One Shot: Stone of the Elder
"You're looking for work? I have something for you."
Start
If the players decide to engage with the strange character, they will soon notice a sharp nose peek out from underneath the hood. The mysterious patron will tell them of an artifact that was stolen from them by a group of local goblin gang members. You are tasked to retrieve the artifact from the savages, as well as finding their hideout in the first place.Before any of you can further inquire on any details, the cloaked figure is gone, vanished like they turned to dust.
Alterations
If the players instead choose to take the barkeep's advice, disregard the mysterious patron and head towards the Adventurer's Guild, they might catch that very same sharp nose just exiting the Guild building. Once they enter the great hall, they will see an advert with a hefty payment on the top of the Guild's questlist for retrieving a stolen artifact.Plot points/Scenes
Chasing Leads
Now it is up to the Players to find the trail to their target. They will require a few tips along their way, giving them hints to where the Goblin hideout may be. Along with those hints, they will also learn more about the nature of the artifact they are tasked to retrieve. Bits of information about the hideout can be given by most commoners, more so from people who might know more rumors than the common resident. i.e. Barkeepers, Traders, Guards, etc. People all over town hear of a series of break-ins in the eastern districts that happened just the night before. Goblins have been breaking into homes and buildings over the past few days, namely the Temple, a magic store, and the Centerstreet Theatre.Fool's Gold
After the recent break-in at the Theatre, the stage was left in complete disarray. Scripts were destroyed, the stage was torn up, but most importantly, the meticulously crafted requisites were stolen. And all that just a day away from the premier ...At the top of the stairs of the Centerstreet Theatre stands Faldrir Mirina, a black-scaled Dragonborn woman, declaring to a disgruntled crowd of people that has gathered in front of the building:
"I am very sorry everyfolk, but we will have to cancel the performance tomorrow under the circumstances of the break-in"
Faldrir is the Announcer of the Theatre. When she finishes breaking the bad news to the townsfolk, the crowd starts to dissipate and the Dragonborn retreats into the Theater. Once the players manage to get inside the Theatre they will be confronted by a depressed Faldrir "Didn't you hear? We're closed. 100 years of service and we never missed a premier. Of course, it is when I'm in charge we have such bad luck ..."
Faldrir and her cast had been studying a play by the name of "Tales of the Ancient". The story would revolve around an ancient myth that tells the story of seven magical artifacts that plunged Rohengard into a millennium of Darkness. Faldrir will at first be skeptical of the players, but realizing that they may be able to find the lost prop, she will show them around the scene that was looted. She remarks that most of the requisites were destroyed, but only one of the painted stones which were going to be used for the artifacts was stolen. The others are completely untouched in their case. "Who would steal just ... regular stones? They're practically worthless".
Investigating the crime scene, players will find small pieces of dried-up vines. Keen eyes or questioning one of the locals reveals that these types of climbing vines are usually found near the bridge edges, climbing down the outer wall.
Old Folk look the Same
Through the bustle of Midbridge, an outcry is heard echoing from inside the Temple of Apendrel. "Oh, the audacity! I can not believe it!". One of the great, wooden double doors at the entrance stands open, a quiet but constant wailing emanating from within. When players enter the building, they'll find the priest of the temple sulking at the far end of the sanctuary. Face in his hands, the scrawny elf sits in front of a broken display. Upon questioning the priest, they will tell the players that a pearl was stolen from the shrine of the Goddess of the sea. A pearl that was regarded as an important keepsake to Apendrel, to whom the temple is devoted to."Whatever will I do now? Apendrel will be very displeased ... she might even abandon this place altogether!"
Djondrin, the priest, will tell the players that the pearl was once thought to have magical properties. But when multiple assessments by the mage guild revealed it was only vaguely magical, it was used merely as a symbolic religious artifact. "While I certainly hoped Apendrel would have bestowed us with a gift of her divinity, I know that the true reward will be our devotion to her." After players start to examine the broken display further, perceptive characters may find pieces of black, almost metallic rope. Upon further investigation, maybe through talking to local authorities, workers, or other groups that would know where such construction material would be used, the PCs find out that such rope is called "Terbari Rope" and is used to fasten a broken area of the eastern bridgewall.
