The Black Marble Labyrinth a Dark Fantasy one shot summary



Sixor (High Elf Swordsman), the leader of the group, Petrus (Dwarf Cleric), Penta (Halfling Summoner), and Gratia (Human Rogue), old comrades from the Great War, are summoned by Mr. Frasc, who was part of their group before his retirement, to investigate a mysterious subterranean passage on his property. Mr. Frasc, now severely injured and disfigured, trusts his friends to uncover the secrets within the tunnel. He welcomes them warmly but with visible anxiety, explaining that he discovered the passage and felt an ominous presence. He shares his concerns about strange noises and animals avoiding the area, hinting at potential treasures and dangers. Despite his retirement, he asks his friends to explore the tunnel, believing they are the only ones he can trust with such a task.

After going down a rough tunnel, they find the dungeon.

The dungeon is made of shiny, smooth black marble, and Petrus is marveled by the architecture, thinking it was created with the aid of magic. The party enters the passage, with Penta summoning a luminous paper fox to light their way. They encounter an ancient door that Petrus opens using his divine magic attuning to the stone. Inside, they find a hall with five featureless metal humanoid sculptures that attack them. After defeating the sculptures, they proceed and discover a hooded zombie whom they defeated with ease. Removing the hood it turns out to be Mr. Frasc. The discovery shocks the party, especially when they find Mr. Frasc's notes revealing his exploration of the tunnel and warnings from a local priest about the dangers within. The notes also indicate his plan to seal the tunnel soon. The notes show he had been dead for weeks. The party realizes the man who summoned them was an impostor.

As the party continues, they enter a chamber with holes in the walls emitting whispering winds that cause hallucinations. Each member faces their fears and inner demons:

- **Sixor**: He hears whispers accusing him of letting his previous group die due to his pride and reckless leadership. Despite learning from that experience, his pride still makes him feel superior and question his ability to lead. He hallucinates past battles, seeing his friends as enemies, and attacks Petrus in real life.
- **Gratia**: She struggles with guilt over Mr. Frasc's injuries, feeling partially responsible despite the fact that no one can catch all dangers in a dungeon. She recalls how Mr. Frasc loved her, and she didn't reciprocate his feelings, feeling that she subconsciously let him fall into the trap to avoid his romantic pursuits. She is deeply confused and pained by his death.
- **Petrus**: He hears himself talking doubting faith, questioning the power of his god when evils and suffering in the world seem greater than the sturdiness of rock. He feels the weight of failing to heal Mr. Frasc and alleviate his psychological pain. Remembering the close friendship they shared, full of laughter and camaraderie before the accident and how bleak Frasc personality turned after, Petrus thinks that it may be his lack of faith which makes him unable to channel enough divine energies from his god.
- **Penta**: She falls into a vivid hallucination where she imagines herself as a human, Ms. Frasc, married to a healthy and handsome Mr. Frasc. She wakes up in their beautiful home, greeted warmly by her husband. She expresses her nightmare where Mr. Frasc was horribly injured and called the old team to explore a strange tunnel. However, the dream takes a dark turn as Mr. Frasc and their dog, Rufus, turn monstrous and attack her, telling her she is tiny, useless, and unloved. She overcomes her fears, summoning a huge origami paper wolf to defend herself, which she also summons in reality. The paper wolf attacks the party, adding to the chaos.

The party manages to break free from the hallucinations with help from Petrus's magic, but not without difficulty since they did have to fight and knock out Sixor in order to calm him down. Petrus cures Sixor and they continue their march. In another part of the tunnel, the walls change from smooth black marble to roughly dug, cavernous tunnels supported by wooden frames. The environment reminds the party of the enemy tunnels they infiltrated during the Great War, where Mr. Frasc was injured by a cursed acid trap. Suddenly, the floor gives way, revealing a pool of acid below exactly the same kind as the one mentioned before. Gratia and Petrus fall into the acid, suffering excruciating pain. Penta uses her magic to summon a giant origami eagle that rescues Petrus, while Sixor throws a rope to help Gratia out of the acid.

When they take a look back, the tunnels are back to normal, again made of black marble, lustrous and pristine, so pristine that it makes an endless reflection of the party by the light of the luminous paper fox. The origami eagle disappears, leaving behind the little version falling to the floor.

The party gets to a big circular chamber made of black marble. In the center of the chamber, there is a pedestal with the inscription "Those who enter the halls of penitence must accept their sins or die."

