Fantasy

Rivertown Environment

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Now for a change of pace I present, something different. A zine for the environments around Rivertown which is a central hub for the settlers in my Rivertown bound adventure series (part 1, part 2, part 3), Rivertown Environments. The idea is to still provide GMs and DMs more freedom to tinker with the adventure, how they want to run it to make it feel more free formed and flowing than the larger zines – although there is another one coming.

There are no references to other content other than what’s within the Zine itself and this week is Daggerheart specific. However, with all my adventures it wouldn’t be hard to tweak it to work for other Tabletop Systems.

So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, Rivertown Environments, and that all your rolls are made with hope.

Rivertown Environments

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Rivertown Environments – Created in Co-pilot

Rivertown

As you step through the heavy wooden gates of Rivertown, the dirt streets stretch ahead, worn smooth by carts and boots. The smell of fresh bread and smoked fish drifts from the nearby market square, where stalls bustle with chatter and the clink of trade. To one side, narrow lanes wind between timber houses, while further ahead the street dips toward the docks, where the creak of moored ships and the shouts of workers carry over the river breeze.

Rivertown Market

The Rivertown Market is the bustling heart of the settlement, centred on a stout timber hall run by an ageing gnome whose sharp tongue and sharper eye keep trade fair. Around it, uneven stalls offer baskets of berries, bundles of herbs, smoked fish, and rough-forged goods, their mingled scents of sweet fruit, salt, leather, and spice filling the air. The square hums with life. Merchants haggling, children darting underfoot, guards barking orders, and crates shifting with every new wagon that arrives from the docks or nearby wilds. Bright cloths hang in the sunlight, traders call out their wares, and the din of barter and banter mixes with distant gull cries, giving the market an untidy energy that feels at once rough, hopeful, and vital to Rivertown’s survival.

Rivertown Docks

The docks of Rivertown are never still. Little boats sit moored along the timbers, their hulls heavy with nets, barrels, and crates stacked neatly or haphazardly depending on the crew. The sharp scent of river water mingles with dried fish and damp rope. Dock guards stand with watchful eyes, spears in hand, their gaze sweeping over every cart and passenger that passes. Near the centre, the Dock Master, a broad-shouldered feline humanoid with striped fur like a tiger, directs workers with a booming voice and a flick of his tail, his presence enough to keep the traffic flowing. Two long piers stretch into the water, where a few patient folk fish with hand lines, content to sit among the bustle. Along the riverbank, children and the odd daring adult dart and shout in play, laughter cutting across the steady rhythm of dock labourers, who grit their teeth as the games scatter sand and splash water dangerously close to the stacked wares.

PDF adventure – Rivertown Environments

Daggerheart Environment – Rivertown EnvironmentDownload

This Daggerheart adventure was created using guidelines and information from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0 which is the copyright of DRP, Darrington Press, who are the creators of the system. This content was created, modified and/or inspired from content within the SRD and is licensed under the DRP Community Gaming License which can be found here: Darrington Press CGL.

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. Don’t forget to come back daily so you don’t miss a thing in the coming weeks adventures. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Path of Forgotten Fortua

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So having a go at getting some notes down for Daggerheart’s Campaign frames and wanting to have something that feels like something I’d actually run. It’s no secret that I use a lot of inspiration from mainstream, or obscure, pop culture but I try to create everything from scratch where possible – to really immerse myself not only in the process but in the end product.

So while I work on a larger campaign frame for some of my adventures I wanted to get something out to help guide the last three Zines, Rivertown Bound – Part 1, Rivertown Bound – Part 2 and Rivertown Bound – Part 3. So I created some notes based on some analysis, and a lot of summarisation, with the attached document as a quick template to fill in to begin setting up the campaign frame, to trigger thoughts and begin that creative journey.

