Malefic Book 0: The Mirror of Malatesto (OSE)
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GAME MASTERS ONLY! SPOILERS BELOW.
Whispers in the shadows. Eyes of suspicion cast askance. None dare risk being accused of warlockery - for the accused¸ some innocent¸ some not¸ all gave their last breaths hanging from the trees of Warning Grove.
All the villagers of Soulum know one truth - that such maleficence¸ the return of the warlocks¸ is the first sign of the prophecy: The Shadow Lord will rise again.
The Mirror of Malatesto is an epic low level catacomb crawl (with an overland intro) for 4-7 players in a world of paranoia¸ prophecy and the looming¸ world-altering plot of a conspiracy of warlocks scheming to raise an ages-old slumbering evil.
The Story
It is a dark time ...
Lord Magnus Zaragoza¸ master of the village of Soulum and seeker of ancient relics¸ has put out an open call to the hardiest and bravest adventurers throughout the Empire of Ahm to venture into an abandoned and sealed dwarven mine to retrieve a powerful but dangerous artifact uncovered and then abandoned generations ago - a purple gemstone known as the Eye of the Dragon.
But before this dangerous quest begins¸ an unexpected local murder puts events into motion and leads players into the catacombs underneath Soulum's Temple of the First Sage where lies the fabled Mirror of Malatesto - a doorway into the Maleficium¸ the secret sanctum of the First Age warlocks and their unholy experiments into the demonic art of malefic magic ... and the prison of Zaragoza's daughter Celestine.
In The 'Zine
The Mirror of Malatesto is an 84-page adventure module in a richly detailed and interwoven campaign world that players can explore¸ interact with and richly profit from. Every door¸ every room and every location helps reveal more pieces of the puzzle of this world for players to put together.
But¸ the players DO NOT KNOW that a secret cult of warlocks schemes behind the scenes in this world and has infiltrated the majority of the institutions of the realm. Nevertheless¸ the evidence of this cult's efforts are all around and produce a highly dangerous environment.
The dangers vary from simple to suicidal. Wits will sometimes be a greater ally to the players than their steel. And explorers are amply rewarded for their efforts with an enormous variety of loot - from the mundane to the imaginative to the wondrously powerful.
In short:
84 pages (plus covers) 9 maps (1 continent map¸ 1 regional hex map¸ 4 overland encounter maps¸ 1 map of the Temple¸ 1 map of the Temple Catacombs and 1 map of the Maleficium) Richly detailed Setting and Background info 77 Keyed Locations/Rooms 4 Rumor Tables 10 Random Occurence Tables 5 Additional Tables 24 Fully Statted NPCs 32 Monsters and Foes 22 Unique Items 12 New Spells (malefic magic) An Appendix -- to GM your own "Warlock Trial" The Journey
Players have the option of journeying directly to Soulum or venturing into the unknown through the environs of Soulum to learn clues about the machinations of the warlocks' Bloodline Cult and their clandestine conspiracy. The Mirror of Malatesto can be played as either an epic sandbox of discovery or in a more linear narrative style that takes players directly into the catacombs below the Temple of Soulum.
The Big Picture
The MALEFIC Campaign Trilogy
Malefic Book 0: The Mirror of Malatesto is a prequel adventure to introduce players to the Malefic campaign setting and the epic story that is forthcoming in three major installments:
PART I: The Rise of Summanus: The warlocks complete the necessary steps required to give life to their otherworldly patron¸ the Dragon King Summanus in a climax that sees the world tearing open and the horrors of the Abyss erupting to the surface. PART II: Kingdom of the Dragon King: While the Dragon King Summanus employs his Abyssal minions to extract the minerals and metals of the earth to construct his oppressive kingdom¸ PCs may either choose to profit in this world through an orgy of plunder or seek out Summanus in an attempt to destroy him. BUT¸ the reveal at the end of part 2 is that this otherworldly god can never truly be destroyed unless the Heartstone¸ a giant gemstone that is the seat of Summanus's soul and his link to the physical plane¸ is found and shattered. PART III: Into the Abyss: The Abyss is a megadungeon filled with all manner of ages-old vile horror through which players must delve in order to reach the very core of the underworld where resides the Heartstone.
The Artists
Del Teigeler (North Wind Adventures¸ Troll Lord Games)
Chris Malec (Old School Essentials)
William McAusland (Goodman Games)
Andy Paciorek
Hagan Man
Handouts
Upon purchasing The Mirror of Malatesto¸ you will receive a "purchase note" that will direct you where to go to receive the following tools to help run this adventure at your gaming table:
• The Enchiridion of the Environs of Soulum - a players' guide to handout to your players to introduce them to the sub-continent of Lower Tauth and the Malefic campaign world
• Handouts - printable maps and art to use at your table to help bring your game alive.
WARNING
This adventure contains themes of ritual abuse and human bondage that may not be appropriate for all players.