An Aventyr Adventure location for characters of any level.
Long ago, Vasi, the water goddess was blessed with a divine gift, born of Grekian ingenuity and Vasian faith. Built by her fervent followers, a world-clock running solely on water, ran for generations. Four wells, each holding a gate to the Elemental Plane of Water, fed the clock and kept the gears turning, that is until the temple was attacked in a Chonian-Baevonian conflict. The priests, in an effort to safeguard the temple from attackers, closed the gates, causing the clock to grind to a stop.
Vasi’s faithful rediscovered the old temple and wanted it retaken from the new occupants, followers of a dark elder god who have been using the old wells as summoning shrines for devils and otherworldly aberrations. The creatures summoned have been magically merged with the gears and innards of the clockwork waterclock, becoming clockwork horrors.
[stextbox id=”info-aaw”]
Before you delve too far into this location, make sure to check out Restoration of Vasi’s Waterclock, a difficult adventure for four characters levels 5-7 available in Mini-Dungeon Monthly issue #9.
[/stextbox]
[stextbox id=”chaos”]
Discovery of the Waterclock. The adventurers may discover this location before or after it has been cleansed. Regardless, the waterclock is not functioning because two vital gears are missing and lost somewhere in the complex. If the characters can get the clock functioning again, they will help bring water to both sides of the mountains. The clock helps feed water out in both directions and the location is situated in a mountainous region perfectly centered to let gravity carry the water down both sides of the pass via two small rivers.
[/stextbox]
[stextbox id=”location”]
Vasi’s Waterclock Temple
Doors. Solid iron, 3” thick, AC 20, 8d8 HP. Locked: DC 16 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools.
Walls. Solid stone, coated in Grekian ore, 1-2.5’ thick, AC 30, 20d8 HP.
Creatures. If the characters have never been here, there are automatons, aberrations, and an evil cult dwelling in this facility as described in Mini-Dungeon Monthly issue #9. If the characters have already cleansed the temple, the place is devoid of enemies but acolytes and priests of Vasi start arriving within 2d4 weeks to take possession, pray, and meditate.
[/stextbox]
- Vasi’s Waterclock
The waterclock is ancient and has seen better days. Most of the gears are loose and the entire machine could use some handiwork. Only a skilled gnome from Pradjna making a successful DC 15 Dexterity check (using a toolbox) has the abilities necessary to give this old monstrosity a tune-up. Even without a tune-up, once the two missing gears have been replaced and all four wells have been restored (see Mini-Dungeon Monthly #9), the machine works as intended for 1d4 months before breaking down. The two missing gears are hidden somewhere in the complex (GM’s choice) and can be spotted by actively searching an area with a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check.
[stextbox id=”npc”]Tolkvye, Acolyte of Vasi
A Chonian boy, only fifteen summers old is the only representative of Vasi present here. Recently blessed as an acolyte of Vasi, Tolkvye is bit fearful of his new position but cheerful about the prospects of the fresh water flowing (or soon to be flowing) toward his homeland of former Chonia. Tolkvye wants to share the water not only with his people but with all the peoples of the region and the wildlife as well. His mind and viewpoint are not as closed and narrow as many of the grownups in Chonia and Baevonia due to his parents being open-minded and the fact that the majority of the fighting did not come close to his home village, thus he does not harbor the hatred most Chonians have for the Baevonians.
Tolkvye is happy to help the adventurers however possible and share any information about Vasi and the waterclock that he knows.
[/stextbox]
[stextbox id=”puzzle”]Four pillars
Each of these ancient stone pillars bears an inscription in Grekian which glows with a faint red-orange light when approached. While difficult to translate, each of the inscriptions holds a riddle which, if solved, opens a small slot on the pillar, producing a potion of greater healing.
Pillar 1. A metal neither black nor red, as heavy as man’s golden greed, what you do to stay ahead, with friend or foe or arrow and steed.
Answer: Lead
Pillar 2. I can be a burden, but also comforting, my grasp holds bones and muscles, strange, we are such small things, sometimes you hide me, but mostly show me off, most of the poor have me although many times over by the toff.
Answer: Ring
Pillar 3. All across the countryside, to front doors he travels, but you never invite him in.
Answer: Path
Pillar 4. Answers its caller without being asked, responds within seconds and speaks all languages with equal ease.