After reading the messages, glowing white text shows up in big letters on the black marble showcasing their sins:

- **Sixor**: His pride made him blind to the dangers he imposed on his first group, leading them to die. And even though he learned a lesson there, he is still too proud and reckless sometimes. He believes his abilities are superior to the rest of the group. Although he questions his leadership.
- **Gratia**: Guilt, even though she is not totally responsible for Mr. Frasc's curse and injuries, because no one can catch 100% of the dangers in a dungeon, she feels really bad about it. Especially since Mr. Frasc was in love with her. She didn't love him back. And fears she may subconsciously have let Mr. Frasc fall into the trap to stop the annoyance of being pursued romantically by him. Knowing about his death makes things more confusing and painful for her.
- **Petrus**: He sometimes doubts his faith, which is horrible for a cleric whose magic depends on it. He sometimes thinks his god may not be as powerful as his faith pretends since it seems evils in the world are bigger than the sturdiness of rock. Then he goes back to thinking that no, is not god who is failing but himself.
- **Penta**: She was in love with Mr. Frasc, who only saw her as a little girl even though she is a full-grown halfling woman. Whenever she tried to get close to him, Mr. Frasc would treat her as a little sister. She was very jealous of Gratia, who was the target of Frasc's feelings. Sometimes Penta fantasizes about hurting Gratia.

While the party is shocked by seeing their sins on display, the tiles start to fall, revealing a pool of acid 100 ft below. Petrus uses his divine magic to create a pillar of rock below them before they end up falling into the acid. Gratia finds very high in the room an exit. Sixor gives Gratia his rope to tie to a bolt. Gratia shoots the bolt up to the exit, but there is nowhere it can latch. Penta, almost out of magical energy, summons a small origami eagle to carry her to the exit where she finds a way to secure the rope.

Petrus starts to melt as the creation of the pillar of rock is not fast enough for the rising levels of acid. The luminous fox falls into the acid and is destroyed. At that moment Gratia falls into the acid when she tries to climb the rope, dying. Sixor climbs the rope in the darkness then tries to lasso Petrus but fails. Penta casts light on the rope. Sixor tries again, this time successfully. At this point, Petrus has lost his legs while holding the spell.

Up the exit, there are stairs. Despite the pain, Petrus's divine magic creates a temporary rock barrier to hold back the rising acid, then he succumbs to his injuries. Penta uses her last remaining magical energy to summon a dog to help push Petrus while Sixor drags him up the stairs. They continue their match while hearing the sizzling sound of the acid eating out the rock barrier. Penta and Sixor get up the stairs to a bridge. Sixor is happy they made it out but then realizes he is holding nothing but an arm of Petrus, who was melted by the acid already.

The acid melts part of the bridge and then spills into the chasm. The bridge collapses and there is a great gap between them and the exit. Sixor grabs Penta's hand and both jump, latching onto the cliff on the other side below the exit. Sixor makes a last effort, throwing Penta up so she can catch the edge of the exit, then falls to his death.

Penta, now alone and heartbroken, enters a bright white marble room where a voice commands her to confess her sins. Through her tears, Penta admits her jealousy, unrequited love for Mr. Frasc, and her feelings of inadequacy. She resolves to honor the memory of her fallen friends and live a life worthy of their sacrifices.

As the room brightens, Penta finds herself outside the initial tunnel. The entrance is gone, replaced by four tombstones for Mr. Frasc, Petrus, Sixor, and Gratia, indicating they died years ago in the Great War.


Eberron Rising from the last War: Forgotten Relics Summary


 



Meeting Sergeant Vilroy:

The adventure begins in the Upper Central Plateau, where the characters meet Sergeant Germaine Vilroy. Cobaltus, who has contacts within the authorities, introduces the group to her. The sergeant is gruff and straightforward, hiring the party to meet with a warforged named Coal in the Cog Carnival, a warforged bar in the High Walls district of Lower Tavick's Landing. She offers them 25 gold pieces each up front and an additional 50 gold pieces each if they bring Coal back safely. Vilroy emphasizes the importance of discretion, worried that her presence might attract unwanted attention and endanger Coal.


Meeting Coal at the Cog Carnival:

The party finds Coal, a black, one-armed warforged, at the Cog Carnival. The bar is filled with warforged, many of whom are missing digits or limbs, and the air is thick with the smell of tobacco and the sound of raucous games. After a brief conversation, they learn about the kidnapping of Caden d'Orien, the murder of Razor, and Daask's hunt for artifacts in Old Sharn. Coal is visibly shaken, recounting how her friend Razor was executed as an example. Just as Coal finishes her story, a bolt of fire narrowly misses her, causing chaos in the bar.

A Daask hit squad, consisting of a female shifter named Hound and several kobolds, ambushes the party. The party fights back, with Trista using her agility to flank the attackers, Zharina tanking the hits, Dorbo healing the wounded, and Cobaltus supporting with his light crossbow. Armand, Cobaltus's pet armadillo, targets the weakest enemies. The party manages to defeat the hit squad, capturing one of the kobolds for interrogation.

Under Dorbo's stern questioning, the captured Daask member reveals that Garra, a half-ogre, ordered them to kill Coal to silence her.


Rescuing Caden d'Orien:

The party brings Coal to Sergeant Vilroy for protection and heads to Unicorn Estate in the Mithral Tower district to meet Alden d'Orien. The gates of Unicorn Estate are open, allowing the party to walk onto the property after presenting themselves to the guards. The estate is grand, with unicorn statues and topiaries, and the house is clearly owned by one of the city's wealthiest dragonmarked families.

