Characters

HOLLOW THRESHOLD 1: THE TEMPEST GATE

Plane Connection: Material Plane ↔ Elemental Plane of Air

ARENA LAYOUT

A 50-foot diameter circular platform of black stone floats in howling winds. Lightning crackles between three towering storm-spires (20ft tall, 5ft wide) arranged in a triangle around the center. The Tempest Egg hovers 10 feet above the platform’s center, wreathed in electrical energy. A shimmering portal to the Material Plane sits at the platform’s edge (south), while violent winds from the Air Plane tear through an unstable rift (north).

Elara led them down a narrow stone staircase hidden behind her forge’s hearth, each step humming with a subtle warmth. The walls themselves seemed to glow with life, veins of feint golden leyline energy pulsing beneath translucent crystalline stone, illuminating their descent.

At the bottom, the air opened into a vast subterranean chamber. Water trickled in quiet streams along mossy rock ledges, pooling into a crystalline basin at the chamber’s center. Faint motes of golden light drifted lazily above the forge like fireflies caught in an unseen breeze. In the center of it all stood an ancient anvil, its surface etched with spiraling elven runes that flickered with the pulse of the leyline energies below.

Here is a structured plan to integrate Slumpet’s espionage thread based on his player’s responses, while keeping it subtle, impactful, and world-coherent:

🎭 Key Takeaways from Player Feedback

• Yes, Slumpet is conducting espionage.
• He uses Thieves’ Cant to contact a comrade for message drops.
• He was “brainwashed” in prison to work with the dwarves.
• The dwarves are likely a splinter group rather than an official kingdom faction.
• He doesn’t want a solo side quest but does want an opportunity to get a message out.

🔧 Narrative Integration Plan

1. Establish Context Subtly In-World

Since the party doesn’t know about Slumpet’s espionage, introduce it via environmental or NPC prompts:

Tempus Campaign Check-In: Survey Summary

Thanks to everyone who completed the survey! Here’s what I’m hearing from the group:

What’s Working Well

• We love the world of Tempus - Everyone wants to keep exploring it
• Combat and tactical encounters remain engaging for most players
• The current storyline has momentum - everyone wants to see how this arc ends
• Group chemistry is strong, with interest in collaborative storytelling

Areas for Change

• Pacing: There’s appetite to move through story beats more quickly, potentially using time skips
• Setting variety: Strong interest in exploring different parts of Tempus (desert, cities, ocean, other planes)
• Character evolution: Mixed feelings - some ready for dramatic character endings, others want to continue current characters
• System exploration: Most are open to trying different RPG systems (Shadowdark, Blades in the Dark, narrative systems)

What You Want More Of

• Puzzle-solving and social challenges (convincing guards, sneaking out of prison without combat)
• Character-driven roleplay scenes
• Exploration and discovery
• Big climactic moments

Moving Forward: My Proposal

Based on your feedback, here’s what I’m thinking: