Healing Call

You call out to your companion, inspiring her to fight through her wounds.

Level 1 Utility • Conjuration, Divine
Encounter, Minor Action • Close Burst 5

Effect: You allow a companion within the burst to spend a healing surge and heal an additional 5 hit points.

Note: This power is similar to Healing Word, except the effect's range scales instead of the d6 with each tier, reaching 10 at paragon and 15 at epic.

The Ruins of Soguer - River Journey to the Ruins

Presented below is the first leg of the adventure The Ruins of Soguer. Previously the players had been tasked with traveling to the nation's fallen capital to find the old king's sword so that their liege can be coronated.

Previous sections of the adventure can be found here:
The Ruins of Soguer - Introduction
The Ruins of Soguer - Start of the Adventure in Aguies Town & Castle

Running the adventure - This section of the adventure details the player character's travel from Aguies town to the ruins of Soguer. There is an important encounter along the way, where they meet a ship crewed by Aurochs who are searching for a kidnapped member of their royal family. There are also a few encounters with dangerous creatures and terrain as they travel the wild marsh near Soguer.

Read or paraphrase the following as the players begin their travel to the ruins:

You step aboard the riverboat. Like many of the boats that ply these waters, this 30 foot long boat features a single mast on a broad, flat deck, a small cabin behind the mast, and a low-ceilinged hold below the deck for cargo. The boat's crew - four weathered men - push off from the docks in Aguies town, pushing off from the pier with long poles and then drawing in the mooring ropes once clear of the docks. Soon the sail is hoisted and the boat begins speeding downriver, pulled by the current and pushed by the wind. One of the crew sits in the rear with his hand on the rudder, and the other three watch the sails, occasionally tightening or loosening a rope before retying the crossbeam in a new position. And so goes the journey. For several days your boat travels downriver through farmland and woods, among low hills, and past the towns and keeps of humanity. After a week or so of travel the farmhouses and towns along the river grow fewer. Occasionally you pass the remains of a town or house ruined or burned. The riverboat crew grumbles that this part of the river is subject to pirates and raiders sailing up from the south. As the days pass the land lies lower, and small trees and marshy plants line the riverbanks. Occasionally you pass a small hut, but you see no inhabitants.

Encounter - A boat full of lizards - During the last stretch of the journey before the ruins, they PC's encounter a mercenary ship of auroch warriors on the way.

Sailing down the river among the marshes another boat comes around the bend - a long boat with red crossed swords painted on the high forecastle and a monstrous figurehead. A roaring cry goes up from the other vessel and you see many reptilian men on the decks wearing mail and bearing spears and bows. As the other boat nears you can see that at the base of the mast is a shrine surmounted by two gilded dragons. The sails are furled slightly and oars put out. The boat turns and glides swiftly towards you, and at the very prow is a large armored dragonborn, wearing a helm crested with a dorsal line of many horns. He roars as they near.

Any characters who speak draconic will understand Captain Gamora's hail - which is a demand that the player's identify themselves. If the players try to communicate it is a simple social skill challenge.

Skill Challenge - Treat with the Aurochs (level 10, DC 16 diplomacy, 3 successes before 4 failures, XP 500)

Success: If they succeed in convincing Gamora that they are friendly, they give them some information and a quest. Read the following:

Having introduced yourselves, Captain Gamora takes off his helmet and scratches his scaly head for a moment. "I'm Captain Gamora of the Clashing Red Swords. Sorry about the scare - my men are in a strong rage. One of the holy family is missing - she was kidnapped from the royal shrine!" He narrows his eyes, staring at you for a moment and continues, "Have you heard anything of a young dragonborn lady with fine, pale scales in your travels? Where are you going on this river?"

Seeming to accept your answer, he nods and says, "I would consider it a personal favor, and indeed all our people would be grateful if you hear any word to send it to us. And if you should by chance come upon her, I would expect you to lend her aid in any way you can." After asking for your help thusly, his anger returns, "and if I hear tell you met her and did not - by Chronopsis I will hunt you down and have my vengeance upon you."

