D&D5e Compatible

From the Pits they climb

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This Friday we meet the creatures from some peoples nightmares and from the pits they climb!

So this has been a week in the making but it would have been obvious from the description of the city, where its situated and the update from a few weeks back (the dark below). So get ready with some bug spray, a giant shoe or a swatter along side your coffee and let’s roll into tonight’s adventure!

From the Pits they climb

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Now first the obvious one – Driders. These creatures are pretty foul abominations that dwell in the underdark and they played a bit of a spotlight role in the previous mentioned post. These half-drow-half-spider creatures are like a nightmarish centaur… but no where near as nice.

Although not as hard hitting or deadly in a single round of combat as some of the other creatures we have seen these all-terrain murder machines are still as deadly as many. With their natural defences, mobility and the ability to cast spells these creatures make great foes for a big encounter, or several.

Drider created in tetra-cube.

The source of a few home-brew monsters in my time this next visitor to Kalehgrul is another monstrocity in its own right. The ettercap, while not as strong as a drider, can be a deadly assassin and in this situation where there are plenty of streets, stalls and… let’s face it, plenty of places for these creatures to crawl up from they can be lethal assassins.

Ettercap – created in tetra-cube.

So I have a new toy to play around with something that should really shape up my Dungeons and/or lairs for dragons so that will have to do for tonight! Tomorrow we look deeper into the spiders web to see what’s going on, hopefully get an update from my campaign and perhaps more. So don’t forget to come back for that and as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Kalehgrul Landing Market

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Now its not uncommon for the first thing people to see when they enter a city is the markets or stalls and the Kalehgrul landing market is no exception. Now a simple and quick one tonight as the emphasis should be around discovering that goes on and not soo heavily on combat. But there will be combat, heed my words. But… before I reveal tomorrows reveal let’s grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s map!

Kalehgrul Landing Market

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Housed on the edge of the cliffs before the deep takes over the market place has the best view of all. Its also got a large amount of foot traffic so the risk of thievery or falling over the edge doesn’t outweigh the potential for profit.

Several lanterns light the edge of the cities rocky platform and particularly where the two bridges connect it outwards. Guards patrol this area constantly and the traffic in and out is monitored heavily.

Kalehgrul market landing – Created in Inkarnate

That’s it for us tonight. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for more content, and some encounter stat blocks, and lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

News from Duraegis

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Another Wednesday has come and nearly gone and on swift heralds comes news from Duraegis, however it is too late. The city of Kalehgrul stands on the bring and perhaps only the party are strong enough to defend the city and the people they owe nothing to. But in the shadows a dark stirs and threatens to swallow the people of this land whole. In the underdark and the surface world that is. But to find out what I am talking about let’s sit back, grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s adventure!

News from Duraegis

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The interrogation didn’t take long as Morali, the ‘young’ priestess of Lolth, was very forthcoming with information. Once the plot was revealed Qistra and Umnel were quick to get mercenaries to confirm the whereabouts of the O’Lorun family. As everyone prepared for the next few days, a retaliation from the Melarn family, the party was able to get some rest.

The party woke up to a rumbling through the building. Asking Izzrysn they discovered that the city of Kalehgrul did this periodically. The devout believed that it was Lolth testing her webs to ensure that the plans she had for the city were still in motion. Asking further questions revealed a horrifying truth, that the city itself was suspended on thousands of calcified webs that had connected it to the sides of the pit they were suspended over for centuries.

After having a meal and growing tired of the plotting the party took to the streets with a loyal member of the Melarn household to shepherd them and ensure no one mistook them for runaways. The streets were busy, they were always busy according to their guide-come-guard as the city never truly slept (being full of Drow and other races of the underdark). Several shops sold fine wares and foods, stalls sold even minor enchanted and magical items, weapons and equipment. This is truly a marketplace where you could find any service or anything for the right price, or favour.

As they were wrapping up their shopping and investigation a group of people came directly from one of the two bridges into the city. They looked haggard and they were escorted by guards who sat them at the edge of a tower that overlooked the bridge. One of the people, an older female drow, grabbed a jug of water and drank deeply from it. After taking a large drink she stood up and started talking loud enough for the surrounding area to hear.

“We’ve just come from Duraegis. The city has fallen to Driders and other abominations. They came from the deep dark and before we could muster a defence the city had fallen. You aren’t safe! None of us are. The Spider queen is displeased with us and she sends her puppets on her strings to mete out her plan for us. Repent now, don’t think you can fight them as they are coming. There is no place in the underdark that they won’t find you and take you back to the deep dark.” The other survivors cried out and wept as the older drow continued to cry out.

