Setting up camp by a forest road is the perfect place for weary travelers to rest. After all these epic adventures and hardships along the way, even heroes deserve a moment to catch a breath. The peace of the forest gives a feeling of safety. The nearby road isn’t frequently used. But why does it still feel like something is lurking in the nearby woods?
Prepare your finest stories for a night sitting around the campfire, raise your wine glass, and don’t let the quiet forest fool you!
Adventure hooks ideas:
-The choking smoke wakes you up at night. The whole camp is on fire! In a panic, you gather your most essential items and try to flee. Among the smoke, you find your comrades, but not everyone is safe. The undercover princess you were traveling with is still in this burning hell! King certainly won’t be happy if his beloved daughter doesn’t get home safely!
-It’s your turn to keep watch. The night seems peaceful and innocent, so you rest your eyes for a moment. Certainly, nothing terrible will happen… As you wake up from your short nap, you notice that all your supplies are gone! You wake up your crew. The thieves couldn’t get too far away! You can still hear their quiet laughter in the thick of the night.
-While traveling along a forest road, you perceive the smoke of a bonfire. After careful exploration, you learn that this is a thieves camp. Mountains of gold, treasures, and mysterious weapons. Where did they get all this? Will you leave the thieves be, or try to uncover the secrets of their treasures? All these things should be returned to their rightful owner, right? After the proper payment, of course.
Among the cold mountains lies a frozen pond. Traveling through the lands, you may hear many stories about this place. The chilly wind blows harshly through the trees, and cold bites your bones. Despite unwelcoming environment, you can feel that this place has many secrets yet to be discovered. The pond attracts many mythical creatures, but not all of them are friendly… After all, no one really knows what magical rituals are held here.
Sharpen your swords, put on your warmest attire, and discover the mysteries of the Glacial Pond!
Adventure hooks:
- There is a rumor about the hidden treasure down the pond. Folks say it can be spotted by its glow during a full moon. But its light attracts not only you but the goblin thieves as well!
- While near the shore, sudden bursts of arrows are fired at the heroes. The thick fog covers the surroundings. You cannot truly see who is hiding on the top of the cliffs. Tall, dark hoods poke through the fog and maybe some fire from the torches. Only a clever approach can get you out of this tricky situation.
- As your party explored the icy pond, you encountered a cautious nymph spirit. You spotted sadness in her eyes and her wish to revenge. She tells you about an Icy Witch who brought everlasting winter to this area. As great adventurers, you will indeed find a way to bring back the warm days.
The sandy wind hurtles through dried-up trees, singing the song of an ancient forest. It is rumored that long ago, this place was a woods full of greenery. But, now, those days are long gone, and all that is left is the drought, dust, and scorching air. The unforgiving environment makes it a somewhat dangerous area to explore. The scowling of coyotes fills up the quietness, and dried trees won’t provide shelter both from harsh sunlight and intruders. How come you did end up in this wilderness?
Feel the harsh sun during the daytime, prepare for the freezing night and explore Dried Groves!
Adventure hooks:
- A swarm of giant scorpions has been spotted venturing the drylands. A local witch has promised a reward and her unending gratitude for brave adventurers who will bring her the tails of the scorpions. You prefer not to think what she will do with the poisonous stingers.
- There’s a legend about a treasure chest hidden in the hollow tree. Although finding the treasure went quite pleasant, legends forgot to mention the ancient guardian protecting the treasure!
- It’s just too much. You’ve barely escaped the Desert King, and now you’ve ended up in this strange, dried-up forest. During the day, the sun is burning your skin, but nights are freezing cold. This place is full of skulls and bones. Wandering seems to be no-ending, but it’s already too late to turn back. As you start to lose hope, you spot an old, crumbling cabin. Who could live in such a Deadland?
Deep down in the Lowerdark, after traversing countless tunnels, a druidic circle can be found. Getting here isn’t easy; the path seems to constantly change, and you always feel the eyes on your back. Although it appears to emanate its own mystic charming glow, the air here feels heavy and stale, revealing dark truth about this place. No one really knows what happened to Druids, who built this circle. Some say they were sacrificed in their own circle, but others say they are still here, protecting their sacred place. One thing is certain it gathers great magical power.
Stock up on food, prepare some light sources and investigate the Underdark Druid Circle!
Adventure hooks:
- You came down here looking for some crystals and mushrooms for an alchemist but instead got wrapped up in Drow politics. The Drow Queen is going to be sacrificed in the Old Druid Circle. It all seems sketchy to you; the Drow Nobles aren’t acting like themselves. It looks like someone took control over them. After further investigation, you find out all the allegations against the Queen are false, and some demonic power is involved. If you want to save the Queen, you don’t have much time left. It’s only 24 hours till the execution, and the everlasting darkness of Underdark Caverns makes it even harder to keep track of time.
