The Mystery of Elaris Lighthouse
Concept
Quest about the mystery of a light house inspired in the Flannan Isles Lighthouse’s crew disappearance
Campaign
This quest can be used in any campaign setting, but it works particularly well in a coastal or nautical-themed campaign. It was invisioned for the Akemi’s Servants campaign.
Overview of The Mystery of Elaris Lighthouse
The party is called to investigate the sudden and mysterious disappearance of the lighthouse keepers on Elaris Island. The lighthouse is crucial for guiding ships safely through the treacherous waters, and without it, several ships have already run aground. The adventurers must uncover what happened to the keepers and restore the lighthouse’s function.
Setting
Elaris Island is a small, rocky island with a tall, ancient lighthouse standing on its highest point. The island is frequently enveloped in thick fog, making navigation difficult. There are ruins of old structures, remnants of past inhabitants, and a foreboding atmosphere.
Key Locations
- The Lighthouse: Tall and foreboding, it’s the central point of the investigation.
- Keeper’s Quarters: Where the lighthouse keepers lived, containing personal effects and the logbook.
- Ruins of the Temple: An ancient, crumbling temple dedicated to a forgotten god, hidden in the fog-shrouded forest.
- Shoreline: Rocky and dangerous, with shipwrecks and eerie remnants of past disasters.
- North Harbor: A small, sheltered cove where ships can anchor in calm weather.
- South Harbor: A larger, albeit heavely destroyed, harbor where ships can anchor in calm weather.
The Logbook Entries
- Log 1: “A fog is coming, sky seems clear, no ships in sight”
- Log 2: “The fog is growing thicker, winds are picking up”
- Log 3: “The fog is so thick, we can’t see the shore of the island when standing on the lighthouse’s balcony”
- Log 4: “A storm is coming, the fog is still thick, men report hearing strange noises in the fog”
- Log 5: “There is something in the fog, the men are praying to the gods”
- Log 6: “The storm is getting worse and worse, men are crying and desperate, they pray with more fervor, the thing in the fog seems to be closing on us”
- Log 7: “The men were not praying to the gods, they were praying to the thing in the fog, the god is coming”
- Log 8: “The storm calmed down, god came above us all”
Clues and Encounters
- Logbook Discovery: The party finds the logbook in the keeper’s quarters, detailing the gradual escalation of the fog and storm.
- Strange Symbols: Carved into the walls of the lighthouse and around the island are symbols of an ancient, forgotten god.
- Ruined Temple: Exploring the ruins reveals an altar with offerings, suggesting the keepers were performing rituals.
- Eerie Sounds: As the party investigates, they hear the same strange noises described in the logs, growing louder and more frequent.
- Fog Creatures: The fog itself seems alive, forming into monstrous shapes that attack the party. These creatures are manifestations of the ancient god’s power.
Conclusion
As the party pieces together the clues, they realize the keepers unintentionally summoned an ancient, malevolent entity that now haunts the island. To stop it, they must perform a ritual to banish the entity back to the void from which it came.
- Ritual Components: The party must gather components scattered around the island, including sacred relics from the ruined temple.
- Final Confrontation: Performing the ritual draws the entity to them, and they must face its wrath while completing the banishment.
- Resolution: Successfully banishing the entity calms the fog and the storm, allowing the lighthouse to function again and ensuring the safety of passing ships.
Additional Details
- NPCs: Include a surviving keeper who escaped but is traumatized and hiding, offering fragmented information.
- Artifacts: Ancient tomes or relics in the lighthouse hint at past interactions with the entity.
- Environmental Hazards: The island’s dangerous terrain and unpredictable weather add to the challenge.