Relics of the Dark

510SuReDa

The party reached Khumric, a city that defied their low expectations after a bleak journey through the Marsh of Despair. Once notorious, Khumric now buzzes with life, bustling with adventurers who explore the dangerous locales of the Marsh, Demongate, and Windhollow peaks. They navigate through vibrant markets and inns, surrounded by merchants selling items called Relics from three dungeon like locales that surrounded the town.The people of this town had adapted and grown, offering all manner of services for adventurers as the market was in delving through the dungeons, crypts and caverns of the three locales. The town thrived on the constant flow of treasure hunters delving into ancient crypts and treacherous caverns.

However, ominous news awaits them. A series of warnings on a central billboard reveal that no adventuring parties have returned from recent expeditions to the Demongate or the Crypt at the heart of the Marsh. A sudden vacancy at a local inn implies a high rate of missing adventurers. As the party contemplates their next steps, a wounded warrior announces a wyrm threat in Windhollow, seeking assistance to rescue survivors. The adventurers must engage with the Delver’s Guild to uncover the cause of these escalating dangers.

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The party encountered Eulric Darkstone, the imposing leader of the Delver’s Guild, whose body was marked by extensive runic scars and embedded with the disc-relics made of silver, gold, and bronze. Eulric, a descendant of the heroes who defeated the three ancient evils around Khumric, exuded a powerful aura as his relics activated. Despite his unsettling presence and a faint metallic whine in his voice, he delivered crucial information about the crypts, the Demongate, and the wyrms, dismissing them as the sources of the recent disturbances. Eulric’s silver hair framed his frown as he expressed surprise at not sensing the party’s arrival, something he normally could do due to his relic-given connection to the land.

Realizing that the true threat was concealed within Khumric itself, Eulric deduced that an ancient power was hiding the evil among them. As the guild members hastily documented his revelations, Eulric appealed to the party for assistance, asking them to investigate the town for any signs of hidden malevolence. He emphasized that their unique nature made them the best hope for uncovering the source of the trouble and preventing further loss of life. The party now faced the daunting task of uncovering the concealed threat within the very heart of Khumric.

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After leaving the Delvers Guild Hall, the party noticed an argument between a gate guard and a dwarf adventurer regarding missing adventurers. The dwarf claimed that his men had left through the Windhollow Peaks gate, but the guard insisted they hadn’t. The party approached the guard, who explained that records of departures and returns were kept to inform loved ones of lost adventurers. Due to recent issues, the town had closed the gates to prevent further casualties. The guard said the records showed no one had left, despite the dwarf’s insistence. Upon investigating further, the party discovered a clue that the same messenger had requested aid today and last week, suggesting a lead to the missing adventurers.

While searching for the messenger, the party encountered a man who claimed to have seen them earlier and needed their help. He offered a way out of the city past the guards to save the missing adventurers. Trusting him as their best lead, they followed him to a relic shop emitting a strong magical aura. Inside, they found hundreds of foul-resonating relics. As the man interacted with the shop owner, the sound of a shutting door indicated danger. The party realized they might uncover the source of the missing rescuers in the impending fight for survival.

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After the man that attacked them was now unconscious after preventing them from going down a staircase, the party realized that the stairs led to a cellar rather than an escape route. As they descended into a dark room surrounded by stone walls, they heard sounds indicating something deeper beyond. The trap was sprung as the door clicked shut behind them, locking them in. The party in their attempted escape discovered a loose stone in the wall, revealing four dwarves who had been missing. These dwarves, along with others who had vanished from various delves, were found in the caves, driven mad, barely fed, and obsessively talking about relics that could save the town by harnessing their power.

Realizing the dire situation, the party knew that attempting to escape through the locked door was futile for now. They were trapped in the cellar, waiting for their ambushers to check on them, which could provide an opportunity to escape. The party understood the gravity of their predicament and the need to find a way back to freedom while uncovering the mystery behind the missing dwarves and the dangerous relics.

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The party waited until the door was open before they sprung their own ambush. In the panic the door became jammed and a clear way out of the cellar was found. But there was more than just the bloodied man this time as the house swarmed with people with the same zealous eyes as the man that attacked them.

As the cultists swarmed the party, their leader performed a ritual by slamming two relics together, causing a gruesome scene as blood and bodies were drawn toward her. Chanting to the shadow in the relics, the cultists’ remains merged into a mass of energy and refuse, forming a large demonic figure studded with relics. The room began to collapse as the monstrous entity emerged, staring at the adventurers with a menacing presence.

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PDF adventure – Relics of the Dark

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The Displaced Lord

509SuDiLo

The adventurers had journeyed to Nevarl and had found themselves in the Penitent’s Larder, a lively and boisterous tavern that belied its name. The tavern keeper, Goya, a formidable goliath, enforced the rules with an iron fist. As she stood behind the bar, cleaning large carving knives, she chatted amiably with the party, who had booked a room for a night or two. Their conversation was filled with tales of their adventures, and Goya eagerly joined in, asking questions that revealed her keen interest in their exploits.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted as a faint cry for help reached their ears. The room fell silent, and the adventurers turned their attention to the door. A man burst in, his tunic torn and covered in mud and vomit, with claw marks raking his back. He collapsed, pleading for help. The party rushed outside to investigate, finding only barrels rolling down the road and indistinct footprints. Returning to the now-empty tavern, they discovered Goya nursing a broken lip and the man bleeding from new cuts. He warned them of a demon that grew angry when his shirt was removed, but despite their best efforts, the party found no evidence of a lurking demon.

