Formoria: Dark Age · p.245 · formoria · 3p
Open source p.245Not much ever happens in the
quiet village of Loville. The
village is situated at the edge
of the Spiderwood, about a
day’s journey east of the town
of Forksdale, the seat of Duke
Theoderic.
Loville is just an out-of-the-way
woodcutter’s village on the
edge of civilization. Beyond lay
the Spiderwood, a foreboding
and dangerous place that few
dare venture too deeply into.
Recently, the woodcutters of
the village have reported
seeing an apparition at the
edge of the wood. Frightened
by the sight, many have
refused to go back out until
the apparition is purged from
the wood.
The village priest has so far
been unable to rid the wood of
the apparition and the Earl of
Loville is desperate to find a
way to ease the nerves of the
superstitious woodcutters. The
Duke requires regular
shipments of wood, and the
Earl must do something soon,
or he’ll have to answer to Duke
Theoderic.
Introduction
Not much ever happens in the
quiet village of Loville. The
village is situated at the edge
of the Spiderwood, about a
day’s journey east of the town
of Forksdale, the seat of Duke
Theoderic.
Loville is just an out-of-the-way
woodcutter’s village on the
edge of civilization. Beyond lay
the Spiderwood, a foreboding
and dangerous place that few
dare venture too deeply into.
Recently, the woodcutters of
the village have reported
seeing an apparition at the
edge of the wood. Frightened
by the sight, many have
refused to go back out until
the apparition is purged from
the wood.
The village priest has so far
been unable to rid the wood of
the apparition and the Earl of
Loville is desperate to find a
way to ease the nerves of the
superstitious woodcutters. The
Duke requires regular
shipments of wood, and the
Earl must do something soon,
or he’ll have to answer to Duke
Theoderic.
What’S Really
Happening.
The Apparition is the ghost of a
Katalian soldier named Lovius
Tettius, who in fact founded
the village of Loville 150 years
ago.
Lovius was a centurion who
commanded a hundred men
in battle against the Ice Lord
Caligula, and later settled here
with his men. Lovius was
fiercely loyal to his legionary
commander Marcus Valerius,
who founded the town of
Forksdale.
Lovius was disturbed from his
eternal rest by events
happening in Forksdale, where
a dark cult has infiltrated the
tomb of his former master.
Lovius is haunting the edge of
the wood, the furthest point he
can travel from his own burial
place, in order to draw
attention. Too weak to take
corporeal form and speak
outside his own crypt, he is
hoping someone worthy will
find his burial place and seek
answers there.
Loville
The village is small and built in
the old style of the Northmen,
with a large common long
house, surrounded by the
smaller homes of the villagers
and an earthen rampart and
palisade. Loville doesn’t receive
many visitors, and outsiders, if
friendly, are received with
much excitement and curiosity
by the village people.
Names
From time to time, the GM
must come up with names on
the fly. The name of a
woodcutter, or his wife, or
child, etc. Whatever the case, it
is always useful to have a list of
names.
Names for Men ()
1.
Brice
2. Otker
3. Theodwin
4. Clovis
5. Siegfried
6. Fulbert
7. Berenger
8. Pippin
9. Emmeran
10. Balderic
11. Vigor
12. Hilduin
Names for Women ()
1.
Ermina
2. Aldruth
3. Athela
4. Helinda
5. Basina
6. Emecin
7. Bauin
8. Alflent
9. Trutilda
10. Odriana
11. Deuteria
12. Sigarda
Long House
The Central Longhouse serves
as the village's meeting place,
feast hall, and guest quarters.
The large structure is built of
fieldstone walls topped by a
vaulted thatch roof, supported
by heavy timbers. A large
central fire pit is always lit,
providing warmth to weary
travelers. The Earl of Loville and
his family live here as well. The
Earl’s name is Chlodomer, and
he has a wife, Thidela, two sons,
Childeric and Ragenard, and
two daughters, Emma and
Olga. His sons are young men
and serve their father as
Theins, patrolling the
countryside and checking in
on the various homesteads in
their territory.
