Saturday, June 14, 2025

Rosengard: The Shattered Shield - A Game of Houses (Levels 1-10ish)

Campaign: Rosengard: The Shattered Shield - A Game of Houses (Levels 1-10ish)

Overall Premise: Player characters arrive in Rosengard, often from its struggling lower classes, experiencing firsthand the city's inherent prejudices. They quickly become entangled in seemingly minor urban issues that escalate to expose a deep ideological rift within the Knights of the Rose. This internal strife, coupled with the city's class divisions, is expertly exploited by The Weaver, a cunning Changeling agent of the ancient, malevolent entity Faenor. The Weaver orchestrates a devastating house war in Rosengard to create chaos, diverting attention from Faenor's true objective: acquiring the Sea Elfstone from the lost city of Atlantis. The PCs will uncover the horrific ancient history of the Elfstones' creation, Faenor's Kinslaying of the aquatic elves, Valandar's heroic founding of Atlantis, and Faenor's insidious role in the tragic corruption of Lord Valerius. Their actions will determine if Rosengard succumbs to The Weaver's manipulation and Faenor's planar ambitions, or if its shattered ideals can be reformed for a desperate, unified defense.

Core Themes: The Shattered Ideal (duty vs. compassion vs. dogma), The Weight of the Past (ancient kinslaying, Valerius's betrayal, systemic prejudice), Defining Chivalry (honor amidst chaos), Exploited Divisions (Faenor's pervasive manipulation).

Act I: Caught in Rosengard's Web (Levels 1-3)

Act I: Caught in Rosengard's Web (Levels 1-3)

Overall Goal: Introduce players to Rosengard's varied districts, common folk, and different power structures. Subtly hint at the underlying tensions (class divide, Knights' differing approaches) without making them the primary focus yet. Offer varied gameplay experiences and establish the PCs' reputation.

Mission 1: The Mariner's Scramble

  • Player Level: 1

  • Setting: Rosengard, focusing on the bustling Azure Docks (Zones 1-3) and the grimy, tightly packed Mariner's Ghetto (Zone 11). The air is thick with salt, fish, and tar, alive with the shouts of longshoremen, the cries of gulls, and the rhythmic creak of ropes. The Golden Palace gleams distantly, a constant, unattainable reminder of power.

  • Atmosphere: Vibrant but hardscrabble. A place where fortunes are made and lost, and where common folk struggle daily. The smell of brine and exotic spices mixes with the stench of poverty.

  • Hook: PCs arrive in Rosengard seeking opportunity (work, new beginnings, a specific goal). They quickly find work isn't simply handed out. While looking for simple labor or a cheap meal, they overhear or are directly approached by "Old Man Tibbs" (a grizzled, desperate fishmonger with a small stall in Zone 1 or 3, a raspy voice). He's frantic: a recent, small shipment of his basic goods (fishing nets, repair tools, dried provisions for the lower districts) was stolen by a new, brazen group of opportunistic thugs, and the City Watch dismissed it. Tibbs offers a meager reward (e.g., a few silver, free lodging for a week in a common house, or a valuable contact) if they can retrieve his goods, lamenting, "The Knights of the Rose only bother with the rich folk's problems."

  • Key Objectives:

    • Acquire Initial Information: Learn about the dock thugs and their methods.
    • Navigate the Lower City: Explore the docks and Mariner's Ghetto.
    • Confront the Thugs: Retrieve Tibbs' stolen goods.
    • Experience Neglect: Witness the City Watch's limitations and the perceived detachment of the Knights.

  • Key Encounters & NPCs:

