Chapter 1, The City at the Edge of the Desert, Herebena ((Hair-eh-ben-ah))

• Borders closed, the city of Herebena begins to overflow with travelers as the Taking of the Cadence closes off the land to any who would come in and interfere with the people. This is backed up by the fact that a Burgeonend has created a large sandstone tower and has been meditating in it for several days now. His Ascended Arrow blocking anyone from moving past that might normally slip by.

Plot points/Scenes

Entering the town

-Merchant caravan gave you a ride

The Promise of entering the Dunes

-We can get through this, we've broken into a Dwarven Stronghold with more goods

The Riot

-We are looking for an escaped Slastrum child -never take us alive -Choas -Mass Arrests

A Slastratum's Secret Spot

-hiding spot -Hi I'm Zeira N -There are some tunnels outta town, I'll give you my loot if you take me with you

The Tunnels

-Vibrate violently -Slash's and ancient blood in some spots -A few chunks of skeletons -a full suit of plate mail torn in half -A spellbook with a spell in it title Fireball that has a hole through the middle -Scorch marks amid a giant skeleton in the ribs. Portal birth. Stone carved room written in Aquan. -Baby Sigh, extremely dangerous, can't dig yet, keeps em from escaping mama -Rumbling, somethings coming -Comes from up ahead -Random Collapses begin to occur -scraped structures under the city like support pillars, carved out tunnels from long dry underground creeks and rivers. -Something call to the slave boy he says. It sounds like music, dance music.

The Stones

-Prufira Fatrabbit chides you for making such a ruckus. Now let's be quiet in the future. -he looks around the room for further source -His eyes glide over the stones which he kicks out of the way -do me a favor for making this sound, go throw those in the river for me -Now, no more ruckus in my town, please. He walks towards the wall where you now noticed several of the monks stand in the shadow. All lookup and then fade into black masses and disappear.
If a player grabs a stone they gain 900xp. They get the following vision. Their sight tears from their body, for a microsecond they see their back, them holding the stone before they see only black. No sensations. They pass through the earth to see the blockade above them, tents surrounding them, and then the dunes as their visions rocket into the sky. The river snakes far into the distance where a larger town shimmers in the heat, huge glinting towers surrounding it. Then darkness enters their vision as they see beyond the desert and past the planet into darkness and stars. Rocks hurdle by like slung stones. Some are white or glass, a few have carvings, one gives a single purple pulse before you're too far to see them. Seconds pass, then suddenly a shape comes into view, at first glinting like the stars but then growing larger and paler. A huge stone monolith growing larger, larger, larger. Soon you are about to collide with it when you come to a halt at a twelve-foot doorway, the building in the blackness of space stretches several hundred feet above you.
You begin to move slow. Inside, the walls were blurry and the floor shimmering with dark shapes. Eventually, you dive into one of the many open dark doorways to see hundreds of figures sitting in an amphitheater. All blurry but their shapes vary from tiny to huge. One in the center stands rigid and turns towards you. Their first reaches towards you and opens. What do you do?
If they reach for it they gain 900xp and are hurdled back to their body. If they do nothing the figure begins to rescind their hand. Next long rest the vision will come again and the same offer is made but they ask, "Why do you adventure?" If the answer yearns for something more they gain 900xp. If they refuse or aren't sure the figure tells them to come again when they have an answer or are willing to risk something.
If they insult the temple in any way the vision cuts and the stone burns their hand and puffs to ash.

A Wagon Train

A new job opens up to them. The guards offer for them to put down the merchants they heard are escaping that night. The merchants offer to help them leave if they guard them just in the time it takes for them to reach the glass road. Army offers 300gp and health potion crate (8 potions). Merchants offer 100gp, free ride, housing across the dunes, and a place to stay for 3 days in the next town.

Wagon series of events. Wagons head to the east gate. Albino dwarf on back caravan watching the rear, which has a fake large crate filled with sand and a small rock the vibrates to make noise. The middle caravan has a crate and four bandit-level guards. Penelope and supplies in the front wagon. All being pulled by a horse. They will exit quickly from the east gate and move a half mile then turn north and cross the river at a shallow point. The crossing takes an hour.
Monks will assault the caravan on the far side of the river from the growing reeds. They will focus on incapacitating the merchants first then will leave if threatened and chase the next night.
The Caravan will lose the back one if needed. They will open the middle caravan if they lose the dwarf or more than two guards.

