Introduction
Following the events of
Band of Locusts,
Shadow of Stone takes the party to the Plains of Noran in search of their first demonic artifact, the Scepter of Pestilence.
- Shadow of Stone can be completed in 1-2 sessions and will take players from Level 3 to Level 4.
In the Plains of Noran, the Scepter of Pestilence has been reawakened in the hands of King Nursk, leader of Boraldia, one of the five city states that makes up the Plains of Noran. The Scepter lead him to a gargantuan underground tomb containing an ancient war machine known as the Mountain Eater, created and operated by Dwarves during the Great Judgement, although it never saw combat. King Nursk has used the Mountain Eater, powered by child labor, to destroy all other kingdoms in the Plains of Noran and is now consuming all within the Plains in order to make the Mountain Eater strong enough to conquer the rest of the continent. In order to acquire the Staff of Pestilence, the Hellraisers must trek through the deserts of Zakib and make their way to the Plains, board the Mountain Eater, and work their way up to the palace built atop of it to take the Scepter from King Nursk.
Upon reaching the top of the mountain, they see the Plains, beautiful and empty with rolling grassy hills and mountains stretching far into the horizon. As they are taking in the view, the Mountain Eater crawls into view from behind a mountain, a massive metal fortress with tank treads underneath it and an extravagant golden palace built atop it. The front end of the fortress opens up to reveal many sets of grinding gears and blades which consume an entire forrest as the Mountain Eater passes through it. Behind the fortress, purple-black sludge is expelled into the landscape and billows of smoke pollute the sky.
The players will likely decide to use the Rod of Unmoving to stop the Mountain Eater in its tracks, giving them time to board the fortress by sneaking underneath the undercarriage. They enter to discover the workers operating the mechanisms that power the fortress are all children, abducted from towns and kingdoms before they were consumed by the Mountain Eater. The machinery of the fortress was designed to be opperated by Dwarves, so King Nursk resorted to child labor to power his destructive fortress.
Illithid Casters and Mountain Knights guard the bowels of the Mountain Eater as the party makes their way up the massive structure from the bowels, to the refinery, to the barracks, and finally to the main palace.
The players have a boss fight with King Nursk, as he uses the Scepter to summon all roaches and bugs in the surrounding area to his location, creating a living armor made from bugs.
After defeating him, the players claim the Scepter of Pestilence.
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