Over the last 20 years, the waters of Misty Lake have dried up entirely, revealing a landscape of shipwrecks, coral structures, and the ruins of an ancient castle from the Great Teloran Empire. In the nearby castle town of Ringingbell, Castellan Maxime Gillessey orders the townsfolk to go all-in on crossing the lakebed and exploring the ruins, no matter the cost. Though they are already spread thin, they oblige, as the road out of town is long and dangerous. Bailiff Mirena Morvin suspects the Castellan is being secretly influenced. ## The Setting The primary setting will be the remote castle town of Ringingbell and the regions that surround it: - Misty Lake, formerly a deep body of saline water named for the fog it produced; - the Deepweald, a vast and hostile jungle that resists exploration; - the Blood Bog, a swamp with naturally red waters, tinged with the scent of iron; and - the Bronzebelt Mountains, the ancestral home of dwarves that splits the republic into eastern and western halves. The following is common knowledge in the local area: - The Castellan, Maxime Gillessey, was a former aristocrat who fled the capitol after the monarchy was replaced by a senate. - A group of bandits and warlocks named the Devil's Detail controls the Blood Bog. Their patron is the wolf-headed demon, Almazzat. - The river, Elapidae, cuts through the Deepweald, and is rumored to lead to a shrine of a snake goddess. - A distant fort in the Bronzebelt Mountains gives off a faint, unnatural glow at all times. ## The System This campaign will use Shadowdark RPG--a rules-light, Old School Renaissance system. In Shadowdark, you gain XP by finding treasure, which can be turned into even more XP when you get back to town and carouse. You'll find yourself exploring dungeons, parlaying with monsters, and running back with all the loot you can carry. Time, light, and encumbrance will be all important resources to manage on your adventures. You might only have a handful of hit points, so it’ll be important to think outside your character sheet, use your surroundings, and if you have to fight, fight dirty. You can find everything you need to get started in the free quickstart guide on [DriveThruRPG](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/413713). ## Your Character Maybe you've lived in Ringingbell your whole life. Maybe you're an explorer trying to make a name for yourself. Maybe you're a scholar jumping at the chance to study the ancient ruins. In any case, your character is interested in exploring, cooperating with the party, recovering treasure, and keeping the town safe. We will roll up characters at the start of our first session. Because of the random nature of character creation, it is better to lean into your rolled abilities than to start with a character concept in mind. There are no restrictions on ancestries, alignments, or deities. In addition to the four core classes, the supplementary Bard and Ranger classes are also available. I'm also happy to lend a character mini or help you paint one, if you'd like. **Roll high and don't die.**