The Scorched Monastery

Preamble

This is an adventure primarily written for use with a fantasy TTRPG of your choice. It has been designed particularly with Dungeons and Dragons, Daggerheart, and Shadowdark in mind, however it should be adaptable any other system you wish to use. This adventure looks at some of the history of Nonvyrox and magic, and as such is very steeped within this world. However, it has also been written that the location of the Threadwalker's Grove should be adaptable to any campaign setting you wish to use it for.

The adventure is designed to be played as a combination between a classic Dungeon Crawl, Exploration and a Infiltration adventure. As a result the adventure has a very variable time frame, it can be completed as a One-Shot or as a short adventure arc.

Styling

Read Aloud Boxes

This will contain text that should be read aloud to players. In most cases this should be spoken verbatim, however feel free to add more flair to your description and narrative.

Relevant Information

All other information will be presented in this format. This information should be read by the Game Master prior to the game and will provide the prep material for the game.

The Scorched Monastery

Tier of Play	Tier 3
Game Systems	Dungeons and Dragons Daggerheart (In Progress) Shadowdark (In Progress)
Themes	History, Ruins, Devotion

Synopsis

The unexplorered ruins of an ancient monastery is finally unvielled, will your band of adventurers discover the ancient secrets that lie within the ruins? or will you be snuffed out by the hidden traps , time locked cultists, and ancient creatures that guard the monastery grounds...

A History

During the Age of Creation, arcanists were everywhere, with arcane inventions and technologies coming to such power that it was the underpinning of society. Manomancy was one of the three cores of magic during such days. It was at the core of allowing cities to float across the skies of the world. The Shatter changed all that. Practitioners of all three cores of magic were all wiped out by those aiming to destroy mortal life, leaving the arcane secrets lost to time.

In 647 AR, Threadwalker's Grove was discovered, an ancient monastery that was locked in time under some hills within the Uskia Plains of Fieldas. In the first expedition, some regions of the monastery's depths exposed the ancient research related to the Manomantic arts. However, due to a dangerous cult of ancient creatures who had taken root in the depths of the caverns further advancement into the ruins was abandoned.

While several attempts have been made to delve deeper into the Grove, they have all been stopped by the cult and the many creatures based deep within the caverns. But with the call of a powerful divine artifact still in the minds of those who first delved into the ancient landmark.

Potential Plot Hooks

Knowledge Hunters

For those who have a history in learned institutions, the Threadwalker's Grove is a treasure trove. Wether this is to find arcane or historical knowledge, the Grove is the right place for them to go adventuring. Two main organizations are currently looking to source more knowledge from the Grove: the Archani Conclave and Veritas Convention.

Archani Conclave

Having led the first expedition into the Grove, the Archani Conclave are a secret group of researchers and academics who are sharing ground breaking knowledge. Someone connected to the Conclave will have been paid to visit the Grove by Kassan Lytheer (Half-Elf, He/Him), a prominent member within the group with knowledge of the ruins of an ancient civilization known as the Arvadians.

Veritas Convention

On the other hand the Veritas Convention is known for their pursuit for arcane excellence through any means. Their interest in the Grove is primarily furthering their own goals. There are two paths to take with the Veritas Convention: someone who studies under Archmage Cara'loth Moorelane (Aether Elementra, He/Him) or as a member of the Saitodian, a group of weaponized arcanists who are dispatched to disrupt other organizations.

Glory Seekers

The historical significance of the Threadwalker's Grove is appealing for those who wish to gain fame and glory for delving into its depths. Exploring these ruins could resultl in a name being known throughout history. Those who are delving into the depths of the Grove are looking for one of two primary sources of fame: stories, or reknown.

Stories

If looking to find stories, a character may be linked strongly with the idea of bardic traditions or be looking to have stories to tell across the realm for their own fame. There is the notable White College of Bards who recount stories in the form of plays that travel across Fieldas, for years they have been looking for stories to tell of the ancient world.

Reknown

Reknown however is harder to claim. Someone looking to let their name go down in history when the idea of the Threadwalker's Grove is written will find themselves attempting the heroics. They will also be looking for keepsakes to prove the stories that will be told about them. A group of Monster Hunters in the Aonis Wilds known as the Crimson Vynderai have been looking to procure their own glory from deep within the monastery's core.

