A Stop on the Road- Traveling Adventure

Cartrest

On the way to Setessa from Meletis before entering the territory of the Nessian Wood, the hamlet of Cartrest has grown up around the Wearied Wagon Inn beside the main road. Cartrest is mostly inhabited by woodcutters but also serves local farmers. The main attraction to outsiders is the Wearied Wagon Inn which provides a much-needed stop along the main road. There is also a cartwright who repairs wagons as well as acting as a small smithy, making tools and shoeing horses.
Recently locals have seen strange lights around a set of ancient ruins nearby. Driven by a mix of fearful superstition and curiosity the locals have scraped together a small reward to encourage someone to investigate.
The strange lights are caused by a necromancer who has moved into the ruined crypt to develop his powers. The crypt was built in a magical field that had lain dormant until recently.

Hooks

• If the players are traveling by horse or cart, a thrown shoe or damaged wheel would encourage them to visit the cartwright in Cartrest.
• If the players are traveling a long way the inn may simply be a convenient stop.
• The Wearied Wagon is a fairly well-known inn locally so an NPC may arrange to meet them there. If the NPC is delayed it will give the players time to pursue the adventure.
• Players who are part of a religious or magical group may be told about disturbing magical signals in the area.

The Wearied Wagon

The Wearied Wagon is a large inn due to its position on the main road and can comfortably sleep 30 guests as well as providing stabling. It is a half-timbered building with an enclosed courtyard and stables. Inside there is a large eating area with comfortable but sparsely furnished rooms upstairs. Prices at the inn are fairly affordable as they get plenty of passing trade.
The inn’s owner is a grey-bearded satyr with a hook for a hand. Gudar is an experienced innkeeper but leaves most of the service to his staff. He still coordinates all room bookings and does so in an efficient manner being no more or less friendly than necessary.
The inn has a large staff comprising of anyone from the hamlet who is not a farmer or woodcutter. As such the players are unlikely to be served by the same person twice. The staff is friendly and efficient but sometimes information gets lost between them.
Gudar has the pot of money put aside for investigating the ruins. He will bring it up with any adventurous-looking travelers and gives good directions to the ruins along the road. If pressed further he will mention the toll bridge.
The staff and customers don’t know much about the ruins but will still happily talk about them. Players who talk to them will hear one of the following rumors (flip a coin to determine rumor).

• There is a ford in the woods which would get you to the ruins faster (True)
• The ruins are an ancient burial ground (True)
• There is a giant snake which hunts alongside the river (False)
• One of the charcoal burners saw a bear in the woods (True)
• The lights are likely escaping marsh gas (False)
• You can cross the toll bridge for free if you don’t wear any shoes (False)

The Cartwright

The cartwright’s workshop is a low shed attached to a small cottage. The shed is hung with agricultural and woodcutting tools and contains a small forge. When a cart is being repaired it takes up most of the space.
The cartwright himself is an elderly human. Will Wainer is as worn out and creaky as the carts he repairs. He repairs carts and sells tools at reasonable prices but charges travelers slightly more than locals. He can repair damaged items at his forge but will do so painfully slowly.
Will knows about the pot of money and will point interested parties to Gudar at the inn. He knows that the ruin is a magical site but will only share this information if drawn into a conversation.

Reaching the Ruins

There are two ways to reach the ruins, either follow the road and cross the river at the toll bridge or cut through the forest and hope to find the ford. Players may only know of this second option in advance if they have chatted with the locals. Using the toll road is easier but will cost money, the ford will require a nature or survival check of DC 17 to locate.

The Toll Bridge Road

The toll bridge road is smaller than the main road but still well maintained and easy to travel. The road back to Meletis lies to the west. Surrounding the area, stretching from east to west, and starting in the east, the Nessian Forest comes to the road’s edge just beyond the hamlet. From through that forest, an inlet of the Speche River stretches through the landscape and under the toll bridge. On a clear bright day, it is a pleasant walk. To the northeast, PCs can see the city of Setessa standing tall in the distance. To the north, the toll bridge stretches off more inland that the main road toward other small hamlets.
Shortly before reaching the toll bridge, a grizzled old goat will begin following the players. The goat is stubbornly persistent and will follow at a distance even if shooed away. The goat will flee if it is attacked.
The toll bridge itself is a low stone bridge over a narrow point in the river. The toll bridge crossed the river as it runs east to west toward the ocean and the road stretch further north into the mainland area. The ruins lie to the west of this toll bridge down a smaller and less well-traveled road. This road skirts the edges of the Nessian Wood and turns north before it hits Setessa. The ruins lie slightly to the east as you follow that smaller road before it turns north. A small brick house sits on the far side with a barrier blocking the road. The toll keeper lives and works from the house operating from a window above the barrier.
The toll keeper is Shawn Gribble, a lanky, young man with a friendly if simple attitude. He is well-liked by the local community even if he is the youngest toll keeper they have seen. He does not expect trouble but does have a crossbow on a ledge under the window.
The toll is 2 copper pieces per foot (not per shoe as the players may have heard). If the goat is still following the players they will be charged 8 copper pieces unless they can find a way to prevent it following. If the goat does follow them over the bridge it will graze and not follow them further unless encouraged. The goat is Nylea in disguise and is taking this first look at the PCs as a group, especially her son Tyrael. She is simply curious about them. If they are kind and allow her to come with them and pay the toll, before running off to graze in goat form, she will bleat at the characters and rub against them to seemingly get a burr out of her fur. The burr will actually be one platinum piece that got stuck in a dirty section of the goat's fur. She'll then go off to graze and the PCs won't be able to keep an eye on her.

