Scales of War - [Lvl 11] - Beyond the Mottled Tower.pdf - Scales of War - Kitraida

Beyond the

Mottled

Tower

by Creighton Broadhurst, Bruce R. Cordell,

and David Noonan

illustrations by William O'Connor, and Chris Seaman

cartography by Mike Schley

“All my careful work destroyed by that

traitorous bastard Modra and those

‘Heroes of Overlook.’ Now, I must

begin again, seeking new allies on dif-

ferent worlds to make good my losses.

But ﬁrst, some vengeance on the Vale,

as well as a way to eradicate all hints

of my involvement with the githyanki.

After all, anonymity is the key to any

successful betrayal. . .”

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Beyond the Mottled Tower

“Beyond the Mottled Tower” is an adventure for five

11th-level characters. By the end of the adventure, the

PCs should be midway to 13th level. This adventure

is the first paragon adventure for the Scales of War

adventure path. “Beyond the Mottled Tower” is the

sequel to “The Temple Between,” or it can be adapted

for use in your own ongoing campaign.

n this adventure, the PCs receive an urgent sum-

mons from Overlook’s Council of Elders on behalf of

Megan Swiftblade, leader of the Freeriders. Answer-

ing her call, the PCs witness the near-destruction of

the village of Talar. Subsequent revelations propel

them on a dangerous hunt for those responsible,

before all Elsir Vale suffers the same fate.

THE QUESTS

In “Beyond the Mottled Tower,” the PCs save the vil-

lage of Talar from Sarshan’s attacks, then pursue the

shadar-kai to his final lair. There, Sarshan’s threat can

be ended once and for all.

n the aftermath, another of Sarshan’s schemes

was stymied in “The Temple Between.” The githyanki

war leader General Zithiruun, a valued client and

ally of the shadar-kai, was slain attempting to capture

Overlook. Sarshan had worked with the disgraced

githyanki for some time, funneling troops through

the network of portals scattered across Elsir Vale and

coordinating the assassination of troublemakers. The

relationship was a profitable one for Sarshan, and its

loss irked the shadar-kai greatly.

These setbacks have badly damaged Sarshan and

his carefully built operation. In an effort to salvage

what he can of his power in the world, the shadar-kai

has decided to destroy all evidence of his association

with the githyanki.

Sarshan has recently become aware that Megan

Swiftblade, leader of the Freeriders, has discovered

his association with General Zithiruun. Assassins

sent by the shadar-kai have attempted to silence the

Freeriders, but have succeeded only in forcing Megan

to f lee to her home village of Talar, near the town of

Brindol. There, she has thrown herself on the mercy

of an old family friend, the sage Falrinth. As the

adventure begins, Sarshan’s servants have caught up

with Megan and are about to unleash an indiscrimi-

nate assault on the village.

Minor Quest—Save Talar

When the village of Talar is threatened with utter

destruction by a flow of elemental blood chaos, the

PCs must find its source beneath the Mottled Tower

and eliminate those responsible.

Reward : 600 XP.

BACKGROUND

Major Quest—Defeat Sarshan

By pursuing the agents attacking Talar, the PCs

retrace their route through a vast swamp and finally

to Sarshan’s new lair in the Elemental Chaos. There,

they must run a gauntlet of deadly traps and defend-

ers before finally facing off against the shadar-kai.

Reward : 3,000 XP

The shadar-kai arms dealer Sarshan has grown

wealthy and powerful through his shadowy dealings.

Over many years, Sarshan built up a vast, invisible

mercantile empire supplying weapons, intelligence,

and mercenaries to anyone with sufficient coin. Sar-

shan’s success (and continued survival) hinged in

equal part on his clients’ discretion, his duplicitous

nature, and his ruthless cunning.

Sarshan is cautious, and his desire for anonymity

is such that he has walked away from numerous deals

that presented an unacceptably high risk of exposing

his operation. However, one of Sarshan’s trusted lieu-

tenants, the dark creeper Modra, betrayed his master

when he supplied the orc war chief Tusk with arms

and equipment for his attack on the folk of the Stone-

home Mountains. Tusk’s subsequent defeat brought

the PCs into direct contact with Sarshan’s operation

for the first time.

