A Night in Ores Crest
Adventure Briefing
A marid named Belthu is trapped within Ores Crest, a sprawling museum. Awakened after centuries, it has enchanted the relics to draw attention. Adding saltwater to the bowl will free the marid, but it cannot leave unless taken to the ocean. To the Characters. Ores Crest museum has become unsafe, with fossils and displays suddenly springing to life. Foreman Lenna Miejer is offering you 100 gold each for assistance. The task: restore order while preserving the collection.
Level Range: 3-5
Tags: Chaos, Quirky, Museum Location: Rastein, Ores Crest Connected People: Lenna Miejer
Connected Elements: Malkari
Monsters: Cockatrice, Stonecast Revenant, Marid, Rust Monster $1 PDF: Ko-fi, DriveThru RPG
Tags: Chaos, Quirky, Museum Location: Rastein, Ores Crest Connected People: Lenna Miejer
Connected Elements: Malkari
Monsters: Cockatrice, Stonecast Revenant, Marid, Rust Monster $1 PDF: Ko-fi, DriveThru RPG
Ores Crest
Read Aloud.
A museum of permanent canvas walls and wooden supports shelters carefully arranged exhibits of relics and fossils. Damp air carries the scent of saltwater.
Ongoing Effects
- Items may animate as per the spell Animate Objects.
- 2x Fossilized cockatrices patrol the grounds.
- The marid is trying to draw characters toward it.
- Creatures do not know what awakened them.
- Saltwater drips from containers, pools on the floor, or leaks from unexpected places like busts and statues.
Fossilized Cockatrice Funnel
Stats. Cockatrice stats and are immune to petrification.
Behavior. Under the marid’s influence, acting to guide the characters toward the bowl. Mechanics Tracking. They have a 15 Stealth. If seen, it mimics a fossil.
Funneling. Knocking over objects to block paths. Darting ahead or around corners before vanishing from sight.
Combat. Avoids fighting unless provoked or trapped.
Entrance Hall
Read Aloud.
Faint strains of music drift from within. Smoke wafts heavily from the doorway ahead. A polished plaque greets visitors: "Explore the past to honor the future."
Two voices echo from the next room: one frantic and high-pitched, the other deep and indignant, both calling out.
A corkboard hangs with pinned notes from staff. One mentions the arrival of a recent shipment, including "two statues requiring minor repairs." Another warns that "storage is experiencing a persistent leak—maintenance needed ASAP.”Malkari History Exhibit
The room is filled with busts, statues, and relics of Malkari history. Saltwater pools around displays and smoke obscures vision. Until cleared, Disadvantage on sight-based checks.
Marl, the Eversmoking Bottle
Marl is an awakened Eversmoking Bottle that has lost its top and is overwhelmed by its smoke. It seeks help. Marl is friendly but nervous, struggling to communicate clearly. The lid is under a fallen display, DC 13. Replacing the lid calms Marl.
History Exhibit (cont.)
Malkari Emperor’s Bust
A two-armed bust of a long-forgotten Malkari emperor is misplaced. The bust is furious, demanding to be restored to its proper location. The bust believes it is the emperor it portrays but does not know its own name. It can be moved to its correct display nearby with a DC 12 Strength check. Once restored, it becomes cooperative and provides insights about the museum.
Art Exhibit
The room displays Malkari artistry: vibrant paintings, sculptures of desert creatures, and finely crafted instruments. A music box sits on a pedestal, its melody filling the air. The box telepathically pleads for silence, terrified of what might happen if it stops. 7x Animated Objects are lulled into restless slumber: 3x tiny, 2x small, 1x medium, and 1x large. If it stops or there are loud noises, the objects awaken.
Animated Objects
- Tiny. A paintbrush, a painting on a peanut shell, and a clay sculpture of an apple.
- Small. A lute and a pot painted with lewd figures.
- Medium. An urn filled with ashes.
- Large. A stuffed camel.
Recent Discoveries
Read Aloud.
Dozens of statues fill the room in various states of repair. Tools move across desks and tables on their own.
2x Stonecast Revenants are hidden among the statues.
Ambush. Using their False Appearance trait, they remain indistinguishable from ordinary statues until animated.Storage
Read Aloud.
Water drips from piles of crates that thrash erratically. Objects have spilled out, ruined by the damp.
3x Rust Monsters (taxidermied) are near the wettest areas, drawn to metal objects. Not hostile but dangerous.
An ornate, upside-down bowl is hidden in the room, surrounded by ruined papers, DC 16. Adding saltwater to the bowl frees the marid and immediately calms the museum.
- If freed, the marid demands to be taken to the ocean and offers the Bowl of Elemental Command (Water) as a reward.
- If refused, the marid attacks but cannot cast spells in this state.
Rewards
Payment. 100 gold each. Care Package. If Lenna Miejer judges that the characters kept the museum’s exhibits safe she will provide a care package with the following items: a magnifying glass, holy water (flask), rations (1 week), and a keg of ale. Bowl of Elemental Command (Water). If freed, Belthu offers its vessel as thanks. If the marid is killed, the bowl loses its magic. Awakened Eversmoking Bottle. Marl may have taken a liking to the characters.
Marl the Eversmoking Bottle
Whether the Marid is dealt with or defeated Marl remains awakened. It has been changed forever by the magic. Personality Trait. "I could REALLY use some friends right now."
Ideal. "Safety. Things can't hurt me if they can't see me!"
Bond. "I love anyone willing to have a conversation."
Flaw. "Once I blow my top I can't put it back on. I do it a lot."
Maps
Ore's Crest
