The Dwarven Kingdom of Kale

Pregame

The party has spent over two weeks rebuilding Villageham after it's destruction at the hands of the Succubi. Amos and Angus have rallied the other freed men into work parties, and the children have largely recovered from their trauma.

Villageham is located in a secluded part of the country that does not get a lot of traffic. It is roughly a weeks journey away from Dragonspur to the east, the city of Sember to the north, the town of Aukby to the west and the Lake of Sky to the south. Trade between those major urban areas is done via the rivers and the lake, and so the land-locked village of Villageham is of little interest to anyone other than the locals.

The only serviceable building seems to be the large Meeting Hall and three huts. The rest of the village is considered to be dangerous and uninhabitable. The village includes a carpenters Workshop, a grain silo, a butcher, about a dozen huts and a Barn with a large hole in the roof.

• Arkaxus has taken over the running of the village of Villageham, but the state of destruction has meant that there were little supplies left to feed and care for the new inhabitants. A source of food is required, so Arkaxus had few choices except to spend the $1,500 necessary to buy the essential supplies and keep the inhabitants well-fed and in high-spirits. This has meant that the freed men were able to work overtime and complete the Carpenter's Workshop and Grain Silo finished so that the men could supply their own work while the Party is off adventuring.
  
• Grimbold has decided to take over the health and well-being of the village of Villageham, both physical and spiritual. Their daily religious sermons have empowered the amulet to use Thaumaturgy as a cantrip, and has strengthened the faith of the freed men that the old gods will return. The old crazy man is being attended to daily, and has been unconscious since the party first encountered the man and his prophecy. But Grimbold has been working tirelessly to ensure the man receives the best care possible. This has resulted in the man becoming stable, but still weak from exhaustion. He was only able to rasp out a single phrase, "The..... Watchers...", before the effort of speaking became simply too much.
  
• Aramil has been using Angus' knowledge and Amos' contacts so that he can send out letters of correspondence to Taliadora to see if his old boss is able to help the parties' cause. It's been a pain to get good writing materials in the burnt old village, but Aramil was able to convince a grumpy and frugal Arkaxus to part with some gold to buy ink, a pen and some quality paper (the desk was cobbled together using leftover wood). His efforts resulted in a reply letter from Taliadora, who was equal parts ecstatic and confused that her two former employees are still alive after they disappeared 40 years ago. She mentioned that the Empire has dictated that all magic users must be registered by the Empire to gain their voting rights and other benefits such as first preference for trade goods and access to restricted sections of libraries. She referred Aramil to the Registrar of Aukby, Puhau, as she thinks he would be the most sympathetic to Aramil's and Ceasus' plight.
  
• Ceasus has been intrigued by the portals that have been popping up around the world, and wants to conduct a few experiments to test his theories. He spent most of his days far away from the village, in search of locations where portals have been previously reported. He hopes these studies reveal some clues, but he understands that it is not without risk. The experiments revealed that the arcane signature of the Rip In The Sky matches the magic used in these mysterious portals, leading Ceasus to think that the two are somehow linked. The spell matches Ceasus' observations back during training of the spell 'Gate', but that the portals do not require the presence of the caster to be nearby, nor does it require components. The magic is neither divine or arcane, and seems to come from a third unknown source that seems to combine the two sources of magic. Finally, the magic used in the portals is similar to the magic that was used to imprint the prophecy into the minds of the party.
  
• Jinn has been worried about his family, and has been distracting himself by creating a relic out of the piece of lucky wood from the Barn. He has been trying to find any information about the Drow in the region and why Artor has specifically invited his race as an honoured species in the Empire. Jinn smells that something is afoot and that it cannot end well for his kind. His investigations have uncovered some useful bits of information, such as the fact that only the Drow are allowed to become part of the personal guard of the Herald and Emperor (a honoured position with high prestige). The high-ranking clan members among the Drow have easily come into positions of power and wield heavy influence in the politics of the Empire. Jinn has even discovered that his family is currently in servitude to the Suladin clan, who have been granted land near Aukby and participate heavily in the politics of that town. But the questions were not too subtle, and Jinn has noticed that he has attracted the attention of things from the shadows. Jinn is acutely aware that he is being followed any time he enters an urban setting, but his trickster magic means he is able to dissapear before the stalkers find the village of Villageham.

Kale Mountains

The party has decided to seek out their old friend Dorgrim Ironhide, their dwarf friend who was also on the council of the Order. When the order merged with the Templars and no longer sought to drive the Orcs out of the Northern Teeth, Dorgrim left the order to join the rest of his clan in the Kale Mountains where they were taking refuge. He became a senior figure among the refugees, building up a sizable force that they all hoped would be sufficient to take back the Northern Teeth from the Orcs and the Titan that still resides there.

