Day of Rekindled Lights

Grim Crossing • Shadowed Lands • Wistful Dark

☽ Spooky

◉ Investigation

☠ Haunted Graveyard

Adventure Description

A fallen Knight of the Lantern haunts a humble intersection town on the eve of the Day of Rekindled Lights. The party must aid a local priest in laying the spirit to rest before tomorrow's ceremony - but not all is righteous in the clergy.

Starting the Adventure

"In the chilly and haunted tundra of the Shadowed Lands, you finally arrive at Grim Crossing. It is a desperate little Sun Shard haven built on the region's main intersection, and acts as a base of operations for the Knights of the Lantern, a chivalric order that protects the roads. On the morrow, you plan to attend the Day of Rekindled Lights, a remembrance ceremony for fallen Knights. But for now, you need shelter - your eyes scan the sparse cluster of buildings for any sign of warm hearth and bed."

The lantern graveyard the party are due to visit is being haunted by the skeletal remains of Sir Gerard Laughs-a-Lot, alongside the echoes of other fallen soldiers. Note that while Sir Gerard has the stats of a Skele-Master, he cannot speak like others can but still tries to help the party find the lanterns.

While the Knights and Priest Lieza disagree on principles of belief, they have a good relationship and trust her advice on matters of spirits and undead. As such, the potential reveal that she caused this will be hard-hitting for the Knights.

Important Characters

Dame Mico — Human, Female, 25 (Custrel)

A younger Knight of the Lantern, Dame Mico is also the current caretaker of retrieved lanterns for the remembrance day.

"Donning the standard attire of a Lantern Knight - silvery metals housing yellow cloth - Dame Mico whips around in a panic looking for any aid."

Priest Lieza — Human, Female, 46 (Basic Folk)

Priest of the Church of the Sacred Chain, she has come to Grim Crossing in an attempt to convert the populace, and has gotten desperate as attempts continue to fail.

"Her velvet black robes and chains strain against the bitter wind, while haunted eyes shift nervously from time-to-time."

Sir Gerard Laughs-a-Lot Undead, Male, ??? (Skele-Master)

A fallen Knight of the Lantern, who used to guide the way for those in need. His lantern has been lost for an Aeon but, even now in undeath, he continues to aid the lost and the fallen.

"The Knight's shield arm remains raised even in death - a final gesture of defiance against the demons that felled him. Matching lantern crests glow faintly on both rider and mount, refusing to dim."

Suggested Story

Set the scene, describe Grim Crossing's inn, then continue:

Undead Visitor

Dame Mico staggers into the inn, shakily reporting that the undead have returned, cursing about the "lost lanterns causing this". She pleads for the party to consult Priest Lieza while she continues her search.
The church is pointed out and the party meet Priest Lieza. She explains her efforts so far, and gives them Bright Water to use against the undead. She has applied it twice already but claims she was wounded by the undead last time so she cannot go herself for the last application.

The Spicy Dead

An undead Knight mounted on a Skeletal Rokko-Do awaits in the Lantern Fields. Sir Gerard Laughs-a-Lot beckons the party to follow him towards the traditional holding site for recovered lanterns. Attacking him draws no retaliation.
The storage is completely empty despite disturbed ground. While there, the party are attacked by 2 Ghost Peppers, which are immune to Mundane Damage unless Bright Water is used.
Nearby, the party find clues linking the stolen lanterns to Lieza.

Clergy's Shadows

When confronted, Lieza will confess to having buried the lanterns but try to deflect guilt as much as possible. She gives the burial location nearby but begs the party not to tell anyone.
At the hiding spot, the party must dig a hole, break through roots, and pick up the lanterns. As the party starts to dig, four Malignant Echoes of these missing lanterns' owners rise and attack. Each step takes an Action (for a full Turn) to complete.
Recovering the lanterns ends the haunting. Sir Gerard appears one final time, kneeling to offer his blade before riding off. The Knights profusely thank the party. Tomorrow's ceremony will proceed, while Lieza's judgment rests in the party's hands.

