The Clockwork Golem's Quest

A city on edge, a golem gone rogue—reset the clock!

When a trusted golem caretaker inadvertently awakens an ancient clockwork golem, the city of Geartown falls into chaos. The Hourglass Heart, a powerful artifact that keeps the city's magic in balance, is seized by the rogue construct. With only 24 hours until the artifact’s overload threatens to implode, adventurers must track the golem through streets teeming with anxious citizens and opportunistic goblins, decode its plan, and deactivate it. Unbeknownst to most, the golem holds secrets of an insidious goblin plot to steal the artifact's power for their own gain. Adventurers must choose: destroy the golem, risking the city’s magic, or uncover the plot’s mastermind in a race against time.

Campaign Image

The World

Context

In the city of Geartown, magic and medieval technology merge in fascinating ways. Clockwork constructs assist with daily tasks, powered by mystical cores derived from the enchanted Hourglass Heart. Humans and goblins coexist, maintaining a tenuous peace, yet tensions simmer beneath the surface, as magic is both a boon and a potential bane in urban life. This underlying magic creates an atmosphere ripe with potential and threat—a unique dance of gears and spells, shaping the rhythm of Geartown's society and economy.

Concept

The Hourglass Heart, a magical artifact powering city technology.

Impact

Its magic fuels Geartown's industry but can overwhelm its constructs, causing danger.

The Plot

Summary

The players start by learning their old friend, an artificer, accidentally activated a massive, ancient golem using the Hourglass Heart. This powerful artifact is essential for maintaining the balance of magic not only within the golem but also for the entire city. With local authorities overwhelmed by the chaos, players are uniquely positioned to help due to their history with the artificer. The adventurers must navigate Geartown's urban sprawl, confront goblin saboteurs seeking to exploit the chaos, and unravel the mystery behind the golem's creations and its trail. As they delve deeper, they uncover a goblin faction's plot to harness the artifact's power. The mission crescendos as players face the decision to destroy the golem, which would risk destabilizing the city's infrastructure, or to engage in a daring plan to retrieve the artifact and restore peace before the city's magic collapses into disorder, all within 24 hours.

Complication

The golem’s path is revealed to intersect with a goblin faction's plans.

Hook

The adventurers must stop a rogue golem threatening the city.

World stakes

The city’s magic balance collapses, causing chaos.

Personal stakes

Personal ties to the artificer and city's fate.

The Acts

Act 1

Summary:

The adventurers receive a distress call from a former ally, the artificer who accidentally reactivated an ancient golem. As they rush to his workshop, they find it destroyed and the Hourglass Heart missing. Clues lead to sightings in the bustling marketplace, where rumors swirl, and rising tensions threaten to trigger violence between humans and goblins. Players must manage these social dynamics to track the golem’s movements, eventually deducing its heading towards the historic city square.

Location:

Busy marketplace with a magical noticeboard.

Challenge:

Deciphering which rumors about the golem are true.

Objective:

Discover the golem's intended path.

Set Back:

Failing to manage tensions blocks key information.

Revelation:

Golem heads to historic city square.

GM's Guide:

Let players explore multiple angles and factions in the marketplace. Improvise based on their social interactions, using tensions to build urgency. Highlight the importance of maintaining balance between races for clues to emerge.

GM's Move:

Golem's missteps ignite racial tensions.

Act 2

Summary:

Arriving at the city square, the players witness the golem making a beeline for an ancient silo where magical cores are stored. The adventurers must confront the goblin faction who’ve rigged traps to capture the golem. Through combat and negotiation, they learn of the goblins' intention to use the cores for a large-scale magical takeover. Players need to decide whether to disable the traps or deal directly with the goblins. As they do, they spot the golem disappearing into subterranean tunnels.

Location:

City square leading to the magical storage silo.

Challenge:

Disable traps set to capture the golem.

Objective:

Confront goblins and uncover their plan.

Set Back:

A trap detonation injures or separates party.

Revelation:

Golem’s path leads underground.

GM's Guide:

Balance combat with the chance for diplomacy. Goblins should present both a threat and a source of crucial information. Highlight the complexity of each choice, reflecting on urban balance.

GM's Move:

Goblin traps threaten both players and golem.

Act 3

Summary:

In the underground tunnels, players discover an ancient network designed to route magic flows throughout the city. The golem appears to follow this path to reach an arcane conduit. Here, the golem's purpose becomes clear: it seeks reintegration with the city's magic flow, manipulated by a goblin leader trying to harness this power. As the final confrontation looms, players must decide—disable the reinforced golem or broker a solution with the goblins that rescues both the city and artifact.

Location:

Ancient magical tunnels beneath the city.

Challenge:

Negotiate or neutralize goblin leader’s influence.

Objective:

Prevent the golem from disrupting the city's magic flow.

Set Back:

Goblin leader's manipulation risks artifact’s destruction.

Revelation:

Golem driven by manipulated magic reintegration.

GM's Guide:

Maintain suspense and present the layered motivations of goblin leader. Allow for creativity in resolving the conflict. Encourage players to weigh the consequences of their choices.

GM's Move:

Golem’s alignment threatens magical equilibrium.

Climax:

Players either de-escalate golem magic or defeat goblin leader.