Background

Lord Zuulpa Thall was once a noble of great renown with a notoriously brilliant mind. Cherished by all, the lord was in charge of the administration of southern part of the kingdom, a position of great prestige that brought admiration upon him, as well as envy. The reasons why the beloved man has become an outcast whose name invokes fear in the hearts of all is covered in mystery. Rumors say that he lost his edge when his only daughter perished in a tragic accident, but only one thing is certain—the southern lands are unruly and chaotic, and the lord has not been seen for a decade, while everything dies around his manor as if a curse has fallen upon it.

When the lack of control and leadership became an insurmountable problem, the surrounding lords started to send their own people to investigate the absent lord and determine the reason for his lack of governance. All that went to the lord’s castle have returned in a box, discovered as as mutilated corpses, or didn’t return at all. The surrounding lords started annexing some of the land, partly taking advantage, partly having no choice but to rule over the land in order to resolve the problems brought by the absence of leadership.

The burg that surrounds the castle, however, remains unconquered in absolute chaos where the strong oppress the weak. A group of residents, led by an elderly former captain, have taken the destiny of the town in their own hands and are looking to hire a group of capable adventurers to enter the castle and find out what happened with their liege lord and resolve this tension once and for all.

It would be true to say that some of the lords that now control areas once controlled by Lord Thall had some economic advantages in the appropriation of lands under the excuse of keeping the king’s peace and protecting the people, but they are unanimously willing to give back the lands once the rightful owner appears again. As the king himself has not decreed otherwise, maybe for all the friendship that was between them, no one is authorized to take the burg by force in order to investigate the whereabouts of the missing lord or to reestablish order. Given the circumstances, a small criminal group has taken the town, and the people that refuse to abandon it are at their mercy, creating a safe haven for all varieties of backstabbers, cutthroats, and wanted criminals, since invading the burg would be an act against the king himself. In theory, Lord Thall is still the warden of the South and represents the king and his royal will, despite the ways his castle or lands are being used by others without his supervision.

The once beautiful burg, both the castle and the small town contained within its walls, are now a clear image of decadence. The front of the burg has strong walls and a thick gate. Around it, the natural protection of cliffs that surround it, so steep that only spiders could climb, or wings could reach. Around the triangular shaped piece of land, a canyon offers perfect protection from all other directions, and at the far end sits the lonely castle.

All are interested and involved in a collective effort to solve the dire situation in the most decisive yet discreet way possible. The Southern Lords, the king, the people, all want a resolution for the dilemma, either by finding a corpse, a man struggling with the effects of trauma, or even final evidence of his disappearance, anything that would assemble evidence enough for another lord to be named in his stead and the disbanding of the criminals that plague the region. Individually and collectively, the lords plot a way to send people in and unfold this mystery to bring order to the South.

Adventure Hooks

• The king himself is bothered by the lack of solution on the matter and has sent an envoy, with the royal sigil, looking for a specialized group that will solve the issue without causing turmoil amongst the noble houses. There is animosity and suspicion that the Lords are not solving the matter for the advantages that they may gain.
• The Southern Lords of the region gathered in a joint effort to rid the region of criminals and put an end to the dissatisfaction of their king. They are hiring willing capable people to solve the matter unofficially to get the criminals with their guard down and avoid further shame on the noble houses.
• The Circle of Druids is highly concerned by the spread of maleficent corruption in the region and decay of the forests and are looking for “city dwellers” that could further investigate its origin, since its source comes from inside the city walls.

Where are we?

Stat Blocks

• Belmaia
• Ashur Ivaako
• Yllbella
• Eyes
• Ears
• Face
• Thug
• Dire Wolf
• Wolf
• Eagle

Encounters

1. The People's Plea
2. Lights and Grays
3. Pawns of Francis

Maps

• Chasm Town
• The Brawler’s Cauldron

Traits

Alleviation Behavior (Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior: Trichotillomania) [IE 3, Frequent]. His mind or body craves a substance or behavior that causes a compulsive pursuit of its associated reward in spite of consequences. This desire causes anxiety that can be alleviated through certain actions, but these responses reinforce the anxiety overall and create a cumulative dependence on the behavior. When he encounters the stimulus or an opportunity to follow his compulsion, he must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or follow his compulsion, repeating the saving throw every 3 minutes until successful.

Every time he follows the compulsion, he must make a DC 8 Constitution saving throw. On failure, the IE increases by one.

He feels a need to pick at, pull, and eat his hair. He must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom check to resist this behavior, repeating the saving throw every 3 minutes until successful. When people who don't know him see him, they usually only see his hair. This gives him +3 to Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks but −3 (up to −4) to disguise checks or Dexterity (Stealth) checks to blend into a crowd as well as a −3 penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances.

Actions

Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage, or 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage if used with two hands.

Assistive Device

Ashur's Limitless Locks. Wondrous Item, Common
This locket has 6 charges. While wearing it and placing a lock of the hair you intend to duplicate (consumed in casting) within it, you can expend 1 charge as an action to grow your hair to exactly the length and style you choose and the color and texture of the lock used in casting. For 1d4 hours after casting, if this hair is cut, pulled out, or damaged, it will regrow. You have +1 to any ability checks you make to create a visual disguise to avoid being recognized. The locket regains 1d6 expended charges daily at dawn.

Background

Ashur is a Half-Elf wizard who uses his magic as an artisan. Adventuring was never something Ashur had ever desired. He can most often be found in his lab, either tinkering away at his latest project or minding the shop. Ashur was born and raised in a small town often used as a rest stop by adventurers. His mother works at the local tavern and his father was an adventurer who was passing through town. His father tried taking Ashur on adventuring expeditions but quickly found that he had no passion in being out and adventuring. His dad was accepting and helped Ashur find his own path in life. Ashur grew up around many different kinds of people, all coming and going, so he has heard stories of all sorts of faraway places and will often recognize where any party member is from, with varying degrees of familiarity. He found that he would much rather help those in town and support other adventuring parties instead of being in one himself. He would much rather take a supportive role in the community, and communicate with the citizens and travelers that way. In his free time, he frequents his parents' tavern and reads a lot of books.

Personality

Ashur is soft spoken, sweet, and helpful. He is easily embarrassed and quickly flustered. When nervous, he pulls out his eyebrows and eyelashes, and therefore always wears his locket. The locket has served him well over the years. Ashur is also able to discuss and share experiences with others who work through the same emotions.  He understands that the world around him is vast and full of stressful scenarios and hopes that his shop can be a place of peace and comfort for those who enter. He takes comfort in his work and takes pride in his inventions helping people.

Plot Hooks

1. The adventurers could end up needing a specific item enchanted and Ashur’s shop is the only one that is available.
2. As Ashur does not prefer to adventure, he tends to hire groups to retrieve rare materials that he may need from time to time.
3. Ashur may be concerned that some of his most valuable items have been stolen and swapped out for fakes. He requests the group to find out whoever was trying to sabotage his business and hurt those around him.

Traits

Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior (Trichotillomania)[IE 3, Triggered]. She feels a need to pick at, pull, bite, and/or eat your hair. She must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom check to resist this behavior. When people who don't know her see her, they usually only see her hair. This gives her +3 to Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks but −3 to disguise checks or Dexterity (Stealth) checks to blend into a crowd as well as a −3 penalty on Charisma (Persuasion) checks due to many people’s discomfort around those with unexpected appearances.

Sleep Disturbances (Insomnia) [IE 2, Frequent]. Belmaia has trouble falling or staying asleep or both (equal chances each). When beginning a long rest, she must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to fall asleep quickly. On a failure she loses the difference between your result and the number needed in hours of sleep, and loses the benefits of rest accordingly unless she sleeps longer at the end of the long rest to compensate. If she wakes in the night, determine the time she wakes randomly by subtracting the loss from the total hours attempted, and roll 1d(difference) to see how many hours she sleeps before waking. If it is mixed insomnia, follow the above, but then roll to determine how many of the lost hours are at the beginning and how many are after waking.

Startle Amplification [IE 2, Triggered when her wig is removed unexpectedly]. Belmaia has an overactive stress response that can cause a fight-flight-freeze reaction to non-threatening situations. This response is triggered randomly 2d4 times per day and during any remotely stressful situation. She has a +2 bonus to Charisma (Intimidation) checks and a −2 penalty to Charism (Persuasion) checks along with a +1 on Initiative.

Traumatic Flashbacks [IE 3, Triggered when her wig is removed unexpectedly]. Belmaia experiences memories of her past traumas as if they are happening. These are triggered by external stimuli, some predictable and others that feel random. These triggers happen 3d4 times per day or when exposed to an appropriate stimulus, and last 3d6 minutes unless she succeeds a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. All spell casting and ability checks require that she succeed on a concentration check or make the subsequent check at disadvantage, and tasks that normally require a concentration check are made with a −3 penalty. If she takes damage during a flashback that doesn’t make sense within the context, she may attempt another Constitution saving throw immediately.

Actions

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage.

Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) piercing damage.

Assistive Device

Bell’s Beautiful Bonnet. Wondrous Item, common
While wearing this hat, you can use a bonus action to change the style, color, and apparent material of the hat and hair appearing to grow beneath it. If removed, the hair goes with it as a wig. The hat can be any kind of hat and replicate any nonmagical hair but regardless of its appearance, it neither protects from nor causes damage.

Background

Belmaia grew up in an abusive household. Due to her parents' close connection to infernal beings, they were highly competitive. From a young age, they focused on all the ways that Bell was inadequate in their eyes, hoping to foster her own competitive spirit. Instead, a growing sense of stress, anxiety and inadequacy grew as she was never able to meet her parents' unrealistic expectations. As the pressure grew, Bell started picking at her hair. This became a new source of critique from her parents.

One night while traveling home from another day of intense lessons and harsh tutors who regularly berated Bell for her lack of progress, she met a stranger along the road. This stranger turned out to be an Archfey. They listened to Bell’s pain and offered her a deal: a chance to escape the pressure of her oppressive home life with the only obligation to sow chaos and joy wherever she went. With the support of her new patron by her side, Bell left without ever returning home again.

She soon settled down in a town far away from her family or origin, opening a rather successful café in the process. Here the drinks are filled with magic and delight that tickles the fancy of each customer, leaving them with a smile. Her café has since become a center for community including space for performances, artists of all types, and classes such as make-up lessons, crafting sessions, and more.

Personality

Bell is very friendly towards everyone even though she may present as reserved at times. This largely happens when she is under high amounts of stress or worried about a close friend. She has a giving heart and donates a portion of her proceeds to other survivors of abuse, and works hard to build a space that is welcoming to everyone. When she is reminded of her past trauma, Bell can become stuck in her head or much more anxious than normal. During these times she becomes more closed off from those around her, though not for long. Overall, she is a helpful person and would be a great aid to any adventuring party.

Plot Hooks

1. A character needs a mentor or class to help them retrain a skill or for an appropriate multiclass.
2. The party is looking to help another NPC find safety from an abusive environment.
3. The party needs someone well connected to the local community to help them find someone.