Type
Lore
Sub-Type
Campaign

dragonborn-campaign

The Dragonborn Campaign

Player Characters

Valar · Grafyr · Timrush · Leo · Speen

Story Arcs

Key Lore & References

Campaign Narrative

5/17/3722: Grafyr’s Island

Prologue

Valar carefully turned over another stiff page of the dusky tome dimly lit by candlelight in his study. His eyes darting about the text and ambiguous drawings, he knew he had finally found a lead. Was this to be the discovery that would help shield people from their downfall? His passion would not allow him to say it was not worth the risk of failure. “Cancel my classes,” he bellowed out to his secretary, jerking awake at her desk. Valar grabbed his hat in the same swift motion he swept out of his office and left in the night toward the western port city.

Timrush had been a couple weeks since he came to on the floor of his and his father’s abode, alone and without a clue. Determined to find his father, but ignorant, he marched into Caspin totally unequipped for life in a civilized world. The men in smooth leather and metal have told him increasingly large numbers of what he “owed” them for simply eating what was out in the open on carts and making water along the stone trails. He had almost come to blows with them when the thin man had convinced the others to let him onto a ship instead of being put into some sort of “dark, rat factory with only a piss pot to speak to” as the wiry man had put it. So there he was: spilling his food over the side of the boat, hoping that whatever it was he was there for would lead him closer to finding his father.

Leoword commandeered a vessel. “We set sail before dawn.” “For fortune,” Leoword had told the disinterested crew. “For fate,” he told the well-paying tourist in a wide-brimmed hat. “For your own damn good,” he told the vagrant he had convinced the guards to release to his custody. “For my own legacy,” he told himself as the ship left his father’s port toward a remote, unmapped island.

Grafyr’s calloused hands picked up a rock and began carving on a cavern wall; a single, solid line amongst 10,543 others. 33 years since he washed ashore, but he’s stronger now. After learning to survive on the remote island, Grafyr began to learn from its mysterious ruins. A bi-pedal, dragon-like species thrived here, long ago. They were powerful, but long gone now. So focused on the teachings he’s gleaned from their markings and his own introspection, Grafyr has grown well beyond the teachings of the monastery he adventured away from decades ago. Descending the trail toward the berry bushes he would visit for morning meal, a faint speck on the water’s horizon caught his eye.

Landing on Grafyr’s Island

Valar, Timrush, and Leoword took a rowboat out to the shore of the island, unable to dock the ship in the shallower waters of the beach.

As they rowed closer, the island’s lush forests came into view, but also unmistakable evidence of it having been inhabited at some point. Weathered but clearly worked stone littered the hills. Crumbling columns had stopped supporting structures that now lay in heaps, overgrown by vegetation.

Grafyr met the others at the beach near the tree line. After briefly questioning each other, they were attacked by kobolds. The group traveled to the one ruin that Grafyr could never get into on his own — the density of kobolds and the presence of drakes had always driven him back.

Inside the ruins, murals depicted a flat gray race of dragonborn. One broken mural, near three elemental podiums, showed dragonborn of different hues — their activities unintelligible due to the damage. Timrush, who presents as a human to conceal his true dragonborn identity, examined the murals with particular interest.

The party placed a leaf in the green pillar, activating it, and resolved to explore the rest of the location for the red and blue pillars.

Epilogue (5/17)

Coming to rest on the moss, the shimmering leaf spread its glow across the terrarium atop the green pillar. A similar shiver of excitement spread throughout Valar, “Probably there are other pieces throughout this ruin that will activate the red and blue pillars.” What secrets will it reveal? he wondered.

With that, Grafyr turned away from the shattered mural he had already studied every detail of. The small coloration of the dragon-like figures didn’t appear in any of the other murals he had studied throughout the island. Something happened long ago. But what?

“Did you hurt your hand?” Leo asked Tim, who just shook his head. “Then come on. We’re moving forward.” Staring at the hues of the shattered mural, Tim glanced at his hand. What does the color mean? He lowered his arm, realizing it may seem weird to the others, and walked toward the others, who seemed to be his best chance at finding answers.

Leo and the others walked deeper into the ruined building, seeking something red, something blue. For Leo, an example for his father that from something old can come something new.

5/18/3722: Grafyr’s Island: Dragon Slayer

The party barricaded themselves in the Crimson Drake’s nest for the night. In the morning, the drake came back to get home. When the door opened, they fought the drake as well as triggering new traps laid by kobolds.

They fought through kobolds and traps. Leo acted like a too-brave young man, getting stuck in a tree trap while the rest of the team fought books imbued with sentient ink. Truestrike matches were found and the candles in the main chamber were lit, triggering the red elemental pillar. They found and slew the trap-making kobold.

Hearing reptilian screeches from deeper in the ruin, they decided to rest again near the elemental pillars. The red pillar was lit from having lit the candles in the main chamber. Resting till the afternoon, they came out to find a red drake sniffing around the area and battled it. They opened the drake den, Grafyr falling in combat. Tim exposed his sorcerer powers to fight off the red and bone drakes in the den.

More kobolds showed up to the ruin as well, Valar dispatching most of them. With the ruin cleared, they swiftly finished the elemental pillar puzzle with water from the shimmering pool. This unlocked a final chamber elsewhere in the ruin. This chamber had additional murals.

Epilogue (5/18)

Staring at the murals of each dragonborn hue below their individual dragons, Grafyr felt sadness. For years, he’s been studying the long-gone race’s ruins. They were very unified, like a large family rather than an entire sprawling society. Only to be split apart in the end.

Valar studied the ruins quizzically. Why, in the end, did their literal colors change and they broke apart? Why only in their fractured state, did dragons appear in the murals? He lifted the new blade in his hand, feeling out the weight of the weapon. “To maintain balance,” the inscription said. Looks like that did not work out for them, he thought.

Tim walked slowly between the two men, contemplating his own things.

Leoword took stock. He had found a castaway well studied in the ancient dragonborn and a sword crafted after their divergence. What had split this society apart was bringing his rag-tag group together. Inspiration struck, and Leo jotted down a few couplets of a new tune about their adventure. His father wouldn’t particularly care for the ditty, but would be impressed with the dividends of his adventure.

In the hidden chamber, they recovered the Dragon Slayer — a weapon resting on a pedestal inscribed with “To maintain balance amongst us all.” The murals here depicted dragonborn of different colors beneath their respective dragons, separated.

With the ruins explored, the party decided to head back to the mainland, setting sail on 5/19 for the 17-day voyage to Caspin.

5/23–6/5, 3722: Sailing to Caspin

The crew of Leo’s commandeered vessel was a motley lot: Captain Monty, an older human, experienced but listless since The Fall; Pendo, a young elf with flowing hair and random tattoos who treated everything as a joke; Jakey, a dim, middle-aged human who followed Rhegor’s lead in all things; and Rhegor, an aging dwarf and genuine alcoholic who felt a fatherly duty toward Jakey but struggled to steward him anywhere good.

Blood Dice

During the voyage, Leo drank and played blood dice with Jakey — a cruel game where enchanted dice pierce each participant’s palm, transferring lifeforce from the loser to the winner. Rhegor stopped the game after Jakey suffered a bad outcome, leaving the two in a dangerous limbo. Leo’s hexblade sword deactivated — he had broken his pact.

Sahuagin attacked that night. Jakey was severely wounded during the fight, and afterward, Rhegor pleaded with Leo to flub the blood dice outcome to spare Jakey. Instead, Grafyr convinced Leo to let the natural outcome fall. Jakey died. Rhegor was furious at Grafyr.

Days later, Captain Monty shook Valar down for gold — 10 gp per crew member and 10 gp for Grafyr being aboard.

6/5/3722: Landing in Caspin

Greeted at dock immediately by Samuel who tells Leo to go see his father.

“Hail and what the hells were you thinking? What did you even do? No—save it. Go see Borrin. And wipe that smirk off your face. You wandered off like this before The Exchange? Are you stu—” he catches himself before directly insulting the son of his boss. “Just go. I’ll handle the ship. Just go see your father if he hasn’t died from the stress you’ve given him.”

Samuel, the dock captain, directs them to see Borrin.

The party went to the Rowtree house and met with Borrin.

“I figured you’d be back before The Exchange.” Borrin leaned back in his chair, reminiscing, “That’s always been your favorite time of year, even if last year fell apart. But each year you grow and you’re becoming your own man.” To himself, under his breath, he said, “Your mother would be proud.” He too seemed proud, but then grimaced and raised his eyes to Leo’s. “You’re just not listening to me anymore. I built this city from rubble. That wasn’t done alone. Whatever you are doing, you can’t do it alone either. When you take my place, you need to know that. Follow those that came before you. Their trail leaves behind steps upwards.” Borrin took a long pause. Just as Leo began to wonder if his father had lost his train of thought, he continued, “I’m telling you, Caspin has to grow. Reclaim the south-side. If you can’t, this city won’t grow. The council will lose faith in us. Abandon your old man, but not your city. At least do this for me before The Exchange.”

