Chapter 3: The Underbridge Cult

[back to The Cloven Lands]

Whether they came from the Bridgemoor Mines, the Nalatheshi Caravan, or the Kendarian Diplomats prologue, all of the heroes should now be in Bridgemoor and should be level 2.

Assumed Knowledge It is assumed that every hero in Bridgemoor has at least a basic understanding of the current state of affairs in the city-state. Give this information to your players freely. Bridgemoor is governed by a group called the Meritocrats. They are generally perceived as a snotty group of elites that don’t usually give anyone the time of day unless paid an exorbitant fee for the privilege of meeting them. The Bridge Knights, who keep the peace in Bridgemoor, are fairly unpopular right now. Wealthy merchants appreciate their heavy-handed tactics, but poorer merchants, trades workers, and innkeepers feel crushed by overregulation. Throughout the city, there are several entertainment centers such as sports arenas and playhouses, which keep the masses placated. Bridgemoor has several temples to different deities and religious orders. The Order of the Darkscourge, the Fixers, and Vigil each have facilities in the city.

Read Aloud: The City-State of Bridgemoor holds a vital geographical and diplomatic position. As the whole city-state is an enormous bridge that straddles the Great Chasm, Bridgemoor serves as an easy trade route between the nations east and west of the Chasm, most immediately between Kendaria and Nalathesh. Bridgemoor’s trade economy has a mighty reputation. As it takes a full day of travel to cross the bridge, journeymen and merchants will often give business to at least a couple inns when passing through town, and many will spend their coin in the markets and bazaars for which Bridgemoor is famous. Its university also draws established scholars and prospective academics alike.

Tension is in the air, though. After being in the city for only a few hours, you begin to pick up murmurs of occult activity. These cultists, and the societal instability that they bring, threaten to severely damage Bridgemoor’s standing as a bastion of free trade internationally.

If a hero lives in Bridgemoor, they obviously have a vested interest in keeping the city stable. If they are simply an adventurer looking for work, a hero can easily sense that there is money to be made here: Bridgemoor will pay well for a quick resolution to the cultist problem.

Adventure Overview

This adventure can quickly become a tangle of multiple plot threads, so it can be helpful to think of it in a few individual steps.

1: Assembling the Party

The adventuring party can come together in one of three ways detailed in this section.

2: Following Leads

This adventure begins with the heroes coming together and then working on an investigation together. Or, depending on how you structure and MC the story, it begins with the heroes working on the same investigation from multiple angles, and gradually coming together as a result.

By talking with different factions throughout the city, the heroes try to determine where the cultists lurk and whom they might target next.

3: First Blood

After the heroes have made some headway with the investigation, there will be a combat encounter with the cultists. The exact nature of the encounter depends on their method of investigation. The cultists might attack an NPC merchant named Lauby, drawing the heroes in to defend their new friend. Alternatively, the cultists might single out one or two heroes as suitable humanoid sacrifices and attempt to abduct them in a darkened alley.

The heroes level up, becoming level 3.

4: Attack on the Temple

After the first battle with the cultists, the heroes will probably interrogate the cultists to learn more. Regardless of whether they procure more information through interrogation or through asking around the city, they learn that the cultists have a lair in the Underbridge, the network of sewers and massive storage cellars beneath Bridgemoor’s city streets. Accessing their lair requires a magical key that only cultists of high enough status possess, but one such cult leader is planning an attack on the Temple of Vigil.

The heroes can intervene in this attack and take the key by force, or they can follow the cultists back to their lair after the attack is carried out.

5: The Underbridge Cult

Inside the vast dungeon that is the Underbridge, the heroes must deal with typical sewage denizens such as rats and swarming bugs. When they finally reach the cultists’ main lair, they find that the cultists have just completed a dastardly ritual to summon a fiend from Melaneth, one of the regions of Inferno. They briefly witness Aradin the Witchblade, the leader of the Underbridge Cult. Aradin takes his leave, leaving the heroes to square off against the cultists and their summoned fiend.

6: Fallout

The conclusion of this adventure might be a complete success for the heroes: they stop the cultists for the time being and vanquish the fiend. It might be a partial success, with them achieving only one of the goals. It is possible that if the heroes end up retreating in the lair confrontation, their mission is considered a failure. Regardless, take note of the outcome of this adventure, as it will have ramifications later in the campaign. Even if the heroes completely succeed for the time being, they know that this problem is likely not over, as Aradin the Witchblade escaped.

Posing as Cultists

During the coming investigation, the heroes might take it upon themselves to pose as cultists and infiltrate the Underbridge Cult. Doing so is both difficult and dangerous. If the adventurers speak with Magellus Black or Lauby, either NPC will advise them against this course of action, or at minimum will impart upon the heroes just how dangerous this could be.

If one or more of the heroes attempt to impersonate the cultists anyway, they will need to meet several criteria. In order to learn these criteria, a hero must make an INT, AWR, or CHA check, adding a skill if relevant. This check represents the adventurer’s efforts to uncover the rules that the cultists must abide by.

An adventurer learns the following information based on how well they roll. This information is cumulative, so if they roll a 12, they learn the information from both the 8+ and the 12+ DCs.

DC	Information Learned
8+	You learn that the cultists communicate using secret keywords and nonverbal gestures. You can conduct further investigation if you wish to attempt learning this dialect.
12+	You learn one randomly determined fact about the cultists.
16+	Learn one additional fact about the cultists (rolling twice on the table and rerolling duplicate results).
20+	Learn one additional fact about the cultists (rolling three times on the table and rerolling duplicate results).
24+	Learn all four facts about the cultists from the table below.

Note that if a hero rolls at least a 12, then they learn one random fact about the cultists as determined by the table below. If multiple heroes investigate the cult’s practices, this means that on a roll of 12 or higher, there is a chance that the heroes will learn different facts about the cultists, increasing their odds of successfully infiltrating the group.

Roll on this table to determine the rumors that heroes pick up about the cultists. If a hero gets to know more than one clue, reroll duplicate rolls.

d4	Information Learned
1	The cultists wear custom-made dark robes with wooden masks carved and lacquered to resemble skulls. This hides their identities during their criminal activities.
2	The cultists all have gold medallions on their person, which they pass back and forth in public to discreetly verify one another’s identity. These medallions have a skull and scythe on one side and an indecipherable glyph on the other.
3	The cultists do not allow anyone into their ranks who have Divine Power 1 or higher before joining. Cultists who gain Divine Power after joining the cult are not seen as problematic.
4	The cultists do not fight exclusively with small blades, but they do coat their small blades in numbing poison that render their enemies ineffective.

Cult Dialect

The cult communicates using their own coded dialect of keywords and nonverbal communication such as body language and trash arranged in specific patterns in the alleys. Any hero that got an 8 or higher on their previous attribute check can make the following attribute check to conduct further research and/or reconnaissance. Varying levels of success will enable the heroes to portray themselves as cultists more convincingly.

Any hero may spend a day observing areas in Bridgemoor that have been known to have high amounts of cult activity. After doing so, they can make an INT, AWR, or CHA check, adding a skill if relevant. They learn the following information accordingly. The information in this check is also cumulative, meaning if a hero rolls a 13, they learn the information from both the 8+ and the 13+ DCs.

DC	Information Learned
8+	If the hero did not know all of the rumors on the table above, they randomly learn one new rumor (reroll if it is one that they already know).
13+	The hero picks up on a key phrase that the cultists use when discreetly identifying one another in plain view. One will construct a situation where they need a small blade in order to cut binding on a package or some similar scenario. The second cultist will ask “Which blade?”
18+	The hero observes a greeting where the phrase “Which blade” is used, and sees that the inquiring person holds out two small knives and the medallion when saying the phrase.
23+	Having identified the two cultists, the hero can overhear a bit of their conversation. The hero will learn that their lair is somewhere in the Underbridge - a maze of warehouses and sewage tunnels in the bridge’s foundations - and learns that their leader is named Aradin.

Cult Medallions

Each prologue adventure to this campaign includes a chance (albeit a small one) for heroes to stumble into possession of a strange medallion. Each of these medallions are described as being made of gold, with a skull and scythe on one side and an indecipherable glyph on the other.

These medallions are used by the Underbridge Cult as tokens of membership. When two members of the cult meet in public and have used their dialect to establish that they are both cultists, they will discreetly flash or pass their medallions to one another to verify their cult affiliation.

Heroes that both possess medallions and learn of their significance will have a much easier time infiltrating the cultists.

Finding a Medallion

If the heroes do not have any medallions but know of their significance, they might find medallions in a variety of ways. You may allow each hero to make a LUCK/Fortuity check and find a discarded medallion on a roll of 20 or higher.

At any point when the heroes fight, incapacitate, and loot a cultist, the cultist has a medallion on their person. The cultist might also be wearing their uniform dark robes, but they might be in more innocuous clothing depending on the circumstances.

False Affiliation

If a hero possesses a cult medallion and shows it to someone who is not in the cult, there could be trouble. Rumor that the cult uses medallions has circulated throughout the city. Showing the medallion to an innocent merchant, pawnbroker, bartender, or the like will result in the NPC turning fearful and ending the conversation with the hero as quickly as possible. The NPC will then call for the Bridge Knights when they feel they can do so without being threatened by the adventurer in question.

If the Bridge Knights respond in a timely fashion, they will try to subdue the heroes and take them to the Bridge Keep for questioning. Use the encounter calculator from the Bridge Knights section below to determine how many knights show up.

Showing the medallion to Magellus Black without first warning him or explaining how they found it will result in Magellus treating the hero with suspicion. Similarly, showing the medallion to Lauby without prepping them will cause them to panic and flee.