After a moment, Captain Gamora begins climbing aboard his ship. As he goes he says "Also, I would not go further down river. There are ruins there of a city of your men that lies there. Demons haunt those ruins, and the spirits of the dead. The gods curse that place."

Minor Quest - level 12, XP 700
Goal - rescue the Auroch princess - Iejir'svern.

Failure: If the players fail the skill challenge, the Auroch mercenaries will demand to board their ship and inspect it. Resistance is met with violence - and the Aurochs swarm the player's smaller riverboat - jumping across, swinging over on ropes and swimming to the attack. All told there are 4 Dragonborn Raiders, 6 Dragonborn Gladiators, and 20 Dragonborn Soldiers who attack. If the players manage to defeat the Aurochs, any captured or left alive will reveal that they are searching for their princess, Ijer'svern. If the players allow the dragonborn to search the ship, they do so and then Gamora imparts the above information.

Encounter - Crocodiles!
level 10, XP 2000 or 3000

This is an encounter with crocodiles in what were once the surrounding farmlands - now swallowed by the marsh. As the journey continues, read or paraphrase the following:

For the next few days you ravel further downriver through thick swamps. The river is wide and slow here, and the boat's crew work the sails and their poles to keep the boat moving east towards the sea and the ruins of the city. Occasionally you spot a few peasants in wooden huts on the low, marshy hills the river winds through. As you push your boat through a fen of high grasses one of the fallen logs in the water leaps to life and reveals itself as a huge scaly monster!

Creatures - 2 or 3 x feymire crocodile - hiding in the river (stealth +13) - These crocodiles attack the boat as they pass it.

Reaching the Ruins

After the crocodile encounter the player characters come to the ruins of the city of Soguer. As they approach they may encounter a patch of quicksand. Read or paraphrase the following:

You sail downriver for another day and the faint smell of salt water begins to tinge the air. Rounding a bend in the river you catch a glimpse of tall walls through the drooping cypress and willow trees. The cracked and vine-strewn walls must stand at least 50 feet high, but you can see no one upon the battlements. As you float closer you can see that the walls end at the river with a fallen tower that makes a hill of stone on the banks. From there the wall stretches inland. Through the foliage you think you can see another set of towers - perhaps an entrance? The riverboat crew poles over to the shore and moors the boat to a large tree on the river bank. The remains of a road lead through the trees, roughly along the wall towards the gates to the north. As you proceed you see the remains of farmhouses and fences - now fallen down and overgrown with the swamp's fecundity.

As the players walk this path towards the ruins they will pass over a patch of quicksand. Unless one of them makes their perception checks, it is likely the first player or two will fall into the hazard.

Hazard - Quicksand - level 11 elite hazard - XP 1200.

Leaves and dirt cover this stretch of flat ground.

Hazard: This hazard consists of a roughly 5 square by 5 square area of quicksand, which is difficult terrain. When characters enter these squares, or try to move in these squares, the hazard attacks. Attempts to escape can also hasten a character's demise in this deadly hazard.

Perception or Nature

- DC 29: The character can discern if any adjacent squares are quicksand.

Additional Skill: Nature

- DC 25: The character’s knowledge provides a +2 bonus to Athletics or Acrobatics checks to escape or help another escape.

Trigger

When a creature enters, begins its turn in, or makes a map move in a quicksand square, the trap attacks that creature.

Attack
Free Action Melee 0
Target: Creature in a trapped square
Attack: +14 vs. Reflex
Hit: The creature falls into the quicksand, is restrained until they escape and begins sinking (see Effect - Sinking below).
Miss: The character is slowed in the quicksand square but is not yet sinking.
Effect - Sinking: After one hit, a character sinks up to their waist. A second hit or a failed Athletics check means they sink to their neck. A third hit or failed athletics check indicates they sink completely and begin suffering the effects of suffocation (DMG p. 159).

