1

what’s inside
credits p.2

author bios p.3

introduction p.4

adair’s tempest p.6

During a stopover on a drizzly island, unease sets in, and the players soon
find that something terrible is coming.

captain bloodfoot’s dungeon p.29

After an accident at sea, the party find themselves in a mysterious,
unknown cave.

a funny business p.44

The party ventures to a remote lair in order to convince a sorceress to stop
plaguing a nearby town with her army of mischievous ferrets.

the omnipotent thief p.51

The party finds themselves confounded by a mysterious thief that seems to
know everything before it even happens.

the return of moandor p.68

An aging ally asks the players to accompany him on a quest to a remote
cavern.

reverse circus p.76

The party is tipped off to a supposedly grand adventure, located within a
small tent in a faraway city.

scurry hunters p.80

The party ventures with some conservationists and their Giant Magical
Squirrel friend on the way to their distant home.

creature index p.97

 2

credits
adventure authors cover art
Blaire Moorevine Untitled photo by Diego Torres
Boxman214 Edited by Joey Anderson
Jared Van Huizen
Joey Anderson
Ondo
additional support
Burkle
Pablo Albelda
John 'Fancy' McAlea-Phillips
Walter Cassel
Jim McIntyre

project coordinators
Chad Wilson
Joey Anderson

license
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This work also uses material from the Quest Creators Resource. The Quest Creators
Resource by The Adventure Guild, LLC is licensed under CC BY 4.0. For more
information about Quest, please visit www.adventure.game. Additionally, please read
Quest’s Community Guidelines to help create experiences that are positive and fun.

author bios
Blaire Moorevine (Reverse Circus) is a storyteller
who, as a young transgender woman, finds solace
in playing games and telling fantastical stories in
which one can personify whatever their heart
desires. Her style of storytelling is very free form,
and encourages the entire table to participate in
making the story unique to their group. As an
accomplished childcare worker who plays Quest
with her students, most of her stories are
designed to be accessible to groups of all ages. If
you're interested in seeing more of her
adventures, or even hiring her as a GM, you can
contact her on Discord at Blaireberry#7756.
Boxman214 (The Return of Moandor) is a huge
nerd. He has played video games his entire life,
but was introduced to tabletop roleplaying quite
recently. He's held interest in writing and game
design for many years, so the opportunity to
contribute to this anthology is a dream come
true. This collection contains his first published
RPG adventure and he can't wait for you to check
it out. You can find his other creations at
https://boxman214.itch.io/
Jared Van Huizen (The Omnipotent Thief): Jared
(he/him) has been running tabletop RPGs since
2014, and playing since 2010. He has experience
with a variety of systems and enjoys helping
people who are new to TTRPGs create a fun story
together. He lives in Ontario, Canada with his
wife. This is his first published adventure.
Joey Anderson (Adair’s Tempest) is a
neurodiverse and queer author dedicated to
making TTRPGs safer and more inclusive spaces
for all. They dream of one day escaping the
Iowan plains they (for now) call home and
writing something that changes the world. You
can contact them via email at
andersonjoey02@gmail.com.
3
Ondo (A Funny Business): Since I was little I've
been dreaming of adventures and fantasy, and
when I discovered RPGs five years ago, I
immediately knew that it would be my obsession
for the rest of my life. I run a Quest game once
every two weeks, and during the day you'll find
me helping people out on World Anvil — the
worldbuilding toolset and community that
welcomed me into the RPG world.
Pablo Albelda (Scurry Hunters) is a high school
teacher figuring out how to introduce his loved
RPGs to his students. He’s a firm defender of
wireless, screenless, pen and paper socialization.
With Quest he found the perfect system to
introduce his friends to TTRPGs, and in the
darkness bind them, and also gain experience as
a DM.
Walter Cassel (Captain Bloodfoot’s Dungeon) is
not really a writer, but he spends a lot of time
imagining stories and scenes for his Quest
games. This adventure is a modified version of
the first campaign Walter ran for his university
friends a few years ago. His goal with this
adventure is to create a cinematic feeling for the
party, as if they are in the middle of an
action-comedy movie. On the Quest Discord
Walter, aka Waltah, can be found discussing
🙂
game mechanics and homebrew. Feel free to
reach out
 4

introduction
Welcome, adventurer, to The Emerald Anthology! Inside this book, you’ll find a collection
of pre-written adventures for the Quest roleplaying game, written by and for the Quest
community. These entries come from a number of different creators and are all
presented with their own unique voice and arrangement. If you are new to Quest and
want to take up the helm of the game’s Guide, this book is for you!

how to use this book

This book is written for the Guide. If you are playing one of your story’s main characters
and think you might want to play one of the adventures in this book, read no further
than this introduction – spoilers abound!

in-text references
Sometimes the text will reference something that is found on another page. A reference
written “p. ##” means a page in this book; one written “gb. ##/##” means a page in the
digital and physical versions (respectively) of the Quest Game Book.

section – If a term is in bold, it refers to a section in this book.

item – If a term is in italics, it refers to a treasure item.

creature – If a term is underlined, it refers to a creature’s stat block.

the emerald archipelago

The stories in this book are all set within a shared setting called the Emerald
Archipelago. While the islands where these adventures take place are all part of the
same island chain, they can all be played independently of each other. There is no map of
the Archipelago – the Guide can decide how much or how little of it they want to include
in their game. While the exact details of the Emerald Archipelago aren’t set in stone,
there are a couple of themes that recur throughout the adventures:

the second moon – Not long ago, within the past few years, an additional moon suddenly
appeared in the sky over the islands. This moon carries a powerful and chaotic magical
energy, and it wanders through the sky seemingly without regard to astronomical
patterns. Due to its mysterious and frustrating nature, not much else has been concluded
 5

about it since it appeared. If you’ve already established that your game’s setting has a
particular number of moons, that’s okay! Perhaps in this case, the Second Moon
somehow only appears in the sky above the Emerald Archipelago… it is magical, after all.
Beyond this, you (the Guide) can decide what the origin and destiny of the Second Moon
is in your story.

funny ferrets – The Emerald Archipelago is home to a number of unique animals

commonly called Funny Ferrets. These creatures are similar in appearance and behavior
to normal ferrets, but they vary in size and have a particular fondness for mischief –
more so than even real-world ferrets do.
 6

adair’s tempest
a quest rpg adventure by joey anderson

The party makes a stopover in a foggy yet cheerful fishing village. This island, called
Adair, is known for its magical waters that yield bountiful numbers of fish and seafood,
making every cast of a net into a wonderful harvest. What they soon learn, however, is
that the sworn guardian of the island and its Blessing is missing. The sky has begun to
darken, and the sea begun to swirl. Can they figure out what's going on before the island
is swallowed up?

content warning – This adventure includes elements of deception (by Rhode), as well as
an unwilling but magically compelled adversary (Wren).

mini-table of contents
This adventure is very nonlinear, as the players can take many paths to explore the
island. Thus, all of the adventure’s main scenes (except for the introduction and
conclusion) are presented in alphabetical order. Begin the adventure with the
Introduction scene.

Background p.7
Island Map p.8
Introduction p.9
Crawling Cove p.10
Crustacean Rave Cave p.11
Evelyn’s Farm p.12
Evelyn’s Story p.13
Highland Lake p.14
Invoker’s Passage p.15
Isengrim Tavern p.16
Leviathan’s Heart p.17
Rhode’s Performance p.19
Richterport p.20
Runic Door p.21
Second Moon Ritual p.22
Tidal Tunnels p.23
Tidepools of Goob p.24
Titan’s Ribcage p.25
Wren’s House p.26
Conclusion p.27
 7

background
Hundreds of years ago, a legendary whaler named Praergood of Adair was the first to slay
a Leviathan – a titanic, landmass-sized fish that carries destructive storms in its wake.
The remains were brought home and carved up, and every piece was used efficiently by
the people of Adair. The fish’s bones were used in structures that stand to this day, its oil
fueled lamps for centuries, and its scales were used by master smiths in incredible
creations of metalwork. But most importantly, the Leviathan’s heart was used as the
vessel for an immensely powerful enchantment – one that blessed the waters around
Adair and provided its people with the bountiful abundance of the sea. The heart was
sealed away deep beneath the island, and a guardian from every generation has sworn to
protect it ever since. This magic that pervades the island of Adair is commonly referred
to as the Blessing.

Currently, the sworn guardian of the Blessing is a young person named Wren, a
dedicated individual that is known for their charity work in ensuring the islanders’ safety
and well-being. However, they’ve recently disappeared, and no one in town knows why.
The real (but secret) reason is because the Second Moon has made the Leviathan’s Heart
start beating again, circulating magical energy in an impossible mockery of life. Since
Leviathans can sense the remains of their kin at great distances (like how sharks detect
blood in the water), one of them is coming to consume the heart, and the island with it.

The players arrive several hours before the Leviathan is set to arrive (see Conclusion).
While time is presented fluidly in this adventure, there is an overall limit on how much
the characters can do before disaster strikes. You can represent this by marking Xs on a
piece of scratch paper or a digital document.
- Each time the players engage in a scene with a significant amount of exploration,
interaction, or fighting, mark two Xs.
- Each time the players travel between two scenes on the island that aren’t spatially
adjacent, mark one X.
- If the players take time to regroup, mark 2 Xs. (The players won’t have time to
take a full rest during this adventure.)

As you mark Xs, remind the players that a storm is rolling in and imply a subtle sense of
urgency. There are examples of this throughout the read-aloud text; feel free to add more
wherever you like. Once you’ve marked 25 Xs, time has run out, and the adventure’s
Conclusion arrives whether the players are ready for it or not. Unless the players were
able to succeed in the climactic scene at Leviathan’s Heart in the nick of time, they’ll
probably be facing the bad ending.
 8

island map
aboveground
(not to scale)

belowground
(also not to scale)
 9

introduction
After days of boat planks shifting uneasily beneath your feet, the feel of
solid ground is a welcome respite. As you take your first steps onto the
coast of Adair Island, the fog clears ever so slightly, and so appears the
quaint fishing village of Richterport. Beyond that, you see the looming
silhouette of sharp mountain slopes that rise toward the center of the
island.

You’ve been told by some of the others on your ship that the best place for
new visitors to stop is the Isengrim Tavern. You’ve also heard that there’s
a particularly scenic spot up on the mountain that folks like to hike up to.

Your ship sets off tomorrow morning. Until then, you’ve got a beautiful,
drizzly day to explore.

As the players how their characters are feeling about their stopover on the rainy isle of
Adair. Then, ask what they’d like to do.

Unless the party follows the coastline from the docks and skirts the town entirely, their
most likely first stop is the town of Richterport.
 10

crawling cove
After a little while further of journeying through the steadily worsening
rain, you reach the barren, forgotten side of Adair. The mountain, now
behind you, looms with a quiet intensity over a wide, dark cove. Beyond the
edge of that is a tempestuous ocean blanketed in wind and fog.

Near the shore is a rusted-out, dilapidated lighthouse. Massive holes have

formed in its metal sides, and it looks ready to fall over with just one more
gust. It feels empty, like it hasn’t lit the sea for a long time.

You can see that the path leads all the way down the cove’s small cliff edge
and down to the beach. Down there, on the rocks and sand, you can see
small burrows or nests, a few of which have some kind of big snakes or
something in them.

The nests belong to a group of Marine Basilisks – large, many-legged reptiles that defend
themselves by secreting an alchemical toxin that temporarily petrifies living creatures. If
the party is quiet and doesn’t antagonize the basilisks on the beach, the creatures will
leave the party be. Otherwise, they may strike.

If the party ventures down to the beach, read:

You notice a cave in the side of the cliff at sea level, with water sloshing in
and out. It seems to run underneath the island at a steady gradient before
sharply cutting off and heading deeper.

If the party is willing to take a swim and head into the cave, they’ll reach the Tidal
Tunnels.

marine basilisk
hp 8 – atk 3 – minion

petrifying secretion: If the basilisk reduces

a creature to 0 HP, a Petrify spell (gb. 58/82;
first option) takes effect on that target.
 11

crustacean rave cave

A large, circular cave lit by prismatic, glowing moss stretches out before
you. There seem to be simple structures made out of stacked rocks and
pieces of shells here and there, all built on a smooth cavern floor and in
clear water that goes up to your ankles.

Scuttling about the cave are what appear to be giant crabs, each the size of
a writing desk. They seem to be aware of your presence, but react with no
trepidation whatsoever. The longer you observe them, the more you realize
that they all seem to be tuned into a single collective rhythm. The clicks,
taps, and shuffles of their movements are all coordinated into a vast,
collective song of nature. It almost makes you want to join in.

The players will likely only end up here after facing a tense struggle in the Tidal Tunnels.
This cave is home to some large crustaceans called Rave Crabs. They are not sentient
beings (they’re still animals), but they are efficient and organized colony-makers that
communicate through a complex series of dances, somewhat like bees.

They won’t really bother the characters one way or another, but if the players want to
join in the dance, feel free to play out a scene where everyone has fun just vibing and
relaxing with each other. This scene is meant to be a calm, if amusing, respite from the
menacing threats of the adventure, and a chance for the party to regroup before heading
back into the Tidal Tunnels (the only way out of here).

rave crab
hp 6 – atk 3 – minion

collective groove: Whenever a Rave Crab is

distressed, frustrated, or harmed, all of its
colony-mates within range can sense it.
 12

evelyn’s farm
Tucked away by the island’s slopes is this little farm just a little ways off
the footpath. You can see a modest crop bed filled with sprouts and a
barnyard filled with bleating animals. Further back is a pretty-looking
farmhouse and what looks like a shed or a workshop.

This is the home of Evelyn, a kind but very introverted person who lives off the land in
relative peace here on Adair Island. They raise sheep, a few goats, and crops of several
root vegetables in a sustainable little microcosm. Then. Evelyn trades her excess produce
for things like fish, lumber and the occasional offshore delicacy. Most island locals
regard Evelyn as a bit of an oddity, but this doesn’t really bother her. She knows that her
quiet life is worth more to her than the approval of others.

workshop - Evelyn is also quite fond of woodworking. If the players go looking for them,
Evelyn can be found in their shed carving a block of wood at a workbench.

interaction - Evelyn is polite but very shy, and she’ll respond to conversation in a nice but
noncommittal way. If the players can tactfully and respectfully explain their situation,
she’ll open up with a bit more about what’s been going on with the island and Wren –
see Evelyn’s Story. Otherwise, Evelyn will banter for a minute, then suggest that the party
should go.

The path from here leads onward to Crawling Cove. Or, the party can backtrack to
Titan’s Ribcage.

evelyn
hp 3 – atk 1 – commoner – she/they

social features: Empathic, Private,

Resourceful
 13

evelyn’s story
Evelyn shifts a bit in her seat, and then they tell you – she and Wren are
sweethearts. The two have been in love for years. But lately, Wren has
been spending less and less time with Evelyn. And when Wren does show
up, they’ve been increasingly agitated and on edge. They refuse to talk
about what’s bothering them. This isn’t like Wren. Evelyn is worried.

The last time Wren visited Evelyn, Wren was nearly in a state of panic.
They apologized vaguely, said something had gone terribly wrong, and
implored Evelyn to leave the island. Then, they took off up the mountain.

Evelyn isn’t confident that she could survive the path to the heart of the
island to see Wren. Even then, they’re terrified of what they would find.

If the party has gained Evelyn’s (p.12) trust enough to hear this story, she’ll also tell the
party the secret password of the Runic Door – “azure.” She then asks the party to go forth
and help Wren overcome whatever darkness is troubling them.

When the party is finally done here, or when there’s a long break in the conversation,
read:

It’s raining outside. The sea is churning.

 14

highland lake
You reach a wide, flat clearing about two-thirds of the way up the
mountain. A wide lake spreads across the clearing, held breathlessly still
by the oncoming storm.

A long pier extends to the very center of the lake, where a mossy standing
stone juts out of the water. Parts of the stone appear to be worked with
patterns and symbols. You know that’s it’s a common custom in many
parts of the world to meditate or pray at stones like these.

