has been stolen. It’s no mere ornament or trinket. Without it, the bonds between familiars, magical beasts and their masters weaken with each passing moon. You may have noticed it already that the beasts, magical and otherwise,’ she gestured at Sable, ‘are acting strange. The Charm of Concord’s missing that’s why the beasts in the city are behaving strangely. If it isn’t recovered quickly, the situation will worsen.’ she hesitated again before adding. ‘My apprentice Yasil, he was meant to be looking after it in the vault that we manage but he didn’t show up for handover this morning and I only found his leather satchel next to where the talisman was kept. Emphasis on was as it was missing when I found the bag.’
She explained that the talisman had been kept in the academy’s reliquary, protected by layers of wards and guarded by herself, Yasil and their familiars. Whoever took it bypassed those defences without leaving a trace. The theft, she was certain, had happened less than a day ago when she entrusted its safe keeping to Yasil. She slid a folded writ across the desk, marked with the seal of the Eyeless Spire. ‘This will give you the right to investigate. I can promise you payment and the gratitude of the academy… but above all, if this is not resolved soon, Ashford-on-Weir will not be safe for anyone mage or mundane.’
Before dismissing them, Aleris gave the names of others who might offer insight. Master Othran Vey, the proud and tight-lipped Headmaster of the academy, had been quick to insist the matter remain ‘internal.‘ Serra Greenwhistle, keeper of the city’s draybeasts, had been struggling with animals refusing to work and attacking their handlers. And a boy named Fennik, a nimble-fingered street urchin who haunted the alleyways near the market, had claimed to see “small shadows” moving together at night — though he was more likely to speak for a coin than for free. She also mentioned when Sable wasn’t listening, that she had requested the city guard find Yasil as so far, he was the suspect for the theft but something felt off about his disappearance.
Outside her office window, the sun was already beginning its descent towards the horizon, the streets below long in shadow. Somewhere in those streets, the trail of the Charm of Concord was growing colder.
Thanks for visiting tonight for another update for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back the last few nights this week to make sure that you don’t miss anything that happens with this adventure. And, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
The charm of concord has been stolen and familiars and magical beasts are becoming unpredictable and at times downright dangerous. The party have been brought in to track the magic talisman, find the culprit and restore balance to the city of Ashford-on-weir.
So grab a coffee, maybe guard your purse strings as we kick off into another adventure!
The Familiar’s Favour is a system-agnostic fetch-quest with a twist, perfect for one-shots or to weave into a larger campaign.
In the bustling heart of a magical market town, a talking raven delivers a plea that will change the fate of every familiar in the realm. The Charm of Concord, a powerful talisman that binds familiar and master. However, it has been stolen, and without it, arcane companions are becoming restless, unpredictable, and dangerously independent. But the truth is stranger still: the thief is no where to be found yet suspects are everywhere. Will the party restore the magical order, unleash a tide of wild magic, or broker a new bond between mage and beast?
The Charm of Concord
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The Charm of Concord – created in WordPress.
In the bustling market town of Ashford-on-Weir, the party weave their way through crowded streets, noisy markets, and quiet alleys on their journey to the Eyeless Spire, the city’s arcane hub. Whispers pass from lip to lip of strange behaviour among the familiars and trained magical beasts belonging to the local academy and the many magically adept folk within the city walls.
Cats vanish into thin air for hours, only to return with fur matted from river water or streaked with mud. Owls deliver messages to the wrong recipients and stare, unblinking, towards the moon regardless of the hour. Even at the arcane academy, the Headmaster’s prized hawk refuses to return to its perch, stealing food from market stalls in full view of baffled merchants.
As the party cross the town square, a black raven wearing a worn leather satchel swoops down, tilting its head in a quizzical manner. In a rasping, intelligent voice, it pleads for their help, though its speech seems strained, as if something is trying to stop it. “The Charm of Concord,” it croaks. “Talisman… magical bond… beasts and masters…” It struggles to finish the thought. “It has been stolen. Trail still fresh, make haste!”