    • The Anchor & Flounder (Zone 1 - Tavern): A noisy, smoky hub.
      • "Barnaby" (Bartender): Gruff but knowledgeable. Knows everything for a coin or a good story. Can point to "Whisper" Jed as someone who knows the lay of the criminal land, or "Salty" Mae for local gossip.
      • "Salty" Mae (Fisherwoman): Tough, experienced. Saw a suspicious skiff heading towards the less-frequented coastal coves (near Zone 8) or heard whispers of a new gang, the "Tide Scum," trying to muscle into the Mariner's Ghetto.
      • Side Quest - "Barnaby's Favor": A local dock worker, indebted to Barnaby, vanished after a card game. Barnaby just wants to know if he's alive (Zone 11 investigation). Leads to finding a witness to the Tide Scum, or reveals general fear of gangs.
    • Mariner's Ghetto (Zone 11 - Slums): Densely packed, grimy.
      • "Grubby" Finn (Petty Thief): Can be intimidated or bribed (DC 10 Persuasion/Intimidation or 5sp) to point to "Slicin' Sam's" (The Tide Scum leader) recent hideout – a purportedly abandoned warehouse. He might hint that "things are getting bolder, like someone's got their back."
      • Encounter: PCs might observe Tide Scum Thugs (CR 1/2) attempting to extort protection money from another small merchant or beat a commoner. Provides an immediate chance for intervention (combat, intimidation, stealth).
      • Side Quest - "A Child's Plea": A young, desperate street urchin (like "Pip") approaches the PCs, asking them to help his sick sibling. They need a rare herb only available from a specific, dangerous part of the docks or a hesitant herbalist in Zone 12 who fears the thugs. Highlights the desperation of the common folk and lack of basic services.
    • City Watch Post (Zone 10/1 - Small barracks/gate near docks):
      • Watch Sergeant Borin (CR 1/2): Gruff, cynical, overworked. Dismisses Tibbs' complaint as "common rabble." He might explicitly state: "The Knights of the Rose deal with proper threats, not squabbles over fishnets," subtly hinting at the Pure Heart faction's detachment from common crime. He represents the systemic neglect.
    • Abandoned Coastal Warehouse (near Zone 4 or 8 - Hideout): The lair of "Slicin' Sam" and his "Tide Scum."
      • Layout: Dilapidated, scattered crates, rudimentary traps (e.g., tripwire).
      • Enemies: "Slicin' Sam" (CR 1 - Bandit Captain stats, rusty cutlass) and 3-4 Tide Scum Thugs (CR 1/2). Sam is a brutal but cowardly leader.
      • Loot: Tibbs' recovered shipment, 1d4 x 10gp in misc. stolen coin. A minor, non-Atlantean artifact or a strange coin (not from Rosengard) that hints at unseen influences giving the Tide Scum unusual confidence, or an early clue for future missions (e.g., a crude map fragment of a specific dock area).

  • Outcome: PCs retrieve the goods, gain a minor reputation among the desperate common folk (especially Tibbs and those they helped). They directly experience the neglect and prejudice that permeates Rosengard's lower strata, laying groundwork for their eventual faction alignment. This mission establishes them as capable individuals looking for work.

Mission 2: Shadows of the Bazaar

  • Player Level: 2

  • Setting: Transitioning from the squalid slums to the chaotic and bustling Grand Bazaar of Shadows (Zones 15-16) and its immediate surrounding districts like the Merchant Houses (Zone 14) and the Central Market (Zone 12). The atmosphere shifts from desperate gloom to oppressive, vibrant energy, all under the constant hum of commerce and underlying tension.

  • Atmosphere: A sensory overload of sights, sounds, and smells. Exotic spices, shouting vendors, clanging tools, and a thousand different faces. Beneath the surface, secrets are traded as readily as silks.

  • Hook: Having completed their first task (Mission 1), the PCs are still relatively broke and ill-equipped. They desperately need more reliable income, better gear, and connections. Word of their resourcefulness (from Mission 1) reaches the ears of "The Web Weavers," Rosengard's primary network of information brokers, smugglers, and petty criminals. A veiled contact (perhaps "Grubby" Finn from Mission 1, or a new figure like "Silver" Sal) offers them a chance to gain a "foothold" within the guild through a "test of worth."

  • Key Objectives for Players:

    • Acquire Resources: Earn enough coin/goods for basic gear.
    • Navigate the Bazaar: Learn about its economy and key players.
    • Connect with The Web Weavers: Find and prove themselves to the elusive criminal network.
    • Uncover Hidden Tensions: Observe hints of the class divide and factional influence within the marketplace.