Treasure Plunderers

As much as fame and knowledge are key to the Grove, there are treasures abound said to be held within its dpeths. Many have sought to take this treasure either for themselves, or as part of a larger collective. Those who wish to be involved in the plundering of treasure may either be doing it to gain their own vast fortune or as an Arcanologist who is finding the relics for a public or private collective.

Personal Wealth

Those seeking personal fortune may be aware of the knowledge that the Grove sits in the site of a rumored ancient fortune by the arcane pirate Whaln Gellandra. This fortune would set someone up for life and has been considered comparable to the hoarde of an ancient dragon. They likely would have gained this information from the Golden Scythe, a group of treasure hunters who have been seeking Gellandra's treasure for the past twenty years.

Arcanologist

Those who are working as an Arcanologist are likely to have links to one of a number of nobles and organizations that are interested in the potential profit or treasures that could be found. This could like them to the Archani Conclave, Veritas Convention, or any other number of nobles from around the realm.

Regardless of their reason for coming to the Grove, all characters will have set off from the local town of Artenya. In the town the locals have become wary of the monastery having local traditions that bring them luck from the place.

In the town of Artenya, each of you have come across the amulets that each person wears, you also learned that they were designed by local artisans. Their rectangular form has strange ancient writing on it. Each person claims that the writing is a different kind of ward against the powerful magical evil that resides within the caverns under the monastery.

Anyone who wishes to purchase an amulet can do so within the town for a small amount of gold. However, there is no magic to its creation, it is just a superstition that is held be the people of the town.

A Path Once Hidden

The players start the adventure walking up the path towards the monastery. During this time, if they are unfamiliar with each other, they should introduce themselves to each other. They should also consider how much information they want to reveal to other players about their motives for investigating the Grove. You should also introduce the information that they have been given to bring them to this place. Work collaboratively with the players to figure out this information.

Regardless of if the players are new to each other, or have been adventuring together for many months or years, read the text to the side aloud to introduce the setting to the players.

As you walk up the winding dusty road towards the Threadwalker's Grove, you feel a faint chill hit the wind. While some may consider this to be a coincidence, the chill can be felt right down to your bones. Something about this place feels off.

Anyone who is well versed in the arcane arts or natural world can make a check and notice that the flowers and trees do not seem to sway in the wind. On a high success, the player notices that they seem not to mvoe at all, as if completely frozen.

Approaching The Grove

Upon approaching the Grove, characters are noticing the ruined nature of the monastery, and yet the vibrancy with which the many plants at the centre of the monastery are preserved. All of the plants that are flowering in the middle of the Grove are completely frozen again, but also are strange and unlike anything that has been seen in the realm since before The Shatter.

As you approach the crater of the Grove, you notice a vast number of flowers and trees that are growing within the ruined walls. A central dias of pristine plants proliferate back for easily 20 or 30 feet. Each seems to glow with a faint arcane energy that seems to thrum from the plants. The cracked stone tile of the floor looks extremely weathered, with many of the tiles having come loose and giving way.

After the central dias, you can see a large set of doors carved into the wall, intricate designs lining its frame. From a distance, you can't read any of the inscriptions on the door, but you can see the faint glow that they hold. In front of the door stands a tall humanoid statue that shows an undescript humanoid wielding a bow drawn out towards the ruined front entrance where you arrived.

This area is set up for a potential fight depending on how you wish for your players to proceed within the adventure. The creature is a Manomantic Temple Guardian. There are two potential activations for the creature: touching the door, or touching the statue. In either case, the creature immediately attacks the party. Though with a high success on an attempt to charm or persuade the creature could convince it to return to its initial stasis.

It is recommended that you do not skip this fight if players are at higher levels in their current tier of play. However, at lower levels, it may be good to give players an idea of how intense the adventure is.

At the end of the fight, or if the fight is not used, the door to monastery opens. They open to a spiral staircase that leads down into the ground by about half a mile.

The stairway seems to step down for an eternity. The sconces that line the wall seem to magically illuminate as you pass them. Faces line the walls, seemingly showing depictions of those who came before. Happiness, longing, sadness, joy, all depicted among the faces of the dearly departed. Yet, their visage looks extremely lifelike.

