dungeons-and-dragons

The Dusk Amulet

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Now for the first Zine of the year I present, in single page zine format, The Dusk Amulet. I still believe that these provide DMs a lot more freedom to tinker with it how they want and open up the adventures to be more free formed and flowing than the larger booklet zines.

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, The Dusk Amulet, and that all your rolls are made with advantage.

The Dusk Amulet

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Brightwood Streets – Created in WordPress?!

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.

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.

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.

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.

PDF adventure – The Dusk Amulet

The Dusk AmuletDownload

Thanks for joining me today for another adventure. Please feel free to leave comments if you like what you see when you 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

Heart of the Serpent

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Now tonight we have the last Zine of the year in a single page zine format for Heart of the Serpent to condense it a bit get back to the smaller adventures that fit on a single sheet of paper. These provide DMs a lot more freedom to tinker with it how they want and open up the adventures to be more free formed and flowing than the larger booklet zines.

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, Heart of the Serpent, and that all your rolls are made with advantage.

Heart of the Serpent

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Heart of the Serpent – Gremire Temple – Created in WordPress?!

The hall was filled with raised voices as another local village mayor argued with the current speaker. The party had been practically begged to attend by a previous client who had hired them to save his kingdom. The prince, cloaked and in riding leathers, was poorly disguised and shaking with anger as the men in the room blamed each other for the attacks on their villages.

One mayor accused another of greedily ordering villagers to cut into the Gremire jungle, leading to the attacks. Heated exchanges continued until the prince, frustrated, revealed his identity and asserted his right to speak. He emphasized the threat posed by the Reptilian Regeneration cult and its shaman, who harnessed the power of a dangerous artefact, the Heart of the Serpent.

The prince did not bring the royal army but instead relied on the party of adventurers, praising their past deeds. He requested the mayor’s support for Chupak and conducted an offensive to distract the enemy, allowing the party to neutralize the Heart of the Serpent. Fear, uncertainty, and anger were evident in the mayors’ faces as they listened to his plan.

The party encountered local jungle denizens earlier in the morning. They had been traveling for over a day into the heart of the jungle, and their guide, C’tik, a renegade lizardfolk, grew increasingly skittish. After fending off an attack by large snakes with minimal injuries, C’tik’s behavior changed, becoming more alert and fearful. Despite his fear, he reassured the party and seemed more relaxed later, even jovial, indicating they were close to their destination.

As they ventured deeper, the jungle appeared to reflect C’tik’s changing mood. They caught plenty of creatures for a meal, but these creatures quickly healed, hinting at the temple’s influence. The surrounding wildlife’s noise gradually ceased, replaced by an incessant insect hum, making the party uneasy. Lizardfolk warriors, with colorful frills and crude armor, emerged from the water, advancing towards the party. Despite the danger, the party struggled to prepare for the encounter.

C’tik, now gleeful, declared the order complete and the Regeneration to commence before being struck by an arrow. Even as he fell, he laughed joyfully, while dozens of lizardfolk warriors charged towards the party, who was supported by an unseen ally loosing arrows from a concealed position.

Heart of the Serpent – created in Copilot.

PDF adventure – Heart of the Serpent

Heart of the SerpentDownload

Thanks for joining me today for another adventure, the last one for the year, the lost one from week 48! I have gone back to the short format for this Zine so I hope the format works and gives you something to go by! Please feel free to leave comments if you like what you see when you 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

Family Bonds

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Now this week we go back to the single page zine format for Family Bonds to condense it a bit get back to the smaller adventures that fit on a single sheet of paper. These provide DMs a lot more freedom to tinker with it how they want and open up the adventures to be more free formed and flowing than the larger booklet zines.

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, Family Bonds, and that all your rolls are made with advantage.

Family Bonds

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Family Bonds – Created in WordPress?!

The request for aid came as a bit of a surprise for the party as the client, a noble, had a very bad name in the city that he lived within. However his coin was good and he was very influential with the guild. However there is more to Rhiktor Shroud than his name would suggest and the party find themselves at the centre of a dispute that could span centuries. 

Will the party locate and save Rhiktor’s daughter before he takes matters into his own hands, to the detriment to his family, the abductors and the city itself.

