The Tomb of Hippias
Introduction
This is a 5th edition D&D adventure set in ancient Greece for 5 level 1 players.
The Military Governor (Harmost) of Pavlopetri, Kyros, has recently been having troubled nightmares. He has not slept soundly for a month and has begun making questionable dictates. He is being driven insane by his lack of sleep and is worried about assassination to remove him from power to prevent anymore erratic orders from him. He also does not trust himself anymore and fears he may take his own life to stop the pain. His nightmare centres on the nearby Tomb of Hippias. Each night Kyros receives a troubled vision from the spirit of Hippias. Kyros's nightmare is always the same; he is fighting in a large battle, just when victory is secured he is pierced by a spear and dies. It is at this point the apparation appears and speaks to him, proclaiming that he is the victor of Palamon and begging for his torment to end, and that he finally be allowed to enter the Elysian Fields. The nightmare is so real that each night Kyros suffers a painful death. Hippias and his brother Arsene founded Pavlopetri over 1,000 years ago. They defended the citizens from a tribe of Tritons determined to bring about the destruction of the newly founded town. The Tritons claimed the shore and surrounding territory as their own. In the battle of Pavlopetri Hippias slew the Triton King, Palamon. Unfortunately in his hour of victory tragedy befell his family as Arsene was slain in the battle. After the battle of Pavlopetri, Hippias married Arsene's widow, Monika. Four months later he was murdered by her who in her grief poisoned him and then poisoned herself. The tomb had been built to house the family and Hippias, Monika, and Arsene are interred therein. Kyros is not the first ruler of Pavlopetri to suffer these visions. Whenever a Harmost reaches the age of 52, the nightmares begin. 52 is the age at which Hippias died and is the trigger for the curse of the tomb to infect the local ruler. Kyros wants the visions to end and stop the madness engulfing him. His generals and other Spartan officers wish this too. Kyros is convinced the answer to stopping his ordeal lies within the Tomb and is offering a reward to anyone who will willingly enter the Tomb and who successfully stops his nightmares.
The locals fear the tomb as they believe it holds a powerful curse. To further this belief, previous heroes who have attempted to solve this mystery have never returned, and an inscription on the Tomb's doors proclaims a dire warning. Consequently, Kyros is looking for freemen and women who are not native to Pavlopetri to undertake this adventure.
Kyros is haunted by Arsene not Hippias. Arsene killed the Triton King and then was killed by his brother who took the credit for it and then took his wife. Arsene and Hippias were twin brothers and Kyros has mistaken the shade of one brother for the other. It is Arsene that needs help to pass into heaven.
If the Heroes fulfill any of the three conditions within the tomb ie,
The Military Governor (Harmost) of Pavlopetri, Kyros, has recently been having troubled nightmares. He has not slept soundly for a month and has begun making questionable dictates. He is being driven insane by his lack of sleep and is worried about assassination to remove him from power to prevent anymore erratic orders from him. He also does not trust himself anymore and fears he may take his own life to stop the pain. His nightmare centres on the nearby Tomb of Hippias. Each night Kyros receives a troubled vision from the spirit of Hippias. Kyros's nightmare is always the same; he is fighting in a large battle, just when victory is secured he is pierced by a spear and dies. It is at this point the apparation appears and speaks to him, proclaiming that he is the victor of Palamon and begging for his torment to end, and that he finally be allowed to enter the Elysian Fields. The nightmare is so real that each night Kyros suffers a painful death. Hippias and his brother Arsene founded Pavlopetri over 1,000 years ago. They defended the citizens from a tribe of Tritons determined to bring about the destruction of the newly founded town. The Tritons claimed the shore and surrounding territory as their own. In the battle of Pavlopetri Hippias slew the Triton King, Palamon. Unfortunately in his hour of victory tragedy befell his family as Arsene was slain in the battle. After the battle of Pavlopetri, Hippias married Arsene's widow, Monika. Four months later he was murdered by her who in her grief poisoned him and then poisoned herself. The tomb had been built to house the family and Hippias, Monika, and Arsene are interred therein. Kyros is not the first ruler of Pavlopetri to suffer these visions. Whenever a Harmost reaches the age of 52, the nightmares begin. 52 is the age at which Hippias died and is the trigger for the curse of the tomb to infect the local ruler. Kyros wants the visions to end and stop the madness engulfing him. His generals and other Spartan officers wish this too. Kyros is convinced the answer to stopping his ordeal lies within the Tomb and is offering a reward to anyone who will willingly enter the Tomb and who successfully stops his nightmares.
The locals fear the tomb as they believe it holds a powerful curse. To further this belief, previous heroes who have attempted to solve this mystery have never returned, and an inscription on the Tomb's doors proclaims a dire warning. Consequently, Kyros is looking for freemen and women who are not native to Pavlopetri to undertake this adventure.
Kyros is haunted by Arsene not Hippias. Arsene killed the Triton King and then was killed by his brother who took the credit for it and then took his wife. Arsene and Hippias were twin brothers and Kyros has mistaken the shade of one brother for the other. It is Arsene that needs help to pass into heaven.
| Text within the highlight is to be read or paraphrased to the players. |
If the Heroes fulfill any of the three conditions within the tomb ie,
- Fight Arsene in single combat to the death
- The Heroes defeat Arsene the Ghoul.
- The Heroes tell the citizens of Pavlopetri the truth of Arsene and Hippias, recommend that the name of the tomb be changed to the tomb of Arsene, and bury the body of Arsene with full military honours.
Wonderful one shot, great job on both the story and the numerous maps that you have. It was a pleasure to explore all that you have available for this.