The Adri Varma Plateau Adventures Ideas
by Gilles LeblancFor more information on the plateau and it's inhabitants mentioned in these quest ideas check out articles found on the Vaults of Pandius about the Adri Varma Plateau.
The PCs are hired by a Tinnias, an alchemist ( secret craft ) to investigate reports of a strange monster. The monster is said to be roaming the plateau's border near Glantri and sometimes attacks the few people who venture up there ( partial lie since there isn't many people going to the plateau ). The monster is said to look like a huge white bear-men who walks upright and has ram horns. It is not a yeti or a were-bear tough it bear some resemblance to it. Tinnias, the alchemist hires the PCs to go kill the monster. What the PCs may not know is that Tinnias is evil and the monster is actually sentient and good hearted ( although a bit clumsy around people ) he was a creation of Tinnias who used the soul of a simple farmer to imbue this magical creation with sentience. When the creature proved to great a hindrance to Tinnias because it was always questioning his motives, Tinnias planned to kill it. The creature escaped , and now the alchemist wants it dead in case word of his actions might get out ( he killed a farmer in this experiment and he fears the creature may remember some things about it's past life which it may after talking to the PCs ).
In Darokin the PCs may find employment at the hands of a minor merchant house, the house Lambridge. The merchant house is assembling a small caravan to go the Adri Varma plateau. The house isn't well known and is looking into risky ventures to make money quickly and get a name for itself. The PCs might be hired as guards, drivers or guides. The leader of the merchant house had the idea of exploring the plateau for monetary purposes a year ago. Since then he has collected information on the plateau, money to fund the expedition and rumours of a route near the Sindhi border of the plateau.
The small caravan include 6 foot pad lizards, numerous employee's of the merchant house and a map maker. After travelling into Darokin and Sind, the PCs arrive at the base of the plateau. After some searching they may find a climbable area. On the plateau they run afoul of some Stolari and eventually encounter some nomad Oghriz. The Oghriz are neutral at first but cultural differences and the Oghriz motives may quickly turn this encounter into a deadly one ( at the DM's option ). After some trading and mapping the caravan is ready to get home. While the trip may be profitable, the trading house does not get the success it was hoping for.
While exploring the plateau the PCs pass several nomad Oghriz corpses who appear not to be wounded ( they were in fact poisoned by the Allghoi Khorkhoi also called Death Worm). After a while they are tracked by bands of monsters ( depending on strength of party these could either be imps, jackals, nomad Oghriz or caecilia worms ). Taking refuge among sedentary Ogrhiz they learn of the fearsome Allghoi Khorkhoi and some of the stories about the Allghoi Khorkhoi. After a while tough the village gets harassed by a large tribe of nomad Oghriz who have lost some of their best livestock and hunters to the Allghoi Khorkhoi. They are forced to raid the village of sedentary Oghriz. The village elders ask for the PCs help. Preferably to ambush and kill the Allghoi Khorkhoi and bring its remains the nomad Ogrhiz as they are to strong to defeat. This move would appease the nomads and show the bravery of the PCs. At the DM's option this may not solve the problem entirely since both groups have other differences as well.
While exploring the northern regions of the plateau the party stumbles on Sol-Klor. When they approach the town a white dragon ( size depending on party ) is attacking the city. Although the town has deployed it's oil belchers and it's catapults against the beast, the city really could use the help of the party. Although the beast will flee when reduced in HP, the PCs can earn the friendship of the Sol-Klorians. They could also try and track the beast through the Northern parts of the plateau where dangerous creatures lives.
When travelling in the central parts of the plateau the PCs could encounter the remains of an elven party from Wendar. The six bodies of the elven scouts appear to have been killed by their own arrows. If the PCs search the bodies they also find a little emerald chip ( 25 gp value ) in the possession of one of the elves and a scroll in the possession of another.
The scroll relates in elven of the finding of a strange pyramid. Haunted by nightmares the elven party departed the grounds but were still very much affected by their encounter with this pyramid relates the scroll. The scroll does not detail the pyramid, it's location or why it was strange. What happened to these elves is that they went near the pyramid of Atzri-Voca and were stricken by madness by some of Atzri-Voca undead minions. Adventurous PCs could follow the elves tracks into the territory of Atzri-Voca. As they near the polluted river and his pyramid they begin to feel a corrupting influence themselves. At first they have nightmares and hear strange rhythms in their heads, later they suffer from strange headaches and begin to hear sounds and fear things which are not there. In this part of the plateau they will find few living creatures but are likely to encounter undead ones such as skeletons, zombies, ghouls, shadows and even wraiths. Unless the PCs are very powerful, the PCs shouldn't do much more than investigate the lands surrounding the pyramid as any encounters with Atzri-Voca is nearly suicidal. At later dates the PCs could find other sign of Atzri-Voca or hear legends from the Oghriz. Destroying, or more probably banishing or harming Atzri-Voca could become a long term campaign goal for a campaign based on the plateau.