The Ruins of Soguer - Start of the Adventure in Aguies Town & Castle

Welcome back for part two of The Ruins of Soguer, an adventure you'll see here piece by piece over the next few weeks. In the previous post you saw the introduction of the adventure for the dungeon master. Below is the start of the adventure to be read to the players at the beginning of the adventure, and some detail about the town where the adventure starts.

Castle Aguies - Holding Court as the Count of Aguies: At the start of the adventure, read or paraphrase the following:

Having arrived in Aguies town to answer the call for heroes, you walk up the hill upon which Castle Aguies is built to the large stone gatehouse. Towers to the left and right are topped with battlements upon which fly a flag with a green dragon on a white field. A young guard in mail looks down at you from the battlements as you walk up the road to the open doors between the towers. Another guard standing at the door nods to you as you pass through the gatehouse into the castle's courtyard. Within the well-trodden dirt courtyard a group of soldiers practice their sword-work at the direction of a gruff veteran barking orders at them. A wagon loaded with goods stand unhitched. Servants in simple clothes are busy unloading the sacks and barrels from the wagon while a groom brushes down the horses nearby. Across the courtyard the castle stands, its towers stretching up into the sky.

Crossing the busy courtyard you enter the stone castle by the open double doors below battlements two stories above. Inside this vestibule there are passages that lead left, and right, guarded by soldiers holding halberds. A long hallway with a polished stone floor and pillars flanking the walkway stretches before you, and the sounds of several voices conversing can be heard ahead.

Walking down the hallway between the stone pillars you come into a large hall filled with tables and people. Knights, squires, servants and a few people in fine dress sit or stand talking, eating and drinking. A line of petitioners stands before a scribe awaiting audience with the Count.

At the far side of the hall seated on a wooden throne atop a dais is a young man dressed in a fine green tunic and wearing a golden signet ring. At his shoulder stands a tall dragonborn also in a lordly tunic and with an ornate sword strapped to his hip. The two are in the midst of a discussion with an middle-aged priest in red robes wearing a holy symbol of Kord. As you cross the hall the young lord and his attendant take note of you. The dragonborn speaks in with a hissing accent. "Who approachesss Count Ludwig?"

After you introduce yourselves the young lord says, "I am Ludwig Staledwo, Count of Aguies and heir to the throne of Soguer. This is Gix'varie, leader of my Knights of the Order of Dragonforce, and this is Father Dirk of the Three Brothers. Thank you for answering my call. I am in need of brave heroes such as yourselves."

The young Count stands up and begins to pace about the dais as he talks. He is young - perhaps seventeen - but speaks with passion and has a friendly presence. "As you may have heard, I am grandson to King Ludwig Staledwo, the last King of Soguer. I have made it my life's work to unite the warring lords of this wounded and divided land in peace again. To that end I have asked the Fathers of the Church of the Three Brothers, Kord, Pelor and Heironeous - the same holy order that once ministered to the people of Soguer from their cathedral in the capitol - to coronate me the Heir to the throne of Soguer."

At this the priest of Kord speaks up, "Yes, Ludwig, and after consulting the Brothers in prayer I was sent a message from Kord. I was in prayer in the chapel when a strong man appeared at my side. I could tell that he was a messenger from the gods. This herald of the gods told me that only if the boy speaks with the tongue of the law can he be the heir of Soguer."

The dragonborn warrior interjects, "And of coursssse everyone knowssss he mussst be talking about his grandfather'sss sssword, the Judge'ssss Tounge. Which was losssst when the city of Ssssoguer was dessstroyed by the godsssss."

"Too true," continues the young lord. "They say they will not coronate me without my grandfather's sword. Such is the gods' will." He shrugs.

"So that brings me to you, noble heroes. I have just conquered this county, and am fully occupied restoring order and seeing to the needs of the people. The Knights of Dragonforce are similarly occupied, or else I would send Gix'varie here and his men to search for the sword." Ludwig continues, pointing to the dragonborn warrior.

Looking you in the eyes he says, "What say you, will you travel the River Daren to the ruined capitol of Soguer and retrieve the Judge's Tongue? I will provide you with a boat and crew, and if you succeed then as the anointed King of Soguer I will happily reward you as dear friends. In the name of peace in this land I ask this of you."

If the players accept this task Ludwig asks Gix'varie to see to the provisioning of a daren riverboat for the PCs and fares them well. Give the players the following major quest:

Major Quest - Crown Ludwig the Heir of Soguer
12th level - xp 700 for each player that completes the quest.
Goal: Go to the ruins of Soguer and retrieve the sword of the last King of Soguer, so that the priests may coronate Ludwig as the Heir of Soguer.

After that, give the players time to explore the city at their leisure and provision themselves as they see fit. Gix'varie will accompany them and tell them that by boat is should be a week or so's journey downriver from here to the ruins of the city at the mouth of the river.

Aguies town

A large human town, and capital of Aguies county, Aguies is peopled by farmers on the river's banks and traders on its docks. A large town square with a fountain stands at the foot of the hill upon which the castle stands. Farmlands spread out on the banks of the river east and west, and the Pitore Wood borders the town to the south.

Population: 4,000 people call Aguies their home, mostly human serfs, tradespeople and merchants but with a handful of elves and gnomes from the woods to the south and eladrin from Linton to the southwest. A sprinkling of members of all the other races can be found here as well among the citizenry - especially halfling traders. A few knight's families from throughout the county also have town homes here.

Government: Ludwig Staledwo has just conquered this city, having defeated and killed the Count Aguies in a short war. Mayor Balwin - appointed by the late Count Aguies - oversees the administration of the town's day-to-day business.

Defenses: Ludwig's five Knights of the Order of Dragonforce lead the city's defenses, assisted by 20 cavalry, 40 archers and 50 footmen. In times of need Ludwig also has the right to call up the other lords of the County to aid him in war, adding 15 knights, 60 cavalry, 100 archers and 150 footmen to his forces.

Taverns & Inns: The Old Crow is a busy tavern and public house on the town square, the Wagon Wheel serves mainly merchants and sits at an intersection on the road to Linton, and the Knucklebone caters to gamblers and carousers north near the docks.

Supplies: A few merchants set up stalls in the town square, and most any good can be purchased from the town's many craftspeople and traders. Fynn's Imports by the docks is the front for the local branch of the thieves' guild. Nickad the armor-smith is the famous royal armorer.

Temples: The Cathedral of the Three Brothers (Kord, Pelor and Heironeous) stands on the town square and is the head of the church in Aguies County, the Shan'n'nur Sanctum (Inquisition - Heironeous) stands near the cathedral, a temple to Erathis between the square and the docks, a sailor's shrine to Melora at the docks, and a shrine to Avandra on the road east to Halton.