Ziggurat of the Sun Princess
A Dungeon World Adventure
By Josh Mannon
Introduction
Three factions are fighting over the
ziggurat and the Sun Stones it
contains. What are Sun Stones and
what do they do? That is really up to
each GM but to be sure they store and
release energy like a battery. If you
think it is interesting that they do
more, go for it. They are very rare and
the fact that there are five in this one
building makes it a magnet for trouble.
Trouble comes in two forms, Zorphis
the Floramancer and the D'rals, Taris
who slavishly serves his wife and Anita
an exiled Fey queen. Both factions
already have one Sun Stone and both
need six stones to pull off their master
plan. Princess Xevis has her own plan
to exact vengeance on the locals for
allowing her rest to be disturbed.
Enter the player characters, they are
there to keep anyone from controlling
enough of the Sun Stones to be a real
danger. How will they do that? Play to
find out.
Questions
Ask these questions to each of the
players before you begin. Take notes
about the answers and make sure to
integrate the answers as much as you
can. Feel free to move or change as
much about the adventure as you need
to.
Your patron is very powerful and far
seeing, why did she choose to rely on
you?
There are all kinds of myths about the
powers of the Sun Stones, what myth do
you hope is not real?
Ask these questions to one player each.
Anita D'ral is not what she appears to
be, what do you think she is?
Zorphis the Floramancer has been a
laughing stock for years, what was one
time he tried to be kind and you saw
him mocked?
There are legends about Xevis, the Sun
Princess, what is your favorite?
Fronts
Zorphis
Impending Doom
I will use the Sun Stones to grow an
army of plant warriors, the fools in
Karackis will rue the day they threw
me out!
Stakes
How much control does Zorphis have
over his plant men?
What is Zorphis doing with the Sun
Stone he has?
The D'ral Expedition
Impending Doom
Anita will use the Sun Stones to pull
all of the surrounding region into the
Fey where she was banished.
Stakes
What are Taris and Anita doing with the
Sun Stone they have?
For what price is Gambin willing to
betray the D'rals?
What will Anita do with Taris when she
no longer needs him?
Cast
Zorphis the Floramancer
Taris D'ral
Anita D'ral
Gambin
Zorphis begins to send his plant men
into the ziggurat after the Sun Stones.
Zorphis uses two Sun Stones to raise a
plant giant.
Zorphis uses four Sun Stones to turn
the forest around the ziggurat into a
plant dragon.
The goblins storm the ziggurat
looking for Sun Stones.
Taris uses two Sun Stones to restore
Anita to her full fey glory.
Anita will use four Sun Stones to open
a gate into the Fey and call forth those
loyal to her.
The plant men
Zorphis' Gauntlet of Kryos
Plant Giant
Plant Dragon
Gambin's goblin helpers
Anita's Mask of Hopeful Glamor
Frost Pixies
Cast
Grim Portents
Dangers
Grim Portents
Dangers
Princess Xevis
Impending Doom
The fools shall pay for blocking out
my sun, starting with the city of
Karackis!
Stakes
What do the Sun Stones do once they
are brought together?
What is Xevis doing with the Sun Stone
she has in her throne room?
Can Xevis awaken enough protectors in
time?
Princess Xevis
Cast
Grim Portents
Xevis awakens the Mummies
protecting the remaining two Sun
Stones.
Xevis uses two Sun Stones and
awakens the Naga Twins, Spite and
Petty.
Xevis uses four Sun Stones and
awakens the Royal Guard Mummies.
Dangers
The Sun Leopards
Xexis' sword Long Ray
Guardian Mummies
Spite and Petty
Royal Guard Mummies
Locations
The D'ral
Encampment
Foes
Depending on when the party arrives
at the D'ral encampment any of these
may be there.
Taris D'ral - 15(1d12+3) Damage, 30
HP, 1 Armor
Bond with blood
Cover with blood
Light his blood on fire
Goal: to protect Anita
Anita D'ral - 9(1d10) Damage, 20 HP, 0
Armor
Fascinate those around her
Command those who love her
Attack all others
Goal: to get back into Fey
Gambin - 9(1d10) Damage, 20 HP, 1
Armor
Call on the Goblins
Command a Goblin attack
Strike with a pick
Goal: to get paid
Goblins (20) - 5(1d6) Damage, 20 HP, 1
Armor
Surround an enemy
Tie up an enemy
Attack an enemy with knives
Goal: to do what Gambin says
Servants (5)
Environment
The D'rals are traveling in style, a large
white tent with a somewhat smaller
tent for their servants. Gambin's tent is
much smaller and very rugged. The
goblins tend to build new hovels as
their old ones break down and new
and wrecked mounds can be seen all
over
Loot
The D'ral's tent is full of finery, about
100 Gold and 15 Load worth of it.
Gambin's tent contains 10 Load worth
of Adventurer's Gear. The golblins
have nothing of value.
Magic
Anita D'ral's mask allows the wearer to
stop any creature from attacking her so
long as they can see the mask covering
her face. The wearer also has this
move: when you wear the mask and
command someone who can see the
mask and understand you Roll+ CHA.
On a hit they willingly do what you
ask so long as you promise to reward
them with your company. On a 10+
they become devoted to you, any time
they do as you ask they mark
experience. On a miss they become
obsessed with you, take -1 forward on
any interaction where they are
involved.
The Courtyard
Foes
Zorphis - 7(1d6+1) Damage, 10 HP, 4
Armor
Cast a spell
Raise a plant man
Attack with a staff
Goal: to grow and expand his plant
army.
Plant Men - 5(1d6) Damage,
18 HP, 1 Armor
Restrain with vines
Constrict
Envelop
Goal: to protect Zorphis
and each other
Environment
Zorphis has set up camp just outside
the entrance to the ziggurat and is
spending his time building more and
more plant men.