The raven squawks, flapping aggressively in the adventurers’ faces before darting off toward the spire, its flight jerky and uncontrolled. The party had come to Ashford-on-Weir seeking work, having been told that a clerk at the Eyeless Spire required experienced adventurers. But now, they are left wondering if the raven’s words are connected—and where the day might lead.
Following the raven’s insistence that the trail is fresh, the party begin to notice more oddities: a two-headed monkey; clearly an aberration, squats in an alley, daubing arcane sigils in what they hope is mud. Massive draft beasts refuse to pull carts, lying stubbornly in the street until provoked, at which point they lash out violently before abruptly calming, resuming their work under the watchful eyes of anxious handlers.
At the edge of the market, just before the Eyeless Spire comes into view, strange pawprints, claw marks, and scraps of parchment lead into a narrow alley. The shadows seem to move with several small creatures, unseen but watching.
And at the market’s edge before they walked into the area round the Eyeless Spire, there were strange pawprints, claw marks, and scraps of parchment that lead into a narrow alley where the party could sense several small creatures moving in the shadows, unseen but watching.
Thanks for visiting for another start of the week adventure kick off night. Don’t forget to come around for more adventure crafting tomorrow and the rest of the week as we continue to grow and expand this adventure into something memorable for our parties. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
It’s been a wild week and while I take some time to reflect on what a whirl wind it’s been.
First the river spirit is meant to be something that holds grudges. Like its currents, the memories it holds run deep and cut into stone cementing in the the wrongs, the loss and the broken promises of those who rely on its good will. Much like a busy week, or year in fact, a The river doesn’t really forget and neither does it always forgive. This week is a bit like that, I can feel it watching silently and waiting for another chance to drag me away from what really matters as I hold onto the loss of motivation, the broken promises to myself and the frantic need to catch up with what I missed out on.
Sometimes its just the stress that bursts its bank and then it feels like there is a hungry serpent ready to devour you, take what it feels like its owed without any bargaining of mercy.
The children kind of represent the unfinished stories, the blog that I have. Starting this week a few days late (not being able to post the pre-written blog updates due to transit and work) and then trying to catch up to maintain the pace was a bit of a stress. This sense of loss, a voice silenced and the crushing need to complete what I promised myself that threatens to drag me under kind of drove the inspiration for the twins this week.
The end of the week saw the Spirit revealing itself, a realisation and confrontation of what I had left on my plate, what I wanted to achieve and also what I had waiting for me in this week. I am a man that can not juggle but I am quickly finding that the eggs that I have been frantically trying to keep airborne are hatching into chickens – something that is confronting and a bit of an emotional reckoning of perhaps I don’t have all my hens in a row.
This post marks the end of a week that is finishing, the beginning of a new one where I am still behind. But, some ground has been made and its not as dire as the week before. But its probably a call out to look after myself and take it a bit slower when I can – the week or year even is not over.
The last notes for this weeks adventure of turbulence, the feeling of overwhelmed drive to complete a promise to myself to post a blog entry every day of the year this year as well as maintain work and personal relationships. It’s realising that I, at my centre, am a creature of routine, habit and trust that things will work out. This week like the silver key is kind of reflecting that my routine was smashed and lost for a bit there beneath the rapids.
Something that I am very proud of is the nights that I write in a row and rarely, if ever, do I post something in the past. But with the problems trying to upload this week while travelling with bad data connection I found myself stuck. The format had broken, the routine dashed and work was piling up. So to give myself a break I stopped for a few days and resigned myself to fixing it once home. And so the frantic week has come to the end with me returning to some kind of routine.
Tonight was a bit of a different pace. Reflecting on what made me write this adventure, re-write parts and expand it to what it is now I can see how my own work-week and life is reflected in the adventures I create on here. There is potentially something to say when I look at the more grim-dark adventures that I post occasionally. If you like this reflecting addition to the end of the week, let me know as it was actually a bit of fun as a very reflective individual at work it’s not that much of a stretch to do it at my table either. So thanks for dropping by, don’t forget that we have another week of adventure just around the corner and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Now for the next Zine of the year I present, in single page zine format, Where the River Watches. I still believe that these provide DMs a lot more freedom to tinker with it how they want and open up the adventures to be more free formed and flowing than the larger booklet zines.