Trust in the Empire, The Tomb

Prufira Fatrabbit has taken Zeira. He keeps her now. Hidden from you. Within the Shadowfell. A dark crystal sits on his desk where you can see into where she is. He orders a meeting with the leader of your party. He has work for you to do.
Line: In two tendays time the new Cadence will be elected. I have that time to give my wisdom on the matter. I cannot leave this town as it is. To many rebels. You all are also an issue. Do as I say and I will not kill the girl. Or you. The girl is dangerous, I would prefer not to kill her now.
One last thing. If I get one more report if civilian and enemy casualties I could be interrogating or turning into slaves. I will personally turn whoever created the bodies into a Slastrum. Is. That. Clear. Waste in the desert is frowned upon. The actual purposeful disposal of resources is heresy. If Ficium won't smite them, I will.

• A trickle of water sits far in the desert above a tomb. Something blocks the water in the tomb. If you can release it you may create an oasis.
• Yuan-Ti in the tomb worships the temple. They have built an oval-shaped alter in the main chamber with grooves being carved into it and a slice into the sky that shows the belt.
• Lines: You! Have the temple with you! You have a link to them physically. Some of you have solidified that link! It has its talons in you and now you grow! The empire will snuff you if they learn this.
  You are not the ones though! You are retainers of the one! Where is the one! Why are you sent against us!
  We will kill you and replace you as the one.
  Now die with us pretenders for the throne!
  No, too soon, we had not witnessed it yet.
  It will descend to Potestatem beyond my time.
  Mercy is for those who wield power.
• Lore: He lived traveled to the edges of the empire to heal rare diseases. He was buried here near his hometown. Several stories of his deeds mark the tomb. Burgeond of the tomb Alth Amor was a clerical Burgeond known for his great deeds in healing the sick.
• Art:

  The figure stands before a city with ravines on its right and ruins on its left. rolling hills arc behind the skyline. He walks the streets and places his hand on people who stand or lay worshipping his feet. A shadow falls over the city. And the figure seems to rotate with successive pieces towards the wall. The high face turns to show a humanoid with an odd face and wide ears (Triton). The photo over the tomb itself shows the triton laying on the ground but a great rift sits above him in the air. Two huge clawed hands flank the photo along with many sharpened and scaled tentacles. . The rift shows not but a huge swirling eye peering out of a sea of waves.

• Loot: 300gp(on tomb lord), +1 trust with empire, Amulet of Health is on the tree, the snake has bracers of defense, Armor of Gleaming breastplate worn by the snake dude, the Yuan-ti have three beads of Refreshment on them)
• You see art adorning the walls and a large hole above the casket that pours water over it into several trophs that run about the room and into the walls. The hole seems to be made of woods and the stone around it cracks with strain.

A Conquered Tomb

In Casket: A mummy who sits upholding a Summoning scroll with 90% of the words faded and a few missing pieces. It appears to slowly drip constantly (10ml/hour). The scroll is written on a bendable metal. "You must save them, the beast soon it will reach the heart of the land and bring about the destruction of all life, Riz hasn't finished his work, the Hourglass, it still must be completed, their are so few of us, the Burgeond cannot stop this. The dwarves are shattered and will not aid us. You, you must bring this to Riz Ath before the destroyer comes, quickly use this... he hands off the metal sheet of metal and begins to reach towards the wall of the giant rift eye but his hand slows to a stop several inches before he reaches it. He will answer one question then fall back into the casket which will snap closed and begin thrumming gently.
Puzzle: A huge boulder has fallen in front of an ancient device that produces water in a trickle. I had been filled to damning and the device is damaged. If you simply open it, it will collapse the tomb and the device will be lost. If they find the Yuan-ti's secret chamber they will see not only where the water is dripping into cups but also the missing part. They can prevent the tomb from collapsing if they turn a crank that lets the water spill out faster than it's produced. Emptying the damned area.
The Device: appears to be an underground tree rooted in all directions, it is withered but water still comes from its trunk's peak. You see some bugs and even rodents about it. It appears the chamber that contained it is now filled with sand, rubble, and great cracks. A blue Wyrmling lays about the bottom of the tree. ZundaeTostyn is the dragon. The Wyrmling: asks a lot of questions about where they are from. Smells them. "You kinda smell like Vinc. Not all of you. I thought you were gonna be those buzzing burgeoned I hear sometimes." Vinc knows a lot about the temple as he found it very interesting and has even seen it once. All dragons respect the temple. "If you guys have some temple bits I bet you could be dragons! Wait no, not be dragons... Something Vinc said about dragon-hearted peoples. Calls them adventurers some time. I don't know the difference." Knows to stay away from Hazfeni cities and Burgeond cause they will kill him for his buzzing.

