Time For Another Round Of Iron Dm!!!
Wicht
Hero
Fire and Blood
The following adventure should be placed in a small urban area. Ideally, the temple of fire would be the main religion in town, leaving the citizens with few options of where to turn in times of spiritual crisis. The mood of the adventure should be dark and dirty. Ravenloft would be an ideal setting for the events detailed hereafter, but it can be easily used in most campaign worlds. Much of the action takes place at night though the climax takes place at dawn. The events of the adventure are probably best suited to PCs of approximately 10th. It is very likely that the climax of the adventure, the death of Dalius the vampire at the dawn, will be seen as the triumph of good. DMs should allow this notion, only informing them of the error of their assumptions when it is realized that Dalius was not the true villain after all.
Overview
Dalius is a vampire of immense age and power. He is on the one hand evil and depraved. He is a child molester and a multiple murderer many times over. On the other hand, he is also filled with centuries of guilt. Despite his guilt he cannot bring himself to stop the wickedness that he does and finds himself time and again preying upon children. Those children he abducts and uses to satisfy his perverted desires he always kills and destroys. This vampire is so filled with remorse that he has decided to end his unlife. To support him in his suicide he has turned to Jiphthar, a priest at the temple of fire. Together they have concocted a plan for Dalius to publicly “greet the sun” and burn in righteous fire.
Unknown to Dalius, indeed unknown to anyone in the community, Jiphthar is not whom he seems to be. He was, it is true, once a priest of the sacred fire, but he has recently converted himself to the service of darker powers (spheres of darkness, death, and deception). In his study of black arts (Necromancy) Jiphthar had found a ritual by which he can gain great power as an undead fiend. The main ingredient of power in this ritual is human blood tainted with the decayed remains of human corpses. The rite requires furthermore that this tainted blood be fed to a vampire who has to then be burnt alive. The ashes of the burnt vampire can then be used in a potion that will transform a powerful enough cleric into an undead creature with great power over the dead. Jiphthar viewed the arrival and desires of Dalius as a divine (albeit evilly so) sign that he should undertake the ritual.
While Dalius waits below the temple of fire for the date Jiphthar has set, Jiphthar has been hard at work preparing for the ceremony. He has first of all, been slowly murdering off the other clerics in the temple. As Jiphthar is the head of the temple, this was easy for him to cover up and there remains only 1 priest who has not yet had an ‘accident.’ Jiphthar has also murdered several of the local beggars for their blood. As the local cemetery lies just outside the temple grounds, it was easy for Jiphthar to dig up the decomposed remains of the dead and mix them with the blood.
When the PCs start their investigating, the ceremony Jiphthar plans for Dalius will soon occur. Jiphthar has let it be known around town that there will be a dawn ceremony in two days which all are invited to attend. He claims this ceremony will show the power of the fire god over the forces of evil.
PC Hooks The PCs can be drawn into the events of the adventure in a number of ways. 1) If the PCs have connections to a deity of fire, they could be sent to investigate the temple via divine intervention or by church hierarchy to investigate the death of a number of priests (albeit low level priests) in one locale. 2) If the PCs have ties to the underworld or the underprivileged, they could be asked to investigate the disappearances of a number of local beggars, many of whom were well known and well liked. 3) A wealthy family could hire the PCs to discover what happened to their young 5 year old daughter, who unknown to the family, was Dalius’ last victim. 4) The last remaining priest (i.e. the one Jiphthar has yet to kill) could approach the PCs, scared of some unknown terror and haunted by dreams that portend some approaching terror. 5) The many signs of growing evil, all added together, could move the town leaders to approach the PCs to find the cause. Whatever the hook, the PCs should find themselves investigating at least a part of the mystery and thus be led into the rest of it.
The action
Much of the investigation should be spent in legwork and the DM should develop clues that connect various elements of the mystery with other elements. The PCs need to especially be drawn by clues towards the Temple of Fire. For example, investigating the cemetery should cause the players to notice that the sacred roses that grow up the side of the walls of the temple of fire have all started wilting and dying, a dread omen. Many in the town have noticed this. Jiphthar has inadvertly left a few clues at the site of where he kidnapped some of the beggars that point to the temple of fire (such as a prayer chain, dropped in a struggle and subsequently picked up by a beggar who is wearing it, thinking it is pretty.) The playmates of the last child killed by Dalius say that she went with a pale man who gave her one of the sacred roses of fire as a present to lure her after him. Spells used to gain information should also vaguely point to the temple of fire and to blood.
If questioned, Jiphthar appears to be benign and helpful. He is full of righteous platitudes and hypocritical condemnations of ‘evildoers.’ He also appears much distressed by the vandalism of the cemetery and the recent decay taking hold of the sacred roses that grow on the temple walls. He allows the PCs limited access to the temple but does not reveal to them the existence of the secret rooms in which Dalius is dwelling and in which he has hidden the corpses of the beggars (as well as the containers of tainted blood). Nor does he allow them into his private quarters in which he has several necromantic works hidden. If the PCs confront him with the existence of Dalius, he explains to them Dalius’ desire and how they have planned to publicly have Dalius greet the fire of the sun in front of all the town to atone for his sins. If confronted before the ceremony with evidence of necromancy in the temple, he acts astonished and ‘commissions’ the PCs to find out the culprit. If confronted with his own guilt before the ceremony he will fight and flee, seeking to preserve his hide. DMs may decide that Jiphthar has unholy help in all of this, in which case a confrontation with Jiphthar could involve demons.
If the PCs confront Dalius in the temple, he will tell them of his desire to end it all (at the right time of course). He may let on that he does not fully trust Jiphthar’s motives but at this point he is so tired of life that he does not really care just so long as it is going to be over. Dalius should be played as feeling old, tired and not caring. The DM should also make it plain just how powerful this vampire is, even when not engaged in combat.
Two nights before the dawn ceremony, the PCs have an opportunity to confront Dalius outside the temple as he seeks to feed one last time. This is likely the first and only time they see him before the dawn ceremony. The vampire’s hunger drives him and he does not care whom he feeds upon. Dalius normally tries to destroy the evidence of his feeding if at all possible, burning any corpses. Dalius should be too powerful for the PCs to take on unexpectedly. If he is losing, he flees in gaseous form. If he is winning he takes a victim to feed upon and leaves the wounded wondering what exactly happened.
The night before the ceremony, a strange and wondrous event occurs. Driven by the growing powers of darkness in the temple and by their own desire for revenge, the four murdered priest rise as undead and move through the streets of the community. These undead priests are not necessarily evil but they are hunting with a desire for revenge and anyone who stands in their way is savagely attacked. As undead, they look somewhat like zombies but have the holy power of fire on their side and cannot be turned as normal. This should be a night of fear and fire as the priests burn down those buildings they deem as unholy, including a brothel, the thieves guild, several bars and the homes of some citizens. If directed by anyone with a reasonable explanation towards the temple they will move that way. Otherwise they will attack anyone they remember as being ‘wicked,’ eventually heading off of their own will towards the temple they remember as home. At this point Jiphthar will be forced to fight off the undead himself and will if the PCs are around, ask them for assistance. The last priest of fire left in the temple will die during the night, and Jiphthar will claim that he was killed by the undead priests. When the undead priests are killed, Jiphthar will declare it a sign that good will prevail and will begin gathering his flock to watch the triumph of fire (i.e. the dawn death of Dalius).
The conclusion: If the PCs have not take actions which will prevent it, Jiphthar and Dalius will follow their plans for the ceremony. Jiphthar will feed Dalius the tainted blood, telling him that it has been blessed in such a way as to speed his soul to its resting place. Dalius will not care one way or the other and comply. If the ceremony is successful, Jiphthar will claim that Dalius was responsible for the events of the last few weeks. Two weeks later however Jiphthar will have finished his potion and joined the ranks of the undead, bringing forth an army of ghouls, zombies, skeletons and wights from the cemetery. The gothic temple of fire will become a fortress of the undead and Jiphthar will in one night destroy the town creating a haven of darkness and death.
If the PCs foil the ceremony, Dalius will still seek to kill himself at the appointed hour. However, he will fight anyone who tries to kill him before then. Jiphthar will flee and as a necromancer eventually seek a revenge on those who robbed him of his perfect chance to gain the ultimate power over death.
If the PCs foil the ceremony and kill Jiphthar, they will have truly solved the problem, but the community will never quite believe that their beloved priest was evil and the PCs will lose standing in the community over the ordeal.
Acknowledgement’s to Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris from whom I lifted the idea for Dalius.
Edited to fix an open tag. Otherwise the whole thing would be in size 3 text.
The following adventure should be placed in a small urban area. Ideally, the temple of fire would be the main religion in town, leaving the citizens with few options of where to turn in times of spiritual crisis. The mood of the adventure should be dark and dirty. Ravenloft would be an ideal setting for the events detailed hereafter, but it can be easily used in most campaign worlds. Much of the action takes place at night though the climax takes place at dawn. The events of the adventure are probably best suited to PCs of approximately 10th. It is very likely that the climax of the adventure, the death of Dalius the vampire at the dawn, will be seen as the triumph of good. DMs should allow this notion, only informing them of the error of their assumptions when it is realized that Dalius was not the true villain after all.
Overview
Dalius is a vampire of immense age and power. He is on the one hand evil and depraved. He is a child molester and a multiple murderer many times over. On the other hand, he is also filled with centuries of guilt. Despite his guilt he cannot bring himself to stop the wickedness that he does and finds himself time and again preying upon children. Those children he abducts and uses to satisfy his perverted desires he always kills and destroys. This vampire is so filled with remorse that he has decided to end his unlife. To support him in his suicide he has turned to Jiphthar, a priest at the temple of fire. Together they have concocted a plan for Dalius to publicly “greet the sun” and burn in righteous fire.
Unknown to Dalius, indeed unknown to anyone in the community, Jiphthar is not whom he seems to be. He was, it is true, once a priest of the sacred fire, but he has recently converted himself to the service of darker powers (spheres of darkness, death, and deception). In his study of black arts (Necromancy) Jiphthar had found a ritual by which he can gain great power as an undead fiend. The main ingredient of power in this ritual is human blood tainted with the decayed remains of human corpses. The rite requires furthermore that this tainted blood be fed to a vampire who has to then be burnt alive. The ashes of the burnt vampire can then be used in a potion that will transform a powerful enough cleric into an undead creature with great power over the dead. Jiphthar viewed the arrival and desires of Dalius as a divine (albeit evilly so) sign that he should undertake the ritual.
While Dalius waits below the temple of fire for the date Jiphthar has set, Jiphthar has been hard at work preparing for the ceremony. He has first of all, been slowly murdering off the other clerics in the temple. As Jiphthar is the head of the temple, this was easy for him to cover up and there remains only 1 priest who has not yet had an ‘accident.’ Jiphthar has also murdered several of the local beggars for their blood. As the local cemetery lies just outside the temple grounds, it was easy for Jiphthar to dig up the decomposed remains of the dead and mix them with the blood.
When the PCs start their investigating, the ceremony Jiphthar plans for Dalius will soon occur. Jiphthar has let it be known around town that there will be a dawn ceremony in two days which all are invited to attend. He claims this ceremony will show the power of the fire god over the forces of evil.
PC Hooks The PCs can be drawn into the events of the adventure in a number of ways. 1) If the PCs have connections to a deity of fire, they could be sent to investigate the temple via divine intervention or by church hierarchy to investigate the death of a number of priests (albeit low level priests) in one locale. 2) If the PCs have ties to the underworld or the underprivileged, they could be asked to investigate the disappearances of a number of local beggars, many of whom were well known and well liked. 3) A wealthy family could hire the PCs to discover what happened to their young 5 year old daughter, who unknown to the family, was Dalius’ last victim. 4) The last remaining priest (i.e. the one Jiphthar has yet to kill) could approach the PCs, scared of some unknown terror and haunted by dreams that portend some approaching terror. 5) The many signs of growing evil, all added together, could move the town leaders to approach the PCs to find the cause. Whatever the hook, the PCs should find themselves investigating at least a part of the mystery and thus be led into the rest of it.
The action
Much of the investigation should be spent in legwork and the DM should develop clues that connect various elements of the mystery with other elements. The PCs need to especially be drawn by clues towards the Temple of Fire. For example, investigating the cemetery should cause the players to notice that the sacred roses that grow up the side of the walls of the temple of fire have all started wilting and dying, a dread omen. Many in the town have noticed this. Jiphthar has inadvertly left a few clues at the site of where he kidnapped some of the beggars that point to the temple of fire (such as a prayer chain, dropped in a struggle and subsequently picked up by a beggar who is wearing it, thinking it is pretty.) The playmates of the last child killed by Dalius say that she went with a pale man who gave her one of the sacred roses of fire as a present to lure her after him. Spells used to gain information should also vaguely point to the temple of fire and to blood.
If questioned, Jiphthar appears to be benign and helpful. He is full of righteous platitudes and hypocritical condemnations of ‘evildoers.’ He also appears much distressed by the vandalism of the cemetery and the recent decay taking hold of the sacred roses that grow on the temple walls. He allows the PCs limited access to the temple but does not reveal to them the existence of the secret rooms in which Dalius is dwelling and in which he has hidden the corpses of the beggars (as well as the containers of tainted blood). Nor does he allow them into his private quarters in which he has several necromantic works hidden. If the PCs confront him with the existence of Dalius, he explains to them Dalius’ desire and how they have planned to publicly have Dalius greet the fire of the sun in front of all the town to atone for his sins. If confronted before the ceremony with evidence of necromancy in the temple, he acts astonished and ‘commissions’ the PCs to find out the culprit. If confronted with his own guilt before the ceremony he will fight and flee, seeking to preserve his hide. DMs may decide that Jiphthar has unholy help in all of this, in which case a confrontation with Jiphthar could involve demons.
If the PCs confront Dalius in the temple, he will tell them of his desire to end it all (at the right time of course). He may let on that he does not fully trust Jiphthar’s motives but at this point he is so tired of life that he does not really care just so long as it is going to be over. Dalius should be played as feeling old, tired and not caring. The DM should also make it plain just how powerful this vampire is, even when not engaged in combat.
Two nights before the dawn ceremony, the PCs have an opportunity to confront Dalius outside the temple as he seeks to feed one last time. This is likely the first and only time they see him before the dawn ceremony. The vampire’s hunger drives him and he does not care whom he feeds upon. Dalius normally tries to destroy the evidence of his feeding if at all possible, burning any corpses. Dalius should be too powerful for the PCs to take on unexpectedly. If he is losing, he flees in gaseous form. If he is winning he takes a victim to feed upon and leaves the wounded wondering what exactly happened.
The night before the ceremony, a strange and wondrous event occurs. Driven by the growing powers of darkness in the temple and by their own desire for revenge, the four murdered priest rise as undead and move through the streets of the community. These undead priests are not necessarily evil but they are hunting with a desire for revenge and anyone who stands in their way is savagely attacked. As undead, they look somewhat like zombies but have the holy power of fire on their side and cannot be turned as normal. This should be a night of fear and fire as the priests burn down those buildings they deem as unholy, including a brothel, the thieves guild, several bars and the homes of some citizens. If directed by anyone with a reasonable explanation towards the temple they will move that way. Otherwise they will attack anyone they remember as being ‘wicked,’ eventually heading off of their own will towards the temple they remember as home. At this point Jiphthar will be forced to fight off the undead himself and will if the PCs are around, ask them for assistance. The last priest of fire left in the temple will die during the night, and Jiphthar will claim that he was killed by the undead priests. When the undead priests are killed, Jiphthar will declare it a sign that good will prevail and will begin gathering his flock to watch the triumph of fire (i.e. the dawn death of Dalius).
The conclusion: If the PCs have not take actions which will prevent it, Jiphthar and Dalius will follow their plans for the ceremony. Jiphthar will feed Dalius the tainted blood, telling him that it has been blessed in such a way as to speed his soul to its resting place. Dalius will not care one way or the other and comply. If the ceremony is successful, Jiphthar will claim that Dalius was responsible for the events of the last few weeks. Two weeks later however Jiphthar will have finished his potion and joined the ranks of the undead, bringing forth an army of ghouls, zombies, skeletons and wights from the cemetery. The gothic temple of fire will become a fortress of the undead and Jiphthar will in one night destroy the town creating a haven of darkness and death.
If the PCs foil the ceremony, Dalius will still seek to kill himself at the appointed hour. However, he will fight anyone who tries to kill him before then. Jiphthar will flee and as a necromancer eventually seek a revenge on those who robbed him of his perfect chance to gain the ultimate power over death.
If the PCs foil the ceremony and kill Jiphthar, they will have truly solved the problem, but the community will never quite believe that their beloved priest was evil and the PCs will lose standing in the community over the ordeal.
Acknowledgement’s to Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris from whom I lifted the idea for Dalius.
Edited to fix an open tag. Otherwise the whole thing would be in size 3 text.
Last edited:
Rune
Once A Fool
Ingredients:
The Dying Flame
A short adventure for characters level 6-10
Opportunities abound for combat in this adventure, but it is quite possible for the PCs to reach a reasonably satisfying conclusion with no such encounters.
The History
In the burning stretches of the Boundless Desert, lies the majestic and holy City in the Sands. It is at this site that the gods first brought fire to the mortal world. No oasis supports the city, but the city thrives, nevertheless. Its fine artisanship is sought the world over, and the city trades the fine works that its inhabitants produce for water and precious materials.
Furthermore, the city attracts thousands of pilgrims a year, each bringing hefty donations to the Priests who run the city. These pilgrims are visiting the sacred Fire That Does Not Die—the continuing presence of the first mortal flame. That Fire is kept by the Priests, the Keepers of the Holy Flame, the same Priests who rule the city.
Every one hundred and one years, five of the Priests are required to sacrifice their eldest daughters (as virgins, of course). The daughters’ blood is drained and mixed and poured over the graves of the Priest’s ancestors, upon which grows the Sacred Grove, a grove of palm trees maintained by the Priests and harvested as fuel for the Fire That Does Not Die.
In this way, the blood of the Priests—and only the Priests, lives on in the Holy Flame.
Recent Events
The day has come, once again, for the sacrifice of the Priests’ daughters. One of these Priests, Comfort of the Desert Breeze, has grown attached to his eldest daughter, Diamond in the Desert Sands, and has succumbed to his daughter’s suggestion that he allow her to escape. She even provides him with a plan to do so.
On the outskirts of town, a beggar family (one of many such families who crowd the streets of the City in the Sands) has a daughter who bears a strong likeness to Diamond in the Desert Sands. Diamond has convinced her father to grant her a small fortune in funds and send her to a destination unknown to him.
In her place, the daughter of the beggar family is to be sacrificed.
Comfort, like many of the Keepers of the Holy Flame, is not a divine caster and does not truly have faith in the gods, or his role as a Priest. Rather, he is a politician, a Priest because his ancestors were Priests and because he enjoys the political power that his position employs; not surprisingly, Comfort believes that the ceremony is nothing more than foolish tradition and has no hesitations about sparing his daughter’s life.
His great misfortune is evident when the Grove that is sprinkled with the tainted blood of the sacrifices begins to slowly die. Comfort’s fellow Priests discover his deception and slay the former Priest, leaving his body in the desert, unburied.
Consequently, Comfort’s soul is restless and he returns to the mortal realm in the form of a ghost, determined to right his wrongs by hunting down his daughter, sacrificing her, and feeding her blood to the Sacred Grove on the graves of his ancestors. By doing this, the ghost of Comfort hopes to accomplish two ends: returning life to the dying grove and purchasing a peaceful rest for himself.
The Setup
The PCs may find themselves entering the City in the Sands any time that they are traveling through a desert or with a trade route. The City in the Sands should be a major stop in the trade route, as it is an opulently rich city with trade goods of all kinds—from spices to flying carpets. The PCs could also be a hired escort for pilgrims to the Holy Flame, or they could be pilgrims, themselves.
Alternately, the location of the City could be changed, but doing so would certainly distort the flavor of the City. Whatever the case, the PCs will find a world rich in political intrigue and class disparity within the City’s walls and should have plenty of opportunities for exploration and additional encounters.
The City in the Sands
When the PCs enter the City, they are accosted by mobs of beggars. It is immediately evident that, despite the City’s rich appearance, many of its denizens are destitute. One such group of beggars that the PCs may encounter will tell the PCs a tale of woe unlike most of the other beggars. They will claim that the “soldiers of the Priests came to take their daughter away.” This is mostly true—the soldiers were hired guards of Comfort of the Desert Breeze. The beggars will also claim that they have seen their daughter (Joy of the Whispering Night) a few times in town, at a distance. This, also, is truthfully spoken, although it is inaccurate. Actually, the beggars have mistaken Diamond in the Desert Sands, who has not yet left the City—as she is seeking to hire adventurers for protection before she departs—for their daughter.
Deeper in the City, where the merchants sprawl across the streets and year-long bazaars vie for the money of visiting traders, the PCs will hear worried rumors that the Sacred Grove is dying. A successful Gather Information check at DC 15 will yield:
If the PCs explore the City during the night (as is not uncommon for people unused to the desert sun), they will encounter the ghost of Comfort of the Desert Breeze, who is searching frantically for his daughter, in order to bring her back to the temple to be sacrificed. The ghost is far too frantic to be malevolent toward the PCs and will attempt to enlist their aid, if they are willing to hear him out. The ghost will tell his story if the PCs ask for it, and will answer any of their questions as accurately as it can without actually telling them that the Grove is dying, or that the Fire That Does Not Die is in danger of being extinguished as a result. The ghost will not tell the PCs what it intends to do with its daughter once it has found her.
The Options
At this point, the PCs have several options, of few of which follow:
They may…
a) help the ghost of Comfort of the Desert Breeze to locate his daughter. She is currently in the City looking to hire some adventurers, so this should not be a difficult task. If the PCs are cunning (or treacherous), they may even accept the job and receive a handsome payment of 1000 gold before betraying her to Comfort. Ironically, the sacrifice will only be partially successful—Comfort will cease to exist as a ghost, but the blood of Diamond will not slow the death of the Sacred Grove. The PCs may well encounter the “guards” of the Priests while searching for Diamond, who are thinking along lines similar to Comfort. Comfort does not know the motives of the Priests and does know about the search for his daughter; he, therefore, concludes that they must not be allowed to capture Diamond and is likely to warn the PCs to keep the guards from getting to her. The guards will be in packs of 3d6 and will be level 5 Warriors. They have orders to subdue Diamond and to make sure that she is not killed.
b) help Diamond in the Desert Sands to escape from the City. She will pay the PCs a flat sum of 1000 gold in advance for their aid and another 2000 upon her safe delivery out of the Boundless Desert. This may be more difficult than the PCs would suspect, because the Priests have sent their temple “guards” (or, more accurately, thugs) to find her; the Priests are thinking along the same lines as Comfort, although they do not know that he has returned as a ghost and they would not work with him if they did. These guards would be in packs of 3d6 level 5 Warriors. They have orders to subdue Diamond and to make sure that she is not killed. Should the Priests succeed in capturing and sacrificing Diamond, they will learn that her blood will not rectify their situation. It is also possible that the PCs would encounter Comfort of the Desert Breeze, who would certainly attack them in this situation, but would go to any lengths to make sure that Diamond is not killed prematurely.
c) help heal the Sacred Grove through druidic spells, specifically, plant growth or 36 hp of cure spells cast directly on the graves. The PCs may think to try a similar tactic with Comfort of the Desert Breeze by casting atonement, but the attempt will not work, because the spell is limited to living targets. If the PCs heal the Sacred Grove, they will gain the friendship of the Priests (which may not be very palatable, particularly if the PCs have a paladin in the group) and will be rewarded 1500 gold per party member.
d) leave the evil Priests and their precious City in the Sands to rot in the desert. This should not be a particularly palatable choice, because the entire city will certainly suffer with the extinguishing of the Holy Flame. The entire economic structure of the City is likely to collapse under the combined weight of the lack of monetary income from the thousands of pilgrims that visit the City every year and the power vacuum that will inevitably be created when the Priests are derived of their purpose and revealed to be powerless (in a divine sense, at any rate).
e) attempt to fill the power vacuum that will inevitably left by the Priests when the Holy Flame is extinguished. This will no doubt lead to a conflict between the Priests (and their guards) and the PCs. There are a total of 101 Priests, most of whom are low level Aristocrats. Few of them have any divine casting abilities and those with such abilities are Adepts. Each of the Priests is able to call upon 101 guards (level 5 Warriors), and will certainly call upon all of them in the event of a large-scale battle. If the PCs manage to succeed in taking over the City, they will still have to deal with the economic crisis at hand. Ultimately, the potential reward of this course of action may not be worthwhile to the PCs.
The Cast
Comfort of the Desert Breeze was once Neutral Evil, unlike most of his former fellow-Priests, who are almost uniformly Lawful Evil. Like most of the Priests, Comfort viewed his position as a political one—not particularly believing or caring in the divinity. Like many non-believers, he generally assumes that all divine magic is arcane magic cast by a fraud. Comfort is conniving and charismatic, qualities that once earned him a high position within the Priesthood. Unfortunately, these same qualities conspired to award his daughter the honor of being one of the sacrifices to the graves of the ancestors—a sacrifice that Comfort was not willing to make in life. As a ghost, Comfort is quite aware of the nature of divinity, and is restless in his shameful undeath. He is truly penitent (now Lawful Evil) and wishes to right the wrongs that he has committed against his former colleagues and his City. He is currently a level 3 Aristocrat Ghost.
Diamond in the Desert Sands is Chaotic Evil—thoroughly selfish, cunning, and manipulative. She is also (very reasonably) terrified of her impending mortality. The thought of getting married to escape her predicament has crossed her mind (the sacrifices must be virgins, after all), but is not feasible, because no one would ever think of marrying the daughter of a Priest of the Holy Flame who is scheduled to be sacrificed for the good of the City (and, presumably, the gods). Even so, she is getting desperate, as rumors suggest that her plan may not have worked as well as it should have, and she will attempt to manipulate the PCs to help her escape, should she encounter them, by any means at her disposal, even seduction. Diamond is a level 1 Aristocrat.
- Beggars
- Corrupt Fire Priest
- Penitent Undead
- Defiled Graves
- Sacred Plants
- Tainted Blood
The Dying Flame
A short adventure for characters level 6-10
Opportunities abound for combat in this adventure, but it is quite possible for the PCs to reach a reasonably satisfying conclusion with no such encounters.
The History
In the burning stretches of the Boundless Desert, lies the majestic and holy City in the Sands. It is at this site that the gods first brought fire to the mortal world. No oasis supports the city, but the city thrives, nevertheless. Its fine artisanship is sought the world over, and the city trades the fine works that its inhabitants produce for water and precious materials.
Furthermore, the city attracts thousands of pilgrims a year, each bringing hefty donations to the Priests who run the city. These pilgrims are visiting the sacred Fire That Does Not Die—the continuing presence of the first mortal flame. That Fire is kept by the Priests, the Keepers of the Holy Flame, the same Priests who rule the city.
Every one hundred and one years, five of the Priests are required to sacrifice their eldest daughters (as virgins, of course). The daughters’ blood is drained and mixed and poured over the graves of the Priest’s ancestors, upon which grows the Sacred Grove, a grove of palm trees maintained by the Priests and harvested as fuel for the Fire That Does Not Die.
In this way, the blood of the Priests—and only the Priests, lives on in the Holy Flame.
Recent Events
The day has come, once again, for the sacrifice of the Priests’ daughters. One of these Priests, Comfort of the Desert Breeze, has grown attached to his eldest daughter, Diamond in the Desert Sands, and has succumbed to his daughter’s suggestion that he allow her to escape. She even provides him with a plan to do so.
On the outskirts of town, a beggar family (one of many such families who crowd the streets of the City in the Sands) has a daughter who bears a strong likeness to Diamond in the Desert Sands. Diamond has convinced her father to grant her a small fortune in funds and send her to a destination unknown to him.
In her place, the daughter of the beggar family is to be sacrificed.
Comfort, like many of the Keepers of the Holy Flame, is not a divine caster and does not truly have faith in the gods, or his role as a Priest. Rather, he is a politician, a Priest because his ancestors were Priests and because he enjoys the political power that his position employs; not surprisingly, Comfort believes that the ceremony is nothing more than foolish tradition and has no hesitations about sparing his daughter’s life.
His great misfortune is evident when the Grove that is sprinkled with the tainted blood of the sacrifices begins to slowly die. Comfort’s fellow Priests discover his deception and slay the former Priest, leaving his body in the desert, unburied.
Consequently, Comfort’s soul is restless and he returns to the mortal realm in the form of a ghost, determined to right his wrongs by hunting down his daughter, sacrificing her, and feeding her blood to the Sacred Grove on the graves of his ancestors. By doing this, the ghost of Comfort hopes to accomplish two ends: returning life to the dying grove and purchasing a peaceful rest for himself.
The Setup
The PCs may find themselves entering the City in the Sands any time that they are traveling through a desert or with a trade route. The City in the Sands should be a major stop in the trade route, as it is an opulently rich city with trade goods of all kinds—from spices to flying carpets. The PCs could also be a hired escort for pilgrims to the Holy Flame, or they could be pilgrims, themselves.
Alternately, the location of the City could be changed, but doing so would certainly distort the flavor of the City. Whatever the case, the PCs will find a world rich in political intrigue and class disparity within the City’s walls and should have plenty of opportunities for exploration and additional encounters.
The City in the Sands
When the PCs enter the City, they are accosted by mobs of beggars. It is immediately evident that, despite the City’s rich appearance, many of its denizens are destitute. One such group of beggars that the PCs may encounter will tell the PCs a tale of woe unlike most of the other beggars. They will claim that the “soldiers of the Priests came to take their daughter away.” This is mostly true—the soldiers were hired guards of Comfort of the Desert Breeze. The beggars will also claim that they have seen their daughter (Joy of the Whispering Night) a few times in town, at a distance. This, also, is truthfully spoken, although it is inaccurate. Actually, the beggars have mistaken Diamond in the Desert Sands, who has not yet left the City—as she is seeking to hire adventurers for protection before she departs—for their daughter.
Deeper in the City, where the merchants sprawl across the streets and year-long bazaars vie for the money of visiting traders, the PCs will hear worried rumors that the Sacred Grove is dying. A successful Gather Information check at DC 15 will yield:
- the knowledge that the Sacred Grove is the fuel for the Fire That Does Not Die,
- the sacred nature of the Holy Fire,
- and the illegal nature of such rumors—for the very well being of the City is determinant upon the existence of the Holy Flame.
If the PCs explore the City during the night (as is not uncommon for people unused to the desert sun), they will encounter the ghost of Comfort of the Desert Breeze, who is searching frantically for his daughter, in order to bring her back to the temple to be sacrificed. The ghost is far too frantic to be malevolent toward the PCs and will attempt to enlist their aid, if they are willing to hear him out. The ghost will tell his story if the PCs ask for it, and will answer any of their questions as accurately as it can without actually telling them that the Grove is dying, or that the Fire That Does Not Die is in danger of being extinguished as a result. The ghost will not tell the PCs what it intends to do with its daughter once it has found her.
The Options
At this point, the PCs have several options, of few of which follow:
They may…
a) help the ghost of Comfort of the Desert Breeze to locate his daughter. She is currently in the City looking to hire some adventurers, so this should not be a difficult task. If the PCs are cunning (or treacherous), they may even accept the job and receive a handsome payment of 1000 gold before betraying her to Comfort. Ironically, the sacrifice will only be partially successful—Comfort will cease to exist as a ghost, but the blood of Diamond will not slow the death of the Sacred Grove. The PCs may well encounter the “guards” of the Priests while searching for Diamond, who are thinking along lines similar to Comfort. Comfort does not know the motives of the Priests and does know about the search for his daughter; he, therefore, concludes that they must not be allowed to capture Diamond and is likely to warn the PCs to keep the guards from getting to her. The guards will be in packs of 3d6 and will be level 5 Warriors. They have orders to subdue Diamond and to make sure that she is not killed.
b) help Diamond in the Desert Sands to escape from the City. She will pay the PCs a flat sum of 1000 gold in advance for their aid and another 2000 upon her safe delivery out of the Boundless Desert. This may be more difficult than the PCs would suspect, because the Priests have sent their temple “guards” (or, more accurately, thugs) to find her; the Priests are thinking along the same lines as Comfort, although they do not know that he has returned as a ghost and they would not work with him if they did. These guards would be in packs of 3d6 level 5 Warriors. They have orders to subdue Diamond and to make sure that she is not killed. Should the Priests succeed in capturing and sacrificing Diamond, they will learn that her blood will not rectify their situation. It is also possible that the PCs would encounter Comfort of the Desert Breeze, who would certainly attack them in this situation, but would go to any lengths to make sure that Diamond is not killed prematurely.
c) help heal the Sacred Grove through druidic spells, specifically, plant growth or 36 hp of cure spells cast directly on the graves. The PCs may think to try a similar tactic with Comfort of the Desert Breeze by casting atonement, but the attempt will not work, because the spell is limited to living targets. If the PCs heal the Sacred Grove, they will gain the friendship of the Priests (which may not be very palatable, particularly if the PCs have a paladin in the group) and will be rewarded 1500 gold per party member.
d) leave the evil Priests and their precious City in the Sands to rot in the desert. This should not be a particularly palatable choice, because the entire city will certainly suffer with the extinguishing of the Holy Flame. The entire economic structure of the City is likely to collapse under the combined weight of the lack of monetary income from the thousands of pilgrims that visit the City every year and the power vacuum that will inevitably be created when the Priests are derived of their purpose and revealed to be powerless (in a divine sense, at any rate).
e) attempt to fill the power vacuum that will inevitably left by the Priests when the Holy Flame is extinguished. This will no doubt lead to a conflict between the Priests (and their guards) and the PCs. There are a total of 101 Priests, most of whom are low level Aristocrats. Few of them have any divine casting abilities and those with such abilities are Adepts. Each of the Priests is able to call upon 101 guards (level 5 Warriors), and will certainly call upon all of them in the event of a large-scale battle. If the PCs manage to succeed in taking over the City, they will still have to deal with the economic crisis at hand. Ultimately, the potential reward of this course of action may not be worthwhile to the PCs.
The Cast
Comfort of the Desert Breeze was once Neutral Evil, unlike most of his former fellow-Priests, who are almost uniformly Lawful Evil. Like most of the Priests, Comfort viewed his position as a political one—not particularly believing or caring in the divinity. Like many non-believers, he generally assumes that all divine magic is arcane magic cast by a fraud. Comfort is conniving and charismatic, qualities that once earned him a high position within the Priesthood. Unfortunately, these same qualities conspired to award his daughter the honor of being one of the sacrifices to the graves of the ancestors—a sacrifice that Comfort was not willing to make in life. As a ghost, Comfort is quite aware of the nature of divinity, and is restless in his shameful undeath. He is truly penitent (now Lawful Evil) and wishes to right the wrongs that he has committed against his former colleagues and his City. He is currently a level 3 Aristocrat Ghost.
Diamond in the Desert Sands is Chaotic Evil—thoroughly selfish, cunning, and manipulative. She is also (very reasonably) terrified of her impending mortality. The thought of getting married to escape her predicament has crossed her mind (the sacrifices must be virgins, after all), but is not feasible, because no one would ever think of marrying the daughter of a Priest of the Holy Flame who is scheduled to be sacrificed for the good of the City (and, presumably, the gods). Even so, she is getting desperate, as rumors suggest that her plan may not have worked as well as it should have, and she will attempt to manipulate the PCs to help her escape, should she encounter them, by any means at her disposal, even seduction. Diamond is a level 1 Aristocrat.
Vaxalon
First Post
Bowing out for the setting contest
I have decided that I am going to save my creative energies for the WotC setting contest. Unless you are willing to delay my defense of my title until after the deadline (june 21) I willingly relinquish it.
I must conserve my creative energies.
I have decided that I am going to save my creative energies for the WotC setting contest. Unless you are willing to delay my defense of my title until after the deadline (june 21) I willingly relinquish it.
I must conserve my creative energies.
MasterOfHeaven
First Post
I just have to say both Wichts and Runes entries are incredibly good. I'm glad I'm not the one who has to pick between them. Great work, guys.
el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Ok, I have read over the two entries and DAMN! this is going to be really close. . .
I guess I should choose the winner based on whose name comes first alphabetically. . .
Or perhaps based on who has the most letters in their name. . .
Or maybe. . . I can read them again and again very closely and try hard to determine a winner. . .
Yeah, I guess I will do the third
I guess I should choose the winner based on whose name comes first alphabetically. . .
Or perhaps based on who has the most letters in their name. . .
Or maybe. . . I can read them again and again very closely and try hard to determine a winner. . .
Yeah, I guess I will do the third