Countermeasures

- An character can extract themselves or an adjacent sinking comrade with a DC 29 Athletics or Acrobatics check. A rope or similar tool can give a +2 to this check. Failing this check by 10 means that the helping character falls into the quicksand or that the sinking character sinks further.
-A character wearing light or no armor can make a DC 24 Nature check to know that if they hold still they will float, and can then do so. While floating in this way the character is not subject to any more attacks from the quicksand. Any move or standard action will end the float and cause the character to be subject to further attacks by the quicksand.

If you wish to add a greater threat to this encounter, feel free to add a few hungry stirge swarms to up the threat.
Creatures - stirge swarms - XP 700 each.

Cursed Ring of Conflict - Level 16

This ring, made of tarnished silver in the shape of two hands holding long knives, was once worn by the evil mage Bernardin. He used its powers to destroy his enemies and torment his defeated foes by making them fight their loved ones to the death.

Item Slot: Ring
25,000 gold

Power -Daily, Standard Action,
Enchantment,
Two targets within close blast 5.
Cha, Wis or Int +4 vs. Will.
Hit - the targets attack each other as though they were dominated to do so (save ends).

Property: Every time the wearer of this cursed ring meets someone for the first time roll on the following table to determine the way that person feels about the wearer:
1-5: the person hates and despises the wearer.
6-10: the person feels a very strong dislike for the wearer.
11-15: the person feels uneasy and afraid of the wearer.
16-20: the person reacts as they normally would to the wearer.

Corpser

Horrifying creatures from the underworld, no one knows what these burrowing creatures look like. From those who have escaped their attacks it is known that they have strong tentacles with which they drag their prey underground and powerful jaws that they gnaw on their captives with. They are most often found in catacombs, where they are believed to dig into coffins and feed on corpses. In spite of their fearsome nature, they have somewhat sensitive palates, and will tend to spit creatures out that put up a fight.

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Corpser - Level 11 elite brute
Aberrant Magical Beast - XP 1,200

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Senses tremmorsense 60, blind, Perception +14
HP 280, Bloodied 140
AC 25 Fort 27 Ref 25 Will 23
Saving Throws +2
Speed 5, burrow 4
Action Points: 1

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Powers

Lash & Grab - At-Will, Standard Action, Melee 3
A tentacle snakes up through the ground and comes crashing down upon you.
+14 vs Reflex - 3d6+5 damage and the target is grabbed.

Double Lash - At-Will, Standard Action, Melee 3
The corpser can make two Lash & Grab attacks.

Quarter - Encounter, Standard Action, Melee 3
Several tentacles burst out of the ground, grab you and try to pull you limb from limb.
+14 vs Reflex, 4d8+5 and the target is grabbed.

Bloodied Fury - Encounter, Immediate Reaction when first bloodied
The corpser recharges its Quarter power and can use it immediately as a free action.

Drag Under - At-Will, Minor Action, Melee, grabbed target only
+14 vs Fortitude, 2d6+5 damage and the target is pulled into an adjacent underground square. While buried in this way allies do not have line of effect to the target and non-burrowing creatures cannot reach the target.

Gnaw - At-Will, Standard Action, Melee, adjacent grabbed target only
+14 vs Reflex, 3d6+5 damage and the target is swallowed and restrained (no save) and takes 10 damage on subsequent rounds at the start of the corpser's turn. The swallowed creature can make melee basic attacks only, and only with one-handed or natural weapons. If the corpser dies, any creature trapped in the gullet can escape as a move action, ending that action in a square formerly occupied by the corpser.

Regurgitate - Immediate Reaction, Melee, when hit by a swallowed creature
Striking the creature's insides causes a violent reaction, and you are heaved up past the sharp teeth and back onto the ground.
+14 vs Reflex, 2d6+5 damage, ongoing 5 acid damage (save ends) and the target is pushed 3 squares.
Miss - the target is pushed 3 squares.

Burrow - At-Will, Standard Action
The corpser withdraws its tentacles and burrows down into the earth. While buried in this way the corpser is concealed, enemies do not have line of effect to the corpser and non-burrowing creatures cannot reach the corpser. This effect ends if the corpser attacks.