  • Key Encounters & NPCs:

    • The Grand Bazaar of Shadows (Zones 15-16): A sprawling, multi-tiered market.
      • "Silver" Sal (Web Weavers Contact): A slick, well-dressed human (or half-elf) operating a seemingly legitimate stall (e.g., rare curios). He observes the PCs and, if they seem capable, offers them a chance to meet a Web Weavers handler.
      • Vendors: A diverse array of shopkeepers, from gruff dwarf blacksmiths (Zone 14) to elegant elven jewelers (Zone 15).
      • NPC: Master Thelonius (Zone 14 - Artisan, e.g., Potter/Weaver): A smaller artisan whose guild might have been the victim in a previous version of Mission 3. He's struggling with supply issues.
      • Side Quest - "The Stolen Blueprints": Master Thelonius (or another artisan) reports a critical theft/sabotage of his blueprints/materials. He suspects a rival artisan or a common criminal hired by a competitor. PCs need to investigate (Zone 14/15/12). This can be where a Pure Heart Knight dismisses the issue as "unworthy" of their steel, while an Open Hand Knight expresses quiet frustration.
    • The Whispering Nook (Zone 15/16 fringes - Hidden Alley Contact Point): Where "Silver" Sal directs PCs to meet their handler for The Web Weavers.
      • "Whisper" Jed (Web Weavers Handler): A wiry, observant human. He explains the "test of worth."
      • The Test of Worth: Tailored to PC skills:
        • Combat/Observation: Disrupt a specific street gang's (The Obsidian Knives, rivals to the Web Weavers) extortion efforts in Zone 12.
        • Stealth/Heist: Retrieve a "misplaced" ledger (containing information, not gold) from a corrupt merchant's office in Zone 14.
        • Social/Intellect: Plant misinformation about a rival guild in the Grand Bazaar's gossip network (Zone 16) or acquire a specific piece of embarrassing information on a minor official.
      • All these tests inherently involve navigating the city's hidden power structures and highlight areas where the City Watch or Knights are absent/ineffective.
    • City Watch Patrols (Zone 10/12/15): Regular patrols, often looking for petty crime, but easily bribed or distracted.

  • Outcome: PCs successfully pass The Web Weavers' test, gaining a foothold in Rosengard's underworld. They acquire basic resources and a reliable source of information outside official channels. They gain a clearer understanding of Rosengard's complex social and economic fabric, and where the Knights' influence doesn't extend, further laying the groundwork for their eventual faction alignment.

Mission 3: A Whispered Plea & Factional Echoes

  • Player Level: 3

  • Setting: Expanding from the commoner districts to the more established, but still accessible, religious and guild centers: The Mariner's Ghetto (Zone 11), Merchant Houses (Zone 14), The Common Temple District (Zone 13), and the periphery of the City Garrison (Zone 10).

  • Atmosphere: A growing undercurrent of tension. The disparity between the opulent upper city and the struggling lower districts feels more pronounced. The authority of the Knights of the Rose is present, but distant and often frustratingly selective.

  • Hook: Having gained some standing, either through "Whisper" Jed (Web Weavers) or by word-of-mouth among the common folk, the PCs are approached by Archbishop Elara Hearthsworn (Order of the Guiding Light Clerics, operating from a chapel in Zone 11 or 13). She is deeply troubled by the increasing vulnerability of common citizens and small businesses to aggressive, organized bullying or systematic abuse, lamenting that her pleas for more Knightly patrols or investigations have been rebuffed. She suspects a specific Knight Captain (likely from the Pure Heart faction) is dismissing these as "minor commoner concerns" beneath the Order's dignity.

  • Key Objectives:

    • Investigate Systemic Bullying: Uncover the source and methods of the enforcers targeting commoners.
    • Confront the Enforcers: Put an end to their operations.
    • Observe Knightly Disunity: Directly witness the ideological rift within the Knights and its impact on Rosengard's society.
    • Choose a Faction (Implicit): Decide which Knightly philosophy aligns with their character's values through their actions and choices.

