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<blockquote data-quote="MortalPlague" data-source="post: 6152886" data-attributes="member: 62721"><p><span style="font-size: 10px"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">A Case Of Mistaken Identity</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 10px"><strong>The Elements</strong></span></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong>Poison Pill</strong> - The jar of lightning Salander carries to slay the god is a poison pill. It is not a conventional weapon, but rather must administer the poison (the lightning) to Asceon's core.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Decrepit Bridge</strong> - The bridge of the crashed starship that serves as Asceon's home and lair serves as this element. The stat blocks for his defense systems would elaborate on the decrepitude by making many attacks unreliable or random.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Hearsay</strong> - The tome 'Hearsay' fulfills this requirement, both in name and in its operation by regurgitating information.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Hallowed Ground</strong> - Asceon's Sanctum is hallowed ground.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Heresy</strong> - The tome 'Heresy' partially fulfills this requirement, but the more interesting example is Asceon's deification. And, from a certain angle, Salander's quest to slay a god is also heresy.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Wealth of Information</strong> - The books created by Asceon are known as the 'Wealth Of Information'. They literally provided a wealth of information to an unprepared population, and the empire crumbled under the weight of it.</p><p> [/sblock]</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong>Adventure Background</strong></span></p><p> </p><p>Five hundred years ago, a god fell from the sky.</p><p> </p><p>Asceon was his name. His legs were shattered in the fall, but his mind was sharp as ever. And what a mind it was! His intellect became renowned, and devotees realized that surely, this was a divine student of the god of knowledge. A grand temple was built to house the god. While he could not move, he delighted in conversing with sages and priests, and learned people of every race and station. Worried that their god would become tired of all the visitations, the priests of Asceon began to restrict the numbers they admitted to see him. At first, they chose the most learned and wise, but as the years passed, they admitted those willing to pay the best price.</p><p> </p><p>Though Asceon was disappointed at his priest's actions, he was not one to challenge his fledgeling church. But he was still resolved to spread knowledge to the world. He created a set of tomes, known as the Wealth Of Information, and he instructed his priests to distribute them to the people. It was a set of four tomes. Their volumes were Hearsay, Harmony, History, and Heresy. Somewhat concerned at the fourth volume's name, the priests hid it, and distributed the other three books to learned sages.</p><p> </p><p>They marvelled at the books; Hearsay was quickly discarded as a useless novelty, but Harmony and History were both incredible tomes, teaching great feats of magic and science. As the knowledge was handed to them on a silver platter, the nation became complacent. They gained fantastic knowledge, but they had no respect for it. They hadn't had to work for it. And the empire began to rot from within.</p><p> </p><p>There was a civil war, and it shattered the empire. The fragments of the great nation formed their own nations, and Asceon's Sanctum was forgotten. The books were lost.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong>Where Do The PCs Come In?</strong></span></p><p> </p><p>While looting a chest, the PCs have come upon one of the ancient tomes, Hearsay. The tome is an odd one; iron covers, and the pages are covered in scrawl from different hands in different languages. Every language is represented at least once. The scrawl is all nonsense; even with considerable effort, nothing can be gleaned from it.</p><p> </p><p>Just as they are examining it, a voice whispers, "Forget about the stupid book. It's useless anyways. We need to get out of here before the Emperor's forces surround the place. The book is Asceon's joke. Wealth of information? Hah."</p><p> </p><p>If the PCs linger in the area for a little longer, another whisper comes from the book. "What do you mean, you don't have the money? We had a deal, Brooks. And you don't break deals with Black Charlie."</p><p> </p><p>After another couple of minutes, there is yet another whisper. "Do you think anyone saw us come down here? I'll get in so much trouble if my daddy knows who I'm... seeing."