The Thunder Below (3.5)

The idyllic mountain village of Sarwin has long been one of the most relaxing and secluded locations in the nation. Situated on the edge of civilization in the shadow of remote forested mountains, this tiny town is an ideal place to retire after a long life of adventuring. Watched over by the benevolent Sarwin family in their nearby castle, it is a place strangely untouched by the barbaric orc tribes and sinister monsters of the nearby wilderness.

Only the mysterious earthquakes mar the scene, and they've been receding in power and frequency over the last several decades until they are now all but forgotten. Certainly nothing dire could happen here. Certainly this place can last forever...right?

Drop this adventure for D&D v3.5 by James Jacobs into your campaign world anywhere on the border between civilization and a wilderness mountain range.

Suitable for four 17th-level characters.

Adventure Preview

Although a small settlement, Sarwin is old and steeped in tradition. Founded nearly 600 years ago by the cohorts and adventuring companions of the newly wedded Annah and Zebulahr Sarwin, the village sprung up overnight. With their powerful magic and well-trained minions, the Sarwins easily repulsed the uncoordinated hordes of orcs and giants that assaulted the region after every spring thaw. Likewise, their presence quelled the frequent earthquakes that had plagued the region. Today, the orcs and giants are a distant memory, and the few earthquakes to strike the region have been minor and explained to the children of Sarwin as "underground thunder," or long-delayed echoes of ancient battles between the orcs and giants.

Since that time, the people of Sarwin have known peace and relative quiet (with the exception of those increasingly rare earthquakes). Although Annah and Zebulahr have long since passed away, their family line has remained strong and it has held the estate with efficiency and grace, much to the appreciation of the folk of Sarwin. Little do the villagers know the true nature behind the earthquakes or the source of the orcs' obsession with the region...that the Sarwin family has been keeping a terrifying secret from them for the past six centuries.