Artist Housing Complex

What Happened to the Artists?

Sutter and his followers developed limited magical abilities due to a leak in the Ether Lake's echo chamber while living in Hallowspire. In the weeks before the ban, Sutter's powers intensified—he entered fugue states and painted visions of the future.

The mayor's discovery of the commune's secret came not from a public display, but from a confiscated sketchbook found during a routine inspection of the tavern. Inside were pages of surreal imagery—twisted depictions of divine symbols, distorted portraits of village leaders, and one chilling image: the Spire of Law crumbling into the Ether Lake. Alarmed, the mayor ordered a covert investigation.

Guards infiltrated the Artists' Quarter under the guise of census takers, reporting strange and abnormal behavior among the residents. Eventually, magic users were discovered and exiled.

Sutter's Room

• The mayor, hunched and shadowed, stealing coins from a village coffer—his eyes hollow, his hands stained with ink and blood.

• Elric, the Tinkerer, curled in sleep beneath the earth, surrounded by glowing runes and fractured machinery—his breath syncing with the pulse of the a giant Gate.

• The world itself, split down the middle—one half aflame, the other drowned in stars and silence.

• A player character, depicted in the exact clothes they wore upon arrival, standing at the edge of a broken bridge, staring into the Ether Lake.

  • - A portrait of Lyrixa Veil (Leader of West) holding Tonys eyes open at an upside-down music book of the anthem rest atop of a concert (whatever instrument you play)- Let them here the absurdity - inside Gloamspire Hall

Module: Echoes in the Mist

Overview

A mysterious mist creeps through Gravemarket, whispering secrets and stirring memories. The Crimson Council dismisses it as seasonal fog, but those who know better feel the forest awakening. This module brings together eight unique characters to investigate the Whispering Woods and uncover the truth behind the mist’s growing reach.

🧠 Quest Module: Echoes in the Mist

Starting Seed: Chill discovers Sutter Cain’s sketchbook tucked into his coat during Florence’s funeral. He didn’t bring it. It pulses faintly, and the pages shift when turned.

🕯️ Act I: The Sketchbook Whispers (Day 1)

Trigger:

• The sketchbook opens to a page depicting the graveyard twisted into a spiral of roots and screaming faces.

• A second page shows a player character standing at the edge of a broken bridge, staring into the Ether Lake.

• A third page is blank—but begins to fill with ink when Chill touches it.

Leads:

• Lexi recognizes one of the symbols as matching a broken carving in her tavern’s basement.

• Koarn sees a schematic embedded in the art—matching a device Florence once described.

• Tony finds a cipher in the margins—musical notation that matches Lyrixa Veil’s sheet.

• Lita feels her eyepatch warm when the sketchbook is near the Whispering Woods.

Optional Encounter:

• A villager approaches Chill, claiming to have seen Florence walking near the graveyard last night.

• The mist thickens. A voice calls Chill’s name—but no one else hears it.

Player Moments:

• Tony’s Moment: Tony seeks out Lyrixa Veil, who runs the art district and may know where Sutter Cain once lived. They engage in a tense back-and-forth skill check—if Tony succeeds, Lyrixa shares the location and a warning. If Tony fails, Lyrixa deflects, and Tony must solve a cipher hidden in the sketchbook to uncover the commune’s coordinates.

🌫️ Act II: Commune Echoes (Day 2)

Trigger:

• A page in the sketchbook reveals coordinates—leading to a hidden trail beyond the village walls.

• The trail leads to a submerged ruin: Sutter’s Commune.

Commune Encounter:

• The commune is quiet, but dream-echo sculptures shimmer with latent prophecy.

• A sculpture of Florence hums when Koarn approaches.

• A painting shows the mayor hunched over a coffer, bleeding ink.

• A sculpture of Lyrixa Veil holds Tony’s eyes open to an upside-down music book.

Revelations:

• The commune was built atop shattered divine infrastructure.

• The Echo Chamber beneath the lake is leaking.

• Sutter’s visions are not metaphor—they are warnings.

• The graveyard is not a resting place. It is a mouth.

👁️ Act III: The Graveyard Beckons (Day 3)

Trigger:

• The sketchbook’s final page fills in overnight: “Resolve the spiral. Or the forest will feed.”

• Nyx’s directive echoes in Lita’s mind. Her exile looms.

Graveyard Setup:

• The mist is thicker. The soil churns.

• Graves are missing. The crypt hums.

• The Null Choir begins to stir—drawn by sound, memory, and grief.

Optional Tactics:

• Players can prepare with fire, light, silence, or commune artifacts.

• The Choir reacts to sound—every name spoken, every note played, every cry for help.

🎁 Rewards & Seeds

• Sketchbook Pages: Reveal future events, commune coordinates, and emotional triggers.

• Sculptures: Can be used to distract or confuse the Null Choir.

• Ciphered Music: May suppress or awaken latent magic.

• Koarn’s Schematic: Unlocks a buried device that may seal or rupture the Echo Chamber.

• Lexi’s Tavern: Becomes a hub for quiet rebellion and encoded mourning.

Adventure Summary

The party gathers at the Bronze Buck Tavern following a funeral. Each character brings a personal connection to the mist and the forest. As they share stories and uncover clues, they form a pact to enter the Whispering Woods. The forest reacts to their presence, testing their resolve and revealing echoes of the past.

Starting Location: The Bronze Buck Tavern

Lexi hosts a quiet gathering after a recent funeral. Irene pours drinks while Lita, Elira, and Tony share stories of strange dreams and voices. Chill arrives with a book referencing the "Maw Beneath"—a legend long thought symbolic. Koarn brings a broken construct that wandered out of the woods, its memory core filled with distorted voices. Cassandra arrives late, carrying a coded message from the Council: "The mist is not ours."

On her way to the funeral, Elira mindlessly hums one of her grandmother’s forbidden songs. The mist parts around her, revealing a clear path to the tavern.

Key Scenes

• The Funeral Wake: Emotional bonding, shared grief, and subtle hints of the forest’s influence.

• The Broken Construct: Koarn and Chill examine the device, revealing psychic interference and a map fragment.

• Council Interference: Cassandra warns of surveillance and urges caution. Lita and Tony debate whether to defy orders.

• The Pact: The group agrees to enter the forest together, each with a personal reason—loss, curiosity, rebellion, or duty.

• First Steps into the Woods: The mist thickens, and the forest reacts. Whispermoths swarm. Echoes of the past call out. The party must resist psychic disorientation and choose whether to follow a vision or stay grounded.

Rewards

• Memory Shards: Fragments of lost souls that can be used to unlock secrets or gain temporary powers.

• Forest Favor: If the party shows empathy or reverence, certain wildlife may assist them.

• Council Suspicion: Their actions may draw attention, leading to future consequences or missions.