Ruined Wasteland Town

“Why was Balberry abandoned in the first place?” you ask Perry, the halfling wizard, whose quest you have accepted to recover a Staff of Everburning Fire from the ruins of that town. You’ve heard about Balberry before; it has been abandoned for several years now, but the stories as to why people suddenly left the prosperous town differ from person to person.

“The truth isn’t known to the public, but the mayor of Balberry along with other significant figures were studying some magical crystals they found in the nearby mine. They conducted experiments on the crystals below the town hall, which is located right by the town square.” Perry’s brow furrows. “One day something went wrong, and a black miasma erupted from the town hall and spread throughout the town. Some people escaped, but others weren’t so lucky.”

“Isn’t it risky for us to go there then? We don’t want to die from contact with such dangerous magic.” The mage of your group voices the worry you all share.

Perry shakes his head. “I have checked the area, and the miasma is no longer present. However, it turned those who did not escape into flesh-eating zombies. You understand why I can’t recover the artifact on my own, don’t you?”

You nod. Getting rid of the undead is indeed an adventurer's work. You agree to take on the quest on the condition that at the first sight of black, oozing magic you will retreat. Perry agrees to those terms.

The town of Balberry is located in the middle of a desert. Nature has been trying to reclaim the area, blowing sand onto the structures. However, you are surprised to see how untouched some of the buildings remain. You can still tell which of them were shops and where the inn was. The area is, as Perry promised, riddled with zombies.

You make quick work of dispatching them, and then you head to the townhouse where you find several artifacts. You only agreed to bring the Staff of Everburning Fire to the wizard, so everything else here belongs to you.

You leave the town, wondering if people will come to live here again soon, or if the reputation of the place is so terrible that nobody would ever want to settle here again?