Raising an Army

Raising an Army
Plot Hook: The heroes are hired by the local undertaker, Brandon, to deal with the grave robbers that keep desecrating his cemetery by stealing entire bodies out of the grave. Several families in the town of Burglecreek may also hire the players to retrieve jewelry or other important mementos that were stolen with the bodies.

Encounter 1: Moonlit Struggle If the players use any light source while guarding the cemetery the goblins and minotaur will not attempt to steal corpses that night due to strict instructions. When the minotaur and goblins feel that they are safe to conduct their business they begin digging up another grave.

Monsters: Minotaur, Bandits (Goblins)

Notes: The minotaur is the chief of a small clan of goblins that occasionally cause trouble for the locals. He currently stealing corpses due to a letter he received that is written in Jotun.

Letter: ”Hello, I understand that your new clan could use better equipment and gold. If you bring corpses to the old abandoned mine north of Burglecreek I will make sure you are well compensated. However, should you be discovered you may consider this offer forfeit. ~Shakara”

Encounter 2: The Mine

The mine was once a massive source of revenue for the local town, but it has long been dried up and abandoned. It is an incredible difficult place to navigate with all of its winding paths.

To make their way down the mine they must make 2 CR12 rolls. Each time the characters fail the roll a number of different things may occur.

Roll a D12

1-6 (They get lost and are forced to sleep uncomfortably that night. When they rest they heal normally but regain 1 less Utility Point than normal)

7-11 (They encounter an Ooze, Green)

12 (They encounter a basilisk)

Notes: The characters can acquire a map of the mine if they ask the mayor. This lowers the CR from 12 to 6.

Encounter 3: Shakara After winding their way down the mine they hear chanting in the distance (the players may choose to send a scout or ambush Gordul). They see a woman in black platemail reading from a black leather tome. She is speaking over an alter with corpse lying on top.

Monsters: Death Knight, Skeletons (Shakara has a scroll that lets him teleport to a specific location 1 mile away. If things go poorly for him he teleports)

Notes: Shakara is a death knight who is raising corpses from the dead to act as infantry in his army. She intends to overthrow the town of Burglecreek expanding her army further.

End Goal: Remove the Gordul threat from Burglecreek

The heroes return to Burglecreek as heroes. They have defeated the minotaur’s clan and vanquished an even greater foe. The mayor rewards the adventurers with a potion of healing and the Amulet of Vigilance.

Where to next: -If Shakara lives he may still try to rise to power in some other way.

-A new leader to may rise up seeking vengeance for the death of the old minotaur chieftain

-After gaining Burglecreek’s trust they may be hired to do other tasks for them.