The Forest

The forest is far less welcoming than the road. After the first few hundred meters where the woodcutters work it quickly becomes wild and overgrown. The dense undergrowth means you often have to deviate from your path and risk losing your bearings. This is the Nessian Wood and it is known that caryatids and dryads roam here. This is Nylea's territory.
In order to find the ford, the players must pass a DC17 survival or nature check. For each failed check they spend 2 hours wandering the forest and generate 1 random encounter from the table below.

1	1d3+1 kenku with short-swords or short-bows. The kenku launch noisy attacks and attempt to steal shiny objects from the players.
2	1d6 awakened shrubs. The shrubs attack ferociously but do not pursue the players very far.
3	2 boar. The boars will initially allow the players to back away but will attack relentlessly if provoked.
4	1 brown bear. The bear will attempt to scare players away but will attack if they hold their ground.
5	1 giant owl. The owl launches hit-and-run attacks harrying the players until they leave the area.
6	1d3+1 wolves. The wolves attack cautiously and will flee if the players offer stiff resistance.

Once the ford is within earshot it is relatively easy to find. The canopy opens up letting the light reflect off the shallow flowing water. The ford is only ankle-deep and can be easily crossed.
Players who pass a DC10 perception test will spot a goblin riding a worg hiding (slightly ineptly) in the undergrowth. They will wait until the players are in the open before attacking. They are not committed to the attack and will flee if the players offer stiff resistance.
Once the players have crossed the ford the forest becomes more open and easy to navigate. Reaching the ruins requires a DC10 survival or nature check with failure indicating an hour spent wandering the woods and a roll on the table above.

The Ruins

The ruins are on the edge of the forest out of sight from the toll road at the curve before that small road turns north. A set of stone menhirs stand either side of a stone archway into a hill. At night a flickering green light plays around the stones.
Any arcane spellcaster reaching the ruins can sense a build-up of magical power. By passing a DC10 arcana check they can get a sense of immense age from it.

The Interior

The ruins are dimly lit by the same flickering green light which crawls across the ceiling like an aurora. Towards the ritual chamber the light takes on a sickly yellow color, a DC15 arcana check gives a sense of necromancy. The walls are a mixture of packed earth with loose stone and close-fitted masonry.

The Burial Chambers

These rooms are dusty and unused. The first chamber to the left is made of packed earth and contains 4 burial niches. Anyone searching the room will discover the niches have been emptied of bones, a DC15 investigation check will reveal a false back in one of the tombs.
The second chamber is empty but for a large stone sarcophagus. A DC10 investigation check of the tomb will reveal the lid is slightly sprung. If the tomb is opened a series of spikes will spring up from the rim dealing d6 piercing damage to anyone leaning over the tomb. The tomb is conspicuously empty.
A DC15 investigation check of the room will reveal that it is too short and that there is a space behind the back wall. Knowing this makes the check to find the false-backed burial niche a DC5. If the players have already searched that chamber they may check again immediately.

The Ritual Chamber

The hidden chamber contains a large terracotta burial urn covered in intricate patterns. If the urn can be removed intact it would be worth 5 gold pieces to a collector. Within the urn is a set of gold jewelry inlaid with turquoises. It would be worth a total of around 15 gold if sold as a set, less if they are broken up.
The door into the ritual chamber is stiff but unlocked and un-trapped.

The Living Chamber

This room is sparsely furnished with a bedroll on a stone shelf and a dilapidated desk. The room has the stale odor of unwashed man. The desk is strewn with pages. A quick search of the papers reveals they are garbled diary entries completely out of sequence. A DC10 insight check reveals they are written by a slightly creepy outcast seeking power by any means. A DC10 arcana check reveals several references to necromancy although these are all outdated compared to modern practice. A DC15 history check shows the entries reference older texts predating these ruins.
The main set of passages of the diary says, "A full moon, it's coming. Perfect harvesting phase. I'll attend to the recently interred. I require fresh vite as well. A life for this new carapace.
No better substitute. Must be fresh. Higher on the chain the better. Hearts. I am causing an affront but to the Tartyx with them. Phenax, Erebos. Ha!
Drenched the bones, dripping with the red lifespring of the core. Have some ready. More trials, more trials. Said it couldn't be done. Well, I showed them. Crazy old Impey, eh? Well, they'll see."

