Quest: Investigate the Deerborne Ruins
Quest!
The Heroes have been tasked with investigating the ruins that Deerborne has been built upon, and recover an artifact to return to Julian Abrams. "Also, if you find anybody in those woods that would cause Deerborne any trouble, don't go making enemies of them. Thats all we need to deal with." Also to make use of the downtime mechanics, as Baron Abrams has "hit a wall when investigating it [himself]."The Setup
After returning from their job: Rescue Othizia and Renzie given to them by Reverend Father Azaliah, Baron Abrams upon hearing the success/failure of the previous quest, decides to hire HFH to investigate some of the catecombs/ruins that Deerborne was allegedly built upon. He wants you to investigate it, and bring back evidence of what it was, and the alleged magic item that it contains.The Adventure
In Town
The HFH will have to comb the area for clues (Scrutineering) to find out what Baron Abrams wants. Spending a week or two investigating the in-town ruins (a small cemetary near the manor with strange iconography), the library, and old town records.The party can learn up to 3 pieces of information after searching around town during downtime:
- The real ruins are out in the woods, slightly past where the shine was. Its location breifly mentioned by a travellers journal in the library, but the pathway to it is probably overgrown based on the age of the journal.
- The ruins are ancient, and have been there much longer than Deerborne has been around
- Some interviewed timber workers mention loud animal noises like of bears in the woods far way from Deerborne, but haven't actually seen anything.
The Ruins of Deerborne
After making their way to the ruins, the party will see the remains of the ancient temple.If the party walks around the ruins for a while, Vaessetertath will eventually start silently following them, and making spooky animal noises. With a check (survival DC 15, nature DC 10, insight DC 14), the party can learn that it's a mimiced sound. If the party find Vaessetertath, she runs into the temple to join Rirlox, alerting him to players presence.
If they go inside, they will come accross Rirlox, his amulet and his assortment of animated armors. He's very skeptical of the parties intentions at the ruins, but knows he's probably outnumbered if he were to fight. He does leer at Rhistel, being the same type of high elf that Triandal is, and is specifically rude to her. More information about this can be gotten by Persuasion/Intimidation (DC 15). His knowledge of the ruins themself is limited, and he's only been using it for shelter/lair for the past few months.
Eventually, the party will have to search the ruins themselves to find something to bring back to Baron Abrams. also can face stone golem if they breeze through plot.The Reward
Once the party has returned from the ruins, Baron Abrams can offer the following as reward, depending on how thorough the party was at finding information and recovering artifacts.- 1000 GP for returning with evidence of the Ruins (either Tome of Asgorath, or Asgorath Medallion)
- 1000 GP bonus for both (he returns the book to you after he reads it over after a week or so)
- 500 GP for learning that a black dragon wyrmling has made their lair there.
- 500 GP for learning that a green dragon wrymling has made their lair in the woods near the ruins
- 2000 GP bonus for not killing either Rirlox or Vaessetertath. ("The last thing I need is to make enemies with Dragons...")
20 Flamerule 1496 (24 June 2023)