Rotting Fields

503SuRoFi

The party travels to Temal, a small farming village known for its unique Mallow water, and they witness a heated argument between the locals. Simon, a farmer, accuses a boy named Roy Jameson of vandalizing crops, but Mayor Tibs insists they need proof before taking any action. The village guard, in chain and leather armour, steps forward, and the argument escalates until Simon and his group storm off.

The Mayor approaches the adventurers and requests their help to discreetly investigate the vandalism. He explains that with the harvest moon approaching, the Mallow crops are being damaged, and Simon believes Roy is responsible. The Mayor emphasizes the importance of resolving the issue before it leads to unnecessary harm or unwarranted justice.

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The party has spent a bit of the day asking around the village with little lead apart from Roy’s feud with Simon and a few other historical spats and cases where unproven vandalism claims have been made over the years.
Captain Garet, the primary guard of Temal, meets the party at the Tipsy Daisy Tavern, showing signs of stress. He explains that blood feuds have plagued Temal since the Mallow crop was first harvested, as it’s the only place the plants grow. Garet reveals that Roy Jameson, who loves Simon’s daughter Sara, sought her hand in marriage, which enraged Simon. Since then, Sara has been kept under close watch.

The next morning, the party is alerted by commotion outside and finds a woman accusing Simon of destroying her Mallow plant. Simon denies it, blaming Roy instead. Captain Garet intervenes, and the woman shows the party where she found a uniform worn by Simon’s farm hands. The clothes are filthy and surrounded by ash-like dust, radiating evil, malign magic. The party discovers a finger near the clothes that disintegrates into dust which is touched. The man did not disappear into thin air after all.

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The party plunges into the fog-filled fields, their senses assaulted by the cloying sweet scent of the Mallow plants mingling with the putrid stench of the undead. The thick, cactus-like Mallow plants obscure their view, creating shadowy figures as they navigate through the uneven terrain, dotted with large holes where zombies have clawed their way out of shallow graves. In the distance, a woman’s voice calls out, filled with fear, pain, and panic, urging them to break through the undead barring their path.

As they move deeper into the fields, shambling figures emerge from the fog, their rotting forms barely visible until they’re almost upon the party. Weapons drawn, the adventurers engage the zombies in fierce combat. The fog swirls around them, occasionally revealing glimpses of the eerie scene, zombies tearing at Mallow plants, limbs and viscera falling to the ground.

The clash of steel against decayed flesh and the groans of the undead fill the air. Amidst the chaos, the party hears the woman’s voice again, closer this time, calling for help as the sound of flight and battle can be heard. With every few heart beats the party cut down the zombies, making their way towards the source of the anguished cries. 

Then there is something else cutting down zombies, a large putrid revenant that defends a woman, Sara Tode – Simon’s daughter. As she looks weakly at the party the revenant rushes at the party to defend its creator.

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PDF adventure – Rotting Fields

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The Cooks Conundrum

502SuCoCo

The traveling caravan had been journeying together for weeks, and the party huddled around a campfire, enjoying a simple but hearty stew. As they gazed upon the mountains to the north, they noticed a flickering speck of light amidst the trees. Initially mistaken for a campfire, the light’s purple flashes set it apart. The caravan’s cook, Sebastian, notorious for his unappetizing cooking but rich storytelling, warned them about the Yuzalef Cauldron. He spun a tale about the cauldron’s purple lights, said to attract curious souls and fortune seekers, and its rumored ability to burn souls to create a cursed broth. Despite its dark reputation, some believed the cauldron’s broth had miraculous healing properties. However, those who sought it were never heard from again, leaving the truth about the Yuzalef Cauldron shrouded in mystery.

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As the party huddled around the dwindling campfire late into the night, the silence became unnaturally oppressive. Their draft horse had ceased its usual noises, and only distant sounds from the mountains disturbed the quiet. Suddenly, a muffled call for help came from the wagon. Rushing to investigate, they found Glenn, the caravaner, injured and disoriented. He revealed that Sebastian had taken the horse to search for the Yuzalef Cauldron, prompting the party to hastily pack up and pursue him.