It's a Business Secret
Strolling through the eastern districts of Midbridge, the players will notice a broken window of a storefront. A sign is hanging from a pole that stretches out from the building; it reads: "Olpenstead's Arcanarum". The inside of the shop is a rollercoaster of smells. From rosemary over incense to a biting sulfuric, the shop has a wide variety of spell components on the shelves. Although the shop is still in a bit of a disarray, if players had been to the temple or the theater before, they might notice that it is not as vandalized as the other locations. Behind the counter stands an elderly Firbolg with bright white hair."Ah, h-hello there. I'm sorry, my inventory is a little ... scattered ... at the moment. B-but what can I get you?"
During the player's stay at Olpenstead's shop, they might notice some inconsistencies in his story. Olpenstead also seems to be very nervous as the party talks to them, trying to change the subject or repeatedly mentioning that the guard is already handling the situation. When the players investigate the wrecked storefront, they will find a folded piece of paper with a symbol on it.
During the player's stay at Olpenstead's shop, they might notice some inconsistencies in his story. Olpenstead also seems to be very nervous as the party talks to them, trying to change the subject or repeatedly mentioning that the guard is already handling the situation. When the players investigate the wrecked storefront, they will find a folded piece of paper with a symbol on it. Unknown to the players, Olpenstead is being extorted by the very character that hired them to retrieve the artifact. Sedrawen Dunblade, the name of the elf with the sharp nose that the players met in the tavern, is an agent of the Tel'Ansrivarr. A secret conspiracy organization that lives among humans and other races. Their goal is to retake the lands of Rohengard and let their age-long lost empire rise again. The artifact he so covertly tasked the players to find, is a shard of an ancient warping stone. Imbued with the powers of the Destruction domain of The Ly'end, this vessel can wreak havoc upon the enemies of anyone who wields it. This shard was protected by a Glyphkeeping ritual by someone who would never want the stone to be used for evil, therefore Dunblade needed the artifact to be cleansed before he could use it.
His neatly knit plan is to give Olpenstead the shard, telling him to let it get stolen by a gang of goblins. He then conversed with the leader of the gang's operations in Midbridge, knowing that they were an avid magic user that would surely recognize the potential of the shard. Then they would deal with the Glyphkeeper, or at least weaken it, and he could take the reputation for presenting his superiors with such an impactful gift. Although, he did not plan for the greenskin troupe to be as incompetent as to completely ignore the instructions he gave them and search all over town for the shard, even stealing other similar artifacts that were practically worthless. So his backup plan was to recruit a group of adventurers to do the dirty work for him.
If the players decide to eavesdrop on Olpenstead, they will witness Dunblade meeting with the Firbolg to scold him for contacting the guards, something Dunblade instructed him not to do. The hooded elf will remind Olpenstead of the deal they had: Olpenstead cooperates, and he will be rewarded with knowing his loved ones save. "If this doesn't go my way ... things may get unpleasant", so Dunbalde said.
The Plot thickens ...
As the players now start to get an idea of where the goblin hideout is located, they will also slowly grasp the extent of the repercussions their actions have if they choose to hand the artifact over to Dunblade. The search for the hideout will lead them to the eastern bridgewall of Midbridge. On a certain spot on the wall, the players will find the same symbol as shown on the note from Olpenstead's shop. When the players investigate the general area around the symbol, they will find the loose spot in the bridgewall, secured with the black, sturdy rope. The restrains reach above the 20 ft. high wall. Here, the players will have to climb the rope to the top of the bridge partition, where they will find the vines that grow down the opposite side of the wall. Look about 40 ft. down the bridge arch, the PCs will see a part of the wall that is indented, likely the entrance to the hideout. Climbing down seems to be the only way for them to enter.
