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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Green Dice" data-source="post: 5222335" data-attributes="member: 85799">Let Sleeping Cubes LieA DnD 4e side quest for heroic tier characters Background:The grand city of Hollowset was built over a vast canal system of intertwining tunnels and corridors. These passages were thought to be from a long gone civilization. Although little was known about the labyrinth, the engineers building Hallowset felt they’d be useful as a complex sewer system for the city. The citizenry of Hallowset enjoyed the relative cleanliness provided by the sewers beneath the city and, as a result, people flocked to Hallowset. Time passed and the city grew into a metropolis.  Hallowset was ruled by a benevolent magic user named Fribarrin. He surrounded himself with good advisors and councilors including a man by the name of Ragios, the Captain of the Guard and a man of noble blood. Fribarrin wanted to rule justly and fairly for the people of his city. However, the peace was shattered when the city was beset by a grotesque monster from the very sewers themselves – a large six sided, transparent monster! The gelatinous cube dissolved the city, buildings and people alike. Fribarrin ordered Ragios to gather his men to combat the monster while he took his council of mages to come up with an arcane solution to their plight.  Although the Hallowset Guard fought well, many men died. Ragios managed to minimize damage to the city by luring the monster back down into the sewers. Although the immediate danger was gone, there was still the problem of having this creature lurking below the city and it’d only be a matter of time until it emerges again to wreak havoc. Fribarrin, at work with his mages, found a way to defeat the gelatinous cube. Heading down to the sewers with Ragios and the Hallowset Guard, the combined efforts of the army and the mages managed to push the monster into the deep underground. Many men were lost during this offensive, but it was for the good of the city. Once at the heart of the sewer, Fribarrin unleashed his magic and sealed the monster within the walls of the labyrinth – however, he was trapped as well.  Although it was Fribarrin that defeated the monster, the people saw Ragios emerge from the catacombs victorious. Dubbed the Hero of Hallowset, the people demanded that he be placed in command. Fribarrin’s son, who was being groomed to take over after his father, was too young to assume the position as ruler of Hallowset and Ragios was made ruler. Fribarrin’s family challenged that decision and they were banished for their efforts.  Generations have passed and Ragios' descendants have held power this whole time. The city has become but a mere shadow of its former self. The sewers are as dangerous as ever – they are crawling with small gelatinous cubes. Sometimes, a small group of them make their way to the surface and plague the city. Placing the Grand CityThe DM can place the Grand City of Hallowset anywhere s/he desires. I see it as being in the middle of a wasteland. Not particularly a desert but more in a dust bowl of sorts. An area that was once fertile land but has become a dry and cracked wasteland Enter the HeroesAfter travelling for many days through the wasteland, any sign of civilization should be welcome. They can fill their water skins, grab a few nights rest in a real bed and perhaps get some food... with actual flavor! Of course, the DM can have the heroes going to Hallowset for any number of other reasons involving their campaign. Perhaps they need to seek an alliance with the city or maybe they are tracking down a specific person, a merchant or outlaw, who was last seen in Hallowset.  I. The Grand City of HallowsetUpon reaching Hallowset, the heroes see it is a great walled city that has seen better days. The crumbing towers and ramparts seem right at home against the background of a devastated landscape. If it wasn’t for the small groupings of houses outside the walls and the plumes of smoke rising up from inside the city, the place would seem deserted from a far.  Making a History Check:15 - Hallowset is a major stopping point for travelers trekking across the wasteland. The city went through a prosperous time and it was known for having a complex sewer system and was an extremely clean city. But then the city hit hard times when the ruling family changed.  20 - The last ruling family was ousted when the city was attacked by a large Gelatinous Cube and since changed the direction of the city. The Ragios family took power when the last ruler was killed in the attack. 25 -The city has been plagued by a continuous onslaught of small gelatinous cubes coming up from the sewer system. Hallowset was built on top of a complex system of tunnels and channels which make up its sewer system. These corridors were thought to be the remnants of an ancient civilization. The gate guards are dressed in the tan and white uniforms of the Hallowset Guard. They allow the heroes in after some questioning. Hallowset is a traveler’s haven and the guard wouldn’t think of turning away a source of good coin from the city. Inside the city, it looks as if a thousand different cultures collided. Smells of exotic foods waft through the air and the sounds of a bustling city are commonplace. Many rows of taverns and inns line the streets in an attempt to lure travelers in for a nights rest. A great market place dominates the center of town. This would be a great opportunity for DMs to introduce any sorts of odd equipment or magical device for the heroes to purchase (or steal). It is pretty obvious that this city is on hard times. Many people look poor, filthy and destitute. Children without shoes run around begging for money and food. There is a heavy presence of guardsmen patrolling the city in groups of 2 to 4.  At random intervals, there are giant grates coming up out of the ground. The air around these vents is foul. These are the entrances to the vast sewer system beneath Hallowset. Sometime during the heroes’ initial visit to the city, a group of small gelatinous cubes emerge from one of these grates and attack the citizens. Screams for help can be heard around the city and all the guards in the area run to protect the citizenry. If the heroes help defend the city (and they probably will), the guards and citizens alike are very grateful. Most travelers just don’t care enough to help the way the heroes do. If the heroes offer to descend into the sewers to end this problem for good, the guards and citizens tell them about the complex system of intertwining corridors and tunnels beneath the city. Many bands of adventurers have gone down there and didn’t even make a dent in the number of cubes that attack; if they come back at all. Living under the constant threat of attack by the small cubes has become a way of life in Hallowset.  While exploring Hallowset, the heroes come across an old man screaming and hollering at anyone who will listen to him. This is Zaabarrin, the crazy old man who lives in a tower a few miles from town. He's a self proclaimed historian and will tell anyone who listens about the history of Hallowset, specifically about the city's most prosperous time under the rule of his Grandfather, Fribarrin. He'll tell the heroes about how his grandfather brought the city from a small trading outpost to a grand metropolis. He'll also talk about how he loves this city (mostly because of his familial ties to it) and wishes to be a part of it. If asked why he doesn't just move into Hallowset itself, Zaabarrin goes into the tale of the Gelatinous Cube that attacked the city from the sewers and how his Grandfather died protecting the city. With a sneer, he says his family was repaid for his Grandfather's heroism by removing them from power and installing the Ragios family as the rulers of the city. Calming himself, Zaabarrin says that there is nothing he can do about that now. All he can do is let people know what his family did for the city and try to make Hallowset a place his Grandfather would be proud of. Zaabarrin takes a liking to the heroes and offers them a place to stay for the night. He'd love to tell more tales about Hallowset and, in return, he'd like to hear more about the "outside" world. He doesn't get out of the wasteland much. Considering the exuberant prices of the local inns, this should seem like a great option for the heroes. Zaabarrin says he'll wait for the heroes to be done in the city and he'll escort them to his tower.  If the heroes ask around town about Zaabarrin, they confirm his story. He is a loud old man who is related to the former ruler of the city. The guards don't like him and often give him a difficult time about being in the city. The current ruler does not like him in town and refuses him to live there. The guards have orders to chase him out of town if they see him. Many people are afraid of him.  When the heroes are done with their shopping or any other business they may have in the city, they can find Zaabarrin in the same place they found him the first time. A small group of guards have surrounded the old man and are giving him a hard time. They are trying to get him to leave the city since he is not welcome. Once the heroes arrive and the guards leave, Zaabarrin pulls out a bag of holding from his robes. From the bag, he pulls out a tightly wound rope ladder. While he unravels the ladder, it looks rather ordinary. With a flick of the wrist, Zaabarrin throws the ladder up into the air where it hangs vertically up in the air. The uppermost part of the rope ladder fades away to nothing. He explains that this ladder will take them to his tower. Although he looks like a beggar, he now seems more like a wizard. He starts to climb up the ladder hanging in midair and beckons the heroes to follow him. He then fades to nothing as he reaches the top of the ladder.  II. Zaabarrin's TowerClimbing the ladder opens a portal into Zaabarrin's Tower, a few miles outside of Hallowset. The portal drops the heroes out in the middle of a ritual circle inscribed with numerous runes and arcane symbols. Looking around the large chamber, there are numerous bubbling bottles and liquids on tables. Dusty books and tomes line tall bookshelves and jars of different substances are strewn about. A particularly large jar holds a small squirming gelatinous cube, the same size as one of the cubes the heroes fought in the city. Next to the jar holding the cube is a large throne-like chair which Zaabarrin is climbing into. He waves his hand and chairs float in through an open door and he begs the heroes to take a seat.  Zaabarrin begs the heroes to tell him about the outside world before allowing them to ask questions of him. Zaabarrin admits he is a bit offended that his family was ousted from power and that it is he that should be ruling Hollowset. But what is done is done and since he, in his advanced age, does not have long to live, all he wishes to accomplish is to make Hallowset a better place. If asked about the small Gelatinous Cube, Zaabarrin smiles and says that this little guy is the key to his grand plan. He feels it fitting that since it was his Grandfather who saved Hallowset from the large Gelatinous Cube back in the day and he wants his mark on the city to be halting the onslaught from the hordes of small cubes.  Zaabarrin then admits that it is because of his grand plan that he invited the heroes back to his tower. He believes that he is able to ward off the little monsters using a ritual his Grandfather was researching. He has all the ingredients he needs but he needs the correct incantations to use. Fortunately, Zaabarrin knows where he can find the incantations he needs. Unfortunately, the information he needs is written in a tome that his Grandfather used to help defeat the original Gelatinous Cube and it is now sealed up within the labyrinth of sewers beneath the city. He asks the heroes to descend into the bowels of the city where the epic final battle with the Gelatinous Cube was fought and retrieve his Grandfathers spellbook. He explains that the fight took place in the center of the sewers and the chamber would be sealed behind walls with his grandfather's seal on it. Zaabarrin hobbles over to a cabinet and removes a jeweled box. From the box, he removes a large iron ring with the head of a ram on top. Zaabarrin explains that this ring has been in his family for generations and was worn by his Grandfather. It is the only way to break the seal protecting the chamber where his Grandfather lies. He emphasizes that the lower levels of the sewer is maze-like and no credible map exists.  If your heroes need some monetary motivation for undertaking this quest, Zaabarrin can offer considerable sums of gold, mostly in the form of ritual components or maybe a magic item or two.  As the heroes depart in the morning, Zaabarrin gives them one more gift: His magic rope ladder. He says that as soon as they find the book, they can use it to open a portal directly back to the tower.  III. Into the SewerBack at Hallowset, the heroes have no problem finding a suitable entrance to the sewer system. As luck would have it, the heroes arrive just in time for another hostile wave of small gelatinous cubes. Once in the sewers, they look like any other sewer system. But once they descend into the lower levels of the sewer, the tunnels, chambers and corridors become more complex. The heroes come across the dead bodies of adventurers who tried to navigate these tunnels before them. Eventually, the sewer becomes a veritable maze. The walls of the tunnels go from being lined with slime and sludge on the upper areas to being covered with moss, lichen and other types of plant life. During their search, the heroes come across swarms of small gelatinous cubes feeding on this plant life. This is how these little monsters survive down here in order to attack the city.  "Into the Sewer" can be run as a skill challenge. Every success brings them closer to their goal and every failure causes them to stumble across a swarm of small gelatinous cubes. Failing the skill challenge still gets the heroes to their destination, but everyone loses a healing surge from being fatigued.  When the heroes find the sealed room in the center of the sewer system, they find a large group of small gelatinous cubes who seem to be guarding the way into the chamber. After fighting off the cubes, they can use the power of the ring to break the seal on the wall and it comes tumbling down. The chamber beyond has not been disturbed since it was sealed and it seems like a tomb. Taking up much of the floor is a thin sticky layer of bluish green slime. Any hero that touches it takes 1 HP of acid damage. It is easily deduced that this is the remains of the old Gelatinous Cube. A skeleton in tattered robes is on the floor clutching a satchel. There are many other remains in the room but this is the only one that looks to be the remains of a magic user. The book inside the satchel seems to pulse with magic and rituals and spells are scribbled on its pages.  After securing the book, the heroes can use the magic rope ladder to create a portal back to Zaabarrin's tower. IV. Zaabarrin's Tower - revisitedGetting back to the tower, the heroes see Zaabarrin standing at the edge of the ritual circle pouring different chemicals into the jar containing the small gelatinous cube. As the liquids dissolve the small cube, he kicks the jar over and it smashes onto the floor. The glowing blue contents spread over the ritual circle. A stereotypical villainous laugh erupts from Zaabarrin as he thanks them for allowing him to finish his ritual. This may confuse some of the heroes since they haven't given the wizard the book yet. The book was never Zaabarrin's objective, knocking down the seal around the chamber was. With the seal removed, he was able to finish his ritual to reawaken the Gelatinous Cube. Why? Because Zaabarrin's family should be the ones who are ruling Hallowset. Stripped of authority, his family was cast out and Ragios' heirs drove the city into the ground. As revenge, Zaabarrin is unleashing the terror from Hallowset's past back on the city. After all, it is what the city deserves after they way they ousted his family from power.  Zaabarrin then attacks the heroes. He doesn't expect to win, but he merely wishes to slow them down so that the Gelatinous Cube can wreak havoc on Hallowset. If they stay and fight Zaabarrin, by the time they get back to Hallowset, the Gelatinous Cube will already be in the city destroying buildings and killing citizens. The Hallowset Guard, armed citizens and other adventurers will be attempting to stave off the monster but won't make any progress until the heroes arrive. If they leave immediately (they can even climb back down the rope ladder if they haven't dismissed the portal yet), they can catch the Gelatinous Cube in the sewers below the city. However, they would have made Zaabarrin into a recurring villain who now blames them for ruining his plans for revenge.  After defeating the Gelatinous Cube, the heroes are celebrated and join the ranks of those with the title of "Hero of Hallowset". Whether or not Zaabarrin was killed, his tower is now deserted and the heroes can use this tower as a base of operations for future adventures.  Continuing the Adventure: Although this was meant to be a side quest, it can spawn new adventures all by itself.  - The heroes may want to complete Zaabarrin's initial plan and rid the sewers of the small cubes and try to find their origin by exploring the complex tunnels under the city. - Zaabarrin's tower could be filled with wild experiments and artifacts that could lead the heroes onto numerous adventures.- Zaabarrin's Grandfathers book could be studied by a magic user and become the catalyst for many adventures. - The current ruler of Hallowset would have definitely heard of the heroes' exploits by now and perhaps he wants to personally thank them for all they've done for the city; and then hire them for a quest of his own.  Ingredients:Gelatinous Cube: Not only is Hallowset under constant attack from small gelatinous cubes, but it was besieged by a large Gelatinous Cube once in the past and again when it was awakened by Zaabarrin. Topiary Maze: The lower sewer system becomes a maze of tunnels that are lined with moss, lichen and other foliage that acts as food for the small gelatinous cubes. Selfless Pretender: Zaabarrin, the main antagonist of the adventurer and the one who sends the heroes on down into the sewers. He pretends that he wants to do something good for the people of Hallowset as one of his last acts before he passes away. Instead he tricks the heroes into giving him the opportunity to unleash the terror of the Gelatinous Cube upon the city. Entitlement: Zaabarrin, the grandson to the first ruler of Hallowset believes he should be the one to rule over the grand city. Since he cannot, he wishes it to be consumed by the Gelatinous Cube. Ring of the Ram: A gift from Zaabarrin so that the heroes can open up the sealed chamber where the Gelatinous Cube lies so that his magic can revitalize the monster.  Rope Ladder: The magical rope ladder that opens a portal into the main chamber of Zaabarrin's Tower. </blockquote>

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