</p><p> </p><p>The PCs may make knowledge or intelligence checks to discern that these three whispers are from three different time periods. Whatever the book is doing, it ought to intrigue the PCs enough that they seek out a sage or a library to figure out more about it.</p><p> </p><p>The tome can hear whispers from the past, spoken in that area, and bring them forward. Hearsay doesn't filter the information; it just regurgitates what it finds at random. Throughout the adventure, Hearsay will often have random tidbits to share, and the DM is encouraged to invent other inconsequential things for the book to contribute.</p><p> </p><p>Any amount of research can reveal the background information above. Clearly, the PCs hold one of the tomes. The whereabouts of the others are hinted at in records of the war; most scholars agree that Harmony and History were probably destroyed in the conflict. But as the PCs are researching, Hearsay picks up some pieces of information.</p><p> </p><p>1 - <em>"Take the books; Asceon was wrong to trust us with them. Return them to his Sanctum. Man is not worthy of his gifts."</em></p><p>2 - <em>"One of these days, Zharich is going to fall on his face, and I can't wait to see it happen."</em></p><p>3 - <em>"Consul Davos, I have read Heresy. I know the truth. Asceon must be destroyed."</em></p><p>4 - <em>"But with proper application of enchantment, one can bind the spirit to the scepter, creating a totem staff."</em></p><p> </p><p>Only pieces 1 and 3 are of any use, and 3 is actually recent. Gathering information, the PCs may determine that Consul Davos is a foreign dignitary from the land of Nalair, in service to a Cleric of Ioun named Salander Chayn. Recent reports indicate that Salander left town a week ago, in the company of two mercenaries, Tansley Griffon (a fierce warrior) and Carabelle Islington (a capable mage).</p><p> </p><p>One way or another, the PCs will be headed for Asceon's Sanctum. Salander's pace is quick, but the PCs are seasoned travellers, and can narrow the distance between the groups. By the time they reach the Sanctum, only an hour or two seperate the quarry from the hunters.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong>The City And The Sanctum</strong></span></p><p> </p><p>The temple is a huge monastery built around Asceon himself. It sits at the top of a large hill, in the center of the ruins of a large city. There are carnivorous creatures and monstrous humanoids afoot here, picking through the ruins of what once was an empire's heartland. At the top of the hill, the massive stone structure still stands, proud and solemn. It is more like a grand tomb now than a place of learning and worship.</p><p> </p><p>The first obstacle for our stalwart heroes will be these monsters and scavengers. Whether through stealth or combat, or other means, they will have to pick their way past the foes. However, Hearsay will offer a few tidbits of information that might allow them to pass unseen.</p><p> </p><p>1 - <em>"Tansley, have a look in that building's cellar, the secret passage should be there."</em> The book is repeating what Salander told to his mercenary not long ago. Should the PCs follow up on the clue, they'll find a secret passage in the cellar, which winds between two buildings, saving the PCs a few hours of travel.</p><p> </p><p>2 - <em>"Men, look around you. We are brothers. We are soldiers. And we will defend our streets against these creatures. There are no others I would rather have at my back."</em> The book is repeating the words of a guard captain from the days of the civil war, when a horde of magically-summoned creatures destroyed the city.</p><p> </p><p>3 - <em>"These are Asceon's gifts to us! Look! See the claws, sharp enough to rend stone? See the teeth? These creatures will win the war for us."</em> The book is repeating what a powerful mage said while showing off the creatures she summoned with the knowledge gained from the books.</p><p> </p><p>There are other lines which are of little consequence, but Hearsay does not filter. It will happily channel lines of little use to the PCs. Here are three other lines it may pluck from the annals of history, but the DM should feel free to be creative and invent others.</p><p> </p><p>4 - <em>"Why did you use the wood stain for that? You ruined it!"</em></p><p>5 - <em>"Do you think Quinsley knows it's a fake? The way he carries on, protecting it and showing it off, it's like he doesn't know that everyone can see the chipped paint."</em></p><p>6 - <em>"You fool, what have you done?! Don't you know they'll hang you?"</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Picking their way through the ruins, the PCs will eventually reach Asceon's Sanctum. The massive stone door stands ajar. But as the PCs approach the door, Hearsay will whisper, <em>"Carabelle, Tansley, make sure our interlopers do not interrupt me."</em> The book foils the planned ambush, and if the PCs are clever, offers them the opportunity to turn it around on them!</p><p> </p><p>Carabelle and Tansley are mercenaries of some skill, though they are still mercenaries; they could be bought out. They could be persuaded to stand down (although that's somewhat more challenging). If it comes to blows, neither one will fight to the death; they'll attempt to escape, or will surrender if necessary. If they must, to save their own lives, they will tell the PCs that Salander plans to use a tiny magical device to destroy the god. It is a tiny phial filled with lightning with a needle point at one end.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong>Asceon</strong></span></p><p> </p><p>As the PCs finish dealing with the mercenaries (or find another way in), strange sounds begin to echo from the inner sanctum of the temple. Strange, electronic sounds. Beeps and alarms, the likes of which the PCs have never heard before.</p><p> </p><p>The truth is that Asceon is an AI on board a crashed starship. Most of the vessel burned up when it hit the atmosphere, and none of the crew survived. The starship's bridge and its emergency power source are all that remains, shattered on the rocky ground. When people first discovered the ship, Asceon appeared; a great holographic head of vaguely human appearance. It took two minutes and a mental scan to learn the local language, and then Asceon began to converse with his guests.</p><p> </p><p>Not knowing what to make of it, the discovers named Asceon a god, and built the temple. And became his priests.</p><p> </p><p>As the PCs pass through the temple, Hearsay will offer up plenty of information. There are still some scavengers who lurk on the dark places of Asceon's Sanctum, so the PCs may be busy fending them off.</p><p> </p><p>1 - <em>"A being of pure light? Who speaks all languages and knows all secrets? Surely he is a god. Who else can do such things?"</em></p><p>2 - <em>"Your Excellency, there has been a terrible accident! Brother Gerard is... well, he's gone! He was cleaning near the altar and there was an awful wail and a flash of light, then..."</em></p><p>3 - <em>"Your masquerade is at an end, Asceon."</em></p><p> </p><p>The following messages are from the aliens who originally flew the ship. It is a language nobody has heard before, though someone with magical comprehension could decipher it. Though perhaps deciphering the messages would only further confuse a poor PC.</p><p> </p><p>4 - (indecipherable) <em>"The port fin is sheared off and we're venting plasma. We're going down, there's nothing I can do about it."</em></p><p>5 - (indecipherable) <em>"What do the scanners say about their power level?"</em></p><p>6 - (indecipherable) <em>"Captain, I can't put any more power to the shields! We're going to burn up in atmo!"</em></p><p> </p><p>Soon, the PCs will find their way to the inner sanctum, where they will pass through the doors to find a dome-shaped room built around the shattered bridge of the crashed starship. In the center, a luminscent head floats above a console, tilted slightly with the angle of the projector beneath it. A series of small pedestals and stations lay all about, and there are many sparking wires and dangling cables. More sinister still, there are a number of panels that are closed, which a perceptive character might notice could swing open.</p><p> </p><p>The head will turn to the players and smile, speaking in smooth, neutral tones. "Welcome. I am Asceon. What do you seek to know?"</p><p> </p><p>"I thought you'd have given up by now," Salander says, fiddling with a tiny jar of lightning. He is a tall man with gaunt features, and a certain zeal in his eyes. He carries a black tome titled Heresy in his other hand. "In any case, you know the truth. Asceon is not a god."</p><p> </p><p>"Your people called me such," Asceon replies. "The title fits."</p><p> </p><p>At this point, Salander will plead his case. He seeks to end the heresy of Asceon's existence, where people proclaim him as a god when really he is just a construct. The jar of lightning must be jammed into a socket at the base of Asceon's projector, which will short-circuit the AI's core computer, putting an end to him for good. Asceon will proclaim his mission to share information, and protest that violence is the antithesis of his being. But self-defense is a core mandate for a god, and he will defend himself should need be.</p><p> </p><p>If the players side with Salander, Asceon will bring his defenses to bear. Several unreliable laser cannons and short-range disintegration beams will try and vaporize the party. But should any manage to plant the device in the console, Asceon will perish.</p><p> </p><p>If the players side with Asceon, Salander will attempt to defeat them with magic. He will try his best to get to the console and spike it with lightning. With the PCs defending him, Asceon feels no need to show his weapons; it goes against his better nature.</p><p> </p><p>Whichever way the chips fall, the adventure is concluded.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong>Further Adventures</strong></span></p><p> </p><p>The tomes Harmony and History are still missing. Harmony is a potent aid for metamagic, offering both startling secrets in its pages and the magical ability to bolster spellcasting. History is more academic, but its magic allows one to sift through its pages by thought, finding what they seek instantly. Recovering them could be a lucrative enterprise.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MortalPlague, post: 6152886, member: 62721"] [SIZE=2][B][SIZE=5]A Case Of Mistaken Identity[/SIZE][/B] [B]The Elements[/B][/SIZE] [sblock] [B]Poison Pill[/B] - The jar of lightning Salander carries to slay the god is a poison pill. It is not a conventional weapon, but rather must administer the poison (the lightning) to Asceon's core. [B]Decrepit Bridge[/B] - The bridge of the crashed starship that serves as Asceon's home and lair serves as this element. The stat blocks for his defense systems would elaborate on the decrepitude by making many attacks unreliable or random. [B]Hearsay[/B] - The tome 'Hearsay' fulfills this requirement, both in name and in its operation by regurgitating information. [B]Hallowed Ground[/B] - Asceon's Sanctum is hallowed ground. [B]Heresy[/B] - The tome 'Heresy' partially fulfills this requirement, but the more interesting example is Asceon's deification. And, from a certain angle, Salander's quest to slay a god is also heresy. [B]Wealth of Information[/B] - The books created by Asceon are known as the 'Wealth Of Information'. They literally provided a wealth of information to an unprepared population, and the empire crumbled under the weight of it. [/sblock] [SIZE=4][B]Adventure Background[/B][/SIZE] Five hundred years ago, a god fell from the sky. Asceon was his name. His legs were shattered in the fall, but his mind was sharp as ever. And what a mind it was! His intellect became renowned, and devotees realized that surely, this was a divine student of the god of knowledge. A grand temple was built to house the god. While he could not move, he delighted in conversing with sages and priests, and learned people of every race and station. Worried that their god would become tired of all the visitations, the priests of Asceon began to restrict the numbers they admitted to see him. At first, they chose the most learned and wise, but as the years passed, they admitted those willing to pay the best price. Though Asceon was disappointed at his priest's actions, he was not one to challenge his fledgeling church. But he was still resolved to spread knowledge to the world. He created a set of tomes, known as the Wealth Of Information, and he instructed his priests to distribute them to the people. It was a set of four tomes. Their volumes were Hearsay, Harmony, History, and Heresy. Somewhat concerned at the fourth volume's name, the priests hid it, and distributed the other three books to learned sages. They marvelled at the books; Hearsay was quickly discarded as a useless novelty, but Harmony and History were both incredible tomes, teaching great feats of magic and science. As the knowledge was handed to them on a silver platter, the nation became complacent. They gained fantastic knowledge, but they had no respect for it. They hadn't had to work for it. And the empire began to rot from within. There was a civil war, and it shattered the empire. The fragments of the great nation formed their own nations, and Asceon's Sanctum was forgotten. The books were lost. [SIZE=4][B]Where Do The PCs Come In?[/B][/SIZE] While looting a chest, the PCs have come upon one of the ancient tomes, Hearsay. The tome is an odd one; iron covers, and the pages are covered in scrawl from different hands in different languages. Every language is represented at least once. The scrawl is all nonsense; even with considerable effort, nothing can be gleaned from it. Just as they are examining it, a voice whispers, "Forget about the stupid book. It's useless anyways. We need to get out of here before the Emperor's forces surround the place. The book is Asceon's joke. Wealth of information? Hah." If the PCs linger in the area for a little longer, another whisper comes from the book. "What do you mean, you don't have the money? We had a deal, Brooks. And you don't break deals with Black Charlie." After another couple of minutes, there is yet another whisper. "Do you think anyone saw us come down here? I'll get in so much trouble if my daddy knows who I'm... seeing." The PCs may make knowledge or intelligence checks to discern that these three whispers are