The party has journeyed for about two weeks, leaving the village in the care of Amos and Angus. They have largely avoided the roads and populated areas, hoping to keep their mission a secret from the White Stars. They eventually reach the base of the Kale Mountains, where they encounter a large open air dwarven refugee camp. The large stone doors that leads into the caverns of the Kale Dwarfs have been shut, and it seems that the Northern Teeth Dwarfs have been permanently shut outside. The mood in the camp is glum and gloomy, and all the buildings are in poor repair.

After a few inquiries, the party is led towards the tent that Dorgrim lives in. Dorgrim warmly greets the party, including Grimbold who hasn't changed in the 40 years that he has known her. Dorgrim mentions that he is about to enter the Kale Mountains so that he may negotiate with the self-styled High Dwarf King Kolgar, ruler of the Kale Mountains. The Northern Teeth dwarves were exiled decades ago without warning by Kolgar, and so far nothing that the refugees have done has changed Kolgar's mind. Dorgrim wants the party to come along to see if they can help with the negotiations.

Upon entering the King's throne room, the party quickly discovered that Kolgar is under the influence of a Succubus, who is currently his Queen. An old, shriveled dwarf sits next the king and watches the party with cold, hard eyes. The party knew of the danger immediately, and Aramil was quick to banish the Queen to her plane of existence.

The young King was immediately angered by this turn of events, and ordered his guards to capture the party. The guards had trouble holding the veteran party down, and the party eventually were able to convince the King that his Queen was actually a Succubus. The Guards were ordered to stand down, but the old withered adviser got up out of his chair and cackled.

He made a grand speech about how the White Stars will not be foiled in their machinations, and that his God will see justice return to the mountain kingdom. But just before he was able to Teleport out of the Kingdom, Ceasus fired off a Counter-Spell and kept the old dwarf in the throne room.

The party captured the old dwarf, and managed to get some extra information out of him including the location of a crystal ball that allowed communication with the White Star hierarchy. And with that, the grateful King was able to sit down and begin negotiations with Arkaxus and the budding Resistance....

D&D Adventure: Demon Village

This adventure uses some of my personal home-brew, including the Samurai, and is set in my home-brewed world of Nuovo Arkhosia (map). This is all mere fluff, and the Samurai can be replaced by Knights in the monster manual. This particular adventure follows on from Breaking into Prison, where the party has successfully broken all the Prisoners out including the desired major NPC, Angus.

Prelude

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The old Gods have been defeated by the mysterious White Star, and the essences of the dead gods now reside within the amulet worn by Grimbold. The Herald of the White Star, Artor Keler-Vonstahp, rose up to fill the power vacuum and with his new faith Artor subjugated the entire continent except for the distant eastern Kingdom of Farland and the Templars based under the foot of the Northern Teeth in the west. The Empire now forces the entire imperial population to worship the White Star, and all other religions are persecuted severely.

Despite his might and power, Artor could not decisively defeat the Templars and eventually he made peace with them, but he built a Wall around the Templars and other dissidents to keep them contained. All prisoners and political dissidents are banished beyond the wall as punishment. So it is beyond the wall where pockets of faith in the Old Gods continues to survive, although it is in danger of being completely snuffed out.

You have all decided to set out on the road to Dragonspur, capital of the new Arkhosian Empire and throne to the Herald Artor Keler-Vonstahp. You plan on destabilizing the empire from within by building up a dedicated cult to the Old Gods and then using that faith to restore the dead Gods inside of Grimbold's amulet. During your last mission you broke Angus out of prison because he was a former resistance leader in Dragonspur, and you hope that he will help you reignite that resistance for your cause. Angus is feeling mixed emotions since he had willingly given himself up as part of the peace treaty, and his freedom now means that war will restart between the Templars and the Empire.

There are also 10 other prisoners who also escaped from Gaoler's Keep in Dessingrove and are doggedly following the party. Most of these prisoners had only committed religious or political crimes, and were being processed before they were to be banished outside the Wall. They are all too willing to become part of the resistance in return for freedom and safety.

A few of the prisoners have begun to follow the charismatic Amos Caely, who styled himself as "The most connected man this side of the Wall" before he was locked away in Gaoler's Keep. He is never without his two brutish enforcers, Eldridge and Rocky, who show an unswerving loyalty and are extremely protective of their charge. Amos is also travelling with the party, interested to see what opportunities arise.

The trip to Dragonspur is difficult as the party and the prisoners have taken care to avoid all signs of civilization. The dim and humid conditions have made scouting difficult, and occasionally the party would get bogged down in large patches of mud. There is no respite at night either, as the party can hear both the shrieks of distant devils and demons and the screams of their unfortunate prey. So far the party has been lucky to avoid those infernal creatures.

A few days out from the capital the party is exhausted and low on supplies. They have come across a simple village sitting on top of a hill. Arkaxus' divine sense detected a faint flickering taint of evil near the village, but before you can scout the area out, a crazed old man bursts out of the bushes and starts spurting out some crazy nonsense....