“That’s enough out of you!” one of the guards yelled and pulled her down. “The city of Kalehgrul is safe. Even if there was a real threat of driders and other creatures nothing gets over that bridge. Nothing has for centuries and nothing will. So stop spreading your lies and be thankful we don’t cast you into the pit!”

As the guard began to argue with the rough looking refugees the party was led away by their guide. Slowly they made their way back to the Melarn shop where Izzrysn was and the house guard tried to explain the situation. “We get bandits on the road, some of which can cast illusions like the deep gnomes. People always male up stories when they have been robbed in these parts” she shrugged off the concerns of any aspect of truth to the proclamations of the drow and focused on getting the adventurers back in doors.

Setting up for this weeks encounter with a long rest and the portents of something a bit darker. The news from Duraegis was not receive well by the proud city of Kalehgrul but there may be something to these rumours (as we know…) so don’t forget to come back this week as we wrap up this adventure and as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Morali O’Lorun

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As we look at what this week brings us we start with the prisoner, Morali O’Lorun. The young priestess of Lloth has considerable influence and to kill someone blessed by Lloth could displease the goddess… or please her, she is a complicated being. To get a glimpse into this priestess and help set the scene and mood for the next few days let’s sit down, grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s update!

Morali O’Lorun

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Morali O’Lorun


Morali O’Lorun – Created in Artbreeder

The O’Lorun family has been rising in power for only a short amount of time, in Drow years that is. Originally a lesser family they rose to power when one of their daughters was chosen to be blessed by Lloth and the now-matriarch used her power and influence to raise her daughters up. Morali O’Lorun is a prodigy being blessed by Lloth as well as being a cunning business woman.

However despite her own strengths her mother is ruthless in business and Morali could never hold a candle to the flame of her mothers ambition. Her connection to Lolth and own ambition has led her down the path of futile turf wars with the Melarn family. Now her mission failed she has a difficult choice to make. Try to complete her mothers orders or make a play to take control of the family decades earlier than she had imagined. If she can only stay alive for the next few days in the custody of the drow she tried to kill..

That ends tonight’s short update. Most of the Drow portraits may start ending up looking the same as the ‘stock’ is, limited in Artbreeder. However with enough tweaking anything is possible! Tomorrow the true adventure for the week begins so don’t forget to come back as we expand upon this weeks adventure. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Streets of Kalehgrul

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After the party deal with the raiders on the Melarn farm they make their way to the streets Kalehgrul with the young priestess in tow. Now this week will go fast as there is a lot to catch up on on our way to the deep dark but never fear – we will try and blend it together coherently. So sit back grab a coffee and let’s roll into this weeks adventure!

The Streets of Kalehgrul

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Kalehgrul streets – Created in Nightcafe

In the distance the lights from the underdark city of Kalehgrul appeared like a collection of fireflies or other luminescent life. But as they got closer the stone buildings, torches and blue lights that revealed a touch of magic in the city came into view. Kalehgrul, while not being massive, was still a large city.

With no walls or towers the city appeared to be built on the top of a massive flattened stalagmite with two bridges leading into and out of the city. This meant that the only ways to approach the city were in the funnelled bridges, a steep climb up the stalagmite or from the air – most of which they had covered by soldiers and mercenaries.

Walking with the Melarn family they were granted access pretty quickly despite a few questioning looks towards the party and their prisoner, a daughter of the O’lorun family – a rival to the Melarns. But Izzrysn muttered some quick words in Drow and the guards let them pass quickly.

“I said that you were my new property, my slaves. It’s the way of this city and most of this world beneath yours.” he explained once out of earshot from the guards. “You never know when a swift lie will save your life down here.”

Onwards they walked past shops and houses that sold just about everything that could be bought from food, tools and adventuring gear to services, slaves and more risqué items. Eventually they found themselves at the entrance to an elaborate shop which had “Melarn’s silks” scrawled out in both common and undercommon on the sign. Entering they moved quickly and surely to a room on the second story where they sat the young priestess on a chair. “Now, why did your family want us dead?” Qistra demanded as she pulled out several metal tools of ‘persuasion’.

Thoughts

Now this weeks adventure will go very fast. This is just the opening part but this ‘scene’ can be delayed as long as the party want if they need to or want to go shopping. But to find our the rest you’ll just have to come back over the next few days.