Infiltrating the Cult

If a hero shows the medallion to Brent Brentson or another NPC who they have identified as a member of the Underbridge Cult and works “Which blade” into the conversation, the NPC accepts them as cult initiates and will allow them into the Underbridge Cult’s lair, though never without supervision.

Heroes that have successfully infiltrated the cult in this fashion may see the cultists’ lair as described in section 5: The Underbridge Cult. This can provide valuable intelligence, but the heroes must periodically make INT or CHA checks, adding a skill as relevant, to maintain their cover. These checks should start at DC 12 and be increased or decreased based on whether the hero succeeds the initial check. The checks get harder if the hero fails, as the other cultists become suspicious. Once the hero fails three checks, their ruse is exposed.

If a hero initiates combat while their cover is still intact, their enemies are Partially Surprised.

1: Assembling the Party

You can choose to have the party come together in a few different ways, each detailed here.

Adding a New Player Often, once you begin a TTRPG campaign, the word gets out and you may get a hopeful friend, or friend of a friend, wanting to get in on the action. In such an event, remember first and foremost that you can say no if you feel that adding additional people would be too difficult for you. But if you do want to add someone new, this chapter is a great opportunity to do so. Ask the new player to make a level 2 character and to include justification for why their hero is in Bridgemoor. Then, in the following approaches to assembling the party, treat them like any other player.

Individual Lives

This approach is the slowest and most organic way to get the adventure started. It also works best if you have heroes that came from different prologues, rather than all coming from the same starting point. It can be a little tedious as the heroes do not have any external force guiding them together, so it is only recommended to use this method if you are confident in your players’ ability to drive the story forward even if their heroes do not come together for the first session or two.

In turn, have each player narrate a day or two in the life of their hero now that their hero has reached Bridgemoor. (If the hero did the Bridgemoor Mines prologue, then they might just keep working their mining job and have little to no deviation from their typical routine. This is fine.) It doesn’t matter what order the players narrate their lives, but if you wish, you may have them roll initiative to determine the narration order.

As the players narrate their individual lives, look for moments where they might run into one another. If two heroes frequent the same tavern or are staying in the same overnight inn, prompt them to strike up a conversation over a drink. If two heroes end up in the same marketplace looking for gossip, one may overhear the other speaking with a merchant about the rumors of cultists.

Using this approach, look for ways to introduce plot hooks to each hero individually. A hero that arrived from the Nalatheshi caravan would likely interact with a merchant. Someone from Kendaria might schedule an appointment with the Meritocrats. Residents of Bridgemoor already have connections in the city and might lean on any of these to try to learn more about the cult.

Allow the heroes to follow their leads on their own. Eventually, these leads will cause them to intersect with one another, whereupon they can team up and attempt stopping the cultists together.

Seek Each Other Out

If you want to still make the campaign feel like it organically came together while offering the heroes faster, more direct ways to find one another, use this approach.

Begin as you would with the Individual Lives option. As players narrate their heroes’ lives, interject with two to three NPCs that the hero interacts with. Make note of the one that your player seems to respond to most enthusiastically.

As the players begin investigating the cult, direct them to one another using these NPCs. For example, imagine one of your heroes is from Nalathesh and has spoken to a local merchant before. This merchant might also be friends with one of the heroes who completed the Bridgemoor Mine prologue. When the hero from Nalathesh asks the merchant about any rumors regarding the cult, the merchant might say something like, “Yeah, I have a friend that works in the mines. I think she’s had a run in with them… you can find her at the Oakbarrel Tavern.”

This way, the heroes come together before they risk any combat with the cultists directly, but the process of coming together still feels natural.

Rumor Cards

When using this approach, copy the following table onto individual slips of paper and give one to each player. These are rumors that their heroes have picked up regarding the cultists. Some of this information is redundant with information that merchants, Bridge Knights, and the like might tell the heroes, but it can be a fun way to get your heroes interacting with each other directly.

Player	Rumor
1	The Temple of Vigil has been targeted repeatedly by the cultists. Perhaps this has to do with the Temple’s high standing in the community, or perhaps it’s a religious matter.
2	Many miners have expressed discontent at the current state of affairs. They receive little compensation for the vast riches they bring to Bridgemoor.
3	The cultists might be targeting the Bridge Knights because of the Bridge Knights’ draconian enforcement of the law. Perhaps the cultists are just disgruntled merchants?
4	A merchant named Lauby has had their door carved with a skull and scythe twice now. Lauby fears for their safety.
5	One Bridgemoor miner named Brent Brentson is especially vocal about his dissatisfaction with the miners’ current compensation.
6	The phrase “Witchblade” has circulated in hushed tones. This is believed to be in reference to the leader of the Underbridge Cult.

Questgiver

Finally, if you want to use a tried-and-true start to a campaign, implement a questgiver that brings the heroes together with the explicit goal of having them investigate the cultist problem.

Magellus Black is a great NPC to fill this role if you choose to use a questgiver. Full information on Magellus is in Appendix A, but basic information about his personality and his request to the heroes is below.

Magellus Black

Read Aloud: Magellus Black is a tall, middle-aged human man with brown skin and broad features. His dark eyes twinkle with wisdom and humor. His hair is long, kept in a ponytail, and he has a long beard bound in a leather cord to match; all his hair is dark, but is beginning to frost with gray. He wears a deep green robe trimmed with blue threaded filigree, and walks with a cane of polished mahogany.

He gives off an air of both inside knowledge and mystique; a sort of personal magnetism that makes you want to lean in and see what he has to say. Although he is soft-spoken, when he walks into a room, everyone notices.

Magellus likes to keep a low profile despite being in multiple high positions of power. Heroes that live in Bridgemoor might have heard of him, and might know a little about him if they can succeed a DC 17 INT/Politics of Bridgemoor or a CHA/Gossiping check. If a hero succeeds on this roll, they have heard of Magellus in one of the two following capacities.

The Meritocrats. Magellus is a [[MID-RANKING]] member of the Meritocrats that legislate Bridgemoor’s code of laws and international trade agreements. He has outsized influence for his role, but wields his influence sparingly.

Bridgemoor University. Magellus is a senior professor at Bridgemoor University, teaching courses on both history and introductory arcane magic. Out of his students of magic, he occasionally takes on promising apprentices and trains them more intensely in arcane abilities.

The Quest

Once Magellus has brought the heroes together, he sits them down and explains the situation to them.

Read Aloud: Magellus steeples his fingers. “I have been watching you each for some time, and I brought you together because I think that you have potential to be great heroes. You are, no doubt, aware of the problem festering in our city. Cultists scratching frightening glyphs on people’s doorways, not to mention the occasional disappearance. People are scared. The cultists need to be run out of town. I think that you all possess the shared expertise needed to do it.”

Magellus is willing to offer each hero 100 sc for stopping the cultists. They will receive one quarter of their payment upon accepting the quest, and the rest after there have been no cult-related kidnappings or instances of vandalism for at least two weeks.

If the heroes ask Magellus why he doesn’t go to the Bridge Knights or the Meritocrats to deal with the problem, he politely dodges the question. He might say “My reasons are my own,” or appeal to the heroes’ sense of adventure by saying “If you don’t feel up to the task, just say so.” In truth, Magellus suspects that the Meritocrats and Bridge Knights will be trying to capitalize on the chaos for their own political ends.  By approaching heroes with little to no reputation, Magellus hopes to undermine any effort for Bridgemoor’s political factions to muscle their way into more power.

2: Following Leads

Whether the heroes have come together already or have not yet formed a party and are following leads individually, they might approach any of the following factions in an effort to learn more:

• Barkeeps
• The Bridge Knights
• The Fixers
• Merchants
• Order of the Darkscourge
• The Meritocrats
• The Temple of Vigil
• Trades Workers
• University Academics

Each of these factions, along with persons of interest related to these factions, are detailed below. While CHA checks are the primary attribute checks listed in the social encounters below, feel free to creatively implement other attribute checks if a player can justify how it might come in handy.

Seeking Each Other Out If you are using the second method of bringing your party together, remember that as the heroes explore Bridgemoor and look for leads on the cultists, they should gradually be directed to one another, whereupon they can exchange intelligence. Make sure that you prioritize the heroes finding each other, rather than learning new intelligence that none of them had access to, when using this approach. For example if one hero speaks with a barkeep and rolls an 11-15 on their CHA, the barkeep might recommend that they go talk to another hero with whom the barkeep is familiar. That hero, rather than the barkeep themself, has information about the cultists targeting the Order of the Darkscourge, Temple of Vigil, and of course the Bridge Knights.

Even if the party has already formed officially, the heroes may feel the need to split up in order to gain more information more quickly. This is fine (but could be dangerous); consider having them roll initiative to determine what order you focus on players if they split up.

Goodwill Having a good reputation comes in handy when trying to gather information. In this part of the adventure, secretly add a hero’s Goodwill score to their die rolls made to gather information when they are interacting with people of the appropriate occupation. For example, heroes with 2 Goodwill in Bridgemoor’s Mercantile occupation gain a +2 bonus to CHA checks made to speak with merchants.

Heroes from the Mines

If one or more of the heroes began their journey with the Bridgemoor Mines prologue, then they do not need to make LUCK checks that could result in them learning about Brent Brentson. As they already know Brent, then when they would be prompted to make a LUCK check to see if they learn of Brent, they automatically succeed such checks.

