The Dusthold Disappearance is the third book of the Sorcerer-Kingmaker adventure path conversion, establishing the PCs' new city in the wastes of Athas and the challenges facing them. This book will deal with the covert Wemic nation of Nomen, long hiding from the annihilation of their race during the Cleansing Wars, and the terrifying beast-headed giant, Vordakai, who has been awoken from his long psionic reverie.
The adventure begins as the PCs hear of a mysterious loss of communication between the village of Dusthold to the east and the rest of the world. The PCs should already know that Dusthold was established at about the same time as they established their own settlement - the agents sent into the Nomen Heights by Balic consisted of a group of mercenaries led by a man named Maegar Varn, third son of one of the city's Patricians. Although the events in "the Dusthold Disappearance" are serious, they're not on a timer. The prisoners that Vordakai has taken from Dusthold are either already beyond any aid, or able to wait for rescue for some time, so as a result you should let the PCs set the pace of the adventure. You might wish to set this adventure a year or two past the end of "Sands Stained Red", to let them expand their settlement until it reaches a respectable size, perhaps extending slightly into the Nomen Heights to the west of the Tors of Levenies) before beginning this adventure. Exploring the Nomen Heights A. Fort Serenko: This wooden trading-fort has stood for years but the soldiers here were recently recalled to Tyr. The fort itself is abandoned, but an examination reveals evidence that it was evacuated in an orderly manner. B. Nivatka's Crossing: The southernmost village in the area is an alert town of tradesmen, hunters, and trappers. The village itself is surrounded by a wooden palisade and set on the northeastern bank of the Shrike oasis, controlling the nearby source of water. It is an excellent place for the PCs to rest, shop, and trade in the area. C. Restov: Restov is a chaotic but well-established large town under Balic's nominal protection. It has large olive orchards and is protected by a citizen levy under the guidance of Andopinis' Templars. This makes a good trading-point for PCs who need greater access to resources than their own settlement has currently. D. Crooked Cliffs: Over a distance of about a mile, the land drops by about three hundred feet over the course of one to five cliffs. Many Kes'trekels live in this area, and will mob living creatures for food if disturbed. E. Dead Noble: The body of an unfortunate and foolish man named Tomin Hanvaki, the eldest son of a minor aristocrat in one of the PCs' settlements, lies dead in a shallow gulch in the foothills here. His body has drawn carrion-eaters which might be spotted by PCs. F. Nomen Burial Mounds: A number of 8-foot high mounds of loose stone, arranged in a strange spiraling pattern connected to each other by a low wall, are located here. A trio of Cilops have made this area their home, and will stealthily surround and attack the PCs if they approach. G. Shrike Cascade: The Shrike Cascade is a single waterfall over 50 feet high, quite breathtaking to behold, and dropping into a safe and clean pool, currently unclaimed by any druid. H. Ettercap Lair: A massive web hangs between two crags on the mountainside here. The web is 30 feet wide and hangs above a 50-foot high chasm, the walls of which are riddled with shallow caves. The web itself is not sticky and appears to be some sort of exotic rope bridge across the chasm. The area is inhabited by a clutch of six ettercaps, who will hungrily stalk any trespassers, but may jump the gun if any of their favourite food, Thri-Kreen, is present. I. Kiravoy Bridge: This simple wooden bridge is a new construction, recently built by the settlers at Dusthold. The bridge itself is sturdy and well-constructed, but it doesn't show much evidence of use, as it was only finished recently. J. Anakore Fields: A group of Anakores have moved into this area for hunting, and will encircle and burrow up from beneath the dunes to attack PCs who visit. K. Dusthold Pass: The rugged Tors of Levenies dip low here, creating a natural pass from east to west. There are 150-foot high sheer cliffs to the north and south, making it relatively secure. A single stone watchtower sits at the top of the pass, which is currently abandoned, albeit with no signs of struggle. On a clear day, the town of Dusthold can be seen to the southeast. L. Dusthold: This area is detailed in Part 2. M. Blood Furrows: A number of strange furrows scar the plains in this area, disrupted here and there by sinkhole-like depressions and mounds of earth and soil. This region is the territory of a single, cantankerous bulette that the Nomen wemics have called Kankerata ("world chewer"). Kankerata has dominated this region for decades , and by now it is part of the Dunsward's landscape. The wemics are fond of daring each other to race through Kankerata's network of drifts and nests- they view this feat as a test of bravery and often use it to settle disputes. N. Talon Peak: A crumbling watchtower stands atop a low mountain here. Known locally as Talon Peak because the jagged ruins of the tower look almost like a sharp claw protruding from the peak of the steep mountain, this location has been the nesting-ground of a midnight-black Athasian Roc for years. Locals likely know the stories of the "giant black bird" that hunts in and haunts the skies above