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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Helena Real" data-source="post: 4971336" data-attributes="member: 84320">Vengeance is Mine"Vengeance is Mine"IntroductionAn unknown disease seems to affect villagers, nobles and commoners at random. The Realm’s security and survival is threatened, since no cleric (nor prayer of any kind) has been able to contend the plague, much less stop it or even heal the already sick. Although it hurt him to do so, the current Ruler of the Realm had to make a very difficult decision: declare the harbour city of Foire—one of the largest and most prosperous of the Realm—in quarantine until further notice. Moreover, in order to reinforce and maintain the declared state, the Wizards of the White Tower gathered their forces in order to create a magical matrix which prevents any creature from escaping Foire. Thus, the Heroes found themselves trapped under magic and surrounded by the undead...BackgroundNot so long ago the Heroes venture themselves deep into the Steel Mountains, north of the Realm, in search of adventure and bounty. In their path they encountered all sorts of monsters and threats, until they found what they were looking for: the treasure hoard of Akarium, a great wyrm. After a long and bloody battle, the Heroes defeated the serpentine monster and took its treasure as reward. What they did not know, however, was that they were buying it with a much higher cost than expected. One of the sleeping hatchlings of Akarium, Berthaazir, hatched just in time to see his mother slain by the Heroes. Knowing that he was much too weak to make a stand againt the Heroes, Berthaazir sworn to himself to bring his mother back from the Underworld and exact his revenge from Akarium’s murderers.                In his journeys, the young wyrmling found a powerful necromancer, Dirkûn, who empathized with the creature’s desire for revenge. For his own twisted reasons, the wizard instructed the dragon in all sorts of magical knowledge. Soon, however, Dirkûn discovered that Berthaazir’s only strive was to learn about anything related to summon the spirits back from the dead. As a result, the necromancer redoubled his pursuit in order to help his young apprentice. Sadly for the dragon, one of the last rituals turned against the wizard, destroying him in the process. The whole sancto-sanctorum of the wizard was obliterated and Berthaazir was left with only one clue: the Jar of Steam.                According to the wyrmling’s reading of his teacher’s notebook, an artifact called the Jar of Steam was the only way of bringing a spirit back from the Underworld. The text, of course, was only an incomplete and false version of the truth. The Jar was indeed designed to rob the souls out of the living, turning them into savage, blood-thirsty monsters craving for living flesh. In the blink of an eye, Berthaazir’s desire for revenge turned into an unending plague that cannot be reverted—or that is what everyone thinks.                The truth is that the Jar was created by the very same Queen of the Dead, aeons ago. His son, the Lord of Life, foreseeing the madness of this artifact—which could potentially kill the whole world of the Living—designed an antithesis to it: the Flying Dagger of Life. Only the Dagger possesses the power to crack open the Jar and free the souls trapped inside it. It is up now to the Heroes to find the Dagger and finish the Plague. Act I: Trapped Inside the WallsThe Heroes begin the adventure in the “Hog’s Father” Inn, one of the largest and most famous accommodations in the Realm. Their staying turns suddenly into a nightmare, as the Royal Edict finds them inside the city walls, and no excuse or use of force that the PCs could muster will help them to get out of the city. Try to give them as much a sense of dread, horror and a powerful sense of urgency: it doesn’t matter how powerful or resourceful they think they are, there is no way they can stay in the city and survive. Either are they going to fall to the hands of the undead horde or they will be the next victims of the Plague. Scene 1: The Maddened InnkeepersAt the end of the day after the quarantine announcement, the Heroes return to the Inn where they are staying, most likely disappointed and/or furious about the news about their state inside the city. Not long after they arrive to the Inn, the Heroes will notice that something strange occurs: although it is not that late, there are no patrons drinking and enjoying the hearth. Moroever, the innkeepers and barmaids are nowhere to be seen. After a few moments, a strangely slow and clumsy barmaid appears, launching after the Heroes’ brains. Not long after this first attack, the inn turns into a battlefield againt the undead. The Innkeepers’ couple, the barmaids, and even some of the patrons launch against the Heroes, desperately fighting against them. In the blink of an eye, a candlestick turns over and a burgeoning fire starts to consume the Inn. The Heroes only escape is secret passage into the old city dungeons.      Scene 2: The Old City DungeonsThe long-forgotten, apparently never-ending mazes of underground corridors, remnants of the old city foundations, are an ample source of enemies and dangers for the Heroes. Nevertheless, the most important encounter is one beneath the Tower of Wizardry. There, the Heroes have a chance of expanding their knowledge of the Plague, thanks to a old grimoire, guarded by a pair of Golems. The grimoire contains a riddle about the Jar and the Flying Dagger and, most importantly, about how to find the Dagger The riddle goes like this:In ancient times, a mother a Jar madeHis son dreading the fact a Dagger forgedOne the soul's trapsThe other the trap destroysOne silent as the graveThe other by talons like steel guarded. Act II: The Quest for the DaggerAfter escaping the City, the Heroes have only a few leading clues to the Dagger. Depending on the DM, others could be given in order to point the direction. However, the only way to find the Dagger is that the Heroes prove worthy of it to the Lord of Life’s eyes. For this reason, it is important to design a series of encounters where the Heroes can prove their mettle, prowess and honour when facing the Lord of Life’s tests. The Hunt for the White Stag, the Quest for the Holy Grail and others can serve as models for this Quest. Notwithstanding, the most important part of the story in this act is to face the Heroes with a monster with “talons like steel”. After the creature’s defeat—but before its death—it will offer the Heroes the Flying Dagger of Life in exchange for the forgiveness of its Life. Only then can the Heroes try to defeat the Unending Plague... Act III: Revenge is Sweet...With the Flying Dagger of Life in their hands, the Heroes are now able to pursuit Berthaazir. Their path, however, is blocked by the different traps and servants of the dragon-mage. Moreover, as soon as Berthaazir detects that the Heroes have the Dagger will command its troops to try to take it from them. Henceforth, their tactics will become focused in nly one thing: try to take away the Dagger from the Heroes and deliver it to their Master. Final Encounter: The Dragon-Mage RevealsIn the final encounter, it is important to create a mood of angry desire for revenge: Berthaazir hates the Heroes, blaming them for his horrorific life, where he had to grow without a mother, to lose his only figure of love and respect as a result of his quest for his lost mother, and finally his soul, after acquiring the Jar. All in all, try (as a DM) to make the Heroes feel somehow guilt for their past actions, prior to the bloodshed. ConclusionThe only possible victory for the Heroes is a phyrric one: in spite of the fact that they will almost for certain stop the Plague and save hundreds—if not thousands of Life—most probably only they will know that the hundreds of deaths the Plague caused was a direct result of their previous actions. IngredientsInside the Walls: The Heroes begin the adventure inside the city walls of Foire. The first act of the adventure draws from this ingredient in order to create a claustrophobic atmosphere.Flying Dagger: The Flying Dagger is a fundamental component for the adventure’s development. It is the only way the Heroes have to stop the Plague.Childhood Avenger: Berthaazir, the young dragon-mage, is the childhood avenger of his mother’s death at the hands of the Heroes.Talons like Steel: An element that connects the adventure in general, it appears in various occasions: first, as a part of the prophecy in the old grimoire and then physically present in the Lord of Life’s guardian of the Dagger.Unending Plague:  An unexpected side-effect of Berthaazir and his master’s magical pursuits in the world of the Dead, it sets off the adventure and sets the mood for a large part of the sense of urgency.Jar of Steam: The artifact that created the whole scenario for the adventure, is a powerful and treacherous magical item, which plays with the wishes of its possessors.</blockquote>

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