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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pour" data-source="post: 4959961" data-attributes="member: 59411">Into the FireA 4th Edition adventure for late Paragon TierBackgroundSix hundred years ago, a flying monastery of monks traveled the known world, delivering humanitarian aid wherever it was needed. Their charitable works proved the foil of many demonic enterprises, earning them the hatred of a particularly powerful and particularly enormous demon known as Zazgush the Hunger. The demon was able to uncover the source of their flight, passion, hope, and conviction. As the monks' spirits soared, so too did their citadel.Zazgush and his demonic underlings ambushed the monastery during a flight over the Dormud mountain range, bursting forth from a volcanic fissure and tangling the monks' home in titanic chains of the Hunger's forging. What began was a tug of war between demonic hatred and mortal faith. Zazgush's fearsome attack and the flood of abyssal minions proved trying for the monks and slowly they were dragged down nearer the rumbling fissure Doomscar. In that darkest hour, a monk rose to deliver his brothers, Korvon. With his sword Heaven's Gleam and the armor of his faith, he plunged into the Doomscar and sacrificed himself to repel Zazgush. The fissure grew quiet and the monastery was dragged no more. The monks retrieved Korvon's body, uplifted him as their patron saint, named the monastery in his honor and took to calling themselves the Brothers of the Leash. After all, the monastery hung in the mountain air, still tangled in the giant chains and anchored to the cooled pit of Doomscar.Set UpThe brothers were content to worship above the site of Korvon's triumph for centuries. Though slowly declining, perhaps because they no longer traveled, the brotherhood remained pious and true. Recent young brothers Frellis, Charad and Pelon showed particular promise. In truth, they held such strong faith they might have broken the chains if given time. Zazgush, defeated but merely dormant, knew he'd only one more chance to claim St. Korvon's Monastery. The Hunger rose Saint Korvon from the catacombs as a vampire lord charged with terrorizing the monks and assassinating the promising three youths. When Frellis and Charad fell, the monks' resolve weakened and Zazgush again started dragging the monastery down toward the Doomscar, and deeper still the Abyss.With the exception of Pelon, the brothers are frightened and frantic, doubting Korvon's victory and their own faith. When Korvon reveals himself and murders the last of the youths, it will be the final blow needed to spiral the monastery into Zazgush's clutches. That is, unless the PCs can stop it.Hooks1.The Brothers of the Leash are associated with one of the pious or divine PC's religions and church superiors ask him or her to aid St. Korvon's Monastery.2.The seismic rumblings from the Doomscar scare the local communities into sending the PCs to investigate and assess the danger, during which they come upon the strange sight of St. Korvon's.3.The PCs encounter the fleeing Brother Laef on a road near the monastery, whose faith and courage has completely left him. Desperate to escape the rumblings, Laef does pass on news of the monastery's woes before running off.4.An NPC acquainted with the PCs has a relative who is also a Brother of the Leash. He's sent him or her a goodbye letter, fearing he hasn't long before he's dragged into the Pit, spurring the NPC to ask the PCs for help.IntegrationInto the Fire is easily adapted for any campaign. St. Korvon's Monastery and the Doomscar are isolated enough to fit in any mountain or wilderness. St. Korvon himself or the monastery's larger affiliations can be tailored to any campaign religion. Some of the adventure's details are entirely focused on the PCs as unique individuals, also helping with adaptation.NPCsBrother Pelon Tesk, Human Invoker Brother Pelon is a young monk with curly, black hair and a pronounced nose. He's also the acting head chef of the monastery, a position inherited from his mentor Brother Gert (along with some cookware). His passion for cooking, at which he's very good, sound faith and steadfastness are what's keeping the monastery afloat after the deaths of Frellis and Charad.Abbot Benjamin Gratva, Half-Elf ClericThe wizened leader of the Brothers of the Leash, Benjamin is as scared by recent events as any of the other brothers, but instead of fearing the PCs, he actively seeks their aid. Desperate, perhaps foolhardy, or maybe he trusts the good in people. He's always fussing with his itchy frock, has a kind voice and stands slightly bowed.Brothers Frellis and Charad, Murdered Young Monks (halfling and human)Both brothers were passionate and faithful, one an excellent musician and the other a talented artist. Korvon marked