Chlodomer will be welcoming
of adventurers, particularly if
they can be convinced to rid
him of the apparition that is
haunting his woods. Doing so
would earn the party a Boon
from the Earl, putting him in
the party’s debt.
What Chlodomer Knows.
Chlodomer knows only that his
woodcutters aren’t cutting
wood, and his shipments of
lumber and firewood to
Forkdale will not be made if he
doesn’t get his men out there
cutting soon. He’s tried
everything short of physical
force, but soon he may have to
resort to that.
Chlodomer. AC 15
(chain+shield), HP 10 ATK 1
Longsword (), or 1
longbow (far) (), MV near,
S , D , C , I , W , Ch
, AL L, LV 2
Childeric. AC 15 (chain+shield),
HP 5 ATK 1 Longsword (),
or 1 longbow (far) (), MV
near, S , D , C , I , W
, Ch , AL L, LV 1
Ragenard. AC 15 (chain+shield),
HP 5 ATK 1 Battle Axe (),
or 1 longbow (far) (), MV
near, S , D , C , I , W
, Ch , AL L, LV 1
Chlodomer has seen the
apparition himself, so he
understands the fear of his
men. He doesn’t want to go
out there either. Better to have
some outsiders, some naïve
adventurers, go risk their
necks.
Blacksmith
The Blacksmith is Gerold. He
can make nails, horseshoes,
and simple farm implements,
but little else. Gerold is
distantly related to Chlodomer.
He has not seen the apparition
and boasts that he would not
be afraid of such nonsense. If
the PC’s need muscle, Gerold
would agree to accompany
them for a bit of gold.
Woodcutters
A dozen or more woodcutters
live in the village with their
families. There may be up to
three generations living in
each house. These are all
peasants with little to offer the
PCs. If asked, they will readily
tell of the fearsome apparition
at the edge of the wood. Each
story will be more exaggerated
than the last.
The Apparition
If the party ventures near the
woods, it won’t take long for
the apparition to appear. The
ghost will stay in the shadow of
the woods and will not leave
the tree line. From far away,
the figure appears darkly
shrouded. Just a man-shaped
shadow in the trees.
If the ghost is approached, it
will retreat into the wood. If the
party moves away from it, the
ghost will follow, but at all
times will stay just within
eyesight, and will not leave the
wood.
Gerold. AC 12 (shield), HP 5 ATK
1 Axe (), MV near, S , D
, C , I , W , Ch , AL L,
LV 1
1
3
4
2
5
Tomb Of Lovius
It should become obvious that
the ghost is trying to lead the
party somewhere. If they
follow, the ghost will lead them
through the wood for a couple
of hours until they hear the
roar of a waterfall in the
distance. They will descend
into a gully where a small
mountain stream gurgles past,
and soon come upon the
cascading waterfall where the
ghost will disappear behind
the falls.
The Ghost of Lovius Tettius is
leading the party to his tomb.
There, he will put the party
through a trial involving tests
of faith, bravery, skill, intellect,
and will.
The players follow the ghost
into the gully formed by the
fast-moving stream and come
to a waterfall. The path leads
along the steep sides of the
gully behind the falls.
Conclusion
If the party is successful, they
will return to Loville having
“purged” the apparition. Earl
Chlodomer is most pleased
and holds a feast in honor of
the heroes. Each may roll on
the carousing table as if the
party had spent 30gp on
carousing.
Tomb of Lovius
No extracted maps for this adventure — the map is in the source book: Open source p.245
Rooms (5)
1 Tunnel Stair p.248
Cut into the rockface behind
the tomb is a tunnel that leads
down a set of winding stairs.
The narrow path descends
into the rock, growing darker
with each step. Moss and slime
cling to the moist rock walls.
Green Slime. AC 0 (only a 1
misses), HP 9 ATK 1 touch*
(consume flesh*), MV
close (climb), S , D , C ,
I , W , Ch , AL N, LV 2
Surprise. Drops down on
surprised characters from
above. (no DEX bonus to AC).
Acid. When in contact with
victim, will dissolve armor or
clothing in 6 rounds (cannot
effect stone).
Consume Flesh. After 6
rounds, the victim is turned
into Green Slime after a
further rounds.
Immunity. Can only be
harmed by Cold or Fire. Cold
and Fire damage is split
between slime and victim. All
other damage is passes to the
victim.
A Green Slime has attached
itself to the ceiling of the
tunnel. If players specifically
check the ceiling, they will
automatically see it and can
avoid it by carefully avoiding
the area directly under it.
Otherwise, there is only a 1 in 6
chance they will notice it. If
they do not notice it, it will
attack the first person who
passes under it.
2 Tomb Entrance p.248
At the base of the stair is a
large stone door set in an arch
carved into the rock face. A
scene carved in base relief on
the door shows a Centurion
kneeling in prayer to the figure
of a great Eagle. An inscription
is carved into the stone arch
around the door. Several
skeletons lay here and there
on the ground, along with
broken shields and rusted
swords, and spears.
The base relief represents
Lovius in prayer to the god
Pailan. The inscription is
written in Katalian. It says:
“Only the faithful shall pass.”
The inscription and base relief
are meant to be followed. If the
party kneels and prays to any
one of the Old Gods, or one of
the Lords of Light, the doors
will open.
Regardless, once the living
approach the door, the
skeletons guarding it will rise in
response. 2 skeletons will rise
and attack after 1 round, and
another 2 will rise each round
thereafter until all six have
risen.
If the players retreat, the
skeletons will not follow, and
after an hour or so, they will go
back to their rest.
If all six skeletons are defeated,
the door may be opened by
force with picks and crowbars.
Lesser Skeleton. AC 10, HP 5
ATK 1 rusty sword or spear
(), MV near, S , D , C , I
, W , Ch , AL C, LV 1
Undead. Immune to morale
checks.
This effort will require a half
day of work and will
permanently destroy the door.
Without such tools, it is
impossible to force open. A
knock spell will also open the
door.
3 Hall Of Sacrifice p.248
This large room is about 25
feet square, and in contrast
with the outside, it is dry and
dusty. The room is plastered
and lavishly painted with
frescoes depicting various
scenes. On the opposite wall is
a large semi-circular dais, on
which appears to be a stone
altar. Atop the altar are four
bronze vessels. On the walls to
each side are niches, in which
stand statues, two on each
wall.
The frescoes depict scenes of
the life of Lovius: His childhood
in Katalia; training to be in the
army, fighting many battles;
Losing many friends and
companions in war; and finally
settling and building Loville.
Each of the statues depicts
Lovius at different times in his
life. As a child training with the
sword, as a young man
bloodied but triumphant in
battle, as a hardened veteran,
and as a retired soldier with a
sickle replacing his sword.
Similar themes adorn the
frescoes on the wall behind the
altar from left to right: A young
Lovius trains hard; a soldier
Lovius bleeds from battle
wounds; a veteran Lovius
cradles a dying comrade; and
an older Lovius is depicted
buying seed and livestock to
supply his new settlement.
These are scenes of the four
sacrifices of Lovius from left to
right: Sweat, Blood, Tears, and
Coin. The Bronze vessels on the
altar are for offerings, four in
total. From left to right, into
each vessel, the offerings must
be made. Sweat, Blood, Tears,
and Coin.
Once this is done, the offerings
disappear and the dais slowly
moves, rotating 180 degrees to
give the party access to the hall
beyond.
4 Hall Of Judgement p.248
The arched corridor turns left
into a flight of stairs leading
down. The hall is of dressed
stone; dry, dusty, and cool.
