A few weeks ago, my regular game got derailed due to the DM needing some time off for personal reasons. I volunteered to run a game so we didn't have to have any down-time. It's been years since I last crafted adventures. I still have fond memories of 3.5, and am still adapting to the new edition.
But I would not let that stop me. So, I decided to revisit an old favorite stomping ground, the Dales. I could not keep the other players, eager as they were, from creating characters before I arrived that week, and by the time I got to the table, there were three elves awaiting me. An avenger, a cleric, and a fighter, all worshippers of Corellon.
Very well. They want to play elves? It's only a short trip to drag them to Cormanthor, a site rarely visited in my DMing past. Let's really do elves.
I told them that they had come from their respective homelands in hopes of attending the high holy days of Corellon. Then I ran the adventure I had prepped, the intro quest against the goblins in Loudwater. Except that Loudwater now exists in Battledale. I decided to tweak some other things, too. Goblins, I decided, are now among the ranks of the unseelie fey/dark Seldarine worshippers. Hey, go watch Labyrinth some time.
The party dispatched the goblins that attacked the alehouse and then moved outside to deal with the rest of the invasion, and finished the combat inside the shop, where two of the goblins had begun ransaking the place, looking for their totem.
After questioning the goblin acolyte, they decided to let him have the totem, deeming it his rightful possession.
They then were hired on by a caravan as protection, should there be other goblins or other beasts in the woods, and made their way to the next town, where they met up with a half-elven ranger who was familiar with the area and offered to join up with them to track down the goblins, to make sure they would not cause any more trouble.
The PCs discovered the goblins' lair, sneak into the courtyard, and quickly dispatched the two sentries there, avoiding the pit-trap, despite being unaware of it. (No more than one character stood on it at any given time.)
They proceeded to make quick work of the goblins and the zombies in the crypt, though they never found out that the ritual would have been ineffective. They didn't talk to the shaman long enough to find that out. (I increased the size of the final encounter area a bit and toned down the shaman's powers a bit to ensure that they would not be TPK'd.)
The ranger thanked them, and the PCs took their leave, heading north towards Myth Drannor.
After selling the dwarven artifacts they took from the crypt, the PCs acquired horses from a local halfling stable master and set out on the road north of Ashabenford, where they were waylaid by a group of bandits, intent on taxing elven pilgrims. Before and after the battle, they learned that the eladrin of Myth Drannor have been very reclusive of late, and reluctant to help the Dales with the problem of leftover Zhentarim and the still-lingering runoff of dark creatures that were ousted from Cormanthor when the elves returned to their home. (Ilsevele is more focused on the growing reach of Netheril at the moment, and that has allowed the old threats to begin to gather strength again.)
The party finds a place to camp for the night, and their rest goes mostly undisturbed, except for an attack by three wolves during the fighter's watch, which he deals with single-handed.
After crossing the river and entering Cormanthor, they make their way through the forest and stumble across a disturbed grave site, where they find old bones and black armor marked with spider-web designs. There are footprints leading away to the north, but they lose the trail. The PCs arrive in Myth Drannor and make it a priority to notify the guard about the grave. The guard captain agrees to look into it, sending a few coronal guards and scouts with them. With the eladrin's assistance, they discover an abandoned cave containing ritual tools and a shrine to the Spider Queen.
The cleric returns to the city, where she requests assistance to purge the cave of the taint of evil, while the avenger and fighter partake of the evening's festivities, watching a reenactment of the battle between Corellon and Gruumsh under a silvery crescent moon.
The next morning, the fighter escorts a group of priests to the cave site, where the cleric assists in performing a cleansing ritual. The avenger stays behind to compete in some tests of martial skill, where he is defeated in melee combat by a moon elf, but wins an archery competition, drawing the attention of two followers of Shevarash. As the priests and cleric complete the ritual, a large phantom arachnid appears in the middle of the cavern, and vanishes in a burst of silvery light. The avenger rejoins his companions after meeting with other followers of the Black Archer.
The rest of the day passes uneventfully as several smaller stages are prepared for a night of storytelling and performance. The party unanimously decides to watch a reenactment of the purging of the drow from Myth Drannor. As the play reaches its climax, a dark robed figure stands up at the edge of the audience and swears dark oaths against the elves. The audience begins to stir in fright when below their feet the earth stirs and several undead drow arise and begin to attack.