Entering the ominous forest, shadows deepened as they moved further from the campfire. The path grew treacherous, littered with roots and rocks, as the trees closed in around them. Guided by a faint purple light, they encountered unsettling rustling sounds and patches of fresh blood, hinting at potential danger. The tension grew as they pressed on, hyper-aware of their surroundings. Strange, glowing mushrooms illuminated their path as the purple light strengthened, leading them up the mountainside toward an uncertain fate.

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As they reached the base of the mountains they became aware further of the danger surrounding them. Soon the predators revealed themselves with a frightful call that made them sound more canine than they were. Large mountain cats that lived nearly exclusively in the mountain range climbed down from trees, stalked through bushes and even a large female with a large mane like tuft of fur jumped down from rocks at the base of the mountain.

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PDF adventure – The Cooks Conundrum

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The Dusk Amulet

501SuDuAm

As the adventurers enter the picturesque village of Brightwood, they’re greeted by the sight of quaint cottages with blooming gardens, children playing in the streets, and the distant sound of laughter and music from the bustling market square. Despite its cheerful appearance, there’s an undercurrent of tension in the air. Villagers glance nervously at strangers, whispering among themselves.

The adventurers are quickly approached by Mayor Taylor, a portly man with a furrowed brow and worry etched into his features. He explains the situation “A villager has gone missing, but several others have reported strange things happening in their house. Thank the gods that the Fantastical Carnival and Farren has stuck around since his disappearance as they are keeping morale high” he mentioned in a hushed tone. 

“I’d wager there’s a ghost or a werewolf in the far off woods that has started to stalk the village.”

The party cast their gaze over the village of Brightwood, the bright market where farmers sell their home grown and made wares, the central hall where the Mayor resides most of the time, three buildings in a row, a general store, blacksmith and an Inn, the Merry Bright Inn, are surrounded by the homes of the villagers. A small, quaint and peaceful village.

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The adventurers’ investigation leads them to the carnival, a vibrant but eerie spectacle just outside the village. Colorful tents line the area, with carnival workers going about their tasks. The sounds of music and laughter fill the air, but a closer inspection reveals a sinister undertone with the joy not reaching the eyes of the folk who run the carnival. The visitors seem to detect the undertone but light up when Farrens voice carries across the crowd.

While exploring, the adventurers witness a group of villagers leaving the Hall of Mirrors with a disturbed look on their face. The party also encounter Farren the Fantastical, who puts on a charming façade but none of the mirth or joy reaches his eyes, there is a darker hunger there as he eyes the party up and down.

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The Big top is the main tent where Farren performs his shows of illusion. The adventurers can attend a performance and observe Farren’s behavior, noting that the only unusual thing is the source of light from the top of the tent as it refracts across those below. Here they meet the other performers, Farrens henchmen, the fire breather, the knife juggler and the strongman.

The Workers are all nice enough but many of them don’t seem excited to be here and indicate that it’s a debt they need to pay off, that there is a binding contract that they need to pay before leaving from here. 

The Hall of mirrors is a surreal and confusing place where there is more than just distorted reflections. As they stare at themselves a young girl appears on the reflection begging them to save her big brother, slapping against the glass. Before they can get any details from the image someone talks loudly near them as they enter the hall of mirrors, startling them from their focus but when they look back there is nothing in the mirror apart from their own disturbed reflections.

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Armed with the knowledge of the Hall of Mirrors the party go back later when it’s closed and see a young woman entering the Big Top as the flap closes the party swears they hear thumping coming from the hall of Mirrors. The adventurers make their way to the heart of the carnival and enter the Hall of Mirrors, where reality twists and turns around them. Reflections challenge their perceptions as there is a heavier magic here than when they visited during the day. Again they see the girl and she pleads with them to save her brother, who just entered the Big Top.

Inside the Hall of Mirrors, they find the Eclipse Amulet, only to be ambushed by Farren’s loyal henchmen: a Firebreather, a Strongman, and a Knife-thrower. The adventurers must fight their way through this final line of defence to reach Farren, who waits for them with a sinister grin.

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PDF adventure – The Dusk Amulet

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