Rumors throughout Stormreach speak of a party of Riedrans that has just left by airship to seek the legendary tower of Sharatazz. Loyal to the Dreaming Dark, this group hopes to retrieve the fabled weapon said to rest there. Viasa, a local kalashtar scholar, is concerned by this development and does not wish the weapon to fall into the wrong hands. She contacts the PCs in hopes that they will retrieve the weapon before the Riedrans do.
The tower of Sharatazz stands in the middle of a magma field, surrounded by bubbling pools of lava, clouds of noxious gas, and fiery guardians. Though the giant sorcerer perished in the quori invasion, her staff was passed down to others in her line, eventually finding use against the elves during their rebellion. When the giant civilization crumbled, the weapon was returned to Sharatazz’s tower and has remained there ever since.
The race to retrieve the staff is fraught with peril. The Inspired have left behind spies and saboteurs bent on hindering any who might attempt to follow them. Even after discovering the site, reaching the tower (and overcoming its still-potent defenses) is a dangerous challenge. Once they claim the staff, the PCs must finally deal with the agents of the Dreaming Dark, who plan to steal the artifact in a final confrontation.
Since time is of the essence, the PCs should travel to the mountains by House Lyrandar airship. Airship charters run frequently to the interior of the continent, and the party can arrange for travel to a point near the site for 500 gp per passenger. Camanir d’Lyrandar routinely makes such a run and is willing to take the PCs, along with another party heading inland.
After dropping off the first group, the airship continues on toward the mountains. However, unknown to even the captain, the ship’s boundelemental ring has a fault and is slowly weakening. With only one day of travel remaining, the ring begins to function erratically, causing Camanir to take the ship to ground in the foothills.
After a dangerous mooring, the party continues to the site on foot while the crew makes repairs. The captain estimates that the ring will take four days to fix, after which he will pick the PCs up at the site.
After the better part of a day spent climbing narrow paths, the PCs arrive at the site high in the mountains, the sorcerer’s tower rising from the haze in the distance.
The interior of the tower has only a few chambers. For an expanded adventure, the teleportation device in area 10 might still be active, allowing the PCs to explore additional levels before finding the gallery.
As the party leaves the tower with the staff, the Riedrans emerge from hiding to confront them. Content to let the PCs face the dangers in the tower, the Inspired wait until the party is in a compromised position (on the decaying bridge, for example) before revealing themselves. The Riedrans demand the staff and any other destiny arms the PCs might have. They cannot be bargained with, and focus on retrieving the artifact if combat breaks out.
After the battle, Captain Camanir d’Lyrandar arrives to pick up the PCs, having repaired the airship. After traveling to pick up his other charter group, he returns the PCs to Stormreach.
If the other adventuring party exploring the giant ruins does not return for pickup, the PCs might have to decide between mounting a rescue mission and seeking safety in Stormreach. The remnants of the defeated Inspired party could be hard on their trail.
Even if the PCs lose the battle with the Inspired, they will have likely earned the enmity of the Dreaming Dark. The party might even pursue the Inspired in an attempt to retrieve the staff of the magma falls, possibly leading them to the city of Dar Qat.
No matter where this scenario falls in the destiny arms campaign arc, the presence of the Inspired can lead the PCs to uncover information regarding the Dreaming Dark’s search for these mythic weapons and their ultimate goals. See the Destiny Arms sidebar on page 101 for more information.