86 lines
5.0 KiB
Markdown
86 lines
5.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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arc: 1
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levels: 5-8
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status: planning
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---
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# Arc 1 — Heirs of Sundering
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## Summary
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The party arrives in the border town of [[Eastmarch]] amid strange weather and missing caravans. Investigation reveals a cell of the [[The Hand of Ruin|Hand of Ruin]] attempting to crack a [[Seal Anchor]] — one of seven keystones that bind the Primordial Wrath beneath the world. The party must stop the ritual, learn the scope of the conspiracy, and trace the cult to its regional master: a corrupted noble of [[Valdris]].
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## Story Hooks
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### Hook 1: The Missing Caravan
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A supply caravan from [[Kethra]] has vanished on the Old Salt Road. [[Marshal Aldren Voss]], Eastmarch's garrison commander, offers 200 gp per head for a recovery party. The caravan was carrying more than grain — it held a sealed [[The Silent College|Silent College]] shipment bound for the capital.
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**Combat:** [[Bandits & Wilderness Encounters#Old Salt Road Ambush|Bandit ambush]] on the road. The bandits are paid mercenaries hired by the cult.
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**Clue:** Among the wreckage, a broken amulet bearing the sigil of the Hand of Ruin — a downward spiral with seven cracks.
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### Hook 2: The Weeping Sky
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Unnatural storms batter Eastmarch nightly — rain that burns crops and lightning that strikes the same hilltop three times per hour. Local druid [[Elder Ylara Moongrove]] suspects elemental disturbance and begs the party to investigate the hilltop.
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**Exploration:** The hilltop is a dormant [[Seal Anchor]]. Cultists have been performing blood rituals there for three weeks.
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**Combat:** 2 cult fanatics, 1 cult mage (Hand of Ruin), and 4 summoned mephits. The mage carries a [[Cult Cipher]], encoded instructions in Ignan.
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### Hook 3: The Poisoned Well
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Eastmarch's water supply turns bitter. Townsfolk grow paranoid. A child goes missing. The town healer, [[Mira Thorne]], suspects foul play.
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**Investigation:** The well is tainted by alchemical residue from cult rituals. The missing child was taken as an offering.
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**Combat / Rescue:** Cult hideout beneath an abandoned mill. 3 cultists, 2 guard drakes, 1 cult fanatic leader. The child is alive but weakened. Rescue yields the party gratitude and a safe haven in Eastmarch.
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### Hook 4: The Lords' Summons
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After resolving two of the hooks above, [[Marshal Aldren Voss]] receives a sealed letter from the Duke of [[Valdris]]. The Duke offers the party a formal commission as "Swordsworn Investigators" of the Crown — with access, resources, and the authority to pursue the cult across borders. This transitions the party toward [[Valhold]].
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**Twist:** The letter is genuine, but the Duke's court is infiltrated. The cult knows the party is coming.
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## Key NPCs This Arc
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| NPC | Role | Location | Link |
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|-----|------|----------|------|
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| [[Marshal Aldren Voss]] | Quest-giver, garrison commander | Eastmarch | Honest, overworked, grateful |
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| [[Elder Ylara Moongrove]] | Lore source, druid ally | Eastmarch outskirts | Knows old legends of the seals |
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| [[Mira Thorne]] | Healer, moral compass | Eastmarch | Source of local rumors |
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| [[Duke Edric Blackthorn]] | Patron, potential ally or enemy | Valhold | Infiltrated court |
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## Key Locations
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- [[Eastmarch]] — border town, campaign starting hub
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- [[Seal Anchor]] — the ruined anchor site near Eastmarch
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- [[Valhold]] — capital of Valdris, Duke's seat
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- [[The Sinking Chapel]] — cult hideout beneath the Old Mill
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- [[Old Salt Road]] — trade route between Valdris and Kethra
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## Quest Chains
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| Quest | Hook | Resolution | XP |
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|-------|------|------------|-----|
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| Missing Caravan | Hook 1 | Recover shipment, find cult amulet | 800 |
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| Storm on the Hill | Hook 2 | Disrupt ritual, obtain cipher | 1,200 |
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| Tainted Well | Hook 3 | Rescue child, clear hideout | 1,000 |
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| The Duke's Commission | Hook 4 | Accept commission, travel to Valhold | 600 |
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| Arc Milestone | — | Identify regional cult leader | Milestone → 6 |
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## Treasure & Rewards
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- **[[Cult Cipher]]** — encoded instructions; deciphered in Valhold, reveals next target: the [[Ironheart Mine]] in Arc 2.
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- **[[Ring of the Verdant Eye]]** — uncommon, requires attunement. Gift from Elder Ylara if the party protects the seal anchor. Grants advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect aberrations and elementals.
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- **Marshal's Commendation** — writ of passage through Valdris, free lodging at Crown inns.
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- **Cult Mage's Grimoire** — contains 2nd-level wizard spells: *darkness*, *scorching ray*, *misty step*.
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## Arc Climax
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Confrontation with **[[Keeper Valdrek]]**, the regional cult leader, in the undercroft of Valhold. He is in the midst of a ritual to shatter the second seal anchor. Victory earns the party:
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- Level 8 milestone
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- Recognition by the [[The Verdant Circle|Verdant Circle]], who reveal themselves
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- The location of the [[Ironheart Mine]] — a deeper seal anchor under siege in Arc 2
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## Transition to Arc 2
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The Verdant Circle reveals that three more seal anchors are under active siege, and the [[Crown Concordat]] is about to go to war with [[Kethra]] — a war the Hand of Ruin is orchestrating as cover for their work.
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