A Noble Feast (Quest)

Quest: “A Noble Feast”

Introduction:

The adventuring party receives an elegant invitation from the reclusive and prestigious House Morven, a noble family known for their vast estates, wealth, and impeccable manners. The invitation promises a night of luxury, fine dining, and entertainment in their ancestral manor, located in a remote, forested region.

As the party arrives at the manor, they are greeted warmly by the family, a group of sophisticated and charming nobles who seem overly eager to host them. The manor is grand, filled with lavish decorations, and the night begins with a decadent feast that seems almost too good to be true.

However, beneath the facade of civility, the family harbors a dark and insidious secret.

Background:

House Morven was cursed many generations ago when the patriarch of the family, Lord Iskander Morven, engaged in a toxic and increasingly depraved relationship with a maid. The affair culminated in Lord Iskander consuming the maid, believing that by doing so, he would possess her entirely. This monstrous act unleashed a curse upon his bloodline, causing his descendants to inherit his insatiable hunger for human flesh.

Over time, the curse warped their minds and souls, turning them into refined yet grotesque predators who find ecstasy and a twisted sense of connection in consuming their victims. By day, they are the picture of nobility, but by night, they become something far more sinister.

Quest Objectives:

1. Survive the Night:

   • The party must survive the night in the manor, as the Morven family slowly reveals their true nature and intentions.
   • The nobles will attempt to lull the party into a false sense of security with flattery and distractions, only to strike when they least expect it.

2. Uncover the Truth:

   • The party can investigate the manor to uncover clues about the family’s dark history. This includes old journals, cursed artifacts, and the manor’s hidden rooms, where remnants of previous victims and evidence of the family’s cannibalistic rituals are hidden.
   • An old, deranged servant (possibly the spirit of the consumed maid or a half-crazed survivor) might offer cryptic warnings or hints.

3. Confront the Nobles:

   • Once the party discovers the truth, they must decide how to deal with the Morvens. Confrontation is inevitable, but the party may choose between a direct assault or attempting to break the curse that binds the family to their monstrous desires.
   • The family, though cursed, may still have members who are conflicted about their fate, offering potential allies within the manor.

4. Escape or End the Curse:

   • The party’s ultimate goal is either to escape the manor or to destroy the curse by any means possible. This could involve finding a hidden artifact or performing a ritual to cleanse the bloodline.
   • If the curse is broken, the surviving Morven family members may be forever changed, perhaps even grateful, though they will still face the weight of their past actions.

Key Encounters:

1. The Dinner:

   • The meal itself is sumptuous but unsettling, with strange meats and delicacies that the party might suspect are more than they seem. The party might have to navigate polite conversation while subtly investigating the nature of the food or the behavior of their hosts.

2. The Night Terrors:

   • Throughout the night, the family members reveal their true nature in increasingly horrific ways—perhaps starting with eerie noises, glimpses of grotesque shadows, or strange dreams inflicted upon the party.

3. The Chase:

   • If the party attempts to flee, they find that the manor itself has become a labyrinth, with walls shifting and doors locking them in. The nobles will hunt them through the halls, using secret passages, traps, and their dark powers.

4. The Final Confrontation:

   • The climax could involve a confrontation in the manor’s grand hall or an underground ritual chamber where the Morvens plan to sacrifice and consume the party. The party must either fight their way out or use the knowledge they’ve gathered to end the curse.

Rewards:

• Cursed Artifacts: Items found in the manor could be powerful but come with lingering dark influences.
• Restored Relics: If the curse is lifted, the party might be gifted with ancient family heirlooms, cleansed of their former evil.
• Noble Favor: Surviving the ordeal might earn the party respect (or fear) among other noble families, who are either unaware or have long suspected House Morven’s dark secret.

Moral Dilemma:

• What to Do with the Survivors: If the party breaks the curse, they must decide what to do with the surviving family members, who, though no longer cursed, have still committed unspeakable acts.

• Sacrifice for Power: The party might discover that consuming the flesh of a cursed noble grants temporary but immense power, presenting a temptation for those willing to risk their humanity.

This quest offers a mix of horror, intrigue, and moral choices, perfect for a group looking for a dark and thrilling challenge.