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The party watched the nervous man, who introduced himself as Joe Smith, anxiously eat his meal. He explained that every time he removed his shirt, he was attacked by an unseen demon with horns, a hog-like nose, tusks, and claws capable of slicing through dragon scales. Despite their efforts, the party couldn’t detect any curse or determine the source of the faint magic surrounding him. Each attempt to remove the shirt resulted in Joe being attacked, leaving him bruised and bloodied.

Determined to uncover Joe’s identity, the party left him in Goya’s care and searched the markets of Nevarl. They found no record of Joe Smith, raising doubts about his existence. However, they observed a strange interaction between a well dressed young woman putting up pieces of parchment on a notice board before her house guardsmen tore them down and burned them, one briefly revealing Joe’s face on a well-dressed man. With no other leads, the party realized that finding Joe’s true identity required pursuing the wealthy or influential individuals behind the expensive sketches.

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The party stood at the entrance of a narrow, cobblestone street that wound through the bustling Nevarl markets. Tall buildings of stone and timber lined the street, their upper stories jutting out and adorned with signs and clothes. One sign read ‘Draodir,’ a famous dwarven tavern known for its strong spirits and ale. Barrels and crates were scattered along the sides, and warm lanterns cast an inviting light, despite the lurking figures.

The air carried the scent of baked goods, likely from a nearby shop. In the distance, the street led to an archway with the towering spires of a grand castle beyond. With Joe in tow, the party was determined to reach the manor where his family waited, reunite him with his daughter, and hopefully break the curse affecting his mind.

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The party managed to sneak in through the servants quarters into the manor. They avoided the sounds of people while in the house and headed deeper into the manor. There are guards posted outside of a large room but they manage to prevent a near disaster where a maid of the manor recognised Joe as Donnovan. Confirming their suspicions the maid led them to the hall where Lady Straken and her daughter, Kendral Straken were waiting.

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PDF adventure – The Displaced Lord

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Storm Born

508SuStBo

A fierce storm drove the party into the village of Askir, offering them shelter from the biting cold and rain. The village’s tavern, Jotund’s Boot, provided warmth, food, and spiced ale. Despite the welcoming atmosphere, a palpable tension filled the air, asvillagers cast anxious glances toward the windows.

The party soon learned that Askir was under siege by a mysterious wolf-like creature that struck without warning, leaving only lifeless bodies in its wake. Attempts to trap or kill the beast had failed, and hope among the villagers had dwindled. However, a survivor had returned with vital information about the creature’s lair.

As morning broke, the storm’s fury had temporarily subsided. The village elder, a weary and desperate man, summoned the party, pleading for their help to stop the creature and save the village. The elder revealed that the survivor had mentioned a landslide and a cave to the east in the valley wall, where the creature might be hiding. The adventurers, feeling the weight of the village’s hope upon them, agreed to take on the perilous mission.

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As the party rushed back to Jotund’s Boot, a young teen intercepted them with urgent news that Welk Tanner had woken up. The party hurried to the leatherworking hut, where they found Welk breathing shallowly but awake, his face marked by the encounter. He recounted his harrowing experience of being hunted by a creature that moved like a wolf but was much larger and spoke in a human voice, taunting him and calling him by name. Welk described how the creature’s attacks left him dizzy, possibly from poison, and how he ultimately managed to stab it in the eye with a splintered bone before fleeing.

Welk’s story left the party with more questions than answers, revealing that the creature was intelligent, malicious, and personally tied to the villagers. The village elder, recognizing the importance of Welk’s information, cautioned the party to tread carefully, knowing the creature was not what it seemed. Despite the elder’s advice, the party knew they needed to act swiftly, even though they would ideally seek more information. Determined to protect Askir and uncover the truth, they prepared for the dangerous journey ahead, feeling the weight of unease settle over them as they left Welk’s hut.

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The morning brought a brief lull in the storm but also another gruesome discovery: Welk Tanner’s body, nearly cut in half, was found despite the healer’s claim of not hearing anything during the night. The room was in chaos, the window shattered, and gore covered the healer’s tunic. With the village in panic, the elder had the healer locked away until the party could find and kill the beast. As the party ventured into the woods, a sense of dread followed them, and they soon arrived at a cave reeking of blood and death, its entrance adorned with ice like fangs.

Inside the cave, the party discovered a scene of horror: bones and broken bodies littered the ground, and an oppressive energy radiated from a twisted altar covered in glowing runes. As they approached, a hulking, twisted wolf-like creature emerged from the shadows, followed by the village elder. The elder revealed his true intentions, explaining how he had orchestrated the events to lure fresh victims to the village. His sinister plan was now clear, and the party realized they had to confront not only the creature but the malevolent elder wielding dark magic.

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PDF adventure – Storm Born

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