The PCs act quickly and decisively, destroying the zombies. The dark figure summons spectral undead to distract them as he unleashes foul energies against them, but they surround him as he jumps up on a bench and unleashes a wave of necromantic magic. Only the avenger is affected, and he soon recovers to join the party in capturing the spellcaster.
Yes! sounds pretty cool so far. I'm anxious to see what all happens as im using Myth Drannor as well, as home base for the PCs.
Yes! sounds pretty cool so far. I'm anxious to see what all happens as im using Myth Drannor as well, as home base for the PCs.
Thanks! I'd be interested in hearing what you're doing with it, too.
I havnt really done too much with it actually, only in saying that all the characters were from Myth Drannor. It doesnt matter that not a one of them is Elf or Eldarin, The way i see it, new Myth Drannor opened its doors to other races in the spirit of old Myth Drannor. So theres a few minotaurs,goliaths,humans and Dragonborn livin there, of course the vast majority are still Elves and Eldarin. That gave me a way to get the characters all together, being as theyre somewhat outcasts and dont fit in really with the elves, theyve of course gravitated towards one another.
I also introduced a Half-Elven Npc named Reginold who is basically the court wizard to the Coronal. Reginold has instructed the characters, collectivly known as the Misfits, to track down pieces of an ancient Necromatic Grimoire (kinda like the movie Warlock, if youve ever seen it). Reginold tells the PCs that they need to recover the pieces of this grimoire before the Shades, as the Shades want to use the book to summon some evil demon or some such to take over the world. What the PCs and the Coronal dont know is that Reginold is actually working for Szas Tam, and the PCs are actually getting the pieces of this book for him so he can perform an unholy ritual that will increase his undead army 100 fold. The Shades are actually the "good guys" in all of this as theyre trying to stop the book from falling in to the "wrong hands".
I very much enjoyed the summary, dracowayfarer. Looking forward to any more you might have.
The Shades are actually the "good guys" in all of this as theyre trying to stop the book from falling in to the "wrong hands".
Just curious. If the Shades are really protagonists in this scenario, what happens if they get the book?
Just curious. If the Shades are really protagonists in this scenario, what happens if they get the book?
What you dont think the Shades would actually use it do you?
The way i got it set up is that it was created by an insane arch wizard of Netheril who was focused on necromancy. The other arch wizards all banned together to put a stop to it and defeated him, the book was deemed to be too dangerous and Evil even by Shade standards, but the arch wizards found that even with thier combined might they was unable to destroy the book, so it was spilt up into 13 parts and each part was hidden in various locations throught Toril, possibly even other planes, i havnt decided yet. I'm thinking of having one of the parts on Maztica so then theyll have to figure out a way to get to Abeir to get it. But any way i see it the Shades more focused on Shadow magic as apposed to outright Necromancy, but they do follow Shar who is appreantly the Goddess of undeath as well. But the way im running it the Shades know better than to mess with the book, its just that EVIL!, but Im sure theres some rogue elements in the empire that would jump at the chance to use the book to further thier own schemes. But i dont have to worry about that because its lookin like ol Szass Tam is going to get his grubby little hands on it first. Bwahahahaha!
I very much enjoyed the summary, dracowayfarer. Looking forward to any more you might have.
I've seen you around the forums. Thank you! I won't be running this week, but will definitely be posting more when I do. I'm currently trying (though I don't expect) to find a key for this map: digitaldraco.net/game/myth_drannor.jpg
For the next session, I'm planning to have the guard take the drow captive and detain the PC's for questioning, after which they will be freed. The next morning they will be contacted and informed that the Coronal "requests" their attendance that evening. After spending a day being questioned and talked about by the locals, they will be rewarded and given honorary positions in the guard, which the Coronal hopes will buy their obedience... and their silence.
I'm currently trying (though I don't expect) to find a key for this map: digitaldraco.net/game/myth_drannor.jpg
When last we left our elves, they had just defeated an unexpected incursion of undead into Myth Drannor during the peak of the celebration of the high holy day of Corellon.
Immediately after the skirmish, which sent many locals running, and resulted in at least one “civilian” casualty, the coronal guard rushed in to clean up the mess, escorting the summoner away and detaining the PCs for questioning regarding the incident. They comply, and are led to an audience with a captain of the guard. The captain does some light interrogating, asking who they are, why they are here, what their role was in this attack.
