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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 2295700" data-attributes="member: 11">not my best, but. . .Taking Out the TrashAn adventure for low to mid level adventurers, as usual it is up to the DM to set the appropriate CR when fleshing out the adventureSet-Up:Long ago the ancestors of the current people of Kilsgrove learned that they could keep the monster that lived beneath the Mountain of Black Glass at bay by bringing it an offering of all its refuse three times a year.  The avaricious monster, once greatly feared, came to be seen as a blessing – as it allowed the town to get rid of its waste easily (and thus stave off disease and vermin) and the surrounding soil was enriched by the minerals of the volcano’s past eruptions was considered an added benefit of the offerings.   Along with all the typical crops, great fields of lavender grew wild and were later tamed and cultivated.The Mountain of Black glass is mound of volcanic obsidian sitting above a great chamber of black magma.Three times a year, for centuries the hamlet of Kilsgrove has sent its refuse to the Sacred Chamber (on the full moon in spring, summer and fall) and enjoyed peace from the monster. The refuse is taken on ox-drawn carts and led by young people who are thrown a wild party and take part in a ritual bath in lavender oil. A year ago the townsfolk sent to deliver the refuse never returned, and soon after the monster emerged from the Mountain of Black Glass, devouring and laying waste to the outlying areas of the town.  It burned crops and areas of old-growth forest and collapsed houses. Aghast, the mayor, Herman Lont, decreed the waste was to be delivered monthly on the full moon instead of three times a year, and that the town needed to undertake a life of Temperance to best enjoy the clean and fruitful life the Mountain of Black Glass was providing – by living such a life the town would better avoid the disgusting ravenous monster.  The wild party was replaced with grave prayers and chanting.Unfortunately, the life free of excess and alcohol and the monthly dumping did not work.  Those sent to deliver the refuse still did not return, and the monster continued to ravage the land once a month during the time of the full moon.  And since one of the town’s primary exports is Lavender Wine, the town’s economy has begun to suffer, causing distress among the townsfolk.-----------------------------------------------Possible Hooks:·    The party is hired to investigate why the last two shipments of Kilsgrove’s famous Lavender Wine did not arrive in some far off port town.·    A cleric or monk in the party is sent to Kilsgrove on a pilgrimage to meditate in the lavender fields and become embroiled in the goings-on.·    The party has heard of the ancient magics of the Mountain of Black Glass and have stopped here to re-supply before going to explore.The Adventure:When the party arrives the town of Kilsgrove is in an uproar.  It should be the middle day of the three-night full moon cycle, and while the town’s refuse has already been sent off, a growing vocal minority in the town has their doubts about the mayor’s solution to the problem.The leader of this group of townsfolk Mintos the (former) Wine-maker, will want to hire the party to follow after the townsfolk bringing the refuse, protecting them if possible, and destroying the monster.  He will even imply that there are foul whispers in town that human sacrifice might be necessary to sate the beast.The mayor and his loyal followers will be very unhappy about the party’s presence, feeling that outsiders would bring the wrath of the mountain, as they are not “pure” – and if the plan to go after the carts of refuse is uncovered the mayor may try to have the PCs arrested or run out of town.IF THE PARTY ARRIVES BEFORE the full moon, they might be able to bluff, coerce or convince their way into being the ones to take the refuse up to the mountain.  However, they will be forced to take part in the ritual cleansing baths in lavender.  The timing is really up to the DM and the actual timing of events within the context of the campaign and the party’s means of travel.What is Going On:In reality, the thrice-yearly offerings of rubbish were working and would have continued to work if not for the mayor.  In his youth, he was one of the people sent to deliver the rubbish, but during the return journey he wandered away from the others seeking to explore the Mountain of Black Glass some more and came upon the “Chamber of Opposition” (see below).  What emerged was a lycanthropic version of himself that killed him and returned to town.  Soon after he left, only to return in adulthood.  This “evil twin” returned with a great deal of control over his changes, and a priest to a god of chaos.  He soon put his plan into action.He has been hunting down and devouring the townsfolk bringing the rubbish offering to the mountain, and then dragging off the carts to an area near the Chamber of Opposition.  Not being sated the monster has emerged from its home to assault the town and sow the chaos the werewolf mayor loves.  