  • Key Encounters & NPCs:

    • Archbishop Elara Hearthsworn (Zone 11/13 - Chapel of the Guiding Light): A compassionate, pragmatic cleric dedicated to Rosengard's common folk. She acts as the primary quest-giver. She offers moral support and perhaps a small, symbolic reward (e.g., a blessing, a minor healing potion, a contact within a specific guild).
    • The Enforcers: A new group, perhaps calling themselves "The Guild Breakers" or "The Right Hand of Order," strong-arming small merchants in Zone 11 or 14. They are working for a disgruntled minor guild, a petty criminal lord, or a lesser noble leveraging the perceived weakness/inattention of the Pure Heart Knights.
      • Encounter: PCs investigate by talking to intimidated shopkeepers, observing suspicious activity, or setting a trap. This leads to a direct confrontation (combat or social intimidation) with Enforcer Thugs (CR 1/2-1) and their Leader (CR 1-2, e.g., a veteran thug or minor corrupt spellcaster).
    • City Garrison (Zone 10):
      • Knight Captain Valerius Stoneheart (Pure Heart): A stern, traditional Knight. If the PCs attempt to seek official Knightly help, Stoneheart will coldly dismiss their concerns as "unworthy of the Order's steel," stating their duty lies with "grand threats and noble concerns." He is polite but utterly dismissive of commoner issues.
    • Sir Kaelen Brightblade (Open Hand): A younger, earnest Knight who often patrols the commoner districts despite his superiors' disdain. PCs might encounter him watching the situation with frustration. He cannot officially intervene, but he might offer subtle advice, a quiet "thank you" after the PCs act, or express his personal struggle with the Order's current priorities, lamenting, "True chivalry should protect all, not just the privileged."
    • Common Folk: Grateful, supportive NPCs in Zones 11 and 14 who offer shelter, gossip, or minor aid.

  • Outcome: PCs successfully deal with the enforcers, solidifying their reputation among Rosengard's commoners and compassionate figures. They directly witness the stark ideological difference between the Pure Heart Knights (focused on traditional, "grand" threats, often ignoring commoners) and the Open Hand Knights (compassionate, but often constrained). Their actions and choices during this mission (e.g., how they deal with the enforcers, their reactions to the Knights' attitudes) implicitly solidify their leaning towards one Knightly philosophy over the other, setting the stage for their role in Act II.

Act II: The Serpent's Coil & Ancient Secrets (Levels 4-6)

Mission 4: The Noble's Quest & The Pirate's Gauntlet

  • Player Level: 4
  • Setting: Rosengard's Azure Docks (Zones 1-8), the open sea, and the treacherous shipping lanes. The air is salty, filled with the cries of gulls and the creak of masts.
  • Hook: Word of the PCs' growing reputation (from Missions 1-3) reaches one of Rosengard's prominent noble houses – perhaps a powerful mercantile family (e.g., House Sterling, with influence in Zone 19 or 26) or a minor noble aligned with either Pure Heart (seeking prestige) or Open Hand (seeking resources for Rosengard). They approach the PCs with an ambitious proposition: to retrieve a "great treasure overseas." This treasure is vaguely described as a legendary artifact or a forgotten resource rumored to exist on a distant, uncharted island. The noble patron provides funds for passage on a sturdy merchant vessel or a small, armed caravelle.
  • Core Task:
    1. Book Passage & Prepare: Secure a suitable vessel and supplies in Rosengard's bustling port.
    2. Set Sail & Navigate: Endure the perils of the open sea, charting a course towards the distant island.
    3. Engage Pirates (or Become Them):
      • Option A (Attacked): Their ship is attacked by bold Shadowport pirates (CR 1-2). These pirates are far more aggressive than expected, possibly operating with unusual intelligence about shipping routes or exhibiting strange, non-traditional markings (unbeknownst to the PCs, these are early probes by The Weaver's network). The encounter becomes a swashbuckling ship-to-ship battle or boarding action.
      • Option B (Become Pirates): If the PCs prefer, the noble's terms (or their own ambition for quicker gains) allow them to decide to attack a rival merchant vessel or a known pirate ship they encounter on the open sea, to gain additional resources or intel. This might inadvertently lead them to attack a Shadowport-backed ship or a vessel carrying subtle clues related to The Weaver's activities.
  • The Weaver's Influence (Subtle): The "great treasure" is a distraction for the nobles, but its location is of interest to The Weaver, who is also probing the area around the Atlantean outpost. The pirates encountered are Shadowport agents, subtly testing Rosengard's naval response or clearing routes for their own deep-sea operations, looking for the island The Weaver has identified. PCs might find minor, puzzling artifacts or charts on pirate ships hinting at depths or ancient markings.
  • Outcome: PCs survive the sea journey, defeat (or become) pirates, and are firmly set on course for the mysterious island. They've earned their sea legs and encountered the escalating threat of organized maritime activity.

Mission 5: Island of Whispers & The Sunken Truth

  • Player Level: 5
  • Setting: A remote, often fog-shrouded island in Rosengard's vicinity, previously thought uninhabited or mythical. Here lies a partially submerged ancient Atlantean temple or research outpost, serving as a gateway or historical archive connected to the true, hidden city of Atlantis. The air is heavy with the scent of damp stone and forgotten time, carrying faint echoes of ancient sorrow.
  • Hook: Following the vague directions from their noble patron, or pursuing leads gained from the pirates in Mission 4, PCs arrive at the mysterious island. It quickly becomes clear that the "great treasure" the nobles envisioned is far from mundane. Signs indicate The Weaver's agents have already found it and are actively plundering or researching within its depths. PCs must secure the site and uncover its secrets.
  • Core Task: Explore the treacherous Atlantean ruins (a classic dungeon crawl). Confront and defeat The Weaver's agents. Crucially, piece together the ancient, hidden history of the Elfstones, Faenor, the Spider Queen Nyxara, the aquatic elves, the Kinslaying, Valandar, and the origins of Atlantis. This is the "big reveal" point for the campaign's overarching ancient lore.
  • Key Encounters (Dungeon Crawl Style):
    • Atlantean Ruins: Navigating crumbling, partially flooded structures; bypassing ancient Atlantean mechanisms, puzzles, or magical wards. The environment hints at a lost, technologically advanced civilization, now decaying.
    • The Weaver's Agents: Confronting Shadowport Operatives/Cultists (CR 2-3) and potentially corrupted ancient Atlantean guardians (constructs, mutated creatures, or spirits) controlled by The Weaver. These agents are actively seeking specific lore tablets, historical recorders, or navigational aids to Atlantis.
    • The Historical Revelation (Interactive Discovery): The temple reveals its tragic saga through multiple, intertwined elements:
      • Ancient Murals/Carvings: Depicting the creation of the Elfstones by Faenor, their theft by the monstrous, multi-eyed Spider Queen Nyxara, and Faenor's subsequent rage and vow for their return.
      • Decipherable Texts/Scrolls: Chronicling Faenor's desperation, his conflict with Valdar, and his demand to the aquatic elves for aid.
      • Echoing Spirits/Visions (Kinslaying): In a desecrated chamber, PCs experience spectral replays of Faenor's brutal slaughter of the aquatic elves for their ships when they refused to defy Valdar.
      • Valandar's Chronicle (Key Lore Piece): A preserved (perhaps magically protected) journal or a final message from Valandar himself. This details his survival, his acquisition of the Sea Elfstone, and his desperate, powerful act: using its power to draw his remaining people and their shattered remnants beneath the waves, forging the great city of Atlantis to forever hide them from the surface.
  • Outcome: PCs battle through the temple, preventing The Weaver's agents from securing all their research. They emerge with the full, devastating ancient history of the Elfstones, Faenor's Kinslaying, and the origin of Atlantis. This profound understanding of the campaign's "Weight of the Past" motivates them and sets the true scale of the looming threat.