Answer: Echo
[/stextbox] - Myth Well
The corridor leading to this room is lined in metal engraved depictions of a grand scene, a mural of sorts. In the scene, a small boy stands against a menacing army, quite obviously outmatched and outnumbered. In the next scene the boy offers up a cup of water from the river, one soldier drinks, then many, and finally, the last image shows the army has drunk their fill. They are displayed smiling and moving on down the river toward a great city in the flat expanse at the base of a great mountain range.
[stextbox id=”magic-item”]Test at the Myth Altar.
One who wishes for Vasi’s blessing or to become a follower, cleric, or paladin of Vasi must take a test at each of the four wells.
This altar carved from sandstone has the imprint of a hand upon it.
When a humanoid presses their hand into the depression, the altar begins to pulsate with warm orange light. The whispers of many stories can suddenly be heard in many tongues drifting in and out of earshot for anyone in the room. Meanwhile, only the one taking the test sees a glowing form arise from the sandstone of the altar and speak aloud “Take some time in thought and meditation, then come back to me with the greatest tale one has ever told.”
The player must craft a tale for their character to tell but it is important to note that there are no rules for this. The tale can be as short or as long as the player wishes, award experience based on how well-received and/or related to Vasi (water) the story is.
After inserting their hand and telling the tale, the altar glows and the orange light goes into the character’s hand, staying there one hour after leaving the temple or until all four altars have been visited and tests completed. [/stextbox] - Faith Well
The corridor is decorated with metal etchings constructing an expansive mural. On the mural, a woman holds her hands up against monumental walls of water, as if parting the ocean, on either side of her to protect some small and helpless children and baby animals. In the scenes after this, the children and animals are gathered up and taken to safety by a group of Vasi’s followers.
[stextbox id=”magic-item”]Test at the Faith Altar.
One who wishes for Vasi’s blessing or to become a follower, cleric, or paladin of Vasi must take a test at each of the four wells.
This altar is not visible to the naked eye but maybe felt, just not seen. There is a depression for a humanoid’s hand but again, it can only be felt.
When a humanoid presses their hand into the depression, the altar appears, made entirely of water. If touched it shudders almost as if water, floating in space, and surrounded by a thin gelatinous layer, holding it all together. So long as the character believes the altar is there, and their hand is inserted, the other characters will catch glimpses as well but never fully focus on the altar unless already a follower of Vasi.
The character is asked to name three things that cannot be proven to exist but yet are believed in nevertheless.
Answers can be varied thus are open to your interpretation and acceptance, use the group at the table to weigh whether or not something works. Once the character has chosen 3 distinct things they believe in but cannot be proven to exist, the altar glows blue and imbues this energy into the character’s hand. The blue glow continues up to 1 hour after leaving the temple or until all four altars and tests have been visited and completed.[/stextbox] - Prayer Well.
The entire prayer room is open to the rest of the temple. Anyone and everyone is welcomed into this room to pray and give their respects to Vasi. Sometimes, one must wait their turn to use the altar as it has more functions than just to convert new followers.
[stextbox id=”magic-item”]Test at the Prayer Altar.
One who wishes for Vasi’s blessing or to become a follower, cleric, or paladin of Vasi must take a test at each of the four wells.
This altar is built of layers upon layers of prayers written on papyrus by thousands of Vasian clergy. Many of the prayers are written in dead languages and contain some of the earliest recorded prayers known to the church. A depression in the shape of a bare foot is imbedded in the top of the altar. If the character inserts their foot, they suddenly find themselves kneeling upon a beach of endless sands and ever-reaching waves and water. The wind blows gently upon their face and no one is anywhere in sight. The other adventurers only see their friend in fervent prayer or meditation with eyes closed and bonded with the altar.
Once the character stops worrying about where to find anyone or where they are, kneels and begins to pray to Vasi, the character will be returned (in their mind) to their body. The altar glows white and this radiating holy light surrounds the character’s foot which glows for 1 hour after leaving the temple or until all the tests have been completed.[/stextbox] - Truth Well.
The corridor to the truth well has many sayings about telling the truth, etched in Grekian upon the walls, such as:
“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light.”
“Truth is the daughter of time.”
“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”
[stextbox id=”magic-item”]Test at the Truth Altar.
One who wishes for Vasi’s blessing or to become a follower, cleric, or paladin must take a test at each of the four wells.
This altar is built of solid Grekian ore and imbued with magic to directly connect believers to Vasi’s proxies for judgment. It is the last well visited during the tests while the others may be taken in any order.
Taking this test can be dangerous for mortals or those unaware of the immense power of the planes. When a foot is inserted into the depression in the top of this altar one completely disappears from this plane of existence and appears upon a small demi-plane hidden within Vasi’s aspergillum. An entire world exists within this weapon filled with holy water, complete with an underwater city growing naturally on all sides and at all angles of the hollow top of the god’s great artifact. The character finds themselves swimming through this place with the ability to breathe the water in and out of their lungs like gills. Make sure the player knows they are actually there and this is no longer just in their mind.
A short quest takes places which is entirely up to you. The character might be asked to retrieve an item or deliver a message to or for one of Vasi’s great proxies. They will become intimately familiar with the proxy who will be granting their spells via a powerful conduit to the material plane where the character primarily exists. Once this short quest or errand has been completed, the character will be transported back to their plane where they find themselves standing before the altar. They have completed the final test and their other foot glows with a green energy. These colors all join together and engulf the character until their entire being is changed, they find themselves clean, rested, fully healed, all curses and negative conditions removed, they are under the effects of a bless spell for 1 hour and anyone currently hunting or pursuing them is magically called elsewhere after which the character becomes an afterthought. The clergy wants to make sure that each new priest or follower is completely unburdened from previous obligations in life and will also write letters and make payments accordingly so that the individual can stay with the temple as long as possible. If this just won’t do, they will leave things as they are and encourage the priest to come back often to visit and continue spreading Vasi’s name into the world.[/stextbox]
After the Final Test.
This character has become a full-fledged follower of Vasi, either a 1st level cleric or paladin or taking Vasi on as one of their chosen top 3 most revered deities. The Aventyr Campaign Setting dictates a “top three” for chosen reverence, with the ability to worship as many deities as one wishes. Clerics and Paladins must choose their top 1 deity to revere (as their connection to the planes and source of spells) with others listed as favored allies and friends of their god (and thus sometimes called upon).
[stextbox id=”path”]
Tolkvye’s Quests
Starting out, Tolkvye is just an acolyte but depending upon the adventurer’s actions both in Restoration of Vasi’s Waterclock, Mini-Dungeon Monthly issue #9 and the upcoming Ruins of Rultmoork, Tolkvye might be the new high priest, albeit the lowest level high priest in all of Aventyr but the high priest nonetheless. If this is the case, he will have a series of quests that he needs to be performed for the good of the faith, the local wildlife, and all the peoples and races in the area.
- Taking holy healing water to Baevonia Pass. Reward: 100 GP
Tolkvye would like nine potion-sized and two large sealed silver vessels of holy healing water (healing potion/holy water) delivered to the general of the Baevonian military (ruler of these mountains). He would also like the character to invite the general and his advisors and top aides to visit Vasi’s Waterclock and see the great wonders inside. - Find the lost mother of the mountain lion kittens. Reward: 50 GP and two mountain lion kittens
A litter of rare mountain lion kittens was discovered by one of the priests on their way back from the Gate of Bones. The mother was nowhere to be seen and a predator was trying to get at the helpless little things. The cleric drove the predatory away and carefully swooped up the kittens in his satchel to carry back here. Now, the mother cannot be found and the character’s help is needed. The priests don’t have much to give but they cannot raise all these kittens on their own and thus need to get them back to the mother. Is the mother still alive or was she slaughtered in the wilderness? - Delivering much-needed water to remote locations. Reward: 50 GP per
There are 2d4+4 small settlements within a 1d4+2×10 mile radius that require water. Tolkvye would like the adventurers to deliver this as soon as possible. - Return an assassin’s weapon. Reward: Death or Coin
A silver-coated +1 dagger with the blue and silver Baevonian colors and a spot to insert vials (presumably poison) was found in the rocks outside the temple a few days ago. It is assumed to be from Baevonia Pass and possibly property of the Baevonians but no one in the temple wants to return the dagger. If the characters take this dagger back to the pass and begin asking questions they might be targeted by a secret group of assassins that work directly for the general of Baevonia. Or, they might just score 500 GP and orders to never speak of this again. - Take a message to Trulla’s Trovers. Reward: 100 GP
A nearby group of treasure hunters named “Trulla’s Trovers” has been located and they have an encampment or base somewhere nearby. Tolkvye would like to reach out to them and invite them not only to visit the temple but to eat a meal together and share in the glory of Vasi. Tolkvye is accepting of all people regardless of their moral pursuits or political viewpoints or even group affiliations and religions, it is his conviction that by accepting all, more will find and share the love of Vasi, thereby reincarnating love in this part of the world once again.
[/stextbox]