There is references to the blog nights which are D&D centric but it can easily use the adversary stat-blocks highlighted in Friday nights post if you’re running Daggerheart. As always Kobold fight club can be used to quickly balance an encounter for Dungeons and Dragons and Tetra-cube provides the stat-blocks for many of my D&D creatures.
So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, Where the River Watches, and that all your rolls are made with advantage.
Where the River Watches
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Where the River Watches – Created in copilot.
The Riverfall Harvest Festival began as it always had, with villagers gathering along the banks to paint lanterns with symbols of luck and abundance. The air was warm with autumn’s breath, and the sky bloomed with light as glowing orbs drifted upward like stars born of celebration. But this year, something went wrong. As the party stood beside Mayor Talia Reed and Elder Rinn, honoured guests for past deeds, a gasp rippled through the crowd. A sacred silver lantern, central to the ceremony, was struck mid-air by a blazing orb that tore across the sky like a falling star. It collided with a flash and plummeted into the river’s rapids, its light vanishing downstream. The festival ended not in joy but in silence. A search party scoured the river’s edge through the night, but by morning, the lantern was gone. Mayor Reed, pragmatic and concerned, summoned the adventurers again, this time with a promise of gold. Elder Rinn, heavy with old knowledge, warned that the lantern was no mere decoration. It carried a key bound to the river spirit itself, and if not recovered, the balance between tradition and nature could unravel.
Later, Elder Rinn stood over a recovered lantern, its frame still bound to the totem strings that had guided it home. His hands trembled as he traced its surface, revealing a silver feather that shimmered with moonlight. This relic, unlike the one lost to the river, held a feather rather than a key. Rinn explained that it was a tangible piece of the village’s pact with the river spirit, a bond outsiders could not fully grasp. Though the party had come to help, Rinn remained skeptical, warning that the river does not forget and that the fallen lantern was a sign of imbalance. As tensions rose, two children, Amal and Jessa, were seen eavesdropping before fleeing into the village. Mayor Reed revealed their tragic connection to the river, having lost their parents to its depths. She believed they still remembered, even if they could not understand the full truth. Rinn’s tone softened as he urged the party to recover the key before it fell into the wrong hands. The spirit, he warned, could restore what was lost, but at a terrible cost. Wishes twisted into shadows, and the river’s gifts came with a price. If the party truly wished to help, they must act not for reward but for the village’s survival.
At dawn, the party set out to investigate the lantern’s disappearance, beginning with Mayor Reed’s suggestion to find Amal and Jessa. Their search through Riverfall yielded nothing, and only after leaving the village did they encounter Jessa, battered and breathless, pointing silently toward the lake. She led them through treacherous terrain along the river, where villagers placed offerings into the water in solemn ritual. At the lake’s edge, Jessa collapsed from exhaustion but indicated a raft that had been dragged ashore. She gestured that something had gone wrong while she and Amal were on the lake. The party searched the area and found only one of Amal’s shoes, but just as they prepared to deliver the grim news, Amal emerged from the water, soaked and silent, holding a silver key wrapped in a reed. His voice was not his own, but something ancient and echoing. He repeated a chilling phrase about tribute and debt, and the river’s current began to reverse, flowing in the direction of his steps.
As Amal walked toward the village, nature itself seemed to recoil. Birds fell silent, a bear fled in fear, and the river followed him like a tide drawn to the moon. The party remembered Elder Rinn’s warning—the key was meant to seal a lock, not release it. When Amal entered Riverfall, the villagers froze. Rinn collapsed, pale and shaken, confirming what none dared speak. The river spirit had broken free and now walked among them. Word spread quickly as Amal wandered the outskirts of the village, the key clutched to his chest and moonlight glinting off his soaked clothes. The townsfolk began to fracture. Some whispered of sacrifices, others spoke of fleeing. And through the eyes of a lost boy, the river watched everything unfold.
