Welcome to Temok

Plot points/Scenes

Arriving In Temok:

Read aloud:
You know you are finally approaching the city when you see the tall stone walls and guard posts that line the city. As you approach, you join a line of people entering the city and see all sorts of folks, many in carts or atop the backs of various animals. You see wagons full of cargo entering and leaving the city, robed figures you assume to be wealthy mages entering in a gilded carriage helmed by white horses, and adventurers like yourselves that wear armour and weapons and look like they've been on the road for a while.
Entering the city, you are met with a view that boasts many shophouses, bustling businesses, and countless pedestrians. Further into the city you can make out the tops of spires that tower above the rest of the buildings. You also notice that the city, while busy, seems very orderly. People form neat queues when lining up outside shopfronts, and you spot a number of city watch milling around. Nearby you spot a bustling cafe and shops as well as a community board that a few people hover around. What do you do?
Characters arrive in Temok. They have been sent by The United Society of Scholars in Antiquity: KAYLONG BRANCH to deliver a letter to the main branch of the organization in Temok. The headquarters is located in the south-east part of the city, so they will have to travel through the city to get there. Possible encounters:

A community message board: THE ANNUAL ADVENTURER'S TOURNAMENT: Are you an up and coming adventurer? Want to show off your skills to various guilds and adventuring parties? Want a chance to win 1000 GP? Then register for the 78th annual Adventurer's Tournament! Taking place on [one day's time] at the Aurith Academy of the Arcane Training Grounds at 4pm. Please register via mail or at the Aurith Academy of the Arcane Offices.
Adanthir's House of Spices and Magical Remedies: Need to spice up your cooking? Then look no further! We carry some of the rarest spices in the region! Looking for a cure to sore muscles or insomnia, then we've got your back. Many of our spices also have medicinal properties!

Tellamine's Tea Emporium: Magical brews await you!
Bodyguards Needed: A gala is coming up and we need trustworthy and skilled bodyguards to attend the ball alongside important guests.
The Fat Mouse Cheese Shop: The largest selection of cheeses in Taifar!

Newt's Eye Tavern and Inn: Adventurer's Tournament special! 1 GP per night per room! Discounted food on the day of the Tournament!

Paramour Couture: Need a gown for the upcoming gala? We've got you covered! Paramour Couture offers the finest selections of fabrics and styles. Come in for a fitting today!
Truesight Tours: See Temok in all it's dimensions! Schedule a Truesight Tour today to discover the magic of the city!

Arriving at the The United Society of Scholars in Antiquity:

The main branch for the The United Society of Scholars in Antiquity is located in the north-east part of the city where many of the guilds are located. If the characters arrive there read aloud:
You approach a large building with marble steps leading up to its grand exterior. Academic looking people enter and exit through exquisitely carved dark wooden doors. When you enter, you find yourself in a room with marble floors and high stone ceilings with chandeliers lit by magical fire. A lobby waits before you and a large wooden counter with several attendants awaits you at the back. On either side of the lobby, there are large spiral staircases that lead up to the next floor.

The letter they are supposed to deliver contains the following:

Dear Ellis, There have been significant developments here at the Kaylong branch. I have sent this letter along with the adventurers that were involved with the event. To start, we had been having some issues with some sort of creature that seemed to be able to control other creatures and even people and was causing havoc with our field research in the Faewalker Ruins. Due to this, I hired Azriel, one of the adventurers, who is a ranger trained in tracking beasts. While waiting for her to arrive, discopriet Seril Dryalis decided to go out to the Ruins to see if he could gather information or try and help resolve the issue. He did not return for a few days, so when Azriel arrived, I enlisted the adventurers she had travelled with to help since situation had escalated. While these four adventurers were in the Faewalker Ruins, they discovered something concerning. They saw evidence of tampering with the site. It seems that runes were constructed and then concealed using illusory magic. Seril obtained a rubbing of the runes, which I have included along with this letter. From what I can gather, these runes may be used to channel energy. I figured you would have more knowledge and resources to decipher the purpose of these runes than I. Please forward any information you find to the Kaylong branch as soon as possible.
I will be frank here, I am concerned about what these runes mean for our security. We must implement better security measures because this should not have been possible. We are either dealing with a mole or a highly skilled magic user to be able to be undetected by us.
Furthermore, while in the Faewalker Ruins, the adventurers encountered a creature that could control not only other beasts, but also creatures including people. It seems that Seril had been mind controlled by this creature--they described it as a large slug with a humanoid face--and had thus been trapped in the Ruins. The adventurers freed him and defeated this creature. Before they did this, the creature said it was from the Feywild. I do not think it is a coincidence that a creature supposedly from the Feywild has made itself into the Faewalker Ruins. It seems like there may indeed be truth to the old myths of the Faewalker Ruins being related to the Feywild in some way. And now we may have evidence. More research must be done and we will need more evidence to back this hunch of mine.
I should also mention a small detail I found odd. It seems that before Seril had been charmed, when he was still exploring the Ruins, he thought he was only gone for a few hours, not the few days he had truly been away. This leads me to believe that there is a strange passage of time in this area. I'm not sure why there are so many strange occurrences happening lately at the Faewalker Ruins, which is why I must enlist your help. Any information you can gather would be incredibly appreciated.
I should also note that the adventurers are interested in finding out more about all of this. Frankly, I don't blame them after they were caught up in all of this. But do be careful as I wasn't able to do a background check on them (other than Azriel of course). Provide them with a little bit of information, but I would avoid spilling too much. You never know who they could be in touch with or who could overhear them. I should also note that Citron, the one in the armour, knew quite a bit about the runes. He was able to figure out that they were likely channeling energy before I let them know. If you feel they are trustworthy enough, perhaps he could be of help as he seems to know his way around runes.

Looking forward to hearing what you uncover. Best regards, Coerator Theris Leung The United Society of Scholars in Antiquity, Kaylong

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Related Locations

• Temok