The party were staying in the Stonebrooke Inn as they waited for the next wagon out of the city when a man approached them. ‘Excuse me, I have been sent here at my lord’s request to invite you to dinner. He has a bit of a tricky situation that needs resolving and would appreciate the skill that comes from experiencing adventures. If you accept, would you join us at Lord Shroud’s manor, it’s to the north of the village.’ After talking for a brief moment he bowed deeply before heading to the innkeeper to hand a small pouch to him. He had paid for the party’s food and board for the next few days.

As the party leave to begin their search the villagers eye them warily as they inquire about Rhiktor Shroud, their expressions a mix of fear, curiosity, and disdain. The murmur of conversations hushes as they speak, drawing the attention of even the busiest townsfolk.

An elderly man, leaning on a gnarled cane, steps forward, his eyes filled with a blend of caution and sorrow. ‘Rhiktor Shroud, you say? They say he used to be a good man, before…well, before he became what he is now,’ the old man begins, his voice trembling slightly. ‘Some say he’s a vampire, a creature of the night, but those who have met him speak of his kindness. I wouldn’t go around asking too much of him… unless you want to meet an unfortunate end. There are many who do not like the man.’

A middle-aged woman listening nearby, clutching her apron nervously, adds, ‘He loves his daughter dearly, that much is surely true. But ever since she went missing, there’s been talk of dark deeds and foul play. Some believe he’s behind it all, while others think the villagers themselves are to blame. Either way, we are all living in fear.’ The villagers nod in agreement, their whispers growing louder as they exchange tales and suspicions about Rhiktor.

PDF adventure – Family Bonds

Family BondsDownload

Thanks for joining me today for another adventure, the lost one from week 47! I have gone back to the short format for this Zine so I hope the format works and gives you something to go by! Please feel free to leave comments if you like what you see when you 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

The Residents of Underbleak

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Now this week we go back to the single page zine format for The Residents of Underbleak to condense it a bit get back to the smaller adventures that fit on a single sheet of paper. These provide DMs a lot more freedom to tinker with it how they want and open up the adventures to be more free formed and flowing than the larger booklet zines.

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, The Residents of Underbleak, and that all your rolls are made with advantage.

The Residents of Underbleak

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Underbleak Cavern – Created in WordPress?!

The adventurers, new owners of the ancient keep known as the Bleak, found themselves plagued by an uneasy feeling of being watched. Driven by curiosity and trepidation, they uncovered a hidden entrance leading to a network of caverns beneath their stronghold—the Underbleak. As they navigated the dark, narrow tunnels, the party discovered strange markings and a hidden spring, only to be attacked by a monstrous, venomous creature. Just as hope seemed lost, a mysterious ally intervened, rescuing them from certain doom and leaving them with cryptic warnings about the dangers that lurked in the depths.

As the first light of dawn cast its rays over the Bleak, the party, armed with provisions and steely determination, ventured into the hidden depths of their keep. They discovered a narrow crawlspace carved between the walls, marked with evidence of clawed creatures. The path twisted downwards, revealing crude wooden supports that seemed unnecessary for the creatures that roamed these tunnels. The adventurers eventually stepped onto a flat landing illuminated by a suspended lantern, uncovering a moderately sized room with several crawl-spaces leading back into the Bleak. The room bore signs of habitation, and a bubbling spring of water offered a rare source of relief in their otherwise precarious situation. However, their relief was short-lived as they heard the ominous sound of claws on stone, signalling that they were not alone.

In this subterranean world, the adventurers faced the unsettling reality of being watched by an unseen presence. The claw marks and narrow passageways hinted at the nature of their stalker, a creature adept at navigating the dark caverns. Despite the narrow confines and the difficulty of combat in such conditions, the party knew they had to uncover the truth and confront the lurking threat. Their discovery of the spring, although a welcome resource, only added to the mystery of the Underbleak and the creatures that called it home. As they pressed on, their determination to uncover the secrets of the Underbleak would be tested by the dangers that awaited them in the depths.

Underbleak Cavern – Created in Copilot.