Message from the new master, hidden five-fold!
Chosen are you travelers, virile and bold!
The first is concealed power, in plainest sight!
Second is the lost heiress, devoid of might!
Find third among mind seekers, not of this world!
Bargain secrets with the fourth, their wings unfurled!
The final piece we reveal, but bide our time!
Then final peace for all kind, yourself and mine!

The man continues to repeat the verse three times, and does not seem to respond to anything anyone says. After the third repetition the whole party feels a searing pain in their head as the verse is imprinted into their brain. The old man's eyes roll up to the back of his head, blood drips from his nose and he collapses onto the ground into a brief fit before becoming unconscious, Angus absolutely insists on taking the man into the village for medical attention despite the risk of being discovered by the White Stars, and the rag-tag group of prisoners quickly help the revolutionary leader carry the man into the local meeting hall.

• At this point hand out a sheet with the prophecy on it. The party has complete recollection of the whole verse as written. The imprint is definitely magical but the source is unknown.
• If the party follows Angus, continue with Hillsfar Village . Otherwise they encounter Pyroth and Bakasura.

Hillsfar Village

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Upon approaching the village, you all notice that it is extremely quiet and that their is an odd odour in the air. There only seems to be the large Meeting Hall, a carpenters Workshop, a grain silo, a butcher, the Barn, and about a dozen huts. There only seems to signs of life at the Meeting Hall, and that is the direction Angus and the prisoner's head towards.

"I got a bad feeling about this..." grumbles Amos softly so that only the party can hear.

• The village is quiet despite it's size, only having a population of 10 adult humans. However, there seems to be double that number of half-breed and outcast non-human children. All the humans are devils in disguise, while the children have been convinced to serve their new masters
• The village has an odd odor that has no particular origin, or that is readily recognizable by the party. This is because a magic spell has been cast that masks both the evil taint of the inhabitants and hides the rotting flesh of the former villagers
• The mayor of the village is Beau, a middle-aged yet exotically beautiful female human of dark skin and dark hair. She is boisterous and cheerful, and welcomes the strangers into the Meeting Hall. She is really a Succubus, trying to get everyone to stay the night so that she and the others can prey on them

After greeting the party and setting the old man on top of a table, Beau will mention that the village healer, Verner, is out in the Barn assisting the birth of a mother goat and her kids. She will ask the party to go fetch Verner while she orders the prisoners to help the villagers fetch necessary supplies. The rest of the villagers watch on, assisting where they can but continuing their mid-day meal.

• Talking the the adults will find them amicable and endearing, while the children all are quiet and refuse to look the newcomers in the eyes. They are skittish, and the adults will wave it away explaining that they are orphans and don't take kindly to strangers.
• If rejected, she will ask a couple of prisoners to fetch Verner, and at least one will die battling the Demon Goats while the other tries to get the attention of the party.
• Leaving the village at any time will trigger Pyroth and Bakasura

The party manages to catch snippets of conversation from the villagers, learning that the tiefling boy Pyroth has gone missing. The boy has a mean rebellious streak and is probably playing in the forest despite being explicitly forbidden by Beau. The adults blame this on his infernal nature, since it is well known that all tieflings suffer from extreme prejudice and racism from the humans.

Verner and the Demon Goats

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When the party reaches the barn they hear high-pitched shrieks of fear and panic. Upon entering the barn you see a couple dozen goats huddled in the corner trying to keep their distance from the single goat in the centre. The goat in the middle has a abnormally distended belly and is being attended to by nervous middle aged with blood covered forearms. His brow is covered with sweat, and he glances towards to the party with a mixed look of fear and incomprehension. Those of you who have dealt with animal births in the past have never seen anything like this.

"I.... I don't know..... I haven't been trained for this..." stammers the man, "You have to help me!"

• The man is Verner, who is the village healer. The pregnant goat is obviously carrying something unnatural. Helping the healer deliver the babies will result in only 6 baby goats; killing the mother goat will instead rip a portal and allow up to 9 fully grown demon goats.
• Delivering the Baby Goats will require a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) or Intelligence (Nature) check. You can try to calm the mother goat with a DC 10 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to give the nursemaid advantage.
• After all baby goats have been delivered, a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check is needed to keep the mother goat alive. Keeping the mother goat healthy means the demon goats become slightly easier later on.
• A DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check reveals that the goats are definitely imbued with some sort of unholy essence, and possibly the lingering effects of infernal magic. Detect Magic reveal this without the need for a check. Divine only picks up a faint, ambigious sense of infernal magic (and it feels it all around, due to the magical spell that hides the true nature of the village).
• Any talk about killing the goats will have Verner physically placing himself between the party and the goats. Verner will beg the party to not hurt the goats. Attacking the goats now will mean that all goats attack, even if the mother has survived.

