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PCs traveling through Verrayne may discover all manner of rumors. Are they true or false? Decide for yourself as you plan adventures for your players! You can find Verrayne and all of these locations on the big Midgard map!

The Green Duchy of Verrayne

A small kingdom ruled by Duke Salusso, but run by several druid circles, is caught between the wretched Goblin Wastes to the north and the cosmopolitan Seven Cities to the south. Verrayne is a land of lost Calemarian magic and ancient druidic traditions where old wives’ tales and modern gossip converge.

RUMOR ONE

Wizards and their ilk have not been welcome in Verrayne since the destruction of Caelmarath and the creation of the Wastelands. Yet this policy has begun to change under the direction of Duke Salusso. Just last week, a group of Bemmean mages entered Savoyne and were last seen heading towards the duke’s residence.

True? Sulasso has been working hard behind the scenes to forge alliances with various good-aligned mages from Allain, Dornig, and the Seven Cities. He wants to create a permanent magical ward along Verrayne’s borders to protect it from aberrations and monsters. If they hear him out, he tries to enlist the PCs to help protect the mages from persecution or to protect their work on the project.

OR

False? Though Salusso harbors no prejudice against mages and even employs them in his own forces, he knows that the public and the druids they revere fear and hate arcane magic and its practitioners. He knows nothing about a group of Bemmean mages traveling to his residence and is concerned that they might be spies or worse. He may employ the PCs to investigate the rumor and whether these mages are a threat.

RUMOR TWO

A group of vegetable farmers east of Savoyne claims they witnessed a flaming, nine-pointed star high above the northern horizon, blazing with purple radiance. The symbol filled them with dread, and some fear that it may be connected to the nine towers that guard the duchy’s northern border.

TRUE? The nine-pointed star is connected to a coven of witches (treat them as mages) in the service of Hecate. The witches attempted to bind a powerful demon to their service but failed. Now it rampages throughout northern Verrayne. If not stopped, the glabrezu demon gathers a small retinue of monsters and attacks the section of the Nine Towers that guards the pass to the Bloody Tusk tribe’s village in the Goblin Wastes.

OR

FALSE? The PCs are sent to a village to question the farmers about this rumor. While the tale itself ultimately proves incorrect, the PCs discover that the village is besieged by a hostile threat that they must overcome, such as a warband of dust goblins (see Tome of Beasts 1), a flock of harpies, or similar monsters. This could also be a way to introduce a new party of PCs to the Tales of the Valiant adventure, Caverns of the Sporelord.

RUMOR THREE

If you place a sacrifice on the main altar in the Lost Temple of Khors at noon and return at midnight, an angel will appear to guide you to a lost treasure of the Sun God.

TRUE?  The rumor is true, though PCs wishing to summon the angel must place at least 1,000 gp of precious gems, coins, or magic items on the temple’s altar at noon. If the PCs return at midnight, a kalkydra angel (see Tome of Beasts 3) appears and points them toward a holy avenger or similar divine relic dedicated to Khors located deep within a hidden vault. Unfortunately, the PCs must face hostile ghosts and wraiths to speak to the angel, and the vault contains many devious traps and powerful monsters.

OR

FALSE?  The rumor is being spread by a score of brigands hoping to ambush pilgrims and greedy adventurers. The brigands wait until nightfall to attack when travelers are resting or waiting for the angel to appear. The brigands have the statistics of thugs and are led by a bandit lord (see Tome of Beasts 1). For extra flavor, give the bandits the stats and personalities of the NPCs found in NPC Webs: The Bandit Camp!

RUMOR FOUR

Several trees and other plants in the Duke’s Garden in Savoyne have died due to a mysterious malady. This is a cause of great concern for the entire city, and the druids stationed in Savoyne believe that it results from some infestation brought in from the Western Wastes.

True? The druids are on the right track. A group of adventurers returning from the wastes brought mutated plant spores back on their boots, and those few spores began to infest the garden’s vegetation. If left unchecked, the infestation spreads and spawns several monstrous plants of alien origin, including doom creepers (see Tome of Beasts 3) and viirets (see Tome of Beasts 2).

OR

False? The damage to the garden was caused by a confrontation between the garden’s defenders (a mix of druids and rangers) and a group of shadow fey who attempted to destroy the portal to the Elflands contained therein. While most of the shadow fey were slain, some escaped into the surrounding city, and the PCs are tasked with hunting them down. The shadow fey group includes almost a dozen normal shadow fey led by a shadow fey duelist and shadow fey enchantress (all appearing in Tome of Beasts 1) holed up in an abandoned warehouse.

RUMOR FIVE

Tolvio Morelli, a soldier stationed in Bael-Tor, deserted his post three nights ago. The posting is seen as something of a luxury in the kingdom as it does not expose the soldiers to the dangers of the wastes. As such, the relinquishment of his duties surprises many of his comrades.

True? Tolvio recently discovered that he has manifested sorcerous abilities. He grew frightened that he would face persecution and even death if he were found out. Deciding to flee to Melano, Tolvio sought the aid of a group of racketeers to get him across the border. Unfortunately, the racketeers betrayed him and now plan to sell him to one of Verrayne’s more bloodthirsty druidic sects.

OR

False? Tolvio didn’t desert, but that’s the end of the good news. Instead, he fell victim to a lorelei (see Tome of Beasts 1) who has been preying on male travelers in the area. PCs investigating Tolvio’s disappearance eventually discover the creature’s lair, an underwater grotto hidden in a dense thicket. The grotto is guarded by several bolotoi (see Tome of Beasts 1), who delight in drowning nosy interlopers.

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