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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gregor" data-source="post: 904651" data-attributes="member: 11751">Here is an idea that popped into my head when I looked at your map:Perhaps the PCs have to dig up or locate something at the large X.  Maybe through gathering information they find that in the following: a) an old hermit wizard / archaeologist used to base his study in the ancient lighthouse.  b)  people believe the old mage was obsessed with the lighthouse and believed it would help him locate an ancient forgotten civilization (which the lighthouse is the only remaining piece of architecture) (make the lighthouse a strange architectural form which is vastly different from anything else)c) some of the older townspeople remember working as diggers and miners for the mage.  One time they found a large spherical crystal.  The mage took it with him into the lighthouse. On certain nights they could see the lighthouse shining an odd silver light towards the beaches.d)  The mage came into Oswestry one morning to gather supplies and volunteers and he was in high spirits, claiming to have found the discovery of a lifetime.  He and his volunteers were never seen again and inquiries into their disappearance have proven fruitless over the years.Lets say that the mage, through the study of the lighthouse discovered that it would operate like any other lighthouse but only with a certain artifact, a magic crystal, would it show him what he desired.  By finding the crystal and putting it in place of the normal magnifying glass (or whatever is used to project the light) the lighthouse would shine a long silver ray onto the beaches.  The light illuminated the entrance to the lost civilization, which is now buried deep under the sands of time.  The mage and his volunteers discovered the entrance, proceeded into the civilization and were never seen again.Now lets say that the PCs hear about these historical tidbits and decide to investigate the Lighthouse.  They find the lighthouse to be abandoned and weathered with time.  Searching within the lighthouse does not produce the crystal but they find some of the mages books and notes and perhaps they find his journal with the following entry:Day 41I have been able to unlock the secret, it seems to lie in the crystal.  I have found that by placing it in the lighthouse’s mantle and the flame is lit, the crystal shines a silver light towards the beaches and it appears to illuminate some form of gate or passageway.  Tomorrow I shall embark on the dig and maybe, god willing, I will finally solve the mystery.  My only concerns are my recurring dreams and my assistant [name of uncle cherry]  He stayed in Oswestry while we picked up supplies, claiming to have “second thoughts.”  I have never heard of such a young halfing being so cautious.  This however, makes me ponder upon the dreams.  Each and every night I dream of a flaming eye….it calls out to me…it warns me….nay it threatens me not to continue with my research.  This must be my worries manifesting themselves in my sleep…..however….sometimes I fear it maybe something more.  I have drawn the eye so that I may study it at a later date…[    draw a picture here  ]If the PCs ask around about the symbol, maybe one older person…say a merchant… can tell them that he saw it once.  He says that one winter he was leading a trade caravan to the stone nomad’s camp to engage in the seasonal trade which both sides have become accustomed to.  However, that day the merchant remembers seeing a tall man, draped in black cloaks covered with those eye symbols and he was preaching to the nomads, capturing their attention in a strange language which he could not, but the nomads could, understand.  When the man had finished, some of the nomads proceeded to the merchant to engage in trading while others, mostly young warriors followed the cloaked man off into the wilderness…towards the south without fear of the dreaded gold worms which threaten travel in that area.  The merchant remembers everything so fondly because the cloaked man made him feel cold to the bone,,,a feeling he would never forget.  The merchant only told one other person…Uncle Cherry…about the incident and it apparently made him quite afraid – afraid enough to quit working with the archaeologist mage. If the PCs trudge off to the nomad camp they can ask around and can find out more about the merchants story.  The nomads tell the PCs that the cloaked man has never been seen again but every winter a few more nomads return from the south and recruit new warriors who then follow them to the south.  For a hook, you can say that the nomads want the PCs to investigate the south as some families miss their sons.  These sons are the warriors who have abruptly left to the south and they worry for their safety (this is a little weak but I am running this off the top of my head – insert whatever you want here).  The PCs can travel to the south where they come upon the Temple Complex.Investigating the complex reveals a strange cult that worships some deity associated with the eye symbol.  The cult is made up of those brainwashed stone nomads and various acolytes who serve some master and attack all intruders.  You can make the complex as big as you like and at the end they should come across the cloaked man.  If they parley, the PCs can learn that this man is the servant of a deity (who the PCs have never heard of before) and he is a descendant of an ancient civilization.  Their purpose was…it can be anything…lets say the furthering of their power through the acquisition of magical power.  The civilization devoted everything to this research and soon the elders believed that they had achieved the power of gods.  Turning their backs on their deities, they proceeded to achieve even higher levels of power.  The gods were angered and punished the civilization, afflicting them with a terrible curse, which rendered them magically inept.  The civilization fell into chaos as it could not recall how to function without magic.  Soon it collapsed inwards on itself and plunged into civil war.  When the wars had ended and a new government was formed, the gods returned the magic to the people under one condition – they must conceal their existence from the outside world and remain hidden forever, where the gods could oversee and control their magical advancements.  One man was chosen by the gods to be cast away from the civilization and to guard the entrance to the civilization from outsiders.  The cloaked man is the descendent of the original guardian and he is sworn to protect its secrecy.  He plagued the old archaeologist / mage with warning dreams and in the end was forced to murder him and his assistants.  He recovered the assumed hidden magical crystal and returned it to this temple complex.  If the PCs defeat the cloaked man they can proceed to follow the mages footsteps and delve into the ancient civilization (whole new quest) or leave it hidden.  I am not sure if you can use any of this, I wrote it all off the top of my head while being bored at work (hence the obvious spelling and grammatical errors).  If something doesn’t make sense or there is an obvious plot error in my post….sorry about that.  I hope this helps…Best of Luck!</blockquote>

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