Campaign Frame: The Path of Forgotten Fortua

Campaign Frame WorksheetDownload

Previously, the Fortua civilisation called these lands its own, but their fall has been lost to time and memory. What was once built with stone, steel and will has long since been swallowed by moss, root and ruin. The wild has taken back the bones of their world, twisting them into something new and feral. Now the ruins stand like broken teeth against the horizon, reminders that even greatness can be devoured.

You arrive in a fragile moment, when hope and ruin wrestle for dominance. The new settlements cling to life, precariously perched on the river’s edge or nestled in valleys that the wild eyes hungrily. Places like Rivertown promise fresh starts and better tomorrows, but they are surrounded by dangers that whisper of Fortua’s mistakes. Raiders prowl the waterways, marauders stalk the ruins, and in the depths of the Wraith Woods, the very forest seems alive with malice.

Whispers speak of the Taint, a lingering corruption that warps flesh, mind and nature itself. No one knows if it is curse, contagion or vengeance, only that it spreads and festers in the shadows of Fortua’s fallen towers. Yet even here, secrets remain. Forgotten knowledge lies in stone vaults, relics wait beneath the roots, and maps may lead to salvation—or to truths better left buried.

This is a story of discovery and survival, where civilisation pushes into a world that does not want it, and where the past gnaws at the edges of the present. Will your group protect these fragile settlements, carve their own path through the wilds, or be swallowed by the same forces that destroyed Fortua? The ruins are waiting, and they remember.

Core Concept

This is a story about discovering a new world, its dangerous populace, the fragile settlements that civilisation struggles to anchor, and the forgotten past that shows this land was not so different to where they came from.

Tone: tense and brutal, mythical and wondrous, history-deep, survival at all costs.

The World and Its Wounds

The untouched wilds are feral, overflowing with untamed magic and twisted tribes.
Cursed ruins, warped creatures, and the lingering echo of wild magic scar the land.
Yet something is worth saving here — the growing settlements like Rivertown, fragile sparks of hope in a hostile world.

The Central Tension

  • Will the new settlements survive, or fall like Fortua before them?
  • What drives peaceful people and creatures to madness, rage, and corruption?
  • Can civilisation persist here, or is the land itself cursed against it?
  • What happened to Fortua, and what warning lies in its fall?

Factions and Forces

The River Raiders — settlers who turned to piracy and plunder.

  • Want: control of trade, power through raiding.
  • Dangerous: ruthless, organised waterborne hunters.
  • Temptation: bargains for survival or wealth.

The Taint — a living corruption.

  • Want: hunger, corruption, to consume the living.
  • Dangerous: twisted beasts, silence, warped minds.
  • Temptation: forbidden knowledge and Fortua’s secret.

The Marauder Clans — corrupted humanoid hunters.

  • Want: dominance, control of ruins and passages.
  • Dangerous: cunning, relentless, savage.
  • Temptation: power in joining or bargaining with them.

Settlers Council (future faction)

  • Want: survival, stability, expansion.
  • Dangerous: demanding, ambitious, self-serving.
  • Temptation: a place to belong, but at a cost.

The Places of Play

  • Rivertown (Hub): vibrant, hopeful, fragile. The safest place, for now.
  • The Wilds (Frontier): shifting, tainted, alive with danger and change.
  • The Ruins of Fortua (Mystery): broken spires and relics. Knowledge and power, but heavily contested.

Player Hooks and Themes

  • Who in Rivertown depends on you to succeed?
  • What fear keeps you from trusting the woods?
  • What secret do you hope Fortua’s ruins might reveal?
  • How have you faced the raiders before?
  • What have you seen of the taint?
  • What vow drives you to survive?
  • Why did you come here — choice or decree?

Arc of Play

  • Stage One: Discovery — Raiders, the Taint, the ruins of Fortua. First glimpses of a larger world.
  • Stage Two: Escalation — The Taint spreads, marauders grow bold, raiders vanish. Pressure builds.
  • Stage Three: Reckoning — Will the players defend Rivertown, evacuate the settlers, or carve a new fate elsewhere?

Tone and Safety

  • Tone: mythic, foreboding, survivalist with hope.
  • Boundaries: avoid graphic cruelty. Focus on tension, not torture.
  • Spotlight: resilience, sacrifice, haunted history.

Recurring Motifs

  • Fireflies glowing in darkness, hope in fragile lights.
  • Broken stone swallowed by moss, civilisation consumed.
  • Horns and hunting cries echoing over silence, the sound of predators.

Flexibility Check

  • If Rivertown is ignored: players may join raiders, carve their own haven, or venture deeper into the woods.
  • Every faction can evolve — ally, escalate, collapse.
  • Failure pushes the story forward, never halts it.

Thanks for joining me for another night here at my blog. Don’t forget to check in from time to time to see what I am up to as I plan to still publish RPG Zines as often as I can. Stay tuned for more regarding the Path of Forgotten Fortua and the adventures that lay within its forgotten and feral lands.
The Brazen Wolfe

Rivertown Bound – Part 3

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Now for a change of pace I present, in new format zine, River Bound – Part 3. The idea is to still provide GMs and DMs more freedom to tinker with the adventure, how they want to run it to make it feel more free formed and flowing than the larger zines – although there is another one coming.

There are no references to other content other than what’s within the Zine itself and this week is Daggerheart specific. However, with all my adventures it wouldn’t be hard to tweak it to work for other Tabletop Systems.

So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, River Bound – Part 3, and that all your rolls are made with hope.

Rivertown Bound – Part 3

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Rivertown Bound – Fortua Ruins – Created in ChatGPT

The adventurers make it at last into the ruins of Fortua, a place spoken of in whispers but never seen so closely until now. The forest canopy broke to reveal crumbling walls and shattered towers, their jagged stones rising from the undergrowth like the tombstones of a long-forgotten people. At the centre of it all, piercing the canopy itself, stood the spire, cracked and weathered, yet still defiantly tall. From the first steps inside, it was clear these ruins remembered their fall, and the air hung heavy with the weight of forgotten history.

The adventurers took their time, gathering themselves after the ordeal of the Wraith Woods. This was no safe place, but even here they sought a moment to breathe, to dry their boots, and to steady their resolve. In the silence of the ruins, their conversations revealed new insights. Tales of old battles, half-remembered maps, and beliefs about what the people of Fortua once stood for. Every adventurer that made it this far shared what they knew like weaving a tapestry to reflect the story of this fallen fortress, retelling its history together.

Exploring deeper, the ruins became a patchwork of discovery. Broken statues hinted at forgotten gods, murals etched in crumbling stone told fragments of war, and ivy-bound halls revealed relics half-buried in moss and dust. Each discovery felt like peeling back layers of a mystery, with the adventurers’ voices weaving Fortua’s story into something alive again. They found knowledge of Rivertown’s path, relics that might yet serve them, and glimpses of the world that was lost when Fortua fell.

But peace never lasts long. The silence fractured with the harsh sounds of horns and guttural calls, the signal of hunters entering the ruins. The marauders were closing in, their whistles and cries echoing between the broken walls like wolves on the hunt. Whether the party slipped into shadow or prepared to stand against them, the tension of being stalked through the ruins was palpable.

From the top of the spire, Rivertown finally came into view; distant yet certain, a beacon of hope after so much peril. The path forward lay clear at last, though reaching it would not be without risk. The hunters pressed closer with every heartbeat, forcing the adventurers into a desperate choice: flee before they were cornered, or draw their weapons and fight in the shadow of Fortua’s fall.

When the adventurers departed the ruins, they carried with them more than just a direction. They bore fragments of Fortua’s story, the weight of its memory, and the gnawing sense that they were being watched, not only by marauders, but perhaps by something older that still lingered within those stones. The road to Rivertown had revealed itself, but the shadows of Fortua clung to them like moss on forgotten stone.

