Secrets in the swamp

This oneshot will be converted to another system and is currently system agnostic.

Adventure background

This oneshot can actually be added into any campaign as long as the group is travelling through a swamp.If it is run as a oneshot the group will start as members from The Vanguard. They receive a mission briefing at the Vanguar headquarters near Edron.

Terios

Open full size

Normally the road between Edron and Torini is quite safe but recently many travelling merchants have disappeared. None of the missing people have even arrived at Niravi. The Vanguard therefore thinks that something is afoot near the edge of the Endra Swamps. The group will leave the Vanguard fortress and travel the road towards Niravi to investigate.

Swamp's Edge

Normally the group will not have any issues reaching the part of the road near the edge of the Endra Swamps. However, if needed an extra encounter can be added after the group passes Edron. Roll 1d6 to see what the PCs encounter.

Roll	Encounter
1-2	1 giantic crocodile
3-4	1 'Plant monster' disguised as a bush near the road
5-6	A swarm of weird looking purple birds with parts of their bodies covered in scales. They are not hostile an fly away when attacked.

None of these creatures are actually supposed to be here. In recent times there has never been a report about them. They however, do not seem to be the main reason as to why people disappear. The group would better continue forward to see if they can find anything more.

Get outta ma swamp

Once the PCs reach an abandoned caravan read the following:

After travelling for some time an abandoned vehicle can be seen further away along the road. Once the group comes closer they can cleary see that it is a cart with a tattered cloth roof on top. Further along the road there are several other carts but no sign of life. It does not take long, however, to see the large amount of blood spread across the ground.

Swamp Encounter

Open full size

To try find out what happened the PCs can make an investigation check.

Roll	Result
Low	The PC finds the signs of struggle and the amount of blood but can't find out much besides that the drag marks point towards the swamp.
Middle	By carefully looking at the area the PC finds that these marks on the ground are definitely not caused by a human. Even more some of the tracks in the mud even suggest that it was a large create with tentacles.
High	The PC also notices something moving in the water nearby. They will not be surprised by the creature. If they mention this in time to the other they will not be surprised as well.

The group will be attacked by a strange and alien looking creature whether they noticed it or not. This creature seems to consist mainly out of tentacles with its much smaller body hidden behind the tentacles. The head has no eyes but has a large mouth filled with razorsharp teeth.
Alien Monster

Removed for update

If none of the PCs has noticed the creature it gets a surprise round on the characters. The creature will attack the group but will retreat once it has received over 50 damage. After the fight the group can easily track the creature to its lair.

The strange creature retreats deeper into the swamp knocking down several trees in the process. Following it to its lair will not be difficult. But seeing the havoc it caused here can there still be survivors?

Hidden Lab

Killing blow

Following the trail of the creature eventually causes the PCs to stumble upon a rock formation with a cavern. The creature itself has hidden itself inside in an attempt to surprise the group again. It has placed itself at the ceiling of the metallic ruin inside the cavern and will attempt to drop itself on unsuspecting PCs. The creature can, however, be noticed with a successful perception test.
Once the players kill the creature they are free to look around in its lair. It becomes clear soon enough that this was not made by the creature and the metallic walls and architecture suggest this could be the work of some unknown advanced civilization. If this oneshot is done apart from another campaign the ruins would suggest it belongs to the Prime Asmer.

Swamp Research Facility

Open full size

Research Facility

Read the following upon inspecting the chamber:

The place you all find yourself in is unlike anything you have seen before. The walls are made from a sort of metal and although dirty after years of neglect it still looks as hard and sturdy as ever. Whoever made this chamber must have belonged to a quite advanced civilization.
Once you look further around in the room you notice several large tanks filled with a fluid and other strange creatures floating inside. The ones in the room look more plant like than the one you just fought. One of the larger glass tanks seems to have been broken with its fluid spilled all over the ground. At the far end of the room is a large window which gives a view on a gigantic room behind it filled to the brim with glass tanks. All of them filled with strange looking creatures.
Another thing that is pretty noticeable is the large amount of machinery. Especially the large machines at the side of the room are awespiring as lightning can be seen originating from it.

Further investigation quickly sheds some light on what happened to the caravans as the bodies of several people and horses are found around the room. Investigating the alien creature that the PCs fought reveals the following with a succesful nature or survival check.

After thoroughly examining the creature you are certain that this creature is not from this world. You are, however, not certain if it was created by magic or not but you notice very cleary that it is affected by some special form of Chaos Corruption.