Return to Herebena

In Herebena Prufira is up in a fuss about needing a bunch of things. Scales of dragons, a ring of spell storing, several tombs of Men, and many rare components such as a diamond. He has several retrieval quests available. When asked for what he will respond with, "A breakthrough, like the dunes, have never seen before." All other information is top secret. He is going to utilize Zeira's special body to reattach himself to the weave and ascend to dragon hood. If successful he should become a dragon egg that will be sent to Ampoule for safekeeping. The process will consume a wyrmling and Zeria. If he can get his hands on older dragons he might even be able to skip the egg stage but that seems to difficult in his eyes.

Quests:

• Diamond from the eastern dwarf fortress. One was recently grabbed there and is awaiting escort to Ampoule. A Young dragon named VincVincLothtor is blocking the path and attempting to steal it for himself (reward 1000gp +3 trust with the empire, I will recommend access to the library as well as an escort anywhere in the dunes you want) The dragon runs a bandit group who is viciously loyal. They came from the deep south and out of the Rhedsy woods after raiding to step up their income to dwarven goods. This bandit group killed Kocho's parents. The unit is also made up of Jaques unit of men who were banished without his knowledge for standing up for him after the trial)
  Dragon runs at half health, the bandits break at the sight of it. They will also break at four deaths, half other kinds of losses, both the expert and anchorite losing, or the captain dying.
• Bring him a Wyrmling alive. One rumored in the east near the tomb you were at (Reward: 500gp and a monk messenger at your liege to communicate things quickly)
• Find him a second dark seed. A near-extinct plant he has one of. Sen has it. But Prufira wants to consume it to ascend to dragon hood.
• Prufira was kicked from Amopule and stripped of his many titles unofficially after meddling in other Burgeond affairs. He says he left something on a ship in Mefen with a woman named Bahiti. Use my title if you must to go speak to her. She made me a poison I will need once more. It is slow acting and impossible to catch. I have tested it once in a favor for her. Prufira used this on Naunets uncle to cut her ties to the Burgeond and to begin stamping out the Sigh monks who go against Ficium Faith.
• Kill Turnstile. I think he's plotting something and I need a test of your strength. I bribe the local guards, I make heads turn the wrong way, but he is a beacon of overbearing justice. Stamp him out. Makes my life easier. (Direct clash with Uldans ideal)

Future Sessions

• Investigate who has been taking guards from the north wall. Guards report one or two missing every other day and now refuse to patrol there. The monks couldn't find out the issue.
  Sinking sand just outside the wall leads into tunnels. In there several mangled corpses rest.
  If they report this they are tasked with killing the issue.
  Issue persists after monsters kill.
  A monk is sent with them and he identifies a weapon known as a longsword known as the shredder. It was picked up by an adventuring party a while back. Turnstile knows more about this than me.
  Turnstile says he thinks a wizard in the north district was in that party.
  The Wizard denies it and is eyeing a corner of his room a lot. A shelf if moved reveals a ladder into the tunnels near the bodies.
  A week later Turnstile will keep killing guards but the Wizard gives rewards (Loot 1: 50gp, 200gp)
• Go around and quiet people down (RP)
• Shutdown eastern black market. (RP +1 Trust)
• All RP bonus one. Guard the Nath household (LEVEL 2 TRUST NEEDED)