T h i s i s a s e k t i o n o f o u t o f k h a r a k t e r i n f o r m a t i o n

The next few sections of this adventure will contain a number of example rooms that can be encountered on that layer and a short description of what players can find there. This is to help pacing of the dungeon and also include flexibility as to what is contained within the dungeon. At the end of the section will be a final encounter within the level, this is highly recommended for players to encounter as they help drive the narrative structure of the Grove and its unusual inhabitants.

e v e r y f l o o r s e k r e t a n r o o m i s u n i k u e

The First Floor

As you approach the wooden door at the base of the stairs, you notice a strange damp smell that would indicate the age of the caverns you are approaching, but as soon as the smell hits your nostrils it turns sweet, like a childhood memory that fills your mind. Its pleasant for the moment, until it overwhelms your senses, becoming overly pleasant, heartache filling your frame.

Pit and the Pulpit

The room you enter resembles an ancient temple, 100 feet away from you is the back wall, where a frame for an ancient stained glass panel stands in clear view. The room itself contains fifteen rows of pews that face towards a pulpit risen at the back of the room. Enclosing the pulpit is a beautiful wrought iron frame that seems to curl like vines woven together into a basket. It seems to be supported by four chains made of a matte ebony metal that hold quite rigid and tense in the air. You can tell that over the years, some foundations have given way around this pulpit, with a large pit, easily 50 feet deep acting as a moat around this almost cage-like pulpit. You hear a faint noise come from inside the pulpit. A small "Hello~"

The pulpit has been converted into a cage for a prisoner. Galahan Colevine ( He/Him) is a former member of The Observers, the cult-like group that inhabit the lower levels of this monastery. He seems that have slipped into some form of madness, babbelling about an object known as the Spirestone that kept the cult alive all this time. He is reverant of the object and is trying to escape the cage. If he does, it will affect some of the later mentioned rooms as he tries to return and take the Spirestone for himself.

Maester's Call

The room before you seems to be a simple study, potentially for someone who resided within the ancient monastery. Its a 20 foot radius cylinder and seems to have the remnants of a conical roof. Scattered around seem to be locked containers. As you cross the threshold into this room an arcane illusion appears, seemingly made up of different strands of arcane potential from around the room. "Forever promised an eternal knot, but a single cut welcomes rot." The figure speaks these words with a slightly hissing tone and several locked containers around the room seem to shudder, linked by a singular golden thread to the figure.

This room was a puzzle setup by an ancient member of the order that resided within this monastery. It protects knowledge of a spell crafted by this elder and a few other small trinkets that can be found around the room. The answer to the riddle given is "Oath". Upon being spoken within the room, the elder nods and the threads unravel and drop to the floor.

A reliquary opens up and shows a spell glyph. The small ceramic slate contains the spell Weaving Ward and can be cast by anyone by crushing the glyph within their hands. Additionally, other lockboxes contain small amounts of currency and gemstones that can be taken by adventurers.

The Woven Fountain

Stone bricks line this circular room, it seems to be at one time both gothic in its construction, and yet beautifully ruined. The bricks of the room seem to have cracks that have been held together by an iridescent light. It glows faintly across the room, which has been overgrown with moss and vines. Yet in the center of the room is an intricate fountain, at its centre are these almost impossible loops of threads that form an ever-shifting pattern of arcane circles. Floating around the room are a number of candles that burn with a brilliant white flame. Pouring from the fountain made of woven threads is a liquid that is also iridescent, like the energy in the walls.

The fountain contains a source of liquid Arcanum. This is an essence of what magic is at its core, what the Leylines are made of. It was also first discovered in the Age of Creation by the Arvadians as a way to boost their magic and link themselves directly to the source of divine magic. This fountain is one of the last sources of the material in the realm.

The far door through this room is locked by an arcane ward that is powered by the Arcanum, making it near impenetrable. There are two ways to deactivate it, either gathering the source of Arcanum for later study, or using it as a source of healing and rest. If collected, 3 vials of Arcanum can be collected. On a successful check to understand the arcane or delve into history, someone can learn that the vials can be used as a way to cast spells without expending any other resources. Additionally, it can also be drank to empower arcane magic for a short time.

However, people can choose to wash their face or drink from the fountain. If they do, they experience the benefits of a short rest within the dungeon. This could be a good reset point for players, giving them some abilities back to help progress further within the dungeon.

A Creature Rewoven

Time-Locked

Throughout the dungeon, there are almost gemstone structures that contain shadows and silhouettes of people that inhabited this monastery in the Age of Creation. These crystaline structures seem to have locked a small area around the person in time, preserving the individual in this state but trapping them until the right magical potential can unlock them.

There should be a few potential locations like this within the dungeon, the first should be notable. The following text describes one such time-prison in a serene garden.

If players wish to break these time-locked areas, they