He will play his role of the lawful-to-a-fault mayor to the hilt (the core belief of his faith being “Law breeds chaos.  Chaos breeds chaos. Chaos rules over all.”) to try to avert suspicion from himself – but in reality he wants the PCs to go investigate.  In fact, if the PCs interview him, he might even drop the implication that he would love the PCs to go investigate, but could never condone it because of the danger to his people and because it would against the established laws concerning the offerings.  In reality, he does not care if the monster is destroyed – but knowing that such situations eventually attract nosey adventurers – wants to draw them to the Chamber of Opposition so that dark twisted versions of the PCs will emerge and sow even more chaos in the world.Things the Party Might Do In TownIt seems most likely the party will want to interview the mayor, and the townsfolk who have brought the offering in the past, and who have gone out looking for the others when they have not returned.  Some things they may learn:·    Mintos the Wine-maker seems most upset by the fact that he is not allowed to make his wine even for export.  He is less concerned about the town than his business (true).·    Despite being taken with each disappeared group of people brining the offering, the adamantine key ring is always found afterward.·    If anyone goes to see the mayor on the nights of full moon when the offerings are being taken, he is “sequestered in prayer” and cannot be disturbed until the morning.·    No one will approach the Mountain of Black Glass itself unless they are officially part of the group to take them and have taken part in the cleansing ritual.·    The monster is a great molten glob of black goo with psuedo-pods that has surfaces that bubbles with noxious disease-causing hot gases.·    The mayor only returned to town two years ago after being away since his youth.  His father was the former mayor, and his knowledge of the outside world and loyalty to tradition got him his position.·    Many years ago when the mayor was a young man, a great wolf preyed on people in forests and the fields.  It was found and killed, however (actually a normal wolf used by Herman to hide his trail) The Mountain of Black GlassThe Mountain of Black Glass is about a day’s journey from Kilsgrove.  The mountain itself should be very treacherous.  The DM should come up with a few “natural” traps and deadfalls of black obsidian glass that give way into jagged holes that should be on the high-end of commensurate with an appropriate CR for the party.  If the party are the ones to bring the offering of rubbish for the town, the werewolf mayor will allow them to pass unmolested – hoping for them to track down and uncover the remains of the past carts of rubbish and stumble upon the Chamber of Opposition.If the party merely follows another group bringing the rubbish, they might find signs of a struggle and a track of the carts being led towards a different part of the glass mountain (i.e. a fresher trail to the Chamber of Opposition).The Adamantine Key RingThose who are sent to give the offering of rubbish and waste are given an adamantine ring of three adamantine keys, stained with age, but no weaker for it. One is marked with a red gem, one with a green gem and one with a black gem. If the party is with those bringing the offering (or are those chosen to bring it) they will know that the green key is needed to unlock the adamantine lock on the Offering Chamber, and that the other two keys are “forbidden keys” to where no one knows (though obviously the mayor secretly knows).The other two keys open the adamantine locks to the Chamber of Opposition and the Chamber of Life-Trapping (see below).Mysteriously, though no sign of those who have left in recent months has ever been found, the keys always turn up.  The mayor and those who believe what he has said, take this as a sign that the spirits of the mountain want the town to continue their offerings.The Offering ChamberThe locks on the door to the Offering Chamber are opened by the green adamantine key, but are also set to magically unlock if one of the offering times passes without an offering being left – they then continue to open to allow the monster within freedom every month right after the full moon until an offering is brought.   The adamantine key can also be used to lock the doors once they are opened – so in this way the monster beyond can be locked out, or be tricked back in and then trapped until the next full moon with no offering.Beyond the doors a shallow and jagged obsidian ramp, partially molten in places leads down to a river of black magma that bubbles orange in places.  An outcropping serves as a place for the garbage to be placed.  The air within is noxious and should require intermittent FORT saves or take subdual damage.  Those who have bathed in lavender oil gain a +2 circumstance bonus to the save.The monster within is an advanced otyugh (huge-sized) with the fire creature template from the Manual of the Planes.  However the DM might stat out this monster, he should be sure to make it a CR several ranks higher than the PCs.  