a luminous shimmer weaves through the air, like moonlight captured in strands of gossamer. The flora around starts to glow softly, their colors intensifying. A whistling, ethereal sound hums through the trees, almost like the forest itself is singing. Suddenly, the air ripples and a swirling vortex appears, its edges lined with sparkling motes of light, dancing like fireflies. The portal pulses, as if alive, beckoning adventurers to step through into a verdant glade beyond.
The environment on the far side reminds Tess of home, lacking the vivid colors of the world around her. It certainly could be Oerth, which would make sense since they followed directions from an elf seemingly from Oerth, himself.
Koselig passes through the crossing with the others. When they're alone, he addresses Tess directly but loud enough fir everyone to hear. "OK, so we made it here. I am sorry to say that Riggby really has passed, but you sadly do not have time to attend his send-off. We must find something of utmost importance. In the Yatil mountans to the west, a secret lays buried. We must to get find it as quickly as possible."
<assumimg someone will ask "What is it?">
"Back in Faerun, thing aren't right. The skies are getting darker. The sun is shining fewer hours each day and the light-producing spells are weakening. I don't know what the cause of it is, but there is said to be an artifact in the Witch Queen's hoard, a lantern of immense magical power. If the source of this darkness is to he found, such a tool could be the only hope of restoring the daylight to Toril."
"I've arranged a meeting at an inn near the mountains. Some local lord has an idea to take a cut of the treasure. Whether we stick to the terms or not, The Caverns have been lost for years. Any of Iggwilv's agents either vanished or died with the secret. This bloke says he has a clue to where the caverns are. We're essentially agreeing ro pay a fi deres fee. Petty things. To me it matters not at all. The fate of our world is at stake."
...
The settlements nearest to the Lost Caverns are several days' travel from the Yatil Mountains, though way stations, hunting lodges, and roadside inns dot the roads up to the mountains.
....
An unassuming human sits across from you at a corner table in the Lazy Bat, a dimly lit roadside inn. They're dressed to blend with the surrounding patrons. "I'm glad you came," the agent says in a low voice. "My employer will be most grateful."
Their voice quiets to a whisper. "New information pointing to the whereabouts of the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth—the former lair of Iggwilv, the so-called Witch Queen—has surfaced."
The agent produces a rolled-up scroll bound in a blue ribbon and sets it on the table. "This is all we know about the caverns. You're needed to strike out into the mountains, locate the caverns, and recover whatever treasure the archmage left behind. It's sure to be dangerous, but the rewards defy imagination."
Cha'jil was now in the mountains.....which she had been headed to before, but without any familiar landmarks to guide the way she was a little discombobulated.......but Koselig seemed to know what was going on so she abided for now......
She stared at the unfamiliar human with the paper maps and just sighed, she snatched up the poem and studied it for a few moments....
" A warning? Surely we already know its dangerous?"
<This is the module, if we want to play it as intended, with tournament rules, there's just one short rest and no long rests in the first half, (it's pretty obvious when you're at the half-way point). You can let me know what you want to do about that, but I thought this was a good time to mention it.>
If there's nothing you'd like to know (either from or about this agent,) the mountains are right there and we start hexcrawling. This is one of many inns so assume you're long rested as we begin. If you can draw on the map provided, that's good, but otherwise just pick a direction and we will always assume the shortest path. You do have an accurate map.
We roll for random encounters 3x/day (in-game time)
overland travel speeds are as follows:
Normal Pace: 24 miles per day
Fast Pace*: 30 miles per day
Difficult Terrain (Mountains): Half the normal pace
Normal Pace: 12 miles per day
Fast Pace: 15 miles per day
Fast Pace effects:
Penalties to Passive Perception: When traveling at a fast pace, characters suffer a -5 penalty to their Passive Perception scores, making them less likely to notice ambushes, traps, or hidden dangers.
Exhaustion: Pushing a group to travel fast for prolonged periods could result in exhaustion, especially if they are already tired or in harsh conditions. This typically depends on the Dungeon Master's discretion.
<Also, feel free to make any checks you like whenever you want. You generally won't be prompted for them. Survival, investigation and nature are pretty evergreen. Just be sure to note what you're pointing at.>
Cha'jil was now in the mountains.....which she had been headed to before, but without any familiar landmarks to guide the way she was a little discombobulated.......but Koselig seemed to know what was going on so she abided for now......
She stared at the unfamiliar human with the paper maps and just sighed, she snatched up the poem and studied it for a few moments....
" A warning? Surely we already know its dangerous?"
"Not from around here I take it. We'll, the Horn of Iggwilv is what folks call thos mountain, here." The man places an index finger in the northern area of the mountains in the map. "It somewhat resembles the witch Queens's hat, apparently. Somewhere in these mountains, before she came to rule Perrenland, she was known to hail from these mountains. Where exactly, none alive today can say."
