Book of Infinite Darkness | Labyrinth of Torment | Axford | Miina Ehtaro | Six Odd Village Laws
Book of Infinite Darkness
Magic Item
Bound in the flayed flesh of a goodly high priest sacrificed centuries ago to the glory of Orcus, this foul tome tells of a coming darkness—an end to all life—and provides the incantations and rituals for the reader to hasten its arrival. Ever do the followers of Orcus seek the book, and ever do the forces of good seek to keep it from their hands.
Only the most irredeemably evil high priests and necromancers can read the book’s lambent sigils, which are only visible in complete darkness. All other readers risk having their life force sapped or their sanity shattered by the horrors lurking within.
The Book of Infinite Darkness is impervious to all harm until the soul of the high priest whose tortured flesh comprises its cover is rescued from its prison in Orcus’s palace. This grim edifice stands at the centre of the undead-infested Ashen Plains; only the greatest of mortal heroes stand a chance of reaching the palace, and it has been decades since the last serious attempt was made to free him.
Labyrinth of Torment
Dungeon
Adventurer lore, whispered around campfires and over hard-won ales, speaks of the legendary Labyrinth of Torment—a fabled dungeon of unknown extent buried deep under a wild and untouched mountain of fearsome legend. The alleged lair-home of Etana Sippur, a lich-lord of singular and terrible demeanour, the Labyrinth of Torment is his hunting ground.
Etana Sippur scatters lures about the world; cursed teleportation devices, flawed treasure maps and more designed to lure, compel or fool incautious adventurers into his labyrinthine domain. Some groups he bodily kidnaps, depositing them deep in his lair. Few escape. None return.
The final remnant of a long-dead people, Etana Sippur is a hunter and a predator. He believes in the honour of the hunt and the glory of the kill. The leavings of his numberless kills fill his labyrinth with great drifts of bones and rotting equipment; some of the dead within are ancient—their bones having lain here for centuries or more. Minor undead—skeletons, shadows, spectres and so on—wander the halls, but none are a threat to Etana. In truth, few mortals have more than the merest chance of besting Etana in combat; the best most folk can hope for is escape. Even those who bodily escape the Labyrinth of Torment rarely throw off the horrors of their experience.
Axford
Ford | Hamlet | Woodland
When the first settlers discovered this natural ford across the River Swift, they also discovered a gigantic axe embedded in one bank next to a pile of felled trees. The wielder of the axe never returned, and their identity remains a mystery, but the crossing became known as Axford.
Slowly, a settlement grew around a stockaded trading station. Soon a blacksmith set up shop and a small traveller’s inn, the Sandbar, sprang up on the opposite bank.
Axford is never busy; it is a quiet, peaceful place, but the locals spin fanciful yarns about the axe found here long ago (and its owner). The most popular legend tells how a huge giant’s remains lie within and under the sandbar that makes fording the river possible here. Another legend tells of a tree-felling competition between two rival giant woodsmen. Whatever the truth of the matter, the axe itself—now rusty with age—hangs in Axford’s trading station.
Miina Ehtaro
NPC
Kind and compassionate, the middle-aged Miina Ehtaro is a vagabond wandering priest with few possessions to her name. What she does possess in ample quantities, though, are goodly morals and a need to do the right thing. She is a kind, caring woman who does her best to ease the suffering and privations of the common folk.
She strikes an odd but imposing figure. Her holy vestments are oft-mended and frequently dirty, and she projects a general air of dishevelment. And yet, she commands respect and attention even among monied, noble folk. She is well-spoken and clearly highly educated. Rarely cowed by social status or wealth, she is brave to a fault and never abandons those in need.
She carries nothing of real value and takes little or no payment for her services. For Miina, serving the community is her reward.
Six Odd Village Laws
Six Things | Village
It is illegal to sing profane songs or rhymes in the street. The local clergy decide what is and isn’t profane and keep any fines they levy. Consequently, there is not much singing in the village.
It is illegal to be drunk in charge of goats within the settlement. The law was enacted after an infamous event involving a visiting noble that locals refer to but will not describe.
It is forbidden to wear blue in public during daylight hours. At night, no such restriction exists.
It is illegal to die on the streets. Anyone doing so is prosecuted, and if found guilty, their family must pay a hefty fine.
The locals are maniacally religious. Three times a day, the populace must pray at the nearest church. Failure to do so leads to a fine.
It is illegal to tell anyone about your dreams, but it is not illegal to relate your nightmares.
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The Miscellany of Many Things comprises almost 200 Campaign Components—personalities, items, adventure locations and more—taken from Raging Swan Press’s Sunday Supplement.
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