Lords of the Cruth Lowlands - Vaults of Pandius

Adventuring in the Lowlands
Adventuring in the
Lowlands
This book, in line with its sandbox style,
provides several plot options. In this
section, we cover the seven primary plot
threads supported by the module.
The Colonization of Achelos
The primary plot thread is driven by the
colonization effort by the Karameikan
government to reclaim the ruins of Achelos
and establish a new settlement, Nova
Achelos, there.
Lord Kaerin Penhaligon, as the governor of
Nova Achelos, is the NPC that will provide
missions and rewards for the party during
this plotline. However, other stakeholders
in the colonization effort are also present,
and provide additional missions.
The colonization requires essentially that
more areas of the ruins are cleaned,
chasing or slaying the monsters that
inhabit them. The first area to reclaim is
the Riverside Slums district, followed by
the Merchant District and the Noble
Estates.
At this point, the growing threat of the
restless dead from the Old Graveyard area
should emerge, leading to the Undead
Menace plot thread.
Furthermore, the Merchant District holds
clues to the mysterious Achelos Outlaws,
and the Bell of Chardastes and Regalia of
Achelos plotlines also depend on the
completion of parts of this plot thread.
The Bell of Chardastes
This plotline is driven by the conflict
between the Cult of the Dark Triad – and in
particular Orcus – and the Church of
Traladara. The cultists of Orcus have
desecrated and looted the Cathedral of
Chardastes, stealing the Bell of
Chardastes, a legendary artifact.
The plot thread starts with the party
enlisted by the church officials to secure
the cathedral and recover the Bell. The
discovery of Orcus cultists in the temple
and their ongoing attempt to open a portal
to Limbo lead the PCs to the Blight Swamp
and finally to the Tomb of Trinkla the Black
Seer, where the cultists have hidden the
Bell of Chardastes.
The Achelos Outlaws
The Achelos Outlaws plotline starts from
the discovery of the existence of the
Hidden Market, a place where non-human
tribes, outlaws, and unscrupulous
merchants meet to trade.
The mysterious “Achelos”, leader of the
Achelos Outlaws, is expected to make an
appearance there to acquire a magical
artifact. The information is actually
incorrect, as only some of his henchmen
attend, but the PCs may be able to follow
them back to the Abandoned Thyatian
Fort. There, the outlaws have a run-in with
an Orc war party. If the PCs prevent this
event from happening or help the outlaws,
they may be able to follow them back to
their camp, or even be invited to join.
The Outlaws' camp is the location of the
final showdown with “Achelos”, a bandit
leader who (falsely, of course) claims to be
the reborn last king of Achelos.
The Regalia of Achelos
This plotline is driven by the efforts of
Natalia Ivanovich, a direct descendant of
the kings of Achelos, to retrieve the crown
jewels of the Kingdom of Achelos, all of
which are powerful magical items.
The items were lost or hidden during the
war that led to the destruction of the citystate,
so this thread only starts when part
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