Finding Floon - Waterdeep Dragon Heist, Chapter 2

Kem Hearthfire was eating a lunch at the Yawning Portal. In walked her friend and adopted half-orc sibling Push-ta Tok, accompanied by an elf dressed like a dwarf, a human priest of Helm, and the tallest beefiest prettiest eladrin she had ever seen. 

Push-ta came right to her table, "Good, I thought we'd find you here. Okay, here's what's happened so far."

"Last night, we were hired by famed explorer and author Volotham Geddarm to find his friend Floon Blagmaar - whom he feared had been kidnapped. During our investigation, we soon discovered that Floon had indeed been kidnapped, mistakenly as it turned out, by members of the Zhentarim Syndicate. We tracked the kidnappers to their hideout only to stumble across the scene of an assassination.

"After defeating the kenku assassins, we found Ranear Neverember, son of powerful nobleman Lord Neverember. Ranear had been spending the evening with Floon and was with him when they were kidnapped. The kidnappers had mistaken Floon for Ranear. Ranear managed to escape and hide when the kenku attacked. Some of the kenku left with Floon before we arrived, saying something about following the yellow marks in the sewers.

"Soon afterwards the Watch arrived to escort Ranear home. 

"I know where they took Floon, or at least where they entered the sewer - don't ask. We're getting ready to go in and save him.

"Anyway, we're gonna need some more help. There's 22 gold dragons in it for you if you help us. So, what do you say?"

Kem stared dumbfounded at her friend and his new acquaintances as they breathlessly awaited her reply. She closed her eyes and took a breath. She carefully wiped her mouth with a napkin and picked a small bit of meat out of her tusk and flicked it away. 

"Okay. I'm in."

CHAPTER 2

"FINDING FLOON"

The Adventurers:

• Winterfrost of House Silverspear - Neutral Good Moon Elf Noble and Fighter. The daughter of elven diplomats, raised among dwarves.
  
• Etlenda, aka "Exile" - Neutral Good Eladrin Outlander and Paladin. Exiled from the feywild and raised by wolves. While exploring the Feydark he crossed over into the Underdark and emerged into the Mortal World.
• Tempus Vegvisir - Lawful Good Human Trade Sheriff and Cleric of Helm.
• Push-ta Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Former Smuggler and Rogue.
• Kem Hearthfire - Chaotic Good Half-Orc Former Gladiator Priestess of Gond.

DM- Kem's player missed last week so we quickly added her to the party. There was some discussion about whether they needed a long rest or not but they decided that rapid action was called for. So after a short rest - they ventured into the sewers of Waterdeep!

Navigating the Sewers

Push-ta led the party back to Candle Lane. He quickly found a grate in the street which served as a maintenance access point to the city's euphemistically named "Stormwater Drainage System". The smell was terrible. 

Push-ta explained to the others, "This is where they entered. We just have to follow the yellow marks to the drop point."

"How do you know this?" inquired Tempus. 

"That's not important. Hurry. There's no time!"

The party descended the shaft until they stood in a narrow tunnel. A stream of yellow-brown liquid flowed down a brick-lined channel. The tunnel's cross-section was shaped like a seed, round at the top and tapering towards the bottom. It was just tall enough for a short man to stand erect - the party members were forced to crouch. A single person could easily touch both side walls with their hands. 

Push-ta located a yellow chalk drawing of a circle with ten radial lines, "This way."

Gazer Guard

They traversed the sewers in single file, following the trail of chalk circles with radiating lines, for nearly an hour. Despite the pitch darkness, the elf, eladrin, and two half-orcs were able to see as in by dim moonlight. Even the human, invoking his faith of his god, was able to navigate the gloom. 

They approached a Y-shaped intersection. Through the dim shadows they could see the silhouette of a floating orb about the size of a grapefruit.  Winterfrost forged ahead in an attempt to move past it. She was suddenly grabbed by an invisible force that attempted to push her away. She fought against it! She then felt a tinge of fear overcome her. She grit her teeth and pushed past it. 

The orb revealed itself have one large fist-sized eye in its center and four smaller eye-stalks. It was a lesser beholder-kin known as a gazer! 

Kem Hearthfire stepped forward and called down holy vengeance upon the aberration in the form of sacred fire from above but the gazer dodged aside. 

The gazer once again tried to push Winterfrost away but she stood her ground. Kem Hearthfire felt a feeling of friendship and belonging with the gazer - but she overcame those false emotions - the gazer was her enemy!

Etlenda charged the creature, slashing it with this sword, while Winterfrost shot a whip of lightning from her hammer. The lightning missed and the gazer chuckled its glee. 

Suddenly a miraculous bell pealed, summoned forth by Tempus' holy wrath. The gazer vibrated, its eye balls rolling. It was shaken! Kem followed with a prayer of her own, smiting the beast with sacred flame. The holy radiance caused the floating eyeball monster to wither and die like a grape into a raisin. 

Xanathar's Guild Hideout

The party came to a T-shaped intersection. There was a platform built into the tunnel passage to the left leading to a door. As they moved past, goblin archers loosed arrows from narrow windows in the brick wall on either side of the intersection. 

Etlenda moved in front of one of the arrow slits and covered it with his shield while Push-ta ran towards the door. 

Winterfrost, Kem, and Tempus jockeyed to look into the other arrow slit. Kem called down sacred fire on the goblin archer within. The goblin yelled and retreated through a rear door. 

Push-ta moved quickly through the door and down the hallway to the other goblin's position. He and Winterfrost soon had the goblin cornered. The goblin threw down his bow and surrendered. Push-ta hit the goblin on the head with his hammer, knocking the creature unconscious.

Winterfrost bound and gagged the goblin in a nearby store room while the rest of the party caught up. They descended some stairs and turned right. The corridor led to an unoccupied room filled with primitive beds. Winterfrost and Etlenda moved to the next door on the far wall. 

They could hear the sound of men arguing while moving heavy furniture. 

The Situation

Winterfrost threw open the door and the party charged into the room ready for battle. Instead of an ambush they a dwarf with lumpy grey skin and spiked hair helping the bald thug who started the altercation at the Yawning Portal the night before. They were desperately stacking beds and furniture against a door in the back corner of the room. A lantern in the corner illuminated the room. The bald man said, "Zemk, it's not working!" The gray dwarf angrily shot back, "Dammit, Krentz, I KNOW!"

The pair turned to see the intruders and the grey-skinned dwarf shouted exasperatedly, "Don't just stand there! DO SOMETHING!"

The bald man said, "Wait, who are you?"

Winterfrost spoke in Undercommon, the trade tongue of the Underdark, "We're here to help. What's the problem?"

The bald mad eyed them warily. The grey dwarf paused in thought. Suddenly what looked like wet cement began oozing around the door. 

The dwarf replied in Undercommon, "Its a griseous putrescence from the bowels of the Earth - it welled up from the black pits through our bloody latrine!"

DM- Winterfrost rolled a 7 on her Deception but the duergar rolled a 6 on his Insight. 

Winterfrost assured the dwarf, which she knew to be a duergar, a type of dwarf native to the Underdark, that she and her companions were here to help. In Common speech, she told her companions to prepare to fight a gray ooze. She ordered the pair to step away from the door. 

Push-ta readied his wooden greatclub and prepared himself. The duergar and the bald man retreated from the door. The door flew open and a heavy lump of animated wet cement burst out, falling upon Push-ta. 

The metal rivets in Push-ta's studded leather began to melt under the corrosive acid secreted by the gray ooze. Push-ta slammed his greatclub into the semi-solid mass of the ooze. Etlenda loosed an arrow into the mass, piercing its thick membrane. 