<you'll see it easily when yoi reach the foot of the mountains. The hooked peak of Iggwilv's Horn towers over the rest of the Yatil Mountains>
<I'm just going to roll travel day 1 so I can prep. You can tell me where your headed when you decide.>
Finally out of the feywild and his prior engagement, Sparhawk seems to get his wits about him. Also, his body has changed even more. His tale is now gone, but he still has some horns. His coloring is now a mix of green and orange, or brown in color. He used to be a pale green. He is some sort of cross between a half-orc and bugbear.
"Well, I do not know how all of that happened, nor do I know what occurred with you. One moment, we were at the fort fighting that huge dragon think, the next....well, I ended up on some tropical island with a huge group of vampires. I was able to help a woman save her brother from being sacrificed." He looks over to each of them, "I am curious what happened to each of you after that dragon, Etali."
"In addition, let us develop a strategy for finding these caverns on this map."
<You're entering from the East. Sooner or later, you'll have to cross the river. I'm not calling for any rolls to do so. There's a bridge all the way to tbe south. I'm not tracking time (with 3 rolls per day) until you're on the map. You can start from anywhere on the eastern edge or southern edge. Just let me know where you want to star. I'll mark your path as you make progress.>
Sparhawk will ask the agent, "This map is very helpful and has a lot of leads. Have your people explored any of these routes yet? I'd like to shorter our search as much as possible." (OOC: Who does the agent work for, and what is our arrangement with him?, I also assume we have provisions)
In addition, if there are any local people, Sparhawk will ask them if they have heard anything of the cave and these routes (again, trying to eliminate even one or two possibilities to save on time.
To the party as he looks over the map
"I believe we should travel at a normal pace, and not rush things. Doing so will cause us to become unnecessarily tired and may result in careless errors as well as being less ready for combat. Do you all agree?"
The mysterious agent, who will tell you his name is Bannick, looks uncomfortable at the inquest into the identity of his employer, but whe pressed for proof flashes a seal bearing a crest: a white-and-red shield with a black tower emblem.
DC13 History check for anyone who's ever been to a read a book about the Flaeneas (the continent you're currently on).
It's the crest of the March of Bissel. It's a nearby territory.
Travel Arrangements. If requested, Bannik can supply each character with a sure-footed riding horse and ten days of rations.
"The Yatil Mountains are a rugged mountain range that separates the nations of Ket and Perrenland. Neithet narion is particularly known for their feiendly relations with surrounding territories. What's more, the peaks are rife with danger and impassable by unseasoned travelers. This is precisely why we are looking to outsorce this work. As mentioned, this information is newly discovered and its imperative we act on it without rousing the attention of others keen to get their hands on what lies waiting." Bannick explains.
If the PCs still want to ask the locals, they'll respond, saying they have heard of Iggwilv, naturally, and maybe that her old hideout was in tbe mountains, but few have traversed the peaks themselves, and nobody knows the location kf the caverns: they are 'lost'.
<also, you do have a map with routes marked on it>
<More geography, learned from conversations with the locals.>
Further downriver the Velverdyva becomes both stable and broad, being relatively safe to travel. The one exception to this is the Gate of the Velverdyva, the canyon that separates Perrenland from the Highfolk, and the Clatspurs from the Yatils. Here the river is both swift and deep and an experienced pilot is needed to make the journey safely.
<Thus, I have drawn you an entrance to the Yatil Mountains that allows relatively safe passage.>
Once in Highfolk, the river flows past Verbeeg Hill. The waters make the land here very fertile and eels are commonly collected from the river.
The river is regularly choked with traffic and small communities hug almost the entirety of the river's banks
If you wanted to, you could certainly ly here someone to ferry you across. If it was difficult to do so otherwise, I'm sure you would. I'm either case, to get to the river from the inn and across takes most of the day.
Border Patrol
Just as you arrive upon the eastern mountain pass, a voice calls feom a position farther ahead a d slightly higher elevation.
A group of human soldiers from a nation bordering the mountain range travels the road.
"Who goes there?" comes the challenge.
<make an appropriate Cha check with your answer, Charisma, etc.>
The huge paladin smiles and waves in friendly greeting, “you see,” he says to his companions, “they work very hard to keep this area safe. You should feel good here knowing these men do their jobs.”
he winks at the one in charge (Sparhawk soldier background)
”sorry, I am called Sparhawk and me and my group are going hunting. We are trying to catch a bear or mountain lion or some such. My friend here, pointing to Tess, has never explored this area nor gone hunting.”
