Valley of Fire

444SuVaFi

The party had received word of a job that was the highest priority and seeking only the best. Of course that meant that it was exceedingly well paid and that they were the right people for the job. The guild leader in Musca acted as the middleman between them and their client but the royal seal on the letter indicated that their client was the royal family of Musca.
‘I need a group of adventurers to come and secure the Rekuldor and ensure their safety. My most trusted men will assist you and one of them, Rovi, will meet you and escort you to where we need your help.’

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True to the king’s word Rovi arrived the next morning at the guild hall with the horses that they would be taking into the valley. ‘It is good to meet you. The Guild has spoken highly of you and I am glad that you will join me into the Mascalar valley. Once we reach the ridge we will leave the horses and continue on foot into the valley itself.’

The next day of travel was easy going with many soldiers on the roads patrolling and ensuring the public’s safety. However the business quickly evaporated when they reached the edge of the valley where they began to travel on foot over the ridge and deeper into the valley beyond. There were plumes of smoke here and the smell of burning soil and wood. Rovi showed his true prowess here pointing to tracks, stopping and redirecting the party to avoid a particular unfriendly denizen of the valley and even finding them fresh food.

As the party moved deeper, the signs of human presence and the smell of burning grew stronger. They reached a concealed camp, where Jovi was welcomed back by scouts who reported seeing the first Rekuldor and signs of other intruders. It did not take long for them to reach the camp that they had been travelling to where Jovi introduced the adventurers as crucial support, highlighting the need to identify and mitigate any variables that could disrupt the migration. His pointed look at the party signalled that he expected their input and readiness to help.

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As the white robed man bearing a flaming sword fell, the scout they came with called out ‘I’ve got it’ as the barrels stopped smoking and the drip fed vial of flaming chemicals was disposed of. An hour passed as they cleaned up the barrels and the bodies and slowly the first of the Rekuldors appeared. Their long necks were covered in wrinkles of armoured skin and they plodded along on large sloth-like arms and claws. As they passed by irate shouting could be heard coming closer.

The Rekuldors paused before moving back towards the party and away from the barrels which had stopped smoking now. 

‘Those idiots probably forgot to use the flame charges!’ a woman shouted as several more guards surrounded a black robed figure. ‘Oh. That explains why there was no explosion. But now I can deal with the pesky Musca warriors who have been interfering with our orders. Kill them, leave one alive for questioning.’ she ordered.

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PDF adventure – Valley of Fire

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Magnifico’s Cursed Vault

443SuMaCuVa

The party had recently explored a series of ruins that led them to a cave where two pristine silver statues had been located. Despite their best attempts they could not work out the purpose of the three foot tall statues only that they were masterworks, made of silver and extremely valuable. Not wanting to leave empty handed they took them to the nearby City of Dalken where the attempted sale of the statues created a bidding war which saw the party leave with a great deal of money. They managed to catch the name “Magnifico” mentioned more than once as people enquired about where the statue was. It wasn’t long until the city guard appeared. ‘Sorry about that, word on the street is that the statue you found was an original Magnifico.’ the guard said with a smile that he knew more than he was letting on. ‘To verify these reports, you’ll have to come with us and for your safety of course as people go crazy for anything from Magnifico.’

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The party travels back the way they came from Dalken with a few guards and Captain Claud Flay, a two day journey in total but in relatively good company. The captain seems sensitive and anxious and after a few hours on the path they can’t blame the captain. Frequently as they retrace their journey from the cave to the city they notice a set of hoof prints and the occasional single boot print. An occasional extinguished camp fire, a bit of red fabric caught on a bush or branch all of which the Captain claims must be the cult they were warned about.

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The party managed to push their way through the golems as they were crushed and knocked over by the falling rubble from the cave in. Scrambling over the rocks and debris they ran for the lifeline, a rope swinging from the ceiling. The owner of the shadow they had seen earlier turned out to be a woman. She introduced herself as Jessica and that she worked with Harper to ensure that weapons, like Magnifico’s golems, would never be found or used. So when the party had happened upon the vaults entrance the harpers had entered the Vault and taken the amulet that controls the golems so that they would not be used. 

