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In the mountains of Sombroska, a deep fog hides an entire town from mind and sight.
Step into a world cloaked in shadows, where ancient curses and malevolent promises have ensnared the once-vibrant town of Vaerock. In the heart of the Sombroska Mountains, Vaerock now languishes in perpetual twilight, trapped in the iron grasp of the forsaken demon lord, Zharok.
As you venture into the haunted woods encircling Vaerock, the atmosphere becomes palpable. An eerie mist shrouds your path, and frost clings to the ground like a phantom’s breath. Twisted trees, their gnarled limbs reaching out like skeletal fingers, seem to conspire with the shadows.
The distant howls of enigmatic creatures echo through the mountains, their haunting cries a chilling melody that sends shivers down your spine. And then, there is Zharok—a demon lord of unfathomable malevolence. His colossal horns pierce the heavens, and his eyes blaze with an infernal fury that could consume worlds.
In Echos of Vaerock, you are not a mere reader; you are the protagonist of an unfolding epic. The destiny of Vaerock rests squarely on your shoulders, and your choices will determine whether the town reclaims its former glory or descends further into abyssal darkness.
You hold the power to shape not only Vaerock’s fate but also the very fabric of the realms. Every decision you make, every path you tread, will ripple through the narrative, forging alliances, uncovering secrets, or plunging the world into despair.
Embrace the role of the hero, stand against the encroaching night, and prepare to become the legends that defy the looming darkness. The echoes of your adventure are about to resound through the realms, forever changing the course of history. Are you ready to heed the call? Your odyssey commences now.
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Echos of Vaerock also includes a new magic system based on skill-checks instea of spell slots, opening up the idea that anyone can perform certain magical acts known as Arcan Rites.
Andrew Hind –
Echoes of Vaerock is a horror-themed adventure of rather epic proportions for 5e. Moody, dark, and oppressive, it isolates characters and leaves them feeling truly threatened as they confront unknown, impossible horrors. There are obvious echoes of Ravenloft, and for me that’s a very good thing indeed.
Though nowhere does it clearly say so, the adventure is designed for upper 2nd tier or third tier characters (ideally levels 10-14).
The cursed town of Vaerock, shrouded by a menacing mist, is cursed by the malevolent influence of a demon lord. The characters find themselves in the tragic town, trapped by the mist that plays on their minds and warps creatures into foul monsters. To leave, and save Vaerock from perpetual twilight, they must unravel a conspiracy and defeat a demon lord.
The story takes place over the course of seven days and nights as the PCs race to thwart the summoning of Zharock, said demon lord. The choices the PCs make drive the story forward and determine how strong the demon is when at last they confront it in epic battle. Every decision matters. This makes for a dynamic experience.
There are number of optional side quests as well, which creates more agency for the players. PCs can fight a wendigo, hunt for a lost artifact, or encounter werewolves.
Echoes of Vaerock is also helped by the evocative writing of author Rob de Ville, who captures the atmosphere of horror perfectly. His text helps to both make the adventure both enjoyable to read and immersive for characters. Read aloud text is more extensive than many adventures; some may not find this appealing, but in a horror adventure I think it help set the scene.
The 107-page adventure includes two dozen magic items and a bestiary of four new beasts: shadow mastiff, marrowmere (looking like a dark Swamp Thing), bloodthorn imp, and veilshade spectres (their horrifying wails are nasty). The highlight of the appendix is a unique form of magic called Arcane Rites – essentially rituals for cultists. Performing a ritual is time consuming and requires successfully completing a number of steps in the form of seven successive skill checks. Succeed and great power is at your disposal; fail and things go sideways badly, with horrific results.
The artwork is excellent, though all AI generated. Unfortunately, neither of the towns featured in the adventure have a true map, a minor quibble but a bit disappointing nonetheless. Layout and editing are both top-notch.
The only place where the adventure flounders somewhat is in its organization, or lack thereof. As the adventure takes place over the course of seven days, breaking the adventure up more clearly into identifiable 24-hour periods would have been extremely helpful to GMs. A quick-reference timeline and adventure outline would have been of use as well, but sadly both are lacking. That said, these issues can be overcome by familiarity with the adventure and with preparation.
There’s nothing contrived or predictable about Echoes of Vaerock. Its just a darn solid adventure oozing with mood. You could power through it fairly quickly, but far better to savor it and slowly build the tension and horror. The adventure is good enough that it deserves it.