Mission 6: The Black Freighter's Lament

  • Player Level: 6
  • Setting: The vast, featureless open sea, far from any discernible land. The atmosphere is oppressive, with constant, unnatural fog, eerie stillness, and a subtle sense of dread that chills to the bone.
  • Hook: Having departed the Atlantean island with their world-shattering discoveries (from Mission 5), the PCs' ship suddenly finds itself ensnared within a magical vortex. The currents are impossible to fight, the skies are perpetually overcast, and compasses spin wildly. Escape seems impossible, and supplies dwindle rapidly. As days bleed into a desperate struggle, an unnerving silhouette emerges from the mists: The Black Freighter, a spectral, ancient ship, eerily silent, yet exuding an aura of profound dread and untold horrors. This is a classic horror encounter, completely unrelated to The Weaver's direct pursuit, though it may be an echo of ancient curses or desperate acts at sea.
  • Core Task: Survive the magical vortex and the psychological torment inflicted by The Black Freighter. Discover the secrets of the Black Freighter – the nature of its curse, the tragedy of its crew, or the dark moral choices that defined its fate – to find a way to escape the vortex and continue their journey home.
  • Key Encounters:
    • Environmental Hazards: Navigating the unpredictable currents of the vortex (skill challenges: Athletics, Acrobatics, Survival, Navigator's Tools). Resource management (food, water, morale) becomes critical as despair mounts.
    • The Black Freighter: The ship itself is the central antagonist. It is a chilling, disturbing presence.
      • Phased Encounter:
        1. Observation: PCs witness strange, disturbing events or unsettling illusions on the freighter's deck (e.g., figures moving with unnatural speed, sounds of struggle, distant screams that fade into the mist). The ship feels wrong, a violation of natural law.
        2. Boarding/Infiltration: Desperate for a way out, or driven by morbid curiosity, PCs might board the Freighter. Here, they encounter its mad, undead, or illusory crew, endlessly reliving their grim fate. The "secrets" are uncovered through disturbing journals, grotesque murals painted in blood, or fragmented psychic visions, revealing a tale of self-inflicted horror, a desperate quest gone wrong, or a descent into depravity fueled by isolation and fear (mirroring the original comic's themes of a man doing increasingly horrific acts to save his family, only to become a monster).
        3. Moral/Psychological Challenge: The Freighter might present subtle moral dilemmas or sanity-testing events. The "secret" to escape might lie not just in a physical solution, but in confronting a dark truth about humanity, or making a morally compromising choice (a la the comic). Breaking the cycle of the freighter's curse allows for escape.
  • Outcome: PCs escape the magical vortex and the Black Freighter's chilling influence, profoundly disturbed by what they've witnessed. They return to Rosengard with their invaluable discoveries from the Atlantean temple, now carrying the added weight of the Black Freighter's dark secret and the understanding that the world holds horrors far beyond conventional threats. Their reputation as adventurers who've seen truly unsettling things grows.

Act III: The Reckoning & Rosengard's Fate (Levels 7-10)

Mission 7: The Royal Web & The Weaver's Lair

  • Player Level: 7
  • Setting: Rosengard, now fully engulfed in its internal house war. The streets are dangerous with open skirmishes and growing chaos. The mission primarily focuses on a clandestine infiltration of The Weaver's private residence or secure advisory offices (e.g., in a secluded section of Noble Housing, Zone 9 or 26, or a highly protected, private wing of the Golden Palace, Zone 27). This location serves as The Weaver's "keep."
  • Hook: Having returned to a Rosengard consumed by civil conflict (from Mission 6, The Black Freighter's Lament), the PCs report their Atlantean discoveries to their patron (Sir Kaelen Brightblade, or a desperate Knight Captain). While gravely concerned, their patron's immediate focus is the escalating house war and the apparent puppet mastery of The Weaver, the King's new, highly influential advisor. The PCs are tasked with finding concrete information on The Weaver's agenda and influence, believing The Weaver holds the key to stopping the internal strife.
  • Core Task:
    1. Infiltrate The Weaver's Lair: Navigate the city's war-torn streets to gain discreet access to The Weaver's secure personal space. This will be a classic dungeon crawl, filled with traps, hidden passages, and loyal guardians.
    2. Discover The Weaver's Dark Secrets: Within their lair, uncover crucial evidence that exposes The Weaver's true identity, insidious methods, and hidden connections.
    3. Report Findings: Escape the lair (possibly triggering an alarm or pursuit as they leave) and return this vital information to their patron.
  • Key Encounters (Dungeon Crawl & Discovery):
    • Approach Through War-Torn City: PCs must navigate (or fight through) open clashes between rival House Guards (CR 2-3) and opportunistic City Watch (CR 1-2) or desperate Commoner Militias. Stealth or diplomacy may be crucial to avoid prolonged street battles.
    • The Weaver's Lair (Dungeon Crawl): This is the core dungeon crawl experience of the mission.
      • Guardians: Elite Weaver Cultists/Changeling agents (CR 3-4) disguised as loyal staff or guards, arcane constructs, or magically enhanced creatures. These guardians are clever and utilize the lair's layout.
      • Traps & Puzzles: Ingenious magical or mechanical traps, illusionary walls, and arcane puzzles designed to protect The Weaver's most sensitive secrets.
      • Clues & Revelations: The secrets discovered within the lair will include:
        • Proof of House War Manipulation: Documents, intercepted communications, or encoded plans detailing The Weaver's precise methods for fanning the flames of the house war by exploiting noble rivalries and public discontent.
        • The Weaver's True Identity: Explicit evidence of their Changeling nature (e.g., a discarded skin, a private journal detailing shapeshifting techniques) and their unwavering allegiance to Faenor (Faenor's symbols hidden in cult shrines, obscure texts referencing "the Creator," or recorded communications with unknown, powerful entities).
        • Faenor's Betrayal of Valerius: A hidden journal, a magically preserved scrying record, or a chilling personal account (perhaps a prisoner's confession) revealing that Faenor himself directly orchestrated the murder of Lord Valerius's wife. This was done by framing the nobility to inspire betrayal and despair, specifically to corrupt Valerius's soul, twisting him into a broken tool of vengeance for Faenor's ancient agenda. This confirms Faenor's insidious, long-reaching cruelty.
  • Outcome: PCs successfully infiltrate The Weaver's lair and escape with undeniable proof of their puppet mastery over the Rosengard civil war, their identity as a Faenor agent, and the horrific details of Faenor's direct betrayal of Lord Valerius. They return to their patron with a terrifying understanding of the depth of the evil they face.

