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 - Mictlan

 

This campaign for Castles & Crusades uses the "Conquistadors of Mictlan" line by Antediluvian Miniatures to create a "Lost World" pulp-fantasy setting. This 'Lost World' Pulp setting has become an Inner Earth level. We replaced our party's numbers who had been killed last game with several explorers.  This leg of the campaign picks right up from 

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

In C&C, this campaign works best as a Tier 1-2 (Levels 1-6) exploration-heavy sandbox. The rules-light "Siege Engine" system allows you to focus on the environmental hazards of the jungle and the horror of the Mictlan undead.

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Campaign Title: The Obsidian Shroud of Mictlan

The Setup

The player characters are part of a secondary wave of explorers following in the footsteps of the "Great Expedition" led by the legendary (and now missing) Captain Rodriguez and Maria.

The campaign begins as the PCs’ ship strikes a sandbar off the coast of the Xibalba Peninsula. They have only their starting gear, a map of the coastline, and a list of "warning signs" left by previous scouts. The party get's sucked down into the inner Earth of 

Key Factions (Using the Minis)

1. The Expeditionary Remnant: These are the surviving PCs and NPCs (using the Explorers Sets).

   • Leonardo the Mage: A high-level NPC (or quest giver) who is obsessed with the "Key to Life and Death."

   • The Half-Pint Vanguard: Use the Alvarez the Dwarf and Pedro the Halfling minis to represent a scout unit that has gone native or been captured.

2. The Lich-Lords of Mictlan: The primary antagonists. These ancient sorcerers (using the Mictlan Lich minis) don't just kill trespassers; they reanimate them.

   • Monster Note: Use the C&C Monsters & Treasure stats for a Lich, but reduce the HD to 8-10 for a mid-tier threat, giving them the ability to "Command Dead" as a SIEGE check.

3. The Jaguar Guard: The elite martial force of the Mictlan empire (using the Skeletal Jaguar Warriors). These are the "patrols" that haunt the jungle.

4. The Shambling Lost: Conquistadors who fell in previous years (the Zombies sets). They still wear their rusted morion helmets and breastplates.

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Campaign Hooks & Locations

1. The Trail of the Dead (Level 1-2)

• The Scene: The PCs find a clearing filled with the Warning Signs (Martin Buck sculpts). These aren't just scenery; they are magical wards or physical warnings.

• Challenge: A SIEGE check (Wisdom/Survival) to interpret the signs. Failure leads the party into an ambush by Mictlan Ticks (the "disgusting ticks" minis).

• The Goal: Reach the ruined outpost of "Porto Despero" and recover Rodriguez’s logbook.

2. The Gorgonopsid Hunt (Level 3)

• The Scene: The party must traverse the "Velociraptor Valleys" (using the Gorgonopsids minis).

• Mechanic: In C&C, these act as apex predators. Give them a high "Move" stat and a "Pounce" ability that requires a Strength-prime SIEGE check to avoid being pinned.

• The Goal: Capture or kill a beast to trade its hide with the Mictlan Mermaid (found in a secluded cenote) for information on the Lich's lair.

3. The Temple of the Obsidian Sun (Level 4-6)

• The Scene: The final dungeon. A ziggurat where the Pestilent Lich is performing a ritual to turn the sun black.

• The Battle: Use the Conquistador Zombies as a front line to slow the PCs down while the Lich casts from the top of the ziggurat.

• The Twist: Among the zombies, the PCs recognize Maria, now an undead champion. To save her (or put her to rest), they must recover the "Treasure items" (the Lich treasure pack).

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C&C House Rules for this Setting

• The Jungle Heat: Heavy armor (Plate/Mail) adds a +2 Challenge Level (CL) to all Physical SIEGE checks due to exhaustion and heat. This makes the Unarmored or Leather-clad minis in the set more "lore-accurate."

• Black Blood Fever: If bitten by a Mictlan Tick or wounded by a Mictlan Zombie, the PC must make a Constitution SIEGE check or lose 1 point of Charisma per day as they slowly turn into a "Conquistador Zombie."

• The Wardog: If a player uses the Dog Master mini, the War Dog functions as a "Follower" with 2 HD and a "Loyalty" bonus to the PC's Charisma checks.

Miniature Mapping

• Player Characters: Use Conquistador Explorers Set 1, 2, & 3.

• Random Encounters: Gorgonopsids, Ticks, Mermaid.

• The "Horde": Conquistador Zombies and Mictlan Zombies.

• Bosses: Mictlan Lich and Pestilent Lich.

This d100 Jungle Discovery Table is designed to leverage the specific aesthetic of the Antediluvian minis—mixing historical conquistador tragedy, Mesoamerican-inspired horror, and pulp "Lost World" biology.

In Castles & Crusades, use these as random encounters during overland travel. When the party enters a new hex or rests, roll the percentile dice.

The d100 Mictlan Jungle Discovery Table

d100	Discovery Type	Description
01-05	The Warning	A pile of Warning Signs (minis) blocking the path. A successful Intelligence (CL 2) check reveals they aren't just for show—they are coated in a contact poison that causes hallucinations of "ghost ships" in the trees.
06-15	The Lost Scout	You find a lone Conquistador Explorer (from Set 1) huddled in a hollow log. He is babbling about "the woman with the fish tail." He carries a map to a hidden cenote but refuses to move unless given wine.
16-25	Tick Infestation	The party brushes against a "bleeding tree." It’s actually a swarm of Mictlan Ticks. Each PC must make a Dexterity (CL 3) check or have 1d4 ticks attach, draining 1hp per hour until removed with fire.
26-35	The Abandoned Camp	A tattered tent containing a rusted breastplate and a half-written letter from Maria. It mentions the Lich’s weakness: a mirror made of polished obsidian.
36-45	Gorgonopsid Nest	1d3 Gorgonopsids are guarding a clutch of leathery eggs. They are highly territorial. If defeated, the eggs can be sold to a collector for 50gp each—if you can keep them warm.
46-55	Patrol of the Dead	1d6 Skeletal Jaguar Warriors led by a Conquistador Zombie. They move in eerie silence. They aren't looking for food; they are looking for "tribute" for the Lich.
56-65	The Mermaid’s Cenote	A beautiful, bioluminescent pool where the Mictlan Mermaid sits. She offers a "Kiss of the Deep" (Water Breathing for 24 hrs) in exchange for a piece of cold iron or a silver coin.
66-75	The Sun-Bleached Altar	A crumbling stone dais holding the Lich Treasure. It’s a trap; touching the gold triggers a Fear spell (Charisma save, CL 5) as the shadows of the trees lengthen and take the shape of skeletal hands.
76-85	The Fallen Priest	You find Pedro the Halfling (or a similar mini) pinned to a tree by obsidian daggers. He is barely alive and warns that the Pestilent Lich is currently "feeding" in a nearby grotto.
86-90	The Obsidian Outcropping	A natural vein of volcanic glass. A Blacksmith/Craft check allows a player to fashion 1d4 jagged arrowheads that deal +2 damage against undead targets.
91-97	The Great Predator	A massive, elder Gorgonopsid (give it max HP and +2 AC). It is currently eating a Zombie, giving the party a chance to sneak past or strike with surprise.
98-00	The Lich’s Projection	The Mictlan Lich appears as a ghostly apparition. He doesn't attack but offers the PCs a deal: "Bring me the head of Captain Rodriguez, and I shall let you sail home on a ship of gold."

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How to use this in your C&C Game:

• The "Siege Engine" Twist: If a PC rolls a Natural 1 on any check related to these encounters, they contract Jungle Rot. This reduces their Constitution by 1 point every time they take a Long Rest until they find rare herbs or a Remove Disease spell.

• Miniature Synergy: If you are using the Dog Master mini, his dog grants a +2 bonus to "Sense" any of the stealthy encounters (like the Patrol of the Dead or the Gorgonopsid Nest).