Leo was left unsure of the coherence of his father’s thoughts. Borrin was likely in his last year, and setting things up for The Exchange bought Leo time to figure out what he was doing.

6/6/3722: Exploring Caspin

Timrush headed off on his own to find information about his father.

The rest of the party decided to ask around about the tortles, but first, Valar wanted to consult an acquaintance in town about the dragonborn. Walking about the town, Grafyr began handing beggars 20 gold pieces, then 10s along with words of wisdom. They began approaching him every time he was seen on the streets — some crazed, others merely desperate.

They spoke to Yacob, a wiry red-haired man who offered to track down Kriv — rumored to be the only dragon on earth — or get a message to him about the dragonborn mystery. In exchange, Yacob wanted VIP treatment during The Exchange. The City Manager, friendly but out of touch, had no useful information about the tortles. Colonel Shapa, the commandant, confirmed that the “turtle people” had been behaving strangely — crazed — and provided Leo a note granting passage through the southern bridge.

6/7/3722: Clearing the Southern Region

Background: The Tortle Crisis

The tortles of southern Caspin were once subjects of Guardon, a Dragon Turtle titan who served as their protector and the defender of the southern seas. Guardon’s rivalry with Ka’Charo, the Sahuagin titan, predated recorded history — one represented defense, the other attack, while a massive school of jellyfish served as a living font of healing.

When Ka’Charo awoke, he launched a surprise assault on the weakened Guardon. The tortles had never mingled with other races and their numbers had stagnated, so Guardon lacked a proper army and was overwhelmed. Victorious but weakened, Ka’Charo then raided Caspin to steal the jellyfish paint vials — an artifact capable of curing wounds — from de'Shay‘s arcane stores. Guardon retreated into his shell and the surviving tortles fled south to Caspin’s outskirts, too afraid to interact with the surface dwellers.

Meanwhile, the Lunalata crystal — the fused remains of an elder brain and a young girl’s psyche — had been sold in Gallyway, resold, and eventually carried by a host to the same southern shores. There, Lunalata regained her power but not her sanity. She began by controlling wildlife, then swapping the minds of tortles with animals. Within months, the tortle colony was on the brink of collapse — citizens reduced to “shells without tortles,” their displaced minds trapped in the bewildered animals that trailed their former bodies.

Narrative Prelude: The Enthralling of the Tortles

On the southern region of Caspin, a tortle was thirsty for water. Dum wanted water. Bucket for scooping up water so he can get water, he grabbed the bucket. Walking bucket to get water, Dum walked to get water. Carrying the bucket to the water, he saw others. The others were odd. Tortle arms and legs moving odd. Tortle faces making odd shapes. Tortle voices make odd voices. Odd tortles in the path sad. Dum sad. Need bucket of water. Dum went to get water with the bucket.

In the path, an animal. Animal with hard shell. Animal with short legs. Animal not threat. Dum looked at shell animal. Shell animal looked at Dum. Dum shell animal. Shell animal Dum.

A piercing light flashed across their limited capacity for understanding. The bucket clattered to the ground as Dum and the shell animal met.

The party woke and headed to the bridge, where they were stopped by Veggevhal. With the note from Shapa, they were allowed to pass. Fighting through the overrun southern town, they encountered Dum — a dimwitted tortle now entwined with an actual tortoise — who pointed them east toward Plu.

The tortles they encountered were Plu, an older and deeply untrusting tortle; Dum, swapped with the tortoise; and Jec, a younger tortle with an open mind and natural curiosity.

They met Jec guarding the road. While they talked, Plu was heard in combat up ahead, battling two rock roaches as the body-swapping effect threw them between bodies. The party knocked out all the combatants.

Jec rushed to the body of the fallen roach, tapping it cautiously. “He was out of his shell. He wouldn’t have attacked you.”

Jec explained that Plu had switched bodies with one of the rock roaches and begged the party to save them. The body swapping had started in the west end of town. They carried Plu, Jec, Dum, and Dum’s tortoise to a cleared house near the bridge and rested until midnight.

6/8/3722: Clearing the Southern Region & The North Bridge & Lunalata

The party approached the west end of town at night. They fought through increasingly disturbing encounters: a tortle whose body had been destroyed by Assassin Vines after being swapped with the plant, leaving the tortle’s consciousness trapped as vines in a tree; tortles that had become spider-like; and tortles with glowing heads and mind control powers.

During the fighting, Valar was briefly possessed — experiencing fracturing visions of Lunalata’s meadow, a mind flayer marching away from its dead hive toward the surface, a rat being picked up by a possessed tortle, another tortle having its head carved open, and finally the elder brain sitting in a cathedral with tortles filling the pews.

They approached the cathedral and found a fountain where Erin of the Well lied to Leo, claiming the tortles had trapped her and she needed a girl from Caspin to reclaim her body. Leo said “Sure” and walked away.

The confrontation with the elder brain was chaotic. The party broke through a window of the church. Grafyr grappled the brain and ran outside with it while the enthralled tortles gave chase. As the party fought to hold the tortles back, Grafyr ducked into an alley. Eventually the brain was destroyed and the remaining tortles snapped out of their possession.

Interlude: Timrush Returns

Timrush wandered into the city, belting out his father’s name “Alaric?!” The townsfolk stepped to the other side of the street to avoid the strange man. “Alaric?! Father?! Where are you?” Nearby guards looked at one another in hesitation. What should they do? Each met with equal bewilderment. The stalemate of confusion lasted just long enough for the odd man to leave their assigned area. “Good. Someone else will deal with it,” they thought.

One guard, on his first week after being sworn in by Shapa, saw the strange drifter relieving himself in public. “Hey there,” he bolted out in his most convincing strong-man voice. “By right of the Caspin Guard, you are under arrest for public… pissing in the street!” His more experienced guard, having heard the commotion, sprinted over but it was too late; the son of the shipping lord had stepped in and began talking. “It will be ok,” the elder guard assured Leo. “Just take this man away. He is in your custody and we will not interfere.” Leo smiled. His charm had worked, he thought. As Leo led Tim away, the elder guard swatted the helm of his trainee. “That one, we don’t talk about.”

Aftermath of the Brain

The tortles snapping out of their controlled state were dazed, in excruciating mental pain, and could barely respond to questions.

  • “I killed him… he screamed… I didn’t want to….”
  • “My head… I can’t… (cries but it hurts so stops) Will it end?”
  • “Thank you… sorry… so sorry… thank you”
  • “Plu… where is… is this… all?”

Jec told them the tortles had occupied the shores for several years without incident. Neither side had approached the other. They wanted to move on but were too afraid without their titan, Guardon, who had been defeated by Ka’Charo and retreated into his shell. Jec’s immediate concern was getting Plu and the survivors to safety within the city.

The party brought the tortles to Jec, Plu, and Dum, then went to Leo’s house for a rest.

Afternoon

After resting, Borrin directed them to speak with Judy Ur, the officer of citizenship and immigration. He was sympathetic to the tortles’ plight but lacked the authority to grant them access himself.

On the way, Sir Hutchner, a noble, took an intense and oddly personal interest in Leo — Is he ok? Is he happy? How is his father? Leo, weirded out, walked away without saying much. A beggar also approached Grafyr, begging for coin and purpose: “Oh generous soul, I beg you; give me coin and purpose.”

Judy sent them to the northern bridge — if they could clear it, she would grant the tortles visas. A cleared bridge gave Judy better surveillance of the waterways.

Near the bridge, a worried mother was looking for her curious daughter, Mary Lee, who hadn’t been home in nearly five days. The mother had found several crude iron tokens in Mary Lee’s bed.

The party fought through the bridge — boggles and gremlins leaving pools of black goo, trollkin and a boggle whose goo manifested shadows, and finally a hag who had corrupted Mary Lee and hoarded a sack full of crude iron tokens.

With the bridge cleared, Valar connected with Mary Lee by doing a coin trick, swapping her iron token for a gold piece. They returned the girl to her mother.

Narrative Imprints: Lunalata

Lunalata’s long, clawed fingers threaded flower stems together into a wreath. What beautiful work, she thought. Lunalata’s long, clawed fingers carefully poured a glaze over the brain in a basin. What beautiful work, she thought.

Her gangly body glided across the meadow, her basket full of berries and blossoms. This was her home and these were her people. Her auburn hair blew in the breeze as the tortured screams of the shell creatures resisted her incursion. This was her home and these were her people.

