Stoned in the Dungeon
c. 100 ADW
At the request of Sage Elbera, the Adventurer's Guild dispatches a party to a newly discovered Ancient Dungeon in the Mountain Pass. This dungeon is believed to predate Dead Wars I. The party finds the ruin is already being looted by the newly founded Road Thieves Guild.
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.
- Arcane ConservatoryA magic school located in Kingdom Grand, housed in the Scriptorium. It is a stunning structure of brilliant blues and purples, built in the shape of a five-pointed star with a large tower in the center. Researchers from the Conservatory, such as Sage Elbera, work with the Adventurer's Guild to investigate and handle magical threats.
- 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.
- Road Thieves GuildA notorious thieves' guild, also known as The Road, with its primary headquarters in the mining town of Red Hawk. They have an established command structure, with a Guild Master, Rath "The Gilded Maw", and a third-in-command, Brannik "The Ogre". The guild utilizes a network of young pickpockets in the city markets, who use a secret network of Hidden Tunnels to move about unseen. They are known to target specific valuable items, such as the Grand Grimoire of Grotesqueries and the Grimoire of Tyre and Merrick, trafficking them to buyers in other lands like Evenfell. Members are known for their cunning, expert parkour, and use of sneak attacks and cheap tricks like pocket sand.
Legendary Characters
- Sage ElberaA half-elf Elemental Researcher at the Arcane Conservatory. She wore a purple robe with a silver sash, had blue eyes, and wore her brown hair up in a bun. She was eager and direct, and loved to talk about elementals to the exclusion of all else. She hated Holt's attitude but admitted he knew a great deal about monsters and dungeons—until he murdered her in the dungeon beneath Kingdom Grand. Her final intelligence from beyond the grave led the guildmasters to Holt's Laboratory beneath the temple of Vitalia.
- The Evil OneDeath: ADW 0. A powerful necromancer and the primary antagonist in Dead Wars I. Tried to ascend to godhood. Holt's journal beneath Kingdom Grand reveals that the Molokite's god, He Who Slumbers, was one of his biomantic experiments—a beast grown from a tarrasque corpse and meant to be unleashed if he ever failed to dominate the mortal world.
Legendary Items & Artifacts
Locations
- Ancient DungeonA newly unearthed dungeon, believed to predate Dead Wars I, located within the Mountain Pass. Its interior is a vast, open chasm with rooms built into the walls, connected by a maze of treacherous, narrow ledges.
- KdorA snow-covered nation located to the northeast of Kingdom Grand, known for its gleaming white-and-gold spire. It is one of the major nations connected to Kingdom Grand via teleportation gates in the century after the Dead Wars. Ruled by the Goldsteil family. The city hosts an annual Festival of Rebirth, celebrating Kdor's reconstruction and the rise of the Goldsteil family. The highlight of the festival is The Gauntlet, a multi-stage challenge course that tests martial, mechanical, and magical prowess. The rules are strict: no magic on others (only yourself), stealth is encouraged, and the only way to lose is to be knocked out. The competition includes puzzles, stealth challenges, skill challenges, and a final combat footrace. Only the top three teams receive prizes, with first place earning a special item and the Medallion of the Gauntlet. The festival features various shops, food stalls, and entertainment, with gold and white banners decorating the streets.
- 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.
- Mountain PassA significant canyon-like pass that serves as a travel route between Kingdom Grand and the northern nation of Kdor. The top of the pass is unsafe due to strong winds, making the canyon the preferred path, though it is prone to hazards like rockfalls.