Subsequently, in “The Shadow Rift of Umbraforge,”

the treacherous Modra attempted to slay the PCs.

Pursuing their assailant to the Shadowfell, the party

discovered the shadar-kai’s fortress—the isolated cita-

del of Umbraforge. Its resultant destruction earned

the PCs Sarshan’s relentless ire.

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Beyond the Mottled Tower

ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS

determine that this attack is just the first of many, and

that Sarshan must be stopped for good.

After activating the portal, the PCs arrive at the

Ever-Tree—a living tower growing in the midst of a

lake tainted with blood chaos. Immediately beset

by a pair of green dragons, the PCs fight their way

into the tunnels beneath the tree, catching their first

glimpse of Sarshan as he f lees. After defeating Sar-

shan’s guards, the PCs follow the shadar-kai through

another portal to the Elemental Chaos.

Arriving atop an earthberg drifting on the Sea

of Fire, the PCs discover the monolithic tower that

now serves as Sarshan’s lair. Inside, the shadar-kai

has configured a portal network leading through the

tower to pass through a series of guarded and trapped

chambers. When they finally reach the roof, the PCs

and Sarshan face each other in a final showdown.

BLOOD CHAOS

Blood chaos is a potent acidic distillation of raw

elemental essence, first collected and refined from

the Elemental Chaos by Djamela, a long-dead efreet

conjurer. The efreet created this horrid ooze in the

course of experimenting with the fundamental muta-

bility of her home plane, storing it in a vast reservoir

in her remote tower home. After Djamela’s death,

Sarshan discovered the tower and its blood chaos

stores. Recognizing the material’s potential as a

weapon, he claimed the tower as his lair. Now, the

shadar-kai forges plans to route the blood chaos by

way of portals into Elsir Vale.

This potent distillation of elemental energy burns

inanimate objects and melts living flesh. A creature

that enters or begins its turn in an area of blood chaos

takes 2d6 + 3 acid and fire damage and is slowed

(save ends).

Blood chaos at a depth of 3 feet or less is difficult

terrain. In deeper areas of blood chaos, creatures

must use their swim speed or make a DC 10 Athlet-

ics check to move. They gain cover except against

attacks from submerged enemies. Fighting in deep

blood chaos imposes a –2 penalty to attack rolls

except with spears and crossbows. Powers that have

the fire keyword take a –2 penalty to attack rolls.

On rare occasions, creatures who suffer exposure

to blood chaos undergo horrid physical changes. This

foul substance begins to imbue their physical nature

with chaotic energy, disfiguring them but granting

them powerful abilities.

Overlook’s Council of Elders has received a missive

from Megan Swiftblade, begging their aid in the light

of repeated assassination attempts against her and

her group—the Freeriders. The letter also includes an

intriguing note indicating that Megan has discovered

who was behind General Zithiruun’s recent attack on

the city. Megan is in hiding for her life, but asks that

a courier be sent to the Green Dragon tavern in the

village of Talar. The council summons the PCs, asking

them to meet with Megan and assess the truth and

value of her information.

The PCs reach Talar without incident, but as they

rest in the tavern waiting for Megan to make contact,

an earthquake hits the area. However, before they

f lee the collapsing tavern, the PCs must aid other

trapped patrons. When they finally reach the street,

the screams of the f leeing populace herald the sight

of an unearthly ooze—blood chaos—inundating and

destroying nearby buildings.

The PCs face off against several creatures lurk-

ing within the blood chaos. However, even as they

determine that this deadly f low is emanating from a

tunnel blasted out through the side of a nearby hill,

the PCs see the tower atop the hill shudder and sink

into the earth. In the aftermath, the PCs battle their

way down through the tower, defeating a number of

beasts freed by the earthquake, and rescuing the sage

Falrinth, his servant, and Megan.

n a cavern deep beneath the tower, the PCs dis-

cover that servants of Sarshan are behind the attack

on the town, and are set to f lee by way of a telepor-

tation circle. After defeating them, the PCs glean

enough information from Falrinth and Megan to

SETTING

“Beyond the Mottled Tower” plays out in three dis-

tinct sections. The adventure opens in the village of

Talar moments before an earthquake strikes. Escap-

ing the destruction, the PCs are drawn to the nearby

Mottled Tower, home of the sage Falrinth, and the

previously secret caves beneath it.