Delivering the babies:

The firstborn goat comes out, and it is instantly clear that something is not quite right. The goat is larger than normal, with bright red fur and two heads with pitch black eyes that stare at you with scorn. It immediately stands, wobbly at first, and then with a dismissive "maaah" it trots away from the party. Before you can react, another red-furred kid emerges from the mother goat. It is not uncommon for goats to have twins, but then another slides out. And another. Then another. Before you know it, there are a total of 6 baby goats trotting around the barn. It is quite a peculiar feat, and you notice that the mother goat is quickly fading away from the exertion.....

Killing the Mother:

The weapon slides into the neck of the pregnant goat with ease, and you hear the final sigh as the goat takes her last breath. You remove the weapon and sheath it while Verner backs up rapidly, sobbing that you killed the goat. All of a sudden, the belly of the pregnant goat bursts open and reveals a small portal. Before you can react, out of the portal jump 9 goats with red fur and two heads, each head with curved horns. They are each the size of a pony, and their pitch-black eyes rage with fury. Without warning they charge....

Attacking the babies:

You each unsheath your weapons, ready to do away with these infernal creatures. At once, each of the twelve pitch-black eyes lock onto the party, and the baby goats bare their teeth. With a stomp and bellow, all of the baby goats transform before your very eyes. They become the size of a small horse, and they grow curved horns that come to an extremely sharp point. All of a sudden these little babies have become much more dangerous.....

Aftermath:
The party leads Verner back to the Meeting Hall, where the villagers have arranged a makeshift hospital bed for the old crazy man. Verner sets to work immediately, working in tandem with Angus to treat their patient. Beau sidles up next to the party and tuts to herself.

"That old man is in a bad way, but Verner can handle him. Don't you worry about that! But I am worried about my poor little boy Pyroth. That little horned devil always gets himself into trouble, and I fear he may have stepped into something bad big time; the little rebel loves his food and yet he has skipped lunch! Do you think you could do me a quick favour and search for the little tyke?"

With nothing much to do except watch the flustered Verner work on something drastically more mundane than aiding the birth of two-headed goats, the party slowly files out of the Meeting Hall and begin their search for the little Tiefling boy....

Pyroth and Bakasura

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On the outskirts of the village near the edge of the forest, you notice a little figure running towards Hillsfar. The figure cannot find their footing and is constantly tripping over on the uneven ground. Then, all of a sudden, a humanoid-like figure leaps unnaturally high out of the forest and pounces on the other figure. The new creature drags the smaller figure back into the forest, which you can determine is small child. It seems like the child is in trouble, and you must act quick if you are to save him.

• Treat the search and the following event as a series of skill challenges. They will eventually catch up, but the result of their rolls will determine whether Bakasura has captured his prey or if the boy is relatively safe. Each of the challenge rolls should range from DC 10 to 15.
• If the party decides to leave the child to fend for himself and continue to Dragonspur, the child will die horribly and the devils in the village will start feasting on the remaining prisoners.
• Use these stats for Bakasura. Bakasura will always flee from danger, and will curse the party for being Devil-loving cultists that don't know when they are being played.

The Demon Bakasura is now gone, and the little Tiefling boy quickly rushes up and sticks close to you. But as soon as you move towards the village, his eyes open wide with fear and he edges closer towards the tree-line. Any attempt to talk to the boy is futile as he seems to be mute, but he makes one thing clear; he points towards the village and then places his hands next to each side of his head with one finger pointed upwards, just like horns....

The Succubi in the Village

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Screams seem to come from every point in the village. The escaped prisoners are being chased down by the villagers and are dragged towards the barn, while the children are being sheperded into the meeting hall with trussed up Angus. Some of the villagers seem to spout wings and begin flying, circling around the village in search of more prey. One of the flying villagers lets out an unholy screech and points towards the party as they reach the edge of the village.....

• The Succubi are not particularly fond of fighting, and will use the properties of the Lair Actions to give themselves an advantage at hiding in the shadows when things get tough
• Beau will escaped with, at the very least, the children if the Party attempts to save the prisoners. The Succubi in the barn will attempt to open a portal and shepherd in the Prisoners if the Party attempts to save the children first.
• As soon as the last Succubi flees, the spell is disbanded over the village and the truth emerges; the original villages have been slaughtered and left lying where they fell. The smell is overpowering.
• The Hallucination will re-enact scenes from when the Succubi slaughtered the original townspeople.

Appendix: Monsters

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Beau the Succubus

Medium fiend (shapechanger), neutral evil

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Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 66 (12d8+12)

Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	17 (+3)	13 (+1)	15 (+2)	12 (+1)	20 (+5)

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Skills Deception +9, Insight +5, Perception +5, Persuasion +9, Stealth +7

Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, poison; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 15

Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal telepathy 60 ft.

Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

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Telepathic Bond. The fiend ignores the range restriction on its telepathy when communicating with a creature it has charmed. The two dont even need to be on the same plane of existence.

Shapechanger. The fiend can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid, or back into it's true form. Without wings, the fiend loses its flying speed. Other than its size and speed, its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

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Actions

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Claw (Fiend Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 6 (1d6+3) slashing damage.