Allied Yuan-Ti do research and learn the following things. Using these lines.
We live under your command retainers.
We must continue to unbury this tomb and learn it's secrets. Alth Amor appears to have been the Burgeond who ruled this place.
Alth appears to have been something of a traitor. He made deals where necessary.
It appears Alth never underwent Inversion
Alth may not have died.
Alth has ascended to the temple!
Alth fought the empire in favor of the temple!
Alth fought a great battle but his healing couldn't keep his army up against the Synod of Wisdom themself. They came and crushed him but his timing allowed him to be taken up to the Temple before his death. A truly worthy individual. Perhaps he left something here about fighting the Burgeond.
It appears Alth left before he could find any true weaknesses. He speaks on the ritual being the key. The one who will destroy the Hourglass and ascend as the final Burgeond. Truly magnificent. The one will be one who the empire trode upon. The rest of the prophecy is locked away in the library.

Themes

Leadership, control, and influence

Structure

Exposition

Potestatem is a ravished world. The moon is but thousands of chunks of rocks around the planet like a belt now. A temple run by the power-hungry gods comes every nine hundred days to bestow blessings upon those with followers and fame. Taking this very blessing from those forgotten and weak. Around the world, you will find conflict to rise to the temples challenge. One place is harsher than the rest though. The Hazfen. A monstrous desert that dominates the southern continent's central southern border.
In the Hazfen one empire rules the great Hazfen River. After near destruction three hundred years ago they fashion a ritual to create demi-gods that could live apart from the temple. These creations were dubbed Burgeonend. Ruling over the endless dunes they fought back horrors in the north called the Sigh. In the south Nagpako tribes were pushed further away from the river. Even Cherloa the Drought, a great blue dragon was forced to retreat to her lair by the great Burgeonend.
Now they rule. Their faith settling back on the temple they were free from. Ficium, God of the light, the sun, and trade. Through him, the people have labored endlessly for the glory of the empire. Creating dozens of cities along the river and continually warring with beasts, natives, and the Dawn Empire to their north.
The Burgeonend number a few hundred in any given lifetime, but thousands have served the empire over the years. These Burgeond are buried beneath the dunes in sealed stone tombs, in robes or armor amid their compiled treasure. This draws thieves and monsters in search of riches and power.
Amid all this, the people live on. Slastratum serve their masters toiling under the sun and great glass asteroids that amplify the heat. The desert rewards only work and punish those who laze in the rays.
Here in Herebena at the edge of the empire life is hard, nothing comes down river, their in the middle of a wasteland, and they still tithe to the their Burgeond. An outcast.

Conflict

Now a new Burgeonend must be elected to lead the empire. To take up the illustrious mantle of Cadence. The greatest Burgeonend, known as The Magnified discuss on the Synod of Wisdom. This council goes for months and the borders are closed. The discussion go long, the people itch to know who will lead them, Ficium remains silent and the Synod of Wisdom struggles. Here in the desert time flows like grains down the dunes.
The Outcast Prufira Fatrabbit blocks any from leaving during the Taking of the Cadence ritual. He meditates on his contribution to the Synod of Wisdom. This is his only time he is allowed in Ampoule and so it's extremely important to him to say something that might redeem him and shorten his sentence to the edge of the empire. Due to this he has ruled the town with an iron fist.
Slastratum work nearly sixteen hours a day. Thousand Dunes preach at all hours and everyone must attend the temple. Soldiers patrol and train. The well oiled machine seems to be a beautiful dedicated town. Dark shadows yank people away that don't listen to Prufira. Fear rules the city.

Rising Action

The hardworking town seems very intense. Players will see Slastrum monitored by their owners carefully as they keep the town clean and build new houses, empty houses. Tilling fields as well at noon seems odd in the desert. Priests preaching loudly and at several corners. The temple seems very busy and loud most of the day.
The blockade on the other side of town has six camped merchants carts as well as a few solo adventurers and mercenaries. The soldiers who are either standardized Ascended Arrow Infantry .

Components

Goals

Empire Route

Create peace and organization in the streets of Herebena. 

