Escape from the Volcano

Can you stop a powerful sorcerer before he awakens a dormant volcano and destroys the village at its base?

The Situation

The volcano in front of you is massive. Its peak rises well beyond the clouds.

Two days ago, as you sat down to each lunch in Farfaria Tavern, a man burst through the door, out-of-breath with wild, frantic eyes.

My child, my child! Someone please help. Lorak the Sorcerer has taken my child to his lair inside Meltinstone Volcano. The volcano has been dormant for centuries, but we’re now in grave in danger.

My child, Zephyr, possesses a gift—or a curse, depending on how you look at it—that can awaken the volcano. If it erupts, it will destroy my village and unleash the dark forces that live within. We cannot let that happen!

And now, here you are. After some searching, you found a small tunnel entrance into the volcano.

As you approach, a deep rumble comes from within the volcano, then settles. You step into the tunnel, and the opening collapses behind you, sealing you in…

Questions

Why does the Lorak the Sorcerer want to awaken the volcano?
What else have you heard about Lorak?
How does the boy’s gift (or curse) work? How does he awaken the volcano?
Where you offered a reward for the rescue? If so, how much?
Someone else is also interested in the boys powers. Who, and why?

Locations

Lava Pond. A lake of lava, it bubbles and pops as heat builds. Islands of volcanic rock dot the lava, some more stable and well balanced than others. Blackened, porous walls ooze magma in places.
Lava River. A slow but powerful river of lava, spanned by an old rope bridge. It swings and sways about 20 feet above the molten rock.
Cavern of the Rock Monster. A seemingly empty cave, dotted with boulders and cave-ins.
Mushroom Cavern. A dim cavern illuminated by large clusters of iridescent mushrooms. A thin stream of lava cuts the cavern in half.
Dragonhead Hallway. A long, straight hallway, adorned with stone dragon head figurines. Their mouths are agape.
Lava Lake. A tall, wide cavern, with a giant lake of lava. In the middle are two islands of volcanic rock. A sturdy wooden bridge connects each end of the cavern to the islands. To get from one island to the next, players have to swing across a rope.
The Palace. A massive room, with several tiers of finely crafted stonework. Statues line the walls. Near the back is a stone bridge spanning a wide river of lava. Beyond it, is a throne of lava and bones.

Creatures & Traps

Fall Trap. Several boards fall into the river below as the adventurers attempt to cross it. With too much weight, the bridge collapses completely.
Lava Sprites. Tiny little lava creatures with a burning touch and a firey temper.
Rock Monster. Appears to be a giant boulder, but is disturbed by the slightest noise or movement. Fiercely protective of its space.
Toxic Spores. If the party lingers too long in Mushroom Cavern, they’ll begin to experience hallucinations and take disadvantage of future rolls for several minutes.
Cave Gnomes. If the party picks a mushroom, cave gnomes will emerge and attack them.
Trap Door. Stepping directly on the wooden planks causes the players in the area to fall 30’ into a pit. After a minute or two, the pit begins to fill with lava that slowly oozes through cracks in the walls. Gnomes attack if you linger too long.
Fire Trap. The dragon heads spit fire at random intervals.
Melting Shoes. Radiant heat from the volcano causes the players’ shoes to melt and stick to the floor, slowing them down as they attemp to run through the hallway.
Goblin Archers. Goblin archers begin shooting at the party from hidden balconies in the walls.
Mini Eruption. The second island features a lava trap. The goblin archers can remotely trigger a mini eruption when the players step onto it.
Statue Golems. One or two hideous statues that come to life and attack.
Lava Creatures. A lava monster oozes from the walls. On the far side of the bridge, more archers launch attacks.
The Sorcerer. Powerful, but over-confident.

Secrets

The mushrooms in this place are magical. Eating one will produce a random effect. Roll a die on the random effects table (Don’t eat random mushrooms in real life!)
The goblins fear the sorcerer, and would just as soon not work for him.
The statues and figurines in this place are all traps.
Cave gnomes can be enemies or allies, depending on how they’re treated.

Fronts

The Sorcerer

Wants to unleash the volcano and destroy the village.

Learns how to harness the curse to awaken the volcano.
Awakens the volcano. Tremors begin, and the temperature rises in the tunnel.
The volcano erupts.