This place changes depending on how soon in the adventure the players visit it.

peaceful - If the players head more or less directly here without spending much time in
town, the lake is calm and no one else is here. Characters who take a moment to reflect
by the standing stone gain 2 AP. (Each player can’t use the stone to gain AP more than
once during this adventure).

cursed - If the players spent a lot of time elsewhere before coming here, the lake will
seem peaceful, but it has actually been corrupted by the power of the Second Moon.
Characters who reflect at the stone feel a strange force tugging on their clarity and lose 2
AP instead of gaining any. If the party hasn’t seen Rhode’s Performance, assume it’s gone
on without them. Rhode has been here, cursed the lake, and left.

threatened - If the party saw Rhode’s Performance and made their way here directly
afterwards, they find the Second Moon Ritual currently in progress.
 15

invoker’s passage
After a long, steep, trek, you finally reach the mountain summit. Here,
there are two pointed spires (too steep to climb) flanking a large stone
archway. Beyond the archway is a deep-looking hole in the mountain with
a rough dirt ramp spiraling down into the depths. You can hear a peculiar
noise coming from below… fluttering, maybe?

This is the passage used by Adair’s keepers of the Blessing. It is safe only for the island’s
sworn guardian – anyone who isn’t traversing this descent alongside Wren will be set
upon by a vicious Swarm of Strixes. These dark and magical birds nest in the walls of the
Passage and protect it from trespassers.

If the party can deal with the swarm and reach the bottom of the ramp, they’ll discover
the Runic Door.

swarm of strixes
hp 25 – atk 6 – boss

physical features: Evasive

swarm: The swarm can make basic attacks
against any number of creatures within its
reach on its turn. For every 5 HP the swarm
loses, reduce its ATK by 1.
 16

isengrim tavern
The doors of the tavern swing open to a radiant, joyful interior. Waitstaff
gracefully weave their way through tables of rambunctious patrons, and
people trickling in behind you cry in excitement at seeing a friend across
the room. Glowing lanterns adorn every table, and a large painted crest of
a wolf hangs behind the bar. This place seems to be a haven for travelers –
you can see that the tavern’s patrons bear styles and regalia from all over
the world!

Ask the players if they recognize anyone here; this is their chance to help invent an NPC
on the spot, or to meet up with an old friend or rival.

friendly proprietor – The Isengrim Tavern is owned by a retired Fighter named Morgan
Isengrim. Morgan was once part of a monarch’s elite royal guard, and helped save her
kingdom from an aspiring tyrant. (You can develop this more if your story features a
monarch, but the point to know now is: Morgan’s a good person who knows their stuff.)
Morgan loves to hear the tales of adventurers who visit her tavern, especially those who
pursue ideals like truth and justice.

services - Aside from the friendly faces, the tavern also offers good food and drink, as well
as places to stay for the night on the upstairs floors.

tonight’s show – Characters who hang out here for more than a few minutes will likely
hear about the amazing show that the tavern has playing tonight, featuring a mysterious
performer. If the party sticks around to watch, they’ll witness Rhode’s Performance.

morgan isengrim
hp 3 – atk 1 – commoner – she/they

social features: Leader, Impassioned, Kind

 17

leviathan’s heart
Through a deep, deep, passageway, you can hear water dripping faintly in
the distance. Another noise, too – a faint but powerful pulsing, like
crashing waves heard from far away, or the beating heart of a giant. As you
reach the very end of the tunnel, you enter a massive room lit by dozens of
magical lanterns and lamps. You can see that the second impression of the
noise you heard was correct.

A titanic, decrepit, and somehow still-beating mummified heart hovers

over a pool in the center of the room. Its cracked flesh pulses not with
blood, but with a potent magical aura that makes your head spin.

After a time, you notice that a slumped-over figure rests at the edge of the
pool, wearing a dark cloak with a hood pulled over their head. Their chest
heaves gently as their ragged breathing ebbs through the air.

Their tear-streaked face raises and gazes at each of you. They are
absolutely wrecked. “Please,” they utter. “There’s nothing I can do.”

Wren, the weeping, exhausted person on the ground, has been here for almost a week.
Their solemn Invoker’s Vow (gb. 43/65) has compelled them to be here, protecting The
Heart. But the Second Moon’s magic that’s causing the heartbeat is strange and beyond
Wren’s power to stop. Their only option to save the island and The Heart is to destroy it –
but their Vow won’t let them. They’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

If the players start trying to damage The Heart, Wren will stand up and begin advancing
jerkily towards the players. They draw their sword and, with their tears falling upon the
fiery blade, will begin to advance. They made a solemn vow. This is no longer a choice for
them.

Wren has already tried to destroy The Heart, but the weight of their Vow has seared their
soul, leaving them with no choice but to protect The Heart at all costs. They fight
mercilessly, but their expression is one of regret and apology. Even during the battle, they
might hear a desperate whisper of apology uttered from their cursed opponent. (The
players can choose to knock Wren out rather than killing them at 0 HP, but see their
Sworn Link ability).

When the battle is finished, it’s time for this adventure to come to an end. See the
Conclusion.
 18

wren the heart

hp 5 – atk 3 – boss – they/them hp 16 – atk 0 – boss

social features: Cosmic, Zealous, physical features: Regeneration, Resistance

Moral to Magic,
role abilities: all abilities in Wards incessant beating: The heart doesn’t move
(gb. 47/69) or do anything on its turn.
treasure: Blink Sword (gb. 133/176)
sworn link: Wren recovers 1 HP
whenever the Heart takes damage.
tactics: With already-low HP from
attempting to betray their vow, Wren
uses their defensive abilities to the
fullest. They enter battle with Shield
in effect, and don’t hesitate to use
Rebuke any time an opponent gets
close. If they find themself in a bad
spot, they fall back and use Oblation
to recover their missing HP.
 19

rhode’s performance
After a time, the tavern settles down. The lights begin to dim and, with a
snap, the whole place is dark except for a pillar of violet light on the stage.
This is what everyone has been waiting for.

Standing there is what can only be described as a staggeringly attractive

person. He wears a cropped jacket and pants that perfectly compliment his
figure, and from the first time you see him move, he exudes a confidence
and grace that few could ever match. Perched on his shoulder is a
mischievous-looking ferret; you notice that the two are wearing matching
necklaces inlaid with moonstone.

The person modestly introduces himself as Rhode and his funny ferret
familiar as Chalk. And then he begins to sing.

You’re taken away as Rhode’s voice rings out through the tavern. He
croons with gentleness and power, and little by little you see your
surroundings start to fall away. An illusion of some sort takes effect –
you’re no longer sitting in a pub on a rainy evening, but soaring through a
cosmic nebula and drowning in stars and song.

And as soon as it began, before you even seem to know it, the show is over.
You’re back in the brightly lit Isengrim Tavern. In the chaotic after-show
chatter, you realize that no one has seen Rhode leave – but wherever he is
now, it’s not here.

catching rhode’s exit

This performance is secretly a distraction so Rhode can gather most of the townsfolk and
travelers in one place so he can slip out towards the end and perform a magical ritual
undisturbed. Only characters that can see through illusions and invisibility would be able
to notice that Rhode used his performance’s Mirage (gb. 84/112) spell to leave a duplicate
of himself to conceal his exit. Immediately after this, he sets off for Highland Lake.

Rhode also cannot be detected with any kind of location or scrying magic, as he
possesses a magical cloak called Gideon’s Shroud (gb. 143/186).

If the players manage to interfere with Rhode’s exit, you might need the stats for Rhode
and Chalk (both p.22).
 20

richterport
Richterport is a luminous and cheery fishing village. Lanterns hung in
every doorway and from every eave seem to burn away some of the
island’s dreary atmosphere. Roads weave throughout the bright buildings
and eventually head one of several ways out of town.

There are always people out and about here, whether they’re headed to the market, to the
docks, or to visit friends. Feel free to imagine any NPCs the characters meet or any
establishments they want to visit that aren’t specifically a part of the story already. As a
general impression, most Richterportians are very kind and welcoming people.

candescent hotspot - After milling about for a while, the party is likely to come across the
Isengrim Tavern, one of the most well-lit buildings in town. There’s a hubbub outside as
groups of people enter with an excitement in their midst. The party might overhear these
folks talking about a show of some sort.

dark house - Towards the edge of town, the party might notice a building that is not so
well lit; a house, in fact, with no lanterns inside or out. This is Wren’s House.

asking for directions - Most people in town can probably tell the party about the island’s
aboveground landmarks if asked. They can also explain that the roads heading out of
town lead to the Tidepools of Goob and Invoker’s Passage, as well as to Highland Lake
and Evelyn’s Farm via Titan’s Ribcage. If the adventurers seem like a curious sort, they
may also mention the island’s missing guardian, Wren (see the Introduction and Wren’s
House).
 21

runic door
Having survived the descent through Invoker’s Passage, you arrive at the
bottom of the spiral to find a large, dark cavern. Before you is an arched
set of stone doors, each inscribed with glowing blue runes that fill the air
with a low hum. It seems there is yet another obstacle between you and
the heart of the island.

This door presents a physical and magical barrier to further progress. It will only open if
someone speaks the secret password while near the door; aside from Wren, the only one
who knows this password is Evelyn (see Evelyn’s Farm and Evelyn’s Story).

The door cannot be harmed, forced open, or teleported past. If the players don’t have the
password, they’ll have to find an entrance to the island’s Tidal Tunnels and enter the
heart of the island that way.

If the party is able to open the door, they find a long, yawning tunnel that looks to lead
even deeper beneath the island. Following it will lead them to the terminus – the
Leviathan’s Heart.
 22

second moon ritual

It’s evident that you just stumbled upon… well, something. A tall, striking
individual stands far out on the lake, treading on the water itself. In the
somehow yet-still waters of the lake, you see the impossible reflection of
that ineffable Second Moon. Despite the rumbling clouds in the sky, the
entire lake is bathed in a crackling celestial light. You’re no expert on the
Second Moon – because, well, no one is – but this doesn’t seem good.

Those who saw Rhode’s Performance earlier in the adventure will recognize the person
on the lake – and the fuzzball on his shoulder – as Rhode and Chalk, respectively.

Rhode is here as an agent of a moon deity called Zunea. He intends to corrupt the
standing stone of Highland Lake so everyone’s prayers and wishes are instead sent to fuel
the Second Moon’s strange power. (You can develop this further if you want the Second
Moon to feature in the ongoing story, but the immediate point is: Rhode is doing
something really bad, and he’ll put up a fight if anyone tries to stop him.)

Rhode uses his magic defensively so he can focus on finishing the ritual. If the players
can’t stop him before he takes three turns, Rhode completes the ritual and Highland
Lake changes to its cursed version. (If the ritual fails, the peaceful version remains.)

If Rhode completes the ritual, or if he’s reduced to 3 or less HP, he abandons the scene,
flees, and hides out in town while he plots his next move. You can decide if you want
Rhode to resurface later in your game’s story with a new goal, but he’s no longer a threat
in this adventure.

rhode chalk
hp 20 – atk 3 – boss – he/him hp 4 – atk 0 – minion – he/him

social features: Charismatic, physical features: Immunity to Weapons

Zealous, Deceiver familiar bond: Chalk cannot move beyond
physical features: Immunity to Mind the range of Rhode’s sight.
Control
role abilities: all abilities in
Misdirection (gb. 84/112)
treasure: Gideon’s Shroud (gb.
143/186)
 23

tidal tunnels
You’ve entered a cavernous whirl of thrashing, crashing, underwater
tunnels beneath the island itself. Invisible but powerful currents begin to
toss you every which way, as if the ocean’s fury, brought to bear in this
maze of tunnels, is concentrated solely on giving you a very bad time. You
might be able to find a way out – you’ve just got to get your bearings first.
But how? The shadows of your friends start to pull away in the deep swirl
of the tunnels. There’s no time to think. You must act.

These tunnels are formed from a complex process of erosion that has taken place over
millennia. The end result is a labyrinth of tumultuous deluges that is exceedingly difficult
to navigate. (And the storm outside probably isn’t helping any, either.)

traversing the tunnels

Initiate a Trial to see if the party is able to make their way through the tunnels. First, ask
the party where their destination is – are they trying to navigate back out to the surface,
or are they trying to reach the island’s core?

victory – To win the Trial, the party needs to accumulate a number of successes equal to
2 + the number of members in the party. If the players win the Trial, they make it to their
destination; this can be an exit to the surface at Crawling Cove or Tidepools of Goob, or
deep beneath the island at Leviathan’s Heart. Note: if the players have the map of the
island from Wren’s House and study it before entering the tunnels, they start the Trial
with one free success.

defeat – There is no set number of failures for the players to lose this Trial. However,
staying here for too long is dangerous. If the players fail enough times, they may take
enough damage (see Setbacks) that they’ll be knocked out or maybe even die. If the party
rolls a lot of failures and is at risk of death, you can show mercy on them: tell the party
they wash up in a secret cave beneath the island – Crustacean Rave Cave.

setbacks – Here are some setbacks to consider for when the players roll a failure,
catastrophe, or tough choice during this Trial:
- The dangerous tides slam a character against a rock, or a rip current grabs a
character and they start running out of air in their lungs. They’re hit for 4 HP.
- An item that the player is carrying falls from their pack and sinks irretrievably
into the depths.
 24

tidepools of goob
You come around the northeast side of the island to find a vast plain of silt
and stone, overlooked by the sheer face of the mountain. Rippling pools of
water pock the landscape, continually refreshed by the waves surging
inland with a steady rhythm. The ground is marshy, and you sink in a little
wherever you stride.

Near the middle of this area, it looks like there’s a dwelling of some sort
made of colossal bones and draped with a ship’s sail or two. On the far
side of this area, it looks like the path away from town continues further
around the island.

These tidepools are the home of Goob; a large, amphibious fellow with a big green body,
stretchy-looking eyestalks, tentacles, and flipper feet. A cheery fellow, Goob has lived on
Adair for as long as he can remember, keeping the ecology of the tidepools in balance
and reading whatever books he can find.

While Goob doesn’t like visiting crowded places, he enjoys entertaining small groups of
travelers that make it all the way to his abode. If Goob takes a liking to someone –
perhaps someone who shares his enthusiasm for biology or astronomy – he might offer
one of his legendary “guesses.” In game terms, such a character can ask Goob for
practical advice, which works like a use of the Scry spell (gb. 97/126). Goob’s advice is
often frighteningly accurate, but he claims to not be magical in the slightest – just “a
good guesser.”

The path leading away from town heads off towards Crawling Cove. If the party
investigates the tidepools and is willing to take a swim, they’ll find that some of the pools
lead into the island’s Tidal Tunnels. When the party is done here, or if the group needs
prompting to do something, you can read:

It rains, and the sky seems angry. Something furious is headed this way.

goob
hp 12 – atk 3 – minion – he/him

social features: Curious, Kind, Private

 25

titan’s ribcage
As you follow the path out from Richterport, everything seems to get a bit
darker. The town’s light grows distant, evening falls further, and a bruise
of clouds in the distant sky tells you what you already felt in your bones: a
storm is coming.

Eventually, you reach a landmark on the mountain path. A colossal

ribcage, bigger than any ship you’ve ever seen, is all but buried in the dirt
here, creating a fossilized tunnel of sorts where the path splits.

The first path climbs even further towards the island peak, leading to Highland Lake. If
the party came to this area directly after seeing Rhode’s Performance, read the following
as well:

Higher up the mountain, you can see a light bobbing up and down on the
path.

The second path meanders over towards the other side of the island. You can see what
looks like a farm built on a flat bit of land over there. This way leads to Evelyn’s Farm.
 26

wren’s house
This humble home on the very edge of town sits shrouded in shadow and
mist. Unlike the rest of Richterport, this building emanates an aura of
loneliness. After looking for a minute, you notice that there is one source
of light – a tiny, flickering candle sitting on a windowsill. Despite the
constant drizzle, the flame seems to be burning just fine.

