D&D5e Compatible

Mercell and the Mercenary

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This week we have Mercell and the Mercenary that are behind the discovery of Midfern Keep as our primary NPCs. However there could be dozens more as this week is about the mingling of hundreds of people to find out the secrets of the ruins before the fame, and fortune, are all grabbed up by the others.

So let’s grab our explorers kits, double check our rope and stroll into tonight’s adventure!

Mercell and the Mercenary

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Mercell – Created in Nightcafe.

Mercell watched as people the hired help moved the last of the rubble from one of the outer buildings they had first discovered. As the people gathered across from her celebrated in clearing out another room she flicked through her notes once more. Retrieving the stick of charcoal from her sleeve she scratched out a sketch of what the remains of the building looked like now that she had a better view, and that centuries of plants had been removed.

“Marcell. We believe we have found it.” Carben, her original mercenary gruffly said from near her. She looked to where he had come from and confirmed it was as she had suspected.

Carben – Created in Nightcafe.

“So you’ve found it. Is the path…” she began

“Sealed, as you suspected Marcell.” Carben added for her.

Marcell nodded and thought as to what the next steps would be. She had worked with Carben for years now and the old mercenary had always proven to be annoyingly correct with his intuition. “We will need more people present if its as you suspect, the seal holds most of the lost treasure and the lore that you seek. But if that seal also binds the creature.” he paused eying his employer wearily.

“Yes. Yes, of course you’re right. Send word to the nearest three villages and cities to announce that Midfern keep has been found. We will get the man power behind us to open the door and, with any luck we will have enough strength to fight back the darkness for long enough so we can get what we came here for.”

That’s all for tonight! A bit of a shorter one for tonight but there is more coming up this week. So don’t forget to come back each night as we continue to grow this adventure and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Midfern Keep

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The trek to promised journey was a long and tiring but the message that came created a sense of urgency that had not been felt in quite some time. Midfern keep had been found again, the lost ancient keep that was sealed away to prevent a great evil from surfacing.

So grab a coffee and let’s dive into tonight’s adventure!

When the first of the elven forts fell to a dark power Midfern keep became the last bastion of defence against the rising dark power. But the conclusion of the elf’s ritual saw the bastion fall from knowledge, buried like the evil it dragged kicking and screaming into silence.

The fort has been found once more and scholars, adventurers and merchants all rush towards the building as the promise of treasure sways all. But their green will cause the downfall as the deeper they push the more they discover and unwillingly unravel. Now caught between a rock and a hard place the party must make a choice, stand against the darkness and try to reseal what was awoken. Or, flee and pray that the darkness doesn’t try and snuff out the light once more.

Midfern Keen

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Midfern Keep – created in Nightcafe.

“Midfern keep has been found,” the messenger at the tavern called out as she stood in the door. There was nearly no one who did not remember the stories of Midfern keep or the treasures that had been abandoned in the forts halls when it fell into silence. “We are seeking aid, scholars, warriors, scouts, everyone. We have secured the outer buildings but only the inner rooms of the fort remain yet to be breached.” the young girl read from a scroll now.

“Fame and fortune to all who come and aid the Scholars of Thombridge as they start to open the keep up by the night of the full moon,” she paused and looked up. “It’s two days away from here so I will take whoever wants to answer to the call to fame and legend.” She finished her speech and hurried to the bar to get a hot meal and drink.

“They say that the elves sealed their treasure in the fort,” one of the patrons said from nearby, whispering to his companions. “A treasure horde fit for a king!” he excitedly proclaimed before being shushed by the others on his table.

“The elves sealed a darkness in that keep. I heard that anyone who enters the fort is cursed and dies within a week. That’s why no one has ever reportedly found it before.” another said near the messenger, who looked up shocked and ate with a look of worry and concern on her face. “I wouldn’t go… But, if it was to give my kids a better life and get the name Pemberbrok in legends then I might as well sign up” the woman said as she sculled from a tankard.

The next morning found the party standing out front of the inn with horses ready, but they were not alone. Dozens of other adventurers, explorers, scholars and even commoners stood near them with possessions packed and ready to go. A man stood nearby counting coins as several people had bought a wagon and draft horses from him for a sum that would be several years worth of wages for most people.

The messenger appeared in riding gear, clad in light leathers and as she looked across those gathered she nodded and moved to retrieve her horse from the Inns stable hand. “Well this looks like a mighty crew. We rest at dusk, rise at dawn and will be there by tomorrow night if we are lucky.”

Thanks for joining me tonight for the start of yet another adventure, one that I hope offers something different to what I have done over the last three years. Each day this week I will continue to add more content to build this adventure up over several days. So don’t forget to come back each day to stay up to date with it and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

A Royal Request

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This week I continued with the creating a shortened Zine, something that fits on a single A4 sheet of paper with just enough information to set the scene, plot and hook with some NPCs sprinkled through that it could be used in any system.

