OSR Scenario by Expeditious Retreat Press
Rumors of a lost tomb lying deep within the New Forest are starting to trickle into the ears of adventurers in Gosterwick and Newmarket. While the source – and thus the veracity – of these whispered stories remains uncertain, all of the third-hand accounts suggest that the tomb was the product of the Archontean golden age, and not a simple tomb delved by the local Thorcinga. A few rumors even imply that the tomb displays the type of exceptional craftsmanship usually associated with dwarven master masons. Could this lost tomb be the work of the great Zhorak? or of Zhorak’s legendary master, the lesser-known Grishia Basalt? If Grishia was involved, might this tomb shed light on the location of the fabled Egg of Creation? Regardless of its creator, the tomb is sure to be filled with the treasure and lore of the ancients!
Of course, the real trick will be to locate the tomb. For, belying its name, the New Forest is in reality quite old and very dangerous. Sensible folk only frequent its verges, leaving the deep forest to animals, monsters, and worse. Among those monsters must be counted a band of fierce gnoll raiders, who seem to have made their home in the forest and who have been abducting travelers along the Imperial Road. Reports of their depredations have reached the ears of Eusebia Phokas, thesmothete in Gosterwick, and Josselin Rinstock, mayor in Newmarket; both are said to be eager to put a halt to the raids. But gnolls have not traditionally operated in the New Forest, so close to human settlement. Where have they come from? And … are they backed by other forces? A few whispers in the taverns of Gosterwick suggest, darkly, that powerful human forces may be behind the gnollish attacks. But who? Can they be stopped? Or, perhaps, can they be sidestepped in the search for the lost, possibly dwarven, tomb? Only by braving the dangers of the New Forest will adventurers be able to answer these questions!
This product presents the second of a series of four adventures set in Burdock’s Valley, close by the megadungeon of Arden Vul, in the World of Magae. While not directly linked to Arden Vul itself, the four provide a complement to adventures set in that legendary locale. Prior purchase of the Halls of Arden Vul is not strictly necessary to run any of these modules, although full details of some of the setting are best acquired in that product. Conversely, some thematic elements, especially in BV3, will be familiar to seasoned explorers of the Halls. By and large, though, the material here is new and fresh. Each of the modules contains a complete, self-contained adventure; that said, the four are loosely linked via an optional over-arching meta-hook, such that they could easily be linked together to form a single adventure arc. The four BV adventures are as follows:
BV1: The Thicket
BV2: The Tomb of Kallia (including NF-1 to NF-30)
BV3: The Eye of Thoth
BV4: Lost Zhamandor (including NF-31+)
The maps for The Tomb of Kallia are available for free in the PDF The Maps of Arden Vul. (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/307323/the-maps-of-arden-vul) You’ll find them at the very end.
Note: This adventure is intended for experienced players running a low level party of adventurers. Parties with an average experience level of 2-4 should find tomb of Kallia (BV2-13 to BV2-30) challenging but manageable. However, some of the encounters in the New Forest, such as the shrine of Fenth (NF-12), the vault of Paulinus Ruber (NF-15), the clearing of the dead (NF-18), and Lyprinia’s grove (NF-14), may be too challenging for such parties; GMs may well wish to telegraph to low-level PCs that they should stay away from those sites. Foretold is forewarned!
The Tomb of Kallia is available through DriveThruRPG in Print and PDF.
Please note: The links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item the author of this post will receive an affiliate commission.
Voices From The Pulpit 