This is the home of Wren (see the Introduction). However, Wren left over a week ago
and hasn’t returned since. This has the community concerned, but no one is really sure
what to do about it. People say, however, that the candle fluttering on the windowsill is a
sign that Wren will return.

that candle - The candle is actually a Magic Candle (gb. 29/47) with sigils inscribed in its
wax that function as a Spell Scroll (gb. 145/188) of the Fiery Avenger spell (gb. 46/68).

inside the house

The window on the sill with the candle is cracked an inch and can be pushed up.
Alternatively, the front door can be opened with some lockpicks. The inside of the house
is modestly furnished with simple, practical appointments. It looks ordinary at first
glance, but the party can discover a few secrets if they’re willing to really poke around.

map – Sitting on top of a desk is a thin, waterproof map case. Rolled up inside is a detailed
map of Adair Island, both above and below the ground. If the party obtains this, you can
show them the maps at the beginning of this adventure.

letters – Tucked in a nightstand table drawer is a collection of love letters addressed to

Wren, all signed “Evelyn ♡.” While a few of them are a bit sappy or even racy at times,
these letters display a beautiful intelligence and illustrate a very deep, trusting
relationship between author and recipient.

encyclopedia – Sitting on a shelf is a conspicuous book tabbed to an article on

“Leviathans” with a stiff, dyed-leather bookmark. The article imparts the following facts:
- Leviathans are colossal (though thankfully rare) landmass-sized fish capable of
pulling enormous storms in their wake. Only one has ever been slain, by the
legendary whaler Praergood of Adair and their crew hundreds of years ago.
- With the vast amount of nutrients needed to maintain their enormous size,
Leviathans are known to consume the remains of other, deceased Leviathans.
They can detect such remains in the water from hundreds of miles away.
 27

conclusion
There are three main endings to this adventure, depending on how the adventurers deal
with the problem. You and the players decide what happens after the events of this
adventure based on how the characters acted during it. The party might make
Richterport a home and help the community thrive in the absence of the Blessing. The
characters might leave Adair and never look back. Or, in the case of the bad ending, they
might be swept away across the sea, washing ashore on another island in the Emerald
Archipelago for another adventure.

good ending - The players are able to destroy the Leviathan’s Heart without killing Wren.

The Heart opens up with a blinding magical light. Bleeding from every
slice, every wound you inflicted upon it, comes the raw magical energy of
the Blessing that was sealed within all those years ago. And something
else, too – a chaotic purplish energy that shouldn’t have been there to
begin with. But in a flash, you watch as The Heart disintegrates. Suddenly,
the room is quiet and peaceful. Wren drops their weapon and slumps to
the ground, free from their Vow at last. After a time, Wren looks you in the
eyes, and they say nothing… but you know they understand. You did what
needed to be done.

Wren leads you through the Runic Door and out to the peak of the island.
From the lofty vantage of Invoker’s Passage, you can already see the
oncoming storm starting to dissipate. And now Adair is safe. Wren tells
you it’s going to be different without the magic of the Blessing to keep
Adair in such abundance. But like people have and always will do, the
people of the island will persist.

The glimmering moon – the original one, not that blasted Second, breaks
through the clouds. Wren takes one more look at you all and smiles.

“I’m so tired, everyone.”

They start off towards the quieter side of the mountain slope.

“I’m going to go see my human.”

neutral ending - The players destroy the Leviathan’s Heart, but end up slaying Wren in
the process.
 28

The Heart erupts with a searing, screaming radiance. Surging from every
bit of its remaining form comes the raw magic of the Blessing that was
sealed within all those years ago. And something else, too – a chaotic
purplish energy that shouldn’t have been there to begin with. But in a
flash, you watch as The Heart disintegrates.

And then, the room is quiet. The Heart and the Blessing of Adair, along
with its guardian, are gone. The island won’t be swallowed up in a
cataclysmic tempest, sure. But it’s never going to be the same.

The Runic Door down the passage opens, leading you back up through
Invoker’s Passage. You notice the Strixes are gone already. You’re not sure
what that could mean.

You reach the peak of the island, weary and sore from your journey. From
your vantage point, you can already see the storm starting to dissipate. The
island is finally safe. It will be different without the magic of the Blessing
to keep Adair in such abundance. But people will persevere, even if it’s
hard.

The glimmering moon – the original one, not that blasted Second, breaks
through the clouds.

It’s time to go.

bad ending - The players run out of time. They aren’t able to destroy The Heart before the
Leviathan arrives, and the isle of Adair faces its end.

Something’s wrong.

Something is very wrong.

The ground begins to quake and crack beneath your feet.

The storm, already at a fever pitch, unleashes a second sea of water from
the sky. You see everything around you begin to break. You see the shadow
of a colossal eye or tooth or fin illuminated in the crackling lightning.
Everything is up or down or SOMETHING, and the world is falling apart.
You don’t know where your friends are.

And suddenly, you’re underwater, and everything is gone.

 29

captain bloodfoot’s dungeon

a quest rpg adventure by walter cassel

content warning – living dead, existential dread and deep caves.

summary
In this adventure the party find themselves in an unknown cave after their ship has been
lost at sea. The rising tides force them to make their way deeper into eroded caverns
where they find the lair of the giant jelly monster who attacked and sank their ship in the
storm.

After defeating the monster they will encounter a depressed living skeleton, George, who
is tired of his dull eternal life. He and his bodiless friend Benzo (they/them) are a part of
Captain Bloodfoot's immortal crew. If the party chooses to trust them they will explain
who they are and how they ended up living inside this island called Bloodhold for the
past 500 years. They and some others in the crew are at odds with the captain since they
want to leave Bloodhold and return to the surface, or leave the mortal world altogether.

When other crew members arrive at the lair the party is forced to flee or fight against
bad odds. Fleeing will lead to a minecart chase where the Trial mechanic is used. They
will go deeper underground and find out that the seawater that flows into this island
goes into an unimaginably deep hole from which water vapor is constantly spewing out.
According to George and Benzo this is the source of the storms surrounding the island.

The mutineers, led by George, Benzo and their friend Anya, will need help from the party
to defeat their captain since he controls their souls through a magical crown. The
mutineers will distract the rest of the crew so that the party has a shot at defeating
Bloodfoot.

background
This adventure takes around 2-4 sessions to complete and is suitable for 3-5 players. It is
an exploration and action focused dungeon delving adventure. The theme is ancient
caves, skeleton pirates and immortality.

The party does not have to be a group who know each other previously, so this adventure
could be the start to a longer campaign. It is not the most simple adventure to run, so an
 30

experienced guide is recommended. There are two boss fights in the adventure and both
of them have special mechanics that the guide needs to keep track of.

opener: the beach

The party wakes up to the taste of sand and saltwater. They have been washed ashore on
a 100 meter wide sand beach inside a cave. Behind them is a lagoon of seawater that is
fully enclosed by the cave walls. The mouth of the cave is an underwater tunnel
connected to the sea outside. A dim light can be seen through this opening which lights
up the cave. The rising tide is creating a strong current going into the cave which makes
it impossible to swim out through the tunnel. The tunnel is too long to Blink out of. A
smart person could figure out that the entrance was above the surface when the tide was
low, but now the tide is rising and within a few hours the whole cave will be submerged.

After a few moments they recall the events of the previous night: They were passengers
(or crewmates, you decide) on a ship traveling in the outskirts of the Emerald
Archipelago (you decide why). The navigator discovered that the ship was traveling the
wrong way for some reason. The only reasonable cause was that the ocean currents had
been stronger than they should be, pulling the ship westward towards the storming sea.
The crew did all they could to set the course straight, but the storm that always lingers in
this part of the sea soon consumed the ship.

The party and the crew did what they could to keep the ship intact, and they almost
succeeded, but they were not alone in the storm. The ship suddenly lurched and started
tilting. Screaming was heard from the lower deck as the ship started to take in water.
One PC saw something massive moving inside the ship's lower deck. Then, rising from
the waves, came four large semi-transparent tentacles that hit the masts and sides of the
ship. The wood quickly corroded and cracked from their touch, and even though the crew
and party landed some blows on the creature, the ship broke apart within seconds.

A PC may have caught a glimpse of the creature, illuminated by a lightning strike, as they
fell in the water. They would have seen a huge, semi-transparent, blood-red jelly monster,
floating under the ship's remains, consuming crewmates and objects into its featureless
jelly body. Another PC who climbed up on a piece of debris would have seen the dark
outline of an island in the distance. Then, as the waves crashed down on them
repeatedly, everything went dark.

On the beach they can find debris from their ship. Items that can be found on the beach
and in the shallows are:

● 5 torches and a fire lighter.

● 20 m rope.
 31

● A Magic Potion (gb. 136/179) (They don’t know what potion).

● An eye patch.
● A barrel of lemons.
● A bottle of rum.

They can also find a body face down in the shallows. If they turn the body they will see
that it's face seems to be corroded off, leaving only the skull.

If they go to the top of the beach, which they will be forced to do because of the rising
tide, the sand will transition into bigger rocks with bits of seaweed in-between. In the
back wall of the cave there is a crack shaped like a teardrop, creating a tunnel wide
enough to pass through. Violet mushrooms, with bioluminescence, grow along the walls
of this tunnel and the crack above. They are hallucinogenic, but a little tasty and
nutritious.
 32

the cavern
The tunnel leads to a damp cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The sound of
water drops can be heard all around. The rising tide has by this point filled the tunnel the
party were walking in up to half a meter. This slow moving river of seawater continues
through an eroded path in the cavern and out the other side into another tunnel.

The left side of the cavern has a tunnel in the far wall that is above water level (unless
the party waits too long). This tunnel seems to be man-made with pickaxes and
explosions. There are three pickaxes and a wett (useless) barrel of explosive powder,
called puff stone, next to this tunnel. A dead body can be seen hanging from the roof
when the party enters the cavern. It has two magic items, the Quiplasher (gb. 137/180)
and The Bouncer (gb. 145/188)

A rotted corpse with fancy sailors' clothes and a battle ax buried in the
head is jammed in between two stalactites in the roof, about five meters
above you. It has a leather rope coiled around it. On the corpse’s dangling
left arm you can see another shiny item, a gold ornamented buckler, dimly
illuminated by the violete mushrooms.

To get the items, the party needs to complete a Trial:

- They need 3 successes (tough choices or better) to retrieve the magic items.
- They can try as many times as they want, but a tough choice or worse will make a
stalactite fall down. On a tough choice the player can choose to catch the rock,
dealing them 1 damage, or let it hit the ground, creating noise.
- If they make a loud noise twice, Jelly Minions will arrive from The Pool.
- They can throw rocks at the corpse, or shoot it, to make the objects fall down.
They can also climb the rock wall to get up there and pull them loose.

jelly minion
hp 8 – atk 2 – minion

physical features: Acidic, blood-red

hold: When successfully attacking a foe they are held. They, or an ally, need to spend
their turn and roll to get free. On a tough choice they can lose an item or take 1 damage.
digest: When attacking a foe that you hold, deal double damage.
vulnerability: Fire and thunderous explosions (like Clap [gb. 93/122] and Thunderous
Word [gb. 46/68]) deal double damage to the jelly.
 33

the pool
Both the tunnel and the river lead to a wide and deep pool of water. The
left tunnel has a ledge at the end, above the pool's surface, while the river
to the right flows into the pool. One horse sized Jelly minion is resting in
each pathway.

From this ledge there is a rope bridge that leads slightly upward over the
pool to the other side, where there is another ledge.

This ledge can also be reached by climbing steps carved into the rock wall. They go from
the ledge to the water 3 meters below.

On the higher ledge there are 3 mining tunnels. They all converge in a
room with high ceiling and signs of mining. In the room there are 3
explosive puff stone barrels and a wooden sign that says “KEEp AwAy
fROm JERRy”.

The right side of the pool has an outlet to a rapid river going deeper into the mountain.
The high ledge continues along the wall above the rapid. The cliff and rapid river curve
to the left out of sight. Around the corner there is a wooden platform used for loading
the minecarts, see below.

The left side of the pool has a wide opening to a tunnel that goes under the surface to the
ocean far away. This is where Jerry, the Giant Jelly Monster, lies sleeping in the water.
They are acidic to the touch.

If the party crosses the rope bridge or enters the pool, they will see Jerry resting on the
bottom of the pool, and Jerry will sense their presence and wake up.

Jerry can reach halfway into the three tunnels, but not to the intersection. The explosive
barrels deal 6 damage to any creature in reach when it detonates. A spark, fire or contact
with a jelly will detonate a barrel. The barrels float and can be detonated in water within
a few seconds before they sink.
 34

jerry, the giant jelly monster

hp 40 – atk 3 – boss

physical features: Colossal, acidic, blood-red

tentacles: Attack up to 2 nearby creatures on your turn.
split: Lose 8 HP and create a Jelly minion.
hold: When successfully attacking a foe they are held. They need to roll at the end of
their turn to get free. On a tough choice they can lose an item or take 1 damage.
digest: When attacking a foe that you hold, deal double damage.
treasure: The Miracle Sponge (gb. 145/188), corroded weapons and armor
vulnerability: Fire and thunderous explosions (like Clap [gb. 93/122] and Thunderous
Word [gb. 46/68]) deal double damage to the jelly.
 35

skeletons
After defeating (or fleeing from) Jerry, two friendly undead skeletons will emerge from
around the corner on the right side of the high cliff. They want to help the party get out
of the cave, but in exchange they want the party to set their souls free from the
imprisonment their captain has put them in. They are part of a group of secret mutineers
in the crew.

george
hp 8 – atk 2 – minion - he/him

physical features: Undead skeleton

social features: Kind, depressed

benzo
hp 5 – atk 1 – minion - [forgotten]

physical features: Undead skull, no body

social features: Impish, charismatic

George, who is tired of his dull eternal life. He and his bodiless friend Benzo are a part of
Captain Bloodfoot's immortal crew. If the party chooses to trust them they will explain
who they are and how they ended up living inside this island called Bloodhold for the
past 500 years. They and some others in the crew are at odds with the captain since they
want to leave Bloodhold and return to the surface, or leave the mortal world altogether.

(You don’t have to say this word for word. Have a conversation with the party.)

(George) Captain Bloodfoot was the greatest pirate to ever sail the
Emerald archipelago, but that was during the age of conquest, 500 years
ago.

(Benzo) Bloodfoot got his nickname from crushing the skulls of his
enemies under his feet! Like this… *is unable to demonstrate* Oh, right.

(George) Bloodfoot searched for the secret of eternal life and stumbled
upon the legend of an ancient relic, the Crown of Azÿll. After many years
of searching he finally found it hidden in an underwater cave. He used the
 36

power to extend his life and the life of his crew, but there was a catch. Our
souls are bound to the crown.

(Benzo) We can not die, or maybe we are dead, I guess, but our souls are
eternal. Our bodies are not eternal though. They started rotting away, and
we became monsters in the eyes of all societies, even the secret pirate
guild.

(George) Enraged by this betrayal by the guild, Bloodroot started a war

against the pirates, but fighting both the guild and the navies of all nations
was too much, even for an undead army. We lost half our crew in battles.
The worst blow came in the battle against the navy of (INSERT NATION)
when Invokers and priests used their powers to banish the souls of our
crewmembers.

(George) So Bloodfoot was forced to flee into hiding, biding his time,
gathering his powers so that he may one day resurface and expand his
army. With the moon crystals from this mountain Bloodfoot will be able to
bind more souls to the Crown of Azÿll. He just needs a little more power to
do it, so we need to finish him off soon.

Ten other Crewmates arrive at the pool from the underwater tunnel on the left. The
party is forced to flee or fight against bad odds. George and Benzo will tell them they
have bad odds. Fleeing will lead to a minecart chase, see below.

crewmate
hp 5 – atk 2 – minions

physical features: Undead skeleton

social features: combative, greedy
 37

minecarts
George and Benzo will direct the party to the wooden platform around the corner on the
cliff. There are barrels of mushrooms and some moon crystal ore. in a pile. There are five
minecarts standing on a railway. The rails tracks lead off the platform into the darkness
below where the rapid river can be heard. Behind them the party can hear the running
bone feet clack on the cliff.