As she led them off the side of the mountain she mentioned that captain Claud Flay had been trying to get the golems for the king for years now, a sure way to get appointed a noble. 

It was at this point that the sounds of distress and pain could be heard. Racing down the mountain they found Claud half-crushed in the rocks of the cave-in he had created to bury the party. He promised the party riches if they could help him be free, once he was a noble he would see to it that they be treated as equals by the king.

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PDF adventure – Magnifico’s Cursed Vault

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Bleak Levels of Supplies

442SuBlLeSu

Supplies are running low at the party’s home base of operations, a bastion of sorts, and the closest and established route to purchase supplies is in the Orchreweld, a sprawling desert city of traders. The staff at The Bleak, their keep, have established trade connections in the city and have organised the desert trader Var’Snikk to provide the party goods.  However complications have arisen as there are rumours of a great beast, a wyvern, that has begun to prey on the travellers through Fester Chasm, a large scar on the earth where great spires of stone rose out of the ground forming a twisting chasm-like valley where traders could get respite from the sun and dust storms for at least some of the day.

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The Jade Scorpion was quiet yet comfortable and as they settled down for a meal the Innkeeper, Barthos, offered them tankards of refreshing ale as he kept an eye on a group of mercenaries in the corner. Two of the three women were Orcs who evidently spent a lot of time in the sun with how their skin had fared and the other was a solid looking human that was decked in a lot of steel. As they chorused for more ale they discussed how their latest job appeared to be little more than a ruse to ambush them. 

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After the party had shopped for their own personal supplies, rested and prepared for the journey back. Var’Snikk was talking to Pralu, Zaroh and Yazmin as if they were old friends, companions in fact. As they saddled up with their new escort, and Var’Snikk who insisted on seeing his wares get through the Fester safely they were warned about bandits from the Ochre city guard. It wasn’t long until they noticed signs of their presence.

As the convoy formed a defensive wall from the bandits who obviously bluffed by threatening to summon a tamed wyvern a real roar echoed through the chasm, calling out a challenge to any and all to flee. Moment by moment the beating of wings heralded the arrival of the ruler of these sands, an adult blue dragon. The moment the creature’s glittering blue scales could be seen in the sky the bandits fled and the convoy quickly raced to get to a more favourable position. The party managed to board the wagons as they raced past the panicked would-be slavers now attempting to escape something far more dangerous.

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PDF adventure – Bleak Levels of Supplies

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Silence Over Sunleaf

441SuSiOvSu

The party approached Sunleaf village, passing tidy farm houses and a prominent church steeple. They stabled their horses at the Silver Bucket inn and were welcomed by Harry, a cheerful halfling innkeeper. He informed them about the mysterious happenings in the village and cautioned them to take care as there was a shortage of healers within Sunleaf as the clerics were unable to receive blessings from their goddess. Harry advised caution and mentioned the songstress at the church as, nearly, the only source of magical protection within the village due to the unnatural silence that had fallen upon the worshipers of the deities of Sunleaf Village. As another visitor arrived Harry excused himself, leaving the party to settle in for the night.

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A few hours after nightfell the party was about to wrap up for the night when the door started pounding. Harry had barred the door as he prepared to lock up for the night as he began preparation for the next day. However as the door pounded loudly Harry dashed across the room to let in a frantic man, Adam, who claimed a spirit had chased him. While Harry calmed him with food and drink, Adam shared his harrowing tale of encountering a faceless entity near the Church of Chauntea. Harry had warned the party of the unsettling events in the village over the past few weeks and days upon arrival however despite suggesting they leave it looked like danger had come before they could make good on his advice. Just as Adam was talking, he froze, and we saw the faceless figure drift towards those gathered around him. The room fell silent with fear as the reality of the ghostly presence set in. Harry, ever brave, grabbed a skillet, ready to defend his inn.

