The Rumor Under the Ruined Tower
The Rumor Under the Ruined Tower
Read aloud
Roadside herders swear they have seen little dragons with ember eyes and mouths that smoke. Mirek Vell will pay for proof, but he wants the creature rumors ended before the caravans turn back. The tracks lead toward the ruined watchtower over Scalewarren Underkeep, where something scaled is definitely nesting.
Run the session
Cheat sheet
Objectives
- 1Confirm the source of the dragon rumors.
- 2Enter the hidden warren beneath the tower.
- 3Bring back evidence that can calm or galvanize the settlement.Optional
- 4Choose the fate of the underkeep.Optional
The clock
By the third night, the beasts will range farther from the tower and begin hitting the road caravans directly.
Scenes
- 0:00The Track Table
- 0:20The False Trail
- 0:55Claws in the Stone
- 1:40Down into Scalewarren
- 2:10What the Nest Protects
Cast
- Mirek Vellquestgiver
- Sera Houndally
- Brother Haldenwitness
- The Ash-scaled Matronantagonist
The hook
Set the scene
At dusk, Mirek Vell spreads three different sets of clawed tracks across a tavern table and asks the party which one belongs to a dragon. None of them do, at least not in any clean, natural way, and all three point toward the ruins above Scalewarren.
How Mirek Vell asks
Practical, worried, and willing to pay for proof, not glory.
Rumours
Scenes
about 3 hours0:00
20 min
socialThe table is here
1. The Track Table
A cramped roadside inn at the edge of the settlement.
Mirek Vell presents the rumor, the tracks, and a promise of pay if the party can tell beast from myth.
NextOnce the party accepts or asks the right questions, they can follow the freshest trail to the ruined tower.
0:20
35 min
skill
2. The False Trail
Fields and broken drainage ditches below the watchtower.
The party examines tracks, scorch marks, and half-buried eggshells to determine which path leads to the nest.
NextSuccess reveals the main entrance and a second, older path hidden under the rubble.
0:55
45 min
combat
3. Claws in the Stone
The ruined tower base and its collapsed stairwell.
Scaled predators attack from above while the party crosses the tower remains and enters the buried passage.
The Broken Watchtower NestNextAfter the fight, signs point deeper underground, where the air grows warmer and the walls are marked with old symbols.
1:40
30 min
exploration
4. Down into Scalewarren
Buried service tunnels and mineral-streaked burrows beneath the tower.
A narrow route with hidden signs and collapse risks leads to the central lair, where the party can find the chamber seal and the Matron.
The Marked DescentNextThe descent opens into a nursery chamber with the hidden door, forcing the party to choose how to proceed.
2:10
40 min
social
5. What the Nest Protects
The ember-lit nursery chamber at the heart of the underkeep.
The Matron explains that the nest is guarding something older than itself, and the party must decide whether to help, destroy, or seal it.
The Nursery PactNextThe conversation breaks into action if the party threatens the seal, or resolves into a bargain if they listen.
Behind it
What people believe
A string of strange raids has villagers whispering about dragon spawn near the old watchtower.
The party is hired to follow the sightings, find the nest, and stop whatever is threatening the roads and herds. The trail points to a hidden warren beneath the ruins, full of aggressive scaled beasts and evidence that the rumors are more than superstition.
Background
Rumors have spread from the old watch roads that something scaled has been hunting at dusk, leaving sheep with their throats torn and roofs melted by strange acidic spit.
The locals call the sightings dragon kin, but the tracks are too small for a true dragon and too cunning for ordinary beasts. All signs point toward Scalewarren Underkeep, a buried warren beneath a ruined watchtower where scaled predators, scavengers, and something older than hunger have made a nest.
The stakes
If the party fails, the rumor grows into panic, trade collapses, and something below the watchtower may wake fully.
Encounters
3The Broken Watchtower Nest
combat
Collapsed stairs, cracked battlements, hanging roots, and arrow slits that open onto a shallow ravine below.
Foes
Gloamdrake pair
Gutterwyrm scavengers
ComplicationThe predators fight from ledges and vent shafts, forcing the party to manage heights, narrow footing, and sudden acid spray.
ScalingAdd another gutterwyrm or give the gloamdrakes a coordinated ambush if the party is strong. Reduce numbers and remove the acid spray hazard if the party is weak.
The Marked Descent
skill
Low-ceilinged burrows, soot-blackened support beams, and claw-scratched route markers.
Foes
None
ComplicationA tunnel collapse can be avoided by noticing old support marks and interpreting the creature signs etched into the stone.
ScalingFor cautious groups, the challenge is a slow route with fewer risks. For experienced groups, add a false passage that circles back toward a nest chamber and costs time.
The Nursery Pact
social
A warm cavern lit by ember fungi, with egg racks, bone charms, and a sunken stone door.
Foes
Ash-scaled Matron
ComplicationThe Matron offers a bargain, but only if the party realizes the warren is guarding something beneath the old tower rather than merely breeding there.
ScalingTurn the negotiation into a tense standoff if the party shows force. If they favor caution, let a witness or hatchling change the terms.
Cast
4Mirek Vell
Questgiverquestgiver
WantsHe wants the road made safe before his caravans abandon the region.
“I have seen the tracks myself, and they do not belong to any lizard I know.”
Sera Hound
ally
WantsShe seeks proof that the rumors are real, and a trophy to prove she was right.
“If it has a name, it can be hunted. If it can be hunted, it can be dealt with.”
Brother Halden
witness
WantsHe wants the underkeep sealed again, even if that means burying evidence and people alike.
“The tower should have stayed buried. Something below it learned how to wear wings like a lie.”
The Ash-scaled Matron
antagonist
WantsIt wants the intruders driven out so the warren can remain undisturbed.
“Call them monsters if you like. They were here first, and they are simply fed up.”
How it ends
Rewards
Items
Scale-sheath charm that aids resistance to heat or acid
Emberglass vial containing residue from the underkeep
Watchtower map fragment pointing to other buried structures
On a win
The party exposes the truth behind the dragon rumors, ends the immediate threat to the roads, and leaves Scalewarren with proof of what lived under the ruined tower.
What it leaves open
If it fails
- The party drives off the creatures but does not uncover the source of the rumors.
- The road remains unsafe and Mirek Vell withdraws his support, leaving the settlement to handle the threat alone.
- The true underkeep remains hidden and future attacks become more random.
- The wrong nest is destroyed, causing surviving beasts to scatter into the countryside.
- The party wins the immediate fight but worsens the larger danger.
- The hidden chamber is breached without care, releasing something bound below the underkeep.
Complications (d6)
- 1A panicked shepherd arrives mid-investigation, claiming a striped hatchling was taken alive, not killed.
- 2Fresh rain washes away tracks, but reveals claw marks high on a wall where the creature climbed to avoid the road.
- 3A local hunter has already set bait in the wrong place and is now trapped in a snare line below the ruins.
- 4The party hears a low chime from underground, and every nearby reptile becomes agitated and aggressive.
- 5A cracked nursery chamber begins leaking hot mineral water, turning the floor slick and steaming.
- 6One of the rumored beasts is not attacking, but stalking something worse deeper inside the underkeep.
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