I think it worked out well so without any further waiting I present, A Royal Request, in the short format, as a fun one-shot to assist GMs when they need a night out of the books whether you run pathfinder, Open Legends RPG, D&D or any other RPG System.

There is references to the blog nights which are D&D centric (regarding Friday night’s Stat-blocks) but this adventure can be used system agnostic more so than my regular Zines. 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, A Royal Request, and that your rolls are made with advantage.

A Royal Request

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The Generals Camp – Created in Nightcafe.

The party watches as the royals walk through the crowd of people as part of their birthday celebrations. The royal twins hand out a GP to each person they meet on the street until screams draw them away from their festivities. The shadow of a large creature crosses over the street as a set of dark green wings flash above them. A large wyvern with plates of armour lands on the side of a few buildings, the claws on its wings hooking onto the roof as its large clawed legs bite into the wooden wall. The wyvern whips its head around and snarls towards the royal twins and their processions, snapping at someone as they attempt to run away from the creature, gobbling them up whole as guard rush to get between the creature and the royals.

PDF adventure – A Royal Request

A Royal RequestDownload

Thanks for joining me today for another Zine this year. This is a condensed version of the Zine, but I hope the format works and is good to look at! Please feel free to leave comments if this format is appealing – so make sure to grab a copy of the PDF.

Next time you get a party together consider running this adventure and I hope that you enjoy it.
I hope you don’t miss a thing so come back daily in the coming week and year. This is so you can experience the creation of the next adventure as it evolves and shapes out. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Some paths are best left forgotten

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Any sensible person would turn back once they realised that the pools under Sylphare Quarry connected to a deeper river system when they realised that some paths are best left forgotten. Others are more foolhardy and mistake the glint of something in the darkness as evidence of treasure. That’s when the first of the thousands of teeth bite into them.

So let’s sit back, grab a coffee and let’s roll into tonight’s adventure!

Some paths are best left forgotten

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Ancient Piranha – Created in Nightcafe.

The quipper, or Piranha by our standards, is a voracious eater and in a swarm they are known to be deadly. But when you are deep under ground in a pool with only the faint corrupted light from above to lead the way these fish become even more deadly.

Swarm of Quippers – Created in Tetra-cube.

They don’t have to explore the underwater passageways to encounter these little fish this week as they are attracted to the frantic thrashing that one could expect if you fall into deep water. While the stat block tonight doesn’t reveal these creatures to be undead it would make sense that they would be considering the other entity in the room.

Not needing to breathe makes these swarming fish even more dangerous as they could, feasibly, have a decent threat range near the edge of the pool by jumping out and flapping about. I would imagine they would have a hard time biting any creature while doing so but a momentary distraction is sometimes all you need in order to take a standard fight up to the next level.

Thanks for visiting tonight. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow night for more content and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Deep Chill

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Deep underground where desecrated places of power mingle with cold, dark and damp environments sometimes it can give un-life to the creature known as the deep chill. These creatures are evil, huge and voracious in their search for life and, generally, tied to a single place. But their dominance over their own magical domain is nearly definite and they utilise the corrupted environment to bring in new energy for them to feast on.

So let’s sit down, grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s encounter!

The Deep Chill

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A dark and cold core that is nearly impossible to detect with far reaching claws made of shadow. The Deep Chill, an undead similar in the ways of ghosts, spectres and shades is something that few people know of and typically miners, adventurers and those who dwell in the deep places of the world will uncover. Born from a desecrated place of power these creatures seldom stray from it as they harness its latent magical energy to attract life.

The Deep chill then sucks the life out of these creatures in their insatiable appetite for warmth. But they rarely stop at one or two as their existence is cursed. The more life they drain the stronger the unholy core and the deeper the chill they experience. As the more they consume the larger they become and the greater the overwhelming sense of cold they experience.

Their life is a tortured one and only through complete destruction of their near-impervious shadowy body or the purification of the magic that created them will they ever be free.

Deep Chill – Created in Tetra-cube.

Thanks for dropping by this imagining of a standard D&D creature at scale and buffed up. Don’t forget to come back over the weekend for additional content and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Sylphare Quarry Cavern

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Tonight’s map is of the Sylphare Quarry Cavern – the potential source of issues under the quarry that was unearthed. Not quite as pretty as a few of my other cavern maps but this ne has a few interesting things including where I have sunken in the little bonds of ice-cold water.

So let’s sit back, grab a coffee and roll into map!

Sylphare Quarry Cavern

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Sylphare Quarry Cavern – Created in Inkarnate

Several deep ponds are within this cavern which only adds to the chill factor. At points they get very deep and a tunnel, big enough for a medium or smaller sized creature to swim and squeeze through can be found underneath. However this is not for the faint hearted.

