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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rothe" data-source="post: 3423370" data-attributes="member: 39813">Spoilers, in case players wander in text is in black, rather long but combines a few homemade and commercial adventures.  Fairly edition neutral but based on low magic world, relatively speaking.  Not checked for spelling.(1) The Caverns of Thracia  My favorite module of all time.  Good introduction to value of parley and tactics in my campaign.  Also characters can come out of this at level 4+ (if you don't require training <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />)  (2) Interlude  Travel across the kingdom to get to know the setting a bit better.  A softball adventure, for the now “4th level” PCs, can showcase there new power level and revel in their wealth and power compared to the average yeoman.  In addition, PCs may train and have things made for them with their new found wealth.  (3)  The Dwarven Road and The Black Towers More setting campaign history, which knowing a little of can help in strategy.  Dwarven road to the north through the dangerous giant spider and gargoyle infested Northern Forest is THE trade route for Dwarven goods, exotic furs, and ivory (mammoths).  The "winter caravan" of Marook (Gnoll-like creature) ivory and fur traders never arrived.  Investigation by the kingdom points to giant spider attacks, it happens.  The "spring caravan" arrives safely, but the "summer caravan" does not.    Typically, carrying "lower" value Dwarven goods the summer caravan unbeknownst to the PCs contained a secret shipment of magic weapons.  Initial investigation by the Kingdom points to another giant spider attack, but an intrepid ranger discovers something that points to humanoids...a large blood stained rock.  Divination reveals it was thrown by something big.  Further magical investigation is difficult at the site because several weeks have passed, the magical interference generated by the dark ancient forest, and most likely the use of concealing magic.  Something more organized is suspected.  Especially since the Hill Giants have been building forts.  Very uncharcteristic of them showing a degree of planning and tool use thought beyond them. The best leads point to the west.  The King's primary forces will pursue that trail.  However, the Northern Forest contains many ruined Black Towers, left over from the previous occupation of this part of the world by Evil Demi-God #2 (roughly 3,500 years ago).  Several lie to the rear (to the East) the PCs are asked to confirm these are empt.   Setting information:  The Black Towers were all built to the same plan (at least with respect to the major structure, interior partitions may differ).  After all, when using orc and slave labor it's best to keep things consistent.   Adventurers are greatly needed in the Kingdom of Kemet.  Kemet can't afford a huge standing army and certainly cannot divert a company of troops to check out these towers.  Anything less may not come back.  Better to send a smaller quieter contingent of bad-assess.    Towers are occupied by gargoyles, spiders and Marook outlaws (another chance to describe setting) led by a Marook or half-orc shaman (nature/animal control magic) lodged in the dungeon below with an orc contingent with an Ettin and a couple of Orge's.  Underground river being used to ferry prisoners and loot to the West.  Recent earthquake (fairly common in the area on the small scale) has blocked the way.  Prisoners or some investigation can discover goods moving West to the Hill Giants.  Also King's agents will find this out if the PCs don't.   (4)  G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chieftan A large fortress on the Western edge of the forest is the prime suspect for a staging area.  The King's main agents go there, yet there are several other such fortresses.  The PCs are asked to infiltrate one to the Southwest and the closest to the Kingdom's border.  As the Hill Giants have historically been peaceful, it is best not to stir them up if they are innocent.  If they are guilty, the threat must be stopped. The Frost Giants are teaching the Hill Giants how to build and providing them with metal axes and teaching them how to use them (the Hill Giants typically used clubs and throw rocks).  Outlaw Marook and disfavored clans are aiding/trading with the Hill Giants.  A Frost Giant Jarl is the travelling diplomat/trainer.  (THE FROST GIANT PLAN:  To the north lies three "kingdoms" and the mountain of the dwarves.  In the West in the icey hills is Yritheim, Kingdom of the Frost Giants.  Immediately East is the great Marook Kingdom of "Clan #1" and across the great N/S river is the rival/related Marook Kingdom of "Clan #2."  The great river ends in a great lake at the northern edge of the Northern Forest.  At the eastern end of the lake is a small set of peaks which contain the halls and mines of the dwarves.   An ousted Frost Giant prince wants the throne of Yritheim and wishes to conquer the lands of "Clan #1" for access to the great mammoth herds for food and ivory.  In exchange for the aid of the Marook "Outlaw Clans" they will be given the land of "Clan 2."  Clan #2 are allies, or at least very close trading partners, with the dwarves.  The Marook provide meat and furs, the dwarves provide metal work and weapons.  The Dwarves are strongly allied to the Kingdom of Kemet to the south (on the other side of the Northern Forest).  The dwarves are likely to aid Clan #2, and Kemet the Dwarves.  Being a low magic world ( i.e., 1 in 1000 or so humans is a spell caster) magical/adventurer aid by Kemet to the dwarves and Clan #2 could keep the Outlaw Clan from victory. The Hill Giants are meant to present a threat on Kemet's Northwest border (near the capitals strategic supply of iron and coal).  The Frost Giant's having given the Hill Giants a taste for plunder, slaves, and above all whiskey, which can turn an amiable Hill Giant rather nasty, can now threaten to unleash this force if Kemet intervenes in affairs to the north, which are none of there business. In addition, the forest raids are meant to control the vital dwarven road and persuade the dwarves to keep out of Marook politics.  The raids have been made possible by an Outlaw Marook shaman who has developed methods to command and control the giant spiders of the forest.  Methods he obtained from the Drow, but that the Frost Giants don't know (but the Fire Giants do...but that is part of the Fire Giants plan. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />).  END FROST GIANT PLAN  (5)  Where the Fallen Jarl Sleeps (free WotC adventure) The base of operation of the Frost Giant Jarl organizing the Hill Giants.  Don't need to go here but could provide more info (especially on the Frost Giant plan) and treasure.  A quick 6 room "dungeon"  (6)  The Rebel Frost Giant’s Base (G2, reworked)This is where the Frost Giant Prince has headquartered his most loyal followers in his bid for the throne of Yritheim, Kingdom of the Frost Giants.  He is acquiring many fell beasts to aid him and his allies (hence the dragon, yeti, etc.  Ahh, but the wheels of politics are complicated.  As the Fire Giants are supplying him with half-orc shaman, in exchange for human slaves, preferably male. Once the Frost Giant Prince takes the throne of Yritheim, lands in the mountains southwest of Yritheim that contain fairly inactive volcanoes, which Fire Giants love, are to be given to the Fire Giants.  To appease his Frost Giant subjects, the Fire Giants proposed taking the lands of Marook Clan #1, besides those lands hold many riches.  There is no love lost between Frost and Fire Giants, and the Frost Giants will give up the Fire Giants.  There cooperation is more a matter of the enemy of my enemy is my friend; until that enemy is gone.  In addition, a Fire Giant aid is in residence with the Frost Giant Prince.  Which leads us to THE FIRE GIANTS PLAN: The Frost Giants think they discovered the Outlaw Marook Shaman on their own, but in reality the Fire Giant's put the shaman in contact with the Drow.  The Shaman cooperates because his people get what they want, the lands of Clan #2, and revenge on both Clans #1 and #2.   The Fire Giants could care less about the Frost Giants or Marook. They really want those extinct volcanoes because they have a plan to activate them and take much larger portions of Yritheim.It happens the Drow approached the Fire Giants about a deal.  They want to weaken the surface dwellers and will provide increased supplies of food mushrooms to the Fire Giants.  In particular the Drow wish to cause chaos in Kemet, for what ends they will not say.  The Fire Giants are in desperate need of food.  They eat alot and live in the mountains with bases near volcanoes.  There is not a lot to eat, herding or farming doesn't yield enough, if anything, and extorting food from the orcs and humans can only go so far.  The Fire Giants have consistently lost land over the decades to the Frost Giants, who now greatly outnumber them.   In addition, some decades ago the grandfather of the current King of Kemet with an adventure party (PCs from a campaign back in 1989-1992) delved into the Fire Giant halls slaying many of their warriors and nobility and stealing their treasures.  The Fire Giants never quite recovered and they would savor some revenge.  So they agree to help the Drow.  More on the Drow's Plan later. Did I say politics were complicated?  Well the Fire Giants are not bumpkins that work in a vacuum.  The haughty Drow think they know all and never seem to think someone could be outwitting them.  But what they don't know (or so the Fire Giant's think) is that the Fire Giant's are in contact with a very powerful Salamander clan from the plane of fire.  For reasons they cannot reveal they wish to increase dramatically the volcanic activity in the very region the Fire Giants wish to settle.   This unfortunately, will result in magma flooding and destroying a new Drow colony in the underworld (a colony under the Kingdom of Kemet).  There are certain cosmic rules governing extra-planar interference in the material plane; but needless to say the patron deity/demon of this new colony Loth, can prevent such unnatural magma upwelling.  The Salamanders want the Fire Giants to help the Drow.  In fact, they want the surface dwelling humans to believe the Drow are a major threat, and that they intend to invade, raid, and enslave them.  Which the Drow probably will do.  Eventually, and the Salamanders can wait, the humans, etc. will send some adventurers to deal with the Drow threat, including Loth, once and for all.  The Salamanders are working on ways of weakening Loth (66 HP), so when the day arrives the humans have a shot at slaying her.  With Loth out of the way, the Drow colony has no protection, the magma can rise, volcanoes will be created and the Fire Giants will rise again. What's not to like.   The Fire Giants of course lead the Drow to think they came up with the plan to aid the Frost Giants, but in reality the Salamanders coached the Fire Giants to lead the Drow to this plan. END THE FIRE GIANTS PLAN    (7)  The Fire Giant’s Stronghold (G3, reworked)The Fire Giants are busy consolidating political power amongst their kind for the day they invade Yritheim. The Fire Giant's suspect that the humans will come someday.  They plan to kill most of them but leave at least one to take back the story of the danger of the Drow.  They allow the Drow to "hide" with them but do such a poor job of it the humans should find out.   The Fire Giant's have captured a Titan (Helios) having an aspect with the sun and fire, the Salamanders say in the future he will come in handy for their plan.  Although, the "treaty" between the gods and Titans stipulates that the titans can not take on "divine aspect," whatever that means.  Anyway the Fire Giants hate the Titans (their more powerful cousins, this hate going back to the very Fire/Frost Giant split).  So keeping one captive amuses them and garners the Fire Giant King great respect amongst his people.   (8)  The Drow Colony (modify D1-D3)The major city of the Drow, to the far north of Kemet under the great sheet of ice that forms the ice cap, is overcrowded.  Factional violence is weakening the city leaving it open to attack by the Drow's enemies.  (Mindflayers, Troglodytes and Hymnotopea (TFT, intelligent insects).  THE DROW PLAN A colony must be formed.  A prime spot has been found beneath the lands of Kemet.  An accursed region, the home to many a brave adventurer.  This land must be weakened and in the process the Drow may get some slaves and treasure.    Of course the Drow must act indirectly.  Several layers of proxies are required and some arrangement with other humans.  The Drow have found a plan to set Kemet against the giants and maybe even strain their relationship with the dwarves.  The goal is chaos and the fall of the capital of Kemet.  With chaos, the kingdoms across the great lake to the East of Kemet must act.  The land of Kemet bestrides the vital east west trade route to the city of Sefmar (pop. 1 million plus) and the civilized lands to the east.  The only reason the more powerful forces across the lake have not taken Kemet is it is very expensive to defend, what with orcs and giant spiders and all.  Better to have Kemet do this as long as the custom duties are not too high.  Many in the kingdoms across the lake would like to see Kemet fall on hard times.  The freedoms enjoyed by the people of Kemet place limits on what the lords can do to their serfs.  And serfs sometimes even flee across the lake to Kemet.  In addition, Kemet forbids the transfer of slaves and imposes many other objectionable trade restrictions on caravans.  If chaos reigned in Kemet, then they people of Kemet may even pay the kingdoms across the lake to aid them, and thus the kingdoms across the lake could easily annex Kemet.  Thus, some evil types in the kingdoms across the lake are happy to deal with the Drow and aid them in their ventures. (9)  Q1 The Demonweb Pits If the players take the bait, or just decide to take her out, run this one. (10)  The Halls of Beol Dur (old Dragon dungeon, reworked)An adventure where a clan of Salamanders took over an old dwarven hall in an abandoned volcano. THE SLAMANDERS PLAN: The Salamanders are actually agents of the Prince of The City of Brass, the Efreeti capitol located at the juncture between the planes of fire, air, and earth on the Plain of Discord.  (my own cosmology their).    Immortality is boring and the Prince is tired of quasi-demi-godhood and always being disrespected by the demi-god that controls the plane of fire.  Enough is enough, and it's time to ascend. The Prince has searched many millennia for a lost Piece of the Sun.  That magical alloy that the mortals used to slay Evil Demi-God #2 and banish Evil Demi-God #1 to the void.  If such can unmake a god surely such can make one as well.   The Prince has determined to a high degree of certainty that a Piece of the Sun lies under the Kingdom of Kemet.  Unfortunately, the Drow have built a colony their.  According to the byzantine rules of extra-planar action, he just can’t send minions in to get it.  Besides, there is water there, tens of thousands of Drow, and there damnable spider god of theirs could interfere.  Also the Djinn are watching him too closely.  Better an indirect route.  Stage one has gone well.  Not confident in the power of the Piece of the Sun alone, the Efreeti Prince has also captured through his proxies Helios, the Titan,.  With the immortal life force of Helios and the Piece of the Sun, he is sure to ascend to god hood.  His millennia of wooing the Salamander clans will come to fruition and with his Efreeti army he shall be unassailable.   And just to convince the fire plane masses that he is the shazizzle, as a side benefit a series of volcanic eruptions under the great ice cap of that world will melt the polar ice (over a couple hundred years), dealing a blow to the forces of water and cold for which he will garner much acclaim.  Yes god-hood is just around the corner. END THE SALAMANDERS PLANS (11)  The City of Brass... Ok maybe you got to stop this bad boy or meet out some justice.  Maybe in her death throws (if the PCs slay her) Loth sends them to the City of Brass with info on the frame-up job.   (12)  The City of Silver (hey the Djinn need their city too)Ok your taking on the Efreeti so your natural allies are the Djinn.  You may also have to flee here if you kill too many of the Efreeti.</blockquote>

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