Attack on Peltarch

ATTACK ON PELTARCH Written by BRETT SANDERS Layout & Design by TIMOTHY J. PROUGH Attack on Peltarch can be used independently or as part of a series that forms a larger campaign using the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. This adventure is for a party of four to six 1st level characters. This introductory adventure is primarily a mystery and places some additional importance on the exploration and social interaction pillars of gameplay. While action and combat are always a part of the game, the town of Peltarch and the additional details provided in this introductory adventure create a rich backdrop to be used in future adventures. It can also be taken and used as a resource in any Samplegame using the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting .file Credits Game Design & Story: Brett Sanders Layout, Design and Illustration: Timothy J. Prough Source images: courtesy of Shutterstock and free content from Dungeon Masters Guild. Peltarch Map Design & Illustration: Brett Sanders and TImothy J. Prough Peltarch Map utilizes some assets created by: Ross McConnell (patreon.com/2minutetabletop, 2minutetabletop.com), and Caeora (patreon.com/caeora, caeora.com) and is used under the attribution requirements and Small Commercial Use Agreement, respectively. Please support these artists. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by Brett Sanders and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. Sample file Attack on Peltarch crescent shaped collection of jokes that make the collector’s visit miserable. This peninsulas creates a natural harbor, tradition makes the payments to what has essentially shielding the inlet from Icelace Lake been an absentee landlord a little more palatable. and providing a sheltered location from Furthermore, the spring portion of the semi-annual the harsh weather conditions of the tax collections occurs at the end of winter when the cold lands. It was here that the town of fisherman and trappers, having been hampered by the Peltarch was established. Peltarch has weather and the danger of storms for several months, long been a relatively quiet backwater have little else to keep them occupied. The seasonal town in the far northern reaches of workers spend the bulk of the winter trying Narfell. The small lakeside town endures frigid winters to stay warm and plotting the abuse of the collector. Asurviving off the profits made by the outstanding fishing To add insult to injury the cold climate and remote industry. The narrow streets are technically paved location of Peltarch makes this particular assignment with dwarven stonework, although the stone is rarely part of a rookie initiation for the newest collectors. exposed due to the thick layer of ice and snow. There is a brief melt in the summer when Peltarch enjoys an The past year has been different for Peltarch. Some idyllic six weeks filled with festivals, concerts, and fairs. of the brave fishermen that troll for Barent's Crab During the festive period, the weather is spectacular pulled a strange and ancient object from the from the with temperatures reaching the upper fifties to low depths of Icelace Lake. The news of the discovery sixties during the day and essentially zero chance of made its way back to the capital and soon the Crimson clouds or precipitation. The brief summer also features Brand arrived and established a barracks. It was not extremely long periods of daylight that peak with the long before expeditions to the Great Glacier under the Summer Solstice when the dark of night lasts barely guidance of the Red Wizards were a regular occurrence. one hour. The people of Peltarch wondered what could have generated this much interest, but were quickly While technically a satellite of Thay, Peltarch is far instructed to mind their own business. The locals hope removed from the politics and power of Eltabbar. that whatever it was, the research is completed and with As longSample as the taxes are collected and paid on time, the onset of winter things can get backfile to normal. The Autharch Oras does little to interfere in the lives of the locals are ready to return to a life free from bureaucrats people of Peltarch. Trappers, furriers, and fishermen sticking their noses into the business of Peltarch. The have made an event of the spring tithe and prepare a construction of a tower by the Red Wizards has many string of verbal insults, dirty limericks, and practical in town believing this may be a new normal and any 4 prediction of a Thayan exodus is wishful thinking. frozen to preserve the meat for an extended period of It is now the 25th Day of Uktar and the last of the time. Occasionally, buyers from other cities will come expeditions to the Great Glacier for the season has to Peltarch with large insulated wagons and purchase just returned. The crabbers had already closed frozen seafood used in catering to the powerful and elite. their operations, knowing the conditions can turn treacherous without warning. The final foray to the 4. Smoking Shacks frozen north made it back to Peltarch just as a winter Dozens of small wooden shacks cluster near the docks. storm struck the lakeshore with howling winds and On the exterior of each shack is a cast iron firebox. blinding snowfalls. Inside the shacks are hooks and racks for the fish. The outside of the shacks have been coated in pine sap The Town of Peltarch to create a vapor barrier and keep as much smoke as possible inside the shack. On top of each shack is a The town consists of two neighborhoods, although no small chimney with a metal louvre that helps control walls or physical dividers define them. The Crescent is the updraft and maintain temperature and smoke the area closest to the water and includes the docks and density. The smoking shacks are maintained by the many of the businesses that support the fishing industry. town and are paid for by the docking fees charged to Albion is where the bulk of the town’s residents live. the local vessels. With the exception of the deep winter, The buildings are clustered together in locations where the smoking shacks operate almost constantly. the landscape provides natural windbreaks, giving the appearance of haphazard wandering streets. 5. Parchment Works A relatively young gnome named Snoddybart (Chaotic The Crescent Good, male gnome) runs the parchment works. This 1. The Sour Clam Tavern recent addition to the The Crescent neighborhood has expanded opportunities for the fishing industry. This watering hole has seen more than its share of late Snoddybart created a process to infuse parchment nights, raucous crowds, and fabled stories that seep paper with a chemical derived from beeswax. The result into town lore. The Sour Clam is the favored location is a sheet paper that does not stick to fish even when for fishermen. (Lawful Neutral, male Thorleif Brandt frozen. Being able to wrap and stack pieces of fish and human) is the current proprietor of the Clam. He spent other seafood without freezing the pieces together and many years working a fishing boat, but the long days in ruining the meat, means that shippers can fit multiple cold and harsh conditions became too much for him. times their normal load into an insulated wagon. As is the tradition with the Clam, the tavern was sold “Snoddy” just needs help marketing the process to to Thorleif, a local captain, who can no longer handle the trading companies in the surrounding cities. the rigors of life on the lake, but is either too young or too stubborn to retire. Thorleif has a red beard and ponytail that is now mostly grey, a broad chest, and 6. Brickworks gnarled hands with swollen joints. The food served here When the ground isn’t frozen, there is plenty of clay to is mostly hearty stews, chowders, or pasta dishes that be molded into bricks and roof shingles. Brick masonry feature seafood. is the ideal construction material in this environment and when the weather allows, the kilns are fired day Displayed prominently behind the bar is a large gold and night. When the Brickworks are operating, the trophy with a sculpted gold jellyfish on the top. The surrounding area becomes covered in the rust colored tentacles intertwine to form the 4 posts that lead clay dust. Because of the astounding mess they create. down to the marble base. This is the coveted Gilded Jellyfish trophy that goes to the winning team in the 7. Icehouse Gaelic Games, which are held annually on the before This wood log structure above ground is only a small the summer solstice. The fishermen compete against portion of the overall business. The bulk of the storage the trappers and furriers with the trophy and bragging is underground, where massive blocks of ice are kept. rights going to the winners. The chunks of ice are hauled out by dragging them up a series of ramps using mules. 2. Freezing Caverns These naturally occurring caverns make ideal locations 8. Docks for freezing fish. The caverns have openings facing A total of 9 wooden piers provide access for ships the lake that allows wind to pass through keeping the coming to and from Peltarch.

Load more