Barkeeps

Local barkeeps are a great source of information as they often have their ear to the ground and hear rumors from folk that represent many strata of Bridgemoor’s economy. Each adventurer may make a CHA check; use the highest out of these rolls. Information the heroes can uncover by speaking with barkeeps is listed based on their CHA rolls.

CHA 10 or lower

The barkeep is not particularly talkative. An AWR check of DC 13 reveals that the barkeep is keeping quiet out of fear of drawing the cultists’ ire. If any hero succeeds this AWR check, they may make one additional CHA check to try to tease more information out of the barkeep.

CHA 11-15

The barkeep doesn’t want to say much, but suggests that the adventurers speak with one of the organizations that the cultists have targeted directly: the Bridge Knights, the Order of the Darkscourge, and the Temple of Vigil.

CHA 16-19

In addition to the above information, the barkeep suspects that the cultists might be targeting the Bridge Knights because of their harsh regulatory edicts. If this is true, then perhaps the cultists aren’t really a cult, but just a bunch of disgruntled merchants that want to remain anonymous. Have the heroes make a LUCK/Fortuity roll; if any roll above a 11, then the barkeep they speak with also happens to know of a grumpy dwarven miner named Brent. He usually hangs out at the Oakbarrel Tavern after his shift. The heroes may now approach and speak with Brent.

CHA 20+

In addition to the above information, the barkeep explains that their friend, a merchant named Lauby, was targeted directly by the cultists. Their friend is a member of the Temple of Vigil, which is how they know that the cultists have had clashes there. One of the most influential people at the Temple of Vigil is Ser Kellion Blacksky, Commander of the Bridge Knights. Having learned of them, the heroes can now approach Lauby and speak with them directly.

The Bridge Keep

The Bridge Keep sits near the center of the bridge, south of the Meritocrats’ Palace and slightly west, marginally closer to the Nalatheshi border. It looms several stories tall and is built from the same brown and yellow stones that compose the bridge itself. It serves as a more austere and militaristic mirror to the ornamented spires of the Bridgemoor University on the opposite side of the Meritocrats’ Palace.

Bridge Commander Ser Kellion Blacksky If the heroes travel to the Bridge Keep, this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce Bridge Commander Ser Kellion Blacksky, who is the top military official in Bridgemoor. Ser Blacksky is a human in his early thirties. He has dark hair, facial scruff that isn’t properly thick enough to call a full beard, and chiseled features. He has a thin scar running from his cheek to his chin. Ser Blacksky is formal and polite whether the heroes are there of their own volition or are there because they were arrested. Ser Blacksky will not get bogged down in a conversation with them, directing them to speak with one of his lieutenants if they want to have a lengthy talk. Kellion Blacksky is the main villain of the campaign. He becomes more directly involved in the events of the campaign starting in Part Two.

The adventurers might go to the Bridge Keep to speak with the Bridge Knights (use the section below in this instance). They might also come to the Bridge Keep to see if any cultists have been arrested. They might ask if they can interrogate the cultists or if they can look through the cultists’ personal belongings.

If the heroes wish to interact with the cultists or their belongings, they must make a CHA check.

The Cultists’ Belongings

If any hero rolls a 14 or higher, the Bridge Knights will allow them to observe the cultists’ belongings, but only while supervised.

The heroes will find three sets of dark robes and three cult medallions (as described above in the Posing as Cultists section). No matter how convincing the heroes are, the Bridge Knights will not allow them to borrow the robes or medallions unless they are magically compelled to do so.

If asked, the Bridge Knights will explain that some of their members have been working on infiltrating the ranks of the cultists, and some of the knights have made reasonable headway identifying key members of the cult. Such identities are confidential and the Bridge Knights will not disclose the names of their suspects unless they are magically compelled to do so.

What Really Happened The Bridge Knights that speak with the heroes are unaware of this information and therefore cannot tell the heroes even if they are getting along well. Some of the Bridge Knights have, indeed, infiltrated the cult. Unfortunately, these knights were magically radicalized by Aradin the Witchblade and now are double agents, undermining the Bridge Knights’ efforts to bring the cult to an end.

Heroes that use magic to force the Bridge Knights’ hands will make enemies of the Knights provided that the Bridge Knights learn later on that they were magically influenced. If this happens, then the heroes that directly used magic on them lose 4 Goodwill in the Bridgemoor Militant occupation, and the other heroes that were present lose 2 Goodwill by association. Furthermore, the heroes must now move furtively throughout the city as described in the Bridge Knights section below, as the Knights will arrest them on sight.

Interrogating the Cultists

If any heroes at the Bridge Keep roll an 18 or higher on their CHA check, then the Bridge Knights will allow them to interrogate the cultists in a supervised environment.

The cultists are all wearing burlap prison tunics, have no shoes, and look like they aren’t being fed enough. They do not otherwise look physically harmed.

The heroes may interrogate the cultists using CHA. They may not use STR/Menacing in this environment as the Bridge Knights will intervene if the heroes attempt to get physical with the inmates.

The heroes learn the following information based on their CHA roll. This information is cumulative, so if a hero rolls a 17, they learn the information for both the 13+ and 17+ entries.

If the heroes do not learn anything new from this roll, allow them to make one additional CHA check with a +5 bonus from getting the inmates to cooperate with them up to this point. This may or may not yield any additional intelligence.

DC	Information Learned
13+	The cultists wear custom-made dark robes with wooden masks carved and lacquered to resemble skulls. This hides their identities during their criminal activities.
17+	The cultists all have gold medallions on their person, which they pass back and forth in public to discreetly verify one another’s identity. These medallions have a skull and scythe on one side and an indecipherable glyph on the other.
21+	The cultists do not allow anyone into their ranks who have Divine Power before joining. Cultists who gain Divine Power after joining the cult are not seen as problematic.
25+	The cultists do not fight exclusively with small blades, but they do coat their small blades in numbing poison that render their enemies ineffective.

The Bridge Knights

It is not difficult for the adventurers to find soldiers of the Bridge Knights, given that they wear distinctive silver armor with black pauldrons and short blue capes. Bridge Knights treat the adventurers with brusque indifference, and getting them to open up beyond very basic information is difficult.

Each adventurer may make a CHA check; use the highest out of these rolls. Information the heroes can uncover by speaking with the Bridge Knights is listed based on their CHA rolls.

CHA 12 or lower

The Bridge Knights begin interrogating the adventurers, suspicious about why the adventurers are poking their noses around in city business. The knights accuse the heroes of being cultists and trying to figure out what the knights know.

One of the heroes can attempt to talk their way out of the situation, making another CHA roll. On a roll of less than 15, the knights will have none of it and they drag the adventurers to the Bridge Keep for further questioning.

If the adventurers resist this, then the knights will engage in combat. The knights each have a set of manacles, which they can attempt to put onto a creature that they have Grappled. They attack using STR vs REF, and if they hit then the target is Restrained (escape 25).

Fighting the Knights Fighting the Bridge Knights is a bad idea and is supposed to be an unwinnable fight for these level 2 adventurers. If it seems that the adventurers are actually gaining the upper hand, then one of the knights shouts for backup, and more arrive. If the adventurers run away, then they become fugitives. Each time they attempt to travel to a new location, the adventurers must make a DC 12 DEX or INT check to remain discreet. If any adventurer fails, then 1d4+1 knights spot that adventurer and attempt to drag them in for questioning.

The exact number of knights and potential reinforcements is dependent upon the number of heroes in the confrontation. There are X+1 knights initially, where X equals the number of players. If they call for reinforcements, the knights gain 2 additional knights if there are 1-3 heroes, or 3 additional knights if there are 4-6 adventurers.

These are all Bridge Knights (TCL p. ##).

If the adventurers do not resist (or resist and are subdued), then they are eventually cleared of suspicion after lengthy interrogation. They are let out of the Bridge Knights’ precinct after 2d4 hours.

CHA 13-18

Bridge Commander Kellion Blacksky is the commander in charge of the Bridge Knights. He is an upstanding citizen and a devout attendee of the Temple of Vigil. He believes that good people must be strong and decisive in order to stop evil from spreading. Many merchants that try to cut financial corners dislike him because of how incorruptible he is.

The Bridge Knights are competent and will handle the cultist problem; the adventurers have no need to concern themselves with it further.

CHA 19+

The Temple of Vigil has been targeted repeatedly by the cultists. The cultists have drawn skulls and scythes on the doorways of congregants at night, which has many people - especially those who frequent the Temple - very worried.

The Fixers

The Fixers are a group of psions that sell their services as adventurers to fight monsters and help bring justice when it would otherwise be neglected.

Each adventurer may make an INT check; use the highest out of these rolls. Information the heroes can uncover by speaking with the Fixers is listed based on their INT rolls, reflecting logical arguments and deductive reasoning that they present to the Fixers.

INT 11 or lower

The Fixers are allowed a base of operations in Bridgemoor, but because of their contract with the Bridge Knights, they are not allowed to directly take any jobs or involve themselves with investigations within Bridgemoor’s sovereign territory. As such they are unable to help.

INT 12-17

While the Fixers cannot get directly involved in the investigation, they indirectly help the heroes by reviewing the suspicions so far. If the adventurers have already been informed of the Temple of Vigil, the Fixers will confirm that this seems to be the cultists’ primary target, likely because of the Temple’s harsh stance against any form of criminality.

INT 18+

While the Fixers cannot get directly involved in the investigation, they reason that using divining magic to help the heroes is not technically getting directly involved.

The Fixers magically identify a poor merchant who has been threatened by the cultists: Lauby.

Having learned of them, the heroes can now approach Lauby and speak with them directly.

Merchants

By chatting up the merchants in the multitudinous bazaars throughout Bridgemoor, the heroes might uncover some information.