A daydream of holding a boy’s hand in the summer sun. A nightmare of flayers, collapsing to the cavern floor, spewing black tar before expiring. The colony was dying. Confusion of being dumped out of a leather sack amongst a pile of other gems and jewels. “How much will this get us?” Excitement as a squirrel lifted up this massive, strange nut; carrying it home to its nest.

Eyes darting around, she tried to find a mental foothold across these multiple visions. Soft human hands raised to her monstrous bulbous head to ease the searing pain, finding only the cold, smooth surface of crystal slick with blood. Her anguished cry echoed from the rocky chamber, heard only by the enthralled, then dismissed as they poured more brine over their young brain.

They returned to Judy Ur just as her shop was closing for the day. She wrote them a letter to allow the tortles in through the gates. After, they rested for the night at the Rowtree manor.

6/9/3722: Clearing the Southern Region & Lunalata

In the morning, they heard rumors of Sir Hutchner going missing. Yacob ran into the party and told them he had sent a message to Kriv about the discovery of dragonborn ancestry.

They went back to the tortle region, finding Plu (still a rock roach) guarding the survivors from the roof. Plu’s physical body was restrained in the great room. Dum’s physical body was slowly wandering the halls. Jec tells them they can hunker down for the day, but is unsure of how long they can maintain. The party give him the letter from Judy, then leave to investigate the cause of the body-swapping.

They entered the manor atop the hill in the south-west corner. After fighting an animated dragon statue, animated armor, and mimics, they collected three books that served as the key to a secret area below the mansion.

Entering the Cave

As they carefully tread down the hidden wooden staircase, the lavish surroundings of the manor gave way to the musty scent of damp earth. The creaks of the timeworn steps echoed in the darkness, and the air grew noticeably cooler. When the worn steps finally transitioned to rough-hewn stone, they realized they had entered a chambered cave.

The walls glistened with moisture, reflecting the flickering light of torchlight. Rusted shackles and chains rattled faintly in the cave’s stillness, and an array of wicked-looking implements cast menacing shadows on a nearby table. Among the sinister tools sat a cluster of dried purple flowers, their delicate beauty starkly contrasting with the cruel purpose of their surroundings. The charred remains of a long-abandoned fire pit hinted at the tormented screams that once filled the space.

Despite the apparent emptiness, a palpable pressure hung in the air, as if an unseen presence was watching their every move.

The cave was filled with Memory Echoes — illusions drawn from the party’s deepest fears and regrets. Timrush saw his father Alaric chained to a wall and turned on Valar when he hesitated to free the man; Grafyr killed the creature, revealing the deception. Deeper in, Leo saw a vision of his mother beckoning him forward — another Echo that Grafyr dispatched. Grafyr himself faced a survivor of his long-ago shipwreck, one whose flesh he had taken to survive.

During this fight, Valar and Tim swapped bodies (due to the unseen presence of Lunalata). After clearing that encounter, Lunalata came forth. During the boss fight, Leo and Grafyr switched bodies. Grafyr (in Leo’s body) made the killing blow with a devastating strike. They separated the crystal from Lunalata’s body and carried it with them.

Lunalata’s Crystal:

The crystal, an unnerving fusion of malevolence and innocence, appeared as a beautifully formed, multifaceted gemstone. Its surface constantly shifted in hue, displaying an eerie dance of colors — deep, menacing blacks and blues reflecting the elder brain’s dark presence, to soft purples evoking the essence of the young girl’s memories.

The overwhelming psionic power emanating from it was palpable, a force that tugged at consciousness like a tidal wave. The crystal hummed with the collective memories and knowledge of the elder brain — an amalgamation of countless minds spanning millennia. Interwoven within was the fragile, delicate presence of a young girl, flickering lights of innocence and hope amidst the oppressive darkness.

Everyone, including the tortles, swapped back into their original bodies — except for Dum, who remained switched with the tortoise. This was considered miraculous. Everyone was happy those two stayed switched.

The group bargained with Judy Ur: she would convince Shapa to let the tortles stay on the northern bridge, and in exchange, Leo would allow a shipment of high-cost dresses to enter the port tax-free.

6/12/3722: The Exchange

Prologue: Festival Atmosphere

The salt-laden breeze stirred the banners lining the bustling harbor of Caspin, where an armada of ships from all corners of the world converged. The city was a bustling hive, bracing itself for the spectacle of the year – The Exchange. The smell of the sea mingled with the scent of spices, timber, and anticipation.

Docks heaved under the weight of a thousand crates, chests, and barrels. Dockhands hustled amidst a symphony of seagulls and ship bells, unloading the vessels punctuated by the occasional shout from Samuel.

The Green Line thrummed with activity as pavilions rose from the cobblestones, each a testament to a different realm, culture, and craft. Taverns filled to the brim. A cacophony of laughter, clinking mugs, and raucous storytelling echoed from their fire-lit interiors.

As the last rays of the day kissed the city, the stage was set for a celebration like no other. Caspin was, for an extraordinary week, to be the crossroads of the world—a strategic crossroads where power, politics, and persuasion intertwined.

The Exchange arrived — the annual convergence of trade routes, diplomats, and adventurers upon Caspin. The festival consisted of several distinct events and areas running concurrently:

Event: Gold Star

Greeted by an elderly lady. Valar decides they stay for story time. A storyteller (a knight) tells of the Mortal War and paints dragonborn as terrible minions of evil dragons. Goats from the petting zoo get loose, and one turns into a Goat-Man, starting a goat revolution.

During the commotion:

Grafyr rents a wagon to haul the dead goats around.

Event: Blue Pyramid

De Shay decreed that no magic is to take place here, only the exchange of ideas. A blind woman with a gold compass-etched pin offers to teach Timrush a new spell for 40 gp.

Meeting Kriv

Yacob presents Kriv! First of the Third Titans, Last of the Dragons in Selra, Defeater of Zalaf. Kriv demands they find the pickpocketed crystal first.

Event: Red Rectangle

Leo and Valar sign up for a 2v2 combat to help find the pickpocket.

Aftermath with Kriv

The party trust Kriv and follow him outside of town to destroy the crystal.

Shattering the crystal, a powerful wave of psychic energy erupted from the fractured remnants, causing the air to crackle and pulse. The mind flayer’s body convulsed, its tentacles flailing wildly as its form destabilized. The remaining psionic energy within the creature imploded, creating a swirling vortex of psychic force that wrenched at their minds…

Through the gaps of the mental struggle, a daydream slipped in: a girl spreading her flowers across the meadow’s grass.

Through the gaps of the mental struggle, a nightmare slipped in: searing tendrils of pain shooting across a brain as each peripheral mind flayer fell ill except one piece… Then, as suddenly as it began, the energy dissipated, leaving behind a lifeless husk that crumbled to ash.

The effects drew Grafyr in intimately, awakening a latent psionic potential within him.

Kriv shared what he knew: he spoke of Lunalata, describing an encounter near the kenku settlement on Zatar. He explained that as dragonborn become titans, they turn into dragons — though he didn’t trust Bahamut and didn’t know how Bahamut had ascended. The Vigilant Mortals, he said, were a dragon cult that slayed titans to make room for dragons to prosper. Gimble had mentioned a base of theirs, and Kriv mapped the location for the party.

The group visited the Green Line and bought several magic items. Then they headed to the banquet, just in time for the cooking competition Grafyr wanted to enter. Leo slipped away with Serene Nightingale, a young bard from Gallyway and niece of Thexidor.

A gong bellowed, signaling the start of the banquet competition. Fires roared to life. Clouds of aromatic spices filled the air. Metal clanged. Culinary knights from across the realms began their kitchen battles. Grafyr dumped a strange pile of ingredients onto his table, sifting through the bizarre collection of monster bits.

Grafyr cracked a limb at the joint, ripping it apart. Cold, globby blood splattered his chest. Some sort of sack tore within the meat, spilling its bile with a blast of putrid stench.

Grafyr won the competition using exotic meats and earned the Ladle of Healing as his prize. Leo returned after a couple hours with Serene — the two had bonded escaping a heavy rainstorm during the festivities.

Afterward, a group of drunks attacked the party — sore losers convinced Grafyr had cheated. Tim killed a man during the fight. Grafyr downed another and, in the aftermath, discovered his Consumption ability — channeling the spirits of fallen enemies through their flesh. See Grafyr's character note for details.

Grafyr took a bite of his victim’s body. The group walked away as guards arrived and began piecing together what had happened.

Samuel, the dock captain, approached them:

“The dresses have landed and are on their way to your contact. Gotta say, Leo, you got heart and you’re learning how to get things done. Your father must be proud.”

He pointed toward where the Purple Circle was meeting. “He wants you at the meeting. He wasn’t asking.”

Before they could leave, Slug — an overweight gnome with a greasy mouth and rashes — stopped them with a job from Skullcrusher: investigate and destroy the sahuagin base on an island to the north. Break their connection to that location and the sahuagin would scatter.