Simply killing the monster and moving on should not be an immediate option.The Chamber of OppositionAmong the jagged obsidian chasms of the Mountain of Black Glass, behind stone doors locked with an adamantine lock, is a great honeycombed chamber covered in shiny black mirrors.  This chamber acts as a kind of mirror of opposition.  Those who enter the chamber are followed out soon after by a opposite version of themselves that is afflicted with some kind of curse.  (The DM should choose some appropriate curse or template that works for the character/creature in question).  It was from here that the werewolf mayor emerged and destroyed the original version.  It is also near here that all the old carts and refuse have been dumped – so the PCs should be led here, which is what the werewolf mayor would like.This should present a tough challenge for the PCs as the encounters here would consist of being as powerful as they are (sans magical items), but with templates applied to them.  The one advantage in their favor being that this emergent beings will not work together to overcome the group.  The behavior of these individuals will vary depending on who they are based on.  Alignment change, however, only happens on the good/evil axis, with the law/chaos one remaining the same.  Regardless of alignment, these new being will see the original versions as aberrations that need to be destroyed, and an opportunity for a life to take over.Chamber of Life-TrappingUnlocked by the red gem adamantine key, this is a mirrored-chamber similar to the one described above, but instead of creating opposites, it traps those who enter into one of its dozens of mirrored surfaces.  The werewolf mayor never found the entrance to this place, but the PCs might  in their wanderings around the treacherous glass mountain.  The DM should have fun filling this place with all manner of creatures and people of different times.  Within the chambers could be opposite versions of previous visitors to the Chamber of Opposition, other curious adventurers from a time in Kilsgrove’s past that stumbled upon it, and perhaps members of an ancient conclave of mirror-mages waiting for a time to come back into the world and assert their power (see “Expanding the Adventure” below)Concluding the AdventureThere is no one straightforward way to conclude this adventure.Even if the party manages to avoid being replaced by their evil opposites, trap or destroy the black magma otyugh, and/or drop off the proper offering in the Offering Chamber, they may never discover the mayor’s role in all of this.  He will certainly not show his hand, and will wait several months before starting it all over again.However, a clever party that figures someone in town must be in on the ruse (due to the returning key-ring clue) might try to pass themselves off as their mirror opposites when they come back to town to try to flush the person out.  But no matter what, convincing about half the townfolk that the mayor was not only behind the whole thing, but a werewolf might prove very difficult (and won’t win them many friends).  Yet, the evidence is there if the PCs can put it together and present it. (The mayor’s leaving town after his journey to the Offering Chamber as a youth), the testimony of someone who went along with him back then as to his short disappearance, the fact that he is never seen on the evenings when the offerings are being taken, etc…Expanding the AdventureThere are many ways this adventure can be connected with on-going plots in a campaign.·    The Chamber of Life-Trapping could hold any number of creatures/people the PCs might want to hunt down or help get on with their lives.·    The Conclave of Mirror-Mages, if freed, could present a whole new set of foes in the world, and perhaps return a form of magic long-lost and forgotten.·    The PCs’ opposites might escape and need to be destroyed before they ruin the PCs’ names – or perhaps there are other opposites out in the world that need to be found.·    The PCs might think they have completed the adventure, only to hear similar rumors as to goings-on there months or even years later.·    There could be a great number of glass/mirror themed rooms with the Mountain of Black Glass – perhaps a room of Mental Prowess that was the center of the Conclave’s power.Ingredient ReCapAdamantine Key Ring – The keys to the various chambers in the Mountain of Black Glass.  They Adamantine ring and keys designed to last eons.Lavender – The great fields of lavender that grow around Kilsgrove because of the fertile ground. Lavender is used both for the town’s famous wine label and in a ritual cleansing bath before taking the offering (which helps stave off the toxic fumes).Werewolf Mayor – Herman Lont, who long ago was replaced by a twisted lycanthropic counterpart in the Chamber of Opposition.  He should have levels of cleric and rogue and the tracking feat.Otyugh – The guardian beast in the Offering Chamber – with the fire creature template added to it represent a molten creature.Glass Mountain – The obsidian volcanic mountain.Temperance – The suggested behavior for the townsfolk to counteract the anger of the Glass Mountain Spirits.</blockquote>

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