A sight from out of time has appeared above the clouds: a small, tilted island of bare rock and shaped clay.
Its crumbling walls, dry canals, and precariously-leaning ziggurat mark it unmistakably as part of Shinar, a kingdom of magi with clay bodies, said to have sunk deep into the Sea of Death long ago.
The surface of the island looks as still as death. Yet the whole structure moves through the air, as if propelled by some force, with intention.
Elusha is a mysterious, ruined city ripe for exploration and discovery. At the start of the adventure, heroes have freedom to explore the city's locations in any order they like.
As the heroes get their bearings on the island and begin uncovering its secrets, they must contend with a second group of interlopers who arrive by skyreme—the Company, a Kananite religious-mercantile organization seeking to exploit Elusha's lost wonders.
Overview
As you navigate through this adventure, take note of bold text with purple backgrounds. This text is intended for you, the Guide, to read aloud to the other players when their heroes draw near to certain locations or meet the characters who dwell there.
You can find statistics for all the NPCs and monsters in this adventure in the Foes & Folks section. Bold text signals which entry to look for.
When you’re ready to start, share or read the adventure’s opening description with the other players. Ask the players to describe what their heroes look like to one another.
Share the map of Elusha with the players. It will prove useful when referencing the island's locations. The heroes can easily see all the island’s landmarks as they approach.
Background
Elusha was a suburb of Shinar and sunk into the Sea of Death hundreds of years ago. Nobody knows what caused it to rise above the clouds. Its presence is widely interpreted as an ominous harbinger by most NPCs in Tel-Kanan.
If the heroes need reasons to explore the Lost City of Elusha beyond curiosity, feel free to share these hooks with the other players.
Who are you?
If the other players don't have heroes in mind, share these concepts to spur their imaginations.
- Kananite adventurer, local to a nearby settlement. You think the island’s appearance is an ill omen, and you’re driven to protect your home.
- Mazrian surveyor, sent by the Empire. You’re to explore the island and report any threats or opportunities.
- Shinarian resident of Elusha, asleep for hundreds of years. You’ve suddenly awoken to consciousness as the adventure starts—and you have no idea who you are (or were).
- Zordin outcast, swept to this part of the world on a stray windcurrent from your home in the Chaos realm. You’re looking for treasure.
- High magic savant of any origin—a Sorcerer perhaps, or anyone familiar with Mazrian devices. You've heard legends about the so-called Lost Faience of Shinar and believe one can be found in Elusha.
- Arbiter of any origin—you're anxious to observe remnants of the infamous soul-magic that once pervaded the kingdom of Shinar.
If the adventure begins with a split party—some en route to Elusha, others waking up on Elusha—speed things along to unite them as soon as possible. Encourage the heroes traveling to Elusha to land quickly. Wherever they decide to land, they immediately encounter the other heroes waiting there.
Whence do you come to Elusha?
If your group has played “The Ruins of Jeribo” or another adventure, the heroes might already have a home island. You can introduce Elusha as suddenly rising within sight of this island and spooking its residents.
Otherwise, you can use this hook, which also provides the heroes with transport to Elusha:
The lost Shinarian island has risen within view of Gebal, a modest Kananite settlement famous for its papyrus manufacturing—and it appears to be getting closer and closer. The Kananite locals are spooked. Ordinarily, the Empire would investigate. But their imperial skyremes are nowhere to be seen. Even their trading balloons are scarce nowadays.Thus, the governor of Gebal appropriated one of the few hot-air balloons still on the island—along with Jezebel, its somewhat unenthusiastic pilot—and put out a call for volunteers to travel to Elusha and assess its threat.You, heroes, answered the call.Jezebel, the pilot, only transports the characters to Elusha and won't put herself or her balloon at risk or help them. If the heroes have their own balloon or skyreme, leave Jezebel out.
Adventure Outline
This adventure is meant to be a "sandbox" and emphasizes player freedom. Broadly speaking, here's how it's designed to unfold.
- Landing and Exploration
The heroes arrive, decide where to land, and begin exploring the island's locations. They don't have to explore the places in any order.
At some point, the heroes encounter Zephiram, the disembodied Kananite wizard responsible for pulling Elusha up from the Sea of Death, who desperately wants a body. They also encounter the surviving Elushans themselves—statues trapped in a state of dreaming or sleepwalking.
During this phase, encourage the heroes to explore their feelings about the disembodied wizard and the dreaming Shinarians. Are the heroes just here to plunder treasure? Or do they wish to help Elusha's strange denizens?
- Conflict with the Company
The Company skyreme should arrive before the heroes get too comfortable on the island. The Company's leader, Lordspeaker Jethro, is this adventure's main antagonist. Jethro and his men begin cruelly plundering the dreaming Elushans—unless the heroes stop them!
During this phase, encourage the heroes to question why the Company is here (and how their skyreme propels itself). Heroes might confront the Company directly, or seek to lure them into a more vulnerable position. If the heroes avoid a confrontation, the Company eventually forces one—though it's up to the heroes how it's resolved.
- Conclusion
Ultimately, the heroes's actions determine:
The wizard’s fate. Will Zephiram survive in a clay body (or bodies)? Remain trapped within Elusha's gates? Or will the heroes banish him into the undifferentiated Rephaim?
The Elushans' fates. Without Zephiram's magic, Elusha will sink back into the Sea of Death. Will the heroes try to rescue the Elushan dreamers—and perhaps try to wake them up?
The Company’s fate. Will the heroes stop Jethro and his men from exploiting the sleeping Elushans—and perhaps gain control of their strange skyreme?
Why Elusha fell into the Sea of Death—and more broadly, what caused the fall of the old kingdom of Shinar, centuries ago—is outside the scope of this adventure to answer. But heroes may find clues and lore that points them to a clearer answer.
Adaptations
Party Strength
The adventure is balanced for three or four heroes with 0 to 10 XP each. The judge in the Ziggurat is the most dangerous foe by far, but heroes should have ample warning to avoid a fight here.
For smaller or weaker parties:
Reduce the number of cubeworms in the dry canal to three or two.
Give the judge in the ziggurat an injury, inflicting -1 or -2 to its attacks.
In skirmishes against the Company forces, reduce the number of company men participating, and don't have Jethro summon the Wraith of Adod.
For stronger parties:
Add more cubeworms to the dry canal, or increase the lethal damage of their Drain attack.
Add a second judge to the ziggurat.
Give the company men laminate cuirasses (1 Armor) and the soldiers helmets (3 Armor total). Give one of the company men a Kotharian staff.
Alternate Threats
As written, this adventure is meant to play with negative assumptions about the nature of Shinarians, and it introduces a villainous group of Kananites. If these elements don't fit your group or campaign, consider these adaptations.
Amurah's curse. Instead of benign entities, the dreaming Elushans become deadly threats. They fully awaken if a character speaks the name "Amurah" or "the Clay King" near them—and become possessed with one of the Clay King's remnant subsouls. Possessed Elushans attack any "fleshcaste" character they see, then drag their unconscious body to the ziggurat's kiln to be burned alive.
Zordin raiders. Instead of the Company arriving partway through the adventure, a group of Zordin raiders comes to Elusha, hoping to use it as a base of operations in their war against Tel-Kanan.
Imperial plunderers. Instead of the Company's skyreme, a larger and more powerful Mazrian skyreme approaches Elusha. Its orders are to find the Lost Faience and any other useful treasure—then sink the accursed island.