Campaign Module: Dynasty in Ashes, Pt. 2
Continuing our "Greatest Hit" campaign
In our previous section, we left the party resting beneath the family shrine. If you are using this module to bring newbies to the hobby, it is likely they used all their spell slots on the way to this point, despite the general ease of combat. Given that, it is appropriate to handwave in some spell slot recovery in the shrine, due to the protective influence of the ancestors’ spirits within the shrine. If there are other consumables like arrows, give them encouragement to check the slain foes (and the ground around them) for reusable shafts.
Once everyone has rolled their hit dice, it’s time to get moving to the Sacred Grove, the sort of “central park” of Iwasaki. Naturally, this will entail more running battles through the city. Now is the time to lay on the time pressure of getting back, how sunrise is the deadline and they have spent most of the night getting to this point. Keep this in mind, and offer reminders constantly. The goal of the combat encounters to come is not to wipe the enemy, but to advance to the correct portion of the map and continue towards the Sacred Grove. If the group gets too focused on killing all the enemies, just spawn more.
To start, read the following:
“The unquiet spirits of the ancestor shrine have been appeased and the braziers lit. The soft glow of subtle protective magics illuminates the shattered grounds, serving to outline the terrible destruction wrought by the rampaging goblinoids.
“The charnel reek of burning men and mounts pervades everything, leaving a bitter taste that clings to the tongue. Smoke from the raging fires clouds the air, and ash falls like snow on the mountains.
“With the braziers lit the first part of your task is complete, and now it’s time to navigate the increasingly chaotic and deadly battle space back to the sacred grove. May the ancestors be with you in this.”
On the way back, the party will be going back through the way they came, so the same battle maps from the first three battles can be reused in reverse order, with the party going the opposite direction this time. If you have them, set some flip tiles of burning buildings over the houses on the maps.
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