Scoops and Specters
c. 100 ADW
The Adventurer's Guild is hired by the new Church of Elina to cleanse the haunted Tyre Castle of spirits. Guided by Cleric Ellowen Thorn and after researching the specters with the grumpy expert Holt, the party chooses a wing of the castle to purge.
Referenced In
This module is referenced by the following lore entries:
Divine Pantheon
- ElinaDeath: ADW 0. Resurrection: ADW 6. Former goddess of peace. Mother of Aos and Skotos. Slayed The Evil One in Dead Wars I and died. Was resurrected after the Protectors of the Old Gods were victorious as part of the triple alliance in Dead Wars III. About a century after the Dead Wars, her new church has become active. Symbolized by running water and waterfalls.
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.
- Arcane RegistryAlso known as A.R. A faction that registers mages, wizards, and sorcerers, founded by figures like Tyre. It is involved in collecting magical artifacts and hoarding knowledge about them. Led by the dragonborn Ty in the reent years following the Dead Wars, though it had other brilliant leaders like Merrick in its past. They pose as a historic museum collection, but have had tensions with other groups, such as the Adventurer's Guild, over claims to artifacts. In Dead Wars III, they were known to be drawing raw energy from the fabric of existence. In the century following the Dead Wars, the Arcane Registry established its own nation in the western wastes, centered in the city of New Arcanum.
- Church of ElinaA new church dedicated to the deity Elina, which has old roots. In the century after the Dead Wars, they are working to establish a home for their members by cleansing the haunted Tyre Castle.
Legendary Characters
- Cleric Ellowen ThornAn older female Tabaxi with orange fur striped with silver. She is a cleric and trainer for the new Church of Elina. She is gentle, firm, and nurturing, but holds others to high standards. She carries a lantern that burns with a blue flame in the presence of the dead.
- HoltA Firbolg who rose to Adamantine rank in the Adventurer's Guild and wore fine orange silk with red trim while posing as a monster expert and mentor. He is dismissive, arrogant, and blunt, and shared running commentary via a magical resonator while hiding years of kidnappings and cult work. After betraying and murdering Sage Elbera at the dungeon mosaic—unleashing his paper dragon Jeffery to cover his escape—he vanished to lead the Molokite and Slumber Cult in awakening He Who Slumbers. He was raised among the Molokite as a child, learned The Evil One's biomantic secrets, and believes Lullwater will let him control the sleeping god. He owns a monkey with neon green hair named Elanor.
- 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.
Legendary Items & Artifacts
- Enspelled ItemsA category of uncommon magic items that hold a cantrip, such as the Whisper Earring (Message), Thorned Ring (Thorn Whip), or Glowbug Lantern (Minor Illusion).
- Spectral Ice CreamA rare, wondrous item created when a mixture of cream, sugar, and fruit is exposed to the chilling aura of specters. It appears ethereal and glowing, and is said to taste like childhood joy. When consumed, it restores 3d6 hit points and removes one condition (exhaustion, frightened, charmed, or poisoned).
Locations
- 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.
- Tyre CastleA long-abandoned castle, also known as the Tyre Estate, that once belonged to a powerful leader of the Arcane Registry. In the current era, it has become infested with specters and spirits, and is the site of a cleansing operation by the new Church of Elina, which hopes to turn it into a home for its members.