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Campaign Overview

Guide

Introduction

Nestled between dense forests and rolling hills, the town of Silverbrook thrives with excitement and diversity. Adventurers, rogues, and mages often find themselves in "The Silver Tankard," a warm and lively tavern, trading stories of daring deeds and grand exploits. Amidst the revelry, a figure swathed in a ragged cloak steps in, commanding the attention of the bustling tavern. The crowd hushes as he proclaims a dire warning and pleads for three brave souls to assist in averting a great calamity.

Plot

Act 1

The Call to Adventure: The enigmatic figure is revealed as Valorian, an elusive sorcerer. He discloses the escape of an ancient demon lord, Xorveth, from an age-old prison. Xorveth now threatens to shroud the world in eternal darkness. The four party members are selected by Valorian with claims that a pale symbol on all their hands signifies they must be the ones to stop him. Compelled by the severity of the situation, four courageous individuals volunteer to help Valorian in this critical mission.

  • The symbol has in fact been placed there by Valorian as a trick, he wants these adventures to solve the puzzles and gather the relics.
  • He has done this before in many other taverns. He is getting desperate. 
Act 2

The Temple: Having gained the trio's trust, Valorian guides them to an arcane temple hidden deep within the forest, away from Silverbrook. The party uses the ancient tome and recites the spell, unlocking the temple's entrance.

  • We travel to the temple over two days, and Valorian gives us a map and a scroll and wishes us good luck. He then teleports away.
  • Along the way we have a fight with some wolves and pass a campsite that has a family that is under attack by thugs. We are asked to help.
  • If we help they will give a half off discount on their wares and some free health potions.
  • Valorian will be quick to dismiss questions with claims of the need for haste.
  • If the party becomes suspicious and tries to flee he will fight them and cast them into the temple, once defeated. He is sufficiently powerful and should have no issue doing this. Later the party is buffed by the ancients evening the odds.
Act 3

Puzzles of the Ancients: The trio's only escape from the ensnared temple is to solve a sequence of arcane puzzles, crafted by the ancient civilization that once imprisoned Xorveth. These challenges require the party members to employ their distinct skills and intelligence collectively. While they navigate the puzzles, they encounter mystical visions from the past, unveiling Xorveth's true malevolent nature.

Puzzles

First Trial

A long corridor and an archway marks the entrance to the first chamber, the door to the chamber is trapped. It is a trip wire. It can be disarmed with a DC 14.

Entering the first chamber, the party members all enter together but looking around they find themselves alone. A massive mirror stands at the center of the room. Gazing through it they can see glimpses of the other party members.

  • Stating a person's name will let you switch places with them. Each mirror has a symbol representing a person. Upon placing everyone in the correct room. The rooms will merge.
  • The difficulty comes in communication and working out the symbols needed to match.
  • They receive a token. These tokens are required to complete the ritual to free Xorveth.

Second Trial

The entrance to the second puzzle lies at the bottom of a 30ft drop. The stone around the edge of the cliff is incredibly unstable. Upon approaching it will crumble and fall into the hole. 

  • The DC to avoid falling is 15. 
  • Even if the party notices danger the tunnel will collapse, at the slightest disturbance. This will create a large amount of rubble that blocks the door. They can camp here and move it out of the way.

In the night, all who sleep are fooled by Xorveth, he forces any who are awake to nod off to sleep. They can resist this with a DC 22 Constitution Save. Or any other ability that would work to keep them awake.

  • Those who are asleep, believe they have awoken. The tunnel is obscured by magic darkness. Nothing, no spell, ability or power can allow them to see through it as they are asleep and Xorveth has complete control. Ominous eyes peer at them and a form begins to climb towards them. Nothing they do can damage it. They awaken once they die. On awakening they are completely fine. A sinister laugh echoes in the distance, amused by tormenting them.
  • Upon awakening they can finish clearing the remainder of the rubble, and open the next door.

The second puzzle takes place in a small chamber. Entering the room it seems safe. But a soft grinding noise is emanating from somewhere. The walls are slowly closing in. The noise is from the mechanism. 

  • The party will have 25 minutes to save themselves. 
  • Mannequins hang from the roof in particular orientations. If they place themselves in these orientations and stand under them the walls will give way at those points. 
  • Similarly, the mechanism can be damaged if they can get something through the crack between the walls. Freezing water, molten metal. Some things may just slow down the walls. Award creativity here.
  • The room also contains a piece of paper with a riddle explaining the mannequins.
  • With eyes upturned, you'll find the way, To halt the walls, your part you must play. The forms above hold secrets profound, unravel their code, safe ground you've found.
  • A stone door will open when the walls retract.
  • The second token is received.

The next challenge presents itself immediately, a group of shades are present. If the party is quiet they can attempt to sneak around them.