Amal stood at the river’s edge, staring into its turbulent surface before turning to the party and his sister. He spoke only once, ‘The river awakes’, and the water fell silent. Moonlight shimmered across the surface like silver thread, and then the river bulged outward as if something immense stirred beneath. A low hum vibrated through the stones, resonating in the bones of those nearby like a primal warning. From the depths, a serpentine creature emerged, its snout rising ten feet above the surface, its body flowing like a living current. Scales shimmered in blues and silvers, casting shifting light across the riverbank. Its head was smooth and eyeless, reflecting the moonlight in swirling patterns, while glowing runes pulsed along its spine in rhythm with the night sky.
Water streamed from its form as it rose, towering above the party, cloaked in a sheen like sacred vestments. Mist curled from its breath, thick with the scent of stone and ancient offerings. The river followed its movements, drawn to it like a tide to the moon. In its presence, the world seemed to shrink, hushed beneath its gaze. It spoke not with words but with echoes and rumblings that filled the minds of nearby villagers, who began to repeat strange phrases. Amal echoed his earlier warning, but the message darkened. He spoke of tribute, of a debt to be paid in flesh and spirit, of the river’s hunger and freedom. It was not a threat but a promise, a force awakened by broken tradition. And as it loomed behind Amal, it watched the party, waiting.
Thanks for joining me today for another adventure. Please feel free to leave comments if you like what you see when you grab a copy of the PDF. Next time you get a party together consider running this adventure and I hope that you enjoy it. Don’t forget to come back daily so you don’t miss a thing in the coming weeks adventures. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Tonight we greet the River Spirit, powerful, commanding and dangerous. This creature commands the waterways near and around Riverfall and always demands a price for what it gives – and today it’s demanding payment.
So grab a coffee, maybe a net…? as we meet the River spirit in tonight’s encounter!
The River Spirit
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The River Spirit – Created in Copilot.
As Amal stood by the river and stared at the raging surface he turned to look at the party and his sister, Jessa, before uttering a single sentence. ‘The river awakes.’ and with that the river went still.
Moonlight rippled across the surface like silver thread across a mirror, and without warning the water bulged outward as if something vast stirred beneath. A low hum vibrated through the stones underfoot, resonating in the bones of every onlooker like a primordial call to nature itself. A warning of something to come, a herald of doom.
Then it rose.
A serpentine mass breached the surface, easily ten feet at its snout, its body undulating like a living current. Scales shimmered with iridescent blues and silvers, each one catching the moonlight and refracting it in shifting patterns across the riverbank. Its head, elongated and eel-like, bore no eyes only a smooth, glistening surface where reflections danced like eddies and whirlpools that caught the light like the scales of a fish under the waves. Faint runes pulsed along its spine and side, glowing in rhythm with the moon overhead.
Water cascaded from its form as it coiled upward, towering above the party as a deep sheen of water covered its body like a sacred vestment. Its breath , if it needed to breathe, sent mist curling through the air, thick with the scent of wet stone and ancient offerings. Where it moved, the river followed, drawn to it like a tide to the moon. And in its presence, the world felt quieter, smaller, like nothing before it mattered under its gaze and within its coils.
Then it spoke, not in words, but in layered echoes an rumblings that filled the minds of several villagers who began to repeat the same incoherent phrases repeatedly. A voice like rushing water and cracking rocks that spoke of the forces of nature, the life force of the spirit itself. It was then that Amal began to recite what he had first said to the party, but as he continued it changed, now something darker and more foreboding.
‘It rises with the moon. It will claim its tribute and the debt be settled. A tithe to be paid to the river itself, one of flesh and spirit and the river will be free once again to carve through this land.’ It was not a threat but a promise. It did not plead but it was simply a force of nature, bound by ritual, awakened by broken tradition and hungry like the flood consuming land and souls before it.
And it was waiting as it gazed at the party from just behind Amal.
For D&D Systems
D&D Statblock for River Sprit – created in Tetra-cube.
Thanks for visiting tonight for another set of updates for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back over the weekend for more updates and lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Tonight we have the encounter being set up around the Riverfall Crossing where we have something rather ancient and dangerous crawling out of the water. But that’s giving away something for tomorrow nights blog.
So grab a coffee, maybe an umbrella as we check out tonight’s map!