PDF adventure -Rivertown Bound – Part 3

Daggerheart – Rivertown Bound part 3Download

This Daggerheart adventure was created using guidelines and information from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0 which is the copyright of DRP, Darrington Press, who are the creators of the system. This content was created and/or modified from content within the SRD and is licensed under the DRP Community Gaming License which can be found here: Darrington Press CGL.

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. Don’t forget to come back daily so you don’t miss a thing in the coming weeks adventures. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Rivertown Bound – Part 2

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Now for a change of pace I present, in new format zine, River Bound – Part 2. The idea is to still provide GMs and DMs more freedom to tinker with the adventure, how they want to run it to make it feel more free formed and flowing than the larger zines – although there is another one coming.

There are no references to other content other than what’s within the Zine itself and this week is Daggerheart specific. However, with all my adventures it wouldn’t be hard to tweak it to work for other Tabletop Systems.

So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, River Bound – Part 2, and that all your rolls are made with hope.

Rivertown Bound – Part 2

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Rivertown Bound – The Wood Wraith – Created in ChatGPT

The adventurers escaped the raiders of the river only to find themselves stranded on a narrow, weed-choked shore. Behind them, their ship lay broken, half-submerged and silent save for the hum of fireflies circling the wreck. Before them stretched the Wraith Woods, a place whispered of in dread; a wall of twisted trees where few who enter are said to return. With little choice, they gathered what supplies they could and pressed onward, leaving the ruined vessel behind.

Within the woods, every step pressed deeper into unease. The silence was heavy, broken only by their own movement and the occasional echo that made the forest feel alive with unseen eyes. It wasn’t long before the truth of those whispers revealed itself. Wolves, their bodies grotesquely bound with living vines and bark, emerged from the mist.

They drove the party deeper into the forest, until the very air shifted; cold, heavy, ancient and suffocating. From the roots and shadows rose the Wood Wraith, a monstrous fusion of vine, bark, and bone, its hollow cry shaking the ancient trees as it hungered for the warmth of the living. Sending out snaking corrupted vines it sought to feast well in the morning light.

The adventurers fought tooth and nail, but survival meant more than simple victory, it meant escape. Wolves and twisting branches chased them through the choking forest until, at last, they burst free onto shattered stone. There, rising out of the morning fog like broken teeth, stood the ruins of Fortua reflecting mornings light from its grey stone. Though they had escaped the Wood Wraith’s immediate grasp, its dreadful presence lingered in their bones. The Wraith Woods had not claimed them… not yet.

PDF adventure -Rivertown Bound – Part 2

Daggerheart – Rivertown Bound part 2Download

This Daggerheart adventure was created using guidelines and information from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0 which is the copyright of DRP, Darrington Press, who are the creators of the system. This content was created and/or modified from content within the SRD and is licensed under the DRP Community Gaming License which can be found here: Darrington Press CGL.

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. Don’t forget to come back daily so you don’t miss a thing in the coming weeks adventures. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Rivertown Bound – Part 1

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Now for a change of pace I present, in new format zine, River Bound – Part 1. The idea is to still provide GMs and DMs more freedom to tinker with the adventure, how they want to run it to make it feel more free formed and flowing than the larger zines – although there is another one coming.

There are no references to other content other than what’s within the Zine itself and this week is Daggerheart specific. However, with all my adventures it wouldn’t be hard to tweak it to work for other Tabletop Systems.

So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, River Bound – Part 1, and that all your rolls are made with hope.

Rivertown Bound – Part 1

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Rivertown Bound – River Raiders – Created in ChatGPT

Our journey began aboard a small trade ship, its deck crowded with passengers and crew as it drifted steadily downstream. The river carried us past the looming shadow of the Wraith Woods, and far ahead the jagged ruins of Fortua rose against the setting sun. The crew muttered about ill omens, but for a while the river seemed calm; fireflies flickering among the reeds, fog curling low across the water.