A pile of ancient bones can be seen near a throne that radiates cold and power towards the centre of the cavern. The walls are rough and rocky with no visible way out of the cavern and beyond from here. However the under-water passages do lead deeper into the cavern system for those who can really, really hold their breath.

Multiple layered textures and the dig tool used this week to great a visible depth for the ponds. Using the craggy-rock asset method created a smoother transition to the water which worked mostly well. Otherwise the stone-skulls in the wall leading to this cavern had some over-texture brushed onto them to remove some of the asset that I wanted to hide – but it wasn’t the cleanest work but it gets the effect across.

Thanks for joining me tonight with another map created. Don’t forget that as I continue this week I gear up for another Zine at the end of the week. So don’t forget to come back daily to stay on top of what’s happening here and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Beneath the Cut Stone

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This week we progress into the party exploring into the caverns below Sylphare quarry and uncovering something beneath the cut stone. But this isn’t something naturally occurring, someone or something created this place and not it appears to be causing quarrymen to disappear.

So let’s grab a coffee, prepare ourselves and stroll into tonight’s adventure!

Beneath the Cut Stone

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As the party followed the worn trail deeper into the caverns below the quarry they followed the path of disturbed dust. Eventually the passage began to get colder and the walls of the passage began to look as if a thin layer of disturbed rime had set in.

However the cavern wall gave way to the first of dozens of hunched shapes. Coming out of the wall was the humanoid sized statue of a skeletal man. hunched over he was shorter and the facial structure was more pronounced in stone than it would have been in life. An expression of pain mixed with joy gripped its face as it looked further into the cavern.

Beneath the Cut Stone – Created in Nightcafe

Dozens more quickly followed with their expressions changing as quickly as the layer of frost and cold under the parties feet. The skeletal-like appearance blended in with the stone to make these statues look closer to life like than one would dare think. Each of them stared outwardly down the hallway as a light, a cold glow radiated down the passage and tinged the sides of the figures in a blue hue.

Each figure looked expertly carved and the disturbed rime and dust led the a party past each of the faces as they moved deeper into what appeared to be a more worn and methodically chiselled part of the cavern.

Thanks for joining me tonight to get a glimpse of the future. Tomorrow we will reveal what is beyond the stone-like stare of the potentially-not-statues and Friday will complete the picture. But don’t forget to come back for the remaining days this week and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Quarrymen of Sylphare

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The quarrymen of Sylphare are a proud and determined group who pride themselves on their craftmanship and determination. However once they started disappearing the call went out for able bodied people to help guard the entrance to the caverns. Thomas is such a person who was brave enough to stand before the yawning portal to the unknown below.

So let’s grab our torches, head to the quarry and stroll into tonight’s adventure!

Quarrymen of Sylphare

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Thomas Ruggery – Created in Nightcafe.

Tom had never been one to shy away from duty, nor shirk his sense of loyalty to those who stood side by side with him at the quarry. But, as he stood here guarding the entrance to the cavern he tried to avoid the feeling of being watched and the sense of unease that seemed to radiate from the opening.

“It’s a cold night so far ay Tom?” Reggie, the other ‘volunteer’ said as he tried to pass time.

“Aye. We’d best get another log or two for the brazier” Tom relied as he looked at what remained of the logs that had been eaten way by the fire near by.

“I ain’t going over there.” Reggie replied looking towards the edge of the quarry where there was a small store of wood. “I’ll guard the entrance if you get the wood” Reggie insisted. Tom knew that Reggie wasn’t a lazy man, but he definitely wasn’t brave enough to brave the edges of the quarry at night.

Nodding Tom picked up his pickaxe and strode towards the wood store. As he carefully picked his path across the quarry he noted that the plot of stone that they had hoped to have finished by the end of the month had stalled. He sighed as he wished that they hadn’t uncovered the cavern under the quarry – the source of the excitement and now fear as they waited for mercenaries to come and brave the darkness. Reaching the wood store he picked up a few logs and began to pick his way back to his post.

He, unlike Reggie and the others, had truly volunteered to watch the cavern entrance. It wasn’t a bravery thing it was a sense of duty to his comrades. He had elected to stay behind to ensure the ropes had remained secure so that they could get out when the time came when the others had delved into the cavern to explore. He also knew the men and women who had disappeared since the cavern had opened; having worked with them for years he felt their loss keenly. But not all shared his sentiment and others wanted to explore the cavern for its riches.

He assumed that what’s the Slyphare family truly wanted the merc’s to do. Come and secure the cavern so they could send more quarrymen and miners into the dark depths below. It didn’t sit right with Tom but he couldn’t do anything about it, except preventing his mates from going missing. When he returned he was relieved to see Reggie standing at his post. It took him a moment to get his attention as Reggie was staring off into the depths of the cavern.

“Hey, Reggie. Give us a hand will ya?” he said as he finally got his fellow watchmen’s attention. Reggie shook his head and walked over to grab some of the logs to throw into the Brazier.

“Sorry Tom, got lost in thought.” he murmured as he looked back to the cavern. “Say Tom. What do you think is down there?”

“Just bones and a few lost quarrymen,” he replied not wanting to entertain the thought for long.

“Yeah. Me too.” Reggie replied but his eyes were looking into the cavern and darkness beyond.

That’s all for tonight! Thanks for joining me as we begin to dive deeper into the adventure this week. Don’t forget to come back each night as we continue to grow this adventure and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Sylphare Quarry

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There are few people that would walk past someone calling out, a plea for help, let alone a mother who has lost her two daughters. This week we have Jaeden’s request seeing the party responding to a plea for help to find the lost daughters who are believed to have been taken by wicked men. The requestor, a young mother who is just trying to find her family.

So grab a coffee and let’s dive into tonight’s adventure!

When the quarrymen at Sylphare stone quarry unearth a cavern the excitement of adventure quickly disappears as each day another one of their brethren vanishes into thin air. But the owners of the Quarry, the Sylphare family, need to keep the quarry open so they have sent for mercenaries to come and defend their assets.

But, those who have answered the call will find that they have bitten off more than they can chew as some the picks and shovels have awoken a hunger in the dark that feeds with a vengeful hunger.

Sylphare Quarry

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Sylphare Quarry – created in Nightcafe.

As the last strikes from the picks punched through the stone a cascade of stones tumbled inwards revealing a large cavern. The call to stop work echoed out across the quarry as people huddled around what was revealed. A shard of light pierced darkness below revealing a large cavern that seemed to go on for ages in series of sunken steps below. Several runners ran to go get the overseers of the quarry and even the owners son, Harry Sylphare to come and see the hole that was revealed.

It did not take long for the first torches to be fetched and the first ropes to be cast into the darkness below. After half a day the first of the miners returned to the camp and reported that the cavern system went on for miles. It wasn’t until later in the day when a role call was done that people realised that not all quarrymen that went into the cavern had returned.

In the morning another member of the crew was missing. This repeated for a few days with a quarryman going missing in the evening or not returning from the caverns until it became evident that there was something going on. Building a makeshift checkpoint at the entrance the the cavern slowed the decline but those who were put on watch of the barricade rarely lasted more than shifts before another disappeared.

A rumour began to spread that they had awakened a curse that took good men and women from the earth as a tithe for the stone that they had taken from the quarry. Others thought that a poison hung in the air around the exposed cavern that caused the afflicted to wander off never to be seen again. And others believed that something from the cavern was preying upon them one by one.

The owner of the mine, Harry Sylphare, sent for a band of adventurers, mercenaries for hire, to come and find out the truth so that they could resume making a profit from the mine as, at least in this business, death was not profitable.

Thank for joining me for the start of a new week! Each day this week, like every week, I will update the blog to cover the people, things and places that this week hold in store for our adventurers. But don’t forget each day and at the end of the week you can see how it can be used in your own RPG game. So don’t forget to come back each day and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

To Wellford’s Defence

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This week I continued with the creating a shortened Zine, something that fits on a single A4 sheet of paper with just enough information to set the scene, plot and hook with some NPCs sprinkled through that it could be used in any system.

I think it worked out well so without any further waiting I present, To Wellford’s Defence, in the short format, as a fun one-shot to assist GMs when they need a night out of the books whether you run pathfinder, Open Legends RPG, D&D or any other RPG System.

There is references to the blog nights which are D&D centric (regarding Friday night’s Stat-blocks) but this adventure can be used system agnostic more so than my regular Zines. 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, To Wellford’s Defence, and that your rolls are made with advantage.

To Wellford’s Defence

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To Wellfords Defence- Created in Nightcafe.

The city has been unknowingly poisoned by an expensive imported wine. The wine’s fruit when interacting with the wood in the barrels causes a near-permanent zombie-like stupor which can be cured with the right herbs. The wine is too expensive for many to afford so many(most) children and the poor can not afford the wine – so they are not affected!

PDF adventure – To Wellfords Defence

To Wellford’s DefenceDownload

Thanks for joining me today for another Zine this year. This is a condensed version of the Zine, but I hope the format works and is good to look at! Please feel free to leave comments if this format is appealing – so make sure to grab a copy of the PDF.

Next time you get a party together consider running this adventure and I hope that you enjoy it.
I hope you don’t miss a thing so come back daily in the coming week and year. This is so you can experience the creation of the next adventure as it evolves and shapes out. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe