RPGnet - User contributions [en]

Pathfinder 2e: Hellbreakers

2026-04-01T00:49:18Z

NightGoblyn: /* Characters */

<center>[[File:HellbreakersTitle.png]]</center>

== Hellbreakers==
In 4726 AR, the Isgeri government, believing the anti-Chelaxian faction called the Hellbreakers League was gathering warshards, requested aid from Her Infernal Majestrix Abrogail Thrune. Cheliax swiftly dispatched Hellknights from the Order of the Rack to root out suspected traitors. 

Loyalist Hellknights occupied Breachill, terrorizing the population with house arrests and public executions despite not finding any true Hellbreakers. A team of Andoran diplomats, headed by the semi-retired General Reginald Kormoth, traveled to Breachill to entreat with the Hellknights and request that they cease subjugating the town's populace. In response, the Hellknights captured and publicly executed him. 

Public outrage pressured Andoran to respond. Wary of war, Supreme Elect Andira Marusek took the suggestion of her council that since the Hellknights aren't a state-run force, the similarly "independent" Eagle Knights could step in without causing too much incident. Eagle Knights of the Steel Falcons were "advised" to travel to Isger, where they battled the Hellknights and eventually reclaimed it from Chelaxian occupation. Her Infernal Majestrix Abrogail Thrune declared Andoran's incursion into Isger as an act of war and began preparing in kind. 

With the dust settling after the intial conflict, the Hellbreakers League in Iseger has decided that enoug is enough. The time has come to rally the people and cast off the rule of Cheliax for good. 

You are junior members of the Hellbreakers League, and have been sent to Breachill to meet with an Andoran Eagle Knight still in the town, who has agreed to aid the cause of the Hellbreakers, and escort them back to the headquarters of the League. 

Our story opens on a crisp, fall evening in Lamashan 4726 AR, as our team arrives in the Ca yden's Keg tavern in Breachill... 

==Characters==
[[Pathfinder 2e: Hellbreakers/Bink Horsebane | Bink Horsebane]]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Touz_D_MgAN2lp_p662onEOPbCYIUvtFuPGHZH4Xq2o/edit?usp=drive_link Nemo]

==Important Skills==

==Notable NPCs==

==Loot==
*

==Coinage==
*

==Loot to Sell==

==Forum Threads==
*'''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/recruitment-hellbreakers-pf2e.934973 Recruitment]'''

==In Character Resources==

==Special Rules==

==Combat Maps==

==Resources==

Pathfinder 2e: Hellbreakers

2026-04-01T00:48:27Z

NightGoblyn: /* Characters */

<center>[[File:HellbreakersTitle.png]]</center>

== Hellbreakers==
In 4726 AR, the Isgeri government, believing the anti-Chelaxian faction called the Hellbreakers League was gathering warshards, requested aid from Her Infernal Majestrix Abrogail Thrune. Cheliax swiftly dispatched Hellknights from the Order of the Rack to root out suspected traitors. 

Loyalist Hellknights occupied Breachill, terrorizing the population with house arrests and public executions despite not finding any true Hellbreakers. A team of Andoran diplomats, headed by the semi-retired General Reginald Kormoth, traveled to Breachill to entreat with the Hellknights and request that they cease subjugating the town's populace. In response, the Hellknights captured and publicly executed him. 

Public outrage pressured Andoran to respond. Wary of war, Supreme Elect Andira Marusek took the suggestion of her council that since the Hellknights aren't a state-run force, the similarly "independent" Eagle Knights could step in without causing too much incident. Eagle Knights of the Steel Falcons were "advised" to travel to Isger, where they battled the Hellknights and eventually reclaimed it from Chelaxian occupation. Her Infernal Majestrix Abrogail Thrune declared Andoran's incursion into Isger as an act of war and began preparing in kind. 

With the dust settling after the intial conflict, the Hellbreakers League in Iseger has decided that enoug is enough. The time has come to rally the people and cast off the rule of Cheliax for good. 

You are junior members of the Hellbreakers League, and have been sent to Breachill to meet with an Andoran Eagle Knight still in the town, who has agreed to aid the cause of the Hellbreakers, and escort them back to the headquarters of the League. 

Our story opens on a crisp, fall evening in Lamashan 4726 AR, as our team arrives in the Ca yden's Keg tavern in Breachill... 

==Characters==
[[Pathfinder 2e: Hellbreakers/Bink Horsebane | Bink Horsebane]]
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Touz_D_MgAN2lp_p662onEOPbCYIUvtFuPGHZH4Xq2o/edit?usp=drive_link Nemo]

==Important Skills==

==Notable NPCs==

==Loot==
*

==Coinage==
*

==Loot to Sell==

==Forum Threads==
*'''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/recruitment-hellbreakers-pf2e.934973 Recruitment]'''

==In Character Resources==

==Special Rules==

==Combat Maps==

==Resources==

Savage X-COM

2025-05-07T21:02:08Z

NightGoblyn: /* Pilots */

<center>“'''Two possibilities '''exist: '''either we are alone '''in the Universe or '''we '''are not. Both are equally terrifying.” - Arthur C. Clarke</center>

= X-COM: UFO Defense =

In 1947, Army Air Corps personnel from the 509th Bomb Group report the crash of a "flying disk" in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico. Some reports claim that there were two objects, and that one actually housed three alien beings: two dead and one alive. Before the end of the day, Army Air Corps officials retract the story, claiming that the object that crashed was actually a weather balloon. The existence of alien beings is categorically denied. 

All of the "weather balloon" debris and other physical evidence of the "Roswell Incident" are quickly whisked away to Wright Airfield in Ohio. 

X-COM was initially founded in the 1959. Originally created as an American counter-intelligence organization, aimed at providing a rapid response unit against a communist invasion, the agency was retasked to counter extra-terrestrial incursions by Director Faulke during the Outsider Incident [DETAILS REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE COUNCIL OF FUNDING NATIONS]. 

Following the successful resolution of the incident, X-COM was reformed into an international agency that would have jurisdiction over all extraterrestrial affairs, named the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit. The Council of Funding Nations was quickly formed by international treaty to govern X-COM, and then quickly sank into obscurity. X-COM was mothballed and remained a hidden relic of the cold war. Despite the events of 1962, the nations of the world still believe that aliens pose no true threat to the world and that global unity against a common foe is hardly required. The details of the incident, X-COM and the CFN are buried and kept hidden from the public. The Cold War proceeds for another thirty-nine years. 

The Council of Funding Nations, throughout this time, maintained a few X-COM bases under the guise of being national military bases and keeps its eyes on highly qualified individuals in the event that the program needs to be reactivated. Each year, the members of the Council meet and update their recruit list. The goal throughout the rest of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries is to have a list of experts ready, so that the X-COM project can be reactivated within days of a decision. The Council members are keenly aware that humanity is no longer alone in the universe, and that they will one day return. 

In 2017, Unidentified Flying Objects started appearing with disturbing regularity in the night skies. Reports of violent human abductions and horrific experimentation strike terror into the hearts of millions, and began to spark mass public hysteria. While at first, these are just regarded as rumors and urban legends, the sheer scale and public nature of these incidents means that by 2019, the majority of the public believe that aliens are real and are active on earth, and there are documented cases of human abduction commonplace through sparsely populated regions. Every major news organization has reporters dedicated full time to tracking and reporting on cases of alien attacks, though the specifics behind the aliens remain unknown to the public. All attempts by national governments to cover up the crisis fail horribly, and only spark more public outcry. Confused denial does nothing to stem the tide of panic. The tipping point is Maine. A high profile abduction of three hundred people in a small, coastal town in 2018 is live streamed to the internet by several citizens, and an embedded reporter with the National Guard unit that responds to the attack. After this, the government denials stop. 

The Council proposed the reactivation of X-COM following their initial report into UFO activity in 2017, but at that time, the individual nations of the world feel that the situation is containable, and a leak of the X-INT report to the public resulted in confused denials on a political level. 

The scientific community attempted to make contact with the aliens on several occasions, but receive no response. Though the disappearance of the scientists who attempt to walk into landed UFOs could be seen as a kind of reply. 

Many countries initially tried to deal independently with the aliens. In June 2019, Japan established an anti-alien combat force; the Kiryu-Kai. Equipped with Japanese-made fighter aircraft, the Kiryu-Kai certainly looked like a powerful force. However, after 5 months of expensive operations, they have yet to intercept their first UFO. Other national agencies had a similar lack of success. The lesson was clear: this was a worldwide problem which could not be dealt with by individual countries. 

Intelligence agencies and military organizations around the world quickly discovered that these aliens were not working alone, numerous organizations had quietly cut deals with the aliens outside the providence of national governments. Criminals, cults, and syndicates were quietly operating with the aliens behind the scenes on an international scale. 

An answer had to be given. While national agencies were preparing their own responses, old treaties were being called upon and an agreement was being reached. 

On December 11, 2019, representatives from the world's most powerful countries met secretly in Geneva. After much debate the decision was made to authorize the Council of Funding Nations to reactivate the X-COM project. Following the meeting, the Council immediately begins calling in the names on its list, recruiting the finest military, scientific and engineering minds on the planet, and start recruiting the best soldiers and pilots to serve as humanities front line. The initial briefing to these recruits was given on New Year’s Eve. 

X-COM officially reactivated on January First 2020, with a mandate to preserve human life and protect earth from the new alien incursion. 

Several military bases around the world are being reassigned to X-COM for their usage. Our story begins at a little known base known as Area 51, which has been partially requisitioned for X-COM's North-America West operations... 

===Setting Rules===
* '''Best of the Best:''' Payers start with 16 skill points instead of 12, and get an extra attribute boost and edge at character creation; to represent being drawn from the world's best units. 
* '''Creative Combat:''' When making a successful Test check in combat and getting a raise, roll on the Creative Combat page on page 137 for the extra benefit 
* '''Elite Forces:''' Characters can spend a Benny to gain the one-time use of a Combat Edge. They have to meet the Rank and any Edge requirements as usual but can ignore Trait requirements. Multiple Bennies can be spent in one round for multiple Edges, either for different effects or in order to meet a needed requirement to gain another Edge. If duration matters for the edge, it lasts until the start of their next turn. 
* '''Gritty Damage:''' Whenever a Wild Card takes a Wound, roll on the Injury Table and apply the results immediately (but roll only once per incident regardless of how many Wounds are actually caused). A hero who takes two Wounds from an attack, for example, rolls once on the Injury Table. Injuries sustained in this way are cured when the Wound is healed. Injuries sustained via Incapacitation may be temporary or permanent as usual. A Shaken character who’s Shaken a second time (from damage) receives a Wound as usual but does not roll on the Injury Table. 

===House Rules===
*'''Initiative:''' Initiative in Savage Worlds uses playing cards, which has trigger various edges and effects (such as the Joker). We will still draw cards (rather, I'll draw cards and tell you what you get) to determine these effects, but the actual initiative will be using popcorn. First a PC goes, then a NPC (or group of identical extras), then a PC, etc. etc. and switch back and forth until everyone has gone. The reason for this is because, in my experience, it makes play by post games go much faster instead of having to wait for individual people's turns to come up. People can go when they're available, instead of waiting for both their turn to come up and for them to be available. 

===Character Creation===
Character creation will use the standard Savage Worlds rules. Characters must be human (at the start of the campaign) and go through the regular creation process, with the exception that money is not involved. 
 
For gear, as members of a military unit, X-COM operatives, obviously, do not have to buy their own guns. Instead, they can take any items they want from the list of X-COM equipment, up to their maximum carrying capacity. At the start of the game, only human gear is available, but in unlimited quantities. Eventually, more advanced gear will become available and there may be restrictions on how much can be taken into the field. All weapons and equipment should be selected from the list in the wiki, as opposed to the core book. If you feel something is missing, let me know, and I may add it if I agree. 
 
In the event that access to money becomes relevant for the plot, any X-COM operative can be assumed to be have a few hundred dollars or the local equivalent. Rich and Very Rich characters will have access to much more. A character with the poverty hindrance will never have enough money if they need it for some reason. 

==Characters==
[[Daxton "Wells" Robins]]

[[Ivy Winters]]

[[RH Walker]]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vvcAQQfaeaMOTrcYP7x9b3awARoOxUL7olqWzeegiIw/edit?tab=t.0 Isabella Hernández]

[[Jia_Sin_Se | Jia Sin Se ]]

====Former Squadmates====
[[Diego "Papa Bear" Montoya]]

[[Abraham Boone]]

[[X-Com:_Mac | MacKenzie 'Mac' Leigh]]

[[Mireille Dembélé | Mireille "Ombre" Dembélé]]

[[Erebus Matheson]]

==Links==
* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X7gQctsnRB37saMGjhcZ4JQNNdt3jb9Cx-ydNQV6J0Q/edit?usp=sharing Combat Tracker]
* [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/recruitment-x-com-area-51-savage-worlds-adventure-edition.915810 Recruitment Thread]
* [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/x-com-area-51.915927/ OOC Thread]
* [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/x-com-area-51.916002/ IC Thread]

==Setting==
[[Savage_X-COM: XCOM Structure|X-COM Structure]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Area 51 Dramatis Personae|Area 51 Dramatis Personae]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Timeline|Timeline]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: UFOPaedia|UFOPaedia]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: After Action Reports|After Action Reports]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Armory|Armory]] 

==Character Creation==
[[Savage_X-COM: New Hidrances|New Hindrances]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: New Skills |New Skills]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: New Edges|New Edges]] 

==Equipment==
Weapons are listed with generic stats and a series of examples. As Tier One operators, X-COM Sword Team operatives have wide personal latitude in choosing their weapons. And since they came from a wide variety of military backgrounds and units, X-COM command feels that the comfort of using preferred weapons outweighs the logistical disadvantages of multiple different weapons, primarily since X-COM teams aren’t expected to spend long times in the field away from the base. Shield teams have a more standardized base of equipment, using MP5s, Mossberg 590A1s and G36Cs as primary armanents; with P220 and P226s for sidearms. They also wield a mean stun baton. 
 
[[Savage_X-COM: New Keywords|New Keywords]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Armor|Armor]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Primary Weapons|Primary Weapons]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Secondary Weapons|Secondary Weapons]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Melee Weapons|Melee Weapons]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Expendable Weapons|Expendable Weapons]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Weapon Mods|Weapon Mods]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Drones|Drones]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Personal Gear|Personal Gear]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Vehicles|Vehicles]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: MEC Gear|MEC Gear]] 

==Other==
[[Savage_X-COM: New Combat Rules|New Combat Rules]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: X-INT Operations|X-INT Operations]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Gene Mods|Gene Mods]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: MEC Troopers|MEC Troopers]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Downtime Actions|Downtime Actions]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Allied NPCs|Allied NPCs]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Squads|Squads]] 

= X-COM: Tachyon Squadron=

It is currently May of 2020, and X-COM has been waging a brutal battle on land and air across all the continents of Earth for the past four months. Despite initial setbacks against a technologically superior foe, X-COM air and ground forces have begun to make serious successes. The Raven interceptor has allowed X-COM to obtain notable successes against UFOs in the sky, and small teams of operatives have successfully raided crashed UFOs and fought off numerous abduction attempts. Research and development have begun reverse engineering captured examples of alien technology, and new weapons and armor have begun seeing deployment against the invaders. However, the aliens keep escalating their attacks, including several massive attacks on urban regions; and new alien life forms and weapons keep appearing. 

You are all members of Tachyon Squadron, a flight of interceptors based out of Andermatt Base Station, the a recently established X-COM base under Castlehorn Mountain in Switzerland. You're the first line of defense for X-COM. Every UFO that is brought down is one that isn't abducting citizens, bombing cities or performing research on humanity. Every UFO brought down is a chance for the tactical teams to defeat the enemies in brutal close combat, a chance for the research teams to uncover new technologies, and materials for the engineers to build new weapons. In order to win this war, X-COM must win the skies back. 

The fighter pilots of X-COM have become the old breed, with skills and tactics dating back to the flying aces in World Wars I and II, ironically because of the technology that once led to their disappearance. The simple reason is that conventional fighter jets are next to useless against UFOs. They fly too fast and are too maneuverable for the fight to be fair. And the UFO hull simply cannot be targeted by modern BVR missiles. They can't be detected by conventional radar and have no notable heat signature. The only plane that can keep up is the XFS-105 Raven Interceptor. And even then, the most reliable method to date remains to get as close as possible, engage in a dogfight and make the kill with cannons. 

==Pilots==
* [[Bakary Salou]]
* [[Aleksy "Boartusk" Sitko]]
* [[Tachyon_Squadron_Valkyrie | Ingrid "Valkyrie" Skarsgård]]
* [[Karyn "Babysitter" White]]
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uByC_zUVyXYDpgopnoI5kgDD5hhVOv8Ov15cXw7iTlM/edit?usp=sharing Lady Victoria Jane "Duchess" Mountbatten-Windsor]

==Rules Modifications==
Mechanically, this game will be played with FATE Core and the Tachyon Squadron rules. The mechanics won’t need to be modified for the different setting, though there will be some change to gear. 

The main mechanical difference will be in defensive checks. In order to speed up things in a PbP setting, instead of the target rolling the FATE dice, they’ll be assumed to roll a 0, so the target number will just be the skill value for the defensive skill (which will be made available on the combat tracker). 

Players and NPCs will be able to spend FATE points and invoke aspects retroactively to turn a hit into a miss per the usual rules. For instance, if your fighter is targetted by an alien plasma cannon, and the alien rolls and hits by 1; after my post, the player would be able to spend a FATE point and invoke an appropriate aspect to increase the defence by 2; and retroactively turn the hit into a miss. 

==Equipment==
[[Savage_X-COM: Tachyon Squadron Planes|Interceptors]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Tachyon Squadron Equipment|Equipment]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Tachyon Squadron Locations|Locations]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Tachyon Squadron People|People]]

Savage X-COM

2025-05-07T21:00:07Z

NightGoblyn: /* Pilots */

<center>“'''Two possibilities '''exist: '''either we are alone '''in the Universe or '''we '''are not. Both are equally terrifying.” - Arthur C. Clarke</center>

= X-COM: UFO Defense =

In 1947, Army Air Corps personnel from the 509th Bomb Group report the crash of a "flying disk" in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico. Some reports claim that there were two objects, and that one actually housed three alien beings: two dead and one alive. Before the end of the day, Army Air Corps officials retract the story, claiming that the object that crashed was actually a weather balloon. The existence of alien beings is categorically denied. 

All of the "weather balloon" debris and other physical evidence of the "Roswell Incident" are quickly whisked away to Wright Airfield in Ohio. 

X-COM was initially founded in the 1959. Originally created as an American counter-intelligence organization, aimed at providing a rapid response unit against a communist invasion, the agency was retasked to counter extra-terrestrial incursions by Director Faulke during the Outsider Incident [DETAILS REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE COUNCIL OF FUNDING NATIONS]. 

Following the successful resolution of the incident, X-COM was reformed into an international agency that would have jurisdiction over all extraterrestrial affairs, named the Extraterrestrial Combat Unit. The Council of Funding Nations was quickly formed by international treaty to govern X-COM, and then quickly sank into obscurity. X-COM was mothballed and remained a hidden relic of the cold war. Despite the events of 1962, the nations of the world still believe that aliens pose no true threat to the world and that global unity against a common foe is hardly required. The details of the incident, X-COM and the CFN are buried and kept hidden from the public. The Cold War proceeds for another thirty-nine years. 

The Council of Funding Nations, throughout this time, maintained a few X-COM bases under the guise of being national military bases and keeps its eyes on highly qualified individuals in the event that the program needs to be reactivated. Each year, the members of the Council meet and update their recruit list. The goal throughout the rest of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries is to have a list of experts ready, so that the X-COM project can be reactivated within days of a decision. The Council members are keenly aware that humanity is no longer alone in the universe, and that they will one day return. 

In 2017, Unidentified Flying Objects started appearing with disturbing regularity in the night skies. Reports of violent human abductions and horrific experimentation strike terror into the hearts of millions, and began to spark mass public hysteria. While at first, these are just regarded as rumors and urban legends, the sheer scale and public nature of these incidents means that by 2019, the majority of the public believe that aliens are real and are active on earth, and there are documented cases of human abduction commonplace through sparsely populated regions. Every major news organization has reporters dedicated full time to tracking and reporting on cases of alien attacks, though the specifics behind the aliens remain unknown to the public. All attempts by national governments to cover up the crisis fail horribly, and only spark more public outcry. Confused denial does nothing to stem the tide of panic. The tipping point is Maine. A high profile abduction of three hundred people in a small, coastal town in 2018 is live streamed to the internet by several citizens, and an embedded reporter with the National Guard unit that responds to the attack. After this, the government denials stop. 

The Council proposed the reactivation of X-COM following their initial report into UFO activity in 2017, but at that time, the individual nations of the world feel that the situation is containable, and a leak of the X-INT report to the public resulted in confused denials on a political level. 

The scientific community attempted to make contact with the aliens on several occasions, but receive no response. Though the disappearance of the scientists who attempt to walk into landed UFOs could be seen as a kind of reply. 

Many countries initially tried to deal independently with the aliens. In June 2019, Japan established an anti-alien combat force; the Kiryu-Kai. Equipped with Japanese-made fighter aircraft, the Kiryu-Kai certainly looked like a powerful force. However, after 5 months of expensive operations, they have yet to intercept their first UFO. Other national agencies had a similar lack of success. The lesson was clear: this was a worldwide problem which could not be dealt with by individual countries. 

Intelligence agencies and military organizations around the world quickly discovered that these aliens were not working alone, numerous organizations had quietly cut deals with the aliens outside the providence of national governments. Criminals, cults, and syndicates were quietly operating with the aliens behind the scenes on an international scale. 

An answer had to be given. While national agencies were preparing their own responses, old treaties were being called upon and an agreement was being reached. 

On December 11, 2019, representatives from the world's most powerful countries met secretly in Geneva. After much debate the decision was made to authorize the Council of Funding Nations to reactivate the X-COM project. Following the meeting, the Council immediately begins calling in the names on its list, recruiting the finest military, scientific and engineering minds on the planet, and start recruiting the best soldiers and pilots to serve as humanities front line. The initial briefing to these recruits was given on New Year’s Eve. 

X-COM officially reactivated on January First 2020, with a mandate to preserve human life and protect earth from the new alien incursion. 

Several military bases around the world are being reassigned to X-COM for their usage. Our story begins at a little known base known as Area 51, which has been partially requisitioned for X-COM's North-America West operations... 

===Setting Rules===
* '''Best of the Best:''' Payers start with 16 skill points instead of 12, and get an extra attribute boost and edge at character creation; to represent being drawn from the world's best units. 
* '''Creative Combat:''' When making a successful Test check in combat and getting a raise, roll on the Creative Combat page on page 137 for the extra benefit 
* '''Elite Forces:''' Characters can spend a Benny to gain the one-time use of a Combat Edge. They have to meet the Rank and any Edge requirements as usual but can ignore Trait requirements. Multiple Bennies can be spent in one round for multiple Edges, either for different effects or in order to meet a needed requirement to gain another Edge. If duration matters for the edge, it lasts until the start of their next turn. 
* '''Gritty Damage:''' Whenever a Wild Card takes a Wound, roll on the Injury Table and apply the results immediately (but roll only once per incident regardless of how many Wounds are actually caused). A hero who takes two Wounds from an attack, for example, rolls once on the Injury Table. Injuries sustained in this way are cured when the Wound is healed. Injuries sustained via Incapacitation may be temporary or permanent as usual. A Shaken character who’s Shaken a second time (from damage) receives a Wound as usual but does not roll on the Injury Table. 

===House Rules===
*'''Initiative:''' Initiative in Savage Worlds uses playing cards, which has trigger various edges and effects (such as the Joker). We will still draw cards (rather, I'll draw cards and tell you what you get) to determine these effects, but the actual initiative will be using popcorn. First a PC goes, then a NPC (or group of identical extras), then a PC, etc. etc. and switch back and forth until everyone has gone. The reason for this is because, in my experience, it makes play by post games go much faster instead of having to wait for individual people's turns to come up. People can go when they're available, instead of waiting for both their turn to come up and for them to be available. 

===Character Creation===
Character creation will use the standard Savage Worlds rules. Characters must be human (at the start of the campaign) and go through the regular creation process, with the exception that money is not involved. 
 
For gear, as members of a military unit, X-COM operatives, obviously, do not have to buy their own guns. Instead, they can take any items they want from the list of X-COM equipment, up to their maximum carrying capacity. At the start of the game, only human gear is available, but in unlimited quantities. Eventually, more advanced gear will become available and there may be restrictions on how much can be taken into the field. All weapons and equipment should be selected from the list in the wiki, as opposed to the core book. If you feel something is missing, let me know, and I may add it if I agree. 
 
In the event that access to money becomes relevant for the plot, any X-COM operative can be assumed to be have a few hundred dollars or the local equivalent. Rich and Very Rich characters will have access to much more. A character with the poverty hindrance will never have enough money if they need it for some reason. 

==Characters==
[[Daxton "Wells" Robins]]

[[Ivy Winters]]

[[RH Walker]]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vvcAQQfaeaMOTrcYP7x9b3awARoOxUL7olqWzeegiIw/edit?tab=t.0 Isabella Hernández]

[[Jia_Sin_Se | Jia Sin Se ]]

====Former Squadmates====
[[Diego "Papa Bear" Montoya]]

[[Abraham Boone]]

[[X-Com:_Mac | MacKenzie 'Mac' Leigh]]

[[Mireille Dembélé | Mireille "Ombre" Dembélé]]

[[Erebus Matheson]]

==Links==
* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X7gQctsnRB37saMGjhcZ4JQNNdt3jb9Cx-ydNQV6J0Q/edit?usp=sharing Combat Tracker]
* [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/recruitment-x-com-area-51-savage-worlds-adventure-edition.915810 Recruitment Thread]
* [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/x-com-area-51.915927/ OOC Thread]
* [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/x-com-area-51.916002/ IC Thread]

==Setting==
[[Savage_X-COM: XCOM Structure|X-COM Structure]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Area 51 Dramatis Personae|Area 51 Dramatis Personae]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Timeline|Timeline]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: UFOPaedia|UFOPaedia]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: After Action Reports|After Action Reports]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Armory|Armory]] 

==Character Creation==
[[Savage_X-COM: New Hidrances|New Hindrances]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: New Skills |New Skills]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: New Edges|New Edges]] 

==Equipment==
Weapons are listed with generic stats and a series of examples. As Tier One operators, X-COM Sword Team operatives have wide personal latitude in choosing their weapons. And since they came from a wide variety of military backgrounds and units, X-COM command feels that the comfort of using preferred weapons outweighs the logistical disadvantages of multiple different weapons, primarily since X-COM teams aren’t expected to spend long times in the field away from the base. Shield teams have a more standardized base of equipment, using MP5s, Mossberg 590A1s and G36Cs as primary armanents; with P220 and P226s for sidearms. They also wield a mean stun baton. 
 
[[Savage_X-COM: New Keywords|New Keywords]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Armor|Armor]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Primary Weapons|Primary Weapons]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Secondary Weapons|Secondary Weapons]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Melee Weapons|Melee Weapons]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Expendable Weapons|Expendable Weapons]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Weapon Mods|Weapon Mods]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Drones|Drones]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Personal Gear|Personal Gear]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Vehicles|Vehicles]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: MEC Gear|MEC Gear]] 

==Other==
[[Savage_X-COM: New Combat Rules|New Combat Rules]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: X-INT Operations|X-INT Operations]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Gene Mods|Gene Mods]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: MEC Troopers|MEC Troopers]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Downtime Actions|Downtime Actions]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Allied NPCs|Allied NPCs]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Squads|Squads]] 

= X-COM: Tachyon Squadron=

It is currently May of 2020, and X-COM has been waging a brutal battle on land and air across all the continents of Earth for the past four months. Despite initial setbacks against a technologically superior foe, X-COM air and ground forces have begun to make serious successes. The Raven interceptor has allowed X-COM to obtain notable successes against UFOs in the sky, and small teams of operatives have successfully raided crashed UFOs and fought off numerous abduction attempts. Research and development have begun reverse engineering captured examples of alien technology, and new weapons and armor have begun seeing deployment against the invaders. However, the aliens keep escalating their attacks, including several massive attacks on urban regions; and new alien life forms and weapons keep appearing. 

You are all members of Tachyon Squadron, a flight of interceptors based out of Andermatt Base Station, the a recently established X-COM base under Castlehorn Mountain in Switzerland. You're the first line of defense for X-COM. Every UFO that is brought down is one that isn't abducting citizens, bombing cities or performing research on humanity. Every UFO brought down is a chance for the tactical teams to defeat the enemies in brutal close combat, a chance for the research teams to uncover new technologies, and materials for the engineers to build new weapons. In order to win this war, X-COM must win the skies back. 

The fighter pilots of X-COM have become the old breed, with skills and tactics dating back to the flying aces in World Wars I and II, ironically because of the technology that once led to their disappearance. The simple reason is that conventional fighter jets are next to useless against UFOs. They fly too fast and are too maneuverable for the fight to be fair. And the UFO hull simply cannot be targeted by modern BVR missiles. They can't be detected by conventional radar and have no notable heat signature. The only plane that can keep up is the XFS-105 Raven Interceptor. And even then, the most reliable method to date remains to get as close as possible, engage in a dogfight and make the kill with cannons. 

==Pilots==
* [[Bakary Salou]]
* [[Aleksy "Boartusk" Sitko]]
* [[Tachyon_Squadron_Valkyrie | Ingrid "Valkyrie" Skarsgård]]
* [[Karyn "Babysitter" White]]
* [[Lady Victoria Jane "Duchess" Mountbatten-Windsor | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uByC_zUVyXYDpgopnoI5kgDD5hhVOv8Ov15cXw7iTlM/edit?usp=sharing]]

==Rules Modifications==
Mechanically, this game will be played with FATE Core and the Tachyon Squadron rules. The mechanics won’t need to be modified for the different setting, though there will be some change to gear. 

The main mechanical difference will be in defensive checks. In order to speed up things in a PbP setting, instead of the target rolling the FATE dice, they’ll be assumed to roll a 0, so the target number will just be the skill value for the defensive skill (which will be made available on the combat tracker). 

Players and NPCs will be able to spend FATE points and invoke aspects retroactively to turn a hit into a miss per the usual rules. For instance, if your fighter is targetted by an alien plasma cannon, and the alien rolls and hits by 1; after my post, the player would be able to spend a FATE point and invoke an appropriate aspect to increase the defence by 2; and retroactively turn the hit into a miss. 

==Equipment==
[[Savage_X-COM: Tachyon Squadron Planes|Interceptors]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Tachyon Squadron Equipment|Equipment]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Tachyon Squadron Locations|Locations]] 
[[Savage_X-COM: Tachyon Squadron People|People]]

Welcome to Neverwinter

2025-04-14T23:39:42Z

NightGoblyn: /* Skills */

== Premise ==

AMID THE wilderness and savagery of the cold North, Neverwinter once stood as a beacon of civility and warmth. Even after the Spellplague wracked the world, the Jewel of the North lost little of its luster. The city’s destruction thus shocked many when it occurred, despite the portents that warned of coming peril. Vague prophecies and strange events seemed like shadows of the Spellplague, nothing more. Even the earth tremors that began to disturb the area could not shake its citizens’ belief in a bright future.

Then Mount Hotenow, deep in Neverwinter Wood, awoke with the power of an angry god. The city could do nothing against such a foe. The earth yawned open and broke apart. Whole districts shuddered and sank while other areas shot up, forming sudden cliffs. The river, running warm throughout winter, exploded into hissing steam and lava as scalding clouds of ash roared through the streets like an advancing army. Thousands lost their lives as Neverwinter died that day.

Slowly, life has returned to this ruined landscape. Many hope to rebuild what has been lost, but an equal number see the tragedy as an opportunity to seize all they can. Yet those who scratch out lives in the scarred city fail to see the infection below the scab. Under their noses, beneath their feet, and even within their earshot, dark forces battle one another for control of the city.

The year is 1479 and it is Marpenoth, the 10th month of the year.

== Houserules ==

* I'm just going to do milestone leveling rather than precisely tracking experience.

* I'm not interested in closely tracking everyone's encumbrance but try to keep things reasonable on that front.

* We'll be using popcorn initiative, as Falkus described in this thread: https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/request-for-a-4th-edition-dnd-game-set-in-the-forgotten-realms-using-the-keep-on-the-shadowfell-modules.921348/. Basically, once combat starts 1 PC will go (on a first come, first serve basis), then I'll have a NPC go, then another PC who hasn't acted yet will act, etc, until the end of the round, when the process starts over. Initiative won't serve any purpose, so you probably don't want to take any features that improve it.

* ''Skill Challenges'':

** Will be done round by round, so all players need to act in round 1 before we move to round 2, and then if the challenge doesn't end in round 2, everyone needs to act before we go to round 3, and so on.

** Like combat, players can act in any order, it's first come, first serve. I'll attempt to update during the SC about how things are going after rolls, but if someone just went and another player wants to post, don't feel like you have to wait for me.

** On each players' turn, they can do one of two things: 1) Attempt a success; roll whatever skill you can justify versus the challenge DC (each individual skill challenge will spell out what the DCs are and how many successes are needed), or 2) attempt to aid another player; pick a skill that could plausibly be used to help someone else and roll versus DC 10 and, if successful, that will give that PC a +2 the next time they act (the benefits from aiding someone don't stack, so a PC can't have +10 from 5 other PCs aiding them). In conjunction with that, if you have a utility/non-combat power that grants skill bonuses, or a really creative use for a combat power to get a skill bonus, you may use that power before you roll, but each player may only use one power per round.

** As the previous point suggests, I'm not bothering with primary and secondary skills. Players may roll any skill that makes logical sense within the context of the scene. So each skill use should be justified in the fiction, but I'm not putting any restrictions in terms of what skills can be used.

** Players can't use the same skill twice in a row. Other players, however, may use the same skill within the same round as long as it makes sense within the context of the scene.

== Threads ==

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/welcome-to-neverwinter.922077 IC Thread]

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/welcome-to-neverwinter.922073/ OOC Thread]

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/planning-4e-neverwinter-campaign.921672/ Planning Thread]

== PCs ==

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/17VpavwknMncf6b4f34vFtHieEp6udnXI0S8b3XwuehI/edit Ernst Lemuel. Human-appearing (Deva) Shaman. Oghma's Faithful/Dragon Coast.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KY_8n5OjSacZdHmB10xdQwNtDsddbznn5Al_anpF6E0/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Lander Telantere. Human Cleric. Scion of Shadows.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/19fLiTfe5HxGEDq4DKe9JAmjzS_IfPKl3HGv8o95N5Yo/edit?usp=sharing Tatha Dinistyn. Drow Sorcerer. Spellscarred Harbinger.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b0yp3wSwaD9cUCVpPxjhCrwFfl_ERDLIlNf8mwkm4iI/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Orcanu Tamar. Eladrin Swordmage. Iliyanbruen Guardian.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10BYWPOrilUHZS9Zr8fkfH9gLhx5YGOHtfmU8f16yI60/edit?usp=sharing Otis Oakson. Human Wizard. Blackstaff Apprentice.]

* [[Vanadia | Vanadia. Dwarf Fighter. Heir of Delzoun]]

====Skills====

{|
|+Skill Matrix (L.1)
|-
!Skill
!Otis
!Vanadia
!Ernst
!Lander
!Tatha
!Orcanu
|-
| Acrobatics (Dex)
| +2
| -2
| +1
| +0
| +3
| +0
|-
| Arcana (Int)
| +10
| -1
| +5
| 0
| +7
| '''+14'''
|-
| Athletics (Str)
| +1
| '''+6'''
| +1
| +0
| +0
| +5
|-
| Bluff (Cha)
| +0
| +0
| +1
| +7
| '''+10'''
| +1
|-
| Diplomacy (Cha)
| +0
| +0
| +1
| +7
| '''+10'''
| +1
|-
| Dungeoneering (Wis)
| +2
| '''+8'''
| +5
| +4
| -1
| -1
|-
| Endurance (Con)
| +3
| '''+8'''
| +2
| +2
| +0
| +7
|-
| Heal (Wis)
| +2
| +1
| '''+5'''
| '''+4'''
| -1
| -1
|-
| History (Int)
| +10
| -1
| '''+12'''
| +5
| +0
| '''+12'''
|-
| Insight (Wis)
| +2
| +1
| '''+10'''
| '''+9'''
| -1
| -1
|-
| Intimidate (Cha)
| +0
| +0
| +1
| +2
| '''+12'''
| +1
|-
| Nature (Wis)
| +7
| +1
| '''+10'''
| +4
| -1
| -1
|-
| Perception (Wis)
| +2
| +1
| '''+10'''
| +4
| -1
| +4
|-
| Religion (Int)
| +5
| -1
| '''+7'''
| +5
| +0
| +5
|-
| Stealth (Dex)
| '''+8'''
| -2
| +1
| +0
| +6
| +0
|-
| Streetwise (Cha)
| +0
| +0
| +1
| +2
| +4
| +1
|-
| Thievery (Dex)
| '''+8/+10'''
| -2
| +1
| +0
| +3
| +0
|}

===Languages===
* Otis: Common, Elven
* Ernst: Common, Chondathan, Goblin, Supernal
* Lander: Common, Netherese
* Tatha: Common, Elven
* Orcanu: Common, Eladrin
* Vanadia: Common, Dwarven

===Passed into the Woods===
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZFpAbbxBSZWGLjB_yNPjQ7-62cOylGJTM0puf986ruE/edit Cleo. Human Rogue. Dead Rat Deserter.]
* [https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2881605 Maria Fireheart. Human Mage. Harper Agent/Detective.]

== Treasure==
* 210g 3s, 9c
* an ornate dagger worth 30g
* a Restful Bedroll
* +1 Greataxe of Sundering
* +1 Staff of Spectral Hands

== Neverwinter and the North ==
[[File:Neverwinter_map.png]]

Even in safer times, the North’s reputation as the Savage North was well earned. Now, times are worse and the land more savage by far. Its great cities, once bastions of light and civilization, lie crippled. The small towns that served to shelter travelers stand empty—or have been claimed by murderous groups and hungry monsters. Roads etched into the earth with thousands of years of use are increasingly obscured by forest, bramble, and marsh. Communities now struggle alone amid the wilderness,
fortunate if they see an outsider once in a generation. Neverwinter labors to breathe in the suffocating harshness of this new North, the sea its only lifeline. With few traders braving the increasingly long treks between settlements, the city’s docks now provide the area’s main means of import and precious little export. Gone are the days of plenty, beauty, and luxury. Today, Neverwinter struggles to break free of the forces that brought it low, still weak and surrounded by danger.

* '''Neverwinter''': The City of Skilled Hands, the Jewel of the North—many were the accolades once heaped upon Neverwinter. Then, almost thirty years ago, the city died. Minor earth tremors that had plagued the region for months were the precursors of the eruption of Mount Hotenow. A portion of that volcano’s peak exploded with such force that lava and superheated ash poured across the city in an avalanche. Half of Neverwinter’s population died in a heartbeat, the city’s buildings razed. A great rift now known as the Chasm rent the surface where the shifting earth had pulled apart. Strange zombies roamed the land in the aftermath, their dead flesh turned to ash by the fires that consumed the city. Yet the people of the North have always been resilient. After the destruction, many who had fled at the first tremors returned. Opportunists and looters arrived. People began to rebuild. Lord Dagult Neverember, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, eventually arrived as well, along with an army of Mintarn mercenaries. Today, the city struggles back to life under the watchful rule of the self-styled Lord Protector.

* '''Neverwinter''' River: The bright water of the Neverwinter River runs warm throughout the year, a feature that helps to keep the city from being frozen in the winter months. When the cataclysm struck, dark ash choked the river for months before it began to flow from Neverwinter Wood through the city once more. Three bridges once spanned the river in Neverwinter— the Sleeping Dragon, the Winged Wyvern, and the Dolphin, each sculpted in the form of its name. Of the three, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

* '''Helm’s Hold''': Once a small monastery and adjacent village dedicated to the deity Helm, the cathedral of Helm’s Hold now towers above the town and surrounding lands that bear its name. The death of Helm saw the monastery fall into disuse, but the fortified town became a refuge when the Spellplague hit during the year following Helm’s demise. Lord Neverember now exiles victims of the Spellplague to Helm’s Hold for treatment, and his mercenaries guard the town.

* '''Port Llast''': This town was a great city in ancient times—the most northerly safe harbor on the Sword Coast whenever Luskan would fall to orcs or other evil forces. However, the rise of a relatively stable Luskan and ports farther north began to diminish its prominence. Then came the Spellplague, and with it the return of Abeir. The appearance of the new continent in the ocean to the west changed the tides around Port Llast, filling the harbor with silt and making Neverwinter an easier port to reach. With the docks of Port Llast failing and trade dying off, most of its citizens have long since abandoned their homes or died at the hands of marauders. Now a ghost town, Port Llast is known as the realm of the evil sea goddess Umberlee and as a home to sea monsters. However, some say that this reputation is simply rumor spread by those who want to keep the secrets of the town to themselves.

* '''Neverwinter Wood''': For generations, this dark forest has been shunned by most people of the North. That magic exists in Neverwinter Wood cannot be doubted, but its nature—and whether it exists as a force of good or ill—remains unknown. The forest holds many secrets, and even on its fringes, one feels a sense of unease. Humans have never logged in this area, and the orcs of the North have traditionally avoided it during their incursions. Only druids and Uthgardt barbarians dare to pass into the deep forest.

* '''Thundertree''': This small town once stood at the edge of the wood. Its inhabitants made a living by harvesting windfall timber to ship downriver to the Neverwinter and beyond. Now the forest has overgrown Thundertree’s abandoned and decaying buildings. Although the town survived the Spellplague largely intact, the ash zombies that arose after the destruction of Neverwinter overran it. As the dangers of Neverwinter Wood increase, the abandoned town and its unknown horrors are shunned.

* '''Mount Hotenow''': For untold generations, this volcanic peak quietly fumed in the depths of Neverwinter Wood. Rumored to be the source of the warmth of the Neverwinter River, Mount Hotenow once featured in the bedtime stories of Neverwinter’s citizens as the home of fire giants, red dragons, and other blazing beasts. People looked upon the fantastic peak as a thing of beauty—until its wrath was unleashed against Neverwinter in the cataclysm. Now jutting like a broken tooth from the forest, Mount Hotenow still fumes, the land occasionally quaking with the echoes of its fury.

* '''The Crags''': This long wrinkle of hills and ridges runs northeast from Neverwinter Wood. Goblins, gnolls, ogres, hill giants, and other wild peoples have dwelled within this rocky landscape for centuries. So too has the Sky Pony tribe of the Uthgardt barbarians. Rumors have long persisted that an entrance to Gauntlgrym lies somewhere in the Crags. However, the hundreds of ancient and now-dead mines that long ago brought humans to the area make for numerous false leads.

* '''Tower of Twilight''': This enchanted tower long stood on an island in a small lake east of Neverwinter Wood. Home to a student of the great wizard Khelben Blackstaff, the tower stood invisible by day but would appear as the light failed. During the Spellplague, the tower vanished without a trace, though it now reappears infrequently and unpredictably at twilight. Who lives there now, where the tower disappears to, and why it returns remain a mystery.

* '''Conyberry''': During the Spellplague, a portion of Abeir imposed itself upon the village of Conyberry. The terrain-altering effect of this transition forced the inhabitants of the village to come together with people dwelling in the regions of Abeir to which they were joined. However, in the intervening decades, the Gray Wolf Uthgardt tribe has sacked the settlement in retribution for this “invasion” of their lands, slaughtering Conyberry’s citizens or forcing them to join the tribe. The village now lies largely vacant.

* '''Old Owl Well''': Known in ancient texts as Old Owlbear Well and in even older histories as Quesseer, this site marks the location of a Netherese outpost established millennia ago. The Netherese built a means of drawing water from the earth, using the site as a place of trade. For centuries, this water supply on a key trade route served as a source of conflict. Until the chaos of the Spellplague, orcs and humans from Neverwinter and Waterdeep still struggled to control the outpost. Now, it lies forgotten and abandoned. Until trade returns to these lands, the fate of the well and whatever ruins lie hidden in the surrounding hills remain unknown.

* '''Morgur’s Mound''': Atop this foothill of the Crags, Uthgar—deity and founder of the Uthgardt barbarians— died after saving the North from Gurt, Lord of the Pale Giants. The mound is named for Uthgar’s brother Morgur (called Morgred by some), who is said to be buried there. Once, the bones of a great thunderbeast were spread atop the hill, marking it as the holy shrine of the Uthgardt.

* '''Luskan''': An urban cesspool, the once-great City of Sails squats on the coastline like an open sore on the face of the continent of Faerûn. It lies about four days hard travel north of Neverwinter (about three days by sea, due to prevailing currents). Until some hundred years ago, Luskan choked in the grasp of the Arcane Brotherhood and its leader, Arklem Greeth. When a force of pirate-killers from Waterdeep along with the legendary hero Drizzt and his allies precipitated the destruction of the Hosttower of the Arcane, the city was destabilized and never fully recovered. Street gangs and pirates rule Luskan now, making the city a stomping ground for criminals, exiles from other lands, and hideous beasts.

* '''Gauntlgrym''': This famous subterranean dwarven city has been the stuff of legend for centuries. Aside from the dwarves, most people of the North doubted Gauntlgrym’s existence—until the Summons, as it has come to be known. At that time, ghostly dwarves in ancient dress appeared before certain dwarves throughout the North and beyond, silently pleading for heroes to seek out Gauntlgrym. Some did set out in search of the lost city, though most counted themselves lucky when the ghosts troubled them no more. Many of those who sought Gauntlgrym did so in the Crags, for ancient legends mentioned an entrance there. Others plunged into Neverwinter Wood or scaled the Sword Mountains. Few returned from their quests, and those who survived almost never found any trace of their goal. Some dwarves seek the city still, but for the rest, Gauntlgrym remains a tantalizing legend.

* '''The Sword Mountains''': The sharp peaks and hilly terrain of the Sword Mountains extend down the coast of the Sea of Swords for nearly two hundred miles. Long home to belligerent dwarf clans, orc tribes, trolls, dragons, and other fearsome creatures, this range is rarely traveled in these dangerous times. Those foolish enough to brave the mountains often do so in search of old mines and the ruins of civilizations past. However, most find only death in the end.

* '''Leilon''': This sleepy mining town once served as a convenient resting place for travelers on the High Road. Now, the few travelers who still take this route shun Leilon, going miles out of their way to avoid even laying eyes on the town. The High Tower of Thalivar long stood as a landmark here, abandoned by a forgotten mage. For generations, the tower proved a tempting target for plunderers—and, too often, a grave for them as well. The people of Leilon knew that the tower held guardian monsters, and they were content to leave it alone. However, the Spellplague’s twisted magic unleashed the creatures trapped in the tower, which quickly ravaged the helpless village. Now, the tower is a place of terror, its magic allegedly freezing in place all creatures whose eyes rest upon it, even for a moment.

* '''Mere of Dead Men''': This vast salt marsh contains the ruins of the numerous castles, manors, and farms it swallowed as it expanded. It takes its name from the great armies that were drowned here when a powerful lich flooded their battlefield. Whereas once the High Road skirted the swamp, what now remains of that highway plunges through its expanded borders. Those seeking to go south to Waterdeep from points north must often contend with the lizardfolk that claim the territory around the road. Alternative routes wind deeper into the mere or off into the Sword Mountains at the cost of extra days of travel and peril.

* '''Waterdeep''': Once the greatest and grandest city in the Realms, Waterdeep’s star has dimmed slightly in the last century as the world has progressively darkened. The great port—about a week south of Neverwinter, or three days by sea—no longer sustains its own navy, relying instead on mercenaries from the island of Mintarn and the city of Baldur’s Gate to the south. The city has long existed as a relatively fair and just center of civilization. Waterdeep is ruled by a council of twenty Masked Lords (nobles hidden behind powerful illusions to obscure their identities) and one Open Lord. The current Open Lord is the boisterous and dangerous Dagult Neverember, the so-called Lord Protector of Neverwinter. Unlike most of the other Open Lords in Waterdeep’s history, Lord Neverember has demonstrated an expansionist and imperialistic bent. In recent years, he has set his sights on Neverwinter as the next territory in his growing empire.

== City of Neverwinter ==

[[File:Neverwinter_city.png]]

'''Neverwinter''': A once-bustling metropolis, the northern city of Neverwinter lies mostly in ruins after a century of turmoil that culminated in a great cataclysm nearly thirty years ago. Fires, earthquakes, and evil portents destroyed or chased away most of the populace, but even the supposed waking of an ancient primordial could not kill the city completely. Some stubborn natives remained, carrying on in spite of countless hardships. Because of them—and because of the reconstruction efforts of the last decade—Neverwinter still stands, despite its tragedies. Today, the city is a center of trade, warfare both open and secret, and—above all—adventure. After so much abuse and neglect, much of the city’s architecture is damaged or lies in rubble. Recent repair efforts have given Neverwinter a patchwork appearance; slums are juxtaposed with new construction, all resting on the shattered remnants of old buildings. Certain districts are more intact than others, and former citizens have returned to such areas, thanks to the efforts of the city’s Lord Protector: Dagult Neverember, Open Lord of Waterdeep.

* '''Protector's Enclave''': The Lord Protector of Neverwinter rules the city from the Hall of Justice, the old temple of Tyr. Farthest from the source of the great earthquake that struck Mount Hotenow almost three decades ago, this area of Neverwinter suffered the least destruction. This good fortune also made the district a primary target for Lord Neverember. He moved an overwhelming force of mercenaries into the district, secured his base, and, ever since, has spent half his time here and half in Waterdeep. The Protector’s Enclave stands mostly intact, and many former residents of the city have returned to live here alongside new immigrants. Although this district is the most stable part of Neverwinter, it chafes under the firm hand of Sabine, the general of Lord Neverember’s forces. Spies watch every neighborhood and notable gathering place, and Mintarn enforcers march through the streets. The Enclave boasts the best-stocked market in the city, thanks to trade from Waterdeep and other cities along the Sword Coast. The city taxes all transactions made here at a steep rate that the natives have grudgingly come to accept. The taxes pay for the Mintarn soldiers who watch every newcomer to the district with a sharp eye. In the enclave, suspicious or unfamiliar characters do not stay hidden for long.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Hall of Justice''': The high walls and imposing stonework of Tyr’s former temple mark it as a timeless bastion of duty and honor. The great temple stands atop a seaside bluff, challenging all threats from the Sea of Swords or inland Faerûn. When Lord Neverember set his sights on the city, he chose the Hall of Justice as his base of operations for its practical value (the cataclysm left it almost untouched) and its emotional significance to the people of Neverwinter. The city had long served Tyr, the god of justice, and even after the deity fell nearly a hundred years ago, the residents refused to convert the temple to worship of another god. By restoring the temple to its former status, Neverember seeks to win over the city’s traditionalists and establish himself as a champion of just rule. He sponsors priests of Torm whose rites emulate the Tyrran tradition, hoping to attract new devotees to the temple (and to the Lord Protector’s cause). For the most part, the scheme has worked. Some of the locals, however—particularly the Sons of Alagondar—think that Neverember’s presence defiles the great temple, which they now call the “Hall of Never-Justice.” The temple itself is a radiant and beautiful structure, big enough inside for giants to walk comfortably or for dragons to rest in the great hall, beneath the high-domed ceiling. The trappings of the building reflect a bygone age, one dedicated to justice and temperance in all things.

*** '''The Lord’s Residence''': From his office, which looks more and more like a throne room all the time, Lord Neverember issues edicts, coordinates the activities of his followers, and (when he can spare the time) holds audience with the impoverished citizens of the city. However, he has no facility for dispensing justice, and thus he has delegated that role to Soman Galt, whom he has appointed mayor of Neverwinter. The dwarf listens wearily to supplicant after supplicant, offering grudging mediation. Meanwhile, the lord enhances his image as the charismatic champion who does not stoop to petty politics. Neverember has decorated his private quarters after the fashion of Waterdeep, although he takes care to display no seal or coat of arms pertaining to his home city. He has taken the former high priest’s apartments for his own, and he garrisons most of his sellswords in the temple’s other chambers, with a score of servants to wait upon them. A few priests of Torm dwell in the complex, faithful to their god and his precepts.

*** '''The Moonstone Mask''': A vertigo-inducing journey along a cliffside trail takes the adventurous to a new fixture of the Neverwinter skyline. The earthmote now known as the Moonstone floats beside the western edge of the Protector’s Enclave, high over the docks below. It hangs a hundred feet above the crashing waves of the Sea of Swords, bound in place by thick chains strung to heavy anchors. A bridge that runs between the earthmote and the docks allows visitors to enter and exit the Moonstone. The inn for which the mote is named, the Moonstone Mask, offers guests lavish quarters, pleasurable company, and a hard-to-beat view. In no small part, the Moonstone Mask owes its rebirth and current existence to Lord Neverember and New Neverwinter. It repays the favor by housing many of the city’s Mintarn enforcers, including their commander, General Sabine. As such, mercenaries dominate the once-genial atmosphere of the hedonistic inn, and Neverember’s sellswords are known to argue or fight with other patrons

*** '''The Wall''': A great hodgepodge of wood and scavenged stone, the Wall separates civilized Neverwinter from the Chasm and the horrors it spawns. The Wall lets guards strike at targets from positions of relative safety, and it provides regular outposts for watchers. The thick mess of bloodstained refuse at the eastern base—not to mention the occasional rotting corpse of a more recent kill— speaks to the Wall’s success as a defensive fortification. In its early days, the Wall held off the monsters by shunting them toward parts of the city that had already been destroyed. When Neverember arrived, he made it a priority to reinforce what he saw as an effective defensive fortification with his own engineers and soldiers. At first, the Wall blocked only a few streets where attacks were common, but since the reconstruction started, it has expanded to stretch from the Neverdeath graveyard to the old House of Knowledge. In combination with the Neverwinter River, the Wall continues to provide effective containment, although people have spotted plaguechanged monstrosities in the northern River District and, more recently, near sewer holes around the city. The situation grows dire, and petitions for Wall expansion come before Mayor Galt every day.

*** '''House of Knowledge''': At the far northeastern end of the Wall stands what was, in happier times, a flourishing temple to Oghma, god of knowledge and wisdom. Before the quake, the House of Knowledge served as a repository of chronicled learning, including maps, history, and hundreds of poems and chapbooks produced over the centuries. Today, it looks less like a library and more like a refugee camp, holding the area where the Wall approaches the Neverwinter River. After the cataclysm, leadership of the reduced flock at the House of Knowledge fell to Brother Anthus, an elderly human interested in studying the Chasm and the Spellplague-touched creatures that came from it. His research led to the temple’s use as a haven for Spellplague sufferers. After Anthus’s death under mysterious circumstances, a young woman in residence known as the Prophet relocated the makeshift hospital and the remaining clerics of Oghma to Helm’s Hold, claiming a prophesied disaster would befall the city if she did not. After the Prophet departed, the badly damaged temple stood empty and abandoned until recently, when a handful of squatters moved back into the House. These refugees from the River District earn their keep by ringing the temple’s bells when they sight a new wave of monstrosities spilling from the Chasm toward the Wall. Lord Neverember is said to be quite pleased with their resourcefulness, and the Mintarn mercenaries that guard the Wall are known to stop by with small gifts of food and drink to show their appreciation.

*** '''Neverdeath''': A cracked stone wall, patched in places with thick wood, surrounds the graveyard called Neverdeath. Consisting of two wide, roughly square areas of the city, Neverdeath is filled with rows of headstones interspersed with mausoleums and crumbling statues, often overgrown with withered grasses. Time, the Spellplague, and the cataclysm all took their toll on the graveyard, thrusting some sections higher than others, collapsing buildings, and revealing graves. Coffins now jut from small cliffs, and tumbled bones litter the ground. The graveyard takes its name from a common blessing given over the dead. As long as the city remained in summer, it was said, the dead would never truly leave. Many think that winter is coming soon for the city’s dead, however. Neverember’s mercenaries fear the graveyard, preferring to burn the dead outside the walls of the burial ground. If they are not burned, corpses left lying nearby sometimes rise of their own accord. Beneath a large, unassuming mausoleum lie the catacombs of the Waterclock Guild, an organization of artisans famous for building beautiful and intricate timepieces.

*** '''Neverwinter Docks''': Much of Neverwinter’s original wealth and influence came from its position as one of the few deep ports on the Sword Coast. The Neverwinter docks were the commercial heart of the city, though in some ways that heart was infected with darkness and corruption. The Spellplague went some way toward purging that corruption—chunks of land broke away and rose into the sky, forming earthmotes that hovered overhead. The surviving residents of the city adapted, connecting the low-floating motes to the shore with ropes, chains, and bridges. However, the cataclysm later destroyed the foundations of these bridges, and the changed currents swamped whole areas of the port with tidal waves. Neverwinter’s already diminished trade dried up entirely, leaving the docks a rotting ghost town. Only a few fishers and the occasional pirate ship made port here. Lord Neverember made rebuilding this center of trade a top priority. As part of his first initiatives, he sent engineers and loggers to the Upland Rise, a forested hill outside the city that once served as a park for the city’s residents. The crews stripped the hill of all salvageable timber, leaving the Upland Rise a sparse echo of its former beauty, and used it to rebuild the docks. Today, supplies and coin flow into Neverwinter through the docks, along with repatriated refugees. The Lord Protector takes a keen interest in anyone entering the city in this manner, and charges steep tariffs on deals consummated at the docks.

*** '''Tarmalune Trade House''': The rebuilt docks have attracted visitors from across the sea—members of a trade cartel from the city of Tarmalune in Returned Abeir. They have arrived in Neverwinter to arrange permanent trade routes between the two continents, and to outmaneuver their rivals from the Abeiran city of Lylorn, who have landed in Luskan with a similar goal. The Abeirans have set up shop in a large warehouse complex next to a set of docks that are being rebuilt. The Tarmalune Trade House is a busy area where contacts gather, deals are made, and adventurers find their services in high demand.

*** '''The Winged Wyvern''': Of the three bridges that once crossed the Neverwinter River, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city, charging a toll, and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

** '''Notable NPCS'''

*** '''Lord Dagult Neverember''': The Open Lord of Waterdeep, Neverember arrived in Neverwinter about ten years ago and proclaimed himself the Lord Protector of the city. Over the past decade, Dagult Neverember has made progress in restoring the devastated city. Seeing an opportunity to add to his mercantile empire, Lord Neverember employed an army of artisans and carpenters to rebuild, and he hired mercenaries from Mintarn to keep monsters at bay and maintain order. Five years ago, Neverember established the Protector’s Enclave from his base in the Hall of Justice, and declared that section of the city safe for occupation once more. Since then, he has worked to tame the wild streets, rebuild the ruins, and coax refugees to return to their homes. The Open Lord of Waterdeep is a commanding noble. Big, boisterous, and affable, Neverember treats each new acquaintance as a friend. But beneath his congenial display, his quick mind is sizing up everyone in attendance, tallying potential gains or threats each could offer him. Neverember hasn't tried to claim the throne of Neverwinter (yet, at least), but he has floated the idea he is a descendant of Nasher Alagondar, a beloved lord from before the Spellplague. The protector’s savants have managed to trace the lord’s heritage to the adventurer Vers Never, a supposed bastard son of Lord Nasher Alagondar and younger half-brother to Bann, who succeeded their shared father as king. As Neverember tells it, Vers settled in Waterdeep and married Mirtria Ember, thus forming the “Neverember” name.

*** '''General Sabine''': A tough-as-nails mercenary named Sabine leads Neverember's Mintarn forces. She serves as Neverember’s chief enforcer in the city and has come to represent the harsher aspects of his beneficence.

*** '''Soman Galt, Mayor of Neverwinter''': Once a great explorer, Soman Galt has turned into a calculated politician who projects a cold, disconnected presence. The dwarf stares absently, his eyes seeming to watch something no one else can see, and he often mumbles to himself. He is capable of rigid focus, however, when the situation warrants it, and he takes his work seriously. A former government official, Galt was a natural choice when Neverember sought an underling to manage the city’s affairs. He oversees tax collection, grants of property, and city files.

*** '''Liset Cheldar''': This half-elf woman runs the Moonstone Mask with a wink and a smile. She genuinely likes most of the people she meets, and she flirts with anyone who seems receptive. A recently returned native of the city who inherited the inn, Liset was pleased to find the place still in one piece (and still floating). The legitimacy of her claim to the Moonstone was unclear, but, plying her natural charm, she successfully lobbied Neverember for funds to reopen the inn, and she maintains a bright smile thanks to his patronage.

*** '''Durham Shaw''': The Captain of the Wall, he holds the command of it under General Sabine, seeing to its defense and coordinating patrols of it between the Mintarn mercenaries and the hardened natives who refuse to give up their stewardship. While he's not too harsh of a commander compared to Sabine or the Mintarns in general, he's resented by many people for a different reason—he has been allowed to stay in the city and work on the Wall even though he suffers from the effects of the Spellplague. Some say Shaw receives this special treatment because he is a personal friend or distant relation of Lord Neverember.

*** '''Loremaster Atlavast''': The only priest who remained after the Prophet’s departure from the House of Knowledge, he is a middle-aged human who became the custodian of the library after the cataclysm. Fearing the worst as the cataclysm occurred, the loremasters of the temple sealed the inner sanctum, leaving the young Atlavast sealed within. As the ground shuddered and shook, Atlavast’s mind grew unstable. Now grown into an eccentric recluse, Atlavast keeps to the lower vaults, continually cataloguing and reorganizing. He is rarely glimpsed these days, and the main evidence of his existence is the occasional flickering light that filters up from cracks in the cobblestones in the dead of night. As a rule, no one ventures closer to investigate.

* ''' Fisher's Float''': This island hovers over the Sea of Swords beyond the southern end of the bay. Dotted with a smattering of shacks, it is the home and workplace of fishers who have lived on this earthmote since the Spellplague. Skilled at their trade and fearless of the weather and the turbulent sea, they provide a great deal of food for the city. For many years, rumors have spread that the fishers have thrived because of their worship of dark gods or unnatural alliances with creatures that live beneath the waves. Regardless of the veracity of these barstool stories, the people of Neverwinter happily eat the fish and crustaceans brought to land each morning and evening.

* '''Pirates' Skyhold''': Neverwinter legends say that this high-floating earthmote served as an unassailable harbor for sky pirates in the years following the Spellplague. Because the mote floats a hundred feet up and could not be accessed by a direct path from the land, the pirates supposedly stored all manner of treasure there, as safe storage for wealthy or well-connected residents of the city. Then, the story takes a dark turn. All the pirates died in one night of blood and betrayal, leaving the treasure and their skyship on the mote—along with whatever slew them. Some people believe that a dragon has claimed the pirates’ loot as its hoard, taking the earthmote as its lair because the city below lacks the means to interfere. Regardless of the story’s truth, one thing is true—Pirates’ Skyhold has long been abandoned. From the right locations in Neverwinter, one can see rotting wooden buildings poking out of the forests of the mote, but whatever still exists up there has seen little intrusion in decades.

* '''Castle Never''': An imposing fixture of Neverwinter’s western end, Castle Never stands as a monument to the city’s former glory. The cataclysm struck it hard, toppling towers, collapsing walls, and starting fires that burned throughout the structure. The entire royal family is thought to have perished, and the remaining servants sealed the vaults, crypts, and grounds with the hope that a worthy heir to Neverwinter would arrive one day to take his or her rightful place on the throne. On that day, it is said, the magic treasures and other resources of the castle will serve the new ruler. To the uninformed eye, Castle Never looks like a big, hulking ruin. Half its towers fell in the cataclysm, and the wall on its seaward side crumbled to rubble. Chunks of stone and fallen statues litter the windswept courtyard. Inside, the stone corridors stink of ash and dust, which swirls up around the feet of intruders. Even in their emptiness, the corridors never seem vacant. The spirits of the hundreds who died here linger on. The castle was built on a strong foundation, however, and if the structure were purged of monsters, it could be refurbished. Many of the interior rooms collapsed, but others stand eerily intact.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Drow Encampment''': The courtyard of Castle Never bears the traces of a camp that was well hidden but has become increasingly obvious from frequent use. The camp originally belonged to an infamous pair of drow: Drizzt Do’Urden, legendary ranger of the North, and the less well-regarded Jarlaxle, captain of the Bregan D’aerthe mercenaries. The two drow were in the area when the cataclysm claimed Neverwinter, and they still have interests in the region. The drow established this camp as a base of operations in Neverwinter, enabling them to keep an eye on their schemes in the city. At first, the camp consisted only of a few companions sharing a fire, but Drizzt’s and Jarlaxle’s occasional visits to the city encouraged young would-be adventurers to seek them out as teachers of the ways of combat and heroism. The drow, both grandmasters, have inspired a small following among the disenfranchised or ambitious youth of Neverwinter. After Drizzt and Jarlaxle’s last visit several months ago, half a dozen young citizens set up their own camp in this spot, where they practiced the ways of combat, dared one another to venture into the castle proper, and sought to make themselves apprentices to the two absent legends.

*** '''Hall of Ashen Mirrors''': Full-length mirrors once adorned the walls of this long corridor, wherein young heirs of Alagondar practiced their noble gait and posture. The mirrors shattered in the cataclysm, instantly killing anyone in the corridor at the time, just before a wave of searing gas blasted through the huge windows and turned the corpses to ash. This double catastrophe left the hallway a wasteland of soot and splintered glass.

*** '''Fungal Bloom''': This atrium once housed all manner of pretty birds and flowers. Since the cataclysm, they have been reduced to skeletons in gilded cages and rotted, desiccated blossoms. Boarded over to keep out the sunlight and trap the heat of rot inside, the cavernous chamber is suffused with dim blue light from glowing lichen.

*** '''Web-Strewn Spires''': Cobwebs fill the upper halls of Castle Never, and scrabbling noises can be heard in its high towers. Only the boldest explorers—those with no fear of fangs in the dark—venture up to the spires.

*** '''Neverneath, Endless Maze''': The catacombs beneath Castle Never came through the cataclysm mostly untouched, thanks to a warding spell commissioned in times past to maintain the structural integrity of the castle. However, the Spellplague wrought strange changes upon the ward, which has grown in strength. What once protected the catacombs now traps intruders. The complex beneath Castle Never, called Neverneath by locals, closes around trespassers. Corridors lead back around to themselves, and dead ends appear where tunnels led only moments before. Explorers can step through a door, turn around and go back through the same door, and end up in a different part of the dungeon. They can wander the abandoned halls and chambers for days without finding an exit.

*** '''Vault of the Nine''': Beneath the center of Neverneath lies a vault built especially for the legendary bodyguards of House Alagondar—the Neverwinter Nine. These great warriors served their beloved city in life, and they lie entombed with honor at her very foundation.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Xalbyn''': A moon elf who has established himself as the captain of the Drow Encampment in the absence of any actual drow. He's taken some of the younger would-be adventurers who stay or visit the camp under his wing, providing training and challenging them to complete minor quests. He values quick-witted warriors after his own heart.

*** '''Aerlyse''': A half-drow psion, she's a newer resident of the camp, who admires intelligence and charm. She has been tasked with securing the camp and making sure the denizens of the crypts beneath Castle Never don't spill out into the courtyard.

* '''Blacklake District''': This region of Neverwinter stands largely intact in the wake of the cataclysm. Credit for the survival of the Blacklake District goes mostly to the nobles of Neverwinter who dwelt here and constructed their homes with extra support, both material and magical. Many of these nobles died in the fire that swept the area after the cataclysm, but their houses remain. The district holds a large number of overgrown estates, scores of stout, defensible holdfasts, and a large park that contains the lake for which the region is named. The water was polluted by a great deal of ash and rubbish in the quake, and today Blacklake looks more like a midden pit of sludge than a lake. Some locals are making an effort to dredge it and restore the surrounding environs. After securing the Protector’s Enclave, Lord Neverember’s mercenaries have turned more of their attention to Blacklake as the next district for resettlement, but their efforts have not been fruitful. Numerous secret societies aggressively resist their efforts to pacify the neighborhood. Blacklake harbors a great deal of old blood and nationalism, which takes the form of opposition to the Lord Protector. Muggers and hot-tempered duelists plague the streets of Blacklake, and political agitators hold small rallies or foment subtle conspiracies against the powers that be. The Sons of Alagondar set ambushes for Mintarn enforcers and wage pitched battles in the streets.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Driftwood Tavern''': An inn and tavern that caters mainly to longtime locals, the Driftwood Tavern takes pride in having kept its doors open since before the Spellplague. When the cataclysm struck, innkeeper Madame Rosene, a serious woman now in her late fifties, sheltered refugees within her walls. The Driftwood offered people a makeshift city hall and gathering place during the troubled years. Madame Rosene and her regulars have filled the inside of the tavern with bric-à-brac, curios, and relics of Neverwinter before its fall. The statue from a favorite fountain stands in a corner. A wineseller’s planter boxes, filled with flowers, brighten the walls. A knob and a knocker from a noble’s estate are attached to the privy door. Ornate doors pulled from the wreckage make fine tables, and unbroken panes of stained glass hang overhead as chandeliers, lit by hundreds of carefully placed candles. Though the decorations have been salvaged from all over the city, the tavern does not feel junky, and no one thinks Madame Rosene is taking advantage of Neverwinter’s fall. Quite the opposite—the Driftwood is considered a monument to old Neverwinter, like a dusty painting of a beautiful girl hanging above the deathbed of an aged noblewoman. Prices for room and board at the tavern are high. The atmosphere is one of quiet reflection, rather than boisterous merriment. The Mintarn mercenaries stay away, preferring to eat and drink at the Moonstone Mask or some other cheaper place. Visitors to the city stop at the Driftwood to marvel at the museum of objects, or to learn about old Neverwinter from Madame Rosene for the (expensive) price of a drink and a meal.

*** '''The Beached Leviathan''': The Beached Leviathan tavern caters to sailors, smugglers, pirates, slavers, merchants, and others arriving by sea. The name of the tavern honors the owner's ship, ''Leviathan'', which ran aground during a storm before the docks had been rebuilt. The tavern is built in and around the refurbished wreckage of the ship.

*** '''The Swamped Docks''': Below the more recent construction lie the remnants of the original docks: a splintering, rotting mass of ancient wood and stone that makes any number of natural lairs for aquatic creatures or hideouts for those on the run from the Mintarns. This area was partially submerged during the city’s devastation. Now, half-sunken buildings rot beneath seaweed, the drowned dead float through foul water, and amphibious horrors crawl up onto land. No one, not even Lord Neverember, looks forward to cleaning up this area, but the job must be tackled eventually. The city’s hand might be forced soon—sahuagin have been sighted in the bay, and disappearances from nearby areas have become common. Rumor has it that a halfling gang operates out of the swamped docks, led by a sneak thief named Palas. The halflings prey on those who wander the docks alone or in the dark.

*** '''Vellgard Manor''': At least one noble villa in the Blacklake District houses its actual owner, the dashing Mordai Vell holds sway over a small, well-guarded compound known as Vellgard Manor. The product of an affair between a devil and an member of a human family from the south, Mordai was a scandalous embarrassment hushed up by his human relatives. When they perished in the cataclysm, he inherited the family estate. Mordai moved back into the city before Neverember arrived and with the arrival of the Lord Protector, Mordai took a more visible role in the district. Charismatic, handsome, and wealthy, he has become a popular figure—a civic leader who, some whisper, might aspire to hold the throne of Neverwinter. The estate is an armed compound flanked by metal gates and hidden guards. An inner wall creates a killing field that could stop a small army.

*** '''House of a Thousand Faces''': With its broad windows and comfortable couches, this tavern is a popular gathering place in the Blacklake District. Amid mannequins dressed in the threadbare trends of thirty years past, patrons lounge about the airy interior, drinking, laughing, and scheming. Named for the dozens of mirrors and mannequins positioned about the common room, the House of a Thousand Faces once was a fashionable boutique. The cataclysm crippled the house’s business, and the owner, an elf named Theryis, packed up her remaining goods and closed her doors. When the city’s population began to recover and increase, she opened the shop again as a tavern, using the dusty clothes and mirrors as decoration.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Madame Rosene''': A serious woman in her late fifties, she is the tavernkeeper of the Driftwood Tavern. Only longtime customers and old friends come to the Driftwood regularly, a situation that suits Madame Rosene just fine, as she is slow to trust outsiders, placing her faith mainly in familiar citizens of old Neverwinter or their children.

*** '''Harrag''': A sallow former pirate captain who lost a leg in a battle with sahuagin long ago, he is the proprietor of the Beached Leviathan. Harrag is as a scurvy, independent scoundrel who will deal with anyone, but never permanently joins a side.

*** '''Len-jes''': A scarred watersoul genasi, she serves as Neverember’s harbormaster. Once a corsair on the Sea of Fallen Stars, she fled her enemies there and settled in Waterdeep. Neverember recognized her business acumen and recruited Len-jes to be his master of trade in the reborn city. The harbormaster’s head for numbers serves her well in balancing Soman Galt’s tax ledgers. Her less academic duties include dredging the bay to open more berths for trade ships. She permanently leases a chamber in the Beached Leviathan and can be found in the taproom there many nights, recounting her adventures as a corsair.

*** '''Mordai Vell''': Tall and dark, Mordai has luminous gold eyes even though most tieflings boast red or black ones. Charisma practically drips from him, setting all around him off their guard. His obvious wealth doesn’t hurt, either. As the last heir of a noble family (one whose holdings remained remarkably intact after the cataclysm), he exerts great influence over Neverwinter’s economy and politics. Mordai is arrogance incarnate. He pursues whatever interests him, regardless of how far he must reach. Mordai is a smooth operator—charming, rich, and always keen on how he might ally with new acquaintances and use them.

*** '''Theryis''': The owner of the House of a Thousand Faces, she is an elf woman who has short, straight, silver hair and golden eyes. She can be friendly and kind to those she knows well, but often comes off as gruff and no-nonsense to others. She sent the PCs to check on the possibility of an attack on Helm's Hold.

*** '''Toram''': A half-elf with long, wavy, red hair and blue eyes, he is Theryis's half-brother, though they bear little resemblance. He is competitive in a good-natured way, often challenging patrons of the Thousand Faces to friendly competitions in one thing or another. He lives at the tavern, staying in its basement, and helps his sister run it. Now the de facto leader of the Harpers in the city.

*** '''Cymril (deceased)''': A human woman and former leader of the Harpers in Neverwinter. Died a few days before Maria arrived in the city, in a skirmish between the Sons of Alagondar and Lord Neverember's forces.

*** '''Ulyra the Forsworn''': Formerly a member of the Grey Wolves Uthgardt tribe, she has deserted due to the tribe's connection to the Shadovar. She was a source of information for Cymril, but with the Harper dead she has possibly fled the city.

* '''River District''': The River District takes its name from the terrain feature that has saved it from being overrun—namely, the Neverwinter River, which holds at bay the plaguechanged forces that emerge from the Chasm to the south. The bulk of Neverwinter’s merchant class once dwelt here, and the architecture shows it. The houses were sturdily built, and although they are not ostentatious, most are large enough to have held a family of six or eight plus servants. Guardhouses and security walls abound offering cover for skirmishers looking to ambush unsuspecting visitors. Long flower gardens run through the center of each street, although over the years they have gone to weeds or decay. One might think the Mintarns could have pacified the River District by now, but safety proves elusive, mostly due to a band of orcs in the ancient Cloak Tower at the eastern edge of the area. New Neverwinter’s forces occasionally venture into the district, but generally only as far as the Fallen Tower tavern. That establishment serves as neutral ground for negotiations between Lord Neverember and Vansi of the orcs, to whom the rest of the district belongs. Beasts from the surrounding wilderness occasionally stalk the streets here, hunting for food. Even if the orcs were not present, the other dangerous creatures would be reason enough for refugees to avoid this district, regardless of whether their houses remain standing. For now, a hastily erected barrier seals most of the River District from Blacklake. It usually stands unattended, since the Mintarn guards have better things to do than patrol the barrier, opting instead to post signs warning people away. Some people enter the district despite these warnings. The relative privacy makes discreet liaisons and daredevil games frequent occurrences in the River District, and stern parents have to caution youngbloods with a thirst for adventure against going in.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Fallen Tower''': The broken base of an old wizard’s tower has long been the site of a popular tavern in Neverwinter. Within the Fallen Tower, phantoms form in the air each night, seeming solid and real as they replay the moments of their deaths during the Spellplague by appearing to fall into and through the cookfire in the middle of the tavern. Two terrified wizards, their bodies already ablaze, fall first, followed by another wizard whose limbs have turned into eels. Finally, a fourth wizard’s body descends as its flesh is stripped away, leaving the skull’s eerie grin as the last image to fade. Since before the cataclysm, the show has attracted customers to the Fallen Tower. When the Many-Arrows orcs discovered this vacant building, they found stores of wine and were in the midst of a celebration when the phantoms appeared. The orcs started to flee, but when it became clear that the spirits were harmless, the wine lured them back. Now the Many-Arrows orcs run the tavern as a place where members of their force and others worthy enough to join them can share a few drinks. The Lord Protector and the leader of the Many- Arrows orcs have declared the Fallen Tower neutral ground, and the orcs do not bother anyone who comes to the tavern to do business. No bouncers are needed, because anyone who breaks the truce of the tavern faces the blades of every patron present.

*** '''Cloak Tower''': An expeditionary force of orcs from the Many-Arrows kingdom has come to Neverwinter and makes its base in the structure known as the Cloak Tower. The orcs have defied all attempts to rein them in or push them out, and Lord Neverember is biding his time until he figures out how to get rid of them. For the moment, the orcs have helped to control the monster population in the northern half of the city. They tend to slay anyone who interferes with their business, including plaguechanged spawn that come up through the sewers on the north side of the river. The tower takes its name from a guild of mages called the Many-Starred Cloaks who lived and gathered there. They were well known in the city for their arcane skill and for the whimsical, colorful cloaks they wore. During the Spellplague, the tower and its occupants vanished. The tower reappeared half a year later on a different patch of ground in the city. As tavern tales have it, when thieves first broke into the tower several months after it first reappeared, they found empty halls and no mages (or bodies). Only the guild members’ many-starred cloaks remained, hanging from pegs on the walls. Then disaster struck the thieves: The lone survivor of the group told of a horrific attack from cloaks that suddenly came to life and enveloped the other bandits. Whether the tale or any part of it is true, the citizens of Neverwinter shunned the tower for decades thereafter—no one wanted to risk entering it. District residents expected that the orcs, too, would run afoul of the tower’s wards when they tried to occupy the place, but the warriors were able to move in safely. They have now established themselves quite nicely in the most protected holdfast in the district.

*** '''The Shard of Night''': A bleak tower of black stone hovers above a cluster of ruined apartments in the River District, seemingly sheared off at its base when it was torn from whatever location it once occupied. The tower has been here since the Spellplague, but no one who investigated the structure in the early years after its appearance ever returned, so people decided to leave it alone. The Shard of Night rises high into the sky over Neverwinter, but it casts no shadow during the day. Any creature that passes under the tower in daylight sees its own shadow disappear, as if the tower were absorbing the darkness. During the night, the tower casts a shadow by the light of the moon that looms over much of the area around the place. Nearby residents believe that the Shard of Night is haunted, since no one or thing is ever seen to come or go, yet sounds sometimes echo down from the opening in its base.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Vagdru One-Ear''': This orc veteran acts as bartender and purveyor of the Fallen Tower, providing whatever drinks the orcs can find and passing out raw meat of dubious origin for the patrons to roast at the central fire (or to eat uncooked if they want).

*** '''Vansi''': The commander of the orc force, she is a warrior known for her reaving flail and fearsome war cry. Ferocious even for an orc soldier, Vansi claims the streets of the River District as a colony of the Many-Arrows kingdom, governed from the mysterious Cloak Tower.

* '''The Chasm''': The southeastern quarter of Neverwinter lies in almost complete ruin, virtually flattened by the earthquake during the cataclysm and since then under continual assault by plaguechanged monsters that emerge from the depths. At the center of this wasteland yawns the Chasm—a canyon-like crack in the earth that spawns all manner of twisted and deadly beasts. It supposedly extends down into the Underdark, but few have ever ventured down the Chasm and even fewer returned. Proximity to the Chasm causes mild anxiety, moodiness, and paranoia. The effects are obvious on people at the Wall, and they increase in intensity as one moves closer to—or deeper into—the Chasm. It becomes difficult to think clearly, and even allies seem to hold treachery in their hearts. Recently, this pervasive ill will has begun to radiate beyond the confines of the Wall, plaguing the dreams of Neverwinter’s residents with terrible nightmares.

** '''Ruined Terrain''': The surrounding land in the district that takes its name from the Chasm is a tangled maze of broken buildings and clotted streets, all of it battered by the elements and crushed under the paws of the Chasm’s monsters. Wall patrols venture into this wasteland only occasionally, since few who leave the barricade’s safety return. Those who do sometimes carry marks from the experience, such as azure burns, twisted limbs, or some other physical manifestation of a spellscar. Lord Neverember has ordered that anyone showing symptoms of infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold for treatment.

** '''The Upper Reach''': For the few people who have done it, climbing down into the Chasm resembles what they may have heard of tales about venturing into the Abyss. The first hundred or so feet are fairly normal, except for occasional swells of superheated air. Past that point, conditions grow more hostile. Elemental energy surges up from the depths in sudden storms. Earthmotes float in the pit, some drifting slowly and others bashing against the walls as though driven by demons. Handholds are scarce on the treacherous walls, which can explode with flame or lightning at any moment. Rocky outcroppings come and go, collapsing or molding themselves as onlookers watch. All manner of plaguechanged creatures dwell in pockets and on precipices in the upper Chasm. Some climb the walls, and others ride bolts of chaotic energy that flare from the bottom of the pit. These creatures rise like birds filling their wings with wind.

** Few, if any, know what lies in the lower reaches of the Chasm...

* '''Underground Neverwinter''': True danger in Neverwinter lurks in places the sun never touches—in the darkness beneath hundreds of tons of stone. Underground ruins abound in a city that has suffered so much damage. The Mintarn enforcers rarely venture below ground, preferring to deal with threats if and when they emerge onto the surface. Thus, sewers and crypts make perfect lairs for all sorts of creeping, scheming evil.

** '''Shattered Sewers''': When the cataclysm struck, Neverwinter’s sewer system took a serious beating as buildings collapsed into their foundations, leaving a maze of precarious wreckage and treacherous tunnels. The sewers quickly became dangerous in the extreme, home to all manner of awful beasts. Provided one is willing to risk getting lost or being attacked, the extensive sewers provide a means of moving about the city. This method of travel is confusing and potentially deadly, however—one never knows when a building overhead will collapse, bringing part of the ceiling down with it, or when a group of underworld squatters might ambush intruders. The tunnels near the Chasm are particularly hazardous because they play host to aberrant beings. The forces of New Neverwinter rarely search the sewers, so rebels and schemers use the filthy tunnels freely.

** '''Kraken Tunnels''': A seaside, underground maze shaped vaguely like an octopus, this complex once belonged to the Kraken Society, a ruthless conglomerate of slavers and blackmarket traders that sought to control the Sword Coast. Many rooms throughout the complex have openings in their floors, revealing the dark, murky water that lies beneath.

** '''Tunnels and Trenches''': The opening of the Chasm and the earthquakes that brought down many buildings in southeastern Neverwinter collapsed many of the sewers in the district. This created trenches in or beside the streets and tunnels where the sewers had not collapsed. These pathways now provide cover for the movement of monsters beyond the Wall and secure places to which they can retreat when repelled from their frequent assaults. The sewers, trenches, and ruined buildings offer an excellent tactical advantage by allowing the forces of the Chasm to approach close to the Wall without sustaining attack, but this is offset by the high vantage of the House of Knowledge, whose occupants ring a bell when they can see significant movement in the far-off trenches. Unfortunately for the Wall’s defenders, night and weather can obscure observation of the trenches, and thus they often use arbalests to launch balls of flaming pitch into the district in the hopes of illuminating the scene.

== Helm's Hold ==
Once a bastion of safety on the edge of Neverwinter Wood, the fortified monastery and community called Helm’s Hold has endured through the last decades, diminished but unyielding. It has lived through the death of the god who gave the place its name, the
ravages of the Spellplague, and the ruination of Neverwinter. Through all this, Helm’s Hold has taken a serious beating but stubbornly clings to its original purpose: to provide sanctuary for those who none. Helm’s Hold has always been a place of healing
and protection for the people of Faerûn. Even when Helm perished a year before the Spellplague, the monastery remained open, seeking to aid those with nowhere else to turn. During the decades after the Spellplague hit, the Hold became one of the few safe
destinations—if not the only one—along the Sword Coast. The cataclysm once again made clear the need for Helm’s Hold and its services. Its doors have remained open over the years, admitting all who suffer, regardless of race, background, or faith. Today, the monastery proper serves as an asylum for those cursed with the Spellplague. People from all over Faerûn make the pilgrimage here for treatment, as do people from Neverwinter, which is less than a day’s journey to the northwest. In fact, Lord Neverember issued a standing order a year ago that anyone in the city showing symptoms of Spellplague infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold as soon as possible. The influx of the needy since that time has swelled the town’s numbers, but tolerance is in the air here, so the spellscarred feel more at home in the Hold than anywhere else in the Realms. Originally a small monastery and its surrounding village, Helm’s Hold has grown over the decades. The cathedral’s foundation had hardly been laid when Helm died, but the people finished it as a monument in his honor. Helm has become a cultural icon here—a patron saint of the community—and all followers of all gods are welcome under his watchful gaze.

* '''Locations'''

** '''The Hungry Flame''': A decrepit tavern which has a reputation for being unfriendly to patrons who are not spellscarred. The place is a rogue’s gallery of the strange and twisted.

** '''The Dragon’s Gauntlet''': The battered town hall of Helm’s Hold, formerly an inn, is a popular gathering place for the people of the city, as well as a forum for its tempestuous governmental process. The people of the town are rugged individualists at heart, a characteristic that does not always mesh well with governmental edicts. Loud shouts, challenges, and shows of intimidation are acceptable methods of discussing legislation.

** '''Heartward''': Life and death are both on stage in the plaza called Heartward at the center of Helm’s Hold, where a marketplace is arrayed around a hangman’s scaffold. Food and gold are both scarce in the marketplace, and brawls break out between customers who feel cheated. Soldiers keep watch from the perimeter of the plaza. Town criers declaim the words of the Prophet, particularly when she has foretold something seen as especially wonderful or dire. The pronouncements are entertainment as well as news, since people love debating exactly what her portents mean. The Heartward’s chief notoriety is a haunting that fills the plaza on certain nights, when clouds obscure the waning moon. Luminous shapes appear—a gathering of ghosts that go about the business of the living. Phantom vendors sell ephemeral apples at empty stands, ghost children run happily through the streets, and spirits hang one another at the scaffold. Some of the scenes appear to be reenactments of past events, whereas others have not occurred—at least, not yet. The ghosts speak mostly nonsense, but some of what they say might offer clues to past or future happenings. The plaza’s name comes from a small shrine on the edge of the marketplace devoted to Sune, goddess of beauty and romance, which is a favored meeting place for lovers in the city. On haunted nights, couples gather at the shrine, hoping for a thrill.

** '''The Old Dirty Dwarf''': The region’s hard years have closed many businesses, but the Old Dirty Dwarf has stood the test of time. The best inn and tavern in Helm’s Hold, the Old Dirty Dwarf caters mostly to newcomers to the city. In the wake of the Lord Protector’s occupation of Neverwinter and his increasing presence in the Hold, Mintarn mercenaries have come to dominate the inn’s patronage, often with new exiles from Neverwinter in tow.

** '''Scar Alley''': Numerous setbacks have taken their toll on the structures and the people of Helm’s Hold. Nowhere in town is this fact more evident than in the oldest district—Scar Alley, a small collection of weathered streets where the least fortunate residents live. The district is home to the worst spellscarred in town, those shunned because of their extreme physical deformities. During the Spellplague, the ground upon which the Hold is built softened, causing some buildings to bow or lean precariously out over the streets. Much of the original stone construction of Scar Alley is approaching ruin, and the residents do what they can to bolster the failing structures with planks, mortar, and fresh stone. The district is poorly patrolled, full of hovels that are frequented by shady characters or infested by monsters.

** '''Helm's Cathedral''': The cathedral to the dead god Helm lost its original religious purpose long ago and became a sanatorium for the ailing, tended by the aging faithful who still honor the traditions of their deity. The spellscarred find treatment here, and many of the servants in the cathedral are also patients. They work as part of their treatment. The Prophet Rohini is the undisputed master of Helm’s cathedral, even if she disdains political status. She exists, she says, only to pass on the mysterious prophecies of her equally mysterious faith. The cathedral can hold about a thousand souls. Most of them are patients of the sanatorium, though a few enjoy relatively good health and handle the day-to-day maintenance of the temple. A dozen or so acolytes who have skill in non-magical healing or an aptitude for service keep order in the cathedral. Several followers of Oghma labor alongside the former Helmites, continuing the work of the late Brother Anthus.

*** '''Halls of the Guardian''': The daylight floors of the temple look much as they did a hundred years ago: hung with banners of Helm’s sigil and warded at all corners by suits of armor that feature stylized eyes on their gauntlets and prominent, blankfaced helms. Cavernous chambers soar high through flying buttresses, and great statues of Helm and heroes of legend gaze down upon supplicants. The walls block most sound, but sometimes a cry or an incoherent rant reverberates up from the deeper levels of the complex. The effect is a sharp contrast in what otherwise appears to be a glorious temple. The great hall of the cathedral could accommodate a hundred men-at-arms comfortably, though today it has a far different purpose. It is here that the Prophet sits in audience, dispensing her predictions of future events. If asked to do so, she may lay her hands on those in attendance and tell their fortunes.

*** '''Sanatorium''': Beneath the stately, well-lit halls on the surface, the lower levels of the cathedral grow darker and more frightening. A sanatorium hides in the vaults: a maze of cramped corridors that houses a growing number of spellscarred victims, who struggle with insanity or physical deformities. Once a day, the patients are allowed out onto the cathedral grounds, under close observation by priests. Although the madness of these unfortunates unnerves most visitors, the Prophet spends a great deal of time in the sanatorium without being affected. To the folk of Helm’s Hold, this is a sign of her compassionate nature.

** '''Beneath Helm's Hold''': Through the many years that Helm’s Hold has stood, its occupants delved underground. Their crypts and ossuaries utilized natural caverns as well as chambers left in the earth by old empires, creating a vast network of tunnels and levels. Once the domain only of the peaceful departed, these places have now been invaded by the living, making the dead grow restless.

* '''Notable NPCs'''

** '''Halas''': A charismatic half-elf, he is a former landowner in Neverwinter who came to Helm's Hold after being afflicted with a spellscar. He is an informal leader of the spellscarred, and pushes back against those who wish them gone. Secretly one of the leaders of the Heirs of the Azure, a group of spellscarred who have banded together for self-defense.

** '''Meryth''': A female elf, she is another informal leader of Helm's Hold's spellscarred population. She advocates peaceful resistance in the face of prejudice. Also a secret leader of the Heirs of the Azure, most influential with the wing that wishes to remain non-violent.

** '''Elsa Keskrel (deceased)''': A spellscarred refugee from Longsaddle, she had been in Helm's Hold for a year or so. She was among the inner circle of the Heirs of the Azure.

** '''Rohini, the Prophet of Helm’s Hold''': Rohini is the main healer and head researcher of the Helm's Hold monastery, taking over in that last role for the now deceased Brother Anthus, who passed away shortly after her arrival at the House of Knowledge. Rohini earned her sobriquet through the foretellings she speaks of pivotal events to come, both good and ill. The Prophet claims knowledge of extraordinary mysteries beyond mortal understanding. She says this awareness gives her the power to purify the worthy. She bestows healing on individuals that have been visited by the Spellplague. Although Rohini does not sit in overt leadership in the cathedral, the acolytes, servants, and patients bow to her, calling her simply “Prophet.”

** '''Dunfield''': An old associate of Lord Neverember, he leads a band of mercenaries the Lord Protector has lent Helm's Hold to serve as a town watch. Hard-bitten and cynical, Dunfield remains an honorable man who tries to keep his soldiers in line and serve the community as best as he can.

** '''Alisara Callum''': Everyone in Helm’s Hold pays deference to her, the town’s elected Chief Speaker. Her ability to inspire loyalty helps to keep the haphazard government functioning. A former soldier now past her prime, Alisara brings a note of legitimacy to the council. She wears a frayed purple tabard with a white dragon sigil—the symbol of her former service with the Purple Dragon Knights of Cormyr—which some locals consider to be her personal coat of arms. Alisara is well liked, though her policies of accepting the spellscarred irk some in the city.

** '''Arnad (deceased)''': Formerly deputy Speaker to Alisara Callum. He was quite sympathetic to the spellscarred in town.

** '''Doloran Bard''': An aging farmer and councilman whose family long ago helped build the original monastery, he is wary of trusting the direction of Helm’s Hold to an outsider. An unrepentant purist when it comes to the spellscarred, Bard would prefer that the town push out the “unclean” hordes and return the Hold to its original purpose.

** '''Lelmi Besk''': A blacksmith in town and an ally of Doloran Bard. She's a stocky, stern looking human woman who cares about her work, but is disdainful of the spellscarred refugees.

** '''Derci Pebrostu (deceased)''': A farmer and ally of Doloran Bard, before Pebrostu's death.

** '''Juetta''': A human female of about thirty years, she is the proprietor of the Old Dirty Dwarf, an establishment that is mostly safe, if none too clean. The Old Dirty Dwarf welcomes all, but some of the staff makes an exclusion for spellscarred, actively discouraging their business. Juetta frowns on this sort of behavior, but she can’t be everywhere in the place at the same time, so she can’t stop the growing tensions that bubble over in the tavern from time to time.

** '''Brother Satarin''': An acolyte before Helm’s death, the young dwarf took his vows shortly before the god fell. Satarin stayed at the cathedral, teaching the ways of his fallen master and attending to the needy after the rest of Helm’s clergy left the place for other gods or retired from the cloth. Now, at the age of 160, Satarin is as close to a high priest as the cathedral is likely to see again, though he firmly eschews any title but Brother. He opened the cathedral’s doors to the Prophet at the request of Brother Vartan, a priest of Oghma whose research on resurrecting dead gods was of interest to the still-devout Satarin.

** '''Brother Vartan''': A priest of Oghma who was Brother Anthus' chief deputy at the House of Knowledge in Neverwinter, before the latter's untimely death. When the Prophet decided to decamp to Helm's Hold, Vartan decided to join her journey.

** '''Torlgar''': The warden of the sanatorium is Torlgar, a hulking goliath. An early convert to Rohini’s ways, Torlgar is fiercely loyal to his beloved mistress, to the point of death or beyond.

Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk

2025-02-21T22:46:34Z

NightGoblyn: /* Party Share */

== Background ==

The current year is 597 CY.

100 or so years ago, the Mad Mayor Zagig achieved apotheosis and became a demigod in a ritual he conducted in the dungeons below Castle Greyhawk. In the process of doing so he captured and imprisoned nine other demigods, taking a piece of divine essence from each. One of these demigods was Iuz, the half-demon son of the Witch-Queen Iggwilv and the demon prince Graz’zt and he (and the other demigods) remained imprisoned below Castle Greyhawk after Zagig ascended and departed the Material Plane as the newly divine “Zagyg” to serve in the court of Boccob, Archmage of the Gods.

None of this was well known until perhaps 30 years ago when the wizard Mordenkainen and his adventuring companions (primarily Riggby the cleric, Mordenkainen's apprentice Bigby and the fearless warrior Robilar, though other companions came and went as well), after years of exploring the ruins of Castle Greyhawk, found Zagig's Prison and the imprisoned demigods. Eventually, in 570 CY, realizing that sooner or later the binding magic would fail, Mordenkainen devised a plan to slay the worst of the imprisoned gods: Iuz. At his behest, Riggby, Robilar, and one of Robilar's henchmen made their way to the Prison and dispelled the magic barrier keeping Iuz bound, intending to slay him.

Unfortunately, just a moment too late, Tenser, Bigby and the warrior Neb Retnar teleported in, planning to stop Iuz from being freed, fearing that the whole plan was too risky. The two groups, after some momentary confusion, realized that the die was cast and they must band together to kill Iuz, but even that moment of hesitation was too much, and Iuz regained enough of his power to escape certain death in the clutches of Bigby’s notorious crushing hand by plane shifting to the Abyss. That magical warp freed the additional gods (as far as anyone knows) and caved in many of Castle Greyhawk’s deepest dungeon complexes. After it was all over, Iuz swore vengeance upon the adventurers who had attempted to kill him, dedicating a portion of his eternal rage to plotting their destruction.

Twenty-seven years have passed. To the west, in the not-so distant city of Verbobonc, Riggby has escaped Iuz’s vengeance by dying of natural causes in his twilight years. His body now travels by sacred procession along the Western Road toward Greyhawk.

=== Additional History ===

After the gambit of freeing, and attempting to slay, Iuz failed, word of Lord Robilar’s role in the demongod’s release spread quickly, and he took the brunt of the blame. Local magistrates sacked his castle west of Greyhawk, scattering his dragons and exiling him from the city. Feeling remorse over his role in what happened, Mordenkainen formed the Circle of Eight, an organization of wizards dedicated to "preserving the balance", though some members (like Tenser) argued for a more active role in combating evil. Meanwhile, Iuz wasted no time in re-establishing his rule in Dorakaa, and in 582 CY, a series of small, regional conflicts erupted into continent-wide war, thanks to Iuz's machinations. This war, known as the ''Greyhawk War'', or the ''Great War'', would rage for two years, from 582 to 584 CY. Eventually a peace treaty was negotiated and was due to be signed in the Great Hall of the City of Greyhawk, but treachery almost overturned it and threatened to destroy the Circle of Eight in one fell swoop.

When the wizards Bigby, Tenser, and Otiluke inspected the building that would house the treaty event, they discovered an elaborate magical trap meant to destroy the assembled ambassadors and dignitaries. The archmage Rary, the only member of the Circle whose magical prowess matched that of Mordenkainen, then emerged from the shadows to congratulate his allies on their foresight. His schemes thwarted, Rary lashed out at his friends, slaying Tenser and Otiluke and gravely wounding Bigby. Worse, Mordenkainen soon received word that his greatest friend, the fighter Lord Robilar, had sacked the slain wizards’ strongholds and destroyed their clones and soul objects, preventing their return to life. Then Robilar departed to the Bright Desert to serve Rary and his quixotic empire of the sands. However, Rary and Robilar had failed to discover a clone Tenser had hidden away on Celene, one of Oerth's moons, and in the month Goodmonth of 585 CY, Tenser was restored to life.

== The Flanaess ==

[https://i.redd.it/mafu3l69zkx11.png Map of the Flanaess]

== The Ruins of Castle Greyhawk ==
[[File:Ruins.png]]

== Shatterstone ==
[[File:Level_5_map.png]]

== City of Greyhawk ==

[[File:Greyhawkcity2.png]]

* '''S''': '''Slum Quarter''': The poorest section of town, made up of ramshackle houses and destitute commoners.
* '''T''': '''Thieves' Quarter''': The other section of the Old City, along with the Slum Quarter, and slightly better off than its poorer neighbor, but not much more so.
* '''A''': '''Artisans' Quarter''': A sleepy district (relative to the other parts of the city) where most of Greyhawk's finest artisans live and work, as well as the guildhalls that represent them.
* '''F''': '''Foreign Quarter''': The only quarter of the city where non-citizens are allowed to own property.
* '''R''': '''River Quarter''': A boisterous district of taverns, brothels, and gambling dens that caters to those who work the wharfs just outside the gates, and the travelers who arrive by river.
* '''C''': '''Clerkburg''': The quarter that swarms with students from the dozens of colleges, universities and academies, that have made Greyhawk one of the foremost cities of learning on the continent.
* '''G''': '''Garden Quarter''': The second richest district of the city, home to many ennobled heroes, made-good prospectors, acclaimed artists and artisans, retired adventurers, and other nouveau riche.
* '''H''': '''High Quarter''': The richest part of the city, filled with magnificent mansions that sit atop a low rise that makes them visible from most of the city.

== The Green Dragon Inn ==
[[File:Green_dragon_inn.png|1400x1000px|Click on map to get the full sized version.]]

== River Quarter ==
[[File:River_Quarter.png|1400x1000px|Click on map to get the full sized version.]]

# '''The Green Dragon''': The Green Dragon Inn is located in Greyhawk’s River Quarter, along a wide street crowded with rivermen, cutthroats, and thieves. At night the two-story stone building comes alive with activity, the sound of boisterous laughs and the sight of flickering windows attracting custom from all quarters of the city. Most of the shabby clientele are locals, Dockway bully-boys or bargefolk looking for cheap drinks and good atmosphere. The Dragon provides the latter in quantity, for its proprietor does little to quell light violence and overtly encourages enthusiastic drinking and carousing. Weapons and armor are allowed (and a wise precaution). It’s a dangerous place but a friendly one, as long as no one harms the staff.
# '''City Watch Station''': The River Quarter City Watch station sees as much traffic as any drinking hole in the district, and thanks to its inhabitants, the building and especially its cells reek of the smells that characterize the district. In this atmosphere, the trail of surly vagabonds standing in the front of this squat two story stone structure across the street and just down the block from the Green Dragon Inn looks no different from any other.
# '''Hauld's Apothecary''': This small shop run by a portly, mustachioed fellow, has rows and rows of potions and magical unguents lining the walls. The affable, somewhat clumsy merchant barely fits behind the crowded desk, always nearly bumping over a leaking jar of this or shattering a glowing bottle of that.
# '''Dark Moon Monastery''': A sprawling estate of white stone arches and enclosed courtyards overlooks the River Quarter from the small bluff supporting the Nobles’ Wall. In the shadows of its manicured campus dwells an order of fighting monks and mental adepts who seem always to be training for ''something''.
# '''Pirthan Estate''': A short walk away from the Dark Moon Monastery, a stately stone home overlooks the neighborhood. Unruly weeds choke the small grounds, which appear to have been neglected for several months.
# '''The Lore of the Lake''': A bewildering array of stuffed creatures dangles from the low ceiling of this workshop located below street level. Visitors must take care lest they run eye-first into the preserved beak of a slain stirge or the spiny frill of an Abbor-Alz quillbeast.
# '''Onella's Palms'''
# '''Geeridan's''': The bright blue awning of this two-story building stands out among the staid store fronts along the north side of Cargo Street. The cavernous showroom within contains a dizzying array of products from markets across the Flanaess, all offered at reasonable prices. The weapons and armor section—highly picked over by the district’s adventurers—leaves something to be desired, but the stock of standard gear makes this one of the most popular general stores in the city, and certainly in the River Quarter.
# '''Low Seas Tavern''': The shabby façade of the Low Seas Tavern marks the north face of a small square at the center of Cargo Street. One must descend a short case of stairs to reach the establishment’s front door, which lies a few feet below the level of the street. The sounds of boisterous good cheer echo up to the square at all hours of the day.
# '''Nulligan's Trove''': Northwest along Cargo Street, where the broad avenue intersects with the Strip, a short alley loop known as the Open Close is home to a collection of idiosyncratic shops and galleries. With its green continual flame torches and firebeetle ichor-infused sign, Nulligan’s Trove is the most unusual offering on an unusual block. A businesslike balding merchant named Penander Nulligan runs the curio shop, which offers a small selection of magic items for sale to the district’s adventurers and wealthy sea captains docked in Greyhawk’s Wharf District.
# '''Khellek's Tower''': The witty, willful wizard Khellek, chessmaster of the Green Dragon Inn, owns a black stone tower on the bluff overlooking Cargo Street, not far from the gate to the Wharf District. During daylight hours that do not find him otherwise occupied, Khellek entertains visitors interested in purchasing arcane scrolls or spellcasting services.
# '''River Quarter Mission'''
# '''Redacted''': A nondescript multiroom home.
# '''Geld's Maps''': Geld's Maps is in a refurbished old manor house on the corner of Horseshoe Road and Cargo Street, at the eastern end of the River Quarter. Geld's small office, just off the three-story structure’s main entry, holds a wide variety of regional maps.

== Pirthan Estate==
[[File:House.png|1400x1000px|Click on image to get the full sized version.]]

== PCs ==

* '''[[Beovar Dwursen]]''': [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T-bv4FzGd0FCIFgINbfWTJnYwMwt_Xgc/edit#gid=425184510 Human Warblade 5/Anointed Knight 5]
* '''Zhenis''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Zhenis| Human Fighter 1 psion 3 Soul Knife 3 Soul Bow 3]]
* '''Kangorox''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Kangorox| Dwarf Duskblade 10]]
* '''Daniel Carter''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Daniel_Carter| Elan Vitalist 10]]
* '''Cacophony''': [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uDrn4FdbGkXwGZHiL_ppLe8urYyLydXGaWh8FNj0x2E/edit Lesser Cansin Artificer 9/Cloistered Cleric 1]
* <s>'''Syvis''': [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12gidB-7B4falykE0SJ0ZW_ekJoHAVrA95vF0dXcspOE/edit#gid=0 Human Dread Necromancer 8]</s>
* <s>'''Nember''': [[Nember| Human Binder 8]]</s>
* <s>'''Oonagh''': [https://www.dropbox.com/s/d5mw8ffm947mfbx/Oonagh-3.pdf?dl=0 Human Sorcerer 8]</s>

== Treasure ==

====Unsplit Loot====

* 3 potions of invisibility
* books from hidden library
* 907 gp, 12 sp, 3 cp
* Dragon Mask
* Handy Haversack
* short sword +1

====Party Share====

* 664 pp
* 123 gp
* 9 sp
* 6 cp

Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk

2025-02-21T22:26:10Z

NightGoblyn: /* Unsplit Loot */

Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk

2025-02-11T22:44:57Z

NightGoblyn: /* Unsplit Loot */

== Background ==

The current year is 597 CY.

100 or so years ago, the Mad Mayor Zagig achieved apotheosis and became a demigod in a ritual he conducted in the dungeons below Castle Greyhawk. In the process of doing so he captured and imprisoned nine other demigods, taking a piece of divine essence from each. One of these demigods was Iuz, the half-demon son of the Witch-Queen Iggwilv and the demon prince Graz’zt and he (and the other demigods) remained imprisoned below Castle Greyhawk after Zagig ascended and departed the Material Plane as the newly divine “Zagyg” to serve in the court of Boccob, Archmage of the Gods.

None of this was well known until perhaps 30 years ago when the wizard Mordenkainen and his adventuring companions (primarily Riggby the cleric, Mordenkainen's apprentice Bigby and the fearless warrior Robilar, though other companions came and went as well), after years of exploring the ruins of Castle Greyhawk, found Zagig's Prison and the imprisoned demigods. Eventually, in 570 CY, realizing that sooner or later the binding magic would fail, Mordenkainen devised a plan to slay the worst of the imprisoned gods: Iuz. At his behest, Riggby, Robilar, and one of Robilar's henchmen made their way to the Prison and dispelled the magic barrier keeping Iuz bound, intending to slay him.

Unfortunately, just a moment too late, Tenser, Bigby and the warrior Neb Retnar teleported in, planning to stop Iuz from being freed, fearing that the whole plan was too risky. The two groups, after some momentary confusion, realized that the die was cast and they must band together to kill Iuz, but even that moment of hesitation was too much, and Iuz regained enough of his power to escape certain death in the clutches of Bigby’s notorious crushing hand by plane shifting to the Abyss. That magical warp freed the additional gods (as far as anyone knows) and caved in many of Castle Greyhawk’s deepest dungeon complexes. After it was all over, Iuz swore vengeance upon the adventurers who had attempted to kill him, dedicating a portion of his eternal rage to plotting their destruction.

Twenty-seven years have passed. To the west, in the not-so distant city of Verbobonc, Riggby has escaped Iuz’s vengeance by dying of natural causes in his twilight years. His body now travels by sacred procession along the Western Road toward Greyhawk.

=== Additional History ===

After the gambit of freeing, and attempting to slay, Iuz failed, word of Lord Robilar’s role in the demongod’s release spread quickly, and he took the brunt of the blame. Local magistrates sacked his castle west of Greyhawk, scattering his dragons and exiling him from the city. Feeling remorse over his role in what happened, Mordenkainen formed the Circle of Eight, an organization of wizards dedicated to "preserving the balance", though some members (like Tenser) argued for a more active role in combating evil. Meanwhile, Iuz wasted no time in re-establishing his rule in Dorakaa, and in 582 CY, a series of small, regional conflicts erupted into continent-wide war, thanks to Iuz's machinations. This war, known as the ''Greyhawk War'', or the ''Great War'', would rage for two years, from 582 to 584 CY. Eventually a peace treaty was negotiated and was due to be signed in the Great Hall of the City of Greyhawk, but treachery almost overturned it and threatened to destroy the Circle of Eight in one fell swoop.

When the wizards Bigby, Tenser, and Otiluke inspected the building that would house the treaty event, they discovered an elaborate magical trap meant to destroy the assembled ambassadors and dignitaries. The archmage Rary, the only member of the Circle whose magical prowess matched that of Mordenkainen, then emerged from the shadows to congratulate his allies on their foresight. His schemes thwarted, Rary lashed out at his friends, slaying Tenser and Otiluke and gravely wounding Bigby. Worse, Mordenkainen soon received word that his greatest friend, the fighter Lord Robilar, had sacked the slain wizards’ strongholds and destroyed their clones and soul objects, preventing their return to life. Then Robilar departed to the Bright Desert to serve Rary and his quixotic empire of the sands. However, Rary and Robilar had failed to discover a clone Tenser had hidden away on Celene, one of Oerth's moons, and in the month Goodmonth of 585 CY, Tenser was restored to life.

== The Flanaess ==

[https://i.redd.it/mafu3l69zkx11.png Map of the Flanaess]

== The Ruins of Castle Greyhawk ==
[[File:Ruins.png]]

== Shatterstone ==
[[File:Level_5_map.png]]

== City of Greyhawk ==

[[File:Greyhawkcity2.png]]

* '''S''': '''Slum Quarter''': The poorest section of town, made up of ramshackle houses and destitute commoners.
* '''T''': '''Thieves' Quarter''': The other section of the Old City, along with the Slum Quarter, and slightly better off than its poorer neighbor, but not much more so.
* '''A''': '''Artisans' Quarter''': A sleepy district (relative to the other parts of the city) where most of Greyhawk's finest artisans live and work, as well as the guildhalls that represent them.
* '''F''': '''Foreign Quarter''': The only quarter of the city where non-citizens are allowed to own property.
* '''R''': '''River Quarter''': A boisterous district of taverns, brothels, and gambling dens that caters to those who work the wharfs just outside the gates, and the travelers who arrive by river.
* '''C''': '''Clerkburg''': The quarter that swarms with students from the dozens of colleges, universities and academies, that have made Greyhawk one of the foremost cities of learning on the continent.
* '''G''': '''Garden Quarter''': The second richest district of the city, home to many ennobled heroes, made-good prospectors, acclaimed artists and artisans, retired adventurers, and other nouveau riche.
* '''H''': '''High Quarter''': The richest part of the city, filled with magnificent mansions that sit atop a low rise that makes them visible from most of the city.

== The Green Dragon Inn ==
[[File:Green_dragon_inn.png|1400x1000px|Click on map to get the full sized version.]]

== River Quarter ==
[[File:River_Quarter.png|1400x1000px|Click on map to get the full sized version.]]

# '''The Green Dragon''': The Green Dragon Inn is located in Greyhawk’s River Quarter, along a wide street crowded with rivermen, cutthroats, and thieves. At night the two-story stone building comes alive with activity, the sound of boisterous laughs and the sight of flickering windows attracting custom from all quarters of the city. Most of the shabby clientele are locals, Dockway bully-boys or bargefolk looking for cheap drinks and good atmosphere. The Dragon provides the latter in quantity, for its proprietor does little to quell light violence and overtly encourages enthusiastic drinking and carousing. Weapons and armor are allowed (and a wise precaution). It’s a dangerous place but a friendly one, as long as no one harms the staff.
# '''City Watch Station''': The River Quarter City Watch station sees as much traffic as any drinking hole in the district, and thanks to its inhabitants, the building and especially its cells reek of the smells that characterize the district. In this atmosphere, the trail of surly vagabonds standing in the front of this squat two story stone structure across the street and just down the block from the Green Dragon Inn looks no different from any other.
# '''Hauld's Apothecary''': This small shop run by a portly, mustachioed fellow, has rows and rows of potions and magical unguents lining the walls. The affable, somewhat clumsy merchant barely fits behind the crowded desk, always nearly bumping over a leaking jar of this or shattering a glowing bottle of that.
# '''Dark Moon Monastery''': A sprawling estate of white stone arches and enclosed courtyards overlooks the River Quarter from the small bluff supporting the Nobles’ Wall. In the shadows of its manicured campus dwells an order of fighting monks and mental adepts who seem always to be training for ''something''.
# '''Pirthan Estate'''
# '''The Lore of the Lake''': A bewildering array of stuffed creatures dangles from the low ceiling of this workshop located below street level. Visitors must take care lest they run eye-first into the preserved beak of a slain stirge or the spiny frill of an Abbor-Alz quillbeast.
# '''Onella's Palms'''
# '''Geeridan's''': The bright blue awning of this two-story building stands out among the staid store fronts along the north side of Cargo Street. The cavernous showroom within contains a dizzying array of products from markets across the Flanaess, all offered at reasonable prices. The weapons and armor section—highly picked over by the district’s adventurers—leaves something to be desired, but the stock of standard gear makes this one of the most popular general stores in the city, and certainly in the River Quarter.
# '''Low Seas Tavern''': The shabby façade of the Low Seas Tavern marks the north face of a small square at the center of Cargo Street. One must descend a short case of stairs to reach the establishment’s front door, which lies a few feet below the level of the street. The sounds of boisterous good cheer echo up to the square at all hours of the day.
# '''Nulligan's Trove''': Northwest along Cargo Street, where the broad avenue intersects with the Strip, a short alley loop known as the Open Close is home to a collection of idiosyncratic shops and galleries. With its green continual flame torches and firebeetle ichor-infused sign, Nulligan’s Trove is the most unusual offering on an unusual block. A businesslike balding merchant named Penander Nulligan runs the curio shop, which offers a small selection of magic items for sale to the district’s adventurers and wealthy sea captains docked in Greyhawk’s Wharf District.
# '''Khellek's Tower''': The witty, willful wizard Khellek, chessmaster of the Green Dragon Inn, owns a black stone tower on the bluff overlooking Cargo Street, not far from the gate to the Wharf District. During daylight hours that do not find him otherwise occupied, Khellek entertains visitors interested in purchasing arcane scrolls or spellcasting services.
# '''River Quarter Mission'''
# '''Redacted''': A nondescript multiroom home.
# '''Geld's Maps''': Geld's Maps is in a refurbished old manor house on the corner of Horseshoe Road and Cargo Street, at the eastern end of the River Quarter. Geld's small office, just off the three-story structure’s main entry, holds a wide variety of regional maps.

== PCs ==

* '''[[Beovar Dwursen]]''': [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T-bv4FzGd0FCIFgINbfWTJnYwMwt_Xgc/edit#gid=425184510 Human Warblade 5/Anointed Knight 5]
* '''Zhenis''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Zhenis| Human Fighter 1 psion 3 Soul Knife 3 Soul Bow 3]]
* '''Kangorox''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Kangorox| Dwarf Duskblade 10]]
* '''Daniel Carter''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Daniel_Carter| Elan Vitalist 10]]
* '''Cacophony''': [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uDrn4FdbGkXwGZHiL_ppLe8urYyLydXGaWh8FNj0x2E/edit Lesser Cansin Artificer 9/Cloistered Cleric 1]
* <s>'''Syvis''': [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12gidB-7B4falykE0SJ0ZW_ekJoHAVrA95vF0dXcspOE/edit#gid=0 Human Dread Necromancer 8]</s>
* <s>'''Nember''': [[Nember| Human Binder 8]]</s>
* <s>'''Oonagh''': [https://www.dropbox.com/s/d5mw8ffm947mfbx/Oonagh-3.pdf?dl=0 Human Sorcerer 8]</s>

== Treasure ==

====Unsplit Loot====

* 3 potions of invisibility
* books from hidden library
* 283 gp, 12 sp, 3 cp
* dragon mask (magic)
* backpack (magic)
* book (magic)
* 4 masterwork heavy maces

====Party Share====

* 984 pp
* 258 gp
* 9 sp
* 6 cp

Landsoftheblacksea:Main Page/players/veronique cardosa-cambra

2025-02-08T14:17:13Z

NightGoblyn: /* Background */

{| class="wikitable" border="0" style="text-align:center; width: 100%;"
|-
|[[Landsoftheblacksea:Main_Page/races|'''Races''']] || [[Landsoftheblacksea:Main_Page/religion|'''Religions''']] || [[Landsoftheblacksea:Main_Page/realms|'''Realms''']] || [[Landsoftheblacksea:Main_Page/geography|'''Geography''']] || [[Landsoftheblacksea:Main_page/organizations|'''Organizations''']] || [[Landsoftheblacksea:Main_Page/languages|'''Languages''']] || [[Landsoftheblacksea:Main_page/time_calendars|'''Time & Calendars''']]
|-
|}


[[Landsoftheblacksea:Main_Page/campaigns/blackport_adventures | '''Return to the Blackport Campaign Page''']]

[[File:Veronique.jpg | 300px | thumb | Image from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/701294973252414463/]]

A spoiled daughter of wealth who threw it all away in favor of an entertainer's life.

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1O-PM97pr8QRs3WVaxC_YHsLIW0TOJAZT/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104111159945893972742&rtpof=true&sd=true '''Veronique Character Sheet''']

== Background ==

Veronique, known as Ronni to her friends, grew up in Blackport. Her mother, Aida, had died in childbirth, leaving her an only child. Her father, Claude Vítor Cardosa-Cambra, was the head of a thriving business, coordinating and shipping goods to and from all over the world.

That the goods and the ships that carried them were taken off the hands of their rightful owners by the pirates he employed was a detail that was only important if he decided to leave Blackport.

Claude Vítor practically worshiped Ronique, and could deny her nothing: her childhood was littered with indulgences, half-completed tutoring, broken toys, and dismissed servants. But he could not give her the one thing that a young girl desires more than anything – his time. His business had him out of the house long days and longer nights. He was strict about not bringing his work home – something about not wanting his business partners to know where he lived.

As a wealthy merchant with worldly connections, Claude Vítor was a member of Blackport’s upper-middle class – not wealthy enough to attract the attention of The Sovereign and be recognized as a noble; but wealthy enough that those who were knew him, respected him, and invited him into their circles. This afforded his family a measure of protection and safety in Blackport, so long as they stayed in the parts of the city where such things were possible.

Ronique began prowling the city in her late teens, seeking thrills and companionship to fill the void her doting but absent father and deceased mother never would.

There was a virtually infinite number of gambling rooms, hospitality houses, taverns and inns to discover, but she made a solid dent:

* Dancing and singing with the Rezidä and the other ladies of The Nine Maidens in Golden Way;
* Discussing philosophy and learning the basics of arcane magic from the thin, black-haired elf Áfatha while they sat on the cushions and drew puffs from the hookahs of Amphisbaena in Darklane;
* Arm-wrestling at The Valkyrie in Hero’s Gate – serving wenches at the beginning of the night, the Halfling owner, Odo Maggot, by the end of the night;
* Controlling the urge to flee or vomit at the sounds, sights and smells created as the patrons fulfilled their darkest desires at Balor’s Eye in Moloch’s Circus while the head bouncer, a massive half-orc named Saal, watched her with a bemused expression;
* Memorizing the shanties and stories of high adventure on the seas told by Rigger, the drunken old captain in The Keel, infamous as the lowest dive in Crossbones; and
* Hiding behind the huge ale barrels, beads of sweat from fear dripping down her face, while an ogre and troll nearly destroyed the common room of Tusks’ in The Maw after an argument about which part of her would be the most delicious as the owner, a fat old goblin matron named Ratmirt, shrieked and beat them both ineffectually with a broom.

Many mornings saw her slinking home stinking of ale and the reek of smoking weed, covered in love-marks, or nursing wounds from a duel in one of the gambling halls.

But she was always fresh and ready for more adventure the following evening.

Over time, she discovered she had a beautiful singing voice; and she could remember any poem or song or joke she heard. Her time in these places slowly shifted from listening; to singing along or calling out the punchline of the joke; and eventually, to being the entertainment herself, at least in places it was not foolhardy to do so.

The sudden appearance of a step-mother was an unpleasant surprise, and for the first time she could remember her father scolded her over her behavior. Her hatred of Catherine – tall, lithe, and unforgivably beautiful – was immediate and total, and she immediately began scheming to do away with the interloper her father had allowed into their house.

Schemes eventually gave way to more direct expressions of her disdain, culminating in the day that ended with Veronique standing over Catherine, having flogged the woman within an inch of her life with a scourge of leather and broken glass taken from one of the head-servants.

Once she healed, Catherine would still be tall and lithe; but her beauty was now a thing of the past.

Claude Vítor’s rage was unbounded when returned home to find his new wife’s blood specks liberally sprayed about the vestibule and living rooms of his house. He cursed Ronique for her wastrel ways, saying that she could not be satisfied with causing the death of his first wife, that she should now try to kill his second.

She remembered the air went from transparent to red. She saw her arm bring the scourge down on him, catching him once across the face and leaving a trail of bloody red gashes that ran from forehead to cheek. She remembered the painful grip as the house guards seized her and threw her onto the street, her father’s screams still ringing as the heavy bronze doors slammed shut.

She sat up, looking around – the temperature was dropping, and all she had were the clothes she was wearing.

For the first time in her life, despite all the dangerous situations she had been in, she felt afraid.

No longer would her father’s position and status protect her.

She was vulnerable.

She got up, pulled her tunic tightly about her neck, sniffed, turned in the direction of Darklane.

Perhaps Áfatha could spot her a drink and a puff of dream-weed, and help her figure out what to do next.

. . .

'''Claude Vítor Cardosa-Cambra''' – male human, Ronique’s father, resides in a guarded home in the Ironshadow District. High-Ranking member of the Blackport Merchants Guild.

'''Aida Cardosa-Cambra''' – Ronique’s mother (deceased)

'''Rezidä''' – human female dancer/singer at The Nine Maidens, a gambling house in Golden Way.

'''Áfatha''' – male wood-elf who frequents Amphisbaena, a tavern/smoking den in Darklane. Ronique’s magical mentor & teacher;

'''Catherine Cardosa-Cambra (ne Nicou)''' – female human, Claude Vítor’s 2nd wife, Ronique’s step-mother; sister of Averof Nicou, Captain of the pirate vessel Azrael, and business partner of Claude Vítor

'''Odo Maggot''' – male halfling owner of The Valkyrie, a tavern in Hero’s Gate

'''Saal''' – male half-orc bouncer at The Balor’s Eye, a pleasure house in Moloch’s Circus

'''Rigger''' – male human, retired sailor who haunts The Keel in Crossbones

'''Ratmirt''' – female goblin, proprietress of Tusks, a tavern in The Maw

Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk

2025-01-03T22:52:45Z

NightGoblyn: /* Party Share */

== Background ==

The current year is 597 CY.

100 or so years ago, the Mad Mayor Zagig achieved apotheosis and became a demigod in a ritual he conducted in the dungeons below Castle Greyhawk. In the process of doing so he captured and imprisoned nine other demigods, taking a piece of divine essence from each. One of these demigods was Iuz, the half-demon son of the Witch-Queen Iggwilv and the demon prince Graz’zt and he (and the other demigods) remained imprisoned below Castle Greyhawk after Zagig ascended and departed the Material Plane as the newly divine “Zagyg” to serve in the court of Boccob, Archmage of the Gods.

None of this was well known until perhaps 30 years ago when the wizard Mordenkainen and his adventuring companions (primarily Riggby the cleric, Mordenkainen's apprentice Bigby and the fearless warrior Robilar, though other companions came and went as well), after years of exploring the ruins of Castle Greyhawk, found Zagig's Prison and the imprisoned demigods. Eventually, in 570 CY, realizing that sooner or later the binding magic would fail, Mordenkainen devised a plan to slay the worst of the imprisoned gods: Iuz. At his behest, Riggby, Robilar, and one of Robilar's henchmen made their way to the Prison and dispelled the magic barrier keeping Iuz bound, intending to slay him.

Unfortunately, just a moment too late, Tenser, Bigby and the warrior Neb Retnar teleported in, planning to stop Iuz from being freed, fearing that the whole plan was too risky. The two groups, after some momentary confusion, realized that the die was cast and they must band together to kill Iuz, but even that moment of hesitation was too much, and Iuz regained enough of his power to escape certain death in the clutches of Bigby’s notorious crushing hand by plane shifting to the Abyss. That magical warp freed the additional gods (as far as anyone knows) and caved in many of Castle Greyhawk’s deepest dungeon complexes. After it was all over, Iuz swore vengeance upon the adventurers who had attempted to kill him, dedicating a portion of his eternal rage to plotting their destruction.

Twenty-seven years have passed. To the west, in the not-so distant city of Verbobonc, Riggby has escaped Iuz’s vengeance by dying of natural causes in his twilight years. His body now travels by sacred procession along the Western Road toward Greyhawk.

=== Additional History ===

After the gambit of freeing, and attempting to slay, Iuz failed, word of Lord Robilar’s role in the demongod’s release spread quickly, and he took the brunt of the blame. Local magistrates sacked his castle west of Greyhawk, scattering his dragons and exiling him from the city. Feeling remorse over his role in what happened, Mordenkainen formed the Circle of Eight, an organization of wizards dedicated to "preserving the balance", though some members (like Tenser) argued for a more active role in combating evil. Meanwhile, Iuz wasted no time in re-establishing his rule in Dorakaa, and in 582 CY, a series of small, regional conflicts erupted into continent-wide war, thanks to Iuz's machinations. This war, known as the ''Greyhawk War'', or the ''Great War'', would rage for two years, from 582 to 584 CY. Eventually a peace treaty was negotiated and was due to be signed in the Great Hall of the City of Greyhawk, but treachery almost overturned it and threatened to destroy the Circle of Eight in one fell swoop.

When the wizards Bigby, Tenser, and Otiluke inspected the building that would house the treaty event, they discovered an elaborate magical trap meant to destroy the assembled ambassadors and dignitaries. The archmage Rary, the only member of the Circle whose magical prowess matched that of Mordenkainen, then emerged from the shadows to congratulate his allies on their foresight. His schemes thwarted, Rary lashed out at his friends, slaying Tenser and Otiluke and gravely wounding Bigby. Worse, Mordenkainen soon received word that his greatest friend, the fighter Lord Robilar, had sacked the slain wizards’ strongholds and destroyed their clones and soul objects, preventing their return to life. Then Robilar departed to the Bright Desert to serve Rary and his quixotic empire of the sands. However, Rary and Robilar had failed to discover a clone Tenser had hidden away on Celene, one of Oerth's moons, and in the month Goodmonth of 585 CY, Tenser was restored to life.

== The Flanaess ==

[https://i.redd.it/mafu3l69zkx11.png Map of the Flanaess]

== The Ruins of Castle Greyhawk ==
[[File:Ruins.png]]

== Shatterstone ==
[[File:Level_5_map.png]]

== City of Greyhawk ==

[[File:Greyhawkcity2.png]]

* '''S''': '''Slum Quarter''': The poorest section of town, made up of ramshackle houses and destitute commoners.
* '''T''': '''Thieves' Quarter''': The other section of the Old City, along with the Slum Quarter, and slightly better off than its poorer neighbor, but not much more so.
* '''A''': '''Artisans' Quarter''': A sleepy district (relative to the other parts of the city) where most of Greyhawk's finest artisans live and work, as well as the guildhalls that represent them.
* '''F''': '''Foreign Quarter''': The only quarter of the city where non-citizens are allowed to own property.
* '''R''': '''River Quarter''': A boisterous district of taverns, brothels, and gambling dens that caters to those who work the wharfs just outside the gates, and the travelers who arrive by river.
* '''C''': '''Clerkburg''': The quarter that swarms with students from the dozens of colleges, universities and academies, that have made Greyhawk one of the foremost cities of learning on the continent.
* '''G''': '''Garden Quarter''': The second richest district of the city, home to many ennobled heroes, made-good prospectors, acclaimed artists and artisans, retired adventurers, and other nouveau riche.
* '''H''': '''High Quarter''': The richest part of the city, filled with magnificent mansions that sit atop a low rise that makes them visible from most of the city.

== The Green Dragon Inn ==
[[File:Green_dragon_inn.png|1400x1000px|Click on map to get the full sized version.]]

== River Quarter ==
[[File:River_Quarter.png|1400x1000px|Click on map to get the full sized version.]]

# '''The Green Dragon''': The Green Dragon Inn is located in Greyhawk’s River Quarter, along a wide street crowded with rivermen, cutthroats, and thieves. At night the two-story stone building comes alive with activity, the sound of boisterous laughs and the sight of flickering windows attracting custom from all quarters of the city. Most of the shabby clientele are locals, Dockway bully-boys or bargefolk looking for cheap drinks and good atmosphere. The Dragon provides the latter in quantity, for its proprietor does little to quell light violence and overtly encourages enthusiastic drinking and carousing. Weapons and armor are allowed (and a wise precaution). It’s a dangerous place but a friendly one, as long as no one harms the staff.
# '''City Watch Station''': The River Quarter City Watch station sees as much traffic as any drinking hole in the district, and thanks to its inhabitants, the building and especially its cells reek of the smells that characterize the district. In this atmosphere, the trail of surly vagabonds standing in the front of this squat two story stone structure across the street and just down the block from the Green Dragon Inn looks no different from any other.
# '''Hauld's Apothecary''': This small shop run by a portly, mustachioed fellow, has rows and rows of potions and magical unguents lining the walls. The affable, somewhat clumsy merchant barely fits behind the crowded desk, always nearly bumping over a leaking jar of this or shattering a glowing bottle of that.
# '''Dark Moon Monastery''': A sprawling estate of white stone arches and enclosed courtyards overlooks the River Quarter from the small bluff supporting the Nobles’ Wall. In the shadows of its manicured campus dwells an order of fighting monks and mental adepts who seem always to be training for ''something''.
# '''Pirthan Estate'''
# '''The Lore of the Lake''': A bewildering array of stuffed creatures dangles from the low ceiling of this workshop located below street level. Visitors must take care lest they run eye-first into the preserved beak of a slain stirge or the spiny frill of an Abbor-Alz quillbeast.
# '''Onella's Palms'''
# '''Geeridan's''': The bright blue awning of this two-story building stands out among the staid store fronts along the north side of Cargo Street. The cavernous showroom within contains a dizzying array of products from markets across the Flanaess, all offered at reasonable prices. The weapons and armor section—highly picked over by the district’s adventurers—leaves something to be desired, but the stock of standard gear makes this one of the most popular general stores in the city, and certainly in the River Quarter.
# '''Low Seas Tavern''': The shabby façade of the Low Seas Tavern marks the north face of a small square at the center of Cargo Street. One must descend a short case of stairs to reach the establishment’s front door, which lies a few feet below the level of the street. The sounds of boisterous good cheer echo up to the square at all hours of the day.
# '''Nulligan's Trove''': Northwest along Cargo Street, where the broad avenue intersects with the Strip, a short alley loop known as the Open Close is home to a collection of idiosyncratic shops and galleries. With its green continual flame torches and firebeetle ichor-infused sign, Nulligan’s Trove is the most unusual offering on an unusual block. A businesslike balding merchant named Penander Nulligan runs the curio shop, which offers a small selection of magic items for sale to the district’s adventurers and wealthy sea captains docked in Greyhawk’s Wharf District.
# '''Khellek's Tower''': The witty, willful wizard Khellek, chessmaster of the Green Dragon Inn, owns a black stone tower on the bluff overlooking Cargo Street, not far from the gate to the Wharf District. During daylight hours that do not find him otherwise occupied, Khellek entertains visitors interested in purchasing arcane scrolls or spellcasting services.
# '''River Quarter Mission'''
# '''Redacted''': A nondescript multiroom home.
# '''Geld's Maps''': Geld's Maps is in a refurbished old manor house on the corner of Horseshoe Road and Cargo Street, at the eastern end of the River Quarter. Geld's small office, just off the three-story structure’s main entry, holds a wide variety of regional maps.

== PCs ==

* '''[[Beovar Dwursen]]''': [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T-bv4FzGd0FCIFgINbfWTJnYwMwt_Xgc/edit#gid=425184510 Human Warblade 5/Anointed Knight 5]
* '''Zhenis''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Zhenis| Human Fighter 1 psion 3 Soul Knife 3 Soul Bow 3]]
* '''Kangorox''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Kangorox| Dwarf Duskblade 10]]
* '''Daniel Carter''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Daniel_Carter| Elan Vitalist 10]]
* '''Cacophony''': [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uDrn4FdbGkXwGZHiL_ppLe8urYyLydXGaWh8FNj0x2E/edit Lesser Cansin Artificer 9/Cloistered Cleric 1]
* <s>'''Syvis''': [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12gidB-7B4falykE0SJ0ZW_ekJoHAVrA95vF0dXcspOE/edit#gid=0 Human Dread Necromancer 8]</s>
* <s>'''Nember''': [[Nember| Human Binder 8]]</s>
* <s>'''Oonagh''': [https://www.dropbox.com/s/d5mw8ffm947mfbx/Oonagh-3.pdf?dl=0 Human Sorcerer 8]</s>

== Treasure ==

====Unsplit Loot====

* masterwork handaxe
* apprentice ring
* 3 masterwork rapiers
* 3 potions of invisibility
* 2 doses of scorpion venom
* boccob's blessed book
* ring of sustenance
* 550 pp

====Party Share====

* 754 pp
* 250 gp
* 9 sp
* 6 cp

Tove Gimbles in The Gyre

2024-12-14T00:24:27Z

NightGoblyn: /* Hench-Persons & Creatures */

[[File:Tove_Gimbles_in_The_Gyre_2.jpg]]

Game threads: [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/recruitment-worlds-without-number.924263/ Recruitment] | OOC | IC

==Player Characters==
*'''Ralor the Blackblade''' (Atlictoatl) | Vothian Warrior/Mageslayer | HP: 22/22, System Strain: 4/14, AC: 14, Init: +0
*[[Iyashi | '''Brother Iyashi''']] (Chronicler) | Darian-Kistian Healer/Vowed | HP: 12/12, System Strain: 0/11, AC: 16, Init: +2
*[https://docs.google.com/document/d/17xMbVHf3skd0i0nvUVntCj68joJqEtAtojn_HlYfX5g/edit?tab=t.0 '''Minna the Pale'''] (NightGoblyn) | Khalan High Mage/Necromancer | HP: 7/7, System Strain: 0/14, AC: 13, Init: +0
*[[Alchidai_the_Hunter#Skills | '''Alchidai the Hunter''']] (Seandemonium) | Olokian Expert/Maqqatban Knight | HP: 20/20, System Strain: 0/14, AC: 14 , Init: +1

==Maps==
*
[[File:Llaigis_-_Political_MapJPG.jpg]]

Areas ringed in yellow are mostly farmlands, ruled by independent kings, princes, nobles, and primates. Cities control the farmlands within two leagues of their walls. Areas not ringed in yellow within the borders of Llaigis, including river commerce are, according to law and custom, the peoples' lands ("people" meaning nobility), which are protected by the king. At this time, the king's protection outside of Gathis means little.

==The Gyre==
'''Llaigis'''

Population

Approximately 800,000. Gathis, its largest and most decadent city, has 40,000 inhabitants.

Government

King Hulit of Gathis is the foremost of a half-dozen kings, princes, and primates. In practice, the law belongs to whatever warlord is nearest to hand.

Problems

Llaigis’ government is unstable and constantly subject to disruption by ambitious warlords.
Anakim and monsters from Emed-Dar are forever crossing the southern border.
Numerous vile cults and loathsome groups operate with relative impunity within Llaigis’ borders.

==Summary of Events==

==Important NPCs==

====Neutral====
*A few surviving worshippers of the Bleeding God (non-combatant villagers) (Minna) (Llaigis: Southwestern foothills)
*A few surviving followers of Divik Han (Minna) (Llaigis: Southwestern foothills)
*Silverspurs Company horsemen (Minna) (Llaigis: Gathis)
*Tarsha Silverspurs (Minna) (Whereabouts unknown. Possibly deceased.)
*Earl of the Northern Byrne - Golt Ice Maker (Ralor) (Llaigis: northeastern river lands)
*Princes of the Northern Byrne - sons of Golt Ice Maker/brothers of Ralor (Ralor) (Llaigis: northeastern river lands)

====Allies====
*Monastic order of the Jihin-Te (Iyashi) (Emed-Kist: Yukai environs)
*Urdok Clan villagers (non-combatants) & Naheli Clan villagers (non-combatant) (Iyashi) (Llaigis: Nov Lands)
*Refugee Hunters of the Usuldarum Riverbanks (those annexed by House Zernunol): Bix and Querias (Alchidai) (Whereabouts uncertain)
*Ur of Maqqatba (Alchidai's mentor) (Usuldarum Riverbank hamlet without a name)

====Enemies====
*Baroness-Autocra Ydress (Alchidai) (Llaigris: Zernunol Lands)

==Hench-Persons & Creatures==
*Cat (Minna - she just calls it "Cat")
*Hroth, a Gathis local who sees Minna as a spiritual leader worthy of loyalty (Minna)

==Rumors and Leads==
*
*

==Lore==
*'''Llaigis: Nov Lands:''' The titled ruler of the Nov lands, Prince Jaeydn, is young and weak. Like the King of Llaigis in miniature, the prince is helpless to halt internal power struggles. A dozen hamlets and villages have engaged in a years-long feud of neighboring clans over grudges from decades past. When the mood strikes them, bands of armed men of the Urdok Clan gallop through the villages of the Naheli Clan, killing as they go. The next week or month, warriors of the Naheli Clan band together and visit murderous reprisals upon the Urdoks. It is a never-ending cycle of violence.
*'''Llaigis: Usuldarum River between Acitor and Thuvad:''' Hunting grouds for ducks and geese, antelope, and the occasional bison. Heavy river commerce. For centuries, the river has been under the king’s protection. The king's power has faded in recent years until several months ago, House Zernunol, under the Baroness-Autocra Ydress, claimed the Riverlands adjoining hers, levying a tariff on river traffic and banning hunters, not of-house. Two dozen hunters requested a hearing with the Baroness-Autocra to argue the point. The Baroness-Autocra’s soldiers massacred the petitioners.

==Notable Posts==

Tove Gimbles in The Gyre

2024-12-14T00:23:13Z

NightGoblyn: /* Hench-Persons & Creatures */

[[File:Tove_Gimbles_in_The_Gyre_2.jpg]]

Game threads: [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/recruitment-worlds-without-number.924263/ Recruitment] | OOC | IC

==Player Characters==
*'''Ralor the Blackblade''' (Atlictoatl) | Vothian Warrior/Mageslayer | HP: 22/22, System Strain: 4/14, AC: 14, Init: +0
*[[Iyashi | '''Brother Iyashi''']] (Chronicler) | Darian-Kistian Healer/Vowed | HP: 12/12, System Strain: 0/11, AC: 16, Init: +2
*[https://docs.google.com/document/d/17xMbVHf3skd0i0nvUVntCj68joJqEtAtojn_HlYfX5g/edit?tab=t.0 '''Minna the Pale'''] (NightGoblyn) | Khalan High Mage/Necromancer | HP: 7/7, System Strain: 0/14, AC: 13, Init: +0
*[[Alchidai_the_Hunter#Skills | '''Alchidai the Hunter''']] (Seandemonium) | Olokian Expert/Maqqatban Knight | HP: 20/20, System Strain: 0/14, AC: 14 , Init: +1

==Maps==
*
[[File:Llaigis_-_Political_MapJPG.jpg]]

Areas ringed in yellow are mostly farmlands, ruled by independent kings, princes, nobles, and primates. Cities control the farmlands within two leagues of their walls. Areas not ringed in yellow within the borders of Llaigis, including river commerce are, according to law and custom, the peoples' lands ("people" meaning nobility), which are protected by the king. At this time, the king's protection outside of Gathis means little.

==The Gyre==
'''Llaigis'''

Population

Approximately 800,000. Gathis, its largest and most decadent city, has 40,000 inhabitants.

Government

King Hulit of Gathis is the foremost of a half-dozen kings, princes, and primates. In practice, the law belongs to whatever warlord is nearest to hand.

Problems

Llaigis’ government is unstable and constantly subject to disruption by ambitious warlords.
Anakim and monsters from Emed-Dar are forever crossing the southern border.
Numerous vile cults and loathsome groups operate with relative impunity within Llaigis’ borders.

==Summary of Events==

==Important NPCs==

====Neutral====
*A few surviving worshippers of the Bleeding God (non-combatant villagers) (Minna) (Llaigis: Southwestern foothills)
*A few surviving followers of Divik Han (Minna) (Llaigis: Southwestern foothills)
*Silverspurs Company horsemen (Minna) (Llaigis: Gathis)
*Tarsha Silverspurs (Minna) (Whereabouts unknown. Possibly deceased.)
*Earl of the Northern Byrne - Golt Ice Maker (Ralor) (Llaigis: northeastern river lands)
*Princes of the Northern Byrne - sons of Golt Ice Maker/brothers of Ralor (Ralor) (Llaigis: northeastern river lands)

====Allies====
*Monastic order of the Jihin-Te (Iyashi) (Emed-Kist: Yukai environs)
*Urdok Clan villagers (non-combatants) & Naheli Clan villagers (non-combatant) (Iyashi) (Llaigis: Nov Lands)
*Refugee Hunters of the Usuldarum Riverbanks (those annexed by House Zernunol): Bix and Querias (Alchidai) (Whereabouts uncertain)
*Ur of Maqqatba (Alchidai's mentor) (Usuldarum Riverbank hamlet without a name)

====Enemies====
*Baroness-Autocra Ydress (Alchidai) (Llaigris: Zernunol Lands)

==Hench-Persons & Creatures==
*Cat (Minna - she just calls it "Cat")
*Hroth (Minna)

==Rumors and Leads==
*
*

==Lore==
*'''Llaigis: Nov Lands:''' The titled ruler of the Nov lands, Prince Jaeydn, is young and weak. Like the King of Llaigis in miniature, the prince is helpless to halt internal power struggles. A dozen hamlets and villages have engaged in a years-long feud of neighboring clans over grudges from decades past. When the mood strikes them, bands of armed men of the Urdok Clan gallop through the villages of the Naheli Clan, killing as they go. The next week or month, warriors of the Naheli Clan band together and visit murderous reprisals upon the Urdoks. It is a never-ending cycle of violence.
*'''Llaigis: Usuldarum River between Acitor and Thuvad:''' Hunting grouds for ducks and geese, antelope, and the occasional bison. Heavy river commerce. For centuries, the river has been under the king’s protection. The king's power has faded in recent years until several months ago, House Zernunol, under the Baroness-Autocra Ydress, claimed the Riverlands adjoining hers, levying a tariff on river traffic and banning hunters, not of-house. Two dozen hunters requested a hearing with the Baroness-Autocra to argue the point. The Baroness-Autocra’s soldiers massacred the petitioners.

==Notable Posts==

Tove Gimbles in The Gyre

2024-12-14T00:20:58Z

NightGoblyn: /* Neutral */

[[File:Tove_Gimbles_in_The_Gyre_2.jpg]]

Game threads: [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/recruitment-worlds-without-number.924263/ Recruitment] | OOC | IC

==Player Characters==
*'''Ralor the Blackblade''' (Atlictoatl) | Vothian Warrior/Mageslayer | HP: 22/22, System Strain: 4/14, AC: 14, Init: +0
*[[Iyashi | '''Brother Iyashi''']] (Chronicler) | Darian-Kistian Healer/Vowed | HP: 12/12, System Strain: 0/11, AC: 16, Init: +2
*[https://docs.google.com/document/d/17xMbVHf3skd0i0nvUVntCj68joJqEtAtojn_HlYfX5g/edit?tab=t.0 '''Minna the Pale'''] (NightGoblyn) | Khalan High Mage/Necromancer | HP: 7/7, System Strain: 0/14, AC: 13, Init: +0
*[[Alchidai_the_Hunter#Skills | '''Alchidai the Hunter''']] (Seandemonium) | Olokian Expert/Maqqatban Knight | HP: 20/20, System Strain: 0/14, AC: 14 , Init: +1

==Maps==
*
[[File:Llaigis_-_Political_MapJPG.jpg]]

Areas ringed in yellow are mostly farmlands, ruled by independent kings, princes, nobles, and primates. Cities control the farmlands within two leagues of their walls. Areas not ringed in yellow within the borders of Llaigis, including river commerce are, according to law and custom, the peoples' lands ("people" meaning nobility), which are protected by the king. At this time, the king's protection outside of Gathis means little.

==The Gyre==
'''Llaigis'''

Population

Approximately 800,000. Gathis, its largest and most decadent city, has 40,000 inhabitants.

Government

King Hulit of Gathis is the foremost of a half-dozen kings, princes, and primates. In practice, the law belongs to whatever warlord is nearest to hand.

Problems

Llaigis’ government is unstable and constantly subject to disruption by ambitious warlords.
Anakim and monsters from Emed-Dar are forever crossing the southern border.
Numerous vile cults and loathsome groups operate with relative impunity within Llaigis’ borders.

==Summary of Events==

==Important NPCs==

====Neutral====
*A few surviving worshippers of the Bleeding God (non-combatant villagers) (Minna) (Llaigis: Southwestern foothills)
*A few surviving followers of Divik Han (Minna) (Llaigis: Southwestern foothills)
*Silverspurs Company horsemen (Minna) (Llaigis: Gathis)
*Tarsha Silverspurs (Minna) (Whereabouts unknown. Possibly deceased.)
*Earl of the Northern Byrne - Golt Ice Maker (Ralor) (Llaigis: northeastern river lands)
*Princes of the Northern Byrne - sons of Golt Ice Maker/brothers of Ralor (Ralor) (Llaigis: northeastern river lands)

====Allies====
*Monastic order of the Jihin-Te (Iyashi) (Emed-Kist: Yukai environs)
*Urdok Clan villagers (non-combatants) & Naheli Clan villagers (non-combatant) (Iyashi) (Llaigis: Nov Lands)
*Refugee Hunters of the Usuldarum Riverbanks (those annexed by House Zernunol): Bix and Querias (Alchidai) (Whereabouts uncertain)
*Ur of Maqqatba (Alchidai's mentor) (Usuldarum Riverbank hamlet without a name)

====Enemies====
*Baroness-Autocra Ydress (Alchidai) (Llaigris: Zernunol Lands)

==Hench-Persons & Creatures==
*Cat (Minna)
*Guide (Minna)

==Rumors and Leads==
*
*

==Lore==
*'''Llaigis: Nov Lands:''' The titled ruler of the Nov lands, Prince Jaeydn, is young and weak. Like the King of Llaigis in miniature, the prince is helpless to halt internal power struggles. A dozen hamlets and villages have engaged in a years-long feud of neighboring clans over grudges from decades past. When the mood strikes them, bands of armed men of the Urdok Clan gallop through the villages of the Naheli Clan, killing as they go. The next week or month, warriors of the Naheli Clan band together and visit murderous reprisals upon the Urdoks. It is a never-ending cycle of violence.
*'''Llaigis: Usuldarum River between Acitor and Thuvad:''' Hunting grouds for ducks and geese, antelope, and the occasional bison. Heavy river commerce. For centuries, the river has been under the king’s protection. The king's power has faded in recent years until several months ago, House Zernunol, under the Baroness-Autocra Ydress, claimed the Riverlands adjoining hers, levying a tariff on river traffic and banning hunters, not of-house. Two dozen hunters requested a hearing with the Baroness-Autocra to argue the point. The Baroness-Autocra’s soldiers massacred the petitioners.

==Notable Posts==

Welcome to Neverwinter

2024-11-17T16:23:02Z

NightGoblyn: /* Languages */

== Premise ==

AMID THE wilderness and savagery of the cold North, Neverwinter once stood as a beacon of civility and warmth. Even after the Spellplague wracked the world, the Jewel of the North lost little of its luster. The city’s destruction thus shocked many when it occurred, despite the portents that warned of coming peril. Vague prophecies and strange events seemed like shadows of the Spellplague, nothing more. Even the earth tremors that began to disturb the area could not shake its citizens’ belief in a bright future.

Then Mount Hotenow, deep in Neverwinter Wood, awoke with the power of an angry god. The city could do nothing against such a foe. The earth yawned open and broke apart. Whole districts shuddered and sank while other areas shot up, forming sudden cliffs. The river, running warm throughout winter, exploded into hissing steam and lava as scalding clouds of ash roared through the streets like an advancing army. Thousands lost their lives as Neverwinter died that day.

Slowly, life has returned to this ruined landscape. Many hope to rebuild what has been lost, but an equal number see the tragedy as an opportunity to seize all they can. Yet those who scratch out lives in the scarred city fail to see the infection below the scab. Under their noses, beneath their feet, and even within their earshot, dark forces battle one another for control of the city.

The year is 1479 and it is Marpenoth, the 10th month of the year.

== Houserules ==

* I'm just going to do milestone leveling rather than precisely tracking experience.

* I'm not interested in closely tracking everyone's encumbrance but try to keep things reasonable on that front.

* We'll be using popcorn initiative, as Falkus described in this thread: https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/request-for-a-4th-edition-dnd-game-set-in-the-forgotten-realms-using-the-keep-on-the-shadowfell-modules.921348/. Basically, once combat starts 1 PC will go (on a first come, first serve basis), then I'll have a NPC go, then another PC who hasn't acted yet will act, etc, until the end of the round, when the process starts over. Initiative won't serve any purpose, so you probably don't want to take any features that improve it.

== Threads ==

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/welcome-to-neverwinter.922077 IC Thread]

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/welcome-to-neverwinter.922073/ OOC Thread]

== PCs ==

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/17VpavwknMncf6b4f34vFtHieEp6udnXI0S8b3XwuehI/edit Ernst Lemuel. Human-appearing (Deva) Shaman. Oghma's Faithful/Dragon Coast.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KY_8n5OjSacZdHmB10xdQwNtDsddbznn5Al_anpF6E0/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Lander Telantere. Human Cleric. Scion of Shadows.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/19fLiTfe5HxGEDq4DKe9JAmjzS_IfPKl3HGv8o95N5Yo/edit?usp=sharing Tatha Dinistyn. Drow Sorcerer. Spellscarred Harbinger.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b0yp3wSwaD9cUCVpPxjhCrwFfl_ERDLIlNf8mwkm4iI/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Orcanu Tamar. Eladrin Swordmage. Iliyanbruen Guardian.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10BYWPOrilUHZS9Zr8fkfH9gLhx5YGOHtfmU8f16yI60/edit?usp=sharing Otis Oakson. Human Wizard. Blackstaff Apprentice.]

====Skills====

{|
|+Skill Matrix (L.1)
|-
!Skill
!Otis
!Fighter
!Ernst
!Lander
!Tatha
!Orcanu
|-
| Acrobatics (Dex)
| +1
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +3
| +0
|-
| Arcana (Int)
| '''+9'''
| +10
| +4
| 0
| +7
| '''+14'''
|-
| Athletics (Str)
| +0
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +0
| '''+5'''
|-
| Bluff (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +7
| '''+10'''
| +1
|-
| Diplomacy (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +7
| '''+10'''
| +1
|-
| Dungeoneering (Wis)
| +1
| '''+7'''
| +4
| +4
| -1
| -1
|-
| Endurance (Con)
| +2
| +0
| +1
| +2
| +0
| '''+7'''
|-
| Heal (Wis)
| +1
| +2
| '''+4'''
| '''+4'''
| -1
| -1
|-
| History (Int)
| '''+9'''
| +5
| +11
| +5
| +0
| '''+12'''
|-
| Insight (Wis)
| +1
| +8
| '''+9'''
| '''+9'''
| -1
| -1
|-
| Intimidate (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +2
| '''+12'''
| +1
|-
| Nature (Wis)
| '''+6'''
| +7
| '''+9'''
| +4
| -1
| -1
|-
| Perception (Wis)
| +1
| +8
| '''+9'''
| +4
| -1
| +4
|-
| Religion (Int)
| +4
| +5
| '''+6'''
| +5
| +0
| +5
|-
| Stealth (Dex)
| '''+7'''
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +6
| +0
|-
| Streetwise (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +2
| +4
| +1
|-
| Thievery (Dex)
| '''+7/+9'''
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +3
| +0
|}

===Languages===
* Otis: Common, Elven
* Maria: Common, Draconic
* Ernst: Common, Chondathan, Goblin, Supernal
* Lander: Common, Netherese
* Tatha: Common, Elven
* Orcanu: Common, Eladrin

====Passed into the Woods====
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZFpAbbxBSZWGLjB_yNPjQ7-62cOylGJTM0puf986ruE/edit Cleo. Human Rogue. Dead Rat Deserter.]
* [https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2881605 Maria Fireheart. Human Mage. Harper Agent/Detective.]

== Neverwinter and the North ==
[[File:Neverwinter_map.png]]

Even in safer times, the North’s reputation as the Savage North was well earned. Now, times are worse and the land more savage by far. Its great cities, once bastions of light and civilization, lie crippled. The small towns that served to shelter travelers stand empty—or have been claimed by murderous groups and hungry monsters. Roads etched into the earth with thousands of years of use are increasingly obscured by forest, bramble, and marsh. Communities now struggle alone amid the wilderness,
fortunate if they see an outsider once in a generation. Neverwinter labors to breathe in the suffocating harshness of this new North, the sea its only lifeline. With few traders braving the increasingly long treks between settlements, the city’s docks now provide the area’s main means of import and precious little export. Gone are the days of plenty, beauty, and luxury. Today, Neverwinter struggles to break free of the forces that brought it low, still weak and surrounded by danger.

* '''Neverwinter''': The City of Skilled Hands, the Jewel of the North—many were the accolades once heaped upon Neverwinter. Then, almost thirty years ago, the city died. Minor earth tremors that had plagued the region for months were the precursors of the eruption of Mount Hotenow. A portion of that volcano’s peak exploded with such force that lava and superheated ash poured across the city in an avalanche. Half of Neverwinter’s population died in a heartbeat, the city’s buildings razed. A great rift now known as the Chasm rent the surface where the shifting earth had pulled apart. Strange zombies roamed the land in the aftermath, their dead flesh turned to ash by the fires that consumed the city. Yet the people of the North have always been resilient. After the destruction, many who had fled at the first tremors returned. Opportunists and looters arrived. People began to rebuild. Lord Dagult Neverember, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, eventually arrived as well, along with an army of Mintarn mercenaries. Today, the city struggles back to life under the watchful rule of the self-styled Lord Protector.

* '''Neverwinter''' River: The bright water of the Neverwinter River runs warm throughout the year, a feature that helps to keep the city from being frozen in the winter months. When the cataclysm struck, dark ash choked the river for months before it began to flow from Neverwinter Wood through the city once more. Three bridges once spanned the river in Neverwinter— the Sleeping Dragon, the Winged Wyvern, and the Dolphin, each sculpted in the form of its name. Of the three, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

* '''Helm’s Hold''': Once a small monastery and adjacent village dedicated to the deity Helm, the cathedral of Helm’s Hold now towers above the town and surrounding lands that bear its name. The death of Helm saw the monastery fall into disuse, but the fortified town became a refuge when the Spellplague hit during the year following Helm’s demise. Lord Neverember now exiles victims of the Spellplague to Helm’s Hold for treatment, and his mercenaries guard the town.

* '''Port Llast''': This town was a great city in ancient times—the most northerly safe harbor on the Sword Coast whenever Luskan would fall to orcs or other evil forces. However, the rise of a relatively stable Luskan and ports farther north began to diminish its prominence. Then came the Spellplague, and with it the return of Abeir. The appearance of the new continent in the ocean to the west changed the tides around Port Llast, filling the harbor with silt and making Neverwinter an easier port to reach. With the docks of Port Llast failing and trade dying off, most of its citizens have long since abandoned their homes or died at the hands of marauders. Now a ghost town, Port Llast is known as the realm of the evil sea goddess Umberlee and as a home to sea monsters. However, some say that this reputation is simply rumor spread by those who want to keep the secrets of the town to themselves.

* '''Neverwinter Wood''': For generations, this dark forest has been shunned by most people of the North. That magic exists in Neverwinter Wood cannot be doubted, but its nature—and whether it exists as a force of good or ill—remains unknown. The forest holds many secrets, and even on its fringes, one feels a sense of unease. Humans have never logged in this area, and the orcs of the North have traditionally avoided it during their incursions. Only druids and Uthgardt barbarians dare to pass into the deep forest.

* '''Thundertree''': This small town once stood at the edge of the wood. Its inhabitants made a living by harvesting windfall timber to ship downriver to the Neverwinter and beyond. Now the forest has overgrown Thundertree’s abandoned and decaying buildings. Although the town survived the Spellplague largely intact, the ash zombies that arose after the destruction of Neverwinter overran it. As the dangers of Neverwinter Wood increase, the abandoned town and its unknown horrors are shunned.

* '''Mount Hotenow''': For untold generations, this volcanic peak quietly fumed in the depths of Neverwinter Wood. Rumored to be the source of the warmth of the Neverwinter River, Mount Hotenow once featured in the bedtime stories of Neverwinter’s citizens as the home of fire giants, red dragons, and other blazing beasts. People looked upon the fantastic peak as a thing of beauty—until its wrath was unleashed against Neverwinter in the cataclysm. Now jutting like a broken tooth from the forest, Mount Hotenow still fumes, the land occasionally quaking with the echoes of its fury.

* '''The Crags''': This long wrinkle of hills and ridges runs northeast from Neverwinter Wood. Goblins, gnolls, ogres, hill giants, and other wild peoples have dwelled within this rocky landscape for centuries. So too has the Sky Pony tribe of the Uthgardt barbarians. Rumors have long persisted that an entrance to Gauntlgrym lies somewhere in the Crags. However, the hundreds of ancient and now-dead mines that long ago brought humans to the area make for numerous false leads.

* '''Tower of Twilight''': This enchanted tower long stood on an island in a small lake east of Neverwinter Wood. Home to a student of the great wizard Khelben Blackstaff, the tower stood invisible by day but would appear as the light failed. During the Spellplague, the tower vanished without a trace, though it now reappears infrequently and unpredictably at twilight. Who lives there now, where the tower disappears to, and why it returns remain a mystery.

* '''Conyberry''': During the Spellplague, a portion of Abeir imposed itself upon the village of Conyberry. The terrain-altering effect of this transition forced the inhabitants of the village to come together with people dwelling in the regions of Abeir to which they were joined. However, in the intervening decades, the Gray Wolf Uthgardt tribe has sacked the settlement in retribution for this “invasion” of their lands, slaughtering Conyberry’s citizens or forcing them to join the tribe. The village now lies largely vacant.

* '''Old Owl Well''': Known in ancient texts as Old Owlbear Well and in even older histories as Quesseer, this site marks the location of a Netherese outpost established millennia ago. The Netherese built a means of drawing water from the earth, using the site as a place of trade. For centuries, this water supply on a key trade route served as a source of conflict. Until the chaos of the Spellplague, orcs and humans from Neverwinter and Waterdeep still struggled to control the outpost. Now, it lies forgotten and abandoned. Until trade returns to these lands, the fate of the well and whatever ruins lie hidden in the surrounding hills remain unknown.

* '''Morgur’s Mound''': Atop this foothill of the Crags, Uthgar—deity and founder of the Uthgardt barbarians— died after saving the North from Gurt, Lord of the Pale Giants. The mound is named for Uthgar’s brother Morgur (called Morgred by some), who is said to be buried there. Once, the bones of a great thunderbeast were spread atop the hill, marking it as the holy shrine of the Uthgardt.

* '''Luskan''': An urban cesspool, the once-great City of Sails squats on the coastline like an open sore on the face of the continent of Faerûn. It lies about four days hard travel north of Neverwinter (about three days by sea, due to prevailing currents). Until some hundred years ago, Luskan choked in the grasp of the Arcane Brotherhood and its leader, Arklem Greeth. When a force of pirate-killers from Waterdeep along with the legendary hero Drizzt and his allies precipitated the destruction of the Hosttower of the Arcane, the city was destabilized and never fully recovered. Street gangs and pirates rule Luskan now, making the city a stomping ground for criminals, exiles from other lands, and hideous beasts.

* '''Gauntlgrym''': This famous subterranean dwarven city has been the stuff of legend for centuries. Aside from the dwarves, most people of the North doubted Gauntlgrym’s existence—until the Summons, as it has come to be known. At that time, ghostly dwarves in ancient dress appeared before certain dwarves throughout the North and beyond, silently pleading for heroes to seek out Gauntlgrym. Some did set out in search of the lost city, though most counted themselves lucky when the ghosts troubled them no more. Many of those who sought Gauntlgrym did so in the Crags, for ancient legends mentioned an entrance there. Others plunged into Neverwinter Wood or scaled the Sword Mountains. Few returned from their quests, and those who survived almost never found any trace of their goal. Some dwarves seek the city still, but for the rest, Gauntlgrym remains a tantalizing legend.

* '''The Sword Mountains''': The sharp peaks and hilly terrain of the Sword Mountains extend down the coast of the Sea of Swords for nearly two hundred miles. Long home to belligerent dwarf clans, orc tribes, trolls, dragons, and other fearsome creatures, this range is rarely traveled in these dangerous times. Those foolish enough to brave the mountains often do so in search of old mines and the ruins of civilizations past. However, most find only death in the end.

* '''Leilon''': This sleepy mining town once served as a convenient resting place for travelers on the High Road. Now, the few travelers who still take this route shun Leilon, going miles out of their way to avoid even laying eyes on the town. The High Tower of Thalivar long stood as a landmark here, abandoned by a forgotten mage. For generations, the tower proved a tempting target for plunderers—and, too often, a grave for them as well. The people of Leilon knew that the tower held guardian monsters, and they were content to leave it alone. However, the Spellplague’s twisted magic unleashed the creatures trapped in the tower, which quickly ravaged the helpless village. Now, the tower is a place of terror, its magic allegedly freezing in place all creatures whose eyes rest upon it, even for a moment.

* '''Mere of Dead Men''': This vast salt marsh contains the ruins of the numerous castles, manors, and farms it swallowed as it expanded. It takes its name from the great armies that were drowned here when a powerful lich flooded their battlefield. Whereas once the High Road skirted the swamp, what now remains of that highway plunges through its expanded borders. Those seeking to go south to Waterdeep from points north must often contend with the lizardfolk that claim the territory around the road. Alternative routes wind deeper into the mere or off into the Sword Mountains at the cost of extra days of travel and peril.

* '''Waterdeep''': Once the greatest and grandest city in the Realms, Waterdeep’s star has dimmed slightly in the last century as the world has progressively darkened. The great port—about a week south of Neverwinter, or three days by sea—no longer sustains its own navy, relying instead on mercenaries from the island of Mintarn and the city of Baldur’s Gate to the south. The city has long existed as a relatively fair and just center of civilization. Waterdeep is ruled by a council of twenty Masked Lords (nobles hidden behind powerful illusions to obscure their identities) and one Open Lord. The current Open Lord is the boisterous and dangerous Dagult Neverember, the so-called Lord Protector of Neverwinter. Unlike most of the other Open Lords in Waterdeep’s history, Lord Neverember has demonstrated an expansionist and imperialistic bent. In recent years, he has set his sights on Neverwinter as the next territory in his growing empire.

== City of Neverwinter ==

[[File:Neverwinter_city.png]]

'''Neverwinter''': A once-bustling metropolis, the northern city of Neverwinter lies mostly in ruins after a century of turmoil that culminated in a great cataclysm nearly thirty years ago. Fires, earthquakes, and evil portents destroyed or chased away most of the populace, but even the supposed waking of an ancient primordial could not kill the city completely. Some stubborn natives remained, carrying on in spite of countless hardships. Because of them—and because of the reconstruction efforts of the last decade—Neverwinter still stands, despite its tragedies. Today, the city is a center of trade, warfare both open and secret, and—above all—adventure. After so much abuse and neglect, much of the city’s architecture is damaged or lies in rubble. Recent repair efforts have given Neverwinter a patchwork appearance; slums are juxtaposed with new construction, all resting on the shattered remnants of old buildings. Certain districts are more intact than others, and former citizens have returned to such areas, thanks to the efforts of the city’s Lord Protector: Dagult Neverember, Open Lord of Waterdeep.

* '''Protector's Enclave''': The Lord Protector of Neverwinter rules the city from the Hall of Justice, the old temple of Tyr. Farthest from the source of the great earthquake that struck Mount Hotenow almost three decades ago, this area of Neverwinter suffered the least destruction. This good fortune also made the district a primary target for Lord Neverember. He moved an overwhelming force of mercenaries into the district, secured his base, and, ever since, has spent half his time here and half in Waterdeep. The Protector’s Enclave stands mostly intact, and many former residents of the city have returned to live here alongside new immigrants. Although this district is the most stable part of Neverwinter, it chafes under the firm hand of Sabine, the general of Lord Neverember’s forces. Spies watch every neighborhood and notable gathering place, and Mintarn enforcers march through the streets. The Enclave boasts the best-stocked market in the city, thanks to trade from Waterdeep and other cities along the Sword Coast. The city taxes all transactions made here at a steep rate that the natives have grudgingly come to accept. The taxes pay for the Mintarn soldiers who watch every newcomer to the district with a sharp eye. In the enclave, suspicious or unfamiliar characters do not stay hidden for long.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Hall of Justice''': The high walls and imposing stonework of Tyr’s former temple mark it as a timeless bastion of duty and honor. The great temple stands atop a seaside bluff, challenging all threats from the Sea of Swords or inland Faerûn. When Lord Neverember set his sights on the city, he chose the Hall of Justice as his base of operations for its practical value (the cataclysm left it almost untouched) and its emotional significance to the people of Neverwinter. The city had long served Tyr, the god of justice, and even after the deity fell nearly a hundred years ago, the residents refused to convert the temple to worship of another god. By restoring the temple to its former status, Neverember seeks to win over the city’s traditionalists and establish himself as a champion of just rule. He sponsors priests of Torm whose rites emulate the Tyrran tradition, hoping to attract new devotees to the temple (and to the Lord Protector’s cause). For the most part, the scheme has worked. Some of the locals, however—particularly the Sons of Alagondar—think that Neverember’s presence defiles the great temple, which they now call the “Hall of Never-Justice.” The temple itself is a radiant and beautiful structure, big enough inside for giants to walk comfortably or for dragons to rest in the great hall, beneath the high-domed ceiling. The trappings of the building reflect a bygone age, one dedicated to justice and temperance in all things.

*** '''The Lord’s Residence''': From his office, which looks more and more like a throne room all the time, Lord Neverember issues edicts, coordinates the activities of his followers, and (when he can spare the time) holds audience with the impoverished citizens of the city. However, he has no facility for dispensing justice, and thus he has delegated that role to Soman Galt, whom he has appointed mayor of Neverwinter. The dwarf listens wearily to supplicant after supplicant, offering grudging mediation. Meanwhile, the lord enhances his image as the charismatic champion who does not stoop to petty politics. Neverember has decorated his private quarters after the fashion of Waterdeep, although he takes care to display no seal or coat of arms pertaining to his home city. He has taken the former high priest’s apartments for his own, and he garrisons most of his sellswords in the temple’s other chambers, with a score of servants to wait upon them. A few priests of Torm dwell in the complex, faithful to their god and his precepts.

*** '''The Moonstone Mask''': A vertigo-inducing journey along a cliffside trail takes the adventurous to a new fixture of the Neverwinter skyline. The earthmote now known as the Moonstone floats beside the western edge of the Protector’s Enclave, high over the docks below. It hangs a hundred feet above the crashing waves of the Sea of Swords, bound in place by thick chains strung to heavy anchors. A bridge that runs between the earthmote and the docks allows visitors to enter and exit the Moonstone. The inn for which the mote is named, the Moonstone Mask, offers guests lavish quarters, pleasurable company, and a hard-to-beat view. In no small part, the Moonstone Mask owes its rebirth and current existence to Lord Neverember and New Neverwinter. It repays the favor by housing many of the city’s Mintarn enforcers, including their commander, General Sabine. As such, mercenaries dominate the once-genial atmosphere of the hedonistic inn, and Neverember’s sellswords are known to argue or fight with other patrons

*** '''The Wall''': A great hodgepodge of wood and scavenged stone, the Wall separates civilized Neverwinter from the Chasm and the horrors it spawns. The Wall lets guards strike at targets from positions of relative safety, and it provides regular outposts for watchers. The thick mess of bloodstained refuse at the eastern base—not to mention the occasional rotting corpse of a more recent kill— speaks to the Wall’s success as a defensive fortification. In its early days, the Wall held off the monsters by shunting them toward parts of the city that had already been destroyed. When Neverember arrived, he made it a priority to reinforce what he saw as an effective defensive fortification with his own engineers and soldiers. At first, the Wall blocked only a few streets where attacks were common, but since the reconstruction started, it has expanded to stretch from the Neverdeath graveyard to the old House of Knowledge. In combination with the Neverwinter River, the Wall continues to provide effective containment, although people have spotted plaguechanged monstrosities in the northern River District and, more recently, near sewer holes around the city. The situation grows dire, and petitions for Wall expansion come before Mayor Galt every day.

*** '''House of Knowledge''': At the far northeastern end of the Wall stands what was, in happier times, a flourishing temple to Oghma, god of knowledge and wisdom. Before the quake, the House of Knowledge served as a repository of chronicled learning, including maps, history, and hundreds of poems and chapbooks produced over the centuries. Today, it looks less like a library and more like a refugee camp, holding the area where the Wall approaches the Neverwinter River. After the cataclysm, leadership of the reduced flock at the House of Knowledge fell to Brother Anthus, an elderly human interested in studying the Chasm and the Spellplague-touched creatures that came from it. His research led to the temple’s use as a haven for Spellplague sufferers. After Anthus’s death under mysterious circumstances, a young woman in residence known as the Prophet relocated the makeshift hospital and the remaining clerics of Oghma to Helm’s Hold, claiming a prophesied disaster would befall the city if she did not. After the Prophet departed, the badly damaged temple stood empty and abandoned until recently, when a handful of squatters moved back into the House. These refugees from the River District earn their keep by ringing the temple’s bells when they sight a new wave of monstrosities spilling from the Chasm toward the Wall. Lord Neverember is said to be quite pleased with their resourcefulness, and the Mintarn mercenaries that guard the Wall are known to stop by with small gifts of food and drink to show their appreciation.

*** '''Neverdeath''': A cracked stone wall, patched in places with thick wood, surrounds the graveyard called Neverdeath. Consisting of two wide, roughly square areas of the city, Neverdeath is filled with rows of headstones interspersed with mausoleums and crumbling statues, often overgrown with withered grasses. Time, the Spellplague, and the cataclysm all took their toll on the graveyard, thrusting some sections higher than others, collapsing buildings, and revealing graves. Coffins now jut from small cliffs, and tumbled bones litter the ground. The graveyard takes its name from a common blessing given over the dead. As long as the city remained in summer, it was said, the dead would never truly leave. Many think that winter is coming soon for the city’s dead, however. Neverember’s mercenaries fear the graveyard, preferring to burn the dead outside the walls of the burial ground. If they are not burned, corpses left lying nearby sometimes rise of their own accord. Beneath a large, unassuming mausoleum lie the catacombs of the Waterclock Guild, an organization of artisans famous for building beautiful and intricate timepieces.

*** '''Neverwinter Docks''': Much of Neverwinter’s original wealth and influence came from its position as one of the few deep ports on the Sword Coast. The Neverwinter docks were the commercial heart of the city, though in some ways that heart was infected with darkness and corruption. The Spellplague went some way toward purging that corruption—chunks of land broke away and rose into the sky, forming earthmotes that hovered overhead. The surviving residents of the city adapted, connecting the low-floating motes to the shore with ropes, chains, and bridges. However, the cataclysm later destroyed the foundations of these bridges, and the changed currents swamped whole areas of the port with tidal waves. Neverwinter’s already diminished trade dried up entirely, leaving the docks a rotting ghost town. Only a few fishers and the occasional pirate ship made port here. Lord Neverember made rebuilding this center of trade a top priority. As part of his first initiatives, he sent engineers and loggers to the Upland Rise, a forested hill outside the city that once served as a park for the city’s residents. The crews stripped the hill of all salvageable timber, leaving the Upland Rise a sparse echo of its former beauty, and used it to rebuild the docks. Today, supplies and coin flow into Neverwinter through the docks, along with repatriated refugees. The Lord Protector takes a keen interest in anyone entering the city in this manner, and charges steep tariffs on deals consummated at the docks.

*** '''Tarmalune Trade House''': The rebuilt docks have attracted visitors from across the sea—members of a trade cartel from the city of Tarmalune in Returned Abeir. They have arrived in Neverwinter to arrange permanent trade routes between the two continents, and to outmaneuver their rivals from the Abeiran city of Lylorn, who have landed in Luskan with a similar goal. The Abeirans have set up shop in a large warehouse complex next to a set of docks that are being rebuilt. The Tarmalune Trade House is a busy area where contacts gather, deals are made, and adventurers find their services in high demand.

*** '''The Winged Wyvern''': Of the three bridges that once crossed the Neverwinter River, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city, charging a toll, and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

** '''Notable NPCS'''

*** '''Lord Dagult Neverember''': The Open Lord of Waterdeep, Neverember arrived in Neverwinter about ten years ago and proclaimed himself the Lord Protector of the city. Over the past decade, Dagult Neverember has made progress in restoring the devastated city. Seeing an opportunity to add to his mercantile empire, Lord Neverember employed an army of artisans and carpenters to rebuild, and he hired mercenaries from Mintarn to keep monsters at bay and maintain order. Five years ago, Neverember established the Protector’s Enclave from his base in the Hall of Justice, and declared that section of the city safe for occupation once more. Since then, he has worked to tame the wild streets, rebuild the ruins, and coax refugees to return to their homes. The Open Lord of Waterdeep is a commanding noble. Big, boisterous, and affable, Neverember treats each new acquaintance as a friend. But beneath his congenial display, his quick mind is sizing up everyone in attendance, tallying potential gains or threats each could offer him. Neverember hasn't tried to claim the throne of Neverwinter (yet, at least), but he has floated the idea he is a descendant of Nasher Alagondar, a beloved lord from before the Spellplague. The protector’s savants have managed to trace the lord’s heritage to the adventurer Vers Never, a supposed bastard son of Lord Nasher Alagondar and younger half-brother to Bann, who succeeded their shared father as king. As Neverember tells it, Vers settled in Waterdeep and married Mirtria Ember, thus forming the “Neverember” name.

*** '''General Sabine''': A tough-as-nails mercenary named Sabine leads Neverember's Mintarn forces. She serves as Neverember’s chief enforcer in the city and has come to represent the harsher aspects of his beneficence.

*** '''Soman Galt, Mayor of Neverwinter''': Once a great explorer, Soman Galt has turned into a calculated politician who projects a cold, disconnected presence. The dwarf stares absently, his eyes seeming to watch something no one else can see, and he often mumbles to himself. He is capable of rigid focus, however, when the situation warrants it, and he takes his work seriously. A former government official, Galt was a natural choice when Neverember sought an underling to manage the city’s affairs. He oversees tax collection, grants of property, and city files.

*** '''Liset Cheldar''': This half-elf woman runs the Moonstone Mask with a wink and a smile. She genuinely likes most of the people she meets, and she flirts with anyone who seems receptive. A recently returned native of the city who inherited the inn, Liset was pleased to find the place still in one piece (and still floating). The legitimacy of her claim to the Moonstone was unclear, but, plying her natural charm, she successfully lobbied Neverember for funds to reopen the inn, and she maintains a bright smile thanks to his patronage.

*** '''Durham Shaw''': The Captain of the Wall, he holds the command of it under General Sabine, seeing to its defense and coordinating patrols of it between the Mintarn mercenaries and the hardened natives who refuse to give up their stewardship. While he's not too harsh of a commander compared to Sabine or the Mintarns in general, he's resented by many people for a different reason—he has been allowed to stay in the city and work on the Wall even though he suffers from the effects of the Spellplague. Some say Shaw receives this special treatment because he is a personal friend or distant relation of Lord Neverember.

*** '''Loremaster Atlavast''': The only priest who remained after the Prophet’s departure from the House of Knowledge, he is a middle-aged human who became the custodian of the library after the cataclysm. Fearing the worst as the cataclysm occurred, the loremasters of the temple sealed the inner sanctum, leaving the young Atlavast sealed within. As the ground shuddered and shook, Atlavast’s mind grew unstable. Now grown into an eccentric recluse, Atlavast keeps to the lower vaults, continually cataloguing and reorganizing. He is rarely glimpsed these days, and the main evidence of his existence is the occasional flickering light that filters up from cracks in the cobblestones in the dead of night. As a rule, no one ventures closer to investigate.

* ''' Fisher's Float''': This island hovers over the Sea of Swords beyond the southern end of the bay. Dotted with a smattering of shacks, it is the home and workplace of fishers who have lived on this earthmote since the Spellplague. Skilled at their trade and fearless of the weather and the turbulent sea, they provide a great deal of food for the city. For many years, rumors have spread that the fishers have thrived because of their worship of dark gods or unnatural alliances with creatures that live beneath the waves. Regardless of the veracity of these barstool stories, the people of Neverwinter happily eat the fish and crustaceans brought to land each morning and evening.

* '''Pirates' Skyhold''': Neverwinter legends say that this high-floating earthmote served as an unassailable harbor for sky pirates in the years following the Spellplague. Because the mote floats a hundred feet up and could not be accessed by a direct path from the land, the pirates supposedly stored all manner of treasure there, as safe storage for wealthy or well-connected residents of the city. Then, the story takes a dark turn. All the pirates died in one night of blood and betrayal, leaving the treasure and their skyship on the mote—along with whatever slew them. Some people believe that a dragon has claimed the pirates’ loot as its hoard, taking the earthmote as its lair because the city below lacks the means to interfere. Regardless of the story’s truth, one thing is true—Pirates’ Skyhold has long been abandoned. From the right locations in Neverwinter, one can see rotting wooden buildings poking out of the forests of the mote, but whatever still exists up there has seen little intrusion in decades.

* '''Castle Never''': An imposing fixture of Neverwinter’s western end, Castle Never stands as a monument to the city’s former glory. The cataclysm struck it hard, toppling towers, collapsing walls, and starting fires that burned throughout the structure. The entire royal family is thought to have perished, and the remaining servants sealed the vaults, crypts, and grounds with the hope that a worthy heir to Neverwinter would arrive one day to take his or her rightful place on the throne. On that day, it is said, the magic treasures and other resources of the castle will serve the new ruler. To the uninformed eye, Castle Never looks like a big, hulking ruin. Half its towers fell in the cataclysm, and the wall on its seaward side crumbled to rubble. Chunks of stone and fallen statues litter the windswept courtyard. Inside, the stone corridors stink of ash and dust, which swirls up around the feet of intruders. Even in their emptiness, the corridors never seem vacant. The spirits of the hundreds who died here linger on. The castle was built on a strong foundation, however, and if the structure were purged of monsters, it could be refurbished. Many of the interior rooms collapsed, but others stand eerily intact.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Drow Encampment''': The courtyard of Castle Never bears the traces of a camp that was well hidden but has become increasingly obvious from frequent use. The camp originally belonged to an infamous pair of drow: Drizzt Do’Urden, legendary ranger of the North, and the less well-regarded Jarlaxle, captain of the Bregan D’aerthe mercenaries. The two drow were in the area when the cataclysm claimed Neverwinter, and they still have interests in the region. The drow established this camp as a base of operations in Neverwinter, enabling them to keep an eye on their schemes in the city. At first, the camp consisted only of a few companions sharing a fire, but Drizzt’s and Jarlaxle’s occasional visits to the city encouraged young would-be adventurers to seek them out as teachers of the ways of combat and heroism. The drow, both grandmasters, have inspired a small following among the disenfranchised or ambitious youth of Neverwinter. After Drizzt and Jarlaxle’s last visit several months ago, half a dozen young citizens set up their own camp in this spot, where they practiced the ways of combat, dared one another to venture into the castle proper, and sought to make themselves apprentices to the two absent legends.

*** '''Hall of Ashen Mirrors''': Full-length mirrors once adorned the walls of this long corridor, wherein young heirs of Alagondar practiced their noble gait and posture. The mirrors shattered in the cataclysm, instantly killing anyone in the corridor at the time, just before a wave of searing gas blasted through the huge windows and turned the corpses to ash. This double catastrophe left the hallway a wasteland of soot and splintered glass.

*** '''Fungal Bloom''': This atrium once housed all manner of pretty birds and flowers. Since the cataclysm, they have been reduced to skeletons in gilded cages and rotted, desiccated blossoms. Boarded over to keep out the sunlight and trap the heat of rot inside, the cavernous chamber is suffused with dim blue light from glowing lichen.

*** '''Web-Strewn Spires''': Cobwebs fill the upper halls of Castle Never, and scrabbling noises can be heard in its high towers. Only the boldest explorers—those with no fear of fangs in the dark—venture up to the spires.

*** '''Neverneath, Endless Maze''': The catacombs beneath Castle Never came through the cataclysm mostly untouched, thanks to a warding spell commissioned in times past to maintain the structural integrity of the castle. However, the Spellplague wrought strange changes upon the ward, which has grown in strength. What once protected the catacombs now traps intruders. The complex beneath Castle Never, called Neverneath by locals, closes around trespassers. Corridors lead back around to themselves, and dead ends appear where tunnels led only moments before. Explorers can step through a door, turn around and go back through the same door, and end up in a different part of the dungeon. They can wander the abandoned halls and chambers for days without finding an exit.

*** '''Vault of the Nine''': Beneath the center of Neverneath lies a vault built especially for the legendary bodyguards of House Alagondar—the Neverwinter Nine. These great warriors served their beloved city in life, and they lie entombed with honor at her very foundation.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Xalbyn''': A moon elf who has established himself as the captain of the Drow Encampment in the absence of any actual drow. He's taken some of the younger would-be adventurers who stay or visit the camp under his wing, providing training and challenging them to complete minor quests. He values quick-witted warriors after his own heart.

*** '''Aerlyse''': A half-drow psion, she's a newer resident of the camp, who admires intelligence and charm. She has been tasked with securing the camp and making sure the denizens of the crypts beneath Castle Never don't spill out into the courtyard.

* '''Blacklake District''': This region of Neverwinter stands largely intact in the wake of the cataclysm. Credit for the survival of the Blacklake District goes mostly to the nobles of Neverwinter who dwelt here and constructed their homes with extra support, both material and magical. Many of these nobles died in the fire that swept the area after the cataclysm, but their houses remain. The district holds a large number of overgrown estates, scores of stout, defensible holdfasts, and a large park that contains the lake for which the region is named. The water was polluted by a great deal of ash and rubbish in the quake, and today Blacklake looks more like a midden pit of sludge than a lake. Some locals are making an effort to dredge it and restore the surrounding environs. After securing the Protector’s Enclave, Lord Neverember’s mercenaries have turned more of their attention to Blacklake as the next district for resettlement, but their efforts have not been fruitful. Numerous secret societies aggressively resist their efforts to pacify the neighborhood. Blacklake harbors a great deal of old blood and nationalism, which takes the form of opposition to the Lord Protector. Muggers and hot-tempered duelists plague the streets of Blacklake, and political agitators hold small rallies or foment subtle conspiracies against the powers that be. The Sons of Alagondar set ambushes for Mintarn enforcers and wage pitched battles in the streets.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Driftwood Tavern''': An inn and tavern that caters mainly to longtime locals, the Driftwood Tavern takes pride in having kept its doors open since before the Spellplague. When the cataclysm struck, innkeeper Madame Rosene, a serious woman now in her late fifties, sheltered refugees within her walls. The Driftwood offered people a makeshift city hall and gathering place during the troubled years. Madame Rosene and her regulars have filled the inside of the tavern with bric-à-brac, curios, and relics of Neverwinter before its fall. The statue from a favorite fountain stands in a corner. A wineseller’s planter boxes, filled with flowers, brighten the walls. A knob and a knocker from a noble’s estate are attached to the privy door. Ornate doors pulled from the wreckage make fine tables, and unbroken panes of stained glass hang overhead as chandeliers, lit by hundreds of carefully placed candles. Though the decorations have been salvaged from all over the city, the tavern does not feel junky, and no one thinks Madame Rosene is taking advantage of Neverwinter’s fall. Quite the opposite—the Driftwood is considered a monument to old Neverwinter, like a dusty painting of a beautiful girl hanging above the deathbed of an aged noblewoman. Prices for room and board at the tavern are high. The atmosphere is one of quiet reflection, rather than boisterous merriment. The Mintarn mercenaries stay away, preferring to eat and drink at the Moonstone Mask or some other cheaper place. Visitors to the city stop at the Driftwood to marvel at the museum of objects, or to learn about old Neverwinter from Madame Rosene for the (expensive) price of a drink and a meal.

*** '''The Beached Leviathan''': The Beached Leviathan tavern caters to sailors, smugglers, pirates, slavers, merchants, and others arriving by sea. The name of the tavern honors the owner's ship, ''Leviathan'', which ran aground during a storm before the docks had been rebuilt. The tavern is built in and around the refurbished wreckage of the ship.

*** '''The Swamped Docks''': Below the more recent construction lie the remnants of the original docks: a splintering, rotting mass of ancient wood and stone that makes any number of natural lairs for aquatic creatures or hideouts for those on the run from the Mintarns. This area was partially submerged during the city’s devastation. Now, half-sunken buildings rot beneath seaweed, the drowned dead float through foul water, and amphibious horrors crawl up onto land. No one, not even Lord Neverember, looks forward to cleaning up this area, but the job must be tackled eventually. The city’s hand might be forced soon—sahuagin have been sighted in the bay, and disappearances from nearby areas have become common. Rumor has it that a halfling gang operates out of the swamped docks, led by a sneak thief named Palas. The halflings prey on those who wander the docks alone or in the dark.

*** '''Vellgard Manor''': At least one noble villa in the Blacklake District houses its actual owner, the dashing Mordai Vell holds sway over a small, well-guarded compound known as Vellgard Manor. The product of an affair between a devil and an member of a human family from the south, Mordai was a scandalous embarrassment hushed up by his human relatives. When they perished in the cataclysm, he inherited the family estate. Mordai moved back into the city before Neverember arrived and with the arrival of the Lord Protector, Mordai took a more visible role in the district. Charismatic, handsome, and wealthy, he has become a popular figure—a civic leader who, some whisper, might aspire to hold the throne of Neverwinter. The estate is an armed compound flanked by metal gates and hidden guards. An inner wall creates a killing field that could stop a small army.

*** '''House of a Thousand Faces''': With its broad windows and comfortable couches, this tavern is a popular gathering place in the Blacklake District. Amid mannequins dressed in the threadbare trends of thirty years past, patrons lounge about the airy interior, drinking, laughing, and scheming. Named for the dozens of mirrors and mannequins positioned about the common room, the House of a Thousand Faces once was a fashionable boutique. The cataclysm crippled the house’s business, and the owner, an elf named Theryis, packed up her remaining goods and closed her doors. When the city’s population began to recover and increase, she opened the shop again as a tavern, using the dusty clothes and mirrors as decoration.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Madame Rosene''': A serious woman in her late fifties, she is the tavernkeeper of the Driftwood Tavern. Only longtime customers and old friends come to the Driftwood regularly, a situation that suits Madame Rosene just fine, as she is slow to trust outsiders, placing her faith mainly in familiar citizens of old Neverwinter or their children.

*** '''Harrag''': A sallow former pirate captain who lost a leg in a battle with sahuagin long ago, he is the proprietor of the Beached Leviathan. Harrag is as a scurvy, independent scoundrel who will deal with anyone, but never permanently joins a side.

*** '''Len-jes''': A scarred watersoul genasi, she serves as Neverember’s harbormaster. Once a corsair on the Sea of Fallen Stars, she fled her enemies there and settled in Waterdeep. Neverember recognized her business acumen and recruited Len-jes to be his master of trade in the reborn city. The harbormaster’s head for numbers serves her well in balancing Soman Galt’s tax ledgers. Her less academic duties include dredging the bay to open more berths for trade ships. She permanently leases a chamber in the Beached Leviathan and can be found in the taproom there many nights, recounting her adventures as a corsair.

*** '''Mordai Vell''': Tall and dark, Mordai has luminous gold eyes even though most tieflings boast red or black ones. Charisma practically drips from him, setting all around him off their guard. His obvious wealth doesn’t hurt, either. As the last heir of a noble family (one whose holdings remained remarkably intact after the cataclysm), he exerts great influence over Neverwinter’s economy and politics. Mordai is arrogance incarnate. He pursues whatever interests him, regardless of how far he must reach. Mordai is a smooth operator—charming, rich, and always keen on how he might ally with new acquaintances and use them.

*** '''Theryis''': The owner of the House of a Thousand Faces, she has short, straight, silver hair and golden eyes. She can be friendly and kind to those she knows well, but often comes off as gruff and no-nonsense to others.

*** '''Toram''': A half-elf with long, wavy, red hair and blue eyes, he is Theryis's half-brother, though they bear little resemblance. He is competitive in a good-natured way, often challenging patrons of the Thousand Faces to friendly competitions in one thing or another. He lives at the tavern, staying in its basement, and helps his sister run it.

* '''River District''': The River District takes its name from the terrain feature that has saved it from being overrun—namely, the Neverwinter River, which holds at bay the plaguechanged forces that emerge from the Chasm to the south. The bulk of Neverwinter’s merchant class once dwelt here, and the architecture shows it. The houses were sturdily built, and although they are not ostentatious, most are large enough to have held a family of six or eight plus servants. Guardhouses and security walls abound offering cover for skirmishers looking to ambush unsuspecting visitors. Long flower gardens run through the center of each street, although over the years they have gone to weeds or decay. One might think the Mintarns could have pacified the River District by now, but safety proves elusive, mostly due to a band of orcs in the ancient Cloak Tower at the eastern edge of the area. New Neverwinter’s forces occasionally venture into the district, but generally only as far as the Fallen Tower tavern. That establishment serves as neutral ground for negotiations between Lord Neverember and Vansi of the orcs, to whom the rest of the district belongs. Beasts from the surrounding wilderness occasionally stalk the streets here, hunting for food. Even if the orcs were not present, the other dangerous creatures would be reason enough for refugees to avoid this district, regardless of whether their houses remain standing. For now, a hastily erected barrier seals most of the River District from Blacklake. It usually stands unattended, since the Mintarn guards have better things to do than patrol the barrier, opting instead to post signs warning people away. Some people enter the district despite these warnings. The relative privacy makes discreet liaisons and daredevil games frequent occurrences in the River District, and stern parents have to caution youngbloods with a thirst for adventure against going in.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Fallen Tower''': The broken base of an old wizard’s tower has long been the site of a popular tavern in Neverwinter. Within the Fallen Tower, phantoms form in the air each night, seeming solid and real as they replay the moments of their deaths during the Spellplague by appearing to fall into and through the cookfire in the middle of the tavern. Two terrified wizards, their bodies already ablaze, fall first, followed by another wizard whose limbs have turned into eels. Finally, a fourth wizard’s body descends as its flesh is stripped away, leaving the skull’s eerie grin as the last image to fade. Since before the cataclysm, the show has attracted customers to the Fallen Tower. When the Many-Arrows orcs discovered this vacant building, they found stores of wine and were in the midst of a celebration when the phantoms appeared. The orcs started to flee, but when it became clear that the spirits were harmless, the wine lured them back. Now the Many-Arrows orcs run the tavern as a place where members of their force and others worthy enough to join them can share a few drinks. The Lord Protector and the leader of the Many- Arrows orcs have declared the Fallen Tower neutral ground, and the orcs do not bother anyone who comes to the tavern to do business. No bouncers are needed, because anyone who breaks the truce of the tavern faces the blades of every patron present.

*** '''Cloak Tower''': An expeditionary force of orcs from the Many-Arrows kingdom has come to Neverwinter and makes its base in the structure known as the Cloak Tower. The orcs have defied all attempts to rein them in or push them out, and Lord Neverember is biding his time until he figures out how to get rid of them. For the moment, the orcs have helped to control the monster population in the northern half of the city. They tend to slay anyone who interferes with their business, including plaguechanged spawn that come up through the sewers on the north side of the river. The tower takes its name from a guild of mages called the Many-Starred Cloaks who lived and gathered there. They were well known in the city for their arcane skill and for the whimsical, colorful cloaks they wore. During the Spellplague, the tower and its occupants vanished. The tower reappeared half a year later on a different patch of ground in the city. As tavern tales have it, when thieves first broke into the tower several months after it first reappeared, they found empty halls and no mages (or bodies). Only the guild members’ many-starred cloaks remained, hanging from pegs on the walls. Then disaster struck the thieves: The lone survivor of the group told of a horrific attack from cloaks that suddenly came to life and enveloped the other bandits. Whether the tale or any part of it is true, the citizens of Neverwinter shunned the tower for decades thereafter—no one wanted to risk entering it. District residents expected that the orcs, too, would run afoul of the tower’s wards when they tried to occupy the place, but the warriors were able to move in safely. They have now established themselves quite nicely in the most protected holdfast in the district.

*** '''The Shard of Night''': A bleak tower of black stone hovers above a cluster of ruined apartments in the River District, seemingly sheared off at its base when it was torn from whatever location it once occupied. The tower has been here since the Spellplague, but no one who investigated the structure in the early years after its appearance ever returned, so people decided to leave it alone. The Shard of Night rises high into the sky over Neverwinter, but it casts no shadow during the day. Any creature that passes under the tower in daylight sees its own shadow disappear, as if the tower were absorbing the darkness. During the night, the tower casts a shadow by the light of the moon that looms over much of the area around the place. Nearby residents believe that the Shard of Night is haunted, since no one or thing is ever seen to come or go, yet sounds sometimes echo down from the opening in its base.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Vagdru One-Ear''': This orc veteran acts as bartender and purveyor of the Fallen Tower, providing whatever drinks the orcs can find and passing out raw meat of dubious origin for the patrons to roast at the central fire (or to eat uncooked if they want).

*** '''Vansi''': The commander of the orc force, she is a warrior known for her reaving flail and fearsome war cry. Ferocious even for an orc soldier, Vansi claims the streets of the River District as a colony of the Many-Arrows kingdom, governed from the mysterious Cloak Tower.

* '''The Chasm''': The southeastern quarter of Neverwinter lies in almost complete ruin, virtually flattened by the earthquake during the cataclysm and since then under continual assault by plaguechanged monsters that emerge from the depths. At the center of this wasteland yawns the Chasm—a canyon-like crack in the earth that spawns all manner of twisted and deadly beasts. It supposedly extends down into the Underdark, but few have ever ventured down the Chasm and even fewer returned. Proximity to the Chasm causes mild anxiety, moodiness, and paranoia. The effects are obvious on people at the Wall, and they increase in intensity as one moves closer to—or deeper into—the Chasm. It becomes difficult to think clearly, and even allies seem to hold treachery in their hearts. Recently, this pervasive ill will has begun to radiate beyond the confines of the Wall, plaguing the dreams of Neverwinter’s residents with terrible nightmares.

** '''Ruined Terrain''': The surrounding land in the district that takes its name from the Chasm is a tangled maze of broken buildings and clotted streets, all of it battered by the elements and crushed under the paws of the Chasm’s monsters. Wall patrols venture into this wasteland only occasionally, since few who leave the barricade’s safety return. Those who do sometimes carry marks from the experience, such as azure burns, twisted limbs, or some other physical manifestation of a spellscar. Lord Neverember has ordered that anyone showing symptoms of infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold for treatment.

** '''The Upper Reach''': For the few people who have done it, climbing down into the Chasm resembles what they may have heard of tales about venturing into the Abyss. The first hundred or so feet are fairly normal, except for occasional swells of superheated air. Past that point, conditions grow more hostile. Elemental energy surges up from the depths in sudden storms. Earthmotes float in the pit, some drifting slowly and others bashing against the walls as though driven by demons. Handholds are scarce on the treacherous walls, which can explode with flame or lightning at any moment. Rocky outcroppings come and go, collapsing or molding themselves as onlookers watch. All manner of plaguechanged creatures dwell in pockets and on precipices in the upper Chasm. Some climb the walls, and others ride bolts of chaotic energy that flare from the bottom of the pit. These creatures rise like birds filling their wings with wind.

** Few, if any, know what lies in the lower reaches of the Chasm...

* '''Underground Neverwinter''': True danger in Neverwinter lurks in places the sun never touches—in the darkness beneath hundreds of tons of stone. Underground ruins abound in a city that has suffered so much damage. The Mintarn enforcers rarely venture below ground, preferring to deal with threats if and when they emerge onto the surface. Thus, sewers and crypts make perfect lairs for all sorts of creeping, scheming evil.

** '''Shattered Sewers''': When the cataclysm struck, Neverwinter’s sewer system took a serious beating as buildings collapsed into their foundations, leaving a maze of precarious wreckage and treacherous tunnels. The sewers quickly became dangerous in the extreme, home to all manner of awful beasts. Provided one is willing to risk getting lost or being attacked, the extensive sewers provide a means of moving about the city. This method of travel is confusing and potentially deadly, however—one never knows when a building overhead will collapse, bringing part of the ceiling down with it, or when a group of underworld squatters might ambush intruders. The tunnels near the Chasm are particularly hazardous because they play host to aberrant beings. The forces of New Neverwinter rarely search the sewers, so rebels and schemers use the filthy tunnels freely.

** '''Kraken Tunnels''': A seaside, underground maze shaped vaguely like an octopus, this complex once belonged to the Kraken Society, a ruthless conglomerate of slavers and blackmarket traders that sought to control the Sword Coast. Many rooms throughout the complex have openings in their floors, revealing the dark, murky water that lies beneath.

** '''Tunnels and Trenches''': The opening of the Chasm and the earthquakes that brought down many buildings in southeastern Neverwinter collapsed many of the sewers in the district. This created trenches in or beside the streets and tunnels where the sewers had not collapsed. These pathways now provide cover for the movement of monsters beyond the Wall and secure places to which they can retreat when repelled from their frequent assaults. The sewers, trenches, and ruined buildings offer an excellent tactical advantage by allowing the forces of the Chasm to approach close to the Wall without sustaining attack, but this is offset by the high vantage of the House of Knowledge, whose occupants ring a bell when they can see significant movement in the far-off trenches. Unfortunately for the Wall’s defenders, night and weather can obscure observation of the trenches, and thus they often use arbalests to launch balls of flaming pitch into the district in the hopes of illuminating the scene.

== Helm's Hold ==
Once a bastion of safety on the edge of Neverwinter Wood, the fortified monastery and community called Helm’s Hold has endured through the last decades, diminished but unyielding. It has lived through the death of the god who gave the place its name, the
ravages of the Spellplague, and the ruination of Neverwinter. Through all this, Helm’s Hold has taken a serious beating but stubbornly clings to its original purpose: to provide sanctuary for those who none. Helm’s Hold has always been a place of healing
and protection for the people of Faerûn. Even when Helm perished a year before the Spellplague, the monastery remained open, seeking to aid those with nowhere else to turn. During the decades after the Spellplague hit, the Hold became one of the few safe
destinations—if not the only one—along the Sword Coast. The cataclysm once again made clear the need for Helm’s Hold and its services. Its doors have remained open over the years, admitting all who suffer, regardless of race, background, or faith. Today, the monastery proper serves as an asylum for those cursed with the Spellplague. People from all over Faerûn make the pilgrimage here for treatment, as do people from Neverwinter, which is less than a day’s journey to the northwest. In fact, Lord Neverember issued a standing order a year ago that anyone in the city showing symptoms of Spellplague infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold as soon as possible. The influx of the needy since that time has swelled the town’s numbers, but tolerance is in the air here, so the spellscarred feel more at home in the Hold than anywhere else in the Realms. Originally a small monastery and its surrounding village, Helm’s Hold has grown over the decades. The cathedral’s foundation had hardly been laid when Helm died, but the people finished it as a monument in his honor. Helm has become a cultural icon here—a patron saint of the community—and all followers of all gods are welcome under his watchful gaze.

* '''Locations'''

** '''The Hungry Flame''': A decrepit tavern which has a reputation for being unfriendly to patrons who are not spellscarred. The place is a rogue’s gallery of the strange and twisted.

** '''The Dragon’s Gauntlet''': The battered town hall of Helm’s Hold, formerly an inn, is a popular gathering place for the people of the city, as well as a forum for its tempestuous governmental process. The people of the town are rugged individualists at heart, a characteristic that does not always mesh well with governmental edicts. Loud shouts, challenges, and shows of intimidation are acceptable methods of discussing legislation.

** '''Heartward''': Life and death are both on stage in the plaza called Heartward at the center of Helm’s Hold, where a marketplace is arrayed around a hangman’s scaffold. Food and gold are both scarce in the marketplace, and brawls break out between customers who feel cheated. Soldiers keep watch from the perimeter of the plaza. Town criers declaim the words of the Prophet, particularly when she has foretold something seen as especially wonderful or dire. The pronouncements are entertainment as well as news, since people love debating exactly what her portents mean. The Heartward’s chief notoriety is a haunting that fills the plaza on certain nights, when clouds obscure the waning moon. Luminous shapes appear—a gathering of ghosts that go about the business of the living. Phantom vendors sell ephemeral apples at empty stands, ghost children run happily through the streets, and spirits hang one another at the scaffold. Some of the scenes appear to be reenactments of past events, whereas others have not occurred—at least, not yet. The ghosts speak mostly nonsense, but some of what they say might offer clues to past or future happenings. The plaza’s name comes from a small shrine on the edge of the marketplace devoted to Sune, goddess of beauty and romance, which is a favored meeting place for lovers in the city. On haunted nights, couples gather at the shrine, hoping for a thrill.

** '''The Old Dirty Dwarf''': The region’s hard years have closed many businesses, but the Old Dirty Dwarf has stood the test of time. The best inn and tavern in Helm’s Hold, the Old Dirty Dwarf caters mostly to newcomers to the city. In the wake of the Lord Protector’s occupation of Neverwinter and his increasing presence in the Hold, Mintarn mercenaries have come to dominate the inn’s patronage, often with new exiles from Neverwinter in tow.

** '''Scar Alley''': Numerous setbacks have taken their toll on the structures and the people of Helm’s Hold. Nowhere in town is this fact more evident than in the oldest district—Scar Alley, a small collection of weathered streets where the least fortunate residents live. The district is home to the worst spellscarred in town, those shunned because of their extreme physical deformities. During the Spellplague, the ground upon which the Hold is built softened, causing some buildings to bow or lean precariously out over the streets. Much of the original stone construction of Scar Alley is approaching ruin, and the residents do what they can to bolster the failing structures with planks, mortar, and fresh stone. The district is poorly patrolled, full of hovels that are frequented by shady characters or infested by monsters.

** '''Helm's Cathedral''': The cathedral to the dead god Helm lost its original religious purpose long ago and became a sanatorium for the ailing, tended by the aging faithful who still honor the traditions of their deity. The spellscarred find treatment here, and many of the servants in the cathedral are also patients. They work as part of their treatment. The Prophet Rohini is the undisputed master of Helm’s cathedral, even if she disdains political status. She exists, she says, only to pass on the mysterious prophecies of her equally mysterious faith. The cathedral can hold about a thousand souls. Most of them are patients of the sanatorium, though a few enjoy relatively good health and handle the day-to-day maintenance of the temple. A dozen or so acolytes who have skill in non-magical healing or an aptitude for service keep order in the cathedral. Several followers of Oghma labor alongside the former Helmites, continuing the work of the late Brother Anthus.

*** '''Halls of the Guardian''': The daylight floors of the temple look much as they did a hundred years ago: hung with banners of Helm’s sigil and warded at all corners by suits of armor that feature stylized eyes on their gauntlets and prominent, blankfaced helms. Cavernous chambers soar high through flying buttresses, and great statues of Helm and heroes of legend gaze down upon supplicants. The walls block most sound, but sometimes a cry or an incoherent rant reverberates up from the deeper levels of the complex. The effect is a sharp contrast in what otherwise appears to be a glorious temple. The great hall of the cathedral could accommodate a hundred men-at-arms comfortably, though today it has a far different purpose. It is here that the Prophet sits in audience, dispensing her predictions of future events. If asked to do so, she may lay her hands on those in attendance and tell their fortunes.

*** '''Sanatorium''': Beneath the stately, well-lit halls on the surface, the lower levels of the cathedral grow darker and more frightening. A sanatorium hides in the vaults: a maze of cramped corridors that houses a growing number of spellscarred victims, who struggle with insanity or physical deformities. Once a day, the patients are allowed out onto the cathedral grounds, under close observation by priests. Although the madness of these unfortunates unnerves most visitors, the Prophet spends a great deal of time in the sanatorium without being affected. To the folk of Helm’s Hold, this is a sign of her compassionate nature.

** '''Beneath Helm's Hold''': Through the many years that Helm’s Hold has stood, its occupants delved underground. Their crypts and ossuaries utilized natural caverns as well as chambers left in the earth by old empires, creating a vast network of tunnels and levels. Once the domain only of the peaceful departed, these places have now been invaded by the living, making the dead grow restless.

* '''Notable NPCs'''

** '''Halas''': A charismatic half-elf, he is a former landowner in Neverwinter who came to Helm's Hold after being afflicted with a spellscar. He is an informal leader of the spellscarred, and pushes back against those who wish them gone.

** '''Meryth''': A female elf, she is another informal leader of Helm's Hold's spellscarred population. She advocates peaceful resistance in the face of prejudice.

** '''Rohini, the Prophet of Helm’s Hold''': Rohini is the main healer and head researcher of Helm's Hold monastery, taking over in that last role for the now deceased Brother Anthus, who passed away shortly after her arrival at the House of Knowledge. Rohini earned her sobriquet through the foretellings she speaks of pivotal events to come, both good and ill. The Prophet claims knowledge of extraordinary mysteries beyond mortal understanding. She says this awareness gives her the power to purify the worthy. She bestows healing on individuals that have been visited by the Spellplague. Although Rohini does not sit in overt leadership in the cathedral, the acolytes, servants, and patients bow to her, calling her simply “Prophet.”

** '''Dunfield''': An old associate of Lord Neverember, he leads a band of mercenaries the Lord Protector has lent Helm's Hold to serve as a town watch. Hard-bitten and cynical, Dunfield remains an honorable man who tries to keep his soldiers in line and serve the community as best as he can.

** '''Alisara Callum''': Everyone in Helm’s Hold pays deference to her, the town’s elected Chief Speaker. Her ability to inspire loyalty helps to keep the haphazard government functioning. A former soldier now past her prime, Alisara brings a note of legitimacy to the council. She wears a frayed purple tabard with a white dragon sigil—the symbol of her former service with the Purple Dragon Knights of Cormyr—which some locals consider to be her personal coat of arms. Alisara is well liked, though her policies of accepting the spellscarred irk some in the city.

** '''Doloran Bard''': An aging farmer and councilman whose family long ago helped build the original monastery, he is wary of trusting the direction of Helm’s Hold to an outsider. An unrepentant purist when it comes to the spellscarred, Bard would prefer that the town push out the “unclean” hordes and return the Hold to its original purpose.

** '''Juetta''': A human female of about thirty years, she is the proprietor of the Old Dirty Dwarf, an establishment that is mostly safe, if none too clean. The Old Dirty Dwarf welcomes all, but some of the staff makes an exclusion for spellscarred, actively discouraging their business. Juetta frowns on this sort of behavior, but she can’t be everywhere in the place at the same time, so she can’t stop the growing tensions that bubble over in the tavern from time to time.

** '''Brother Satarin''': An acolyte before Helm’s death, the young dwarf took his vows shortly before the god fell. Satarin stayed at the cathedral, teaching the ways of his fallen master and attending to the needy after the rest of Helm’s clergy left the place for other gods or retired from the cloth. Now, at the age of 160, Satarin is as close to a high priest as the cathedral is likely to see again, though he firmly eschews any title but Brother. He opened the cathedral’s doors to the Prophet at the request of Brother Vartan, a priest of Oghma whose research on resurrecting dead gods was of interest to the still-devout Satarin.

** '''Torlgar''': The warden of the sanatorium is Torlgar, a hulking goliath. An early convert to Rohini’s ways, Torlgar is fiercely loyal to his beloved mistress, to the point of death or beyond.

Welcome to Neverwinter

2024-11-17T16:18:11Z

NightGoblyn: /* Skills */

== Premise ==

AMID THE wilderness and savagery of the cold North, Neverwinter once stood as a beacon of civility and warmth. Even after the Spellplague wracked the world, the Jewel of the North lost little of its luster. The city’s destruction thus shocked many when it occurred, despite the portents that warned of coming peril. Vague prophecies and strange events seemed like shadows of the Spellplague, nothing more. Even the earth tremors that began to disturb the area could not shake its citizens’ belief in a bright future.

Then Mount Hotenow, deep in Neverwinter Wood, awoke with the power of an angry god. The city could do nothing against such a foe. The earth yawned open and broke apart. Whole districts shuddered and sank while other areas shot up, forming sudden cliffs. The river, running warm throughout winter, exploded into hissing steam and lava as scalding clouds of ash roared through the streets like an advancing army. Thousands lost their lives as Neverwinter died that day.

Slowly, life has returned to this ruined landscape. Many hope to rebuild what has been lost, but an equal number see the tragedy as an opportunity to seize all they can. Yet those who scratch out lives in the scarred city fail to see the infection below the scab. Under their noses, beneath their feet, and even within their earshot, dark forces battle one another for control of the city.

The year is 1479 and it is Marpenoth, the 10th month of the year.

== Houserules ==

* I'm just going to do milestone leveling rather than precisely tracking experience.

* I'm not interested in closely tracking everyone's encumbrance but try to keep things reasonable on that front.

* We'll be using popcorn initiative, as Falkus described in this thread: https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/request-for-a-4th-edition-dnd-game-set-in-the-forgotten-realms-using-the-keep-on-the-shadowfell-modules.921348/. Basically, once combat starts 1 PC will go (on a first come, first serve basis), then I'll have a NPC go, then another PC who hasn't acted yet will act, etc, until the end of the round, when the process starts over. Initiative won't serve any purpose, so you probably don't want to take any features that improve it.

== Threads ==

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/welcome-to-neverwinter.922077 IC Thread]

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/welcome-to-neverwinter.922073/ OOC Thread]

== PCs ==

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/17VpavwknMncf6b4f34vFtHieEp6udnXI0S8b3XwuehI/edit Ernst Lemuel. Human-appearing (Deva) Shaman. Oghma's Faithful/Dragon Coast.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KY_8n5OjSacZdHmB10xdQwNtDsddbznn5Al_anpF6E0/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Lander Telantere. Human Cleric. Scion of Shadows.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/19fLiTfe5HxGEDq4DKe9JAmjzS_IfPKl3HGv8o95N5Yo/edit?usp=sharing Tatha Dinistyn. Drow Sorcerer. Spellscarred Harbinger.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b0yp3wSwaD9cUCVpPxjhCrwFfl_ERDLIlNf8mwkm4iI/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Orcanu Tamar. Eladrin Swordmage. Iliyanbruen Guardian.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10BYWPOrilUHZS9Zr8fkfH9gLhx5YGOHtfmU8f16yI60/edit?usp=sharing Otis Oakson. Human Wizard. Blackstaff Apprentice.]

====Skills====

{|
|+Skill Matrix (L.1)
|-
!Skill
!Otis
!Fighter
!Ernst
!Lander
!Tatha
!Orcanu
|-
| Acrobatics (Dex)
| +1
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +3
| +0
|-
| Arcana (Int)
| '''+9'''
| +10
| +4
| 0
| +7
| '''+14'''
|-
| Athletics (Str)
| +0
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +0
| '''+5'''
|-
| Bluff (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +7
| '''+10'''
| +1
|-
| Diplomacy (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +7
| '''+10'''
| +1
|-
| Dungeoneering (Wis)
| +1
| '''+7'''
| +4
| +4
| -1
| -1
|-
| Endurance (Con)
| +2
| +0
| +1
| +2
| +0
| '''+7'''
|-
| Heal (Wis)
| +1
| +2
| '''+4'''
| '''+4'''
| -1
| -1
|-
| History (Int)
| '''+9'''
| +5
| +11
| +5
| +0
| '''+12'''
|-
| Insight (Wis)
| +1
| +8
| '''+9'''
| '''+9'''
| -1
| -1
|-
| Intimidate (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +2
| '''+12'''
| +1
|-
| Nature (Wis)
| '''+6'''
| +7
| '''+9'''
| +4
| -1
| -1
|-
| Perception (Wis)
| +1
| +8
| '''+9'''
| +4
| -1
| +4
|-
| Religion (Int)
| +4
| +5
| '''+6'''
| +5
| +0
| +5
|-
| Stealth (Dex)
| '''+7'''
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +6
| +0
|-
| Streetwise (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +2
| +4
| +1
|-
| Thievery (Dex)
| '''+7/+9'''
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +3
| +0
|}

===Languages===
* Cleo: Common, Goblin
* Maria: Common, Draconic
* Ernst: Common, Chondathan, Goblin, Supernal
* Lander: Common, Netherese
* Tatha: Common, Elven
* Orcanu: Common, Eladrin

====Passed into the Woods====
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZFpAbbxBSZWGLjB_yNPjQ7-62cOylGJTM0puf986ruE/edit Cleo. Human Rogue. Dead Rat Deserter.]
* [https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2881605 Maria Fireheart. Human Mage. Harper Agent/Detective.]

== Neverwinter and the North ==
[[File:Neverwinter_map.png]]

Even in safer times, the North’s reputation as the Savage North was well earned. Now, times are worse and the land more savage by far. Its great cities, once bastions of light and civilization, lie crippled. The small towns that served to shelter travelers stand empty—or have been claimed by murderous groups and hungry monsters. Roads etched into the earth with thousands of years of use are increasingly obscured by forest, bramble, and marsh. Communities now struggle alone amid the wilderness,
fortunate if they see an outsider once in a generation. Neverwinter labors to breathe in the suffocating harshness of this new North, the sea its only lifeline. With few traders braving the increasingly long treks between settlements, the city’s docks now provide the area’s main means of import and precious little export. Gone are the days of plenty, beauty, and luxury. Today, Neverwinter struggles to break free of the forces that brought it low, still weak and surrounded by danger.

* '''Neverwinter''': The City of Skilled Hands, the Jewel of the North—many were the accolades once heaped upon Neverwinter. Then, almost thirty years ago, the city died. Minor earth tremors that had plagued the region for months were the precursors of the eruption of Mount Hotenow. A portion of that volcano’s peak exploded with such force that lava and superheated ash poured across the city in an avalanche. Half of Neverwinter’s population died in a heartbeat, the city’s buildings razed. A great rift now known as the Chasm rent the surface where the shifting earth had pulled apart. Strange zombies roamed the land in the aftermath, their dead flesh turned to ash by the fires that consumed the city. Yet the people of the North have always been resilient. After the destruction, many who had fled at the first tremors returned. Opportunists and looters arrived. People began to rebuild. Lord Dagult Neverember, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, eventually arrived as well, along with an army of Mintarn mercenaries. Today, the city struggles back to life under the watchful rule of the self-styled Lord Protector.

* '''Neverwinter''' River: The bright water of the Neverwinter River runs warm throughout the year, a feature that helps to keep the city from being frozen in the winter months. When the cataclysm struck, dark ash choked the river for months before it began to flow from Neverwinter Wood through the city once more. Three bridges once spanned the river in Neverwinter— the Sleeping Dragon, the Winged Wyvern, and the Dolphin, each sculpted in the form of its name. Of the three, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

* '''Helm’s Hold''': Once a small monastery and adjacent village dedicated to the deity Helm, the cathedral of Helm’s Hold now towers above the town and surrounding lands that bear its name. The death of Helm saw the monastery fall into disuse, but the fortified town became a refuge when the Spellplague hit during the year following Helm’s demise. Lord Neverember now exiles victims of the Spellplague to Helm’s Hold for treatment, and his mercenaries guard the town.

* '''Port Llast''': This town was a great city in ancient times—the most northerly safe harbor on the Sword Coast whenever Luskan would fall to orcs or other evil forces. However, the rise of a relatively stable Luskan and ports farther north began to diminish its prominence. Then came the Spellplague, and with it the return of Abeir. The appearance of the new continent in the ocean to the west changed the tides around Port Llast, filling the harbor with silt and making Neverwinter an easier port to reach. With the docks of Port Llast failing and trade dying off, most of its citizens have long since abandoned their homes or died at the hands of marauders. Now a ghost town, Port Llast is known as the realm of the evil sea goddess Umberlee and as a home to sea monsters. However, some say that this reputation is simply rumor spread by those who want to keep the secrets of the town to themselves.

* '''Neverwinter Wood''': For generations, this dark forest has been shunned by most people of the North. That magic exists in Neverwinter Wood cannot be doubted, but its nature—and whether it exists as a force of good or ill—remains unknown. The forest holds many secrets, and even on its fringes, one feels a sense of unease. Humans have never logged in this area, and the orcs of the North have traditionally avoided it during their incursions. Only druids and Uthgardt barbarians dare to pass into the deep forest.

* '''Thundertree''': This small town once stood at the edge of the wood. Its inhabitants made a living by harvesting windfall timber to ship downriver to the Neverwinter and beyond. Now the forest has overgrown Thundertree’s abandoned and decaying buildings. Although the town survived the Spellplague largely intact, the ash zombies that arose after the destruction of Neverwinter overran it. As the dangers of Neverwinter Wood increase, the abandoned town and its unknown horrors are shunned.

* '''Mount Hotenow''': For untold generations, this volcanic peak quietly fumed in the depths of Neverwinter Wood. Rumored to be the source of the warmth of the Neverwinter River, Mount Hotenow once featured in the bedtime stories of Neverwinter’s citizens as the home of fire giants, red dragons, and other blazing beasts. People looked upon the fantastic peak as a thing of beauty—until its wrath was unleashed against Neverwinter in the cataclysm. Now jutting like a broken tooth from the forest, Mount Hotenow still fumes, the land occasionally quaking with the echoes of its fury.

* '''The Crags''': This long wrinkle of hills and ridges runs northeast from Neverwinter Wood. Goblins, gnolls, ogres, hill giants, and other wild peoples have dwelled within this rocky landscape for centuries. So too has the Sky Pony tribe of the Uthgardt barbarians. Rumors have long persisted that an entrance to Gauntlgrym lies somewhere in the Crags. However, the hundreds of ancient and now-dead mines that long ago brought humans to the area make for numerous false leads.

* '''Tower of Twilight''': This enchanted tower long stood on an island in a small lake east of Neverwinter Wood. Home to a student of the great wizard Khelben Blackstaff, the tower stood invisible by day but would appear as the light failed. During the Spellplague, the tower vanished without a trace, though it now reappears infrequently and unpredictably at twilight. Who lives there now, where the tower disappears to, and why it returns remain a mystery.

* '''Conyberry''': During the Spellplague, a portion of Abeir imposed itself upon the village of Conyberry. The terrain-altering effect of this transition forced the inhabitants of the village to come together with people dwelling in the regions of Abeir to which they were joined. However, in the intervening decades, the Gray Wolf Uthgardt tribe has sacked the settlement in retribution for this “invasion” of their lands, slaughtering Conyberry’s citizens or forcing them to join the tribe. The village now lies largely vacant.

* '''Old Owl Well''': Known in ancient texts as Old Owlbear Well and in even older histories as Quesseer, this site marks the location of a Netherese outpost established millennia ago. The Netherese built a means of drawing water from the earth, using the site as a place of trade. For centuries, this water supply on a key trade route served as a source of conflict. Until the chaos of the Spellplague, orcs and humans from Neverwinter and Waterdeep still struggled to control the outpost. Now, it lies forgotten and abandoned. Until trade returns to these lands, the fate of the well and whatever ruins lie hidden in the surrounding hills remain unknown.

* '''Morgur’s Mound''': Atop this foothill of the Crags, Uthgar—deity and founder of the Uthgardt barbarians— died after saving the North from Gurt, Lord of the Pale Giants. The mound is named for Uthgar’s brother Morgur (called Morgred by some), who is said to be buried there. Once, the bones of a great thunderbeast were spread atop the hill, marking it as the holy shrine of the Uthgardt.

* '''Luskan''': An urban cesspool, the once-great City of Sails squats on the coastline like an open sore on the face of the continent of Faerûn. It lies about four days hard travel north of Neverwinter (about three days by sea, due to prevailing currents). Until some hundred years ago, Luskan choked in the grasp of the Arcane Brotherhood and its leader, Arklem Greeth. When a force of pirate-killers from Waterdeep along with the legendary hero Drizzt and his allies precipitated the destruction of the Hosttower of the Arcane, the city was destabilized and never fully recovered. Street gangs and pirates rule Luskan now, making the city a stomping ground for criminals, exiles from other lands, and hideous beasts.

* '''Gauntlgrym''': This famous subterranean dwarven city has been the stuff of legend for centuries. Aside from the dwarves, most people of the North doubted Gauntlgrym’s existence—until the Summons, as it has come to be known. At that time, ghostly dwarves in ancient dress appeared before certain dwarves throughout the North and beyond, silently pleading for heroes to seek out Gauntlgrym. Some did set out in search of the lost city, though most counted themselves lucky when the ghosts troubled them no more. Many of those who sought Gauntlgrym did so in the Crags, for ancient legends mentioned an entrance there. Others plunged into Neverwinter Wood or scaled the Sword Mountains. Few returned from their quests, and those who survived almost never found any trace of their goal. Some dwarves seek the city still, but for the rest, Gauntlgrym remains a tantalizing legend.

* '''The Sword Mountains''': The sharp peaks and hilly terrain of the Sword Mountains extend down the coast of the Sea of Swords for nearly two hundred miles. Long home to belligerent dwarf clans, orc tribes, trolls, dragons, and other fearsome creatures, this range is rarely traveled in these dangerous times. Those foolish enough to brave the mountains often do so in search of old mines and the ruins of civilizations past. However, most find only death in the end.

* '''Leilon''': This sleepy mining town once served as a convenient resting place for travelers on the High Road. Now, the few travelers who still take this route shun Leilon, going miles out of their way to avoid even laying eyes on the town. The High Tower of Thalivar long stood as a landmark here, abandoned by a forgotten mage. For generations, the tower proved a tempting target for plunderers—and, too often, a grave for them as well. The people of Leilon knew that the tower held guardian monsters, and they were content to leave it alone. However, the Spellplague’s twisted magic unleashed the creatures trapped in the tower, which quickly ravaged the helpless village. Now, the tower is a place of terror, its magic allegedly freezing in place all creatures whose eyes rest upon it, even for a moment.

* '''Mere of Dead Men''': This vast salt marsh contains the ruins of the numerous castles, manors, and farms it swallowed as it expanded. It takes its name from the great armies that were drowned here when a powerful lich flooded their battlefield. Whereas once the High Road skirted the swamp, what now remains of that highway plunges through its expanded borders. Those seeking to go south to Waterdeep from points north must often contend with the lizardfolk that claim the territory around the road. Alternative routes wind deeper into the mere or off into the Sword Mountains at the cost of extra days of travel and peril.

* '''Waterdeep''': Once the greatest and grandest city in the Realms, Waterdeep’s star has dimmed slightly in the last century as the world has progressively darkened. The great port—about a week south of Neverwinter, or three days by sea—no longer sustains its own navy, relying instead on mercenaries from the island of Mintarn and the city of Baldur’s Gate to the south. The city has long existed as a relatively fair and just center of civilization. Waterdeep is ruled by a council of twenty Masked Lords (nobles hidden behind powerful illusions to obscure their identities) and one Open Lord. The current Open Lord is the boisterous and dangerous Dagult Neverember, the so-called Lord Protector of Neverwinter. Unlike most of the other Open Lords in Waterdeep’s history, Lord Neverember has demonstrated an expansionist and imperialistic bent. In recent years, he has set his sights on Neverwinter as the next territory in his growing empire.

== City of Neverwinter ==

[[File:Neverwinter_city.png]]

'''Neverwinter''': A once-bustling metropolis, the northern city of Neverwinter lies mostly in ruins after a century of turmoil that culminated in a great cataclysm nearly thirty years ago. Fires, earthquakes, and evil portents destroyed or chased away most of the populace, but even the supposed waking of an ancient primordial could not kill the city completely. Some stubborn natives remained, carrying on in spite of countless hardships. Because of them—and because of the reconstruction efforts of the last decade—Neverwinter still stands, despite its tragedies. Today, the city is a center of trade, warfare both open and secret, and—above all—adventure. After so much abuse and neglect, much of the city’s architecture is damaged or lies in rubble. Recent repair efforts have given Neverwinter a patchwork appearance; slums are juxtaposed with new construction, all resting on the shattered remnants of old buildings. Certain districts are more intact than others, and former citizens have returned to such areas, thanks to the efforts of the city’s Lord Protector: Dagult Neverember, Open Lord of Waterdeep.

* '''Protector's Enclave''': The Lord Protector of Neverwinter rules the city from the Hall of Justice, the old temple of Tyr. Farthest from the source of the great earthquake that struck Mount Hotenow almost three decades ago, this area of Neverwinter suffered the least destruction. This good fortune also made the district a primary target for Lord Neverember. He moved an overwhelming force of mercenaries into the district, secured his base, and, ever since, has spent half his time here and half in Waterdeep. The Protector’s Enclave stands mostly intact, and many former residents of the city have returned to live here alongside new immigrants. Although this district is the most stable part of Neverwinter, it chafes under the firm hand of Sabine, the general of Lord Neverember’s forces. Spies watch every neighborhood and notable gathering place, and Mintarn enforcers march through the streets. The Enclave boasts the best-stocked market in the city, thanks to trade from Waterdeep and other cities along the Sword Coast. The city taxes all transactions made here at a steep rate that the natives have grudgingly come to accept. The taxes pay for the Mintarn soldiers who watch every newcomer to the district with a sharp eye. In the enclave, suspicious or unfamiliar characters do not stay hidden for long.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Hall of Justice''': The high walls and imposing stonework of Tyr’s former temple mark it as a timeless bastion of duty and honor. The great temple stands atop a seaside bluff, challenging all threats from the Sea of Swords or inland Faerûn. When Lord Neverember set his sights on the city, he chose the Hall of Justice as his base of operations for its practical value (the cataclysm left it almost untouched) and its emotional significance to the people of Neverwinter. The city had long served Tyr, the god of justice, and even after the deity fell nearly a hundred years ago, the residents refused to convert the temple to worship of another god. By restoring the temple to its former status, Neverember seeks to win over the city’s traditionalists and establish himself as a champion of just rule. He sponsors priests of Torm whose rites emulate the Tyrran tradition, hoping to attract new devotees to the temple (and to the Lord Protector’s cause). For the most part, the scheme has worked. Some of the locals, however—particularly the Sons of Alagondar—think that Neverember’s presence defiles the great temple, which they now call the “Hall of Never-Justice.” The temple itself is a radiant and beautiful structure, big enough inside for giants to walk comfortably or for dragons to rest in the great hall, beneath the high-domed ceiling. The trappings of the building reflect a bygone age, one dedicated to justice and temperance in all things.

*** '''The Lord’s Residence''': From his office, which looks more and more like a throne room all the time, Lord Neverember issues edicts, coordinates the activities of his followers, and (when he can spare the time) holds audience with the impoverished citizens of the city. However, he has no facility for dispensing justice, and thus he has delegated that role to Soman Galt, whom he has appointed mayor of Neverwinter. The dwarf listens wearily to supplicant after supplicant, offering grudging mediation. Meanwhile, the lord enhances his image as the charismatic champion who does not stoop to petty politics. Neverember has decorated his private quarters after the fashion of Waterdeep, although he takes care to display no seal or coat of arms pertaining to his home city. He has taken the former high priest’s apartments for his own, and he garrisons most of his sellswords in the temple’s other chambers, with a score of servants to wait upon them. A few priests of Torm dwell in the complex, faithful to their god and his precepts.

*** '''The Moonstone Mask''': A vertigo-inducing journey along a cliffside trail takes the adventurous to a new fixture of the Neverwinter skyline. The earthmote now known as the Moonstone floats beside the western edge of the Protector’s Enclave, high over the docks below. It hangs a hundred feet above the crashing waves of the Sea of Swords, bound in place by thick chains strung to heavy anchors. A bridge that runs between the earthmote and the docks allows visitors to enter and exit the Moonstone. The inn for which the mote is named, the Moonstone Mask, offers guests lavish quarters, pleasurable company, and a hard-to-beat view. In no small part, the Moonstone Mask owes its rebirth and current existence to Lord Neverember and New Neverwinter. It repays the favor by housing many of the city’s Mintarn enforcers, including their commander, General Sabine. As such, mercenaries dominate the once-genial atmosphere of the hedonistic inn, and Neverember’s sellswords are known to argue or fight with other patrons

*** '''The Wall''': A great hodgepodge of wood and scavenged stone, the Wall separates civilized Neverwinter from the Chasm and the horrors it spawns. The Wall lets guards strike at targets from positions of relative safety, and it provides regular outposts for watchers. The thick mess of bloodstained refuse at the eastern base—not to mention the occasional rotting corpse of a more recent kill— speaks to the Wall’s success as a defensive fortification. In its early days, the Wall held off the monsters by shunting them toward parts of the city that had already been destroyed. When Neverember arrived, he made it a priority to reinforce what he saw as an effective defensive fortification with his own engineers and soldiers. At first, the Wall blocked only a few streets where attacks were common, but since the reconstruction started, it has expanded to stretch from the Neverdeath graveyard to the old House of Knowledge. In combination with the Neverwinter River, the Wall continues to provide effective containment, although people have spotted plaguechanged monstrosities in the northern River District and, more recently, near sewer holes around the city. The situation grows dire, and petitions for Wall expansion come before Mayor Galt every day.

*** '''House of Knowledge''': At the far northeastern end of the Wall stands what was, in happier times, a flourishing temple to Oghma, god of knowledge and wisdom. Before the quake, the House of Knowledge served as a repository of chronicled learning, including maps, history, and hundreds of poems and chapbooks produced over the centuries. Today, it looks less like a library and more like a refugee camp, holding the area where the Wall approaches the Neverwinter River. After the cataclysm, leadership of the reduced flock at the House of Knowledge fell to Brother Anthus, an elderly human interested in studying the Chasm and the Spellplague-touched creatures that came from it. His research led to the temple’s use as a haven for Spellplague sufferers. After Anthus’s death under mysterious circumstances, a young woman in residence known as the Prophet relocated the makeshift hospital and the remaining clerics of Oghma to Helm’s Hold, claiming a prophesied disaster would befall the city if she did not. After the Prophet departed, the badly damaged temple stood empty and abandoned until recently, when a handful of squatters moved back into the House. These refugees from the River District earn their keep by ringing the temple’s bells when they sight a new wave of monstrosities spilling from the Chasm toward the Wall. Lord Neverember is said to be quite pleased with their resourcefulness, and the Mintarn mercenaries that guard the Wall are known to stop by with small gifts of food and drink to show their appreciation.

*** '''Neverdeath''': A cracked stone wall, patched in places with thick wood, surrounds the graveyard called Neverdeath. Consisting of two wide, roughly square areas of the city, Neverdeath is filled with rows of headstones interspersed with mausoleums and crumbling statues, often overgrown with withered grasses. Time, the Spellplague, and the cataclysm all took their toll on the graveyard, thrusting some sections higher than others, collapsing buildings, and revealing graves. Coffins now jut from small cliffs, and tumbled bones litter the ground. The graveyard takes its name from a common blessing given over the dead. As long as the city remained in summer, it was said, the dead would never truly leave. Many think that winter is coming soon for the city’s dead, however. Neverember’s mercenaries fear the graveyard, preferring to burn the dead outside the walls of the burial ground. If they are not burned, corpses left lying nearby sometimes rise of their own accord. Beneath a large, unassuming mausoleum lie the catacombs of the Waterclock Guild, an organization of artisans famous for building beautiful and intricate timepieces.

*** '''Neverwinter Docks''': Much of Neverwinter’s original wealth and influence came from its position as one of the few deep ports on the Sword Coast. The Neverwinter docks were the commercial heart of the city, though in some ways that heart was infected with darkness and corruption. The Spellplague went some way toward purging that corruption—chunks of land broke away and rose into the sky, forming earthmotes that hovered overhead. The surviving residents of the city adapted, connecting the low-floating motes to the shore with ropes, chains, and bridges. However, the cataclysm later destroyed the foundations of these bridges, and the changed currents swamped whole areas of the port with tidal waves. Neverwinter’s already diminished trade dried up entirely, leaving the docks a rotting ghost town. Only a few fishers and the occasional pirate ship made port here. Lord Neverember made rebuilding this center of trade a top priority. As part of his first initiatives, he sent engineers and loggers to the Upland Rise, a forested hill outside the city that once served as a park for the city’s residents. The crews stripped the hill of all salvageable timber, leaving the Upland Rise a sparse echo of its former beauty, and used it to rebuild the docks. Today, supplies and coin flow into Neverwinter through the docks, along with repatriated refugees. The Lord Protector takes a keen interest in anyone entering the city in this manner, and charges steep tariffs on deals consummated at the docks.

*** '''Tarmalune Trade House''': The rebuilt docks have attracted visitors from across the sea—members of a trade cartel from the city of Tarmalune in Returned Abeir. They have arrived in Neverwinter to arrange permanent trade routes between the two continents, and to outmaneuver their rivals from the Abeiran city of Lylorn, who have landed in Luskan with a similar goal. The Abeirans have set up shop in a large warehouse complex next to a set of docks that are being rebuilt. The Tarmalune Trade House is a busy area where contacts gather, deals are made, and adventurers find their services in high demand.

*** '''The Winged Wyvern''': Of the three bridges that once crossed the Neverwinter River, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city, charging a toll, and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

** '''Notable NPCS'''

*** '''Lord Dagult Neverember''': The Open Lord of Waterdeep, Neverember arrived in Neverwinter about ten years ago and proclaimed himself the Lord Protector of the city. Over the past decade, Dagult Neverember has made progress in restoring the devastated city. Seeing an opportunity to add to his mercantile empire, Lord Neverember employed an army of artisans and carpenters to rebuild, and he hired mercenaries from Mintarn to keep monsters at bay and maintain order. Five years ago, Neverember established the Protector’s Enclave from his base in the Hall of Justice, and declared that section of the city safe for occupation once more. Since then, he has worked to tame the wild streets, rebuild the ruins, and coax refugees to return to their homes. The Open Lord of Waterdeep is a commanding noble. Big, boisterous, and affable, Neverember treats each new acquaintance as a friend. But beneath his congenial display, his quick mind is sizing up everyone in attendance, tallying potential gains or threats each could offer him. Neverember hasn't tried to claim the throne of Neverwinter (yet, at least), but he has floated the idea he is a descendant of Nasher Alagondar, a beloved lord from before the Spellplague. The protector’s savants have managed to trace the lord’s heritage to the adventurer Vers Never, a supposed bastard son of Lord Nasher Alagondar and younger half-brother to Bann, who succeeded their shared father as king. As Neverember tells it, Vers settled in Waterdeep and married Mirtria Ember, thus forming the “Neverember” name.

*** '''General Sabine''': A tough-as-nails mercenary named Sabine leads Neverember's Mintarn forces. She serves as Neverember’s chief enforcer in the city and has come to represent the harsher aspects of his beneficence.

*** '''Soman Galt, Mayor of Neverwinter''': Once a great explorer, Soman Galt has turned into a calculated politician who projects a cold, disconnected presence. The dwarf stares absently, his eyes seeming to watch something no one else can see, and he often mumbles to himself. He is capable of rigid focus, however, when the situation warrants it, and he takes his work seriously. A former government official, Galt was a natural choice when Neverember sought an underling to manage the city’s affairs. He oversees tax collection, grants of property, and city files.

*** '''Liset Cheldar''': This half-elf woman runs the Moonstone Mask with a wink and a smile. She genuinely likes most of the people she meets, and she flirts with anyone who seems receptive. A recently returned native of the city who inherited the inn, Liset was pleased to find the place still in one piece (and still floating). The legitimacy of her claim to the Moonstone was unclear, but, plying her natural charm, she successfully lobbied Neverember for funds to reopen the inn, and she maintains a bright smile thanks to his patronage.

*** '''Durham Shaw''': The Captain of the Wall, he holds the command of it under General Sabine, seeing to its defense and coordinating patrols of it between the Mintarn mercenaries and the hardened natives who refuse to give up their stewardship. While he's not too harsh of a commander compared to Sabine or the Mintarns in general, he's resented by many people for a different reason—he has been allowed to stay in the city and work on the Wall even though he suffers from the effects of the Spellplague. Some say Shaw receives this special treatment because he is a personal friend or distant relation of Lord Neverember.

*** '''Loremaster Atlavast''': The only priest who remained after the Prophet’s departure from the House of Knowledge, he is a middle-aged human who became the custodian of the library after the cataclysm. Fearing the worst as the cataclysm occurred, the loremasters of the temple sealed the inner sanctum, leaving the young Atlavast sealed within. As the ground shuddered and shook, Atlavast’s mind grew unstable. Now grown into an eccentric recluse, Atlavast keeps to the lower vaults, continually cataloguing and reorganizing. He is rarely glimpsed these days, and the main evidence of his existence is the occasional flickering light that filters up from cracks in the cobblestones in the dead of night. As a rule, no one ventures closer to investigate.

* ''' Fisher's Float''': This island hovers over the Sea of Swords beyond the southern end of the bay. Dotted with a smattering of shacks, it is the home and workplace of fishers who have lived on this earthmote since the Spellplague. Skilled at their trade and fearless of the weather and the turbulent sea, they provide a great deal of food for the city. For many years, rumors have spread that the fishers have thrived because of their worship of dark gods or unnatural alliances with creatures that live beneath the waves. Regardless of the veracity of these barstool stories, the people of Neverwinter happily eat the fish and crustaceans brought to land each morning and evening.

* '''Pirates' Skyhold''': Neverwinter legends say that this high-floating earthmote served as an unassailable harbor for sky pirates in the years following the Spellplague. Because the mote floats a hundred feet up and could not be accessed by a direct path from the land, the pirates supposedly stored all manner of treasure there, as safe storage for wealthy or well-connected residents of the city. Then, the story takes a dark turn. All the pirates died in one night of blood and betrayal, leaving the treasure and their skyship on the mote—along with whatever slew them. Some people believe that a dragon has claimed the pirates’ loot as its hoard, taking the earthmote as its lair because the city below lacks the means to interfere. Regardless of the story’s truth, one thing is true—Pirates’ Skyhold has long been abandoned. From the right locations in Neverwinter, one can see rotting wooden buildings poking out of the forests of the mote, but whatever still exists up there has seen little intrusion in decades.

* '''Castle Never''': An imposing fixture of Neverwinter’s western end, Castle Never stands as a monument to the city’s former glory. The cataclysm struck it hard, toppling towers, collapsing walls, and starting fires that burned throughout the structure. The entire royal family is thought to have perished, and the remaining servants sealed the vaults, crypts, and grounds with the hope that a worthy heir to Neverwinter would arrive one day to take his or her rightful place on the throne. On that day, it is said, the magic treasures and other resources of the castle will serve the new ruler. To the uninformed eye, Castle Never looks like a big, hulking ruin. Half its towers fell in the cataclysm, and the wall on its seaward side crumbled to rubble. Chunks of stone and fallen statues litter the windswept courtyard. Inside, the stone corridors stink of ash and dust, which swirls up around the feet of intruders. Even in their emptiness, the corridors never seem vacant. The spirits of the hundreds who died here linger on. The castle was built on a strong foundation, however, and if the structure were purged of monsters, it could be refurbished. Many of the interior rooms collapsed, but others stand eerily intact.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Drow Encampment''': The courtyard of Castle Never bears the traces of a camp that was well hidden but has become increasingly obvious from frequent use. The camp originally belonged to an infamous pair of drow: Drizzt Do’Urden, legendary ranger of the North, and the less well-regarded Jarlaxle, captain of the Bregan D’aerthe mercenaries. The two drow were in the area when the cataclysm claimed Neverwinter, and they still have interests in the region. The drow established this camp as a base of operations in Neverwinter, enabling them to keep an eye on their schemes in the city. At first, the camp consisted only of a few companions sharing a fire, but Drizzt’s and Jarlaxle’s occasional visits to the city encouraged young would-be adventurers to seek them out as teachers of the ways of combat and heroism. The drow, both grandmasters, have inspired a small following among the disenfranchised or ambitious youth of Neverwinter. After Drizzt and Jarlaxle’s last visit several months ago, half a dozen young citizens set up their own camp in this spot, where they practiced the ways of combat, dared one another to venture into the castle proper, and sought to make themselves apprentices to the two absent legends.

*** '''Hall of Ashen Mirrors''': Full-length mirrors once adorned the walls of this long corridor, wherein young heirs of Alagondar practiced their noble gait and posture. The mirrors shattered in the cataclysm, instantly killing anyone in the corridor at the time, just before a wave of searing gas blasted through the huge windows and turned the corpses to ash. This double catastrophe left the hallway a wasteland of soot and splintered glass.

*** '''Fungal Bloom''': This atrium once housed all manner of pretty birds and flowers. Since the cataclysm, they have been reduced to skeletons in gilded cages and rotted, desiccated blossoms. Boarded over to keep out the sunlight and trap the heat of rot inside, the cavernous chamber is suffused with dim blue light from glowing lichen.

*** '''Web-Strewn Spires''': Cobwebs fill the upper halls of Castle Never, and scrabbling noises can be heard in its high towers. Only the boldest explorers—those with no fear of fangs in the dark—venture up to the spires.

*** '''Neverneath, Endless Maze''': The catacombs beneath Castle Never came through the cataclysm mostly untouched, thanks to a warding spell commissioned in times past to maintain the structural integrity of the castle. However, the Spellplague wrought strange changes upon the ward, which has grown in strength. What once protected the catacombs now traps intruders. The complex beneath Castle Never, called Neverneath by locals, closes around trespassers. Corridors lead back around to themselves, and dead ends appear where tunnels led only moments before. Explorers can step through a door, turn around and go back through the same door, and end up in a different part of the dungeon. They can wander the abandoned halls and chambers for days without finding an exit.

*** '''Vault of the Nine''': Beneath the center of Neverneath lies a vault built especially for the legendary bodyguards of House Alagondar—the Neverwinter Nine. These great warriors served their beloved city in life, and they lie entombed with honor at her very foundation.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Xalbyn''': A moon elf who has established himself as the captain of the Drow Encampment in the absence of any actual drow. He's taken some of the younger would-be adventurers who stay or visit the camp under his wing, providing training and challenging them to complete minor quests. He values quick-witted warriors after his own heart.

*** '''Aerlyse''': A half-drow psion, she's a newer resident of the camp, who admires intelligence and charm. She has been tasked with securing the camp and making sure the denizens of the crypts beneath Castle Never don't spill out into the courtyard.

* '''Blacklake District''': This region of Neverwinter stands largely intact in the wake of the cataclysm. Credit for the survival of the Blacklake District goes mostly to the nobles of Neverwinter who dwelt here and constructed their homes with extra support, both material and magical. Many of these nobles died in the fire that swept the area after the cataclysm, but their houses remain. The district holds a large number of overgrown estates, scores of stout, defensible holdfasts, and a large park that contains the lake for which the region is named. The water was polluted by a great deal of ash and rubbish in the quake, and today Blacklake looks more like a midden pit of sludge than a lake. Some locals are making an effort to dredge it and restore the surrounding environs. After securing the Protector’s Enclave, Lord Neverember’s mercenaries have turned more of their attention to Blacklake as the next district for resettlement, but their efforts have not been fruitful. Numerous secret societies aggressively resist their efforts to pacify the neighborhood. Blacklake harbors a great deal of old blood and nationalism, which takes the form of opposition to the Lord Protector. Muggers and hot-tempered duelists plague the streets of Blacklake, and political agitators hold small rallies or foment subtle conspiracies against the powers that be. The Sons of Alagondar set ambushes for Mintarn enforcers and wage pitched battles in the streets.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Driftwood Tavern''': An inn and tavern that caters mainly to longtime locals, the Driftwood Tavern takes pride in having kept its doors open since before the Spellplague. When the cataclysm struck, innkeeper Madame Rosene, a serious woman now in her late fifties, sheltered refugees within her walls. The Driftwood offered people a makeshift city hall and gathering place during the troubled years. Madame Rosene and her regulars have filled the inside of the tavern with bric-à-brac, curios, and relics of Neverwinter before its fall. The statue from a favorite fountain stands in a corner. A wineseller’s planter boxes, filled with flowers, brighten the walls. A knob and a knocker from a noble’s estate are attached to the privy door. Ornate doors pulled from the wreckage make fine tables, and unbroken panes of stained glass hang overhead as chandeliers, lit by hundreds of carefully placed candles. Though the decorations have been salvaged from all over the city, the tavern does not feel junky, and no one thinks Madame Rosene is taking advantage of Neverwinter’s fall. Quite the opposite—the Driftwood is considered a monument to old Neverwinter, like a dusty painting of a beautiful girl hanging above the deathbed of an aged noblewoman. Prices for room and board at the tavern are high. The atmosphere is one of quiet reflection, rather than boisterous merriment. The Mintarn mercenaries stay away, preferring to eat and drink at the Moonstone Mask or some other cheaper place. Visitors to the city stop at the Driftwood to marvel at the museum of objects, or to learn about old Neverwinter from Madame Rosene for the (expensive) price of a drink and a meal.

*** '''The Beached Leviathan''': The Beached Leviathan tavern caters to sailors, smugglers, pirates, slavers, merchants, and others arriving by sea. The name of the tavern honors the owner's ship, ''Leviathan'', which ran aground during a storm before the docks had been rebuilt. The tavern is built in and around the refurbished wreckage of the ship.

*** '''The Swamped Docks''': Below the more recent construction lie the remnants of the original docks: a splintering, rotting mass of ancient wood and stone that makes any number of natural lairs for aquatic creatures or hideouts for those on the run from the Mintarns. This area was partially submerged during the city’s devastation. Now, half-sunken buildings rot beneath seaweed, the drowned dead float through foul water, and amphibious horrors crawl up onto land. No one, not even Lord Neverember, looks forward to cleaning up this area, but the job must be tackled eventually. The city’s hand might be forced soon—sahuagin have been sighted in the bay, and disappearances from nearby areas have become common. Rumor has it that a halfling gang operates out of the swamped docks, led by a sneak thief named Palas. The halflings prey on those who wander the docks alone or in the dark.

*** '''Vellgard Manor''': At least one noble villa in the Blacklake District houses its actual owner, the dashing Mordai Vell holds sway over a small, well-guarded compound known as Vellgard Manor. The product of an affair between a devil and an member of a human family from the south, Mordai was a scandalous embarrassment hushed up by his human relatives. When they perished in the cataclysm, he inherited the family estate. Mordai moved back into the city before Neverember arrived and with the arrival of the Lord Protector, Mordai took a more visible role in the district. Charismatic, handsome, and wealthy, he has become a popular figure—a civic leader who, some whisper, might aspire to hold the throne of Neverwinter. The estate is an armed compound flanked by metal gates and hidden guards. An inner wall creates a killing field that could stop a small army.

*** '''House of a Thousand Faces''': With its broad windows and comfortable couches, this tavern is a popular gathering place in the Blacklake District. Amid mannequins dressed in the threadbare trends of thirty years past, patrons lounge about the airy interior, drinking, laughing, and scheming. Named for the dozens of mirrors and mannequins positioned about the common room, the House of a Thousand Faces once was a fashionable boutique. The cataclysm crippled the house’s business, and the owner, an elf named Theryis, packed up her remaining goods and closed her doors. When the city’s population began to recover and increase, she opened the shop again as a tavern, using the dusty clothes and mirrors as decoration.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Madame Rosene''': A serious woman in her late fifties, she is the tavernkeeper of the Driftwood Tavern. Only longtime customers and old friends come to the Driftwood regularly, a situation that suits Madame Rosene just fine, as she is slow to trust outsiders, placing her faith mainly in familiar citizens of old Neverwinter or their children.

*** '''Harrag''': A sallow former pirate captain who lost a leg in a battle with sahuagin long ago, he is the proprietor of the Beached Leviathan. Harrag is as a scurvy, independent scoundrel who will deal with anyone, but never permanently joins a side.

*** '''Len-jes''': A scarred watersoul genasi, she serves as Neverember’s harbormaster. Once a corsair on the Sea of Fallen Stars, she fled her enemies there and settled in Waterdeep. Neverember recognized her business acumen and recruited Len-jes to be his master of trade in the reborn city. The harbormaster’s head for numbers serves her well in balancing Soman Galt’s tax ledgers. Her less academic duties include dredging the bay to open more berths for trade ships. She permanently leases a chamber in the Beached Leviathan and can be found in the taproom there many nights, recounting her adventures as a corsair.

*** '''Mordai Vell''': Tall and dark, Mordai has luminous gold eyes even though most tieflings boast red or black ones. Charisma practically drips from him, setting all around him off their guard. His obvious wealth doesn’t hurt, either. As the last heir of a noble family (one whose holdings remained remarkably intact after the cataclysm), he exerts great influence over Neverwinter’s economy and politics. Mordai is arrogance incarnate. He pursues whatever interests him, regardless of how far he must reach. Mordai is a smooth operator—charming, rich, and always keen on how he might ally with new acquaintances and use them.

*** '''Theryis''': The owner of the House of a Thousand Faces, she has short, straight, silver hair and golden eyes. She can be friendly and kind to those she knows well, but often comes off as gruff and no-nonsense to others.

*** '''Toram''': A half-elf with long, wavy, red hair and blue eyes, he is Theryis's half-brother, though they bear little resemblance. He is competitive in a good-natured way, often challenging patrons of the Thousand Faces to friendly competitions in one thing or another. He lives at the tavern, staying in its basement, and helps his sister run it.

* '''River District''': The River District takes its name from the terrain feature that has saved it from being overrun—namely, the Neverwinter River, which holds at bay the plaguechanged forces that emerge from the Chasm to the south. The bulk of Neverwinter’s merchant class once dwelt here, and the architecture shows it. The houses were sturdily built, and although they are not ostentatious, most are large enough to have held a family of six or eight plus servants. Guardhouses and security walls abound offering cover for skirmishers looking to ambush unsuspecting visitors. Long flower gardens run through the center of each street, although over the years they have gone to weeds or decay. One might think the Mintarns could have pacified the River District by now, but safety proves elusive, mostly due to a band of orcs in the ancient Cloak Tower at the eastern edge of the area. New Neverwinter’s forces occasionally venture into the district, but generally only as far as the Fallen Tower tavern. That establishment serves as neutral ground for negotiations between Lord Neverember and Vansi of the orcs, to whom the rest of the district belongs. Beasts from the surrounding wilderness occasionally stalk the streets here, hunting for food. Even if the orcs were not present, the other dangerous creatures would be reason enough for refugees to avoid this district, regardless of whether their houses remain standing. For now, a hastily erected barrier seals most of the River District from Blacklake. It usually stands unattended, since the Mintarn guards have better things to do than patrol the barrier, opting instead to post signs warning people away. Some people enter the district despite these warnings. The relative privacy makes discreet liaisons and daredevil games frequent occurrences in the River District, and stern parents have to caution youngbloods with a thirst for adventure against going in.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Fallen Tower''': The broken base of an old wizard’s tower has long been the site of a popular tavern in Neverwinter. Within the Fallen Tower, phantoms form in the air each night, seeming solid and real as they replay the moments of their deaths during the Spellplague by appearing to fall into and through the cookfire in the middle of the tavern. Two terrified wizards, their bodies already ablaze, fall first, followed by another wizard whose limbs have turned into eels. Finally, a fourth wizard’s body descends as its flesh is stripped away, leaving the skull’s eerie grin as the last image to fade. Since before the cataclysm, the show has attracted customers to the Fallen Tower. When the Many-Arrows orcs discovered this vacant building, they found stores of wine and were in the midst of a celebration when the phantoms appeared. The orcs started to flee, but when it became clear that the spirits were harmless, the wine lured them back. Now the Many-Arrows orcs run the tavern as a place where members of their force and others worthy enough to join them can share a few drinks. The Lord Protector and the leader of the Many- Arrows orcs have declared the Fallen Tower neutral ground, and the orcs do not bother anyone who comes to the tavern to do business. No bouncers are needed, because anyone who breaks the truce of the tavern faces the blades of every patron present.

*** '''Cloak Tower''': An expeditionary force of orcs from the Many-Arrows kingdom has come to Neverwinter and makes its base in the structure known as the Cloak Tower. The orcs have defied all attempts to rein them in or push them out, and Lord Neverember is biding his time until he figures out how to get rid of them. For the moment, the orcs have helped to control the monster population in the northern half of the city. They tend to slay anyone who interferes with their business, including plaguechanged spawn that come up through the sewers on the north side of the river. The tower takes its name from a guild of mages called the Many-Starred Cloaks who lived and gathered there. They were well known in the city for their arcane skill and for the whimsical, colorful cloaks they wore. During the Spellplague, the tower and its occupants vanished. The tower reappeared half a year later on a different patch of ground in the city. As tavern tales have it, when thieves first broke into the tower several months after it first reappeared, they found empty halls and no mages (or bodies). Only the guild members’ many-starred cloaks remained, hanging from pegs on the walls. Then disaster struck the thieves: The lone survivor of the group told of a horrific attack from cloaks that suddenly came to life and enveloped the other bandits. Whether the tale or any part of it is true, the citizens of Neverwinter shunned the tower for decades thereafter—no one wanted to risk entering it. District residents expected that the orcs, too, would run afoul of the tower’s wards when they tried to occupy the place, but the warriors were able to move in safely. They have now established themselves quite nicely in the most protected holdfast in the district.

*** '''The Shard of Night''': A bleak tower of black stone hovers above a cluster of ruined apartments in the River District, seemingly sheared off at its base when it was torn from whatever location it once occupied. The tower has been here since the Spellplague, but no one who investigated the structure in the early years after its appearance ever returned, so people decided to leave it alone. The Shard of Night rises high into the sky over Neverwinter, but it casts no shadow during the day. Any creature that passes under the tower in daylight sees its own shadow disappear, as if the tower were absorbing the darkness. During the night, the tower casts a shadow by the light of the moon that looms over much of the area around the place. Nearby residents believe that the Shard of Night is haunted, since no one or thing is ever seen to come or go, yet sounds sometimes echo down from the opening in its base.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Vagdru One-Ear''': This orc veteran acts as bartender and purveyor of the Fallen Tower, providing whatever drinks the orcs can find and passing out raw meat of dubious origin for the patrons to roast at the central fire (or to eat uncooked if they want).

*** '''Vansi''': The commander of the orc force, she is a warrior known for her reaving flail and fearsome war cry. Ferocious even for an orc soldier, Vansi claims the streets of the River District as a colony of the Many-Arrows kingdom, governed from the mysterious Cloak Tower.

* '''The Chasm''': The southeastern quarter of Neverwinter lies in almost complete ruin, virtually flattened by the earthquake during the cataclysm and since then under continual assault by plaguechanged monsters that emerge from the depths. At the center of this wasteland yawns the Chasm—a canyon-like crack in the earth that spawns all manner of twisted and deadly beasts. It supposedly extends down into the Underdark, but few have ever ventured down the Chasm and even fewer returned. Proximity to the Chasm causes mild anxiety, moodiness, and paranoia. The effects are obvious on people at the Wall, and they increase in intensity as one moves closer to—or deeper into—the Chasm. It becomes difficult to think clearly, and even allies seem to hold treachery in their hearts. Recently, this pervasive ill will has begun to radiate beyond the confines of the Wall, plaguing the dreams of Neverwinter’s residents with terrible nightmares.

** '''Ruined Terrain''': The surrounding land in the district that takes its name from the Chasm is a tangled maze of broken buildings and clotted streets, all of it battered by the elements and crushed under the paws of the Chasm’s monsters. Wall patrols venture into this wasteland only occasionally, since few who leave the barricade’s safety return. Those who do sometimes carry marks from the experience, such as azure burns, twisted limbs, or some other physical manifestation of a spellscar. Lord Neverember has ordered that anyone showing symptoms of infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold for treatment.

** '''The Upper Reach''': For the few people who have done it, climbing down into the Chasm resembles what they may have heard of tales about venturing into the Abyss. The first hundred or so feet are fairly normal, except for occasional swells of superheated air. Past that point, conditions grow more hostile. Elemental energy surges up from the depths in sudden storms. Earthmotes float in the pit, some drifting slowly and others bashing against the walls as though driven by demons. Handholds are scarce on the treacherous walls, which can explode with flame or lightning at any moment. Rocky outcroppings come and go, collapsing or molding themselves as onlookers watch. All manner of plaguechanged creatures dwell in pockets and on precipices in the upper Chasm. Some climb the walls, and others ride bolts of chaotic energy that flare from the bottom of the pit. These creatures rise like birds filling their wings with wind.

** Few, if any, know what lies in the lower reaches of the Chasm...

* '''Underground Neverwinter''': True danger in Neverwinter lurks in places the sun never touches—in the darkness beneath hundreds of tons of stone. Underground ruins abound in a city that has suffered so much damage. The Mintarn enforcers rarely venture below ground, preferring to deal with threats if and when they emerge onto the surface. Thus, sewers and crypts make perfect lairs for all sorts of creeping, scheming evil.

** '''Shattered Sewers''': When the cataclysm struck, Neverwinter’s sewer system took a serious beating as buildings collapsed into their foundations, leaving a maze of precarious wreckage and treacherous tunnels. The sewers quickly became dangerous in the extreme, home to all manner of awful beasts. Provided one is willing to risk getting lost or being attacked, the extensive sewers provide a means of moving about the city. This method of travel is confusing and potentially deadly, however—one never knows when a building overhead will collapse, bringing part of the ceiling down with it, or when a group of underworld squatters might ambush intruders. The tunnels near the Chasm are particularly hazardous because they play host to aberrant beings. The forces of New Neverwinter rarely search the sewers, so rebels and schemers use the filthy tunnels freely.

** '''Kraken Tunnels''': A seaside, underground maze shaped vaguely like an octopus, this complex once belonged to the Kraken Society, a ruthless conglomerate of slavers and blackmarket traders that sought to control the Sword Coast. Many rooms throughout the complex have openings in their floors, revealing the dark, murky water that lies beneath.

** '''Tunnels and Trenches''': The opening of the Chasm and the earthquakes that brought down many buildings in southeastern Neverwinter collapsed many of the sewers in the district. This created trenches in or beside the streets and tunnels where the sewers had not collapsed. These pathways now provide cover for the movement of monsters beyond the Wall and secure places to which they can retreat when repelled from their frequent assaults. The sewers, trenches, and ruined buildings offer an excellent tactical advantage by allowing the forces of the Chasm to approach close to the Wall without sustaining attack, but this is offset by the high vantage of the House of Knowledge, whose occupants ring a bell when they can see significant movement in the far-off trenches. Unfortunately for the Wall’s defenders, night and weather can obscure observation of the trenches, and thus they often use arbalests to launch balls of flaming pitch into the district in the hopes of illuminating the scene.

== Helm's Hold ==
Once a bastion of safety on the edge of Neverwinter Wood, the fortified monastery and community called Helm’s Hold has endured through the last decades, diminished but unyielding. It has lived through the death of the god who gave the place its name, the
ravages of the Spellplague, and the ruination of Neverwinter. Through all this, Helm’s Hold has taken a serious beating but stubbornly clings to its original purpose: to provide sanctuary for those who none. Helm’s Hold has always been a place of healing
and protection for the people of Faerûn. Even when Helm perished a year before the Spellplague, the monastery remained open, seeking to aid those with nowhere else to turn. During the decades after the Spellplague hit, the Hold became one of the few safe
destinations—if not the only one—along the Sword Coast. The cataclysm once again made clear the need for Helm’s Hold and its services. Its doors have remained open over the years, admitting all who suffer, regardless of race, background, or faith. Today, the monastery proper serves as an asylum for those cursed with the Spellplague. People from all over Faerûn make the pilgrimage here for treatment, as do people from Neverwinter, which is less than a day’s journey to the northwest. In fact, Lord Neverember issued a standing order a year ago that anyone in the city showing symptoms of Spellplague infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold as soon as possible. The influx of the needy since that time has swelled the town’s numbers, but tolerance is in the air here, so the spellscarred feel more at home in the Hold than anywhere else in the Realms. Originally a small monastery and its surrounding village, Helm’s Hold has grown over the decades. The cathedral’s foundation had hardly been laid when Helm died, but the people finished it as a monument in his honor. Helm has become a cultural icon here—a patron saint of the community—and all followers of all gods are welcome under his watchful gaze.

* '''Locations'''

** '''The Hungry Flame''': A decrepit tavern which has a reputation for being unfriendly to patrons who are not spellscarred. The place is a rogue’s gallery of the strange and twisted.

** '''The Dragon’s Gauntlet''': The battered town hall of Helm’s Hold, formerly an inn, is a popular gathering place for the people of the city, as well as a forum for its tempestuous governmental process. The people of the town are rugged individualists at heart, a characteristic that does not always mesh well with governmental edicts. Loud shouts, challenges, and shows of intimidation are acceptable methods of discussing legislation.

** '''Heartward''': Life and death are both on stage in the plaza called Heartward at the center of Helm’s Hold, where a marketplace is arrayed around a hangman’s scaffold. Food and gold are both scarce in the marketplace, and brawls break out between customers who feel cheated. Soldiers keep watch from the perimeter of the plaza. Town criers declaim the words of the Prophet, particularly when she has foretold something seen as especially wonderful or dire. The pronouncements are entertainment as well as news, since people love debating exactly what her portents mean. The Heartward’s chief notoriety is a haunting that fills the plaza on certain nights, when clouds obscure the waning moon. Luminous shapes appear—a gathering of ghosts that go about the business of the living. Phantom vendors sell ephemeral apples at empty stands, ghost children run happily through the streets, and spirits hang one another at the scaffold. Some of the scenes appear to be reenactments of past events, whereas others have not occurred—at least, not yet. The ghosts speak mostly nonsense, but some of what they say might offer clues to past or future happenings. The plaza’s name comes from a small shrine on the edge of the marketplace devoted to Sune, goddess of beauty and romance, which is a favored meeting place for lovers in the city. On haunted nights, couples gather at the shrine, hoping for a thrill.

** '''The Old Dirty Dwarf''': The region’s hard years have closed many businesses, but the Old Dirty Dwarf has stood the test of time. The best inn and tavern in Helm’s Hold, the Old Dirty Dwarf caters mostly to newcomers to the city. In the wake of the Lord Protector’s occupation of Neverwinter and his increasing presence in the Hold, Mintarn mercenaries have come to dominate the inn’s patronage, often with new exiles from Neverwinter in tow.

** '''Scar Alley''': Numerous setbacks have taken their toll on the structures and the people of Helm’s Hold. Nowhere in town is this fact more evident than in the oldest district—Scar Alley, a small collection of weathered streets where the least fortunate residents live. The district is home to the worst spellscarred in town, those shunned because of their extreme physical deformities. During the Spellplague, the ground upon which the Hold is built softened, causing some buildings to bow or lean precariously out over the streets. Much of the original stone construction of Scar Alley is approaching ruin, and the residents do what they can to bolster the failing structures with planks, mortar, and fresh stone. The district is poorly patrolled, full of hovels that are frequented by shady characters or infested by monsters.

** '''Helm's Cathedral''': The cathedral to the dead god Helm lost its original religious purpose long ago and became a sanatorium for the ailing, tended by the aging faithful who still honor the traditions of their deity. The spellscarred find treatment here, and many of the servants in the cathedral are also patients. They work as part of their treatment. The Prophet Rohini is the undisputed master of Helm’s cathedral, even if she disdains political status. She exists, she says, only to pass on the mysterious prophecies of her equally mysterious faith. The cathedral can hold about a thousand souls. Most of them are patients of the sanatorium, though a few enjoy relatively good health and handle the day-to-day maintenance of the temple. A dozen or so acolytes who have skill in non-magical healing or an aptitude for service keep order in the cathedral. Several followers of Oghma labor alongside the former Helmites, continuing the work of the late Brother Anthus.

*** '''Halls of the Guardian''': The daylight floors of the temple look much as they did a hundred years ago: hung with banners of Helm’s sigil and warded at all corners by suits of armor that feature stylized eyes on their gauntlets and prominent, blankfaced helms. Cavernous chambers soar high through flying buttresses, and great statues of Helm and heroes of legend gaze down upon supplicants. The walls block most sound, but sometimes a cry or an incoherent rant reverberates up from the deeper levels of the complex. The effect is a sharp contrast in what otherwise appears to be a glorious temple. The great hall of the cathedral could accommodate a hundred men-at-arms comfortably, though today it has a far different purpose. It is here that the Prophet sits in audience, dispensing her predictions of future events. If asked to do so, she may lay her hands on those in attendance and tell their fortunes.

*** '''Sanatorium''': Beneath the stately, well-lit halls on the surface, the lower levels of the cathedral grow darker and more frightening. A sanatorium hides in the vaults: a maze of cramped corridors that houses a growing number of spellscarred victims, who struggle with insanity or physical deformities. Once a day, the patients are allowed out onto the cathedral grounds, under close observation by priests. Although the madness of these unfortunates unnerves most visitors, the Prophet spends a great deal of time in the sanatorium without being affected. To the folk of Helm’s Hold, this is a sign of her compassionate nature.

** '''Beneath Helm's Hold''': Through the many years that Helm’s Hold has stood, its occupants delved underground. Their crypts and ossuaries utilized natural caverns as well as chambers left in the earth by old empires, creating a vast network of tunnels and levels. Once the domain only of the peaceful departed, these places have now been invaded by the living, making the dead grow restless.

* '''Notable NPCs'''

** '''Halas''': A charismatic half-elf, he is a former landowner in Neverwinter who came to Helm's Hold after being afflicted with a spellscar. He is an informal leader of the spellscarred, and pushes back against those who wish them gone.

** '''Meryth''': A female elf, she is another informal leader of Helm's Hold's spellscarred population. She advocates peaceful resistance in the face of prejudice.

** '''Rohini, the Prophet of Helm’s Hold''': Rohini is the main healer and head researcher of Helm's Hold monastery, taking over in that last role for the now deceased Brother Anthus, who passed away shortly after her arrival at the House of Knowledge. Rohini earned her sobriquet through the foretellings she speaks of pivotal events to come, both good and ill. The Prophet claims knowledge of extraordinary mysteries beyond mortal understanding. She says this awareness gives her the power to purify the worthy. She bestows healing on individuals that have been visited by the Spellplague. Although Rohini does not sit in overt leadership in the cathedral, the acolytes, servants, and patients bow to her, calling her simply “Prophet.”

** '''Dunfield''': An old associate of Lord Neverember, he leads a band of mercenaries the Lord Protector has lent Helm's Hold to serve as a town watch. Hard-bitten and cynical, Dunfield remains an honorable man who tries to keep his soldiers in line and serve the community as best as he can.

** '''Alisara Callum''': Everyone in Helm’s Hold pays deference to her, the town’s elected Chief Speaker. Her ability to inspire loyalty helps to keep the haphazard government functioning. A former soldier now past her prime, Alisara brings a note of legitimacy to the council. She wears a frayed purple tabard with a white dragon sigil—the symbol of her former service with the Purple Dragon Knights of Cormyr—which some locals consider to be her personal coat of arms. Alisara is well liked, though her policies of accepting the spellscarred irk some in the city.

** '''Doloran Bard''': An aging farmer and councilman whose family long ago helped build the original monastery, he is wary of trusting the direction of Helm’s Hold to an outsider. An unrepentant purist when it comes to the spellscarred, Bard would prefer that the town push out the “unclean” hordes and return the Hold to its original purpose.

** '''Juetta''': A human female of about thirty years, she is the proprietor of the Old Dirty Dwarf, an establishment that is mostly safe, if none too clean. The Old Dirty Dwarf welcomes all, but some of the staff makes an exclusion for spellscarred, actively discouraging their business. Juetta frowns on this sort of behavior, but she can’t be everywhere in the place at the same time, so she can’t stop the growing tensions that bubble over in the tavern from time to time.

** '''Brother Satarin''': An acolyte before Helm’s death, the young dwarf took his vows shortly before the god fell. Satarin stayed at the cathedral, teaching the ways of his fallen master and attending to the needy after the rest of Helm’s clergy left the place for other gods or retired from the cloth. Now, at the age of 160, Satarin is as close to a high priest as the cathedral is likely to see again, though he firmly eschews any title but Brother. He opened the cathedral’s doors to the Prophet at the request of Brother Vartan, a priest of Oghma whose research on resurrecting dead gods was of interest to the still-devout Satarin.

** '''Torlgar''': The warden of the sanatorium is Torlgar, a hulking goliath. An early convert to Rohini’s ways, Torlgar is fiercely loyal to his beloved mistress, to the point of death or beyond.

Welcome to Neverwinter

2024-11-17T15:41:16Z

NightGoblyn: /* Skills */

== Premise ==

AMID THE wilderness and savagery of the cold North, Neverwinter once stood as a beacon of civility and warmth. Even after the Spellplague wracked the world, the Jewel of the North lost little of its luster. The city’s destruction thus shocked many when it occurred, despite the portents that warned of coming peril. Vague prophecies and strange events seemed like shadows of the Spellplague, nothing more. Even the earth tremors that began to disturb the area could not shake its citizens’ belief in a bright future.

Then Mount Hotenow, deep in Neverwinter Wood, awoke with the power of an angry god. The city could do nothing against such a foe. The earth yawned open and broke apart. Whole districts shuddered and sank while other areas shot up, forming sudden cliffs. The river, running warm throughout winter, exploded into hissing steam and lava as scalding clouds of ash roared through the streets like an advancing army. Thousands lost their lives as Neverwinter died that day.

Slowly, life has returned to this ruined landscape. Many hope to rebuild what has been lost, but an equal number see the tragedy as an opportunity to seize all they can. Yet those who scratch out lives in the scarred city fail to see the infection below the scab. Under their noses, beneath their feet, and even within their earshot, dark forces battle one another for control of the city.

The year is 1479 and it is Marpenoth, the 10th month of the year.

== Houserules ==

* I'm just going to do milestone leveling rather than precisely tracking experience.

* I'm not interested in closely tracking everyone's encumbrance but try to keep things reasonable on that front.

* We'll be using popcorn initiative, as Falkus described in this thread: https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/request-for-a-4th-edition-dnd-game-set-in-the-forgotten-realms-using-the-keep-on-the-shadowfell-modules.921348/. Basically, once combat starts 1 PC will go (on a first come, first serve basis), then I'll have a NPC go, then another PC who hasn't acted yet will act, etc, until the end of the round, when the process starts over. Initiative won't serve any purpose, so you probably don't want to take any features that improve it.

== Threads ==

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/welcome-to-neverwinter.922077 IC Thread]

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/welcome-to-neverwinter.922073/ OOC Thread]

== PCs ==

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/17VpavwknMncf6b4f34vFtHieEp6udnXI0S8b3XwuehI/edit Ernst Lemuel. Human-appearing (Deva) Shaman. Oghma's Faithful/Dragon Coast.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KY_8n5OjSacZdHmB10xdQwNtDsddbznn5Al_anpF6E0/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Lander Telantere. Human Cleric. Scion of Shadows.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/19fLiTfe5HxGEDq4DKe9JAmjzS_IfPKl3HGv8o95N5Yo/edit?usp=sharing Tatha Dinistyn. Drow Sorcerer. Spellscarred Harbinger.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b0yp3wSwaD9cUCVpPxjhCrwFfl_ERDLIlNf8mwkm4iI/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Orcanu Tamar. Eladrin Swordmage. Iliyanbruen Guardian.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10BYWPOrilUHZS9Zr8fkfH9gLhx5YGOHtfmU8f16yI60/edit?usp=sharing Otis Oakson. Human Wizard. Blackstaff Apprentice.]

====Skills====

{|
|+Skill Matrix (L.1)
|-
!Skill
!Otis
!Fighter
!Ernst
!Lander
!Tatha
!Orcanu
|-
| Acrobatics (Dex)
| +1
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +3
| +0
|-
| Arcana (Int)
| '''+9'''
| +10
| +4
| 0
| +7
| '''+14'''
|-
| Athletics (Str)
| +0
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +0
| '''+5'''
|-
| Bluff (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +7
| '''+10'''
| +1
|-
| Diplomacy (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +7
| '''+10'''
| +1
|-
| Dungeoneering (Wis)
| +1
| '''+7'''
| +4
| +4
| -1
| -1
|-
| Endurance (Con)
| +2
| +0
| +1
| +2
| +0
| '''+7'''
|-
| Heal (Wis)
| +1
| +2
| '''+4'''
| '''+4'''
| -1
| -1
|-
| History (Int)
| '''+9'''
| +5
| +11
| +5
| +0
| '''+12'''
|-
| Insight (Wis)
| +1
| +8
| '''+9'''
| '''+9'''
| -1
| -1
|-
| Intimidate (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +2
| '''+12'''
| +1
|-
| Nature (Wis)
| '''+6'''
| +7
| '''+9'''
| +4
| -1
| -1
|-
| Perception (Wis)
| '''+7'''
| +8
| '''+9'''
| +4
| -1
| +4
|-
| Religion (Int)
| +4
| +5
| '''+6'''
| +5
| +0
| +5
|-
| Stealth (Dex)
| '''+7'''
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +6
| +0
|-
| Streetwise (Cha)
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +2
| +4
| +1
|-
| Thievery (Dex)
| +1
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +3
| +0
|}

===Languages===
* Cleo: Common, Goblin
* Maria: Common, Draconic
* Ernst: Common, Chondathan, Goblin, Supernal
* Lander: Common, Netherese
* Tatha: Common, Elven
* Orcanu: Common, Eladrin

====Passed into the Woods====
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZFpAbbxBSZWGLjB_yNPjQ7-62cOylGJTM0puf986ruE/edit Cleo. Human Rogue. Dead Rat Deserter.]
* [https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2881605 Maria Fireheart. Human Mage. Harper Agent/Detective.]

== Neverwinter and the North ==
[[File:Neverwinter_map.png]]

Even in safer times, the North’s reputation as the Savage North was well earned. Now, times are worse and the land more savage by far. Its great cities, once bastions of light and civilization, lie crippled. The small towns that served to shelter travelers stand empty—or have been claimed by murderous groups and hungry monsters. Roads etched into the earth with thousands of years of use are increasingly obscured by forest, bramble, and marsh. Communities now struggle alone amid the wilderness,
fortunate if they see an outsider once in a generation. Neverwinter labors to breathe in the suffocating harshness of this new North, the sea its only lifeline. With few traders braving the increasingly long treks between settlements, the city’s docks now provide the area’s main means of import and precious little export. Gone are the days of plenty, beauty, and luxury. Today, Neverwinter struggles to break free of the forces that brought it low, still weak and surrounded by danger.

* '''Neverwinter''': The City of Skilled Hands, the Jewel of the North—many were the accolades once heaped upon Neverwinter. Then, almost thirty years ago, the city died. Minor earth tremors that had plagued the region for months were the precursors of the eruption of Mount Hotenow. A portion of that volcano’s peak exploded with such force that lava and superheated ash poured across the city in an avalanche. Half of Neverwinter’s population died in a heartbeat, the city’s buildings razed. A great rift now known as the Chasm rent the surface where the shifting earth had pulled apart. Strange zombies roamed the land in the aftermath, their dead flesh turned to ash by the fires that consumed the city. Yet the people of the North have always been resilient. After the destruction, many who had fled at the first tremors returned. Opportunists and looters arrived. People began to rebuild. Lord Dagult Neverember, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, eventually arrived as well, along with an army of Mintarn mercenaries. Today, the city struggles back to life under the watchful rule of the self-styled Lord Protector.

* '''Neverwinter''' River: The bright water of the Neverwinter River runs warm throughout the year, a feature that helps to keep the city from being frozen in the winter months. When the cataclysm struck, dark ash choked the river for months before it began to flow from Neverwinter Wood through the city once more. Three bridges once spanned the river in Neverwinter— the Sleeping Dragon, the Winged Wyvern, and the Dolphin, each sculpted in the form of its name. Of the three, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

* '''Helm’s Hold''': Once a small monastery and adjacent village dedicated to the deity Helm, the cathedral of Helm’s Hold now towers above the town and surrounding lands that bear its name. The death of Helm saw the monastery fall into disuse, but the fortified town became a refuge when the Spellplague hit during the year following Helm’s demise. Lord Neverember now exiles victims of the Spellplague to Helm’s Hold for treatment, and his mercenaries guard the town.

* '''Port Llast''': This town was a great city in ancient times—the most northerly safe harbor on the Sword Coast whenever Luskan would fall to orcs or other evil forces. However, the rise of a relatively stable Luskan and ports farther north began to diminish its prominence. Then came the Spellplague, and with it the return of Abeir. The appearance of the new continent in the ocean to the west changed the tides around Port Llast, filling the harbor with silt and making Neverwinter an easier port to reach. With the docks of Port Llast failing and trade dying off, most of its citizens have long since abandoned their homes or died at the hands of marauders. Now a ghost town, Port Llast is known as the realm of the evil sea goddess Umberlee and as a home to sea monsters. However, some say that this reputation is simply rumor spread by those who want to keep the secrets of the town to themselves.

* '''Neverwinter Wood''': For generations, this dark forest has been shunned by most people of the North. That magic exists in Neverwinter Wood cannot be doubted, but its nature—and whether it exists as a force of good or ill—remains unknown. The forest holds many secrets, and even on its fringes, one feels a sense of unease. Humans have never logged in this area, and the orcs of the North have traditionally avoided it during their incursions. Only druids and Uthgardt barbarians dare to pass into the deep forest.

* '''Thundertree''': This small town once stood at the edge of the wood. Its inhabitants made a living by harvesting windfall timber to ship downriver to the Neverwinter and beyond. Now the forest has overgrown Thundertree’s abandoned and decaying buildings. Although the town survived the Spellplague largely intact, the ash zombies that arose after the destruction of Neverwinter overran it. As the dangers of Neverwinter Wood increase, the abandoned town and its unknown horrors are shunned.

* '''Mount Hotenow''': For untold generations, this volcanic peak quietly fumed in the depths of Neverwinter Wood. Rumored to be the source of the warmth of the Neverwinter River, Mount Hotenow once featured in the bedtime stories of Neverwinter’s citizens as the home of fire giants, red dragons, and other blazing beasts. People looked upon the fantastic peak as a thing of beauty—until its wrath was unleashed against Neverwinter in the cataclysm. Now jutting like a broken tooth from the forest, Mount Hotenow still fumes, the land occasionally quaking with the echoes of its fury.

* '''The Crags''': This long wrinkle of hills and ridges runs northeast from Neverwinter Wood. Goblins, gnolls, ogres, hill giants, and other wild peoples have dwelled within this rocky landscape for centuries. So too has the Sky Pony tribe of the Uthgardt barbarians. Rumors have long persisted that an entrance to Gauntlgrym lies somewhere in the Crags. However, the hundreds of ancient and now-dead mines that long ago brought humans to the area make for numerous false leads.

* '''Tower of Twilight''': This enchanted tower long stood on an island in a small lake east of Neverwinter Wood. Home to a student of the great wizard Khelben Blackstaff, the tower stood invisible by day but would appear as the light failed. During the Spellplague, the tower vanished without a trace, though it now reappears infrequently and unpredictably at twilight. Who lives there now, where the tower disappears to, and why it returns remain a mystery.

* '''Conyberry''': During the Spellplague, a portion of Abeir imposed itself upon the village of Conyberry. The terrain-altering effect of this transition forced the inhabitants of the village to come together with people dwelling in the regions of Abeir to which they were joined. However, in the intervening decades, the Gray Wolf Uthgardt tribe has sacked the settlement in retribution for this “invasion” of their lands, slaughtering Conyberry’s citizens or forcing them to join the tribe. The village now lies largely vacant.

* '''Old Owl Well''': Known in ancient texts as Old Owlbear Well and in even older histories as Quesseer, this site marks the location of a Netherese outpost established millennia ago. The Netherese built a means of drawing water from the earth, using the site as a place of trade. For centuries, this water supply on a key trade route served as a source of conflict. Until the chaos of the Spellplague, orcs and humans from Neverwinter and Waterdeep still struggled to control the outpost. Now, it lies forgotten and abandoned. Until trade returns to these lands, the fate of the well and whatever ruins lie hidden in the surrounding hills remain unknown.

* '''Morgur’s Mound''': Atop this foothill of the Crags, Uthgar—deity and founder of the Uthgardt barbarians— died after saving the North from Gurt, Lord of the Pale Giants. The mound is named for Uthgar’s brother Morgur (called Morgred by some), who is said to be buried there. Once, the bones of a great thunderbeast were spread atop the hill, marking it as the holy shrine of the Uthgardt.

* '''Luskan''': An urban cesspool, the once-great City of Sails squats on the coastline like an open sore on the face of the continent of Faerûn. It lies about four days hard travel north of Neverwinter (about three days by sea, due to prevailing currents). Until some hundred years ago, Luskan choked in the grasp of the Arcane Brotherhood and its leader, Arklem Greeth. When a force of pirate-killers from Waterdeep along with the legendary hero Drizzt and his allies precipitated the destruction of the Hosttower of the Arcane, the city was destabilized and never fully recovered. Street gangs and pirates rule Luskan now, making the city a stomping ground for criminals, exiles from other lands, and hideous beasts.

* '''Gauntlgrym''': This famous subterranean dwarven city has been the stuff of legend for centuries. Aside from the dwarves, most people of the North doubted Gauntlgrym’s existence—until the Summons, as it has come to be known. At that time, ghostly dwarves in ancient dress appeared before certain dwarves throughout the North and beyond, silently pleading for heroes to seek out Gauntlgrym. Some did set out in search of the lost city, though most counted themselves lucky when the ghosts troubled them no more. Many of those who sought Gauntlgrym did so in the Crags, for ancient legends mentioned an entrance there. Others plunged into Neverwinter Wood or scaled the Sword Mountains. Few returned from their quests, and those who survived almost never found any trace of their goal. Some dwarves seek the city still, but for the rest, Gauntlgrym remains a tantalizing legend.

* '''The Sword Mountains''': The sharp peaks and hilly terrain of the Sword Mountains extend down the coast of the Sea of Swords for nearly two hundred miles. Long home to belligerent dwarf clans, orc tribes, trolls, dragons, and other fearsome creatures, this range is rarely traveled in these dangerous times. Those foolish enough to brave the mountains often do so in search of old mines and the ruins of civilizations past. However, most find only death in the end.

* '''Leilon''': This sleepy mining town once served as a convenient resting place for travelers on the High Road. Now, the few travelers who still take this route shun Leilon, going miles out of their way to avoid even laying eyes on the town. The High Tower of Thalivar long stood as a landmark here, abandoned by a forgotten mage. For generations, the tower proved a tempting target for plunderers—and, too often, a grave for them as well. The people of Leilon knew that the tower held guardian monsters, and they were content to leave it alone. However, the Spellplague’s twisted magic unleashed the creatures trapped in the tower, which quickly ravaged the helpless village. Now, the tower is a place of terror, its magic allegedly freezing in place all creatures whose eyes rest upon it, even for a moment.

* '''Mere of Dead Men''': This vast salt marsh contains the ruins of the numerous castles, manors, and farms it swallowed as it expanded. It takes its name from the great armies that were drowned here when a powerful lich flooded their battlefield. Whereas once the High Road skirted the swamp, what now remains of that highway plunges through its expanded borders. Those seeking to go south to Waterdeep from points north must often contend with the lizardfolk that claim the territory around the road. Alternative routes wind deeper into the mere or off into the Sword Mountains at the cost of extra days of travel and peril.

* '''Waterdeep''': Once the greatest and grandest city in the Realms, Waterdeep’s star has dimmed slightly in the last century as the world has progressively darkened. The great port—about a week south of Neverwinter, or three days by sea—no longer sustains its own navy, relying instead on mercenaries from the island of Mintarn and the city of Baldur’s Gate to the south. The city has long existed as a relatively fair and just center of civilization. Waterdeep is ruled by a council of twenty Masked Lords (nobles hidden behind powerful illusions to obscure their identities) and one Open Lord. The current Open Lord is the boisterous and dangerous Dagult Neverember, the so-called Lord Protector of Neverwinter. Unlike most of the other Open Lords in Waterdeep’s history, Lord Neverember has demonstrated an expansionist and imperialistic bent. In recent years, he has set his sights on Neverwinter as the next territory in his growing empire.

== City of Neverwinter ==

[[File:Neverwinter_city.png]]

'''Neverwinter''': A once-bustling metropolis, the northern city of Neverwinter lies mostly in ruins after a century of turmoil that culminated in a great cataclysm nearly thirty years ago. Fires, earthquakes, and evil portents destroyed or chased away most of the populace, but even the supposed waking of an ancient primordial could not kill the city completely. Some stubborn natives remained, carrying on in spite of countless hardships. Because of them—and because of the reconstruction efforts of the last decade—Neverwinter still stands, despite its tragedies. Today, the city is a center of trade, warfare both open and secret, and—above all—adventure. After so much abuse and neglect, much of the city’s architecture is damaged or lies in rubble. Recent repair efforts have given Neverwinter a patchwork appearance; slums are juxtaposed with new construction, all resting on the shattered remnants of old buildings. Certain districts are more intact than others, and former citizens have returned to such areas, thanks to the efforts of the city’s Lord Protector: Dagult Neverember, Open Lord of Waterdeep.

* '''Protector's Enclave''': The Lord Protector of Neverwinter rules the city from the Hall of Justice, the old temple of Tyr. Farthest from the source of the great earthquake that struck Mount Hotenow almost three decades ago, this area of Neverwinter suffered the least destruction. This good fortune also made the district a primary target for Lord Neverember. He moved an overwhelming force of mercenaries into the district, secured his base, and, ever since, has spent half his time here and half in Waterdeep. The Protector’s Enclave stands mostly intact, and many former residents of the city have returned to live here alongside new immigrants. Although this district is the most stable part of Neverwinter, it chafes under the firm hand of Sabine, the general of Lord Neverember’s forces. Spies watch every neighborhood and notable gathering place, and Mintarn enforcers march through the streets. The Enclave boasts the best-stocked market in the city, thanks to trade from Waterdeep and other cities along the Sword Coast. The city taxes all transactions made here at a steep rate that the natives have grudgingly come to accept. The taxes pay for the Mintarn soldiers who watch every newcomer to the district with a sharp eye. In the enclave, suspicious or unfamiliar characters do not stay hidden for long.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Hall of Justice''': The high walls and imposing stonework of Tyr’s former temple mark it as a timeless bastion of duty and honor. The great temple stands atop a seaside bluff, challenging all threats from the Sea of Swords or inland Faerûn. When Lord Neverember set his sights on the city, he chose the Hall of Justice as his base of operations for its practical value (the cataclysm left it almost untouched) and its emotional significance to the people of Neverwinter. The city had long served Tyr, the god of justice, and even after the deity fell nearly a hundred years ago, the residents refused to convert the temple to worship of another god. By restoring the temple to its former status, Neverember seeks to win over the city’s traditionalists and establish himself as a champion of just rule. He sponsors priests of Torm whose rites emulate the Tyrran tradition, hoping to attract new devotees to the temple (and to the Lord Protector’s cause). For the most part, the scheme has worked. Some of the locals, however—particularly the Sons of Alagondar—think that Neverember’s presence defiles the great temple, which they now call the “Hall of Never-Justice.” The temple itself is a radiant and beautiful structure, big enough inside for giants to walk comfortably or for dragons to rest in the great hall, beneath the high-domed ceiling. The trappings of the building reflect a bygone age, one dedicated to justice and temperance in all things.

*** '''The Lord’s Residence''': From his office, which looks more and more like a throne room all the time, Lord Neverember issues edicts, coordinates the activities of his followers, and (when he can spare the time) holds audience with the impoverished citizens of the city. However, he has no facility for dispensing justice, and thus he has delegated that role to Soman Galt, whom he has appointed mayor of Neverwinter. The dwarf listens wearily to supplicant after supplicant, offering grudging mediation. Meanwhile, the lord enhances his image as the charismatic champion who does not stoop to petty politics. Neverember has decorated his private quarters after the fashion of Waterdeep, although he takes care to display no seal or coat of arms pertaining to his home city. He has taken the former high priest’s apartments for his own, and he garrisons most of his sellswords in the temple’s other chambers, with a score of servants to wait upon them. A few priests of Torm dwell in the complex, faithful to their god and his precepts.

*** '''The Moonstone Mask''': A vertigo-inducing journey along a cliffside trail takes the adventurous to a new fixture of the Neverwinter skyline. The earthmote now known as the Moonstone floats beside the western edge of the Protector’s Enclave, high over the docks below. It hangs a hundred feet above the crashing waves of the Sea of Swords, bound in place by thick chains strung to heavy anchors. A bridge that runs between the earthmote and the docks allows visitors to enter and exit the Moonstone. The inn for which the mote is named, the Moonstone Mask, offers guests lavish quarters, pleasurable company, and a hard-to-beat view. In no small part, the Moonstone Mask owes its rebirth and current existence to Lord Neverember and New Neverwinter. It repays the favor by housing many of the city’s Mintarn enforcers, including their commander, General Sabine. As such, mercenaries dominate the once-genial atmosphere of the hedonistic inn, and Neverember’s sellswords are known to argue or fight with other patrons

*** '''The Wall''': A great hodgepodge of wood and scavenged stone, the Wall separates civilized Neverwinter from the Chasm and the horrors it spawns. The Wall lets guards strike at targets from positions of relative safety, and it provides regular outposts for watchers. The thick mess of bloodstained refuse at the eastern base—not to mention the occasional rotting corpse of a more recent kill— speaks to the Wall’s success as a defensive fortification. In its early days, the Wall held off the monsters by shunting them toward parts of the city that had already been destroyed. When Neverember arrived, he made it a priority to reinforce what he saw as an effective defensive fortification with his own engineers and soldiers. At first, the Wall blocked only a few streets where attacks were common, but since the reconstruction started, it has expanded to stretch from the Neverdeath graveyard to the old House of Knowledge. In combination with the Neverwinter River, the Wall continues to provide effective containment, although people have spotted plaguechanged monstrosities in the northern River District and, more recently, near sewer holes around the city. The situation grows dire, and petitions for Wall expansion come before Mayor Galt every day.

*** '''House of Knowledge''': At the far northeastern end of the Wall stands what was, in happier times, a flourishing temple to Oghma, god of knowledge and wisdom. Before the quake, the House of Knowledge served as a repository of chronicled learning, including maps, history, and hundreds of poems and chapbooks produced over the centuries. Today, it looks less like a library and more like a refugee camp, holding the area where the Wall approaches the Neverwinter River. After the cataclysm, leadership of the reduced flock at the House of Knowledge fell to Brother Anthus, an elderly human interested in studying the Chasm and the Spellplague-touched creatures that came from it. His research led to the temple’s use as a haven for Spellplague sufferers. After Anthus’s death under mysterious circumstances, a young woman in residence known as the Prophet relocated the makeshift hospital and the remaining clerics of Oghma to Helm’s Hold, claiming a prophesied disaster would befall the city if she did not. After the Prophet departed, the badly damaged temple stood empty and abandoned until recently, when a handful of squatters moved back into the House. These refugees from the River District earn their keep by ringing the temple’s bells when they sight a new wave of monstrosities spilling from the Chasm toward the Wall. Lord Neverember is said to be quite pleased with their resourcefulness, and the Mintarn mercenaries that guard the Wall are known to stop by with small gifts of food and drink to show their appreciation.

*** '''Neverdeath''': A cracked stone wall, patched in places with thick wood, surrounds the graveyard called Neverdeath. Consisting of two wide, roughly square areas of the city, Neverdeath is filled with rows of headstones interspersed with mausoleums and crumbling statues, often overgrown with withered grasses. Time, the Spellplague, and the cataclysm all took their toll on the graveyard, thrusting some sections higher than others, collapsing buildings, and revealing graves. Coffins now jut from small cliffs, and tumbled bones litter the ground. The graveyard takes its name from a common blessing given over the dead. As long as the city remained in summer, it was said, the dead would never truly leave. Many think that winter is coming soon for the city’s dead, however. Neverember’s mercenaries fear the graveyard, preferring to burn the dead outside the walls of the burial ground. If they are not burned, corpses left lying nearby sometimes rise of their own accord. Beneath a large, unassuming mausoleum lie the catacombs of the Waterclock Guild, an organization of artisans famous for building beautiful and intricate timepieces.

*** '''Neverwinter Docks''': Much of Neverwinter’s original wealth and influence came from its position as one of the few deep ports on the Sword Coast. The Neverwinter docks were the commercial heart of the city, though in some ways that heart was infected with darkness and corruption. The Spellplague went some way toward purging that corruption—chunks of land broke away and rose into the sky, forming earthmotes that hovered overhead. The surviving residents of the city adapted, connecting the low-floating motes to the shore with ropes, chains, and bridges. However, the cataclysm later destroyed the foundations of these bridges, and the changed currents swamped whole areas of the port with tidal waves. Neverwinter’s already diminished trade dried up entirely, leaving the docks a rotting ghost town. Only a few fishers and the occasional pirate ship made port here. Lord Neverember made rebuilding this center of trade a top priority. As part of his first initiatives, he sent engineers and loggers to the Upland Rise, a forested hill outside the city that once served as a park for the city’s residents. The crews stripped the hill of all salvageable timber, leaving the Upland Rise a sparse echo of its former beauty, and used it to rebuild the docks. Today, supplies and coin flow into Neverwinter through the docks, along with repatriated refugees. The Lord Protector takes a keen interest in anyone entering the city in this manner, and charges steep tariffs on deals consummated at the docks.

*** '''Tarmalune Trade House''': The rebuilt docks have attracted visitors from across the sea—members of a trade cartel from the city of Tarmalune in Returned Abeir. They have arrived in Neverwinter to arrange permanent trade routes between the two continents, and to outmaneuver their rivals from the Abeiran city of Lylorn, who have landed in Luskan with a similar goal. The Abeirans have set up shop in a large warehouse complex next to a set of docks that are being rebuilt. The Tarmalune Trade House is a busy area where contacts gather, deals are made, and adventurers find their services in high demand.

*** '''The Winged Wyvern''': Of the three bridges that once crossed the Neverwinter River, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city, charging a toll, and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

** '''Notable NPCS'''

*** '''Lord Dagult Neverember''': The Open Lord of Waterdeep, Neverember arrived in Neverwinter about ten years ago and proclaimed himself the Lord Protector of the city. Over the past decade, Dagult Neverember has made progress in restoring the devastated city. Seeing an opportunity to add to his mercantile empire, Lord Neverember employed an army of artisans and carpenters to rebuild, and he hired mercenaries from Mintarn to keep monsters at bay and maintain order. Five years ago, Neverember established the Protector’s Enclave from his base in the Hall of Justice, and declared that section of the city safe for occupation once more. Since then, he has worked to tame the wild streets, rebuild the ruins, and coax refugees to return to their homes. The Open Lord of Waterdeep is a commanding noble. Big, boisterous, and affable, Neverember treats each new acquaintance as a friend. But beneath his congenial display, his quick mind is sizing up everyone in attendance, tallying potential gains or threats each could offer him. Neverember hasn't tried to claim the throne of Neverwinter (yet, at least), but he has floated the idea he is a descendant of Nasher Alagondar, a beloved lord from before the Spellplague. The protector’s savants have managed to trace the lord’s heritage to the adventurer Vers Never, a supposed bastard son of Lord Nasher Alagondar and younger half-brother to Bann, who succeeded their shared father as king. As Neverember tells it, Vers settled in Waterdeep and married Mirtria Ember, thus forming the “Neverember” name.

*** '''General Sabine''': A tough-as-nails mercenary named Sabine leads Neverember's Mintarn forces. She serves as Neverember’s chief enforcer in the city and has come to represent the harsher aspects of his beneficence.

*** '''Soman Galt, Mayor of Neverwinter''': Once a great explorer, Soman Galt has turned into a calculated politician who projects a cold, disconnected presence. The dwarf stares absently, his eyes seeming to watch something no one else can see, and he often mumbles to himself. He is capable of rigid focus, however, when the situation warrants it, and he takes his work seriously. A former government official, Galt was a natural choice when Neverember sought an underling to manage the city’s affairs. He oversees tax collection, grants of property, and city files.

*** '''Liset Cheldar''': This half-elf woman runs the Moonstone Mask with a wink and a smile. She genuinely likes most of the people she meets, and she flirts with anyone who seems receptive. A recently returned native of the city who inherited the inn, Liset was pleased to find the place still in one piece (and still floating). The legitimacy of her claim to the Moonstone was unclear, but, plying her natural charm, she successfully lobbied Neverember for funds to reopen the inn, and she maintains a bright smile thanks to his patronage.

*** '''Durham Shaw''': The Captain of the Wall, he holds the command of it under General Sabine, seeing to its defense and coordinating patrols of it between the Mintarn mercenaries and the hardened natives who refuse to give up their stewardship. While he's not too harsh of a commander compared to Sabine or the Mintarns in general, he's resented by many people for a different reason—he has been allowed to stay in the city and work on the Wall even though he suffers from the effects of the Spellplague. Some say Shaw receives this special treatment because he is a personal friend or distant relation of Lord Neverember.

*** '''Loremaster Atlavast''': The only priest who remained after the Prophet’s departure from the House of Knowledge, he is a middle-aged human who became the custodian of the library after the cataclysm. Fearing the worst as the cataclysm occurred, the loremasters of the temple sealed the inner sanctum, leaving the young Atlavast sealed within. As the ground shuddered and shook, Atlavast’s mind grew unstable. Now grown into an eccentric recluse, Atlavast keeps to the lower vaults, continually cataloguing and reorganizing. He is rarely glimpsed these days, and the main evidence of his existence is the occasional flickering light that filters up from cracks in the cobblestones in the dead of night. As a rule, no one ventures closer to investigate.

* ''' Fisher's Float''': This island hovers over the Sea of Swords beyond the southern end of the bay. Dotted with a smattering of shacks, it is the home and workplace of fishers who have lived on this earthmote since the Spellplague. Skilled at their trade and fearless of the weather and the turbulent sea, they provide a great deal of food for the city. For many years, rumors have spread that the fishers have thrived because of their worship of dark gods or unnatural alliances with creatures that live beneath the waves. Regardless of the veracity of these barstool stories, the people of Neverwinter happily eat the fish and crustaceans brought to land each morning and evening.

* '''Pirates' Skyhold''': Neverwinter legends say that this high-floating earthmote served as an unassailable harbor for sky pirates in the years following the Spellplague. Because the mote floats a hundred feet up and could not be accessed by a direct path from the land, the pirates supposedly stored all manner of treasure there, as safe storage for wealthy or well-connected residents of the city. Then, the story takes a dark turn. All the pirates died in one night of blood and betrayal, leaving the treasure and their skyship on the mote—along with whatever slew them. Some people believe that a dragon has claimed the pirates’ loot as its hoard, taking the earthmote as its lair because the city below lacks the means to interfere. Regardless of the story’s truth, one thing is true—Pirates’ Skyhold has long been abandoned. From the right locations in Neverwinter, one can see rotting wooden buildings poking out of the forests of the mote, but whatever still exists up there has seen little intrusion in decades.

* '''Castle Never''': An imposing fixture of Neverwinter’s western end, Castle Never stands as a monument to the city’s former glory. The cataclysm struck it hard, toppling towers, collapsing walls, and starting fires that burned throughout the structure. The entire royal family is thought to have perished, and the remaining servants sealed the vaults, crypts, and grounds with the hope that a worthy heir to Neverwinter would arrive one day to take his or her rightful place on the throne. On that day, it is said, the magic treasures and other resources of the castle will serve the new ruler. To the uninformed eye, Castle Never looks like a big, hulking ruin. Half its towers fell in the cataclysm, and the wall on its seaward side crumbled to rubble. Chunks of stone and fallen statues litter the windswept courtyard. Inside, the stone corridors stink of ash and dust, which swirls up around the feet of intruders. Even in their emptiness, the corridors never seem vacant. The spirits of the hundreds who died here linger on. The castle was built on a strong foundation, however, and if the structure were purged of monsters, it could be refurbished. Many of the interior rooms collapsed, but others stand eerily intact.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Drow Encampment''': The courtyard of Castle Never bears the traces of a camp that was well hidden but has become increasingly obvious from frequent use. The camp originally belonged to an infamous pair of drow: Drizzt Do’Urden, legendary ranger of the North, and the less well-regarded Jarlaxle, captain of the Bregan D’aerthe mercenaries. The two drow were in the area when the cataclysm claimed Neverwinter, and they still have interests in the region. The drow established this camp as a base of operations in Neverwinter, enabling them to keep an eye on their schemes in the city. At first, the camp consisted only of a few companions sharing a fire, but Drizzt’s and Jarlaxle’s occasional visits to the city encouraged young would-be adventurers to seek them out as teachers of the ways of combat and heroism. The drow, both grandmasters, have inspired a small following among the disenfranchised or ambitious youth of Neverwinter. After Drizzt and Jarlaxle’s last visit several months ago, half a dozen young citizens set up their own camp in this spot, where they practiced the ways of combat, dared one another to venture into the castle proper, and sought to make themselves apprentices to the two absent legends.

*** '''Hall of Ashen Mirrors''': Full-length mirrors once adorned the walls of this long corridor, wherein young heirs of Alagondar practiced their noble gait and posture. The mirrors shattered in the cataclysm, instantly killing anyone in the corridor at the time, just before a wave of searing gas blasted through the huge windows and turned the corpses to ash. This double catastrophe left the hallway a wasteland of soot and splintered glass.

*** '''Fungal Bloom''': This atrium once housed all manner of pretty birds and flowers. Since the cataclysm, they have been reduced to skeletons in gilded cages and rotted, desiccated blossoms. Boarded over to keep out the sunlight and trap the heat of rot inside, the cavernous chamber is suffused with dim blue light from glowing lichen.

*** '''Web-Strewn Spires''': Cobwebs fill the upper halls of Castle Never, and scrabbling noises can be heard in its high towers. Only the boldest explorers—those with no fear of fangs in the dark—venture up to the spires.

*** '''Neverneath, Endless Maze''': The catacombs beneath Castle Never came through the cataclysm mostly untouched, thanks to a warding spell commissioned in times past to maintain the structural integrity of the castle. However, the Spellplague wrought strange changes upon the ward, which has grown in strength. What once protected the catacombs now traps intruders. The complex beneath Castle Never, called Neverneath by locals, closes around trespassers. Corridors lead back around to themselves, and dead ends appear where tunnels led only moments before. Explorers can step through a door, turn around and go back through the same door, and end up in a different part of the dungeon. They can wander the abandoned halls and chambers for days without finding an exit.

*** '''Vault of the Nine''': Beneath the center of Neverneath lies a vault built especially for the legendary bodyguards of House Alagondar—the Neverwinter Nine. These great warriors served their beloved city in life, and they lie entombed with honor at her very foundation.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Xalbyn''': A moon elf who has established himself as the captain of the Drow Encampment in the absence of any actual drow. He's taken some of the younger would-be adventurers who stay or visit the camp under his wing, providing training and challenging them to complete minor quests. He values quick-witted warriors after his own heart.

*** '''Aerlyse''': A half-drow psion, she's a newer resident of the camp, who admires intelligence and charm. She has been tasked with securing the camp and making sure the denizens of the crypts beneath Castle Never don't spill out into the courtyard.

* '''Blacklake District''': This region of Neverwinter stands largely intact in the wake of the cataclysm. Credit for the survival of the Blacklake District goes mostly to the nobles of Neverwinter who dwelt here and constructed their homes with extra support, both material and magical. Many of these nobles died in the fire that swept the area after the cataclysm, but their houses remain. The district holds a large number of overgrown estates, scores of stout, defensible holdfasts, and a large park that contains the lake for which the region is named. The water was polluted by a great deal of ash and rubbish in the quake, and today Blacklake looks more like a midden pit of sludge than a lake. Some locals are making an effort to dredge it and restore the surrounding environs. After securing the Protector’s Enclave, Lord Neverember’s mercenaries have turned more of their attention to Blacklake as the next district for resettlement, but their efforts have not been fruitful. Numerous secret societies aggressively resist their efforts to pacify the neighborhood. Blacklake harbors a great deal of old blood and nationalism, which takes the form of opposition to the Lord Protector. Muggers and hot-tempered duelists plague the streets of Blacklake, and political agitators hold small rallies or foment subtle conspiracies against the powers that be. The Sons of Alagondar set ambushes for Mintarn enforcers and wage pitched battles in the streets.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Driftwood Tavern''': An inn and tavern that caters mainly to longtime locals, the Driftwood Tavern takes pride in having kept its doors open since before the Spellplague. When the cataclysm struck, innkeeper Madame Rosene, a serious woman now in her late fifties, sheltered refugees within her walls. The Driftwood offered people a makeshift city hall and gathering place during the troubled years. Madame Rosene and her regulars have filled the inside of the tavern with bric-à-brac, curios, and relics of Neverwinter before its fall. The statue from a favorite fountain stands in a corner. A wineseller’s planter boxes, filled with flowers, brighten the walls. A knob and a knocker from a noble’s estate are attached to the privy door. Ornate doors pulled from the wreckage make fine tables, and unbroken panes of stained glass hang overhead as chandeliers, lit by hundreds of carefully placed candles. Though the decorations have been salvaged from all over the city, the tavern does not feel junky, and no one thinks Madame Rosene is taking advantage of Neverwinter’s fall. Quite the opposite—the Driftwood is considered a monument to old Neverwinter, like a dusty painting of a beautiful girl hanging above the deathbed of an aged noblewoman. Prices for room and board at the tavern are high. The atmosphere is one of quiet reflection, rather than boisterous merriment. The Mintarn mercenaries stay away, preferring to eat and drink at the Moonstone Mask or some other cheaper place. Visitors to the city stop at the Driftwood to marvel at the museum of objects, or to learn about old Neverwinter from Madame Rosene for the (expensive) price of a drink and a meal.

*** '''The Beached Leviathan''': The Beached Leviathan tavern caters to sailors, smugglers, pirates, slavers, merchants, and others arriving by sea. The name of the tavern honors the owner's ship, ''Leviathan'', which ran aground during a storm before the docks had been rebuilt. The tavern is built in and around the refurbished wreckage of the ship.

*** '''The Swamped Docks''': Below the more recent construction lie the remnants of the original docks: a splintering, rotting mass of ancient wood and stone that makes any number of natural lairs for aquatic creatures or hideouts for those on the run from the Mintarns. This area was partially submerged during the city’s devastation. Now, half-sunken buildings rot beneath seaweed, the drowned dead float through foul water, and amphibious horrors crawl up onto land. No one, not even Lord Neverember, looks forward to cleaning up this area, but the job must be tackled eventually. The city’s hand might be forced soon—sahuagin have been sighted in the bay, and disappearances from nearby areas have become common. Rumor has it that a halfling gang operates out of the swamped docks, led by a sneak thief named Palas. The halflings prey on those who wander the docks alone or in the dark.

*** '''Vellgard Manor''': At least one noble villa in the Blacklake District houses its actual owner, the dashing Mordai Vell holds sway over a small, well-guarded compound known as Vellgard Manor. The product of an affair between a devil and an member of a human family from the south, Mordai was a scandalous embarrassment hushed up by his human relatives. When they perished in the cataclysm, he inherited the family estate. Mordai moved back into the city before Neverember arrived and with the arrival of the Lord Protector, Mordai took a more visible role in the district. Charismatic, handsome, and wealthy, he has become a popular figure—a civic leader who, some whisper, might aspire to hold the throne of Neverwinter. The estate is an armed compound flanked by metal gates and hidden guards. An inner wall creates a killing field that could stop a small army.

*** '''House of a Thousand Faces''': With its broad windows and comfortable couches, this tavern is a popular gathering place in the Blacklake District. Amid mannequins dressed in the threadbare trends of thirty years past, patrons lounge about the airy interior, drinking, laughing, and scheming. Named for the dozens of mirrors and mannequins positioned about the common room, the House of a Thousand Faces once was a fashionable boutique. The cataclysm crippled the house’s business, and the owner, an elf named Theryis, packed up her remaining goods and closed her doors. When the city’s population began to recover and increase, she opened the shop again as a tavern, using the dusty clothes and mirrors as decoration.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Madame Rosene''': A serious woman in her late fifties, she is the tavernkeeper of the Driftwood Tavern. Only longtime customers and old friends come to the Driftwood regularly, a situation that suits Madame Rosene just fine, as she is slow to trust outsiders, placing her faith mainly in familiar citizens of old Neverwinter or their children.

*** '''Harrag''': A sallow former pirate captain who lost a leg in a battle with sahuagin long ago, he is the proprietor of the Beached Leviathan. Harrag is as a scurvy, independent scoundrel who will deal with anyone, but never permanently joins a side.

*** '''Len-jes''': A scarred watersoul genasi, she serves as Neverember’s harbormaster. Once a corsair on the Sea of Fallen Stars, she fled her enemies there and settled in Waterdeep. Neverember recognized her business acumen and recruited Len-jes to be his master of trade in the reborn city. The harbormaster’s head for numbers serves her well in balancing Soman Galt’s tax ledgers. Her less academic duties include dredging the bay to open more berths for trade ships. She permanently leases a chamber in the Beached Leviathan and can be found in the taproom there many nights, recounting her adventures as a corsair.

*** '''Mordai Vell''': Tall and dark, Mordai has luminous gold eyes even though most tieflings boast red or black ones. Charisma practically drips from him, setting all around him off their guard. His obvious wealth doesn’t hurt, either. As the last heir of a noble family (one whose holdings remained remarkably intact after the cataclysm), he exerts great influence over Neverwinter’s economy and politics. Mordai is arrogance incarnate. He pursues whatever interests him, regardless of how far he must reach. Mordai is a smooth operator—charming, rich, and always keen on how he might ally with new acquaintances and use them.

*** '''Theryis''': The owner of the House of a Thousand Faces, she has short, straight, silver hair and golden eyes. She can be friendly and kind to those she knows well, but often comes off as gruff and no-nonsense to others.

*** '''Toram''': A half-elf with long, wavy, red hair and blue eyes, he is Theryis's half-brother, though they bear little resemblance. He is competitive in a good-natured way, often challenging patrons of the Thousand Faces to friendly competitions in one thing or another. He lives at the tavern, staying in its basement, and helps his sister run it.

* '''River District''': The River District takes its name from the terrain feature that has saved it from being overrun—namely, the Neverwinter River, which holds at bay the plaguechanged forces that emerge from the Chasm to the south. The bulk of Neverwinter’s merchant class once dwelt here, and the architecture shows it. The houses were sturdily built, and although they are not ostentatious, most are large enough to have held a family of six or eight plus servants. Guardhouses and security walls abound offering cover for skirmishers looking to ambush unsuspecting visitors. Long flower gardens run through the center of each street, although over the years they have gone to weeds or decay. One might think the Mintarns could have pacified the River District by now, but safety proves elusive, mostly due to a band of orcs in the ancient Cloak Tower at the eastern edge of the area. New Neverwinter’s forces occasionally venture into the district, but generally only as far as the Fallen Tower tavern. That establishment serves as neutral ground for negotiations between Lord Neverember and Vansi of the orcs, to whom the rest of the district belongs. Beasts from the surrounding wilderness occasionally stalk the streets here, hunting for food. Even if the orcs were not present, the other dangerous creatures would be reason enough for refugees to avoid this district, regardless of whether their houses remain standing. For now, a hastily erected barrier seals most of the River District from Blacklake. It usually stands unattended, since the Mintarn guards have better things to do than patrol the barrier, opting instead to post signs warning people away. Some people enter the district despite these warnings. The relative privacy makes discreet liaisons and daredevil games frequent occurrences in the River District, and stern parents have to caution youngbloods with a thirst for adventure against going in.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Fallen Tower''': The broken base of an old wizard’s tower has long been the site of a popular tavern in Neverwinter. Within the Fallen Tower, phantoms form in the air each night, seeming solid and real as they replay the moments of their deaths during the Spellplague by appearing to fall into and through the cookfire in the middle of the tavern. Two terrified wizards, their bodies already ablaze, fall first, followed by another wizard whose limbs have turned into eels. Finally, a fourth wizard’s body descends as its flesh is stripped away, leaving the skull’s eerie grin as the last image to fade. Since before the cataclysm, the show has attracted customers to the Fallen Tower. When the Many-Arrows orcs discovered this vacant building, they found stores of wine and were in the midst of a celebration when the phantoms appeared. The orcs started to flee, but when it became clear that the spirits were harmless, the wine lured them back. Now the Many-Arrows orcs run the tavern as a place where members of their force and others worthy enough to join them can share a few drinks. The Lord Protector and the leader of the Many- Arrows orcs have declared the Fallen Tower neutral ground, and the orcs do not bother anyone who comes to the tavern to do business. No bouncers are needed, because anyone who breaks the truce of the tavern faces the blades of every patron present.

*** '''Cloak Tower''': An expeditionary force of orcs from the Many-Arrows kingdom has come to Neverwinter and makes its base in the structure known as the Cloak Tower. The orcs have defied all attempts to rein them in or push them out, and Lord Neverember is biding his time until he figures out how to get rid of them. For the moment, the orcs have helped to control the monster population in the northern half of the city. They tend to slay anyone who interferes with their business, including plaguechanged spawn that come up through the sewers on the north side of the river. The tower takes its name from a guild of mages called the Many-Starred Cloaks who lived and gathered there. They were well known in the city for their arcane skill and for the whimsical, colorful cloaks they wore. During the Spellplague, the tower and its occupants vanished. The tower reappeared half a year later on a different patch of ground in the city. As tavern tales have it, when thieves first broke into the tower several months after it first reappeared, they found empty halls and no mages (or bodies). Only the guild members’ many-starred cloaks remained, hanging from pegs on the walls. Then disaster struck the thieves: The lone survivor of the group told of a horrific attack from cloaks that suddenly came to life and enveloped the other bandits. Whether the tale or any part of it is true, the citizens of Neverwinter shunned the tower for decades thereafter—no one wanted to risk entering it. District residents expected that the orcs, too, would run afoul of the tower’s wards when they tried to occupy the place, but the warriors were able to move in safely. They have now established themselves quite nicely in the most protected holdfast in the district.

*** '''The Shard of Night''': A bleak tower of black stone hovers above a cluster of ruined apartments in the River District, seemingly sheared off at its base when it was torn from whatever location it once occupied. The tower has been here since the Spellplague, but no one who investigated the structure in the early years after its appearance ever returned, so people decided to leave it alone. The Shard of Night rises high into the sky over Neverwinter, but it casts no shadow during the day. Any creature that passes under the tower in daylight sees its own shadow disappear, as if the tower were absorbing the darkness. During the night, the tower casts a shadow by the light of the moon that looms over much of the area around the place. Nearby residents believe that the Shard of Night is haunted, since no one or thing is ever seen to come or go, yet sounds sometimes echo down from the opening in its base.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Vagdru One-Ear''': This orc veteran acts as bartender and purveyor of the Fallen Tower, providing whatever drinks the orcs can find and passing out raw meat of dubious origin for the patrons to roast at the central fire (or to eat uncooked if they want).