  • If they are not successful a combat encounter is triggered. 
  • The shades are the souls of those that Valorian has forced to attempt the tasks previously. They are not actually very violent and will relent if someone tries to converse with them. If they can persuade them to stop Valorian they will offer some advice. They will also explain that they have been held here by Xorveth’s will and are eager to pass on from this plane of existence. 
  • Through the fight the shades will yell things like “Servant of Xorveth I detest you”, or “He will destroy the world, he must be stopped.'' This can tip off the party to their actual alignment.

Third Trial

The 3rd and final challenge is entered by crossing a river, the river is 10 ft deep and rages. Those who fall in will take 2d6 cold damage and must make an athletics check to get out. DC 18 or they take another 1d6 cold damage.

  • They must be creative to make it across.
  • Past the river is a roper it will attack if anyone walks within rangel.
  • The party can rest here for the night, once the roper is defeated.

The 3rd challenge is through a final doorway. Here they are presented with a deep spiral staircase, stretching far into the ground. 

  • The steps are engraved with different trees. Various small trees also appear in alcoves in the wall along the staircase. They must match the pattern of trees to the pattern on the stairs and touch them in order. Upon touching the final step they will have arrived at the final landing. 
  • There is also a tapestry that they will continue to walk past. The tapestry depicts the ancients sealing Xorveth away. It first shows the chaos he caused, how he would slaughter in droves and spread dark illusions through the minds of mortals creating terror. It then shows a group of powerful ancient sorcerers building this fortress and sealing him away behind a spell. The spell depicts the use of three tokens.
  • Next it shows the tokens being locked behind three puzzles.
  • Finally, it shows a mighty set of heroes wielding the three magic items in the next chamber. They are fighting against Xorveth.
  • They receive the final token, upon leaving the room.

Upon completing the 3rd puzzle a set of three magic weapons is presented. This is a further safeguard by the ancients that sealed Xorveth here, the intent is that one who was freeing Xorveth would seek to kill him, not free him. This was depicted previously in the tapestry.

  • These will be required for the party to stand a chance against Valorian.
Act 4

The Moral Dilemma: As the trio nears the ritual site within the temple, they stumble upon a group of stranded children. Unbeknownst to the party these children are part of the sacrifice needed to free Xorveth. Desperate for aid, they plead with the adventurers. The party is left with a grave decision: do they push forward to stop Xorveth, leaving the survivors to an uncertain fate, or risk their mission to save these innocents? This choice will have lasting ramifications and illuminate their true character.

  • The bindings are magical in nature and difficult to break. They would need to be dispelled and then physically broken. 
  • The connection to the wall however is not magical, it requires pure strength to break.
Act 5

Showdown with Darkness: Reaching the heart of the temple, the adventurers confront Valorian, now initiating the dark ritual. A fierce battle breaks out, challenging not only their physical prowess but also their mental fortitude. Valorian reveals himself and thanks us for unraveling the defenses and solving the puzzle, he summons a wave of creatures that test the party's resolve. 

  • The waves of creatures are the bodies of the previous people he forced to attempt the trials. They are brought back through necromancy. 
Conclusion

In the dramatic finale, the choices made by the party have a pivotal impact. The survivors they chose to save, or not, play a crucial role in the ritual. United and determined, they can thwart Xorveth's plans, restraining him once again. 

  • Should the children have been freed they will be unavailable for the ritual and so Valorian will attempt to capture them with his summoned minions during the fight.
  • If they have not been freed the children will be lashed to a dais at the front of the room.
  • Upon winning, the shades will return thanking the heroes and now that Xorvath has once again had his power broken they are free to move on.

However, the temple starts to crumble as the ancient magic tethering Xorveth unravels. In a race against time, the party must navigate their escape.

  • This will be a skill check puzzle.
  • They also have to get the children out safely.
  • Base DC is 16 
  • Ask the Active PC to solve the problem.
  • If there solution is creative the DC reduces by 3
  • If it is functional but unlikely the DC increases by 3
  • 4 Successes before 3 failures.

  • Obstacles are:

    • A fragile dangling rope bridge.
    • Stalagmites dropping from the ceiling.
    • The floor is giving way below them.
    • A high ledge, 60 ft high needs to be scaled.
    • A large expanse has a single rope dangling from the roof. The rope is 20 ft from the edge on both sides. The fall is 100 ft. The rope is 50 ft long from the roof. It ends 10 ft below the ledge.

  • Bonuses for PCs:

    • For each cantrip (e.g., shape water or thorn whip), infinite-use feature (e.g., countercharm), or piece of equipment the PC used (e.g., a crowbar), the PC gains +2 to the roll.
    • If the PC used a low-level spell†, consumable item, or multiple-use feature (e.g., ki points or superiority dice), the PC gains advantage on the roll.
    • If the PC uses a high-level spell† or a feature that can only be used once per short or long rest (e.g., wild shape), the PC automatically succeeds on the roll.

Upon their return to Silverbrook, they are greeted as heroes, applauded for shielding the world from the impending doom.