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This adventure is part of the Brukesian Duchy Hexcrawl. Find more about it here!
The forests of the Brukesian Duchy are so vast that humans haven’t been able to explore them all. Some of the deepest parts of the woods remain uncharted. Dangerous, secret locations undiscovered by men.
A magical Dewborn temple lies hidden in the forest. The Dewborn seldom come here anymore because of its proximity to Virtafort. However, the abandoned place has a peculiar new dweller.
Fenekus, the Satyr
Satyrs are fey creatures. They live in harmony and communion with the Dewborn and other beings of nature.
Their beautiful voices and musical skills allow them to charm and captivate others. They usually live alone or in small communities.
Satyrs in the Brukesian Duchy remain, in general, neutral to humans. Unlike the Dewborn, they dislike weapons. That is why a confrontation between humans and satyrs rarely occurs.
Like all peoples, satyrs also have rotten apples. These outcasts prefer to travel alone and spend their lives as nomads.
Fenekus has never belonged. He doesn’t have a taste for music. He can’t sing. The other satyrs rejected his companionship. They didn’t do so without a valid reason though. Fenekus is a spiteful, mean individual. He deserved the treatment he got.
One day he left and never returned. That was a happy day for his community. His presence was never missed. However, Fenekus had a clear purpose.
The forsaken satyr found an abandoned Dewborn temple and made it his new home. Since then, he has been learning black magic and practicing sorcery.
The discordant kinds of magic that satyrs never dabble into. Evil patrons showed him the path of darkness. His heart and mind succumbed to it.
General Features
The temple suffers the passing of time; the Dewborn don’t come here since the Brukesian Duchy came to exist and the conflicts with humans started.
The soldiers from Virtafort know about the pylons and their magic thundering above them. They prefer to avoid this place.
They do well. The pylons’ magic is chaotic and only the Dewborn understand it.
The energy from the ancient obsidian stones influences all areas in the temple. Creatures summoned from the fey world may appear out of thin air all of a sudden, only to be transported back to their homeland a few seconds later.
Unless otherwise noted:
Stone tiles (in good condition despite abandonment). Darkness (no sources of light). Flowery smell (Fenekus’s potion downstairs).
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D8 Random Encounters |
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1 |
1 earth elemental |
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2 |
1 air elemental |
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3 |
1d3 dire bears. They are spirits summoned from the fey world (3-in-6 chance they disappear after 3 rounds of combat) |
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4 |
2d6 Dewborn skeletons (3-in-6 chance they have 100 gp ) |
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5 |
1 dryad (3-in-6 chance it has a personal vendetta against humans) |
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6 |
1d6 lost pigmen. They don’t know how to leave the temple |
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7 |
1d8 pixies, 3-in-6 chance they become invisible when they see visitors |
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8 |
1d6 satyrs, they are looking for Fenekus. (2-in-6 chance on of them is singing a traditional fey ballad) |
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D8 Random Events |
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1 |
All light sources are extinguished, no sound or air current is heard |
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2 |
Dense green mist covers the ground for 30 minutes. The floor isn’t visible |
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3 |
Vines and roots grow on a wall in a matter of seconds. |
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4 |
Unnatural cold fills the area for 30 minutes. Creatures who breathe air release mist when they do so |
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5 |
Fenekus’s maniacal laugh echoes in the distance |
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6 |
A fey spirit appears for a few seconds |
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7 |
A small bird approaches the nearest creature with a written small paper that says “leave now.” |
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8 |
4d10 brown mice flee through |
1. Obsidian Pylons
Ever-present energy (lightning dances on their tips). Cracked Tiles (half-eaten by grass and nature).
- Entrance: The temple’s entrance is a hole on the ground surrounded by cracked stone tiles and four obsidian pylons. There is no logical explanation as to why the Dewborn built the entrance like this. Perhaps it has to do with the pylon’s energy or their alignment with the stars.
Pylons
Deformed (irregular rock shapes and patterns). Dark stone (hard obsidian, cold to the touch).
- Dangerous: Manipulating or hitting the pylons in a careless way may result in a dangerous magical explosion.
2. Main Hall
Abandoned (dust and leaves all around). Roof Opening (rainwater and leaves fall through it).
- Shaft: The aperture to enter the temple is 50 feet deep. Sunlight only reaches the floor during midday..
- Paintings: Two Dewborn paintings decorate the west wall. One features a man on top of a hill with a golden crown painted below him. The other depicts a beautiful full moon shining over the Dew River. They’re worth 200 gp each.
- Secret Passageway: A secret passageway hides behind the 2-feet-high dais by the east wall. Stepping on it causes the wall to slide to a side and reveal a 10-feet-wide passageway.
3. North Chamber
Stone Arch (traditional Dewborn patterns decorate the outline).
- Overgrown nature: Vines and roots cover all the room. There is a 4-in-6 chance that a mound of dead leaves and roots attacks creatures that enter. It is a mindless beast made of plant-matter.
4. South Chamber
Stone Arch (traditional Dewborn patterns decorate the outline).
- Secret Passageway: The west wall of this room has a single stone column with a small concealed pushable brick. Pushing it opens a secret passage to area 5. The column slides aside to reveal a 5-feet-wide corridor. It returns to its original position after one minute.
5. Dewborn Treasure
Dewborn treasure (foreign crafts and decorations).
- Treasure: The chests contain 350 gp worth in assorted coins, two magical potions, and three wizard scrolls.
Hungry Mimic
- Fake appearance (looks like a regular chest when immobile). Defensive goo (weapons get stuck to its gooey body).
- Surprise!: The middle chest is a mimic in disguise. It bites any creature that approaches. The mimic contains the magic scrolls and a third of the coins.
- Feed that thing: Feeding the mimic other treasure makes it spit what it has inside and devour the new items.
6. Dewborn Studio
Dewborn effects (books and papers on their culture). Fenekus’s trail (hoof prints and tufts of thick brown hair).
- Sorcery Books: The bookshelf has a good number of books about fey magic. However, all tomes have been tampered with; missing parts and modifications are found on almost every page. A magic-user can determine the new versions of the spells are dangerous. All information about the Dewborn is extremely valuable to the Brukesian army.
- Exotic Components: The barrels contain a great variety of the strangest components for spells. A gorilla’s little toe and the shedding of a black mamba’s skin among them. The barrels are worth 150 gp each.
7. Fenekus’s Lost Ballad
Large pot (made of mud and clay). Green concoction (releasing light fumes with a sweet aroma).
- Fenekus: Fenekus knows black magic and sorcery. The evil satyr doesn’t want anybody to interfere with his studies and research. He has found a way to control the pylons’ magic, if only for a few minutes. He can summon six fey guardians to help him. The fey spirits assume the shapes of animals such as gorillas and bears to aid him in battle.
- Sleeping Fumes: The satyr is cunning. He knows when to accept defeat. If things turn against him, Fenekus releases the pot’s contents on the floor by smashing and breaking it. The hot liquid on the floor creates a heavy mist for about a minute. Creatures in the area might fall asleep when breathing the fumes. Fenekus attempts to cast a spell to assume gaseous form and escape after doing this. The forsaken satyr won’t forget this, and he will plan his revenge.
