Rivalis

At a glance

Rivalis is a bright, picturesque lakeside town in Darkon whose flower gardens and bustling markets conceal a growing tangle of supernatural dangers.

Description

• Short, squat cottages surrounded by brilliant flower gardens.
• Farmland and fishing give the air a mixture of dung, soil, and fish.
• Ducks, fur traders, candle stalls, and food carts fill its busy market.
• A large glass-domed greenhouse, the Crystal Gardens, stands by the lake.
• Numerous graveyards appear to ring the town.
• A local fair was underway when the party arrived.

Known dangers

• The Shroud descends heavily each night, requiring armed defenders.
• The Mists recede again each morning.
• Scarecrows in the surrounding fields reportedly turn toward the town.
• Gray roots can animate nearby plants.
• A suspected vampire or shapeshifter attacked Rage in the market.
• No one has emerged from the Crystal Gardens in weeks.
• Three silent crows have begun following the party.
• The town bell rang thirteen times at midnight.
• The bell repeated its thirteen midnight chimes the following night.
• At least one scarecrow was intentionally animated and attacked when disturbed.
• Rage won the annual pie-eating contest, ending an old woman’s long winning streak.
• An employee of the Coachman’s Rest died during the following night.
• The Shroud has advanced over approximately half the town and remains during daylight.
• Coachman’s Rest, Traveler’s End, and half the Crystal Gardens lie behind the wall of Mists.
• Refugees and defenders have gathered around City Hall and the remaining safe streets.
• Carver detected deep rot within the surrounding ground.
• Its surviving market has become desperate and expensive as residents prepare to flee.
• Some Eternal Order worshippers instead prepare to accept undeath as part of Darkon’s proper cycle.
• Hawks are unfamiliar enough to cause panic; residents claimed to know only ravens and owls.
• Gravelights near the southern graves have grown more numerous and intensely blue.

Connections

• Coachman’s Rest: The party’s lodging.
• Crystal Gardens: Rivalis’s largest and most striking structure.
• Eternal Order Chapel: Keeps records of the dead.
• Rivalis City Hall: Houses the chief constable’s office.
• The Baron: Residents are expected to report gray roots to the Baron; identity and residence unknown.

History with the party

• Session 1: The party met, visited family graves, survived two supernatural attacks, and collected a sample of gray root.
• Session 2: The party investigated the Haunted Visage, met the chief constable, acquired a Darkon Talisman, and entered the Crystal Gardens.
• Session 3: The party received an invitation to Castle Avernus, destroyed an animated scarecrow, and investigated the Two Brothers Creamery.
• Session 4: Rage won the pie contest, the party met several travelers, and they departed through the Shroud in search of the hidden house.
• Session 12: The party returned through the advancing Shroud, fought skeletal horrors, and found roughly half the town consumed.
• Session 13: The party investigated the town’s response to collapse, recruited Ooru, learned Aldo’s Kargatane ties, and departed east.

Current status

Half-overrun and preparing for evacuation. The party has departed, while defenders, refugees, merchants, and Eternal Order worshippers remain in the surviving streets.