Varisian Quest Ideas
The Missing Mechanic (Level 1-2)
Location
Steamridge, outskirts of Dampfstadt.
Prompt
A young but brilliant mechanic, known for her work on improving farm machinery efficiency, has gone missing in the industrial town of Steamridge. Her family, desperate for her safe return, seeks adventurers to find her. Rumours suggest her latest invention threatened a local magnate's monopoly, possibly leading to foul play.
Objectives
Interview locals and workers to gather clues on her last known whereabouts and discover if there is any ill will towards the mechanic in Steamridge.
Investigate the mechanic's workshop, uncovering plans that could revolutionize farming in the Varisian Empire.
Track down the magnate’s thugs to a hidden warehouse, rescue the mechanic, and bring the culprits to justice through.
Elements
Introduce players to the agricultural technology of the Varisian Empire and the potential conflicts it creates. Potentially build connections with guilds and factions, and introduce the players to the city of Dampfstadt. This short and simple quest emphasises investigation, interaction with NPCs, and a straightforward combat encounter and could tie in to a larger plo.
Brewmaster's Woe (Level 1-2)
Location
A small village on the outskirts of Glefeld.
Prompt
The village's beloved brewmaster has concocted a new ale, claiming it to be the finest in the land. However, after a batch mysteriously turns sour, he suspects sabotage by a rival brewery. The brewmaster seeks adventurers to uncover the truth and restore his reputation.
Objectives
Investigate the brewery for signs of tampering, using both traditional detective work and analysis of the magical or technological residues.
Interview villagers and rival brewers to gather information and motives.
Discover the saboteur (a disgruntled former apprentice) and confront them to bring an end to their mischief.
Elements
A light-hearted, investigative mission with a focus on social interactions and understanding the everyday uses of technology and magic in the Varisian Empire. Combat is minimal or can be avoided altogether.
The Gilded Gear (Level 2-3)
Location
The Wassermarkt and the Astradia border.
Prompt
A renowned artisan from the Astradian Consortium has crafted a mechanical clockwork soldier said to be imbued with ancient aethrean magic, attracting interest from various factions. However, the soldier is stolen in transit from Astradia to the Varisian Empire. The artisan seeks help in retrieving it, fearing they could cause havoc if misused.
Objectives
Navigate the bustling markets of Wassermarkt to gather information on the thief and the factions involved.
Investigate leads from the information gathered, learning of an underground black market auction for artifacts and stolen goods.
Infiltrate the black market auction through stealth, diplomacy or combat. Secure the Clockwork Soldier before it falls into the wrong hands.
Elements
Explore the blend of commerce, magic, and technology in Wassermarkt. The mission focuses on urban exploration, diplomacy or stealth, with an optional combat element based on player choices. Players have an opportunity to build favour with factions in the city, or develop relations with the Astradian Consortium. They also have the opportunity to identify or obtain other magical items or technology in the black market auction.
Sabotage at the Sunforge (Level 2-3)
Location
The Sunforged Plains near Glefeld.
Prompt
The Sunforge, a massive solar-powered device designed to revolutionize agriculture in Glefeld, has been sabotaged, threatening the harvest. The engineer behind the invention suspects industrial espionage and needs discreet assistance to repair the damage and uncover the saboteur.
Objectives
Inspect the Sunforge for clues to the sabotage, navigating through its complex machinery avoiding electrical traps and dangerous paths.
Covertly survey suspects within the engineering team and local competitors, utilizing both social skills and technical knowledge.
Repair the Sunforge with a combination of arcane energy and mechanical skill, then confront or outwit the saboteur to secure the Sunforge’s future.
Elements
Highlights the empire’s reliance on innovative technology for prosperity. The mission requires problem-solving, a blend of skills to repair the device, and a choice of confrontation or cunning to deal with the antagonist.
The Phantom Fog (Level 3-4)
Location
The coastal streets of Seahafen.
Prompt
A mysterious fog has rolled into Seehafen, bringing with it whispers of ghostly ships and vanishing fishermen. The local harbor master, desperate to maintain the city’s bustling trade, recruits adventurers to investigate the source of this supernatural phenomenon.
Objectives
Explore the fog-engulfed docks and gather eyewitness accounts of the ghostly apparitions.
Through information and following leads, the players track the source through tumultuous storms and rain to an ancient shipwreck at Ironclad Graves.
Combat through waves of spectral sailors and warriors, using archaic versions of the Varisian weaponry while avoiding a storm and traps.
Encounter the source of the curse, a sea hag coven, and put a stop to their conjuring through diplomacy or combat.
Elements
A mission combining maritime folklore with the steampunk setting, focusing on environmental challenges and heavy combat with spectral enemies and a hag coven. Explore new areas of Seahafen and the Ironclad Graves, and learn more about the culture of the Varisian Empire.
The Dusk Watch Beacon (Level 5-6)
Location
The borderlands near the Dusk Watch Garrison.
