Lakeside Ruins adventure 1

ROOM 1: THE ENTRANCE HALL
You find yourself standing before an ancient and long-forgotten military outpost, a relic of the Order of Ivory that served the goddess Pharasma over five centuries ago, if not more. The structure, weathered by the inexorable march of time, stands as a solemn testament to the passage of history. As you push open the closed but unlocked Iron bound doors you see the outpost's interior is shrouded in shadow, and as you step inside, your boots stir up a thin layer of dust that blankets the ground. Immediately, you notice dried bloodstains that mar the stone floor, bearing witness to long-past conflicts. The air is heavy with a palpable sense of foreboding, as if the very walls remember the turmoil of the past. The chamber itself is filled with an overabundance of spider webs, their silken threads crisscrossing the room like a sinister tapestry. Strangely, there are no signs of spiders here, only the remnants of webs left behind. The webs shroud the room in an eerie stillness. In the northeast corner of the room, a rickety wooden staircase ascends to a second level, its steps creaking softly beneath your weight.
Near the western wall, a weathered trapdoor on rusty hinges descends into the murky cellars below. It appears to have been recently opened and closed, a sign that someone has ventured into these depths recently. The cellar itself is steeped in darkness, and you can only imagine what secrets it might hold.
In the eastern part of the room, a wooden desk stands as a lone sentinel against the ravages of time. A leather-bound journal lies atop it, its pages brittle with age but still legible. The journal details a harrowing account of the outpost's last days. It tells of relentless assaults by shadows and wraiths, a gruesome siege that lasted for weeks. Two of the three knights stationed here met their doom, their souls now at rest in the cold cellars below. Only Ser Garand, son of Emers, remained to chronicle their valiant but futile struggle.
In one corner of the chamber, you notice signs that someone has recently camped here, perhaps just a month or so ago. The remains of a fire pit lie cold and forgotten, a stark contrast to the unsettling atmosphere that permeates the room. It's as if this desolate place has briefly hosted a traveler seeking refuge, leaving behind a lingering trace of their presence.

ROOM 2: STORAGE
You enter a small adjoining storage room, its shelves now mostly barren and dust-covered. The room appears to have once held a vast array of weapons, gear, and valuable items. Empty weapon racks and disheveled shelves give hints of the room's former purpose.
A sense of neglect and abandonment pervades the air, as remnants of what were once mighty weapons and precious scrolls now lay scattered and forgotten, their former glory fading with time. The room's shelves still bear traces of alchemical items and potions, their labels now faded and illegible.
The dim light from your torch casts long shadows over the remnants of this once-stocked arsenal.
(POTION OF MINOR RESTORATION X2)

ROOM 3: COMMON AREA
Ascending the creaking wooden stairs, you find yourself in a common area that was once frequented by the Knights of Ivory. At its center lies a large, circular embroidered rug, its intricate design an impressive feat of craftsmanship. The rug depicts the entire kingdom of Calradia as it existed 500 years ago, a time when the realm was vastly different from the land you know today. The embroidered kingdom of Calradia on the rug reveals a sprawling landscape, much more expansive than the one you currently traverse. The mist that once enveloped the kingdom is depicted as a distant shroud, revealing towns and geographical features that are unknown to you and your companions. It's as if this rug is a window to the past, offering a glimpse into a Calradia long lost to the annals of history. As you marvel at this incredible tapestry, you can't help but wonder about the secrets and mysteries hidden within the kingdom's uncharted regions, and how the world you know has evolved and changed over the centuries.
Yet, as you gaze upon it, the atmosphere in the room begins to shift. A sudden gust of frigid air rushes through the area, causing your torches to flicker and sending a shiver down your spine. The embroidered rug, once a symbol of artistry and history, now seems drowned out by the eerie presence.
Chairs are violently pushed over, their wooden legs scraping against the stone floor, and books and parchment are hurled from nearby shelves as if by unseen hands. Cold spots materialize, causing your breath to form misty clouds in the air, despite the room's lack of windows or openings.
Indecipherable whispers fill the chamber, their ghostly voices murmuring phrases from a long-forgotten past. You strain to make sense of their words, but they remain elusive, like distant echoes of history.
The once-still room now teems with an anxious energy, and you can't help but wonder if the spectral enemies of the Knights of Ivory still linger here or perhaps even the knights themselves, their restless souls making their presence known through these ghostly disturbances.
(RUG WORTH 250 GP)

ROOM 4: ALCHEMY LAB
Adjacent to the common area, you find a small alchemy lab. The room is lined with shelves holding dusty glass vials, beakers, and an assortment of dried herbs and ingredients. A low, wooden table takes center stage, scattered with various alchemical apparatus, burners, and parchment filled with cryptic notations. The air is tinged with the faint scent of herbs and reagents, hinting at the countless experiments that once took place within these walls. (IN THE FORMULAE BOOK THERE ARE THE SPELL SCROLLS deadeye's arrow AND heightened awarness. THERE ARE ALCHEMISTS FIRE X2, HOLY WATER X2, TANGLEBURN BAG. THERE IS ALSO LEECHWORT HERBS X10)

ROOM 5: SIR GARAND'S QUARTERS
Beyond the alchemy lab, you enter what appears to be Sir Garand's spartan living quarters. The room is devoid of any extravagance, and its stark simplicity suggests a life dedicated to duty and discipline. A simple bed with worn sheets sits against one wall, its frame bearing the unsettling sight of dried blood on the floor beside it.
As you approach the bed and look underneath, you discover the skeletal remains of who you can only assume to be Sir Garand himself, his armor and sword still nearby as if they had fallen to the ground. The knight's empty eye sockets seem to gaze longingly towards you, as if silently pleading.
On the south wall of the room, a sturdy wooden ladder ascends to a trapdoor, offering a potential passage to the lookout area above. As you exit the room, the air grows colder once more, and you hear the barely audible ghostly whispers that seems to emanate from the very walls themselves return only this time louder an clearer: "Turn back." The words linger in the air, chilling your spine as you contemplate the ominous warning.

