MONSTER FACTORY
Your quest begins around the campfire, after midnight, with enough time left to tell one more tale.
Mirien and Thothanang, a pair of traveling merchants, are the obvious choice to end the night with a story. They have covered much of the continent, and have sought out many interesting artifacts. They also have yet to spin a tale tonight.
The two agree to speak and immediately start to go back and forth on which of their adventures to recount tonight.
“The Ghost Hammer?” Mirien suggests.
Shaking his head in disagreement, Thothanang whispers “How about the way we came into possession of the Scaled Cleric’s armor?
Mirien’s eyes shush Thothanang from elaborating.
“Let’s go with something local!” she shouts.
The pair’s eyes light up like a pile of gold is reflecting in them. They reach agreement in unison.
“The Monster Factory!”
They waste no time breaking into their tale of a nearby mountain, beautiful above ground, and full of magically constructed monstrosities below.
“You see, there are good and great merchants. There are also those that deal in darker ways, trading in evil with no care for the outcome.”
They tell you that the mountain contains a factory that supplies a network of crooked merchants with an evergreen supply of wicked artifacts and baleful ingredients.
The secretive merchants running this abomination farm keep things hidden from the world above. They quietly make a fortune supplying monstrous goods to sorcerers, poisoners, and others willing to partake in illegal and dangerous trades.
“And wouldn’t you lot like to to see it?”
Mirien asks gleefully.
“We’re a day’s travel from a well that doubles as an entrance to the monster factory. It’s guarded by a few undead merchants, fiends still swayed by coin.”
“What are we waiting for?” Thothanang says as he starts packing his things. “Let’s go shopping in Death’s cellar!”
☾ So, how will you proceed?
Pack up camp and risk death to navigate a world of horrors for unnatural goods and a blood soaked fortune.
Pack it in and catch some sleep.
Monster hide can be tough. Find a blacksmith?
Dig for more info about this evil merchants’ network. Requires a charisma check.
Rest in nearest town before deciding to do anything foolhardy.
Leave.