At the bottom of the stairs, the
long hall is lined on both sides
with base relief carvings of
soldiers standing at attention,
holding torches, their stone
hands acting like sconces for
the torches. In all, there are
over a hundred torches lining
the wall. All of them are unlit
and unused, but could be
removed and used.
The soldiers all have unique
facial features and appear to
be carved to represent
individuals. Each one has a
puckered mouth as if blowing
out the torch they are holding.
This hall is trapped. If the
players spend time searching,
they find a pressure plate
halfway down the corridor.
(automatically found, unless
there is time pressure, DC 12
WIS). If the pressure plate is
not found, it will be stepped on.
Once activated, blocks behind
the walls are released and slide
forward, crushing jars of
alchemist fire, which stream
out of the mouths of the
soldiers, filling the length of the
hall in flame. All who are in the
hall take damage.
The pressure plate can be
avoided by jumping over it.
(automatic again, unless there
is time pressure, DC 10 DEX).
The hall turns south again and
ends in a stone door, this one
depicting Lovius ascending to
heaven. The door is not locked
and will slowly slide open if a
combined STR of 30 (multiple
characters with combined
strength scores totaling 30 or
more) is applied to heave it
open.
5 Tomb Of Lovius p.248
The door opens to a large
natural cavern, and cool, moist
air wafts past. Water drips
from the ceiling onto the floor,
which slopes downward to the
edge of the torchlight. There, in
front of a closed sarcophagus,
stands the ghostly apparition,
now clearly recognizable to
you as the ghost of Lovius
Tettius.
The ghost of Lovius will wait
one round for the PC’s to take
the first action. If they do
nothing, Lovius will move
forward slowly and attempt to
possess the character with the
lowest CHA score. Lovius can
only communicate with the
players if he can possess one of
them. If the party allows the
ghost to possess one of them,
he will begin a dialogue with
the party (see below).
If the party attacks Lovius, he
will attack back, using his
death touch. He will not pursue
a fleeing party.
Dialogue with Lovius. Lovius
will commend the players for
making it through his tests
and proving themselves
worthy. He has returned to the
material plane because he has
sensed that the forces of
Shadow are attempting to
breach his master’s tomb in
Forksdale. He believes they are
trying to raise his master,
Lovius. AC 13, HP 27 ATK 2
death touch (life drain), MV
near (fly), S , D , C , I ,
W , Ch , AL L, LV 6
Greater Undead. Immune to
morale checks. Only damaged
by silver or magical sources.
Incorporeal. In place of attacks
become corporeal or
incorporeal.
Life Drain. CON damage.
Death if reduced to 0 CON.
Possess. Must be corporeal.
One target, close range.
Contested CHA check. If ghost
wins, in inhabits the target’s
body and controls it for
rounds.
Marcus Valerius, from death as
a great Wraith.
Lovius swore on his master’s
deathbed that he would
always protect his tomb and
believes that only a dire threat
would have brought him back
like this. As Lovius is incapable
of leaving the proximity of the
Woods around his own tomb,
he implores the party to go to
Forksdale and stop the threat
to his master.
Lovius will offer the party an
item from among his grave
goods. But they must choose
only one. They must not
disturb his sarcophagus. If they
disobey these requests, Lovius
will immediately become
enraged and attack the party.
The party chooses from the
following:
1.
A Golden Amulet bearing
the eagle sigil of the Legion
commanded by Valerius.
The bearers of this amulet
will not be attacked by the
guardians of Valerius’s
tomb. The Amulet would
sell for 20 gp.
2. A rare suit of Katalian
Banded Mail (AC 14) and a
Katalian Cavalryman’s
shield (AC).
3. Ferrum Luctus: A magic
Katalian Spatha
(Longsword ).
4. A clay jar filled with
Katalian gold coins (100gp).
Each of these counts as a
Fabulous Treasure, no matter
which the party chooses
earning the characters 3xp.