The Desert’s Memory

A One-Shot Adventure for 4-6 Players, Level 6

OVERVIEW

12 years after the Catastrophe, an archaeological expedition uncovers an ancient temple complex in the shifting sands. As time begins to fold in on itself, investigators must piece together the first imprisonment of the Unnamed One while surviving both cultist interference and temporal anomalies.

THE RUINS

🏛️ Surface Complex

Emerging Architecture - Entry pylons - Ritual courtyard - Sand-swept plaza - Excavation camp

📜 Temple Levels

Upper Temple - Star chamber - Prophecy halls - Ritual spaces - Ancient library

Lower Temple - Prison vault - Time chamber - Reality anchor - Entity traces

KEY NPCS

👨‍🏫 Professor Helena Vale

Lead Archaeologist - Brilliant scholar - Time-touched - Hidden agenda - Pattern reader Secret: Descendant of original priests

🕌 Malik Al-Rashid

Local Guide - Desert expert - Time walker - Truth seeker - Protection bearer Secret: Guardian bloodline

🎭 Dr. James Crawford

Cult Archaeologist - Hidden cultist - Knowledge seeker - Reality scholar - Ancient linguist Secret: Seeking prison blueprints

TEMPORAL PHENOMENA

Time Loops

• Repeating moments
• Memory echoes
• Causal loops
• Pattern cycles

Ancient Echoes

• Past visions
• Memory imprints
• Ghost moments
• Time bleeds

ENCOUNTERS

Environmental

• Sandstorms (CR 4)
• Time storms (CR 6)
• Reality shifts (CR 5)
• Ancient guardians (CR 7)

Historical

• Past priests
• Prison builders
• Entity shadows
• Time fragments

KEY SCENES

🏺 The Discovery

Features: - First time slip - Ancient writing - Pattern discovery - Reality echo

⌛ The Prison Vault

Features: - Time compression - Entity traces - Prison mechanics - Reality anchor

🌟 The Star Chamber

Features: - Time convergence - Ancient ritual - Reality breach - Final confrontation

INVESTIGATION ELEMENTS

Archaeological

• Ancient texts
• Prison designs
• Ritual tools
• Pattern marks

Temporal

• Time traces
• Reality anchors
• Entity marks
• Prison seals

REVELATIONS

Historical

• First imprisonment
• Ancient methods
• Prison design
• Power sources

Technical

• Reality anchoring
• Time manipulation
• Entity containment
• Pattern usage

MECHANICS

Time Navigation

• Loop tracking
• Anchor points
• Pattern recognition
• Reality grounding

Archaeological

• Site mapping
• Text translation
• Pattern analysis
• Artifact handling

COMPLICATIONS

Environmental

• Deadly heat
• Shifting sands
• Water scarcity
• Ancient traps

Temporal

• Memory loss
• Time confusion
• Reality bleed
• Pattern interference

DM GUIDANCE

Atmosphere Building

• Ancient mystery
• Time distortion
• Desert isolation
• Cosmic dread

Time Management

• Loop tracking
• Pattern recognition
• Reality anchoring
• Information flow

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Essential

• Document prison design
• Survive time storms
• Prevent cult access
• Secure knowledge

Optional

• Save expedition
• Preserve artifacts
• Maintain timeline
• Understand patterns

RESOURCES

Site Assets

• Archaeological tools
• Ancient artifacts
• Translation guides
• Survey equipment

Knowledge

• Ancient texts
• Prison records
• Time patterns
• Reality maps

DISCOVERIES

Ancient Knowledge

• Prison construction
• Entity nature
• Power sources
• Reality anchors

Modern Impact

• Current weaknesses
• Pattern evolution
• Power decay
• Time degradation

CONCLUSION PATHS

Success

• Knowledge secured
• Time stabilized
• Cult thwarted
• Patterns understood

Partial Victory

• Some knowledge lost
• Time damaged
• Cult gains info
• Pattern confusion

Failure

• Site lost
• Time fractured
• Cult succeeds
• Knowledge scattered

CONNECTION TO SERIES

This adventure reveals the original methods used to imprison the Unnamed One, showing how ancient peoples understood and manipulated reality. The prison designs discovered here explain why modern cult activities follow certain patterns, and why they seek specific types of locations for their work.