Leo met his father at the Purple Circle. Borrin told him he could do whatever he wanted, but in his experience, allying with powerful people had served him well.

The Purple Circle

The meeting of diplomats and regional leaders was hosted by Terrance de’Shay. Silverside sat across the way with Thexidor and Serene, sipping from a glass, smiling, in his element.

“Welcome to The Exchange. I am Terrence De’Shay of the Andes Kingdom. With the authority of King Andes, I call to order the 10th Exchange. For the past decade, leaders and representatives from many regions have gathered during this event to build and strengthen connections. Every region has free-harbor during this time to discuss all manner of business in a free sharing of information.”

“By the immense strength and leadership of King Andes, our territory has fully regained its former power after the complicating events of The Fall. As hosts of The Exchange, I open the floor to each region’s representative to introduce themselves and speak to their intentions in attending. Let us begin with Talinor.”

Talinor: A well-dressed, young gnome representing Talinor from the town of Thasus says it’s been hard to get to Talinor, but Gimble showed them new shipbuilding techniques that let them get to Edous from Thasus.

Iwagata: Arvan (a male hare race from Iwagata) bemoans the disappearance of the Guardians, unable to protect their ports.

Sundered Lands: A middle-aged, lower nobility man named Segric Cromwel is looking to establish trade routes after returning to the world after the “latest” Fall.

Zatar: A few more introduce their situations, then Silverside from Zatar stands up and takes his cue.

“I am Silverside. I represent the people of Tir na Nog in all matters here. I speak for the former border city of Highridge to the coast of The Sump, and the ongoing humanitarian work of Zatar. The region has seen many troubles during The Fall, but the city of Tir na Nog has risen to the occasion to lead the former confederacy into the modern age. As Supreme Hegemon of the fractured Zatar confederacy over the last years, it is my honor to announce Tir na Nog has accepted the duty to be the new capital Tir an Avyokuno. I, Silverside, from the land of our ancestors, take my duties as Maharaja of the federation of Avyokuno solemnly and with a look forward to the future.”

There are murmurs through the crowd over this announcement. Thexidor watches, unsurprised. Serene rolls her eyes and looks out the window.

After Silverside’s announcement, making himself king of the south, his triumphant gaze turns grim. He scans the crowd, first suspiciously, then in a panic. Confused silence from the attendees is broken when the newly minted Maharaja opens his mouth only to project silver streamed bile. He clutches his neck and reels forward toward the balcony to stabilize his rapidly failing body. Thexidor lurches forward, as quickly as his old body can take him but he is too late. Silverside’s waist hits the balcony, flipping him head first from the balcony to the stone floor below. An unmistakable crack punctuates the shouting and chaos from the other attendees.

Terrance motions and a cleric rushes to the fallen man who is now releasing thin wisps of putrid smoke. The attendees in the chamber watch as several spells are cast. Nearly a full minute goes by before the cleric touches Silverside’s chest gently, looks up from the floor to Terrance and the rest of the chamber, and sadly shakes his head; no.

The audience goes to the streets, standing around gossiping about the events. Borrin tells Leo he will talk to him back at their manor.

The party return to the Rowtree manor.

Borrin speaks to Leo

Borrin knows Leo has to go off and have his own adventures, but wants to give him the straight truth—perhaps it’s his last chance. He tells Leo about Randel Selk and admits Quilmyra’s murderer is alive in the dungeon.

“Quilmyra was a beautiful, youthful elven woman that pursued me. I was the luckiest man alive to have had the few years with her I did. It’s tragic but her previous love had stolen her, enraged by the life I had given her, and he took her from us. That bastard spends his days rotting in the dungeon. His fate to be decided on by you, Leo. I left him down there so you could have your own revenge.

Quilmyra had her struggles. She had left her love rather suddenly for me, and then quickly became with child. The pregnancy was a hard one for her, causing her emotions to get the best of her at times. There were night terrors, forgetfulness, calling herself some other name, moments of unprovoked spite at those around her.”

Leo decides to not to take any action about this now. The party decide to resolve the Sahuagin issue first.

6/15/3722: Ka’Charo’s Sahuagin Island

After two days of sailing, the party reached the island. They fought sahuagin on the beach and found a small ruined temple to Ka’Charo that the sahuagin had repurposed as a guard barracks. In an overlooked box, they discovered water breathing potions.

Grafyr found a shaft leading into a watery cavern below. The party tied off a rope and descended.

Prologue

Myriki held on to the fin of his shark as they sped toward a remote area of their realm. He had led his people, the sahuagin, in claiming much more territory in the wake of Ka’Charo. Their leviathan had taken down Gaurdon, scattered the tortles, and led the raid of the surface world to take the jellies. Myriki was there that night in the city. He had carried one of the very few specimens remaining out from the dusty school of magic, back to the water.

Myriki let go of the dorsal. Using momentum to carry him to the sea bed, his carapace armor clattered as his feet planted abruptly kicking up a swirl of sand. Met by the commanding officer of the outpost, Myriki half-listened as he made his way in, “It is amazing, my Overlord.” Within minutes, he was in the depths of pitch darkness, but a shifting glow illuminated a cavern wall. “Four became a dozen. The dozen became…” Myriki rounded a corner and the light nearly blinded him.

Squinting at the brilliance through the web of his hand, Myriki said “Get the ceremonial dagger.”

Using the water breathing potions, the party explored a deep cave system filled with sahuagin and sharks. Jellyfish were rising from the bottom as if escaping — recoiling when they collided with sahuagin.

Grafyr was killed fighting an octopus, his body destroyed by a shark. As his remains drifted downward, the jellyfish followed him into the unseen depths. After the battle, Grafyr was brought back to life with the help of the healing jellyfish. Having glimpsed beyond the material plane — seeing the body as a mere shell — he was now a psion.

The group found Myriki in a chamber filled with jellyfish. Myriki and his shell shark fought them viciously, his body painted with jellyfish oils that kept healing him. They slew him, took his ceremonial dagger, and rode the escaping jellyfish en masse to the surface.

Leo decided to take the commandeered vessels back to Caspin to deliver the jellyfish to the tortles personally. He told Slug and Skullcrusher the sahuagin had been dealt with, and the tortles were ecstatic — the jellyfish would be used to coax Guardon back out of hiding.

Grafyr, Tim, and Valar decided to take a small ship to Ravensburg to continue the search for Alaric and the truth behind the dragonborn’s history. Speen, a tortle rescued from Lunalata’s control who had been helping find the jellyfish, chose to follow his wanderlust with the group.

6/16–6/19, 3722: Sailing to Ravensburg

Prologue

Billy was out exploring the woods again, his trusty hatchet in hand and Pebble, his new kenku friend, beside him. It had been weeks—or months, the boy couldn’t tell clearly in his youth—since the visitors had returned his hatchet after he lost it. They also helped the Kenku, then helped the whole village of Ravensburg rebuild after the storm. Awfully swell guys, them.

Passing the furthest ridge they’d ever explored before, Billy and Pebble decided to split up to search faster. Pebble wanted a hatchet too, but was being picky about what wood to make the handle out of. Billy sunk his wedge into a tree to help pull him up a steep embankment. Looking across the woods from the top, he heard Pebble call out down the way. “Here! Here!” Excited, Billy pulled his hand axe out of the trunk and started racing down the hill but too fast. His feet slid across some wet leaves hiding a smooth stone, sending his hatchet flying down the hill with Billy rolling behind it.

Billy stopped tumbling with a thud as he rammed into something with a strange crackling wave sound and a flash of light. Collecting himself, the little boy stood up, and turned to see a purple-pink magic barrier at the base of the hill, wrapping all around the forest as far as he could see, and up into the sky.

He fell backwards, taking in this strange, sudden sight. Just beyond the barrier, he could make out a figure about the height and shape of Pebble. It made noises, though Billy could not make out what it was saying, as if it was coming through water. Billy searched for his hatchet to try and break through the magic wall, only to realize it must be on the other side, along with Pebble, who had stopped making noises.

In the coming days—or weeks or months, the young boy couldn’t tell—Billy would return to this spot, searching the obscure shapes laying beyond the barrier surrounding Ravensburg, looking for his friend.

The group lands in Ravensburg, meeting Stan at the dock. Stan, who is supervising the fishing operations on the docks, directs them to the Faded Oak. They notice that the village’s stone buildings are kept in maintenance by fusing with highly crafted wood.

On the way, Gallus (guard captain) spots them, asking about their intentions in Ravensburg. Valar states they are there to examine ruins for research/knowledge. Gallus points them to Dohei at the bakery to learn more about the history of the Monastery.

There, the party hears the Monastery was partially destroyed by one of their members who then left. The place never fully recovered and was left to ruin. Then eventually the Kenku moved in. They hear about the encapsulation of Ravensburg for 18 years after The Fall.

After speaking to Dohei, the group goes to the Faded Oak and meets with Wind Blow. The Faded Oak is a community center of sorts. Children are watched after by Kenku with vivid story-telling, people meet to exchange news about the happenings around town, and provisions are dispersed. They repeat their intent to her. She says Billy can tour them through the Monastery grounds tomorrow.

They pay her in metals (a short sword, studded leather armor, a dagger) to stay the night. Ravensburg doesn’t need gold coins; they are self-sufficient aside from metal imports. Gallus spends the night with them (watching them so they don’t do anything suspicious, but being friendly).

6/20/3722: Monastery and Finding the Vigilant Mortal’s Base

In the morning, Billy walks them through town, pointing out several key locations:

At the Monastery, they realize this is not the hideout of the Vigilant Mortals. While talking with Billy and examining the monastery, a Kenku who was working at a great height falls. Speen heals the man and the Kenku are grateful for the assistance.

Grafyr uses his psionic abilities to force Billy to reveal there are rumors of a ruin just outside of town that his father, Crawford, searched during the encapsulation and swore was clear of anything of interest. The group heads off to that region.

Tucked inside a great hill, they find the entrance to a ruin with random skeletons roaming about. Within the hideout, they see three statues of deities: Mystra, Beory, and Luz.

In an adjoining hallway, they fight some skeletons and a specter.

6/21/3722: Long Rest in Vigilant Mortal’s Base

Take a couple of long rests, the group uncovers the entirety of the base.

The Vigilant Mortal’s Hideout

Crawford, it turned out, had been an officer in the Vigilant Mortals — a secret he had kept for years. He confessed he had brought Tellani and Alaric to the base, hoping the undead within would consume them and rid him of his past. During the encapsulation, however, Crawford had worked alongside the kenku, grown as a person, and tried to let go of old prejudices. When the bubble popped and word spread that the gods were ascended titans, the revelation made sense to him. He lost his allegiance with the Vigilant Mortals.

The party explored the base, uncovering letters written by Alaric alongside information about the dragonborn and dragons. They discovered the true history of the Dragonborn: a group of deities had banded together during the Mortal War to suppress mortal ascension, elevating two dragons to deities and using the resulting division to fracture the dragonborn race.

A Tree of Knowledge had been bisected during the encapsulation — half rotting, half still alive. With Tellani’s passage through the base, the rotted half had spawned a fell-dryad. The two dryads fought endlessly until the party arrived and slew the dark one. The surviving dryad gave Valar a whip made from her branches and answered their lore questions up to the point of The Fall, beyond which no new knowledge had entered due to the encapsulation.

Background: The Sheath and the Lich

The party’s quest to find Alaric was tangled in a web of competing agendas. Garland had originally kidnapped Alaric to build an artifact capable of destroying Eye Ripper’s phylactery — a device that could separate the Lich’s soul from the dagger, destroy the vessel, and dissolve the soul so it could not attach to another object.

The Vigilant Mortals, however — manipulated by Tellani — had stolen Alaric to repurpose his work. Tellani’s goal was different: she wanted Alaric’s device to pull The Darkest of Shadows out of the phylactery and incarnate her into a mortal body. Tellani could then consume the soul by killing the host, making herself the sole avatar of The Silence. When the Wardens had destroyed Dormaer, The Silence’s avatarhood had been split between Tellani and The Darkest of Shadows — or so Tellani believed. Either way, Tellani sought to consume both Eye Ripper’s and The Darkest of Shadows’ souls to consolidate her power.

Alaric’s Letters:

“My dear Timrush,

Strange and terrifying things have happened since we last met. I’ve been on a whirlwind of a journey. A man named Garland took me from you, and put me to a task that sounds like a wild story out of an old tome. He’s seeking to destroy a being he calls ‘The Lich’ - apparently the creature brought great tragedy upon his life, a lost wife or mother, the details sometimes become muddled in the chaos of it all.

Garland asked for my help in crafting a device, a vessel to hold a dagger that is more than just a weapon. This tool of destruction is meant to obliterate a dagger and extinguish The Lich’s spirit within. I began my work under Garland’s watchful eyes.

However, my captors changed. I was stolen yet again by a group calling themselves the Vigilant Mortals, led by a mysterious woman, Tellani. They’ve moved me to one of their abandoned hideouts just outside Ravensburg. It’s here I continue my work. I pray that these letters find their way to you. Please remember that I’m still here and will see you after my crafting is complete.

Yours always,

Alaric”

Alaric Letter 2:

“Timrush, my son,

My journey has taken a grim and terrifying turn. Shortly after Tellani left me to my work, we fell under siege. The undead of this place have risen, attacking us relentlessly. We’ve barricaded ourselves in a room, with time and hope both running thin.

Before her departure, Tellani shared a bone-chilling tale with me. The dagger houses not just the Lich’s spirit, but also The Darkest of Shadows, the avatar of The Silence - the very force that the Wardens have struggled to keep at bay for millennia.

The stakes are higher than we initially thought. If both the spirits in the dagger are destroyed, The Silence will be able to empower a new avatar, potentially unleashing a menace far greater than a Lich. Yet, Tellani has a plan. She claims to have the ability to absorb spirits from mortal forms, a strange talent born from her time in the shadow realm.

If my device can destroy The Lich’s spirit while forcing The Darkest of Shadows to inhabit a mortal host, Tellani could then absorb it, preventing The Silence from manifesting a new avatar. The Vigilant Mortals have moved me once again, to an even safer location to continue my work.

From the relative safety of our barricaded room, I am fervently working to complete the sheath. I am also caught between Garland’s heartfelt vengeance and Tellani’s calculated gamble for the fate of the world, I’m not sure who to trust. Whatever I create, this device might either rid us of two grave threats or unwittingly unleash something far worse.

Tomorrow, she is due back to collect the device and The Vigilant Mortals reassure me that she’s powerful enough to save us all from our current predicament.

Stay safe, my son,

Alaric”

Alaric Letter 3:

“Dear Timrush,

I write to you from a place surrounded by danger and filled with only undead and my own fear. I’ve finished the sheath but… …fulfill Garland’s vendetta or Tellani’s desperate plan… the decision weighs heavy on my heart, but I found a path… …any moment to collect the sheath and save me from my current predicament. …to ensure a better world for you.

With all my heart,

Alaric”

Encounter: Jacoby In the final chamber, a large hall dedicated to Tyr, they find Jacoby with the corpse of Alaric.

A hooded figure stands at the end of a long, high hall. Flickering light from the braziers cast eerie shadows across his armor but do not illuminate his face. He tilts his head slightly, studying each of you intently. His voice, though cold and hollow, carries a weight of history and tragedy.

“Ah, new faces. For so long, I’ve not seen anyone but my own reflection in these cold, empty halls. Do you know what it’s like to be trapped, confined to a sanctuary of stone and regret? For two decades I was imprisoned here, falling endlessly through realms of hunger only to rise again in spiteful rebirth to experience it forever more. Alone with my thoughts, the weight of eternity pressed upon me. But then… she came. Tellani.”

He steps forward, his every movement purposeful and deliberate. “She fed my heart, my soul, and my mind. She brought me a revelation. I had been looking at power all wrong. Why eternally stand vigilant in an impossible battle against the endless, encroaching growth of life to prevent malevolent beings from ascending—forcing us to kneel to their will? True liberation is found in extinguishing all. In the void of nothingness, no soul can lord over another. In death, there is equality. True, enduring freedom.”

Glancing at the back corner of the hall, a motionless body is crumpled in a heap. “An old man and an empty sheath was but a small price, an offering to prove myself to Tellani. She saw my conviction, my dedication to the cause. She has promised to return to me. A hundred times over. Make my prison a base for her growing army, so we could spread our salvation to the world above until at last her and I could walk into the void, together.”

He takes another step, closing the distance and revealing the decayed corpse he has become. “Now, adventurers, it’s your turn to make a choice. Will you embrace the liberation of oblivion, or shall I smother your flames into abyss?”

The party slew Jacoby and found the body of Alaric. Speen picked up Jacoby’s sword, Dark Titanbane.

They left the Vigilant Mortal Base. Crawford stood at the entrance, unable to bring himself to enter. He told them how he had been an officer in the Vigilant Mortals but the years alongside the kenku and his son during the encapsulation had softened his hatred. He described how Tellani had arrived as the leader of the Vigilant Mortals with Alaric, and how he had shown them to the base hoping the spirits would consume them. He spoke of coming to the entrance at night, watching shadowy figures behind the dome, hearing the wailing, mourning their deaths in secret. He was tired of hiding. He asked the party to slay him.

Back in Ravensburg

The heroes threw a feast for the village. Crawford approached them again, asking them to end his life. They refused.

Yacob appeared in town — actually Andes in a shape-changed form. The party told him what they had learned. He confirmed that killing the last of the first dragons would remove all dragons’ shapeshifting abilities. However many dragons remained in the world, at least mortals would know who they were. He had heard that one of the last first dragons was a green near Zevorus.

6/22/3722: Travel Through Willowood

The party leveled up and headed south toward Zevorus on a boat they rented for 200 gold.

As they drifted closer to the village, they noticed fishermen on the riverbank looking distraught. Their nets had become tangled with a log that had floated between them and landed on the shore of an islet. No one in Willowood would go to the islet — anyone who did either disappeared or returned confused and injured.

The party freed the nets from the log and noticed tracks of a small creature around it. A fight erupted with the islet’s inhabitants: Littletide Sprites. These fey creatures violently defended their territory, using Lamenting Cries that inflicted confusion and pain. The party killed two and the others fled to regroup. Unsure of the morality of slaying more sprites, the party departed with only the nets.

The grateful fishermen gifted them a strange coin pulled from their nets. Coated in dried mud, its markings were worn — the party could discern it was from the Andes but bore iconography unfamiliar to any living currency. Unknown to them, the coin was one of the ten that the Wardens had tossed at Hal Sleepwel when they came from another time. Speen pocketed it.

6/23/3722: Travel Through Andes

Arriving in Andes, the party searched for a magic artifact dealer. They found a man in brown robes with gold trim who was part of Garland’s network. Asking for equipment that would help protect them, the man said he would look around and catch up with them later.

The party visited shops, selling gems, scrolls, buying healing potions, and finally going to rest at The Fancy Mule. There, the man in brown robes came with a set of rings of resistance to all the various damage types, saying they could buy two and no more. They bought one of fire and one of force. They changed their mind and paid an exchange fee to swap the force ring in for a poison resistance ring, figuring that might help with the green dragon battle to come. The man asked their names, saying Garland wants to keep track of who his friends are. Valar, Grafyr, and Speen provided their names.

While resting at the tavern they listened to the chatter of the locals. Ravensburg has broken off from the kingdom, and with it, any hope of finally claiming Boreal. With the assassination of Lorzen, there are suspicions that Andes had a hand in it. Drow are becoming a topic and hatred against them is being fueled by the Tentacles if Ithyak. Andes, while still a major hub of the Kingdom and it’s capital, has lost a substantial amount of it’s population that has moved outward to the country side.

Grafyr spoke with the kitchen chef who showed him how to make ham, cream cheese, pickle appetizers and tater tot hotdish.

6/24/3722: Travel Through Shield

Setting out the next morning, the brown robed man found them once more, saying their names were already known as friends, and he returned the exchange fee.

The party arrived at Shield

While the party is looking for someone to send the boat back to Ravensburg, a loud argument erupts outside. Rushing out, they witness two blacksmiths – Maera and Tholden – in a heated exchange. Their respective supporters surround them, with villagers taking sides. The village constable, a frail old man, seems overwhelmed and requests the party’s intervention before things turn violent.

Maera, an innovative young blacksmith, recently returned from a journey where she learned new techniques and designs. Her work is revolutionary, gaining attention and pulling customers from the seasoned blacksmith, Tholden. Prideful Tholden sees her as a disrespectful upstart. Tensions came to a head when a recent “accident” at Maere’s shop damaged her latest creations. All of the pieces appear “crinkled” and ugly. Maera believes Tholden sabotaged her work, while Tholden claims innocence, believing it’s a ploy by Maera to gain sympathy.

Maera actually cooled the metal incorrectly, and given how she mixed the alloy, it will shrink unevenly, leaving “crinkles” all around the piece. Tholden knows this, but is reluctant to explain- though it would prove his innocence- because Maera would learn from this mistake and become a better smith.

Grafyr used Detect Thoughts to observe the two as Speen and Valar questioned both Maera and Tholdon. Through various questions, insights, and finally a persuasion from Speen for the two to work together, the entire story was brought to light and the two smiths began a heated discussion on the art of metal working. The party settled the dispute between Maera and Tholden, rested at the Constables house and his wife made them tater-tot hotdish.

6/25/3722: Tear

As they were leaving town on foot the next morning, the smiths gave them the Bracers of the Bridged Forge.

As they near Tear, the come across Colt fighting a group of Squelchers of the flame. They help him defeat them then head to town for drinks. On the way, Colt explains the cult was looking for an artifact that was stolen from their group in Summergate. They thought he had it or knew where it was. He simply doesn’t. They are just slightly crazy fanatics.

The Hangover Tavern

Colt’s Backstory:

6/26/3722: Summergate

Prologue

In a quiet corner of a grand temple, a human in red robes embraces his love. “It’s you, Valith. It’s always been you. My love rages for you stronger than the Pale Devil’s anger.” The woman’s cheeks blush despite her red Tiefling skin. “Oh, Folter! You weave words of love greater than your most powerful spells. Tell me we’ll always be together.” Clasping her hand in his but shaking his head, the man admits, “I cannot. Our passion for one another are met with the passion of our convictions, which may send us off apart at times. Our hands may yearn to be reunited but our souls… No matter how far apart our bodies may drift, our souls will always be together as one.” “Oooh Folter! When I’m with you, the air grows still and all I can hear are your soft poems. Moments like this seem to linger on…” So taken with one another, the two are unaware that the air has indeed grown still. Robed figures with no particular romantic love for one another glance around the temple in confusion. They sense something too.

The stained glass windows flicker. Their blocky murals obscure geometric shapes lighting up the skies across Summergate. As the Tiefling woman wipes away a tear from her love-soaked face, the back of the temple explodes in commotion. Fiery portals erupt, spewing devil minions. Pews are tossed across the air, shattering as they are met with spells flung by Folter who has sprung to his feet. Valith launches herself into the fray of hell minions, slashing them down but not as fast as they come through. From the other side, a towering devil steps forward into the material plane. “This may be our only chance! Find Gon and free him!”

The devil spots Folter and launches an intense fire ball. Its hell heat boils the flesh off the wizard’s face and he drops to the ground in agony. Seeing this, Valith launches herself with her incredible might against the massive fiend. “Noo!” Folter’s pain surges through his spells, laying waste to a score of devil spawn, but not enough. Valith and Folter lock eyes as the woman and devil tumble backward into the portal. Just before vanishing into the unknown depths, Valith mouths “I love you”. The portals close, leaving many devil spawn behind and yet: Folter had never felt so alone.

Colt was a good host for the night at Tear, answering questions about his time in The Kragg. No matter how much the ale spilled, Colt never divulged his line of work prior to Sardarno’s security council, or why he had settled in Tear so steadfastly.

As their heads cleared on the trail south the next morning, the road became nicely paved — unusually smooth and wide for countryside. A farmhouse appeared on the horizon. Getting closer, a large bird soared overhead in the same direction.

Continuing on, a person was working in a field when the bird dove down and viciously attacked him. Rushing in, the party noticed the worker was ill-suited for farm work in his red robes with black flames embroidered from the bottom. The soil around him had been turned over, immature vegetables strewn about. The man and bird were locked in combat and in desperation, he shouted out for help.

Sunnyvale Harvests

At Sunnyvale Harvests, the party found a squad of Squelchers of the Flame ransacking a farmhouse, convinced the farmers had stolen their artifact. They rescued the farmers and reported the incident to the guards in Summergate.

Captain Nyx asked them to rid the city of the cult once and for all. The Squelchers of the Flame had been a legitimate religious organization, but their search for a lost artifact — a lantern capable of opening portals to Hell — had driven them to increasingly violent interrogations.

At the Squelchers’ temple, the party confronted Folter, who had stolen the lantern and was finalizing a contract with Gon the Pale Devil. Folter freed Gon from the pocket dimension. See Squelchers of the Flame for the full backstory of Folter, Valith, and Gon.

During the battle, Valar killed Folter, grabbed the lantern, and aimed its infernal beam at Gon. Rather than opening a portal, the beam sucked Gon back into Hell and the lantern slammed shut.

The party left Summergate toward Foot.

6/28/3722: Foot

At the small caravan village of Foot, the party found a group of Squelchers harassing a drow woman. The brothers Dark Darryl and Brown Darryl were convinced the drow had stolen the Lantern for their “evil goddess.” The party attacked and killed all of the Squelchers, saving the woman.

6/29/3722: Farfield

In Farfield, Valar ritually cast Identify in the community area, convincing Ty to stand watch over his “powerful magics.” Speen met Theodore in the temple and told him about his adventures. Tim went fishing alone. Grafyr visited the apothecary and heard about the tower outside of town.

At night, the group went to the Tired Mule. Hal had a single gold coin framed on the wall — one of the ten left by the Wardens out of time. They paid Hal a gem for the room.

6/30/3722: Garland

The group visited the tower and spoke to Garland. They told him everything about the Vigilant Mortal base, including Tellani having the sheath. He said the sheath might yet serve his goal, but making contact with Tellani would take time, and the party weren’t strong enough to confront her.

They traded the Lantern for a magic folding boat. Grafyr had Garland fuse his driftglobe with black mass from the dark ooze found in the Vigilant Mortal base.

The party continued traveling toward Zevorus.

7/1/3722: Nero’s Arc

The party docked near Nero’s Arc. Upon reaching the abandoned village, they were attacked by animals under the control of Iphy the Dryad. They slayed Iphy and continued on their way.

7/2/3722: Zevorus Outskirts

For the full background on Etlan and the dragon brothers, see War of Brother Kings, Dragons, and Etlan.

Zevorus Approach

The party docked for the night just outside Zevorus. There, they noticed dead patches of plants near trees with claw marks.

Prologue

In the age before the first empires, the dragon brothers Andes and Etlan clashed. They argued over how to carry out their divine mission, given to them directly from the dragon gods themselves: infiltrate mortal ranks and prevent the rise of any titans.

Andes sought to maintain the mortals’ power by earning their trust through benevolence. Etlan saw the only true control over lower life forms was through domination. Disagreements tore them apart and brought them to war. For the mortals, unaware of the presence of dragons, it was a civil war.

Etlan’s demise began when The Wardens appeared in the town of Vivski. They defeated Krandex, Etlan’s officer, exposing an allegiance with monstrous races but worse yet; researching necromancy. The civil war fell apart as mortals refused to align themselves with monsters and undead.

In a battle witnessed by no one, the brothers confronted one another. Andes could not bring himself to kill his brother, instead exiling him to The Deep.

Encounter outside Zevorous

As the party get close to Zevorous, they spot some dead spots in the forest plants, and tree bark with scratch marks. Players encounter an undead presence outside of Zevorous, saving an elite ranger Petaren.

“Please, help! Save me! You can’t let them kill me! By Zevorous, they can’t kill me! I beg you!” “I come from a tribe not too far from here. I’m a Leaf. My… uh- twin brother, Stevaren and I scout any threats or game in the area. We were out scouting our usual grounds when we were besieged by undead.” “I managed to escape, but Stevaren is still captured. I can sense him, he’s still alive but he’s in great distress.”

The undead officer cut Peteran’s hand off.

Petaren, Nero’s Cousin

Petaren will bring them to Zevorus.

Graf and Valar spoke to the Leaves escorting them around the perimeter, asking what they thought of other elves, such as those in Shaa Thalas.

“They are heathens,” a Leaf replied bitterly. “Their rising power saps Zevorus of his. They will grow and spread faster than even the west. While the west slowly cuts its way through the land, the betrayers in Shaa Thalas are adept at living amongst the forests, as well as in the stone walls the west build. In fact, they are better stone wall builders than the round-headed people of the west. They are elves, after all. But the worst kind. Prophecy tells of a day when we of Zevorus will stop their evil ways and all the elves of the forest will once again live in peace.”

The party also pushed for information on the green dragon they sought, but the Leaves scoffed at the notion.

“No, there’s no dragons here. Legends say they were killed long ago by the western world. Nero stopped the west from bringing one back for evil.”

When pressed about this “Nero,” Petaren ultimately confided in them:

“Nero was a great hero of Zevorus. We are eternally grateful for his deeds. But we do not make contact with the west. When Nero returned, the west had infected him like a virus. He went mad, even trying to bring some of the west here or us there. Zevorus, in his infinite wisdom, has found a way to both preserve Nero, honoring him as the hero he is, while curing him of his madness. Nero is alive but he has never been the same since he returned, or since his new role. It is odd. We miss Nero though he is still with us.”

Outline: Rescue Stevaren

The Cave Approach

They got to the cave entrance, fighting some low-level skeletons. Inside, they fight more undead. They find a treasure pile guarded by a cloaker, mimic, and a faerie dragon. Further in the cave, they fight ropers, mutated bats, and 4 recently undead Petaren duplicates.

The party, with the Leaves and Peteran, encounter a Fext, Steveran tied to a stalagmite, and a swarm of Peteran zombies. Fighting breaks out. Peteran runs to save his brother and is slain by the zombie swarm who then raise him as another zombie. During the fight, they witness Steveran duplicating another Peteran a couple times as the living Peteran dies in the fighting. After the battle, they spoke to Stevaren. He had seen the Dream Walker come out of and go back into the deeper cave. The Leaves were divided — some wanted to kill Stevaren for speaking against their god, some wanted to bring him back to the tribe for the Dream Walker to judge, and some wanted to go deeper to check on their leader.

Grafyr delved into Stevaren’s mind and confirmed he was telling the truth. They decided to push deeper.

Below, they found the Dream Walker, who immediately ordered the Leaves to attack. The party used banishment, stuns, Bigby’s Hand, and Valar’s whip to restrain and grapple the host. During the fight, Grafyr noticed the Dream Walker’s mind was being controlled. Eventually he and the fighting Leaves were subdued. Valar’s detect magic revealed the crown was the source.

Speen ripped the crown from the Dream Walker’s head, breaking the control. Zevorus reached out and tried to take control of Valar, attempting to convince him Shaa Thalas was the enemy. Speen healed the Dream Walker, who woke and revealed himself as Nero.

Nero told the party Zevorus was a false god who lay in the next chamber. They confronted Zevorus and fighting broke out. During the battle, Zevorus shed his disguise and revealed his true form: Etlan, the green dragon. The party slew him and Speen claimed Zevorus’s sword-bow weapon.

After Etlan

Return to the Tribe

The cruel deception of Zevorus was laid bare. On returning to the tribe, Nero invited the Dragon Slayers into a sparse but well-crafted hut.

“Zevorus was not an elf, much less a god,” Nero explained. “He was a disguised green dragon. What he was doing in The Deep, why he couldn’t go west, and why he was trying to drive a wedge between the elves, is unclear.”

“But what I can tell you: Zevorus recently made a pact with a powerful wizard of undeath. The undead emissaries called him ‘Eye Ripper.’ The dragon referred to him as ‘Sorvharn.’”

Timrush shifted uncomfortably. Sensing the stares, he offered the translation: “Lich.” Nero smiled and nodded.

The wood elf tribe would need time to process what this meant, but they were no longer hostile to Shaa Thalas or isolationist.

Travel to Caspin

Nero thanked them once more and bade them farewell. Climbing into Speen’s origami boat — the one traded from Garland for the Lantern — they sailed back toward Farfield.

In Farfield, Yacob was waiting. His benefactor in Caspin needed to speak with them — there had been a shift. Grafyr and Tim were wanted men for the lethal brawling during The Exchange, so they would need to be smuggled in. Yacob gave them a specific night and port to arrive at.

Caspin

Arriving in Caspin

Silently drifting up to the predetermined dock, a drunk laying about stood up and roped them in. A suspicious stare and a code word later, the man tossed Speen a large dark cloak. “Yer kind can’t be out’n’about no more.” He told them which building to get to, then wished them luck as he sent them into the city.

The party snuck through the city, navigating suspicious guards, drunken revelers, and locked gates.

Meeting Terrance de’Shay

Finally reaching the building, they were ushered into a large study room. Terrance de’Shay closed a book he had been restlessly paging through.

“Leo returned home to find his father, Borrin, passed away. After The Exchange, Veegevhal has taken the role of Commandant after slaying Colonel Shapa in the games. He’s used Silverside’s assassination to bolster the guards’ power. He’s arrested Leo for hosting you, locked the north bridge, and is essentially taking over the city. Whatever your goals individually, I know you have loyalty to one another and Leo is one of you. Break Leo out of the dungeon, but try not to kill the guards. Not all of them are bad. They are dutifully following their oaths.”

The Prison Break

The party broke into the dungeon.

Leo’s Cell

Leo was in a cell next to Randel, his mother’s ex-husband.

“You’ve come for me? Thank you. Veegevhal is a monster and we must stop him or I’ll end up right back here or dead on the streets.”

On his release, Leo walked over to another cell where a middle-aged human stood watching.

“My father told me stories of my mother, Quilmyra. She disappeared before I was old enough to truly remember her beyond her love. You’ve been imprisoned for her murder for most of my life, but in this past week, you’ve also told me many stories of how she was; a woman passionate to experience life, a carefree spirit. You’ve told me how she changed as she left you for my father. Even so, I can see the heartbreak you feel over her death. I do not know what happened to her, but I know you did not kill her. Father kept you alive so that I can choose your fate. I release you so you can choose your own.”

Leo unlocked the cell. The rusted door, unused for a decade, slowly opened with a piercing screech. As the door stopped, the screeching did not. From somewhere else in the prison, blood-curdling screams of men being torn open were barely masked by shrill, angry noises of some unknown beast.

Encounter: Quilmyra/Kayla

As they reentered the key room, a plain-looking young woman with peach skin stood across the room in a frenzy, clawing at the towers and screaming. Her eyes locked onto Leo.

“My boy! Leo, it’s mother! Oh, my boy.”

She began sobbing, holding her knees to keep from collapsing.

“I’m here for you, Leo! I’m right here! I missed you so…”

Her heaving breaths stopped her from talking. Then she suddenly regained composure, wiping a sleeve across her face. As she did, she shifted — now a beautiful young elven woman with pale skin.

“Did they hurt you?!”

Her expression turned to rage.

“Let him go! He’s mine!”

She charged. During the chaotic skirmish, her shifting forms and fractured mind unleashed a torrent of desperate cries.

“I didn’t want to leave! I’ve always loved you!” she screamed, lunging furiously. “I’m so sorry! We could have been together but— we don’t have much time! This is the only way I can protect you!”

At one point, amidst the clash of steel, she inexplicably adopted a defeated posture, transforming into a mundane traveler. “I’m a merchant,” she pleaded. “I had to flee my caravan when creatures attacked. Please, just let me be.” But as the party hesitated, a manic, almost theatrical wink betrayed the illusion before she struck again.

Later in the fight, she stopped entirely, disengaged from the combat. Examining her arms and tepidly patting her shifting body, she muttered in horror, “What… what am I?” Her hands reached down to her smooth stomach, panic gripping her expression. “Where’s my baby?! My baby! Where is he?!” Her confusion rapidly dissolved back into a feral frenzy as she threw herself at them once more.

Kayla’s Death

Laying on the floor, the strange woman’s appearance shifted — relaxing into a gray, sexless humanoid with wide eyes and a sharp chin. The lipless mouth parted in halted, final breaths.

Slowly turning her gaze from the ceiling to Leo, the face returned to that of a red-haired, peach-skinned woman.

“Leo… I love you. I’m so proud of you. I’m sorry. I didn’t want any of this, only you.”

She coughed, retching her head over and back, returning to the gray being again.

“I lost you in the change. But I… I found a way to be your mother again.”

Painfully but deliberately, she became the pale elf once more.

“I got you. I got to hold you again. But I… I had to leave you to protect you.”

Setting her head down, the grey being was all that remained.

“I used my new body to create you. But I wanted you to have your own body. I wanted you to be your own self or you wouldn’t be my boy. But I couldn’t take it. I had to see you again.”

Her body shuddered as a fresh pool of blood leaked out. Her head washed over in a myriad of faces — faces Leo had seen before, but always in the distance. The pale elven woman, Quilmyra. The noble Sir Hutchner. Then back to the grey being.

“I came to rescue you.. I’m sorry but I can’t stay. I have to leave again.”

With a shuddering sigh ending in a pained whimper, the grey being went limp.

Veegevhal

As the party left the prison, Veegevhal was outside. Without a word, he attacked.

Terrance de’Shay & The Final Revelation

After defeating Veegevhal, the party returned to Terrance’s manor to find Yacob waiting at the entrance, reeking of alcohol.

“Hail there, friends! It’s been a while. Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you on this dragonborn stuff… anyways, sounds like you figured out some stuff in Ravensburg. Now de’Shay called me here in the middle of the night to wait for you. Says to meet him at the Southern Bridge Island. Easiest 100 gp I’ve ever earned.”

Yacob bumbled away toward a nearby tavern.

Approaching the bridge, a stream of guards — some still half-asleep — were crossing, heading north into the city. Some eyed them with annoyance: “Now the criminals are kicking us off our posts…” Others nodded in appreciation: “Veegevhal was vile. I hope he squealed.”

Just past the bridge, Terrance de’Shay stood on a raised platform.

“The cruel authoritarian is defeated and the boy has been saved. I would thank you, but what do I call you? The Wardens, Salt Mercenaries, 3rd Titans, and now, a new group of heroes bless the lands; freeing the oppressed, unraveling ancient mysteries… Even facing down a dragon — a creature not seen for nearly 3,000 years — masquerading as a god. You are the Dragon Slayers. Thank you, Dragon Slayers. However, the last of the first dragons remain and I grow tired.”

Terrance de’Shay began glowing in brilliant yellow light. As the light faded, he had become a large gold dragon with green trimmings.

“I am Andes. Mentor to the first king, Lodwell. I’ve kept my true nature hidden so that I may influence your people in benevolence. For millennia, I have been protecting the people of this land. I am of the old guard. The mortal world has no need for the likes of me anymore. My duties have become interference and my senses grow weary. Ever since Ka’Charo landed in my own territory, I knew it was time. Heroes amongst the mortals have risen. You must protect yourselves. My brother, Etlan, conspired with monsters to subjugate mortals so I banished him to the Deep. With his death, I am the last of the first dragons. Slay me and the other dragons will lose their ability to manipulate mortal affairs with impunity. But still, my oaths remain. I am honor bound to protect this realm with my life. Take my life, Dragon Slayers, so that I may move on and mortals can weave their own fate.”

While the Dragon Slayers fought Andes honorably, Rhegor used the opportunity to strike in a drunken, vengeful rage. Grafyr kills Rhegor without mercy. The Dragon Slayers also slay Andes.

“With my death, dragons will lose our shape-changing powers and be revealed to the world for what we are. Kriv is not a first dragon; he is first of the new and certainly not the last.

I’ve been hiding amongst you for so long, listening to you tell yourselves we are gone. But we’re not.

With my death, dragons return.”

As he passed, a change swept through the air — a breeze carrying a magical chime. The party turned to Tim.

The Awakening

Timrush felt a release of pressure from deep inside. Visions flooded him: Habushu and his army entering a cave of dragonborn, slaying his people. A small infant dragon, hidden beneath rubbish by its dragonborn guards to protect it from the army seeking dragon bodies and eggs.

When the chaos died down, the rubbish was lifted. Through the sudden light, the dragon saw the outlines of the Salt Mercenaries looking down. But the group saw only a small, red dragonborn.

Nero looked at the babe: “It’s just a child dragonborn. Orphaned by Habushu.”

Upon seeing soft-skinned people for the first time, the babe changed shape to mimic them. Later, Nero walked the now human-looking child over to Alaric.

“The world will not be kind to a dragonborn but he seems to have taken on a new appearance. I have yet to find a spell or method that reveals his dragonborn nature.”

“He’s clearly a very powerful sorcerer of some sort to be maintaining such an illusion for so long. You want me to make a device to show what he is?” Alaric asked.

“No. I want you to hide him until he’s ready.”

Timrush’s body grew rapidly into a young red dragon. The change did not feel unnatural — for the first time since he was three years old, he felt a deep sense of comfort in his own body. Stretching his wings, the urge to fly took over. Launching into the air, he circled the island from high above and breathed a powerful stream of fire.

He wondered how many other dragons had emerged. And without fanfare, Timrush flew off into the distance in search of them.

Epilogue for the Heroes

Leo remained in Caspin, holding the people together as the politics of losing their Commandant and Steward settled. Given his leadership with the tortles, his adventures against the sahuagin, and the legacy of his father, he was made Lord of Caspin.

With the jellyfish reintroduced, Guardon healed and rose from the depths. Several tortles left Caspin to return to the ocean; some stayed with their titan, others — like Speen — branched out to explore the world.

Nero established communications with Shaa Thalas, ensuring peace between their peoples.

Valar was contacted by the council of Shaa Thalas and offered a seat. His knowledge of elven history and the good works he had done made him valuable. The elf went, was set up in a comfortable office with rows of tomes he could only dream of, and was satisfied. For a time.

Valar carefully turned over another stiff page of the dusky tome dimly lit by candlelight in his study. His eyes darting about the text and ambiguous drawings, he knew he had uncovered a lead to a secret the world had long forgotten. “Cancel my appointments,” he bellowed out to his secretary, jerking awake at her desk. Valar grabbed his hat and whip in the same swift motion he swept out of his office and left in the night toward adventure once again.

Grafyr stood on the beach of the island that had been his home for so long. He watched as the last boat departed, leaving him alone once again. In the following days, months — or was it years? — he explored his psionic abilities. In the sun, he experimented on his sandbox island where there was no fear of hurting anyone. At night, he reached out to examine the world with the eyes of his mind.

Cloudy at first, his vision slowly sharpened until he could see reality unlike anyone else. With that clarity, he found something. At first he was intrigued at the distant, low thrumming; like a lighthouse barely visible on the ocean horizon. He moved his mind toward it in excitement and it grew nearer, louder. The power swelled violently, overwhelming Grafyr as he realized that he hadn’t found it — it had found him. From the dark abyss, beyond the planes of reality, it came for him. It was something deep. Something old. Something from somewhere else.