PDF adventure – The Residents of Underbleak

The Residents of UnderbleakDownload

Thanks for joining me today for another adventure, the lost one from week 46! I have gone back to the short format for this Zine so I hope the format works and gives you something to go by! Please feel free to leave comments if you like what you see when you 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

Red Lord’s Rising

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Now this week see’s us go back to the old booklet format – however it’s several times bigger as it contains all of the Dice-ember 2024 content in a single booklet. That’s 21 sessions of adventure within a single booklet that was written over 25 days of adventure! Needless to say this is a bit more than a Zine or a One-shot but its this years xmas themed “one-shot” adventure!

So this week I present for your consideration, Red Lord’s Rising, inspired by some movies, a comedy series of Instagram reels and my own take on a collection of Santa-themed stories. A forewarning – this Adventure is a smidge over 10,000 written words (not including monster stat blocks…) and 29 pages long – so grab a coffee before reading!

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, Red Lord’s Rising, and that all your rolls are made with advantage.

Red Lord’s Rising

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Red Lord’s Rising – Created in Copilot, modified in Nightcafe.

This was the somber backdrop as the party found themselves unjustly accused of a crime most heinous—the murder of the very deity who embodied the season they held dear. As they stood in chains, facing the judgmental eyes of the crowd, they knew that to clear their names and restore the light of The Red Lord, they would have to uncover the truth behind the divine silence and the malevolent forces at play.

The adventure was about to begin, with the stakes higher than ever, and the fate of their world hanging in the balance.

The Guardian tee of the Crypt
The party encounter a particularly large Isolation Wraith
Lorkan
Elara
Sage Aramis

PDF adventure – Red Lord’s Rising

Red Lord’s RisingDownload

Thanks for joining me today for another adventure, my largest for this year! This is an expanded booklet adventure and was comprised over 24 days of writing which was… many many hours… So I hope the format works and gives you something to go by! Please feel free to leave comments if you like what you see when you 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

Battle for Felmore

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The battle for Felmore has raged on for days. The forces of the Forgotten One have been relentless, but the defenders, led by the party and the Red Lord, have held strong. The commanders of the Forgotten One have been systematically defeated, and the tide of the siege is turning in favour of Felmore. However, the victory is bittersweet as the Forgotten One makes a desperate move to demand their power recognised!

So buckle in, grab your favourite drink as we march into tonight’s adventure!

Battle for Felmore

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It’s been days now since we last saw the party and as the battle of Felmore rages on there have been several more waves of enemies rushing at the walls of Felmore. However, there is a big change in the husks as several have stopped mid charge and begun to sing to the hymns and songs of praise sung over the walls by the defenders. Soon they are coming back to their senses and the horror of what their reality crashes into them. Luckily the Red Lord assisted with Elara is there to help those who manage to break the curse.

Soon the numbers that come towards the walls are less and less and eventually they all together stop. The city of Felmore stands resilient, its defenders are weary but triumphant with the attacks stopping. The forces of the Forgotten One have been pushed back, their strength waning with each passing moment over the past few days and now all together non-existent. The Red Lord stands at the forefront, his presence a beacon of hope and defiance drawing the last of the cursed towards him and into the holy cacophony of mirth and joy that his hymns and prayers bring. As the final battle nears its end, a sinister presence fills the air.

The skies above Felmore darken as a chilling wind sweeps through the city. The air grows heavy with an oppressive sense of dread which several of the people who recovered from being husks shrink back from and flee deeper into the city. From the shadows, the Forgotten One emerges, their form a dark and twisted silhouette wrapped in discarded and tattered grey robes. Their eyes burn with a malevolent light as they survey the battlefield of buildings and barricades made from market stalls and tables.

‘You may have defeated my wraiths, but this battle is far from over. I shall not be so easily vanquished. You all don’t deserve the mercy that Red offers.’ they stop to stare at all those gathered around the Red Lord. Their eyes a mixture of hatred and envy.

‘Not everyone is worthy of a second chance Red! Where was my second chance? Where’s the redemption I was promised before being locked away in endless darkness. No, there is just isolation, the true redeemer and the true repentance. It is the only path for atonement for their sins, your second chances and your mercy isn’t fixing these people its destroying them. They all end up alone and suffering, I hear them, all of them when they are so very desperately alone.’ a cruel smile covers their face as their form wavers between being solid and made of shadow stuff. Their voice distorts colour around them but as it tries to remove the colour from the party and the Red Lord it fails to take hold.