Heroic Route

Remove Prufira from power and bring freedom to the town of Herebena. Secondary goal, save Zeira and bring her new powers to Susan. 

Villain Route

Kill or replace Prufira in Herebena.

Relations

Protagonists

Zeria N, Slastrum with a hiding spot and knows where the local ruins are, to adventure in! But I can't adventure since I'm a slastrum and have to do what I'm told. Zeria

Allies

Blacksmith Roc Ironstone (Iron), black smith in town that does all the big-time jobs like swords and armor. Female brunette dwarf. Pigtails and large birthmark peaking out on collar bone.
Blacksmith Gizmo Leafbreath, runs a small-time blacksmith and gadgetry shop. Tinkerer and loves to create small contraptions. She supports herself by fixing everyone's pots and pans for cheap. Female Gnome 56. One eye is pale and milky from a chemical she got in it, can't afford a cleric.
Tavern Owner, Drink, owner of the Huge Edge of the Dune Tavern. Orange Tiefling man with one curled horn and one strait back one.
General Store Owner Pedup, runs the general store with little gusto. Reads political writings from the Nath family most of his days. Studies and discuss as much with locals such as Turnstile. Huma
Turnstile, lives at the edge of town outside the Dune Gate. Use to adventure in the Hazfen and knows several ruins and rumors and Susans Library. He has a personal entrance to the tunnels. Male Gnome 95. Scars on his left hand like a web. Runs the adventuring shop as well which has components and potions. He has them shipped from a noble he saved in the capital.
Penelope, Merchant Owner of initial caravan.

Neutrals/Bystanders

The Naths, Yop Nath owner of Zeira, cartographer as his main hobby and owner of half the farming fields in Herebena. He's proficient in magic and trains his family to water the fields for his Slastrum to mill while he reads, researches, and searches for more information on this city. Hebra Nath, the wife of Yop, runs the household. Lilith, Pep, and Yebrah Nath, Yop's three children. 8, 12, and 14 years old. Girl, Girl, and Boy. who have all shown great skill at transmutation and spend the first part of their day creating water and running the fields.
Ficium Church. Paladin Claw, the strong leader of the local church. He is technically under command of Prufira but cares only really to make some coin and leave for the capital to join a big temple. Prufira knows this but exploits it to get good work out of him. Copper Dragonborn, 53, three scales are backwards on his face. He leads a team of six priests and priestesses in minor healing and cares for the town as well as religious duties. Often has to visit Prufira to give guidance on Ficium's words.
Black Market Job's J, the job giver of the black market-speak only through a message stone left out on a carving in the stone wall. He hires people to retrieves things from the temple, Prufira's tower, and sealed dunes he shouldn't know about.
Black Market Shop Sucker, running the shop that buys stolen artifacts is a hard job. He sets up around the city and has a deal with the dozen infantry that run his section of the wall. They found some loot awhile back and they sold it to him. Together they make a profit yes? Gay Loxodon. Their entire trunk is tattooed with different ruins they have stolen from.
Nate the Nagpako barge driver. Necromancer.
Lopo the angry merchant. 
Usod, in alleway with Uldan talking about the Naths

Adversaries

Prufira Fatrabbit, Burgeond owner of the city. Locking it down while he meditates lest his wisdom not be enough for the Synod. Public enforced fasting and work to let him do so.
Captain Hairaba, right hand to Prufira. Leads the force and enforces Prufira's will in town. Wears golden bracers and silken robes with bare feet. A human with black eyes and desert tan skin. Wirey body.
Sergeant Bunha, Controls the towns day to day activities and fixes the small-scale issues. Patrols in person and reports to Hairaba. Classic armored soldier with little training from Prufira. He is a Half-elf.
Ascended Arrow Infantry are common soldiers recruited from the local dunes and town to do Prufira Fatrabbit's will. They get paid a lot of coin and a free ride up river if needed.
Dark Hairs an elite group of warrior monks directly under Captain Hairaba and Prufira. Often performing delicate and difficult tasks. They excel in Stealth. Teth. 
Nath Gate Bouncer, Whispering guy

Plot type

Chapter

Parent Plot

Undulating Dunes