That calm didn’t last. Strange sounds broke the night; a scrape across wood, the low whistle of something moving unseen, and from the fog emerged shapes: swift raider canoes with sharpened spikes lashed to their prows. Fireflies swirled in glass jars clutched by the raiders as they rammed our vessel and vaulted aboard.

The fight was fast and chaotic. Blades flashed, firefly lanterns shattered against the hull, and the ship shuddered under the assault. We pushed back the raiders, though not without cost. In the end, those who survived the clash retreated into the fog, slipping back into the current with their stolen goods.

But victory was hollow. The ship had taken on too much water, timbers groaning beneath our feet. With the captain’s desperate cry we grabbed oars, paddles, anything we could, and drove the battered vessel toward the shore. Exhausted and cold, we dragged ourselves onto the riverbank as the ship gave way behind us, sinking into the dark current.

That was where we leave it: huddled on the river’s edge, the fog heavy around us, the Wraith Woods looming ahead.

PDF adventure -Rivertown Bound – Part 1

Daggerheart – Rivertown Bound part 1Download

This Daggerheart adventure was created using guidelines and information from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0 which is the copyright of DRP, Darrington Press, who are the creators of the system. This content was created and/or modified from content within the SRD and is licensed under the DRP Community Gaming License which can be found here: Darrington Press CGL.

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. Don’t forget to come back daily so you don’t miss a thing in the coming weeks adventures. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Familiar’s Favour

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Now for the next Zine of the year I present, in single page zine format, The Familiar’s Favour. 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 but it can easily use the adversary stat-blocks highlighted in Friday nights post if you’re running Daggerheart. 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 Familiar’s Favour, and that all your rolls are made with advantage.

The Familiar’s Favour

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The Familiar’s Favour – Created in ChatGPT

In the bustling market town of Ashford-on-Weir, where the arcane arts blend seamlessly with daily life, something has gone terribly wrong. Familiars and trained magical beasts; normally loyal and dependable, have begun to act strangely. Cats vanish only to return drenched in river water, owls deliver messages to the wrong people and stare at the moon in broad daylight, and draybeasts that haul goods refuse to move, lashing out at handlers before abruptly resuming their tasks. Whispers ripple through the streets as unease spreads, and soon the adventurers find themselves swept into a mystery far greater than they imagined.

Their first true encounter comes in the form of a raven named Sable. Burdened with a strange compulsion, it forces out broken words: “The Charm of Concord… stolen… trail fresh.” This talisman, they soon learn, binds master and familiar in harmony. Without it, the delicate magical balance between beast and mage begins to collapse. Drawn to the Eyeless Spire; the arcane heart of the city, the adventurers are brought before Aleris Quall, a half-elven clerk whose calm demeanour belies her deep worry. She confirms their suspicions: the Charm of Concord is gone, and her own apprentice, Yasil, vanished on his watch. Though suspicion falls squarely on him, Aleris admits something feels wrong. Yasil was no thief, yet the evidence points to betrayal.

Armed with a writ from the Spire, the adventurers begin their investigation. What they discover only deepens the mystery. Market beasts have run amok, their behaviour disturbingly purposeful rather than random. Entire flocks of ravens descend to snatch valuables in plain sight, while warding crystals, supposedly tamper-proof, lie shattered in courtyards where pawprints simply end as if the creatures disappeared into thin air. Rumours surface of Yasil walking calmly through the east gate with a fox at his side, one with three tails, its pale fur glowing faintly in the dawn light. Whatever has taken the Charm is no longer the work of a single apprentice. This is a theft carried out with precision, by creatures that should not be working together at all.

The trail leads to a forgotten courtyard, moss-clad and hushed, hidden between the looming Eyeless Spire and the old city wall. Here, among broken wards and a ruined reliquary, the truth is revealed. Familiars; creatures once thought bound to their masters’ wills, gather with uncanny coordination. A two-headed monkey clutches the Charm of Concord with delicate precision, while the pale fox and a murder of ravens guard its position with eerie purpose. Their eyes meet the adventurers’, not with animal instinct, but with intent. These creatures are no longer acting under human command; they are the orchestrators. The heist was theirs.