Key Locations

Grim Crossing

"Hope is a hard thing to muster in the Shadowed Lands but it seems to have clustered here with these hardy folks."

A small Shard haven set on an ancient battleground of experimental weapons, Grim Crossing sits on the main intersection of the Shadowed Lands. Given its location and traffic, it has become a large base of operations for the Knights of the Lantern.

Sacred Chain Church

"Even amongst the bleak houses of Grim Crossing, this desolate church sticks out as particularly depressed."

Without much funding from the Church in Shard, Lieza has had to "make do" in setting up her place of worship here.

Some hand-me-down iconography and texts are all that is to be found here.

The Lantern Fields

"Despite the intent of remembrance,
the ambiance of dozens of rusty lantern weapons overflowing a frozen battle-scarred field is rather disconcerting."

The Day of Rekindled Lights has been a long-standing tradition, and over the Aeon has, unfortunately, accumulated many, many lanterns. In the center, Sir Gerard waits impassively upon his steed.

Secrets & Clues

The battlefield upon which Grim Crossing sits was the site of a wicked confrontation between Akenia and Calian, where each used experimental weapons in a show of force, eternally scarring the land.
Priest Lieza has been trying to convert folks here to the Sacred Chain, though has had a hard time as people look to the Knights of the Lantern for realizable hope instead.
She buried the lanterns in a desperate attempt to ruin the ceremony and discourage people, showing the Knights of the Lanterns failing. She hoped it would "encourage" people to accept the Knights of the Sacred Chain here instead.
She didn't know that burying the lanterns would cause Sir Gerard to appear, but plans to leverage solving it as a means to convince people of her faith.
The method she employs to tackle this undead is destructive, severing its connection, rather than putting the soul to rest.
Priest Lieza's wound doesn't seem to align with her story - it isn't a slashing wound but rather a burning injury.
Clues at the storage site linking the stolen weapons back to Lieza: 1) ripped cloth fabric matches Sacred Chain colors, 2) Sir Gerard's sword is clean, and 3) some lingering Bright Water in this area seemingly attracts angry Ghost Peppers.
The Day of Rekindled Lights serves another purpose besides remembrance. The "light" a fallen Knight leaves behind is a tangible thing, and is used to reinforce wards on the roads.

Quest Resolution

✦ Rewards

Upon retrieving the lanterns and defeating the Malignant Echoes, Sir Gerard will appear and offer his Lantern Sword on one knee. Upon returning the lanterns to the town, the Knights of the Lantern will gift
the party 100C and a Unit of Sun Gold they haven't been able to put to use.

☆ Day of Rekindled Lights

The ceremony is a somber but hopeful occasion in the Lantern Fields. The new lanterns to plant are lit and used to relight the existing ones, honoring the newly fallen and the old. Sky lanterns are released to the sky, carrying messages to loved ones.

Gerard's Lantern Sword [Master Weapon + Utility]

Gerard's blade was known throughout the Shadowed Lands as a beacon any could follow and feel not only safe, but hopeful. A lantern sits embedded in its crossguard.
Made of Sun Gold and deals Bright Damage. As an Action, the sword
can light up as if using the Sage's Magelight Ability [Source, pg. 59].

2 Slots · 75C

Rank 1-2 Adventure

Lower Rank: Consider replacing the Ghost Peppers with some Mooks.

Higher Rank: Add more Malignant Echoes, or swap them for
Skele-Masters.

PC Starting Coin: 200C

Sources & Adversaries

Storybeats inspired from Crossed Bones by One-Shot Wonders.

Skele-Master: Source, pg. 406
Ghost Peppers by Yan Kodiac (Homebrew)
Malignant Echoes by Atyai (Homebrew)

Art Vibeboard

"Day of Rekindled Lights Inspiration"
Art by Ann Maulina

"Dame Mico Inspiration"
Art by Sam Bosma

"Shadowed Lands Inspiration"
Art by Legend of Korra

"Field of Knight's Weapons"
Art by A. Shipwright

"Knight of the Lantern"
Art by Unknown

"Ghost Pepper Inspiration"
Art by Alexandre Diboine