Book 1 – The Key to Carcosa

Chapter 1: A Wilder Dawn

The players know each other from before – they are all part of an organisation, called the
Guild of Wilders, an adventurer's association in shorter terms. Though mostly left to their own
devices, the Guild offers food, water and shelter to those curious travelers in exchange for helping
out with certain tasks, whether it be fending off a pack of beasts from a helpless village, excavating
ruins somebody had stumbled upon or retrieving ancient artefacts, brimming with magic.

In order to enjoy the full benefits and become true members of the Guild, the players must
complete a difficult trial, after which they will receive the Guild's emblem and a name for their Pack.
It is both an honor, and a commitment. | KRC – Kor Ration Company, Lara 1 towards Goblin

Scene 1 – The Tavern

Beginning in a fine establishment carrying the Guild's insignia (meaning it welcomes
adventurers) on or within the borders of a small town, the Players have some free time to do what
they want, whether it be talking amongst themselves, playing games of skill and/or chance or
participating in a brawl. They are waiting until the Tempest (QG) shows up, no information besides
what the woman might look like.

Scene 2 – The Trek

The first part of the journey is a non-issue. However, once they enter the Wilds, things truly
become perilous – they find themselves in thick, dense woods, covered in ice and snow. Howls in the
distance, large footprints, a pack of wolves hot on their trail. Should they stray too far from their
path, they could encounter a yeti. If they aren't sneaking, perhaps they might even be tracked by a
goblin patrol.

Scene 3 – The Entrance

It is difficult to make accurate maps when the terrain suffers constant changes. The Players
might have passed a Goblin encampment on their way – a small wooden fortress around a frozen
lake. The short greenskins are few, but all hungry and cold. They are much easier to negotiate if
offered some meat, warm clothing (wolves) or if the beast that terrorised them had been slain (Yeti).
If neither is mentioned, they might offer one as a 'quest'. They will offer a safe, comfortable rest and
even tell them of their friends that disappeared at the bottom of the lake if appeased.

The passage they seek is underneath the ice, the [building] having 'sunk' into the ground
(more accurately covered by land) long ago. They will need to swim to the bottom (perhaps leaving
some equipment behind). about twenty feet, and find a cavern that leads to its entrance, with an
Eternal Guardian (Puzzle Combat).
Scene 4 – The Dungeon
Once they pass through the heavy gates, the real danger begins. This dungeon was built to
keep things from getting both in and then back out, needing to last for millenia, and it reflects that
very well.

Scene 5 – The Artefact and the Escape

Aaa Key to Carcosa? Wight? Skeleton Minions + Countdown to Skeleton Minotaur

Epilogue – Backstabbed or Buried

Stuck in the dungeon / their contact has been murdered
Appendix – Men, Maps and Monsters
The Tavern (Scene 1):

Staff:

1) Ib (Owner, Human Granny)

2) Rox (Orc Waitress), Zeke (Halfling Waiter)

3) Stablemasters (Johnny is on staff)

Pack of the Vigilant Thorns (CN||-1|-2|0||2)

1) Axe-Breaker Dragonborn Fighter (Battlemaster?)

2) Ordam, Halfling Rogue (Mastermind?)

3) Inti, Human Bard (Swords?)

Dwarf table (Cards)

1) Gudrik

2) Briar

3) Targor

4) Dargor

Pool table:

1) Taruq the Restless (Human)

2) Ysilda (Elf)

Wild „Wild“ Jack the Wild (Performer, plants grow to his music)

Lilian (Darts), Rosemary (Elves)

Rakshasa (Salt-and-Pepper Human)

Tempest, The Burning Storm, The Whirling Death, the Last Dunewalker - and her Mastiff Hound,
Fangs | Human/Flameborn

Marcello (with Detect Magic Spectacles) - he had first found the dungeon, and will be the one taking
the Key (well, he'll be murdered) | Human
From the outside, Baskerville is a relatively large building on a larger, flat cobblestone platform. It is
comprised of the Tavern, which is three stories tall, and the Stables. Often, though not today,
caravans park near to rest, seeing as it is in the middle of a Road. The ambient outside is idylic,
countryside, plains, middle of nowhere, the smell of cooked food lingering in the air, along with the
muffled sounds of a pleasant evening and a good time.

The inside is a clean, open space with only half a dozen tables, all but one unoccupied. There are
cards being played, as well as darts and pool, the guests being served by a peculiar duo of an Orc and
a Halfling. Every now and then an old lady comes out to help.The 2nd floor is Adventurer rooms, the
3rd private ones.

Menu: Roasted pork with vegetables, roasted beef with vegetables, roasted elk with vegetables, Ale,
Mead, Whiskey, Rum – Specialty: Roasted Bear heart... with vegetables

Events:

Games:

1) Darts (Pool is Attack rolls, trying to hit 15 but not crit)

2) Pool (3d20s, pick one – same numbers means double or triple)
3) Blackjack (Roll d12s, 1s are Aces)

Work:

1) Chopping wood (1gp per 3 succesfull athletics checks)

2) Cleaning dishes (1 gp unless crit fail on Dex save)
3) Cooking (1 gp for each succesfull trio: Cooking (Int), Cooking (Wis), Cooking (Dex)

Talking, shooting the shit, introductions, drinking etc.

Conflict:

Ordam begins hustling the Dwarves, joining their card game and beginning to mock them.
They understandably get angry – after one of them catches him cheating, telling the Halfling to
return to his lizard friend, things start heating up, literally.

Arrival:

A lady clad all in red, with two scimitars at her hips, a short bow on her back and a large,
black Mastiff hound enters the Baskerville Inn... [depends]

Accompanying her is a younger, tanned man dressed in light robes, military short black hair
and spectacles that seem to shift in color...

Session 1 Over: Pack of the Vigilant Thorns -> Recurring enemy, tavern got rumbled

Session 2 Beginning: Banned from Baskerville

 The Trek (Scene 2):

Skill Challenge introduction X+2/3, to see how quick they get there (24|-4X to 12|+12 hours)

DC 18 Survival – below they find the Yeti Cave, above they find the Goblins

Additionally, DC 15 Nature, Survival, Investigation to find herbs and stuff (reg 22, 26, 23 | )

Occassionally call for Perception, such as with Wolves (once at 120 ft. distance, again at 80, again at
40), DC 25, 20, 15 – Pack of 5:

The Entrance (Scene 3):

Eternal Guardian is a suit of armor with a bunch of holes through it, heavy door (DC 20 STR in hurry)
to open, goblins are goblins, swimming is swimming blablabla

The Dungeon (Scene 4):

Red is Skeleton, Big Red is three Skeletons, left square is Underdark, big square is Boss + Loot

Moon – puzzle to underdark

Cloud – Sleeping Chambers (6 beds)

Lightning – Armory

Scroll – Library

Smiley – Tavern/Common room

 The Artefact and the Escape (Scene 5):

Wight goes at Intiative 20, 10, Skeletons at Initiative 5, spawn until Minotaur replaces Initiative 10

Skill Challenge (Escaping a dungeon falling appart) – Athletics, Intelligence (History?), Survival,
Acrobatics as examples

Backstabbed or Buried (Epilogue):

Tavern, Marcello bound and murdered, glasses left behind. Goblins ate their horses

OR, they're stuck in the dungeon, with only a passage to the underdark left.

Freya (30). Bjorn (30), D'ruk (39)

 Cassilda's Song

Along the shore the cloud waves break,

The twin suns sink behind the lake,
The shadows lengthen
In Carcosa.

Strange is the day where black stars rise,

And strange moons circle through the skies
But stranger still is
Lost Carcosa.

To wake the dreaming one must fall,

To find it, only hear the call,
Listen, how it sings
Our Carcosa.

Now but a tomb, how did it fade,

There lies your doom, the once pale blade
Awaits the grand gate
Of Carcosa.

Round she is, yet flat as a board

Altar of the Lupine Lords

Jewel on black velvet, pearl in the sea

Unchanged but e'erchanging eternally.