both of them as glimmers of hope in the monastery and successfully snuffed them out. Saint Korvon, Vampire Lord (human avenger)The patron saint of the Brothers of the Leash returned as a vampire lord by the evil influence of Zazgush. His goal is to hasten the monastery's fall through terror tactics and the assassination of the most devote of the monks. His primary target during the adventure is Brother Pelon. (described below)Zazgush the Hunger, Unbound Balor (scaled Gargantuan) Zazgush the Hunger is the ancient demon bound to the monastery by the mammoth chains plunged into the Doomscar. He's in a constant struggle with the uplifting force of the monk's faith, trying to drag them down into the Abyss. The youngest generation of monks, including Frellis, Charad and Pelon, hold such passion and potential for good it threatens to break the chains which keep the monastery from aiding abroad. Zazgush enacts one last plan to claim the monastery, raising the brothers' patron in the catacombs as a vampire to cause doubt and fear. (described below)Act I: St. Korvon's MonasteryWhether the PCs are aware of the brothers' plight or not, they'll cross a mountainous track and come closer and closer to the source of the earthly tremors and the sound of clashing metal. Cresting a high ridge, they discover the flying monastery of St. Korvon's hanging low in the sky, a vast, domed structure bound in titanic chains. Every rattling link is as large as a house. The chains plunge into a rumbling, steaming ravine, effectively anchoring St. Korvon's. A hard Religion check for unwitting PCs reveals the monastery as Saint Korvon's, that its occupied by the Brothers of the Leash, and a very rudimentary origin of the place telling of the heroic monk Korvon who defended the monastery from a demonic attempt to drag it into the Abyss. The Monastery There's several floating disks which can transport people and cargo to and from a loading platform built in the monastery's shadow. They activate with a simple Arcana or Religion check, though a DM could have fun should the group fail their checks with some stopping and starting, near-falls and things. The PCs might also have their own means to fly up to the monastery, in which case let them. Once inside the monastery walls, the PCs find a simple community with well-tended gardens and courtyards, many shrines, reflecting pools, tabernacles and of course a large church proper. There are also various common rooms, a library, bedrooms, a kitchen, chicken coops, a small pig pen, a few cows and everything else expected of a facility that caters both to the spiritual and bodily needs of monks. The brothers themselves are plainly-garbed in brown frocks, boots, heavy cloaks and caps to ward against the cold of the high mountain air. They are mostly human, but there's a handful of halflings, dwarves, half-elves and half-orcs. About three hundred monks make St. Korvon's home, though even that number hardly seems to fill the place. There is a sense of decline and the farthest reaches of the monastery aren't as well-maintained as the used areas. The Brothers' PlightThe PCs will quickly be greeted by rather surprised monks wherever they first appear and  be escorted to Abbot Benjamin Gratva. Not all the looks the PCs get are welcoming ones. Abbot Benjamin is of the welcoming sort, however, a bowed half-elf of considerable age. Whichever hook the PCs might have taken, the abbot is all-to-willing to implore these strangers for their aid, sounding frightened at the prospects of a continued descent and the murder of two young brothers. Should the PCs agree to help, or even if they don't, the abbot insists they stay for dinner. He assures them Brother Pelon is a wonderful cook.If the PCs choose to do a little exploring or investigating before dinner it's a Complexity 3 Skill Challenge, which includes a quick walk-through of the monastery, talking with willing brothers (an opportunity to meet Pelon, who may be the only monk actually willing to talk), research in the library, and hunting for clues to the murders.Between talking with Abbot Benjamin and Brother Pelon, any sort of investigation and the beginning of dinner, the PCs should learn the following:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The origins of St. Korvon's Monastery (as described in the background)</li> </ul><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Abbot Benjamin and the other monks are frightened by the monastery's dragging down, and also doubt Korvon's ancient victory. They fear the demon (whose name they fear to utter) may be roused and there's nothing that can prevent it.</li> </ul><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Brother Pelon is the only monk that reflects more hopefulness than fear. His passion for cooking and the joy in making food and having others partake in it seems like a shield against recent events. Pelon's optimism comes from the steadfast teachings of his late mentor and former Master Chef Gert, whose position and cookware he's inherited.</li> </ul><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Two young brothers have been killed around the same time the chains tensed and began pulling down the monastery. They were lively, hopeful monks in life, one a gifted musician and the other a skilled artist. To the brotherhood's alarm, both were drained of their blood and the whisper of vampire is on everyone's lips. Monks are now sequestering themselves in their rooms after sunset, sometimes skipping meals and prayers, and jumping at their own shadows. Likely some of the brothers put the PCs through various tests like sunlight, holy water and garlic.</li> </ul>* PCs should feel the slow descent and hear the constant rattle of the chains to maintain an ominous mood, given in the occasional description as a reminder or impetus to help keep the PCs moving.Act II: The SaintSaint Korvon's main objective is to kill Brother Pelon, the greatest source of passion, faith and conviction in the monastery. He's already killed two similarly young, similarly hopeful brothers, but has at last found his true quarry. His larger purpose is to hasten the descent of the monastery by terrifying the entire brotherhood and eliminating their glimmers of hope.The First AttackThe first attempt on Pelon's life comes somewhere with an audience. Saint Korvon wants the brothers to see him and despair as their patron turns against them. The ideal location would be in the dining room as Pelon is serving dinner. Korvon would be dramatic and shocking, condemning his former followers to an endless torment in the fires of the Abyss, playthings of mighty Zazgush. He's adorned in the armor of his burial, covered in dust and cobwebs, and wielding a dull version of Heaven's Gleam. In his other hand is a massive, granite shield, which later reveals his resting place as it's also the lid of his sarcophagus.Most brothers flee while the PCs confront the vampire lord. Abbot Benjamin and Pelon are the only two that remain, the latter fearfully swinging the only thing on hand, his frying pan. Depending how well the PCs protect Pelon, once Korvon is bloodied, Pelon should either use the frying pan as a holy symbol or a weapon to strike the Saint and send him fleeing. It bursts into holy flames as he does so, surprising everyone, including himself. A moderate Insight check or the abbot's musings should reveal that the frying pan is a great symbol of passion for Pelon, passed down from his mentor Gert and an instrument that brings joy to him and others. Such an item is a bane to Saint Korvon and the demonic forces who animate him. During the lull between attacks, the PCs own symbols of passion should be brought forth and discussed with either  with Pelon, perhaps family heirlooms, gifts, something that can be used against Korvon and later Zazgush.The ChaseShould the PCs seek to track Korvon, a hard Perception check brings them to the kitchen. The stairwell into the catacombs is a few rooms down, so he might have passed through, but a second hard Perception check would recognize the granite counter of the kitchen's island as Korvon's shield. The Saint is lying in wait for Pelon to prepare dinner the next night. If the PCs catch on, they'll get a surprise round on the vampire, who they might very well kill. If they don't catch on, Pelon may remark the next day that all the food he left out on the kitchen counter spoiled. Failing either check, the PCs will likely plunge into the depths of the monastery in search of Korvon's sarcophagus in the catacombs. His container is lidless and empty. A moderate Perception check reveals a false wall and a ladder, one which leads just outside the kitchen. There are little other clues, leaving PCs to wait until the next attempt on Pelon's life.  Spreading HopeThrough a moderate Insight check, the abbot's or Pelon's musings, or best of all the volition of the PCs, there comes a realization that if passion, faith and conviction are the bane of Korvon and the power that animates him, bolstering the brothers' resolve would greatly behoove the monastery. It must have been why Brother Frellis and Brother Charad were slained.Easier said than done, as the monks are more terrified now than ever. It will take a Complexity 5 Skill Challenge to inspire anything out of the brothers, and include social skills such as Diplomacy, knowledge skills like Religion, and the aid of Pelon and Abbot Benjamin. The challenge could take as little as a few hours, but more realistically a few days, during which time Korvon plans his next attack, this time sneaking into the catacombs and raising some undead minions for an ambush in the kitchen. All the while the monastery is pulled lower than ever. Success bolsters the spirits of the monks and weakens Korvon (-2 to attacks and damage), while failure plunges the monks into their worse doldrums yet. Some are even beginning to flee the monastery entirely, empowering Korvon and his allies with a +2 to attacks and damage.The Second AttackAfter the Spreading Hope challenge is complete, the next night's dinner preparation is an ambush. Korvon, wights and ghoul minions attempt to surprise and slay Brother Pelon. Korvon bursts forth from the island, while his minions spill from the secret passage outside the kitchen. PCs must again defend Pelon, who can only do so much with his fiery pan. Pelon is particularly unsettled for the fact one of the wights is his old mentor, Brother Gert. Korvon will not relent this time, fighting to the death. Just as he's destroyed, Saint Korvon gains a moment of clarity and asks the PCs to avenge this sacrilege and save the monastery from Zazgush.*Should Korvon ever manage to kill Pelon, the monastery descends into the Doomscar at an alarming rate. Depending on whether or not the PCs discovered the symbols of passion, they'll have to defeat an empowered Korvon, stronger from his increased proximity to the Doomscar and the lack of faith in the monestary, as well as stronger undead minions and demons later on, all of them receiving +2 to attacks and damage.*Should Korvon be killed before his Second Attack, allow him a final, dying wish to stop Zazgush once and for all.Act III: The DoomscarPCs descend the great chain links, as demons are sent up in a last ditch effort by Zazgush. Combine late paragon-tier demons with a Complexity 2 Skill Challenge of bounding down the massive chain links into the molten heart of the Doomscar. Success sees them safely through to the bottom, while failure sends them plummeting into fiery rubble and smoking pits, incurring falling and fire damage.At the bottom of the volcanic ravine, the PCs discover the chains lead into a massive Abyssal rift. If they seem particularly set on closing the rift in hopes it might sever the chains, they could attempt a hard Complexity 5 Skill Challenge including Arcana, Religion and Nature. Facing the HungerSuccess or failure will force Zazgush the Hunger to intervene, which should come as a sudden shock as giant, red claws explode from the Abyss and use pure unholy strength to hold the way open. Zazgush's upper half fights its way out of the rift, a many-armed red torso licked in flames with a flayed, horned head dominated by a jagged set of snapping jaws. He lacks eyes, ears or a nose, and stinks of sulphur and charred flesh. He's easily the size of the monastery, truly enormous, with the chains tangled around his body and pulled on by dozens of arms. A success on the challenge imposes 15 ongoing damage per round for as long as he holds the portal (to say for the encounter). Other groups may decide their only hope is to enter the rift and loosen Zazgush's hold the old fashioned way, which finds themselves in a similar combat situation, facing the ancient demon on his home turf, a blackened skull isle in a sea of molten lava which imposes 10 ongoing fire and necrotic damage per round for as long as the party is in the Abyss (to say for the encounter). Moderate Arcana and Religion checks can warn the PCs of the ongoing damage types.ConclusionThe defeat of Zazgush loosens his grip on the monastery and within hours the renewed conviction of the monks shatters the chains entirely. The Brothers of the Leash are now free, and in need of a name change, thanks largely to the PCs. As a flying monastic order, the brothers can travel wherever healing and compassion are needed as they did in the days of Korvon. This also opens the brothers up as companion characters or reoccurring allies, perhaps encountering the PCs down the road and leading to new adventures as the monks acclimate to traveling the wide world, encounter opposing forces, or perhaps even suffer demonic revenge.List of Ingredients:Flying Monastery: St. Korvon's Monastery, the home of the Brothers of the LeashVampiric Saint: St. Korvon, patron of the Brothers of the Leash  Never Ending Passion: The monks passion is what keeps the demon from dragging them down, the passion of the youngest generation inspired Zazgush's raising Korvon, and Brother Pelon's passion is what keeps the monastery afloat in their darkest hour.Granite Shield: The lid of St. Korvon's sarcophagus doubles as his shield and is at one point disguised as a counter top.Chained Demon: Zazgush the Hunger, whose chains are meant to drag the monastery into the AbyssFlaming Frying Pan of the Master Chef: The frying pan Brother Pelon uses when he cooks, handed down from his mentor, the late Brother Gert. It's so infused with passion that it's used against St. Korvon as a fiery holy symbol.</blockquote>

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