[BUNDLE] The Blight Pathologies

The Exiled: An adventure location suitable for any dark and gritty campaign. Only creatures with the Stamp of Exile are allowed entry into the last post of the Underneath.  Those who approach the gates without the mark are driven away or killed. The uninvited (trespassers) are caught, slaughtered, and their parts given to the Dirty Bowl’s merchants to sell as delicacies. Ganfolg rules the village with few rules, believing in survival of the fittest; weaker members of the lawless society are bullied, beaten, and murdered.

Death in Art: The painter, sculptor, or actor is no stranger to death in the Artists’ Quarter, with each creator seeing it nearly every day in one of its various forms. Whether it be in the common pattern of murder, the cruel simplicity of low caste senescence, or the vile shape of undeath within the ranks of the Fetch, the danger and finality of each person’s demise serves as one of the many inspirations that forges the artist’s craft. Experiencing firsthand the closing moments of a person’s life can provide range and depth to an artist’s repertoire. Many novice artists in the quarter seek out these experiences, believing that their exposure to the act of death, no matter the form, only strengthens their understanding of life and its delicate dance.

Death in Art is a good old-fashioned murder mystery. The characters must figure out what happened to Radonis and what he may have been hiding until the night of the auction. It is unlikely that the group discovers the truth through violence, but instead should resolve the story through diplomacy and investigation. They must navigate several lies and false leads, questioning the neighbors as suspects until the final pieces of the mystery fall into place.

Deceit at Thraken: Steady work in Castorhage is a challenge for most of the inhabitants of the blighted city, but for visitors it is nearly impossible to find employment. Newcomers are viewed with suspicion and mistrust, and are
rarely hired for jobs that locals can fill. Most of the available work is of the worst kind: jobs that pay little for hard work, jobs that won’t build an adventurer’s reputation, or jobs that are sure to end poorly, resulting in lifelong disfigurement or death. Foreigners need to catch a lucky break with a job that can lead to better paying, less risky jobs if they want to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in Castorhage.

Work disappears quickly from the local job board, so it’s a surprise when a dwarven priest of Beltane’s need of an escort into the Underneath remains on the board for several days. The posting says the job pays 5,000gp for a short trip under the city to drop off a gift to an important dignitary. A couple of days, it says. Sounds like an easy job, so why won’t the locals take the work?

Fleshcoats for Everyone!: The great city of Castorhage has many marvelous sights but none surpasses the chaotic yet appealing allure of the Great Fayre in Festival. Countless vendors, tents, and buildings cram the hill-summit of the island, each calling to customers to try their chance at a game, to visit a unique freak show, or to buy a trinket for their loved one. Visitors to the Great Fayre can witness but a tiny fraction of its attractions in a single day and find new and enticing venues in the same locations during their next visit. The Great Fayre is never boring and always an exciting trip for foreigners and locals alike.

The Festival Fayre Funhouse, a new attraction, is quickly emerging as a favorite among visitors, receiving fanfare and accolades from customers of all ages. A twisting maze of narrow and dark tunnels under the black tent beckons to brave souls and the easily frightened. Grotesque statues and well-dressed actors spring from shadowy alcoves and darkened corners, scaring all but the toughest of customers. The hour-long walk through the funhouse is well worth the price of admission.

But whispered rumors spread by Castorhage’s locals suggest that the new attraction has a darker side, an evil purpose beyond that of entertainment and fun. Several visitors have entered yet failed to exit, leaving their waiting friends and loved-ones worried about their whereabouts. Festival constables have shrugged off the reports of the missing, suggesting that they must have exited elsewhere in the attraction, leaving their acquaintances behind as they sought out new pleasures on the island. After all, it’s just a funhouse, right?

The Last Fleshgineer: In the aggressive race for absolute power and wealth in Toiltown, two contestants have prevailed over the rest of the would-be contenders: Joseph Sedge and Rudyard Brome. Sedge controls nearly all the manufacturing in Toiltown, including twenty cotton mills in his own private section
of the city, Sedgetown. Brome owns almost ten new slaughterhouses, utilizing new techniques to gain efficiency in his production of meat for Castorhage. Each man is constantly seeking new methods to speed up his operation to pass his adversary in financial prestige and influence. Trusted engineers and workers are in high demand in both organizations, often making the difference as each tyrant tries to outdo the other.

One such man is the last surviving fleshgineer working for Sedge. A member of the four-man team that developed the new cotton-splitting machine, Grazle Adamsby recently found himself as the lone survivor after
the other three contributors died in freak accidents. Grazle’s nervousness about the situation has led him to make mistakes, and although he has not yet fallen victim to a bizarre accident or strange illness, he has been placed on “probation,” a fate often viewed as worse than death. In probation scenarios, Sedge places a magical manacle upon his target until he gains all the information he needs to either better control the individual or to dispose of them.

Adamsby foresaw the day when he would eventually be viewed as disposable and set in motion a plan he developed years ago. He would hide out in the slums of Toiltown, avoiding his family and loved ones to keep them from Sedge’s minions. He also would contact agents close to Rudyard Brome, knowing that his knowledge and abilities would be eagerly accepted by Sedge’s rival. Hoping that Brome would eventually rescue him and his family from Sedge’s hunters, Adamsby would be freed of his miserable existence in Sedgetown.

Grazle’s wife was well aware of the plan and expected to hear from her husband as he hid waiting for Brome’s instructions. However, rumors in Toiltown suggest that Brome isn’t interested in making a deal but instead wishes to abduct Grazle by force and lock him in one of his slaughterhouses
until he builds a new machine. Grazle’s wife has no choice but to hire mercenaries to rescue her husband from the slums near the cotton mills and bring him home.

The Schaduw Elite:

Sorin relaxed in his chair, his face ever in shadows, his gaze a
reflective mirror.
“I have revealed myself, just as you asked,” Sorin said. “Am I a
monster?”
“The term ‘monster’ is relative,” replied Barnabus, not flinching
underneath Sorin’s intense gaze. “I want to know if this is real. Is what
you are offering actually a chance to cheat death? Is this a true path to
immortality?”
“If you survive the transition … yes,” Sorin said. “But you will
be forever changed. You will be better, you will be stronger. There are
drawbacks, but they are few, and you will find it is easy to adapt to your
new form.”
“What is the price?”
“Does it matter?”

Life eternal is a dream of many people, but so is power, power to do what you want and not suffer the consequences. Eternal life does not come without its consequences, and power must be taken and defended constantly. Not satisfied with the very real drawbacks of becoming a vampire, lich, or other undead being, one group sought another avenue in which to extend their lifespans and dominate their surroundings. Calling upon the power of shadows, the Schaduw Elite came into being. They rule their own corner in the City-State of Castorhage.’

The Schaduw Elite are small, but do not think for a moment they are week. To cross them is to invite the powers of darkness to seek revenge. The shadows play tricks on us all, and the Schaduw Elite are the masters of the shadows.

Library of Spiders:

“There is a place where you can find just about anything that’s been
written down, as long as you’re willing to spend just about anything …
and we’re not talking strictly about gold. People have been known to lose
themselves in that library. Knowledge, they say, is power, and that library
could be the most powerful force in the city. Watch yourself.”
— Arlen Clevin, Official Messenger of the Council of Scholarly
                         Research to university student Patrice Leevenaur
                                                   (whereabouts currently unknown)