Charm. One humanoid the fiend can see within 30 ft of it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed for 1 day. The charmed target obeys the fiend's verbal or telepathic commands. If the target suffers any harm or receives a suicidal command, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. If the target successfully saves against the effect, or if the effects on it ends, the target is immune to this fiend's Charm for the next 24 hours. The fiend can have only one target charmed at a time. If it charms another, the effect on the previous target ends.


Draining Kiss. The fiend kisses a creature charmed by it or a willing creature. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 32 (5d10+5) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

Charm. One humanoid the fiend can see within 30 ft of it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed for 1 day. The charmed target obeys the fiend's verbal or telepathic commands. If the target suffers any harm or receives a suicidal command, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. If the target successfully saves against the effect, or if the effects on it ends, the target is immune to this fiend's Charm for the next 24 hours. The fiend can have only one target charmed at a time. If it charms another, the effect on the previous target ends.

Etherealness. The fiend magically enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa.

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Lair Actions

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On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Beau takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; Beau can't use the same effect two rounds in a row.

Miasma Fog A mysterious purple noxious gas forms a cloud in a 20-foot radius centred on a point that Beau can see within 120 feet of her. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is lightly obscured. It lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round. Each creature that starts its turn in the cloud must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its turn. While poisoned in this way, a creature is incapacitated.

Magical Blindness A 20-foot sphere at a point that Beau can see within 120 feet of her is immersed in Magical Darkness. The sphere spreads around corners. It lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round.

Hallucination A creature that Beau can see within 120 feet of her must make a DC 13 Will save or be subjected to vivid Hallucinations. The have disadvantage on all attack rolls and grant advantage on all attack rolls against them.

Appendix: The Amulet

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The Gods within the amulet will gain or lose powers depending on the decisions and actions of the party. The Gods can sense intent, so will gain power even if the party does not follow through with a certain action.

The following should be used as a guide when determining who gains power during the adventure:

• Immediately following Angus to help the old man will favor Bahumat & Pelor.
• Abandoning Angus and the old man at any time will favor Bukalos & Asomodeus.
• Showing any interest and concern for the children will favor Pelor.
• Rejecting to go fetch Verner will favor Asomodeus & Bukalos.
• Failing to help the Pyroth the Tiefling child will favor Bukalos and Gruumsh.
• Leaving the village to it's fate once the devils start feasting on the prisoners will  will favor Bukalos and Gruumsh.
• Defending the prisoners and the children from the devils will favor Kord and Bahumat.
• Accidentally killing a child favors no-one, but murdering them all favours Bane and Gruumsh.
• Killing the Demon Goats will favour Erathis, Raven Queen and Pelor. Letting the Demon Goats live will favour Bukalos and Gruumsh.
• Delivering the Demon Goats will favour Pelor and Melora. Killing the Pregnant Goat will favour Gruumsh and Bukalos.

Name	Domain	Current Power
Asomodeus	Power and pride	1
Bahumat	Justice and Honour	2
Bane	War, Domination, Subjugation	2
Bukalos	Disaster and Pain	1
Erathis	Civilisation, Order, Peace	0
Gruumsh	Wrath, Destruction, Cruelty	1
Ioun	Magic, Study	1
Kord	War, Athletics	2
Korellon	Freedom, Beauty, Art	1
Lloth	Treachery, Lies, Deceit	3
Melora	Nature, Wilderness, Sea	1
Moradin	Creation, Craftsmen	1
Pelor	Sun, Farmers, Commoners	2
Raven Queen	Death, Burial, Winter	4

D&D Adventure: Breaking into prison

This adventure uses some of my personal home-brew, including the Samurai, and is set in my home-brewed world of Nuovo Arkhosia (map). This is all mere fluff, and the Samurai can be replaced by Knights in the monster manual.

The Gaolers Keep is found just outside Dessingrove City, along the inner part of the wall that separates the Empire from the Wasteland. It is a fairly small fortress, only meant to temporarily hold prisoners before they are transferred and exiled into the Wasteland.

Prison Grove, it is mockingly called by the locals.

The Keep also has something of interest to the party; a political prisoner (and family relative). Angus was a prominent figure in the resistance to the Empire, leading a campaign of sabotage and subterfuge against the Herald of the new God, Artor Keler-Vonstahp. Eventually a peace was struck between the residents of the wasteland and the Empire, but only if Angus became a hostage as part of the truce. For peace and his family, Angus willingly gave up his freedom to secure the truce.

Why does the party wants to break Angus out of prison?

The party were sent by the old Gods to remove the heresy of the new religion, but are seen as relative unknowns in this land. Angus was a fervent believer of the Old Gods, and is a legendary hero to the people of the wasteland. Securing Angus may be just the thing the party needs to become legitimate in the people's eyes.

Where is Gaoler's Keep, and what does it look like?