Trial
- They need 4 successes (tough choices or better) to get away from the skeletons.
- They will encounter 4 obstacles along the minecart track, see below. At each
obstacle one player will have to come up with an action to help the party stay on
the rails or derail the persewers. If the first player fails, another will have to step
in and do an action.
- Each obstacle has two setbacks that will be a consequence for rolling a tough
choice or worse.
- The carts have 6 HP each and can be destroyed. There is a leaver in each cart that
is used for speeding up or breaking.

1-4 are the obstacles. a and b are the setbacks.

1. The tracks go steeply downwards, keeping close to the river below. The ceiling is
not visible in the darkness above them. The party hears crewmates getting in the
remaining minecarts behind them. The cart goes into a mushroom illuminated
tunnel with an unstable roof. If the roof of the tunnel is hit, some rocks and
beams could fall onto the tracks, derailing a persewing cart.
a. A rock hits your head, you take 2 damage.
b. You drop an item.

2. The party exits the tunnel and they go into darkness again. A lantern on the wall
ahead illuminates a sharp turn in the tracks. They have to slow down!
a. The cart tilts and you fall into the river. The rapids toss you around like a
sock in a washing machine and you take 2 damage. Someone needs to save
them.
b. You slow down the cart too much. Another cart with 2 skeletons catches up
to you and they attack.

3. The track divides up ahead. To the left the track goes over the river, but it has
collapsed. To the right the track continues into a tunnel. There is a lever next to
the intersection that will activate the switch in the tracks. It is currently turned to
 38

the right, but it can be flipped if hit by an attack, making a persewer go to the left
into the river.
a. A crewmate jumps into your cart before their own cart falls into the river.
b. You drop an item.

4. The cart passes under a waterfall. Three crewmates who have fallen in the river at
previous obstacles try to jump into the cart.
a. A crewmate lands on your head. Take 1 damage.
b. A crewmate is hanging on to your arm, with their body outside the cart.

When they have gotten away from the crew, the cart will arrive at a big open cave where
there is a loading station with poorly built storage houses and several minecars. Next to
this loading station there is a great big pit in the ground that the river seems to disappear
into. It has no visible end and hot steam is constantly rising from this bottomless pit,
going up and out through an opening in the ceiling of the cave. There are two other
rivers of seawater coming through the mountain from other directions that also fall into
the bottomless pit.

According to George and Benzo this pit is the source of the storms surrounding the
island. Steam goes out of the mountain and becomes storm clouds. The captain has a
magic ring, called Eye of the storm (p.42, in Captain Bloodfoot’s stat block), that keeps
the weather calm in an area around it, so the island is protected.
 39

blood keep
George and Benzo lead the party out of the mountain into a damp forest. It’s the middle
of the night at this point. They walk along a northward path toward the town of Blood
Keep. It lies in a valley on the island's surface, surrounded by mountains to the east and
west and a forest to the south.

The forest consists of palm trees and tropical bushes. The buildings in the town are made
of wood and blue clay bricks. There are some decorations in the streets, like wooden
carvings and fabrics, that seem to be from all around the world. The party is led into a
secret passage just outside of the town, inside a hollow tree, so that they can get into the
town unnoticed.

The mutineers, led by George and Benzos friend, Anya, have a hideout in the south part
of town, underneath a bar. They are 40 members, almost a third of the crew, but they will
need help from the party to defeat their captain. He controls their souls through the
magical crown that grants them eternal life, so anyone in the crew who opposes him will
have their soul sucked out of their body. The mutineers will distract the rest of the crew
so that the party has a shot at defeating the captain in his chambers and destroying his
crown.

Blood Keep is built in an inclined valley, with the mine in the bottom and the town hall
on top, where Captain Bloodfoot lives. In order to get from the mutineer hideout, in the
south end, to the town hall, in the northern end, they need to disguise themselves or
sneak around some other way. They can also scale the steep cliffs at the east and west
sides of town to get around the crew.

The inhabitants of Blood Keep are all pirate skeletons. They are a bit distracted tonight
by the second moon that can be seen in the night sky. It is unusually large in the night
sky, and for the first time in a long time it is turning full. There is a buzz about how this
means they have enough power to use the Crown of Azÿll on a whole city. Most
crewmates seem excited about this since it would mean they can conquer the Emerald
Archipelago.

The main street is crowded with excited skeletons, but the alleyways are nearly empty.
There are around 50 buildings in the town, including some taverns, a general store, and
an armory.

if the party decides to rest

The party might be a bit hurt at this point. If they decide to rest in the mutineers hideout
they will be woken up the next morning by Anya telling them that Captain Bloodfoot is
 40

conducting a speech in the town square. He will talk about how he plans to set sail
towards the Emerald Archipelago to regain the glory of him and his crew. The party can
decide to attack him there, which will be very difficult since he has his crew supporting
him, or sneak into the Town Hall.
 41

town hall
Town hall is a wide building made of blue bricks and marble columns. It has a great
garden around it with a two meter high metal fence. Inside the building there is a fancy
foyer with a chandelier. To the right there is a kitchen, to the left a throne room with a
high ceiling and three long tables. Upstairs is a treasure chamber and private rooms,
locked away behind a great metal door (15 HP). They can get around the door by climbing
out the window and along the wall to the next window.

If Bloodfoot is in his chambers it will be very difficult to get in there without him
noticing. The party will have to roll every time they do something that could make a
sound. If Bloodfoot is conducting his speech

Inside the treasure chamber they can find boxes upon boxes full of glowing moon
crystals. They can be broken, but when they break they explode, dealing 1 damage to
creatures within reach.
There are also three heavy chests full of golden jewelry and coins. Hanging on the wall
above these chests there are four magic items: Chaos Pearls (gb. 141/184), a Cosmic
Purse (gb. 147/190), Gungrox’s Coin (gb. 148/191) and Fable (gb. 148/191).

fighting bloodfoot
Captain Bloodfoot is a big, 2.5-meter tall skeleton, wearing a bloodred coat with gold
ornaments and a pair of ironclad boots. He has a blue glow in his hollow eyes. His sword
is like a curved greatsword that he wields in one hand. On his head he has a big captain's
hat, and on top of the hat he wears a crystal crown. The crown has edged in arcane runes
and seems to be glowing.

The mutineers want to separate Bloodfoot from the crew. If Bloodfoot enters an area
with a narrow entrance, such as Town Hall or any other building, the mutineers can give
a signal to block off the entrance so that the crew can’t support him while the party
fights him. To make it easier to handle the combat scene, the mutineers and distracted
crewmates will stay outside the scene as a separate background fight.

If the party is fighting Bloodfoot in a closed off area, one hostile Crewmate (p.36) will
enter the scene at the end of every round. If they fight Bloodfoot in an open area, like
town square, two hostile crewmates will enter the scene at the start of the first round and
the end of every coming round.
 42

captain bloodfoot
hp 30 – atk 3 – boss- he/him

physical features: Undead skeleton, Big

social features: combative, greedy
extra attack: The creature can attack twice during its turn instead of once.
kick: (atk 2) Knock over the target on a hit. Deals 5 damage if the target is already
knocked over.
role abilities: Counterattack (gb. 35/56), Disarm (gb. 35/56), No (gb. 96/125), See
(gb. 97/126).
treasure: Great pirate sword, Eye of the Storm (see below)
eye of the storm: 2 ap > This magical ring creates an area of calm weather and clear
skies in a 1 km radius around its wearer. The wearer can also control the wind speed
and direction in this area.

the crown of azÿll

hp 10 – atk 0 – boss

physical features: Magic immunity. Magical item.

social features: Cosmic, controlling, power hungry.
shield: Can cast Shield (gb. 47/69) on itself.
soul catch: Suck the soul out of an undead creature, rendering their body lifeless.
mind control: Can be cast on a creature holding the crown. They have to roll to
resist the crown's mind controlling whispers.
● 20: They resist the whispers and can cast soul catch.
● 11 - 19: They resist the whispers for one round.
● 6 - 9: They struggle to resist and are paralysed for one round, unable to drop
the crown.
● 2 - 5: They are forced to attack another member of the party with a basic
attack.
● 1: They are forced to use their most powerful ability or item against another
member of the party.
 43

escaping
Once the crown is destroyed, all the undead souls of every crewmate, including
Bloodfoot, will leave the mortal realm and return to the rift, flying into the air and
exploding like blue arcane fireworks. They will have a few seconds to say their farewells
before they leave.

There is a galley lying in a hidden bay north of Blood Keep. It is a bit difficult to set sail
with just a few people, but within a few hours the party can make it work. With the
power of the Eye of the storm the party can sail away safely, onto new adventures!
 44

a funny business
a quest rpg adventure by ondo

background
This is a short and light-hearted adventure designed for any number of players using any
roles or abilities they prefer. During the game, the adventurers will find themselves in a
town, Weezleton, which has been infested with a bunch of strange ferrets that seem to be
too intelligent for their species. They will track down a ferret-obsessed druid and,
depending on their choices, they can help her join the town life rather than staying
locked down in her laboratory.

This is a light-hearted adventure that’s meant to be run either as a fun one-shot or a side
quest for your main campaign. If you run it as part of a bigger campaign, you can place
Weezleton anywhere in your world and adapt the NPCs as needed. If you’re running it as
a stand-alone adventure, the following paragraph will give some worldbuilding basics
you can use, modify, or expand upon. You can find stat blocks for all mentioned
creatures and NPCs at the end of the adventure (p.50).

Weezleton is a rural and peaceful town located on the outskirts of a beautiful forest.
Most of its people work in the fields or in the farms, taking care of animals like cows and
sheep, which usually roam in the forest. It’s located relatively far away from the capital,
but not so far that it’s dangerous territory.

Did you know? A group of ferrets is

known as a “business”.
 45

opening
The adventure starts in the Skunk Inn, a comfortable tavern located on the outskirts of
Weezleton.

You find yourselves in a rusting but comfortable tavern in Weezleton, a

peaceful town located far from the capital. A young dwarven waiter is
going through the room, taking orders from the handful of patrons having
lunch. Another waiter stands behind the bar, cleaning some bottles. Over
the bar hangs an old wooden sign: “The Skunk Inn”.

You sit around a table, eating and enjoying the conversation or the warmth
and the crackling of the fireplace. The town isn’t used to foreigners, and
although you’ve been welcomed warmly into the inn, several people keep
looking at you with curious eyes and concealed whispers.

At this point, have your players describe their characters if you haven’t already, and ask
them what they are doing. Shortly after, or if an adventurer tries to leave the room, skip
to the following description:

Suddenly, you hear loud noises coming from the outside. People screaming
and running, and sounds of animals skittering about. Some patrons
around you groan saying “Not this again…” just before something big
crashes against the door. When it crashes a second time, the door breaks
down and a huge business of ferrets enters the tavern.

The chaotic mass of furry creatures floods the room, eating food and
climbing on top of people. You see a group of four ferrets running in your
direction, clearly interested in your food.

The adventurers will need to deal with these chaotic and mischievous ferrets before they
can leave the inn. If they don’t act immediately, have some patrons ask them for
help—they know they are adventurers “from far away lands” and want them to use their
“prowess” to drive the ferrets away.

If the party decides to fight the ferrets or scare them away, treat all ferrets as a single
creature (see the Business of Ferrets stat block - p.50). They will run away very quickly,
but they will remember the party’s actions. The party can choose any other strategy they
like and the ferrets will leave if stealing food in peace becomes too difficult or annoying
for them.
 46

Attentive adventurers can notice a ferret standing on the bar, pointing at things and
chattering in a way that appears commanding. His fur resembles a black suit with a
white shirt underneath and the other ferrets seem to respect him. The party can
negotiate with him—if they do, they’ll realize he can understand and speak the common
human language. His name is Finn and he speaks in a surprisingly low and pompous
tone. After the ferrets have stolen enough food, he can be persuaded to leave without
causing further chaos.

aftermath
If the party manages to drive all the ferrets away, regardless of the method, the patrons
and all nearby Weezletoners will be grateful for their help (although they might be a bit
weirded out if they chose a bloody method). They will immediately ask for help with this
problem, which has been happening a lot lately. They will share the following
information:
- These ferrets have been around for about a week. They keep barging into houses,
stealing from the townspeople, and being a huge nuisance.
- The townspeople don’t know why this is happening, but some of them think it
could be related to Cruella de Fur. She’s always been a bit of a weirdo and lately,
she has been studying ways of enhancing wild animals to make them more
intelligent. They can point the party to Cruella’s house.
- The townspeople can’t do anything about it because Cruella is too powerful and
they don’t even dare approach her house. The mayor has asked for help from the
king, but it will take a long while because the capital is far away. They would be so
happy if they could count on the party for that.
- If the party helps, the town promises to reward them with anything they need
(with reasonable limits, given that it’s a small humble town). They can offer them
basic equipment, lodging, food, and this sort of service. They are really desperate
and will do anything to get help.
 47

let’s get down to business!

Cruella de Fur (p.50) lives in a house near the center of the town. However, she conducts
her experiments in a hidden basement, so if the party enters the house, they won’t find
anybody.

The house is empty and the wooden floor creaks lightly under your weight.
The living room has a couple of dusty armchairs and the sun shines
through tattered curtains, hitting wide shelves, which cover an entire wall
and are full of old books. The floor, and the old red rug that lays in the
middle of the room, are covered with a thin layer of dust.

Adapt the description above with the following elements if your party is perceptive, or
ask for rolls if they aren’t:
- The kitchen cabinets don’t have any food and the fireplace hasn’t been lit in a
long time.
- Footsteps, both human and ferret, are visible thanks to the dust that covers the
floor. They are all over the place, especially around the bookshelves, the front
door, and all over the living room.
- The books in the living room are mostly about magic, especially spells relating to
transformation and naturalism. However, they can also find mundane books like
cookbooks and romantic novels.
- The rug has less dust than the surrounding floor. The reason is that it hides a
trapdoor, so every time it opens the rug moves.
- Animal sounds (like skittering and excited growling) can be heard through the
floor, coming from under the living room.
The trapdoor can be locked from the outside or the inside, and right now it’s locked from
the inside. If the players try to force it open, they can do it without much issue as long as
they pass a roll. Alternatively, they can also break the trapdoor or make enough noise so
that the ferrets inside it will come out to see what’s happening.
 48

into the den

A narrow staircase leads you to a dark basement. The whole structure
looks like it has been carved directly on the stone under the house, but at
the same time, it has an eerie smoothness to it. As you walk down, the
animal sounds get louder, but you also hear light snoring from
immediately below you.

When you arrive in the room, you find yourself surrounded by four ferrets
sleeping on the floor, snoring lightly. They have little daggers next to them
and are dressed in armor made out of kitchenware. A closed wooden door
stands at the other end of the room.

The ferret guards are happy to keep sleeping as long as the players aren’t too noisy. If
they decide to walk stealthily, they have to roll the die. Otherwise, or if they fail the roll,
the ferrets wake up and proudly do their duties as guards. If the players insist on going
through the door, the ferrets will attack fiercely. You may run the combat using the
Business of Ferrets or the Funny Ferret stat block, depending on your preferred style. In
any case, they are armed with daggers that deal 2 damage. If there is combat here or
especially loud noises, the ferrets in the next room will join the fray, although they are
not armed.

In the next room, five ferrets sit around a little table playing poker—or at least trying to.
They don’t know how poker works, so they are fighting over the rules. If the party has
obvious signs of combat, the five ferrets will sound the alarm, which will make Cruella
de Fur appear immediately. Otherwise, one of the ferrets will ask the party for help with
the rules. If the party complies, the ferrets will happily welcome them around the small
table.

cruella de fur
Cruella de Fur will appear sometime after, and she’s not happy. If they are fighting, she
will be angry and will help the ferrets. If they are still playing cards, she’ll be surprised
and slightly jealous. At this point, the players can choose to fight her, but make sure to
run this scene in a way that makes it clear that fighting is not the only option.

Cruella was shunned by the townspeople because of her powers, as people thought
nature shouldn’t be controlled by a mere human. In truth, this was a way to hide their
fear of someone capable of such power. So Cruella left the village to deepen her
knowledge of magic and came back some months after with gained power—and a ton of
ferrets.
 49

The players can discover this information if they decide to talk to her. She won’t give it
easily, but she will end up doing so as she wants to be able to open up to someone else. If
the party offers their help to reintegrate Cruella into town life, she’ll be reluctant at first
but will end up accepting the offer.

