Welcome to Leilon
Leilon was once a mining town that sold copper, nickel, and silver to Waterdeep. It was also a small port where merchants sometimes offloaded goods on barges (since most proper ships cannot traverse the town’s shallow mud flats) to be transported to cities all over the Sword Coast.
Two hundred years ago, the wizard Thalivar made his home here and raised a tower at the town center to conduct his mystical studies. The House of Thalivar was topped with a planar beacon that lured creatures from other planes into the structure and trapped them there. After Thalivar mysteriously disappeared, the people of Leilon were content to leave his tower and the monsters within alone.
The Spellplague, a divine phenomenon that twisted Faerûn’s magic, corrupted the tower’s defenses. The creatures sealed within were freed to attack Leilon, and the magic of the planar beacon was redirected back into the Material Plane, causing humanoids who looked upon it to become paralyzed. Leilon was quickly overrun and subsequently abandoned and has remained that way for more than a century.
The first action the soldiery of Neverwinter took in Leilon was to destroy the planar beacon inside the House of Thalivar. The mage Gallio Elibro has now rebuilt the beacon and begun his own studies into the Ethereal Plane. See “Thalivar’s Beacon” for more information.
Before its fall, Leilon was defended by a loosely organized group of adventurers called the Swords of Leilon. When the House of Thalivar released its monsters, the Swords fought to cover the escape of the townsfolk. They died and became ghosts bound to Leilon’s ruins. They now watch the rebuilding of the town with caution, hoping that the reconstructed tower does not bring similar disaster.
When you are ready for the adventure to get underway, show the Leilon map to the players and read the following boxed text aloud:
The palisade of Leilon forms a semicircle on the northeastern side of the town, defended by an earthen rampart. To the southwest, docks line the shore of the mere, packed with barges ready to cross the marsh and meet merchant ships at sea.
Newly built houses with thatched roofs line Leilon’s muddy streets. At the center of it all, the House of Thalivar, a tall wizard’s tower, rises like a beacon, four times the height of every other building. The town below is bustling with merchants, workers, and adventurers-for-hire.
Visitors with coin to spend are welcome in Leilon, and adventurers are the settlers’ favorites. For while there is much work to be done within the town, there are deeds to be done outside as told by notices on the job board at the fishery.
When the adventurers are ready to inspect the job board, proceed to the “Fishery” section.
Exploring Leilon
The characters might wish to explore key establishments within Leilon. These locations are marked on the map of Leilon.
Aubrey’s Peculiarities Shoppe
This shop is crammed with curiosities dredged from the ruins of Leilon: old fishing rods, swamp idols, mining helmets, and other oddities. A whimsical Illuskan male named Aubrey Silverspun runs the store. Roll a d20 on Peculiarities table to see what he has on offer when the characters visit.
Peculiarities
| d20 |
Peculiarity |
Price |
| 1-2 |
Random Magic Item (DMG's Table C) |
500 gp |
| 3-10 |
Random Trinket (PHB Chapter 5) |
10 gp |
| 11-20 |
Unique tool kit (engraved, etc.) |
50 gp |
A painted tryptic above the counter shows three adventurers: a dark-skinned warrior woman, a red-bearded dwarf, and a third whose portrait has faded with age. Aubrey explains that these are the “Swords of Leilon”: an old adventuring company local to the area.
Barge Yard
Six mud-covered barges are chained together and beached at the edge of Leilon where the town meets the marsh. The barge master is a gruff elderly female dwarf named Rorsta Anvilhand. She rents a barge for a tenday for 10 gp.
Fishery
The fishery building serves as the town hall. During the day the warehouse hosts several fishing-folk selling their daily catches at stalls and merchants who sell and repair fishing equipment. At night Leilon’s town council gathers within to discuss the business of the town and active threats in the region. The councilors include:
Grizzelda Copperwraught. Lord Neverember tasked this gruff female dwarf with overseeing Leilon’s construction work.Now the job is done, some folk whisper that “The Growler” should step down from the council, yet nobody dares say that to her face.
Sergeant Hazz Yorrum. This slovenly male Damaran human oversees Neverwinter’s soldiers but defers to the town wizard Gallio Elibro for most decisions.
Merrygold Brightshine. This amiable male halfling is the local priest of Lanthander, god of light. Merrygold helped found the town following its reconstruction and is loved by its people.
Valdi Estapaar. Lord Neverember gave this half-elf female the job of overseeing the town’s fishing industry. With the recent opening of the quayside, she’s now one of the most important figures in town.
Leilon Tales
| d6 |
Tale |
| 1 |
“Folk say they’ve seen Old Gnawbone flying over the lowlands. That green dragon usually stays
put in her lair inside Kryptgarden forest. For her to hunt this far afield surely spells trouble.” |
| 2 |
“Savage half-orcs have been spotted in the wilds outside of town, just standing there watching us.
Trouble’s coming, that’s for sure.” |
| 3 |
“There are a couple of fancy pleasure barges anchored just off the marsh. City folk no doubt, but
why they’ve stopped here is anybody’s guess. Strange thing is, the crew have only been seen out
at night.” (If the characters investigate the site, see “Icingdeath and Twinkle.”) |
| 4 |
“Fish are dying inside the Mere of Dead Men. Something is poisoning the marsh waters and killing
the animals that dwell within it. Watch what you drink here in town!” |
| 5 |
“Fisher folk have reported seeing strange fogbanks at sea that move against the wind. Those who
dared sail closer say they heard the sound of drumming from somewhere deep within.” |
| 6 |
“Crazy Gallio has been locked up in his tower for weeks now. The sergeant says he doesn’t let
anyone up to the top floor anymore, and strange lights have been seen from his windows
at night.” (If the characters investigate the site, see “Thalivar’s Beacon.”) |
Merrygold casts the cure wounds spell for a donation of 10 gp to the shrine and the lesser restoration spell for a donation of 20 gp.
Torver’s Post
Jack Torver is an optimistic young male Turami human who just finished building Leilon’s new (and currently only) general store. He is a devout worshipper of Lathander and attends the shrine’s services each morning then offers advice from the sermons to his customers.
Jack sells standard adventuring gear, with the exception of potions of healing. He directs adventurers looking for potions to the Tymora shrine and those looking for armor or weapons to the town square.
Town Gates
The town’s north and south gates have recently been repaired and are now manned at all hours by 5 guards and 1 veteran guard captain. Each night, the heavy wood gates are pulled shut, preventing entry to the town until they are opened again at dawn. Travelers passing through town must pay a road toll of 1 sp per horse, oxen, cart, or mule that enters the gates.
Town Square
The Leilon town square has become a place where local vendors and those passing through town can set up stalls to sell their wares. One vendor, a female Calishite human blacksmith named Zana Taylish, is a resident of Leilon who sells armor and weapons. More exotic items (such as spell scrolls or other consumable magic items) could be available from a traveling merchant in the square at the DMs discretion. The cost for such items should be high (and perhaps require a favor of the adventurers in addition to an exchange of coin).
Tymora Shrine
A shrine to Tymora, goddess of luck, was recently erected in Leilon. Puck Caribdas, a lithe, rambunctious male elf, runs the temple and sells potions for the prices listed on the Puck’s Potions table. Other than potions of healing, Puck only has 1d4 vials of each potion. Each tenday, Puck’s inventory refreshes, and you can reroll to determine the elf’s new potion supply.
Puck's Potions
| Price |
Potion |
| 50 gp |
potion of healing |
| 50 gp |
potion of climbing |
| 150 gp |
potion of growth |
| 150 gp |
potion of water breathing |
| 5000 gp |
potion of heroism |
Tyr Shrine
The shrine to Tyr, god of justice, was recently repaired and reopened by Vangol Kuskolt, a male dwarf priest who clanks about on an iron peg leg. Many of the town’s disputes are settled by Kuskolt on the steps outside his shrine. For the worst crimes, the dwarf heats his peg leg over the fire and brands the offender on the chest before driving them from town.
Umber Hulk’s Shell Inn
Alion Malwyn, a kind-heartedhuman, runs this newly constructed two-story inn. A bed for the night costs 5 sp, while a meal costs 1 sp. If the characters stay here, Alion shares a tale from another traveler with them. Roll 1d6 and consult the Leilon Tales table to determine which tale Alion knows or pick a tale the characters haven’t heard yet.