The Keep is located approximately 1 km south of Dessingrove city on the eastern side of Artor's Wall, the wall that separates the Empire from the Wasteland. Part of the Wall is integrated into the Keep. No other buildings or settlements are allowed to be built near the Keep to ensure the prison's integrity.

Map of the prison

The heavily guarded entrance to the Keep is located to the north-east, and immediately leads into the Administration room where prisoners are checked in and out. The entrance is magically constructed as such that only one door can be open at any single moment. This ensures that prisoners or visitors cannot just rush in or out.

The Admin room leads into the main corridor, which is segmented into three main parts. The corridor, like the entrance, is magically constructed so that neither gate or the kitchen can be open at the same time.

The large open space to the south of the corridor, or the Yard, has multiple uses. It is used to train the guards, provide leisure time for well-behaved prisoners, and as an execution area for summary punishment. The Record Room is located just to the south-east of the Yard, and is where all records of prisoners are kept until release.

The two rooms to the north of the main corridor are for the use of the guards. The red rooms are known as the Officer's Quarters, while the other room is known as the Guard's Mess. The Guard's Mess is where the Guards spend their break, and also doubles as an armoury.

The largest room in the Officer's Quarters is the Warden's Office, who overseas the administration of the whole prison. The left room is the Captain's Office, who is in charge of all guard related matters. The right room is the Chaplain's office, who is required to be on hand to serve the prison's religious needs.

The Kitchen and Prisoner's Mess are located to the south of the Officer's Quarters. The Kitchen is largely run and staffed by the prisoner's themselves so as to save on costs.

The final room is the Cell Block, where all the prisoners are located. There are 14 single cells and 2 bulk cells. 

All of the walls, floors and ceilings have been inscribed with runes to prevent the use of magic. The Captain and the Warden also have magical staves that when planted generate an anti-magic field around them. Only the yard is considered mildly safe to use magic, but the interrupted flow means that every single spell cast will cause a Wild Magic surge.

The NPCs

Warden Gavin Delson
Human, Samurai / Knight
The Warden is a minor member of the Delson noble family, and has been stuck running this prison for the past 20 years. His workaholic habits led his wife to leave him 5 years ago, and he’s done nothing but throw himself more into his work and alcohol. He sold his house in Dessingrove and set up a bare-bones cot in his office, and traded his horse to pay off his tab at the local taverns. Many of the prisoners who have been around for an extended time get along great with him and consider him a friend.

Captain Bronzefist
Dwarf, Samurai / Knight
Bronzefist is an exiled dwarf from the Wawmar Mountains, and has sort to make his mark on the new empire. He has risen high in Gaoler's Keep, and is now in charge of all guards. Relatively new to the prison in dwarf terms (15 years), Bronzefist has gotten to know almost all of the inmates fairly well. Even though his philosophy is that prison is a place for rehabilitation, he does not get along well with most of the prisoners. He, more so than the Warden, is seen as the gatekeeper by the inmates. Nearly all of the long-term prisoners hate him, and their attitude bleeds down to the newer inmates.

Chaplain Agnar
The prison's resident cleric. He is pale like a ghost and always has bags under his eyes. The guy looks like he hasn't slept in a while. He usually handles all administrative work.

Jeremy (Guard)
This black-haired, grey-green-eyed man has a fragile build and heavy, plain face. He is naive and quirky, and is interested mainly in money.

Riley (Guard)
This strawberry blond-haired, grey-eyed woman has a slender build. She is self-righteous, and is interested in romance and clothes. Way tougher than she looks.

Vidhi (Guard)
This man is a cold-hearted guard who is usually inconsiderate. He has dull grey hair, blue eyes, and brown skin. He is rotund with a thin face.

The Prisoners

Angus

A 52-year old man serving out a life sentence, Angus has been around since the Warden came into the job. He largely keeps to himself, and his status as a revolutionary means he garners some respect from the other prisoners.

Amos Caely
Mr. Caely, as he is referred to by nearly all of the inmates, is the most connected man in Gaoler's Keep. Nearly everyone owes him a favour. It is quite possible to suppose that he’s also incredibly well connected in Dessingrove. It is well known that he wouldn't be doing ANY time if it wasn't for a particular guardsmen that managed to witness Amos overseeing a drug deal. Amos is serving 10 years, 3 of which have passed.

Eldridge and Rocky
Mr. Caely’s left and right hand men. They worked for him before getting thrown in Gaoler's Keep, and continue to do so now. These two brutes are never too far away from their boss, and are willing to put up a fight for him, or take the blame when he gets a finger pointed at him.

Other Prisoners
Most of the other prisoners are simply on their way to being exiled into the wasteland. They are generally political or religious prisoners.

Some notes about the prison

Guard shift change

Most guards live in Dessingrove, and usually work for the full day. The shift changes at dawn. A minimum of four guards (not including the captain) is required to maintain the prison. There is always at least one guards patrolling the walls (accessible from the yard near the record room). One guard watches over the prisoners in the Cell block, however protocol dictates that two guards is required to manoeuvre prisoners around. Finally, one guard patrols the rest of the prison while the last one is on his break in the Guard's mess.