As for the ferrets, the party can negotiate with them and get them to coexist peacefully
with the Weazletoners. Alternatively, they can scare them away or fight them.

If a fight breaks out here, Cruella and the ferrets will fight together against the party. But
if Cruella has decided to take the party up on their offer, the ferrets will run away as soon
as combat starts.

epilogue: business as usual?

If the ferrets have been driven away, or if the party has managed to teach them how to
respect the town and its people, everyone is very happy and grateful to them. They’ll
offer anything they can to the players (within reason) and they’ll be happy to try to
coexist with the ferrets as long as they don’t fall back into chaos. As for Cruella de Fur,
the town will be wary of her at first but will end up accepting her.

If you ran this adventure as a one-off game, you can end the story with a similar scene as
the opening. The party is in the Skunk Inn with other patrons, and the atmosphere is
much more cheerful. There are ferrets roaming around, but this time they are polite and
won’t try to steal or bother anyone. If you’re running it as part of a campaign, feel free to
use this epilogue as a way to connect with the rest of the story. Cruella, or one of the
townspeople, could give them the next plot hook, for example. Or you can just end with
the inn scene and save any plot hooks for the next session.
 50

npc stat blocks

cruella de fur
hp 30 – atk 3 – boss – she/her

social features: Untrusting, curious, possessive

physical features: Ferret-like agility.
role abilities: Shapeshift (gb. 58/82), Freeze (gb. 60/84), Burn (gb. 60/84).
If the party has attacked or insulted a ferret in her presence, Cruella’s attack damage
will become 4 when her HP lowers to 15 as she becomes progressively more enraged.
treasure: Whistle of ferret calling
veritable weakness: If a ferret is hurt, or if a player spends their turn insulting a ferret
(and has a successful roll), Cruella will lose 2 HP immediately.
vulnerability: Damage taken by illusions is doubled.

funny ferret
hp 4 – atk 1 (2 with dagger) – minion

role abilities: Speak With Animal (gb. 55/78), Sneak Attack (gb. 76/103)

business of ferrets
hp 15 – atk 3 (6 with daggers) – minions

role abilities: Speak With Animal (gb. 55/78), Sneak Attack (gb. 76/103)
 51

the omnipotent thief

a quest rpg adventure by jared van huizen

content warning – This adventure includes deception by various NPCs.

background
The team of adventurers arrive in a new town, Damasa, and plan to spend the night in
the tavern. They are interrupted by the arrival of a cunning thief, Billy Fingers, who robs
several people of their treasures in the common room of the tavern. This thief has an
uncanny ability to react as if they know what is going to happen before it does. After
taking a few treasures, Billy escapes town on a carriage waiting outside of the tavern.

The party will search for the thief, either out of their own interest, or from the request of
one of the tavern goers. While it appears the carriage made it to Teki, the next town over,
Billy Fingers leapt off the carriage during its journey and made his way to a hideout in
the wilderness.

Once the party manages to catch up to the thief, they will discover a wider conspiracy.
The entire town is in on the grift, working together with Billy Fingers to make him seem
more powerful than he is. What the rest of the town doesn’t know is that Billy plans for
this to be his last job before leaving town forever.

Ultimately, the Guide has the option to decide what kind of thief Billy Fingers really is. Is
he ready to make amends and set off on a quest to return the stolen treasures he has
kept? If so, he isn’t ready to leave without getting something important from his home
back in Damasa.
If the Guide decides Billy is only in it for himself, he will lie to the adventurer’s and
attempt to have the citizens of Damasa blame the party for what happened.

Regardless, the final chapter of the adventure will end back in Damasa, either trying to
recover the one object Billy considers priceless, or, sent there under false pretenses for
the town to attack.
 52

opener
The following opener applies as an introduction to the players if you are
running the scenario as a One-Shot, or the start of a campaign. If this is the
next step in an ongoing campaign, you may skip the first two paragraphs.
The adventure begins with the party arriving in a new town on the outskirts
of civilization.

As a group of adventurers you're always on the lookout for opportunities to stand out, as
well as treasure to grow more powerful, or trade for riches. So when you heard that in the
wilderness of one of the islands is a place overflowing with treasure just waiting to be
claimed, you jumped at that chance and sought it out.

Turns out, this place folk call the Rarefied Fault wasn't overflowing so much as
occasionally belching out a random assortment of magical artifacts from some other
dimension. Much like waiting for a volcano or geyser to erupt, you might be there at the
right time, but otherwise it involves a lot of waiting around, and killing time. After your
supplies began running low, and with nothing to show for it, you decided to call it quits.
A few days later, you are finally approaching civilization again.

Late in the afternoon your march on the road brings you to a small town by the name of
Damasa. You aren't the only adventurers who've decided to spend the evening here.
Luckily there's a good size tavern in town, called In Ink and Tea. You're planning to
unwind here before moving on tomorrow.
 53

billy fingers, omnipotent

thief daulo the bartender
hp 24 – atk 3 – boss – he/him hp 4 – atk 2 – commoner – he/him

social features: Charismatic,

Enterprising, Talented (Thievery)
physical features: Evasive (outrun other
creatures)
role abilities: Strap (gb. 77/104), Needful
Hilt (gb. 77/104), Farshot (gb. 54/77),
Counterattack (gb. 35/56)
treasure: Magician’s Key (gb. 146/189),
Needful Gift Box (gb. 143/186)

fiona pin
hp 2 – atk 1 – commoner – she/her hp 2 – atk 1 – commoner – they/them

mechanized soldier damasan guard

hp 18 – atk 2 – boss hp 8 – atk 3 – minion

combat features: Extra Attack social features: Zealous

role abilities: Focus gb. 39/60; 3 AP combat abilities: Extra Attack
option specifically)
 54

locations:

damasa

Damasa is located near the edge of civilization. One road into town comes from Teki,
another town a few hours' march away. The other road eventually ends in the middle of
nowhere. The adventurers have come to town from out in the wilderness.
The citizens of Damasa have found their own way to survive, by grifting those coming
into town. As the nearest village to the Rarefied Fault, they do get a steady stream of
people passing through. Occasionally people will come in with worthwhile treasure.

The expected grift that is performed is enabled by a magical ring: The Ever Expanding
Circle. The wearer of the ring can form a psychic link with those nearby. Those linked
are able to communicate and share perspectives with one another. The thief, Billy
Fingers, enters the tavern, makes a showy display of him seemingly predicting things that
will happen
 55

teki

Teki is a bit further West of Damasa. More people live here than Damasa. Occasionally
adventurers who are robbed by Billy Fingers come here looking for answers. However,
Billy Fingers has never been here. So the citizens of Teki have heard stories of a master
thief stealing from Damasa, but have never seen him in person.
 56

prologue
Short Version:
The party enters Damasa, goes to the tavern In Ink and Tea, and relaxes with a meal. If a
One Shot, here is where players can introduce their characters.

As mentioned in the introduction the party has arrived in the small town of Damasa.
They have come into town after a couple day’s journey, this is the first settlement they
have seen in days. Their supplies are low, and the day is growing long, it’s late afternoon.
You may emphasize the tiredness the adventurers feel by describing the soreness of feet,
dirtiness of clothes, and emptiness of their travel packs.

The townsfolk are going about their daily business in town, but someone points them
down the road to a large building: the tavern. The biggest building around, it has space
for half of the town, with room leftover for any travelers coming through. A worn sign
gives the name for this establishment: In Ink and Tea.

All they really want is a warm meal and soft bed, so they immediately enter the tavern.
The party takes a seat near the back of the building. A waiter brings them food.

Seated at the other tables is a mix of Damasan villagers, and several other travelers,
including some adventurers. It’s a friendly feeling environment, despite most people
keeping to themselves. There’s all sorts of different types of people, from young to old.
An older woman is ravenously gulping down a bowl of stew (Fiona). At the bar stands
the bartender, Daulo, pulling drinks.

The adventurers can take turns introducing themselves, and maybe describe a few
connections they share with one another, and why they work together.

Due to their placement near the back of the building they won’t be able to react
immediately to the incoming arrival of Billy Fingers.
 57

scene 1: strolling right in

Short version:
In the tavern the party is seated around a table, when Billy Fingers strolls in.

Notable NPCs in the scene

-Daulo, Tavern Bartender
-Fiona, an elderly woman
-Damasan citizens
-Assorted adventurers

A gust of wind blows open the door to the tavern. A man walks right inside
at this very moment, quickly and with confidence. His momentum is
unbroken in such a way to suggest that if the door hadn’t blown open he
would’ve run right into it. The coincidences continue as a waiter trips on a
table leg and a drink starts to fall off his tray. The man casually reached up
an arm before the drink started to tip and it landed right in his grasp. He
chugs the drink in one go and tosses it over his shoulder where a woman
seated at a table is raising her arms, in the middle of some sort of
argument with another woman. The cup hits her hand perfectly. The man
continues to walk forward and starts to sit down in a chair at the same
moment someone gets up, smoothly taking their place. As each of these
actions occur more and more people start to take notice and fall silent.
The man looks around the room and calmly says:

“Right, this is a robbery. We’re gonna do this nice and simple like, I’m just
looking for some jewels, treasure, coins, whatever you have on hand.”

The bartender, Daulo, will bark a response, something like “I don’t know what you think
you’re trying to pull, but we’re not doing anything you say.” He’ll walk over, carrying a
club. The thief responds the moment the bartender gets close, stepping hard on his foot,
and shoving him so he trips backwards, the club flying up in the air and falling on the
Daulo’s head. He’s knocked out cold. The thief quickly reaches into the man’s pockets
and pulls out some money, pocketing it.
 58

The grift is now underway. Billy Fingers, the thief, is going to rob some of the
unsuspecting adventurers who are here. The town is able to coordinate with him
telepathically using a special ring carried by Fiona. The Ever Expanding Circle is an
enchanted ring that permits the wearer to share thoughts telepathically with a group.
This is a well rehearsed show the town is putting on by this point.

Billy will make his way through the room. Most citizens will sit quiet, looking at their
drinks, appearing to be afraid and not wanting to draw the attention of the thief. Some
other adventurers in the room don’t want to push their luck and so aren’t putting up a
fight if Billy comes by and rummages through their packs. Feel free to describe another
experience of an adventurer trying to fight back, only for Billy to easily best them.

At some point, either Billy will get close to the party, or someone will want to intervene.
Remember that Billy is considered a Boss, so some players' abilities won’t work on him.

In this scene, any failure made by a player should prompt you to give them a hard
setback. Make them lose treasure to Billy, or take damage. In the description of the
failure, bring in details of how the environment is helping him, including how he is
anticipating the movements of the player. Or in the chaos of the room another patron of
the tavern tries to step in at the same time, but Billy easily dispatches them.
Alternatively, if you suspect the players will get too vengeful and overcommit, potentially
killing Billy, ease up and instead make the failures target other people in the tavern. A
player tries to intimidate Billy, but fails? Well in response he gets to do something
extravagant, such as stealing and putting on a coat of one of the people in the common
room. It probably looks better on him anyway.

Consider for tough choices bringing other NPCs into the reaction. If the player tries to
interrupt Billy but rolls a tough choice, maybe give them the option of having Billy’s
attention shift to someone less capable of defending themself, or bringing all of his
attention to one specific player.

Be careful to not sow seeds of mistrust with the citizens of Damasa too early, don’t make
it obvious that there are people working with him. If making the players mess up on a
failure, you could have them encounter a streak of bad luck, like a chair was moved into
the wrong location at the wrong time.

At a certain point Billy needs to make for the door. Either he’ll scurry away after feeling
like the party has control over the situation, or he’ll simply decide he’s accumulated
enough things. If he hasn’t done so already, he’ll need to steal the Ever Expanding Circle
from Fiona.
 59

Billy walks alongside an elderly woman who is eyeing him warily. She has
her hands covering a purse, but he just presses on a loose floorboard
under her chair. She begins to wave her arms to keep her balance as her
chair shifts, and he casually reaches out and with dextrous fingers plucks a
ring off her hand. This goes into his bag as he reaches the door.

If the players are very successful in their rolls and completely disarm or defeat Billy, the
Damasan citizens react by putting him in jail, and thanking the party profusely.
 60

scene 2: billy escapes

Short Version: Billy escapes, appearing to head to the next town over. Fiona reacts to the
theft of her magic ring by asking the party to reclaim it, and sends them on his tail.

If Billy was thwarted by the party in the tavern, the town throws him in jail.
The party sleeps soundly, but by the next morning someone in the tavern will tell them
Billy escaped from his cell and made his escape. If there wasn’t time for him to steal the
magic ring from Fiona, mention that he robbed an older woman on his way out of town.,
grabbing something else valuable.

Assuming Billy made his escape the way he expected, he leaves the tavern and climbs
aboard a carriage which quickly leaves town. The carriage will be heading to the next
town over, Teki, but Billy will hop off the vehicle part way there, and go to his hideout.

The party, back at In Ink and Tea, has just seen Billy leave through the door, as
mysteriously as he appeared. The townsfolk are rattled, and this time it isn’t a show.
They felt the psychic connection sever once Billy took the Circle. This was not part of the
plan. The waiter checks on the bartender who is still ‘knocked out’ on the floor. There
are several disgruntled adventurer’s lamenting the losses of their treasure.

If the party is slow on talking to other NPCs, they can overhear Fiona asking other
adventurer’s for help, but getting turned down. These other adventurer’s don’t want to
mess with someone this powerful. She will come to their table, and hopefully their hearts
will be moved.

Fiona will explain to the party that the thief took a very precious ring from her. If
someone asks she’ll pause for a moment before answering. Fiona will say the ring is a
priceless family heirloom that connects her to the spirits of her ancestors. She’s hoping
this will serve 2 purposes: the power of the ring sounds personal, but should the party
attempt to use the ring, there is a potentially plausible explanation for hearing the voices
of others.

Damasa only has one road coming in and out of the city. One way heads towards the
next town, Teki, the other back the way the group came from. Anyone in town could say
they saw a carriage head towards Teki, if asked.

interstitial: marching to teki

If the party left the same day as the theft it’ll still be daylight by the time they get to Teki.
The town over, Teki can be reached in less than 2 hours of walking.
 61

You journey on a packed dirt road. Thick ranges of trees cover both sides
of the road. In the distance to the east some bluffs and cliffs rise above the
treeline. The sun is getting lower in the sky. You managed to have
something of a meal back at the tavern, but you are still tired from your
previous day’s journey.

If a player wants to search for clues relating to Billy on the journey, and succeeds, you
may be able to avoid Scene 3, as they locate evidence of Billy making his way through
some trees.

scene 3: arriving in teki

Short Version: Teki has heard of Billy Fingers, but no one has ever seen him. The party
can find the carriage driver who came here from Damasa who can be bribed to give their
suspicions of where Billy Fingers went.

Notable NPC: Pin, the Carriage driver

Arriving in Teki at twilight, the town is much busier than Damasa. If any citizens are
directly asked about a thief coming from Damasa, people will have essentially the same
information. At this point the party may not know the name of the thief, but Teki has at
least heard that.

Information anyone in Teki knows:

-A man named Billy Fingers has robbed Damasa numerous times, he is considered a
master thief as he has never been caught. Adventurers come through here complaining
about being robbed, sometimes they have tried to track him here. But no one in Teki has
ever seen this thief before, and he has not robbed anyone in Teki before.

If the players need more information that Billy never made it to Teki, the carriage he
escaped Damasa on is here, and the driver is hanging around. Their name is Pin. If the
party speaks with them, initially they play dumb, saying they don’t know anyone by the
name of Billy Fingers. With a bit of prodding or bribing they will admit that they are
hired as a driver. They are given a time and day to come to Damasa with their carriage,
and just need to go to Teki once a man is on board. They collect their payment from a
dead drop, and have been instructed to keep looking forward during the trip, and don’t
engage with the man at all.
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Pin has one secret they are keeping. They’ll only reveal if they are paid, likely in the form
of treasure. During their trip from Damasa to Teki, they often hear a sound around a
particular curve in the road. They don’t check, but if they had to guess it sounds like
someone jumping off of the carriage and hitting the ground.

