{"id":52,"date":"2026-10-10T20:39:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T20:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=52"},"modified":"2026-10-10T20:39:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T20:39:21","slug":"necromancer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/necromancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Necromancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<aside aria-label=\"Dancing Plague chapter index\" style=\"clear:both;float:none;position:static;box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;max-width:100%;margin:0 0 1.5rem;padding:14px;background:#27211e;color:#e8d4a6;border:1px solid #9c804c;border-radius:4px;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:.9rem;line-height:1.4\"><div style=\"font-size:1.1rem;font-weight:700;color:#e5c27c;margin-bottom:10px\">Adventure Index<\/div><nav style=\"display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(min(100%,210px),1fr));gap:0 12px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=43\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">GM ONLY: Background (spoilers)<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=46\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">Introduction<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=48\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">GM ONLY: Synopsis (spoilers)<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=50\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">1. Stahlburg<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=52\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">2. Rumors and the Raid<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=64\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">3. The Funeral<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=89\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">4. Roadside Ambush<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=92\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">5. Return to Stahlburg<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=97\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">6. Tracing the Order<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=102\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">7. The Laboratory<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=105\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">8. Following the Trail<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=107\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">9. The Suppressed Inquiry<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=108\" style=\"display:block;padding:6px 9px;color:#e2c487;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid #5a4b39;line-height:1.35;overflow-wrap:anywhere\">10. Final Reckoning<\/a><\/nav><\/aside>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ChatGPT-Image-Sep-23-2026-05_21_28-PM-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-53\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.4972219514572571;width:643px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ChatGPT-Image-Sep-23-2026-05_21_28-PM-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ChatGPT-Image-Sep-23-2026-05_21_28-PM-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ChatGPT-Image-Sep-23-2026-05_21_28-PM-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ChatGPT-Image-Sep-23-2026-05_21_28-PM.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Necromancer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the dancing spreads, several people offer the characters a suspect, regardless of whether anyone has yet identified a poison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A reclusive scholar lives outside Stahlburg. His exact title and reputation can be adapted to the campaign, but most locals simply call him a necromancer. He purchases corpses, studies poisonous plants and fungi, employs unusual alchemical equipment, and has repeatedly clashed with local religious authorities over his research. Few citizens know precisely what he does, which has allowed increasingly elaborate stories to circulate about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More importantly, his acolyte has recently been seen in Stahlburg purchasing unusual herbs and alchemical ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The accusation is compelling enough that even some Church officials believe the characters should investigate him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is also wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The acolyte knows nothing about the poisoned wells or the conspiracy surrounding them. His activities will eventually provide the characters with information useful to identifying the poison, but pursuing him initially leads directly into the adventure&#8217;s principal red herring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rumors of Another Outbreak<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Characters who spend time among merchants, travelers, refugees, guards, or tavern patrons eventually hear that Stahlburg may not be the first settlement struck by the dancing sickness. A smaller town called Vauclerc, several hours away, reportedly experienced similar behavior before the outbreak began here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The accounts are contradictory. One traveler claims dozens died. Another insists the entire town was cursed. Someone else says the sickness disappeared as suddenly as it began. No one in Stahlburg seems particularly interested in determining which version is true; they have enough problems of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vauclerc should remain merely one possible lead until events give the characters a stronger reason to travel there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Raid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The investigation is interrupted by violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The attack comes during daylight, when Stahlburg&#8217;s reduced guard is struggling to maintain order around the afflicted. Bells suddenly sound from one quarter of the city. At first, many residents assume another victim has died or a riot has begun. Then someone comes running into the square shouting that armed men have entered through one of the lesser gates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brigands are raiding Stahlburg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are not the Black Briars mentioned during Rott&#8217;s briefing, nor are they connected to the poisoned wells. They are inhabitants of an impoverished village roughly a day&#8217;s journey away. Their crops have failed, their food stores are nearly exhausted, and they have received little assistance from either local nobles or the Church. Word reached them that another settlement had recently been devastated by the dancing sickness. They intended to raid that town while it was defenseless but arrived too late to exploit the outbreak. When they subsequently heard that Stahlburg had been struck by the same affliction, they came here instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their objective is plunder rather than slaughter. Several rush toward a granary while others break into shops or attempt to seize livestock. A smaller group enters a Church building after assuming it contains silver or other valuables. The Game Master should spread the attack across several nearby objectives so the characters must decide where they are most urgently needed. Saving trapped townspeople, protecting the granary, preventing the theft of medicines, defending the Church, or pursuing the raiders&#8217; leader can all become part of the encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The brigands fight if confronted but should not behave like fanatics. Once it becomes clear that the raid has failed, some surrender and others attempt to flee. Prisoners reveal the miserable conditions of their home village and explain why they believed Stahlburg would be defenseless. They also confirm something the characters may already have heard:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was another town: Vauclerc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They had gone there first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when they arrived, the sickness had already ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The brigands found Vauclerc alert, its gates watched, and preparations underway for the funeral of an important religious official. They abandoned their original plan and eventually turned toward Stahlburg instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the characters ask the dead man&#8217;s name, one of the brigands remembers hearing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Matthias Veyr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The name should mean absolutely nothing to the characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<nav aria-label=\"Adventure chapter navigation\" style=\"clear:both;display:flex;gap:14px;flex-wrap:wrap;margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1rem;border-top:1px solid #bbb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=50\">\u2190 Previous: Stahlburg<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/\">Home<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/?page_id=64\">Next: The Funeral \u2192<\/a><\/nav>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adventure Index GM ONLY: Background (spoilers)IntroductionGM ONLY: Synopsis (spoilers)1. Stahlburg2. Rumors and the Raid3. The Funeral4. Roadside Ambush5. Return to Stahlburg6. Tracing the Order7. The Laboratory8. Following the Trail9. The Suppressed Inquiry10.\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"","_aioseop_title":"","_aioseop_description":""},"class_list":["post-52","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":262,"href":"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions\/262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.savevspodcast.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}