Prompt
A series of beacons meant to signal peace across the no-man’s land have begun to fail, with reports of strange beasts near the Dusk Watch. The commander of the Dusk Watch, not wanting to risk an escalation, seeks brave souls to repair the beacons and investigate the cause of the disturbances.
Objectives
Navigate the perilous borderlands to reach each beacon, repairing or reactivating them with a mix of mechanical and arcane solutions.
Investigate signs of tampering or magical influence at the beacons, leading to an encounter with magical beasts drawn to the beacon’s energy.
Report back to the Dusk Watch with findings, potentially uncovering a plot to disrupt the fragile peace.
Elements
Focuses on the theme of maintaining peace through vigilance and ingenuity. Players will engage in environmental challenges, light puzzle-solving, and combat encounters designed around strategic use of the terrain and the beacons themselves.
The Iron Tournament (Levels 4-6)
Location
Stahlgard Arena.
Prompt
Stahlgard, the premiere military training ground of the Varisian Empire, announces the Iron Tournament—a competition open to all, testing combat prowess, strategy, and mastery over mechanical contraptions. The grand prize? A coveted position in the Steel Legion and a patent for a personal invention.
Objectives
Compete in a series of challenges, from duels with other contestants to navigating obstacle courses filled with traps and mechanical enemies.
Develop or modify a piece of technology to use in the tournament, showcasing innovation and skill.
Fend against competing contestants seeking to sabotage efforts outside of the rules of the tournament.
Elements
A mix of medieval tournament traditions with the technological flair of the empire, encouraging creativity in combat and problem-solving.
The Echoes of the Past (Levels 6-7)
Location
Stahlgard, the military fortification and training grounds.
Prompt
A series of mysterious disappearances among the recruits at Stahlgard prompts concern from the military's high command. Initial investigations suggest a hidden network of ancient, pre-Varisian tunnels beneath the fort, but all rescue attempts have led to more disappearances. The players are hired for their discretion and bravery to explore these tunnels, rescue any survivors, and eliminate the threat.
Objectives
Navigate the labyrinthine tunnels, uncovering relics of the past and clues to the nature of the threat.
Battle or outwit the denizens of the deep—forgotten constructs gone rogue and the remnants of a lost civilisation.
Discover the source of the disappearances: a malfunctioning ancient construct that was released, collecting the recruits and storing them in archaic test tubes.
Delve deeper into the lost civilisation, discovering the purpose of the facility and the constructs—research and genetic manipulation. Decide whether the research should be shared with the Empire or destroyed.
Elements
A blend of dungeon crawling and mystery with opportunities for combat, exploration, and ancient technology interaction. The quest emphasises the empire's deep history and the dangers of its relentless expansion.
The Iron Market Conspiracy (Levels 7-8)
Location
The industrial heart of Eisenberg, within the Varisian Empire.
Prompt
The industrial markets of Eisenberg, vital for the empire’s war efforts and technological advancements, are shaken by a series of mysterious sabotage events. These incidents threaten the very seat of power of the Empire, hinting at a deep-seated conspiracy to weaken the Varisian Empire from within. The Imperial Intelligence, unable to act openly without risking panic or tipping off the conspirators, recruits the players to unravel and dismantle the conspiracy discreetly.
Objectives
Delve into the bustling, smog-filled streets of Eisenberg to track down the sabotage source, investigating the site of the sabotage, navigating through factories, foundries, and steamworks and interrogating witnesses.
Use a combination of stealth, investigation, and diplomacy to infiltrate the suspected factions, uncovering a network of disgruntled inventors and military officers with ties to the Morn Arcanum behind the conspiracy.
Disable the war machines and sabotaged inventions left behind as defenses by the network.
Race against the clock to prevent a catastrophic act of sabotage planned to take place during the grand unveiling of a new war machine, choosing between direct confrontation, outsmarting the conspirators, or leveraging the situation to the players’ advantage.
Elements
This quest emphasises the intricate balance between industry and politics in the Varisian Empire, challenging players to engage in espionage within the city. It requires critical thinking, careful planning, and the ability to navigate complex social dynamics, all while dealing with the technological wonders and dangers of Eisenberg.
The Aetheric Plague (Levels 7-10)
Location
Alderwald, the arcane hub of the Varisian Empire
Prompt
Alderwald, the arcane and innovation hub of the Varisian Empire, is struck by a mysterious affliction known as the Aetheric Plague. Victims are overwhelmed by rampant technological growths, turning them into half-machine aberrations. The source appears to be a malfunctioning experimental reactor tapping into Aetherium, the magical material powering the city's inventions.
Objectives
Navigate the city, now a labyrinth of overgrown machinery and rampant magic, to locate the reactor. Encounter hybrid half-machine aberrations, subduing or killing them.
Collaborate with the city's top mages and engineers to devise a solution to shut down the reactor safely.
Confront the now sentient Aetherium machine that has taken over the reactor, deciding whether to destroy it, free it, or find a way to coexist.
Elements
Explore the consequences of unchecked technological and magical experimentation, emphasising the importance of balance and the ethical implications of sentient intelligence.