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
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
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
The elder Rinn has concerns about the parties motivation to helping the village and especially when it was revealed that the river spirit is potentially involved. But despite his concerns the mayor enlists the parties help to recover the lantern and suggests talking to two orphans in the village to find out what they know.
So grab a coffee, maybe some food to go as we kick off into tonight’s adventure!
Elder Rinn
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The Elder Rinn stood over a silver lantern that they had managed to recover as they floated back down upon the strings that bound them to the totems that they were lashed to. As his weathered fingers trembling as he traced the remnants of the lantern while the other hand finished removing the woven reeds from around teh frame. ‘This was one of the sacred ones much like the one we lost to the river,’ he murmured, voice low and taut. ‘The other one held a key of sorts while this one held a feather.’ he said as he brought out a silver feather that seemed to shimmer with moonlight. ‘They are not just symbolic, but real relics of this villages past.’
He paused for some time as he sat down to watch the parties. ‘The key that was lost was bound to the river spirit itself. Not something that outsiders would know or care about’ The party exchanged uneasy glances. The party hadn’t known about the history of the ritual just that the festival itself was a highlight for many nearby villages and the people that called them home. Mayor Talia Reed stepped forward, her tone firm but sympathetic. ‘They didn’t mean harm, Rinn. They’re here to help.’
Rinn’s gaze lingered on the adventurers, his eyes like moss-covered stone, ancient and unmoving. ‘Help,’ he echoed, bitterly. ‘Outsiders always say that. But the river doesn’t forget. That lantern was part of the pact. Its fall is a warning to all those that take from it.’ Regardless how the party tried to explain the old druid was unconvinced until Rinn raised a hand to silence them. ‘If the spirit awakens fully, it may offer what fools crave most: restoration. But its power is not ours to wield.’ The tumbling of a pot from outside heralded eavesdroppers.
Two small figures darted away; bare feet slapping against the wooden board and mud that made up most of the walkways in the village. ‘Amal and Jessa’. The mayor sighed as he looked to the party. ‘They’re orphans,’ she said softly. ‘Lost their parents to the river two years ago. Jessa barely speaks. Amal… he’s not the same since he came back.’ Her voice faltered. ‘They listen because they remember. Even if they don’t understand.’
‘You must find the key before it’s claimed by something that doesn’t know the bargain that is demanded.’ Rinn’s expression shifted. Less suspicion now and more one filled with sorrow. ‘The river spirit can bring back the lost,’ he said, almost to himself. ‘But it doesn’t distinguish between soul and shadow and it always takes a price without asking. If the key is found by one who seeks only reunion, it may twist that wish into something else.’ He turned to the party. ‘If you indeed only do care to help us then you must find it before someone else does. Not for power. Not for glory. But to keep the balance.’
Mayor Reed nodded. ‘We’ll support you, and I know that you need to make a living as well.’ she said with a look at elder Rinn, ‘The villagers will too, once they see your intent.’ She looked toward the door where the children had fled. ‘Start with them. Jessa dreams in symbols. Amal… he’s drawn to the river. They may already be part of this.’
Outside, the moon hung low over Riverfall, casting silver light across the wheatfields and orchards that surrounded the river and its stones.
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
Tonight we find ourselves face to face with Imiriel’s fallen high priests who believe whole heartedly that they serve their god and in the purity of their actions.
So grab a coffee, maybe some bolt cutters as we try to pry Carlo Cleardraw free in tonight’s encounter!
Imiriel’s Fallen
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The highpriests of Imiriel are mid-tier encounters for an adventuring party considering that there is two of them. Being able to hit a few opponents at once and to also, controversial, raise their fallen allies and call down flames from the sky, these enemies will make for a challenging encounter.
For D&D Systems
D&D Statblock for Highpriest of Imiriel – created in Tetra-cube.
For Daggerheart Systems
The above Adversary Stat blocks were sourced from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0 and are the copyright of DRP, Darrington Press, who are the creators of the material (Adversary Stat Blocks). This content was not modified is licensed under the DRP Community Gaming License which can be found here: Darrington Press CGL.
The Secret-keeper is what would represent the creature for tonight. They are strong leader adversaries that can summon a hound pack to keep their enemies at bay. I believe they would start with a few shadowy-demon hounds at the edge of the room to act as watch dogs before the party truly engage them. The Secret-keeper continuing to spotlight the demonic hound pack where possible to generate fear a could be a very strong opponent.
The challenge here is not having two minor demons show up if you have more than one secret-keeper. I’d thematically have it that they both just fall and summon a single demon and give it some slight buffs to make it Tier 2 – or keep it as it is. The hounds and the demon will be enough for most.
Thanks for visiting tonight for another set of updates for this weeks adventure featuring some additional Daggerheart content. 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 the party venture into Imiriel’s Forgotten Church to rescue Carlo Cleardraw. But are they too late to save the twice blessed warrior?
So grab a coffee, maybe a bottle of holy water as we check out tonight’s map!
Imiriel’s Forgotten Church
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Imiriel’s Forgotten Church – Created in Inkarnate.
The pulses of foul magic can be felt from outside the doors at the end of the tunnels and the conflicted look of concern and rage danced upon the clerics face as he realised the error in what he was taught. Pushing against the doors he opened to the chamber where Carlo Cleardraw was suspended from chains as dark magic ripped essence from his chest.
