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I inserted this little series of encounters into The Demonskar Legacy to make finding Alakast a little more interesting. It's not much but I thought some folks might get some use out of it.
In my campaign the party has encountered rabid animals in the jungles outside the city occasionally since the campaign began. I look at this as an unintentional manifestation of Admiarchus' will on the countryside. This side trek has one such encounter.
As well I used delvedeep's Adimarchus & The Cagewrights document for alternate foreshadowing. At the beginning of The Demonskar legacy I used the Necrocaunt encounter detailed in that document. This side trek assumes that this event occurred but could easily be used without it. This side trek also does not repeat the statistics of the Necrocaunts as they already appear in delvesdeep's document.
This event occurs as the party is preparing to depart Redgorge on the trail of Sir Alek. I moved the later encounter with Nidrama to springboard this little side trek so it need not occur later.
This was taken from my notes, modified slightly, so it is a little thin on flavor detail. I tend to describe things as they occur and so my notes can sometimes be little lacking. This is intended for a party of four 8th level characters.
Wings of Justice [EL 9]
Nidrama comes to the party in full glory while they are still in Redgorge. She speaks with them for some time about the history of the region and the fate of Surabar Spellmason. She goes on to tell them more of the story of Alakast and then tells them to seek him in the ruins of Liduton. She says there is a forgotten temple and Alakast rests behind her visage. After she has imparted her angelic knowledge she leaves them, promising to return.
A simple Knowledge (local), Knowledge (history), or Bardic Lore DC 10 check will reveal that Luditon is the name of the town that is now referred to as ‘The Haunted Village’. On a DC 20 or higher check the character also recalls the story of the fall of Luditon during the Demonskar conflict.
The Old Road [EL 6]
To navigate from Redgorge to the ruins of Luditon requires one full day of travel provided the correct path can be followed. Finding the old road and following it requires a Survival check DC 15 unless a character also possesses the Tracking feat, which lowers the DC to 10.
In the afternoon, as the trail leads into the rugged hills, the party is set upon by a pair of rabid giant constrictor snakes. The beasts attack by dropping onto weak looking party members and grappling them while biting away any defenders.
Giant Constrictor Snake (2): hp 63, MM page 280.
The Haunted Village [EL 7]
The town is dusty ruins. While thick jungle entwines everything up to the town the ruins themselves are completely devoid of vegetation or anything living at all. Regardless of the time of day that the party arrives the town is always cloaked in an eerie twilight gloom. From various spots around town an acrid black smoke drifts up from fissures in the ground.
The party can see an ancient church of Pelor on the hill but it seems to have been converted to some dark usage. From within an eerie red glow can be seen. As the party makes their way across the town hordes of skeletons burst from the buildings and attack. The horde consists of four humanoid skeletons (using the ettin skeleton statistics) and an advanced megaraptor skeleton.
Human Skeletons (4): hp 65, MM page 227.
Advanced Megaraptor Skeleton: hp 78, MM page 227.
The Forgotten Temple [EL 9]
Any surviving Necrocaunts except for Khyron Bonesworn are here, waiting in ambush for the party. After Sorizon and his punished apprentice fled the temple they left the remaining Necrocaunts behind to wipe up any stragglers that came along, believing Meerthan would send the Striders after him.
Once the defenders have been dealt with the party can search the church (DC 15) and discover the hidden chamber that Nidrama mentioned. The small chamber rests behind a crumbled and defaced statue of an angel that may or may not be Nidrama, it is too damaged to tell. Inside is Alakast, glowing with a golden, white light.
Returning to Redgorge is a simple matter and no encounters occur.
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Umm... Rabies only affects mammals. Sorry for being a stickler just my style, love the idea and encounter table though. I was looking for a way to play up Alakast and later Coldfire (the Harakin's Greatsword in Oblivion) as Legacy weapons. I just didn't like the "Legendary weapon of Surabar Spellmason " to be useless in two levels you know. I'll probably use these encounters as a ritual entry. Thanks!
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Wow, I never knew that about rabies.
I was intending it to be a manifestation of Adimarchus' madness infecting the countryside. There was a very early encounter where they met a mad ape, level 1. There was a mad anklyosaurus, level 7. And now in level 14 it's reached high life forms and infecting the townsfolk.
So.... abyssal rabies.
Also I turned Alakast into a legacy item and it's been pretty cool. Every level the players get all excited and ask me what they get.