Caverns of Thracia

## Overview

A series of one shot campaigns run using Paul Jaquays' 1979 Campaign *Caverns of Thracia*, adapted for 5th Edition D&D. The Campaign sees parties delve into the illustrious and deep history of the Caverns in search of treasure and fame. The first set of adventurers set of on the 1st of January 1500, in a mysterious land.

Caution - If you have not played the campaign, there may be spoilers up ahead - especially if you're going to play it, don't ruin how awesome this campaign is by reading about the twists and turns of the caverns.

## Parties

### The Reckless:

The first party to find the Caverns, making it down to the garden of the Palace of the Minotaur King before turning back and awakening the Immortal King, where they met their grizzly end.

Starting by exploring the Southern side of the Lost City, the Party avoided Assassin vines and fought Wights before finding the main entrance to the Caverns atop the edifice of Zeus, guarded by Gnolls. However they turned away from this, instead following the prompt found by Vladgrim on a Dwarven Tablet. Here they persuaded past several Deathwalkers before sneaking into the Caverns through a secret entrace guarded by Deathwalkers.

Once into the Caverns, the party came face to face with more Deathwalkers, including several Purveyors of Mortality in ceremonial rooms to the God Thanatos. From here they entered a chamber room, where they encountered Dench, a half orc left behind by some adventurers long ago, hidden away in the corner of the Caverns. They crossed vast chasms in a large hall, with Zelda loosing her snake companion to a great fall.

Upon venturing down further, they party was ambushed by Gnolls who were quickly dispatched and the party let their guard down. It was here that Dallarth, the Druid, slipped and fell down a pit trap into the face of a Monstrous Lizard. He was grievously wounded, but put up a stiff fight and his comrades quickly engineered a system to rush to his aid.

Upon reascending the pit, the party used an old teleporter, appearing in the illustrious gardens of the Minotaur King. They fought off Gnolls before returning back to the Undertemples, where they followed a secret door down into Level 2C.

In level 2C they found yet more secret doors, until they reached an illustrious storage room for pottery. After some further searching, a hidden passage was found and the party followed it, fighting two flesh golems. Despite taking a beating, the party dispatched them before stumbling upon the preserved Immortal King, ensconced in crystal.

The party decided to awaken and attempt to defeat the King - hence the name, the Reckless. Though they knew it would be difficult, this was something far more sinister. After a rest and some final preparations including Dallarth and Zelda finding hope in the embracing arms of communism, Vladgrim awoke the Immortal King from his slumber.

Transfixed by the aura of terror the King emitted, the party was slow to react and was decimated by the Chain Lightning and immense power of the King. Vladgrim healed the party, Dench and Kresnik traded blows with the terror, Dallarth and Jizzo fired off spells and Zelda shot arrow after arrow, they were unable to kill the horror, and one by one they were slaughtered.

First Dench was turned into ash, withered down by the necrotic touch of the King. After that, Kresnik was consumed by the elemental summoned, disappearing into a grim hell. Jizzo was immolated by the massive damage of the King's spells, turning to ash.

The last three, The stalwart comrades of communism, Dallarth, Vladgrim and Zelda, stood weak and outmatched before the horror, but remained resolute til the last. Despite calls for Zelda to flee and spread the story of the terror lying beneath Thracia, he remained, to watch Dallarth and Vladgrim be slaughtered by the great lizard, cackling as he ended their lives. It was too late, and Zelda to was knocked down by the Immortal King.

In his last moments, Zelda summoned the strength for one last attack, thrusting his trusty chain knives into the weakened beast. For a second, the Immortal King straightened, appearing to have finally been stopped, but the undead energy still coursed through his body and he finished Zelda with a final great attack, the necrotic claws of the thousand-year-old lizard killing the last of the Reckless. And so came about the death of the party, lost and forgotten to the depths.