*** '''Vansi''': The commander of the orc force, she is a warrior known for her reaving flail and fearsome war cry. Ferocious even for an orc soldier, Vansi claims the streets of the River District as a colony of the Many-Arrows kingdom, governed from the mysterious Cloak Tower.

* '''The Chasm''': The southeastern quarter of Neverwinter lies in almost complete ruin, virtually flattened by the earthquake during the cataclysm and since then under continual assault by plaguechanged monsters that emerge from the depths. At the center of this wasteland yawns the Chasm—a canyon-like crack in the earth that spawns all manner of twisted and deadly beasts. It supposedly extends down into the Underdark, but few have ever ventured down the Chasm and even fewer returned. Proximity to the Chasm causes mild anxiety, moodiness, and paranoia. The effects are obvious on people at the Wall, and they increase in intensity as one moves closer to—or deeper into—the Chasm. It becomes difficult to think clearly, and even allies seem to hold treachery in their hearts. Recently, this pervasive ill will has begun to radiate beyond the confines of the Wall, plaguing the dreams of Neverwinter’s residents with terrible nightmares.

** '''Ruined Terrain''': The surrounding land in the district that takes its name from the Chasm is a tangled maze of broken buildings and clotted streets, all of it battered by the elements and crushed under the paws of the Chasm’s monsters. Wall patrols venture into this wasteland only occasionally, since few who leave the barricade’s safety return. Those who do sometimes carry marks from the experience, such as azure burns, twisted limbs, or some other physical manifestation of a spellscar. Lord Neverember has ordered that anyone showing symptoms of infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold for treatment.

** '''The Upper Reach''': For the few people who have done it, climbing down into the Chasm resembles what they may have heard of tales about venturing into the Abyss. The first hundred or so feet are fairly normal, except for occasional swells of superheated air. Past that point, conditions grow more hostile. Elemental energy surges up from the depths in sudden storms. Earthmotes float in the pit, some drifting slowly and others bashing against the walls as though driven by demons. Handholds are scarce on the treacherous walls, which can explode with flame or lightning at any moment. Rocky outcroppings come and go, collapsing or molding themselves as onlookers watch. All manner of plaguechanged creatures dwell in pockets and on precipices in the upper Chasm. Some climb the walls, and others ride bolts of chaotic energy that flare from the bottom of the pit. These creatures rise like birds filling their wings with wind.

** Few, if any, know what lies in the lower reaches of the Chasm...

* '''Underground Neverwinter''': True danger in Neverwinter lurks in places the sun never touches—in the darkness beneath hundreds of tons of stone. Underground ruins abound in a city that has suffered so much damage. The Mintarn enforcers rarely venture below ground, preferring to deal with threats if and when they emerge onto the surface. Thus, sewers and crypts make perfect lairs for all sorts of creeping, scheming evil.

** '''Shattered Sewers''': When the cataclysm struck, Neverwinter’s sewer system took a serious beating as buildings collapsed into their foundations, leaving a maze of precarious wreckage and treacherous tunnels. The sewers quickly became dangerous in the extreme, home to all manner of awful beasts. Provided one is willing to risk getting lost or being attacked, the extensive sewers provide a means of moving about the city. This method of travel is confusing and potentially deadly, however—one never knows when a building overhead will collapse, bringing part of the ceiling down with it, or when a group of underworld squatters might ambush intruders. The tunnels near the Chasm are particularly hazardous because they play host to aberrant beings. The forces of New Neverwinter rarely search the sewers, so rebels and schemers use the filthy tunnels freely.

** '''Kraken Tunnels''': A seaside, underground maze shaped vaguely like an octopus, this complex once belonged to the Kraken Society, a ruthless conglomerate of slavers and blackmarket traders that sought to control the Sword Coast. Many rooms throughout the complex have openings in their floors, revealing the dark, murky water that lies beneath.

** '''Tunnels and Trenches''': The opening of the Chasm and the earthquakes that brought down many buildings in southeastern Neverwinter collapsed many of the sewers in the district. This created trenches in or beside the streets and tunnels where the sewers had not collapsed. These pathways now provide cover for the movement of monsters beyond the Wall and secure places to which they can retreat when repelled from their frequent assaults. The sewers, trenches, and ruined buildings offer an excellent tactical advantage by allowing the forces of the Chasm to approach close to the Wall without sustaining attack, but this is offset by the high vantage of the House of Knowledge, whose occupants ring a bell when they can see significant movement in the far-off trenches. Unfortunately for the Wall’s defenders, night and weather can obscure observation of the trenches, and thus they often use arbalests to launch balls of flaming pitch into the district in the hopes of illuminating the scene.

== Helm's Hold ==
Once a bastion of safety on the edge of Neverwinter Wood, the fortified monastery and community called Helm’s Hold has endured through the last decades, diminished but unyielding. It has lived through the death of the god who gave the place its name, the
ravages of the Spellplague, and the ruination of Neverwinter. Through all this, Helm’s Hold has taken a serious beating but stubbornly clings to its original purpose: to provide sanctuary for those who none. Helm’s Hold has always been a place of healing
and protection for the people of Faerûn. Even when Helm perished a year before the Spellplague, the monastery remained open, seeking to aid those with nowhere else to turn. During the decades after the Spellplague hit, the Hold became one of the few safe
destinations—if not the only one—along the Sword Coast. The cataclysm once again made clear the need for Helm’s Hold and its services. Its doors have remained open over the years, admitting all who suffer, regardless of race, background, or faith. Today, the monastery proper serves as an asylum for those cursed with the Spellplague. People from all over Faerûn make the pilgrimage here for treatment, as do people from Neverwinter, which is less than a day’s journey to the northwest. In fact, Lord Neverember issued a standing order a year ago that anyone in the city showing symptoms of Spellplague infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold as soon as possible. The influx of the needy since that time has swelled the town’s numbers, but tolerance is in the air here, so the spellscarred feel more at home in the Hold than anywhere else in the Realms. Originally a small monastery and its surrounding village, Helm’s Hold has grown over the decades. The cathedral’s foundation had hardly been laid when Helm died, but the people finished it as a monument in his honor. Helm has become a cultural icon here—a patron saint of the community—and all followers of all gods are welcome under his watchful gaze.

* '''Locations'''

** '''The Hungry Flame''': A decrepit tavern which has a reputation for being unfriendly to patrons who are not spellscarred. The place is a rogue’s gallery of the strange and twisted.

** '''The Dragon’s Gauntlet''': The battered town hall of Helm’s Hold, formerly an inn, is a popular gathering place for the people of the city, as well as a forum for its tempestuous governmental process. The people of the town are rugged individualists at heart, a characteristic that does not always mesh well with governmental edicts. Loud shouts, challenges, and shows of intimidation are acceptable methods of discussing legislation.

** '''Heartward''': Life and death are both on stage in the plaza called Heartward at the center of Helm’s Hold, where a marketplace is arrayed around a hangman’s scaffold. Food and gold are both scarce in the marketplace, and brawls break out between customers who feel cheated. Soldiers keep watch from the perimeter of the plaza. Town criers declaim the words of the Prophet, particularly when she has foretold something seen as especially wonderful or dire. The pronouncements are entertainment as well as news, since people love debating exactly what her portents mean. The Heartward’s chief notoriety is a haunting that fills the plaza on certain nights, when clouds obscure the waning moon. Luminous shapes appear—a gathering of ghosts that go about the business of the living. Phantom vendors sell ephemeral apples at empty stands, ghost children run happily through the streets, and spirits hang one another at the scaffold. Some of the scenes appear to be reenactments of past events, whereas others have not occurred—at least, not yet. The ghosts speak mostly nonsense, but some of what they say might offer clues to past or future happenings. The plaza’s name comes from a small shrine on the edge of the marketplace devoted to Sune, goddess of beauty and romance, which is a favored meeting place for lovers in the city. On haunted nights, couples gather at the shrine, hoping for a thrill.

** '''The Old Dirty Dwarf''': The region’s hard years have closed many businesses, but the Old Dirty Dwarf has stood the test of time. The best inn and tavern in Helm’s Hold, the Old Dirty Dwarf caters mostly to newcomers to the city. In the wake of the Lord Protector’s occupation of Neverwinter and his increasing presence in the Hold, Mintarn mercenaries have come to dominate the inn’s patronage, often with new exiles from Neverwinter in tow.

** '''Scar Alley''': Numerous setbacks have taken their toll on the structures and the people of Helm’s Hold. Nowhere in town is this fact more evident than in the oldest district—Scar Alley, a small collection of weathered streets where the least fortunate residents live. The district is home to the worst spellscarred in town, those shunned because of their extreme physical deformities. During the Spellplague, the ground upon which the Hold is built softened, causing some buildings to bow or lean precariously out over the streets. Much of the original stone construction of Scar Alley is approaching ruin, and the residents do what they can to bolster the failing structures with planks, mortar, and fresh stone. The district is poorly patrolled, full of hovels that are frequented by shady characters or infested by monsters.

** '''Helm's Cathedral''': The cathedral to the dead god Helm lost its original religious purpose long ago and became a sanatorium for the ailing, tended by the aging faithful who still honor the traditions of their deity. The spellscarred find treatment here, and many of the servants in the cathedral are also patients. They work as part of their treatment. The Prophet Rohini is the undisputed master of Helm’s cathedral, even if she disdains political status. She exists, she says, only to pass on the mysterious prophecies of her equally mysterious faith. The cathedral can hold about a thousand souls. Most of them are patients of the sanatorium, though a few enjoy relatively good health and handle the day-to-day maintenance of the temple. A dozen or so acolytes who have skill in non-magical healing or an aptitude for service keep order in the cathedral. Several followers of Oghma labor alongside the former Helmites, continuing the work of the late Brother Anthus.

*** '''Halls of the Guardian''': The daylight floors of the temple look much as they did a hundred years ago: hung with banners of Helm’s sigil and warded at all corners by suits of armor that feature stylized eyes on their gauntlets and prominent, blankfaced helms. Cavernous chambers soar high through flying buttresses, and great statues of Helm and heroes of legend gaze down upon supplicants. The walls block most sound, but sometimes a cry or an incoherent rant reverberates up from the deeper levels of the complex. The effect is a sharp contrast in what otherwise appears to be a glorious temple. The great hall of the cathedral could accommodate a hundred men-at-arms comfortably, though today it has a far different purpose. It is here that the Prophet sits in audience, dispensing her predictions of future events. If asked to do so, she may lay her hands on those in attendance and tell their fortunes.

*** '''Sanatorium''': Beneath the stately, well-lit halls on the surface, the lower levels of the cathedral grow darker and more frightening. A sanatorium hides in the vaults: a maze of cramped corridors that houses a growing number of spellscarred victims, who struggle with insanity or physical deformities. Once a day, the patients are allowed out onto the cathedral grounds, under close observation by priests. Although the madness of these unfortunates unnerves most visitors, the Prophet spends a great deal of time in the sanatorium without being affected. To the folk of Helm’s Hold, this is a sign of her compassionate nature.

** '''Beneath Helm's Hold''': Through the many years that Helm’s Hold has stood, its occupants delved underground. Their crypts and ossuaries utilized natural caverns as well as chambers left in the earth by old empires, creating a vast network of tunnels and levels. Once the domain only of the peaceful departed, these places have now been invaded by the living, making the dead grow restless.

* '''Notable NPCs'''

** '''Halas''': A charismatic half-elf, he is a former landowner in Neverwinter who came to Helm's Hold after being afflicted with a spellscar. He is an informal leader of the spellscarred, and pushes back against those who wish them gone.

** '''Meryth''': A female elf, she is another informal leader of Helm's Hold's spellscarred population. She advocates peaceful resistance in the face of prejudice.

** '''Rohini, the Prophet of Helm’s Hold''': Rohini is the main healer and head researcher of Helm's Hold monastery, taking over in that last role for the now deceased Brother Anthus, who passed away shortly after her arrival at the House of Knowledge. Rohini earned her sobriquet through the foretellings she speaks of pivotal events to come, both good and ill. The Prophet claims knowledge of extraordinary mysteries beyond mortal understanding. She says this awareness gives her the power to purify the worthy. She bestows healing on individuals that have been visited by the Spellplague. Although Rohini does not sit in overt leadership in the cathedral, the acolytes, servants, and patients bow to her, calling her simply “Prophet.”

** '''Dunfield''': An old associate of Lord Neverember, he leads a band of mercenaries the Lord Protector has lent Helm's Hold to serve as a town watch. Hard-bitten and cynical, Dunfield remains an honorable man who tries to keep his soldiers in line and serve the community as best as he can.

** '''Alisara Callum''': Everyone in Helm’s Hold pays deference to her, the town’s elected Chief Speaker. Her ability to inspire loyalty helps to keep the haphazard government functioning. A former soldier now past her prime, Alisara brings a note of legitimacy to the council. She wears a frayed purple tabard with a white dragon sigil—the symbol of her former service with the Purple Dragon Knights of Cormyr—which some locals consider to be her personal coat of arms. Alisara is well liked, though her policies of accepting the spellscarred irk some in the city.

** '''Doloran Bard''': An aging farmer and councilman whose family long ago helped build the original monastery, he is wary of trusting the direction of Helm’s Hold to an outsider. An unrepentant purist when it comes to the spellscarred, Bard would prefer that the town push out the “unclean” hordes and return the Hold to its original purpose.

** '''Juetta''': A human female of about thirty years, she is the proprietor of the Old Dirty Dwarf, an establishment that is mostly safe, if none too clean. The Old Dirty Dwarf welcomes all, but some of the staff makes an exclusion for spellscarred, actively discouraging their business. Juetta frowns on this sort of behavior, but she can’t be everywhere in the place at the same time, so she can’t stop the growing tensions that bubble over in the tavern from time to time.

** '''Brother Satarin''': An acolyte before Helm’s death, the young dwarf took his vows shortly before the god fell. Satarin stayed at the cathedral, teaching the ways of his fallen master and attending to the needy after the rest of Helm’s clergy left the place for other gods or retired from the cloth. Now, at the age of 160, Satarin is as close to a high priest as the cathedral is likely to see again, though he firmly eschews any title but Brother. He opened the cathedral’s doors to the Prophet at the request of Brother Vartan, a priest of Oghma whose research on resurrecting dead gods was of interest to the still-devout Satarin.

** '''Torlgar''': The warden of the sanatorium is Torlgar, a hulking goliath. An early convert to Rohini’s ways, Torlgar is fiercely loyal to his beloved mistress, to the point of death or beyond.

Welcome to Neverwinter

2024-11-17T15:37:22Z

NightGoblyn: /* PCs */

== Premise ==

AMID THE wilderness and savagery of the cold North, Neverwinter once stood as a beacon of civility and warmth. Even after the Spellplague wracked the world, the Jewel of the North lost little of its luster. The city’s destruction thus shocked many when it occurred, despite the portents that warned of coming peril. Vague prophecies and strange events seemed like shadows of the Spellplague, nothing more. Even the earth tremors that began to disturb the area could not shake its citizens’ belief in a bright future.

Then Mount Hotenow, deep in Neverwinter Wood, awoke with the power of an angry god. The city could do nothing against such a foe. The earth yawned open and broke apart. Whole districts shuddered and sank while other areas shot up, forming sudden cliffs. The river, running warm throughout winter, exploded into hissing steam and lava as scalding clouds of ash roared through the streets like an advancing army. Thousands lost their lives as Neverwinter died that day.

Slowly, life has returned to this ruined landscape. Many hope to rebuild what has been lost, but an equal number see the tragedy as an opportunity to seize all they can. Yet those who scratch out lives in the scarred city fail to see the infection below the scab. Under their noses, beneath their feet, and even within their earshot, dark forces battle one another for control of the city.

The year is 1479 and it is Marpenoth, the 10th month of the year.

== Houserules ==

* I'm just going to do milestone leveling rather than precisely tracking experience.

* I'm not interested in closely tracking everyone's encumbrance but try to keep things reasonable on that front.

* We'll be using popcorn initiative, as Falkus described in this thread: https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/request-for-a-4th-edition-dnd-game-set-in-the-forgotten-realms-using-the-keep-on-the-shadowfell-modules.921348/. Basically, once combat starts 1 PC will go (on a first come, first serve basis), then I'll have a NPC go, then another PC who hasn't acted yet will act, etc, until the end of the round, when the process starts over. Initiative won't serve any purpose, so you probably don't want to take any features that improve it.

== Threads ==

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/welcome-to-neverwinter.922077 IC Thread]

[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/welcome-to-neverwinter.922073/ OOC Thread]

== PCs ==

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/17VpavwknMncf6b4f34vFtHieEp6udnXI0S8b3XwuehI/edit Ernst Lemuel. Human-appearing (Deva) Shaman. Oghma's Faithful/Dragon Coast.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KY_8n5OjSacZdHmB10xdQwNtDsddbznn5Al_anpF6E0/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Lander Telantere. Human Cleric. Scion of Shadows.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/19fLiTfe5HxGEDq4DKe9JAmjzS_IfPKl3HGv8o95N5Yo/edit?usp=sharing Tatha Dinistyn. Drow Sorcerer. Spellscarred Harbinger.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b0yp3wSwaD9cUCVpPxjhCrwFfl_ERDLIlNf8mwkm4iI/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Orcanu Tamar. Eladrin Swordmage. Iliyanbruen Guardian.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10BYWPOrilUHZS9Zr8fkfH9gLhx5YGOHtfmU8f16yI60/edit?usp=sharing Otis Oakson. Human Wizard. Blackstaff Apprentice.]

====Skills====

{|
|+Skill Matrix (L.1)
|-
!Skill
!Wizard
!Fighter
!Ernst
!Lander
!Tatha
!Orcanu
|-
| Acrobatics (Dex)
| '''+9'''
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +3
| +0
|-
| Arcana (Int)
| +0
| +10
| +4
| 0
| +7
| '''+14'''
|-
| Athletics (Str)
| -1
| -1
| +0
| +0
| +0
| '''+5'''
|-
| Bluff (Cha)
| +5
| +0
| +0
| +7
| '''+10'''
| +1
|-
| Diplomacy (Cha)
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +7
| '''+10'''
| +1
|-
| Dungeoneering (Wis)
| +2
| '''+7'''
| +4
| +4
| -1
| -1
|-
| Endurance (Con)
| +2
| +0
| +1
| +2
| +0
| '''+7'''
|-
| Heal (Wis)
| +2
| +2
| '''+4'''
| '''+4'''
| -1
| -1
|-
| History (Int)
| +0
| +5
| +11
| +5
| +0
| '''+12'''
|-
| Insight (Wis)
| +7
| +8
| '''+9'''
| '''+9'''
| -1
| -1
|-
| Intimidate (Cha)
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +2
| '''+12'''
| +1
|-
| Nature (Wis)
| +2
| +7
| '''+9'''
| +4
| -1
| -1
|-
| Perception (Wis)
| +7
| +8
| '''+9'''
| +4
| -1
| +4
|-
| Religion (Int)
| +0
| +5
| '''+6'''
| +5
| +0
| +5
|-
| Stealth (Dex)
| '''+9'''
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +6
| +0
|-
| Streetwise (Cha)
| '''+5'''
| +0
| +0
| +2
| +4
| +1
|-
| Thievery (Dex)
| '''+9/11'''
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +3
| +0
|}

===Languages===
* Cleo: Common, Goblin
* Maria: Common, Draconic
* Ernst: Common, Chondathan, Goblin, Supernal
* Lander: Common, Netherese
* Tatha: Common, Elven
* Orcanu: Common, Eladrin

====Passed into the Woods====
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZFpAbbxBSZWGLjB_yNPjQ7-62cOylGJTM0puf986ruE/edit Cleo. Human Rogue. Dead Rat Deserter.]
* [https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2881605 Maria Fireheart. Human Mage. Harper Agent/Detective.]

== Neverwinter and the North ==
[[File:Neverwinter_map.png]]

Even in safer times, the North’s reputation as the Savage North was well earned. Now, times are worse and the land more savage by far. Its great cities, once bastions of light and civilization, lie crippled. The small towns that served to shelter travelers stand empty—or have been claimed by murderous groups and hungry monsters. Roads etched into the earth with thousands of years of use are increasingly obscured by forest, bramble, and marsh. Communities now struggle alone amid the wilderness,
fortunate if they see an outsider once in a generation. Neverwinter labors to breathe in the suffocating harshness of this new North, the sea its only lifeline. With few traders braving the increasingly long treks between settlements, the city’s docks now provide the area’s main means of import and precious little export. Gone are the days of plenty, beauty, and luxury. Today, Neverwinter struggles to break free of the forces that brought it low, still weak and surrounded by danger.

* '''Neverwinter''': The City of Skilled Hands, the Jewel of the North—many were the accolades once heaped upon Neverwinter. Then, almost thirty years ago, the city died. Minor earth tremors that had plagued the region for months were the precursors of the eruption of Mount Hotenow. A portion of that volcano’s peak exploded with such force that lava and superheated ash poured across the city in an avalanche. Half of Neverwinter’s population died in a heartbeat, the city’s buildings razed. A great rift now known as the Chasm rent the surface where the shifting earth had pulled apart. Strange zombies roamed the land in the aftermath, their dead flesh turned to ash by the fires that consumed the city. Yet the people of the North have always been resilient. After the destruction, many who had fled at the first tremors returned. Opportunists and looters arrived. People began to rebuild. Lord Dagult Neverember, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, eventually arrived as well, along with an army of Mintarn mercenaries. Today, the city struggles back to life under the watchful rule of the self-styled Lord Protector.

* '''Neverwinter''' River: The bright water of the Neverwinter River runs warm throughout the year, a feature that helps to keep the city from being frozen in the winter months. When the cataclysm struck, dark ash choked the river for months before it began to flow from Neverwinter Wood through the city once more. Three bridges once spanned the river in Neverwinter— the Sleeping Dragon, the Winged Wyvern, and the Dolphin, each sculpted in the form of its name. Of the three, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

* '''Helm’s Hold''': Once a small monastery and adjacent village dedicated to the deity Helm, the cathedral of Helm’s Hold now towers above the town and surrounding lands that bear its name. The death of Helm saw the monastery fall into disuse, but the fortified town became a refuge when the Spellplague hit during the year following Helm’s demise. Lord Neverember now exiles victims of the Spellplague to Helm’s Hold for treatment, and his mercenaries guard the town.

* '''Port Llast''': This town was a great city in ancient times—the most northerly safe harbor on the Sword Coast whenever Luskan would fall to orcs or other evil forces. However, the rise of a relatively stable Luskan and ports farther north began to diminish its prominence. Then came the Spellplague, and with it the return of Abeir. The appearance of the new continent in the ocean to the west changed the tides around Port Llast, filling the harbor with silt and making Neverwinter an easier port to reach. With the docks of Port Llast failing and trade dying off, most of its citizens have long since abandoned their homes or died at the hands of marauders. Now a ghost town, Port Llast is known as the realm of the evil sea goddess Umberlee and as a home to sea monsters. However, some say that this reputation is simply rumor spread by those who want to keep the secrets of the town to themselves.

* '''Neverwinter Wood''': For generations, this dark forest has been shunned by most people of the North. That magic exists in Neverwinter Wood cannot be doubted, but its nature—and whether it exists as a force of good or ill—remains unknown. The forest holds many secrets, and even on its fringes, one feels a sense of unease. Humans have never logged in this area, and the orcs of the North have traditionally avoided it during their incursions. Only druids and Uthgardt barbarians dare to pass into the deep forest.

* '''Thundertree''': This small town once stood at the edge of the wood. Its inhabitants made a living by harvesting windfall timber to ship downriver to the Neverwinter and beyond. Now the forest has overgrown Thundertree’s abandoned and decaying buildings. Although the town survived the Spellplague largely intact, the ash zombies that arose after the destruction of Neverwinter overran it. As the dangers of Neverwinter Wood increase, the abandoned town and its unknown horrors are shunned.

* '''Mount Hotenow''': For untold generations, this volcanic peak quietly fumed in the depths of Neverwinter Wood. Rumored to be the source of the warmth of the Neverwinter River, Mount Hotenow once featured in the bedtime stories of Neverwinter’s citizens as the home of fire giants, red dragons, and other blazing beasts. People looked upon the fantastic peak as a thing of beauty—until its wrath was unleashed against Neverwinter in the cataclysm. Now jutting like a broken tooth from the forest, Mount Hotenow still fumes, the land occasionally quaking with the echoes of its fury.

* '''The Crags''': This long wrinkle of hills and ridges runs northeast from Neverwinter Wood. Goblins, gnolls, ogres, hill giants, and other wild peoples have dwelled within this rocky landscape for centuries. So too has the Sky Pony tribe of the Uthgardt barbarians. Rumors have long persisted that an entrance to Gauntlgrym lies somewhere in the Crags. However, the hundreds of ancient and now-dead mines that long ago brought humans to the area make for numerous false leads.

* '''Tower of Twilight''': This enchanted tower long stood on an island in a small lake east of Neverwinter Wood. Home to a student of the great wizard Khelben Blackstaff, the tower stood invisible by day but would appear as the light failed. During the Spellplague, the tower vanished without a trace, though it now reappears infrequently and unpredictably at twilight. Who lives there now, where the tower disappears to, and why it returns remain a mystery.

* '''Conyberry''': During the Spellplague, a portion of Abeir imposed itself upon the village of Conyberry. The terrain-altering effect of this transition forced the inhabitants of the village to come together with people dwelling in the regions of Abeir to which they were joined. However, in the intervening decades, the Gray Wolf Uthgardt tribe has sacked the settlement in retribution for this “invasion” of their lands, slaughtering Conyberry’s citizens or forcing them to join the tribe. The village now lies largely vacant.

* '''Old Owl Well''': Known in ancient texts as Old Owlbear Well and in even older histories as Quesseer, this site marks the location of a Netherese outpost established millennia ago. The Netherese built a means of drawing water from the earth, using the site as a place of trade. For centuries, this water supply on a key trade route served as a source of conflict. Until the chaos of the Spellplague, orcs and humans from Neverwinter and Waterdeep still struggled to control the outpost. Now, it lies forgotten and abandoned. Until trade returns to these lands, the fate of the well and whatever ruins lie hidden in the surrounding hills remain unknown.

* '''Morgur’s Mound''': Atop this foothill of the Crags, Uthgar—deity and founder of the Uthgardt barbarians— died after saving the North from Gurt, Lord of the Pale Giants. The mound is named for Uthgar’s brother Morgur (called Morgred by some), who is said to be buried there. Once, the bones of a great thunderbeast were spread atop the hill, marking it as the holy shrine of the Uthgardt.

* '''Luskan''': An urban cesspool, the once-great City of Sails squats on the coastline like an open sore on the face of the continent of Faerûn. It lies about four days hard travel north of Neverwinter (about three days by sea, due to prevailing currents). Until some hundred years ago, Luskan choked in the grasp of the Arcane Brotherhood and its leader, Arklem Greeth. When a force of pirate-killers from Waterdeep along with the legendary hero Drizzt and his allies precipitated the destruction of the Hosttower of the Arcane, the city was destabilized and never fully recovered. Street gangs and pirates rule Luskan now, making the city a stomping ground for criminals, exiles from other lands, and hideous beasts.

* '''Gauntlgrym''': This famous subterranean dwarven city has been the stuff of legend for centuries. Aside from the dwarves, most people of the North doubted Gauntlgrym’s existence—until the Summons, as it has come to be known. At that time, ghostly dwarves in ancient dress appeared before certain dwarves throughout the North and beyond, silently pleading for heroes to seek out Gauntlgrym. Some did set out in search of the lost city, though most counted themselves lucky when the ghosts troubled them no more. Many of those who sought Gauntlgrym did so in the Crags, for ancient legends mentioned an entrance there. Others plunged into Neverwinter Wood or scaled the Sword Mountains. Few returned from their quests, and those who survived almost never found any trace of their goal. Some dwarves seek the city still, but for the rest, Gauntlgrym remains a tantalizing legend.

* '''The Sword Mountains''': The sharp peaks and hilly terrain of the Sword Mountains extend down the coast of the Sea of Swords for nearly two hundred miles. Long home to belligerent dwarf clans, orc tribes, trolls, dragons, and other fearsome creatures, this range is rarely traveled in these dangerous times. Those foolish enough to brave the mountains often do so in search of old mines and the ruins of civilizations past. However, most find only death in the end.

* '''Leilon''': This sleepy mining town once served as a convenient resting place for travelers on the High Road. Now, the few travelers who still take this route shun Leilon, going miles out of their way to avoid even laying eyes on the town. The High Tower of Thalivar long stood as a landmark here, abandoned by a forgotten mage. For generations, the tower proved a tempting target for plunderers—and, too often, a grave for them as well. The people of Leilon knew that the tower held guardian monsters, and they were content to leave it alone. However, the Spellplague’s twisted magic unleashed the creatures trapped in the tower, which quickly ravaged the helpless village. Now, the tower is a place of terror, its magic allegedly freezing in place all creatures whose eyes rest upon it, even for a moment.

* '''Mere of Dead Men''': This vast salt marsh contains the ruins of the numerous castles, manors, and farms it swallowed as it expanded. It takes its name from the great armies that were drowned here when a powerful lich flooded their battlefield. Whereas once the High Road skirted the swamp, what now remains of that highway plunges through its expanded borders. Those seeking to go south to Waterdeep from points north must often contend with the lizardfolk that claim the territory around the road. Alternative routes wind deeper into the mere or off into the Sword Mountains at the cost of extra days of travel and peril.

* '''Waterdeep''': Once the greatest and grandest city in the Realms, Waterdeep’s star has dimmed slightly in the last century as the world has progressively darkened. The great port—about a week south of Neverwinter, or three days by sea—no longer sustains its own navy, relying instead on mercenaries from the island of Mintarn and the city of Baldur’s Gate to the south. The city has long existed as a relatively fair and just center of civilization. Waterdeep is ruled by a council of twenty Masked Lords (nobles hidden behind powerful illusions to obscure their identities) and one Open Lord. The current Open Lord is the boisterous and dangerous Dagult Neverember, the so-called Lord Protector of Neverwinter. Unlike most of the other Open Lords in Waterdeep’s history, Lord Neverember has demonstrated an expansionist and imperialistic bent. In recent years, he has set his sights on Neverwinter as the next territory in his growing empire.

== City of Neverwinter ==

[[File:Neverwinter_city.png]]

'''Neverwinter''': A once-bustling metropolis, the northern city of Neverwinter lies mostly in ruins after a century of turmoil that culminated in a great cataclysm nearly thirty years ago. Fires, earthquakes, and evil portents destroyed or chased away most of the populace, but even the supposed waking of an ancient primordial could not kill the city completely. Some stubborn natives remained, carrying on in spite of countless hardships. Because of them—and because of the reconstruction efforts of the last decade—Neverwinter still stands, despite its tragedies. Today, the city is a center of trade, warfare both open and secret, and—above all—adventure. After so much abuse and neglect, much of the city’s architecture is damaged or lies in rubble. Recent repair efforts have given Neverwinter a patchwork appearance; slums are juxtaposed with new construction, all resting on the shattered remnants of old buildings. Certain districts are more intact than others, and former citizens have returned to such areas, thanks to the efforts of the city’s Lord Protector: Dagult Neverember, Open Lord of Waterdeep.

* '''Protector's Enclave''': The Lord Protector of Neverwinter rules the city from the Hall of Justice, the old temple of Tyr. Farthest from the source of the great earthquake that struck Mount Hotenow almost three decades ago, this area of Neverwinter suffered the least destruction. This good fortune also made the district a primary target for Lord Neverember. He moved an overwhelming force of mercenaries into the district, secured his base, and, ever since, has spent half his time here and half in Waterdeep. The Protector’s Enclave stands mostly intact, and many former residents of the city have returned to live here alongside new immigrants. Although this district is the most stable part of Neverwinter, it chafes under the firm hand of Sabine, the general of Lord Neverember’s forces. Spies watch every neighborhood and notable gathering place, and Mintarn enforcers march through the streets. The Enclave boasts the best-stocked market in the city, thanks to trade from Waterdeep and other cities along the Sword Coast. The city taxes all transactions made here at a steep rate that the natives have grudgingly come to accept. The taxes pay for the Mintarn soldiers who watch every newcomer to the district with a sharp eye. In the enclave, suspicious or unfamiliar characters do not stay hidden for long.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Hall of Justice''': The high walls and imposing stonework of Tyr’s former temple mark it as a timeless bastion of duty and honor. The great temple stands atop a seaside bluff, challenging all threats from the Sea of Swords or inland Faerûn. When Lord Neverember set his sights on the city, he chose the Hall of Justice as his base of operations for its practical value (the cataclysm left it almost untouched) and its emotional significance to the people of Neverwinter. The city had long served Tyr, the god of justice, and even after the deity fell nearly a hundred years ago, the residents refused to convert the temple to worship of another god. By restoring the temple to its former status, Neverember seeks to win over the city’s traditionalists and establish himself as a champion of just rule. He sponsors priests of Torm whose rites emulate the Tyrran tradition, hoping to attract new devotees to the temple (and to the Lord Protector’s cause). For the most part, the scheme has worked. Some of the locals, however—particularly the Sons of Alagondar—think that Neverember’s presence defiles the great temple, which they now call the “Hall of Never-Justice.” The temple itself is a radiant and beautiful structure, big enough inside for giants to walk comfortably or for dragons to rest in the great hall, beneath the high-domed ceiling. The trappings of the building reflect a bygone age, one dedicated to justice and temperance in all things.

*** '''The Lord’s Residence''': From his office, which looks more and more like a throne room all the time, Lord Neverember issues edicts, coordinates the activities of his followers, and (when he can spare the time) holds audience with the impoverished citizens of the city. However, he has no facility for dispensing justice, and thus he has delegated that role to Soman Galt, whom he has appointed mayor of Neverwinter. The dwarf listens wearily to supplicant after supplicant, offering grudging mediation. Meanwhile, the lord enhances his image as the charismatic champion who does not stoop to petty politics. Neverember has decorated his private quarters after the fashion of Waterdeep, although he takes care to display no seal or coat of arms pertaining to his home city. He has taken the former high priest’s apartments for his own, and he garrisons most of his sellswords in the temple’s other chambers, with a score of servants to wait upon them. A few priests of Torm dwell in the complex, faithful to their god and his precepts.

*** '''The Moonstone Mask''': A vertigo-inducing journey along a cliffside trail takes the adventurous to a new fixture of the Neverwinter skyline. The earthmote now known as the Moonstone floats beside the western edge of the Protector’s Enclave, high over the docks below. It hangs a hundred feet above the crashing waves of the Sea of Swords, bound in place by thick chains strung to heavy anchors. A bridge that runs between the earthmote and the docks allows visitors to enter and exit the Moonstone. The inn for which the mote is named, the Moonstone Mask, offers guests lavish quarters, pleasurable company, and a hard-to-beat view. In no small part, the Moonstone Mask owes its rebirth and current existence to Lord Neverember and New Neverwinter. It repays the favor by housing many of the city’s Mintarn enforcers, including their commander, General Sabine. As such, mercenaries dominate the once-genial atmosphere of the hedonistic inn, and Neverember’s sellswords are known to argue or fight with other patrons

*** '''The Wall''': A great hodgepodge of wood and scavenged stone, the Wall separates civilized Neverwinter from the Chasm and the horrors it spawns. The Wall lets guards strike at targets from positions of relative safety, and it provides regular outposts for watchers. The thick mess of bloodstained refuse at the eastern base—not to mention the occasional rotting corpse of a more recent kill— speaks to the Wall’s success as a defensive fortification. In its early days, the Wall held off the monsters by shunting them toward parts of the city that had already been destroyed. When Neverember arrived, he made it a priority to reinforce what he saw as an effective defensive fortification with his own engineers and soldiers. At first, the Wall blocked only a few streets where attacks were common, but since the reconstruction started, it has expanded to stretch from the Neverdeath graveyard to the old House of Knowledge. In combination with the Neverwinter River, the Wall continues to provide effective containment, although people have spotted plaguechanged monstrosities in the northern River District and, more recently, near sewer holes around the city. The situation grows dire, and petitions for Wall expansion come before Mayor Galt every day.

*** '''House of Knowledge''': At the far northeastern end of the Wall stands what was, in happier times, a flourishing temple to Oghma, god of knowledge and wisdom. Before the quake, the House of Knowledge served as a repository of chronicled learning, including maps, history, and hundreds of poems and chapbooks produced over the centuries. Today, it looks less like a library and more like a refugee camp, holding the area where the Wall approaches the Neverwinter River. After the cataclysm, leadership of the reduced flock at the House of Knowledge fell to Brother Anthus, an elderly human interested in studying the Chasm and the Spellplague-touched creatures that came from it. His research led to the temple’s use as a haven for Spellplague sufferers. After Anthus’s death under mysterious circumstances, a young woman in residence known as the Prophet relocated the makeshift hospital and the remaining clerics of Oghma to Helm’s Hold, claiming a prophesied disaster would befall the city if she did not. After the Prophet departed, the badly damaged temple stood empty and abandoned until recently, when a handful of squatters moved back into the House. These refugees from the River District earn their keep by ringing the temple’s bells when they sight a new wave of monstrosities spilling from the Chasm toward the Wall. Lord Neverember is said to be quite pleased with their resourcefulness, and the Mintarn mercenaries that guard the Wall are known to stop by with small gifts of food and drink to show their appreciation.

*** '''Neverdeath''': A cracked stone wall, patched in places with thick wood, surrounds the graveyard called Neverdeath. Consisting of two wide, roughly square areas of the city, Neverdeath is filled with rows of headstones interspersed with mausoleums and crumbling statues, often overgrown with withered grasses. Time, the Spellplague, and the cataclysm all took their toll on the graveyard, thrusting some sections higher than others, collapsing buildings, and revealing graves. Coffins now jut from small cliffs, and tumbled bones litter the ground. The graveyard takes its name from a common blessing given over the dead. As long as the city remained in summer, it was said, the dead would never truly leave. Many think that winter is coming soon for the city’s dead, however. Neverember’s mercenaries fear the graveyard, preferring to burn the dead outside the walls of the burial ground. If they are not burned, corpses left lying nearby sometimes rise of their own accord. Beneath a large, unassuming mausoleum lie the catacombs of the Waterclock Guild, an organization of artisans famous for building beautiful and intricate timepieces.

*** '''Neverwinter Docks''': Much of Neverwinter’s original wealth and influence came from its position as one of the few deep ports on the Sword Coast. The Neverwinter docks were the commercial heart of the city, though in some ways that heart was infected with darkness and corruption. The Spellplague went some way toward purging that corruption—chunks of land broke away and rose into the sky, forming earthmotes that hovered overhead. The surviving residents of the city adapted, connecting the low-floating motes to the shore with ropes, chains, and bridges. However, the cataclysm later destroyed the foundations of these bridges, and the changed currents swamped whole areas of the port with tidal waves. Neverwinter’s already diminished trade dried up entirely, leaving the docks a rotting ghost town. Only a few fishers and the occasional pirate ship made port here. Lord Neverember made rebuilding this center of trade a top priority. As part of his first initiatives, he sent engineers and loggers to the Upland Rise, a forested hill outside the city that once served as a park for the city’s residents. The crews stripped the hill of all salvageable timber, leaving the Upland Rise a sparse echo of its former beauty, and used it to rebuild the docks. Today, supplies and coin flow into Neverwinter through the docks, along with repatriated refugees. The Lord Protector takes a keen interest in anyone entering the city in this manner, and charges steep tariffs on deals consummated at the docks.

*** '''Tarmalune Trade House''': The rebuilt docks have attracted visitors from across the sea—members of a trade cartel from the city of Tarmalune in Returned Abeir. They have arrived in Neverwinter to arrange permanent trade routes between the two continents, and to outmaneuver their rivals from the Abeiran city of Lylorn, who have landed in Luskan with a similar goal. The Abeirans have set up shop in a large warehouse complex next to a set of docks that are being rebuilt. The Tarmalune Trade House is a busy area where contacts gather, deals are made, and adventurers find their services in high demand.

*** '''The Winged Wyvern''': Of the three bridges that once crossed the Neverwinter River, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city, charging a toll, and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

** '''Notable NPCS'''

*** '''Lord Dagult Neverember''': The Open Lord of Waterdeep, Neverember arrived in Neverwinter about ten years ago and proclaimed himself the Lord Protector of the city. Over the past decade, Dagult Neverember has made progress in restoring the devastated city. Seeing an opportunity to add to his mercantile empire, Lord Neverember employed an army of artisans and carpenters to rebuild, and he hired mercenaries from Mintarn to keep monsters at bay and maintain order. Five years ago, Neverember established the Protector’s Enclave from his base in the Hall of Justice, and declared that section of the city safe for occupation once more. Since then, he has worked to tame the wild streets, rebuild the ruins, and coax refugees to return to their homes. The Open Lord of Waterdeep is a commanding noble. Big, boisterous, and affable, Neverember treats each new acquaintance as a friend. But beneath his congenial display, his quick mind is sizing up everyone in attendance, tallying potential gains or threats each could offer him. Neverember hasn't tried to claim the throne of Neverwinter (yet, at least), but he has floated the idea he is a descendant of Nasher Alagondar, a beloved lord from before the Spellplague. The protector’s savants have managed to trace the lord’s heritage to the adventurer Vers Never, a supposed bastard son of Lord Nasher Alagondar and younger half-brother to Bann, who succeeded their shared father as king. As Neverember tells it, Vers settled in Waterdeep and married Mirtria Ember, thus forming the “Neverember” name.

*** '''General Sabine''': A tough-as-nails mercenary named Sabine leads Neverember's Mintarn forces. She serves as Neverember’s chief enforcer in the city and has come to represent the harsher aspects of his beneficence.

*** '''Soman Galt, Mayor of Neverwinter''': Once a great explorer, Soman Galt has turned into a calculated politician who projects a cold, disconnected presence. The dwarf stares absently, his eyes seeming to watch something no one else can see, and he often mumbles to himself. He is capable of rigid focus, however, when the situation warrants it, and he takes his work seriously. A former government official, Galt was a natural choice when Neverember sought an underling to manage the city’s affairs. He oversees tax collection, grants of property, and city files.

*** '''Liset Cheldar''': This half-elf woman runs the Moonstone Mask with a wink and a smile. She genuinely likes most of the people she meets, and she flirts with anyone who seems receptive. A recently returned native of the city who inherited the inn, Liset was pleased to find the place still in one piece (and still floating). The legitimacy of her claim to the Moonstone was unclear, but, plying her natural charm, she successfully lobbied Neverember for funds to reopen the inn, and she maintains a bright smile thanks to his patronage.

*** '''Durham Shaw''': The Captain of the Wall, he holds the command of it under General Sabine, seeing to its defense and coordinating patrols of it between the Mintarn mercenaries and the hardened natives who refuse to give up their stewardship. While he's not too harsh of a commander compared to Sabine or the Mintarns in general, he's resented by many people for a different reason—he has been allowed to stay in the city and work on the Wall even though he suffers from the effects of the Spellplague. Some say Shaw receives this special treatment because he is a personal friend or distant relation of Lord Neverember.

*** '''Loremaster Atlavast''': The only priest who remained after the Prophet’s departure from the House of Knowledge, he is a middle-aged human who became the custodian of the library after the cataclysm. Fearing the worst as the cataclysm occurred, the loremasters of the temple sealed the inner sanctum, leaving the young Atlavast sealed within. As the ground shuddered and shook, Atlavast’s mind grew unstable. Now grown into an eccentric recluse, Atlavast keeps to the lower vaults, continually cataloguing and reorganizing. He is rarely glimpsed these days, and the main evidence of his existence is the occasional flickering light that filters up from cracks in the cobblestones in the dead of night. As a rule, no one ventures closer to investigate.

* ''' Fisher's Float''': This island hovers over the Sea of Swords beyond the southern end of the bay. Dotted with a smattering of shacks, it is the home and workplace of fishers who have lived on this earthmote since the Spellplague. Skilled at their trade and fearless of the weather and the turbulent sea, they provide a great deal of food for the city. For many years, rumors have spread that the fishers have thrived because of their worship of dark gods or unnatural alliances with creatures that live beneath the waves. Regardless of the veracity of these barstool stories, the people of Neverwinter happily eat the fish and crustaceans brought to land each morning and evening.

* '''Pirates' Skyhold''': Neverwinter legends say that this high-floating earthmote served as an unassailable harbor for sky pirates in the years following the Spellplague. Because the mote floats a hundred feet up and could not be accessed by a direct path from the land, the pirates supposedly stored all manner of treasure there, as safe storage for wealthy or well-connected residents of the city. Then, the story takes a dark turn. All the pirates died in one night of blood and betrayal, leaving the treasure and their skyship on the mote—along with whatever slew them. Some people believe that a dragon has claimed the pirates’ loot as its hoard, taking the earthmote as its lair because the city below lacks the means to interfere. Regardless of the story’s truth, one thing is true—Pirates’ Skyhold has long been abandoned. From the right locations in Neverwinter, one can see rotting wooden buildings poking out of the forests of the mote, but whatever still exists up there has seen little intrusion in decades.

* '''Castle Never''': An imposing fixture of Neverwinter’s western end, Castle Never stands as a monument to the city’s former glory. The cataclysm struck it hard, toppling towers, collapsing walls, and starting fires that burned throughout the structure. The entire royal family is thought to have perished, and the remaining servants sealed the vaults, crypts, and grounds with the hope that a worthy heir to Neverwinter would arrive one day to take his or her rightful place on the throne. On that day, it is said, the magic treasures and other resources of the castle will serve the new ruler. To the uninformed eye, Castle Never looks like a big, hulking ruin. Half its towers fell in the cataclysm, and the wall on its seaward side crumbled to rubble. Chunks of stone and fallen statues litter the windswept courtyard. Inside, the stone corridors stink of ash and dust, which swirls up around the feet of intruders. Even in their emptiness, the corridors never seem vacant. The spirits of the hundreds who died here linger on. The castle was built on a strong foundation, however, and if the structure were purged of monsters, it could be refurbished. Many of the interior rooms collapsed, but others stand eerily intact.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Drow Encampment''': The courtyard of Castle Never bears the traces of a camp that was well hidden but has become increasingly obvious from frequent use. The camp originally belonged to an infamous pair of drow: Drizzt Do’Urden, legendary ranger of the North, and the less well-regarded Jarlaxle, captain of the Bregan D’aerthe mercenaries. The two drow were in the area when the cataclysm claimed Neverwinter, and they still have interests in the region. The drow established this camp as a base of operations in Neverwinter, enabling them to keep an eye on their schemes in the city. At first, the camp consisted only of a few companions sharing a fire, but Drizzt’s and Jarlaxle’s occasional visits to the city encouraged young would-be adventurers to seek them out as teachers of the ways of combat and heroism. The drow, both grandmasters, have inspired a small following among the disenfranchised or ambitious youth of Neverwinter. After Drizzt and Jarlaxle’s last visit several months ago, half a dozen young citizens set up their own camp in this spot, where they practiced the ways of combat, dared one another to venture into the castle proper, and sought to make themselves apprentices to the two absent legends.

*** '''Hall of Ashen Mirrors''': Full-length mirrors once adorned the walls of this long corridor, wherein young heirs of Alagondar practiced their noble gait and posture. The mirrors shattered in the cataclysm, instantly killing anyone in the corridor at the time, just before a wave of searing gas blasted through the huge windows and turned the corpses to ash. This double catastrophe left the hallway a wasteland of soot and splintered glass.

*** '''Fungal Bloom''': This atrium once housed all manner of pretty birds and flowers. Since the cataclysm, they have been reduced to skeletons in gilded cages and rotted, desiccated blossoms. Boarded over to keep out the sunlight and trap the heat of rot inside, the cavernous chamber is suffused with dim blue light from glowing lichen.

*** '''Web-Strewn Spires''': Cobwebs fill the upper halls of Castle Never, and scrabbling noises can be heard in its high towers. Only the boldest explorers—those with no fear of fangs in the dark—venture up to the spires.

*** '''Neverneath, Endless Maze''': The catacombs beneath Castle Never came through the cataclysm mostly untouched, thanks to a warding spell commissioned in times past to maintain the structural integrity of the castle. However, the Spellplague wrought strange changes upon the ward, which has grown in strength. What once protected the catacombs now traps intruders. The complex beneath Castle Never, called Neverneath by locals, closes around trespassers. Corridors lead back around to themselves, and dead ends appear where tunnels led only moments before. Explorers can step through a door, turn around and go back through the same door, and end up in a different part of the dungeon. They can wander the abandoned halls and chambers for days without finding an exit.

*** '''Vault of the Nine''': Beneath the center of Neverneath lies a vault built especially for the legendary bodyguards of House Alagondar—the Neverwinter Nine. These great warriors served their beloved city in life, and they lie entombed with honor at her very foundation.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Xalbyn''': A moon elf who has established himself as the captain of the Drow Encampment in the absence of any actual drow. He's taken some of the younger would-be adventurers who stay or visit the camp under his wing, providing training and challenging them to complete minor quests. He values quick-witted warriors after his own heart.

*** '''Aerlyse''': A half-drow psion, she's a newer resident of the camp, who admires intelligence and charm. She has been tasked with securing the camp and making sure the denizens of the crypts beneath Castle Never don't spill out into the courtyard.

* '''Blacklake District''': This region of Neverwinter stands largely intact in the wake of the cataclysm. Credit for the survival of the Blacklake District goes mostly to the nobles of Neverwinter who dwelt here and constructed their homes with extra support, both material and magical. Many of these nobles died in the fire that swept the area after the cataclysm, but their houses remain. The district holds a large number of overgrown estates, scores of stout, defensible holdfasts, and a large park that contains the lake for which the region is named. The water was polluted by a great deal of ash and rubbish in the quake, and today Blacklake looks more like a midden pit of sludge than a lake. Some locals are making an effort to dredge it and restore the surrounding environs. After securing the Protector’s Enclave, Lord Neverember’s mercenaries have turned more of their attention to Blacklake as the next district for resettlement, but their efforts have not been fruitful. Numerous secret societies aggressively resist their efforts to pacify the neighborhood. Blacklake harbors a great deal of old blood and nationalism, which takes the form of opposition to the Lord Protector. Muggers and hot-tempered duelists plague the streets of Blacklake, and political agitators hold small rallies or foment subtle conspiracies against the powers that be. The Sons of Alagondar set ambushes for Mintarn enforcers and wage pitched battles in the streets.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Driftwood Tavern''': An inn and tavern that caters mainly to longtime locals, the Driftwood Tavern takes pride in having kept its doors open since before the Spellplague. When the cataclysm struck, innkeeper Madame Rosene, a serious woman now in her late fifties, sheltered refugees within her walls. The Driftwood offered people a makeshift city hall and gathering place during the troubled years. Madame Rosene and her regulars have filled the inside of the tavern with bric-à-brac, curios, and relics of Neverwinter before its fall. The statue from a favorite fountain stands in a corner. A wineseller’s planter boxes, filled with flowers, brighten the walls. A knob and a knocker from a noble’s estate are attached to the privy door. Ornate doors pulled from the wreckage make fine tables, and unbroken panes of stained glass hang overhead as chandeliers, lit by hundreds of carefully placed candles. Though the decorations have been salvaged from all over the city, the tavern does not feel junky, and no one thinks Madame Rosene is taking advantage of Neverwinter’s fall. Quite the opposite—the Driftwood is considered a monument to old Neverwinter, like a dusty painting of a beautiful girl hanging above the deathbed of an aged noblewoman. Prices for room and board at the tavern are high. The atmosphere is one of quiet reflection, rather than boisterous merriment. The Mintarn mercenaries stay away, preferring to eat and drink at the Moonstone Mask or some other cheaper place. Visitors to the city stop at the Driftwood to marvel at the museum of objects, or to learn about old Neverwinter from Madame Rosene for the (expensive) price of a drink and a meal.

*** '''The Beached Leviathan''': The Beached Leviathan tavern caters to sailors, smugglers, pirates, slavers, merchants, and others arriving by sea. The name of the tavern honors the owner's ship, ''Leviathan'', which ran aground during a storm before the docks had been rebuilt. The tavern is built in and around the refurbished wreckage of the ship.

*** '''The Swamped Docks''': Below the more recent construction lie the remnants of the original docks: a splintering, rotting mass of ancient wood and stone that makes any number of natural lairs for aquatic creatures or hideouts for those on the run from the Mintarns. This area was partially submerged during the city’s devastation. Now, half-sunken buildings rot beneath seaweed, the drowned dead float through foul water, and amphibious horrors crawl up onto land. No one, not even Lord Neverember, looks forward to cleaning up this area, but the job must be tackled eventually. The city’s hand might be forced soon—sahuagin have been sighted in the bay, and disappearances from nearby areas have become common. Rumor has it that a halfling gang operates out of the swamped docks, led by a sneak thief named Palas. The halflings prey on those who wander the docks alone or in the dark.