Freedom

If a PC goes to the far end of the room they will notice several panels with text written in Asmerian. A PC who can read this can quickly find out that by pressing some buttons they can release the creatures in the room or in the large one beneath it. The tanks can be opened one by one but also all at once.
If any of the tanks is opened a security system kicks in releasing 2 fighting machines to eliminate threats. They come from a small tube near the south part of the room before the security system, mostly likely due to its age, stops working. Nonetheless the machines will start attacking any released creature or other creature standing in its way.
Security Bot

Removed for update

Conclusion

Plant Creatures

The actions the group take in the hidden lab can actually have a big impact on the world. Releasing any of the plant creatures in the first room does not cause any issues immediately since they are not violent at all. They are a sort of mutated Mizarin Nightlights. If the group would fight choose to fight them use the Lightwalker stats.
Lightwalker

Removed for update

There are however issues if they are not killed in the near future as they are actually an extremely invasive plant due to their mutations. If left unchecked they will be able to grow all over the Endra Swamps within a few years. This will most certainly cause issues for any communities living close to the swamp.

Other Creatures

Within the large chamber below there are a gigantic amount of strange creatures. If released they can cause some immediate issues for the ecosystem. Although many of them are not very violent, the mutations cause them to reproduce quickly. This can cause all manners of strange creature to spread across the world in a relative short time.

Exploring the lab

By spending more time exploring the lab it becomes clear that this was a place for researching or perhaps creating strange creatures. The lower room is not easily accessible from here. By using the small tube from which the machines entered though, PC's can technically explore the lab further. This would reveal a large dungeon with lots of additional enemies and secrets.
Another thing the PC's can discover with a successful Intelligence check is that the lightning producing machines are actually a powersource. With a second harder Intelligence check one of these power sources (Celestial Key) can actually be removed. This will, however, cause the base to stop working the next day causing all unreleased creatures to die.

After searching the room the group finds out that most goods that were being transported are destroyed. But still from the bodies of the dead travellers about 350 Tetrae (gold) can be taken.

Adventure Summary

This oneshot can actually be added into any campaign as long as the group is travelling through a swamp. However, if it is run as a oneshot the group is sent to the swamp to investigate the recent disappearances of many travelling merchants.
Once they arrive at the swamp they will find an abandoned caravan with signs of violence nearby. Eventually this will lead them deeper into the swamps where they will find a strange and ancient ruins. What secrets await them there?

This oneshot could later easily be expanded into a longer story as the ruins pose many questions. It can be a start for exploring a vast laboratory or perhaps a reason for many strange alien creatures to appear arround the world.

Adventure Background

The Vanguard

Vanguard Soldiers by Kefkejaco with Heroforge

The Vanguard is an organisation dedicated to the protection of humanoids along the eastern part of Farlis.The Vanguard was originally formed in the Middle Era when the countries were smaller and did not have sufficient armies to hold off against monsters or other threats to civilization.

Endra Swamps

by Kefkejaco with inkarnate

The Endra Swamps are an area in the most western part of Terios. They were formed by the various small rivers flowing from the hills and mountains lying to the south. At the northern edge of the swamps the water combines into a larger river that eventually flows into the Oner river. The area was for a long time not deemed very important besides for the gathering of peat. However, in recent years Sea and Leaf Crystals were found in the area which might make it an important region in the years to come.

Chaos Corruption

Chaos corruption is the one of the most feared things in the world of Niorath. No one is spared from it, no plant, no creature and not even the very soil remains unaffected. Once the corruption has run its course it is sometimes even impossible to see what a creature was before it. These mutations can have all sorts of effects and it is best to not attempt to challenge an affected creature unless one is well prepared.
Most of the corruption starts from the use of forbidden Chaos Magic. The bad part is that the effects of this use can remain in an area for ages without showing any decline.

Prime Asmer

Indovir by Endless Space 2

The Asmer are seen the Gods and angels of Niorath. They maintained a global civilization until a cataclysmic even known as Magicfall after which they ascended to the Divine Realms. Some are, however, believed to still be on Niorath.
The ruins of their civilization can be found throughout the world but can be hard to find. Not that many people are therefore even really aware of what an Asmer ruin would look like. The more educated people of the world, however, know that they used strange but advanced building materials and had a technology level far ahead of current world.

Lightwalker

by Stellaris

The seeds of the Mizarin Nightlight, the Lightwalkers, consist of a series of vines and leaves interwined with each other. Among this mass of vines several light emitting globes can be found with one of the globes at the very top of the Lightwalker, which according to scientists functions as the head. They are able to extend these vines to manipulate the environment around them and move. As a defense mechanism they use these vines to strangle their attackers. Sometimes they even emit bright flashes from their globes which blinds their targets for a short time. Survivors of their attacks have mentioned that they heard voices inside their head while being attack by a Lightwalker.