They answer honestly and the captain dismisses them, but asks that they do not leave the city. He offers them lodging for the night before they go. The avenger, Gil-Galen, and fighter, Roland, take his offer, but the cleric, Key'leth, opts to stay one more night with the priests at the temple of Corellon.
The next morning, each is rudely awoken at dawn with a sharp rap on their doors. A coronal guard informs each of them that the Coronal Ilsevele has requested their presence at the main stage by Glyrryl's Pool at noon. For the rest of the day, they are minor celebrities. Elves, eladrin, dwarves and humans alike approach them, ask them questions, and buy them drinks and food. During this time, Gil-Galen, is approached by a messenger, a wood elf druid named Relon (a new player), working for the worshippers of Shevarash. She tells him that they wish to speak with him and his compatriots immediately after the ceremony that afternoon.
The appointed time comes, and the crowd begins to shift from the games and feasting to the stage. The PCs follow, and when they arrive, the guard pulls them aside. Soon, there is fanfare from further up Suldar's Walk, and Ilsevele makes her way down to the lakeside, escorted by her guard, high wizards and a few members of the high court. The PCs pay proper respect to the Queen of Cormanthor as she passes, watching as she takes the stage and proceeds to make a brief speech to her people about the holiday and the festivities before turning to the topic of the attack.
She makes brief note of the event, and moves right along to bringing the PCs up to the stage before her. Before the gathered masses, she introduces each and has them kneel before her. She draws her ancestral blade and announces, laying the blade upon one shoulder of each of the PCs in turn, that they are to be recognized as honorary guards of the city. They are rewarded with small tokens of the city's thanks (a potion of healing and augmenting whetstone for each of them), and the Coronal departs back to the city.
As the PCs descend from the stage, Relon is waiting for them. She leads them away from the crowd at the lake and off to a far corner of the city, where the Black Arrows wait in a small tree-top temple, noted only by Shevarash's holy symbol above the door. Five elves (mostly moon elves, though one is Relon's brother) wait at a table for them. The leader introduces himself as De'lann and gestures for them to sit. He cuts right to business and begins by telling them that the Coronal's gestures were not wholly done out of gratitude.
For quite some time, De'lann explains, she has been focused on the darkness creeping into the east from Netheril. She wants her people focused on the threat of shadow, not on minor incursions of drow. The purpose behind her grand gesture was twofold. First, the ceremony served to turn the attention and thoughts of the people towards the PCs and away from the event itself. Second, as honorary members of the guard, she can keep a closer eye upon them and their actions, as she has spies among the common folk of the city. De'lann and the Black Arrows wish to take swift action, but they know that they are being watched. Thus, he asks the PCs to act on their behalf. He informs them that there is a tower just northwest of the city, where scouts have reported dark fey coming and going. He suspects this may have something to do with the attack.
Relon is appointed to guide them to the tower. She takes them to the outskirts of the city borders, and leads them to a secret passage through a tree which leads to an underground system of roughly excavated tunnels. They exit into the woods through a doorway carved into a large stone, which is enchanted with an illusion spell to hide the entrance to the tunnels. From there, they hike roughly a mile or so until they come upon the ruins of an old stone tower. (The Broken Tower, from Dungeon Delve.)
Finding the tower unguarded, they knock in the door and find themselves facing a small horde of goblins (cutters), including one very large goblin. As they begin to engage the goblins in combat, the hobgoblin slams its fist into a bronze gong standing next to a cauldron of bubbling goblin wine. Mid-way through killing these unseelie, a drow (spiderguard, L5) crouches in the shadow of the stairway and fires a few shots at the PCs. He manages to get one of them (I forget which.) to follow him up the stairs, where more goblins lay in wait to attack. The party is divided between the floors as some work on finishing off the hobgoblin and others deal with the elven skeletons, goblin snipers (sharpshooters) and a shaman (hexer) on the second level. The drow climbs a ladder onto a wooden platform by the stairwell, where the shaman and two snipers are hiding, and draws the ladder up behind him before continuing up the stairs. Despite seeing the drow run around the periphery of the floor, Gil-Galen attempts to cross it to attack the goblins guarding the spiral staircase, and ends up back on the first level as the center of the floor collapses beneath him.
The party eventually dispatches the threats on the first and second floor, taking a few moments to rest while threats and curses in broken elven float down the stairwell from the roof of the tower.
Once they are ready to move, the PCs rush up the stairs and discover not only the drow, but a goblin chief standing upon a throne of stone, two snarling wolves and a goblin blackblade. The fight moves around the sun-dappled roof, with a couple attempts by Roland to push the underboss off the edge, and one of the wolves being pushed down the stairwell, where Keyleth had to fight it before she could join her companions on the roof. The drow and underboss tried to stay within the healing circle of runes as long as they could, but eventually the PCs figured out the trick and pulled them out of it. Three of the PCs wished to question the drow, bur Relon, who dealt the final strike, thought about what her brother would say if she let a dark elf live, and killed him.
Upon searching the tower, they discovered a stash of treasure, which included both coins and a talis deck, in a chest by the hobgoblin's bed on the first floor and two parchments secreted away in a compartment in the throne, written in drow script...
Great read! It's like I was there.
Great read! It's like I was there.
Thanks! 
Our small band of elves made their way back to the city from the tower, contemplating their next actions. Roland, insistent upon bringing physical proof back, carried the head of the drow with him.
They arrive at mid-day and immediately return to the hall of the Black Arrows, where they relate the events at the tower, and offer the scrolls for translation. De'lann reads over them, frowning. The letter reads,
My Lady,
The attack was executed as planned, and we have retreated to the tower. Ilmvas has not returned, and we assume him dead. It is a small price to pay. Clearly, the ritual works. I will visit the temple this night, and return once my duties to you are completed.
My loyalty and service,
In Lolth's Name,
Jhael'dar
The PCs ask if there is someone who can decipher the ritual scroll. De'lann has an associate, a sun elf swordmage and former coronal guard, look it over. It turns out that, rather than being a ritual to create undead, it unweaves mythals. It specifically allows passage through the mythal to creatures that would otherwise be denied entry .
After having copies made of both the letter and the ritual, against De'lann's recommendations, the PCs pay a visit to the guard captain. Relon opts not to go, heeding the wisdom of her brother's mentor, but then sneaks away to follow the rest of the party. He is surprised when Roland reveals Jhael'dar's head, saying, “Well, there's something you don't see every day.” Looking over the evidence, the captain hands the letter and ritual to another guard and asks that they be delivered to Ilsevele. He praises the PCs for their action, but makes it clear that they are treading on dangerous ground, and that he cannot assist them, as the Coronal's interests and thus the guard's duties lie elsewhere.
Frustrated, they ask if he knows of which temple the letter may have been referring to. He suggests that they talk to the scouts. A short walk later finds them at the scout headquarters, where things are a bit less rigidly organized. As they enter the building, Keyleth spots Relon, and she rejoins them, relating that she saw a guard following them earlier. They quickly find the highest ranking scout, who informs them that there has been some odd activity around a local farming village north of the city, west of the tower.
Taking this information back to the Black Arrows, De'lann is elated that they were not taken into custody. As the PCs relate the information they have acquired, he presents them with arms and armor that he has procured to thank them for and aid them in their deeds against the drow. To Gil-Galen he presents a sword (sword of oaths fulfilled +1), to Roland a pair of bracers (iron armbands of power), to Keyleth a holy symbol (symbol of hope +1), and Relon's brother gives her a new set of armor (shared suffering armor +1). They wander out into the city to celebrate, tavern hopping and exploring the effects of fey wine*.
Thus equipped, the PCs set off to seek the small village mentioned by the scouts, arriving around mid-day. They speak with the local wood elves, who confirm that both the local fey and natural wildlife have been acting oddly. They know of a temple nearby, one that only appears after sundown, when moonlight illuminates the hilltop it sits upon. (AGLA1-1: Lost Temple of the Fey Gods)
The villagers tell them there is a faerie ring nearby, and that perhaps they might find more information there. As they set out to the ring, an eerie voices whispers to them, “Help me, help me!” They discover the voice coming from a nearby oak, and a strange, feminine elven face manifests within the bark, instructing them to find a “twice twined tree” and that “only a heart of light may extinguish a heart of darkness” before fading away. A short hike later brings them to a clearing where pixies dance around an ancient, withering oak tree.
The pixies prove difficult at best to get a straight answer out of, but they do say that there have been large spiders and dark fey around the circle recently. They agree to share more, on the condition that the PCs play with them. They whistle, and an adolescent ogre comes crashing into the clearing, eager to play his favorite game, “Smash”. The party demurred, and the pixies demanded then that they offer some other entertainment. With the help of the last few drinks of a bottle of fey wine left over from the night before, and a few successful acrobatics, athletics, and bluff rolls, they placate the pixies, who tell them about the temple where the dark fey came from, and that the tree belongs to a dryad who used to play with them, but she has been missing for several days now. The pixies are reluctant to go near the temple, but they agree to guide them to the hill it sits on.
By the time they get to the hill, the sun is setting. As the sky darkens, the temple materializes, bringing with it an aura of foreboding. The PCs continue up the hill, discovering another faerie ring within some ancient standing stones outside of the entrance to the temple. The temple itself looks like it was grown, rather than built. The walls are made of trees pressed tightly together, the roof of intertwined branches. The doorway is blocked by spiderwebs that stretch between the nearby trees, and as they pause to consider their strategy, a low growl echoes from within the building.
A goblin (beastmaster, custom monster***) steps out into the night, accompanied by a young displacer beast. A quick summons by the goblin calls several spiders from the trees and webs. Roland, having thought ahead, tosses a torch into the webs, lighting them on fire, but not before the spiders can drop down and begin harassing the party. The fight begins, with more spiders being called before the PCs finally kill the goblin, after which the displacer beast falls as well.
The party hurries inside, but not so quickly that they do not notice a trap lying in the hallway. Further down the hall, branches seem to shift and sway. Roland sets the trap off, causing the thick branches to surge forward and fill the hallway, nearly catching him between them. Gil-Galen presses his holy symbol of Corellon into a depression in a tree, causing the branches to recede and saving them from being crushed by the press of the trees.
Beyond the hall, in a room filled with statues of elven gods, a large fey rat (dire rat w/feyborn template) attacks the PCs, confounding and confusing them by teleporting and becoming invisible as they tried to kill it. The statues in the room have begun to take on a sinister appearance.
Given the choice between a set of double doors, bearing the symbol of Corellon (which appears to be transforming into the symbol of Lolth) and another hallway, the PCs move quickly down the hall, discovering a room with a shallow pool. In the pool lies the dryad, barely conscious. Roland revives her long enough for her to reach into her woody body and withdraw what appears to be a crystalline-shaped piece of petrified wood. “Hurry,” she tells them. Into the stone she transfers her life essence, causing it to glow with a soft green light.
The PCs take the stone and move on, finding their way blocked by another pair of doors. Upon these the symbol of Lolth is more clearly visible. They rush through the doors and find themselves in the main sanctuary, where several drow prepare the space for a ritual. At the end of the sanctuary is a fountain filled with red liquid, and beyond that is a tree whose trunk looks like three separate trees twined together. The drow were not expecting the PCs, so they have the first action, moving to engage the dark elves. A pitched battle ensues, with a priestess of Lolth (drow cleric of lolth) weaving dark magics on the PCs from her position in the fountain, while her guard (drow shadowblade) fires his crossbow on them and the other drow cultists attempt to attack with their ritual daggers. To the party's surprise, there is also a wood elf (customized elf archer**) there, defending the priestess.
The PCs manage to defeat the dark elves, and Roland places the heart into a bole in the tree, discovering as he does a darkly bound book. Withdrawing the book, the stone's glow increases and spreads throughout the temple, lifting the feeling of gloom and replacing it with a sense of peace...
[We had to end the game there for the night, and will pick it up again next weekend.]
*Each drink prompts a d20 roll, with results pulled from an old Wild Magic surge table and lasting one minute each. The table I was using caused the cleric to become a sheep, the fighter to talk in colorful bubbles, the avenger to exhale fire, and other fun effects! I also decided that the more they drank, the more they could clearly see magical auras, so by the time the night was done, there were things glowing all over the city... more than normal, anyway!
**Basically the same as found in the MB, only I added one new “power”: Lolth's Embrace - The Heretic Elf Archer has sworn his soul to Lolth, and is considered to be a drow for the purpose of items and powers that require the drow keyword.a
***Stats or .monster files available for any NPC or monster from these recaps upon request. 
Draco,
Here is the key I think you wanted...
web.archive.org/web/20060910005947/http:...
I'm running a campaign called "Elven Odyssey" which began in the Dalelands/Myth Drannor. It's a 4e "Next Generation" campaign, after my 3.5 "Elven Quest".
In 3.5, I had:
-wild elf bladesinger
-wild elf rogue/barbarian [ex arena slave]
-gold elf warmage
-moon elf fighter [deceased]
-gold elf cleric
-gold elf wizard
Their central quest, barely actualized by 12th level, was to find and unite the broken pieces of Ar'Cor'Kerym, which had been shattered by Hssthak at the beginning of the campaign, and scattered through a portal network (kind of a Rod of Seven Parts quest). The secondary plot of the campaign dealt with the return of the Vyshaan.
The 4e game is turning out even better! As a favor for the coronal, the levels 1 - 4 quest had the PCs seek for the Sword of the Dales, as a gift for the N'Tel'Quess Dales Folk. In my game, the "healing" of the Standing Stone was delayed until 1479 D.R., and now Myth Drannor and the Dales Council, led by a young Morn descendant, are going to re-dedicate the Dales Compact. Coronal wants to give the recovered sword as a gift of goodwill.
I have:
- warforged warden [awakened ancient Vyshaan battle-construct, animated by a primal fey spirit]
- elven Avenger
- elven Ranger archer
- Daemonfey [tiefling] bard [good aligned orphan]
- deva [elven] cleric of Labelas Enoreth
- Shadar-Kai [fey old style] swordmage
PCs finished first quest, played a tweaked version of the excellent RPGA adventure for Myth Drannor H1, and ended up with the bard "corrupted" and carrying the Starym Moonblade. Levels 4+ will be about a journey with an Olin Gisiae sage NPC, first to the ruins of Tsornyl [Darkwatch] and then eventually to Y'lash, to find a way to purge the sword or destroy it, and get it to release the bard from its influence, aka LotR.
Draco,
Here is the key I think you wanted...
Thanks!
I'm running a campaign called "Elven Odyssey" which began in the Dalelands/Myth Drannor. It's a 4e "Next Generation" campaign, after my 3.5 "Elven Quest".
I like how well tied into the setting this is. Our Coronals are quite different, though, it seems.
Which adventure is H1? I don't see it in the list of downloadable RPGA adventures.
Sweet map! Is that the current 4e timeline map of Myth Drannor, or is it an older map?
Sweet map! Is that the current 4e timeline map of Myth Drannor, or is it an older map?
It's an AD&D era map, from the Cormanthyr book. I am unaware of any more recent maps, but given the nature of elves, I don't imagine that the city has changed much (or at all).
If you go to Amazon.com and search, you can still find used copies of "Cormanthyr" at a decent price, with the map intact. It's "out of date", but the ground didn't shift since it was a ruins, so yes, it's about the best Myth Drannor map you'll ever get. Especially since very little good developmental materal was ever published to illustrate these ruins, even though Myth Drannor ruins are mentioned over and over. Like you're barely meant to adventure there.
I used this map for my 4e campaign with just a few tweaks.
The "H1" module I meant is the lvl 1 - 4 RPGA LFR special module(s) which take place in Myth Drannor. There are 4 of them so far, and the 4th is a Paragon level adventure. The authors seem to be great fans and did some homework, and it wove perfectly into my "corruption" subplot when they touched Moander and Ghaunadaur tainted areas. I think they are numbered SPE131, 132, 133, and 134.
I've also heard some LFR hints that the Eldreth Veluuthra are going to be featured more in LFR, which I am looking forward to. For your campaign and mine.
If you go to Amazon.com and search, you can still find used copies of "Cormanthyr" at a decent price, with the map intact. It's "out of date", but the ground didn't shift since it was a ruins, so yes, it's about the best Myth Drannor map you'll ever get. Especially since very little good developmental materal was ever published to illustrate these ruins, even though Myth Drannor ruins are mentioned over and over. Like you're barely meant to adventure there.
For those interested, I discovered among my 3e collection a little book (adventure) called Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor by the excellent Sean K Reynolds. In it are several detailed areas within the city, including some information (and a 5x5 grid map!) for the castle.
I think they are numbered SPE131, 132, 133, and 134.
I checked again, and still don't see them up on the RPGA sanctioning list. Where did you get them from?
I've also heard some LFR hints that the Eldreth Veluuthra are going to be featured more in LFR, which I am looking forward to. For your campaign and mine.
Eeeeenteresting!
The 4 Adventures are named "Ghosts of the Past" with a subtitle. I hope that helps a little? I both love and hate the new boards. So hard to find some of the old things which were posted on the RPGA page of the old website, including adventure summary/available list.
Any more updates?
Yes! I'll try to get everything from the last three sessions up here tomorrow.
So, when last we left our heroes....
The PCs had just restored the feywild temple using the heart of the dryad. They then spent some time interrogating the turn-coat elf and the drow priestess. They learned that the elf had sworn himself to Lolth as a result of torture at the hands of the priestess. The priestess was much less forthcoming with information, and was beheaded by the PCs. Despite the desire of the druid (Relon) to doom the elf to a similar fate, with the priestess dead and her influence over him somewhat lessened, he agreed to recant and lead the PCs to the main drow holdfast in exchange for his life.
Exploring the remaining parts of the temple, they discover that the living wood around the pool had begun to absorb the dryad's body. Further exploration revealed a small indoor arboretum, wherein were kept elf captives. Most of them were dead, their blood having been drained for use in the ritual to corrupt the temple. Of the two that were still alive, one was traumatized when she discovered that her brother was among the dead. The other was coherent enough to explain that he had been captured in a drow raid on his village. Also in their takings from the temple is a bag of holding that holds various ritual supplies.
As the PCs begin cleaning out the temple, leading the captives and the recanted heretic out into the early morning, a figure stands at the top of the hill. A cloak obscures his features. He inquires as to the party's business with the temple. He expresses approval that it is now free of its drow infestation, then draws two swords and attacks. As the PCs engage him, a cloud of green vapor erupts from behind some nearby bushes, and a green dragon wyrmling joins the combat. Despite the ambush, the party defends themselves, and the duo back off. They explain that they wish to enter the temple in order to shift with it into the feywild. The dragon did not want anyone to know where he was going, and so instructed his moon elf companion to help him confront the party.
In exchange for directions to the dragon's lair, the PCs allowed the duo to enter the temple as the sun began to rise. The party did not remember the trap in the entryway, though, and as the temple began to fade, they heard a loud roar and the snapping of branches. The temple disappeared into the sunlight and the PC's made their way back to the small nearby village.
After regrouping and resting at the village, the cleric (Keyleth) and fighter (Roland) both take some time to pray at the small shrine to Corellon. Keyleth is granted a vision from the god, who blesses her for her actions (bestowing Corellon's Boon of Arcane Might). Roland devotes himself and his deeds to the god and acquires the paladin multiclass feat. They make sure the survivors are settled, explain the events at the temple to the villagers, and then are on their way to seek out the drow holdfast by way of the dragon's lair.
More to come soon, including a trip to Elven Court and deeper intrigue in Myth Drannor!
Sounds great! You obviously put alot into this. I'm interested in the Dragon and the elf that attacked the party. Is there something more to them, or was they basically a random encounter?
Sounds great! You obviously put alot into this. I'm interested in the Dragon and the elf that attacked the party. Is there something more to them, or was they basically a random encounter?
Thanks! I think what I'm enjoying the most in this campaign is tweaking with the players'/PCs' expectations of the world.
The dragon encounter happened because: a) I wanted to run a dragon!, b) I was curious about running a dragon at low-level., c) I needed a non-cludgey way to get some more treasure parcels to the PCs., and d) It gave me two interesting NPCs that I could use again as recurring characters in the game. It's kind of an investment in the future of the story. The dragon and the elf both have plans for the feywild. Whether or not they accomplish their goals (and whether or not they return to Faerun once they do) remains to be seen!
So was the players freaked about a Dragon attacking them? If it was me I think I would of ran away!
I don't think they were freaked out, but they definitely didn't see it coming! They were completely focused on the elf, which is exactly how I/they wanted it.
Mwahaha!
So, when last we left our elves. . .
(Disclaimer: Again, it's been almost a year. So, I'm sure this will be varying degrees of incomplete. What follows is as accurate and complete as my memory allows. If my players want to correct me or fill in blanks, they should feel free to do so!)
And so our story resumes.
Having restored order to the temple, the elves make their way back to the doors they had rushed past earlier. The symbol has reverted back to the crescent of Corellon, all traces of Lolth's corruption vanished. The doors open into an atrium, where they discover some elvish captives. At least one is beyond help, but the others are alive and tell the party that the drow were taking vials of their blood, though they do not know why.
Stepping out of the temple into the early sylvan morning with the rescued captives in tow, an unexpected guest awaits them. The guest, an eladrin, greets them, while his companion, a young green dragon ambushes the party with its breath as they move away from the temple. Confused and surprised, the elves fall under attack from the dragon and the eladrin. They recover and stand their ground, the deciding strike dealt by Roland when he grounds the dragon as it tries to fly away.
Upon questioning the odd pair, our heroes are told that the dragon seeks passage into the Feywild. The eladrin is cagey about why he has joined up with such a creature, but the dragon's offer to let the elves have his hoard distracts them and they allow the two to enter the temple. As dawn breaks through the branches of the trees and sunlight illuminates the building, it fades into the morning mist.
- - - - -
The party returns to the tree where they encountered the faeries and inform them of what has become of the dryad, then move on to the village where they are greeted and thanked for their deeds. Keyleth and Roland both spend some time at the shrine to Corellon, communing with their god. The cleric is blessed by a vision of the elven deity, and awakens to find she has control over new arcane powers (Corellon's Boon of Arcane Might). The fighter asks how he may best serve, and is accepted as a holy warrior (multi-classed Paladin).
Before making a return journey, they follow the directions given by the dragon to its lair: a large, old, hollowed out oak tree. They dispose of a poison vine trap and subdue the kobold guards the dragon has left behind, then climb up into the dragon's nest to acquire its hoard.
The task accomplished, the trio travel back to Myth Drannor and the enclave of Shevarash, the Black Arrows. They hand the book over to an eladrin member of the enclave, a former Coronal Guard, who promises to look it over for them. In the meantime, they question the local rangers and scouts about any odd occurrences in the forest. While doing so, they notice they're being watched by members of the Guard. Their questions don't turn up much information, though they do pick up one lead.
They are directed by the Arrows to a secret passage that will take them safely outside of the mythal and not attract the attention of the Guard.
(From here on my memory is especially fuzzy, so I'm just going to relate the events as I remember them, in no particular chronological order.)
They visit five other sites before events take an unexpected turn.
1) Elven Court: The party follows a lead to the old ruins of Elven Court, after seeking information on old temples from the scouts in Myth Drannor. It turns out to be a dead end, though their visit is not without incident. They follow the old roads to the temple of Corellon, where they first face down a small band of duergar, then draw the attention of a drow scouting party through the ancient portal to the underdark still lingering in the temple. They barely escape with their lives.
2) The Cave: Another lead gives them the location of a holdfast of drow in the southwestern woods. There, the party defeats a drow priestess and uncovers more evidence of ritual sacrifice, as well as an entrance to the underdark (which they fill with dirt and broken furniture). The priestesses at the temple and at this location turn out to be related; they are mother and daughter. The daughter mourns the death of her mother, and after she admits to being a former follower of Elistrae, the PCs reluctantly let her go, escorted by an elf who had been captured and forcibly converted to following Lolth.
3) Gil-Galen's Mentor: Still seeking more leads, the PCs are visited by Gil-Galen's past. His old mentor has sent a messenger, a former fellow student, and requested his presence. The party treks north to pay the mentor a visit, and are set upon by drow after they arrive. They dispatch the drow quickly, and retain one for questioning. The drow proves reluctant to speak, even in the face of torture, though they do get a little information out of him. When they leave, Caesala, Gil's "schoolmate", joins them. She replaces Relon (as a companion PC) when she is called back to Myth Drannor. (Relon's player moved away.)
4) The Tower: In the northeastern forest, the party invetigates an abandoned, crumbling tower. The lower level has inexplicably been plane shifted into a small part of the feywild. As soon as they step into the tower, they are trapped. Some help from a similarly snared satyr gets them into the rest of the tower, where they rout some goblins, and a drow messenger.
5) Tangled Trees: Their final destination on Toril, the PCs acquired flying mounts to race to the city deep in the thick forest. They hoped to arrive in time to prevent further sacrifices by the drow, but instead discover a city sacked by a raid. A lone druid and elven child indicate that the drow arrived here en force, and then headed south. With help from the druid, they seek out the raiding party. Gathered in a clearing with several standing stones and an altar, the drow, guarded by web golems, are in the middle of casting a ritual. Arcane energies swirl around the spellcasters standing over the altar.
Roland takes the initiative, draws his bow and takes aim.
The arrow flies true, and strikes the primary caster.
The arcane energies crackle for a moment, and arc over the clearing.
There's a bright flash.
When they can see again, the four elves find themselves... elsewhere.
Empty, gray ground stretches around them as far as they can see.
The sky above is dark and starless.
And less than 10 yards away stand two strange looking humanoids, each holding a shining silver sword.
(I've started running a concurrent campaign in which the players are drow and are dealing with what the elf party left behind. I'll post updates to both as soon as I can!)