This should be enough information for the party to go on to search for Billy in the
wilderness between Teki and Damasa.
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scene 4: billy’s hideout

Short Version: the party finds Billy Fingers’ hideout and confronts him, learning the
truth.

Notable NPC: Billy Fingers

The party turns around and leaves Teki the way they came. Depending on how much
they spoke with Pin, they may know the exact curve where Billy jumped off the carriage,
otherwise they may need to do some searching.

By the time they get back to where they can begin to look for Billy, the sun has gone
down. The two moons have started to rise in the sky, providing a small amount of light.
However once the party leaves the road the trees will block out most of the moonlight.

You can choose what obstacles feel right for this search. Is the challenge finding Billy’s
trail into the woods? Or is it not losing their way in the thick forest? Without a light
source the party has no chance of following the trail. There could be uneven terrain. If
the adventure is moving quickly, this could be a time for a Trial, or you can move past
this part without much trouble.

Once reaching the edge of the treeline, ahead of them is an open patch of earth with a
cliff rising up on the other side of it. There is a crack in the face of the bluff that has a bit
of light coming from it. They have reached the hideout of Billy Fingers. After escaping
from Damasa he comes here to look over the spoils he collected. However, today he is
packing up and getting ready to leave.

At this point as the Guide you have the option for how you would like to portray Billy.

Has he grown a conscience and wants to begin to make amends? The party can help him
get on the right path. The one thing he lacks before he leaves is an object that is
important to him. He forgot it back at his home in Damasa.

Has he gotten greedy and wants to take the spoils for himself? The appearance of the
party presents a problem, but one he will try and work to his advantage.

Either way, his theft of the Ever Expanding Circle from Fiona was to ensure the grift in
Damasa could not continue.

Inside the cave Billy has a cot set up and a small dresser. Scattered around the cave are
some crates containing jewels, with a few pieces of treasure. Now is not the time for
 64

players to go rummaging through to find specific items, but suffice to say some random
Uncommon or Rare items from Quest’s treasure catalog are stored here.

Whether or not he remembers the party depends on how much they interacted with him
at the tavern. Regardless, he’s not looking to fight. He will try to protect himself if
attacked, but isn’t interested in actually hurting them. He will try to explain himself, that
he’s not the only one responsible, that there’s so much more going on than they realize.

Assuming the party is willing to give him a chance to speak, Billy will explain things.

“I understand you’re upset, but I can explain everything. You have

unfortunately been victims of a con, put on not just by myself, but the
entire town of Damasa. Adventurers came through here looking for
treasure in the Rarefied Fault, and one time someone left behind this ring.
We learned it allowed us to speak to one another through our minds - to
share a connection. We thought we could get some more income by
skimming a bit off the top of whatever the traveling adventurer’s brought
through. So I’m the face of the operation, but with this ring every citizen of
Damasa in the tavern can talk and coordinate with one another wordlessly,
helping to sell me as the world's greatest thief. Now, don’t get me wrong, I
have a knack for this sort of thing, but over time, I’ve had a change of
heart. I want to use these fingers for something other than nicking
treasure off of hapless adventurers.

“I’m ready to move on, I took the ring from Fiona so they can’t keep doing
this. I was getting ready to leave, unfortunately I realized I wasn’t fully
prepared for this to be my final day in town. There’s something very
important I forgot in town. A treasure, incredibly valuable to me.”

Billy doesn’t have the words to describe what he’s forgotten back in Damasa. It’s
precious to him, but that should be about it. The actual object isn’t important (Though if
your players don’t accept that feel free to come up with something, or pick an item from
Quest’s treasure catalog). The intention is that the players are not considering double
crossing Billy and taking this item for themselves, it’s something only he really is
interested in.

If Billy is remorseful, he is earnest about recovering this object. He was hesitant to come
back to town as he doesn’t think he can do so without being spotted. The appearance of
the party presents an opportunity. He will try to convince them to go into town and
collect the object for him from his room. Once he has his precious treasure, he plans to
leave on a journey to search for the people he has robbed, and return whatever treasure
 65

he’s collected to them. As such he is hesitant to offer any treasure as a reward. Afterall,
these things belong to other people. He’s hopeful the party will do this out of the
goodness of their heart, but if not, he will part with some things.

If Billy is lying to the party, he can still give the same story in the paragraph above, as it’s
a plausible explanation. Really he’s just become bored of this con and is on the lookout
for bigger and bigger scores. He may be willing to offer some treasure to the party as a
reward, even offering something up front as a show of good faith to buy them off.

Assuming the party is willing to help, Billy will give them the location of the room he
rents in Damasa, and how to find his treasure. It’s hidden underneath a loose floorboard
his bed frame rests on.
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scene 5: the boarding house

Short Version: Back in Damasa the party will locate the item Billy is looking for. They
will have to contend with a Mechanized Soldier patrolling. Once they have it, either they
return it to Billy, or he will spring his last trick, guaranteeing the guards will find the
party.

Mechanized Soldier
2 modes: Sentry mode and Aggression mode.
In Sentry mode it watches and searches.
In Aggression mode, it slashes and punches.

Billy rents a room in a boarding house in Damasa. It is on the 2nd floor. There is a ledge
on the outside of his window where someone may be able to jump up to. However, by the
time the party has made it back to Damasa, it is well and truly night. Both moons are
high in the sky. Damasa has a Mechanized Soldier patrolling at night time. This is a large
mechanical suit of armor with a heavy broadsword. It is staying close to the boarding
house, on the chance that Billy returns. The party may want to rush in and defeat the
creature to get some payback for what Damasa has done, or they may want to stay quiet.
Unless they have an ability to hide themselves it will require rolling the die to avoid
being seen, or creating a distraction. If the Mechanized Soldier sees the party it will
sound an alarm and bring 3 guards to investigate.

If you want to adjust the threat of discovery by the Mechanized Soldier, sneaking through
Damasa and recovering Billy’s object could be handled as a Trial. With multiple
opportunities for success or failure this will likely avoid combat. If you don’t run this as a
Trial, a single failure, or tough choice will have the opportunity to spring the Soldier on
the party.

Running a Trial? # of successes = # of players +1. # of failures = 2

Inside Billy’s room is a small dresser, table, and bed frame with a mattress on it. Just like
he said, there’s a loose floorboard one of the bed frame legs rests on. It can be pried up,
but in both cases if the players aren’t careful the noise from the creaky floorboard may
draw the Mechanized Soldier.

(Alternative option: not enough conflict in the adventure so far? Consider having Fiona
waiting for the party in or near Billy’s room. She’s not dangerous, but she could call the
guards here.)
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If a fight occurs during this scene, The guards of Damasa will let the Mechanized Soldier
continue fighting until it breaks down. The guards will not completely fight to their
death, and if the party has the upper hand they will try to appeal to their good nature.
After all, the town cannot continue running this con without their ring, so they hope that
the party will stop attacking them if they promise not to do it again. Fiona can approach
the party when the guards have given up. She carries no weapons. She can ask the party
to reconsider siding with Billy, otherwise asking them to please leave as Damasa will not
be able to run this con again.

If Billy is honest and remorseful, the mission is to get him the object he needs on the
outskirts of the town.

Billy’s treasure is kept inside a lockbox, about the size of a large purse. After recovering
it, he is waiting just on the outskirts of town. If the party has been spotted, they should
probably defeat or escape their attackers. But after bringing Billy the object of his desire,
he is ready to leave. The players would have the option to journey with Billy in search of
other adventurers who he stole magic items from across the islands. Otherwise, this is
where they part. They have stopped Damasa from being able to easily steal from other
visiting adventurers and have helped Billy get started on a better path.

If Billy was lying to the party, they will learn they have been set up. He has actually rigged
his apartment with an alarm. This will go off after entering his room. The sound of this
alarm will draw the Mechanized Soldier to them.

The party may have demanded and convinced Billy to come with them so they can keep
an eye on him. His failsafe action to escape is to use a Magician’s Key (Game Book pg.
146) to escape into a shadow haven.

The Mechanized Soldier will be alerted along with some other guards. They are
uninterested in working out a deal, or hearing excuses. Short of the party trying to take
the place of Billy (this is only possible if they somehow got the Ever Expanding Circle
from Billy) the knowledge the party possesses will only bring them trouble.
Billy will have fled during this fight, and the party can continue searching for him in
other towns. This option may be preferable if this adventure is one part of an ongoing
campaign.
 68

the return of moandor

a quest rpg adventure by boxman214

content warning – This adventure includes deception by various NPCs, as well as

discussion of (Higgle’s) terminal illness.

background
The party is asked to escort an aged and ill explorer to the site of his fallen friends to say
his goodbyes and retrieve an item. But can he be trusted?

This is an adventure in which the Guide will blatantly deceive the players.

The PCs are approached by an old man. He asks them to help him go on one last
adventure. He claims he was an adventurer once, decades ago. His adventuring party
entered a cavern, but the rest of his companions were killed and he narrowly escaped
with his own life. He wishes to go back to the cavern, say goodbye to his former
companions, and retrieve the artifact they previously failed to obtain. If the PCs agree,
they will escort him to an icy cavern.

As the PCs escort the old man through this dungeon and overcome the obstacles within,
they will see the remains of the man’s former teammates. He will regale the PCs with
stories of who these adventurers were.

At the end of the cavern, the players will reach the artifact: the Living Crystal. If the old
man touches the Living Crystal, he will be immediately revived. He will absorb all the
magic within the crystal, and the crystal will be vaporized. He will reveal himself to be a
powerful Lich that was once defeated by these dead adventurers. They had stolen his
power and imprisoned it within this cavern. The PCs have just returned it to him.

He immediately teleports away. The players have unleashed a great evil into the world.

The Guide should attempt to give subtle hints of the old man’s dishonesty throughout
the adventure. But if the PCs confront him about inconsistencies in his story, he will
claim to be confused and have a poor memory. The less subtle the Guide is, the greater
chance the PCs will have to identify his deception and prevent the Lich’s return. The
Guide must decide how great an opportunity the PCs have to discover the truth before it
is too late.
 69

opener
The PCs are in a town and are shopping, or perhaps drinking in a tavern. A shriveled old
man approaches them, held up by his walking stick. He asks them for help. He says his
name is Higgle. He tells a tale to the PCs, which the Guide is advised to restate in her
own words:

“I am dying. I have a magical illness. I’ve seen every physician, cleric, and wizard
imaginable. Believe me when I say that this disease is incurable. I have less than a week
to live. Yet, while my strength holds, I would like to go on one last adventure.

Many years ago, when I was much younger, I was an adventurer. Much like you, I had a
troupe of friends. We had many daring exploits over the years. But, we had a singular
goal. We wanted to find an ancient artifact known as the Living Crystal. Little is known
about the Crystal, but we believed it to be a tool of immense power and priceless
knowledge. Over the years, we sought it. Eventually, we found it to be located within a
hidden cave called Isceald Cavern.

We found the cave and entered it. We attempted to brave its dangers, but we failed. My
friends…. they….. they all died….

I narrowly escaped with my life. I was the only survivor. And we never retrieved the
Living Crystal.

Will you help me? Will you take me to Isceald Cavern? I wish to say goodbye to my
friends before I die. And, if we’re quite lucky, perhaps I’ll be able to finally hold the
Living Crystal in my hands. See if the legends of its gifts are true.

If you help me, I’ll give you my Pendant of Air Sphere when we escape the cavern. And if
we obtain the Living Crystal, you may keep that as well. I will not live long enough to
receive whatever blessings it has to offer.”

If the PCs agree, the old man will give them instructions to find Isceald Cavern. He will
accompany the party on their journey, but will be of little help. He has no magical
abilities to speak of. He is too weak to assist in a fight.

The party will climb a nearby peak. After a few hours of hiking, they will find a small
lake. At this time, the old man explains that his Pendant of Air Sphere will enable them
to enter the cavern. He’ll grasp the pendant on his necklace and a 10-foot diameter
 70

sphere of breathable air will surround him. He’ll beckon the party to follow closely, and
he’ll walk into the lake. As he does so, the water will part around him. As he progresses
far enough to be submerged, the PCs will observe that they are safe from the water. They
are held within a bubble of air, so long as they all stay within the range of the pendant’s
power.

The old man will walk to the bottom of the lake and the players will see an opening in
the ground, leading to a tunnel. The old man will enter. After following the tunnel for a
short distance,, the ground becomes a path upward. Eventually, the PCs emerge into a
cave. The old man will deactivate the pendant. The PCs will see that the water behind
them does not rise high enough to pose any risk to them.

The players feel an immense chill in the air. The old man announces that they have
arrived at the frozen Isceald Cavern.

higgle
hp 2 – atk 0 – commoner – he/him

social features: Addled, bossy

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dungeon room 1
Walls and floor covered in ice. A long, irregular oval room. At the far end is a passageway
leading beyond. There is a ledge in front of the passageway. In front of the ledge is a
chasm of unknown depth, 5 feet wide.

When the PCs enter the room, creatures spring to life.

At the far end, a Frozen Skeletal Warrior emerges from snow. It places a hand crank into
a square slot in the wall and begins to turn it. The crank lowers a portcullis to block the
path out of the room. After 1d4+1 rounds, the warrior completes the task, removes the
hand crank, and tosses it into the chasm below. If the PCs fail to stop the warrior before
this, they will have to invent a way to raise or bypass the portcullis.

Between the entryway and the chasm, the PCs face 4 additional Frozen Skeletal Warriors
skeletal warriors who rise from the snow. The warriors attack on sight.

After the battle is over, Higgle will rant about how these warriors were once his friends.
They must have been cursed when they died here. He will invent names and backstories
for the warriors if prompted for more information.

frozen skeletal warrior

hp 4 – atk 2 – minion

role abilities: Makes 2 attacks with

2-handed weapon each turn
immunity: Cold and necrotic damage
vulnerability: Damage taken by fire is
doubled
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dungeon room 2
After the players pass through the portcullis, they will follow a winding hallway for a
ways which will end in a long, rectangular room.

This room has a 40-foot long chasm, filled with frozen spikes. The way across is a
narrow, slippery bridge. Each PC must make a roll to pass the bridge successfully, unless
they have an ability or item which will enable them to bypass the obstacle.

On failed roll (2-5), the PC will slip and fall onto the spikes. On a catastrophic roll (1),
the portion of the bridge on which the PC stands will collapse, posing a risk to any
nearby PCs as well. Any PCs who fall onto the spikes will receive 4 HP damage. The
Guide may choose to make a roll for Higgle, let him pass safely, or have the players find a
way to transport him safely across.

After crossing the chasm, the players will enter another passageway.
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dungeon room 3
The PCs will traverse another hallway, ending in a circular room.

At the center of the room is a massive spinning blade. It hovers 1 foot off the floor and
has a diameter of 12 feet. There is a very narrow space to walk carefully around the blade
on either side. If a PC touches the blade in any way, they will receive 5 HP damage.

At the far end of the room is a locked door with a keyhole. If the PCs look around, they
may notice that the central hub of the spinning blade has a small block of ice atop.
Encased in that block of ice is the key. If the players cannot bypass the locked door on
their own, they will need to find a creative solution to obtain this frozen key while
avoiding the danger of the blade.

Beyond the door lies a narrow staircase, leading upward several feet.
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dungeon room 4
This room is hexagonal in shape. At the far end, there is a pedestal carved into the wall.
A 1-foot long, glowing purple Living Crystal hovers in the air above it. Standing guard in
front of the pedestal is an Icy Skeletal Champion. The Champion will block any attempt
to reach the crystal.

