The town of Balberry has been abandoned for years. Now you are sent to explore its ruins.
“Why was Balberry abandoned in the first place?” you ask Perry, the halfling wizard, whose quest you have accepted to recover a Staff of Everburning Fire from the ruins of that town. You’ve heard about Balberry before; it has been abandoned for several years now, but the stories as to why people suddenly left the prosperous town differ from person to person.
“The truth isn’t known to the public, but the mayor of Balberry along with other significant figures were studying some magical crystals they found in the nearby mine. They conducted experiments on the crystals below the town hall, which is located right by the town square.” Perry’s brow furrows. “One day something went wrong, and a black miasma erupted from the town hall and spread throughout the town. Some people escaped, but others weren’t so lucky.”
“Isn’t it risky for us to go there then? We don’t want to die from contact with such dangerous magic.” The mage of your group voices the worry you all share.
Perry shakes his head. “I have checked the area, and the miasma is no longer present. However, it turned those who did not escape into flesh-eating zombies. You understand why I can’t recover the artifact on my own, don’t you?”
You nod. Getting rid of the undead is indeed an adventurer’s work. You agree to take on the quest on the condition that at the first sight of black, oozing magic you will retreat. Perry agrees to those terms.
The town of Balberry is located in the middle of a desert. Nature has been trying to reclaim the area, blowing sand onto the structures. However, you are surprised to see how untouched some of the buildings remain. You can still tell which of them were shops and where the inn was. The area is, as Perry promised, riddled with zombies.
You make quick work of dispatching them, and then you head to the townhouse where you find several artifacts. You only agreed to bring the Staff of Everburning Fire to the wizard, so everything else here belongs to you.
You leave the town, wondering if people will come to live here again soon, or if the reputation of the place is so terrible that nobody would ever want to settle here again?
Adventure Hooks
- Perry, a halfling wizard, sends you to Balberry, an abandoned town in the middle of a wasteland, to get the Staff of Everburning Fire for him. You fight hordes of zombies to get to the townhouse where the artifact is located. Thankfully the Staff is right where Perry said it would be.
- The king has tasked you with venturing to the abandoned town of Balberry to determine if the black miasma which covered the area has disappeared with the passage of years. It’s your job to determine if the town is ready to be resettled.
- At some point in your journeys you come across a ruined town in the middle of the wasteland. It’s infested with undead but hasn’t been looted with anybody yet. You find gold and artifacts – this is your chance to get rich!
The forest has been trying to reclaim the ruins of a library, but wonders can still be found within its ancient walls!
“Years ago, the Library of Petra Trenese was frequently visited by everyone who wanted to broaden their knowledge on magical subjects.” Lauren, your current employer, gives you the story behind the location where she wants you to venture. “I don’t even know if the book I’m seeking will still be in readable condition, but I can’t give up the search without at least trying. You’ll be looking for a book with a black clover bearing the symbol of a tree.”
You nod in understanding. Lauren wants you to retrieve the tome and is paying you handsomely. Hopefully the quest will be as simple as it sounds; go to an abandoned library and retrieve one book.
When you arrive at the location you see that the front of the library is still in good condition. As soon as you enter though, you realize the rear of the structure has already crumbled. The roof here has numerous holes, and the books scattered around are wet from lying in unfavorable conditions. As you approach the books, they rise up, displaying a collection of very sharp teeth. The tomes are animated and won’t give up their secrets easily!
After the fight, you find the tome Lauren asked you to retrieve at the back of the library. Even though the other books around it have been destroyed, this one is in pristine condition. You start to wonder – just what kind of magical artifact is this book? However, the words inside are written in a language none of you recognize. You shrug. Your goal was to find this tome. What Lauren will do with it is none of your business… or is it?
Adventure Hooks
- Lauren, a wizard from the Magical Academy in the capital, has tasked you with retrieving an old book from the ruins of a library. You encounter animated tomes that attack you, but eventually you retrieve the book.
- You’ve been exploring the ruins of Trenese when you come across a library. When you look inside, you find nothing of any value – all the tomes have already been destroyed beyond repair. However, one book at the back of the building catches your attention. It’s in pristine condition. What kind of artifact could this book be?
- The heir to the noble line of Trenese wants to reclaim his birthright – a town that was destroyed by an army of orcs. You are tasked with leading the forces who will clear the area of the enemies. After fighting your way inside, you come across an abandoned library which has been left untouched. You find a valuable book there amongst piles of destroyed ones; the tome may be the key to defeating the hordes of monsters.
Face the troll taking a toll on the bridge!
You’re not far from Whiteve, the town where your current quest giver lives, when you come across a shortcut that would save you an hour of walking. It’s a bridge connecting the two banks of a quickly-flowing river. However, crossing proves more difficult than you first thought when you encounter a giant troll sitting on the sturdy-looking stone bridge…
“If you want to cross the bridge you will have to pay a toll.” The troll’s voice is booming. His yellow eyes land on you and he gets up, rising to his impressive height. Suddenly you feel small and insignificant… but you’re not really a bunch of nobodies, are you? You’re mighty adventurers!
