Summary
The adventurers entered a mysterious ruined building, their footsteps echoing through the abandoned halls. In one of the storage rooms, they encountered giant centipedes, which they wisely chose to avoid. As they explored further, they discovered various damaged rooms, including a barracks with broken furniture and a destroyed bedroom showing signs of past occupancy.
Following trails of slime and boot prints, the party entered the study dominated by an alabaster statue, where they encountered a ghost. The spirit initially appeared helpful, revealing the location of a magical wand hidden in a secret compartment. However, when the party retrieved the wand, the maid’s demeanor changed dramatically, turning hostile and attacking the group.
After a brief but frightening combat where Ember suffered significant damage from the ghost maid’s ethereal touch, the party made a strategic retreat. In their hasty escape, they encountered a group of barbarians in the hallway but managed to avoid conflict by cleverly pretending to be cleaners. Later, they identified their prize as a wand of silence.
Continuing their exploration, the party discovered the portal chamber containing a mysterious magical portal to another dimension. Inside this chamber, they encountered five otherworldly N’Tarc, pufferfish creatures with beaks and tentacles, which moved about by teleporting short distances. The creatures immediately attacked, attempting to mentally dominate several party members.
The battle that ensued was intense and chaotic. The party discovered that while the creatures could be wounded, they dissolved into pixels instead of bleeding when struck. Lightning bolts crackled through the air, and melee weapons swung as the adventurers fought desperately against these strange beings. During the fierce combat, their kobold companion Riffle fell in battle, and the room caught fire from the magical chaos.
Two N’Tarc were defeated, while the remaining three retreated through the portal. Before making their escape from the burning building, Ember managed to retrieve a keystone that appeared to control the portal. The party was forced to flee through windows and ropes, with several members sustaining injuries during their hasty exit.
After reaching safety, they brought the keystone to the Order of the New Sun convent, where Ember alone was granted entry while the others were turned away at the door by the Silent Sisters. The adventure concluded with an unexpected twist – during their post-adventure celebrations in Pitden, the party’s revelry got out of hand, resulting in them burning down a tavern. They were fined and placed in stocks as punishment for this mishap, a somewhat inglorious end to their otherwise heroic expedition.
Scenes
Storage Room and Building Exploration
The party explores the building, starting with a storage room containing giant centipedes and discovering various damaged rooms with signs of recent activity
- Found four large purple centipedes about 3 feet long in the storage room
- Party backs away and blocks the entrance
- Centipedes retreat under the barrels
- Discovered a destroyed bedroom with splintered furniture
- Found a barracks with broken weapon racks
- Located stairs leading up and down
- Found trails of slime and bootprints throughout
Ghost Maid Encounter
In the library, the party encounters a ghost maid who reveals a magical wand but becomes hostile when the party takes it
- Ghost maid appears near alabaster statue
- Ghost maid reveals hidden compartment with wand
- Ghost maid attacks when wand is taken
- Ember takes 10 damage and loses 6 Constitution points from ghost touch
- Party flees the room
Barbarians Encounter
The party successfully bluffs their way past a group of Barbarians
- Three barbarians appear from another room
- Party claims to be cleaners
- Barbarians believe the bluff and give directions
- Barbarians provide soap and towel as props
Portal Chamber Battle
The party discovers and battles N’Tarc Pufferfish Creatures guarding a mysterious portal in the Portal Chamber
- Party discovers a 10-foot stone archway floating in midair
- Portal leads to a hot, barren world with red moon and dark sky
- Room is covered in mucus and emanates discordant droning
- N’Tarc, pufferfish creatures, attempt to mentally dominate Ember
- Ember casts lightning bolt and burning hands spells
- Several successful attacks cause creatures to dissolve into pixels
- Riffle is killed by the creatures
- Room is set on fire during combat
- Three remaining creatures escape through the portal
- Party retrieves the portal’s keystone
Desperate Escape
The party makes a chaotic escape from the burning building through windows and ropes
- Sagie uses feather fall to safely descend
- Strell falls and gets badly injured
- Ember crashes while climbing down
- Party manages to stabilize injured members
- Building burns down completely
Order of the New Sun Visit
The party brings the keystone to the Order of the New Sun Convent, where the Sisters examine it
- Silent sisters examine the keystone
- Only Ember is allowed inside
- Rest of the party is turned away
- Ember leaves the party to study with the order
Npcs
Ghost Maid
Translucent spirit of a young woman in a scullery maid’s tunic, with a terrible gash from shoulder to breastbone. Initially appears helpful but becomes violently protective of the hidden wand.
Barbarians
Three people wearing leather hides and simple deerskin boots, armed with clubs and spears, who occupy part of the building.
Riffle
A kobold who previously escaped from the N’Tarc and provides guidance about the layout. Later killed by the pufferfish creatures during battle, crying out ‘Avenge me!’ in Draconic as his last words.
N’Tarc, Pufferfish Creatures
Eight-foot round floating beings with bulbous heads, beaks, and mucus-covered tentacles. They move by teleporting short distances in stuttering jumps and can attempt mental domination. When injured they dissolve into pixels rather than bleeding. They served as guardians of a dimensional portal.
Silent Sisters
Mysterious nuns of the Order of the New Sun wear masks and dark robes. They communicate only through gestures and guard ancient knowledge.
Locations
Ghost’s Room
Large room with leafy frescoes, blue curtains, and an alabaster statue of a man holding a book and staff.
Portal Chamber
A large stone and wood chamber with a floating 10-foot archway portal. The room is covered in mucus, and the portal emanates heat and discordant sounds, leading to a barren red world.
Order of the New Sun Convent
A fortress-like monastery north of Pitden, home to the Order of the New Sun, who saved the city from bog men. Protected by high black walls and mysterious sisters in dark robes.
Pitden
Main city where the party returns after their adventure and gets into trouble for burning down a pub.
Storage Room
A room filled with broken barrels and crates, inhabited by giant purple centipedes
Spells
Turn Undead
Attempted by Gremdar against the ghost, but failed to affect it.
Lightning Bolt
Cast multiple times by Ember during the battle, dealing damage to both the N’Tarc pufferfish creatures and, eventually, the portal itself, causing it to crack and shudder.
Feather Fall
Used by Sagie to safely descend from a window of the burning building
Items
Wand of Silence
A foot-long magical wand made of unusual metal, topped with a dodecahedron-shaped knob. Can quench sound when activated but has unknown additional effects.
Portal Keystone
An iridescent stone that sits atop the portal arch, appearing to control and calibrate the portal’s connection to other worlds. Has strange runes etched into it.
Dubious Heroes 
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