When the PCs cross beyond the center of the room, a Frost Golem will burst from the
frozen wall to the left and attack.

icy skeletal champion

hp 10 – atk 4 – boss

physical features: The Champion stands

upon a glowing square and will not willingly
leave this space. While it remains there, the
square will heal it 5 HP at the start of every
turn. If removed from the square, the
healing will end.
role abilities: Counterattack (gb. 35/56),
makes 2 attacks with greatsword every turn
if an enemy is in range
immunity: Cold and necrotic damage
vulnerability: Damage taken by fire is
doubled

frost golem
hp 15 – atk 4 – boss

physical features: Stands 15 feet tall, makes

1 swipe with arms at a nearby enemy each
turn, will also use frost breath attack once
per day which sprays a 15 foot cone of icy
wind
immunity: Cold and necrotic damage
vulnerability: Damage taken by fire is
doubled
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conclusion
As soon as the opportunity presents itself (even if mid-battle), Higgle will try to retrieve
the Living Crystal. If the PCs retrieve it first, he will do anything to touch it just once. He
will ask, beg, plead, scold, and more.

disastrous ending-If he touches the Crystal, it will immediately shatter and Higgle will
absorb all of its magical power. He then transforms into a tall, frightening, and powerful
Lich with an obsidian scythe in place of his staff. The Lich will cackle maniacally, thank
the PCs for reviving him, and then immediately teleport far away, leaving only his
Pendant of Air Sphere behind. The PCs have unleashed a great evil upon the world.

After this occurs, the Icy Skeletal Champion will rise (even if defeated) and speak to the
PCs:

The menace before you cackles. He thanks you for reviving him to this
state, then vanishes with a blink of teleportation magic. His Pendant of Air
Sphere clatters to the ground in his wake.

With that, the Icy Skeletal Champion steps forward, defeated. It exclaims:
“The Dread Lich Moandor has been unleashed. Our greatest enemy, whom
we sacrificed everything to defeat. We stole his power and hid it here, but
now, all is lost.”

The Champion and its gear collapse into dust. The Frost Golem will
dissolve into snow.

sad ending-If the PCs prevent Higgle from obtaining the Living Crystal, he will wither
and die shortly after.
 76

reverse circus
a quest rpg adventure by blaire moorevine

The party finds themselves on the way to see a secret circus that a shady figure tipped
them off to. He had abnormally large shoes. He promised them a rich adventure awaits.

content warning – this adventure includes clowns and elements of claustrophobia.

scene 1: the collection

The party’s instructions lead them to the big city, and down many winding
alleyways until they come upon a very small red and white striped circus
tent which they must crawl into.

Upon entering the tent their suspicions are confirmed that it is much
larger inside than out. They find themselves crawling on dirt rather than
the cobblestone of the city, and as they look around they see it’s very
apparent that this tent’s true size is massive.

They are immediately greeted by two clowns doing vigorous jazz hands.
One is tall and spindly and goes by the name “Goobert”. The other is short
and rotund, and goes by “Little Joe”. They are quite friendly and welcoming
of the players, and inform them that they have found themselves in
“Scrimblo’s Circus, the best show in town.” They also express how much
they love Scrimblo because he gave them a home.

They lead the party through a flap in the side of the room, walking around
the circumference of the tent. This next room is spacious, and filled with
cages of many sizes.

This is a time in which you can incorporate the party into the storytelling. Ask each party
member to describe one creature that is inside one of the cages. Goobert and Little Joe
explain that Scrimblo has amassed his collection of rare creatures over years of effort.
They give the players some time to look inside the cages and take it all in.
 77

Once the party is finished looking around at the fun creatures, Goobert and Little Joe
open a flap and present the next room, in a grandiose fashion, as Scrimblo’s Hall of
Mirrors.

scene 2: the hall of mirrors

Once the players have all entered the hall, the duo closes the flaps behind
them, and the lights suddenly become very dim. Upon feeling the wall
where they entered they find it is entirely solid.

Most of the mirrors are regular glass mirrors, and can be broken to reveal
solid stone behind them, but after making progress down the hall the
party enters a square room with a large mirror as each wall. Immediately
the party sees that the left wall’s mirror shows that the right wall is made
of stone and has a strangely shaped door with colorful polka dots.

Looking at the right wall, however, all they see is a mirror.

The moment this mirror is touched, it begins to slide towards them, threatening to flatten
them at the other side of the room. This mirror can produce illusions that it uses to
impede the party's attempts to stop the wall. Once the mirror is activated in this way, the
entrance to the room they came from disappears. Treat this scene as a Trial. Here are
some suggestions for challenges:
- Spikes suddenly poke out from some parts of the mirror. (The spikes do 2
damage)
- Suddenly all the lights go out.
- The parties reflections reach through the floor and grab their ankles
- The wall leans backwards 45⁰ to make it harder to push on.
- The floor suddenly becomes very bouncy.

Be sure to allow the players to get creative on how they combat the challenges! If the
party gets enough failures the mirror stops just before smooshing them. Have them all
roll the die. The player who rolls the lowest has their character's reflection steal
something important of theirs. If they roll enough successes first, the party is able to stop
the wall. It then shrinks into a reflective key that fits into the polka dot door.
 78

scene 3: the arena

The door leads to the center of the tent, which is a large arena. In the
stands the party can see that every single member of the audience is a
clown, and they are cheering loudly.

A goofy clown’s voice echoes through the arena saying they are impressed
by the party’s performance, and cannot wait to see the grand finale. The
voice introduces itself as Scrimblo, and addresses the audience.

“Aren’t you tired of being the butt of every joke? Aren’t you ready to be the
last ones laughing? I think it’s about time for US to be entertained.” The
crowd goes wild, and Scrimblo says “BEHOLD! My wonderful collection.”

A huge metal door opens on the side of the arena and one of each of the creatures from
the cages charges toward the party. The HP and abilities of the creatures is entirely up to
the Guide, (and the party if the Guide allows). When any of the creatures is defeated,
they explode with a cartoonish popping sound, and confetti flies everywhere. Scrimblo
will shout angrily at the party intermittently as the creatures are defeated.

Upon defeating the final creature, Scrimblo lets out a scream of rage, and a
giant puff of smoke appears in the center of the pit. When the smoke
fades, the party sees a gigantic 20 foot tall clown standing before them.
The clown is Scrimblo, and he is wearing polka dot overalls with a striped
shirt underneath, a strangely shaped patchwork top hat, and bright red
clown shoes.

Scrimblo pulls out a little horn and squeezes it, a silly honk coming out.

After this honk, the party’s weapons and armor become made of balloons. If anyone tries
to take anything out of a bag after the honk, all they can seem to find inside are colorful
scarves. He places the horn in his pocket and turns his attention to the party. Scrimblo
has 60 HP and does 4 damage. He will try to stomp on or smash the party with his giant
gloved hands, giggling uncontrollably as he does so. When anyone is hit, cartoonish
sound effects are made. The party can aim for his pocket with the horn, and if successful
will turn all of their equipment back to normal.
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scene 4: conclusion
When Scrimblo is defeated a hole is punctured in him and he goes flying around the
arena making the sound of a deflating balloon before plopping flat onto the ground. The
crowd becomes silent, and the tent suddenly begins to shrink around the party. It shrinks
to the size of the tent they entered at the beginning, and spits the party out once it
becomes too small to hold them. After a moment it begins rapidly spitting out an
avalanche of clowns from the audience who all seem disoriented and confused. They are
all regular people who were lured in by Scrimblo and enslaved as his clown minions, and
now that he is defeated, the spell is broken. Little Joe and Goobert approach the party
and express their thanks for defeating Scrimblo, then take their leave heading past them
down the alley. They find no trace of the deflated Scrimblo.
 80

scurry hunters
a quest rpg adventure by pablo albelda

This is an adventure through the wilderness in Peonia Island. The party must find out
what is happening with the Giant Magical Squirrels that live on the island. Why are they
seemingly disappearing? They will travel with Quinn, Alex and Jernee to get to the home
of the squirrels as soon as possible.

Jernee is one of the Magical Squirrels, so they can guide you straight to their home. But
something goes wrong as all of you fly over the island. Suddenly, Jernee begins to
plummet, and you all fall.

content warning – this adventure features animal trafficking and/or animal cruelty,
depending on the mood and the stakes the group is going for.

background
Peonia Island is home to a large population of Giant Magical Squirrels. These
magnificent creatures live long years. They are intelligent, capable of talking, flying and
other incredible feats. These creatures are a mystery to some people, who would
investigate them and try to discover the source of their abilities. They are a rarity to some
others, who would pay huge sums of money to have them as pets, or as ornaments in
their homes. Although, these squirrels are distrustful of strangers, and they fly away at
any sign of danger. No one has ever captured one of them. Until now.

The party is tasked by the Keepers Organization for Wildlife Safety (or KOWS, for short)
to investigate the island and check up on the squirrels. Some reports say that they’re
missing. What they don’t know is that a Second Moon has appeared in the sky of the
Emerald Archipelago, and it has brought peculiar changes to the islands. For one, a group
of hunters has devised a way to bring the squirrels down from the sky by channeling the
power of this Second Moon. These hunters are performing a ritual using one of the
Squirrels. While the ritual is active the squirrel suffers and is weakened, although they
won't die. The effects of this ritual are that every squirrel within the island will lose their
ability to fly. If the squirrel is liberated, or the mage is incapacitated or convinced to stop
the ritual, the effects will end. The party doesn’t know about the hunters or the moon.

They arrive in Peonia Island with the help of Jernee, Quinn and Alex. The members of
this trio are a group of friends, traveling companions and merchants. Alex and Quinn are
childhood friends, they’ve grown together and are like brother and sister. Jernee is a giant
magical squirrel that stumbled upon them during one of their travels and they haven’t
 81

parted ways ever since. Every year they travel back to the Emerald Archipelago to meet
with Jernee’s family. The party was on their way to the island when they met these three,
completely by chance. They agreed to give the party a lift, since everyone was going to
the same place, and everyone was concerned about what could be happening. Jernee’s
home is located north of the island, in the Forest of the Giants.

locations
This is a basic flowchart that
represents how the different
scenarios are linked. After
reading through the Opener and
Shipwrecked scenes, the party
starts at the Ruins in the Woods.

notes
One of the objectives can be to
get Jernee to their home, but the
players must take into
consideration that hunters can
capture the squirrel at any time.
So they can choose to part ways
at some point (preferably in the
city) before going into
dangerous territory, or hunters
can separate them without
warning.
 82

opener

You have only been with Alex, Quinn and Jernee for a few hours. You were on your way
to the Emerald Archipelago, tasked by the Keepers Organization for Wildlife Safety (or
KOWS, for short) to investigate some rumors about the local Giant Magical Squirrel
population. Some reports say that the scurry of squirrels hasn’t been seen for a while,
and that is strange because this is the time of the year when every squirrel in the scurry
comes back home and they all can be seen flying around their home, Peonia Island.
You were on your way to the island, but the last teleport bridge you had to traverse
apparently had experienced some kind of malfunction and it was under repair when
you got there. Fortunately, Alex, Quinn and Jernee were around. They agreed to give the
party a lift, since everyone was going to the same place, and everyone was concerned
about what could be happening on the island.

The night finally gives way to the day. The party is asleep on the floor of the cabin,
despite the chilly air that creeps through the cracks in the walls, and despite the
occasional shaking of the floor. Alex and Quinn were kind enough to give them some
blankets and cushions to keep themselves warm and comfortable. “It can get quite cold
at these heights," Alex casually said. Despite all that, sleeping in a cabin on top of a
giant magical flying squirrel was way more comfortable than they expected.
One by one, all of you wake up. The first sun rays dye the right windows of the cabin in
an orange shade. You have been traveling (and sleeping) through the night, but
apparently your hosts are already awake.
"Hey! Good morning," sais Quinn. "Just in time to see the sunrise. Would you like
something to eat? We’ve got berries and coffee. (...) So, last night we were all pretty
tired, but I think now we could introduce ourselves properly. I am Quinn, and this is
Alex. And that one over there carrying the cabin is —"
"HI! NICE TO MEET YOU! I’M JERNEE," suddenly interrupts Jernee.

"... Jernee, yes," Quinn affirms with a smile on their face. "The three of us travel the
world, buy and sell interesting trinkets and learn about every place we visit.”
“Yes, and every year we come back to visit Jernee’s family,” Alex adds. “They’re actually
quite welcoming when you get to know them… Well, that’s us. Who wants to go next?”

In this scene the players can take turns to introduce themselves using the character
sheet. After the characters are done, continue onto Shipwrecked.
 83

quinn alex
hp 4 – atk 1 – commoner – they/them hp 4 – atk 1 – commoner – he/him

social features: Passionate, Cheerful, social features: Kind, Thoughtful,

Easygoing Sensitive

role abilities: Summon the Blood, role abilities: Pair Bond (gb.55/78),
Valiant Soliloquy (gb. 37/58) Remedy (gb. 52/75)

description – They are the face of the
trio and the one that gets things done,
or at least, a lot of things. They’ve
picked a few tricks on the road that
help them encourage the group when
morale is low. When they met Jernee,
their life became thrilling and a lot
more interesting. They like hot drinks,
fighting for what is right and making
people feel happy.
description – He is calm, cool and
collected and tends to keep to himself
when he meets new people. He thinks
deeply about things he cares about.
He also feels a strong connection to
the earth and the living things, to the
point he has developed quite a strong
bond with Jernee. He’s a night owl, he
likes to read every book that falls into
his hands, loves when the group stops
at a place by the sea and he also likes
trying new exotic food.

jernee
hp 6 – atk 1 – commoner – they/them

social features: Wise, Witty

description - Jernee is a snarky and talkative creature. They have the confidence and
wisdom that only being an old giant magical flying animal can give you. They enjoy
Quinn and Alex’s company because they are good-hearted, and they have made Jernee
look at life through a different perspective. Jernee really does love those two.

They enjoy gliding through the air, the warm weather and bad jokes.
 84

shipwrecked
A few minutes after reaching the shores of Peonia Island, the party can
feel Jernee moving underneath the cabin. They nervously point their head
in different directions and seem to be looking for something among the
trees. Alex closes his eyes and focuses while Quinn scans the
surroundings. “Something’s wrong with Jernee! Brace for impact – this will
be a rough landing!” Alex says.

The party’s ship crashes on the shore of Peonia Island, landing near the Ruins in the
Woods.
 85

ruins in the woods

Jernee and the cabin full of people abruptly land on a forest clearing.
Jernee took the brunt of the crash. They seem a bit hurt, but are conscious.
The party is surrounded by trees, large rocks and wooden structures which
form a solid wall that encircles the clearing.

For this part, the party is apparently trapped inside of the wall. They will hear different
voices approaching over the wall. These are the Hunters who set up the trap. When they
see the party, they will be initially surprised and will comment on the cabin that Jernee
carries on their back. They didn’t expect the squirrel to be with a group. After the initial
shock, they will focus most of their attacks on Jernee. If Jernee tries to take off, they
won’t be able to do so, and that has never happened before.

encounter
● There are 2 Trappers behind the main gate and 2 Hunters on top of the wall.
● Because of the cover that it provides, Hunters located on top of the wall will gain
the trait “Resistant” to ranged attacks: they take half damage.
● If the foes in this encounter feel like they are going to lose, they will flee towards
the nearby Hunters’ Camp.

trapper hunter
hp 4 – atk 2 – minion | they/them hp 4 – atk 2 – minion | they/them

net - They can throw a net to trap an bow and arrow

enemy which prevents them from
moving until the net takes 3 damage

spear

The Ruins are connected to Salttop through a wide path that goes directly into it. They
are also near the Hunters’ Camp.
 86

hunters’ camp
The party should come through here in order to get to the Roots Pass, to gain access to
the Forest of the Giants, on the Northern Plateau. There is no reason to fight the entire
camp, but it could happen.

This camp is very well hidden. The party can reach it one of three ways:
● The first is by following the hunters that flee from the ruins or by questioning one
of them. Then, succeeding in a Trial in order to not get spotted.
● The second, by getting directions from someone in Salttop and succeeding in a
Trial in order to not get lost, and not get spotted.
● The third, by using the Ranger’s ability Navigate (gb. 53/76).

trial
Fail conditions: If more than half of the party rolls a 10 or less.
Success conditions: If half of the party or more roll an 11 or more
Examples of actions: looking for tracks, stepping on hard surfaces to not make noise,
Consequences: Depending on if you found the camp, or if the camp found you, the party
will be facing different situations.

ambush in the camp

If the party failed the Trial…

It’s one of those things you couldn’t find if you didn’t know exactly what
you were looking for. You’re looking around. You can only see trees and
rocks. You move carefully through the forest, searching. Suddenly, all of
you hear a sound. A loud and happy tune that a bird tweets. You sigh in
relief and continue walking. Your comfort is short-lived, as you see a few
arrow tips pointing to you. Looks like you found the camp after all.

