Her Sun-Shattered Tears (Shadowdark)

It has been generations since a magical cataclysm ravaged the world, turning a fertile planet into a feral wasteland.

The sun, which once brought warmth and beckoned crops, now looms titanic and black, its dim crimson light bleeding through cracks in its blistered surface.

Those who remain huddle together in city-states, each ruled by a beautiful and cruel Sorcerer-Queen who wields the peoples’ fear of magic like a cudgel.

It is upon the remnants of the pre-cataclysmic civilizations that the foundation slabs of these city-states were laid—and the temple of one such lost society has just been unearthed.

Her legion weak with hunger, beset by invaders, and filthy with traitors, the Sorcerer-Queen has instead chosen a band of loyal thralls to enter the exhumed temple and seize the relic rumored to be hidden within: the Tears of the Siege Angel.

Adventure Summary

Her Sun-Shattered Tears is a 1st-level one-shot dungeon delve for use with the Shadowdark RPG.

In this short adventure, the characters will enter a buried temple dedicated to a gladiator that led an uprising against an emperor. Within the trap-laden temple, the characters seek on behalf of their tyrannical mistress a mythic substance called the Tears of the Siege Angel.

Adventure Features

• 1st-level characters
• 10 deadly chambers—backup characters recommended
• 3-4 hours of dungeon-crawling gameplay
• Gritty wasteland/desert theme inspired by RPG settings such as Dark Sun
• Unique monsters including the hypogeum worm, triceratops ghoul, and colosseum golem
• New treasures including the pouch of fine-ground baby teeth, sacrificial newborn pegasus, and laurel crown of the siege angel

Independent Game Jam 2023

This dungeon adventure was created as part of the 2023 Shadowdark RPG Independent Game Jam. The adventure was written in one weekend and has not been edited or playtested.

License

Her Sun-Shattered Tears is an independent product published under the Shadowdark RPG Third-Party License and is not affiliated with The Arcane Library, LLC. Shadowdark RPG © 2023 The Arcane Library, LLC. Module text © 2023 Trident Gamebooks, LLC.