Note from the author

View this document on firefox, the stat blocks are messed up on chrome for some reason. They look fine on firefox and when editing in chrome, but when its published its messed up.

Introduction

This adventure is a level 1 - 5 adventure, that can handle at most 6 players and is balanced for around 4-5. If you find that you have more than 6 players, split them into two groups and have one group start with the initial plot hook while the other starts with the 2nd playthrough plot hook, provided you can run two groups and keep their time and impact in-game consistent. This module also uses milestone leveling as opposed to XP leveling. If there is no reference to an image when talking about enemies or npcs, the image can be found in the bestiary section. You do not have to use any of these assets, they are here to make your life easier. The side quests provided can be used for both plot hooks, however the players may be at a different level when they encounter it so you may need to scale the combat challenges or Dice Challenges accordingly. Don't be afraid to make side quests more or less difficult. This adventure was built around D&D 5e system, however I'm sure this could transfer to similar systems like pathfinder. The images provided have been edited to fit them to the page, when you go to download them, they should be appropriately sized.

This adventure was originally going to be a level 1-20 adventure. However, it was time consuming just to get it to level 5 and so unless people are interested in continuing the story further, I most likely will not finish the adventure. I will leave notes so that if someone does want to continue they can craft a story knowing the intentions I had and make modifications where they see fit.

Random Encounters

Use this link if any of the other links are broken. Give treasure when you see fit. Use this table when out in the wilds and the player leading the traveling portion does not meet your Dice Challenge.

d8	Encounter
1	Use this link and select the "deadly" difficulty
2	Use this link and select the "hard" difficulty
3	Use this link and select the "any difficulty" option.
4	A group of friendly travelers crosses the group's path. The travelers have 2d6 goods for sale that cost 1 gp or less on the Adventuring Gear table in the Player's Handbook. If not appropriate for the environment, Roll on a table of your appropriate choice
5	Use this link and select the "medium" difficulty
6	The group wanders into a strange place. Roll on the Weird Locales table.
7	Use this link and select the "easy" difficulty
8	No Encounter/Players find something their looking for.

Random Encounter Ideas

Drake Warden Ranger pretends to run from his drake saying its a dragon and forces people to drop their items. Will say "quick, drop your items, dragons love to horde wealth!" (Drake will be sized medium, ranger will be level 10). We know that dragons are at least size large but this encounter should happen soon enough that your players have not encountered a dragon before and so will take the man's word for it. If your players decide to fight, the ranger will attempt to convince them to stop and if they don't, will confess to the scam.
In the Desert, use this
In the Desert or Snow, use Land Sharks
In the Jungle, a creature that visibly does not have eyes but sees through magic aura. There is a big orb on their head which is how they see. If your players start using magic in the jungle, depending on the level of spell depends on if they come and how many. They feed off the magic so they have resistance to anything that comes from magic, and players must stop using spells so the magic aura fades. They could also spend all their spell slots to hide their magic aura. Using a cantrip would be like a camera flash of their aura.
In the Jungle, an abandoned temple that contains an orb that will suck players into a battle arena. Only way out is to die, get rewards based on how far they go. Good for training and hiding as cannot be found while there.
For the train https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/otb7kb/d100_encounters_when_traveling_by_train/
on the road https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/kbqebx/d100_road_combat_encounters_that_are_not_bandit/ https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/rdowvu/lets_build_a_d100_unique_fight_table/
Useful link: https://randomtablesrpg.com/fantasy/d100-combat-encounters-and-ideas/

Running a Chase Sequence

Setup

1 progress = 1 tile. Set up the encounter as a 2D grid. Set the size of the grid to be (lowest movement range of a quarry * the highest movement range of a pursuer) + party size of quarry + party size of pursuers. One end of the board is the goal for the quarry. The other end is the out of bounds for the pursuers. If a pursuer enters that area, they are out of the chase. The lineup should be as follows: (out of bounds) => Pursuers => Quarry => Goal. The starting line is the halfway point of the grid rounded down. The pursuers roll a dice equal to the pursuer's party size rounded up (so 5 party members would be a d6) that determines how far behind the starting line they are. Have the quarry roll a d4 and add the highest movement range of a pursuer to the result of that roll. This determines how far ahead the quarry is from the starting line.

The Rules

Roll initiative to see who goes first. At the top of every initiative turn, Full Spellcasters gain 1 progress, Half-1/4 Spellcasters gain 2 progress, and Martials gain 3 progress. Each turn, all entities may dash, perform some action they believe may help (improvise), or roll on the table. Entities may only use skills they are proficient in to aid them in the chase. Spellcasters may not cast spells that have a material component. Entities may dash a number of times equal to 1 + their con modifier before they must roll a con save to avoid exhaustion. If an entity decides to improvise and what they describe it not successful regardless of the roll, they lose a progress. For example, rolling nat 20 on persuasion to get the quarry to stop. Where a chase takes place matters. If the players are attacking with ranged weaponry/spells in a city environment, after a number of misses you determine, the players attacks can stray to civilians.

Win conditions for the quarry

If one of these is true, the quarry escapes their pursuers.

The quarry successfully reaches their end of the board.
The pursuers all enter the out of bounds area.
The pursuers all become unconscious.
The pursuers lose sight of the quarry.*

Win condition for the pursuers

A pursuer occupies the same space as the quarry. The pursuer must roll an athletics check against the quarry's athletics or acrobatics check. If the pursuer succeeds, the quarry is captured. If they fail, the quarry takes 1d8 damage or falls unconscious if the damage reduces them to 0 and the pursuer goes back two spaces ( 2 progress ).
The quarry becomes unconscious.

d20	Effect
1	An obstacle slows you down. Lose 3 Progress.
2	A hindrance blocks your path. Make a DC 12 Dexterity check. On a success, gain 1 progress. On a failure, lose 2 progress.
3	Dangerous Hazard. Make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, take 1d6 damage.
4	Physical Obstruction. Make a DC 12 Dexterity or Strength check. On a failure, lose progress.
5	Trip. Make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, fall prone and lose 2 progress.
6	Narrow passage. Make a DC 12 Dexterity check (Acrobatics, Athletics, or Sleight of Hand as appropriate). On a failure, lose 2 progress.
7	Dash of Luck. Gain advantage on the next ability check or saving throw.
8	Hidden trap. Make a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) or Dexterity Saving throw check (your choice). On a failure, trigger a hidden trap and take 1d6 damage, losing 2 progress in the process.
9	Misdirection. Make a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check. On a failure, lose 2 progress or suffer an opportunity attack from an enemy (+3 to hit, 1d6 + 1 damage).
10	Mystery Spot. You may choose to roll a d4. On a result of 3 or higher, gain 2 progress. Otherwise, lose 2 progress.
11	Unexpected turn. Make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, take 1d4 bludgeoning damage and lose progress.
12	Pop-up danger. Make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, take 1d6 damage, fall prone, and lose 2 progress.
13	Cramped Space. Make a DC 12 Dexterity check (Acrobatics, Athletics). On a failure, lose progress.
14	Unstable ground. Make a DC 12 Dexterity check (Acrobatics or Athletics). On a failure, lose progress.
15	Animal encounter. Make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, take 1d4 damage and lose 2 progress.
16	Gain advantage. Gain 1 progress.
17	Entangled. Make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, become restrained and lose progress.
18	Distraction. Roll a relevant skill check (Athletics, Acrobatics, Deception, or Intimidation). On a failure, lose progress. Automatic success if spending an action or resource to create a distraction.
19	Lose track. Make a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check. On a failure, lose 2 progress.
20	Your quarry/pursuers are hindered. Gain 3 Progress.

*This could be a series of stealth vs perception checks. Doing something like this would be a high risk high reward as the quarry would not gain or lose any progress at this time while the pursuers slowly gain progress. If the pursuers occupy the same space and discover the quarry, follow list item 1 for win conditions for the pursuers. If the pursuers overtake the quarry's position and still have not located them, the quarry successfully escapes.

Running a Skill Challenge

Make notes and adjustments where needed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvOeqDpkBm8

Church of Reparations

A side quest presented in Narakzir deals with this cult. Here are the notes if you wish to persue this further.

Leader is a young adult Red Dragon
No one knows that the leader is the Red Dragon
Red Dragon using this to horde wealth
Followers believe that the nobles are a scourge on society, and wish to take their wealth by any means necessary and use for the greater good.

Young Adult Red Dragon

Large, Chaotic Evil

Armor Class 19

Hit Points 230 (20d10 + 120)

Speed 40ft., climb 40ft., fly 80 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

25 (+7) 10 (+0) 23 (+6) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 20 (+5)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +11, Wis +5, Cha +10

Skills Perception +11, Stealth +5

Damage Immunities Fire

Senses blindsight 45 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive perception 21

Languages Common, Draconic

Challenge CR 15 and 13,000 XP

Proficiency Bonus +5

Legendary Resistance(2/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 7) piercing damage plus 5 (1d6+1d4) fire damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) slashing damage.

Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon's choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.

Fire Breath(Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales fire in a 45-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 56 (16d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Legendary Actions

The dragon can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Detect. The dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.

Tail Attack. The dragon makes a tail attack.

Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 10 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 14 (2d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.

Spells

The dragon can innately cast 5 spells. Each spell can be cast once per day, requiring no material components, and the spell's level can be no higher than 5. The dragon's bonus to hit with spell attacks is equal to its proficiency bonus + its Charisma bonus. The dragon's spell save DC equals 8 + its proficiency bonus + its Charisma modifier.

Suggestion

Sending

Immolation

Scrying

Modify Memory

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	10 (+0)	23 (+6)	15 (+2)	11 (+0)	20 (+5)

Magic Item Ideas

Pandora's Box

Legendary Magic item

Credit: Stable Diffusion

Pandora's Box is a small, intricately designed metal box, measuring about six inches in length, width, and height. It is made of a dark, polished metal, resembling a mixture of iron and obsidian. The surface of the box is adorned with intricate carvings depicting scenes of various creatures and figures in a state of both anguish and delight, capturing the duality of its contents. The lid of the box is tightly sealed and secured by a series of small, delicate clasps and locks. When held, the box feels cool to the touch, but there is a subtle hum of magical energy emanating from within. It gives off an air of mystery and foreboding, as if tempting the curious to unlock its secrets. Upon closer inspection, you notice faint, ethereal wisps of magical energy swirling lightly within the cracks and crevices of the carvings, hinting at the otherworldly power contained within. While closed and secure, the box appears innocuous, promising untold wonders but also potential dangers, representing the dual nature of hidden power and cautionary tales associated with Pandora's Box from mythology.

Every time the box is opened, roll a d100 for which table, and then a d100 for the result. If an effect does not indicate when it ends, assume until a long rest has been completed by the player. If a 1 is rolled, a magical lock reappears on the box for 24 hours only breakable by a 9th level dispel magic. The box will change its size to allow whatever is rolled to come through no issue. Balance at your discretion.

d100	Table Link
1	https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/q08edo/d100_boss_encounters_redone/
2 - 10	https://www.dndspeak.com/2017/12/04/100-curses/
11 - 20	https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/ktth1k/d100_minor_wild_magic_effects/
21 - 30	https://www.dndspeak.com/2017/12/24/100-random-potion-effects/
31 - 35	https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/ent6ks/lets_build_d100_magic_items_a_travelling_witch/
36 - 40	https://www.dndspeak.com/2018/03/23/100-hallucinations/
41 - 50	https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/c1mnyf/a_list_of_100_minor_cursesmagical_effects_that/
51 - 60	https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/r51jid/lets_build_d100_or_more_natural_wild_magic/
61 - 70	https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/jr1d9r/lets_build_100_magic_items_that_would_have_been/
71 - 80	https://www.dndspeak.com/2019/04/03/100-items-for-sale-in-a-fantasy-black-market/
81 - 90	https://www.dndspeak.com/2018/04/18/100-magic-weather-and-storms/
91 - 95	https://www.dndspeak.com/2021/02/04/100-marks-of-darkness/
96 - 99	https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/10m5wr2/lets_build_a_d100_list_of_armor_with_magical/
100	https://www.dndspeak.com/2018/03/13/100-artifacts-of-great-power/

Fun Sized Forge (Taken from Dragon Quest 11)

Common Magic Item

Credit: Stable Diffusion

This small portable forge appears as a tall table with a glass window peering into the rainbow liquid used in the crafting process. It emits a faint glow and is warm to the touch.

Ability (Common): You spend 1 hour, and as a result you can use the Fun Size Forge to infuse a weapon or a suit of armor with temporary magical properties. The item gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls (if applicable) for 1 hour. This bonus can be applied once between long rests.

Scaling Abilities (Uncommon - Legendary): By spending time and materials, the Fun Size Forge can be upgraded to unlock additional abilities. Each upgrade level requires a certain number of abilities to be unlocked from the previous level:

Uncommon (2 Unlocks Required): The temporary magic bonus increases to +2. Additionally, the forge can now be used to repair damaged objects, mending them as per the spell.
Rare (4 Unlocks Required): The temporary magic bonus increases to +3. The Forge's repair ability is further enhanced, able to mend even broken magical items and remove temporary curses on them once per day.
Very Rare (6 Unlocks Required): The temporary magic bonus increases to +4. Additionally, the Forge's repair ability can now remove permanent curses and restore up to half the hit points of a destroyed magical item once per day.
Legendary (8 Unlocks Required): The temporary magic bonus increases to +5. Furthermore, the Forge attains sentience and can communicate telepathically with its wielder. It can now be used to create permanent magic items of rare or lower rarity, requiring appropriate crafting materials and time.

Unlocking Abilities: To unlock an ability, the user must spend a certain amount of gold, gather specific rare materials, or complete special tasks. These can range from recovering the forge's ancestral recipes to completing quests for powerful blacksmiths or assisting powerful entities tied to magical craftsmanship.

Unlock

An "unlock" refers to gaining access to a new ability or enhancement for the Fun Size Forge. Each unlock represents a milestone or breakthrough that enhances the forge's capabilities. Here's an example to illustrate how an unlock could work:

Example Unlock: "Ancient Blueprint"

Description: You discover an ancient blueprint detailing a lost technique of imbuing magical properties into weapons and armor.

How to Unlock: The unlock requires the player to venture into a long-forgotten temple of a master blacksmith and retrieve the ancient blueprint hidden within its depths. This might involve defeating guardians, solving puzzles, or navigating treacherous traps. Once the blueprint is obtained, it can be used to upgrade the Fun Size Forge and unlock additional abilities.

Effect: The Forge now gains the ability to apply an elemental property (such as fire, lightning, or cold damage) to weapons or armor as an additional bonus. The wielder can choose the element and apply it to a different target during each rest, granting a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls with that elemental type.

Side Quest Ideas

Train Heist prevention or participation( up to you or your players )
Robin Hood (This is what the men in tights side quest would have been in weegate)
Wandering Mailman looking for the party that delivers side-quests. Would have delivered the men in tights side quest. This would only be used after the first act as no one knows who your players are but after saving the Elf's Haven, their reputation begins to develop.
Meeting the Grim Reaper (at the grim bridge)
Helm's Deep but no reinforcements and winnable. (Happens at one of the fort cities)
In medieval times, toilets in a castle would be on the edge with a poop shoot. Possible insertion point for the party for the robin hood side quest or maybe another side quest involving one of the forts.
A commoner found a rare item that would get their family out of poverty and raise their status. A noble person stole it. Asks the party to help them get it back. Could be the side quest for one of the four corners.
https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/zt05pp/d100_types_of_encounters/
https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/jdemoy/lets_build_100_quests_sidequests_and_encounters/
a quest involving a maze

Cities on the Map

Vice Versa: A town of Debauchery. Town is shaped like a dick, has gambling, drugs, prostitutes, etc. Bar/Tavern/Inn names : Tongue and cheek; kiss and tell
Mourning Star: Built after the war, mass graves. Side quest for meeting the Grim Reaper is started here. Head necromancer wizard informs party of man in cloak terrorizing people on the grim bridge at night.
A town at each of the king's mountains. Contains crypt dedicated to each of the royal families. Attended by monks.

Helpful resources

Random Lists: https://www.dndspeak.com/

Prompts to help your players roleplay: https://www.reddit.com/r/d100/comments/10kyr90/d100_topics_of_conversation_around_the_fire/

Ready to go music links

For Boss fights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TeUMQ37m0g
For Chase Sequences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq8OSrIUST4&t=26s

New Race

This race can mainly be found on the Screeching Summit. They tend to hang in mountainous areas but can be found in cities and villages, although rare. This race tends to fight other tribes like barbarian and druid tribes. They remained fairly neutral during the war.

Ava

Ability Scores: Str +1; Dex +1; Cha +1
Size: Medium
Speed: 30ft., fly 35ft.

Age: Avas reach maturity by age 25. They can live up to 120 years.
Alignment: Avas are a proud warrior race and so tend to be lawful although whether they are good, neutral, or evil depends on the Ava you meet.
Size: Ava are about 7 feet tall and weigh from 180-240 pounds. Your size is medium.
Flight: You have a flying speed of 35 feet. To use this speed, you cannot be wearing heavy armor.
Thick Feathers: You are acclimated to cold weather and have resistance to cold damage.
Ava's Grace: As an action, you can create an updraft centered on you that will send you 50 feet straight up in the air provided you start on the ground. The updraft is 30 feet high, 15 feet long, and 5 feet thick. The updraft lasts for a minute and so it keeps fog, smoke, and other gases at bay. Small or smaller flying creatures or objects can't pass through the wall. Loose, lightweight materials brought into the wall fly upward. Arrows, bolts, and other ordinary projectiles launched at targets behind the wall are deflected upward and automatically miss. (Boulders hurled by giants or siege engines, and similar projectiles, are unaffected.) Creatures in gaseous form can't pass through it. You may use this ability again once you have completed a short or long rest.
Winged Combat: Because Avas use their arms to fly, they have developed a fighting style that allows them to use their feet to fight. While flying, you can only use two handed weapons and interact with objects that require two hands. Also, your kicks deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your strength modifier
Languages: You speak common and Auran

New Classes and Subclasses

Without Grid

With Grid

Generic Forest:

Generic Plains:

Background

Altiora was once a divided country between the north, a militocracy, and the south, a mageocracy. During this era, 100 years ago, The king of the northern territory caught wind that the king in the south, a wizard, was planning on taking over the world by becoming a very powerful warrior Lich, and so the North declared war on the south. Both sides lost many but the North prevailed. With the war over, The country of the unified Altiora changed their form of government to a Monarchy while also building a new capitol at the heart of the country to turn a new page in the country's history. They also built railways to get across the heart of the country faster, while beginning to build railways to the forts on the border of the country. As a result of the war, adventurers are rare as many were killed in the war. Altiora has the resources to train the combat driven types of classes and select magic classes and so any of classes in the military has divisions of the subclasses (Army, Navy, Marines = Conquest Paladins, Echo Knights, etc.). The rarity of each class and their training follows:

Paladins are the 2nd most common, as that is the powerhouse of the military. Paladins are not grunts, they are higher ranking than common soldiers.
Fighters are in leadership positions and are the most common, as they have not devoted themselves to a god. They will be found leading squads / battalions / companies / platoons etc. depending on their level / experience.
Artificers are the blacksmiths/magic shop owners primarily so that rarity is up to you. They would supply gear during the war. Retirees have set up their own shop, teaching descendants / students the trade to do the same. Not all weapon and item shops will be run by artificers, but they may have been trained by one. Magic item / weapon shops will be run usually by an artificer or ex-adventurer. Very few are run by a simple business man.
Rouges, Rangers, and Hunters are uncommon. Spies would have been trained during the war and so fall into the rouge category as well(Assassin, scout, etc). Hunters and Rangers tend to be at the outposts.
Wizards are very rare as most were wiped out during the war. Although the south was a magocracy, the north also had a fair amount of wizards. That number has since decreased as magic is not something that should be so accessible to the masses.

The following classes are not created/trained by the country and instead have their own reasons:

Clerics are very rare but a high level cleric is legendary tier as most were wiped out during the war since they could undo everything that was done. Clerics are trained by their masters and have the freedom to create their own path(subclass) from the teachings of their master. The number of clerics in the country may be single digits (Including the ones assigned to the king).
Warlock / Sorceror is rare due to class lore reasons
Bard is rare. Not all musicians and story tellers will be bards. There are schools in the country where the headmaster may be a bard and some select staff. The most gifted / hard working students may be able to become bards. The level of these teachers may be up to you but keep in mind what you are putting into the world the higher level they are.
Monks follow the same logic. You will mainly find monks at the king's watch north and south as they maintain the temples detected to the past kings of the land. You may find one in temples in the cities dedicated to a god, assisting priests that maintain them. Monks that focus on temple defense will be level 1 and leadership will be higher levels. The country does not train monks, but does have an interest in keeping that group populated.
Barbarians and druids do not stick to cities. Instead they are in the wilderness. Training comes from the tribe and some members will be level 1 with a few being level 2 in regards to druids while most members of the barbarian tribe will be level 1 or 2. Leaders / Important figures within the tribe will be higher levels. Most members within the druid tribe will be commoners.
High ranking thieves will fall into the rouge category. They could be ex spies trained by the country. average thieves will just be thieves while above average may have a level or two in rogue.

Why didn't the wizard king use wish?

Many things can go wrong when trying to cast the spell wish.

Also many things can go wrong trying to cover every misinterpretation of the wish.

Another reason could be that wish isn't an easily accessible spell.

Here is the rarities for the races listed in the phb (half races are the average of of the two full races. half elf and elf is between common and uncommon):

Dragonborn, Humans, Goliaths, dwarves, halflings, monsterish humaniods(bugbear, goblin), orcs, and gnomes are common
Elves, Firbolgs, Loxodons, Tabaxi, Genasi, Tortles, and Gith are uncommon
Aasimar, fey, triton, tieflings, shifters, vedalken, verdan, yuan-ti, aarakocra, changelings, and VRGR races are rare
Warforged from here are the result of unethical experiments
Any other races may be left to your discretion but if you don't feel like picking they are rare.

As far as religion is concerned, any and all pantheons are welcome in Altiora. There are no restrictions as to who you may worship, but there are restrictions as to how it is done. Like with all religions, no one knows who is right but because their magic works when they worship their respective god, they are very sure they are correct. As a result, cults have sprung up of different gods and even dragons, however, they do commit atrocities like human sacrifice which is why the kingdom does have interest in eliminating these cults when brought to their attention.

What The Players Don't Know

The people of the kingdom were told that an assassination attempt was made on the king's life and that it was ordered by the Wizard King in the south. The king lied to them as to not cause panic among the citizenry.

Not all the forces of the south were eliminated. Some were taken prisoner while others fled into the anti-magic/disrupt-magic regions surrounding the country, forming the rebellion. The rebellion leader, the son of the wizard king, has remained hidden with his remaining forces while concocting a plan to not only revive his father, but as the warrior lich he wanted to be.

An Alternative PlotHook

A second plothook would have been the players starting out as prisoners in the initial prison break. They would eventually meet the thieves guild who would give them a job of helping someone from the king's court. This would make it possible to link this story starting point to the second act of the main plothook.

Important NPCs

King's side	Neutral	Rebel's side
Heian Farahel	Hunters	The Escaped Prisoners
Palace Doctor	Avan Tribes	King's Daughter's Bodygyard
King's Doctor	Barbarian Tribes	Fallen King's Son's Bodyguard
King's Chief of Palace Security	Druid Tribes	Head Mage Apprentice 2
King's Son (Commander of the Army)	Wandering Mailman	Head Mage Apprentice 1
King's Mage	Expert Blacksmith	Fallen King's Head mage(necromancer)
King's Shell (Ancestral Guardian Barbarian)	Expert Enchanter	King's Daughter (Rouge/bard multiclass)
King's Smite(Zealot Barbarian)	The Grim Reaper	Fallen King's Son (Wizard Fighter Multiclass)
The Current King	Rolon Hanali (Robin Hood)	The Revived Lich Warrior

How the story would have gone

The relic that Heian holds is used for resurrection rituals. The reason why the Rebels wanted it is because they were going to attempt to revive their king as a warrior lich. If your players failed, this is what they would have fought in the end game. It would be a mix of a lich with more 9th level spell slots as well as more health. Also would have abilities of a fighter. If your players succeeded, They would face a less intense version of that. After the climax of the first act, Heian would be grateful enough to go to the king and ask him to repay the party for their service. The king would have taken the opportunity to agree to Heian's request, but also use this as a means to find someone for a job. An important NPC would be dispatched to the Elf's Haven and create a series of trials for the party.

The party would get to make a request from the king after successful completion of this trial, and would meet the king for the job offer. The king would explain that many of their soldiers have gone missing in the surrounding areas when sent to explore and find the cause of the magic disruption. Only one person, a Hunter, has come back alive and has PTSD. The king offers the party something enticing so the players agree to go and find what is causing the disappearances. This is where the party would eventually meet the Rebels. They would also find out that the prisoners were released by the King's daughter who is engaged to the Fallen King's son. A choice would have to be made around here as to which side the party will take, the rebels or the king.

Either way, the party is going to have to lie their way out of one of the situations. After this point, the party would be doing missions to help whatever side they picked and the final battle would be either the king or the revived lich warrior/ revived wizard king depending on how the party did on the first act. The party could also after everything is said and done, betray the side they helped to then rule the country themselves.

Special Military Divisions

Magic Knights

The magic knights belong to the rebels and follow this structure: (Highest CR is 12, Defensive 14, offensive 9)

Cleric 1/ Wizard 19 multiclass (Abjuration & Twilight) or Fighter 2/ Wizard 18 (Chronurgy or Evocation) (Needs work)
Stats: Intelligence then Constitution then Dexterity then Wisdom, then Charisma, then Strength
Saving throws: Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution
Weapon: Ruin's Wake or spear of heliod (modified) or staff of the magi (Maybe spears for fighters, staff for clerics) (modify staff based on rank of soldier)
Shield: Shield of the Uven Rune
Armor: Mizzium Armor + 3
feats: Shield Master, Resilient (+1 Con), Telekenetic, War Caster, Tough, Polearm Master, Sentinel, Fey Touched, Athlete
Fighter Wizard's have Prismatic Wall and Reverse Gravity
Magic Knights are trained to wear heavy armor and not suffer the penalty if they do not meet the strength requirement

Anti-Mage Brigade

Belong to the King and were instrumental in winning the war (CR 13, Defensive 16, 9 offensive)

14 vengeance Paladin/6 hexblade multiclass - 17/3
Sword: Mage's Bane(dispel magic (spell) on a hit, no charges, or as an action, no modifier)
Shield: spellguard shield
Armor: Mithril Plate Armor +1 to +3 || Mind Carapace Armor (for higher ranked officers maybe)
feats: Shield Master, Resilient (+1 Dex), Mage Slayer, Sentinel, Martial Adept, Fighting Initiate
Invocations: Agonizing Blast, Grasp of Hadar, ?
Stats: Charisma then Dexterity then Constitution then Wisdom then Strength then Intelligence. (Higher Commanding officers have > stats)
Saving throws: Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma
These soldiers are trained to wear heavy armor and not suffer the penalty if they do not meet the strength requirement

Wandering Mailman

Medium, True Neutral

Armor Class 20 (natural armor plus shield)

Hit Points 400 (32d8 + 256)

Speed 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

24 (+7) 22 (+6) 26 (+8) 18 (+4) 20 (+5) 16 (+3)

Saving Throws Str +14, Dex +13, Con +15

Skills Athletics +14, Perception +12, Survival +12

Condition Immunities Grappled, restrained, paralyzed, stunned.

Senses passive Perception 22

Languages any one language (usually Common)

Challenge 20 (25,000 XP)

Features and Abilities

Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If the mailman fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance: The mailman has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Unstoppable: The mailman cannot be grappled, restrained, paralyzed, or stunned. In addition, the mailman cannot be frightened or charmed from delivering mail.

Defender Mailbag: The mailman's mailbag acts as a shield, granting him a +3 bonus to his AC and allowing him to make an opportunity attack when any creature within 10 feet of him attacks an ally.

Actions

Multiattack: The mailman can make two melee attacks with his mailbag.

Mailbag Bash: Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3d10 + 7 bludgeoning damage.

Package Toss: Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 3d10 + 6 bludgeoning damage.

Legendary Actions (3/turn)

Rapid Dash (Costs 1 Action): The mailman uses the Dash action.

Hearty Constitution (Costs 2 Actions): The mailman gains temporary HP equal to his Constitution modifier (8) times his level (20), rounded down.

Flagpole Rush (Costs 3 Actions): The mailman rushes forward with his flagpole and attempts to impale a target. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit: 3d12 + 7 piercing damage and the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 24) or be restrained by the flagpole.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
24 (+7)	22 (+6)	26 (+8)	18 (+4)	20 (+5)	16 (+3)

Act I

Prison Break!

Plot Hooks

These plot hooks are intended for level 1 players so you may need to modify them if your players are of a higher level

Prison Break!

News reaches each of your players that a prison break happened in Altiora City and Altiora is having an information/recruiting session soon to inform participants of the situation. As your players are hopeful adventurers, they go as a means to acquire experience.

If you don't like the common 'You meet in a tavern' starting point, you can have the guards at the information session assign them to the same team.

When the party arrives at the information session, there will be two other adventuring parties who also want to participate in the man hunt. Their party size will match your party size. Each party will be assigned a sergeant of the city guard. Use the Soldier Background to flesh out this NPC to your liking or use the provided characteristics. The parties are informed of the items that were stolen from magic supply shops and weapons and armor shops:

several staffs
several daggers
several spears
a few component pouches
a totem
some leather armor
a few maces
a warhammer
chain mail
metal and wooden shields
an amulet
several shortswords
several lockpicking tools
several potions of different types and tiers

From this breakdown of items, the party should deduce that the people they will be after are not simple thugs. If they can't deduce this, have one of the adventuring parties blurt it out as they just made the realization. If the party asks how the prisoners got out, the city guard will say they do not know and their higher ups will not tell them. As a result of the prison being very large, they do not have images of all the escaped prisoners. The only images they have are of the magic users and notorius criminals. Any escaped criminals offer a reward of 10gp on a capture and 5gp on proof of death. The ones in the images offer a reward of 1000gp alive and 500 gp dead. All prisoners have a magical tatoo of their prison number placed in a non-uniform body part. The guards will then hand out a very simple map of the country shown on the next page.

City Guard Sergeant

Medium Humanoid (Any Race), Any Alignment

Armor Class 15

Hit Points 30 (4d8 + 12)

Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

15 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 11 (+0)

Senses Passive Perception 12

Languages Common and it's racial language

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Actions

Pike. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage and the target must succeed in a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be pushed 5 feet away from the pikeman. If the target is mounted when being pushed, it is dismounted and is knocked prone.

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

Reactions

Defensive Posture. Whenever a creature enters the reach of the guard, the guard can make an opportunity attack against it.

Trait, Ideal, Bond, Flaw

Trait: I can stare down a hell hound without flinching

Ideal: Responsibility. I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful)

Bond: I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Flaw: I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)	15 (+2)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)

The Sergeant's Role

The sergeant will escort the players around the city but will not leave the city. He/She will intially take them to the stores that have been broken into and after that, the players make the call as to where to go next.

Why does the country need to hire adventures for the manhunt?

The city guard must stay in the city they are assigned. There are a few roaming military platoons that wander the country side who have been notified of the situation, as well as the border bases. They will be looking for these criminals in the countryside. The outside help has the benefit of being able to go to both areas as well as being capable of fighting these kinds of convicts.

What the players don't know yet

The escaped prisoners are a Druid, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Rouge, and Fighter. The Druid will not be a problem which will be discussed later on. There are more escaped prisoners as this was a very large prison, but these are the ones crucial to the story.

The Crime Scene

When the party arrives at the crime scene, a few characters will be present. 2 city guard grunts watching the area, and the shopkeeper. The store will seem barren as the shopkeeper recently sold a lot of the magical weapons and items they had and so the criminals took most of what was remaining. The shopkeeper will appear nervous, and when asked will say he/she is still shaken up about the break in. When asked if they saw or heard anything, the players must make a DC 5 persuasion check to convince the shopkeeper to think harder. The shopkeeper will remember that the criminals were talking about finding an old elf that had what they needed.

Whichever play has the highest wisdom score will notice that the shopkeeper is hiding something. If confronted, he/she will deny it so long as the guards are present. If the players or a player can isolate the shopkeeper from the guards in the room, he/she will tell them that the intruders took a flask of never ending liquor (modified Decanter of Endless Water). He/She will tell them that if they find the flask it does not belong to him/her and they can keep it.

On a DC 15 investigation check, the players can recognize that this shop the magic users had broken into and that they are of class Cleric, Sorceror, Druid, and Warlock. For example, a player will notice that the metal shields were not touched, but the one wooden shield in stock, which was used, was stolen. Paring that with the totem, the player will deduce that a druid is a part of that party of criminals. Reveal as much as you deem fit.

Why is the shopkeeper hiding that information?

In Altiora, items similar to the flask of never ending liquor are illegal as the user no longer has to pay taxes on alcohol they buy since they have a flask that never ends. A Decanter of Endless Water however is legal as it produces water which is necessary for survival and therefore not taxed.

Leaving the City

Should the players want to follow up on the lead given by the shopkeeper, the guard will recommend going to a tavern frequented by the city guards called The Pretty Jailer Tavern. The tavern owner will tell them that many cities on the western side of the country have elves. The largest group of them, however, can be found at the Elf's Haven.

Once the players start heading for the train station, they will be ambushed along the way by some escaped criminals. It will be 3 bandits and 1 Thug who is the leader (Use the stat blocks in the phb). On a DC 15 Perception Check, the criminals will lose their surprise round. If a player has a passive perception of 15, there is no need to roll. On the very first round for each of the enemies, they will all target the sergeant as they will view him as the biggest threat.

If your players are losing, have some local guards come and save them. If the players are saved, they get no reward. Once the criminals are defeated, they will receive the appropriate amount of gold dependent on if they killed or captured the attackers. The armor will be unrecoverable but the players may loot the bodies and take a weapon. The players will level up to level 2 after this fight.

To The Elf's Haven

The trains travel at a rate of 6 miles and hour and each hex on the map is 2 miles. The black lines signify the train tracks. The two possible routes the party may take are from Zaddushizd -> Heagrove or Narakzir -> Heagrove. If the party chooses to dismount early at Zaddushizd or Narakzir, The next train will not come for another two hours. A ticket costs 5 silver pieces but there is a weekly pass that can be purchased for 2 gold pieces

The city battle area. The area at the bottom of the map makes for a good ambush spot:

Zaddushizd

Zaddushizd is a city that belonged to the North during the war. Mainly dwarves work and live in this city and so blacksmiths and shops are abundant here. An enchantment academy can be found here with a small magic shop. There is one wizard (lvl 14) with a few artificers (level 2) that run the academy for enchantment. A small magic shop can be found here where enchantments can be done at a discount as the quality varies based on the student assigned. These side quests can be discovered through a tavern in the city, or the players can stumble upon it when they wish to do certain activities.

Neophyte Charms

If the players decide to visit the academy, they will only be allowed access to the shop. There are two people currently working the shop, the wizard and one of his/her artificer apprentices. When the players walk in, they will notice that the shop is pretty barren. If they mention this to the shop owner or they want to acquire an item like a healing potion, the wizard will inform them that they are low on supplies and they can't find anyone to get them materials they need to restock the shop. If the party offers their services, the wizard will tell them he/she needs the following to restock the shop:

raw medicinal herbs (For healing potions)
Giant Wolf Spider Legs (slippers of spider climb, potion of climbing) and sac (Wand of Web)
Giant Frog or Giant Toad legs (Ring of Jumping)
Stirge proboscis (the thing that it uses to suck blood) (Blood Spear)
Giant Boar Tusk (Ear Horn of Hearing)
Hippogriff Feather (Feather Token)
Ankheg Acid Sacks (Potion of Acid Resistance)
A few Giant Poisonous snakes, preferably alive. (Robe of Serpents)
Giant Constrictor Snake scales (Serpent Scale Armor)
Griffon Wings (Wingwear, Winged Boots, Wind Fan, Cloak of Billowing) and Bone (Storm Boomerang)
Owlbear blood (moon-touched weapons)

If there is an item you were thinking of giving to the party, see if there is an animal or monster part that could work as apart of this quest. The shop keeper is willing to give the party a few healing potions and 1 common magic item as payment.

Anvil Artists

If the players are looking to buy some weapons and armor, they will come across this blacksmith shop. When they make a request for an item, the blacksmith will tell them that he/she has a lot of orders and so it will be a while before they can commision it. If the party decides to go to another blacksmith, the one at this shop will tell them that all blacksmiths are currently overloaded as orders came in from the army. The blacksmith will then offer a deal. The blacksmith's family has a tradition of crafting a weapon from an animal they killed before being able to work in the forge. If the party can escort and aid his/her son in the hunt for a specific beast, the blacksmith will not only move that order to the top but also offer a discount on the commission. The beast the child has chosen is a rhinoceros to use the horns for a bone weapon.

Fresh Shizd

If the players are looking for supplies, they will stumble across a shop called 'Fresh Shizd'. Seeing that the players are asking if the shop carries items niche to adventurers, the store owner will ask if they are adventurers. If the players answer yes, the store owner will ask if they would be willing to deliver a carriage full of provisions and supplies to Weegate, a small military town in the northwest of Altiora. The store owner use to be able to hire someone to do it but the roads have been getting more dangerous and so no one is willing to take the job. The store owner offers 10gp to each party member and another 10 that will be payed by the shop they are delivering to at Weegate. The carriage with the proper animals and animal feed is provided for the party when they are ready to leave. When the party rests for the night on the way to Weegate, a group of bandits equal to the size of the party will ambush them. Note that your players AC will be reduced as they were resting when the ambush happens. Roll stealth for the bandits and compare against the perception check of the player currently keeping watch to see if they get the surprise round.

Weegate

Weegate is a military town that developed as a result of soldiers having to be stationed at Sunwing base 24/7 as it is a border base. While a good amount of military families live there, common folk have also settled there for the business opportunity it presented. Unfortunately for these folks, the general assigned has a superiority complex and so has gone and begun hording wealth in the fort. As a result, all the non-military, former military, and even fallen soldier families are treated poorly and businesses are barely able to make enough to keep themselves afloat. To make matters worse, Weegate has to deal with outlaws and the like who assault the town for resources since they are so far away from the country. Attempts have been made to wipe these foes out, however, they always seem to keep coming.

Delivery!

If your players are completing the 'Fresh Shizd' quest, this is where it picks up. They will deliver the goods to the shop called 'Weestore'. Upon delivery, they will be given 5 gp and the store owner will explain that they are struggling to make ends meet with the taxes being placed on them by the general. It is during this conversation when a group of soldiers equal to the size of the party walk in. They are here to collect taxes from the store owner and will act arrogant as they believe they are untouchable. They may even attempt to abuse their power with the party and force them to pay as well for entering the town. If the party claims they have no money, the guards attempt to search the players for money. On a DC 15 persuasion check, the guards can be convinced to leave them alone. Otherwise, the guards may throw them in jail for a day.

Sunwing Gang Soldier

Medium humanoid, Any Alignment

Armor Class 13 (padded armor, shield)

Hit Points 15 (2d8+6)

Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

15 (+2) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 12 (+1)

Senses passive Perception 11

Languages Common and their racial language if not common

Challenge 1/4

Shield Wall. If the soldier is wielding a shield and is within 5 feet of at least two other allies wielding a shield, it adds 2 to its AC.

Actions

Handaxe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.

Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	11 (+0)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)

Men in Tights

This quest can only be started by completing Act 1 and the traveling mailman delivering a letter from Rolan Hanali to the party.

Narakzir

Narakzir is a city that belonged to the South during the war. Mainly Gnomes live here and so magic shops that sell scrolls and magic tutoring services can also be found here. The academy of Abjuration can be found here. One high level wizard (lvl 16) with a few apprentice (level 1) wizards can be found here. If the players are looking for things to do, have them go to a tavern where the barkeep will point them in the right direction.

Rats Everywhere

The mayor of Narakzir has his hands full with dealing with the crime problem of Narkazir. As a result, guards cannot be dispatched to handle the situation. The sewage system of the city seems to have a blockage as some of the sewer water is being poured into the streets. They had sent someone in to turn the valve to clear the blockage, but a large rat's nest was discovered and so they cannot find anyone to go in and exterminate the rats. The party is offered 10 gp each to go in and exterminate the rat's nest.

Area 1

This is where the players will start. They would have come down the latter and seen that there is no light source in the sewer. If they have darkvision or torches they will be able to navigate the sewer just fine. If not, they will be considered to suffer from the blinded condition until they can find a light source or leave the dungeon.

Area 2

A swarm of rats will be found here moving about. Before the players enter the room, they can attempt to hear what is on the other side of the door. On a DC 15 perception check, they will hear the sounds of creatures scurrying across the floor. The reason the check is so high is because the flow of the sewer water is making it difficult to hear. This will benefit them later on. Once the swarm is cleared, the players can see that there are three pathways: north, east, and south. The south pathway appears to be a wall going straight into sewer water. On a DC 15 perception check, the player can notice light being reflected from the other side of the wall. The players will have to fully submerge themselves in the sewer water to try and go beyond the wall.

Area 3

Here they will find the hideout/home of Conrad Ariessus. His Father was an elf and his mother was human. His father left him when his mother died of disease and he didn't want to go to an orphanage. Instead, he wanted to try and live on his own and so he found a home in the sewers. When the players enter his hideout, he will act tough. He is equipped with a dagger and will make threats to the party. He may say, for example, "So I see you have gotten past all my defenses! Now prepare to die by the hand of The Shadow!" Should the players begin to make a move that seems like they are ready to fight, Conrad will drop his dagger and say he was kidding. He will ask if the players are here for the meeting that happens every night. He will show the players the secret passage to the meeting on a DC 5 intimidation check, a DC 10 persuasion check, or paying him 1 gp.

Area 4

Here there are two Giant rat's nests. Every completed round of combat, a single giant rat will spawn from the nest each. There are initially 4 rats in the room. The nests have a health of 14 each and are vulnerable to fire. Once the rats are exterminated, the players can turn the valve to clear the blockage. There is another door in the room that the players will notice has light coming from the other side.

Area 5

In this room is a secret passage to the cult meeting that only Conrad knows. No check can be made to find it. If the players can convince Conrad to show them the passage, he will come with them to area 5 to show the secret passage which is a false brick in the wall that, when pressed, opens to a corridor. To the players, this room will appear to be a storeroom of different tools and items that help maintain the sewers.

Cult meeting

The room will be lit by the cult sect leader using light on various objects placed throughout the room, so everyone can see fine. There will be 1 cult sect leader and 3 cultists in the room, along with 6 cult initiates. Everyone but the initiates will be wearing a theater comedy mask. There is a door behind the altar, as well as a small chest underneath the altar. The cult leader will be in the middle of the initiation ritual where they are desecrating the remains of a deceased noble.

The sewers DM:

The sewers Player:

Cult Chamber

Cult Sect Leader

Medium, Any Evil Alignment

Armor Class 10

Hit Points 13 (3d8)

Speed 30 ft

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

10 (+0) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0)

Skills +4 Arcana, +4 History

Senses passive Perception 10

Languages Common

Challenge 1/2 Proficiency Bonus 2

Dark Devotion. The Cult Sect Leader has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

Actions

Spellcasting. The Cult Sect Leader is a 2nd level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is intelligence. It has the following wizard spells prepared.

Cantrip(At Will): firebolt, light, prestidigitation

1st level(3 slots): Ray of Sickness, Shield, Disguise Self

Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit,reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage. Or Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)	15 (+2)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)

If the party goes through the entrance in the valve room, there will be some rubble that they can use to hide behind. If they did not make a stealth check prior to entering the room, the cult sect leader will notice them, but not immediately do anything. If they did decide to enter stealthily, the DC is the cult sect leader's passive perception. The leader will complete the ritual they were performing before the party entered using the remains of the noble. The leader will then call out the party, saying Initiates, watch what happens to those that would seek to deny our dream The cult initiates will stand aside as they haven't been led to believe that violence is an appropriate method to accomplish the cult goals. When a cultist dies, they will begin to flee toward the door behind the altar.

Once the fight is over, the party can look around for the treasure underneath the altar. The door on the other end of the room leads to more sewer. On an inspection of the cultist bodies, they will see a tattoo of two individuals physically supporting each other. If the cult initiates had managed to flee the scene, they can be tracked down. The initiates will have the comedy mask and tattered robe that can be found in the chest underneath the altar.

Treasure

A Journal of the Cult Sect Leader
A few tattered robes and theater comedy masks
50 silver pieces and a gem worth 100 gold pieces in an amulet (Was buried with the dead noble)

What the cult initiates know

The initiates were approached by a individual when they were in financial trouble
The individual made them realize how the nobility was the root of the problem and that the solution they offered could make the world better.

If the party goes through the entrance Conrad shows them, there will be three points that they can enter the cult chamber through the upper level. No one in the cult chamber will notice them, as they themselves are not aware of this entrance. The cult sect leader will be handing out the comedy masks and the tattered robes before starting the ritual. If the party had started/completed the A Good Book quest, they will recognize one of the cult initiates as Bjorn from the wizard school.

He will then complete the ritual by having initiates come up and grind the bones to dust. He will then begin to elaborate on the goals of the cult as well as how the initiates can come into play and make a difference. He will elaborate on how taking wealth from the nobles without them knowing is a good step, as well as recruiting others that work for nobles to gain deeper access to the estate.

If the party drops down and the cultists are still there, they are immediately noticed, and the dialogue will start with after the completion of the ritual.

Once the initiation is over, the initiates will leave while the cultists tear down the meeting. They will store the items in a room similar to the one where the secret entrance is.

The Journal

The journal contains notes about how the cult sect leader was nervous for his first initiation ritual as he had just been recently promoted within the cult and was assigned this city. The journal contains dates when the cult sect leader had made contact with higher ranking members of the cult as well as other cult meetings. Any player reading this journal can see a pattern with the dates, making it known when the next meeting will be (up to you). The journal also contains notes on how he created the problem some of the initiates were facing that made them turn to the cult. It details how at those meetings he was instructed how to make new recruits and remain undetected. It also notes how he should subtly hint to some recruits that want to do more that murdering the noble and taking their wealth is praised within the cult.

A Good Book

The head wizard, Erdan Irnapha (Elf), recently lost his spellbook and is willing to pay the party a total of 30 gp to recover it. He values the book so much because it also contains poems in the back of the book that he has written over the years. He left it last in his library before going off to bed. It was in the morning that he discovered that it was missing. He has questioned his students but they have all said they do not know what has happened to it. The students are:

Anne Cherrycheeks, a female halfling
Bjorn Egil, a male human
Cael Berevan, a male elf
Nala Esstyrlynn, a female dragonborn

What Anne Knows

When the players talk to Anne, she will act very friendly towards them. She will say that she was cleaning the master's office and the book was still there when she had left it for the night. When she was trying to sleep she had heard someone's door open but could not tell who.

What Bjorn Knows

When the players talk to Bjorn, he will appear neutral unless a player looks like they are from wealth. In this case, he will be rude and hostile toward that player. He will say that he left his room to go to the bathroom. On his way to the bathroom, he saw that the door to the master's office was ajar and he closed it on his way back to his room.

What Cael Knows

When the players talk to Cael, he will act like a know it all. He will say that he heard two doors open in the middle of the night as he was reading his spell book before entering his trance.

What Nala Knows

When the players talk to Nala, she will appear drowsy as she has been reading the book and going to bed late. She is the one who took the book and so will appear nervous when they begin asking questions related to the book. She will say that she did not see anything as she was sleeping undisturbed.

The Mines have eyes

Another problem the city faces is reports of a monster terrorizing the mines in the screeching summit. Depending on the level of your party, depends on what monster is lurking in the summit. You may need to give these creatures more health depending on the size of your party.

Level 1: MeazelThe mayor will describe how miners are being found strangled to death far away from the mining sites.
Level 2: Adult Kruthik. Maybe two depending on your players so it can benefit from pack tactics. The mayor will describe how the bodies of miners are found chewed up and impaled. The mayor will also tell the party that tunnels appear that were not created by the miners.
Level 3: Basilik The mayor will describe how miners are being found in a petrified state.

The mayor offers a reward of 15 * the party size gp upon solving the problem. The mayor will then tell the party how to get to the mines, by taking the path south of the city to the screeching summit.

Inside the Mines

Once in the mines, the party will first need to find the mining site. Throw random encounters at the party or narrate that they have gone in a circle until they roll a DC 15 survival check to navigate themselves to the mines. Eventually the party will run into Pan Skygo, an Avan.

Meeting Pan

Use the Feathergale Knight statblock for Pan, and either the outlander or soldier background to help develop his personality more. Remember, he has access to his racial features. If your party is facing the basilisk, he will have a scroll of greater restoration given to him by the tribe chief. Should Pan either fall in battle or become petrified, the scroll will fall from his person before either event occurs. Pan will explain that this creature has also been causing problems for the tribe as they use the inside of the mountains as a safe place to train and perform other tribe tasks.

Hunting the Problem

Once the party has located the mines, the monster will use hit and run tactics on the party throughout the expedition. It is only when the party locates the monster's dwelling that it will fight to the death. Either use a dungeon layout and have the players explore to find the dwelling, or run a series of survival checks to determine when the players find the dwelling. Other creatures may be lurking this far into the mines, so other creatures may attack them. Along this incursion, have Pan point out the way to get to the tribe. The tribe has a neutral relationship with the people of Altiora and will have no qualms telling these companions of the location. He will also ask should he fall his body be brought back to the tribe.

A Job well done

On success of slaying the monster, Pan will invite the party to return to the tribe with him to rest. Once the party has arrived at the village, they will be treated as guests and stay at Pan's home. The party will meet the tribe chief who will thank them and Pan for killing the monster. The chief will offer the party to grant a single reasonable request of theirs. It is up to you to determine if the request is reasonable, and if the party is unable to think of such a request then the chief will say that they can come back when they think of one.

Heagrove Player

Heagrove DM:

Heagrove

Heagrove is a city that was created after the war was ended. People who work in Zaddushizd or Narakzir live here if they cannot afford to live in the city. Those in Elf's Haven travel here to acquire goods and services that they cannot acquire at the village.

When the party steps off the train, they will notice missing posters of an elderly elven man with an address listed at the Elf's Haven. As the party leaves the town, the guards stationed at the exit toward the Elf's Haven will stop them, stating that there are reports of goblin ambushes on the route and they have dispatched guards a few days ago to handle it. The guards will notice that the party is equipped for combat and will ask if they could track down the guards they sent a few days ago in exchange for passage and 10gp for the party.

Map of Elf's Haven:

The Elf's Haven

Elf's Haven is a small village consisting of 300 people at most. The entire population is elves as it was the request of the Elder from the King. Elves living here are free to go however non-elves are not allowed in except by invitation.

When the party arrives at the Elf's Haven, they will be met by two elven guard with weapons and armor of better quality than standard guards. They will only let the party in if they mention the missing posters for the old elven man. They will direct the party to the elder's house where they can gather more information about the missing person.

Elf's Haven has about 10 or so guards all trained by Heian personally. Heian's son is the Captain. While the official guard number is low, all adults in the town can be summoned in times of crisis to aid in the defense of the village. The guards are usually equipped with either

(a) 2 shortswords or (b) a shield and longsword
(a) a shortbow or (b) a longbow

but can have non standard equipment

The Elders's House

Once the party arrives at the elder's house, they will meet Heian Firahel, an old elvish man who is 700 years old and is in great shape. He is the former King's Guardian. On a DC 15 History check and the player succeeds, you can read the about Heian section to the player. Player's from the country have advantage on the roll.

On the wall over the fireplace there is a group portrait of a few individuals. On a DC 15 History check, The party will recognize three of the six individuals from left to right: Heian standing in full armor covering his face, the former king sitting in the chair, and the current king standing next to the former king. Player's from the country have advantage on the roll. There are three individuals unrecognizable that you can use to insert a player's background. If asked about the portrait, Heian will explain that during his days on duty he was tasked with protection of the king who performed missions during the war with that group. The three other characters will typically be a bard, cleric, and wizard.

On a DC 18 perception check for things in the room, the player will notice an unusual looking object. It is a small box that cannot be opened, however there is the sound of something inside when shaken. Heian will add that he has tried breaking it but it does not seem to even dent when hitting it with his sword. If they ask the elder he will tell them it was a gift from the previous king for his aid in the war. The elder does not know what exactly it is so if the players question him he will continue to say he has no idea. He will not part with it either if the players ask to buy it. If the players ask to inspect it, on a DC 25 arcana check they will know that the item is very helpful for dealing with true resurrection rituals but that is all they will gather.

When the party asks for details regarding the missing poster, Heian will inform them that the individual's name is Aust Hanali. He would make treks frequently to gather supplies to teach the children of the village. He has heard of the goblin ambushes and will tell the party he thinks the teacher may have been captured. Heian offers a reward of 50gp and unrestricted access to Elf's Haven upon safe return of Aust.

Elf's Haven Guard

Medium, Any Good Alignment

Armor Class 16 (elven chain mail)

Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)

Speed 35 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 14 (+2)

Skills Perception +4, Investigation +2, Insight +4

Senses Darkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 12

Languages Common, Elvish

Challenge 2 and 450 XP

Actions

Multiattack. The Guard makes 2 attacks. If the guard has a shortsword equipped in the off hand, they can make an additional attack with it as a bonus action.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage or 6 (1d10+1) slashing damage.

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.

Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range (80/320 ft.), one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range (150/600 ft.), one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.

Abilities

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.

Spellcasting. The Guard is a 4th level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The guard has the following spells prepared.

Cantrips (At will): Thaumturgy, Friends, Message, Thorn Whip

1st level (4 slots): command, comprehend languages, entangle

2nd level (3 slots): hold person, healing spirit

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)

What The Elf's Haven has to Offer

The Elf's Haven is a small village near the outskirts of the country. As a result, most of what they have to offer comes from the land around them.

There is a blacksmith that is able to make elven chain mail, which functions like regular chain mail, except it does not have the penalty of disadvantage on stealth checks while worn, nor a strength requirement. He also sells all simple and martial weapons as well as shields and armors. He can also create magic weapons, armor, and items on request. He can contract the players to fetch metals and other materials as those are scare in the wilderness.
There is a small tavern which also functions as a small inn as well as a supply shop. Players can acquire common adventuring gear items as well as other basic necessities. An item whose components contain material that is hard to be found in the wilderness, may be more expensive than usual.
There is a small magic shop which spells primarily spells scrolls as well as materials for spell components.
There is an apothecary that sells healing potions at a 50% discount and can be contracted to make other potions for a price and large amount of time. Her stock must be refilled and so when players buy potions, quite a bit of time must pass for the shop to restock.
If you haven't given them access to the maps or they haven't ventured to seek a map maker, Maximillion the map maker, a half elf, resides here and has maps of almost all of the cities and towns in Altiora. He can be contracted to draw maps of different locations that he doesn't have maps for already.
The guards will be particularly friendly towards the PCs as they helped a respected member of the community, Aust, as well as the elder. The guards can be persuaded to teach the PCs some of their techniques (spells, weapon proficiencies, anything you find appropriate) as well as give access to their training grounds.
At the base of the mountain, Trenpawa Peak, there is a running flow of water that the villagers get their water supply from. The flow of the water is tiered in that there a small ledges that create layers for how the water trickles down. The bottom layer is what is used for cleaning in such. The water that comes from this mountain is able to provide healing effects. A player that resides in the water for 10 minutes is able to use a number of hit dice equal to their remaining hit dice to heal themselves. These hit dice are not expended. Furthermore, drinking this water grants a d12 + the player's constitution modifier of temporary hp for the day. A player can only benefit from this feature once per long rest. Furthermore, the water loses it potency after some time determined by you, the DM, making bottling large amounts of the water wasted effort.

Ambush!

While trying to find the goblin den, the party will come across the bodies of 3 dead guards. What they don't know is that 5 goblins and 1 hobgoblin are currently hiding and waiting to ambush anybody who finds the bodies. Roll a stealth check for the goblins and if a player's passive perception is greater than or equal to the roll, the goblins lose their surprise round. If the players can capture a goblin, they can bargain for the location of the den. If all the goblins but one are dead, it will flee toward the den. At the end of this battle, the party with reach level 3.

What the goblin knows

The goblin will tell them there are 20 creatures in the den including their leader, Hakim(Change race to one that has darkvision), and his second in command, Thrakus. The goblin will also tell them how to get to the den from their current location. If the party asks why the goblins are ambushing people, it will tell the party that this is how they sustain themselves and they've been successfully doing this for quite some time. On a DC 10 insight check, the party will know that the goblin is hiding information. The party can coerce the information out of the goblin on a DC 5 intimidation check or a DC 15 persuasion check. On a success, the goblin will tell that party that at the entrance to the den, three hobgoblins are hidden and watching for intruders.

To the Den

If the party kills all the combatants, they will need to track down the location of the den. On a DC 5 investigation check, the party will recognize this as the den's stage for ambushes with the tree falling over by force instead of organically. Looking around the area, the party will find a trail leading northeast. On a DC 10 survival check, the party will see several different creature's footprints: goblins, hobgoblins, dragonborn, and human. There will also be a couple of drag marks, indicating that people have been dragged in that direction.

The goblins have left a trap for any pursuers but given the nature of being goblins, they are not well hidden. On a DC 5 perception check, the party will notice a snare trap that can be easily avoided. Should a player step into the trap, they can be lowered safely with time. However, if another play decides to be crass about it, the trapped player takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall.

The Den

Area 1 and 2

If the players had kept a goblin prisoner alive and extracted information about the three hobgoblins, they will arrive in area 2 in the wooded area and make a stealth check against the hobgoblins passive perception. Otherwise they will arrive in area 1. You may choose for it to be a group check or individual checks.

3 hobgoblins lie in wait in the clearing of area 2, looking toward area 1 for any intruders. If the players were successful on their stealth check, they will have a surprise round.

If the party arrives in area 1, unless they had previously made a stealth check, the hobgoblins will see them. They will wait until a member reaches the end of the tree line before they begin to start firing. On a DC 15 perception check, the party will notice the hobgoblins in the clearing. The party can choose to rush forward and kill them or backtrack and come around to ambush those 3 hobgoblins. If they choose the latter, follow the intial setup from the first two paragraphs with the addendum that the stealth check is with disadvantage since the hobgoblins are now on high alert.

When a fight breaks out, no one inside the cave will hear the noise as the flow of the water in the cave is very loud do to the echoing. A hobgoblin must leave the fight to go warn others in the cave about the intruders. A hobgoblin will only leave if its other two allies have died.