from three different time periods. Whatever the book is doing, it ought to intrigue the PCs enough that they seek out a sage or a library to figure out more about it. The tome can hear whispers from the past, spoken in that area, and bring them forward. Hearsay doesn't filter the information; it just regurgitates what it finds at random. Throughout the adventure, Hearsay will often have random tidbits to share, and the DM is encouraged to invent other inconsequential things for the book to contribute. Any amount of research can reveal the background information above. Clearly, the PCs hold one of the tomes. The whereabouts of the others are hinted at in records of the war; most scholars agree that Harmony and History were probably destroyed in the conflict. But as the PCs are researching, Hearsay picks up some pieces of information. 1 - [I]"Take the books; Asceon was wrong to trust us with them. Return them to his Sanctum. Man is not worthy of his gifts."[/I] 2 - [I]"One of these days, Zharich is going to fall on his face, and I can't wait to see it happen."[/I] 3 - [I]"Consul Davos, I have read Heresy. I know the truth. Asceon must be destroyed."[/I] 4 - [I]"But with proper application of enchantment, one can bind the spirit to the scepter, creating a totem staff."[/I] Only pieces 1 and 3 are of any use, and 3 is actually recent. Gathering information, the PCs may determine that Consul Davos is a foreign dignitary from the land of Nalair, in service to a Cleric of Ioun named Salander Chayn. Recent reports indicate that Salander left town a week ago, in the company of two mercenaries, Tansley Griffon (a fierce warrior) and Carabelle Islington (a capable mage). One way or another, the PCs will be headed for Asceon's Sanctum. Salander's pace is quick, but the PCs are seasoned travellers, and can narrow the distance between the groups. By the time they reach the Sanctum, only an hour or two seperate the quarry from the hunters. [SIZE=4][B]The City And The Sanctum[/B][/SIZE] The temple is a huge monastery built around Asceon himself. It sits at the top of a large hill, in the center of the ruins of a large city. There are carnivorous creatures and monstrous humanoids afoot here, picking through the ruins of what once was an empire's heartland. At the top of the hill, the massive stone structure still stands, proud and solemn. It is more like a grand tomb now than a place of learning and worship. The first obstacle for our stalwart heroes will be these monsters and scavengers. Whether through stealth or combat, or other means, they will have to pick their way past the foes. However, Hearsay will offer a few tidbits of information that might allow them to pass unseen. 1 - [I]"Tansley, have a look in that building's cellar, the secret passage should be there."[/I] The book is repeating what Salander told to his mercenary not long ago. Should the PCs follow up on the clue, they'll find a secret passage in the cellar, which winds between two buildings, saving the PCs a few hours of travel. 2 - [I]"Men, look around you. We are brothers. We are soldiers. And we will defend our streets against these creatures. There are no others I would rather have at my back."[/I] The book is repeating the words of a guard captain from the days of the civil war, when a horde of magically-summoned creatures destroyed the city. 3 - [I]"These are Asceon's gifts to us! Look! See the claws, sharp enough to rend stone? See the teeth? These creatures will win the war for us."[/I] The book is repeating what a powerful mage said while showing off the creatures she summoned with the knowledge gained from the books. There are other lines which are of little consequence, but Hearsay does not filter. It will happily channel lines of little use to the PCs. Here are three other lines it may pluck from the annals of history, but the DM should feel free to be creative and invent others. 4 - [I]"Why did you use the wood stain for that? You ruined it!"[/I] 5 - [I]"Do you think Quinsley knows it's a fake? The way he carries on, protecting it and showing it off, it's like he doesn't know that everyone can see the chipped paint."[/I] 6 - [I]"You fool, what have you done?! Don't you know they'll hang you?"[/I] Picking their way through the ruins, the PCs will eventually reach Asceon's Sanctum. The massive stone door stands ajar. But as the PCs approach the door, Hearsay will whisper, [I]"Carabelle, Tansley, make sure our interlopers do not interrupt me."