Mark's Campaign
This website is a place where friends and strangers can browse the ancient and current RPG campaigns that I have created over the past 40 years. Rather than simply shredding my creations from past decades, I will hopefully engrave them in the dubious permanence of the internet. Enjoy the gallery!
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If you are following this website, the most recent changes/additions have been highlighted in red text.
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I was not sure if the party was going to try to get to Kaer Maga at the top of the plateau, so I included some notes from Pathfinder resources as a quick reference.
Part 7: The Foot of the Citadel
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Kaer Maga
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In two more days, the group will reach the foot of the plateau of Kaer Maga, the City of Strangers. A camp of several wagons is set up along the base of the Storval Rise and there are a few small negotiations occurring here and there. A group of men and women dressed in distinctive brown and gray uniforms, the right breast of which bears a badge with a golden arch (representing the Twisted Door) on a midnight blue background guard a large pair of bronze double doors, called the Duskwardens. They appear to be gathering a group to make the 8 hour caravan trip through the caverns and caves of the undercity to the top of the rise through the Halflight Path. The trip taskers about 1 hour for foot travel.
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The Twisted Door is an ancient set of bronze double doors at the foot of the cliff below the Varisian city of Kaer Maga. Some believe that it was constructed by the same unknown race that built the city.
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The doors are covered in strange runes in an unknown language. They also exhibit a strange optical phenomenon. The doors’ edges appear perfectly straight, but an observer who follows an edge with his eyes somehow finds that was once an outside edge is now an inside edge. It is this effect that gives the door its name.
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Scholars are keen to study this effect, much to the irritation of the Duskwardens. The Door serves as the entry to the Halflight Path, and the sages interfere with the passage of the travelers the Duskwardens guide along the route.
The Halflight Path is a dangerous route from the base of the Storval Rise into the Varisian city of Kaer Maga via the Undercity. It is maintained and patrolled by the Duskwardens, who charge a hefty fee for escorting caravans into and out of the city. It is used by travelers who value speed over safety, and are willing and able to pay for the privilege.
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The route upwards starts at an ancient bronze gate called the Twisted Door. The Duskwardens open the door at dawn. They greet any assembled travelers and assess the fees for using the Path. This ranges from two gold pieces for a lone pedestrian to several dozen for a caravan.
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Each traveler is issued with a Halflight charm, and they are split into groups of no more than a dozen. The Duskwarden escorts maintain that the benefits of stealth and having each group be a manageable size outweigh any apparent safety in numbers afforded by a larger party.
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The trip itself takes an hour or more, depending on the make-up of the group. Most of it is through underground tunnels, but it occasionally emerges onto the cliff face. Some of the tunnel is natural stone, perhaps carved by water and improved upon by physical labor, but other places are wholly artificial.
Some walls are decorated by crude cave paintings; others are marked by complicated frescoes. All sections show signs of the work of the Duskwardens, who carefully block off dangerous side passages. Their groups are expected to pass such areas in silence; the sounds of unknown creatures scratching at the walls reinforces the need for caution.
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The path ends at the Duskwarden Guildhouse, a fortified bunker just outside the city, next to the Warren district. The Duskwardens then guide another party along the reverse route.
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No travel takes place after sunset. The Duskwardens use this time to patrol the tunnel and shore up the barriers. They are competent to deal with most of the dangers of the route, but there are still casualties – and sometimes entire parties of travelers are lost.
Arinna’s wagons will stay overnight at the foot of Kaer Maga and then head toward the Ashwood the following morning along the base of the Storval Rise. No other wagons will travel with them this time and she makes sure to leave before sunrise to avoid any unwelcome questions.
Part 8: Face of the Enemy
After travelling for most of the day, in the late afternoon, your wagons leave the already seldom-used trail and head southwest on an even harder-to-see adjoining trail. About an hour farther the wagons pull up next to a group of three pointed tents which blend into their surroundings very well. A solitary elf dressed in grey and red robes sits on a stool in front of the largest tent as if expecting you.
Two of Giseil’s companions (grey elves) observe the caravan as it closes in on their camp. They will only make themselves known if they think that the newcomers pose a threat. They are hidden with a DC36 stealth roll.
The elf sitting before you is not your typical specimen; his skin is pasty grey in color and he looks rather sickly. You also notice that he has a few humanoid-sized skulls hanging from his robes.
Arinna makes the introductions. “Hello Giseil, I’d like to introduce you to the group of friends I contacted you about. This is <she introduces each party member>.”