ROOM 6: THE LOOKOUT
Climbing the ladder from Sir Garand's living quarters, you emerge onto the rooftop of the small structure, which offers a commanding view of the surrounding forest. The lookout is topped by a wooden platform, weathered by time, and partially encircled by a low wooden railing. Tall trees of the ancient forest stretch out in every direction, their branches forming a lush canopy overhead, obscuring much of the sky.
In the center of the lookout, the dominant feature is a large statue of a dragon, sculpted from gray stone. The dragon is frozen in a dynamic and imposing posture, as if locked in fierce combat, with wings outstretched and claws extended. Its eyes, however, are empty and devoid of life.
As you take in the eerie sight of the dragon statue, the whispers return once more, even louder still and more insistent than before: "Turn back." But this time, it's not just a disembodied voice. The very granite beneath your feet seems to awaken, rumbling and shaking as if the statue itself is coming to life.
With an ear-splitting roar, the stone dragon springs to life, its stony limbs cracking and shifting as it breaks free from its frozen pose. It stands before you, a towering and formidable guardian. The forest around you echoes with the tumultuous sound, and you are left with a daunting choice: confront this animated sentinel or heed its ominous warning and turn back.

ROOM 7: THE SEPULCHER
As your party cautiously descends into the gloomy depths of the forgotten military outpost, a chilling sensation envelops you. The air grows damp and musty, heavy with the weight of history. Torches flicker with weak flames, casting long, wavering shadows that dance along the stone walls. The sound of your footsteps echoes through the narrow passageways.
As you venture deeper into the cellar, the ceiling grows lower, and the walls close in around you, revealing signs of long-neglected decay. Cobwebs hang like shrouds from the ancient stone, and the air grows even colder, causing your breath to form ghostly puffs in the dim light.
At last, you reach a massive, arched doorway, its stone surface etched with ornate carvings and faded insignias of the Knights of Ivory. With a slow, creaking groan, you push open the heavy door and step into a cavernous sepulcher that stretches out before you. The sepulcher, bathed in a pale, otherworldly light, is lined with row upon row of stone sarcophagi, each bearing the sigil of the knights and their solemn occupants.
In the center of this sepulcher, you witness a haunting spectacle. A ghostly figure clad in tarnished armor stands resolute, as if frozen in time. Ser Garand, son of Emers, appears before you, his spectral form translucent and shimmering. He gazes out into the ethereal void, a look of unwavering determination etched upon his face.
At Ser Garand's side stand two shadowy apparitions, indistinct and formless, yet exuding an aura of silent loyalty. The ghostly knight raises his spectral blade high, his voice echoing through the sepulcher.
"They come on again," Ser Garand intones, his otherworldy voice filled with a sense of urgency. "Hold fast, we must push them back, in the name of the Spiral Lady."
You watch in a mix of awe and trepidation as Ser Garand's spectral companions move to his side, mirroring his resolve. The three apparitions stand in solemn unity, preparing to face you as if you were their unseen and long-forgotten foe. The sepulcher itself seems to hum with the echoes of past battles and the unending vigilance of these spectral guardians.

---OR IF THEY BRING BACK THE BODY---
As your party approaches Ser Garand's spectral form with his fallen body in tow, a moment of profound realization washes over him. His ghostly countenance shifts from a stance of eternal battle to one of introspection and acceptance. The two shadowy companions at his side also seem to soften, their forms less ominous in the newfound understanding. Ser Garand slowly turns his gaze towards the party, his eyes now filled with a mix of gratitude and melancholy. He speaks, his voice no longer echoing with urgency, but instead carrying a tone of somber reflection.

"I see it now," Ser Garand murmurs, his spectral hand reaching out to touch his lifeless body. "I am no longer of the living realm. The Spiral Lady has guided you to me, and I am grateful."
He looks to his two shade companions, and they nod in unison, as if acknowledging the truth they had long denied.

"I ask of you," Ser Garand continues, "to grant us a final act of mercy. Lay us to rest properly, side by side, in this sepulcher of the Ivory Knights. Our eternal vigil has ended, and it is time for us to find peace."
With these words, Ser Garand steps back from his spectral companions, and they too lower their ethereal forms, their once-shadowy visages becoming more defined and human-like.
Your party takes on the solemn task of carefully placing Ser Garand's body, along with those of his two loyal companions, into empty sarcophagi within the sepulcher. As the lids are closed, you notice a faint, serene smile on Ser Garand's spectral face.
The sepulcher, once a place of restless conflict, now exudes an aura of tranquility. The pale, otherworldly light begins to soften, casting a gentle glow upon the resting knights and their guardians.
Ser Garand's voice, now filled with gratitude, resonates one final time. "Thank you, brave souls, for freeing us from our eternal battle. May the Spiral Lady guide your blades, may her blessings be upon you, and may we find peace at last in her embrace."
With that, the spectral figures fade away, leaving only the sepulcher, bathed in a serene and otherworldly light, as a testament to the peace and closure your party has brought to these long-forgotten guardians of the Ivory Knights. You feel a chill run up your spine and a faint tingle in your hands, Pharasma smiles upon you for your actions here. (Pharasma's Blessing +2 UNTIL THE PLAYERS DECIDE TO ACTIVATE THE UNDEAD BANE ABILITY, WHICH ENDS AT THE END OF THE FIGHT. GOOD FOR ADVENTURE 1 AND A FLOATING Winged Fetish)