Hidden in the ruins of the Tempest Fields
Session 3 hopefully. The party, on their way to a bigger city, travels through the ruins of an old fortress, from the Oshyan-pan war.
Edgevein is the closest settlement to the border, after the battles fought there left the land nearly uninhabitable for many years.
The fortress, like most buildings in the area, were left to rot once the war was over. Most of the above-ground building has long since been looted and emptied by various treasure hunters, but the fortress has a hidden basement still undiscovered. Well... mostly undiscovered at least.
The fortress was, during the war, used as a base for military mages. Near the end of it, an enemy wizard got inside and destroyed everything inside. All the mages and soldiers there at the time, met a painful and fiery end. The ruins are still visibly burned.
Dark and empty places full of death and decay are favoured by dark creatures. And while no humanoids want's near the place, it is not so empty as is believed.
The people of Edgevein and Seltow tell tales of a great treasure hidden in the ruins. And the old fortress is supposed to be haunted by the soldiers who died there.
Plot points/Scenes
Hook one: Aaron, if the party asks about the way, tells them the fastest way is past the ruins, across the old battlefield.
If the party asks about the ruins, he tells them it's the ruins of an old fortress from the war. He says it's supposedly haunted, but in actuality it's pretty empty. Looted many times by travelers and treasure hunters. He does tell them not to stick around there at night though, just in case. He then shares a look with Rarner before moving on and telling them the rest of the way. Players who succeed on a dc 15 insight check will figure out he is trying to warn them off. Players with anything between 12 and 15 knows he's not telling them something. A nat20 tells them he's been there and doesn't want them to go.
On the way there, after about an hour of traveling, they meet the traveling merchant named Hadora Wysar. Hadora asks them if they're going to the ruins. She believes in most of the stories about the place, and tells the party she's interested in any kind of loot from there.
they meet Arman fan Dugal, Arman tells them he might know of the treasure they've heard about.
On the ground floor, the party find nothing of interest. It's obvious that whatever was left behind has been raided a long time ago. They see what looks like barracks, a mess hall, a ritualistic looking room and some offices.
However, in the ritualistic rooms back-room, a single scroll can be dug from the ashes that covers the floor with a successful investigation check DC 12. The Scroll is a Scroll of Cure Wounds (2nd level) in pristine condition.
floor -1 is also mostly empty. It has a few books too weathered by time to be read. Here, they also find old, charred bones and warped weapons melted stuck to the ground. It's largely overgrown by now and still covered in ash, it's a creepy sight. Some of the skeletons look like they were trying to go up the stairs, and fell on their faces.
The inner magic-room has especially many skeletons. Three Ash-zombies rises from the ash that still covers the floor here in layers. A successful investigation check DC 15 reveals a Potion of Healing, Nat 20 finds two.
The staircase down is hidden behind a hidden door. To find it, the party has to succeed on a DC 10 investigation check in the correct room. The door is opened with a lever conveniently hidden behind what looks like a book in a shit condition, in what was probably once a bookcase. The book is actually fake, and the lever has a DC 12 strength check to push.
Floor -2 has two treasure chests. One is locked. If the unlocked one is opened, two to five more ash-zombies emerge from the ash.
The second chest can be opened by picking the lock (DC 12), or by forcing in open (strength DC 12).
In the chest is 100gp, 200cp and 67sp, a fork, a music box, and an empty glass bottle.
Parent Plot
Related Locations
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