The Stone Corridor

This long corridor is sturdily built of close-fitted stones. The double doors at the end are daubed with a rune which is terrible to behold.
Anyone who sees the rune must pass a DC15 Wisdom saving throw or be disturbed. During any encounter within the ritual chamber, the games master can make a disturbed character deduct 1d4 from any skill check, attack roll or saving throw- They effectively have Bane on them. A cleric can remove the symbol by conducting a prayer – this removes the rune and its effects but will alert the necromancer in the ritual chamber who will begin raising his skeletons. Dispel magic, remove curse, wish, or divine intervention can also be used to remove the rune.

The Ritual Chamber

This large chamber has a high ceiling supported by stone pillars. The center of the chamber is occupied by a stone table strewn with books and candles. Behind the table is a sickly man in a black robe. Impey is a gangly pallid youth with a blotchy complexion and long greasy hair. His character is even more off-putting than his appearance, combining a sense of superiority with a whiny and defeatist attitude. He has turned to necromancy in an attempt to prove his power over those who have spurned him.
When the players enter the room the necromancer, Impey Gawkins, will cast his spell causing the magical light on the ceiling to be drawn into 3 piles of bones. After 1 turn the skeletons will animate. If the players entered the room with hostile intent, roll initiative as they enter, and then Impey will cast the spell on his turn. If they enter and try to speak with him they'll have a turn to convince him to keep the skeletons from attacking, though they will still animate after a turn. The DC for getting him to stand down is a DC 20 Hard check due to his mental state. This DC can be lowered if the players charm him, appeal to his desire to raise skeletons, flatter him, etc.
The skeletons fight to the death and will remain animated even if Impey is killed. They are armed with short swords and not the short bow. Impey may command them with a bonus action as per the animate dead spell, however, their default behavior is to attack the intruders.
It is clear that Impey will stop at nothing to become more powerful and seeks to control all Returned for his own personal gain.
On the table is an array of occult paraphernalia worth about 3 gold if sold to a necromancer but next to nothing otherwise. Of particular interest is an enormous and ancient-looking book (the Liber Ossus), worth about 5 gold or 8 gold to a necromancer. An arcane spellcaster can determine it is a book about using naturally occurring magic to raise the dead, theoretically allowing even minor magicians to control vast numbers. A DC15 history check reveals much of the book is transcribed from much older texts predating the ruins.
The Liber Ossus is written in Celestial, a strange choice for such a book. Characters who can read the language or cast comprehend languages will see that it is piecemeal accounts of how to use the natural magic of Theros, or something akin to the Weave, to control the undead. However, the book must be held to do so. In that way, it is a necromantic focus. Within the text is a strange section of notes that seems to refer to the Returned and harnessing the power of their forces and becoming equal with Phenax via the Path. However, it will take several research sessions to decipher all that and will still be pretty vague. The main point, the most important passage of the text is, "Giving up the ego can lead one to a Path forward from the Underworld. In Returning, the power of incorruptibility can be yours. But you cannot hope to come unto the Mortal Realm Returned without severing the ties that ground you to it. Be created anew and wear the Golden visage of your Reincarnation. The Threads that flow from one point to another can be redirected. Within your control is a Path toward a New Web of Threads that no entity could hope to course correct. The True Thread is one that weaves its own way and breaks free from the predestined stitching of Klothys."
Impey was not a balanced individual before dabbling in necromancy but is now truly beyond reason. He is desperate to prove his power over everyone by his mastery of the undead. Although suffering from delusions, he still fears death and will attempt to flee if things go badly. If captured he will fall into a catatonic weeping state which he will not recover from without prolonged professional assistance.
Impey Encounter

Returning to the village

Players returning via the toll road will have their fee waived if they can show they have dealt with the ruins. Players returning via the woods can retrace their steps if they came that way but otherwise will have to test and risk encounters as described for the outward journey.
Upon returning to the village and explaining their discoveries to Gudar the players will be given the pot of money which stands at 8 gold (a substantial amount of money for a small community). If Shawn the toll keeper was killed the money will not be given as it is now a reward for the capture of his murderers.
The community will also be generally grateful, allowing the players to use the inn, cartwright, and toll road free of charge and providing minor supplies for their onward journey.

Future adventures

Below are some ideas for linking this adventure to others, use as the story sees fit.

• The unusual magical effect at the ruins is a new phenomenon, perhaps it has been seen at other locations.
• An unusual group passed through the inn whilst the players were out- Can mention that they were wearing robes, and they looked generally how someone might describe a cultist.
• Necromancers who have been tracking the Liber Ossus catch up with the players.

Plot type

Adventure

Parent Plot

Session 2 til End of Meletis- Discovering the Polis of Meletis

Related Locations

• Theros