The party is ambushed, so the hunters get to attack first. Based on the first encounter,
here there should be around 4 Hunters and 4 Trappers, but you can adjust the numbers
based on your party.

the pupil becomes the stealth master

If they followed one of the three methods and succeeded in the Trial…

It’s one of those things you couldn’t find if you didn’t know exactly what
you were looking for. You’re looking around. You can only see trees and
rocks. You move carefully through the forest, searching. Suddenly, you
 87

distinguish a few footsteps on the ground. And then, you see some
branches all tangled up, as if someone had pushed them aside. And you
have a trail. It’s not long before you make out a thin, shimmering, white
smoke column. Looks like you found the camp after all.

The party can observe the camp and the hunters for a while. They can use that to their
advantage, or they can bypass the camp entirely and head for the Roots Pass.

trapper hunter
hp 4 – atk 2 – minion | they/them hp 4 – atk 2 – minion | they/them

net - They can throw a net to trap an bow and arrow

enemy which prevents them from
moving until the net takes 3 damage

spear
 88

roots pass
You could already see this from a great distance, but from a close-up
perspective it’s even more impressive. This is a safe route to the Forest of
the Giants, embedded in the tallest cliffs you’ve ever seen. These cliffs
separate the island in two halves: the Lower Plains, and the Northern
Plateau. By the size of those roots, you can only imagine how immense the
trees they support must be.
The route consists of a series of wooden planks, stairs and railings
haphazardly leaned on to the roots and affixed to them with nails and
ropes.

People in Peonia Island don’t really have many motives to go up to the Plateau. As the
state of the main route can confirm, not many traverse this path these days.

As you climb up, you get to see the entire island bathed in a warm light.
It’s truly a sight to behold. You feel comforted.
 89

salttop
You can access the city by following one of the paths that go through the forest near the
Ruins and the Hunters’ Camp.

important notes:
If the party gets to the city with Jernee, you’ll most likely attract all the attention. Most
citizens in Salttop adore the squirrels, and it’s possible that the party could safely leave
Jernee there guarded by someone of trust. It’s also possible that there are some hunters
around, so the Guide should mention that and let the players decide what to do.

The first thing you notice is the smell. You’re still in the forest, surrounded
by trees, yet you can smell salt and sea. A fresh breeze blows along the
path in your direction, as if the sea itself was welcoming you all. As you get
closer and closer to the city, the sound of the people gets louder. Sounds of
coming and going, of moving heavy things, voices talking and laughing.
And then you see it. The forest opens up and gives way to a golden rice
field, with the outline of Salttop standing proudly on top of a small hill in
the background. There are people working on the fields, but it looks more
like a celebration. People are chatting, joking and they look happy overall.
Going along the path that winds through the fields, you eventually get to
the city. The first thing you notice is the huge amount of kites that fly over
the buildings. All of them have different shapes and sizes. As you get into
the city itself you get immersed in the unmistakable air of a major
celebration. The streets are filled with people, with carts full of crops for
storage.

This city is currently celebrating the return of the Squirrels. This is a yearly tradition that
attracts some visitors, but mostly is for their people. They do various things during this
day that you can mention:
● kite contest. Every family makes a kite that kind of resembles the shape of the
squirrels when they glide. They tie them to their roofs and wait to see which is the
last one standing. Every kite is different because everyone has their own strategies
and ideas about how to make the best kite. The winners get special seats in the
Evening Feast.
● parade. In the afternoon there is a parade with music through the city. The parade
is mainly to prevent anyone from sleeping through the festivities. Could be used
as a distraction for something.
● street market. Pretty self explanatory. People set up some stands in the main
square where they sell various things. Here players can replace some items they
might have lost, or maybe get the chance to acquire an uncommon item.
 90

● evening feast. People gather in the main square to eat, drink, sing and celebrate a
good harvest.

Salttop also has a few places of interest:

● grenn’s hall. This restaurant has earned a reputation as a place where all things
can happen. This building is halfway between the docks and the main square. The
structure is actually the hull of a big ship turned upside down, and if you ask the
owner how that came to be he will tell a different story every time. Grenn is a man
who likes getting things done. “A strong will will get you further than the fastest
horse,” as he likes to say. People come here for the drinks, the food, the music and
the warm feeling of being at home.
● docks. This part of Salttop is very busy most of the day. The docks themselves are
built with robust wooden planks that have acquired a gray hue under the sun and
the salty atmosphere. People come and go, many of them loaded with crates or
other various items. Today the fishing boats are all docked, and there are too
many to count. It is said that the underbelly of the city is based somewhere in this
district.
● main square. This is the face of Salttop. Big buildings, three stories tall, with the
very best the city can offer. Luxurious shops, reputed artisans and other eye candy
stores for the cultivated minds have made their home here. You can also find a
Library, an Alchemist Shop and a Museum with a sign on the front that reads
“We’ll be back soon. Currently organizing the next exposition.”

If the players ask around for directions, anyone will help them. If they ask how to get to
the home of the squirrels, people will point them toward the Roots Pass. Although people
have noticed the newly arrived hunters coming and going from the base of the cliff,
roughly where the Pass is located, so they will warn the party. However, if the party asks
around grenn’s hall or the docks, people will consider telling them about the Smugglers’
den. If the party has been with that person for a bit, or if they push a little, they will
reveal that the smugglers have access to a secret lift that goes up to the Northern
Plateau. The person who points the party in the direction of the Smugglers’ den will give
them a password. You (the Guide) can make it what you want.

“You know? There might be another way to the top, actually. Go to the
docks and look for fishy business and a blue cabin. If anyone asks you what
can they get you, you say to them “[password]”
 91

smugglers' den
You walk around the docks with a description in your head. You wander
for a while until you find what you’re looking for. A small wooden cabin
with a blue paint that has almost completely faded with a sign on the
front: “Fishy business.” Inside everything looks average. A fish shop with
counters, some fish from this morning and a lean and smiling woman
behind the counter with an apron. This doesn’t look like the place, but it
has to be it.
“Hi! My name is Rena. Welcome to Fishy Business. What can I get you?

The party will answer with the password and explain that they need to use the lift. Rena
will accept and will lead them through the back room of the shop into a series of tunnels
carved into the earth. As they enter the tunnels, Rena will introduce the party to Fist, a
strong looking man that barely fits in the tunnels. Rena insists that Fist is only there for
their safety, although it is clearly not. Once they are near the lift, Rena will stop and
exclaim that she has actually forgotten something. She demands a toll to let them
through. She will ask for two uncommon items, although she’s open to get a promise of
help, an “I owe you”.

rena fist
hp 20 – atk 4 – boss – she/they hp 8 – atk 3 – minion – he/him

social features: Scheming, Confident, social features: Loyal, Pragmatic,

Liar Taciturn

physical/Combat features: Call physical/combat features: Veteran

backup – If Rena is attacked, she will
summon the Members of the Den to role abilities: Counterattack (gb.
defend her. 35/56), Flow (gb. 39/60)

role abilities: Shadow (gb. 77/104)

treasure: Blink Blade (gb. 133/176)

members of the den

hp 16 – atk 6 – minion – they/them

social features: Loyal

mob: For every 4HP lost, lower their

attack by 1. They can attack various
targets and splitting the damage done in
the same action
 92

forest of the giants

Even with the clearest skies the sunrays don’t seem to pierce through the
thick canopy. Because of that, the air in the forest is mostly foggy and
damp. The terrain is uneven, broken and molded time and time again by
the big roots that spread throughout the land.
You’ve heard that those who set foot in the forest sometimes see the
shapes of giant legs moving in the distance, and strange creatures lurking
in dark corners, although that must be their mind playing tricks on them.
Right?

This scene can go one of two ways, depending on where the party came from.
1. If the party gets to the Forest using the secret lift in the Smugglers’ den:
They are closer to the Ritual site, and the hunters won’t expect anyone to come from
their location. They will need to succeed in a Trial to get to the ritual site and to not get
lost in the misty woods.

You walk towards the location of the Squirrels’ Home, or so you think, at
least. You feel like you’re being watched, and also like you know exactly
what the right path is. Only that you don’t. You breathe in the misty air
and you feel your conscience beginning to fade. What do you do to keep
your mind sharp? What do you do to keep yourselves on the right path?

Fail conditions: If more than half of the party rolls a Tough Choice or worse.
Success conditions: If half of the party or more roll a Success or better.
Consequences:
● Fail: The party will end up in a small clearing where a Shadow Self of one of the
PCs that failed the Trial will attack them. After taking them down or escaping, the
party will see the Ritual site.
● Success: The party gets to the Ritual site without any setback.
Setbacks: losing an item, losing AP, next attack is aimed at another PC.
Examples of actions: Touching an item of sentimental value, remembering your training
and looking for tracks or any clues to follow, checking up on the others and making sure
they are still with you, creating any kind of light or making the fog go away.

shadow self
hp 5 – atk 3 – minion – they/them

This character has the same personality

traits and abilities of the PC that is
mirroring.
 93

2. If the party gets to the Forest through the Roots pass:

They are closer to the Squirrels' home, but the path is guarded and there are traps. They
will need to succeed in a Trial to get to the Squirrels' home to not get hurt or discovered.

You can see the Squirrels’ Home from here. You walk towards it, but you
catch something in the corner of the eye. You just felt a thin string at
ankle height, which surely must be attached to something that will hurt
you. You slowly back up and carefully inspect the path. There are different
kinds of traps laid out before you.

Ask the players which traps do they see, and how would they avoid them.

Fail conditions: If more than half of the party rolls a Tough Choice or worse.
Success conditions: If half of the party or more roll a Success or better.
Consequences:
● Fail: The party gets spotted by the guards. An encounter takes place with 2 guards
and 2 hunters involved.
● Success: The party gets to the cages where the squirrels are kept. They can liberate
them with a high enough roll.

Setbacks: losing HP, breaking an item

Examples of actions: using a stick to trigger the traps from a distance, cutting the string
with a knife to disarm the trap.

guard hunter
hp 4 – atk 2 – minion – they/them hp 4 – atk 2 – minion – they/them

bow and arrow

tower shield: The shield absorbs 1
point of damage of each attack. It
will break if it receives 4 ATK or
more in a single blow.

If the party gets to the base of the tree where the squirrels live, they will be able to go up
and enter the Home if they so wish. After freeing the squirrels, they will tell the party
about the Ritual site, where a squirrel is being tortured to perform a spell.
 94

squirrels' home
You haven’t known this place under normal circumstances, but you get a
strong chill deep in your bones when you see the interior of the tree. Walls
and ceilings scorched. Objects broken on the floor. After climbing to a
place so high and secluded you wouldn’t think that harm could find this
place. You find yourselves in a great salon from which you can see a set of
stairs that goes up to a balcony. And that’s where you see him. A cloaked
figure descends slowly through the stairway. Their clothes are dark greens
and black, they walk with confidence and strength, and they look at you
when they say “I don’t know who you are or what do you think you will
accomplish here, but I’ll tell you now. Turn back. Go away. There’s
nothing for you here.” They talk with calm, but also with authority. “I’m
letting you go. Don’t ignore this chance.”

He is the leader of the hunters. He will attack first if his advice is ignored. If a fight takes
place here, in the home of the squirrels, use it to make the encounter more interesting.
Imagine the place. What does it look like? How would the PCs or the NPC use the
environment to their advantage?

fern, the gifted

hp 20 – atk 4 – boss – he/him

social features: Vengeful, Practical, background - He used to be the faithful

Selfish
physical/combat features:
If he gets to low health, Fern will
shapeshift and escape.
companion of a lonely botanist. He
rescued Fern after he was abandoned by
his pack. He used to be a wolf then,
though.

Their bond grew, from acceptance, to

role abilities:
All into Shapeshifter (gb. 58/82) and
Stormcaller (gb. 61/85)
treasure:
Sure Shot (gb. 139/182)
appreciation, to love, even. But one day
the botanist toyed with great forces and
bestowed The Bitter Gift (gb.73/99)
upon his loyal friend. He didn’t want to
be alone anymore. This gift trespassed
all boundaries, and was not well
received.
 95

ritual site
The place is abnormally silent. Despite the violence of the movements of
the squirrel that slowly rotates in the air. A figure is giving their back to
you and is looking towards the markings on the ground. They turn to you,
as if they already knew you were there and you hear a voice inside of your
minds. “I’ve been watching you, you know? I know what your plans are,
but sadly I’m not going to allow you to interfere with this.”
You see the squirrel moving frantically inside of a semi-sphere of energy.
They look at you with terror on their face.

This is a fight against the witch that is working with the hunters to liberate the squirrel
Gerner, Jernee’s father. The party doesn’t need to kill or knock out the witch to do so,
although that would also work. They only need to inflict 10 damage to the semi-sphere to
break it and interrupt the ritual. In the same moment when this happens, all the
squirrels will regain their ability to fly.

If the party still hasn’t gotten to the Squirrels’ home, they can go now to liberate the rest
of the squirrels. Gerner will tell the party about the cages and give them directions to get
to their home.

witch gerner
hp 20 – atk 4 – boss – she/her hp 6 – atk 1 – commoner – he/him

social features: Ruthless, Proud social features: Wise, Witty, Kind

role abilities: All into Evocation
(gb. 93/122)
evasive: Can teleport short
distances
weakness: If any member of the
party shapeshifts into an animal,
she will be scared and she won’t
attack them.
background: Ever since Jernee left their
home to wander the world, he has been
a bit sad. But he’s also happy for his
child who seems to have found what
they were looking for in life.
He enjoys gliding through the air, the
warm weather and bad jokes.
 96

loose ends
The main objectives of this adventure should be freeing the squirrels, finding out why
can’t Jernee fly and reuniting Jernee with their family. In completing these objectives,
Alex, Quinn and Jernee will reward the party with a Rare item. Choose what you think
better suits the party. Also, the party can decide that attending the evening feast in
Salttop is their top priority. Or maybe the players want to explore the Smugglers' den. Let
the players guide the exploration and follow the route they think it’s best.

You can run this adventure as a one-shot. But if this is going to be a small part of a
longer campaign, hopefully you can use locations or characters from here which maybe
you feel you can flesh out more and make your own.
 97

creature index
If you want to use the creatures and NPCs from this book in your own adventures, or if
you want to have NPCs in this book travel between its adventures, here is an alphabetical
list of all the creature stat blocks in this book.

Stat Block Page Stat Block Page

Alex p.83 The Heart p.18

Benzo p.35 Higgle p.70
Billy Fingers, Omnipotent Thief p.53 Hunter p.93
Business of Ferrets p.50 Icy Skeletal Champion p.74
Captain Bloodfoot p.42 Jelly Minion p.32
Chalk p.22 Jernee p.83
Crewmate p.36 Jerry, the Giant Jelly Monster p.34
The Crown of Azÿll p.42 Marine Basilisk p.10
Cruella de Fur p.50 Mechanized Soldier p.53
Damasan Guard p.53 Members of the Den p.91
Daulo the Bartender p.53 Morgan Isengrim p.16
Evelyn p.12 Pin p.53
Fern, the Gifted p.94 Quinn p.83
Fiona p.53 Rave Crab p.11
Fist p.91 Rena p.91
Frost Golem p.74 Rhode p.22
Frozen Skeletal Warrior p.71 Shadow Self p.92
Funny Ferret p.50 Swarm of Strixes p.15
George p.35 Trapper p.87
Gerner p.95 Witch p.95
Goob p.24 Wren p.18
Guard p.93
 98

Thank you for reading and playing The Emerald Anthology! We hope the adventures you
embark on are enriching and shared with amazing friends.