Elara starts to sing, her voice calling the hymns of the Red Lord speaking of forgiveness, mercy and second chances. Soon everyone is singing and the area of grey and shadow starts to disappear as warmth spreads out from those gathered as they sing louder. The Red Lord smiles and reaches into his overly large coat bringing out a candle stick made from Red Wax.

‘You don’t have to be alone. You chose self isolation Grehy. You do not need to dwell in the darkness, a void between planes, you can join us in the light and have your second chance.’ the Red Lord replied to their threat with a warm smile. The creature, the Forgotten One a deity who represented loneliness and Isolation shrank back as if struck.

As the Forgotten One’s power wanes, they makes a final, desperate move. Their eyes lock onto Elara who radiates hope and joy. The Party forgave her for being with the group that tried to capture and kill them. She got a second chance and stood here unscathed.

‘If I am to fall, to disappear back into where I have spent my existence then I shall take something precious from you. That way at least I will not be forgotten’

With a swift and otherworldly motion, the Forgotten One turned into shadow before reappearing behind Elara. Her arms snapped forward snatching Elara from the midst of the defenders. Before anyone can react, Elara and the forgotten one is dragged into a puddle of shadow and darkness, her screams echoing through the area. The portal closes behind them, leaving only a lingering sense of despair as colour is drained from.

The Red Lord steps forward and places a giant hand on the spot that Elara stood. After a moment he stands and looks around before finding the party. ‘The Forgotten One has retreated to the demiplane where they resign, a realm designed to break the spirit and enforce eternal loneliness. We cannot leave Elara to such a fate. We must follow and rescue her, and in doing so, we may find a way to seal Grehy away for good as perhaps they are beyond help.’

Thanks for joining me tonight for another night of adventure and the doorway to our second last post for the adventure! Don’t forget to come back the next three days as we wrap up this festive season and Dice-ember adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Heads of Solitude

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The dusk falls over Felmore, casting the last warming light over the battlegrounds that were the scene of the days relentless assault. The defenders are weary, their spirits bruised but not broken and the heads of solitude banished from the city. The party, alongside the Red Lord and Elara, had noticed a disturbing pattern when the attacks were occurring, the wraiths that bring the isolation curse seem to act as generals, orchestrating the attacks of those entrapped by the curse. By removing these wraiths, the party believes they can disrupt the enemy’s command structure and increase their chances of survival.

So tonight will prove to be another bigger one so let’s settle down, grab out some paper and plan for tonight’s adventure!

Heads of Solitude

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The last rays of dusk creeps over the horizon, casting long warm shadows across the battle-torn city of Felmore. The air is filled with a tense silence, broken only by the distant cries of the wounded and the murmured singing of the weary defenders in an attempt to lift their spirits. The party gathers around the Red Lord as they discuss their observations from the previous night’s battle.

The Red Lord stands tall pawing at his giant beard as he watches the enemy. His eyes scan the horizon as the setting sun highlights where the foe, those too taken by the curse that the creatures of the Forgotten one bring, and the creatures that stalk amongst their ranks. These spectral wraith are ever watching and when one of the husks, the term given to the people too consumed by isolation and depression by the defenders, seems to fight back against the curse they hurry over to the resistor and reinstate the curse. After a moment the Red Lord looks over to the party and nods knowingly.

‘As you have probably gleamed already my friends, the wraiths – these spectres of isolation – are more than just mere soldiers. They command the husks, directing their attacks and reinforcing the curse on those who fight back against it, sowing despair among their own ranks to force them to battle. If we can isolate and defeat these wraiths, we may turn the tide in our favour.’ he said, confirming the parties own suspicions.

The party spend the better part of an hour coming up with as plan to isolate and destroy the spectres like they did at Meldwel forest. The plan was simple and they had the support of a deity on their side to increase their chances of success significantly. As they hurried off to enact their plan they wanted the other agents move to carry on their part of the plan, Elara and the Red lord supporting in the way that only they could, by drawing the attention of the wraiths and to call them forward to think they could snuff out their light.