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As the creature drifted in space, its faceless vision scanned the party. Wearing tattered purple robes that drifted as if caught in a breeze it watched them with its eyeless face. The only thing that stood out was a thin, twisted silver circlet. Suddenly it rushed forward towards them with its bony claws and slashed at them with surprising speed. The world fell silent as it drifted into their midst and the party’s connection to their deities severed as they fought with the creature.
Suddenly a dark presence invaded their minds like a flame lit arrow launched into a darkness. A vision of a figure dressed in purple, rotting robes and a twisted silver crown sat on a throne of bones. The fight raged on and eventually, after the creature fell, the silence lifted.

A peal of thunder heralded something more as a thunderstorm formed outside. Rushing outwards revealed more spectres descending from the clouds themselves. The party realised they were amidst a divine battleground, with god’s warring above them as a bolt of lightning lit the figure of a large broad shouldered man as the lightning clashed with the belltower of Chauntea, a flash of golden energy flashing into existence to protect the tower just in time.

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PDF adventure – Silence Over Sunleaf

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The Gilded Trap

440SuGiTr

The party had been included as the increased security for the queens charity ball. This ball coincided with her birthday where she accepted donations of any kind to fund her charitable work for the kingdom’s people for the next year. The royal guard, knowing of an attempt on Queen Maribeth’s life was likely, had hired reputable adventurers as additional security and urged the queen to reconsider the event. But she insisted on holding the usual festivities. Despite the guard and party’s vigilance, disaster struck when a noble’s gift, a bag made from Lamia hair, triggered an explosive magical rift. The force pulled the Queen, her guards, and the chest of gifts into another swirling vortex. As chaos erupted and suspects were detained, the party faced the grim reality of their failure. Without knowing the plane, the Queen might never return, and their reputation as her protectors was irrevocably tarnished.

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Stepping through the portal, the party found themselves suspended in an otherworldly expanse, where gravity held no dominion. Wisps of silver and lavender clouds swirled around them, casting an ethereal glow throughout the visible landscape. Fragments of ancient buildings, remnants of forgotten civilisations or cities, drifted lazily through the astral sea. The silence was deep and all consuming, broken only by the distant hum of arcane energies. As the party floated amidst the ruins and clouds, their senses were overwhelmed by the nothingness and surreal qualities that the plane held for them.

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PDF adventure – The Gilded Trap

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The Dark of Parsh Forest

439SuDaPaFo

As they sat around the tavern, they heard increasingly wild tales of the Parsh forest. A merchant swore he’d seen a two-headed creature, while a woman mourned her missing daughter, whose blue ribbon was found in the woods. Seven children had vanished, and a hunter who searched for his sister never returned. Drunken hunters admitted their fear of the forest, revealing they hadn’t ventured deep in. The old hermit, with supposed elven blood and a history of the forest, was absent but known for his tales that blurred the line between truth and folklore.

‘Old Garet would have a story about what’s happening. He will know what to do.’ a young man said nervously after hearing the story of the missing young ones.
‘Garet? He’s mad. Got that madness the elves of Parsh had, I wouldn’t trust anything he says.’ an older woman said as she eyes the group. “Remember when he burnt down the corn as he said it would curse the village?” she continued. ‘Don’t you trust mad Garet.’
‘He may be mad, but he is the only one that knows the tales of old. Surely he knows what is going on and can help’ the same young man rebutted which earned him a mixture of nods and murmured disagreements.

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Garet was easy enough to find and opened the door with a near jovial expression on his face. ‘Guests! Guests! I better put the tea on’ he exclaimed as he hobbled off towards the hearth of his mudbrick hut. Using a worn wooden ladle he scooped out some water and poured it into a cup which had a sprinkling of leaves in it. Shuffling back, most of the boiling water ending up on the dirt floor, he handed the cup to the first in line for his hospitality.

‘Some tea…?’ he asked, looking at the others. The first cup looked to contain half an earth worm, a few pine needles and what appeared to be dog or cat hair; potentially even one of his scruffy beard hairs. After asking he scooped out his own serving, sprinkling his own few leaves into it and sat down, gingerly, on a pile of furs near the hearth to stay warm. His thin frame looked tiny in comparison to the cloak of furs he held around his shoulders.

