Horrid Forest of Hezocus
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The Horrid Forest of Hezocus is a fantasy hex crawl location and adventure that can be used with different table top role playing games. Notes are provided throughout to assist the Game Master (GM) to into quickly converting this adventure setting over to the role playing game/rules edition of their choice. In addition to providing a complete adventure¸ there are some numbered map areas that the author has included in which the GM can drop in other mini adventure locations if they so choose. Otherwise the GM is free to run the default scenario for that numbered area instead.
While it is possible to scale the adventure encounters and treasure to suit your needs¸ this location is recommended for lower level/experience adventurers. It is not advised that this is used as an introductory adventure¸ however. The ideal adventurers are player characters that have had one or two complete sessions completed prior.
Throughout this supplement the GM will come across references to different types of coins and values for certain treasures. The coins mentioned are defined by three metal types: copper¸ silver¸ and gold. The values of such coins can vary from different game systems¸ and the GM is encouraged to modify these coins as they see fit for the particular game system/rules edition that they are using. The value for other types of treasure are listed in comparison to gold coins. It is recommended that these values are also modified to best reflect the currency and wealth standards of the game being used.
BACKGROUND
Over a century ago an evil witch named Hezocus terrorized the surrounding countryside. This fell woman became obsessed with what she described as "murmurings from a great creature beyond the stars”. Empowered by pacts she made with this unknown entity¸ Hezocus set about on a mission to defile and transform the land.
Hezocus and her vile plans came to a sudden end when she attempted to transform herself via a ritual. The magic was too powerful for the witch to control and proved to be fatal for Hezocus. Some folks say that a bizarre statue located in the forest is actually the remains of the witch... but this has never been confirmed. While it was the intentions to destroy everything associated with the witch's unnatural practices¸ a chest containing some of the most important pieces of research soon went missing.
With Hezocus gone¸ the unnatural powers of her influence faded and life mostly returned to normal. Locals refused to let the name of the witch pass their lips¸ and within a few decades Hezocus was mostly forgotten... mostly. A young but promising witch named Grezarla grew interested in a certain locked chest that contained numerous things related to her great grandmother's wicked pact with beings from beyond. Warnings by her mother to never pry into the chest made Grezarla that much more curious...
The adventure begins at a point in time after Grezarla has fully resumed the foul practices that her great grandmother Hezocus left unfinished. Corruption once again afflicts the surrounding lands and quite a few of the locals have perished. While it is possible that the player characters have heard about the recent events of the witch¸ the GM is free to come up with other means for luring a group of adventurers into the area. True to other hex crawls¸ the player characters start on a specific hex location on the map (preferably a portion of the trail) and work their through the adventure from there.