It was hard to track the wraiths without giving up their location but they could read the signals that the defenders could as they moved through the outer parts of the city, beyond the walls where much of the days battle had happened. Soon enough they saw the wraiths hurrying forward with a small entourage of husks as they moved towards the Red Lord, goaded by the flare of red light that his candle and Elara’s symbol were blaring releasing.

Separating the Husks from wraiths wasn’t as simple as they hoped but they managed to set traps, snares and slow down the husks enough that the spectres, these isolations wraiths slowly finding themselves stripped of a body guard.

The streets of Felmore were eerily quiet as the party moved through the city. There were only a few remaining husks where the party were unable to separate them from the wraiths and their senses were focused for any sign of the wraiths change in attitude. Shadows flickered at the edge of the parties vision as the wraiths presence was felt, stripping the world of colour and warmth as the party got closer to them. Stopping suddenly the hairs on the back of the parties neck stood on end as the air grew colder. They were close.

The wraiths, sensing the party’s approach, emerged from the shadows and destroyed parts of the city. Their forms are ghostly, with long, goat-like horns sprouting from skeletal faces and tattered dark cloaks fluttering in the wind, nearly identical to the ones they faced yesterday and at the Meldwel forest. Yet they moved with an eerie grace, their eyes burning with a malevolent light as they had a deeper purpose and they found themselves cornered between a deity of light and joy and a group of mortals.

The battle began as the wraiths attempted to once again isolate the party members, stripping away their senses and plunging them into a void of solitude. The party pushed back, a voice clear as a bell pierced through the murkiness which prevented the curse from gripping them further. But they were short on time and these spectres were different, more experienced and calculating and less prone to making errors like the ones they faced earlier. These ones knew that the party could harm their spectral forms and they were keen to avoid the same fate.

As they fought on the heads of solitude, these more experienced wraiths, stared to fall one by one as the party fought while being bolstered by the light of the Red Lords Sacred Candle. As the last one fell a shriek of anger rang out through the city from the main force of the enemy. The sound that they were now at risk of being hunted if they didn’t make a break back to camp straight away.

Thanks for visiting for another night here at my tabletop. We only have three more nights of writing which will go by exceedingly fast with the last days of work for the year and the lead up to Christmas. So don’t forget to come back daily and hopefully, something special will be here when the Red Lords light greets us on December 25th. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Brink of Loneliness

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The city of Felmore stands on the brink of loneliness as an imminent attack from the forgotten ones hordes is on the horizon. The Red Lord, having been restored to nearly full power, is now the beacon of hope for the people. However, the Forgotten Deity is determined to extinguish this light. In a sinister move, the Forgotten One has called those who have fallen beyond hope into deep isolation due to the imagined banishment curse. These unfortunate souls, little more than husks, are driven by a twisted belief that the defenders of Felmore are the source of their torment and that by defeating them they will be able to find peace.

So rally the defences, stand by the wall and by the gate for we march into tonight’s adventure!

The Brink of Loneliness

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As night falls over Felmore, a palpable tension grips the city as the once-bustling streets are now busy for a different reason. The streets once filled with stalls and hawkers are lined with hastily constructed barricades, and the cityfolk have taken up arms alongside the soldiers and the party. The Red Lord stands at the steps of his temple and his booming voice rallies the defenders to bolster their spirit.

The city walls loom tall and foreboding in the moonlight, casting long shadows over the assembled defenders who stand vigilant over the battlements and beyond. A chill wind sweeps through the streets, carrying with it an eerie whisper of despair – foul mutterings trying to twist and taint the minds of those who defended the city. But the Red Lords booming voice bolsters the mind and spirits of those in the city and his hymns and songs of joy and hope can be heard from all parts of the city. Yet, despite the presence of the Red Lord the distant sound of shuffling feet grows louder, and the party knew that the time has come. The Forgotten One’s cursed army is approaching.

Despite the preparation they had managed to get done over two days the early arrivals of the Forgotten One’s army had rattled the defenders. Their old friends, neighbours and at times family members had stumbled into the barricades and attacked any who tried to help them. By the third morning there was a large force held back by several of the skeletal-ram headed creatures that the party had encountered at the Meldwel Forest.