Thanks for joining me for another week of adventuring in the underdark. This weeks starts off role play heavy and will quickly, very quickly turn action packed. So don’t forget to come back each day to not miss that. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Frozen Shard

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Tonight and I have created a zine for this weeks adventure. The Frozen Shard. This adventure can be used system agnostic as we explore other RPGs out there other than D&D. So please adjust to what ever creatures you are using in your adventure! However as always Kobold fight club can be used to quickly balance an encounter for Dungeons and Dragons and Tetra-cube currently provides the stat-blocks for creatures in this adventure.

So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, The Frozen Shard. If you like this format please let me know and I hope you enjoy.

The Frozen Shard

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Platara Glacier near the Ice Spire- created in nightcafe.

After rescuing the people from the Icewalker tribe, the party looked through the snowstorm that had blanketed the landscape when they entered the Den of the Lost souls. The Ice Spire towered above them, so close that its frozen form called to them.

The Frozen shard of ice, the first in several places that Andrasa called and singled out as important places. Would it hold treasure, wealth or powerful artefacts? Was it a bastion of knowledge or a prison for one of her enemies. Time would tell and the party was within walking distance of it.

Oskarg – The Guardian of the Spire

PDF adventure – The Frozen Shard

the-frozen-shardDownload

Thanks for joining me tonight for another Zine. This one had more content added to the Zine but like a few of my other ones I kept that in the Zine, not the blog. So you will just have to trust me on that and grab a copy of the Zine to check it out.

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. 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

Raiders from Kalehgrul

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Tonight we get a glimpse at some of the Raiders from Kalehgrul. These are a odd bunch of mercenaries with a twist. Its lead by a mage and a young drow priestess who may be key to the next part of this adventure. So don’t let me keep you here and sit down grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s adventure!

Raiders from Kalehgrul

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The drow mercenaries will act more like skirmishers than real fighters. Darting quickly around the battlefield and launching a volley from their hand crossbows. Very rarely will one engage in melee combat with their short sword when there is an opportunity to stay at a safe distance.

Drow created in tetra-cube.

The heavier hitters of the force will be the Duergar. Deep dwarves are resilient, strong and have the nasty habit of increasing their size which makes them a long stronger than they are when shorter! These warriors are not afraid to get into melee but also not dumb enough to realise they aren’t getting paid enough to die.

Duergar – created in tetra-cube.

Lastly the Drow priestess that leads the fight, with a mage close behind her is here to ensure that (her families – spoiler!) orders get executed. However she wasn’t planning on the adventurers being there!

Priest created in tetra-cube
Mage created in tetra-cube

So that’s it for tonight and the week! Don’t forget to come back this weekend for more D&D content and as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Melarn Cavern

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Now the Melarn cavern is where we find our map today. I couldn’t bring myself to make another map of a building (although the ruins were fun) so I tried to create something that would capture the intent behind this encounter. Two ways in, one way out. Before I get too excited about this weeks adventure let’s stop there, grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s map!

Melarn Cavern

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Melarn Homestead – Created in Inkarnate

The Melarn homestead, the smaller of their many houses, is further away from the busy cities where the family makes their claim to fame. To the south is the large cavern where the spiders are kept and their silk is harvested.

The road to the north takes them to Kalehgrul and is the direction the attackers have come from. They may be able to sneak around or fight their way through. Or, simply, defeat the attackers then move on from there.

Stalagmites grow in this cavern and they provide places to hide and get cover. But they do this for the attackers as well.

A bit of a shorter one tonight for a map. Don’t forget to come back this weekend for more content and to see where the rest of this adventure takes us. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Raiders in the Dark

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Tonight’s twist finds the party back safe…enough at the Melarn residence but quickly they find themselves at the mercy of raiders in the dark. The decision for the party is, do they sit by and watch the slightly-putout Drow become victims to these raiders or do they help the people that found them in the underdark? To find out let’s sit back, grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s adventure!

Raiders in the Dark

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The Melarn family had, reluctantly from the daughters, agreed to take them back to their house. They waited in the cavern as they watched the Drow wander around the spider’s nest, the youngest daughter, Umnel, moved around the giant arachnids and they moved around her like surface herds.

