ddude987
2015-04-02, 03:50 PM
Hello Gianters!
I am doing some planning for an adventure. It is for a campaign setting I have been working on for a long time, and is supposed to be an introductory adventure to the setting. The basis of the setting is post-golden age civilization, lots of ruins and lost technology, think late medieval times.
So far the adventure is as follows... THERE IS A TL;DR ON THE BOTTOM!
Starting location: The players begin in a small town near the eastern coast, just to the north of the black hills. The town is fed water via a creek. This creek is fed by an aqueduct several miles upstream, about 2 days journey. This creek feeds this town and several villages nearby.
Adventure:
Over the past few weeks the creek has been getting smaller and smaller. The townsfolk are worried, and there is hardly enough water to sustain the town, much less the villages further down the creek. The players are tasked with investigating this mystery.
As the players set off they pass through an old road through the woods. The road used to be paved, and cobblestone patches can be found scattered along the road. After a mile the road turns and disappears into the creek. There is no sign a bridge ever existed here. As the players continue, they can see massive stone structures in the distance among the mountains.
If the players investigate the creek further, they will find a fording several hundred feet up the river from where the road stops. The players notice this ford is not natural, and see beaver-moles creating the ford. If they backtrack to where the road should come out of the creek, they can continue following the road. This road leads towards the river mountains in the West but disappears as the forest and underbrush becomes dense. In this forest the players may come across the ruins of a once great city.
Continuing to follow the creek, the players reach the aqueducts. They see a large tunnel structure, partially in ruin, with water barley trickling out. It is very apparent that here is the origin of the creek. There is a stone service ladder that leads up to the raised tunnel. Following the trail of water and tunnel, the aqueduct releases into a cave. The players have now discovered their first dungeon.
The water is being blocked by a species of beaver-moles. These creatures build damns at underground water sources and make their homes in underground lakes. Additionally, there is an ancient ruined waypoint built into the mountain. Workers in charge of maintaining the aqueducts lived here when the area was under Minöst's rule.
Notable locations or things:
Black Hills: This is vast area of low rolling hills called such for its black soil. The plant life that grows on these hills is tinged with black vein-like weavings in its leaves. It is said crops grow exceptionally well in these parts, though this may just be rumor as the folk living here are isolated from most places.
Great Aqueducts: The aqueducts are mostly a ruin, and in many parts so destroyed there is no evidence they existed. Further West, towards the river mountains, these aqueducts are in pristine condition. They span across the mountains, connecting them like bridges as shown below.
Possibility 1: infestation
Beaver-moles not native to this area.
Merchant passing through had some, they broke free.
Bandits robbed a merchant who had them
Slowly migrating Southwest
Disruption North (or East) in the mountains
Mining or collapse there-of
Famine*
Beaver-moles were isolated in an area that was then disturbed introducing them to the area where they then began migrating through the mountains Southwestward.*
Possibility 2: change in behavior relative to short-term behavior
Beaver-moles are native
Animals sense time of dire need and are preparing for seclusion from the coming "storm"
They hibernate every 500 years
They move their home every X years and have decided to go here
They were beavers and recently uncovered an artifact/magic-item that transformed them into beaver moles*
TL;DR
PCs begin in a small isolated town built next to and sustained by a creek. Creek has been drying up slowly over the past few weeks. PCs investigate, finding an old aqueduct ruins that the follow to find a ruined waypoint that used to host workers in charge of maintaining the aqueduct and find the aqueducts waters being stopped by mole-beavers building a dam.
The help needed:
I'm having some issues further developing the adventure (and/or) dungeon. If anyone has ideas on things to add or ways to make the idea a more detailed adventure. I want the first adventure to last about 1 session (usually 6 or so hours of play time for us), captivate the players, and help them get them introduced to the setting.
Feel free to ask questions! that always helps with block. Thanks!!!
I am doing some planning for an adventure. It is for a campaign setting I have been working on for a long time, and is supposed to be an introductory adventure to the setting. The basis of the setting is post-golden age civilization, lots of ruins and lost technology, think late medieval times.
So far the adventure is as follows... THERE IS A TL;DR ON THE BOTTOM!
Starting location: The players begin in a small town near the eastern coast, just to the north of the black hills. The town is fed water via a creek. This creek is fed by an aqueduct several miles upstream, about 2 days journey. This creek feeds this town and several villages nearby.
Adventure:
Over the past few weeks the creek has been getting smaller and smaller. The townsfolk are worried, and there is hardly enough water to sustain the town, much less the villages further down the creek. The players are tasked with investigating this mystery.
As the players set off they pass through an old road through the woods. The road used to be paved, and cobblestone patches can be found scattered along the road. After a mile the road turns and disappears into the creek. There is no sign a bridge ever existed here. As the players continue, they can see massive stone structures in the distance among the mountains.
If the players investigate the creek further, they will find a fording several hundred feet up the river from where the road stops. The players notice this ford is not natural, and see beaver-moles creating the ford. If they backtrack to where the road should come out of the creek, they can continue following the road. This road leads towards the river mountains in the West but disappears as the forest and underbrush becomes dense. In this forest the players may come across the ruins of a once great city.
Continuing to follow the creek, the players reach the aqueducts. They see a large tunnel structure, partially in ruin, with water barley trickling out. It is very apparent that here is the origin of the creek. There is a stone service ladder that leads up to the raised tunnel. Following the trail of water and tunnel, the aqueduct releases into a cave. The players have now discovered their first dungeon.
The water is being blocked by a species of beaver-moles. These creatures build damns at underground water sources and make their homes in underground lakes. Additionally, there is an ancient ruined waypoint built into the mountain. Workers in charge of maintaining the aqueducts lived here when the area was under Minöst's rule.
Notable locations or things:
Black Hills: This is vast area of low rolling hills called such for its black soil. The plant life that grows on these hills is tinged with black vein-like weavings in its leaves. It is said crops grow exceptionally well in these parts, though this may just be rumor as the folk living here are isolated from most places.
Great Aqueducts: The aqueducts are mostly a ruin, and in many parts so destroyed there is no evidence they existed. Further West, towards the river mountains, these aqueducts are in pristine condition. They span across the mountains, connecting them like bridges as shown below.
Possibility 1: infestation
Beaver-moles not native to this area.
Merchant passing through had some, they broke free.
Bandits robbed a merchant who had them
Slowly migrating Southwest
Disruption North (or East) in the mountains
Mining or collapse there-of
Famine*
Beaver-moles were isolated in an area that was then disturbed introducing them to the area where they then began migrating through the mountains Southwestward.*
Possibility 2: change in behavior relative to short-term behavior
Beaver-moles are native
Animals sense time of dire need and are preparing for seclusion from the coming "storm"
They hibernate every 500 years
They move their home every X years and have decided to go here
They were beavers and recently uncovered an artifact/magic-item that transformed them into beaver moles*
TL;DR
PCs begin in a small isolated town built next to and sustained by a creek. Creek has been drying up slowly over the past few weeks. PCs investigate, finding an old aqueduct ruins that the follow to find a ruined waypoint that used to host workers in charge of maintaining the aqueduct and find the aqueducts waters being stopped by mole-beavers building a dam.
The help needed:
I'm having some issues further developing the adventure (and/or) dungeon. If anyone has ideas on things to add or ways to make the idea a more detailed adventure. I want the first adventure to last about 1 session (usually 6 or so hours of play time for us), captivate the players, and help them get them introduced to the setting.
Feel free to ask questions! that always helps with block. Thanks!!!