The village of Riverfall is split in two by the rapid river which will swiftly whisk away anything that falls within. The south of the river is where the fruit orchards grows with several buildings purpose built to house those that tend to them, or, to store the harvest from the trees.
To the north there are more buildings consisting of logs, mud and reeds that come from the river bank which house more of the villagers that make use of the rivers themselves.
Several large rocks are scattered in the river which are spaced close enough to hop across for the daring or foolish. However, they are slippery and many people have had to be rescued from the river after slipping on a slimy rock.
Thanks for joining for another map night this week. Don’t forget that we have a few more nights left this week so make sure to come back each day to see what I add to this adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
A Voice from the Water calls to those who seek more than what they should have, calling them to its murky depths and promising something that should not be sought. Tonight we find ourselves
So grab a coffee, some towels as we travel down and up stream in tonight’s adventure!
Getting ready to leave to investigate where the lantern was lost at first light the party began by looking for the orphans which Mayor Talia suggested. As the party set out to find Amal and Jessa in the village but try as they may they fail. It isn’t until they leave the village that it becomes evident why.
She stumbles toward the party, eyes wide and barely recognizing them before she collapses at their feet. Her legs are cut and bruised from the sharp reeds and river rocks, her dress streaked with mud. Panting, she tries to speak, but no words come. She only points, downriver toward the lake.
After a few moments of being unable to communicate she beckons for them to follow her and rushes back the way she came, her body obviously tired but her will driving her onwards. Steep slick rocks, wet moss, ancient stones beneath and thick mud line the rivers edge where the current had begun to shift in the endless rapid twists and turns that it took towards the lake. Across the river and around them children and their parents solemnly placed offerings to the river to appease it and let the flowers, fruit and more drift down the river before the current dragged it under.
The party reach the waters edge of the lake after convincing Jessa that she needed to rest when her body began to give into exhaustion. As they followed the directions from the mute Jessa they stumbled across what looked like a small raft that had been dragged ashore. Jessa pointed and indicated that she was on the boat in the middle of the lake when something went wrong.
Amal. Something had gone wrong with her brother.
Searching the rivers edge and even deeper for some time they were unable to find anything of significance except for one of the shoes he wore, sodden and floating near the edge of the lake bank. But as they turned to give the bad news to Jessa she excitedly gestured towards the lake. Amal emerged from the riverbank just before dusk, clothes soaked, one bare foot silent on the stone and gravel of the lakes edge. In his hand, the silver key, still wrapped in a single silver reed that had made the lantern. The Key, a relic made from silver wood, pulsed faintly in time with his breath as he walked forward, his eyes glazed and un focused even when Jessa embraced him. When he finally spoke, it is not with his voice but something else; dark, wet and ancient.
‘It rises with the moon. It will claim its tribute and the debt be settled.’ The words carried something behind them; a second tone, distant and echoing with a soft thunderous roar, as if the river itself were speaking through him. Then muttering the same phrase over and over again he began to walk towards the village once more. Birds did not call as he passed and even a bear appeared and before even considering the young boy a snack it retreated with the rank scent of fear clutching at its fur.
It was like even the wind held still as the boy walked, the rivers current calming before reversing and starting to flow in the direction that he walked. The party remember something that Elder Rinn hesitantly mentioned to them. The key was meant for keeping a lock sealed rather than releasing the Binding.
As Amal entered the village several villagers went quiet and still, Elder Rinn went white as a ghost before collapsing to the ground confirming what the rest of the village dared not say aloud.
The River spirit was free and had broken its banks to walk amongst Riverfall.
Word spreads quickly. Amal, silent since the river wandered the edge of the wheatfields and orchards, the key clutched to his chest as the moonlight glistened of his still soaked clothes.
The townsfolk begin to fracture, some whisper of sacrifices while others speak of fleeing. And through the eyes of a lost boy the river watches it all.
Thanks for dropping by for another night at my tabletop. Don’t forget as we passed the midway point we have maps and monsters, well creature stat blocks left for this week. So make sure you don’t forget to come back the last few remaining days this week to stay up to date with what’s happening at my tabletop. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Brazen Wolfe Tabletop 