Food, water and supplies

Most of the work is done by the prisoners (or at a stretch, the guards themselves). Food and supplies are brought on a weekly basis through the entrance. Water is brought daily.

Visitors

Visitors are strictly not allowed.

Alarms

A magical alarm has been set up that is link to the main Dessingrove guard barracks. It can be set off in any of the Officer's Rooms. It should take roughly 10 minutes for back-up to arrive.

Some useful references

Use these rules:

http://recedingrules.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/heist-con-special-mission.html

Some useful skills checks:

http://dungeonsmaster.com/2009/06/skill-challenge-prison-break/

Sample adventure:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?249387-Prison-Break-Adventure

Samurai

Some notes:

• This post doesn't include any of the Buddhist or Zen religious influences so that you can pop this into whatever fantasy world you have made
• I have tried to avoid any specific cultural references such as Bushido so that it should fit in whatever culture you choose
• Based upon the Gladiator in the D&D 5E Monster Manual 

Samurai are the eastern equivalent of a western knight. They are military-trained nobility that swear allegiance to a feudal lord (daimyo in Japanese culture) and follow a strict code of conduct. Honour and Duty are paramount to a Samurai warrior, and a loss of honour was considered worse than death.

Common traits among Samurai was  meditation to calm the mind, needless killing was an abhorrent act, ritual suicide was an acceptable method to regain honour, unwavering loyalty to your lord unto death, and that honour and rank is placed above all else.

Notes

• Samurai were educated in the art of strategy so that they could be effective officers. They usually lead troops in battle.  
• Samurai were accomplished martial artists, and could fight with a range of weaponry (including their bare hands). They are always seeking to improve their combat effectiveness through training and practice.
• Samurai are extremely strict on each other when it comes to their code of honour. Any Samurai who fails at upholding this code are cast out and shunned by all, including former allies.

Samurai

Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment (tending towards lawful)

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Armor Class 16 (chain mail)

Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45)

Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	15 (+2)	16 (+3)	10 (0)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)

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Skills Athletics +10, Persuasion +5

Saving throws Str +7, Dex +5, Con +6

Senses passive Perception 11

Languages any one language (usually Common)

Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

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Brave. The samurai has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Focus. As a bonus action on their turn, the samurai enters a calm state of mind and focuses on their opponents. This focus lasts for 1 minute and ends early if the samurai has not attacked or taken damage since the beginning of their last turn. The samurai cannot casts spells while in focus. The samurai must take a short or long rest before they can use this ability again.

While focused the samurai gains the following benefits:

• They have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws
• When they hit with a melee weapon attack, they gain + 2 bonus to the damage roll (see the weapon entry for the focus damage entry)
• They have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage.

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Actions

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Multiattack. The samurai makes three melee attacks or two ranged attacks.

Katana (Longsword). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage, or 9 (1d10 + 4) when held with two hands.
Focus: 10 (1d8 + 6) piercing damage, or 11 (1d10 + 6) when held with two hands.

Tanto (Dagger). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage. Can be thrown with a range of 20/60.
Focus: 8 (1d6 + 6) piercing damage.

Short Bow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320., two-handed, one target.
Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.

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Reactions

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Parry. The samurai adds 3 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the samurai must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

The Amulet of the Pantheon

The defeat of the Pantheon to the might of The Mockery left the old religion in ruins and many of the deities essentially dead. Their shattered fragments were banished from the mortal realm, but they managed to navigate the hostile dimensional planes and found safety inside the amulet of one of their most devout followers, Grimbold. There the old gods, both good and evil, partially regathered themselves and waited to be reforged into their former selves.

Grimbold followed the teachings of the Raven Queen, Goddess of Death in the Pantheon, and wore an amulet that was imbued with the soul of one of her unnamed saints. Grimbold gave up their divine powers while the amulet's soul sacrificed itself completely so that the fragments of the old God's could find a temporary home within the amulet. Unfortunately the defeat has left the individual personalities of the Gods completely shattered so that what remains are the raw emotions and ideologies of those Gods but without any of their purpose.


The nascent essences of the Gods now compete for dominance, struggling with each other to come out on top. Their struggles are heavily influenced by what occurs immediately around them, and by the choices of their bearer. For instance deadly combat favours the war gods Kord and Bane, while appreciation of the arts favours Korellon. The most dominant ideologies have a significant influence on the magical powers that the amulet will bestow upon it's bearer.

The Gods and their Ideologies

Over half of the Gods in the Pantheon fell, and their personalities were shattered. They only partially remain inside of the amulet, and are heavily influenced by their environment. They are, in alphabetical order:

Asomodeus was the most powerful evil God of the Pantheon, and represented raw power and pride. He is influenced by any actions that significantly increase the power of the bearer (whether through acts good or ill), and in taking pride in that works.