“What kind of toll do we have to pay?” Your leader steps in front of the rest of you, brave enough to converse with the huge enemy.
“You need to answer a riddle,” the troll answers. “Do you accept the challenge?”
You look at each other before you exchange nods. You’re up to the monster’s task. “Yes, tell us your riddle.”
“Feed me and I will live, give me a drink and I will die.” The troll’s booming voice echoes in the valley. “That is the riddle.”
You think for a moment. Finally, the wizard of your party steps in front of the rest of you, answering with a smile. “The answer is: fire.”
The enemy smiles, showing sharp teeth. “That is correct. You may pass.”
You all exhale in relief. You’re glad this adventure didn’t end in a fight. You’re indeed mighty adventurers, but part of being good at your job is picking your battles and living another day. You’re not sure if you would have been able to defeat the troll in combat. In a riddle match, however, you’ve proven victorious.
Adventure Hooks
- The bridge you need to cross to get to Whiteve is guarded by a troll. To pass you need to pay a toll in the form of answering a riddle. “Feed me and I will live, give me a drink and I will die.” The answer is fire. Once you give the correct reply, the troll lets you pass.
- The bridge near Whiteve is guarded by a brigade of bandits. To pass, they want you to pay a toll of 20 gold coins. If you refuse, you will have to fight them – but isn’t that option the better one? You will stop their criminal activity.
- The bridge to Whiteve has collapsed and is currently undergoing repairs. You have to travel an hour downstream to where another bridge is located – an old stone construction. You discover, however, that goblins have set up camp in the middle of this bridge of all places. You will have to fight your way through and help the other travelers who set up camp nearby while waiting for someone to make the path clear.
Take care of the imp infestation inside of the watermill!
The miller from the watermill by Alderly has asked you to help him with a critical problem. A portal to Hell has opened in his orchard, and his mill has been overrun by demonic creatures. Last he saw, a bunch of imps were jumping around on his sacks of flour. If nothing is done about the terrible fiends, the miller will lose his livelihood.
In exchange for a priceless family heirloom you agree to clear the watermill from the imps. You enter the building to see a small kitchen with a dining table. There’s also an area for resting next to the fireplace. You follow the sounds of the demonic creatures through a room with the mill’s machinery to the storage room where you see a dozen imps on flour sacks. You fight them and dispatch them back to hell.
In the miller’s bedchamber you find a lesser demon and rid the place of his presence too. Finally you come to the portal in the orchard but luckily find it closed. The problem has been resolved and the miller thanks you, handing you a necklace which feels magical in nature.
Adventure Hooks
- The mill near Alderly has been overrun by imps and a lesser demon. The miller asks you to save his home and workplace from the fiends in exchange for a magical necklace.
- There has been a rat infestation in the mill near Alderly. As adventurers who are just starting out, you take on the quest to exterminate them in exchange for a bit of gold.
- The machinery of the watermill near Alderly has broken down. The miller seeks strong people who can help him with the repairs, and you agree to lend him a hand. This kind of work is not what you usually do as adventurers, but a day without having to fight is a good day too.
One of the dwarven miners vanishes, and you’re tasked with investigating this mysterious disappearance.
Near Blackwoode is a silver mine operated by dwarves. The foreman asks you to investigate the sudden disappearance of one of his workers. The mine is small; there’s only one chamber where six dwarves sleep and a room for supplies.
Off to the left, the dwarves have already begun making the space homier for themselves by making a space to put up a statue of their King and carving out another room for storing the more valuable items they’ve brought here from their settlement. In the future this place will become another dwarven complex of tunnels, or so the foreman hopes.
Off to the right is a huge natural cave with plentiful nodes of silver that the dwarves are mining. Some fluorescent mushrooms grow down the middle, lighting the area. Upon further investigation, you come near the pond in the southern corner of the cave. The water bubbles; when you turn around, a tentacle of goo extends from the surface and tries to pull one of you into the water. The pond is actually a giant slime! Get ready to fight – you’ve found what ate the missing dwarf!
Adventure Hooks
- Upon investigating the dwarven silver mine, you find that a slime is pretending to be a pond of water and has already eaten one of the miners. It’s time to get rid of this monster so that the dwarves can continue to work in peace.
- In your travels you stumble upon a dwarven silver mine. It seems the dwarves have begun developing the space into a proper settlement. Yet all the supplies now lie abandoned; where have the workers gone? Upon investigating the main cave, you find out there’s a giant slime living inside. That creature must have eaten the dwarves. What a sad way to die.
- The dwarven silver mine near Blackwoode is looking for workers. Since you want to take a break from adventuring for a while, you decide to apply as miners. Maybe the change of pace won’t be so bad?
