909 Insane Zealotry - Isometric

Adventure Primer

Level-4 Adventure

The reason why weak-minded individuals can summon forth insane, absolute devotion toward a cursed idol is that their blind faith makes them feel greater, stronger, and gives them a majestic sense of purpose. And they are not wrong, but their loyalty is misplaced…

Cultists and zealots always have strong reasons to do what they do. They believe in the cause regardless of its size or scope. Whether the goal is to protect a pagan god, to summon a demon from hell, or to bring balance to the entire world, they have faith in their leader and their cult.

Purpose. A cult needs a strong goal and a clear purpose. As long as this is instilled in the minds of its followers, they will give their lives for the cause.

This adventure is about overtaking the Immortal Cult. Their leader is a devious, wicked woman known as ‘The Immortal Lady’. Legend says she has been around for a thousand years. She commands her followers, who are a bunch of low-lives, thugs, and zealots, with an iron fist.

Lies. Most cults are built on lies and deception. Cultists have a blind faith and believe anything their leader says. Followers are just tools to achieve a goal; they do not even comprehend most of the time.

Alas, her immortality is a lie. But her necromancy skills are enough to impress the unfavored and the stupid. Therefore, her ‘Gift of Immortality’ is convincing enough to recruit them.

The gift of immortality inebriates mortals. This is what she offers.

Random Events

d6	Details
1	The characters are followed by a team of four acolytes who wish to help. They intercede and do what they can to turn the odds in their favor.
2	The Immortal Lady uses her necromancy to summon one ghoul. The undead obeys her orders and fights intruders to the death.
3	The characters hear muffled screams coming from the underground chamber, but only if they are close to it. Otherwise, nothing happens.
4	Witnessing the wickedness of the Immortal Cult in their lair provides the characters with heroic resolve. They earn one luck token.
5	A righteous knight wants to put an end to the cultists who recruit innocent men and women. His arrival may blow the heroes’ cover.
6	A shadow coalesces next to The Immortal Lady; this summoned undead protects her from harm and attacks hostile intruders.

This adventuring supplement is designed for D&D5e. On out Patreon page you can get it in PDF format (see image). Notice that some of the layout elements can only be presented as intended in the PDF layout (side-margin boxes and statblocks). The downloads include hi-res images for the maps.

Set Up

The heroes locate the Immortal Cult’s main base of operations, an abandoned temple on the outskirts of the city. They stand outside, unseen.

Arc. The characters have been following clues and fighting the cult’s goons for a while now. This confrontation may be the last chapter of their long-term operation against the Immortal Cult.

Options. Breaking into the temple to hack and slash everything in their path may surely cause the death of the hostages. The temple is large and it allows the heroes to plan an ambush.

Drama. Consider the possibility that NPCs important to the characters may have been captured by the cult. They are kept against their will in area 5. It is the characters’ mission to rescue them.

The Temple

Upon arrival, the heroes notice a patrol of two bandits and two cultists that guard the premises. A successful DC 12 DEX check is needed to approach undetected. Roll for a Random Event after this confrontation.

First Contact. If the heroes fail to subdue or defeat all four enemies, one of them goes inside and warns the rest of the cult about them. This would ruin an ambush and put all hostages at risk.

Sounds. The cult is performing a ritual. The zealots chant obscure words. Some of them play musical instruments. The ruckus is perfect to conceal any combat sounds from outside. This increases the characters’ chances to plan an ambush to get the upper hand in the conflict.

Plan. The heroes can climb and observe from the windows, notice the door to area 4, break in from the roof, and study the scene to plan.

1. Entrance and Lobby

A medium-sized wardrobe for storage, a couple of tables with mundane trinkets, and a few chairs.

Stealth. The characters enter unseen or remain hidden on the roof or windows with a successful DC 12 DEX check. They may disguise themselves using the cloaks of the patrolling enemies outside. In this case, no check is needed. Roll for a Random Event after either of these.

2. Temple Nave

Massive arches hold the ceiling of this temple nave. Tall columns flank the stone pews where cultists chant and pronounce forbidden rituals.

Enemies. Twenty-two people sit on the pews (six cultists, four bandits, and twelve peasants). The peasants are non-combatant and attempt to flee the moment a hostile confrontation occurs. The heroes can cause the zealots to lose morale if they strike down The Immortal Lady first with a well-planned ambush attack.

3. Main Seat

The cult leader, The Immortal Lady, listens to the unholy ceremony from her seat. The characters are free to force the issue, make themselves seen, and fight the cultists outside. This means the hostages shall pay the final price, though.

Ambush. The characters move close enough to strike the cult’s leader (priest). Their cover is blown with a coordinated sneak attack to strike The Immortal Lady down (DC 12 DEX check).

The Adventure’s Climax

If the leader falls, any undead summoned by her disappear (see Random Events), and the rest of the zealots in the temple roll for Morale with Disadvantage. The heroes have 1 minute to rescue the prisoners (see area 5). When they return upstairs, a new enemy is waiting for them (see Development).

4. Side Door

A locked door (DC 9 DEX to pick the lock). The characters must defeat the cultists before coming here. It is unlikely to sneak into this room unnoticed (DC 18 DEX check). And in case they succeed, they will be seen coming out with the hostages, putting them in grave danger.

Rogue. With the appropriate tools, an adventurer can pick almost any lock. This door features a regular padlock, quite easy to bypass.

5. Underground Chamber

Eight hostages are kept in this small room. Tight ropes tie their hands behind their backs and keep their legs together. They are famished and hurt; some have broken bones. None of them can fight or help in any meaningful manner.

Event. When the heroes reach this area, Random Event 1, 4, or 5 occurs. The characters either gain some well-needed allies or a boost to their resolve.

Fear. Two of the hostages are in better shape. But they are traumatized and scared. It is their mind which prevents them from fighting.

Development

When the heroes come back upstairs, the body of The Immortal Lady is mutating:

Mutation. Necromancy is pure chaos. And more often than not, these rituals have a steep price. The dark arts are selfish, and they shall always take more than what they give.

Her muscles thicken and become monstrous. Her back grows and forms a grotesque arch with protruding spines. Standing on all four, her face vanishes and becomes a lupine skull with nasty fangs.

Is this the immortality that she preached or divine retribution for her sins? There is no way to know. This fake immortal is the last obstacle between the characters and the hostages’ safety. Will the party succeed?

Foul Beast. Perhaps it was a pact with a demon, or a ritual that went wrong, but The Immortal Lady had no clue that her body would turn into this when her cursed soul abandoned her mortal coil.