He looks at each of you in turn, then stands and heads into the tent without comment. Arinna lets out a sigh, then beckons you to follow her inside. What you find is a bit disconcerting. A cot with a bedroll stands against one side of the tent and on the other side, six male drow elves are neatly lined up on the floor. They appear to be dead and are definitely not breathing. You don’t see any visible signs of damage however. The grey elf beckons you to enter and make yourselves comfortable.
Refer to pages 9-11 of Endless Night for the ceremony/spell info.
Giseil will be the primary source of information about the drow, even though he has only visited a smaller settlement many years ago (he’s never been to a major city like Zirnakaynin). This may also be a good time for the party to get their cover stories straight. He does not know what the group’s reasons are for going to this frightening city and he really doesn’t want to know, but does tell them that they need to have some ready answers if they have to talk to any drow. He will impart the following as a starter lesson:
- There is a strict hierarchy of classes; female drow are the top, then drow of noble houses, then male drow of various ranks. The more talented (aka useful to the females/houses) are afforded higher status. Non-drow are not in this system, they are either captives, slaves or very rarely guests of houses that clearly display their allegiance but are still looked down upon with disdain
- It’s not uncommon for scouts who venture to the surface world to come back with trophies and prizes of their conquest, although they should still be modest around their ‘betters’
- The best method for navigating drow society is to not draw attention unless you are willing or trying to make a power play for one of the houses
- They would be best to stay away from the nobles and find commoner drow or even unattended slaves for information
Once the party has been disguised, Giseil and his companions will leave Arinna and the caravan, wishing them luck, but looking doubtfully in their direction. Arinna plans to spend the night here and leave first thing in the morning.
If she hasn’t had the chance prior to this time, Arinna will tell the group her plans to get to the darklands and the significance of the Aiudara network. The key to this particular gate was provided by Abel; the preserved finger of a drow lower house noble which must be touched to the gate and a symbol inscribed with it (DC 20 Arcana to memorize).
She will offer them her wagon’s extra-dim space to hide in if they wish, but they cannot leave until she comes for them and they are well out of the sight of the drow. She will listen to any other ideas as well but will not endanger her troupe and only plans to travel to the gates of the city, not enter it proper. The trip will take about 6 hours by horse and wagon from the elf gate to the city gate where she plans to make camp. She does not plan on entering the city, but will convey messages via drow runner which she will hire. She plans to be at the gate for 2 nights only and expects an escort from the darklands side of the gate.
Part 9: The Hidden Gate
The group will travel from Giseil’s camp deeper into the forest along a seldom-used path just wide enough for her caravan. All of the wagons have been packed so that there is nothing loose hanging off of the sideboards as they were when the group first saw them. The covering tarps have also been lowered in profile. After about 4 hours of difficult travel, having to get out and clear a fallen tree or fill in a washed out rut in the trail, Arinna will lead the group off the trail and into the wilderness.
For the past hour or so, Arinna has been leading your wagons along a small stream heading steadily upward in elevation. Eventually, you will realize that you are traveling toward a wide lush canyon with no obvious exit. As you are pondering where in the world she could be heading, the lead wagon reaches the face of a cliff with a tall waterfall feeding the stream. About 20 feet before the waterfall she drives her wagon into the riverbed. And with a firm snap of her reins, coaxes the lead horses directly into the waterfall and through its cascading force. The rest of the wagons follow suit and although quite drenched, you surprisingly find yourself in a fairly large cave.
Although this cave is very well hidden from most casual explorers, it has been recently used as the lair for a pair of mated gugs who unintentionally used the gate during a recent drow scouting excursion and are now stuck on this side. One of the gugs is a savant, the other typical. About 10 rounds into exploring the cave, the pair will return and not be happy with the newcomers. They have 15’ reach and may surprise the party by grabbing a person or two through the waterfall.
Arinna’s group will try to stay out of the way as much as possible, but will assist if they are directly threatened. The animals will need to be calmed by the wagon owners and it is very chaotic during the combat. Arinna wears a powerful Ring of Three Wishes that she can use if absolutely necessary.
A search if the cave will reveal several piles of bones and carcass remains, some very fresh (< 1 day old)
GUG CR 10 (DC25 Know Dungeon)
Once the gugs have been dealt with and the mess cleaned up, Arinna will go to the northern wall (P) and begin scrutinizing it carefully. She will ask anyone who wishes to search to look for a small acorn-shaped depression about shoulder height. DC40 Per to find. Once the spot has been found, Arinna will use the drow finger to begin tracing from that point.
