Epic Level Handbook

CHAPTER 6:AN EPICSETTINGserve as his stronghold and laboratory, and there he laboredfor many a year.Hundreds of years have passed between then and now.Sometime during that period, Helvetius went missing.His tower, abandoned, began to succumb to the ravagesof time and heat.Enter Regalid Maethos (NG male human Rgr22/Agent Retriever3), a veteran agent retriever workingfor the Gleaners of Union. Regalid’s most recent commissionis for a piece called Flameguard, a shield of firewarding. The Gleaners’ histories place the shield withKerleth Helvetius. Regalid departed for the ElementalPlane of Fire three months ago and has not been heardfrom since.Then there is Agnimia (NG female human Rgr19),Regalid’s sister and a ranger of no small repute herself.Agnimia has set herself the goal of finding her brother,to make certain of his continued health and wellbeing.To that end, she has discovered that her brotherwas last seen in the City of Brass, preparing to strikeout in search of Kerleth’s Tower, on a commission fromthe Gleaners.Agnimia has acquired a map that shows the locationof the tower, but, cognizant of the tower’s potentialthreats, she seeks allies to bolster her strength. So far,she has been unable to find the perfect partners.Enter the player characters.Adventure SynopsisThis adventure may seem like a simple planar excursion,followed by exploration of a site (Kerleth’sTower). Despite its similarity to other site-basedadventures, its challenges are epic in nature. Moreover,the motivations of threats met along the way arenot what they seem at first (there is more to the storythan at first appears).Agnimia seeks the heroes out and requests their aid.She hopes to either find her brother in Kerleth’s tower, orat least uncover a clue to his current whereabouts.The characters may go to Union for supplies, andthence to a gate that provides access to the outskirts of theCity of Brass, on the Elemental Plane of Fire. They mayface a few threats, but the supposed challenge awaits inthe tower—finding Regalid. In fact, the real challengeawaits after they find Regalid, because the ranger hasmade a potent enemy that awaits him on the tower’sexterior—a creature born of god and demon.Kerleth Helvetius does not appear in this adventure,although should you decide to change things a bit—perhaps tying the story into some preexisting plotlineof your own campaign, or continuing the tale beyondthe scope of finding Regalid—you can use the NPC statisticsfor a 30th-level wizard provided in Appendix 3 ofthis book (he picks fire spells wherever he can). If youchoose to include Kerleth in the adventure, refer to thecharacter hooks below (some of which provide alternativehistories for Kerleth).Character HooksIf you prefer, use an alternate (or an additional) hook tolure the characters to Kerleth’s tower, instead of the proposalfrom Agnimia described below.The Gleaners have long sought an item called the Codexof the Infinite Planes. A PC with ties to this organizationreceives a rumor of its appearance on the ElementalPlane of Fire in the stronghold of an epic worker ofspells and an ally of the Great Sultan of Efreeti in theCity of Brass.One of the PCs has inherited a chest containing manycuriosities. Among them is a map to the forgotten towerof a “friend” named Kerleth.Kerleth Helvetius, long missing from the affairs ofUnion and the City of Brass, has come to trouble thecouncils of the powerful. According to a single divination(no other has been able to confirm the story), Kerlethis actually close to finishing a centuries-long questto discover the Flaming Lord, God of All Burning, andonly now prepares to return to his old abode, his toweron the Elemental Plane of Fire. Agents must be sent todetermine the truth or falsity of this rumor.Part One: The JourneyThis portion of the adventure includes Agnimia’s proposal,activities in Union, and the journey to the tower.A Proposal: Agnimia contacts the heroes, indicatingshe has a proposition for them. This contact is deliveredas a formal letter by a neutral courier (many of whichwork in Union and are capable of delivering messages toany plane).The letter reads:Heroes of Renown,Greetings! Please allow me the opportunity to tellyou my tale of woe, and what 1 intend to do about it.It interested in putting wrong to right, and in largerewards for your valor in this matter, please seek meat the Island View Inn in the Tavern Quarter, in thecity of Union.Respectfully yours,AgnimiaHeroes may he already familiar with Union. If not, allowthem a Knowledge (the planes) check (DC 25) to recognizethe city and some of the details concerning it. Charactersof the PCs’ level should have no problem findingtheir way to Union to meet Agnimia, whether throughone of Union’s own gates, or via a spell, power, or magicitem. Presumably, they could even scry her from a distantlocation and speak to her magically.Agnimia stands only four feet seven inches tall. Shewears her straight black hair pulled back in a single thick272