The air is heavy with anticipation as everyone prepares for the fight to come as the rising of the light seems to signal the creatures and those lost to the curse the creatures carried rushed towards the city. The first orders to let loose fell on deaf ears but by the second call arrows started to fly through the air towards the rushing horde.

The first sign of the attack is a low, mournful wail that echoes through the night. From the darkness, figures emerge – pale, gaunt, and lifeless. Their eyes are hollow and exhausted with their movements plagued by bouts of anguished cries. These are the husks of those who have succumbed to the banishment curse, imagined by the people of Felmore but inflicted by the creatures of the Forgotten One. Both creature and man surge forth, driven by the Forgotten One to serve as instruments of terror.

As the battle rages the party rush to the main gate that they rally towards, the entry point that is closest to the Red Lords church. As they throw themselves against the gate they brace while the defenders ready another deadly payload for the husks that throw themselves at the gate. As the banging stops the party are called to the temple as the Red Lords voice booms out encouraging the defenders and renouncing those that attack the city.

But another voice sings out and catches the parties ear, Elara singing a hymn and it carries down to the party. They look up in time to see a glowing red barrier surround the Red lord and herself, both the Red Lords Candle and her own holy symbol radiating power as the barrier forms moments before one of the curse bearers, the Isolation Wraiths. Rushing to the Red Lords side they witness the city guards fall to their knees and call out in despair as the wraiths power takes hold.

The fight is quick and brutal but the party defend the cleric and her deity with minimal casualties from those who stood with them. As the party’s resources get dangerously low a screeching call that seems to drain the colour form the world resonates from the field beyond the city. The Wraiths and remaining husks turn and rush off to their masters call leaving the party and defenders to look after their injured, the fallen and despatch the mend the battlements.

Thanks for visiting another night. Don’t forget that tomorrow we will continue this adventure further so make sure to come back for another section of the adventure. We only have another four days to go so make sure you don’t forget to come back daily so you don’t miss a thing and, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Back to Felmore

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The journey back to Felmore is filled with a mix of motions, primarily anticipation and hope. The Red Lord, now rejuvenated and full of purpose, walks with the party, the glow of his restored power radiating hope and warmth. The path is no longer fraught with danger, but a sense of urgency propels them forward as the travellers they pass flock to follow in the Red Lords wake.

Yet a feeling of worry sneaks in between the feeling of warmth and hope from the Red Lord as the unmistakable influence of the Forsaken One can be seen on some of those that muster around them.

So sit back as the party has a small break, some moments of celebration and a warm welcome for a change!

Back to Felmore

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The road back to Felmore was busier than they had expected. As the party made their way down the roads and passed travellers by, several stopped to stare at them. They couldn’t be blamed as the party was walking with a living and breathing deity. Despite the Red Lord walking in his shorter human form people still stopped, pointed and followed him as they moved down the road. Soon a small horde of people were following the party and their companion singing the hymns of his church and calling out that he had returned.

Patrols still searching for the party stopped and gawked as they saw the man that they were with, some just moments before trying to arrest them. As they camped a small village sprung up around them and they, along with the Red Lord, was brought food, drink and any form of comfort that they may need. As the night went on the songs of merriment associated with the Red Lord grew more numerous but, all was not merriment and celebration.

There were travellers on the road who marched forward away from the city with the same sullen expression that they recognised from being influenced by the creatures of the Forgotten Deity. Some managed to break from their stupor and others continued without recognising that there were people trying to assist them.

By midday on the following day the party began their true approach to the bustling gates of Felmore, the city rising before them with its high stone walls standing tall and sturdy. The sight of the Red Lord, accompanied by the party, brought gasps of surprise and awe from the guards and hurried celebration and shouts of alarm to ripple down the streets. By time they arrived at the Red Lord’s Church word of their arrival had spread quickly, and a large crowd had gathered to witness the return of their beloved deity.

However the next words from the Red Lords mouth changed the atmosphere instantly.

‘People of Felmore, my followers and those who walk the path of second chances and joy. I have returned but not without the assistance of true believers. With me before you stand those who have risked everything to restore hope and mercy to our land. Despite being accused of a murder that was not true, despite being hunted by those who called themselves true believers in our teachings and despite the risk to themselves and their lives they fought to free me. The accusations against them were false, a dark plot orchestrated by one who sought to bring despair and isolation upon us. One that has been forgotten for far too long’ he paused, his voice echoing down the streets with diving power.