Loot
Much of Zorphis' equipment is
valuable but heavy. Zorphis himself
wears a gauntlet that allows him to
manipulate the technology
Magic
Gauntlet of Kryos: this device gives
the wearer +2 to any roll dealing with
Artifacts.
Xevis' Ziggurat's
Entrance
Foes
Sun Leopards (5) - 5(1d6) Damage, 13
HP, 1 Armor
Trip
Drag away
Maul
The Ants' Labyrinth
Foes
Big Ant Swarms 8(1d8) Damage, 12 HP,
4 Armor
Cover an opponent
Immobilize an opponent
Drag an opponent away
Goal: to feed the colony
Goal: to guard the entrance
Environment
A highly embellished arch leads off the
courtyard and into the ziggurat. The
passageway leads all the way back to
the other side of the ziggurat and at
that end starts a stairwell to the left.
Loot
Each of the Sun Leopards are worth a
high price on the black market id they
can be captured.
The Central Passage
Environment
A stairway, leading off from the
entrance, slowly winds itself around
and up. In each of the four cardinal
directions and at ascending levels,
there are four chambers leading off this
stairway. At the top the stairs end at
the throne room.
Environment
A maze of strangely wandering tunnels
work their way through the sand.
Thousands of tiny ants constantly
wander around but it is the occasional
rat sized ant that is troubling.
Loot
The scoured corpses of fallen
adventurers lay around these hallways.
If the characters enter looking for any
item, including the Sun Stone, they
find it after fighting one swarm.
The Spider's Web
Foes
Hhalashlith - 10(1d10) Damage, 33 HP, 4
Armor
Poison
Trap with web
Drink blood
Goal: to kill those who disturb his web
Environment
At the heart of the Ant's Labyrinth is a
large, web covered hole. Light glows
out of it making the shadow of the
giant spider inside the hole shine out
ominously.
Loot
The Lair of the Naga
Sisters
Foes
Spite & Petty - 13(1d12+1) Damage, 35
HP, 1 Armor
Hypnotize an opponent
Command a hypnotized opponent
Drag an opponent below
Goal: to feed
Environment
The wall outside this room bares the
image of a divine looking woman.
Inside this room are five pillars spaced
unevenly around this
There is a Sun Stone within the web
Magic
Each time a character takes damage
from Hhalashlith give them two
poison counters. If they ever have
more poison counters than remaining
HP they drop unconscious
immediately.
Loot
There is a Sun Stone on the far wall of
this room.
Magic
The Naga sisters in this room are likely
asleep when the party enters but if you
are allowed to make a hard move here,
feel free to wake them up.
The Treasure Trove
Environment
On the wall outside this room is the
pictograph of a skeleton picking up
treasure from a pile. This room is filled
with pile upon pile of treasure in every
sort of description. At the far side, not
visible from the door, is a Sun Stone.
Loot
Once the Sunstone is removed from
this room there is 800 Loads of
treasure in this room. Each 1 Load is
worth between 500 and 5000 Gold
once appraised.
Magic
While the Sun Stone remains in this
room any one who touches the
treasure immediately looses all of their
HP and can only make their las breath
move if they are taken outside the
room.
The Mummies' Stone
Foes
Guardian Mummies (2) - 11(1d12)
Damage, 23 HP, 2 Armor
Slam
Bite
Throw
Goal: to protect the Sun Stone
Environment
A round room with a pit in the
middle. At the sides of the pit are two
mummies with their arms raised above
their heads, over the pit. In their
hands, held between them is a Sun
Stone. They watch whom ever enters
with malice.
Loot
The Sun Stone is the only thing of
value in this room.
Magic
Anyone who is damaged by the
mummies must Roll+CON after the
battle. On a 10+ they are fine, on a 79 they take -1 permanently to CON,
on a miss they gain they must make a
Last Breath move.
Xevis' Throne Room
Foes
Xevis 22(1d20+2) Damage, 17 HP, 2
Armor
Cast a spell
Command undead
Heal herself by drinking blood
Goal: to remove intruders from her
ziggurat
Sun Leopards (3) - 5(1d6) Damage, 13
HP, 1 Armor
Trip
Drag away
Maul
Goal: to guard the Xevis
Environment
At the top of the stairs is a
short passage which opens into
a golden room. At the far end, under a
large, golden sun, sits the throne of
Xevis.
Loot
Xevis wears a golden crown worth the
price of a mansion to any jeweler and
the price of a castle to an antiquities
collector who has it verified. She also
carries a magical sword called Long
Ray.
Magic
Long Ray allows it's bearer access to
the Turn Undead move or, if they
already have that move, allows them
to mark experience when they destroy
an undead.
Creature
Compendium
Frost Pixies - 5(1d6) Damage, 14 HP, 2
Armor
Attack with spears
Cast a net
Cast a spell
Goal: to serve Anita D'ral
Plant Dragon - 24(1d20+4) Damage, 60
HP, 4 Armor
Grab and fly
Breath fire
Frighten into non-action
Goal: to end all creatures of flesh
Plant Giant
Swipe away with a club
Freeze foes with a yell
Smash
Goal: to serve Zorphis
Concluding the
Adventure
The adventure is over when none of
the three factions can possibly get their
hands six Sun Stones or one faction
manages to collect the six they need.
How that happens and what happens
after is totally up to you as the GM.
Credits
Design: Josh Mannon
Art: Storn Cook
This adventure is presented under a
Creative Commons, Attribution,
Non-Comercial, 3.0 US License
All art in this adventure is presented
under a Creative Commons,
Attribution, Non-Commercial, 3,0
US License