The Rust Saga: A 3rd Level Adventure for 5th Edition
No one remembers the old world. The earliest memories held by the elder races are of emerging from beneath the earth to a desolate wasteland above. Skeletal metallic husks of towers that once climbed up into the sky litter the landscape, and cracked stone roads weave their way through these graveyards of rust. The bones of the forgotten and long dead lie scattered throughout, though sometimes they rise up, a mockery of life seeking vengeance on those who dare to remain amongst the living.
The few villages and communities that have managed to eke out an existence in this decaying world are slowly dying. The poisons of the old world born from chemical warfare and atomic destruction are slowly strangling what little life is left. The Rust, as it is colloquially called, creeps closer and closer every day, and soon it will dig its claws into the throats of the living and their lips and lungs will know only blood and death.
But there exists a tale, a prophecy, a myth of sorts. It says that in the heart of the dead world lies a seed, a chance at rebirth, renewal. All it needs is someone to speak the magic words to give it life once more and banish the rust forever. The hopes and dreams of all those living now lie with a group of young survivors. With time running out for their home and families, they've been tasked with traveling into a place known only as the Heart of Decay to seek out the seed, speak the words, and hopefully save their people and the world.
*NOTE: The Rust Saga (From Rust We Rise, Through Shadow We Endure, and The Cycle Begins Anew) is set in a world similar to our own, but ravaged by atomic war, chemical weapons, and centuries, if not millennia, of neglect and decay. Little is known about the world that came before. Even the eldest of the elves and dwarves were born into this wasteland. Cars, trains, skyscrapers, electricity... these are all alien and foreign concepts to those who inhabit this dead world. Though they will encounter such things on their adventure, they will have little to no understanding of them.
The characters live in a communal space where resources are stretched thin and people often have to go without. As such, they lack personal possessions. Everything is shared as needed amongst the group. Besides a couple sets of clothes, a pair of shoes, and some small trinkets, the characters don't begin the game with anything of note. The exception to this rule is any item required by a class to perform its basic functions (such as a wizard's spell book). A character will have such an item, though it's likely to be salvaged or homemade and not in very good condition. Additionally, if they lose it, they'll be hard pressed to find a replacement out in the wasteland.
This is 5e on hard mode. Characters are likely to die. Enter at your own risk.
No one remembers the old world. The earliest memories held by the elder races are of emerging from beneath the earth to a desolate wasteland above. Skeletal metallic husks of towers that once climbed up into the sky litter the landscape, and cracked stone roads weave their way through these graveyards of rust. The bones of the forgotten and long dead lie scattered throughout, though sometimes they rise up, a mockery of life seeking vengeance on those who dare to remain amongst the living.
The few villages and communities that have managed to eke out an existence in this decaying world are slowly dying. The poisons of the old world born from chemical warfare and atomic destruction are slowly strangling what little life is left. The Rust, as it is colloquially called, creeps closer and closer every day, and soon it will dig its claws into the throats of the living and their lips and lungs will know only blood and death.
But there exists a tale, a prophecy, a myth of sorts. It says that in the heart of the dead world lies a seed, a chance at rebirth, renewal. All it needs is someone to speak the magic words to give it life once more and banish the rust forever. The hopes and dreams of all those living now lie with a group of young survivors. With time running out for their home and families, they've been tasked with traveling into a place known only as the Heart of Decay to seek out the seed, speak the words, and hopefully save their people and the world.
*NOTE: The Rust Saga (From Rust We Rise, Through Shadow We Endure, and The Cycle Begins Anew) is set in a world similar to our own, but ravaged by atomic war, chemical weapons, and centuries, if not millennia, of neglect and decay. Little is known about the world that came before. Even the eldest of the elves and dwarves were born into this wasteland. Cars, trains, skyscrapers, electricity... these are all alien and foreign concepts to those who inhabit this dead world. Though they will encounter such things on their adventure, they will have little to no understanding of them.
The characters live in a communal space where resources are stretched thin and people often have to go without. As such, they lack personal possessions. Everything is shared as needed amongst the group. Besides a couple sets of clothes, a pair of shoes, and some small trinkets, the characters don't begin the game with anything of note. The exception to this rule is any item required by a class to perform its basic functions (such as a wizard's spell book). A character will have such an item, though it's likely to be salvaged or homemade and not in very good condition. Additionally, if they lose it, they'll be hard pressed to find a replacement out in the wasteland.
This is 5e on hard mode. Characters are likely to die. Enter at your own risk.
No one remembers the old world. The earliest memories held by the elder races are of emerging from beneath the earth to a desolate wasteland above. Skeletal metallic husks of towers that once climbed up into the sky litter the landscape, and cracked stone roads weave their way through these graveyards of rust. The bones of the forgotten and long dead lie scattered throughout, though sometimes they rise up, a mockery of life seeking vengeance on those who dare to remain amongst the living.
The few villages and communities that have managed to eke out an existence in this decaying world are slowly dying. The poisons of the old world born from chemical warfare and atomic destruction are slowly strangling what little life is left. The Rust, as it is colloquially called, creeps closer and closer every day, and soon it will dig its claws into the throats of the living and their lips and lungs will know only blood and death.
But there exists a tale, a prophecy, a myth of sorts. It says that in the heart of the dead world lies a seed, a chance at rebirth, renewal. All it needs is someone to speak the magic words to give it life once more and banish the rust forever. The hopes and dreams of all those living now lie with a group of young survivors. With time running out for their home and families, they've been tasked with traveling into a place known only as the Heart of Decay to seek out the seed, speak the words, and hopefully save their people and the world.
*NOTE: The Rust Saga (From Rust We Rise, Through Shadow We Endure, and The Cycle Begins Anew) is set in a world similar to our own, but ravaged by atomic war, chemical weapons, and centuries, if not millennia, of neglect and decay. Little is known about the world that came before. Even the eldest of the elves and dwarves were born into this wasteland. Cars, trains, skyscrapers, electricity... these are all alien and foreign concepts to those who inhabit this dead world. Though they will encounter such things on their adventure, they will have little to no understanding of them.
The characters live in a communal space where resources are stretched thin and people often have to go without. As such, they lack personal possessions. Everything is shared as needed amongst the group. Besides a couple sets of clothes, a pair of shoes, and some small trinkets, the characters don't begin the game with anything of note. The exception to this rule is any item required by a class to perform its basic functions (such as a wizard's spell book). A character will have such an item, though it's likely to be salvaged or homemade and not in very good condition. Additionally, if they lose it, they'll be hard pressed to find a replacement out in the wasteland.
This is 5e on hard mode. Characters are likely to die. Enter at your own risk.