Floating Sky Throne 20x30 Battle Map | Variant | PDF
Added 2019-03-11 04:56:33 +0000 UTC
Wind whistles through desolate and abandoned ruins, raised—somehow—so high above the continents below that it appears as a slow-moving star at night. Up here the air is cold, and thin—for the spells that once protected mortal breathers have long been fading. But, the dry environment, so far from wind and rain, has been excellent at preserving the ancient writings in a mysterious wall, behind a cold, stone throne…
Adventure Seeds
- Long ago there was once a group of genius, rebellious wizards. At that time their country had been swept by a series of vicious wars, each one worse than the last. Sick and tired of the petty squabbling of mortals, they grouped together and raised a clump of earth from the ground; weaving protective spells, so they could survive in comfort.
These wizards then proceeded to eat, drink, and discuss philosophy for many years, floating randomly above continents. But one day, something went terribly wrong; blasting their beautiful paradise to ruins, and sending many deadly meteorites flying down towards the lands below.
A wizard studying this event some twenty years late has offered to pay your party as guards on a teleported expedition into what remains of the floating isle. But, when you arrive, you discover a force far darker is behind the magic that sent this island into the sky—and as it forms around you, dark, swirling smoke with taunting laughter, it reanimates the freakishly well-preserved corpses of the wizards who were foolish enough to try and harness its power all those years ago.
- An elven druid has paid you as guards, to journey with her on the back of a griffon and some large eagles, while she goes and studies the ruins of a special race of giants—from long ago, when there was a rare and magical race who possessed intelligence, and created strange and beautiful things. But when you arrive, the elf picks up a strange artefact, which possesses her body and causes her to send her animals to attack you.
- A treasure hunter has convinced your party to journey with him to a remote, floating island in the sky, in search of mythical power stones. He gives each of you a flying artefact as means to get up there. When you arrive, you find three gems in each of the walls; flanked by large, stone statues, and a dead King sitting on a lonely throne. Moss has long since grown over his bones. If anyone starts prying the gems off the walls, the statues come alive; revealing themselves as large golems, intent on protecting their ancient treasure.
One claims to be the spirit of the dead King, reanimated into a stronger body as is his duty, to protect the ancient stones. The other claims to be the blacksmith-wizard who crafted the golems initially, as well as the stones, which hold the souls of countless rulers. Initially, they say, the stones had been merely a way to preserve the memories of their peoples, and seek the wisdom of those who came before them; softening the edges of death.
But then others—humans—had discovered the power they held, and stolen the stones for themselves. The magic captured within them had been used to fuel huge battle weapons, and seen entire countries reduced to burning rubble. It had been a long and arduous journey to get them back, and keep them here—safely out of the reach of those who would misuse them. For, despite their efforts, the stones could not be destroyed—and the purple one had been corrupted with such evil so that it twists the mind of any who hold it.