The implications are staggering. The magical bonds that have defined mage and familiar are breaking, or perhaps reshaping into something entirely new. Ashford-on-Weir teeters on the edge of chaos, for if familiars across the realm awaken to such independence, what role will their former masters play and who will hold the true power? The adventurers are faced not only with recovering the talisman but with confronting an unsettling truth: the creatures they once trusted as allies may no longer be willing to remain in that role.

What began as a simple theft is now a test of loyalty, a question of control, and a glimpse into a future where bonds of magic and trust may never be the same. The party must decide whether to reclaim the Charm, restore the old order, or risk allowing something altogether wilder and more dangerous to take root.

PDF adventure – The Familiar’s Favour

The Familiar’s FavourDownload

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. Don’t forget to come back daily so you don’t miss a thing in the coming weeks adventures. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Rioting Familiars

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Tonight the rioting familiars take the centre stage as they get ready to defend their right to life free from the yolk of oppression. Or something to that effect, not many people speak two-headed monkey.

So grab a coffee, some fruit or other snacks as we go into negotiations or combat in tonight’s encounter!

The Rioting Familiars

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The courtyard hung in uneasy silence, the weight of the moment pressing down as the adventurers stood before the assembled familiars. It was no accident, no trick of chance, the Charm of Concord glimmered faintly in the monkey’s grasp, its fractured bonds pulling beast and master alike into disarray. Yet here the familiars were, not fractured but united, eyes bright with a cunning far beyond mere obedience. The raven Sable croaked from a nearby wall, feathers slick with shadow, and in his call the others shifted as one, as though some silent command tied them together.

A choice now faced the party. They could draw steel and spells, prising the amulet back by force, but the united familiars moved with the certainty of those defending a cause rather than hoarding a prize. Or they could test a different path. Perhaps seeking to parley, to understand why creatures bound by magic had broken free and chosen to act in defiance of their masters. The air shimmered faintly, as though the Charm of Concord itself pulsed with anticipation. Every step, every word, would decide whether this forgotten courtyard became a battlefield or the birthplace of an unlikely accord with the rioting familiars.

For D&D Systems

D&D Statblock for Tailed Fox, Swarm of Ravens and Two headed Monkey – created in Tetra-cube.

Thanks for visiting tonight for another set of updates for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back over the weekend for more updates and lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Ashford-on-weir Courtyard

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Tonight we look at the scene of chaos in the Ashford-on-weir Courtyard where the party find the gang of familiars who have stolen the Charm of Concord.

So grab a coffee, maybe a few bladders of jugs of water, as we check out tonight’s map!

Ashford-on-weir Courtyard

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Ashford-on-weir Courtyard – Created in Inkarnate.

As the party enters the courtyard they are greeted a forgotten, quiet, moss-covered space nestled between the city’s stone wall and the Eyeless Spire’s looming façade. As they look in the cacophony of sounds stills and the air shifts. The midday suns glare warms the stone and makes the hidden courtyard, shattered fountain and shaded trees look very enticing. The little courtyard forgotten between walls and the houses of Ashford-on-weir lay still except for the smallest breeze that made the palms dance above and against the ten feet tall walls.

Tucked behind a glimmering golden statue of a coiled snake lay the ruined reliquary; its ward-crystals fractured and faint hums fading into uneasy silence.

Familiar cries echo from above, and suddenly the courtyard stirs. A murmuration of ravens circles overhead, wings slicing through pale light before settling on the charred edges of the reliquary and among shattered crystals. At first, the party suspects they’re dealing with a clever thieving gang that used the ravens, but this felt different.

