H4 The Throne of Bloodstone.pdf - Free

EPILOGUE: RETURN TO BLOODSTONE PASS
When the characters finish their
audience with Bahamut and receive
the tree-gem, the archons fly them
back to St. Sollars. The saint performs
resurrection, heal, and restoration of
all party members who have been
hurt in the final battle, and he grants
a wish to each party member as a
reward for their achievement. He
answers questions as a commune
spell.
The characters can rest in the Seven
Heavens for a day, then St. Sollars
informs them that it is time to go.
The archons fly them back to the color
pool, then they make a quick transit
back to the Astral plane.
The voyage from Mercuria through
the Astral plane is almost routine
now. Lost in thoughts of the
incredible adventure you have
experienced, the time passes
quickly. Finally, the archons point
toward the silver color pool that
leads to your home plane, and as
you pass through it, you find yourself
in the courtyard of Bloodstone
Castle. Home at last!
Lady Christine, Baron Tranth,
Quillan the Sage, the other NPCs
with whom the characters have interacted
come running to greet the
returning champions, plaguing them
with a hundred questions. At a great
feast, they get to share their exploits,
which are set to music by the bards in
the castle.
At a series of private conferences,
Baron Tranth reminds the heroes that
there is still the small matter of the
Army of Vaasa on the other side of the
Ford of Goliad. If you want to play
out the final battle of the Bloodstone
Wars, use Scenario #5, page 21, from
H3, The Bloodstone Wars. The zombies,
ghouls, and skeletons crumbled
into dust at the moment the Wand of
Orcus was destroyed. (In the far
north, the Castle of the Witch-King
also disintegrated.) The remaining
forces suffer a -2 morale penalty.
Play out the battle; give the players
the satisfaction of an easy final victory
after all they’ve been through.
If the players would rather not play
out a battle with such a predetermined
outcome, the battle takes
place off-stage with a stunning
Bloodstone victory. All the nation of
Vaasa shortly falls under the control
of Bloodstone.
If the PCs have not yet declared the
kingdom or held a coronation, this is
the time to do it. The victorious
heroes are enormously popular
throughout the land, and are
acclaimed as rulers wherever they go.
Quillan suggests that the planting of
the tree-gem be part of the coronation
ceremony. Within two weeks
after the tree-gem is planted in the
castle courtyard, it is already grown
into a 10-foot-high white tree with
golden leaves.
And so at long last do the heroes
come into a kingdom of their own—a
land where their dreams have come
true.
Further Adventures
in Bloodstone Pass
As this epic series draws to a close,
what now? You now have characters
of surpassing power, of a level at
which most adventurers retire. But
with a kingdom to call your own, your
players now are mighty powers in the
FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign
setting. What of the nations nearby?
Zhentil Keep is on the march, and the
land of Thar is a source of ancient evil.
Threats from nearby nations can be reasons
for immense BATTLESYSTEM
rules scenarios. Perhaps these characters
will grow from being kings to being
82
emperors, and dominate the entirety of
the Forgotten Realms.
Here are some suggestions for further
adventuring.
1. Revenge of the
Demon Prince
Although the Tree-Gem of Bloodstone
works as “demon repellent,”
keeping all demons of all sorts from
entering the lands under the Throne
of Bloodstone, Orcus never forgets
the injury the adventurers have done
him, and he vows eternal revenge.
Using his evil magic to bring neighboring
princes under his sway, Orcus
might stir up war against Bloodstone,
or recruit assassins and agents to
wreak havoc inside the kingdom.
Should the heroes venture outside
their borders for any reason, such as to
lead their armies in battle, powerful
demons are likely to attack.
It will take a full century for Orcus
to rebuild the Wand of Orcus. Until
that time the demon’s power is lessened.
But Orcus has a long memory,
and the descendants of the heroes
may be the targets of his wrath.
2. Revenge of the Dark Queen
Not only is Orcus the eternal enemy
of the adventurers, but the various
races of evil dragons are fully
aware of what the heroes did to
Tiamat. The Queen of Evil Dragons
will also regenerate in a century, but
her minions will try for a quicker
revenge. Unlike demons, dragons are
not prevented by the Tree-Gem from
attacking the Kingdom of Bloodstone.
Perhaps an army of hundreds
of evil dragons of all colors from the
glaciers beyond Thar will unite and
attack Bloodstone in a huge aerial
BATTLESYSTEM rules engagement.
The mysterious Cult of the
Dragon, a group of men said to have