[/I] The book foils the planned ambush, and if the PCs are clever, offers them the opportunity to turn it around on them! Carabelle and Tansley are mercenaries of some skill, though they are still mercenaries; they could be bought out. They could be persuaded to stand down (although that's somewhat more challenging). If it comes to blows, neither one will fight to the death; they'll attempt to escape, or will surrender if necessary. If they must, to save their own lives, they will tell the PCs that Salander plans to use a tiny magical device to destroy the god. It is a tiny phial filled with lightning with a needle point at one end. [SIZE=4][B]Asceon[/B][/SIZE] As the PCs finish dealing with the mercenaries (or find another way in), strange sounds begin to echo from the inner sanctum of the temple. Strange, electronic sounds. Beeps and alarms, the likes of which the PCs have never heard before. The truth is that Asceon is an AI on board a crashed starship. Most of the vessel burned up when it hit the atmosphere, and none of the crew survived. The starship's bridge and its emergency power source are all that remains, shattered on the rocky ground. When people first discovered the ship, Asceon appeared; a great holographic head of vaguely human appearance. It took two minutes and a mental scan to learn the local language, and then Asceon began to converse with his guests. Not knowing what to make of it, the discovers named Asceon a god, and built the temple. And became his priests. As the PCs pass through the temple, Hearsay will offer up plenty of information. There are still some scavengers who lurk on the dark places of Asceon's Sanctum, so the PCs may be busy fending them off. 1 - [I]"A being of pure light? Who speaks all languages and knows all secrets? Surely he is a god. Who else can do such things?"[/I] 2 - [I]"Your Excellency, there has been a terrible accident! Brother Gerard is... well, he's gone! He was cleaning near the altar and there was an awful wail and a flash of light, then..."[/I] 3 - [I]"Your masquerade is at an end, Asceon."[/I] The following messages are from the aliens who originally flew the ship. It is a language nobody has heard before, though someone with magical comprehension could decipher it. Though perhaps deciphering the messages would only further confuse a poor PC. 4 - (indecipherable) [I]"The port fin is sheared off and we're venting plasma. We're going down, there's nothing I can do about it."[/I] 5 - (indecipherable) [I]"What do the scanners say about their power level?"[/I] 6 - (indecipherable) [I]"Captain, I can't put any more power to the shields! We're going to burn up in atmo!"[/I] Soon, the PCs will find their way to the inner sanctum, where they will pass through the doors to find a dome-shaped room built around the shattered bridge of the crashed starship. In the center, a luminscent head floats above a console, tilted slightly with the angle of the projector beneath it. A series of small pedestals and stations lay all about, and there are many sparking wires and dangling cables. More sinister still, there are a number of panels that are closed, which a perceptive character might notice could swing open. The head will turn to the players and smile, speaking in smooth, neutral tones. "Welcome. I am Asceon. What do you seek to know?" "I thought you'd have given up by now," Salander says, fiddling with a tiny jar of lightning. He is a tall man with gaunt features, and a certain zeal in his eyes. He carries a black tome titled Heresy in his other hand. "In any case, you know the truth. Asceon is not a god." "Your people called me such," Asceon replies. "The title fits." At this point, Salander will plead his case. He seeks to end the heresy of Asceon's existence, where people proclaim him as a god when really he is just a construct. The jar of lightning must be jammed into a socket at the base of Asceon's projector, which will short-circuit the AI's core computer, putting an end to him for good. Asceon will proclaim his mission to share information, and protest that violence is the antithesis of his being. But self-defense is a core mandate for a god, and he will defend himself should need be. If the players side with Salander, Asceon will bring his defenses to bear. Several unreliable laser cannons and short-range disintegration beams will try and vaporize the party. But should any manage to plant the device in the console, Asceon will perish. If the players side with Asceon, Salander will attempt to defeat them with magic. He will try his best to get to the console and spike it with lightning. With the PCs defending him, Asceon feels no need to show his weapons; it goes against his better nature. Whichever way the chips fall, the adventure is concluded. [SIZE=4][B]Further Adventures[/B][/SIZE] The tomes Harmony and History are still missing. Harmony is a potent aid for metamagic, offering both startling secrets in its pages and the magical ability to bolster spellcasting. History is more academic, but its magic allows one to sift through its pages by thought, finding what they seek instantly. Recovering them could be a lucrative enterprise. [/QUOTE]
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