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It is a bit odd to watch Arinna using the tip of a dismembered finger on the stone surface but after a few deft passes, a softly glowing archway 8 feet wide and just as tall appears in the stone. The center of the arch turns murky grey, then darkens to black. You realize that the stone is not actually black, but rather the area on the other side of the arch is in darkness. With the help of darkvision, you see several humanoid shapes jump up in alarm and begin to close on the portal.
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Arinna will direct the group to their wagons and lead them through the gate.
Part 10: Welcome to the Darklands
Refer to page 12 for more details about their arrival site. There are 12 drow soldiers and 3 enslaved driders on the other side of the gate. They will also see a drow standing next to a heavy steel wagon that looks like it has been recently unloaded.
When you pass through the Aiudara you find yourself in a large dark cavern. About a dozen drow warriors dressed in leather armor and leveling hand crossbows in your direction are accompanied by a trio of huge half-drow, half-arachnid creatures (DC 17 Know Dungeoneering). Arinna has her hand raised and is speaking to who appears to be the leader of the guards. She hands him a rolled piece of parchment which he quickly reads, then barks for his men to resume their guarding of the gateway.
Arinna will inform the guard that she is travelling to the city gate to trade with her regular contact, a shopkeeper named Orbrian. The drow captain seems hesitant to provide an escort but suggests that the caravan go with Gadak, the supply wagon driver who is heading back to the city. If the group is visible with a cover story, this is where they will need to bluff vs. the captain’s sense motive. Gadak will also roll a sense motive, but he is already suspicious (+5). Refer to p. 12-14 for more about Gadak.
Gadak does know the drow called Yeetugh. He also knows that Yeetugh’s house is Vonnarc, even though that is not common knowledge. Yeetugh has not lived within the house’s walls for decades and is treated as an odd recluse who likes to spend his time gambling and consorting with other outcasts.
• Impart the strangeness of the Darklands and smells and temperature variations they experience.
• See who has Dungeoneering or favored terrain.
The trip to the gates will take about 6 hours and during that time Gadak will be very chatty and will impart the following information depending on Diplomacy DC roll (he also tries to get as much info from the group as possible):
DC10 – The two most powerful houses of note these days are house Azrinae, with old stores of knowledge and patronizing the demon lord Abraxxas led by matron Allevrah and house Vonnarc, who produces some of the most feared wizards in the city, led by matron Pravora, it is first daughter Alicavniss who is feared as the most power mage of the house.
DC15- Until recently, matron Simovara ruled Azrinae after Simovara’s mother was mysteriously assassinated four years ago. But an adopted daughter named Allevrah rose in the matron’s good graces and in a perfectly simple act, drove a sword through Simovara while they embraced during a ceremony. Now Allevrah rules as the new matron of house Azrinae.
DC20- Something is going on with house Azrinae and matron Allevrah. They recently amassed a sizable force of warriors, mages and priestesses and left their compound a couple days ago. A group of surface elves came through the gate that they just used, but were wiped out. He suspects that there may be a surface invasion happening soon.
He will also be able to tell or lead the group to Yeetugh’s labs which reside in Cocyrdavarin (the largest cave) near the Cyclic Sublime, a famous opera house run by Sarlottia Sardavic. Yeetugh enjoys the fantastical plays that madam Sardavic creates.
DC25- Yeetugh is actually a noble-born son of house Vonnarc and most of the house has also left their compound, but they are heading to the lower levels of Zirnakaynin called Rygirnan. He also knows that Yeetugh is currently abroad and only has a few guardians.
DC30 – Some typical guardians are drider, powerful fleshwarps, and some sort of odd alien golems or constructs made of metal. He is also known to trap his laboratories with poisons and spells that only affect the trespasser and not his collections.
Questions from Gadak:
- Where on the surface have you been travelling? And for how long?
- What is it really like?
- What races have you encountered, any cowardly surface elves?
- How do you travel in the light?
- Where did you get your wonderful prizes? (magic arms, armor, animal companions)
About 4 hours into the trip, the group will run into a bit of trouble. The tremors from the wagons attract the attention of a Purple Worm. Gadak will freeze in place and encourage the rest of the wagons to do likewise. Then he will get a concerned look on his face and peer around as if looking for a place to hide. “Well, we have been making far too much noise here. Now we pay the price…”
PURPLE WORM CR 12
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If the party defeats the worm and cuts into its gullet, they will find the following treasure:
3210gp of gems, a +3 Returning Javelin and an Iridescent Spindle Ioun Stone (Sustains creature without air)