Once the players have delved downward and entered the hideout, they will find themselves in the damp, underground sewers of Midbridge. They do not have to venture long before they will come across a large, door-sized slab that is marked by a deep red, glowing rune. The language of the symbols is indiscernible, but any who cast the "comprehend languages" spell will feel an itch creep up the back of their head which will turn into a migraine-like sting. The caster receives 2d4 psychic damage as it is revealed to them that the symbols are lyendinc. Their meaning is not revealed. A high enough arcana check will tell the player that it is indeed a locking rune, needing to be dispelled to continue into the room behind. For any barbarian players, the rune will also dissolve after it was hit for a total of 20 damage in a single attack.
As the stone slab slides to make way for the players, they will immediately be met with the sight of five goblins fighting a towering, shadowy figure with a remarkable stone at its chest. What the players will fight here is a Glyphkeeper. A soul that was bound to the artifact by a powerful magic user, made to protect it from misuse. The leader of the goblin group, Viglok, had tried to access the power within the warping stone, triggering the Glyphkeeper to fulfill its duty. Shortly after the party enters the goblin's hideout, the few gang members that are still alive, including Viklog, will flee through a smaller hole in the wall. The Glyphkeeper turns its floating body towards the party, the players should roll for initiative at this point.
A Henchman's Reward
After the players (hopefully) defeat the Glyphkeeper, the shadow will peel off its spectral form and reveal a bright light underneath. Another essence escapes the flail of the monster, this one is brighter and more light-blueish in color. It disappears just as quickly as the soul is released from its duty. Left behind is a rough, crudely cut stone that is almost pulsing with red energy. This is a warping stone of destruction. Spells that are known only to a few, the ability to even forge new spells, and the power to use all this might is stored inside this artifact. And it is now in the party's hands to do what they think is best.
With or without the stone, when the players make their way back onto the surface, the day will have turned to night (or the night turned to just before sunrise, depending on how long the players took before). As they wander through the alleys, Dunblade will reveal himself, seemingly having always kept an eye on them. "So ... you finally found it" He will say with a slithery tongue. He will encounter them in a more secluded space, such as an alley or near a row of abandoned buildings.
"I heard that you stuck your nose a little too deep into my request ... asked too many questions ..."
With a snap, Dunblade lets two tied-up Firbolg appear next to him, one taller and one smaller. He holds a dagger to one of their throats: "Then, what will it be? The stone or ... their heads?". The players now have few choices, handing the elf the stone or refusing to, although by this point the party might have another plan. At this point the adventure will have deviated a lot from anything I can prepare through writing, so be sure to follow along with any sound and plausible solution your players might have come up with. Dunblade however is iron in his will to get the stone or to go through with the threats he laid out. If the players do not hand him the artifact, the elf will kill his captives. If this may be too graphic for you or your players, he will teleport them somewhere that is indicative of them certainly perishing, followed by a cold "Maybe they would be better off as fish food than hostages". The players may decide to fight him head-on, although their attempts will likely be futile after their fight with the Glyphkeeper
On the other hand, if the players do hand him "his" artifact, he will take it gladly: "Thanks for the help, I couldn't have done it without you.", teleport away on the spot and leave his captives with the players.
Epilogue
At this point, the story of the One shot is essentially over. You as the DM are now in control of what the end will look like. If the players ended up rescuing Olpenstead's family, they will have gained a loyal friend in the city, along with the great reputation of saving hostages from a criminal. If they did pay the price of letting the two Firbolg die to not give Dunblade the power of the artifact, they will have to live with the guilt. But maybe an agent of the adventurer's guild heard of their adventure and is impressed by their willpower to keep the warping stone safe. Maybe they might offer them a new job, or some way to redeem themselves, possibly opening an open end for another adventure ...
Completion Date
630 A.t.F.
630 A.t.F.
Related Organizations
Related Locations
Related Session Reports
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I did enjoy the atmospheric writing for seeking out the clues, and I thought the plot was a neat idea (let the goblins trigger the trap ghost, hah!). The article was fine to read, though separating into shorter paragraphs at times could make it even better. I do wonder just how powerful Dunblade is - he seems to be able to teleport the Furbolgs to his side (and away again!) with a snap, which is quite something. Is this a common power in your world? Overall, I enjoyed the idea for this small adventure.