The father, Izzrysn, moved around and collected the spider webs using a large pole that easily whisked the silken threads from the mushrooms and rocks into bundles. Then he placed them in neat piles on the back of the wagon that was held steady by the calm Rothe which was chewing food from a large sack. After the silken bundles were piled up the eldest daughter, and most unfriendly, Qistra, inspected the silken bundles and took notes in a little book.

Eventually the wagon became full and the party jumped on the back of it as it moved through the passages away from the mushroom forest and the cavern of spiders.

A while later they arrived at a large house that was covered in enchanted torches and braziers that shed light around the cavern. Many Drow and some Duergar worked in the lands around the house. Building, shepherding or moving bundles from a large warehouse near the central house. Izzrysn explained that they were family members, cousins, and it was their duty to the Melarn family to serve his.

Food was served and over an adequate meal of some kind of meat, fungi and something entirely different the party were briefed in where they were. The Melarn family house was near the city of Kalehgrul where they were one of the three largest merchant families. They explained where and how to get the Kalehgrul as well as some warnings of who to watch out for (mainly of the other two major families). The Melarn family, the mother absent from the family house for the time being, was also curious about how the party came to be in the dark and they were interested in the surface world.

A short while after dinner shouting could be heard from outside. Umnel ran to the window before uttering something foul sounding in Drow as she ran out of the room.

“Raiders, I fear that you have come at a bad time. We had heard that one of the other families may be plotting something but to send mercenaries to attack us directly is not something we expected. You four flee and try and make it to Kalehgrul. We can deal with these but they will likely attempt to take you as slaves to be sold in the larger cities such as Duraegis.” Izzrysn said as both Umnel and Qistra came back with large bows, wicked arrows strapped to their thigh and a curved blade on their hip.

“Wait for an opening and run.” Qistra said as she drew an arrow and stepped to the window to let her quarry fly.

So tonight is a bit of a mixed bag of activities. Thanks for joining me tonight but don’t forget to come back for the last few nights of this weeks adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Merchants of Kalehgrul

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This week we meet the merchants of Kalehgrul, a little settlement village who specialise in spider silk. More merchant than farmer the Melarn family have provided fine spider silk for generations to the point that they have quite the bond with the arachnids. But more on that in a little bit. So let’s sit down, grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s update!

The Merchants of Kalehgrul

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As the party got used to their surroundings they found some materials and soon those that couldn’t see in the dark could view their surroundings. Dozens of giant spiders moved across the cavern they were in and created vast net-like webs that were big enough to catch the giant bats the flew through the skies. Above them mushrooms and long plant-like tendrils shed a soft glow that confirmed they were far from a source of light.

The spiders moved calmly even when the party drew near and merle scurried out of the way instead of viewing the party as a snack. Content to feast upon the bats that they caught in their webs. As they moved around a squeak could be heard in short rhythmic patterns coming from a passage up ahead. As they approached the passage they were greeted by a Rothe, a large bull like creature, that was pulling a wagon with three drow onboard.

After a few moments of speaking quickly in drow and brandishing crossbows the male urged his two female companions to lower and he spoke in common. “Easy, we don’t want no trouble. I am Izzrysn and these are my daughters and we are merchants. I must ask though, what are you doing in this cavern?”

Izzrysn Melarn

Izzrysn Melarn – Created in Artbreeder

The drow named Izzrysn runs the merchant business for his family. Well versed in many languages he sees business opportunities instead of threats when something changes in his sphere. However despite his obvious business knowledge and intelligence he often finds himself being overruled by the female of his family – like most drow males.

Umnel Melarn

Umnel Melarn – Created in Artbreeder

Umnel is the younger sister of Qistra and tends to the spiders of the Melarn family. Whilst not blessed to be chosen by Lloth she is still able to understand and handle these creatures with ease. This helps the family collect their silk for their business but has one a few occasions protected the family when her abilities can come into use.

Qistra Melarn

Qistra Melarn – Created in Artbreeder

When business is poor Qistra, the oldest daughter of the head of the Melarn family, gets involved. She is rash and impulsive but will still listen to her mother, sister and father. She oversees production of the spider silk and inspects it for quality. Whilst her father has a business understanding and her sister can tend to the cluster of spiders she has a fine eye for quality when it comes to silk.

Whilst the party try and understand why they are here and what brought them to the underdark having some, somewhat understanding, people to help them make sense of what happened will help make plans to remedy the situation. However despite this they are still an unknown distance from home, without many supplies and in an unfamiliar land. So don’t forget to come back each day this week as we continue to expand upon this adventure and lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe