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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dave Turner" data-source="post: 1375424" data-attributes="member: 12329">It's embarassing to post what I have so far, since it's still very much half-baked.  Before I post, here's my general thought process on the ingredients and a bit of insight into why I think I came up short.From the beginning, I thought the ingredients were so wildly varied that any adventure that was to incorporate them was going to have to be painfully contrived.  (With that said, I think Zenld pulled a rabbit out of his hat with his entry.  He has done what I could not and kudos to him)To be honest, the ingredients were just too spread out for me.  The scarab of death is a cursed item that probably couldn't be used in this type of event except as a McGuffin or as part of the backstory.  I tried to find a meaningful way for the PCs to interact with it and couldn't think of one aside from it being a McGuffin.The only interesting take I had on the animated bench was a carved bench with two heads that spoke (rather than one that walked), but I couldn't find a way to fit it into my other ideas.I tried to spice up the gypsy camp by changing the gypsies from humans to some funky dwarves.I was going to make the digesters into animals that were transformed by the BBEG's power into a motley pack of digesters.  I just never got around to mentioning it in the stuff I wrote so far.In the end, there were too many unresolved questions about how the adventure fit together and how the PCs could logically make it from point A to point B without being flat-out railroaded.  In a competition that punishes complexity, I foolishly stuck to a complicated concept out of a desire to do something innovative with truly unwieldy ingredients.Well, that's enough of that.  If you'd like to comment on what I had so far, Nemm, that's fine.  Congratulations to Zenld, who truly made a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  <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=":)" />Here's what I had so far:----------------------------------------------------[size=+2] Semi-Final Round - First Match-Up: Dave Turner vs. Zenld [/size] Ingredients-----------------Pack of DigestersAnimated BenchWeeping HeraldGypsy CampScarab of DeathAvarice [size=+1] Adventure Title [/size], by Dave TurnerAn adventure for 7th level PCs[size=+1] Synopsis [/size]An ancient covenant has been broken and an epic magical disaster threatens the region.  Dwarven gypsies have stolen treasure given to placate a powerful arch-devil.  The arch-devil now begins to extend his corrosive power into the world of men, transforming the very land and its inhabitants.  In an unusual twist, the PCs must return the treasure to the temple  to save the day.[size=+1]DM Background [/size]Centuries ago, the town of Dharaga was threatened by Kurush, Lord of Burning Water, a forgotten but potent arch-devil.  The town’s most famous daughter, a legendary bard named Thrain, ventured into the dark temple of Kurush and struck a bargain with the arch-devil.  In exchange for regular tribute provided by the town, Kurush would pursue his infernal schemes elsewhere.  If Kurush’s hoard was ever to lose even a single copper piece, however, the arch-devil swore to deliver swift and terrible vengeance upon the town.  This pact was maintained throughout the years, although its existence was a severe embarrassment to the town and was kept secret from almost all townsfolk.  Every decade, the members of a secret council called The Silent Elders would gather the tribute they had skimmed from taxes and stored in hidden caches in the members’ homes.  They would appoint a Bearer to take the tribute to the forgotten temple of Kurush, adding to the staggering pile already there.  The Bearer was provided with a talisman, known as the Mark of Kurush.  It was a large, sickly green emerald set in black iron.  It allowed the Bearer to safely enter the temple to deposit the treasure.  The Mark of Kurush was also cursed, for if it was ever worn by someone who had removed treasure from the temple for any reason, it would act as a scarab of death.Over the years, The Silent Elders have maintained their conspiratorial grip upon the town of Dharaga.  The seven members are selected from the most powerful families in the town and use their influence to ensure that the ten-year schedule is quietly maintained.  The Bearer has held his post for nearly thirty years.  The Silent Elders always try to convert the tribute into the most portable form, usually gems.  Even with such measures, this year’s tribute was a mix of gems and gold that required a horse just to carry it.  As the Bearer rode from the gates of Dharaga, he caught the eye of a pair of dwarven gypsies who were watching the gate.  The gypsies trailed the Bearer during the two-day ride to the temple of Kurush.  They were puzzled and curious about the Bearer’s reasons for visiting a hidden temple in a virtually impenetrable wood.  They watched the Bearer unload the bags and were shocked when he accidentally dropped the last one and a pile of gold and gems spilled out!  They hid as the Bearer rode away and tried to penetrate the temple and steal the tribute.  One of the pair was killed and the other returned to his gypsy camp with the information he had.  The gypsy leader, an avaricious dwarf named Thorbrand Cloudseeker(dwarf, Fighter 2/Rogue 4, LE), gathered his most talented dwarves and returned to the temple.  Without the safety of the Mark of Kurush, they lost several members, but managed to penetrate the treasure chamber and leave with all the loot the survivors could carry.Back in Dharaga, the effects are immediate.  The adventure begins the evening after the robbery, as Kurush first begins to make his displeasure known.[size=+1]The Hook [/size]The PCs are in Dharaga, resting and resupplying between adventures.  It’s early evening and they are enjoying their dinner.  Without warning, every liquid in the town of Dharaga is turned into acid.  Select a PC at random to make a Fortitude save (DC 17) or suffer 2d6 damage as the effect occurs while she’s drinking.  Similar effects occur all around the PCs in the tavern and the mood quickly turns fearful and nearly-panicked.In the square outside the tavern, a hideous scream is heard.  The PCs (hopefully) follow the rush of folks who spill out to see what has happened.  A bald and shaven dwarf is stumbling erratically in the center of the square, clutching his face while bright green beams of light escape from behind his hands and fingers.  His body shudders and he suddenly transforms into The Weeping Herald of Kurush.  His body and features become grotesquely misshapen.  He begins to issue dire warnings of doom and despair, his voice alternating between anguished sobs and thundering fury.  The tears he sheds are potent acid, scarring his cheeks like melted wax.  The Weeping Herald will begin to rampage, attacking townsfolk and announcing the immanent return of Kurush.  Treat the Herald as a bearded devil with the following modifications:-    remove the ability to teleport-    the infernal wound is an acid effect delivered by claws only (the Herald has no glaive unlike the standard bearded devil entry)By the time the PCs dispatch the Weeping Herald, one of the Silent Elders (Fyren Gardi, human, Ari4, CG) will arrive on the scene, along with members of the town guard.  While the guards reestablish order, Fyren Gardi will approach the PCs and quietly but urgently request that they return with him to his home.[size= 1] The Silent Elder [/size]Fyren Gardi is cleary shaken by the events in the square.  After swearing the PCs to secrecy, he reveals the hidden history of Dharaga and the bargain that has kept the town safe for centuries.  As outsiders, he feels that the PCs are best suited to investigate what has occurred and keep their mouths shut in exchange for gold.  They’ve already proven themselves capable of handling danger by dispatching the Weeping Herald.  Gardi will offer the PCs a reward (suited to the DM’s individual campaign) to travel to the temple and investigate.  PCs can pick up the following information as well:-    Gardi is positive that someone has stolen from the temple.-    Gardi will provide the PCs with directions to the temple and the Mark of Kurush-    The current Bearer, a fighter named Kenric (male, Fighter 5, N), is under suspicion by Gardi and will not accompany the PCs.  If questioned, Kenric will truthfully deny involvement or knowledge of what’s occurred.-    He will not expose the other Silent Elders[size=+1] The Gypsy Family [/size]The gypsy family who has touched off this crisis is composed entirely of dwarves who could not suffer life under the mountains.  Instead, they exiled themselves from dwarven society and banded together to roam the surface world.  The members come from several dwarven clans, but they all forsake their former names and adopt the name “Cloudseeker”.  They are outcasts and misfits, often running from problems with the law as much as problems with typical dwarven life.  As a symbol of their choice, they keep their heads and faces clean-shaven.The Cloudseekers arrived in Dharaga a couple of months ago and established a gypsy camp a day’s travel outside the walls.  From their camp, they have been drifting in and out of Dharaga, finding work as fortune tellers or laborers.  Many Cloudseekers have also found work and profit as pick-pockets, hired thugs, and enforcers.  Their goodwill in Dharaga is used up and they are on the verge of moving on.  At least they were, until one of their scouts returned with his tale of the temple.  Now their leader, Thorgram Cloudseeker, is forcing them to stay.  His avarice drives him to make several more trips to the temple, now that the gargoyles are destroyed.  [size=+1] The Temple of Kurush [/size]The temple is hidden inside a nearly-impenetrable forest in a deep hollow in the surrounding mountains.  The growth is so thick that horses must be led to the temple.  Visibility during day and night is extremely short and poor.  The trail to the temple is extremely faint, but can be followed with a Track DC 25 or by landmarks that Fyren Gardi describes.The temple itself is tucked against the steep slope of the mountain.  The stone appears black at first glance but is actually deep green under light.  The temple and its environs will be different depending on the number of times the PCs visit.[Note: Due to space limitations, the full details of the temple and its dangers are only sketched out.]First Visit Kurush’s power has only barely made its presence felt during the first visit.  The air is tinged with a bitter smell and the stones in the temple appear slick and give off a faint greenish vapor.  The temple is not large, consisting of a few antechambers and the central treasure room.  The tribute is actually piled on a platform surrounded by a moat of acid.  The accumulated tribute is a staggering amount, enough to buy and sell a kingdom.  PCs should pick up the following clues/information during their first visit:-    There are four dwarven gypsy bodies in the temple.  These are the members of the first robbery attempt that did not survive.  The bodies are noteworthy for the fact that the dwarves are bald and shaven, the defining feature of their gypsy family.-    The acid elemental that guards the tribute will not stir unless someone is trying to remove treasure.-    The original guardians of the temple were several powerful gargoyles, who are now shattered in one antechamber.  The Mark of Kurush was designed to bypass these creatures and glows slightly in the presence of their remains.[Note: entry incomplete]</blockquote>

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