- Underdark Caverns aren’t the best place to find good food. Or any food, to be exact. After being here for what seems like a month, your party is desperate for some larger meal. Supplies are running low, and getting a bite every now and then just isn’t enough. All this glowing mushroom starts to look delicious… After a few bites, you begin to emanate this weird mushroomy glow, and your head feels heavy. You try to hide and wait it out, but the glow doesn’t make it easy.
- Hungry for mystical adventure, you venture out to Lowerdark to seek Druid Circle. After some hardship, you reach the Circle, but it is not so abandoned as people say. Myconids decide to make it their new home. You try to convince them that making a settlement in a possibly sacrificial altar is not a great idea. They don’t listen. Instead, they say they want to rule all of the Underdark.
Twisted River is famous for its twists and turns. The water streams change drastically, so no place in the river is safe to cross by foot. Once upon a time, it was a popular trade route, but a colossal warship blocked it after the Great War. Despite the enormous financial losses, no one removed the wreck just yet. There must be a reason why the ship still stands still. Will you find out what secrets it holds?
Grab boat oars, swim across the Twisted River, and explore the Abandoned Ship!
Adventure hooks:
- A large, abandoned warship is blocking a major trade route. A local ruler offers an incredibly generous reward for getting rid of it. That raises your suspicions; removing the ship is indeed not easy, but the amount of coins he is offering is abnormal. He says it’s an easy but tedious job. The boat seems abandoned, so you decide to take a look at what’s hiding inside. Everything seems calm at first, but suddenly you find yourself surrounded by Lizardfloks. Ruler centrality forgot to tell you about this part of the quest…
- You have been preparing all year to participate in the Grand Race of Ships. Unfortunately, your ship was destroyed during the battle with the Kraken. There is an abandoned ship by the Twisted River that you could „borrow.” This time of the year isn’t the best to travel through nearby woods. Something about the moon, magical rituals, and stuff like that; whatever. You don’t want a whole year of preparation to go to waste, so you decided to take the ship no matter what.
- As you travel along the river, you notice a letter in a bottle floating downstream. At first, you decide to ignore it, but involuntarily it arouses your curiosity. What could be hidden in that bottle? A treasure map? A love letter? If you want to discover this secret, you must hurry up. The bottle floats away faster and faster with every turn of the river.
Travelers beware. The steep cliff-like mountains are treacherous, and many have fallen to their death. The brutal sun is blinding, and unexpected sandstorms make navigation quite tricky. Vultures circle overhead waiting for travelers who have come to meet their end. Although the dusty road seems abandoned at first, many travelers have been ambushed by both wild animals and bandits.
Fill up your waterskins, hide from the harsh sunlight, and travel along the Dusty Road!
Adventure hooks:
- The journey to the oasis seems straightforward, but there are many dangers along the way. The road is rough and full of sand and rocks. All of the surroundings look the same, so you must be careful not to get lost in this seemingly barren wasteland. The longer you travel, the more your mind seems to get lost in this drying madness. Everything begins to look ominous, even your companions. You feel as if someone is following you. Or maybe your comrades are the traitors? Will you be able to distinguish friends from enemies?
- You are part of an adventuring group that travels the world working as caravan guards. Your latest contract is to escort a large caravan of merchants and their goods through these godforsaken lands. The job pays well, but there are rumors that the place you are traveling through is haunted by strange monsters.
- In the middle of the night, you were attacked. In the chaos of the fight, one of your party members was dragged away by the bandits. The sandstorm obliterated all traces that could have helped in the search. After wandering for hours looking for them, you spot a bloody piece of clothing caught on a bush branch. You recognize it. You need to find your companion before all hope is lost.
Mist shrouds a swamp hidden deep in the middle of the woods. Although the autumn colors give the place a mellow expression, the travelers need to stay cautious. Hardly anyone managed to return from the swamp to tell their story. Those who succeeded were left with only madness in their eyes and slurred words mumbling under their breath. It seems like this place is the root of evil, but no one knows why that is. All the stories about this place have been erased from the pages of history, and only great unknown remains.
Watch your steps, gather your courage and venture into Autumn Swamps!
Adventure hooks:
- A pair of Green Hags is using their illusion magic to lure young maidens into the swamp. They are trying to find the perfect vessel to reincarnate the evil goddess. You have to stop them before they carry out their sinister plans.
- The cave hidden deep in the swamp has always been shrouded in mystery. It probably is the source of why this swamp is so ominous. Recently, things have been getting worse. Various strange creatures have started to emerge from the forest, and more and more people are being dragged deep into the woods by force. This place has taken too much from you already. You decide to settle this situation once and for all. No matter what it takes.
- A mad scholar is on the lookout for Giant Frogs eggs. He cannot fight nor protect himself, but he is dead set on getting what he wants. He has already returned wounded once from the expedition, but he is preparing again for another one. If you assist him, the scholar will grant you permission to his library and reward you generously.