this region. O. Culchek Cave: Once the lair of the Culchek tribe of Hej-Kin, this cave is currently abandoned. The entrance is hidden from sight, but surrounded in mystical markings of ochre left by the Hej-Kin who lived here. The 15-room complex of unworked stone is now completely empty - the Hej-Kin took everything of value when they moved into Dusthold, and destroyed anything that was left behind. P. Nomen Tribe: This area is detailed in Part 3. Q. Mud Flats: This 3-mile long, 1,500-foot-wide swath of lakeshore is a stretch of bubbling mud and silt, heated by geothermal activity. The air is thick and muggy, and more than a little sulfurous. A nest of a dozen Mud Fiends make their home at the northern end of the mud flats, and resist anyone harvesting the fertile mud. R. Sandwyrm's Grave: The bones of a truly colossal sandwyrm lie protruding from the sands here, the curved bones forming a long series of arches sticking into the air like strange trees, and providing nesting grounds for dozens of families of Kes'trekels. Pairs of Mekillots graze this area, and the Nomen wemics sometimes hunt them for food. S. The Silver Springs: The cleanest and clearest source of water in the Stolen Lands, the Silver Springs are adjacent to the mud flats and carefully-guarded by local wildlife. Within the water can be found silver eels, which make for great tasty eating and are a local delicacy, when they can be caught. T. The Ghost Stone: A strange, grey stone monolith, its sides polished and smooth, stands at the western end of the valley here. The stone is known by locals as the Ghost Stone, for, at night, the air surrounding the stone within a 120-foot radius darkens and becomes almost impenetrable to light, and strange ghostly figures can be seen in the darkness. The stone once served as the foundation for a structure reaching into the plane of The Black, and the veil between planes is still weak here. At some point before actually reaching the stone, the PCs will be approached by a Phase Spider by the name of Zzamas, seeking help. A trio of Shadow Giants are trying to emerge from the Black here, and their escape could be tremendously dangerous. U. Dragonleaf Gulch: The Little Sellen river narrows here as it passes through a gully between two rocky hillsides, flowing around an oblong island thick with vegetation. Among the vegetation present is a single giant flytrap which will eagerly devour any living beings that venture close enough for it to eat. V. Ironstone Gully: Just west of Little Sellen, a shallow cave extends into the mountainside. While to the untrained eye this cave (which currently serves as the lair of a flock of harmless cave bats) might seem unremarkable, the far wall of the cave bears an incredibly rich vein of iron ore that can be mined for a very valuable resource. W. Vordakai's Tomb: This area is detailed in Part 4. X. Valley of the Dead: The entrance to this wide valley is marked by a series of posts decorated with bones and skulls every 50-60 feet, a wall of warnings erected by the Nomen wemics that runs for the entire 6-mile opening to the valley. The Nomen call the lands beyond this valled "Olah-Kakanket"- the Valley of the Dead. Beyond the warning wall of bone totems, the valley doesn't seem much different than the surrounding foothills. Yet the further one travels towards the mountains, the more a strange feeling of oppression grows, the wind seems oddly muted as it flows through the sparse dead trees and rocky badlands, the sun seems dimmer, and the unusually regular crags along the surrounding mountains seem almost to crouch in expectation of the PCs' approach. A mile past the bone totems, the first of the gravestones appears. These 6- to 11-foot high steles are badly weathered, and many are partially or wholly collapsed, each bearing strange runes that glow in sunlight, and list ancient names in the tonue of Giants. There are thousands of gravestones in the valley, but the bodies beneath them have long since decayed into soil - all that remains are the fragments of bones. Guarding the throat of the stairs is a Giant Meorty who was tasked, thousands of years ago, with ensuring that only the worthy could pass into the crypt. Y. Whispering Grotto: A strange and somewhat unsettling sound almost as if the sound of whispering conspirators were carried on the wind, blows through an otherwise unremarkable dale between two hills. Careful investigation reveals numerous small holes and fissures, generating the bizarre noise. Carefully digging into these fissures will uncover glittering tangles of crystals, leading to subterranean deposits of gemstones, likely guarded by earth elementals and crystal beings, but worth a considerable value to a settlement. Z. Dead Drake's Lair: Deep in the trackless reaches of the Tors of Levenies lies a large cave entrance. Within, a 50-foot wide tunnel stretches 30 feet into the mountain before opening into a large vaulted chamber around 140 feet in diameter. Yet more impressive are the dry bones of an elemental earth drake itself, which lie sprawled in the center of the cavern, and the signs of cataclysmic damage done to the surrounding area, as if two like titans had done battle. The drake's remains are missing the right forearm and claw, as if removed altogether. No sign of the drake's skull remains, as if taken as a trophy. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 6 November 2020. Comments are closed.
|
AuthorI'm Luke. He/him pronouns. Archives
May 2022
Categories
All
|