Each adventurer may make an CHA check; use the highest out of these rolls. Information the heroes can uncover by speaking with merchants is listed based on their CHA rolls.

AWR 10 or lower

The adventurers discover nothing noteworthy.

AWR 11-18

There is certainly an air of tension about Bridgemoor. By chatting with various merchants and observing customers, the PCs can glean that the cultists have been leaving markings on certain people’s doorways. A little inquiry reveals that each of these people who have been targeted are members of the Temple of Vigil.

The miners in particular have been discontented lately, and the cult isn’t helping anyone sleep better at night. Ask the heroes to make a LUCK/Fortuity check. A roll of 12 or higher results in one of the merchants overhearing the heroes and mentioning that they might want to talk with a dwarf named Brent Brentson, one of the most vocal miners. He usually hangs out at the Oakbarrel Tavern after his shift.

Having learned of Brent, the heroes may now approach him.

AWR 19+

One victim from the Temple of Vigil is named Lauby, and Lauby has been quite intimidated by the cultists’ threats.

Having learned of them, the heroes can now approach Lauby and speak with them directly.

Order of the Darkscourge

The Order of the Darkscourge has no information beyond that of the Fixers (see above). Speaking with the Order necessitates CHA checks rather than INT checks, revealing the same information as the Fixers at the same DCs.

Unfortunately, the Order does not have the ability to divine for the PCs; however, if the PCs roll a 18 or higher on their CHA check, then the Darkscourge equips them with 3 healing potions.

Potions of Healing Potions take 1 AP to drink and 2 AP to feed to a willing creature within 5 ft of you. Drinking a Potion of Healing restores 1d4+1 HP.

Order Membership

If one of the heroes is a member of the Order of the Darkscourge, then the Order will give the party an additional healing potion (even if they rolled lower than an 18) because the hero is from their order. One of the Legends of MythCraft, Chauncey, is from this order.

The Meritocrats

If the adventurers attempt to contact the Meritocrats, then they must choose one hero to be their spokesperson. That hero makes a CHA check; if they roll 16 or higher, then they are able to secure an audience with a low-ranking Meritocrat 4 hours later. A hero with the Honorable profession automatically succeeds this roll.

If the spokesperson rolls lower than a 16 CHA, then the Meritocrats will not see the adventurers.

If the adventurers do meet with a Meritocrat, then each adventurer may make a CHA check; use the highest out of these rolls. Information the heroes can uncover by speaking with this official is listed based on their CHA rolls.

The Meritocrat that the adventurers meet with is an overweight satyr named Hengory, who seems a little inebriated when they speak with him. He has the stats of a Noble (CC p. 231).

CHA 12 or less

The cultists are unlikely to become powerful enough to pose any kind of threat or legitimate concern to Bridgemoor.

Each adventurer may make an AWR check. If any rolls above a 16, they know that Hengory is quite worried but trying to save face. In this case, one adventurer may make this CHA check again.

CHA 13-16

The cultists are certainly a concern. If the heroes are able to root them out and handle the situation, then they will each be paid 100 sc and given a citywide 25% discount on all goods.

CHA 17+

The heroes’ reward for finding and stopping the cultists will be doubled from 100 sc each to 200 sc each. Their citywide discount on goods is unchanged.

The Temple of Vigil

If the PCs head to the Temple of Vigil, they can speak with a dwarven priestess named Ezmerelda. Ezmerelda expresses grave concern about the cultists and confirms that many of her congregants have been threatened.

Each adventurer may make a CHA check; use the highest out of these rolls.

Ezmerelda offers no particularly useful information that might yield leads on the cultists, but if any of the heroes roll a 16 or higher, then she mentions one congregant in particular: Lauby. She says that she hasn’t heard from Lauby or their family in a few days and wants the adventurers to check in on them. If the adventurers will do this for her, then she will pay them each 10 sc for their trouble.

Having learned of them, the heroes can now approach Lauby and speak with them directly.

Trades Workers

Trades workers have the same information as merchants (see above) Speaking with Trades workers necessitates AWR checks rather than CHA checks, revealing the same information as the merchants at the same DCs.

University Academics

Bridgemoor University sprawls near the zenith of the city, slightly to the west of the Meritocrats’ Palace and along the northern edge of the bridge. While many of its halls are reserved for current students, professors, and residing academics, it has a world-famous library that is open to the public during daylight hours. The party may wish to research cult activity in the library, or they might try to secure a little time with a professor.

If the party speaks with a professor and Magellus Black was not their questgiver, then this would be a good opportunity to introduce Magellus to the campaign. If he was their questgiver or has interacted with them already, then a scholarly dwarven woman named Thina will speak with them.

If the heroes look for information in the library, ask for INT checks. If they speak with Magellus or Thina, ask for either INT or CHA checks (each hero may choose). Regardless, they learn the same set of information based on their rolls, gaining knowledge by reading books in the library or by having conversations on anthropology with one or both scholars.

INT or CHA 10 or less

Whether true cults or groups of disgruntled folk, countercultural movements have occurred throughout history. Sometimes this has resulted in violence or even civil war, but usually it fizzles into nothingness and people quickly move on. A little social unrest in Bridgemoor today is no reason to get distraught.

Silver Weapons If the heroes think to research demonology, fiends, or similar subjects, they can learn that many fiends resist the cut of common iron, but are defenseless against silver. They can commission a silver weapon from the marketplace for 4 times its normal price, which will be ready 24 hours after they request it.

INT or CHA 11-17

Periods of social unrest historically have occurred when a large enough minority of society has felt discontented with the status quo. If the heroes spend more time poking around some specific industries that have a larger quantity of unhappy workers, they may find leads. The heroes can determine without much difficulty that speaking with the miners and a small subset of struggling merchants and artisans could prove fruitful in this regard.

INT or CHA 18+

After gathering the above information, the heroes can also check through recent records of public discourse and determine that a miner named Brent Brentson has been vocally displeased with the miners’ current state of affairs.

Lead 1: Protecting Lauby

The heroes likely do not know about Lauby at the beginning of the adventure. By talking to certain merchants or by meeting with Ezmerelda at the Temple of Vigil, they will become aware of Lauby and might seek them out. Lauby lives in a small townhome on the outskirts of the West Bazaar. If the heroes approach them, describe the state of Lauby’s home.

Read Aloud: The townhome in question, like most in Bridgemoor, is built up rather than out. It’s a narrow three-story affair, and its wooden walls with stonework frames would look quaint if not for the obvious air of fear emanating from the house. The windows are boarded up, the window garden on the ground floor has wilted and become overgrown with weeds, and the front door has two sets of skulls and scythes carved into its wood.

If the heroes make any threatening gestures, Lauby will not open the door and they will either have to leave or break in if they wish to speak with Lauby that badly.

If the heroes approach calmly and explain that Ezmerelda or one of the other merchants sent the heroes to check in on Lauby, then Lauby might be willing to open up.

Peeking out through a peephole in the doorway, Lauby will assess the heroes. The heroes must each roll a CHA check and may not add Intimidating. Heroes holding Unwieldy weapons have a -3 penalty. If the group average is 12 or higher, Lauby will let them in. If it is lower than 12, Lauby will conduct the entire muffled conversation through the locked door. If, at the end of the conversation, the heroes have convinced Lauby that they intend to help, then Lauby might let them in, at the MC’s discretion. If Lauby opens the door, convey the following information to your party.

Read Aloud: From behind the door, you hear a series of clicks and rattles as Lauby unlocks at least six metal bolts and chains securing the entry. When the door finally swings open, you see a short kleppin with the features of a raccoon. Lauby’s beady eyes appear watery with fright and sleep deprivation. Their fur is matted and their fuzzy red robes are disheveled, though you might note that the robes are of a fine, comfortable make.

The ground floor is poorly lit, stripes of light from the boarded up windows and the open door itself providing the majority of the illumination. You see wooden crates arranged to serve as a kind of barricade partitioning off the floor into two rooms of sorts. In the forefront, you see several metal rods that have various colorful, ornamented clothes hanging from them. The back of the ground floor, which you have surmised to be some kind of clothing store, is a small workspace covered in fabrics, threads, and yarns. Behind the workspace, an open doorway leads into a small kitchenette.

A shadowed staircase behind the work area leads up to the higher floors in the townhome. Peeking down from the stairs, you see two more huddled shadows. As your eyes adjust, you see that they are also kleppin with raccoon features.

“My wife Sheila,” Lauby says. “And our daughter, Kitty.”

Lauby’s Costume Shop

Whether the conversation takes place inside Lauby’s house or through the locked doorway, talking with Lauby for any amount of time reveals that they are simply a kind-hearted merchant trying to make a living for themself, their wife, and their daughter. Lauby has always loved costuming and was in a juvenile theatre near Bridgemoor University when they were a child, so as an adult they saved and borrowed money until they could open a costume shop. Lauby’s costumes are primarily commissioned by the handful of professional theatres throughout Bridgemoor, but the Festival of Masks in early autumn is usually a lucrative time for Lauby as many folk enjoy participating in the festival by donning colorful costumes.

The Festival of Masks is coming up in three weeks, and Lauby worries that their family will be in for very tight times if they can’t reopen their store soon so that people can prepare for the festival. If the heroes are able to stop the cult threat before the festival, then Lauby will pay them each a percentage of their revenue from the festival after it is over. Lauby can’t promise how much money that might make them, but it will be at least 20 sc each. Alternatively, Lauby is happy to make the heroes each a free costume if they do not mind waiting until after paying customers have brought in a little more funding.

Revenue from Lauby If the heroes take Lauby up on gaining a little revenue from the Festival of Masks, then the heroes gain 15% of Lauby’s revenue from customers preparing for the holiday. This revenue pans out to pay each hero 8d10+20 sc.

Cultist Costumes

The heroes might inquire as to whether Lauby has any costumes resembling those the cultists use: either the skull masks, the dark robes, or both. If Lauby has been thoroughly convinced that the heroes mean them no harm, they will admit that they do have dark robes similar to the cultists’ attire. These are not identical to the robes that the cultists wear, and Lauby put the robes into storage as soon as the trouble started.

If the heroes decide to attempt infiltrating the cultists’ ranks, Lauby would be willing to make alterations to the robes for the heroes. Lauby has seen the cultists’ robes before and is able to produce convincing replicas given 90 minutes per robe.

Defending Lauby

The heroes know that Lauby is a target of the cultists, and Lauby will request - even to the point of begging - that the heroes stay in Lauby’s townhome and protect them and their family from the cultists. When you feel that the time is right, whether the heroes have just met Lauby or are returning to speak with them again, initiate the Defending Lauby encounter in Section 3: First Blood.

Lead 2: The Disaffected

The heroes can pursue this lead once they are directed to speak with Brent Brentson. It is possible that a hero who did the Bridgemoor Mines prologue will think to do this even if they are not directed to by another NPC. If this happens, allow the heroes to pursue this lead even though they were not told to by another character.

Read Aloud: The Oakbarrel Tavern is your typical low-end watering hole for common laborers and working merchants. The Oakbarrel’s tables are rough and poorly sanded. Old, empty barrels double as standing tables, and the walls are bare of decoration aside from a few varnished branches of oak trees. Wooden chandeliers hold wax candles that offer dingy illumination, augmented by a flickering fire in the hearth.

The tavern itself may be a bit run down, but its occupants are lively enough. In the center of one long, low table, surrounded by his buddies from the mine, is Brent Brentson. He seems to be the life of the party, although upon listening to his tirades, you sense that his magnetism comes more from always being pissed off about something rather than having any good-natured charm. The dwarf has a face and hands as rough as coal, and his hair and beard are a tangled mess of black, ropy knots. When he grins, it rarely reaches his eyes, and you note that he’s missing a lower front tooth.

Talking with Brent

The heroes can attempt to talk with Brent and try to get his take on the events of the past few weeks. Getting him to talk about anything substantial first requires the heroes to endure ridicule, as Brent goes out of his way to take cheap shots at strangers’ appearance, accents, or questions in order to look tough in front of his friends. As dislikeable as he may be, Brent is unoffended if a hero responds in kind. In fact, responding to Brent’s insults in kind actually makes Brent respect the hero more; after such an exchange, he invites the heroes to take a seat at the miners’ table.

Brent’s Perspective

Brent has no shortage of opinions on anything that has happened in Bridgemoor recently. If the heroes make it past his insults, he will explain to them how there was recently a cave in, and thanks to his heroics (and the help of the other miners, of course) they were able to clear out the cave in quickly enough that they prevented an attempted robbery.

Heroes that were part of the Bridgemoor Mines prologue may dispute this, of course. Brent will wave away any minor disparities in their narration as remembering the same event slightly differently, but the basic story remains the same no matter how you tell it. If heroes press him on this, he becomes verbally combative and may stop talking with them altogether.

Assuming that they manage to keep Brent talking, he will move from the matter of the cave in to the overall systemic problems with Bridgemoor’s mines.

The miners themselves make the smallest income after working the most labor-intensive jobs. The Meritocrats take a huge share of the gold and gems, and they take the entirety of magical artifacts unearthed. The supervisors and administrators that oversee the mines directly aren’t much better and are paid more than the miners to simply watch and complain when the miners don’t work hard enough.

Truth of the Mining Situation Brent raises some legitimate complaints about conditions in the mines, but it should be noted that miners who find magic artifacts for the Meritocrats are given a year’s wages in compensation. Supervisors are not given a cut of this payment, so they would argue that their higher baseline wages are completely fair.

Brent then rambles on from the problems with mine wages to the current social unrest in light of the cultists. It seems that the cultists are targeting the wealthy and the elite of society, especially those of prominence at the Temple of Vigil. Brent seems to admire the cultists’ brazen attacks, and while he denounces them, any hero that makes a DC 8 AWR check can sense that he doesn’t actually disapprove of their behavior.

Brent’s Cult Affiliation

Brent himself is a member of the Underbridge Cult. He is also a member of the Ironheart Gang, although this affiliation is unlikely to be relevant or come up during these discussions. The heroes can convince Brent that they are also part of the cult - or at least that they want to become initiated into it - in a couple different ways. If they know the cult’s practices for introducing themselves to each other, they can do so and Brent will not suspect that they are not who they claim to be. If they spend 20 sc on Brent’s favorite brandy, they will get him talking a bit too freely and he will eventually admit that he is part of the cult without being prompted. If the heroes do not get Brent to willingly divulge his affiliation, they can try to physically beat the information out of him. Brent has the stats of a Bandit Marauder. His buddies, if they are still around, have the stats of Thugs in CC p. ##. If he is nonlethally subdued, the heroes may each make a CHA check (or a STR/Menacing check) vs Brent’s WILL. If at least ½ of the party succeeds on this roll, then Brent informs them of the cult’s next target. Otherwise, he spits out a wad of blood and tells them to go to hell.

The cultists’ next target is Lauby (see section 3: First Blood), unless Lauby has already been attacked. If this is the case, then the cultists’ next target is the Temple of Vigil itself (see section 4: Attack on the Temple).

Brent’s Suspicion

If the party raises suspicion and is unable to get Brent to genuinely open up to them, then he will take mental note of the heroes and will alert the cultists. The cultists will then attack the heroes as described in section 3: First Blood below.

3: First Blood

The first violent confrontation with the cultists will come in one of two circumstances: either the heroes are defending Lauby, or the cultists target one or two heroes as potential sacrifices. Regardless of which encounter you run, or if you run both with different heroes, each adventurer should level up to level 3 after these encounters.

Defending Lauby

If the heroes decide to defend Lauby from the cultists, then allow the heroes to know the full schematics of Lauby’s house. They may wish to fortify it further or to use the windows as archery slits. Lauby’s ground floor includes the front showroom, back workshop, and small kitchenette attached to the workshop. A backdoor leads from the kitchenette out to the alleyway. The showroom and workshop are part of the same room, separated by wooden crates. The workshop has a narrow staircase that leads up to the second floor. This is a two-room floor with a wall partitioning off a family living area and a bedroom. The living area has another staircase leading up to the third floor, which is intended for additional storage space. Lauby’s daughter Kitty has turned the space into her play fort, having dragged boxes around and draped blankets over them to make a sort of tent. The windows on every floor are boarded up. Heroes that peel off a wooden board from any of Lauby’s windows can use the window as a defensible vantage point. They have Partial Cover (+3) while behind such a window, and their own attacks are unimpeded. Adjust the following read aloud text as needed based on your party’s size. Read Aloud: As twilight deepens and dusky shadows stretch along the square, a conspiracy of dark-robed figures stalk towards the house. They make no pretense to hide the knives and clubs they wield, and as they approach and fan out, you see that a couple of them are holding vials of flame as well. Things just got very real, very quickly.

Cult Forces

In this combat, nobody is Surprised.

Based on your party’s size, the Underbridge Cult ambushes them in the following numbers. This is a difficult encounter and the heroes are much more likely to fare better if they take time to plan an ambush, utilize Lauby’s windows for cover, and establish some baseline party tactics.

Stats for Underbridge Cultists and Underbridge Initiates can be found in TCL p. ##. Stats for Thugs are in CC p. 235. Regardless of a cultist’s stats, all of these cultists wear dark, hooded clothing in addition to any armor they might have. They all have a medallion on their person that has a skull and scythe on one side and an indecipherable glyph on the other.

Players	Cultists
1	1 Underbridge Initiate and 1 Thug
2	1 Underbridge Initiate and 3 Thugs
3	1 Underbridge Cultist, 1 Underbridge Initiate, and 3 Thugs
4	1 Underbridge Cultist, 2 Underbridge Initiates, and 2 Thugs
5	1 Underbridge Cultist, 3 Underbridge Initiates, and 2 Thugs
6	2 Underbridge Cultists, 3 Underbridge Initiates, and 3 Thugs

Cult Tactics

While the majority of cultists will remain in the front of Lauby’s home, 1-2 will sneak through the alleyway and come in through the kitchenette. The cultists will make no effort to use their Summoning Circle feature. Two of the cultists each have 1 flask of Alchemist’s Fire, which they use their DEX to attack with vs a creature’s REF. On a hit, a creature gains Burning 1d6. The cultists intend to use the fire on Lauby’s home. The fire spreads 5 ft in a random direction once every 20 seconds. Putting out a 5 ft area of fire requires dirt or a soaked cloth and takes 3 AP. If more than ½ of the cultists are incapacitated, the rest will attempt to flee. While they originally came with the intent to kill Lauby, they will settle for damaging Lauby’s property if they are forced to retreat.

End of Combat

At the end of this combat, if the heroes were not already level 3, they advance to level 3. If the heroes nonlethally incapacitated one or more cultists, they can interrogate them, learning information as described in the sidebar below.

Goodwill Heroes that cooperate with and protect Lauby gain a favorable reputation in Bridgemoor. The Goodwill of a hero that helps Lauby increases by +2 in Bridgemoor’s Mercantile occupation.