From the tower, the party travels by portal to the

Ever-Tree. This huge and ancient oak grows at the

center of a lake tainted with blood chaos, and features

a series of dank, noisome tunnels through which the

PCs pursue Sarshan.

n the end, the PCs travel to the Sea of Fire in

the Elemental Chaos, within sight of the black walls

of the City of Brass. A f loating island houses the

obsidian tower in which the climax of the adventure

plays out.

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Beyond the Mottled Tower

STARTING THE

ADVENTURE

The Council of Elders

In this roleplaying encounter, the PCs learn more

about their quest. Read or paraphrase the following,

then use the notes below to facilitate play and answer

any questions the PCs might have.

Getting to Talar

The party’s journey from Overlook to the eastern por-

tion of Elsir Vale and the village of Talar is uneventful.

If the PCs initially wish to bypass Talar for Brindol,

they can resupply and purchase new equipment as

you permit.

When the PCs finally reach Talar, read:

To get the adventure moving quickly, read the text

below, then proceed to “Part 1: The Green Dragon”.

The summons from the Council of Elders was sudden

and unannounced. Standing once again in the High Hall,

you are told that the Freeriders, led by Megan Swiftblade,

have uncovered the identity of a powerful ally to General

Zithiruun—an ally who helped prepare the recent attack

on Overlook. Megan has since ﬂed to the village of Talar in

the face of repeated assassination attempts. In return for

the name of the general’s mysterious benefactor, she has

requested the council’s aid.

The council, concerned that this mysterious ﬁgure might

still have designs on the city, has dispatched you to rescue

Megan, eliminate any immediate threat to her safety, and

return her to Overlook.

Once more, you stand in the High Hall to be greeted by

Overlook’s elders, though their welcome is less brusque this

time.

“Greetings, friends,” intones Elder Cadrick as you

approach the dais upon which he and the city’s other four

leaders stand. “We have received a desperate message from

Megan Swiftblade, leader of the Freeriders, who you might

remember. The Freeriders have discovered that General

Zithiruun had a powerful ally in his recent attack on the

city. Although she does not identify this ally in her message,

Megan has already survived three attempts on her life and

fears that more will follow. If we help her, she will tell us

who was ultimately behind the attack, hopefully in time to

prevent another.”

“Again, we ﬁnd ourselves in need of aid, and again

we call upon you. Travel to the village of Talar and ﬁnd

out what Megan knows. Keep her safe, neutralize any

immediate threat to her, and then return her to us.”

The journey to Talar is long but not overly arduous. Just

before dusk, you arrive at the village’s tavern and inn, the

Green Dragon. Having secured rooms for the night and left

your message, you take your rest in the dimly lit common

room. Megan’s message to the council stated that she would

contact its emissaries only after making sure you had not

been followed. All you can do now is slake your thirst and

wait.

THE GREEN DRAGON

If you prefer a slower start to the adventure, give the

players a chance to ease into the action and learn a

bit more about recent events. The PCs can receive

the Council of Elders’ summons while in Overlook or

at any location in Elsir Vale. The summons asks the

PCs to come to the High Hall. Any characters who

participated in “Siege of Bordrin’s Watch” ( Dungeon

157 ) have visited the hall and spoken with the elders

before.

Allow this roleplaying and scene-setting encounter

to run as long as the players are enjoying themselves,

using the notes below to facilitate play.

The Green Dragon is a typical two-story village

tavern and traveler’s inn. Its outer walls are dressed

stone, while internal walls and the f loor are stout oak

boards laid over thick joists. The roof is slate, and a

small beer cellar is found under the common room.

Inside and outside shutters keep the evening chill at

bay.

The common room takes up the majority of the

first f loor, with a large fireplace opposite the bar fill-

ing the area with warmth and light. The walls are

covered in faded tapestries showing hunting and

woodland scenes. The second f loor houses the inn’s

guests.

Cadrick and the others know the following additional

information.

& The village of Talar, where Megan was born, lies

outside the city of Brindol.

& Though Megan does not know who is behind the

attacks against her, she believes it to be the ally

she is threatening to name.

& Megan’s message to the council makes no

mention of where she is staying, saying only

that they should leave a message for her at the

village’s Green Dragon tavern.

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Beyond the Mottled Tower

The Provender

Rooms are available for 5 sp a night. Bernath the inn-

keeper can also provide hearty meals (2 sp for stew,

thick-cut bread, and boiled vegetables) and ale (2 sp

a pitcher). The wine in his cellar is carefully kept for

wealthy patrons. Before opening a bottle, however, he

demands payment up front (5 gp).

Niall overheard his father talking with Serten

(Falrinth’s servant) about Megan’s presence in the

Mottled Tower, though his father does not know that

Niall shares his secret.

Leucis : This frail cloth merchant (male tief ling;

Bluff +12, Diplomacy +12) is deep in his cups when

the PCs arrive. Leucis’s business has taken a downturn

recently, and when he spies the PCs, he attempts to start

a conversation with the not-so-subtle goal of off-loading

his wares on the (hopefully) wealthy adventurers.

Sariel : This slim female eladrin carries the weap-

ons and armor of a warrior. She sits on her own,

humming a tuneless song while nursing her ale.

Though she is polite to anyone conversing with her,

she is tightlipped as to her reasons for being in Talar.

The other patrons ignore her, often while discussing

spurious explanations for her presence.

Though her appearance is likely to arouse sus-

picion, Sariel is merely a courier for a well-to-do

merchant in Brindol. She knows nothing about

Megan, but takes any questioning by the PCs as an

attempt to shake her down and steal the mundane

documents she carries.

Farmers : These hardy humans are relaxing after a

hard day’s work in the fields. Most sit in small groups

drinking and talking quietly among themselves. They

are polite and deferential to the PCs, and can provide

the following information.

& Everyone in the village knows of Megan’s

reputation as an adventurer, and all remember

her as a child. However, she hasn’t lived in Talar

for years.

& Megan’s parents died five years before, and she

has no other family in Talar.

& Megan’s father was a good friend of Finrath

the sage—or at least as much of a friend as the

antisocial sage let him be.

When the players have done as much roleplaying and

information gathering in the Green Dragon as they

wish, the earthquake strikes.

Skill Challenge: “Walls Come Tumbling Down”

(page 22).

n the aftermath of the earthquake, the village lies

in ruins. However, Talar’s ordeal is far from over.

Tactical Encounter: “Flowing Death” (page 24).

The Folk

Most of the folk in the tavern are villagers relaxing

after a hard day’s work. A few travelers round out the

clientele.

Bernath : The owner of the Green Dragon (male

human; Diplomacy +7, Insight +6) is a jovial, portly

widower who welcomes one and all to his establish-

ment. However, a DC 10 Insight check reveals that

the innkeeper’s cheery disposition is a front. Although

this might pique the PCs’ suspicions, Bernath is

simply ill at ease in the presence of armed adventur-

ers. Once he sees to the PCs’ room, food, and drink,

he avoids them whenever possible.

Bernath and his son Niall are the only people in

town who know that Megan is staying with Falrinth

at the Mottled Tower. However, Bernath has been

well paid by Megan to keep his silence. He plans to

secretly deliver the PCs’ message later that night.

Niall : Bernath’s twelve-year-old son (male human;

Thievery +6) is ostensibly in the common room to

help his father. In reality, he is a daring, mischievous

sort who doesn’t think twice about helping himself to

a traveler’s unattended possessions.

At some point before the earthquake strikes, Niall

makes a move to pilfer several silver coins that have

fallen unnoticed under Leucis’s chair (see below).

The PCs and the merchant have a chance to notice

(Perception DC 10).

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Scales of War - [Lvl 11] - Beyond the Mottled Tower.pdf

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