The Unapproachable
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In the magnificent city of Tozer¸ although the elite enjoy a decadent lifestyle of privilege and luxury¸ they nevertheless have their own sort of problems. Social pressures and responsibilities from all sides test the mettle of even the smartest and most determined among the aristocracy¸ such as Samal. Thus when the need arises for a long journey to a faraway place to settle family business¸ it could be seen as a blessing rather than a curse. Perhaps it is both. Bit by bit¸ the more Samal discovers about her beloved great-uncle¸ the more mysterious he seems-and he is not even the most enigmatic of her kin. Assembling the pieces of a familial puzzle becomes steadily more dark and dangerous¸ and completing the unexpected quest could prove deadly.
THE UNAPPROACHABLE is¸ hopefully¸ not what it first seems to be to the players. It begins as a coming-of-age story¸ of all things¸ but then turns to mystery¸ and finally to darkness. This is a horror story for a fantasy world. Part of its charm¸ though¸ is meant to be how ordinary it seems at first¸ while little by little the characters discover that in fact extraordinary things await them. Slowly a sense of revelation and dread builds¸ and by the time the players finally feel that they have a grasp on what the quest is actually about¸ its abrupt¸ horrific ending is just around the corner. While its setting and details mark it as Sword and Sorcery¸ the tale itself is one of Cosmic Horror¸ and could be handily recast in a modern context. The plot¸ tone¸ and themes emulate those of classic stories of the Cthulhu Mythos¸ by writers such as Robert Bloch¸ Clark Ashton Smith¸ and of course H. P. Lovecraft.
THE UNAPPROACHABLE has been designed as a one-shot adventure for a long weekend of play¸ but also could be the introduction to a larger campaign. It is intended for three to five player characters; seven sample adventurers are included¸ for an instant start. N.B. The climax is deadly; it is suggested that the provided characters be used¸ rather than player favorites. Mechanical details have been constructed using the MYTHRAS game system from The Design Mechanism¸ and the write-up should translate well to other d100-style rules. This adventure should be most suitable for players and Games Masters who enjoy deep roleplaying¸ mystery¸ tension¸ and gore.
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OLD BONES PUBLISHING strives to provide high-quality writing in a stylish¸ minimalistic presentation. Thanks for your interest! Please direct any question or feedback to old.bones.publishing@gmail.com.