Adventure Locations
This adventure encourages characters to explore locations marked on the DM’s map of the Sword Coast. When the characters embark on a journey to a location, use the section of this adventure that describes that location in detail. For instance, if the players choose to undertake the Dumathoin’s Gulch Quest, go to the “Dumathoin’s Gulch” section. Each location includes an overview that briefly describes what the characters can expect to find there. This overview is followed by information you’ll need to run the encounters at that location.
Quayside
The recently rebuilt quayside has berths for town’s many barges and fishing vessels. Fishing nets, coils of rope, and crab pots are laid out over the jetties, which are busy at most hours. Demelza Tackwind, a gruff old female Chondathan human scout, serves as the town’s harbormaster. Vessels unregistered to Leilon must pay a berthing charge of 1 gp per day (part of which pays for Demelza’s nightly tipple at the Umber Hulk’s Shell).
The Quest Board
The job board outside the fishery is where the adventurers can learn about quests. Let the players choose the order in which they tackle the quests. If the players don’t like a quest, they are under no obligation to complete it. However, completing quests helps the characters become more powerful (see “Leveling Up”).
Most of the notices on the job board are written by members of the town council. The council members are unable to provide context beyond what is written on the board. When the characters return to the fishery after completing a quest, the council pays the reward immediately.
Starting Quests
When the characters first visit the job board, there are three quests posted. Describe or show each quest so they can choose which to pursue.
Gulch Quest.
“Leilon is threatened with invasion from several cults, one of which has an ancient dragon in its employ. The gnomes of Gnomengarde have offered to supply a magical weapon to drive off this beast should it trouble the town. Meet the gnomes at Dumathoin’s Gulch, collect the weapon, and return to Leilon.” If the characters undertake this quest, see “Dumathoin’s Gulch.”
Icingdeath and Twinkle Quest.
“Two rival factions vie for control of the High Road: the cult of Talos, god of storms, and the cult of Myrkul, god of death. An emissary representing the Sword Coast’s merchants would like you to sail to Neverwinter to petition Lord Neverember for troops to protect the road. The emissary’s ships are anchored in a bay near Leilon, and the town council offers a reward of 1,500 gp for successfully negotiating aid.” If the characters undertake this quest, see “Icingdeath and Twinkle.”
Thalivar’s Beacon Quest.
“Leilon’s wizard, Gallio Elibro, has recently rebuilt the planar beacon atop his tower and is using it to trap and study creatures from across the planes.Gallio has called for your help taming these beasts to defend the town against invasion.” If the characters undertake this quest, see “Thalivar’s Beacon.”
Leilon Besieged Quest.
There is no job board notice for this quest. Instead, it happens automatically after the players have completed two of the three starting quests. At this point, the rival cults launch their attack on the town to seize the House of Thalivar and steal the ruinstone. When the characters undertake this quest, see “Leilon Besieged.” When this quest becomes active, remove the third starting quest from the quest board.
Follow-Up Quests
After the characters complete the “Battle for Leilon,” the following two quests from Lord Neverember are added to the job board. Completing both these quests quashes the threat to the town and completes the adventure.
Storm Lord’s Hideout Quest.
“Seek out the undead galleon stolen by Fheralai Stormsworn, leader of the cult of Talos. Sink it to the bottom of the Sea of Swords, and then return to Neverwinter to collect a reward of 8,000 gp.” If the characters undertake this quest, see “Storm Lord’s Hideout.”
Ebondeath’s Mausoleum Quest.
“The dread mage Ularan Mortus, leader of the cult of Myrkul, has roused the spirit of the undead dragon Ebondeath. Seek out Ebondeath’s mausoleum in the Mere of Dead Men, destroy the dragon’s spirit, and then return to Neverwinter to collect a reward of 8,000 gp.” If the characters undertake this quest, see “Ebondeath’s Mausoleum.”
Leveling Up
Characters advance in level by completing quests. Regardless of the number of characters in the party, the rate of advancement is as follows:
- Characters gain a level when they complete the “Leilon Besieged” quest.
- Characters gain another level when they complete the remaining two follow-up quests in this adventure.
Stone Arch
The stone arch is slippery. A creature attempting to use the Dash action while crossing the arch must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature slips and falls off the arch, taking damage from the fall appropriate to the section of the arch it fell from.
The gnome on the stone arch is Fibblestib Pinebark, and she holds the main part of the Gnomengarde grenade. She is unconscious when the characters arrive. The grenade has a piece of parchment tied to it that bears the following message in Common, “Do not teleport or place in extradimensional spaces. Keep out of reach of children and orcs.”
Stream
The fast-moving stream at the bottom of the gulch is five feet deep and counts as difficult terrain. A creature that enters the stream or starts its turn in it must succeed on a DC 10 Strength saving throw or fall prone due to the current.
Moonstone
The carved moonstone dwarf is a sacred statue that can be possessed by the resident eidolon (see appendix A) of Dumathoin to deal with intruders. Until the statue is possessed, it is just an object carved to represent Dumathoin. Refer to the “Guardian of the Gulch” section for information about awakening the eidolon.
The gnome resting against the moonstone is Dabbledob Plasterpatch. He holds the magical key that must be used to wind the grenade before it can be activated (see the “Gnomengarde Grenade” sidebar for more information). Dabbledob is frozen with fear and is unable to act until the undead threat has passed.
Moon Writing
The moon writing is magical Dwarven rune script left by ancient worshippers of Dumathoin. The runes writhe and wriggle until a living creature gets within 5 feet of them. The inscription can only be read while it is still. To decipher it, a character must fulfil at least one of the following requirements:
- Understand Dwarven and succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion or Arcana) check.
- Succeed on a DC 25 Intelligence (Religion or Arcana) check.
- Belong to the cleric or paladin class and worship Dumathoin as a deity.
A creature that deciphers the moon runes feels at one with the moonstone statue. As a bonus action, it can attempt a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check to command the sacred statue. On a success, the creature takes control of the statue for its next turn. This is a mental compulsion, and the creature doing it does not need to speak but must be able to see the statue. If the check fails, the statue acts independently on its turn.
Undead Forces
The following undead are present in the gulch:
Boneclaw. Near the top of the gulch, a boneclaw (see appendix A) is hiding among the shadowy trees. As the characters move into the gulch, it rushes from its hiding place and attacks. If there are five or more characters in the party, including sidekicks, a second boneclaw accompanies the first.
Boneclaws can teleport using their Shadow Jump feature, giving them access to most areas of the gulch — and possibly bringing anyone they are grappling with them! You can use this ability to trigger other aspects of the encounter ahead of time, which could complicate things, but also provide some memorable moments.
Sword Wraith Platoon. When an adventurer enters the circle of moon runes, the bits of bone, armor, and weapons fly together to form an undead platoon. The platoon is led by a sword wraith commander plus one sword wraith warrior per character, including sidekicks (see appendix A).
The moonstone’s magic temporarily incapacitated the undead here, but the life force of the adventurers brings them back. They immediately return to their mission: kill everything in the area and recover the Gnomengarde grenade for their master Ularan Mortus.
Gnome Reinforcements
If the party needs assistance, ten gnomes from Gnomengarde arrive at the gulch. They intervene if the characters are in trouble, providing healing or drawing attacks to allow the characters to escape from immediate danger.
Nine of the gnomes are guards, and the tenth is a priest. The priest, Favora Corehoarder, is a follower of Garl Glittergold, brave enough to put herself in danger to save others.
Guardian of the Gulch
When the dwarves abandoned their mine, a particularly devout priest of Dumathoin called Sister Silvergranite insisted that she stay behind to guard the buried dead. She lived a hermit’s life until she finally passed on herself. Dumathoin blessed her and transformed her spirit into an eidolon (see appendix A).
Sister Silvergranite remained here, even as the mine collapsed and became a gulch, exposed to the sky. When called upon to defend the area, she inhabits the large moonstone statue, which acts as her sacred statue. While exposed to the sky, the statue gains a fly speed of 25 feet.
When characters enter the inner circle of moon runes, Sister Silvergranite emerges from the moonstone to assess the situation, then withdraws and animates her sacred statue. She attacks the nearest creature, either living or undead, but ignores the gnomes. If the statue is destroyed, the eidolon emerges from the moonstone, appearing as a ghostly dwarf dressed in holy raiments of Dumathoin.
If any adventurers took control of the sacred statue during the battle, the eidolon allows the party to leave unharmed. If not, a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check is required to convince Sister Silvergranite that the characters mean no harm and are only here to protect the gnomes.