‘The forgotten one returns and seeks to plunge the world into isolation and despair. A waking banishment where family, friends and neighbours are stripped from you. There but unable to be seen, touched or heard. I ask you all to stand with your brothers and sisters, your family and friends, your neighbour and the strangers amongst you. Stand together to fight back against the darkness that threatens to take everything from you. Just as these heroes stood firm I ask you to do the same.’

Thanks for joining me tonight for the homecoming that no one really wanted. Tomorrow we start the final push to the end of the Dice-ember adventure and the end of the year. So don’t forget to come back each day leading up to December 25th where, the Red Lord Willing, I’ll have something wrapped up in a little bow for us all. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Guardian of the Meldwel Crypt

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As the party stand before the ancient tree, its massive roots twisting and burrowing into the earth, the party fails to notice a crucial element, the guardian of the Meldwel crypt. The air around the party feels dense and ancient as if the earth itself is trying to block the parties progression. The entrance is dark and foreboding, the stone archway covered in moss and root and beyond it, a staircase with no end in sight. But as they wait and take a collective breath of potentially their last fresh-ish air a figure looms out of the fog and soil and reaches out towards them!

So grab your thermos of seasonal beverage, an ice cold beer here, and let’s dodge, duck, dip, dive and… dodge into tonight’s adventure!

Guardian of the Meldwel Crypt

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The ancient tree of Meldwel Forest stands tall and imposing as the party approaches its exposed twisted roots that dig into the soil around some aged stone ruins. As the party approaches the once hidden entrance beneath the roots of the oldest tree the fog that has settled on the ground air grows colder as they descend into a small bowl like recession at the base of the tree. A thick earthy smell wafts up from below the dense wall of fog as they walk towards the open archway that leads to a steep staircase down into the bowels of the tree.

Suddenly the candle that Elara carries ignites in a bright spark of yellow flame that creates the fog to glow as if a lantern was lit. But their shock of the candles ignition was short lived as a massive hand of twisted roots and rubble crashed through their midst and snatches Elara up. The fog swirls as a giant creature made from twisted roots, soil and rubble rises out of the fog and ground causing bits of debris to rain down on the party.

A booming voice like a landslide calls out from the creature ‘Halt, trespassers. You shall not pass into this sacred crypt. I am the Guardian of this place and I have defended it for centuries. You may try to trick me like the others did but your fake talismans and artefacts of the Red Lord will not deceive me, your tricks will not work again!’

As the creature calls out it holds Elara and the candle aloft, the flame burning brightly still as the rapid movements from the crypt guardian threaten to extinguish the frail flame. As the party prepare for battle a wall of thick roots carrying chunks of rock from the ruins forms a barrier at the entrance to the tunnel beneath the tree

‘Others came before you, with lies and deceit. They sought to plunder the secrets of this crypt for their own gain. I was tricked once, but I shall not be fooled again.’ It roars as the battle rages on as the party clash with blade, hammer and magic bite into roots, soil and spill rubble across the battlefield. At some stage Elara goes flying and she crashes hard into the soil as the party rush to finish the spirit.

The Guardian starts to crumble as the final attack leaves it reeling. It falls as the roots that bound it to the tree lay cut and dismembered causing the soil and rubble it had bound in its form to fall to the ground inert and lifeless. The party to approach the stone archway as the roots disappear into the soil once more. looking down into the depths the initial first steps are cast in a red-yellow glow from the candle that Elara holds; which seems to grow stronger with each step, revealing the dark and mysterious passageway beyond.

The air grows colder as the party step into the crypt, the darkness pressing in around them trying to push back against the light from the red candle. The narrow passageway is lined with ancient carvings and flickering torchlight, casting eerie shadows on the stone walls. The scent of damp earth and ancient decay fills the air and assaults the nostrils of the party as they make their way deeper into the crypt.

Thanks for joining me tonight for a shorter one than the previous nights but something that was building up for while leaving the mountains and the Blank Citadel. Don’t forget that we have just passed the halfway part for this adventure and that there is only ten more nights left before the final conclusion. So don’t forget to come back each night this week to stay up to date with this adventure and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe