No Silent Secret - Theros: No Silent Secret

No Silent Secret. "No Silent Secret" is a short adventure for a party of four to six 1st-level characters, who will advance to at least 2nd level by the adventure's conclusion. At the outset, choose which of Theros's three major poleis-Akros, Meletis, or Setessa-you want to start near. Alternatively, you might allow the players to choose the polis based on their character backgrounds. While choosing a polis allows the group to get a glimpse of their potential "hometown," this setting serves as a backdrop only briefly, with much of the adventure taking place far from the safety of civilization. Story Overview When Phenax sent Varyas the Knowing a vision of the oracle's impending death, the seer didn't fear-he knew his work was just beginning. Like all the Returned who followed him, Phenax abandoned his past identity during his flight from the Underworld. Through ages, the god managed to recover parts of his history, but much remained a mystery to him. Recently, though, he discovered a hint of a truth he'd never considered. He had to know more, but the secrets he sought lay only in the Underworld. Phenax wouldn't risk alerting Erebos to his interest, so he sent an agent-a soul willing to forsake life, discover his secret, and return with the knowledge that even the god couldn't escape with. Varyas met his end and dutifully sought Phenax's mystery in the Underworld. Though it took him years, the oracle discovered what he sought. Keeping the information secret and smuggling it out of the Underworld proved challenging, though. To guard what he'd learned, Varyas inscribed it in code upon a mask and, after multiple attempts, successfully followed the Path of Phenax. When he emerged back into the mortal world, Varyas the Returned remembered nothing of his past life, his escape from death, or the strange symbols etched on his mask. All he recognized of the writing scrawled on his mask was the name "Khea." With that, a mystery beyond life and death slipped from a lost past...