Conclusion
If the characters survive the combat and take possession
of the grenade, they can return to Leilon with one more weapon for the impending fight to save the village. When
they receive the grenade from the gnomes, they’re given
a thorough briefing on what it’s capable of, as well as
safety cautions regarding placing it in an
extradimensional space or teleportation
while the grenade is in one’s possession.
Gnomengarde Grenade
Wondrous item, unique
This small metallic object is comprised of rune-covered parts made from different metals, linked together with a variety of gears, bands, bits, and bobs. The metals are all different colors, making the grenade shine with a rainbow of color when held up in the light.
As a bonus action, a creature can turn a special key to arm the grenade. Once armed, the grenade explodes in a matter of seconds. As an action, the wielder can hurl the grenade up to 120 feet. At the end of their turn, the grenade explodes. All creatures within 60 feet of the grenade when it explodes suffer the following effects:
- Each creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much fire damage on a successful one.
- Each creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 28 (8d6) thunder damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much thunder damage and is not stunned.
- The wielder rolls on the chart* for the wand of wonder three times, rerolling any duplicate results. Any effects that specify a target affect all creatures in range of the grenade when it explodes. Any effects that would affect the wielder of the wand instead affect the closest creature to the grenade when it goes off.
The grenade explodes immediately if a creature places it in an extradimensional space or teleports while in possession of it. The effects of the explosion will be felt at both the origin and terminus of the teleportation, but only affecting all creatures within 30 feet of either location.
(*) Found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
A detect magic spell reveals that the voice is an illusion. Characters who succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence (Religion) check recognize the “Lord of Bones” as one of the ancient titles given to Myrkul, god of the dead. If a character says this name aloud, the door at the end of the hallway silently opens.
E2. Cultist Camp
This chamber was once a storeroom but is now used as a camp for Ularan Mortus’s cultists. Bedrolls are laid over the floor and a fire burns in a brazier in the center of the room. There is one necromancer in here, plus one ghast and one priest for every character in the party, including sidekicks.
The characters surprise the cultists if they sneak up on them after silently opening the door from area E1. If combat ensues here, any monsters present in areas E3 and E4 are alerted to the battle and arrive after 1d4 + 1 rounds. The cultists in area E5 remain where they are but begin their summoning chant.
Treasure. The cultists carry 170 gp and 105 ep in loose coins, as well as five potions of healing.
E3. Wine Cellar
Small, round peg holes on the walls are all that remain of the wine racks that once lined this cellar. The cultists use this space to house their mindless dead. There is one greater zombie in here per character in the party, including sidekicks.
Secret Door. The secret door in here leads to area E6 and can be uncovered with a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check. To pop it open, a character must twist a torch bracket on the wall.
E4. High Priest’s Chamber
This chamber is used by Ularan Mortus and contains his backpack, bedroll, and a casket of treasures. Two giants’ skulls are mounted to the wall. If Ularan Mortus survived the “Leilon Besieged” quest, he is present here. Ularan Mortus has the statistics of a war priest. If Ebondeath recovered the ruinstone from Leilon, Ularan Mortus wields it in battle here (see the “Using the Ruinstone” sidebar).
Treasure. The death priest’s backpack contains 700 gp, 35 pp, eyes of minute seeing, and the following spell scrolls: raise dead, forbiddance, and holy aura.
Using the Ruinstone
Once per day as a bonus action, a villain can activate the ruinstone to undo one deed they have performed. The possibilities here are broad, but in combat it’s simplest to allow them the opportunity to “rewind” one action and take it again, or to reroll a failed saving throw (if it can still take actions). Each use of the artifact has a terrible side effect: someone known to the wielder is also erased from reality. After the villain uses the ruinstone, roll a d20: on a 5-20, one of their allies disintegrates, on an 1-4, one of the player characters disintegrates. If a creature bound its soul to the ruinstone in the “Thalivar’s Beacon” quest, the artifact explodes when used and the creature who is bound to it disintegrates.
E5. Ritual Room
These ancient barracks have been cleared for use as a ritual room. A huge circle of ash has been laid out over the floor, surrounding a skull design painted in human blood. Around the circle, the cultists of Myrkul kneel in prayer for guidance from their god.There is one cult fanatic here for every character in the party, including sidekicks. Cultists who detect trouble nearby chant to their god for aid. If at least one cultist chants for three rounds, a bone devil appears in the circle to serve the cult.
Secret Door. The secret door in here leads to area E6 and can be uncovered with a DC 12 Intelligence (Perception) check. Characters who succeed on this check notice muddy scrapes on the floor beneath the concealed door.
E6. Halls of the Fiend
The hallways are haunted by the grotesque vestige of Ebondeath’s first high priest. This creature squirms along the passages and can be encountered anywhere in the area or in the nearby Vaults of the Uthlords (area E7). The vestige appears as a bloated, drowned death knight with horribly long arms. Its Longsword attack is replaced with the following attack:
Ghoulish Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) slashing damage, plus 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature other than an undead, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
E7. Vaults of the Uthlords
Each of these burial chambers houses the remains of a different noble family of Uthtower. Their bones are interred inside niches in the walls, which are 3 feet wide, 3 feet high, 9 feet deep, and stacked three high along the walls.
When characters who aren’t devoted followers of Myrkul enter these chambers, the heaped bones begin to quietly stir. Characters who succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check notice the bone piles shifting. If a character disturbs the bones or returns to the same room, the bones arise from their niches and form skeletal swarms. Each burial chamber contains two skeletal swarms per character in the party, including sidekicks.
E8. Crypt of the First Royals
If the characters approach this area from the west, read the following boxed text aloud:
Graven steps ascend into a wide, octagonal chamber with a high, vaulted ceiling. The mosaic floor is littered with rubble, and a pool of murky water floods the far side of the chamber. Strange fungi cling to the moist walls.
To the north, an arched hallway plunges into the dark. As you approach, a hollow voice booms from beyond: “Who dares disturb the rest of Chardansearavitriol the Ebondeath?”
The characters now face Ebondeath. If the dragon fled Leilon in spirit form (see the “Leilon Besieged” quest), the party faces a spectral version of the dragon. This has the statistics a ghost, with the following important modifications:
- It has AC 15 and 225 hit points.
- The saving throw DC to resist its Possession power is now DC 20. When it possesses a creature, it gains access to their knowledge, class features, and proficiencies.
- Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Ebondeath uses its possession ability to jump between party members and turn them against each other. It fights to the end to protect its resting place.
If Ebondeath left the “Leilon Besieged” quest in Claugiyliamatar’s body, the party is now in trouble. Ebondeath has the statistics of Claugiyliamatar, except his breath weapon deals necrotic damage instead of poison damage due to Ebondeath’s possession. If the characters slay the dragon, they must then also face the ghost within!
E9. Ebondeath’s Lair
This ruined burial hall contains a heap of treasures that Cult of Myrkul have left as offerings to the dragon.
Treasure. The treasures gathered here comprise 14,000 gp, 1,750 pp, ten jet gemstones worth 100 gp each, two potions of supreme healing, a potion of storm giant strength, and a circlet of blasting.
Conclusion
Characters who destroy Ebondeath’s spirit can report their success to the authorities in Neverwinter, who award them a purse of 8,000 gp. If this is the final quest, their adventure ends here (see “Ending the Adventure” for more information).
Captain Xalti of Icingdeath is disguised as a male Calishite human iron merchant. He is impulsive, nosy, and confident. The captain enjoys showing off his magic and making a bet on the outcome of almost any event.
Each captain wears a hat of disguise so they can maintain their illusionary appearance while not on the ship. The drow keep their real identities secret from the characters, but do not deny it if they are accused or caught. They’re not willing to die to keep their identities secret.
Icingdeath Locations
The following locations are keyed to the map of Icingdeath.
I1. Icingdeath Main Deck
A rowboat on this deck of the ship covers a hatch used for loading and unloading large cargo into the main hold (area I7).
A 3-foot-high capstan near the middle of the deck is locked in place. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds that one of the capstan’s spokes has a hidden button. Pressing the button unlocks and locks the capstan. While unlocked, a creature can use their action to turn the capstan clockwise, raising the six ballistae and the ammunition in the cargo hold through the six trap doors (three on the port side and three on the starboard side) onto the main deck. While the ballistae are raised, turning the capstan counterclockwise as an action lowers the weapons back into the cargo hold.
Magic Statue. An 8-foot-tall, 4,000-pound stone statue of Drizzt Do’Urden, a famous drow ranger, stands near the front of the main deck, posed with hands on the pommels of his famous, sheathed scimitars. The statue’s mouth is open in a goofy grin. A detect magic spell reveals that the statue radiates an aura of transmutation magic. Whenever a creature on the main deck speaks the statue’s command word (“Artemis”), the statue animates and obeys the creature who animated it. As a bonus action, the creature can direct the statue to move up to 30 feet or shoot a stream of water out of its mouth at a target within 30 feet of the statue. The stream of water has the same effect as the geyser option of a decanter of endless water. If the command word is spoken by that creature again, the statue returns to its original position on the ship and is no longer animate. The statue has AC 17, 27 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Captain Xalti Tezzan (see “Drow Crews”) knows the statue’s command word.
I2. Icingdeath Forecastle
This deck contains a ballista and ten bolts for the siege weapon, secured with rope.
I3. Icingdeath Aftercastle
This deck holds the ship’s wheel. A character who makes a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds a hidden button on center of the wheel. As an action, a creature can press the button, causing the panther head attached to the aft of the ship to release a 20-foot-square patch of oil onto the surface of the sea, which the head then ignites by releasing a jet of flame from its mouth. The oil burns on the surface of the water for 1 minute. Creatures and objects that enter or start their turn in the burning oil take 18 (4d8) fire damage.
I4. Icingdeath Captain’s Cabin
The door to this cabin is locked (see the “Icingdeath and Twinkle Features” sidebar). Captain Xalti Tezzan (see “Drow Crews”) holds the key. If the characters enter this room, read the following boxed text aloud:
Silk pillows and discarded robes surround a central two-foot-high table attached to the floor. At the back of the room, a small wooden chest is built into the wall.
The inside lid of the chest is covered by a swarm of insects spiders, which attack any creature who opens the chest, except Xalti. The chest contains Xalti’s spellbook, which includes all the spells he has prepared, as well as detect magic, find familiar, and fireball. The inside cover of the spellbook also contains the phrase “Artemis animates” in Elvish (a clue to animating the statue in area I1).
I5. Chart Room.
This cabin contains a 3-foot-high table set with navigator’s tools, as well as two easels and two frames on the walls holding nautical maps of the Sword Coast.
Secret Door. A character who succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the outline of a secret door in the wall that leads to area I6.
I6. Oil Pump Room
When the characters enter this room, read the following boxed text aloud:
Three brass cylindrical canisters, one at the middle of the cabin and two at either end, stand upright, connected to each other by long pipes which converge and exit to the aft of the ship.
Each 1-foot-diameter, 2-foot-high, 50-pound canister is filled with oil used by the panther head attached to the aft of the ship (see area I3). A character can detach a canister of oil from the pipes with a successful DC 15 Intelligence check using tinker’s tools. If more than one oil canister is disconnected, the panther head does not function.
If a canister takes 5 or more points of fire damage from a single spell or attack, it explodes in a 10-foot-radius sphere. Creatures in the area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This also catches the ship on fire, and will require immediate attention to keep it from spreading any further.
I7. Icingdeath Main Hold
The sailors rest in shifts using the sixteen hammocks strung up in cabin around many stacked crates. The crates hold rations, supplies needed to maintain and repair the ship, and small barrels of fresh water and ale.
There are also six ballistae below deck, each with ten bolts of ammunition secured by ropes beneath. When the capstan on the main deck (area I1) is turned, a gear wrapped around a pillar connected to the capstan also turns, raising the ballistae and ammunition to the main deck via rising pillars.
Encourage each character to make a case to Dagult. After making their statement, the character should make a DC 13 ability check. In cases of simple argument, this is a Charisma (Persuasion) check, but allow the characters to get creative. For instance, characters who try to scare Dagult with stories of their enemies could make a Charisma (Intimidation or Performance) check, and characters who try to use a historical example or allegory could make an Intelligence (History) check. Grant advantage on the check to characters who make a well-reasoned or passionate argument.
- If the all the characters succeed on the check, Neverember agrees to secure the High Road and Leilon at no cost to the town.
- If more than half the characters succeed, Neverember agrees to Leilon’s demands provided that the Leilon town council pays 250 gp to help cover costs.
- If half or fewer (but at least one) of the characters succeed, Neverember agrees to Leilon’s demands provided that the Leilon town council pays 500 gp to help cover costs.
- If none of the characters succeed, Neverember agrees to Leilon’s demands provided that the Leilon town council pays 1,000 gp to help cover costs.
Journey Back to Leilon
After the meeting with Dagult Neverember, the captains are eager to return the characters to Leilon with news of the lord’s decision. During the return journey, the characters experience the following encounters.
Invisible Assassins
The Talos priest Galas Windrage sends invisible stalkers to the ship the characters are traveling on, to kill the captains and officers before the coming battle. There is one invisible stalker per two members of the party, including sidekicks. The encounter begins when the characters hear the captain yell from his cabin as he is attacked. The stalkers fight to the death.
Storm
Galas Windrage creates a storm to distract the characters and their allies before the coming battle. When the storm begins, read the following boxed text aloud:
Lightning and thunder suddenly crack a dark sky as heavy rain pours from above. Cries of, “Hurricane! All hands on deck!” can be heard throughout the vessel. The sailors need all the help they can get.
The characters can help the sailors fight the storm by making any of the following ability checks:
- Characters who help the sailors push through the storm by securing ropes and tying down cargo and equipment must make a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.
- Character who attempt to steer the ship’s wheel must make a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using water vehicles.
- Characters who help the sailors navigate through the storm must make a successful DC 15 Intelligence check using navigator’s tools.
- Allow the characters to attempt other DC 15 ability checks that make sense. For instance, a character trying to inspire others to work harder without fear of the storm could make a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check.
After each character has had a chance to make an ability check, the storm ends. Determine the results of their actions:
- If all the characters succeeded on their checks, the ships make it through the storm unscathed.
- If half or more of the characters succeeded, their ship takes 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage from the storm.
- If fewer than half of the characters succeeded, their ship takes 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage from the storm.
Defenders. Leilon is defended by just over 200 commoners, guards, and guard veterans. If the players negotiated reinforcements in the “Icingdeath and Twinkle” quest, an additional 300 guards, knights, and scouts are also present.
Cult of Talos. The war priest Fheralai Stormsworn besieges Leilon with an army of 400 cultists, cult priests, and anchorites of Talos. Her elite warriors are blackguards or half-blue dragon gladiators (see appendix A).
Cult of Myrkul. The god Myrkul has performed a miracle to awaken the undead from the Mere of Dead Men and gifted them to his war priest Ularan Mortus. In total, just over 800 ghouls, ghasts, and zombies bow to his command, with a handful of boneclaws and greater zombies at the head (see appendix A). His greatest weapon is the ancient green dragon Claugiyliamatar, who is possessed by the unholy spirit of the dracolich Ebondeath.
Use of Magic
Magic plays a powerful role on a fantasy battlefield. A wizard armed with fireball or lightning bolt serves as a deadly artillery unit, while clerics can roam the battlefield, using cure wounds to heal the injured. In the chaos of battle, spells such as message, sending, or thaumaturgy can make the difference between triumph and disaster.
In a narrative battle, the simplest way to adjudicate such spells outside of combat is to grant an ad-hoc benefit to the party (see “Narrative Combat”). If a spell creates a powerful effect that sways the course of the battle, consider granting the caster’s side an additional victory.
Determining Victory
At the end of the battle, count the group’s victories to determine the result of the battle.
| Victories |
Result |
| 0 |
Crushing Defeat |
| 1-2 |
Defeat |
| 3 |
Pyrrhic Victory (1,000 gp reward) |
| 4-5 |
Victory (2,500 gp reward) |
| 6+ |
Decisive Victory (5,000 gp reward) |
Crushing Defeat
Ularan Mortus claims the ruinstone. Leilon is sacked and its inhabitants put to the sword. Both enemy generals survive, along with the dragon.
Defeat
The ruinstone is claimed by the enemy. Leilon fends off the attack, but the defenders are decimated. At least one enemy general survives.
Pyrrhic Victory
The ruinstone stays hidden. Leilon holds, but the defenders are decimated. At least one enemy general survives.
Victory
The ruinstone stays hidden. Leilon holds, and more than half the defenders survive. At least one enemy general is slain.
Decisive Victory
The ruinstone remains hidden. Leilon holds, and most of the defenders survive. Both enemy generals and the dragon are slain.
Order of Events
The attack begins just before dawn, when Ularan Mortus assaults the south gate with a huge force of ghouls. Soon after, an even larger force of zombies emerges from the mere to invade the quayside. The defenders rally to protect the town but are outnumbered.
While the defenders struggle to hold the perimeter, Fheralai Stormsworn’s forces breach the north gate and pour forward to seize the town square. Ularan Mortus responds by deploying his dragon, Ebondeath, which swoops in to decimates Stormsworn’s forces gathered in the square. The cultists of Talos are forced to fall back and regroup.
As Ularan Mortus’s army forces its way into Leilon, Ebondeath reaches the House of Thalivar and searches for the ruinstone. Unless stopped, it claims the stone and flies back to its hiding place in the mere. Ularan Mortus withdraws in victory to his headquarters. Stormsworn’s troops intercept his entourage outside town, but her reduced forces are beaten back. The remaining members of both sides retreat to their respective headquarters.
The Battle Begins
When the battle begins, read the following boxed text aloud:
The night is dark, and torrential rain beats down on the rooftops. An hour before dawn, the bell on the newly erected south gate begins to toll urgently. A cry goes up from the wall as troops dash to man their positions:
“The dead! The dead are coming!”
The Battle of Leilon has begun.
Battlefield Events
The following events correspond to boxes marked on the Battle Flowchart.
Event 1. Dawn of the Dead
The battle begins when Ularan Mortus orders his ghoulish army to attack the south gate. When the party arrives on the scene, the battle is already underway. Read the following boxed text aloud:
The din of battle echoes from the palisade as you approach. Through the rain, you see allied troops using spears and bows to fend off a horde of ghouls swarming from the darkness. All along the ramparts, burning torches struggle to provide illumination for your forces. As you watch, these pools of light are extinguished one by one as the dead swarm over the walls!
To triumph in this encounter, the characters must hold the line against an ever-growing horde of undead. The palisade is soon breached, so it doesn’t matter whether the party faces their foes on the ramparts or inside the town: more undead are always coming!
In the first round, the players face three ghasts per character, including sidekicks. At start of each new round thereafter, two more ghasts per character enter the fray. To prevail, the party must hold out for 8 rounds without retreating (or 5 rounds if they successfully completed the “Icingdeath and Twinkle” quest). After this time, allied reinforcements rally to secure the palisade in this section and drive back the undead.
- The party holds the line. Mark one victory and advance to Event 2: “The Storm Breaks.”
- The party retreats. The undead spill into the town. Proceed to Event 5: “Streets of Rage.”
Event 2. The Storm Breaks
If the defenders hold the line, alarm bells ring out across town! Read the following boxed text aloud:
A man stumbles through the mud, his eyes wide with terror. You recognize him as Jack Torver, the owner of Leilon’s general store.
“Barbarians at the north gate!” he gasps. “The storm lord’s berserkers! I was on my way to warn you when I saw the dead wading out of the marsh. They’re attacking the quayside right now!”
The players must choose what to do next: repel the cultists of Talos at the north gate, or stop the zombies from assaulting the quayside. Once the players have made their choice, Jack gives each character a potion of healing to aid them in the battle, and then collapses exhausted in the mud.
- The party moves to the north gate. Go to Event 3: “Against the Lightning.”
- The party moves to the quayside. Go to Event 4: “Back to the Mud.”
Event 3. Against the Lightning
The characters arrive at the north gate to find it besieged by the anchorites of Talos. Read the following boxed text aloud:
The north gate is on fire! Defenders huddle behind the palisade, not daring to peek over the parapet. Every few seconds, the gate heaves on its hinges as something heavy slams into it from the other side. From beyond, you hear the roaring of barbarians.
The anchorites of Talos are using a battering ram to demolish the burning gate. Each time they spot a defender on the wall, the barbarians hurl lightning bolts at them. The players have one minute to act before the gate is destroyed and the barbarians pour through. A large force of anchorites is pressing at the gates, numbering at least a hundred. Use your judgement to resolve any plans that the players devise and award them appropriately (see “Narrative Combat”).
If the gate is demolished, the players must hold the line alongside the defenders. In the first round, the players face two anchorites of Talos for every character in the party, including sidekicks. At the start of every round thereafter, one additional anchorite joins the conflict for every character in the party. To prevail, the party must hold out for 8 rounds without retreating (or 5 rounds if they successfully completed the “Icingdeath and Twinkle” quest). After this time, allied reinforcements rally to secure the palisade in this section and drive back the cultists. Regardless of how the characters fare, they hear screams from the quayside: the undead have overrun the docks!
- The party holds the line. Mark one victory and advance to Event 6: “Rolling Thunder.”
- The party retreats. The cultists of Talos surge into the town. Go to Event 5: “Streets of Rage.”
Event 4. Back to the Mud
Ularan Mortus has ordered a large force of zombies to march underwater through the marsh and invade the quayside.When the characters arrive here, read the following boxed text aloud:
Screams echo across the quayside as zombies emerge from the mire! Defenders dash to repel the undead, but they seem unprepared for the surprise attack. As you get closer, you see a large undead figure with long fingers squatting over an upturned rowboat. A woman squirms in the mud underneath, trapped by the weight of the boat. You recognize her as Valdi Estapaar, the fisherwoman who sits on the town council!
A boneclaw has cornered Councilor Estapaar and is preparing to slay her. Estapaar is a veteran, but she is currently restrained underneath the rowboat. To free the councilor, characters with a combined Strength score of 15 or higher must spend an action to heft the boat aside (if they attempt this while the boneclaw is perched on the boat, they need to muster a combined Strength score of 25 instead). At some point during the battle, the characters hear bells ringing to the north of town: the barbarians have broken through the gates!
If the players completed the “House of Thalivar Rebuilt” quest or saw the painting at Aubrey’s Peculiarities Shoppe, they recognize the warriors as the long-dead Swords of Leilon! Mysteriously, Aubrey the shopkeeper is fighting alongside them. Before reading further, count any victories scored so far:
The party achieved three or more victories. Read the following boxed text aloud:
One of the warriors, a dark-skinned woman dressed in chainmail, swings her sword at the dragon. The beast howls in pain and for a moment, you see the spectral form of another dragon seethe under its skin. The woman glances down at you as she readies her next attack.
“To arms!” she shouts. “Leilon needs you!”
Claugiyliamatar is an ancient green dragon, except her breath weapon deals necrotic damage instead of poison damage as a result of Ebondeath’s possession, and she has only 192 hit points. During combat, the Swords of Leilon intervene to aid the party, granting advantage to up to three characters’ attacks each round. If the dragon drops to 50 or fewer hit points, it flies off and crashes in the nearby streets. Go to Event 14: “Old Gnawbone.”
The party achieved fewer than three victories. Read the following aloud:
Before you can act, the dragon extends a ghostly claw from its body and snatches a glowing red stone from the air above its head. With a triumphant roar, it kicks back from the tower, causing the building to collapse in a shower of dust and rubble! As the smoke clears, you see the dragon gliding away over the distant hills.
Ebondeath has escaped with the ruinstone and the Swords of Leilon are lost. To resolve the quest, go to Event 15: “Divine Contention.”
Event 14. Old Gnawbone
The characters corner the dragon where it crashed in the ruined streets of Leilon. Read the following boxed text aloud:
The dragon has crash-landed on Aubrey’s Peculiarities Shoppe, reducing the building to a pile of broken masonry. Bleeding badly and covered with arrows, the dragon struggles to rise to its feet. As you approach it, the specter of another dragon emerges from its body and flies away to the south, fading from sight! As the spirit leaves its body, the dragon slumps exhausted to the ground.
Ebondeath’s spirit has fled its host body, leaving Claugiyliamatar weakened and vulnerable. The characters can slay the dragon here, or at your discretion, negotiate terms for her surrender. Claugiyliamatar is an ancient green dragon, but she has only 50 hit points and all her attacks are made at disadvantage due to her exhausted state. If the party survives, mark one victory and proceed to “Conclusion.”
Event 15. Divine Contention
As Ebondeath’s spirit departs with the ruinstone, the characters gain an opportunity to strike at Ularan Mortus. Read the following aloud:
A baleful horn sounds over the town and the undead begin to shamble back into the marsh. As they withdraw, you spot a black-robed figure on a skeletal horse watching the town from a nearby hilltop.