After sipping from the obviously too hot tea he smiled, nodded once as if satisfied with the brew before looking to the party. ‘The woods have ears, did you know that?’ he began. ‘When the elves first left the woods and headed south past the human lands they encountered the first settlers of this village. Back then the woods were said to come alive at the beck and call of the elves to build their houses and fight their enemies.’ he paused to sip his scalding tea. ‘But when the winged ones left the trees stopped.’ he paused to pick out the other half of the worm from his tea. ‘A Pity as I always wanted to talk to a tree.’ he mused to himself.

Synthia walked into the room hastily putting down a basket that had dozens of root vegetables assorted in near piles. ‘Sorry Garet there was word that some hot shot adventurers had come to the village so I tried to find them.’ she began before turning around and noticing the party. ‘Oh, I guess I found them. Hi I’m Synthia. I am Garet’s apprentice, come household help.’ she added with more than a bit of disdain. ‘I am here to learn all I can from Garet so that he can retire while he still has some of his memories. I have started to try and write them down in books but,’ she paused looking at the man who was scooping out the other half of the worm, ‘Somehow I don’t think I’ll fill a book of actual history. All his stories he tells don’t make sense or are impossible.’ she added with frustration.

‘Synthia, dear girl. Did I tell you about the spell at the heart of the forest? The one that called the winged ones home and silenced the trees?’ he added, chewing still. ‘They say that nine are needed to bring back the trees but I don’t think we could find nine more winged ones. They all disappeared.’ he paused again before telling another story.

‘See, wild stories.’ Synthia added, looking at the party knowingly. ‘I do have some of the ones that made sense in this book if you want to take a look over it. If there’s any questions I’m from Remale, the village one over. I will be here not long as I must leave before dusk.’

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PDF adventure – The Dark of Parsh Forest

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Unusual House Pet

438SuUnHoPe

The party take a job from a nobleman, Tyson Blackmane, to find his daughter’s missing pet, a young manticore, offering a reward that would indicate it’s a small domesticated animal but they are only provided that it responds to the name of Samsone but not what it is. At the same time a large creature, a manticore Alpha, is hunting in the Tortue Farmlands (the city nearby) and some people suspect that it could be the Blackmanes who have a history of collecting unusual house pets. The Young manticore is not the thing hunting the sheep near the city nor the few beggars who have gone missing, but there is a fear that it is.

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Seeking out the owner, Anzia, to see if they could get more information from her they had a great deal of difficulty in locating her. Many of the servants and house guards misled them and when questions apologised letting them know that they assumed she would be there. Eventually a nanny took them to a hallway where a large gallery housed immaculate, rare weapons and armours from several decades and centuries. Many portraits showed a well armed and trained man standing in military uniform. 

The party was then shown to see Anzia who was sitting down and having tea. Anzia Blackmane proved to be a more commanding and charismatic version of her father who held herself like she knew how to hold a sword as well as the tea cups she held currently. “Do come in, I do hope you are making good progress in finding my Samsone, it’s hard to brush his long fur especially around his pointed ears, whiskers and long twitchy tail. I do fear for his safety as my servants have reported that a beast has been seen in Tortue and it’s a fondness of cute animals – to devour that is. I do worry about my little kitty.”

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The party investigated the pile of dead sheep and saw, from the corner of their eye, that the door to the barn closed and a large amount of noise could be heard from within. Approaching the barn carefully they quickly find a large cat-like creature trying to hide in the hay bales within. However it is quickly revealed to be a juvenile manticore wearing a sky blue collar with an “S” emblem. The party had found Samsone. As they pondered what to do, they hear large wingbeats from above and a menacing growl that shook the ceiling of the barn, suggesting a huge creature nearby. Anzia Blackmane’s pet was a young manticore and there was something outside that this creature evidently feared.

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PDF adventure – Unusual House Pet

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The Prison of Gesig

437SaPrGe

The party discovered that their saddlebag had been mixed up with the Prison of Gesig, leading to demonic chaos in the city. Despite their efforts, they lost Fylaine while battling various demons. The commotion caused panic among the city’s people, creating a moment for the party to blend in with the fleeing crowd, but also more prey for the demons. The seal on the Prison weakened with every delay, adding to the urgency of their quest.