Bahumat was the leader of the Gods of good as he represented Justice and Honour. He is influenced by actions that are exceedingly just and honorable, and where the bearer abides by the law of the land and follows a strict honour code.

Bane was the evil God of War, and he always lusted after complete domination of his enemies. He is influenced by victorious combat, the subjugation of enemies and the conquering of their land.

Bukalos was an evil Goddess that thrived on disaster and pain. She is influenced through illness, averse weather conditions and disasters of any nature.

Erathis was a Goddess of Civilisation who sought to bring order to the masses. She thrives on orderly bureaucracy and peace.

Gruumsh was the evil God of Wrath, and had an insatiable appetite for destruction. He thrives on any type of destruction that was caused intentionally.

Ioun was the God of Magic, and spent eternity studying the nature of the universe. He is influenced by dedicated study and the use of magic.

Kord was the good God of War, and thrives on the battlefield. He is influenced by combat and feats of physical prowess.

Korellon was the God of Freedom, and appreciated natural beauty in all of its forms. He thrives on art, liberty and individual freedom.

Lloth was the evil Goddess of Treachery, and is influenced by lies and deceit.

Melora was the Goddess of Nature, and is influenced by the wilderness and the sea. She is influenced through any act that would protect nature.

Moradin was the God of Creation, and is the patron of all craftsmen. He is influenced when anything new is created.

Pelor was the God of the Sun, and is the patron of farmers and commoners. He is influenced through any act that would protect farmsteads and the common people.

And the Raven Queen was the Goddess of Death. She is influenced through proper burial procedures and the destruction of the undead.

Powers of the Amulet

The amulet starts off with the following powers:

1. While attuned to the Amulet, the bearer can use an action to case Cure Wounds. After the bearer casts the spell, they roll a d6. On a roll of 1-5, the bearer cannot cast the spell again until the next dawn.
2. While attuned to the Amulet, the bearer can use an action to case Heal. After the bearer casts the spell, they roll a d6. On a roll of 1-5, the bearer cannot cast the spell again until the next dawn.
3. When you cast a spell using the Amulet, there is a 10 percent chance that you attract the attention of The Mockery. The Mockery sends an avatar to wrest the Amulet from you. The avatar has the same alignment as its creator and the statistics of an Empyrean. Once it obtains the artifact, the avatar vanishes.

Map of the Empire of Kelerak

This is a map of Kelerak as it stands in the year 649 after the founding of Farland (the standard reference calendar used within the region). The Empire of Kelerak stretches from coast-to-coast, all barring a small walled territory called "The Wasteland" surrounding Knight's Hall.

This map was created using Inkarnate.

Map of Kelerak

Templar Code of Honour

Ever since the old gods died to treachery, it has been the responsibility of all mortals to govern in their stead. And it is as such that we, the remnants of the old temples, decree the creation of the Templar Order.

The duty given to the Templars is great, and lest they become corrupted by their power we shall impose upon them a Code of Honour to guide their actions. Let any Templar who breaks this code be cast out naked into the night to face the horrors alone.

The Virtues

1. Justice. A Templar vows to decide upon a course of action with reason, to die when to die is right, and to strike when to strike is right. Justice is the skeleton of the Templar; without bones the head cannot rest on the spine, nor hands move or feet stand. Without Justice neither talent nor learning can make a mortal into a Templar.
2.  Courage. A Templar must not only perceive what is right but also have the courage to do what is right. Bravery only counts if it is exercised in the cause of Justice and Righteousness.
3. Mercy. A Templar is imbued with the power to kill, but they must temper that power with mercy. The Templar must show love, sympathy and pity for their fellow mortals lest they fall into hubris and evil.
4. Sincerity. The Templar must have the courage to speak and act truly about their own feelings, beliefs, thoughts and desires. To be true to others is to be true to oneself, and in that truth is the path towards becoming a true Templar.
5. Politeness. The Templar will always express a benevolent regard for the feelings of others. Courtesy and good manners are only counted as a virtue if it is not motivated by a fear of offending good taste.
6. Loyalty. The Templar Order is charged with bringing order upon the mortal realm, and to achieve that it must have the utter devotion of the Templars. The ties that bind us together will allow mere mortals defeat the forces of evil.
7. Self-Control. The Templar must have an absolute moral standard that transcends logic. What is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong. Do not allow others to cloud the standards which has been given to you to uphold.

The Codes

1. To protect the weak and defenceless
2. To give succour to widows and orphans
3. To refrain from purposely giving offence
4. To despise monetary rewards
5. To fight for the welfare of all
6. To obey those placed in authority
7. To guard the honour of fellow Templars
8. Abstain from unfairness, meanness and deceit
9. At all times speak the truth
10. To preserve to the end any promise made
11. To respect the honour of the common folk
12. Never refuse a challenge for combat from a Templar of equal standing
13. Never turn your back on your enemy