The ground is covered in a thick layer of soot, and black fields stretch as far as the eye can see.

Events in the Fields

Use the events below as you see fit as the characters travel across the field.

1: Soot Crawlers Attack
The ground starts to move, and a number of creatures, about as many as the number of characters, claw their way up through the soot and attack. See Soot Crawlers below for more details.

2: Lone Wanderer

A lone man wanders through the soot. He is bearded, dirty, and very dehydrated. If the characters offer him water, he reveals that he is searching for old treasures in the soot and mentions seeing a tower in the distance, somewhere in the middle of the fields.

3: Quicksand of soot

Suddenly, one or more characters begin to sink into the ground, which consists of viscous black quicksand. Everyone caught in the quicksand must pass a check for SWIMMING or start drowning. Refer to the rules for drowning on page 53 of the rulebook.

Heart of Darkness

In the middle of the Soot fields stands a high tower where the demon-worshipping prince Nir once resided. Those who sought to overthrow him fought a bloody battle in the fields surrounding the tower. When Nir realized he was about to be defeated, he cast one final, vile spell, setting everything around him ablaze. To this day, anyone who reaches the center of the fields can find his tower, ancient and covered in soot.

Outside the Tower

The tower is about 12 meters high and built of stone.

The Door: The door is made of thick black iron, studded with sharp nails. It is locked with magic and can be opened using the spell DISPEL. Although the door was originally bolted from the inside, the wooden bar has weathered over the years and no longer poses an obstacle.

Windows: There are windows on every floor except the ground floor. These windows are narrow slits, but small people and creatures might be able to squeeze through (use your judgment as GM). It is possible to reach the windows with a successful ACROBATICS check.

Floor 1

The room is empty and dark.

Staircase: A stone staircase leads to the 2nd floor.

Golem: A golem, built of what appears to be clay and rusty metal, guards the room. Its eyes glow red in the dark. See below for the golem’s stats.

Floor 2

This floor looks like it was once a laboratory. However, all the elixirs and preparations have either molded or dried away. A black mirror hangs on one of the walls, its glass covered in soot. The room lacks a staircase and there is no obvious way to proceed further up the tower.

The Mirror: The mirror is the key to reaching the next floor. You must wipe the soot off the glass and look into it. In the dim reflection, you can see a staircase at the other end of the room. To ascend the stairs, you must keep looking in the mirror, as the stairs only exist while you see them.

Spot Hidden: Among the moldy elixirs, it is possible to find two healing potions that are still in good condition.

Floor 3

Bookshelves filled with old books cover the walls. The room smells of old paper and dust. In a cage sits a mechanical raven.

Staircase: A stone staircase leads to the 4th floor.

The Mechanical Raven: The raven moves and crows, animated by dark magic. It can croak short sentences like a parrot but cannot engage in real conversation. One recurring sentence is, “I’ll kill you if you go up the stairs!” However, it poses no actual threat.

The Books: Most of the books are in such poor condition that they crumble if someone tries to read them. However, some are in better shape, and it is possible to find descriptions of spells in them. See rules for grimoires on page 61 of the rulebook. Use your GM judgement to limit what spells they may find.

Floor 4

Old furniture lies in debris on the floor, torn apart by the ravages of time. It is still possible to see that the room was once a stately chamber. In the middle of the room floats a severed head surrounded by a greenish light.

Head: The floating head belongs to Nir. After he burned the entire area with magical fire, he had to pay the price to the demon he worshipped. The demon took his body and left his head to forever float, helplessly, caught between life and death. He is now completely insane and his mind fragmented and broken. He rambles incoherently, and it is impossible to get any sensible information from him. The head can be carried around, serving primarily as a chattering magical lamp.

Treasures: The floating head wears a beautiful crown. The wearer of the crown can cast the spell FARSIGHT (at power level 2) without having the MENTALISM skill and without a skill check. Each use costs 8 WPs. The crown is worth about 2,000 gold if sold to someone who understands its value.

Adventure Seed: Nir’s Secret

There is a legend that Nir hid a great treasure in a hidden chamber somewhere beneath the town of Vendelvik. This treasure is said to include the glass ball that Nir used to communicate with beings beyond time and space. A cult known as the Apostles of the Whispering God is searching for the orb, believing they can use it to summon their deity from another dimension and usher in a new era of terror. They believe that, with Nir’s head, they can uncover the location of the treasure.

Soot Crawler

Mysterious creatures as black as the soot they hide in.

Ferocity: 1	Size: Normal
Movement: 10	HP: 10

D6	Attack
1-2	Claw Attack! The soot crawler’s claws begin to glow and emit sparks. It attacks for D8 damage, but the attack can be parried.
3-4	Ember Spark! A sudden burst of glowing sparks erupts from the soot crawler’s body. Anyone within three feet of it takes D6 burn damage.
5	Soot Fog: The soot crawler emits a thick black mist that covers a 5-meter wide area, obscuring all visibility beyond 1 meter. The fog lasts for two rounds. Soot crawlers are not affected by the fog.
6	Infernal Breath! The soot crawler grabs a victim and exhales scorching hot breath onto the victim’s face, dealing 2D6 damage.

Golem

A huge creature whose body is a fusion of metal and clay, created using dark magic to keep watch.

Ferocity: 2	Size: Large
Movement: 12	HP: 30

D6	Attack
1-2	Sledgehammer fist! The Golem sweeps out with a powerful fist and hits a character for 2T6 crush damage, but the attack can be parried.
3	Tremble! The Golem slams its powerful fists into the ground, making it tremble like a landslide. Everyone within three meters must withstand a JUMP & CLIMB or fall over and be left lying down and taking D6 crush damage.
4	Rock hurl! The Golem lifts a large rock (or other suitable object) off the ground and hurls it at a character who takes 2D8 damage.
5	Stone grip! The Golem grabs a character with a crushing grip, then throws its victim D6 meters away where they are left lying on the ground. The attack deals 2D8 damage.
6	Smash! The Golem clenches its fists together to crush the character who is between them. The attack deals 2D10 damage and leaves the character Dazed.