Tempus pointed at the gray mass and a sonorous bell pealed, causing the ooze to vibrate chaotically before exploding, sending fist sized gray clumps spattering against the wall. 

The Jig is Up

The duergar offered his thanks and spoke to Winterfrost in Undercommon, "My name is Zemk. This is Krentz. How does an elf come to speak the language of the Underdark? You are not drow."

Winterfrost replied that she had grown up among dwarves and had spent much of her life underground, including expeditions into the Underdark. In fact, that was where she had met her companion Etlenda. 

Krentz interjected, "Wait! I know you! You were at the Yawning Portal last night! You're with the Zhentarim!" 

Winterfrost was taken by surprise, "I assure you, sir, we are not."

"Lies! You and your friends here jumped to the aid of that Zhentarim assassin, Yagra! She probably sent you here to kill us!"

Etlenda said, "No, we're just looking for someone."

"Liars!" Krentz drew his short sword and attacked Push-ta, who had shoved him the night before. 

Tempus smashed Krentz with his warhammer. Push-ta swung his heavy club, knocking Krentz unconscious.

Zemk put his fists together and shouted the magic phrase, "Anuk Chock!" and became the size of a giant! 

Kem responded with a prayer to bless her weapon with white-hot holy radiance. 

Tempus attacked Zemk, Push-ta struck him in the back of his giant leg, knocking him to one knee. Etlenda followed up with a savage slap against the giant duergar's face with the flat of his longsword. Zemk fell to the floor, unconscious, and reverted to his normal dwarven size.

The party bound them both, putting Zemk in the previous room on a bed but leaving Krentz in the latrine from whence the gray ooze emerged. 

Boss Fight

The party navigated a long corridor and entered into a well-lit room decorated with tapestries on the walls. Several lanterns provided illumination. 

On the floor in the center of the room lay a good looking man with red hair - he was wearing once fashionable clothes, now torn, matching the description of Floon Blagmaar. Floon was lying face down on the floor, tied and gagged. He had been beaten and tortured. A half-orc wizard stood over him, his foot on Floon's back.

A goblin wielding a short bow stood by an set of double-doors on the right. He pointed to the intruders and said, "See? I told you Zemk and Krentz would be useless!"

In the back of the room, on a throne-like chair placed upon a raised platform, sat a humanoid figure with clammy purple skin, his head looked like an octopus with writhing tentacles around his mouth and chin. He wore dark leathery robes and a mask with goggled eyes. In his left hand he carried a walking stick - the top of which resembled a large eyeball. In his lap sat a strange four-legged creature the size of a small dog - the creature's body looked like a large brain with four legs! 

DM - Tempus' player interrupted - "Wait! Isn't that like a level 17 creature or something??" I said, "Yep." The players were starting to get nervous.

The half-orc wizard glared at the intruders, then turned back to the alien creature sitting on the throne - "Sire! How was I to know this was not the Open Lord's son? Allow me to rectify this grave error! Allow me to slay these interlopers!"

The alien creature stood from his throne and put his pet brain-with-legs onto the floor with a tiny pat, "Very well, Grum'shar. You may deal with these vermin whilst I apprise the Master of the new circumstances."

The alien creature seemed to glide across the room to the exit on the right. He opened the door and closed it behind him as he left. 

DM - The players said, "Wait! He has a MASTER?" They were really starting to get nervous.

Grum'shar the wizard stepped towards the party, put his thumbs together with his fingers pointed outward, and a wall of fire erupted from his hands, engulfing the party!

Intellect Devoured

The party, who had been clumped together around the entrance into the room, was badly burned. 

Tempus retaliated with his warhammer, slamming it hard into Grum'shar's chest. 

The goblin loosed an arrow but missed.

Etlenda slashed at the wizard with his longsword but the Grum'shar quickly raised a magical shield which deflected the attack! Kem drew down sacred flame but Grum'shar nimbly dodged out of its way. Winterfrost's warhammer was likewise deflected by the magical barrier.

Push'ta aimed his crossbow and loosed a bolt, striking Grum'shar. The wizard fell!

Suddenly, Etlenda grasped his head in great pain. He buckled to his knees and fell to the ground! It was evident that the creature resembling the brain with legs was responsible for this psychic assault.

Tempus turned his attention to the brain-creature, attacking it with his warhammer. 

The goblin, meanwhile, continued to harry the party with his arrows. Winterfrost took an arrow and fell to the ground!  

Kem knelt next to Etlenda and bestowed a miracle of healing. 

DM - What follows is the actual conversation.

Kem's player: "I cast Spare the Dying on Etlenda"

Etlenda's player: "Don't you have any healing spells left?"

Kem's player: "I have one. I was going to use it on Winterfrost."

Etlenda's player: "Shouldn't you have two slots? What happened to the other?"

Winterfrost's player: "She used it to do 1 point of damage in the last fight!"

Etlenda's player: "Ah, ((sarcastically)) well that was 1 point of damage well spent!"

Other players: "ha ha ha!"

Kem's player: "Yeah, well, I thought he was going to be a tougher opponent."

Etlenda's player: "Sure. Well, if I might suggest - if you use your last spell slot on me, I can heal others so they can fight. If you just Spare the Dying, I stay unconscious."

Kem's player: "Good point. Very well."

Etlenda gasped as he regained consciousness. He got up and pointed at Winterfrost. Winterfrost, in turn, regained consciousness and sprang to her feet. 

The brain-creature attacked Tempus with its claws and the cleric fell to the ground. Kem then clutched her head and reeled from its psychic attack but was able to fight it off.

Etlenda pierced the brain-creature with his sword, killing it, while Kem prayed for Tempus' safety. 

The goblin loosed one more arrow, missing, before it turned and fled through the double doors behind it.

Etlenda restored Tempus to consciousness while Winterfrost and Kem cracked the door to peek into the next room. They could hear the echoing foot-falls of the goblin as it ran away down other corridors. The room was otherwise empty save for a strange column in the center of the room carved with mystic runes. In the middle of the column, about chest high, was a spherical indentation.

Push-ta examined behind the tapestry to the left and found a small room with a loose flagstone on the floor. He removed the flagstone and found a rough-hewn tunnel. 

"Hey! I found a tunnel! Should I check it out?"

Etlenda said, "We are getting Floon and leaving - IMMEDIATELY!"

Winterfrost closed the door and returned to help Etlenda carry Floon, "We do not want to find out what squid-face calls MASTER!"

"But- but- SECRET TUNNEL!" cried Push-ta.

Tempus picked Grum'shar's satchel off the floor, "Come on, let's go!" 

As they retraced their steps into the sewer, they were once again plunged into darkness. Tempus touched Floon's forehead and bestowed upon him the miracle of night vision. 

A Good Deed

The party, with a grateful Floon, emerged from the sewers over an hour later. They took no chances and returned to the place they entered. They smelled terrible - covered as they were in sewage and blood. Floon knew a nearby bathhouse where they could wash up and change their clothes. 

The party found Volotham Geddarm sitting at the Yawning Portal at the appointed time. They presented Floon. Volo and Floon shared a happy reunion and Volo was grateful that his young friend was safe. 

Volo, smiling, turned to the party. His smile turned into embarrassment as he patted himself down. “The advance for my next manuscript is a little late and I confess that I have but few coins to spare. But never let it be said that Volo reneges on a promise. Allow me to present something much more valuable.” He holds out a scroll tube. “The deed to a remarkable property here in Waterdeep! We'll need a magistrate to witness the transfer of ownership. I'll arrange a meeting with one after you've inspected the estate and deemed it satisfactory.” 

The party agreed, pending an inspection of the property. 

Trollskull Manor

The next day the party met Volo at the location of the property - a magnificent if run-down old abandoned manor house in the North Ward. The four-story house was once the home of a tavern on the main floor. 

Volo said, "I purchased the property several months ago while doing research for my next book - Volo's Guide to Spirits. I finished my book and no longer need the property."

Kem asked, "Is it haunted?"

Volo replied, "It's a magnificent property. You won't be disappointed."

Etlenda said, "That's not a no."

Tempus added, "'Volo's Guide to Spirits' you say?"

Winterfrost was practically giddy, "WE'LL TAKE IT!"

The magistrate, a tiefling named Kylynne Silmerhelve, produced the deed and title transfer paperwork, "Everything has been prepared. If you are ready, please sign and provide a drop of your blood." She put a needle onto the end of her finger. 

Everyone signed the transfer title and provided a drop of blood, which Silverhelve collected in small glass vials. She closed her eyes and whispered a small incantation. Thunder could be heard rolling faintly and far away. She opened her eyes and smiled, "The pact is sealed. The property be thine."

"Uh," asked Kem, "What was the blood for?"

"That is for my OWN use." the tiefling replied cryptically, "Good day."

"Excellent!" said Volo, "So, when I write about you, what should I call you? What's the name of your team?"

The team looked at each other - were they a team now? Well, they met yesterday and now they owned a house together! 

There were a few half-hearted suggestions and a few facetious non-suggestions.  

"The Gang of Five?"

"The Mystic Force Five?"

"Spite Pirates?"

There was a collective shrug.

"Oh come now, I wish to record your exploits in my next book, and I'm facing a deadline."

Etlenda said, "Its the kind of thing we really should grow into. We just met yesterday."

There was a thump from behind them.  Volo's new manuscript was mysteriously lying open on the bar top. Its pages turned, flip - flip - flip, and landed on an entry:

POLTERGEISTS

Volo clapped his hands, "I've got it! I shall call you the Trollskull Manor Mystics!"

The manuscript slammed shut angrily. An invisible force threw it onto the floor.

TO BE CONTINUED

DM - The party leveled up and started making plans for their new home. They were very excited about having a base of operations and the feedback so far has been that they really enjoy this campaign. 

A Friend in Need - Waterdeep Dragon Heist, Chapter 1

"May we join you?" asked the young moon elf. She had long straight white hair and light blue skin. She carried herself with grace and nobility. With her stood a high elf, tall and powerfully built, and a human priest, proud and a little imperious. 

"No, please. Have a seat" said the half-orc sitting alone at the table. "Pleased to meet you. The name's Push-ta. Push-ta Tok."

"Greetings, Push-ta. I am Winterfrost. My companions are Etlenda - you may call him Exile - and Tempus. We are new to Waterdeep."

"Me too. I used to be a fisherman of sorts. Had a bad run of luck and I find meself here."

The human eyed him suspiciously. 

Push-ta tried to change the subject, "What brings you to Waterdeep?"

Exile said, "We, too, are looking for some employment."

Tempus added, "I told them that Waterdeep was the destination for those with a sword to sell. I myself heard that there was no better place to be than the Yawning Portal."

"Swords to sell, eh? And what is it you do then sir?" asked Push-ta.

"I'm a Road Sheriff," replied Tempus, "I help protect the Trade Way from bandits and root out smugglers. Exile was a caravan guard - that is how I made his acquaintance."

Push-ta nearly choked on his beer, "A- a road sheriff you say?"

"Yes, but I am also a husband and a father, and an initiate in the holy mysteries of Helm, god of protectors. I wish to sell my services as a healer and defender so that I might better support my family."

"So, yer not on duty then?" inquired Push-ta warily.

"No. Why?"

"N-no reason at all," deflected the half-orc. 

A commotion arose at the next table over, “Ya pig! Like killin' me mates, does ya?” 

A seven-foot-tall half-orc woman was hit by a wild, swinging punch from a human man. The man's shaved head was covered with eye-shaped tattoos. Four other men stood behind him, ready to jump into the fray. The half-orc cracked her knuckles, roared, and leaped at the tattooed figure.

Push-ta got up out of his chair, "Welcome to the Yawning Portal!"

CHAPTER 1

"A FRIEND IN NEED"

The Adventurers:

• Winterfrost of House Silverspear - Neutral Good Moon Elf Noble and Fighter.
  
• Etlenda, aka "Exile" - Neutral Good Eladrin Outlander and Paladin.
• Tempus Vegvisir - Lawful Good Human Trade Sheriff and Cleric of Helm
• Push-ta Tok - Neutral Half-Orc Smuggler and Rogue.

DM- Thus begins our new long-term D&D campaign set in the Forgotten Realms, specifically the city of Waterdeep. I'll be running Waterdeep Dragon Heist for the first five levels, then switching over to Dungeon of the Mad Mage after that. 

Tavern Brawl

Someone in the bar shouted "Fight!" and a cheering crowd formed quickly around the altercation. 

Push-ta stood up from his seat and shoved the bald man back. One of his associates tried to punch the half-orc.  Exile disappeared in a smash flash, reappearing behind one of the thugs. Exile cut a towering muscular figure. He glowered over the thugs and demanded they stop. The thugs ignored him and kept fighting.

Winterfrost stood from her bench and tried to resolve the situation with words. She, too, was ignored. Tempus stood and held his badge of office high - declaring himself a road warden of the Trade Way. The thugs paused momentarily at that information. The half-orc woman stood back with her hands held palms up. She smiled, baring her tusks.

The bald fighter became enraged and swung wildly at Push-ta, pummeling him. Push-ta shoved him back again into a nearby stone wall. 

The half-orc woman took advantage of the situation and lunged forward, decking the bald thug. The bald thug fell down, unconscious. The throng cheers in delight.

"All right! That's it! Out!" The bartender's shout suddenly quiets the room. The human gang-members pick their bald leader off the floor and carry him out. The half-orc woman rubs her fist and smiles. She looks over at Push-ta, "Thanks. The name's Yagra."

The two had barely exchanged a smile before someone in the crowd screamed.

Troll and Friends

The crowd quickly dispersed, backing away from the center of the room and towards the walls. A large green humanoid creature with long lanky limbs and warty green skin crawled up out of the forty-foot wide pit in the center of the room from which the Yawning Portal got its name.

The bartender shouted a warning, "Troll!" and grabbed an ornate sword off the wall behind him. He leaped over the bar, sword in hand, and charged the beast.  

The troll was covered in small bat-winged creatures- like someone crossed a bat, a mosquito, and a rat.  They clung to the troll like ticks on a dog. Several of the small creatures - known as stirges - dislodged themselves and flew around the room as the troll bellowed. 

One of the stirges latched onto Push-ta, piercing his skin with its log proboscis. Push-ta grabbed the creature and ripped it away, hurling it to the floor. 

Winterfrost picked up a two-handed warhammer and attacked the troll.

The bartender entered the fight in a frenzy of sword cuts and thrusts with his amazing blade. The troll reeled from the onslaught. Exile drew his longsword and likewise attacked the troll.

Tempus pointed at one of the stirges and the room filled with the peal of a bell. The stirge shuddered and exploded.

Push-ta drew his dagger and stabbed the stirge that had attacked him.

The troll roared and slashed the bartender with its claws.  The bartender counterattacked with another flurry of attacks, severing the troll's arm. The troll roared in pain and fell to the ground.

The bartender said, "Can any of you produce some flame? We need to burn this troll, quickly!"

Exile grabbed an oil lamp off of one of the bar's tables and hurled it onto the dead troll, setting it on fire. 

The bartender shouted, "Quickly! Help me drag it over towards the pit and toss it back!"

The troll's arm continued to move on its own volition, grasping Push-ta and sinking its claws into his flesh. 

Tempus smashed another oil lamp onto the wooden floor of the bar near where Push-ta was standing, setting the floor on fire, "Push-ta, throw the arm into the fire!"

Exile and the bartender were heaving the burning bulk of the troll towards the pit, "Could you maybe please stop setting my bar on fire and help me throw this back into the pit?"

"Sorry!"

Winterfrost took careful aim to avoid hitting Push-ta and smacked the severed arm with her warhammer. Push-ta managed to wrestle the arm over towards the edge of the pit where he pulled it away and threw it into the dark abyss. 

Exile and the bartender likewise heaved the troll's body into the dark void. 

The bartender stood and regarded his assistants. He gave them the subtlest of nods and said, matter of factly, "You fought well. Now help me put out these fires."

MeetingVolo

The crowd clapped a little at the defeat of the troll. Afterwards the crowd dispersed and returned to whatever it was they were doing before the brawl. One man slow-clapped as he approached the group. 

The portly man wore an over-sized floppy hat and a scarf, his handle-bar moustache was well oiled. He smiled, "Well done! Well done! You acquitted yourself handsomely, I dare say! You are adventurers for hire, aren't you? I can tell! You have a look about you! Greetings! I am Volothamp Geddarm, chronicler, wizard, and celebrity, at your service. You've- ," he paused, "-probably heard of me. In any case. I could use your help. Let's find a table to talk, shall we?"

They invited the man to join their table. "What can we do for you?" asked Tempus.

"I trust you've noted the violence in our fair city these past tendays. I haven't seen so much blood since my last visit to Baldur's Gate! But now I fear I have misplaced a friend amid this odious malevolence."

He took a drink from his tankard before continuing.

“My friend's name is Floon Blagmaar. He's got more beauty than brains, and I worry he took a bad way home a couple nights ago and was kidnapped—or worse. If you agree to track him down with all due haste, I can offer you ten dragons now, and I can give you ten times that when you find Floon. May I prevail upon you in my hour of need? "

The team agreed. 

Volo described his friend, "Floon is a handsome man in his early thirties with wavy red-blond hair. He was dressed in princely garb when I last saw him. Two nights ago, before Floon disappeared, we were drinking and merrymaking at the Skewered Dragon, a dark, bawdy tavern in the Dock Ward. I recommend that you start your search there."

"What does Floon do for a living?"

Volo cleared his throat in embarrassment, "Well, you see, my good friend Floon was, you might say, in the business of making friends, if you catch my meaning. The Skewered Dragon is a favorite haunt of his and he can be found there every night. It is very unlike him to fail to appear two days in a row. I have become very worried about his well being and I would be terribly ashamed if any harm came to him as a consequence of our acquaintance." 

"We'll take the job. We'll start tomorrow morning."

Finding Floon

That party purchased rooms for the night at the Yawning Portal. The following morning they hiked down Snail street, marveling the sheer size and diversity of the city of Waterdeep.

DM - Seriously, the players were very impressed just looking at the map. I drew them a path from the Yawning Portal down Snail Street to Fillet Lane. Mike Schley's excellent and detailed map did a great job of putting them in the scene of a huge fantasy city in the morning.

Blood in the Streets

As they turned a corner, they found yourselves on a street that had been cordoned off by the City Watch. Lying on the cobblestones were a half-dozen corpses, the victims of what looked like a gang battle. Watch officers had already disarmed and held three blood-drenched gang members in custody. Several officers were in the midst of questioning witnesses. One of the officers noticed the group eying the scene. “Get on,” she said, waving them past,“Nothing to see here.”

Old Xoblob Shop

The Dock Ward of Waterdeep consisted of tall, densely packed tenements. The narrow streets were darkened by shadow, even during the day. The smell of salt air and excrement lingered in the air as the party passed by rows of run-down buildings.

One shop, however, stood out. On the corner of Zastrow Street and Fillet Lane was a well kept store with a purple façade. Within the display window hung a massive taxidermy beholder. A sign out front declared "Old Xoblob Shop".

Exile said, "Okay, I have to check this out real quick." The party followed the eladrin into the shop.

Within they found a collection of curios and trinkets, useless odds and ends and what appeared to be junk and trash. The shop smelled of lavender and a purplish haze from the proprietor's pipe smoke hung in the air. 

The proprietor was an old deep gnome with a bald head. Upon his cheeks were painted nine purple eyes. “Hail and well met! Come browse the shelves of the most curious curiosity shop in the world!”

The party looked around the shop, almost purchasing an old dirty sock said to belong to an ancient hero about which nothing was known. They eventually left having purchased nothing.

The Skewered Dragon

The party crossed the street and entered the dark alley between Net Street and Fillet Lane. They found the Skewered Dragon, a decrepit old building with smashed windows and a ship's anchor lodged in the roof.

They entered and were taken aback by the smell of stale beer and possibly urine. Two old sailors sat at a table drinking a mid-morning beer. The bartender was a middle-aged sailor with a bald head and a pear-shaped body. He was missing one hand. When the party asked about Floon, he mumbled, replying that Floon wasn't there. When they asked about the events of two nights ago, he shrugged.

The two old-timers spoke up, "You lookin' fer the pretty boy? He ain't here right now!"

His friend guffawed, "Haw!"

"Where is he?" inquired Tempus.

The old timer made it clear that his tankard was empty. Tempus purchased them a round.

"He left what two nights ago and ain't been back since. Ain't like a fella in his line of work."

"Haw!"

"Did he leave with somebody?" continued Tempus.

Again, another empty tankard. Tempus blinked and paid for another round. 

"He was here with that Volo feller what writes them books. Got himself a bit in his cups, he did. After Volo left he met up with that rich feller what comes slummin."

"What's his name?" asked Tempus.

"Never remember." said the old sailor.

"You can't remember?" Tempus reached into his coin sack.

"No! Neverember! Ranaer Neverember's his name!"

"Son of the old Open Lord, he is!" bellowed his friend.

"The what?"

"The Open Lord, the only member of the Waterdeep Council who don't wear no mask!"

"The wee feller's a chip off the old block!" shouted the friend.

"Just another spoiled, rich noble who likes to rub our noses in it, more like! Comin' down here and slummin in his peasant's clothes. Like he's one of us!"

"What happened?" inquired Tempus.

"Oh, right. Anyway, The two drank and played a few rounds of Three-Dragon Ante before leaving around midnight. They got up to leave. Then those other fellers got up and followed them out."

"What other fellows?" asked Tempus.

"Five mean lookin' pieces of work. Followed them right out the door, like they had business with them two!"

"Business! Har har!" bellowed the friend.

"Anyways, if you want to talk to them fellers, you can find them usually hanging out at a warehouse on Candle Lane."

"Hanging out, he says! Har har!"

"Head up to Candle Lane, look for a warehouse with a black snake painted on the door. You'll find them fellers sure enough."

Candle Lane

They party went up Zastrow Lane, stopping briefly to purchase the fabled sock, and found Candle Lane.

DM- I thought for sure they'd ask the old gnome if he saw anything that night. But nope!

They found the back of the warehouse in question. The doors were closed and the windows were painted black. No one was visible. They went around to the front of the warehouse on the Way of the Dragon. They knocked on the front door but no one answered.

"Should we just go in?" asked Winterfrost.

"I'm an official Road Sheriff," replied Tempus, "I say this is probable cause for a search." He tried the door. It was swollen and difficult to open but it was unlocked and opened with a shove.

Trouble in the Warehouse

They entered the vestibule of the warehouse. They moved out of the vestibule and towards the back - into the large warehouse area. They found themselves on the upper balcony level with small piles of boxes stacked chaotically every few feet. It was dark but everyone in the party was accustomed to seeing through the gloom. 

Push-ta explored the balcony straight ahead and looked down into the warehouse floor below. Meanwhile Exile and Winterfrost went down the stairs to the right, followed by Tempus.

In the center of the warehouse were several tables and chairs that had been knocked over by a fight. Along the back wall were the bodies of a dozen dead men - piled against the wall as if dragged there and arranged.

At the bottom of the stairs Winterfrost was suddenly attacked by a feathered man-like creature with the head of a crow - it wore dark clothes with a hood pulled up over the back of its black-beaked face. 

The man-crow quickly disappeared behind a tall stack of boxes in the middle of the room. Winterfrost hefted her warhammer and gave chase. 

Exile reached the bottom of the stairs but was likewise attacked by another man-crow hiding in the shadows! Exile fought bravely against the creature but fell before its blade. 

Tempus rushed down the stairs and said a quick prayer of healing for the eladrin. The man-crow stabbed at Tempus. The short sword would have pierced Tempus' heart had he not turned the blade at the last moment, breaking his own sword to do so.

DM- I use a house rule I saw online somewhere that allows players to sacrifice a shield or weapon in order to turn a critical into a regular hit or a regular hit into a miss. This was the first time that rule had ever been invoked. 

Push-ta could see the man-crow that was hiding behind the boxes from Winterfrost. He loosed some bolts at the man-crows with his crossbow but missed. He threw his crossbow to the ground, drew his dagger, and leaped off the balcony onto the pile of boxes below. He jumped badly but the wooden crates filled with hammers broke his fall. He stood up and helped Winterfrost slay the creature.

A third man-crow loosed a shortbow's arrow at Push-ta. The arrow struck the half-orc and he fell unconscious. The third man-crow then ran the perimeter of the warehouse to get a better shot at Winterfrost. 

Winterfrost turned and flicked her hand. A bolt of lightning shot out like a lasso, wrapping around the man-crow's body. She pulled, dragging the man-crow back towards her.

With Tempus' help, Wintefrost slew the man-crow that she had drawn towards her with her lightning lasso.  

Tempus, meanwhile, said a prayer of healing for Push-ta who regained his feet and killed the 

A fourth man-crow emerged from hiding and attacked Exile from the hidden back of the warehouse. Exile made short work of the newcomer and the room was soon pacified.

Storage Closet

While the others were inspecting the bodies of the dead man-crows as well as the other corpses lined along the wall, Exile searched the warehouse for any clue of Floon. 

He opened the door of the storage closet under the stairs and found a man hiding underneath a pile of mops. He was a handsome man in his late twenties wearing the clothes of a very fashionable peasant. 

"Don't- don't kill me!" begged the man.

"Are you Floon Blagmaar?" asked Exile.

"No! Is he okay? Where is he?"

The man came out of the storage closet. He introduced himself as Ranaer Neverember. In addition to his unconvincing attempt at humble peasant's clothing - Ranaer's cultured and articulate speech belied his noble upbringing.

Ranaer recounted how he had left the Skewered Dragon with Floon two nights ago. Floon had been overserved so Ranaer was going to escort him safely home. They were jumped by five thugs just outside of the alley. He woke up in this place. He and Floon had been tied to chairs and gagged. They removed Floon's gag and interrogated him - trying to find the location of a large amount of gold. They kept referring to the crimes of Floon's father but Ranaer was certain they meant HIS father - the idiots mistook Floon, in his princely garb, for Ranaer! Floon, of course, knew nothing about it and Ranaer remained gagged and couldn't interject. 

Ranaer said that the thugs mentioned the Stone of Golorr - whatever that was - and that it could be used to find the missing gold. Apparently the Stone of Golorr had until recently been in the hands of Xanathar's Guild - but someone had stolen it. They kept asking Floon who had the stone. Apparently the stone had something to do with his - Ranaer's - father. Ranaer admitted that even HE knew nothing about the stone. He knew nothing about his father's business - they had not spoken in many years. 

About an hour ago, a group of other men came - enemies of the first men from the sound of it. They were negotiating over terms and comparing notes. They each sounded like they were accusing the other of stealing the Stone of Golorr. Suddenly they were all attacked by assassins! Ranaer managed to get away in the confusion and hid in the closet.

While he was hiding, during the bloodshed, he heard the following a deep voice with an orcish accent said, “Xanathar sends its regards.”

After the fight was over, he heard a thin, nasally voice say, “Tie up the pretty boy in the back room!” and “Follow the yellow signs in the sewers.”

A moment later he heard, a scratchy voice say, “No time to loot the place. Just get him to the boss.”

Searching the bodies of the human victims revealed that five of them had black winged snakes tattooed on their necks or forearms similar to the symbol on the door, while seven of them had a black tattoo on the palm of his right hand that looked like a circle with ten spokes radiating out from its circumference.

The Watch Arrives

A moment later, the freight door was thrown open and a squad of city watch poured in led by a burly Northerner, "Nobody move! Weapons on the ground!"

The party cooperated. 

The burly Northerner introduced himself, "I'm Watch Commander Hyustus Staget. Someone tell me what's going on here?"

Tempus displayed his badge of office as a Road Sheriff, "I can explain."

Tempus explained that they were searching for Floon Blagmaar and that the trail led to this location. Fearing for his life, they entered and found these man-crows and their recent victims.

Watch Commander Staget examined the badge, "They're called kenku. Vicious bastards. These look like they were hired assassins. The thugs there with the snake tattoos were recruiters for the Zhentarim Syndicate. The ones with the circles worked for Xanathar's Guild. There's some kind of war going on between the Xanathar's and the Zhentarim Syndicate. We had this location under surveillance. Unfortunately, some of my observers were called away this morning to investigate another murder scene down on Snail Street so we missed whatever happened here. This violence is getting out of hand. Which faction did you say you work for?"

"Neither. I'm a sheriff of the Road Wardens. We patrol the Trade Way."

"Yer a little out of your jurisdiction. Take my advice, stick to the roads. You have no authority here."

"Roads pass through the cities."

"Hmm." Watch Commander Staget recognized Ranaer Neverember and rushed to his aid, "Lord Neverember! Are you injured, sir?"

Ranaer assured the watch commander of his well being and verified Tempus' version of events. He thanked the party for their part in his rescue. 

With the endorsement of the son of the Open Lord, Watch Commander Staget let them go with a warning, giving Tempus a copy of the Code Legal. 

Watch Commander Staget assigned some officers to confiscate and catalogue the contents of the warehouse while he escorted the Lord's son home. 

Push-ta, still feeling a little beaten and broken after the fight, turned to the others, "So, uh, what do we do now?"

Winterfrost rubbed her chin, "It sounds like we head to the sewers."

To be Continued...

DM - I just have to say, there's a big weak link in the mystery in this part. The only way for the players to know where to head next is to have captured a kenku alive and interrogated it - thus learning about the marks in the sewer. 

I was reading through the next section and it said, "At this point, the characters likely know that Floon was kidnapped by Xanathar Guild members who mistook him for Renaer Neverember, and that he was taken to a hideout in the sewers." And I was like, "HOW? HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT?"

Without interviewing the kenku, there would be ZERO leads to the sewers! My players did not interrogate the kenku, thus they didn't know about the sewers. I had to have Ranaer relay that information before he left. 

Good mystery adventures need to have multiple vectors to supply information to the players. If they miss one vector, they might get it another way - perhaps more difficult - but there should always be a backup vector for information delivery. 

Good mystery adventures should never rely on a single successful Perception or Investigation roll, a single interrogation, or a single lead. 

Anvar - Adventures in the Nine Cities

I am currently running a Dungeon Crawl Classics campaign and I wanted a setting/milieu in which to place my weird fantasy adventures. At first I dabbled with some random generators, then I remembered I had written up a some notes on a few settings a few settings several years ago. So I took out one of them, dusted it off, and removed any aspect of the setting that didn't fit into the Weird Fantasy genre.

Campaign Overview

Six years ago, Anvar was invaded by the Scourge, an invading force of evil humanoids from beyond the mountains and deserts to the east. The Scourge was defeated by a miracle when the archmage Velho used the Crown of the Immortals. Their forces routed. They fled into hiding amongst the ruins of the Husk Barrens.

It is six years later. The Nine Cities have been re-built and have added a series of defensive walls and outposts to stand watch in case of future Scourge attacks.

The Scourge have been reduced to squabbling warlord cantonments and roving packs of marauder scavengers. Rangers from the Nine Cities scour the countryside in search of Scourge encampments and bases. When a camp or canton is found, a strike team is sent in to eliminate the threat.

The wilderness beyond Anvar is forbidding and dangerous yet filled with lost treasures and the wealth of the Age of Legends. Expeditions of brave adventurers risk everything in their search for knowledge, relics, and gold.

 

The Setting

Gharan

Gharan is a barren plateau northeast of Anvar populated by tribes of barbarians who follow the herds of mammoths. The region is known for its lions, bears, and wolves of prodigious size and ill temperament.

 

The League of Nine Cities

The city-state of Anvar is the capital of the League of Nine Cities, an alliance of city-states in a fertile region around the Middle Sea. The League of Nine Cities exists at a primarily early medieval level of technology.

The League of Nine Cities includes:

• Anvar
• Torin
• Ucia
• Daradar
• Cleft
• Mallocha
• Attar
• Trondar
• Amondar

Anvar

Anvar is the largest and oldest of the League of Nine Cities. It is a walled city surrounded by eight leagues of farmland and pasture. An outer wall protects the city at a distance of eight leagues. Bastions line the outer wall every league.

Anvar straddles the Anvar Cataracts, a series of waterfalls on the Rallentz River. Dozens of stone bridges cross the Rallentz river and connect the city to numerous islands in the cataracts.

Anvar and the other eight cities of the League were founded in ancient times by survivors of the War of the Gods that nearly wiped out all of humanity. Today, Anvar is a cosmopolitan crossroads of culture and trade with a population of roughly one million inhabitants and visitors from regions across the world of Yrd.

 

Torin

Torin is a port city on the eastern shore of the Sea of Garlach. Much of the grain from the plains of Kza are taken to Torin to be shipped throughout Nine Cities.

Ucia

Much of Ucia is built upon pylons in Gravena Lake. The fishermen of Ucia catch and preserve the salted eels of Gravena for export throughout the Nine Cities.

Daradar

Daradar is situated near the Laughing Shallows,a series of river rapids where the Lake of Birds drains into the Amzot River.

Cleft

Cleft is a trading town located within a narrow canyon connecting the Anvar valley and the Mazzan Rift. It is surrounded on all sides by the Husk Barrens. Cleft is a city of catwalks and balconies built into the side of steep cliffs.

 

Mallocha

Mallocha is known for its logging and its trading post where one can purchase furs and skins from the b’alam and therian hunters from the plains of Batos.

Attar

Attar is a city of thieves and pirates. The best mercenary bands and assassin guilds can be found in Attar.

Trondar

Trondar is a port city known for its shipbuilding. Trondarian sailors are renowned for their seamanship and Trondarian warriors are famous for their fierce fighting spirit.

 

Amondar

The city of Amondar is located at the base of the Forbidden Falls that separates the nine cities from the swamps of Aranos.

Rallentz Gorge

The Rallentz river cuts a deep gorge that separates the mountainous highlands of Lacha and Khabak. The Rallentz river begins in the lakes of Garlach, flows through the gorge in a series of cataracts and waterfalls, meanders through fetid swamp of Aranos, crosses the salt desert of Dhren, and ultimately meets the sea of Tarakka hundreds of miles to the west. The Rallentz river is not navigable by boat.

The walls of the gorge loom hundreds of feet on either side of the river. The cliff walls are riddled with caves and are inhabited by primitive humanoid okor.
The Husk Barrens

Surrounding Garlach to the south and east is a plain of scattered ruins that stretches towards the horizon known as the Husk Barrens. The Husk Barrens is a desolate wasteland of thousands of ruined cities, the remains of the great Empire of Yrd from before the War of the Gods. Within the Husk Barrens one will find a few sparsely populated enclaves of therians, mutant scavengers, and the human descendants of criminal exiles. Scourge slavers and raiders also haunt the abandoned buildings.

Lacha

South of Garlach is an area of rolling hills and mountainous badlands known as Lacha. Lacha is a strange wilderness filled with mutants and chimera formed from the storms of chaos magic that blow from the west. Twisted foreboding forests grow in the twisting canyons and mountain valleys. Ancient structures and entire cities dot the landscape. Thousands of abandoned cities lie in ruins along the western slope of Lacha, a region known as Necros, the Kingdom of the Undying.

 

Necros

Necros is a nexus for the plane known as the Thanatos (the Shadowfell). Energy from Thanatos suffuses Necros. Regions of dimensional instability have been known to spontaneously develop there allowing entities from that dimension to cross over into our world. These spirits can animate the mummified bodies of the long dead like puppets or take on the form of ghosts which mimic the appearance and mannerisms of the deceased.

Humans who spend too much time on Necros lose their natural skin coloring, becoming pallid and gaunt. Their personality changes too, causing them to become dour and morbid.

The Kingdom of the Undying is composed of ghosts, spectres, banshees, wights, ghouls, mummies, vampires, and other spontaneously occurring undead . The Undying Kings are powerful members of each type - the Vampire King, the Ghoul King, the Spirit King,

The dark energy that pervades Necros tends to animate formerly living matter skeletons,zombies, animated body parts, bone whirlwinds, blood-flies and animated effigies, will-o-wisps, shades, and shadows.

The Swamps of Aranos

North of Lacha, at the bottom of Rallentz canyon, lie the swamps of Aranos, The swamps of Aranos are inhabited by giant amphibians, reptiles, and snakes, as well as insects and arachnids of prodigious size and various oozes and jellies. Elemental energy spontaneously animates plant matter. Such intelligent and motile plants are indistinguishable from the other flora. Swamp trolls and hags can also be found throughout the swamps.

Aranos is ruled by two rival city-states - the arachni city Makadi-Shahar rules the region north of the river and the drakkan city Batalklik rules the region south of the river.

Makadi-Shahar is a fortified city created from hard sticky webs. The webbing has the tensile strength of steel cable held together by biological secretions with the hardness of cement. Makadi-Shahar is ruled by the Spider Queen and is populated by thousands of intelligent humanoid spiders known as arachni.

The drakkan city of Batalklik is home to the warlike black drakkans and their ruler, King Siyah the black-scaled swamp dragon and his kin.

The wild swamps of Aranos are home to three primitive humanoid races - the humanoid reptiles known as guzi ; the amphibian humanoid frog-creatures known as burhi; and the beast-like humanoids known as therians. All three live a primitive existence as hunter-gatherers dwelling in dismal mud and stick villages. A traveller might find a friendly ally or a fierce enemy depending on the tribe and time of day.

The Mazzan Rift

South of Garlach, over the Lacha pass, is a wide canyon known as the Mazzan rift. The rift separates the plateau of Nram from the plateau of Lacha. The walls of the rift drop hundreds and thousands of feet. The rift itself is, in some places, hundreds of miles wide. The floor of the rift is covered in untameable jungles and swamps. west of the rift lies the rolling hills and granite mountains of Lacha. East of the rift is the vast plains of Kza.

The Jungles of Opir

The floor of the Mazzan Rift is covered by the Jungles of Opir. The jungles are populated by giant saurians. The humanoid cat-folk known as the b'alam and primitive therians dwell in treetop villages while the decadent ophidians called yilan hide away in their ancient vine-choked temples.

The Mazzan River flows down the center of the rift. The Mazzan river is a wide slow river filled with dangerous life. The river forms several lakes where the rift narrows. Such lakes form breathtaking waterfalls as the water cascades over sheer cliff faces to the next lower level of the rift.

 

Nram

The massive land mass known as Nram lies hundreds of miles to the east across the great rift canyon of Mazzan. A thin ridge known as the Lacha pass connects the plateau of Nram with the plateau of Lacha.

 

The Plains of Kza

Most of Nram is covered by the great Plains of Kza, a vast expanse of semi-arid savanna and giant lichen scrub inhabited by tribes of barbarians from various races, most notably therians, baxa , tirikiin, and some humans. The Scourge has managed to establish a handful of fortified cantonments on the Plains of Kza where captured slaves are consolidated and prepared for shipment over the Vrocha mountains to the Scourge Citadel in Lagala. Scourge warbands also roam the ancient highways in order to raid trade caravans and enslave hapless travelers.

The steppes are home to herds of buffalo-sized giant beetles that feed on the short tough lichens that grow there. Tribes of the humanoid insect nomads known as tarikiin follow these herds. The tarikiin often come into conflict as the herds pass within range of the tribes of bestial therians that dwell in low hills.

There are two small cities on the plains of Kza, the trading outpost of Tsolin, the drakkan city of Tarafsiz-Sehir, and the holy city of Malinas at the base of Ayampas, the holy mountian.

 

Tsolin

Tsolin is a walled trading outpost housed within the confines of an ancient caravan watering hole on plains of Kza. Tsolin is a way point for pilgrims on their way to the ancient holy mountain of Ayampa in the Vrocha mountains.

Tsolin is a walled fortress with little in the way of architecture. The fort is surrounded by a stout defensive wall. Within can be found watering holes, hostels, stables, machine shops, mercantile shops, and offices for merchant companies and guides.

Tsolin lies at the crossroads of two of the ancient highways that connect the hundreds of ruined decaying pyramid cities across Nram and the plains of Kza. Tsolin conducts trade with the tarikiin as well as with representatives from the rival desert drakkan kingdoms of Mavi-Sehir, Kali-Sehir, and Tarafsiz-Sehir. A few exiles from the nomadic tribes of bestial therians sometimes find their way to Tsolin but the tribes themselves prefer to maintain their isolation.

 

The Realm of the Lich Queen

A large region south of the plains of Kza are ruled by Ungluab the Lich Queen.

Unglaub was a former wizard exiled from the Nine Cities for practicing the forbidden magic of necromancy. She used her profane powers to cheat death and emerged from her tomb as a lich. She leads armies of zombies and skeletons and other reanimated undead in her quest to destroy the Nine Cities.

The Vrocha Mountains.

The eastern edge of Nram rises to form the Vrocha mountains. The mountain valleys are inhabited by tribes of tall humanoid demi-colossi called golyat and bestial therians. Grey-skinned okors dwell in the caves of the mountains.

Stone colossi occupy beautifully carved subterranean complexes deep under the roots of the mountains. Such complexes feature soaring vaulted ceilings and tall columns and are illuminated by glowing crystals.

Many mountains are ruled by tyrannical flame dragons and their drakkan armies and servants. Chief among them is Kirmizi which is ruled by the flame dragon named King Kehennem.

The mountain peaks are also inhabited by all manner of flying beasts such as griffons, pegasi, and stone gargoyles. The mountain slopes and valleys are inhabited by four-armed mountain gorillas, giant lizards and giant spiders, and mountain trolls.

The Vrocha Mountains are riddled with the innumerable tunnels of abandoned mines. Mineral companies from the League of Nine Cities employ humanoid basanite miners from the subterranean land of Mokor and often make use of local golyats and therians as guides and guards.

 

The Oasis of Lagala

At the base of the eastern slope of the Vrocha mountains are several small oases. The largest oasis was the ancient city-state of Lagala. Six years ago Lagal was bombed into submission and subsequently conquered by the Scourge. Lagala is now home to a Scourge Citadel- a combination military base, manufacturing center, and slave city.
Khabak

To the north of Lacha is a region known as Khabak, an area of rugged badlands and wind-swept wastes where dwell bandits and exiles. Khabak is separated from Lacha via Rallentz Canyon, an area of deep gorges, canyons, and ravines populated by barbarians known as Lowlanders.

The northwestern edge of Khaback is a strange place where the land breaks away and floats magically in the air. These sky-islands are home to a plethora of flying beasts and air elementals and is the domain of the aarocka.

Hurator

Hurator is a strange magical region north of Khabak. Hurator is infused by the magical winds blowing over the Inland Sea from the south. This magic causes the land itself to detach from the bedrock and float in the sky. 

Ancient cities of marble, glass, and crystal can be found on many of the sky-islands. These cities are inhabited by the humanoid avianoids known as aarokan as well as the solitary cloud colossi. The cloud colossi respond quickly and harshly to any perceived intrusion into their realms. Great Nabatosian tempest colossi have been known to construct powerful fortresses in the skies of Hurator. It is unknown how these powerful beings traveled to Hurator.

Hurator is a nexus for the elemental plane known as Aeros. Elemental energy from Aeros suffuses Hurator. Regions of dimensional instability have been known to spontaneously develop there allowing entities from that dimension to cross over into our world. Zinj from Aeros have established strongholds across Hurator. These strongholds are defended by air elementals, aarokan slaves, and various intelligent Huratorean beasts.

The wild skies of Hurator are inhabited by every manner of flying creatures. Many are aerial versions of aquatic creatures such as sky-sharks, whales, giant octopi, and others. The sky-islands are home to every type of flying creature including rocs, and giant eagles along with strange hybrid beasts created by magical chaos such as harpies, pegasi, peryton, and many more.

Wakar-Nasar

Wakar-Nasar is a magnificent marble capital of the aerial kingdom of the aarokan built atop a floating island in the endless sky of Hurator.

Wakar-Nasar is a city of domes, spires, and elevated walkways made of white Mokorian marble and clear Thomonian crystal. The city serves as a port for airships and flying mounts that connect the cities of Garlach to remote sky-island villages.

Expeditions from Wakar-Nasar seek out uninhabited sky-islands to be mined for magic-infused minerals and crystals. Newly constructed alchemical hover-factories built and operated by robotic matons from Makina extract useful gases from the atmosphere for use in various manufacturing and alchemical processes.

Malos

West of the Lacha lies the lowlands of Malos. Malos is a desert of inhospitable salt and sand surrounding the Inland Sea. Great dunes of salt and sand comprise the bulk of the terrain. Occasional isolated peaks rise from the featureless plain. The Mitaat mountain range rises to the west. Beyond lies more salt desert for as far as anyone has ever travelled.

Insects and reptiles form the dominant forms of life in the desert, many growing to prodigious size due to the influence of magic. Magical chaos storms blow from the southwest giving rise to creatures composed of animated sand, dust, or pebbles including dust devils, sand stalkers, dust weirds, and others.

Malos is home to three kingdoms, each ruled by a group of blue drakkan rivals : Mavi-Sehir, Kali-Sehir, and Vadi-Sehir. Each kingdom is ruled by a powerful blue-scaled desert dragon from an impregnable mountain fortress. Of the three, Vadi-Sehir is the only one that is tolerant of human outsiders.

Vadi-Sehir

Vadi-Sehir is a drakkan trading city-state located where the Rallentz River meets the Inland Sea
The Inland Sea

The Inland Sea is a shallow body of water in the center of the desert land of Malos.
The Citadel of Daqhal

The citadel of Daqhal rests atop a tall mesa just northwest of the plateau of Khabak. Daqhal overlooks the salt desert of Malos. The city is unknowably ancient and is built upon untold layers from previous epochs. The undercity of Daqhal is a labyrinthine warren of passages and chambers occupied by scavenging ratkin. Daqhal is surrounded by ancient crumbling ruins of once-vast cities similar to those in the Husk Barrens.

Due to its location atop a mesa in a deep chasm, strong winds from the west keep the city clear of the polluted air that plagues much of Yrd.

 

The Forests of Arba

Far to the north of Khabak, near the northern pole of Yrd, lie the ancient forests of Arba. The entire region is a nexus for the plane known as Aeon. Life energy from the Aeon suffuses Arba. Regions of dimensional instability have been known to spontaneously develop there allowing entities from that dimension to cross over into our world.

Tribes of bestial therians live in isolated villages, some constructed among the boughs of the massive trees, deep within the forests of Arba.

The deep forests of Arba are sacred places protected by the green-skinned demi-colossi known as maor. The maor are solitary creatures and lack an organized society or government.

The forests are also home to cave-dwelling green-skinned okor as well as various beings from or influenced by Aeon. Such beings include nymphs, faeries, brownies, leprechauns, unicorns, and dryads.

The temperate forests of Arba are inhabited primarily by mammals such as wolves, deer, elk, lions, bears, etc. The fey magic that permeates Arba gives rise to spontaneously animated plant creatures such as treants, shambling mounds, twig blights, etc. The fey magic also causes many natural fauna to grow to prodigious size or unusual intelligence.

During times of crisis the maor will call upon and organize all the inhabitants of the forests to come to the defense of the arboreal realm.

The mountain kingdom of Orman located within the forest is ruled by a powerful forest dragon king Celadon and his hairs.

 

The Scourge

The Scourge is a force of invaders that hail from a land across the eastern ocean. The Scourge consists of at least four races: warlords, marauders, crushers, and dregs.

Warlords are tall muscular blue-skinned demi-giants with long bovine horns, pointed ears, and demonic faces. They are inherently magical and are able to change their appearance, become invisible, and control the minds of others. They are fierce fighters but prefer to compel others to fight on their behalf. Warlords occupy positions of leadership within the Scourge hierarchy.

Marauders are red-skinned humanoids with pointed ears and demonic faces. They are the rank-and-file soldiers within the Scourge hierarchy. They fill the ranks of the Scourge infantry, pilot Scourge warmachines, and crew the Scourge airships.

Crushers are tall muscular humanoids with yellow skin, pointed ears, and demonic faces. They possess great strength and stamina. Crushers are used as assault troops and heavy weapons fighters.

Dregs are diminutive humanoids with pointed ears, yellow or green skin, and demonic faces. They are the most common type of Scourge soldier and usually occupy menial or support positions, serve as reconnaissance, or are used as cannon fodder, diversions, or targets.

The Scourge are aggressive and warlike. They prefer invasion and conquest over trade and negotiation. They possess an industrial society that requires the continual acquisition of slave labor and new fuel and mineral resources. The Scourge uses a mechanized army of airships, land crawlers, and other armored vehicles, and infantry to invade a new land. Once conquered, the scourge demolishes much of the existing architecture, leaving only a few structures standing for their own purposes. They enslave the populace, collecting them into concentration camps. The slave laborers are then forced to extract metal and build new cities and factories. The factories, in turn, manufacture new weapons and war machines for the next invasion.

Using this strategy, the Scourge has conquered much of the continent of Xaya. Having depleted the mineral and fuel resources of Xaya, the Scourge sent an expedition west in search of new lands. The expedition crossed barren salt deserts and shallow seas for several days until they encountered the eastern edge of the plateau of Nram and the small nations they found there. The Scourge did not tarry. The expedition force left behind a small garrison to enslave the local kingdoms but continued west, a ten day journey over the Vrocha mountains and across the great plains of Kza in search of the rumored land of Garlach.

The Scourge Invasion

Six years ago invaders came to Nram from across the eastern salt desert of Malos. The invaders were an expeditionary armada of strange humanoids called the Scourge. They came in their armored flying ships and razed the cities of the eastern coast. They enslaved the survivors and set about rebuilding the cities into colonies of the Scourge.

The Scourge pushed west, enlisting the aid of the barbarian nomads that dwelled in the foothills of the Vrocha mountains. The Scourge soon encountered the allied armies of the League of Nine Cities. The Scourge armada included mechanized airships with bombs and artillery. The Scourge armies were led by magical demi-giants called Warlords and included well-trained soldiers called Marauders and muscle-bound shock troopers called Crushers. The comparatively less technologically developed allies defended their medieval cities with horses, swords, spears, bows, and primitive bombards.

The defenders of the Nine Cities were overwhelmed and the Scourge armada continued west and levelled the cities of Lacha and Cleft while their barbarian mercenaries rounded up the survivors as slaves. The allied forces of the Nine Cities made their final stand at the city of Anvar.

The outcome looked grim for the alliance until, with the invading armada prepared to launch their final attack against Anvar, the enigmatic archmage named Velho appeared and destroyed the Scourge using a powerful artifact called the Crown of the Immortals.

The day was saved. The Scourge armada was destroyed and the ground forces were routed and fled, scattering into the Husk Barrens. The Crown of the Immortals was placed within the vaults of Anvar where it could be used again in times of great need.

In the ensuing six years, the strategy at the Scourge Citadel in Lagala has shifted towards the acquisition of slaves and the consolidation of their power along the east and building the infrastructure necessary to reconstruct their devastated fleet of mechanized airships. The Scourge possess only a few airships with which to cross the impenetrable Vrocha mountains. They have established a few small cantonments which are used to consolidate slaves prior to shipment over the mountains. Groups of marauders in armored mechanized vehicles also harry trade caravans traversing the ancient roads that cross Lacha and Nram.

Meanwhile, the League of Nine Cities built a series of defensive walls and modernized their allied armies with new weapons and vehicles designed by Magister Ayan.

The Vrocha mountains and the Mazzan rift create natural impediments that discourage land invasion from the east. A series of defensive fortifications have been built around Garlach with special attention paid to the Lacha pass. Convoys of armed mechanized transports cross the ancient roads that connect the Nine Cities to the remote mines of central and southern Lacha and the east slope of the Vrocha mountains.

Rangers patrol the regions around Garlach, the Husk Barrens, the jungles of the Mazzan rift, searching for Scourge cantonments and encampments. Once located, the sites are reported to the Ministry of Defense and a strike team is sent to eliminate the threat.