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The bag pulsated and surged with a life of its own as they ran towards the temple where Fylaine could be seen fighting a few demons from the steps to its front door. As the paladin saw them she pushed back on the last demons that were harassing her and rushed towards the party brandishing her resplendent great sword. However, before she could reach them the bag burst forward out of the grip of the adventurer holding it and a large form pulled itself out from the bag. The demon snarled at the paladin and the party as it finished pulling its wings, tail and bulky form through the bag’s portal. The general of the Gesig demon legion was free.

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PDF adventure – The Prison of Gesig

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Plentura’s Storm Chasers

436SuPlStCh

A powerful storm swept across the plains, heralded by fierce winds that bent the crops and drove animals to seek shelter. The hailstones that followed caused widespread destruction, bludgeoning many animals and the other unlucky souls to live on the plains to death. As the storm moved towards the capital, Plentura, messengers warned the king of the approaching tempest. However in his madness he declared war on the storm and sent his knights and mages to battle the force of nature, however they were unable to defeat it. So he offered a new reward for any brave or plucky adventurers who were willing to take on the task. Despite the danger, a few brave souls claimed they could and once they heard the request and saw the madness in the eyes of the king they saw reason.

The party leave for the capital of Plentura where they, like many other adventurers, are drawn to the obscene reward that anyone who can complete the king’s request will receive. However the request is insane, defeating the storm that is on the kingdom’s doorstep.

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The party leaves the palace and sees the thunderhead moving towards the city gradually on the horizon. A series of lightning bolts strike the ground at the centre of the thunderhead which is surprising to a few of them. As they are escorted from the palace the young guard who is walking with them is pointing out different parts of the wall, the buildings and so forth. He takes them to the wall to look at the storm that’s coming standing there looking at it. “Weirdest storm I have seen. The king’s sending the army out again tomorrow to go and fight the storm” an older guard says without hiding his disagreement as the party stops to stand nearby. 

“I hope it doesn’t hit the telescope. My grandfather used to use that to look out across the plains when we had the greater orcish warlords a century ago. He said he could see the colour of the warlord’s eyes using that thing.” the young guard said as he watched the lightning strike several times again. 

“I swear it keeps striking something or being controlled to strike in the way it does. Lightning doesn’t strike the same place without a good reason” A palace mage said as he looked over across the plains. He, like the older guard, was obviously nervous about going on the warpath against a force of nature.

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PDF adventure – Plentura’s Storm Chasers

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A Guild Masters Guilt

435SuGuMaGu

As well known adventurers the party had been given rooms at guilds whenever they asked and it happened that the Silver Sparrows had organised for them to rest. The Guild master, Bastion Sparrow had a reputation for clean, organised business endeavours that had benefited many up and coming adventurers with work. The adventurers sat amongst the employees of the messenger guild as they sat and feasted in the large hall that was made available to the message runners, their guards and distinguished guests, like the party.
A bell rang which caused the room to look up at the ledge where the guild master normally addressed his people and this time they were not disappointed. Bastion stood, smiled faintly before clearing his voice that caused the last chatters to die out.

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With the change in guild masters from Bastion to Kilt the offer that was extended to the party was quickly removed. Advised that they were unable to stay in the Silver Sparrows guild hall for the night they were advised that a comfortable room had been organised for them at The Crispy Basilisk, an Inn thats reputation for strong drink was almost as well known as its reputation for pickpockets, thugs and thieves. As they sat down and considered their options a disturbance near the door interrupted them.

“Bastion, well well fancy that. We’re just on the way to the Sparrows Hall to be welcomed back by Kilt. So much for you kicking us out you stupid bastard. Looks like the new guild leader recognises the need for muscle and not just manners.” a large bald man sneered as he pushed past the old guildmaster. Bastion caught himself on a bench and after apologising to the patrons sitting there he walked to the bar spotting the party on the way. After retrieving a tankard of strong ale he sat next to the party and apologised.

“I would’ve hoped that the new guild master would continue with common sense but it seems that they do not want to keep adventurers on friendly terms. I am terribly sorry that you were kicked out of the room you had occupied. I am not sure if Kilt was the right decision here, perhaps I should have fought harder…” he began.

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PDF adventure – A Guild Masters Guilt

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