The key dangers within and beneath Valthrus Manor can only be defeated temporarily through combat and magic. To lay these restless spirits and lingering malevolence to eternal rest, the PCs must unearth the secrets woven into the manor’s history. This involves investigating clues left behind in hidden libraries, collections of forbidden knowledge, journals of lost souls, and even experiencing haunting visions through dreams. These insights help guide the PCs’ explorations, reveal essential goals, and as they complete research topics, reward them with experience points.
Dream Research
Once the PCs first set foot within Valthrus Manor, their minds become tethered to the pervasive malevolence within. From then on, whenever they sleep within a five-mile radius of the manor, they are plagued by disturbing and disorienting dreams that seem to offer cryptic but strangely accurate glimpses into the manor’s dark history. The PCs might all share the same vision, or each character could experience unique fragments, as determined by the GM.
Whenever a PC experiences these ominous dreams, they should attempt a DC 15 check in one of the following skills: Arcana (trained), Nature (trained), Occultism (untrained), or Religion (untrained). Success reveals that these dreams serve as a medium through which they can research topics previously unlocked during the adventure. This activity is called Dream Research, allowing the PCs to delve deeper into the mysteries of Valthrus Manor even as they sleep.
Dream Research
concentrate downtime
Trigger You fall asleep within 5 miles of Valthrus Manor.
Frequency once per 12 hours
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While you sleep, you experience dreams that verge on nightmares. In these dreams, your mind drifts from your soul, and everything you know feels like it’s being drawn up into the dark places between the stars to be devoured. During the dream, you can concentrate on one research topic you’ve unlocked that you haven’t fully investigated. If you choose a topic for which the party has already discovered all research thresholds, you can immediately switch to a different topic.
The skill you use and the DC for the check depend on the topic, as detailed in that topic’s Dreams venue. If you’re not dreaming within the manor grounds, the spiritual link to the malevolence is lessened and you take a –2 status penalty to the check.
Critical Success You gain 2 RP.
Success You gain 1 RP.
Critical Failure You peer too far into the malevolence, which notices your attempt. You manage to break the mental link just before you lose some memories to its ravenous appetite. Increase your malevolence condition value by 1.