Then the familiars reveal themselves. Not merely mindless minions, but agents of a singular purpose. A two-headed monkey swings in from a darkened corner, its fingers delicately wrapped around the Charm of Concord. Near it, the three-tailed fox; whose pale fur seems to glow even under the sun, stances protectively beside the amulet, snarling softly at any who draws near. A sleek owl, limp trays of parchment clutched in its talons, flutters into view, cooing gently as if urging calm.

The creatures’ eyes meet the party’s, and in that moment, the truth becomes chillingly clear: these familiars have orchestrated this heist. No panic flares as the party have strength, skill and size on their side but soon there is a tense, uncanny stillness, as if watching what the adventurers decide to do next. And its then that the party realise that there are more eyes on them than they originally thought.

Thanks for joining for another map night this week. Don’t forget that we have a few more nights left this week so make sure to come back each day to see what I add to this adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Aleris and Sable

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The categorist Aleris and Sable, her Raven, are the caretakers of one of the many vaults in the eyeless spire and it was under their apprentices watch that the talisman went missing. But something feels off to the party.

So grab a coffee, some parchment for notes as we delve into tonight’s adventure!

Aleris and Sable

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Aleris and Sable – Created in WordPress.

The Eyeless Spire loomed above the rooftops like a silent windowless sentinel, which is where it got its name the eyeless spire. Its smooth black stone broken only by narrow slits where birds flew in and out of delivering packages and messages. The streets around it were quieter than the markets, but still alive with the hum of people, commerce and of course, the magical beasts that called this city home. The flicker of wards and telepathic communication was everywhere and for some in the party the sense was dizzying.

Inside the spire, the air carried the faint scent of parchment, candle wax and dust. The party were recognised quickly and were shown to a room on the seventh floor where Aleris Quall, clerk of the Eyeless Spire, was waiting for them and tapping her foot nervously. She was a slender half-elf with silver hair pulled neatly back, she wore deep blue robes that matched the ink stains on her fingers. Behind her desk, piles of scrolls and ledgers were stacked with impossible precision, yet a small tray of half-finished letters hinted at how quickly the day’s events had unsettled her.

‘You met Sable,’ she began, her voice calm but strained. The black raven was perched on the back of her chair, feathers puffed and eyes darting around the room. ‘He’s usually the most dependable creature I’ve ever worked with. Since last night, however…’ She trailed off, glancing at the bird, who tilted his head sharply as if to cut her off and daring her to go further.

Aleris leaned forward, lowering her voice. ‘You may suspect why I’ve asked for you to come here. The Charm of Concord has been stolen. It’s no mere ornament or trinket. Without it, the bonds between familiars, magical beasts and their masters weaken with each passing moon. You may have noticed it already that the beasts, magical and otherwise,’ she gestured at Sable, ‘are acting strange. The Charm of Concord’s missing that’s why the beasts in the city are behaving strangely. If it isn’t recovered quickly, the situation will worsen.’ she hesitated again before adding. ‘My apprentice Yasil, he was meant to be looking after it in the vault that we manage but he didn’t show up for handover this morning and I only found his leather satchel next to where the talisman was kept. Emphasis on was as it was missing when I found the bag.’

She explained that the talisman had been kept in the academy’s reliquary, protected by layers of wards and guarded by herself, Yasil and their familiars. Whoever took it bypassed those defences without leaving a trace. The theft, she was certain, had happened less than a day ago when she entrusted its safe keeping to Yasil. She slid a folded writ across the desk, marked with the seal of the Eyeless Spire. ‘This will give you the right to investigate. I can promise you payment and the gratitude of the academy… but above all, if this is not resolved soon, Ashford-on-Weir will not be safe for anyone mage or mundane.’

