Design Philosophy
The adventure was designed around environmental storytelling and escalating contamination horror. The goal was to create a world that progressively shifts from apparent safety and comfort into biological decay and psychological unease, while preserving player freedom and exploration-driven pacing.
Narrative Structure
The campaign follows a layered investigative structure. What initially appears to be a localized disappearance mystery gradually expands into a larger ecological and existential threat tied to the Putrescence hive mind.
Each chapter introduces a distinct biome, gameplay rhythm and narrative tone, progressively escalating the sense of danger while expanding the players’ understanding of the world.
Player Agency & Encounter Design
Encounters were intentionally designed with multiple possible resolutions, encouraging players to approach situations through combat, negotiation, exploration or environmental interaction depending on party composition and roleplay choices.
The aim is to provide the Game Master with a range of possible scenarios regarding the players' actions, while leaving the unfolding of the story up to the Game Master's and the players' creativity.
Worldbuilding Approach
The worldbuilding approach focused on ecological corruption and environmental contrast. Noviacque was intentionally designed as a vibrant and prosperous spa city whose beauty slowly collapses under the spread of the Putrescence infection, reinforcing themes of decay, loss and hidden contamination. Contrast is a fundamental element of storytelling, as if to suggest that evil can lurk even in what appears pure on the surface.
Arrival in Noviacque
From behind the mountains, the sun rises after a long night of travel.
The players wake up inside the carriage and watch the landscape pass by outside the windows.
A few days ago, the group received a letter from Decio, the brother of one of them. In the letter, the man complained about how much time had passed since their last meeting and invited the whole group to spend a vacation at his inn in Noviacque.
Ideal for a well-deserved rest after so many adventures and assignments, Noviacque lies at the confluence of two blue rivers not far from Mount Ambros. Famous throughout Calissia for its thermal springs and delicious cuisine, there is no better place in the whole region to spend a relaxing vacation.
Now, finally, the city comes into view in the distance with its white buildings delightfully covered in climbing plants, lush fruit trees, and the pleasant steam rising from the waters. A slight sulfurous smell fills the players' lungs.
Finally, it's time to relax and have fun.
The carriage enters the city around noon. It is warmer inside the walls than outside, and people stroll through the streets in light clothing.
The players arrive at the central square where they can finally get out of the carriage and stretch their legs. Decio was supposed to be there waiting for them as agreed, but he is nowhere to be seen. In the center of the square, a white fountain adorned with statues of two enormous fish holds a pool of crystal clear water from which some children happily quench their thirst. Around them, tourists wander through the shops looking for souvenirs to take home, while the locals hurry about their daily business.
On this occasion, players will have the opportunity to briefly explore the city or head to Decio's inn, La Fontana.
If they decide to explore the city, they will find shops and stores where they can buy basic equipment, potions, and spells. However, they will also find several stalls with signs saying “Acqua Arghenta” and “Temporarily out of stock.” If they ask for information about this, the seller will inform them that Noviacque is famous for its medicinal waters, which are excellent to drink and used as a base for producing high-quality potions. However, for some time now, the municipality has banned its sale due to “works and checks on the water network,” which has annoyed many merchants. However, the man is willing to sell the players some potions under the counter at a special price.
If they decide to go to Decio's inn, when they arrive, the building will appear to be closed. A blue sign displays the name of the establishment, “La Fontana,” and near the entrance, fresh water gushes from a fountain decorated with climbing plants.
Climbing the external stairs to the upper floor, Decio will answer the door of his private residence. He looks exhausted, as if he hasn't slept for days, and has a desperate expression on his face. He will invite his brother and friends to come in, apologizing for not coming to greet them in the square, but unfortunately something serious has happened in recent days: his wife seems to have disappeared.
The Sewers
The players descend into the sewers through a manhole cover. The air is unhealthy and the smell is truly unpleasant. The tunnels are vaulted, just under four meters high at their highest point. On either side, two walkways follow the perimeter of the walls, divided by a stream of murky water that flows lazily along its course. The walls are damp and partly covered with slimy rot.
Area 1: The room is closed by a grate. You need a key to open it, or a Picklocking roll. Inside, a machine similar to a water wheel seems to be blocked by algae. If you try to free the equipment, the plant will come to life and attack the players. MOB2Once the monster has been defeated, you can access the machine. With a Knowledge: Engineering check, you can figure out that you need to restart it to make it work. To do this, you need a special key or a high Disable Device check. Once this is done, the blades will start moving again and you will hear the sound of something mechanical activating in the distance.
