The Lifethief

Shaman Maserelt of the Impala tribe has been waiting by the Dead Place for weeks, calling for help, as she watches over the slow growth of something terrible within.  She has even asked her rival Erhehta, who will be sending the adventurers, if they dare to go.  Despite his many conflicts with Maserelt, some things are even more important than winning.  Of course, if the Bison tribe can aid her where the Impalas cannot, that counts as a victory for Prax and for Erhehta.

The adventurers will have to deal with the worst environment in Prax, the Dead Place, and that is bad enough.  They will also have to find the thing that Maserelt calls the Lifethief, and answer the question of how it can be destroyed.

The Lifethief is written to fit well after The Gifts of Prax, but no knowledge of that adventure is required.  The suggested play order is Stone and Bone, The Gifts of Prax, The Lifethief, but the later adventures contain advice on playing the arc out of order.

The Lifethief can last between one and two sessions, depending on how the adventurers take the bait, and how many encounters the gamemaster adds.  An appendix of very Praxian things is included, with a table for Dead Place encounters.  Watch out for the tiny, angry lizard!

It is possible to complete the entire adventure without combat, if the adventurers are good at running away, but combat is likely. There are scaling notes to help adjust the difficulty for any group, from a small, new set of would-be warriors, to hardened adventurers.  This is a notably difficult adventure, at least on the surface, but the scaling advice will allow the gamemaster to make it no more perilous than the party can handle.

Content warning: The aftermath of slaughter is central to the plot of this book, and must be encountered, even if it is not confronted.