Ancient Secrets
c. 100 ADW
Master Thalin Fernstride sends adventurers to investigate newly discovered ancient tunnels beneath Kingdom Grand that predate mortal civilization. The tunnels are infested with ankhegs, whose acid burns through the old stone. After fighting through the ankheg colony, they discover a sealed stone door marked with indecipherable primoridal runes, surrounded by the remains of a failed cult expedition. They recover an ancient shield similar to ones Holt discovered weeks earlier, and scattered journals which speak of "the one that came first" and "the one that slumbers."
Referenced In
This module is referenced by the following lore entries:
Factions and Organizations
- Adventurer's GuildAlso known as Spear of Elina or Spear of the Goddess. A hundred years after the Dead Wars, the Guild has grown into a global hub for missions, with adventurers flocking to it from all over the world. It is currently led by Guild Master Master Thalin Fernstride in Kingdom Grand, with branches overseen by Guildmaster Teyla Coalmaker in Kdor, Elrin Veymar in Evenfell, and Alyndor "Aly" Marvale in New Arcanum. The Guild uses a ranking system, with new recruits earning a rank of Tin, Copper, or Brass; higher known ranks include Colbot, Steel, and Diamond. When Holt threatens to awaken He Who Slumbers, the four guilds unite their forces beneath Kingdom Grand.
- Slumber CultA secret cult whose Slumber Cultist members wear black cloaks and whisper that what slumbers soon awakes. They kidnap victims for sacrifice, infiltrate cities such as Evenfell and Kdor, and ultimately serve Holt's plan to rouse He Who Slumbers alongside the Molokite.
Legendary Characters
- Master Thalin FernstrideA towering Firbolg who serves as the Guild Master of the Adventurer's Guild in the century following the Dead Wars. He has long black hair braided down his back, piercing blue eyes, and dark green fur, and wears a forest green and white Gi. His personality is calm and measured, and he is known for giving inspiring speeches that relate adventuring to baking. He expects discipline and creativity from his guild members. As Holt's treachery unfolds, Thalin grows weary but resolute, coordinating the four great guilds against the threat beneath Kingdom Grand. After the tremors from the Elderdungeon crack the city's streets, he opens a fresh recruitment drive to replace the guild members lost in the fighting, and later leads the hunt for a saboteur hiding inside his own guild. Troubled by a caravan of strangely well-guarded stolen keepsakes bound west, he hand-picks a party and dispatches them across the Western Wastes to New Arcanum to work with his counterpart Alyndor "Aly" Marvale, convinced the thefts are somehow tied to Biscuit's fate.
Locations
- Caverns Beneath Kingdom GrandAncient tunnels and caverns below Kingdom Grand that predate mortal civilization. Collapsing passages, Slumber Cultist patrols, and primordial stonework connect the surface to the gate Holt seeks to open.
- Great Dungeon GateA monumental primordial door marked with runes, growing larger and pulsing with light as tremors shake the city. Holt, Molokite elves, and cultists encamp before it; beyond lies the dungeon where He Who Slumbers waits.
- Kingdom GrandAlso known as First City, New Kingdom Grand, or New Grand. Formerly the only major civilized city in the region as of ADW 0, it is now the bustling heart of a more interconnected world, linked to other nations via teleportation gates. Holds an annual Festival of Peace to celebrate Elina's sacrifice in Dead Wars I. The tremors from the battle beneath the city cracked streets and toppled buildings across Kingdom Grand, scattering loose magic and prompting a fresh wave of Adventurers Guild recruitment.
Military Units and Creatures
- Ankheg Brood MotherA large monstrosity with chitinous hide that serves as the matriarch of an ankheg colony. It can burrow through earth and stone, and uses acid spray attacks. When damaged by fire or slashing, it sprays acid in a radius. It can cause tunnel collapses when severely wounded, and releases a final burst of acid upon death.
- Ankheg SpawnA tiny monstrosity with chitinous hide, the juvenile form of an ankheg. They have hive instinct, gaining advantage on attacks when near other ankhegs. They can burrow and use acid glob attacks. Their bites release digestive fluid that deals acid damage.
- He Who SlumbersAlso called the One Who Sleeps, or simply the Beast by the Molokite who once served it. A primordial horror created by The Evil One from a tarrasque corpse through biomancy, grown stronger with each life sacrificed to its bio-vats—the younger the victim, the greater the offering. The Molokite worship it in the dungeon beyond the Great Dungeon Gate, and Holt believed Lullwater would let him control it upon awakening. After the guilds forced it back into slumber, it could no longer be held by the failing rites of the last Molokite survivors alone, and a living soul had to be bound into the Sealing Chasm to anchor it once more.