Quartz 4

Ruins of The Twilight Palace

8 min read

The Twilight Palace

History

Once a bustling compound where nobles would gather for grand balls, or extravaganzas that would be held away from the city. That would all stop when the lord of the compound, Ethan Finch and his family were found slaughtered before a grand ball for an auction. The palace has left unclaimed as rumors of a curse being laid upon the palace has kept any from staying longer than one night, or at times all together disappearing. Though, many a people have rested here there have been reports of those that have come to the Palace and are never to be seen again.

Dungeon Mechanics

The main mechanic of the dungeon is the temporal shifts that cause the interior of the palace to shift between states of ruin and state of the night the Finch family was murdered. While fluxing between these two states/realms the party can find items that may help them in other states.

 
### Tutorial: https://youtu.be/54EyMzJP5DU
 
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It is recommend to only use the map below as a reference and notes for yourself, and the use parts of it for combat if conflict breaks out in an area.

[! flowchart | wmed]+ Map

Ruin State

While in the Ruin State parts of the palace are more hazardous in terms of encounters (crumbling ceilings, twisted vines, wild creatures, spirits, etc.) and has certain objects, items, or keys available in places that cannot be found in the Past State. The relic is not accessible from here as the current state of it has physically left it desolate, but the magic of the relic is what keeps the spatial fluxes around.

Paste State

While in the Past State the Palace is both at it’s safest and most deadliest. This is where the creature makes its layer, and also where the relic is. In this state the party can see what the palace once was before it became the home of the creature. In order to destroy the spatial fluxes in the palace, the party must deal with the relic in this state as it’s magic is slightly weaker here, but also it has a physical form to handle.

Court Yard (Intro/Pre-entrance)

Readaloud

The court yard is a shambling

Gilded Entry - Room 1

Paste State

Ruin State

Shifting Ball Room - Room 2

Paste State

Ruin State

Whispering Gallery - Room 3

Paste State

Ruin State

Chapel of the Divine - Room 4

Unaffected by Past State and is constantly in Ruin state. Not accessible while in the Past state, attempting to enter while in the Past will resolve in the player making a Arcane/Occult DC check, on save enter into the chapel, and on a fail be thrown into one of the 1d6 other rooms. Either a fragment

Private Study - Room 5

Paste State

Ruin State

Hall of Mirrors - Room 6

Paste State

Ruin State

Public Study - Room 7

Paste State

Ruin State

Twilight Vault - Room 8

Outline Ideas

TTRPG Dungeon Framework: Abandoned Ruins with Spatial Fluxes

Theme: Abandoned ruin with secrets hidden by spatial fluxes  

Enemy: Powerful Cryptid that can teleport with shadows, kept alive by a cursed item in the depths of the ruins  

Safe/Friendly: Spirit of lost adventurer slain by cryptid  

Complications: The ruin is in a state of flux, shifting from new to old  

Treasure: Relic that allows players to cause slow, heal wounds, or allows for visual teleportation  

Place: Hidden passages revealed by the spatial fluxes, doors have a chance to lead to different rooms during heightened flux  

Total Rooms: No more than 8 rooms (excluding the boss room), with at least one puzzle and one safe room  

Levels: One level dungeon with treasure and boss room below the ruins  

Boss Room: Tied to mechanics with the puzzles and traps caused by the spatial flux to give players an edge on the cryptid

Room 1: Entrance Hall (Ambient)

Description:

  • The entrance to the ruins is a grand hall with ancient stone pillars. Spatial fluxes cause sections of the hall to appear as if they were just constructed or heavily decayed.

Challenges:

  • Detect hidden passages that appear only when the flux shifts.

  • Avoid temporal anomalies that can teleport characters randomly within the room.

Key Elements:

  • Clue about the spatial fluxes written on a partially decayed wall.

  • Map fragments scattered around, which reveal the dungeon layout when combined.

  • The Vault is located under the entrance hall

Room 2: Hall of Shadows (Puzzle Room)

Description:

  • A long corridor lit by flickering torches. Shadows move unnaturally, cast by no visible source.

Challenges:

  • Puzzle involving aligning mirrors to direct beams of light to specific points, dispelling shadow barriers.

  • Beware of shadow traps that can teleport players back to the entrance if not solved correctly.

Key Elements:

  • Ancient mirrors and stands that need to be moved.

  • A ghostly figure provides cryptic hints about the correct alignment.

Room 3: Chamber of Echoes (Conflict)

Description:

  • A circular chamber with a domed ceiling, the sound is distorted and echoes in strange patterns.

Challenges:

  • Fighting shadow creatures summoned by the cryptid.

  • Spatial fluxes cause parts of the chamber to shift, changing the battlefield dynamically.

Key Elements:

  • Echoes can provide warnings about incoming attacks or flux changes.

  • Victory grants a piece of the key to the boss room.

Room 4: Sanctuary (Safe Room)

Description:

  • A serene, undisturbed room with an ethereal glow. The spirit of a lost adventurer resides here.

Challenges:

  • None. This is a place to rest and gain information.

Key Elements:

  • The spirit provides insight into the cryptid’s weaknesses and the nature of the cursed item.

  • A safe place to heal and prepare for further exploration.

Room 5: Hall of Time (Trap Room)

Description:

  • A room filled with timeworn clocks and hourglasses. Spatial fluxes cause time to behave erratically.

Challenges:

  • Navigating through time traps that can age or de-age characters.

  • Disabling a major trap that resets progress by shifting the entire dungeon layout.

Key Elements:

  • Solving time-based puzzles to deactivate traps.

  • Another piece of the key to the boss room.

Description:

  • A gallery filled with statues and paintings that change with the fluxes, depicting the cryptid’s history.

Challenges:

  • Avoiding traps disguised as artwork.

  • Interacting with correct illusions to gain further insights or items.

Key Elements:

  • Clues hidden in the changing artwork about the final puzzle or the cryptid’s weaknesses.

  • A hidden lever that opens a passage to the treasure room.

Room 7: Ancient Library (Conflict)

Description:

  • A library filled with tomes that appear and disappear with the fluxes.

Challenges:

  • Locating a specific book that contains the last piece of the key to the boss room.

  • Avoiding cursed books that summon spectral guardians.

Key Elements:

  • Books provide lore about the dungeon and hints for the boss fight.

  • A hidden switch to reveal the path to the treasure room.

Boss Room: Shadow Sanctum

Description:

  • Located below the ruins, the sanctum is a dark, cavernous space where the cryptid dwells. The room is heavily affected by spatial fluxes.

Challenges:

  • Facing the cryptid, which uses the shadows to teleport and launch surprise attacks.

  • Utilizing knowledge and items from previous rooms to gain an edge (e.g., using light to reveal the cryptid, disabling flux surges to limit its teleportation).

Key Elements:

  • The cursed item that keeps the cryptid alive must be destroyed to defeat it.

  • Spatial fluxes can be used strategically to trap or disorient the cryptid.

Conclusion

Once the cryptid is defeated and the cursed item destroyed, the spatial fluxes stabilize. The players can then retrieve the relic, granting them powerful abilities such as slowing enemies, healing wounds, or visual teleportation. The spirit of the lost adventurer thanks them and finds peace, allowing the ruins to finally rest.

Graph View