The players can attack Ularan Mortus if they dare. If they hold back, the figure rides away and the battle ends here: proceed to “Conclusion.” Read the following boxed text aloud if the characters ascend the hill:
It seems you aren’t the only ones to take your chances with the necromancer. As you ascend to the top of the hill, you see a magical duel raging around the rider! Barbaric half-orcs hurl bolts of lightning and dead men snarl as they fight each other.
Ularan Mortus and his undead entourage face an elite squad of cultists. If Fheralai Stormsworn still lives, she is fighting here too.
- Ularan Mortus and Fheralai Stormsworn are both war priests.
- Ularan Mortus has one ghast on his side per character in the party, including sidekicks.
- Fheralai Stormsworn has one anchorite of Talos for every two characters in the party, including sidekicks.
The villains fight to the death. If the party survives, the battle ends here. Mark one victory and proceed to “Conclusion.”
Conclusion
If the characters survive and save Leilon, they become heroes of the town. The councilors raise statues in the characters’ honor, though they remain fearful of the rising cult activity in the area. In time, Lord Neverember asks the characters to stamp out these threats once and for all by striking at the cults’ headquarters. This unlocks the final two quests: “Ebondeath’s Mausoleum” and “Storm Lord’s Hideout.”
If Claugiyliamatar surrendered, she ends up indebted to the characters. The old wyrm is evil and untrustworthy, but a dragon’s oath is still worth something. At your discretion, the characters could call upon Old Gnawbone’s aid in their coming adventures.
Finally, an odd thing happens as the characters return to town. During the clean-up, the characters discover that nobody in town has ever heard of Aubrey’s Peculiarities Shoppe — perhaps it was crushed by the dragon and nobody seems to care, or the characters mention seeing Aubrey fighting atop the tower and nobody remembers who he is. Visiting the site of his store, they see that the building was never actually restored from its ancient state. All that remains in the rubble is the dusty triptych of the Swords of Leilon — only now, the third member of the group, Aubrey himself, is visible in the portrait.
D2. Upper Deck
The upper deck contains a set of stairs that descend into the bowels of the ship, two ballista mounted on rotating platforms, two rear-facing mangonels (see “Siege Equipment” in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide), and hatches that open into the ship’s stores and artillery magazine. The hatch to the stores can only be opened by creatures with a combined Strength score of 18 or more.
While hidden in the fog cloud, the cultists abandon the siege weapons and stay below deck. Instead, a group of wraiths defend the upper decks. The players face one wraith per character in the party, including sidekicks.
Treasure. A large roc’s nest is nestled at the back of the main deck. Characters who search through the bones strewn throughout the nest discover a battered helm of telepathy and five black pearls worth 500 gp each.
D3. Hellfire Orb
The iron brazier mounted on the mainmast contains an ever-burning orb of flame. The spirit of the death knight can see and talk through this orb, perceiving its surroundings with darkvision to a range of 120 feet (see “Death Knight’s Soul”). Once per day, the death knight can hurl a magical ball of fire that explodes at a point it can see within 240 feet of it. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. The sphere spreads around corners. A creature takes 35 (10d6) fire damage and 35 (10d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
D4. Shrine to Talos
This was once the ship’s chart room, but the compartment has been gutted and turned into a shrine to Talos. Charred skulls are heaped around an upright iron spike topped with three crudely hammered bolts of lightning.
Treasure. Five ornate silvered hunting horns have been laid out here as offerings to Talos. Each horn is worth 250 gp. Any character who takes a horn hears a rumble of thunder as they pick it up. When Talos attacks the ship, these characters won’t find it so easy to escape (see “Rise of the Storm Lord”).
D5. Storage Lockers
These lockers contain supplies for manning the vessel: spare rope, buckets, tubs of grease, and other mundane tools. A character who hides inside a locker gains advantage on any Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to evade the crew.
D6. Captain’s Cabin
This cabin belongs to Fheralai Stormsworn. Bearskin throws cover the floor and the walls are decorated with the mounted, charred heads of her enemies.
If Fheralai survived the “Leilon Besieged” quest, the defeated war priest is found kneeling in here, praying to Talos through the dregs of a bottle of rum. Having failed her mission, the champion begs her deity’s forgiveness. Fheralai has no fear of death but is terrified of failing Talos: if the characters enter her cabin, she chooses to drunkenly unload the details of her plight rather than fight them.
- "Did she not honor her god with chaos and ruin?"
- "Were her conquests not glorious?"
Fheralai begs the party for advice on how she should confess her failures to her god: if they ridicule her or show defiance, she throws herself at them in a fight to the death. Players who negotiate get to see first-hand how Talos responds to their advice (see “Rise of the Storm Lord”).
Treasure. The following treasures looted from Fheralai’s raids are dumped carelessly around her cabin: 1,500 gp, a 2-foot-tall solid gold bull statue worth 3,500 gp, two crystal decanters worth 500 gp each, 5 potions of greater healing, a spell scroll of chain lightning, and four javelins of lightning.
D7. Oar Deck
This gloomy oar deck looks like the belly of a whale, with gargantuan ribs sweeping from the walls to form rowing benches for the undead crew. The deck underfoot is littered with humanoid bones to a depth of 1 foot. Two large, unmanned drums are positioned to the rear of the deck.
A rowing crew of fifty skeletons pull the oars in here. Two skeleton drummers beat out a rowing rhythm on pair of bone drums. The undead attack any intruders who enter here.
D8. Ironhide’s Cabin
This cabin belongs to Stormsworn’s current second-in-command, Kata Ironhide, who spends most of her time patrolling the skies on her pet roc (see “Travel to the Ship”). The cabin contains little more than her own bed, a “nest” made from the bones of her enemies.
Treasure. Ironhide keeps a bandolier hung on the door containing 3 potions of greater healing and a potion of invulnerability. Her nest contains a polished adamantine mirror decorated with gold filigree worth 850 gp.
D9. Magazine
This chamber holds iron balls, ballista bolts, and rocks for the vessel’s siege weaponry. A 20-foot-high shaft ascends from here to the poop deck (area D7), where a bucket and chain dangle from a winch. A character can climb the chain to ascend to the poop deck.
D10. Crew Quarters
String hammocks are strung up here like cobwebs. Due to the awkwardness of this space, any Medium or larger creature fighting in here counts as squeezing into a smaller space (see “Creature Size” in chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook).
This area, including cabins D15 and D16, is guarded by the last of Fheralai’s cultists. The players encounter one blackguard plus two anchorites of Talos for every character in the party, including sidekicks. The cultists fight to the death.
D11. Galley
The galley contains workspaces for preparing food and stores of spices and dried herbs.
D12. Surgery
This area was used to treat the sick. The cultists have little use for it now, as any cultists who fall ill are lashed to the mast during a storm and told to beg Talos’s forgiveness for their body’s weakness.
D13. Death Knight’s Soul
The corpse of a knight wearing plate armor slumps on a throne at the rear of this compartment. The ship’s bones spill from the knight’s chest and are entwined with his body, fusing him to the vessel. This is the death knight Emberlost, and his corpse houses the cursed soul of the dreadnaught. Emberlost can talk through the corpse and see through its eyes, but can’t animate it. If anyone touches the corpse or strikes it with a melee weapon attack, Emberlost withdraws his body into the hull, swallowing it in bones.
Treasures. Emberlost is surrounded by plundered treasures from the lost city of Anauria, which Fheralai recently stole from the auction houses of Neverwinter. The hoard includes four black opals worth 1,000 gp each, a golden harp worth 750 gp, an ornamental swan worth 500 gp, a jewel-encrusted dagger worth 750 gp, and a treasure chest containing 8,000 gp.
D14. Stores
The dreadnaught’s stores contain mundane supplies for the journey: barrels of salted meat, cords of wood, nails, and cloth.
D15. Prisoner Cell
This cell is used to hold captives. It is presently unoccupied.
D16. Armory
This armory contains racks of maces, spears, and hammers for use by the ship’s crew.
D17. Flooded Hold
The hold is unlit and flooded to a depth of 3 feet with dark, briny water.
Rise of the Storm Lord
The god of storms is furious with Fheralai for failing him and has sworn to punish her cult. When the time seems right to introduce Talos, read the following boxed text aloud:
Bolts of lightning lash from the heavens, sizzling on the surface of the sea. Through the crackling electricity, a giant figure emerges from the churning water: a muscular man wearing half-plate armor and a stitched leather eyepatch.
“You have failed your lord!” he cries in a voice that shakes the heavens.
Faced with a god, any cultists of Talos still alive prostrate themselves on the decks, and even the undead withdraw back into the ship. If Fheralai Stormsworn still lives, Talos demands that she explains her failures to him. If the party advised her on what to say to her god, she may have a chance to placate him — at your discretion! Talos gladly immolates her with a stroke of lightning if she lacks the words to appease him.
Regardless of Fheralai’s own survival, Talos punishes her crew by summoning a horde of air elementals to wreck the vessel.The players face one air elemental myrmidon per character in the party, including sidekicks, although many more myrmidons are summoned to destroy the rest of the crew!
If Fheralai still lives, she fights alongside the party to prove herself to her god. The goal in this final battle is to escape the vessel: make it clear to the players that escaping the ship is their only option here! If they survive, they see Talos tear the dreadnaught to shreds before he dives back under the waves.
Conclusion
Characters who make it back to shore can report the sinking of the ship to the authorities in Neverwinter, who award them their purse of 8,000 gp. If this is the last follow-up quest they’ve played, their adventure ends here (see “Ending the Adventure” for more information).
Alchemical Mishaps
| d20 |
Mishap |
| 1-2 |
Flashbang All creatures within 10 feet of the character must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw,
taking 27 (6d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. |
| 3-5 |
Reversed Gravity. Gravity reverses in a 20-foot-radius sphere around the character. Any creatures in
this area fall upwards, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage as they crash headfirst into the ceiling.
This effect lasts for 1d3 rounds. |
| 6-9 |
Flashbang. All creatures within 10 feet of the character must make a DC 12 Constitution
saving throw. On a failed save, they are blinded and deafened until the end of their next turn. |
| 10-20 |
No effect. |
B8. Guard Room
The soldiers relax in this chamber when they’re not on duty, wiling away their downtime by playing cards, drinking, or singing. There are 1d4 + 2 guards in here at any time of the day or night.
B9. Yurrum’s Office
This office belongs to Hazz Yurrum, the ineffective sergeant of the soldiers. Yurrum is a cowardly human guard. His desk contains maps of the region and reports to his superiors with inflated accounts of his own prowess. A portrait of Dagult Neverember, Lord Protector of Neverwinter, hangs on the wall, pockmarked with darts. Sergeant Yurrum flips the portrait to face the wall if he knows he has guests coming.
B10. Laboratory
The laboratory is crammed with tables bearing alchemical gear. Bottles of rare ingredients line the walls, alongside strange trinkets and stuffed oddities acquired from other worlds. If combat occurs here, any creature that misses with a melee weapon attack must roll a d20 on the Alchemical Mishaps table.
B11. Gallio’s Study
Gallio sleeps in here, surrounded by books he acquired from Thalivar’s library. The room contains a bed, a closet, and many bookshelves. A letter on the desk contains Gallio’s orders from the Many-Starred Cloak, which instruct him to “recover the ruinstone from the tower’s ethereal spire.”
B12. Library
The library contains dozens of tomes covering a variety of esoteric subjects: magic, alchemy, religion, and the cosmos.
B13. Planar Beacon
This room is dominated by the planar beacon: a 5-foot-high, egg-shaped geode mounted on a rotating bronze pedestal and enclosed within a crystal cylinder. A large silver bell is mounted to a wall bracket near the room’s entrance.
Dimensional Cells. Eight barred cells line the chamber’s walls. While the beacon turns, creatures held inside these cells are prevented from taking any form of extradimensional movement, including teleportation or travel to another plane of existence.Bending the bars of a cell requires success on a DC 25 Strength check. The cell doors spring open automatically if the beacon is disabled. Two paralyzed star spawn manglers (see appendix A) occupy the cells when the characters first enter the tower.
B14. Ethereal Spire
Thalivar built this spire long ago, but it collapsed when the town fell into ruin. Its lingering form remains on the Border Ethereal, where it appears as any other structure from the Material Plane: ghostly and immaterial. A group of four star spawn manglers (see appendix A) lurk in the mists surrounding this chamber and attack anyone who enters.
The only object of interest here is the ruinstone a fiery red crystal the size of a human palm, which is clasped in the maw of a snake-shaped pedestal. The pedestal is enchanted and only releases its prize if a long-forgotten command word is spoken. Any creature that touches the ruinstone or strikes the pedestal with a melee weapon must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or fall unconscious for 1 hour. This magical backlash also disables the planar beacon.The pedestal has AC 10, 50 hit points, a damage threshold of 10, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
Into the Ethereal
Assuming the characters agree to the quest, Gallio leads them upstairs to the planar beacon on the fourth floor (area B13), where he performs a ten-minute ritual to transport the party to the Ethereal Plane.
Before beginning his ritual, Gallio shows the characters the monsters held in his dimensional cells. He reveals that the planar beacon freezes any extraplanar beings caught in its beam: to bring the monsters home, the characters must grab hold of them, then return to this world and imprison the monster inside one of his dimensional cells.
The Ruinstone
This evil artifact was created by Netherese wizards long ago. Once per day, a creature holding the ruinstone can use it to undo one action they performed within the past 24 hours, altering reality so that any consequences of that action are erased.
For example, a creature could undo the killing blow that they dealt to an enemy, causing that enemy to return to life in the position where it died. Each use of the artifact has a terrible side effect: one random person known to the user is also erased from reality.
The villains in this adventure both want to acquire the ruinstone for their own evil ends. If your players decide to claim it themselves, it’s up to you to determine what calamities befall them!
Ending the Adventure
The adventure ends when the players have completed both the follow-up quests and put an end to the rival cults threatening Leilon. The characters should now be now 13th level. Give your players a chance to celebrate their victory: a feast in Leilon, or the trust of Lord Protector Neverember. If the characters saved Leilon, the party is remembered forevermore as their saviors.
If the worst happens and the characters die, their adventure is also over. You can let the players roll up new characters and pick up where the last ones left off, or you can
also start the adventure over with new characters, tweaking quests as you see fit to surprise players who might be familiar with them.
You might expand the adventure by inventing new quests and new locations. Several other D&D adventures, Out of the Abyss, Princes of the Apocalypse, Rise of Tiamat, and Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, take place in the Forgotten Realms and include challenges for characters of 11th and higher level.
SHANJAN KWAN
Human Spellcaster
Kwan died and was raised from the dead as an infant, whereupon a tiny black glyph—the symbol of necromancy—appeared on his forehead.
Use the Spellcaster sidekick stat block to represent him.
Personality. “I’ve cheated death once. I can do it again.”
Ideal. “Great beauty can hide great ugliness. The reverse is also true.”
Bond. “I’ve been searching my whole life for the answer to a simple question: Am I a god?”
Flaw. “I don’t like mysteries. Unraveling them keeps me up at night.”
TALON THORNWILD
Human Expert
Talon loves gold and adventure, and dreams of being a famous gold prospector.
Use the Expert sidekick stat block to represent him.
Personality. “Yes, I eat like a pig and have bad manners, but those are my only flaws, I swear. I’m darn near perfect otherwise.”
Ideal. “The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things.”
Bond. “I like gold. I like its color, its texture, its majestic gleam.”
Flaw. “It’s not stealing if I need it more than someone else.”
Sidekick Stat Blocks
The following stat blocks work with any character race. If you and the DM agree, you may enhance your sidekick with the appropriate racial traits presented in chapter 2 of the Player’s Handbook.
Proficiencies
A sidekick is proficient with any armor, weapons, and tools included in its stat block. In addition, experts are proficient with simple weapons, rapiers, shortswords, and light armor; spellcasters are proficient with simple weapons and light armor; and warriors are proficient with simple and martial weapons, shields, and all armor.
Sidekick Level
In this adventure a sidekick starts as a 11th-level character. As the characters and sidekick adventure together, the sidekick gains experience points and reaches new levels the same way a player character does, using the rules in the Player’s Handbook.
When a sidekick gains a level, look at the sidekick’s table below, and consult the new level’s row, which shows the sidekick’s new hit point maximum and features.
Locations not Described in this Adventure
The DM’s Sword Coast map on page 5 shows additional locations not detailed in this adventure, Most of them are from Dragon of Icespire Peak which can be found in the D&D Essential Kit; see that reference for additional information. Others can be found in Lost Mine of Phandelver, which can be found in the D&D Starter Set.
You may acquire access to those adventures from D&D Beyond. A short description is provided here for ease of reference.
Agatha's Lair
Agatha is an elven banshee with wizardry abilities. She is often seen roaming the region, and known to be very knowledgeable on the local history.
The lair is located a few miles northwest of Conyberry, at the edge of Neverwinter Wood. It it made of a simple screen of warped branches of trees standing close together, woven into a domelike shelter in the shadows, with a low doorway leading inside.
Axehome
Axeholm is a dwarven fortress carved into the base of a mountain fifteen miles south of Phandalin. The site was abandoned and sealed up long years ago after being haunted by a banshee. When the evil spirit started filling Axeholm's halls with deathly wails, the dwarves abandoned their stronghold.
Butterskull Ranch
Alfonse Kalazorn used to be the sheriff of Triboar. a town 40 miles to the east (see the adventure Princes of the Apocalypse for more information), where he was known as Big Al Kalazorn. He retired a decade ago, but retirement didn't sit well with him. Looking for a new challenge, he claimed a plot of fertile land five miles east of Conyberry and turned it into a cattle and horse ranch, a pig farm, chicken coops, vegetable gardens, corn fields, and an apple orchard. Most of his money comes from the sale of butter skulls lumps of butter cleverly molded into the shapes of humanoid skulls.
Circle of Thunder (*)
The circle of standing stones atop the hill has been known to help focus magic used to summon monsters of various sort.
Conyberry
The Triboar Trail runs right through this abandoned town, which was sacked by barbarians years ago and now lies in ruins. A dirt road extending south of the town leads to a supposedly abandoned shrine dedicated to Savras while a path leads northwest toward Agatha's Lair.
Cragmaw Castle
Though it has recently been occupied by the Cragmaw goblin tribe, Cragmaw Castle is not a goblin construction, nor is that the structure's original name. Raised by a talented wizard-noble of old Phalorm, an ancient realm that once controlled much of the North, the stronghold consists of seven overlapping towers; however, its upper levels have long since collapsed to heaps of crumbling masonry. Only the ground floor is still sound enough to be habitable.
Cragmaw Hideout
The Cragmaw tribe has established a hideout from which it can easily harass and plunder traffic moving along the Triboar Trail or the path to Phandalin. The Cragrnaw tribe is so named because each member of the tribe sharpens its teeth so they appear fierce and jagged. The hideout is a small complex of caves and passages on each side of a small stream bubbling out of the hillside.
Dragon Barrow
Lady Tanamere Alagondar was a royal scion of Neverwinter more than a century ago. Along with two parties of adventurers, she fought and killed Azdraka. a green dragon that had long terrorized the High Road. Lady Alagondar died in the battle and was laid to rest beneath a barrow near where the dragon fell. The remains of her fallen compatriots and the corpse of Azdraka were sealed in the barrow with her, in accordance with Lady Alagondar's dying wishes.
Dwarven Excavation
This ancient dwarven settlement has been buried by an avalanche long ago. Behind the settlement, carved into the back wall of the canyon, an old temple of Abbathor, the evil dwarven god of greed, has recently been excavated.
Falcon's Hunting Lodge
This lodge is a sanctuary in the heart of Neverwinter Wood. Falcon the Hunter maintains this hunting lodge to cater to nobles from Neverwinter. He offers his services as a guide to those nobles, most of whom wouldn't last long in the forest without his protection and survival skills. Falcon abhors city life, preferring a rustic existence and simple pleasures. His lodge has all the creature comforts he requires, though he never turns down a good bottle of wine (or even a bad one) from a visitor.
Gnomengarde
The caves of Gnomengarde are carved into the base of a mountain southeast of Phandalin, around a narrow waterfall. The rock gnome wizards who occupy these caves form strategic alliances with their human and dwarf neighbors as needs warrant. Reclusive and secretive. the gnomes craft minor magic items and useful, nonmagical inventions to pass the time. In these endeavors, their failures outnumber their successes. They seldom stray far from home, subsisting largely on the mushrooms that grow on misty islands outside their caves.
Icespire Hold
lcespire Hold is a stone fortress perched on the icy northeast spur of lcespire Peak. A warlord named Delsendra Amzarr built the stronghold and dwelled there for many years while she and her soldiers kept the orcs of the Sword Mountains in check. When supply lines were cut off by heavy snow and blizzards during a brutal winter, Delsendra and her followers starved to death. Orcs later took over the fortress, which was damaged by an earthquake ten years ago and never repaired.
Logger's Camp
Years after the eruption of Mount Hotenow, the city of Neverwinter continues to rebuild itself after the destruction wrought by that event. Loggers have set up camps along the river that flows out of Neverwinter Wood, using the river to transport logs to the city.
Mountain's Toe Gold Mine
The mine is owned by a business consortium in Neverwinter and has been troubled by recent pro-
ductivity problems.
Old Owl Well
Built thousands of years ago by a long-vanished empire, Old Owl Well is a ruined watchtower that now consists of little more than a few crumbling walls and the broken stump of a tower. In the tower's courtyard stands an old well that still delivers clean, fresh water. Old Owl Well lies in the wild and rugged hills south of the Triboar Trail. The site is relatively easy to find, and any inhabitants of the region can provide directions to the ruins.
Shrine to Savras
Five miles south of Conyberry is a shrine dedicated to Savras, god of divination and fate. Many years ago, the shrine's priest-seers foresaw a barbarian attack on Conyberry, giving the townsfolk time to escape. Not all the townsfolk chose to flee, but those who did went to the shrine and brought much of the town's gold with them. The barbarians eventually tracked the townsfolk to the shrine, besieged it, and slaughtered everyone inside.
The Crags
These rocky. windswept hills are dotted with old mines that have become infested with monsters.
Thundertree
Near the place where the Neverwinter River emerges from Neverwinter Wood stands the abandoned village of Thundertree. This once prosperous community on the outskirts of the forest has been destroyed following the eruption of Mount Hotenow thirty years ago. In the wake of the natural disaster, a plague of strange zombies swept over the area, killing or driving off those who survived the eruption.
Though most of the zombies have long since crumbled to dust, strange magic permeating the area has mutated the local vegetation into new and dangerous forms. Few people dare to venture into the ruined village now, and those who do so seldom stay long.
Tower of Storms (*)
This lighthouse is built atop a barren, 80-foot-bigh outcropping of rock. At low tide, a narrow causeway extends from the shore to this outcropping, allowing easy access to the lighthouse. This causeway is 5 feet above sea level at low tide. At high tide, the causeway and the sandy beach arc submerged under 5 feet of water.
Umbrage Hill
Umbrage Hill got its name after two feuding dwarf clans fought a pitched battle atop it. The cause of their umbrage is a ta le lost to time, and on ly the cairns of the dead now remain. The stone windmill on the hill is a later addition. but is still more than a hundred years old. Adabra Gwynn, a midwife and apothecary devoted to Chaumea (goddess of agriculture), resides here.
Wave Echo Cave
Fifteen miles east of Phandalin, in the deep vales of the Sword Mountains, lies Wave Echo Cave. The rich mine of the Phandelver's Pact was lost five hundred years ago during ore invasions that devastated this part of the North. The pact was made between clans of dwarves and gnomes, by which they would share the mine riches and its great magical power. Human spellcasters allied themselves with the dwarves and gnomes to channel and bind that energy into a great forge (called the Forge of Spells), where magic items could be crafted. In the centuries since, countless prospectors and adventurers have searched for the lost mine, but none succeeded until the Rockseekers, three dwaren brothers, found the entrance in the recent years.
Woodland Manse (*)
Many years ago, a half-elf wizard interested in the exploration of ancient elven ruins built a stone house in Neverwinter Wood, not far from several ruins that piqued her interest. In the course of her explorations, the wizard disappeared, and the protective magical wards on her home expired. The house fell into disrepair, then eventually into ruin. Ivy has all but engulfed it in the years since.
Wyvern Tor
This crag is a prominent landmark in the rugged hills northeast of the Sword Mountains, and is easily visible from twenty miles away. People traveling along the Triboar Trail in the vicinity of Conyberry catch glimpses of Wyvern Tor to the south as they go. The tor was formerly the home of a large and dangerous nest of wyverns, but a band of bold adventurers dealt with the monsters years ago. Though the wyverns never returned, other creatures lair here from time to time. Wyvern Tor's current squatters include a band of ores and their ogre ally.
