The Junon Tales

Herein is presented a myriad of tales, all taking place in and around the Althorian city of Junon. The city itself is located on Far Isle, a relatively large island that happens to be the landmass furthest west of any known. Far from the turmoil and conflict of the mainland, the people of Junon lead peaceful lives, never experiencing the wars that plague mainlanders.

Yet life in Junon is not entirely without incident. The city itself is built on ancient Synari ruins, and rumors of horrors unknown lurking below the city abound. The Great Library of Junon, the city's pride and joy, serves as a college to all manner of learned professions, from mundane scribes to wondrous arcane masters... And where there's a gathering of magic users, there's certain to be accidents and incidents. This, and much else that is strange and fantastical, can at times seem routine in the city of Junon.

What manner of heroes make their home in such a city, and what are their exploits? Such is the content of the Junon Tales.

## The Tale of the *Grey Pike* and the Grand Magus

### Chapter I: The Doom of the *Grey Pike*

Two passengers find themselves on board a ship heading towards the Althorian colony of Far Isle. The first, a dragonborn druid named Denethroc Venomfang, began his journey to the island and its fabled Great Library after uncovering terrible revelations of an ancient evil slumbering in the heart of the world. The second, a gnome monk named Billman the Tillman, found himself pulled towards the island after terrible dreams of a star falling upon a city in the shadow of a mountain, having nowhere else to go after his monastery was destroyed. So it was that fate swept these two adventurers towards their destiny, for better or for worse.

The voyage on the *Grey Pike* soon proved disastrous, with a terrible storm and abominable creatures from the deeps claiming the lives of the crew. Only Denethroc and Billman survived the ordeal, to be rescued the next day by a passing ship. Their rescuers soon proved to be less than entirely altruistic, however, and the two survivors slipped into a stupor after consuming poisoned bread and water.

### Chapter II: An Errand from Pilgrimage

The survivors awoke in the Far Isle town of Pilgrimage, under the care of the temple of Sarenrae. After a brief reunion with their "rescuers" wherein the adventurers recovered their stolen coin, Denethroc and Billman met with Mayor Deloric of Pilgrimmage to relate their tale. Deloric, disturbed by the news, promised to draft a letter to the Lord Governor of Junon relating the adventurers' tale. The next morning, Denethroc and Billman returned to the Mayor, who gave the party a letter to deliver to Deloric's agent in Junon.

Denethroc and Billman took the Pilgrim's Road from Pilgrimage to Junon, and on their journey they fought goblins, brawled with Valsarans, guards, and a half-orc named Murrel at Pilgrim's Rest Inn, and aided an ailing Valsaran merchant. In four days' time, they arrived in Junon, successfully delivering Deloric's letter to his agent, as well as a letter entrusted to them by Farlo, one of the *Grey Pike*'s crew, intended for a dwarf innkeeper named Cotty.

### Chapter III: The *Anchor and Tankard* Discovery

They stayed their first night in Junon at Cotty's *Anchor and Tankard* inn, enjoying free room and board as a token of Cotty's gratitude for the good news contained in his letter. The next morning, however, the adventurers discovered a secret door into Junon's Undercity in the course of tracking down Cotty's missing ale drake. The Junon Watch was summoned in due course, but when the first four adventurers sent down to investigate failed to return, Deputy Feldane implored the adventurers to rescue her men, if possible, and determine whether the underground passage led into horrors best left sealed.

The stairway down led into the ancient apartment of an ancient Aephoric magus named Metraxis, who had been transformed into an imprisoned wraith as the result of a failed lichdom ritual. The apartment proved to be filled with myriad terrors: aberrations, undead, and even demons had made their lair within the apartments' chambers. Yet not all creatures were hostile: a ghostly butler named Althadius, four familiars engaged in a game of cards, and a pair of clockwork constructs all treated the adventurers politely, albeit with caution. At great peril to their life, the heroes managed to rescue all of Feldane's mercenaries, and even managed to kill a Shadow Demon that haunted the cursed apartment.

In the aftermath of their adventure, the heroes somehow managed to end up with the ancient deed to the magus's apartment (chiefly through the intervention of the ghost Althadius). With the apartment's security guaranteed by the party, Deputy Feldane allowed the passage into the Undercity to remain open, and thus Cotty's inn avoided condemnation and demolition by the Junon authorities.

The adventurers moved into their new subterranean lair, becoming acquainted with their new staff. They discovered a cache of ancient Aephoric cache of tomes, all in near-perfect condition thanks to the mending magics of the fabricator construct, Fabricanus. The heroes donated these books to the Great Library of Junon, who in their gratitude granted the heroes access to many of the library's lower vaults and promised the heroes translated copies of the Aephoric tomes with which to restock their library.

## Murder at the Menagerie

### Chapter I: Madame Margaret's Menagerie

One sleepy morning in Junon, Billman the Tillman and Denethroc Venomfang were enjoying breakfast at the Anchor & Tankard. As they enjoyed their humble meal, the innkeeper Cotty commented that a Valsaran carnival had recently set up camp outside of Junon's walls, calling itself "Madame Margaret's Menagerie."