Mission 8: The Serpent's Whisper: A Coven's Secret

  • Player Level: 8
  • Setting: Rosengard, specifically the hidden haunts of a Vampire Coven (a forgotten noble's crypt in Zone 9 or a lavish, secluded manor in Zone 26). The distant sounds of the Azure Docks (Zones 1-8) and Twin Spires (Zones 6-7) signal the incoming Shadowport invasion, adding to the city's growing panic and emphasizing the escalating timeline.
  • Hook: With The Weaver's current manipulations and Faenor's past cruelties exposed (from Mission 7), the PCs (or their patron) realize they need to uncover The Weaver's next critical move quickly. A cryptic message arrives, perhaps intercepted by The Web Weavers (from Mission 2), or slipped to them by an anonymous source. The message, veiled in allegory, hints at a direct, immediate threat to the very heart of Rosengard's authority, suggesting "blood will pave the way" and that "the ancient ones stir." This message, when investigated, leads them to a local vampire coven, known for their extensive intelligence network and their interest in the delicate balance of power in the city.
  • Core Task:
    1. Investigate Cryptic Message: Decipher the message to understand its true meaning and that it points to the vampire coven as a source of specific, time-sensitive intelligence.
    2. Infiltrate the Vampire Coven: Discreetly gain access to the vampire coven's lair, navigating their defenses (mundane guards, charmed servants, arcane wards) and adhering to their strict etiquette.
    3. Acquire Critical Intelligence: Engage the coven to learn The Weaver's specific plot against the King and its ultimate, apocalyptic purpose.
  • Key Encounters:
    • Deciphering the Cryptic Message: A puzzle or investigation challenge (e.g., Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Insight), Arcana checks) to understand the message's true meaning and that it points to the vampire coven.
    • Vampire Coven Infiltration: This is a primary challenge. High-stakes stealth, social, or combat challenge. PCs must convince, outwit, or fight their way in. The coven is led by Lady Seraphina Valerion (CR 5-8, depending on desired difficulty), a cunning and ancient vampire who values information and self-preservation above all.
    • Negotiation/Confrontation with Coven: Lady Seraphina, seeing The Weaver's accelerating chaos as a direct threat to her coven's carefully cultivated long-term existence in Rosengard, will be willing to trade information, but at a price. She will reveal the precise plan: The Weaver intends to assassinate the King and usurp his identity (as a Changeling), aiming to seize total control of Rosengard's government precisely as the Shadowport invasion begins in full force.
    • The Ultimate Plan Revealed (From Vampires): Lady Seraphina (or other ancient lore within the coven's vault, which PCs might find during infiltration) also reveals why The Weaver is doing this for Faenor, piecing together the terrifying scope: Faenor seeks to reclaim all Elfstones, not just the Sea Elfstone from Atlantis. By assassinating the King and turning Rosengard into a strategic base, he intends to finally retrieve the Sea Elfstone, combine it with the others (whose general locations might be hinted at), and open the Abyss – unleashing demons upon the world, specifically targeting the Spider Queen Nyxara (Faenor's ancient foe), to settle ancient scores and remake reality. This is the full, terrifying reveal of Faenor's ultimate, world-ending ambition, directly linking the current Rosengard crisis to the Kinslaying and ancient planar conflict, and setting the scale of the grand war to come.
    • Choice: Destroy or Make Peace: The PCs can choose to leave the coven alone (making a dangerous, temporary, and mutually beneficial alliance) or attempt to destroy them, which will consume precious time and resources but eliminate a dangerous wildcard.
  • Outcome: PCs acquire critical, time-sensitive intelligence about The Weaver's plot against the King and, more importantly, the full, horrifying scope of Faenor's ultimate plan involving all Elfstones, Atlantis, the Abyss, and the Spider Queen. This revelation clarifies the truly apocalyptic stakes, setting the stage for the final, desperate confrontation in Mission 9.

