Dragonbane: Alone in Deepfall Breach Session 9- A Test of Wits Ahead
Aleric pulls his pack from his back and eagerly pulls the recovered chunk of the Worldbreaker Shard out to present to Stone-Gaze. “The cultists didn’t even know what was coming. Their leader, Arioch, has been slain and they were none the wiser. Oh I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when they discovered their leader in a pool of his blood.” Aleric laughs, holding the shard aloft for Stone-Gaze to inspect. “Well done Aleric, this will hamstring the cults plans, whatever they may have been.” Stone-Gaze takes the shard from Aleric to inspect, nodding his head as he holds the chunk of metal close to his eye. “Refresh yourself and I will make a feast for this evening. A job well done deserves a hearty meal.” With that Aleric nods, retreating to his room and laying his pack on the floor. He takes a moment to wash and refresh himself from the hard battles he endured to retrieve the shard. He joins Stone-Gaze and Gorum in the main hall as they set out a bountiful feast. Aleric relays to Gorum that his tribe was happy to hear that he was alive and well and that they await his return soon. Gorum is filled with joy at the news, raising a toast to Aleric and his success. The three companions celebrate well into the evening, finally parting when Aleric is barely able to hold his head aloft from his exhausting day. Aleric quickly falls into a deep sleep once his head hits his pillow. The evening’s rest is well deserved as he drifts off into restful sleep.
On the morrow, Aleric awakes to find Stone-Gaze pouring over maps and notes pertaining to the breach. “Ah, Aleric I hope you rested well after your hard journey. But unfortunately there is no more rest to be had. I’ve had a vision in the night that will lead us to our ultimate victory. We must reforge the Worldbreaker shard into its once esteemed state to defend the breach from the dangers that threaten it. You must delve deeper into the breach and discover what we need to reforge this mighty weapon.” Aleric nods, knowing that his work here was not so easily completed. He looks over Stone-Gaze’s shoulder at the maps and notes sprawled out in front of the aging Wolfkin. “Just tell me what needs done next and I will see to it Stone-Gaze. Such a mighty weapon should not be laid aside to rust and decay. Safely kept, certainly. But I would be proud to see it restored to its former glory.”
With that, Stone-Gaze begins unveiling the groups next steps. “The next step is not so direct as we have been in your previous missions. For this task is to guarantee a modicum of safety for you as you venture further into the deep depths of the Breach. A wizard of repute once dwelt within the Breach, studying the fiendish origins of theBreach. Decades have come and gone since the mage’s demise and his tower lies abandoned. Your next step will be to venture to the mage’s tower and retrieve a magical artifact. A pair of calling stones. With these stones, you may bind your soul to the surface and escape the Breach should your journey become too dangerous to continue. These calling stones will act as a transport to return you to the surface should you need rest and respite from your task.”
Aleric furrows his brow, listening quietly though confused by the mission laid out before him. “Calling stones? Surely these will not be necessary. The Breach may be dangerous, but I have succeeded thus far without the aid of such safety measures. Are you certain we have time to spend on such a task when we are so close to the end of our task?” Stone-Gaze shakes his head, “My visions of the Breach are fleeting and unpredictable. One thing that I know, is I see clearly the things that will bring forth success in our mission. These calling stones may seem frivolous, but the fact that I am seeing them as our next target suggests to me that the missions following may be ever more dangerous yet. I do not doubt your strength to complete these tasks my friend… But this precaution may be worthwhile. And while you are below retrieving the stones, I will be able to meditate and delve deeper in my mind to search out our next task. Though this may prove to be dangerous enough. Here, look at my notes and I might explain further what you will face searching the mage’s tower.”
With that Stone-Gaze begins explaining the next mission and its dangers to Aleric. The two wolfkin spend most of the morning developing a route that Aleric might take to find the tower and inform him of what he may face below on his next mission…
The Third Delve: The Mage’s Refuge
Mission Three: Find and recover the calling stones from the mage’s tower!
Threat: A troll once called the deceased mage friend. This troll has spent centuries protecting the tower now that the mage has fallen. He hunts those who seek his dead companion’s wealth and wisdom!
1. Moon Door: To enter the tower, Aleric must ignore the doors that appear to allow entrance. A hidden illusionary wall marked with a crescent moon will allow access into the mage’s tower.
2. Petrified Arboretum: Trees of brittle stone stand in a maze-like formation in the tower’s arboretum. Aleric must find a path through this maze, paying no heed to the whispers of the trees. The dryads who once dwelt within them have long since become something else… Something dangerous.
3. Unknown: The way is hidden to Stone-Gaze. There is no aid to be offered here.
4. Peering Walls: Some of the walls within the mage’s tower are constructed of stone flesh. Countless eyes peer from these walls. Dare not look into their eyes, Aleric must be strong of will to navigate the halls of stone flesh.
5. Unknown: The way is hidden to Stone-Gaze. There is no aid to be offered here.
6. Maddening Orrery: The mage once used this machine to chart the heavens themselves. Now with the mage long gone, its mechanical whirring and grinding represent nothing more than a dangerous obstacle between you and the mage’s study. Aleric must traverse the machinery or disable its movements to safely pass.
8. Mage’s Study: The laboratory and library of the mage will be found at the top of the tower. The mage’s corpse lies within. A vestige of his magic lingers in the study. Aleric must find and take only the calling stones, no more lest the mage’s magic come to life and trap Aleric in a magical trap.
As Aleric listens to Stone-Gaze lay out the dangers facing him in his next delve into the Breach, his brow furrows as he stammers slightly. “Uh. well… Um this seems like. Well I may not be up for this one. The tower seems primed to capture fool warriors such as myself. I don’t see this ending well if I must face so many mental challenges. Surely a mage will be too much for me to handle.” Stone-gaze thinks for a moment before rising to his feet. “I know this seems to be an insurmountable task, but I have all faith that you’ll find a way through. Either you’ll find the mental fortitude to push through these traps or you’ll fight your way out of them. I have no doubt that if your mind fails, your strength will still be a boon in this venture.” He pauses for a moment before quickly excusing himself and retreating to his own study. He returns after a short moment holding a gleaming golden amulet in his hands. “Here, this should be a boon for you on your journey. This amulet of mental fortitude will see you through the most difficult of your tasks. Wearing it will allow you to bolster your mental fortitude when facing one of these challenges. It will not help you through your whole task, but it will aid you when you need it most.”
Stone-Gaze hands the amulet over to Aleric, who graciously takes it and places it over his head. He lifts the amulet, inspecting the piece of magical jewelry with a shrewd eye. “One time you say… Well many of these challenges seem to be a test of willpower. Hopefully I’ll only need such a boon once. Thank you Stone-Gaze. I hope this will be enough…” Aleric trails off lost in thought for a moment.
Item gained:
Amulet of Mental Fortitude: This amulet will allow Aleric to reroll a test of his willpower once during his next delve into the Breach. Once it is discharged, it will not be viable for use again for a month. Aleric will have one chance to change the outcome of his tests against the mental tests of the Mage’s Tower.
GM Note: This mission is surely going to be a tricky one for Aleric. There may be alternative answers to some of these challenges, but he won’t be able to fight his way through everything. This amulet is a small homebrew that I’m allowing to give Aleric a better chance to overcome the challenges he faces in the Mage’s Tower. After this delve, he will return the Amulet to Stone-gaze. The fact that the item needs a month to recharge its usefulness means he won’t have access to this during the remainder of his ventures into the Breach.
“Now this mission has less urgency than your previous venture. Spend a few days resting and recovering from your recent trials. I will spend my time trying to peer deeper into the Breach. Though it is unlikely, I will see if I might discover more about this journey before you depart.” With that, Aleric retreats to his room. He spends several days resting. For a time he thinks he might venture back to Outskirt, but eventually decides against it. He has all he needs for this delve. All he needs is a few days to heal his wounds and prepare himself mentally for the task ahead. In those few days that Aleric is spending resting, Gorum decides that he must return below to his tribe. He tells Aleric to seek him out if ever he needs help from the orcs below. With a final thanks to Stone-Gaze for sending Aleric to rescue him, Gorum departs into the depths of the Breach to seek out his tribe, who likely remain below hunting down cultists and keeping watch over the demon-worshipers activities.
The following day, Aleric wakes early and prepares his gear. After a quick breakfast, he says his farewells to Stone-Gaze before venturing down into the depths of the Breach yet again.
A tough challenge ahead, Aleric is informed of what his task is and as prepared as he can be. Next time we'll see how Aleric fares against the Mage's tower!
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