(persuasion: they are hunting….:16)
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a luminous shimmer weaves through the air, like moonlight captured in strands of gossamer. The flora around starts to glow softly, their colors intensifying. A whistling, ethereal sound hums through the trees, almost like the forest itself is singing. Suddenly, the air ripples and a swirling vortex appears, its edges lined with sparkling motes of light, dancing like fireflies. The portal pulses, as if alive, beckoning adventurers to step through into a verdant glade beyond.
"Dont you know? Weren't you the ones trying to open it?" asks the elven girl.
The environment on the far side reminds Tess of home, lacking the vivid colors of the world around her. It certainly could be Oerth, which would make sense since they followed directions from an elf seemingly from Oerth, himself.
Cha'jil looked through the portal....she was unsure if it was home...but it was green...she headed in.
Sparhawk moves in behind Cha!jil, ready for danger, his mood serious.
“Looks like my home world. I wonder… Very curious.”. Tess says, as she takes in the view.
Koselig passes through the crossing with the others. When they're alone, he addresses Tess directly but loud enough fir everyone to hear. "OK, so we made it here. I am sorry to say that Riggby really has passed, but you sadly do not have time to attend his send-off. We must find something of utmost importance. In the Yatil mountans to the west, a secret lays buried. We must to get find it as quickly as possible."
<assumimg someone will ask "What is it?">
"Back in Faerun, thing aren't right. The skies are getting darker. The sun is shining fewer hours each day and the light-producing spells are weakening. I don't know what the cause of it is, but there is said to be an artifact in the Witch Queen's hoard, a lantern of immense magical power. If the source of this darkness is to he found, such a tool could be the only hope of restoring the daylight to Toril."
"Now, let's get a move on!"
"I've arranged a meeting at an inn near the mountains. Some local lord has an idea to take a cut of the treasure. Whether we stick to the terms or not, The Caverns have been lost for years. Any of Iggwilv's agents either vanished or died with the secret. This bloke says he has a clue to where the caverns are. We're essentially agreeing ro pay a fi deres fee. Petty things. To me it matters not at all. The fate of our world is at stake."
...
The settlements nearest to the Lost Caverns are several days' travel from the Yatil Mountains, though way stations, hunting lodges, and roadside inns dot the roads up to the mountains.
....
An unassuming human sits across from you at a corner table in the Lazy Bat, a dimly lit roadside inn. They're dressed to blend with the surrounding patrons. "I'm glad you came," the agent says in a low voice. "My employer will be most grateful."
Their voice quiets to a whisper. "New information pointing to the whereabouts of the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth—the former lair of Iggwilv, the so-called Witch Queen—has surfaced."
The agent produces a rolled-up scroll bound in a blue ribbon and sets it on the table. "This is all we know about the caverns. You're needed to strike out into the mountains, locate the caverns, and recover whatever treasure the archmage left behind. It's sure to be dangerous, but the rewards defy imagination."
The scroll contains a map of the Yatil Mountains and a scrap of parchment scribed with the following verse:
The horn of Iggwilv
Pierces the heart—
Look over your shoulders
Before you start.
How many sorrowed,
Fooled again,
Because they didn't
Turn back then?
The map:
<do you want to ask him anything?
Cha'jil was now in the mountains.....which she had been headed to before, but without any familiar landmarks to guide the way she was a little discombobulated.......but Koselig seemed to know what was going on so she abided for now......
She stared at the unfamiliar human with the paper maps and just sighed, she snatched up the poem and studied it for a few moments....
" A warning? Surely we already know its dangerous?"
<This is the module, if we want to play it as intended, with tournament rules, there's just one short rest and no long rests in the first half, (it's pretty obvious when you're at the half-way point). You can let me know what you want to do about that, but I thought this was a good time to mention it.>
If there's nothing you'd like to know (either from or about this agent,) the mountains are right there and we start hexcrawling. This is one of many inns so assume you're long rested as we begin. If you can draw on the map provided, that's good, but otherwise just pick a direction and we will always assume the shortest path. You do have an accurate map.
We roll for random encounters 3x/day (in-game time)
overland travel speeds are as follows:
Normal Pace: 24 miles per day
Fast Pace*: 30 miles per day
Difficult Terrain (Mountains): Half the normal pace
Normal Pace: 12 miles per day
Fast Pace: 15 miles per day
Penalties to Passive Perception: When traveling at a fast pace, characters suffer a -5 penalty to their Passive Perception scores, making them less likely to notice ambushes, traps, or hidden dangers.
Exhaustion: Pushing a group to travel fast for prolonged periods could result in exhaustion, especially if they are already tired or in harsh conditions. This typically depends on the Dungeon Master's discretion.
<Also, feel free to make any checks you like whenever you want. You generally won't be prompted for them. Survival, investigation and nature are pretty evergreen. Just be sure to note what you're pointing at.>
"Not from around here I take it. We'll, the Horn of Iggwilv is what folks call thos mountain, here." The man places an index finger in the northern area of the mountains in the map. "It somewhat resembles the witch Queens's hat, apparently. Somewhere in these mountains, before she came to rule Perrenland, she was known to hail from these mountains. Where exactly, none alive today can say."
