Here’s a new post detailing a previously unexplored location in my campaign setting, the Lands of Parsantium. This one is an adventure site for D&D 5e & Tales of the Valiant.
I enjoyed writing it so much it ended up being too long for a single post, so here’s the first part.
Slaughter Stones
The interminable steppes of the Great Grass Sea separate Parsantium and the former lands of the Bathuran Empire from the mighty kingdom of Tiangao far to the east. Here, packs of bloodthirsty, demon-worshipping gnolls and nomadic centaur clans wage constant warfare across the vast expanse, and prey on merchant caravans travelling the Silk Road between Parsantium and the Tiangaon capital Yingzhou.
North of the trade road, where the hills of Urskovia give way to the endless grasslands, a solitary stone spire rises from the steppes. Beneath it stand twelve stone columns in two parallel rows of six. This place is known as the Slaughter Stones. Once a shrine built to honour a long-forgotten war god, it is now a place of bloody sacrifice dedicated to Okkidor, Prince of Demons. According to gnoll legend, Okkidor and the war god fought a great battle atop the spire which raged for many hours, until the demon prince ripped out his foe’s heart with his razor-sharp claws, and threw his lifeless corpse from the summit.
Adventure Hooks
– Zenodotus, Custodian of the Library of All-Knowledge in Parsantium, is interested in learning the identity of the obscure god originally worshipped at the Slaughter Stones and is hiring adventurers to travel to the Great Grass Sea. The PCs are given blank scrolls, stamped with the symbol of Amarani, on which to record the details of their discoveries; payment on the adventurers’ return to Parsantium is dependent on meeting the minimum standards of record-keeping expected.
– PCs travelling through the Labyrinth find themselves at the Fire Wheel, a junction close to the infernal realms with twelve exits, each shaped like a fiendish maw. The exit they choose leads them to the Slaughter Stones on the night of a blood moon.
What’s Happening?
| d6 | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Gnoll Khan (Icons of Parsantium) is on his way to consult with the bone-brewer Lozhsetseg. |
| 2 | A war party of 2d8 centaurs arrives to rescue the captured centaur Erdene. |
| 3 | Blood moon. The portal opens and 1d3 vrock demons arrive from the Labyrinth. |
| 4 | The gnolls gather in the shrine to sacrifice Erdene to Okkidor. |
| 5 | The gnolls hold an impromptu archery contest with Erdene or another captured centaur as a live target. |
| 6 | A rival pack of 3d10 gnolls led by a gnoll slaver (Creature Codex) arrives and lays claim to the Slaughter Stones. |
Slaughter Stones
Yurts
- Seven round tents, made from wooden frames covered in animal skins, are clustered around the base of the spire to the north.
- 2d4 gnolls and a gnoll havoc runner (Tome of Beasts 1) gather around a large cooking fire, roasting an antelope.
- Each yurt holds another 1d6 gnolls who are resting or sleeping.
- 1d6 giant hyenas lounge in the tall grass.
1. Stone Columns
- Twelve columns, arranged in two parallel rows of six; 20 feet high. The grass between the columns is trampled and withered.
- Worn carvings of battle scenes, eroded by wind and rain, are partly obscured by crudely painted red symbols of cloven skulls and demonic faces.
- Study the columns: DC 15 INT (Arcana) check to detect the presence of a portal.
- The portal activates under a blood moon and is two-way. It leads to part of the Labyrinth close to the infernal realms.
2. Lookout Ledge
- A spiralling path leads 30 feet up to a rocky ledge overlooking the steppes.
- Two gnoll havoc runners are posted here as lookouts, accompanied by four hyenas.
- If intruders are spotted approaching the spire, one sounds a gong to alert the camp. The other runs up the path to Area 3 to warn Lozhsetseg.
- The gong is bronze and engraved with two Eastern dragons. Stolen from a Tiangaon caravan, it’s worth 150 gp.
3. Bone-Brewer’s Cave
- The spiralling path continues upwards for another 40 feet to a cave entrance, guarded by two gnoll havoc runners.
- The cave is home to Lozhsetseg, a gnoll bone-brewer (Monster Vault 2). Old and stooped, with a flame red mane, she leads the gnolls at the Slaughter Stones, making regular bloody sacrifices to appease her demonic deity Okkidor.
- Lozhsetseg is accompanied by her quasit familiar which takes the form of a hyena with glowing yellow eyes.
- She wears a beast buckle that gives her +5 HP, and has the key to the manacles holding Erdene the centaur in Area 4 on a cord around her neck.
- The cave is strewn with dozens of bones of animals, humanoids, and monsters, used by Lozhsetseg in her rituals. Many are carved with strange symbols.
- An ancient stone statue of a pot-bellied humanoid figure holding a gada (club) stands in the northwest corner of the cave. The statue has been decapitated and the head is missing.
- Treasure. Unlocked chest containing 350 sp, 225 gp, a lacquered wooden box (10 gp) holding 15 dark blue jasper gemstones, 25 gp each), and a carved bone that acts as a potion of fire resistance when snapped.
Continued in Part 2.
Lands of Parsantium map by Jared Blando.
If you enjoyed this post, download a free preview of Parsantium: City at the Crossroads to find out more about the setting, or, better still, buy Parsantium from Drivethrurpg.
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Richard Green | Game Designer 