The Task of Zeichus

A fragment of song lyrics got me thinking about barely restrained hostility, a veneer of respectability.  That, plus some super awesome isometric graph paper produced this next adventure.

Here's the link to the high-res art!  Like the adventure, it's cc-by-nc.

'Task' can be plopped pretty much anywhere in a campaign world; it's the sole surviving remnant of something much older, a baroque and decadent time capsule. When I say it might be near some ancient ruins, I mean rocks that you can barely tell were once structures. The domains of the Martoi, whatever they were, are long gone.

The halls are not obviously hostile to visitors, at least not at first.  The revelers will probably be fascinated by novelty, if the party doesn't prove to be crude vandals, and the Queen has a tradition of hospitality toward supplicants while they wait in hopes of an audience - that extends at least as far as the hostel.

The revelers aren't pushovers, however! Although fallen into decadence, they're the elite of a violent society and are familiar with brutality of every sort.  They're also well aware of the chime. If it does come to blows, they'll be more than willing to suffer an apparent setback to deliver a surprise attack an hour later!  But once the dust settles, they will be more than willing to write off fighting as a diverting pastime, as long as honor is satisfied.

The real danger is, of course, the vampire.

Don't forget to check out the others in the series!