Imiriel’s Forgotten Church – gridded – Created in Inkarnate.
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
The adventuring group known as the Summers Clasp were the last to travel and adventure along side Carlo Cleardraw. They also have something to hide, well one of them does, and their account doesn’t feel right.
So grab a coffee, maybe a note pad as we listen to the potential last moments of Carlo Cleardraw in tonight’s adventure!
The Summers Clasp
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The Summers Clasp adventuring group- Created in copilot.
The temple’s inner chamber had quieted, its enchantments holding outside sound at bay despite the coffin being up righted and the doors opened again. The party stood in a small alcove flanked by stone reliefs of celestial victories, carved in the days before Carlo had earned his name among them. Three of the coffin bearers remained behind, separated from the crowd. They all wore the signs of recent travel: scraped armour, worn cloaks, and exhaustion that ran less deep than their grief.
The party and the trio were shown to a small room and given some wine to help calm their nerves. After a few moments the warrior spoke first, his voice cracked and low. He was broad-shouldered and thick-necked, but his posture betrayed no pride. ‘I owe him everything,’ he said, eyes fixed on a point beyond the party. ‘Two weeks ago I’d have bled out in the Obsidian Pass if he hadn’t thrown me out of the fire’s path.’ His fingers curled into fists. ‘He was still strong then. Still himself.’ He offered no answers, only admiration, and the kind of quiet that comes from watching a living legend fall.
Beside him, the young dwarf rogue stared down at her boots, her voice no louder than the wind through the stones. ‘He made me see I could be more than a shadow in someone else’s tale. Even when I broke ranks… even when I failed.’ She quickly rubbed her sleeve across her eyes. ‘He pulled me out of that ruin when it collapsed. Didn’t hesitate. Just smiled and said I’d did a good job at finding scouting ahead.’ She couldn’t look at the party.
The older cleric stepped forward, adjusting the mantle over his weathered robes. Unlike the others, his expression held something unreadable; composure honed from years of preaching his doctrine. ‘I saw him fall,’ he said, his voice catching lightly, ‘we were deep in the wizard’s sanctum. The air was thick with enchantment, and the wizards apprentices stepped through the plane like shadows.’ He paused, carefully. ‘One of them, one I believe, cut him across the chest with a dark red dagger. I… I thought nothing of it until now as he was so strong and he stood and he was the twice blessed. Nothing could have killed him. That’s what I thought at least.’
The trio exchanged glances, their thoughts echoed across their faces; splintering under the weight of the clerics words. If Carlo, twice-blessed, had truly been struck down in combat by some form of cursed blade and dying later from wounds that had unimpeded him, not phased him until after they had all returned. Guilt crept in uninvited, winding through the silence as they all felt like they could, no should have saved him from the blade if they were just a bit more. Their shoulders sagged. Their hearts, already shaken, began to fracture visibly in their expressions.
But the cleric; whose god was not Auronel nor Vorthuun, held up a hand. His voice grew gentle, almost rehearsed. ‘There is a plan for all of us. Perhaps not ours to understand, but shaped nonetheless. I just hope that the plan with Carlo finds meaning.’ He stepped back slightly, squeezing the shoulder of the dwarven rogue, allowing his words to settle. ‘The blame doesn’t belong to you. We all stood with him. And we all lost something, we all did something wrong in that quest.’
And yet something lingered. A flicker of restraint in the cleric’s tone. Though the party largely accepted his account, unease remained. His eyes had flinched too briefly when describing the wound. His certainty sounded practiced. Whether it was grief or something else left unsaid, the party could not be sure. But in that moment, they held to his reassurance as a fragile shield against what truly gnawed at them: not just that Carlo was gone, but that they had no idea how, or why.
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
Tonight we are investigating Solbrook’s Environment and we start off with the ruins and the Ooze Temple itself. While I continue to create a little repository of environments to use I focus on reuse where possible and the mechanics can be twisted to suit on other adventures pretty easily – which I like.
So sit back, grab a coffee or other hot beverage and let’s roll into tonight’s adventure!
Solbrook’s Environment
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The Solbrook ruins have drawn the Scholars of Yole to come investigate the knowledge that the ruins may offer. With the party aiding in the search they may find useful secrets or even better – relics that explain what happened here. But be warned as there are traps littered through the rooms, the hallways and on the doors that smash, squish and pulverise those who get to close.
Further into the ruins where its danker and darker they might even encounter the cleaners of these rooms – oozes or slimes that search for food deep into the ruins as they creep outwards from the Ooze Temple.
The temple itself is surrounded by pools of slime and water as the creatures call not just the pools but the surfaces home and their hunting grounds. The largest of the slimes, those that create the others, call the pox marked – half consumed statue as their house and they defend it greedily. Which is a shame as the urns, boxes and other magically protected vessels hold items and wealth that would be a monumental find for anyone – let alone the Scholars of Yole.
The above Adversary and Environment Stat blocks were created by me. Rules were adapted and inspired by adversaries and environments from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0 and any likeness is the copyright of DRP, Darrington Press, who are the creators of the material (Environment Stat Blocks). This content was modified/created is licensed under the DRP Community Gaming License which can be found here: Darrington Press CGL.
Thanks for joining me tonight for a little expansion for this weeks encounter where we look deeper at some of the environments for the Daggerheart RPG system. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the end of week Zine and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Brazen Wolfe Tabletop 