Friday, January 9, 2026

Aethel, the Sunken Core Inner Earth Sword & Sorcery Campaign Adventure Using both Castles & Crusades (C&C) and Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars (NSW) Rpg - Escape From The Atlantian City State of Vaar


This session picked up with the PC's trapped in Vaar & about to undergo gill surgery. Diane came to help the adventurers escape but they had to wait until the Atlantians went into their rest period. This comes in around act III aka  Part 3: Escape and the Mind-Forge. Right from the last session and the PC's explored Vaar for any other avenue to the escape. They came across the Antarctic Seven and the so called Lord of Antarctic. 



The PC's were able to speak with the Seven before the Atlantian guards broke up the conversation. We had the adventurers over power the guards and helped the Seven escape! We ended here! 



 In the pulp-inspired world of Amazing Adventures & Castles & Crusades , the Antarctic Seven are survivors from Pangea Ultima—a lush, prehistoric jungle hidden beneath the ice sheet in a massive geothermal pocket.



In the lore of Amazing Adventures, The Antarctic Lord is the singular, terrifying pinnacle of Pangean evolution. While the Seven represent the diverse tribes of the lost world, the Lord is their self-appointed god-monarch—a man who has mastered both the primeval sorcery of the hollow earth and the harsh, freezing lethality of the surface.

He claims to be the original "Seed of Man," preserved in stasis for eons before the ice formed.


The Antarctic Lord (Vaelen-Zul)



Concept: Immortal Tyrant of the Frozen Deep

Allegiance: Evil / Lawful Neutral (His own empire)

Attributes

  • STR: 20 (+4) — Superhuman physical power.

  • DEX: 16 (+2) — Unnaturally graceful for his size.

  • CON: 22 (+5) — Immune to exhaustion and extreme cold.

  • INT: 19 (+3) — Possesses ancient, forgotten architectural and tactical knowledge.

  • WIS: 17 (+2) — Can sense the "heartbeat" of the planet.

  • CHA: 20 (+4) — A terrifying, magnetic presence.

Vital Statistics

  • Class: Dual-Classed Fighter / Mentalist

  • Hit Dice: $12d12 + 60$

  • Armor Class: 22 (Ancient Plate + Natural Toughness)

  • Movement: 40 ft. (Ignores difficult terrain caused by ice/snow)


Special Abilities & Powers

  • Cryo-Kinetic Mastery: The Lord can manipulate the temperature around him. He can cast Ice Storm or Wall of Ice 3 times per day as a Mentalist ability.

  • The Monarch’s Gaze: Any modern human within 30 feet must succeed on a Charisma Save (CL 12) or be Frightened for $1d6$ rounds.

  • Absorb Heat: The Lord is immune to Cold damage. If targeted by Fire damage, he takes no damage and instead gains temporary HP equal to half the damage rolled.

  • Primal Might: His melee attacks are considered magical. He can punch through reinforced steel as if it were parchment.


Gear & Signature Equipment

ItemEffect
The Zero-Point ScepterA staff of blue crystal that deals $1d10 + 6$ crushing damage + $2d6$ Cold damage.
The Mantle of the AurochsA fur cape that grants him Magic Resistance (SR 15).
The Crown of PangeaAllows him to telepathically command any prehistoric beast or "The Seven."

Combat Tactics

The Antarctic Lord does not hide. He walks calmly through gunfire, relying on his massive CON and AC to shrug off modern weaponry. He prioritizes "breaking" the strongest opponent first to demoralize the rest. In a losing fight, he will shatter the ground beneath his feet, creating a chasm to the geothermal depths below to escape.

GM Tip: The Lord views the Antarctic Seven as "stray dogs" who have forgotten their master. His goal isn't just to kill them, but to force them back into servitude to help him reclaim the "frozen surface world.

These heroes emerged into the modern world after a research expedition accidentally breached their sanctuary. They are physically superior to modern humans but possess a primal, alien perspective on 20th-century civilization.


The Antarctic Seven

1. Kaltos the Unbroken (The Leader)

A silver-haired warrior king whose skin is as tough as rhino hide.

  • Attributes: STR 18, DEX 12, CON 19, INT 14, WIS 16, CHA 15

  • Class: Fighter (Brute)

  • Signature: A greatsword forged from "Sky-Iron" (Meteorite) that ignores 2 points of natural armor.

2. Svala of the Shifting Winds

A scout who can communicate with the prehistoric terrors of the hollow earth.

  • Attributes: STR 13, DEX 18, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 17, CHA 12

  • Class: Ranger / Beastmaster

  • Signature: Always accompanied by Skree, a dimorphodon (flying reptile) that acts as her eyes.

3. Ouro the Obsidian Seer

The group’s mystic, blinded by a volcanic eruption but gifted with "Thermal Sight."

  • Attributes: STR 10, DEX 11, CON 13, INT 18, WIS 19, CHA 10

  • Class: Arcanist (Mentalist)

  • Signature: Can manipulate earth and stone. He carries a staff made of petrified wood that pulses with heat.

4. Thrum, the Living Mountain

A behemoth standing 7'6" tall. He was the guardian of the Great Gate.

  • Attributes: STR 20, DEX 8, CON 20, INT 8, WIS 9, CHA 11

  • Class: Hooligan (Brawler focus)

  • Signature: Massive natural armor (AC +4) due to his dense, mineral-rich bone structure.

5. Nyx the Frost-Walker

Born in the "Thin Zones" where the jungle meets the ice, she has adapted to extreme cold.

  • Attributes: STR 12, DEX 19, CON 15, INT 12, WIS 13, CHA 16

  • Class: Rogue (Infiltrator)

  • Signature: Completely invisible to infrared/thermal sensors and immune to cold damage.

6. Dr. Aris Thorne (The Outlander)

The only modern human in the group. The expedition’s medic who went native and survived through sheer grit.

  • Attributes: STR 11, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 18, WIS 15, CHA 13

  • Class: Gadgeteer (Field Medic)

  • Signature: Uses a blend of modern chemistry and Pangean herbs to create incredible healing salves.

7. Vex the Sun-Eater

A genetic anomaly who can absorb sunlight and discharge it as kinetic force.

  • Attributes: STR 14, DEX 16, CON 13, INT 11, WIS 10, CHA 18

  • Class: Powered (Energy Blaster)

  • Signature: Radiant blasts that deal $2d8$ damage; she becomes weakened if kept in total darkness for over 24 hours.


Team Dynamics & Stats Reference

NameRolePrimary SaveHealth
KaltosTank/LeadPhysicalHigh
SvalaReconReflexModerate
OuroControlMentalLow
ThrumHeavy DutyPhysicalMassive
NyxStealthReflexModerate
ThorneSupportMentalModerate
VexArtilleryReflexModerate

Note for the GM: The Antarctic Seven view modern technology (cell phones, cars) as "invisible magic" and are often more comfortable in a zoo or botanical garden than a city street.

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