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Alignment neutral, Languages none
Skills: Perception +14, Stealth +16
Str 26 (+13) Dex 23 (+11) Wis 18 (+9)
Con 20 (+10) Int 5 (+2) Cha 8 (+4)

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Saurian Cleric ✦ Level 13 Controller

Medium natural humanoid (lizardfolk) ✦ XP 800

Initiative +7 Senses Perception +11
HP 125; Bloodied 62
AC 27; Fortitude 25, Reflex 23, Will 27
Speed 5

Powers
Mace ✦ At-Will, Standard Action, Melee
+18 vs. AC, 1d8 + 9 damage.

(un)Holy Smite ✦ At-Will, Standard Action, Close Blast 3, Radiant or Necrotic, Target: Each enemy in blast
The cleric brandishes his holy wymbol, speaks sacred words and energy from his god smites his enemies.
+17 vs. Will, Hit: 1d10+6 radiant or necrotic damage, and the target is weakened until the end of their next turn.

Dragon God's Claw ✦ Encounter (recharge 5-6), Standard Action, Ranged 10, Force, Fire
In answer to the cleric's prayer a ghostly claw of flame descends and pins the foe to the ground.
+17 vs. Reflex, 4d8+6 force and fire damage and the target is knocked prone, restrained and takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).

Alignment neutral Languages Common
Skills Athletics +15, Religion +17

Str 19 (+10) Dex 12 (+7) Wis 22 (+12)
Con 13 (+7) Int 16 (+9) Cha 14 (+8)

Equipment: robes, scale mail, mace, holy symbol

These statistics can be used for either of the two high priests of the new temple to the gods in Veth'achuak'arux - the green valley of the Aurochs. The two priest revere Tiamat and Bahomet respectively and their Smite powers deal radiant or necrotic damage as befits their patrons.

Their creed includes the compatible commandments from those two gods and is primarilly focused on being mighty warriors. The priest of Tiamat tends to extole gaining wealth as a source of power and a benefit of power as well. The priest of Bahomet tends to focus on the importance of defending your family, clan or comrades in arms. Their teachings are very popular and well recieved by the mercanary companies that bivouac near the temple. The mercanaries tend to have a small shrine to these dragon gods on their ships and pray to them before battle. At the urging of the clerics these warriors have taken to calling themselves the Saurians to distinguish themselves from the rest of Aurochs who revere the royal shamans and their less martial spirits.

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.

Oracular Statues

Before him, on an altar of jet, was the dark, gigantic statue of Thasaidon which a devil-begotten sculptor had wrought in ancient days for an evil king of Tasuun, called Pharnoc. The archdemon was depicted in the guise of a full-armored warrior, lifting a spiky mace as if in heroic battle. Long had the statue lain in the desert-sunken palace of Pharnoc, whose very site was disputed by the nomads; and Namirrha, by his divination, had found it and had reared up the infernal image to abide with him always thereafter. And often, through the mouth of the statue, Thasaidon would utter oracles to Namirrha, or would answer interrogations.
-Clark Ashton Smith

Often great works depicting the Gods or the Lords of Hell are fashioned. On occasion the beings they represent will use their likenesses to communicate with mortals. Coveted by seekers of secrets and devoted priests, these statues are kept in warded sanctums, and sometimes are warded by the gods themselves.

These statues can be used to commune with the deities or powers that they represent by the faithful. Either through long devotion or sacrifice a supplicant can attempt to receive a message from their patrons. With a sacrifice of a nature suitable to the deity and the spending of healing surges the supplicant can ask questions of the statue as though they had cast a divination ritual such as Consult Mystic Sages or Consult Oracle, according to the DM's discretion.

If desicrated or disrespected, these statues often become the conduit of their original's wrath. Exploding, coming to life, pronouncing curses, or blasting with lightning and fire are all forms of vengance a powerful being may visit upon defilers through a statue of this type.

As heroes rise in power such a statue could come to be in their possession, and be used by the powers to give the heroes needful information. This could even be the foundation of an entire campaign, with the players doing the bidding of a god who communicates to them from a statue secured in a holy place.