Mission 9: The Serpent in the Throne: Final Stand

  • Player Level: 9
  • Setting: The Golden Palace (Zone 27), now the epicenter of a desperate, multi-front conflict. Outside, the sounds of the full-scale Shadowport invasion rage. Inside, the palace is a battleground as loyalists try to repel The Weaver's forces and expose the coup.
  • Hook: Having learned of The Weaver's coup plot from the vampire coven (Mission 8), the PCs now race through a city in full chaos, with Shadowport's main invasion force making landfall. They know The Weaver's assassination attempt on the King is either underway or moments away at the Golden Palace (Zone 27). This is the culmination of The Weaver's local plot: to seize Rosengard's highest authority.
  • Core Task:
    1. Stop the King's Assassination & Expose The Weaver: The primary and final objective of the campaign is to directly intervene in The Weaver's attempt to kill the King and seamlessly assume his identity. PCs must confront The Weaver in their Changeling form, discern the true King from an imposter, and protect the monarch.
    2. Defeat The Weaver: This is the climactic battle. The PCs must overcome The Weaver and their elite loyalists (Changeling agents, cultists, corrupted palace guards), who will use all their cunning, shapeshifting abilities, and knowledge of the palace to achieve their goal and eliminate the PCs.
    3. Prevent Rosengard's Fall (Local Victory): By defeating The Weaver and thwarting the coup, the PCs prevent Rosengard from falling completely into Faenor's hands as a primary base. They effectively decapitate Faenor's immediate operational control within the city.
  • Key Encounters:
    • Palace Under Siege: The journey through the Golden Palace is a dangerous gauntlet. PCs will face intense combat against The Weaver's loyalists (CR 4-6) and potentially Shadowport infiltrators (CR 3-5) who have breached the palace. The palace layout will be used tactically by The Weaver's forces (e.g., traps, ambushes, hidden passages).
    • The King's Chambers/Throne Room: The dramatic showdown with The Weaver. The Changeling will employ deception, misdirection, and powerful combat abilities. The fight may involve protecting the King while fighting The Weaver, or exposing an imposter. The Weaver might reveal a final, desperate burst of Faenor's power, or use a last-ditch ritual to cause immense chaos as they are defeated, emphasizing the underlying planar threat.
  • Outcome: The PCs successfully defeat The Weaver, ending their immediate threat to Rosengard. The King is saved (or his imposter exposed), and the city's command structure, though battered, remains intact. The house war, deprived of its puppet master, will begin to dissipate, and the Shadowport invasion, though still a threat, now lacks its key coordinator within the city. Rosengard is saved from immediate tyrannical control, but the true, long-term threat of Faenor and the Elfstones remains.
  • Resolution/Hook to Future: Rosengard, though deeply scarred by the civil war and the Shadowport invasion, is saved from The Weaver's direct control. The Knights of the Rose face an immense task of rebuilding and reconciliation, possibly reforming based on the PCs' actions. The PCs are now heroes of Rosengard, but they carry the burden of world-changing knowledge about Faenor, the Elfstones (still in Atlantis), and the ancient Kinslaying. The campaign ends with the understanding that this was merely one battle in a much larger, planar war against Faenor, setting the stage for future, higher-level adventures to truly confront the ancient enemy and the fate of the Elfstones.
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