<you'll see it easily when yoi reach the foot of the mountains. The hooked peak of Iggwilv's Horn towers over the rest of the Yatil Mountains>
<I'm just going to roll travel day 1 so I can prep. You can tell me where your headed when you decide.>
15 7
15 3
1 3
Finally out of the feywild and his prior engagement, Sparhawk seems to get his wits about him. Also, his body has changed even more. His tale is now gone, but he still has some horns. His coloring is now a mix of green and orange, or brown in color. He used to be a pale green. He is some sort of cross between a half-orc and bugbear.
"Well, I do not know how all of that happened, nor do I know what occurred with you. One moment, we were at the fort fighting that huge dragon think, the next....well, I ended up on some tropical island with a huge group of vampires. I was able to help a woman save her brother from being sacrificed." He looks over to each of them, "I am curious what happened to each of you after that dragon, Etali."
"In addition, let us develop a strategy for finding these caverns on this map."
<You're entering from the East. Sooner or later, you'll have to cross the river. I'm not calling for any rolls to do so. There's a bridge all the way to tbe south. I'm not tracking time (with 3 rolls per day) until you're on the map. You can start from anywhere on the eastern edge or southern edge. Just let me know where you want to star. I'll mark your path as you make progress.>
Sparhawk will ask the agent, "This map is very helpful and has a lot of leads. Have your people explored any of these routes yet? I'd like to shorter our search as much as possible."
(OOC: Who does the agent work for, and what is our arrangement with him?, I also assume we have provisions)
In addition, if there are any local people, Sparhawk will ask them if they have heard anything of the cave and these routes (again, trying to eliminate even one or two possibilities to save on time.
To the party as he looks over the map
"I believe we should travel at a normal pace, and not rush things. Doing so will cause us to become unnecessarily tired and may result in careless errors as well as being less ready for combat. Do you all agree?"
The mysterious agent, who will tell you his name is Bannick, looks uncomfortable at the inquest into the identity of his employer, but whe pressed for proof flashes a seal bearing a crest: a white-and-red shield with a black tower emblem.
DC13 History check for anyone who's ever been to a read a book about the Flaeneas (the continent you're currently on).
It's the crest of the March of Bissel. It's a nearby territory.
Travel Arrangements. If requested, Bannik can supply each character with a sure-footed riding horse and ten days of rations.
"The Yatil Mountains are a rugged mountain range that separates the nations of Ket and Perrenland. Neithet narion is particularly known for their feiendly relations with surrounding territories. What's more, the peaks are rife with danger and impassable by unseasoned travelers. This is precisely why we are looking to outsorce this work. As mentioned, this information is newly discovered and its imperative we act on it without rousing the attention of others keen to get their hands on what lies waiting." Bannick explains.
If the PCs still want to ask the locals, they'll respond, saying they have heard of Iggwilv, naturally, and maybe that her old hideout was in tbe mountains, but few have traversed the peaks themselves, and nobody knows the location kf the caverns: they are 'lost'.
<also, you do have a map with routes marked on it>
<More geography, learned from conversations with the locals.>
Further downriver the Velverdyva becomes both stable and broad, being relatively safe to travel. The one exception to this is the Gate of the Velverdyva, the canyon that separates Perrenland from the Highfolk, and the Clatspurs from the Yatils. Here the river is both swift and deep and an experienced pilot is needed to make the journey safely.
<Thus, I have drawn you an entrance to the Yatil Mountains that allows relatively safe passage.>
Once in Highfolk, the river flows past Verbeeg Hill. The waters make the land here very fertile and eels are commonly collected from the river.
The river is regularly choked with traffic and small communities hug almost the entirety of the river's banks
If you wanted to, you could certainly ly here someone to ferry you across. If it was difficult to do so otherwise, I'm sure you would. I'm either case, to get to the river from the inn and across takes most of the day.
Border Patrol
Just as you arrive upon the eastern mountain pass, a voice calls feom a position farther ahead a d slightly higher elevation.
A group of human soldiers from a nation bordering the mountain range travels the road.
"Who goes there?" comes the challenge.
<make an appropriate Cha check with your answer, Charisma, etc.>
The huge paladin smiles and waves in friendly greeting, “you see,” he says to his companions, “they work very hard to keep this area safe. You should feel good here knowing these men do their jobs.”
he winks at the one in charge (Sparhawk soldier background)
”sorry, I am called Sparhawk and me and my group are going hunting. We are trying to catch a bear or mountain lion or some such. My friend here, pointing to Tess, has never explored this area nor gone hunting.”
(persuasion: they are hunting….:16)