Alden is a haggard man in his late thirties, deeply worried about his son. He recounts how Caden was abducted almost a month ago, and how he was forced to cooperate with Garra, who demanded warforged laborers to dig for something in Old Sharn. Vishtai, Alden's kalashtar bodyguard, telepathically gives the party directions to the ruins of Old Sharn where Caden is imprisoned. Alden breaks down, sobbing, as the party leaves to rescue his son.


Exploring Old Sharn:

Following Vishtai's directions, the party finds the lift and descends into the Daask excavation site in the ruins of Old Sharn. The lift ride is long and unsettling, shaking and rattling as it descends into the depths of the city. When the doors open, the party finds themselves in a vast, unlit cavern filled with broken stonework from ancient buildings. The air is stale, filled with dust and the scent of decay.

Ahead of them, a fifty-foot-diameter pit has been intentionally dug, and the soft sobs of a young child can be heard from a wooden shed on the far side of the pit. Four Daask goblins guard the area, hiding in the pit. The party notices them in time to avoid a surprise attack and engages in combat. They manage to defeat the goblins, with one fleeing into the ruins.

The party descends into the excavation pit and finds eleven warforged in various states of disrepair, chained together on the pit floor. Among them is the corpse of a warforged with its head struck from its shoulders. The party frees the warforged, who scatter into the Cogs, grateful for the rescue.

They then approach the shed and find Caden d'Orien, a small child covered in dust and wearing the ruined livery of House Orien. Caden is nearly catatonic, but after some comforting and healing magic from Dorbo, he begins to open up about his ordeal. He tells the party that a big, mean lady named Garra and her goblin friends imprisoned him here.

While exploring further, the party encounters the ghost of Pfingston Nezzelech, a gnome inquisitive who died when the old city collapsed during the War of the Mark. The ghost is cursed to investigate a long-unsolved jewel heist. The party helps Pfingston find his remains, gaining valuable historical insights about Sharn. Grateful, Pfingston fades away, granting the party advantage on Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) checks for the next 24 hours.


Skycoach Ride:

As the party leaves Mithral Tower with Caden, a skycoach piloted by a disguised changeling named Jas, posing as Sergeant Vilroy, approaches them. Jas tries to convince the party to board, but Trista notices slight differences in the sergeant's demeanor. When confronted, Jas leaps out of the skycoach, using a feather token to land safely. The party quickly stabilizes the skycoach and pursues Jas through the crowded streets of Sharn.

After a short chase, they capture Jas, who reveals that Garra is leaving Sharn on a lightning rail bound for Wroat and that the changeling's role was to deliver them into a trap at Garra's safe house.


Terminus and Garra's Apartment:

The party heads to Terminus in Lower Tavick's Landing. They navigate the busy streets filled with travelers, pickpockets, and con artists, and make their way to Garra's apartment in a tenement tower. They speak with Martisha Kullandra, an elderly magewright, who informs them about Garra's comings and goings. Martisha saw Garra leave the apartment minutes before the party arrived.

Inside Garra's apartment, the party encounters four kenku cutpurses hiding behind furniture. A battle ensues, and the party defeats the kenku. In the bedroom, they find a gnoll named Nur frantically burning documents. The party defeats Nur and rescues Sergeant Vilroy, who is bound and unconscious on a mattress. They recover two important documents: a receipt for a lightning rail ticket to Wroat and a list of warforged addresses.


Catching the Lightning Rail:

The party rushes to Terminus Station just as a lightning rail train is about to depart. They fight through a group of Daask bandits who attempt to stop them and manage to board the train. The train has ten cars, including a first-class car where Garra is hiding.

The party searches the train and finds Garra lounging in a luxury passenger car with a battleaxe within reach and a wooden chest by her feet. A chaotic evil sprite named Rot, who is invisible, serves Garra. The party confronts Garra, who initially tries to bribe them with 100 gold pieces to let her go. When the party refuses, a battle breaks out.

Garra, seeing herself outnumbered, tries to escape by climbing onto the roof of the train, where she can shove enemies off. The party follows her onto the roof, successfully maintaining their balance. After a fierce fight, they manage to subdue Garra without killing her.


Bringing Garra to Justice:

The party secures Garra with rope and makes their way back inside the train car. They present their writ to the conductor, who halts the train at the next station. Sharn Watch guards arrive to take Garra into custody, verifying the party's claims and thanking them for their service. Sergeant Vilroy, if present, commends the party for their work.


Rewards and Future Prospects:

The party receives 50 gold pieces each for their efforts, gaining favor with the Sharn Watch. They also secure the books, schemas, and treasure from Garra's chest, including a gem of brightness, a feather token, and 600 gold pieces. Alden d'Orien, grateful for his son's safe return, might approach them for additional tasks in the future.


Epilogue:

The party's heroic actions catch the attention of influential figures in Sharn, opening up new opportunities for adventures. Whether they continue working with the Sharn Watch, House Orien, or embark on new quests, their future is filled with possibilities. United by their courage and determination, they stand ready for whatever comes next.