Warehouse 1: A room used by sewer maintenance workers to store equipment and a few camp beds. It can be accessed through two doors: the right one is locked and can be opened with a key or by picking the lock, while the left one is open. Inside, there are signs of a struggle and the corpses of two creatures, probably killed by the group of soldiers. Searching around, you can find a USEFUL ITEM.
Area 2: The water pump room. To access it, you must go through the locked grate. You need the key or a Picklock roll.
Here too, the machinery is stopped, but there is no way to restart it. The only way is to restart the machinery in Area 1.
Area 3: Initially, this room will be flooded except for a sidewalk surrounding the perimeter. An iron ladder plunges into the depths of the tank.
Once the machinery in Zone 1 has been restarted, the water pump in the adjacent room will start working again, draining the water from the tank. Once drained, it will reveal a door sealed shut by a valve. Opening it will lead to the stone staircase that leads to the Underground Caves area.
Area 4: A small pool of water with a grate and a drainage tunnel leading into the darkness. The water is murky and brackish and gives off a foul odor. But a spell or special ability would detect a certain magical aura coming from the bottom. Diving blindly five meters deep, you may find MAGICAL ITEM. Who knows how it got there?
The Swamp
There are no paths in the swamp: the marshes make the ground unstable, and with every step there is a risk of sinking waist-deep into the brackish water and getting stuck.
Strange algae grow on the muddy bottom and cling to the feet of the unfortunate souls who tread on them. Those without special abilities will be considered hindered until they find solid ground to move on.
If a player can detect poisons or diseases, they will see a source of decay spreading throughout the swamp from somewhere in the heart of the area. The fog limits visibility, but it cannot be too far away.
When you start searching the swamp, roll a percentage die with a 50% chance of failure until you pass the test. With each failure, the party will encounter groups of creatures infected with rot.
Upon the first success, while the group is crossing a stretch of mud up to the waist of an average man, one of the solitary trees dotting the swamp will suddenly come to life and attack them. With a Nature Knowledge roll, you can recognize a Hangman's Tree.
Immediately after the fight, a strange creature will scramble out of the muddy water and leap onto the freshly slain monster. Just over half a meter tall and with smooth, greenish-spotted skin, its head undoubtedly resembles that of a frog, but the rest of its body is humanoid. It wears a worn brown poncho and underneath it, clothes made of canvas and leather. It carries an old, battered bag on its shoulders. With a Local Knowledge roll, the creature can be identified as a Grippli.
The creature furtively observes the players and, without taking its eyes off them, begins to pick small white flowers from the tree's corpse. Once all the flowers have been picked, or if the players disturb him during the operation, the Grippli will shout at them: “Strangers! This prey belongs to me according to the ancient law of first come, first served, and furthermore, he who finds it takes it, and he who loses it cries! So these Crystal Orchids are now mine!”
It seems a little rude, but not threatening. It will be possible to make a Diplomacy or Deception roll to ask him for directions or information.
If the roll fails, the creature will rub its little paws together. “Anything you want, travelers. Anything... for the right price.”
However, if the roll is successful and you explain the details of the mission to him, he will be very interested.
"So you're looking for the Great Submerged One? I strongly advise against it, he's a terrible customer. All the creatures of the swamp know it's best to stay away from him if you don't want to end up badly. But luckily for you, you've found the right Grippli! My name is Crobbit, and I'm the person to ask for anything you need in the swamp. At the right price, of course... Especially if you want to face that beast, you'll need stuff like this." Crobbit waves the bunch of orchids he has just picked under the players' noses.
“The smartest people around here get some of this stuff. If you eat them, they make you immune to the disease of the Great Submerged. However, the effect is not immediate; you need to eat them every day for at least a couple of weeks. That is, unless you make a special potion out of them. Instant effect guaranteed!”
Apparently, Crystal Orchids seem to be a solution to the disease. The city leader Dromaca would certainly be interested; it could be a golden opportunity.
However, Crobbit will not accept simple gold as currency, but will be much more interested in useful items, especially magical ones. In addition to the Orchid Potion, it will be possible to barter various USEFUL ITEMS and even a MAGICAL ITEM with him.