Beneath the Weeping Stones: Challenge of the Lost Echoes
Setting: The Weeping Stones
Deep within the heart of the Mistcloak Forest lies an ancient, abandoned village shrouded in legend. This forlorn place is known as the Weeping Stones, where the ground is strewn with large, smooth stones that appear to weep a viscous liquid. They say the stones are imbued with the memories of the village’s long-lost inhabitants, eternally mourning the tragedy that befell them.
The village is overgrown and eerily quiet, with trees twisting into distorted shapes and a heavy fog that blankets the ground. As the players approach, they hear distant whispers—echoes of the past that can either guide or mislead them. The air is thick with unease, and dim green light flickers among the trees, emanating from a dilapidated structure at the center of the village, the “Echo Hall.”
Characters: The Lost Spirits
In their exploration of the Weeping Stones, the players will encounter various spirits:
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Elaris, the Sorrowful Bard: A ghostly figure with a lute, Elaris is trapped in the Echo Hall, cursed to endlessly play a mournful tune. He can provide players with crucial information regarding the village’s fate, but only after they help him find his lost songbook, which was scattered when the village fell. He offers a reward in the form of a legendary charm that grants advantage on one performance check, but only if they free him from his lyrical chains first.
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The Stone Guardian: A colossal spirit made of the very stones that weep, the Guardian was once a protector of the village. Now, he defends the Echo Hall against any who dare enter without respect. The Guardian’s strength is formidable, but his compassion for lost souls makes him a potential ally if players can show understanding for their plight.
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The Echo Wights: Malevolent manifestations of the village’s sorrow, these ghostly beings mimic the players' past actions and words, creating confusion and attempting to drive them to madness. Their attacks are psychological as well as physical, creating a unique challenge for the party.
Conflict: The Lost Song and the Guardian’s Vigil
The players find themselves drawn into the village by tales of a mystical artifact housed within the Echo Hall—the Lamentation Stone, rumored to have the power to mend broken spirits. However, to gain access, they must first solve the mystery of the weeping stones. It is a puzzle intertwined with the village’s history and its lost songs.
The Puzzle of Memory
As the party explores the area, they discover various Weeping Stones with inscriptions. Each stone shares a snippet of a memory, echoing the tragic story of the village. The players must piece together these memories through a series of investigations, checks, and interaction with the environment:
- Stone 1: A tale of a lost love, casting a sense of longing.
- Stone 2: A tale of betrayal, suggesting a division that led to the village's downfall.
- Stone 3: A tale of the Guardian’s last battle, which connects to the stone’s essence.
Each stone requires a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) or Intelligence (History) check to interpret. Once all stones are linked together, the players will need to create a narrative reflecting the stones’ interconnected themes.
The Guardian's Challenge
Upon completing the puzzle, the players provoke the Guardian’s wrath for disturbing the stones. However, by showing respect to the memories and the Guardian, they can change hostility into cooperation. Players can either:
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Persuade the Guardian: By using a DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince it of their intent to help the lost spirits.
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Intimidate the Guardian: Alternatively, a player could attempt to intimidate the Guardian with a DC 16 Charisma (Intimidation) check, though this would make the Guardian hostile, leading to combat.
If successful, the Guardian offers a task to make amends: retrieve Elaris’s lost songbook, which is held by the Echo Wights at the edge of the village.
The Battle with the Echo Wights
The players must journey deeper into the fog, where they come across an ethereal dance hall, filled with swirling fog and faint echoes. Misty figures weep and wail around them, manifesting the tortured cries of forgotten souls. Here, the Echo Wights attack.
The Encounter Mechanics
The Echo Wights, there are usually three, have the power to mimic the players’ voices and movement. These spectral wights can cast Misdirection (a unique spell), causing an ally to attack or move against their own will, resulting in internal conflict.
Hit Points: 60 each
Armor Class: 13
Attack: Spectral Touch - Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 3 necrotic damage and must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of the target's next turn.
Unique Abilities:
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Echo Mimicry: Once per round, the Wight can mimic a phrase spoken by a player, creating confusion. If a player fails a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, they are compelled to repeat a choice they just made.
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Wight’s Curse: On death, an Echo Wight explodes in a surge of memories. Players within 10 feet must make a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or take 1d10 psychic damage and have disadvantage on skill checks of their choice until the end of their next turn.
Once defeated, the Echo Wights drop Elaris’s songbook, which is riddled with prose, allowing players to perform a melody. They can choose to make a performance check (DC 15) to “sing” the lost song, which will calm the spirits and allow them to return to rest.
Resolution: Healing the Past
With the Lamentation Stone in hand and Elaris free, the players can grant peace to the lost souls. Elaris performs alongside the players, invoking spirits and allowing the Guardian to absorb their essence, reinforcing the village with compassion instead of sorrow.
Rewards:
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The Lamentation Stone, granting advantage on Wisdom saving throws against fear, and the power to heal allies for 1d8 hit points once per long rest.
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The Charm of Melodious Requiem, an item from Elaris that can cast Calm Emotions once per long rest.
As they leave the Weeping Stones, the players witness the fog lifting and sunlight filtering through the trees, a miraculous transformation from a place of sorrow to one of beauty and hope. Their adventure concludes, not only as heroes but as bearers of lost echoes brought back into harmony with the living.