Target for Sacrifice

If the heroes have not met Lauby, or if they have gotten on the wrong side of Brent, then cultists will ambush them and try to nonlethally subdue them to use as sacrifices for their occult activity. The cultists will try to attack when only one or two heroes are together, but will set up an ambush for the entire party if they see no alternative.

As the heroes describe how they go about their activities, look for an opportunity for the cultists to spring their ambush. Such an opportunity would likely be when the heroes are in a less populated part of town or cut through an alley to save time. It might also be in a sparsely populated tavern where the cultists can easily cajole the few bystanders into conveniently forgetting that they saw anything.

When this circumstance arises, make one INT/Evading roll to represent the cultists’ efforts to remain covert. If this would hit the ANT of each hero, then the heroes are Partially Surprised when the fight starts. Otherwise, nobody is surprised.

Cult Forces

Based on your party’s size, the Underbridge Cult ambushes them in the following numbers. This is a mechanically normal fight, but the cultists may have the element of surprise, which could turn the fight deadly.

Stats for Underbridge Cultists and Underbridge Initiates can be found in TCL p. ##. Stats for Thugs are in CC p. 235. Regardless of a cultist’s stats, all of these cultists wear dark, hooded clothing in addition to any armor they might have. They all have a medallion on their person that has a skull and scythe on one side and an indecipherable glyph on the other.

Players	Cultists
1	2 Thugs
2	1 Underbridge Initiate and 2 Thugs
3	2 Underbridge Initiates and 2 Thugs
4	2 Underbridge Initiates and 4 Thugs
5	1 Underbridge Cultist, 1 Underbridge Initiate, and 4 Thugs
6	1 Underbridge Cultist, 2 Underbridge Initiates, and 4 Thugs

Cult Tactics

At least 2 cultists will approach the heroes on the ground. Up to 3 additional cultists will approach from an elevated vantage point if possible, such as a rooftop or a tavern’s indoor balcony. Any additional cultists beyond this number will approach on the ground. The cultists are fighting nonlethally. If they knock out a hero, they will bind the hero in thick ropes and drag them into the Underbridge, where the hero will be sacrificed as part of the ritual to summon the Bonewraith. Heroes that are captured in this way may attempt to escape, first by succeeding on a DC 14 check to escape their ropes, then by fighting or sneaking out of the Underbridge. The check to escape ropes could be STR, DEX, or INT. The cultists will make no effort to use their Summoning Circle feature. If more than ½ of the cultists are incapacitated, the rest will attempt to flee.

End of Combat

At the end of this combat, if the heroes were not already level 3, they advance to level 3.

Interrogating the Cultists In the aftermath of the attack on Lauby or the attempted abduction, the heroes might interrogate a captured cultist. If any of the heroes succeed on a DC 14 CHA check or STR/Menacing check, they can gain the following information. If they do not already know that the cultists are planning an attack on the temple, then they learn this now. The attack is planned for sundown the following night. If the heroes are already aware of this, then their suspicions are confirmed. Furthermore, the captured cultist will inform them that the cult is planning a terrible ritual in the Underbridge. If the heroes follow up and succeed on another DC 18 CHA check or STR/Menacing check, the cultist will explain how to find the entrances into the cultists’ lair. In the sewers beneath Bridgemoor, some stones in the walls have small divots where a cultist can press their medallion, touching the glyph side to the stone. This opens up a narrow passage in the wall, allowing them to enter their hideout.

4: Attack on the Temple

After the heroes defend Lauby or fight off the cultists, allow them a little time to recover (including Taking a Rest if they wish) and to debrief.

The next day, the town is abuzz with a new development: the Temple of Vigil had a skull and scythe scrawled on its doors. If the heroes talk with Lauby, Ezmerelda, or other congregants, the general consensus is that the members of the Temple fear that the cultists plan on vandalizing it.

Indeed, later that same night, the cultists do attack the temple with the intent of property destruction. The heroes should almost certainly see this coming, so they might set up an ambush and confront the cultists directly, or they might watch the cultists without engaging and follow them back to their lair.

Combat

Combating the cultists at the temple should be difficult, and if the party takes time to set up an ambush it will give them a notable edge that evens the odds a bit. Scale the exact number of cultists based on the size of your party. Note that it is assumed that your party has more or less assembled at this point, so it is assumed that there are at least three level 3 heroes in this confrontation.

To determine if the heroes can successfully set up an ambush, ask them each to make DEX or INT checks to hide themselves well enough to stay undetected. The DC is 14. If any hero rolls above this DC, then the cultists are Partially Surprised when combat begins. If any hero rolls above this DC and other heroes roll below this DC, then the heroes that roll below this DC are also Partially Surprised, representing how they are flat-footed when it comes time to act.

Terrain

The battle takes place several hours after sundown. The Temple of Vigil faces a large public square that is empty of merchant carts by nightfall, although foot traffic is still common in the area. The alleyways on either side of the Temple are relatively clean and spacious. The alleys are completely unlit, while the town square has lanterns offering dim lighting to the area.

The Cultists

Note that regardless of a cultist’s stats, all of these cultists wear dark, hooded clothing in addition to any armor they might have. They all have a medallion on their person that has a skull and scythe on one side and an indecipherable glyph on the other.

The Underbridge Cultists and Underbridge Initiates each have 3 flasks of Alchemist’s Fire, which they use their DEX to attack with vs a creature’s REF. On a hit, a creature gains Burning 1d6. The cultists intend the fire to be used on the building, but will throw one or two vials at the adventurers if they feel it will help scare them off. If they throw the fire onto the ground, it spreads 5 ft in a random direction every 20 seconds if there is flammable fuel (such as wood or cloth). It takes 3 AP to snuff out a 5 ft area of fire, and efforts to put out the fire with water fail; a hero must use dirt or a soaked cloth to smother the flames. If the PCs capture a cultist by dealing nonlethal damage to it, restraining it with manacles, or some similar preventative measure, then they can interrogate it (see Interrogation below).

Encounter Difficulty

Based on your party’s size, the Underbridge Cult shows up in the following numbers. Stats for Underbridge Cultists and Underbridge Initiates can be found in TCL p. ##. Stats for Knights are in CC p. 227, and stats for Thugs are in CC p. 235.

Players	Cultists
3	1 Underbridge Cultist, 2 Underbridge Initiates, and 2 Thugs
4	1 Underbridge Cultist, 3 Underbridge Initiates, and 2 Thugs
5	1 Underbridge Cultist, 3 Underbridge Initiates, 1 Knight, and 2 Thugs
6	2 Underbridge Cultists, 3 Underbridge Initiates, 1 Knight, and 4 Thugs

Pursuit

If the cultists are in full retreat, or if the party does not engage them in combat but instead follows them back to their lair, then there is a pursuit.

If the adventurers have not made themselves known to the cultists, each adventurer must make a DEX check against the cultists’ AWR check (roll one check for the cultists, and separate checks for the adventurers). If the cultists do not detect the adventurers, then they are able to follow the cultists back to their lair (see section 5).

If the cultists are aware of the adventurers, then each cultist and each adventurer must make a STR check as the cultists attempt to run away. Any cultist that rolls higher than all of the adventurers is able to escape. Any adventurer that rolls higher than a cultist is able to catch up with the cultist and have one turn of combat against it (and the cultist can take one turn as well) before repeating the process.

If the cultists are aware of being pursued, they will not return directly to their lair, but instead will lead the heroes as far away from the lair as possible.

Interrogation

If the adventurers capture a cultist, either during the attack on the Temple or in a pursuit thereafter, then they can each make CHA checks to learn details about the cult’s lair.

Eventually, the captured cultist will crack, but it will do so more quickly with a higher roll. Use the highest CHA roll out of the party. Heroes may also make STR/Menacing checks instead of CHA checks. The results of this roll should not be made public, but should be recorded and kept for later reference. Depending on how quickly the heroes gather information, the upcoming showdown with the cultists may be notably easier or notably harder.

DC	Effect
10 or less	Increase the Showdown encounter’s difficulty by 2 steps.
11-14	Increase the Showdown encounter’s difficulty by 1 step.
15-18	Do not adjust the Showdown encounter’s difficulty.
19+	Decrease the Showdown encounter’s difficulty by 1 step.

Regardless of their rolls, the heroes can eventually learn that accessing the cultists’ lair requires one of the cult medallions. Inserting this coin glyph-side first into a small notch in the stones in the Underbridge sewers opens a narrow doorway into their lair.

5: The Underbridge Cult

Once the adventurers have a fix on the cultists’ lair, they can enter the Underbridge (although they should probably Take a Rest first). They may be stealthily tailing cultists and following them into their lair, or they may have acquired the information they need through interrogating a captured cultist. Heroes that are captured by the cultists will also reach the heart of their lair, albeit in much more compromising circumstances.

The Coming Confrontation The approaching confrontation with the cultists in their lair will range in difficulty from easy to extremely difficult. The challenge posed to the heroes depends on how quickly they overcome the sewer rats encounter and how quickly they can locate the entrance into the cult’s lair.

Entering the Sewers Prematurely If the heroes enter the sewers in the Underbridge during their preliminary investigation into the cultists, allow them to make INT or AWR checks to look for signs of cult activity. Any roll of DC 11 or higher reveals subtle markings that confirm that the cultists are using the sewers as their hideout, but does not reveal specific information about where they are hiding. As large as the sewers are, combing through the entire system would be impractical. Any roll of DC 20 or higher allows an investigating hero to notice the circular notch where the cultists place their medallions. Do not specify that this is for the medallions unless the hero rolled a crit. If it was not a crit, heroes should figure this out for themselves or learn this from interrogating or spying on cultists.

Venturing into the Sewers

When the heroes are ready to enter the sewers, set the scene for them.

Read Aloud: The first thing that hits you is the stench. Rotting crap is not a pleasant odor even in isolation, and when overlaid with rancid urine, molding meat, and rotten eggs, the foul smell is something you almost feel on your skin. Breathing through your nose is enough to make your eyes water, and breathing through your mouth conjures up images of the plague.

The second thing that hits you is the enormity of the sewers. In your scant illumination, you see slimy stone walls. The pathway is shaped like a trough, allowing you to walk on either raised side while streams of sludge and refuse ooze through the middle of the tunnel. The tunnel branches and forks, each new offshoot looking identical to the one before it. One could easily become lost down here, and judging by the humanoid-looking bones you see on occasion… some people have.

The sewers are neither particularly hot nor cold. Just… moist.

Ask them to establish a marching order and to determine if they have any sources of light. When establishing a marching order, ask the heroes to arrange themselves in single file and in double file. The sewers generally accommodate two adventurers walking abreast, but it’s helpful to know specifically what order they walk in when single file marching is necessary.

Each hero should make an INT or AWR check to navigate the sewers. They can use any skill that they make a good case for, but AWR/Navigating, AWR/Tracking, and INT/Dungeoneering are the most relevant. To benefit from AWR/Navigating, a hero must procure city records of the sewers, which are available to copy from the public records of the Meritocrats’ Palace.

Out of all the heroes’ rolls, use the highest. If it beats DC 15, then the heroes suffer no penalty. If it does not beat DC 15, increase the Showdown encounter difficulty by 1 step.

Sewer Rats

Read Aloud: Skittering noises are ubiquitous in the sewers, but they still make you jump and flinch when you hear them. It’s hard to identify what is a new noise and what is an echo, and determining where the noises come from is a difficult task.

Heroes may make AWR/Perceiving checks relying on their hearing. Anyone who meets a DC 14 is aware of the approaching rats; anyone who fails this check is Partially Surprised.

One or more hungry, emaciated critters attack the party. This is an easy encounter. Roll Initiative and resolve the combat. Stats for Dire Rats are in CC p. ##, and stats for Dire Spiders are in CC p. ##. The Dire Rats in this encounter cannot use their Brood ability.

Players	Rats
3	1 Dire Rat
4	1 Dire Spider
5	1 Dire Spider, 1 Dire Rat
6	1 Dire Spider, 2 Dire Rats

Recoup

If the party has time to spare after the battle, they can choose to Catch their Breath or Recoup. If they Recoup, increase the Showdown encounter’s difficulty by 1 step.

Finding the Entrance

If they discovered the secret entrance to the cultists’ lair through interrogation or by stealthily following cultists back to the sewers, then they may skip this section as they can find the entrance to the cult lair without too much difficulty.

If the party does not know the specifics about how to find the cultists’ secret entrance to their lair, then it will be considerably harder for them to locate it. In such an event, ask each hero to make an INT or AWR check to determine the hidden entrance’s location and to devise how one might open it. They might add any skill that they can make a good case for, but INT/Dungeoneering and AWR/Investigating are especially relevant. Add up the total of each hero’s roll to determine the party’s outcome as shown on the table below.

Players	Bad	Good	Great	Superb
3	0-39	40-48	49-57	58+
4	0-52	53-64	65-76	77+
5	0-65	66-80	81-95	96+
6	0-78	79-90	91-114	155+

Bad Result

By the time the party finally finds the way into the lair, the cultists have had ample time to prepare. Increase the Showdown encounter’s difficulty by 2 steps.

Good Result

The party is able to find the doorway with only a little trouble. The Showdown encounter’s difficulty increases by 1 step.

Great Result

The party quickly finds the doorway. The Showdown encounter’s difficulty is unaltered.

Superb Result

The party almost instantly finds the doorway. The Showdown encounter’s difficulty decreases by 1 step.

Using the Medallion

Once the heroes find the doorway, they must still use a medallion to open the door. Doing so has no bearing on the final Showdown encounter. However, if they do not have a medallion at this point, they may manually break into the hidden entrance, but doing so is loud and automatically increases the Showdown encounter difficulty by 4 steps.

Cultist Showdown

When the adventurers finally arrive in the maintenance chamber to confront the cultists, they see a deeply disturbing sight.

Read Aloud: A dark gathering of hooded figures fill the converted warehouse. Clusters of wax candles and wrought iron lanterns are scattered about the room in loose concentric circles, providing dim illumination that casts nightmarish shadows across the scene before you. A wide pentagram of blood is painted on the floor, and it seems that there are some humanoid viscera in the painted star as well. A mass of bones and shadows radiates with flickering red light that it draws from the blood. The fiend’s empty sockets seem to drink in the light, and its jaw and hands are unnaturally, impossibly long.

A quick glance around the room allows you to assess the terrain. Old boxes and barrels offer potential cover, as do old columns of the same redstone that makes up most of Bridgemoor. On the far side of the room, a collection of crates have been pushed together to form a makeshift podium.

On the podium of crates, overlooking the grizzly ritual, a dark figure looms. A fiendblood with dark purple skin that resembles onyx in the dim light, this figure has long black hair and a series of short, protruding horns that resemble an unholy crown. His irises catch and absorb the light, glowing a luminous, malicious green, his irises surrounded by inky black rather than typical whites.

He is tall and powerfully built. Broad shoulders and a muscular frame easily carry his dark steel armor and his midnight black cape. Dark batlike wings sprout from his back between his shoulders.

“Ah, we have guests,” he says when he sees you. His voice is a creamy baritone. “And just in time. Our new friend Druvesk is hungry.”

If necessary, remind the heroes that retreat is always an option. Depending on how well they did in tasks leading up to this confrontation, the heroes may face a somewhat easy fight or an incredibly dangerous one.

Surprise

It is unlikely that anyone in the battle is Partially Surprised (except Druvesk the Bonewraith, if the heroes arrive while he is still weak from being summoned), but you may decide otherwise based on the situation.

Aradin the Witchblade

The fiendblood, whose name is Aradin the Witchblade, does not participate in this combat. Instead, on Initiative count 20 during the first turn, he makes a declaration to the heroes and then takes his leave.

Read Aloud: The fiendblood smiles down on the carnage. “Know that you were slain by disciples of Aradin the Witchblade!” he bellows. Then, almost nonchalantly, he turns and strides through a shadowed hallway at the back of the podium.

Heroes that get to go before Aradin and attempt to attack him will not be able to deal sufficient damage to seriously endanger him. If they attack him, describe how he shrugs it off without a second thought.

Cult Forces

The number and strength of the cult forces that confront the heroes in this final showdown depend upon how successful the heroes were in the events leading up to this showdown. The battle starts at Medium difficulty, but is adjusted up or down by the events starting after the battle at the temple.

This could result in the final encounter being anywhere from 2 steps easier than normal to 10 steps more difficult than normal. The table below only provides combat calculations for up to 3 steps harder than the normal encounter. If your heroes face an encounter more than 3 steps harder than normal, add 1 Underbridge Initiate for each additional step beyond 3.

Stats for Underbridge Cultists and Underbridge Initiates are in TCL p. ##. Stats for the Bonewraith are in CC p. ##. Stats for Thugs are in CC p. ##. Stats for Skeletons are in CC p. ##. Stats for Zombies are in CC p. ##.

Players	Easiest	Easier	Normal	Harder	Difficult	Extreme
3	Bonewraith 2, 2 Thugs	Bonewraith 1, 2 Thugs	Bonewraith, 2 Thugs	Bonewraith, 2 Initiates	Bonewraith, 1 Cultist, 1 Initiate	Bonewraith, 2 Cultists
4	Bonewraith 2, 1 Thug, 2 Initiates	Bonewraith 1, 1 Thug, 2 Initiates	Bonewraith, 1 Thug, 2 Initiates	Bonewraith, 1 Cultist, 1 Initiate, 1  Thug	Bonewraith, 2 Cultists, 1  Thug	Bonewraith, 2 Cultists, 1  Initiate, 1 Thug
5	Bonewraith 2, 1 Cultist, 2 Initiates	Bonewraith 1, 1 Cultist, 2 Initiates	Bonewraith, 1 Cultist, 2 Initiates	Bonewraith, 1 Cultist, 2 Initiates, 2 Thugs	Bonewraith, 2 Cultists, 2 Initiates	Bonewraith, 2 Cultists, 3 Initiates
6	Bonewraith 2, 1 Cultist, 3 Initiates, 1 Thug	Bonewraith 1, 1 Cultist, 3 Initiates, 1 Thug	Bonewraith, 1 Cultist, 3 Initiates, 1 Thug	Bonewraith, 2 Cultists, 2 Initiates, 1 Thug	Bonewraith, 2 Cultists, 3 Initiates, 1 Thug	Bonewraith, 3 Cultists, 2 Initiates, 1 Thug

Druvesk the Bonewraith

The bonewraith that the cultists summoned is named Druvesk. Druvesk uses the tactics typical of any Bonewraith, snuffing out sources of light so that his attacks are stronger. If he is Bloodied, Druvesk will attempt to flee via the same exit that Aradin took. If he gets away, he will appear later in the campaign.

If the battle is easier than normal for the heroes, then adjust Druvesk’s abilities as denoted in the appropriate superscript number.

1. Druvesk cannot use his Growing Horde ability during this combat. If he escapes the combat, he may use it later.

2. Druvesk is Partially Surprised on the first round. Furthermore, he cannot use his Growing Horde ability during this combat. If he escapes the combat, he may use it later.

Resolving the Battle

The battle is over once the heroes have fled or have defeated the cultists. The cultists will fight until dead or incapacitated. Take note of whether the Bonewraith fled or not. This has no bearing on whether the heroes are considered the winners of the fight; if Druvesk fled and the heroes defeated the cultists, they won.

If the heroes were triumphant, they may explore the cultists’ lair. They also level up to level 4.

If the heroes fled, consider challenging them with a second showdown two nights later. This showdown should take place at some location that is noteworthy to the heroes, like Lauby’s house or the Temple of Vigil. This confrontation pits Druvesk the Bonewraith (CC p. ##), several Skeletons (CC p. ##), and 2 Thugs (TCL p. ##) against the heroes. The number of skeletons should be 2 fewer than the number of heroes.

Again, Druvesk will attempt to flee when Bloodied. If the heroes are otherwise victorious, then they level up to level 4.

Interrogating the Cultists

If the heroes leave one or more cultists alive to interrogate later, they learn that the dark cult leader who left at the beginning of the fight is named Aradin the Witchblade. They learn that Aradin and the Underbridge Cult wanted to destabilize Bridgemoor; their chief goal in the city was to cause chaos. They have grander plans - the cultists can only assume that Aradin has his eye set on conquest - but Aradin has not actually divulged his schemes to his subordinates, so this is speculation. All that the cultists know for certain is that they were supposed to summon fiends to join Aradin’s cause, and they would be rewarded for standing with him when it came time to enact Aradin’s greater plans.

The Lair and Treasure

The cultists’ lair consists of several more rooms than the initial chamber where the battle takes place. If the heroes are victorious, they may explore the lair.

The Crates

The crates are mostly empty. Those that have contents are usually filled with moldy food, frayed textiles, and other goods that would be useless to sell. A hero may make a LUCK/Fortuity check, finding sc equal to their roll. On a roll of 10 or higher, they find one randomly determined trinket. On a roll of 18 or higher, they also find one intact tool or kit of their choice (see CRB p. 312-14).

Living Quarters

To the left of the ritual chamber, there are a series of smaller rooms that have hostel-style sleeping arrangements. Straw mattresses are arranged on crates or on wire bed frames, usually four or five to a room. At the end of this hallway, there is a latrine that obviously empties directly into one of the streams of sewer sludge.

Aradin’s Office

In the back left corner of the ritual chamber, behind the hallway leading to the living quarters, there is another hallway blocked by boxes. Heroes that move these boxes and head down the short hall find a small but well-stocked administrative office that they can surmise was used by the cult leader that fled. It is unlit when the heroes enter, but a single wall sconce holds an iron torch that provides adequate illumination to the room once lit.

Read Aloud: The torch on the wall provides dim light to a small office. A single narrow bookshelf in one corner has dusty-looking books, and a polished wooden desk with a matching chair seems to be the only other object of note in the room.

A narrow bookshelf holds basic economic information. With a successful DC 14 INT check, heroes that read these records will be able to deduce that the cultists were siphoning revenue from virtually every economic sector in Bridgemoor: merchants, barkeeps, performers, and even governmental officials have all lost coin to the cultists. It is unclear whether these were bribes, thefts, or dues. If a hero makes a successful DC 30 INT check, they can decipher a code within these books; Aradin uses them as a way to keep track of high profile people that are affiliated with his cult, including one of the Bridge Knights who is a captain in the force. The captain in question is named Brendan Sterling.

The heroes find a locked chest under Aradin’s desk, and with a successful DC 13 INT check, they can open it. It contains 6,000 sc worth of coins and gems.

In the drawers in Aradin’s desk, the heroes can find more paperwork covering matters similar to the books on the shelves. They also find an envelope with a broken wax seal. The seal is simply a circle of inky black wax. There is no letter inside.

Heroes that started their adventure with the Kendarian Diplomats prologue might have seen a similar letter if they went to Dustdale and found the cultist there.

If the heroes investigate the drawers to see if there are any false bottoms, they find a hidden compartment that has a map of the Great Chasm and the nations around it. Red ink X’s are drawn over Bridgemoor, a small town on the border of Bridgemoor and Kendaria (this is Dustdale), and in the foothills to the northwest of Bridgemoor in Nalatheshi territory (this is where Mort Ironheart lurks with his gang). Aridala and Dalewright, the capitals of Nalathesh and Kendaria respectively, are circled in the same red ink.

The heroes can learn some valuable information about cult members and plans, but learn very little about Aradin himself from this room. More information about Aradin the Witchblade can be found in Appendix A, but the heroes will not necessarily discover any of this information yet.

Lastly, if the heroes manipulate the iron torch and sconce, they can find that it is actually a lever. If they pull on it, a small panel opens in the floor directly below the desk’s chair. Inside the panel, there is a smaller treasure chest. Unlocking it takes a DC 18 INT check. Once unlocked, the heroes find an Amulet of Thirst (MCG p. ##) and Crane Paper (MCG p. ##).

The Bolt Hole

The last area of interest that the heroes might explore is the tunnel that Aradin retreated through. If Druvesk escaped, he also fled down this passage.

Read Aloud: You climb over the podium and follow the tunnel, which remains flat for a time before becoming a steep, downward-spiraling staircase. It descends for a considerable time before simply opening up into empty air. Far below, you can see the faint, diffuse glint of the Chasm River. In the warm night, a thin mist blankets the river, twinkling in the light of the stars and the five moons. You are literally under the bridge. It seems that the cult leader - who you recall had wings - simply dropped out of this bolt hole and flew away.

6: Conclusion

After the heroes reach level 4 by defeating the cultists in a showdown (even if the Bonewraith escapes), they are recognized and thanked for their efforts. They will need to offer proof that the cultists will not be causing problems again in the immediate future; escorting the Bridge Knights into the cult’s lair is sufficient proof, and Commander Blacksky would lead such a contingent of Bridge Knights personally.

Handing over the books from Aradin’s office to the proper authorities would also constitute proof that the heroes stopped the cultists. Pay close attention to whom the heroes trust. If the heroes give Aradin’s books to an NPC, that character will have a significant amount of knowledge that they may misuse if they have their own agenda. Below is a table of notable NPCs that they might trust with this information and how the NPCs might utilize it.

NPC	What they do with the Cult Books
Adelaide and Reza Luxxor (Nalatheshi merchants)	The Luxxors use the information in the map to find and destroy Mort Ironheart’s hideout. You may decide whether Mort escapes or whether this is the end of the Ironheart Gang. The Luxxors may also ask the heroes to do this themselves in Part Two. They also warn their family and other politicians in Aridala to be on the lookout for cultists with the skull and scythe medallions. After 4d6 days, the Luxxors determine that Captain Brendan Sterling is affiliated with the cult, resulting in his arrest.
Elarion Sutian (Kendarian Noble)	If the heroes did not already confront the cultist in Dustdale, Elarion sends a contingent of mercenaries (or the heroes themselves, prior to Elarion’s death in Part Two) to find and arrest or kill the cultist. Elarion also sends word to warn his family and the nobles in Dalewright to be on the lookout for cultists with the skull and scythe medallions. After 4d6+4 days, Elarion determines that Captain Brendan Sterling is affiliated with the cult, resulting in his arrest.
Ezmerelda (Priestess at the Temple of Vigil)	Ezmerelda will safeguard these books in her office in the Temple of Vigil. She does not do anything proactive with her intelligence.
Hengory Bridgemoor (Meritocrat)	Hengory Bridgemoor, seeing the two X’s close to the city-state, will recruit the heroes or other mercenaries to deal with the Ironheart Gang and the cultist in Dustdale. He does not read the ledgers closely enough to determine that Captain Brendan Sterling is affiliated with the cult. Instead, he begins blaming innocent people whose businesses are in the ledgers. This dramatically escalates tensions in Bridgemoor in Part Two.
Kellion Blacksky (Commander of the Bridge Knights)	Kellion Blacksky misconstrues the evidence if he receives it. In order to win the trust of the heroes and the Meritocrats, he arrests Captain Brendan Sterling as a scapegoat, and then he uses the books and “ongoing investigations” as means to accuse and interrogate anyone who stands in his way. He is careful and does not play this card very frequently.
Magellus Black (Academic and Meritocrat)	Magellus Black immediately determines that Captain Brendan Sterling is affiliated with the cult, resulting in his arrest. He then safeguards the books and maps, but is willing to share them with the heroes at their request.

Receiving Payment

The heroes may at this point receive payment for their efforts if they negotiated a reward in advance. This might come in the form of profit sharing with Lauby, being paid by the Meritocrats for ending the nuisance, or receiving a reward from Magellus Black for a job well done. It is possible that the heroes managed to secure all three forms of payment.

Gaining Goodwill

When the heroes defeat the immediate threat of cult activity in Bridgemoor, they gain Goodwill. Each hero gains 2 Social Goodwill in Bridgemoor. They also gain 2 Goodwill in the same category or another category of their choice, provided that they can justify it. Helping Lauby is grounds for assigning their additional Goodwill to the Mercantile occupation, for example, while speaking with Hengory in a constructive fashion is reasonable justification for gaining Goodwill in the Aristocratic or Political occupations.

Proceed to Part Two

Having completed the Underbridge Cult adventure, proceed to Part Two of the campaign. Your heroes should all be level 4 and have connections with at least a couple of influential people who are currently in Bridgemoor, regardless of whether they are from another nation (like the Luxxors or Lord Elarion). Heroes also gain 1 Professional Rank.