Before dismissing them, Aleris gave the names of others who might offer insight. Master Othran Vey, the proud and tight-lipped Headmaster of the academy, had been quick to insist the matter remain ‘internal.‘ Serra Greenwhistle, keeper of the city’s draybeasts, had been struggling with animals refusing to work and attacking their handlers. And a boy named Fennik, a nimble-fingered street urchin who haunted the alleyways near the market, had claimed to see “small shadows” moving together at night — though he was more likely to speak for a coin than for free. She also mentioned when Sable wasn’t listening, that she had requested the city guard find Yasil as so far, he was the suspect for the theft but something felt off about his disappearance.

Outside her office window, the sun was already beginning its descent towards the horizon, the streets below long in shadow. Somewhere in those streets, the trail of the Charm of Concord was growing colder.

Thanks for visiting tonight for another update for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back the last few nights this week to make sure that you don’t miss anything that happens with this adventure. And, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Charm of Concord

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The charm of concord has been stolen and familiars and magical beasts are becoming unpredictable and at times downright dangerous. The party have been brought in to track the magic talisman, find the culprit and restore balance to the city of Ashford-on-weir.

So grab a coffee, maybe guard your purse strings as we kick off into another adventure!

The Familiar’s Favour is a system-agnostic fetch-quest with a twist, perfect for one-shots or to weave into a larger campaign.

In the bustling heart of a magical market town, a talking raven delivers a plea that will change the fate of every familiar in the realm. The Charm of Concord, a powerful talisman that binds familiar and master. However, it has been stolen, and without it, arcane companions are becoming restless, unpredictable, and dangerously independent. But the truth is stranger still: the thief is no where to be found yet suspects are everywhere. Will the party restore the magical order, unleash a tide of wild magic, or broker a new bond between mage and beast?

The Charm of Concord

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The Charm of Concord – created in WordPress.

In the bustling market town of Ashford-on-Weir, the party weave their way through crowded streets, noisy markets, and quiet alleys on their journey to the Eyeless Spire, the city’s arcane hub. Whispers pass from lip to lip of strange behaviour among the familiars and trained magical beasts belonging to the local academy and the many magically adept folk within the city walls.

Cats vanish into thin air for hours, only to return with fur matted from river water or streaked with mud. Owls deliver messages to the wrong recipients and stare, unblinking, towards the moon regardless of the hour. Even at the arcane academy, the Headmaster’s prized hawk refuses to return to its perch, stealing food from market stalls in full view of baffled merchants.

As the party cross the town square, a black raven wearing a worn leather satchel swoops down, tilting its head in a quizzical manner. In a rasping, intelligent voice, it pleads for their help, though its speech seems strained, as if something is trying to stop it. “The Charm of Concord,” it croaks. “Talisman… magical bond… beasts and masters…” It struggles to finish the thought. “It has been stolen. Trail still fresh, make haste!”

The raven squawks, flapping aggressively in the adventurers’ faces before darting off toward the spire, its flight jerky and uncontrolled. The party had come to Ashford-on-Weir seeking work, having been told that a clerk at the Eyeless Spire required experienced adventurers. But now, they are left wondering if the raven’s words are connected—and where the day might lead.

Following the raven’s insistence that the trail is fresh, the party begin to notice more oddities: a two-headed monkey; clearly an aberration, squats in an alley, daubing arcane sigils in what they hope is mud. Massive draft beasts refuse to pull carts, lying stubbornly in the street until provoked, at which point they lash out violently before abruptly calming, resuming their work under the watchful eyes of anxious handlers.

At the edge of the market, just before the Eyeless Spire comes into view, strange pawprints, claw marks, and scraps of parchment lead into a narrow alley. The shadows seem to move with several small creatures, unseen but watching.

And at the market’s edge before they walked into the area round the Eyeless Spire, there were strange pawprints, claw marks, and scraps of parchment that lead into a narrow alley where the party could sense several small creatures moving in the shadows, unseen but watching.

Thanks for visiting for another start of the week adventure kick off night. Don’t forget to come around for more adventure crafting tomorrow and the rest of the week as we continue to grow and expand this adventure into something memorable for our parties. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe