| #1DM_ShadovenApr 28, 2015 7:35:41 | THE RAZING OF REFUGE
A SCENARIO FOR 4 LVL 5 PCS
~~THE SITUATION SO FAR...
A Mother's wrath is a fury unchecked, with no limits or bounds, only a burning need for revenge...or at least this ones is.
The Banshee Lelorinel, former elven consort to The Necromancer Necrandos Wormwalker before being slain by your hands, has gathered a wretched host of wicked undead about her, intent on making each of you feel the same pain and torment of losing close friends and loved ones that she endured upon your storming of her temple in the Marrowfields. Her dark wrath has descended upon the town of Refuge, your home for the last few years.
Moments after arriving, the sky darkened and unleashed a storm of unnatural power, with hot rain bearing the taste and smell of blood, wicked bone shaking winds, and sickening greasy looking peals of lightning. Each blast of lightning has revealed strange grasping shadows and foul looking clouds, each blast lighting up the rotten hordes of Undeath you cut your way through as you frantically search for your loved ones amongst the ruined city. Refuge itself is obviously lost, with inhuman screams and tortured cries for help echoing on the wind. Only a miracle could save the damned city of Refuge now...
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
The Banshee Lelorinel- Former Elven lover to Necrandos Wormwalker, she was slain by the PC's, along with her son and close friends, at her temple in The Marrowfields during a arcane ritual designed to awaken an ancient mummy in service to Necrandos.
The Flameskull Eskrayz- Former son to The Banshee Lelorinel and Necrandos Wormwalker, he was killed during the same attack that took the life of his Mother and friends. Lacking the secrets of Resurrection, Necrandos did the best he could and brought Eskrayz back as a Flameskull, both Mother and Father being unwilling to let their son go. However, Eskrayz hates his existence, and would sooner have his life ended than continue if at all possible...
The Ghouls-The Ghouls are farmers, happily tilling the fields outside Refuge when Lelorinel's horde overran the city. The first to see the Banshee, they were also the first sacrificed to the Wormwalker, becoming Ghouls in his service.
The Loved Ones- Whomever is appropriate for your PC's.
The Skeletons- Seriously...they are Skeletons...what more do you want from me?
SCENE FRAMING
Amidst all the chaos and madness that has engulfed your beloved home Refuge, each of you has pressed on, driven to rescue the ones you hold dear. Shattering bone and cleaving decaying flesh, like angels of vengeance you have driven deep into the horde,arriving at last upon the courtyard of your favored tavern where you once spent many a pleasant hour. Those times are long past...
Arrayed before you is a vision only nightmares or madmen could produce. A towering brass effigy resembling a cloaked humanoid 10 feet in height, glistening with blood and other filth, brass worked to resemble writhing worms stands before you. Baleful green witch-fire licks the brass at the bottom of the effigy, with corpse after corpse fueling the flames that seem to hungrily reach for you, eager to devour your life force. A rusty barbed cage hangs from one of the upraised arms, bearing within the emaciated tortured Valden Toraith, a favored bard of yours. It is obvious some form of enchantment must be upon him as he ignores your presence, frantically drawing a unwholesome tune from a superbly crafted mithril harp, quite out of place amidst the filth and squalor. The tune seems to carry to the heavens, and it almost seems as if the sky is responding.
Standing at the base of the effigy, a lithe female form sways in the mad wind, laughing with madness and glee at the disaster. Turning towards you, you clearly recognize the form of Lelorinel, your former foe, though now twisted in Undeath. A skull, blacked from the flames covering it flies up into the sky, screaming cursed at the Banshee and begging from release from its curse. Some of you are shocked to recognize the voice of Eskrayz, the son of Lelorinel whom you cast down upon her temple in a righteous battle. Five Skeletons, holding wicked short swords covered in barbed hooks hunch over the bound forms of your Friends and Loved Ones.
With a scream of unnatural rage Lelorinel cries out, upon which each Skeleton slowly pressed the barbed sword into the chest of one of your loved ones. A field of broken bodies lie between you and them, the occasional twitch of a arm or leg drawing your eye to a distance of perhaps 30 feet,though the ground is surely treacherous. By skirting the bodies you could perhaps move safely, but it would take longer. Your family and friends, tortured as they are by the cruel Banshee's minions will soon suffer an agonizing death, bodies fuel for the baleful Witch-Fire. What do you do?
Terrain and Combat Features
Field of Bodies-The clearest approach towards the Effigy and the Hostages is over a field of bodies, a distance of 30 feet that counts as difficult terrain. Anyone who fails a DC 17 Perception will be assaulted by 4 Ghouls hidden in the bodies, with readied actions to attack those who try and cross. If any PC's make it past the ghouls, or go around, they will give up their disguise and attack, attempting to paralyze and then drag the PC into the Witch-Fire.
Clear Ground on either side-The clear ground on either side would take a distance of 60 feet to get to the Effigy.
The bitter skull Eskrayz- The Flameskull Eskrayz is bitter, and wishes only for a death that is denied him. A DC 15 check could potentially cause him to stand down, or even turn against his Mother if promised a swift end to his existence. Otherwise he remains at a distance, using his spells to cause as much damage as possible, though he avoids harming the Hostages at all cost.
The Witch-Fire-The Effigy is surrounded on all sides by blazing Witch-Fire in a 5 foot radius. Any living creature forced within suffers 3d6 Necrotic Damage upon entering, and again at the end of their turn if still within. Any Living Creatures who die within, or are placed in the fire within 1 round of death, reanimate the following round as a Wight, with an AC of 12 and no equipment as it is consumed in the flames. Magical Items are unaffected by the Witch-Fire.
THE STAKES
WIN CONDITION-The PC's win the encounter by rescuing their Friends and Loved Ones. The destruction of all enemies is not required, and wasting too much time doing that can lead to innocent deaths. Each NPC, unless stabilized or healed through any means, will die at the end of the 3rd Round.
LOSE CONDITION- The PC's lose the encounter by allowing their Friends and Loved Ones to be slain and reanimated as Wights, or dying themselves.
PARTIAL WIN OR LOSS- The PC's can fail at rescuing all the Hostages, but prevent them from being reanimated by keeping their bodies out of the Witch-Fire. If the PC's retreat, they will not be followed, as Lelorinel wants them to live with the pain of loss before she ends their lives.
DM NOTES
Hey guys, thanks for reading! Inspired by Iserith's play transcripts, I decided to make a scenario based upon a campaign idea I had and present it to you. This encounter uses a budget of 9750 Exp, well past Deadly, with the potential to get worse if people begin getting reanimated! It is a race against time, to rescue allies and get out before the situation grows worse, and blood lust or a hunger for combat could very well make an unwinnable situation possible. Howver, as presented under Stakes, retreat is always an option and should be allowed no matter the circumstances, with any unconcsious PC's being drug away by the other PC's. I hope you llike it, and please offer any feedback you have. I do not know when or if I would run this, but it seems fun! And sorry for the Scene Framing, its ungodly long but I was unsure how to condense it, and it was written with my group in mind who love that sort of long narrative opening. Also I have no skill with maps, so sorry. If i was gonna this as part of a longer scenario, I would use the city map on page 115 of the DMG as a guide.
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