*** '''Vellgard Manor''': At least one noble villa in the Blacklake District houses its actual owner, the dashing Mordai Vell holds sway over a small, well-guarded compound known as Vellgard Manor. The product of an affair between a devil and an member of a human family from the south, Mordai was a scandalous embarrassment hushed up by his human relatives. When they perished in the cataclysm, he inherited the family estate. Mordai moved back into the city before Neverember arrived and with the arrival of the Lord Protector, Mordai took a more visible role in the district. Charismatic, handsome, and wealthy, he has become a popular figure—a civic leader who, some whisper, might aspire to hold the throne of Neverwinter. The estate is an armed compound flanked by metal gates and hidden guards. An inner wall creates a killing field that could stop a small army.

*** '''House of a Thousand Faces''': With its broad windows and comfortable couches, this tavern is a popular gathering place in the Blacklake District. Amid mannequins dressed in the threadbare trends of thirty years past, patrons lounge about the airy interior, drinking, laughing, and scheming. Named for the dozens of mirrors and mannequins positioned about the common room, the House of a Thousand Faces once was a fashionable boutique. The cataclysm crippled the house’s business, and the owner, an elf named Theryis, packed up her remaining goods and closed her doors. When the city’s population began to recover and increase, she opened the shop again as a tavern, using the dusty clothes and mirrors as decoration.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Madame Rosene''': A serious woman in her late fifties, she is the tavernkeeper of the Driftwood Tavern. Only longtime customers and old friends come to the Driftwood regularly, a situation that suits Madame Rosene just fine, as she is slow to trust outsiders, placing her faith mainly in familiar citizens of old Neverwinter or their children.

*** '''Harrag''': A sallow former pirate captain who lost a leg in a battle with sahuagin long ago, he is the proprietor of the Beached Leviathan. Harrag is as a scurvy, independent scoundrel who will deal with anyone, but never permanently joins a side.

*** '''Len-jes''': A scarred watersoul genasi, she serves as Neverember’s harbormaster. Once a corsair on the Sea of Fallen Stars, she fled her enemies there and settled in Waterdeep. Neverember recognized her business acumen and recruited Len-jes to be his master of trade in the reborn city. The harbormaster’s head for numbers serves her well in balancing Soman Galt’s tax ledgers. Her less academic duties include dredging the bay to open more berths for trade ships. She permanently leases a chamber in the Beached Leviathan and can be found in the taproom there many nights, recounting her adventures as a corsair.

*** '''Mordai Vell''': Tall and dark, Mordai has luminous gold eyes even though most tieflings boast red or black ones. Charisma practically drips from him, setting all around him off their guard. His obvious wealth doesn’t hurt, either. As the last heir of a noble family (one whose holdings remained remarkably intact after the cataclysm), he exerts great influence over Neverwinter’s economy and politics. Mordai is arrogance incarnate. He pursues whatever interests him, regardless of how far he must reach. Mordai is a smooth operator—charming, rich, and always keen on how he might ally with new acquaintances and use them.

*** '''Theryis''': The owner of the House of a Thousand Faces, she has short, straight, silver hair and golden eyes. She can be friendly and kind to those she knows well, but often comes off as gruff and no-nonsense to others.

*** '''Toram''': A half-elf with long, wavy, red hair and blue eyes, he is Theryis's half-brother, though they bear little resemblance. He is competitive in a good-natured way, often challenging patrons of the Thousand Faces to friendly competitions in one thing or another. He lives at the tavern, staying in its basement, and helps his sister run it.

* '''River District''': The River District takes its name from the terrain feature that has saved it from being overrun—namely, the Neverwinter River, which holds at bay the plaguechanged forces that emerge from the Chasm to the south. The bulk of Neverwinter’s merchant class once dwelt here, and the architecture shows it. The houses were sturdily built, and although they are not ostentatious, most are large enough to have held a family of six or eight plus servants. Guardhouses and security walls abound offering cover for skirmishers looking to ambush unsuspecting visitors. Long flower gardens run through the center of each street, although over the years they have gone to weeds or decay. One might think the Mintarns could have pacified the River District by now, but safety proves elusive, mostly due to a band of orcs in the ancient Cloak Tower at the eastern edge of the area. New Neverwinter’s forces occasionally venture into the district, but generally only as far as the Fallen Tower tavern. That establishment serves as neutral ground for negotiations between Lord Neverember and Vansi of the orcs, to whom the rest of the district belongs. Beasts from the surrounding wilderness occasionally stalk the streets here, hunting for food. Even if the orcs were not present, the other dangerous creatures would be reason enough for refugees to avoid this district, regardless of whether their houses remain standing. For now, a hastily erected barrier seals most of the River District from Blacklake. It usually stands unattended, since the Mintarn guards have better things to do than patrol the barrier, opting instead to post signs warning people away. Some people enter the district despite these warnings. The relative privacy makes discreet liaisons and daredevil games frequent occurrences in the River District, and stern parents have to caution youngbloods with a thirst for adventure against going in.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Fallen Tower''': The broken base of an old wizard’s tower has long been the site of a popular tavern in Neverwinter. Within the Fallen Tower, phantoms form in the air each night, seeming solid and real as they replay the moments of their deaths during the Spellplague by appearing to fall into and through the cookfire in the middle of the tavern. Two terrified wizards, their bodies already ablaze, fall first, followed by another wizard whose limbs have turned into eels. Finally, a fourth wizard’s body descends as its flesh is stripped away, leaving the skull’s eerie grin as the last image to fade. Since before the cataclysm, the show has attracted customers to the Fallen Tower. When the Many-Arrows orcs discovered this vacant building, they found stores of wine and were in the midst of a celebration when the phantoms appeared. The orcs started to flee, but when it became clear that the spirits were harmless, the wine lured them back. Now the Many-Arrows orcs run the tavern as a place where members of their force and others worthy enough to join them can share a few drinks. The Lord Protector and the leader of the Many- Arrows orcs have declared the Fallen Tower neutral ground, and the orcs do not bother anyone who comes to the tavern to do business. No bouncers are needed, because anyone who breaks the truce of the tavern faces the blades of every patron present.

*** '''Cloak Tower''': An expeditionary force of orcs from the Many-Arrows kingdom has come to Neverwinter and makes its base in the structure known as the Cloak Tower. The orcs have defied all attempts to rein them in or push them out, and Lord Neverember is biding his time until he figures out how to get rid of them. For the moment, the orcs have helped to control the monster population in the northern half of the city. They tend to slay anyone who interferes with their business, including plaguechanged spawn that come up through the sewers on the north side of the river. The tower takes its name from a guild of mages called the Many-Starred Cloaks who lived and gathered there. They were well known in the city for their arcane skill and for the whimsical, colorful cloaks they wore. During the Spellplague, the tower and its occupants vanished. The tower reappeared half a year later on a different patch of ground in the city. As tavern tales have it, when thieves first broke into the tower several months after it first reappeared, they found empty halls and no mages (or bodies). Only the guild members’ many-starred cloaks remained, hanging from pegs on the walls. Then disaster struck the thieves: The lone survivor of the group told of a horrific attack from cloaks that suddenly came to life and enveloped the other bandits. Whether the tale or any part of it is true, the citizens of Neverwinter shunned the tower for decades thereafter—no one wanted to risk entering it. District residents expected that the orcs, too, would run afoul of the tower’s wards when they tried to occupy the place, but the warriors were able to move in safely. They have now established themselves quite nicely in the most protected holdfast in the district.

*** '''The Shard of Night''': A bleak tower of black stone hovers above a cluster of ruined apartments in the River District, seemingly sheared off at its base when it was torn from whatever location it once occupied. The tower has been here since the Spellplague, but no one who investigated the structure in the early years after its appearance ever returned, so people decided to leave it alone. The Shard of Night rises high into the sky over Neverwinter, but it casts no shadow during the day. Any creature that passes under the tower in daylight sees its own shadow disappear, as if the tower were absorbing the darkness. During the night, the tower casts a shadow by the light of the moon that looms over much of the area around the place. Nearby residents believe that the Shard of Night is haunted, since no one or thing is ever seen to come or go, yet sounds sometimes echo down from the opening in its base.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Vagdru One-Ear''': This orc veteran acts as bartender and purveyor of the Fallen Tower, providing whatever drinks the orcs can find and passing out raw meat of dubious origin for the patrons to roast at the central fire (or to eat uncooked if they want).

*** '''Vansi''': The commander of the orc force, she is a warrior known for her reaving flail and fearsome war cry. Ferocious even for an orc soldier, Vansi claims the streets of the River District as a colony of the Many-Arrows kingdom, governed from the mysterious Cloak Tower.

* '''The Chasm''': The southeastern quarter of Neverwinter lies in almost complete ruin, virtually flattened by the earthquake during the cataclysm and since then under continual assault by plaguechanged monsters that emerge from the depths. At the center of this wasteland yawns the Chasm—a canyon-like crack in the earth that spawns all manner of twisted and deadly beasts. It supposedly extends down into the Underdark, but few have ever ventured down the Chasm and even fewer returned. Proximity to the Chasm causes mild anxiety, moodiness, and paranoia. The effects are obvious on people at the Wall, and they increase in intensity as one moves closer to—or deeper into—the Chasm. It becomes difficult to think clearly, and even allies seem to hold treachery in their hearts. Recently, this pervasive ill will has begun to radiate beyond the confines of the Wall, plaguing the dreams of Neverwinter’s residents with terrible nightmares.

** '''Ruined Terrain''': The surrounding land in the district that takes its name from the Chasm is a tangled maze of broken buildings and clotted streets, all of it battered by the elements and crushed under the paws of the Chasm’s monsters. Wall patrols venture into this wasteland only occasionally, since few who leave the barricade’s safety return. Those who do sometimes carry marks from the experience, such as azure burns, twisted limbs, or some other physical manifestation of a spellscar. Lord Neverember has ordered that anyone showing symptoms of infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold for treatment.

** '''The Upper Reach''': For the few people who have done it, climbing down into the Chasm resembles what they may have heard of tales about venturing into the Abyss. The first hundred or so feet are fairly normal, except for occasional swells of superheated air. Past that point, conditions grow more hostile. Elemental energy surges up from the depths in sudden storms. Earthmotes float in the pit, some drifting slowly and others bashing against the walls as though driven by demons. Handholds are scarce on the treacherous walls, which can explode with flame or lightning at any moment. Rocky outcroppings come and go, collapsing or molding themselves as onlookers watch. All manner of plaguechanged creatures dwell in pockets and on precipices in the upper Chasm. Some climb the walls, and others ride bolts of chaotic energy that flare from the bottom of the pit. These creatures rise like birds filling their wings with wind.

** Few, if any, know what lies in the lower reaches of the Chasm...

* '''Underground Neverwinter''': True danger in Neverwinter lurks in places the sun never touches—in the darkness beneath hundreds of tons of stone. Underground ruins abound in a city that has suffered so much damage. The Mintarn enforcers rarely venture below ground, preferring to deal with threats if and when they emerge onto the surface. Thus, sewers and crypts make perfect lairs for all sorts of creeping, scheming evil.

** '''Shattered Sewers''': When the cataclysm struck, Neverwinter’s sewer system took a serious beating as buildings collapsed into their foundations, leaving a maze of precarious wreckage and treacherous tunnels. The sewers quickly became dangerous in the extreme, home to all manner of awful beasts. Provided one is willing to risk getting lost or being attacked, the extensive sewers provide a means of moving about the city. This method of travel is confusing and potentially deadly, however—one never knows when a building overhead will collapse, bringing part of the ceiling down with it, or when a group of underworld squatters might ambush intruders. The tunnels near the Chasm are particularly hazardous because they play host to aberrant beings. The forces of New Neverwinter rarely search the sewers, so rebels and schemers use the filthy tunnels freely.

** '''Kraken Tunnels''': A seaside, underground maze shaped vaguely like an octopus, this complex once belonged to the Kraken Society, a ruthless conglomerate of slavers and blackmarket traders that sought to control the Sword Coast. Many rooms throughout the complex have openings in their floors, revealing the dark, murky water that lies beneath.

** '''Tunnels and Trenches''': The opening of the Chasm and the earthquakes that brought down many buildings in southeastern Neverwinter collapsed many of the sewers in the district. This created trenches in or beside the streets and tunnels where the sewers had not collapsed. These pathways now provide cover for the movement of monsters beyond the Wall and secure places to which they can retreat when repelled from their frequent assaults. The sewers, trenches, and ruined buildings offer an excellent tactical advantage by allowing the forces of the Chasm to approach close to the Wall without sustaining attack, but this is offset by the high vantage of the House of Knowledge, whose occupants ring a bell when they can see significant movement in the far-off trenches. Unfortunately for the Wall’s defenders, night and weather can obscure observation of the trenches, and thus they often use arbalests to launch balls of flaming pitch into the district in the hopes of illuminating the scene.

== Helm's Hold ==
Once a bastion of safety on the edge of Neverwinter Wood, the fortified monastery and community called Helm’s Hold has endured through the last decades, diminished but unyielding. It has lived through the death of the god who gave the place its name, the
ravages of the Spellplague, and the ruination of Neverwinter. Through all this, Helm’s Hold has taken a serious beating but stubbornly clings to its original purpose: to provide sanctuary for those who none. Helm’s Hold has always been a place of healing
and protection for the people of Faerûn. Even when Helm perished a year before the Spellplague, the monastery remained open, seeking to aid those with nowhere else to turn. During the decades after the Spellplague hit, the Hold became one of the few safe
destinations—if not the only one—along the Sword Coast. The cataclysm once again made clear the need for Helm’s Hold and its services. Its doors have remained open over the years, admitting all who suffer, regardless of race, background, or faith. Today, the monastery proper serves as an asylum for those cursed with the Spellplague. People from all over Faerûn make the pilgrimage here for treatment, as do people from Neverwinter, which is less than a day’s journey to the northwest. In fact, Lord Neverember issued a standing order a year ago that anyone in the city showing symptoms of Spellplague infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold as soon as possible. The influx of the needy since that time has swelled the town’s numbers, but tolerance is in the air here, so the spellscarred feel more at home in the Hold than anywhere else in the Realms. Originally a small monastery and its surrounding village, Helm’s Hold has grown over the decades. The cathedral’s foundation had hardly been laid when Helm died, but the people finished it as a monument in his honor. Helm has become a cultural icon here—a patron saint of the community—and all followers of all gods are welcome under his watchful gaze.

* '''Locations'''

** '''The Hungry Flame''': A decrepit tavern which has a reputation for being unfriendly to patrons who are not spellscarred. The place is a rogue’s gallery of the strange and twisted.

** '''The Dragon’s Gauntlet''': The battered town hall of Helm’s Hold, formerly an inn, is a popular gathering place for the people of the city, as well as a forum for its tempestuous governmental process. The people of the town are rugged individualists at heart, a characteristic that does not always mesh well with governmental edicts. Loud shouts, challenges, and shows of intimidation are acceptable methods of discussing legislation.

** '''Heartward''': Life and death are both on stage in the plaza called Heartward at the center of Helm’s Hold, where a marketplace is arrayed around a hangman’s scaffold. Food and gold are both scarce in the marketplace, and brawls break out between customers who feel cheated. Soldiers keep watch from the perimeter of the plaza. Town criers declaim the words of the Prophet, particularly when she has foretold something seen as especially wonderful or dire. The pronouncements are entertainment as well as news, since people love debating exactly what her portents mean. The Heartward’s chief notoriety is a haunting that fills the plaza on certain nights, when clouds obscure the waning moon. Luminous shapes appear—a gathering of ghosts that go about the business of the living. Phantom vendors sell ephemeral apples at empty stands, ghost children run happily through the streets, and spirits hang one another at the scaffold. Some of the scenes appear to be reenactments of past events, whereas others have not occurred—at least, not yet. The ghosts speak mostly nonsense, but some of what they say might offer clues to past or future happenings. The plaza’s name comes from a small shrine on the edge of the marketplace devoted to Sune, goddess of beauty and romance, which is a favored meeting place for lovers in the city. On haunted nights, couples gather at the shrine, hoping for a thrill.

** '''The Old Dirty Dwarf''': The region’s hard years have closed many businesses, but the Old Dirty Dwarf has stood the test of time. The best inn and tavern in Helm’s Hold, the Old Dirty Dwarf caters mostly to newcomers to the city. In the wake of the Lord Protector’s occupation of Neverwinter and his increasing presence in the Hold, Mintarn mercenaries have come to dominate the inn’s patronage, often with new exiles from Neverwinter in tow.

** '''Scar Alley''': Numerous setbacks have taken their toll on the structures and the people of Helm’s Hold. Nowhere in town is this fact more evident than in the oldest district—Scar Alley, a small collection of weathered streets where the least fortunate residents live. The district is home to the worst spellscarred in town, those shunned because of their extreme physical deformities. During the Spellplague, the ground upon which the Hold is built softened, causing some buildings to bow or lean precariously out over the streets. Much of the original stone construction of Scar Alley is approaching ruin, and the residents do what they can to bolster the failing structures with planks, mortar, and fresh stone. The district is poorly patrolled, full of hovels that are frequented by shady characters or infested by monsters.

** '''Helm's Cathedral''': The cathedral to the dead god Helm lost its original religious purpose long ago and became a sanatorium for the ailing, tended by the aging faithful who still honor the traditions of their deity. The spellscarred find treatment here, and many of the servants in the cathedral are also patients. They work as part of their treatment. The Prophet Rohini is the undisputed master of Helm’s cathedral, even if she disdains political status. She exists, she says, only to pass on the mysterious prophecies of her equally mysterious faith. The cathedral can hold about a thousand souls. Most of them are patients of the sanatorium, though a few enjoy relatively good health and handle the day-to-day maintenance of the temple. A dozen or so acolytes who have skill in non-magical healing or an aptitude for service keep order in the cathedral. Several followers of Oghma labor alongside the former Helmites, continuing the work of the late Brother Anthus.

*** '''Halls of the Guardian''': The daylight floors of the temple look much as they did a hundred years ago: hung with banners of Helm’s sigil and warded at all corners by suits of armor that feature stylized eyes on their gauntlets and prominent, blankfaced helms. Cavernous chambers soar high through flying buttresses, and great statues of Helm and heroes of legend gaze down upon supplicants. The walls block most sound, but sometimes a cry or an incoherent rant reverberates up from the deeper levels of the complex. The effect is a sharp contrast in what otherwise appears to be a glorious temple. The great hall of the cathedral could accommodate a hundred men-at-arms comfortably, though today it has a far different purpose. It is here that the Prophet sits in audience, dispensing her predictions of future events. If asked to do so, she may lay her hands on those in attendance and tell their fortunes.

*** '''Sanatorium''': Beneath the stately, well-lit halls on the surface, the lower levels of the cathedral grow darker and more frightening. A sanatorium hides in the vaults: a maze of cramped corridors that houses a growing number of spellscarred victims, who struggle with insanity or physical deformities. Once a day, the patients are allowed out onto the cathedral grounds, under close observation by priests. Although the madness of these unfortunates unnerves most visitors, the Prophet spends a great deal of time in the sanatorium without being affected. To the folk of Helm’s Hold, this is a sign of her compassionate nature.

** '''Beneath Helm's Hold''': Through the many years that Helm’s Hold has stood, its occupants delved underground. Their crypts and ossuaries utilized natural caverns as well as chambers left in the earth by old empires, creating a vast network of tunnels and levels. Once the domain only of the peaceful departed, these places have now been invaded by the living, making the dead grow restless.

* '''Notable NPCs'''

** '''Halas''': A charismatic half-elf, he is a former landowner in Neverwinter who came to Helm's Hold after being afflicted with a spellscar. He is an informal leader of the spellscarred, and pushes back against those who wish them gone.

** '''Meryth''': A female elf, she is another informal leader of Helm's Hold's spellscarred population. She advocates peaceful resistance in the face of prejudice.

** '''Rohini, the Prophet of Helm’s Hold''': Rohini is the main healer and head researcher of Helm's Hold monastery, taking over in that last role for the now deceased Brother Anthus, who passed away shortly after her arrival at the House of Knowledge. Rohini earned her sobriquet through the foretellings she speaks of pivotal events to come, both good and ill. The Prophet claims knowledge of extraordinary mysteries beyond mortal understanding. She says this awareness gives her the power to purify the worthy. She bestows healing on individuals that have been visited by the Spellplague. Although Rohini does not sit in overt leadership in the cathedral, the acolytes, servants, and patients bow to her, calling her simply “Prophet.”

** '''Dunfield''': An old associate of Lord Neverember, he leads a band of mercenaries the Lord Protector has lent Helm's Hold to serve as a town watch. Hard-bitten and cynical, Dunfield remains an honorable man who tries to keep his soldiers in line and serve the community as best as he can.

** '''Alisara Callum''': Everyone in Helm’s Hold pays deference to her, the town’s elected Chief Speaker. Her ability to inspire loyalty helps to keep the haphazard government functioning. A former soldier now past her prime, Alisara brings a note of legitimacy to the council. She wears a frayed purple tabard with a white dragon sigil—the symbol of her former service with the Purple Dragon Knights of Cormyr—which some locals consider to be her personal coat of arms. Alisara is well liked, though her policies of accepting the spellscarred irk some in the city.

** '''Doloran Bard''': An aging farmer and councilman whose family long ago helped build the original monastery, he is wary of trusting the direction of Helm’s Hold to an outsider. An unrepentant purist when it comes to the spellscarred, Bard would prefer that the town push out the “unclean” hordes and return the Hold to its original purpose.

** '''Juetta''': A human female of about thirty years, she is the proprietor of the Old Dirty Dwarf, an establishment that is mostly safe, if none too clean. The Old Dirty Dwarf welcomes all, but some of the staff makes an exclusion for spellscarred, actively discouraging their business. Juetta frowns on this sort of behavior, but she can’t be everywhere in the place at the same time, so she can’t stop the growing tensions that bubble over in the tavern from time to time.

** '''Brother Satarin''': An acolyte before Helm’s death, the young dwarf took his vows shortly before the god fell. Satarin stayed at the cathedral, teaching the ways of his fallen master and attending to the needy after the rest of Helm’s clergy left the place for other gods or retired from the cloth. Now, at the age of 160, Satarin is as close to a high priest as the cathedral is likely to see again, though he firmly eschews any title but Brother. He opened the cathedral’s doors to the Prophet at the request of Brother Vartan, a priest of Oghma whose research on resurrecting dead gods was of interest to the still-devout Satarin.

** '''Torlgar''': The warden of the sanatorium is Torlgar, a hulking goliath. An early convert to Rohini’s ways, Torlgar is fiercely loyal to his beloved mistress, to the point of death or beyond.

D&D 5e: Against the Fathomless

2024-10-22T21:46:20Z

NightGoblyn: /* Player Characters */

__NOTOC__
=A Planescape Adventure for 5e=
[[File:Planescape0003.png|center|400px]]

==Player Characters==
Please link your character sheet to your character's name. It can be a wiki page or an offsite sheet so long as I can open it without having to sign in anywhere.

Go [[Fathomless:_Character_Generation|'''HERE''']] for chargen rules and guidelines.

*''[https://docs.google.com/document/d/13pPa8mEsBKPU94WkqqMWJLAlQB9piRSH4cjRnqXDcLI/edit?usp=sharing Doxie Heartspindle]'' Played by: ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]''
:: L9 | Initiative Mod +2 | P-Per 12 / P-Ins 12

*'''[[Kestrel_the_Druid | Kestrel]]''' Played by: ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]''
:: L9 | Initiative Mod +3 | P-Per 17 / P-Ins 13

*'''[[Zlava the Ranger | Zlava Bino]]''' Played by: ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/archer.10289/ Archer]''
:: L9 | Initiative Mod +3 | P-Per 16 / P-Ins 12

*'''Character Name''' Played by: ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/talisman.167661/ Talisman]''
:: L9 | Initiative Mod +X | P-Per XX / P-Ins XX

=Metagame Tools=
Below is all the boilerplate stuff that is essentially the same for virtually all my PBP games.

==Threads==
[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/closed-development-d-d-5e-against-the-fathomless.923241/ Development Thread]

OOC Thread

IC Thread

----
[[D%26D_5e:_Against_the_Fathomless#Player_Characters| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Resources==
[http://orokos.com/roll/?action=roll Orokos] - Online Dice Roller.

[https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/BookIndex Roll 20] - 5e Online.

[https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] - If you can't post for whatever reason let us know here or in OOC.

----
[[D%26D_5e:_Against_the_Fathomless#Player_Characters| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Expectations==
'''Post Frequency'''

I am asking for a '''daily''' posting commitment for this game as a general rule, with the understanding that posting might be less frequent on weekends and holidays. Meatworld being what it is, this generally averages to 3-4 GM updates per week.
:'''Note:''' if 24-36 hours have gone by since my last GM update, I may post a new update, even if all players have not posted, to maintain momentum.

:This is sometimes just the most expedient path forward given the medium and the constraints of communicating over real distances rather than across a table.

----
[[D%26D_5e:_Against_the_Fathomless#Player_Characters| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Post Absences'''

If you will ''not'' be able to post, for whatever reason, please ping us in OOC so we know what is going on or post to the [https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] (I pretty much check that thing every time it lights up).

----
[[D%26D_5e:_Against_the_Fathomless#Player_Characters| < < < Back to the Top]]

''' Post Formatting'''

Please include the following header at the top of each IC Post:
:'''Character Name''' || AC || '''HP Current/Max''' || Spell DC || '''Inspiration Y/N'''

Similarly, please observe the following guidelines when composing your IC posts:
* Please '''bold''' your character's name at the top of each IC post or '''bold''' the first instance of your character's name in the body of the post. We all game with lots of folk, sometimes with the same players in different games; this just makes it easier to keep track of which character we're addressing.

* If you are addressing another PC in your post it is helpful to '''bold''' their character name as well so it stands out for them.

* OOC blocks are fine for showing dice rolls and brief OOC comments directly related to a particular post. Please sblock if you need to include large blocks of text related to your IC post. All other OOC content should go in the OOC thread itself.

* Do not place action statements or dice rolls in the OOC Thread. I know from brutal experience that I will never keep up if you do. All action statements and dice rolls should go in the IC Thread [with dice rolls OOC Blocked].

* Please link all dice rolls back to your dice roller.

----
[[D%26D_5e:_Against_the_Fathomless#Player_Characters| < < < Back to the Top]]

==House Rules==
'''Initiative'''

One of the things that makes D&D tricky to run for PBP games is the importance initiative order can have.

Posting by initiative order (whether rolled or static) can bring a PBP game to a grinding halt, so I don't follow that format.

Ideally, everyone posts their actions (incl. dice rolls - I'd rather you roll and not need it than not roll and need it) as they have time to come online and make a post, and then I roll NPC/Monster actions during the update and sort out who did what when by looking at static initiative bonuses and compose my update around that turn order.

I will also look at what is being declared and make it all work as much in favor of the players as possible. No shenanigans where you lose your turn chopping at an enemy somebody else killed already or having the wizard flamebroil another PC with their fireball for rushing in, etc.

This does rob y'all of the tactical mini-game that having an initiative order encourages, but it keeps the game flowing, and to my mind that alone makes it worth it.

:'''Note:''' I will do my best to be sure you guys have the necessary information to resolve your own rolls in combat scenes (AC/HP/Saves etc) to ensure things go as smooth and hitch free as we can manage.

:'''Note:''' For those folk who get bonuses for specific initiative-centric builds/feats/etc, I'll work out a satisfactory equivalent with you before play starts.

----
[[D%26D_5e:_Against_the_Fathomless#Player_Characters| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Inspiration'''

Instead of the hoop jumping suggested for this oft forgotten resource, I prefer if inspiration instead just refreshes every short and long rest.
*You can only ever have one at a time.
*Players may donate their inspiration to another player who has none if they wish.

----
[[D%26D_5e:_Against_the_Fathomless#Player_Characters| < < < Back to the Top]]

==PVP==
While there is the potential for player vs player conflict in any game, I prefer not to run games that lean heavily to that assumption. Games like that simply do not need a GM, and I would much rather spend my time running games that ''do'' need a GM.

'''For reference, what I consider PVP basically amounts to this:''' ''If an action would require dice to affect an NPC, then it counts as PVP to use against a PC''.

So disagreements, trash talking, indirect actions that might affect another character but aren't made directly against that character are all potentially on the table with the caveat that if something just makes the game not fun for someone that we respect that and steer clear.
----
If you want to do something that directly acts against another player's character, proceed based on the following criteria:
: '''Unilateral Permission:''' The other player agrees to your action. No rolls are needed. Just RP it out.
: '''Limited Permission:''' The other player doesn't agree that it is an automatic thing, but does agree to let the math rocks decide. Roll it out. If initiative is a concern, I will handle that case by case.
: '''Declined Permission:''' The other player does not agree to PVP. Move on with something else.

----
[[D%26D_5e:_Against_the_Fathomless#Player_Characters| < < < Back to the Top]]

Welcome to Neverwinter

2024-08-25T23:38:05Z

NightGoblyn: /* Skills */

== Premise ==

AMID THE wilderness and savagery of the cold North, Neverwinter once stood as a beacon of civility and warmth. Even after the Spellplague wracked the world, the Jewel of the North lost little of its luster. The city’s destruction thus shocked many when it occurred, despite the portents that warned of coming peril. Vague prophecies and strange events seemed like shadows of the Spellplague, nothing more. Even the earth tremors that began to disturb the area could not shake its citizens’ belief in a bright future.

Then Mount Hotenow, deep in Neverwinter Wood, awoke with the power of an angry god. The city could do nothing against such a foe. The earth yawned open and broke apart. Whole districts shuddered and sank while other areas shot up, forming sudden cliffs. The river, running warm throughout winter, exploded into hissing steam and lava as scalding clouds of ash roared through the streets like an advancing army. Thousands lost their lives as Neverwinter died that day.

Slowly, life has returned to this ruined landscape. Many hope to rebuild what has been lost, but an equal number see the tragedy as an opportunity to seize all they can. Yet those who scratch out lives in the scarred city fail to see the infection below the scab. Under their noses, beneath their feet, and even within their earshot, dark forces battle one another for control of the city.

== Houserules ==

* I'm just going to do milestone leveling rather than precisely tracking experience.

* I'm not interested in closely tracking everyone's encumbrance but try to keep things reasonable on that front.

* We'll be using popcorn initiative, as Falkus described in this thread: https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/request-for-a-4th-edition-dnd-game-set-in-the-forgotten-realms-using-the-keep-on-the-shadowfell-modules.921348/. Basically, once combat starts 1 PC will go (on a first come, first server basis), then I'll have a NPC go, then another PC who hasn't acted yet will act, etc, until the end of the round, when the process starts over. Initiative won't serve any purpose, so you probably don't want to take any features that improve it.

== PCs ==

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZFpAbbxBSZWGLjB_yNPjQ7-62cOylGJTM0puf986ruE/edit Cleo. Human Rogue. Dead Rat Deserter.]

* [https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2881605 Maria Fireheart. Human Mage. Harper Agent/Detective.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/17VpavwknMncf6b4f34vFtHieEp6udnXI0S8b3XwuehI/edit Ernst Lemuel. Human-appearing (Deva) Shaman. Oghma's Faithful/Dragon Coast.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KY_8n5OjSacZdHmB10xdQwNtDsddbznn5Al_anpF6E0/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Lander Telantere. Human Cleric. Scion of Shadows.]

* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/19fLiTfe5HxGEDq4DKe9JAmjzS_IfPKl3HGv8o95N5Yo/edit?usp=sharing Tatha Dinistyn. Drow Sorcerer. Spellscarred Harbinger.]

* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b0yp3wSwaD9cUCVpPxjhCrwFfl_ERDLIlNf8mwkm4iI/edit?gid=0#gid=0 Orcanu Tamar. Eladrin Swordmage. Iliyanbruen Guardian.]

====Skills====

{|
|+Skill Matrix (L.1)
|-
!Skill
!Cleo
!Maria
!Ernst
!Lander
!Tatha
!Orcanu
|-
| Acrobatics (Dex)
| '''+9'''
| +0
| +0
|
| +3
|
|-
| Arcana (Int)
| +0
| '''+10'''
| +4
|
| +7
|
|-
| Athletics (Str)
| -1
| -1
| +0
|
| +0
|
|-
| Bluff (Cha)
| +5
| +0
| +0
| +7
| '''+10'''
|
|-
| Diplomacy (Cha)
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +7
| '''+10'''
|
|-
| Dungeoneering (Wis)
| +2
| '''+7'''
| +4
|
| -1
|
|-
| Endurance (Con)
| +2
| +0
| +1
|
| +0
|
|-
| Heal (Wis)
| +2
| +2
| '''+4'''
|
| -1
|
|-
| History (Int)
| +0
| +5
| '''+11'''
| +5
| +0
|
|-
| Insight (Wis)
| +7
| +8
| '''+9'''
| '''+9'''
| -1
|
|-
| Intimidate (Cha)
| +0
| +0
| +0
|
| '''+12'''
|
|-
| Nature (Wis)
| +2
| +7
| '''+9'''
|
| -1
|
|-
| Perception (Wis)
| +7
| +8
| '''+9'''
|
| -1
|
|-
| Religion (Int)
| +0
| +5
| '''+6'''
| +5
| +0
|
|-
| Stealth (Dex)
| '''+9'''
| +0
| +0
|
| +6
|
|-
| Streetwise (Cha)
| '''+5'''
| +0
| +0
|
| +4
|
|-
| Thievery (Dex)
| '''+9/11'''
| +0
| +0
|
| +3
|
|}

== Neverwinter and the North ==
[[File:Neverwinter_map.png]]

Even in safer times, the North’s reputation as the Savage North was well earned. Now, times are worse and the land more savage by far. Its great cities, once bastions of light and civilization, lie crippled. The small towns that served to shelter travelers stand empty—or have been claimed by murderous groups and hungry monsters. Roads etched into the earth with thousands of years of use are increasingly obscured by forest, bramble, and marsh. Communities now struggle alone amid the wilderness,
fortunate if they see an outsider once in a generation. Neverwinter labors to breathe in the suffocating harshness of this new North, the sea its only lifeline. With few traders braving the increasingly long treks between settlements, the city’s docks now provide the area’s main means of import and precious little export. Gone are the days of plenty, beauty, and luxury. Today, Neverwinter struggles to break free of the forces that brought it low, still weak and surrounded by danger.

* '''Neverwinter''': The City of Skilled Hands, the Jewel of the North—many were the accolades once heaped upon Neverwinter. Then, almost thirty years ago, the city died. Minor earth tremors that had plagued the region for months were the precursors of the eruption of Mount Hotenow. A portion of that volcano’s peak exploded with such force that lava and superheated ash poured across the city in an avalanche. Half of Neverwinter’s population died in a heartbeat, the city’s buildings razed. A great rift now known as the Chasm rent the surface where the shifting earth had pulled apart. Strange zombies roamed the land in the aftermath, their dead flesh turned to ash by the fires that consumed the city. Yet the people of the North have always been resilient. After the destruction, many who had fled at the first tremors returned. Opportunists and looters arrived. People began to rebuild. Lord Dagult Neverember, the Open Lord of Waterdeep, eventually arrived as well, along with an army of Mintarn mercenaries. Today, the city struggles back to life under the watchful rule of the self-styled Lord Protector.

* '''Neverwinter''' River: The bright water of the Neverwinter River runs warm throughout the year, a feature that helps to keep the city from being frozen in the winter months. When the cataclysm struck, dark ash choked the river for months before it began to flow from Neverwinter Wood through the city once more. Three bridges once spanned the river in Neverwinter— the Sleeping Dragon, the Winged Wyvern, and the Dolphin, each sculpted in the form of its name. Of the three, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

* '''Helm’s Hold''': Once a small monastery and adjacent village dedicated to the deity Helm, the cathedral of Helm’s Hold now towers above the town and surrounding lands that bear its name. The death of Helm saw the monastery fall into disuse, but the fortified town became a refuge when the Spellplague hit during the year following Helm’s demise. Lord Neverember now exiles victims of the Spellplague to Helm’s Hold for treatment, and his mercenaries guard the town.

* '''Port Llast''': This town was a great city in ancient times—the most northerly safe harbor on the Sword Coast whenever Luskan would fall to orcs or other evil forces. However, the rise of a relatively stable Luskan and ports farther north began to diminish its prominence. Then came the Spellplague, and with it the return of Abeir. The appearance of the new continent in the ocean to the west changed the tides around Port Llast, filling the harbor with silt and making Neverwinter an easier port to reach. With the docks of Port Llast failing and trade dying off, most of its citizens have long since abandoned their homes or died at the hands of marauders. Now a ghost town, Port Llast is known as the realm of the evil sea goddess Umberlee and as a home to sea monsters. However, some say that this reputation is simply rumor spread by those who want to keep the secrets of the town to themselves.

* '''Neverwinter Wood''': For generations, this dark forest has been shunned by most people of the North. That magic exists in Neverwinter Wood cannot be doubted, but its nature—and whether it exists as a force of good or ill—remains unknown. The forest holds many secrets, and even on its fringes, one feels a sense of unease. Humans have never logged in this area, and the orcs of the North have traditionally avoided it during their incursions. Only druids and Uthgardt barbarians dare to pass into the deep forest.

* '''Thundertree''': This small town once stood at the edge of the wood. Its inhabitants made a living by harvesting windfall timber to ship downriver to the Neverwinter and beyond. Now the forest has overgrown Thundertree’s abandoned and decaying buildings. Although the town survived the Spellplague largely intact, the ash zombies that arose after the destruction of Neverwinter overran it. As the dangers of Neverwinter Wood increase, the abandoned town and its unknown horrors are shunned.

* '''Mount Hotenow''': For untold generations, this volcanic peak quietly fumed in the depths of Neverwinter Wood. Rumored to be the source of the warmth of the Neverwinter River, Mount Hotenow once featured in the bedtime stories of Neverwinter’s citizens as the home of fire giants, red dragons, and other blazing beasts. People looked upon the fantastic peak as a thing of beauty—until its wrath was unleashed against Neverwinter in the cataclysm. Now jutting like a broken tooth from the forest, Mount Hotenow still fumes, the land occasionally quaking with the echoes of its fury.

* '''The Crags''': This long wrinkle of hills and ridges runs northeast from Neverwinter Wood. Goblins, gnolls, ogres, hill giants, and other wild peoples have dwelled within this rocky landscape for centuries. So too has the Sky Pony tribe of the Uthgardt barbarians. Rumors have long persisted that an entrance to Gauntlgrym lies somewhere in the Crags. However, the hundreds of ancient and now-dead mines that long ago brought humans to the area make for numerous false leads.

* '''Tower of Twilight''': This enchanted tower long stood on an island in a small lake east of Neverwinter Wood. Home to a student of the great wizard Khelben Blackstaff, the tower stood invisible by day but would appear as the light failed. During the Spellplague, the tower vanished without a trace, though it now reappears infrequently and unpredictably at twilight. Who lives there now, where the tower disappears to, and why it returns remain a mystery.

* '''Conyberry''': During the Spellplague, a portion of Abeir imposed itself upon the village of Conyberry. The terrain-altering effect of this transition forced the inhabitants of the village to come together with people dwelling in the regions of Abeir to which they were joined. However, in the intervening decades, the Gray Wolf Uthgardt tribe has sacked the settlement in retribution for this “invasion” of their lands, slaughtering Conyberry’s citizens or forcing them to join the tribe. The village now lies largely vacant.

* '''Old Owl Well''': Known in ancient texts as Old Owlbear Well and in even older histories as Quesseer, this site marks the location of a Netherese outpost established millennia ago. The Netherese built a means of drawing water from the earth, using the site as a place of trade. For centuries, this water supply on a key trade route served as a source of conflict. Until the chaos of the Spellplague, orcs and humans from Neverwinter and Waterdeep still struggled to control the outpost. Now, it lies forgotten and abandoned. Until trade returns to these lands, the fate of the well and whatever ruins lie hidden in the surrounding hills remain unknown.

* '''Morgur’s Mound''': Atop this foothill of the Crags, Uthgar—deity and founder of the Uthgardt barbarians— died after saving the North from Gurt, Lord of the Pale Giants. The mound is named for Uthgar’s brother Morgur (called Morgred by some), who is said to be buried there. Once, the bones of a great thunderbeast were spread atop the hill, marking it as the holy shrine of the Uthgardt.

* '''Luskan''': An urban cesspool, the once-great City of Sails squats on the coastline like an open sore on the face of the continent of Faerûn. It lies about four days hard travel north of Neverwinter (about three days by sea, due to prevailing currents). Until some hundred years ago, Luskan choked in the grasp of the Arcane Brotherhood and its leader, Arklem Greeth. When a force of pirate-killers from Waterdeep along with the legendary hero Drizzt and his allies precipitated the destruction of the Hosttower of the Arcane, the city was destabilized and never fully recovered. Street gangs and pirates rule Luskan now, making the city a stomping ground for criminals, exiles from other lands, and hideous beasts.

* '''Gauntlgrym''': This famous subterranean dwarven city has been the stuff of legend for centuries. Aside from the dwarves, most people of the North doubted Gauntlgrym’s existence—until the Summons, as it has come to be known. At that time, ghostly dwarves in ancient dress appeared before certain dwarves throughout the North and beyond, silently pleading for heroes to seek out Gauntlgrym. Some did set out in search of the lost city, though most counted themselves lucky when the ghosts troubled them no more. Many of those who sought Gauntlgrym did so in the Crags, for ancient legends mentioned an entrance there. Others plunged into Neverwinter Wood or scaled the Sword Mountains. Few returned from their quests, and those who survived almost never found any trace of their goal. Some dwarves seek the city still, but for the rest, Gauntlgrym remains a tantalizing legend.

* '''The Sword Mountains''': The sharp peaks and hilly terrain of the Sword Mountains extend down the coast of the Sea of Swords for nearly two hundred miles. Long home to belligerent dwarf clans, orc tribes, trolls, dragons, and other fearsome creatures, this range is rarely traveled in these dangerous times. Those foolish enough to brave the mountains often do so in search of old mines and the ruins of civilizations past. However, most find only death in the end.

* '''Leilon''': This sleepy mining town once served as a convenient resting place for travelers on the High Road. Now, the few travelers who still take this route shun Leilon, going miles out of their way to avoid even laying eyes on the town. The High Tower of Thalivar long stood as a landmark here, abandoned by a forgotten mage. For generations, the tower proved a tempting target for plunderers—and, too often, a grave for them as well. The people of Leilon knew that the tower held guardian monsters, and they were content to leave it alone. However, the Spellplague’s twisted magic unleashed the creatures trapped in the tower, which quickly ravaged the helpless village. Now, the tower is a place of terror, its magic allegedly freezing in place all creatures whose eyes rest upon it, even for a moment.

* '''Mere of Dead Men''': This vast salt marsh contains the ruins of the numerous castles, manors, and farms it swallowed as it expanded. It takes its name from the great armies that were drowned here when a powerful lich flooded their battlefield. Whereas once the High Road skirted the swamp, what now remains of that highway plunges through its expanded borders. Those seeking to go south to Waterdeep from points north must often contend with the lizardfolk that claim the territory around the road. Alternative routes wind deeper into the mere or off into the Sword Mountains at the cost of extra days of travel and peril.

* '''Waterdeep''': Once the greatest and grandest city in the Realms, Waterdeep’s star has dimmed slightly in the last century as the world has progressively darkened. The great port—about a week south of Neverwinter, or three days by sea—no longer sustains its own navy, relying instead on mercenaries from the island of Mintarn and the city of Baldur’s Gate to the south. The city has long existed as a relatively fair and just center of civilization. Waterdeep is ruled by a council of twenty Masked Lords (nobles hidden behind powerful illusions to obscure their identities) and one Open Lord. The current Open Lord is the boisterous and dangerous Dagult Neverember, the so-called Lord Protector of Neverwinter. Unlike most of the other Open Lords in Waterdeep’s history, Lord Neverember has demonstrated an expansionist and imperialistic bent. In recent years, he has set his sights on Neverwinter as the next territory in his growing empire.

== City of Neverwinter ==

[[File:Neverwinter_city.png]]

'''Neverwinter''': A once-bustling metropolis, the northern city of Neverwinter lies mostly in ruins after a century of turmoil that culminated in a great cataclysm nearly thirty years ago. Fires, earthquakes, and evil portents destroyed or chased away most of the populace, but even the supposed waking of an ancient primordial could not kill the city completely. Some stubborn natives remained, carrying on in spite of countless hardships. Because of them—and because of the reconstruction efforts of the last decade—Neverwinter still stands, despite its tragedies. Today, the city is a center of trade, warfare both open and secret, and—above all—adventure. After so much abuse and neglect, much of the city’s architecture is damaged or lies in rubble. Recent repair efforts have given Neverwinter a patchwork appearance; slums are juxtaposed with new construction, all resting on the shattered remnants of old buildings. Certain districts are more intact than others, and former citizens have returned to such areas, thanks to the efforts of the city’s Lord Protector: Dagult Neverember, Open Lord of Waterdeep.

* '''Protector's Enclave''': The Lord Protector of Neverwinter rules the city from the Hall of Justice, the old temple of Tyr. Farthest from the source of the great earthquake that struck Mount Hotenow almost three decades ago, this area of Neverwinter suffered the least destruction. This good fortune also made the district a primary target for Lord Neverember. He moved an overwhelming force of mercenaries into the district, secured his base, and, ever since, has spent half his time here and half in Waterdeep. The Protector’s Enclave stands mostly intact, and many former residents of the city have returned to live here alongside new immigrants. Although this district is the most stable part of Neverwinter, it chafes under the firm hand of Sabine, the general of Lord Neverember’s forces. Spies watch every neighborhood and notable gathering place, and Mintarn enforcers march through the streets. The Enclave boasts the best-stocked market in the city, thanks to trade from Waterdeep and other cities along the Sword Coast. The city taxes all transactions made here at a steep rate that the natives have grudgingly come to accept. The taxes pay for the Mintarn soldiers who watch every newcomer to the district with a sharp eye. In the enclave, suspicious or unfamiliar characters do not stay hidden for long.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Hall of Justice''': The high walls and imposing stonework of Tyr’s former temple mark it as a timeless bastion of duty and honor. The great temple stands atop a seaside bluff, challenging all threats from the Sea of Swords or inland Faerûn. When Lord Neverember set his sights on the city, he chose the Hall of Justice as his base of operations for its practical value (the cataclysm left it almost untouched) and its emotional significance to the people of Neverwinter. The city had long served Tyr, the god of justice, and even after the deity fell nearly a hundred years ago, the residents refused to convert the temple to worship of another god. By restoring the temple to its former status, Neverember seeks to win over the city’s traditionalists and establish himself as a champion of just rule. He sponsors priests of Torm whose rites emulate the Tyrran tradition, hoping to attract new devotees to the temple (and to the Lord Protector’s cause). For the most part, the scheme has worked. Some of the locals, however—particularly the Sons of Alagondar—think that Neverember’s presence defiles the great temple, which they now call the “Hall of Never-Justice.” The temple itself is a radiant and beautiful structure, big enough inside for giants to walk comfortably or for dragons to rest in the great hall, beneath the high-domed ceiling. The trappings of the building reflect a bygone age, one dedicated to justice and temperance in all things.

*** '''The Lord’s Residence''': From his office, which looks more and more like a throne room all the time, Lord Neverember issues edicts, coordinates the activities of his followers, and (when he can spare the time) holds audience with the impoverished citizens of the city. However, he has no facility for dispensing justice, and thus he has delegated that role to Soman Galt, whom he has appointed mayor of Neverwinter. The dwarf listens wearily to supplicant after supplicant, offering grudging mediation. Meanwhile, the lord enhances his image as the charismatic champion who does not stoop to petty politics. Neverember has decorated his private quarters after the fashion of Waterdeep, although he takes care to display no seal or coat of arms pertaining to his home city. He has taken the former high priest’s apartments for his own, and he garrisons most of his sellswords in the temple’s other chambers, with a score of servants to wait upon them. A few priests of Torm dwell in the complex, faithful to their god and his precepts.

*** '''The Moonstone Mask''': A vertigo-inducing journey along a cliffside trail takes the adventurous to a new fixture of the Neverwinter skyline. The earthmote now known as the Moonstone floats beside the western edge of the Protector’s Enclave, high over the docks below. It hangs a hundred feet above the crashing waves of the Sea of Swords, bound in place by thick chains strung to heavy anchors. A bridge that runs between the earthmote and the docks allows visitors to enter and exit the Moonstone. The inn for which the mote is named, the Moonstone Mask, offers guests lavish quarters, pleasurable company, and a hard-to-beat view. In no small part, the Moonstone Mask owes its rebirth and current existence to Lord Neverember and New Neverwinter. It repays the favor by housing many of the city’s Mintarn enforcers, including their commander, General Sabine. As such, mercenaries dominate the once-genial atmosphere of the hedonistic inn, and Neverember’s sellswords are known to argue or fight with other patrons

*** '''The Wall''': A great hodgepodge of wood and scavenged stone, the Wall separates civilized Neverwinter from the Chasm and the horrors it spawns. The Wall lets guards strike at targets from positions of relative safety, and it provides regular outposts for watchers. The thick mess of bloodstained refuse at the eastern base—not to mention the occasional rotting corpse of a more recent kill— speaks to the Wall’s success as a defensive fortification. In its early days, the Wall held off the monsters by shunting them toward parts of the city that had already been destroyed. When Neverember arrived, he made it a priority to reinforce what he saw as an effective defensive fortification with his own engineers and soldiers. At first, the Wall blocked only a few streets where attacks were common, but since the reconstruction started, it has expanded to stretch from the Neverdeath graveyard to the old House of Knowledge. In combination with the Neverwinter River, the Wall continues to provide effective containment, although people have spotted plaguechanged monstrosities in the northern River District and, more recently, near sewer holes around the city. The situation grows dire, and petitions for Wall expansion come before Mayor Galt every day.

*** '''House of Knowledge''': At the far northeastern end of the Wall stands what was, in happier times, a flourishing temple to Oghma, god of knowledge and wisdom. Before the quake, the House of Knowledge served as a repository of chronicled learning, including maps, history, and hundreds of poems and chapbooks produced over the centuries. Today, it looks less like a library and more like a refugee camp, holding the area where the Wall approaches the Neverwinter River. After the cataclysm, leadership of the reduced flock at the House of Knowledge fell to Brother Anthus, an elderly human interested in studying the Chasm and the Spellplague-touched creatures that came from it. His research led to the temple’s use as a haven for Spellplague sufferers. After Anthus’s death under mysterious circumstances, a young woman in residence known as the Prophet relocated the makeshift hospital and the remaining clerics of Oghma to Helm’s Hold, claiming a prophesied disaster would befall the city if she did not. After the Prophet departed, the badly damaged temple stood empty and abandoned until recently, when a handful of squatters moved back into the House. These refugees from the River District earn their keep by ringing the temple’s bells when they sight a new wave of monstrosities spilling from the Chasm toward the Wall. Lord Neverember is said to be quite pleased with their resourcefulness, and the Mintarn mercenaries that guard the Wall are known to stop by with small gifts of food and drink to show their appreciation.

*** '''Neverdeath''': A cracked stone wall, patched in places with thick wood, surrounds the graveyard called Neverdeath. Consisting of two wide, roughly square areas of the city, Neverdeath is filled with rows of headstones interspersed with mausoleums and crumbling statues, often overgrown with withered grasses. Time, the Spellplague, and the cataclysm all took their toll on the graveyard, thrusting some sections higher than others, collapsing buildings, and revealing graves. Coffins now jut from small cliffs, and tumbled bones litter the ground. The graveyard takes its name from a common blessing given over the dead. As long as the city remained in summer, it was said, the dead would never truly leave. Many think that winter is coming soon for the city’s dead, however. Neverember’s mercenaries fear the graveyard, preferring to burn the dead outside the walls of the burial ground. If they are not burned, corpses left lying nearby sometimes rise of their own accord. Beneath a large, unassuming mausoleum lie the catacombs of the Waterclock Guild, an organization of artisans famous for building beautiful and intricate timepieces.

*** '''Neverwinter Docks''': Much of Neverwinter’s original wealth and influence came from its position as one of the few deep ports on the Sword Coast. The Neverwinter docks were the commercial heart of the city, though in some ways that heart was infected with darkness and corruption. The Spellplague went some way toward purging that corruption—chunks of land broke away and rose into the sky, forming earthmotes that hovered overhead. The surviving residents of the city adapted, connecting the low-floating motes to the shore with ropes, chains, and bridges. However, the cataclysm later destroyed the foundations of these bridges, and the changed currents swamped whole areas of the port with tidal waves. Neverwinter’s already diminished trade dried up entirely, leaving the docks a rotting ghost town. Only a few fishers and the occasional pirate ship made port here. Lord Neverember made rebuilding this center of trade a top priority. As part of his first initiatives, he sent engineers and loggers to the Upland Rise, a forested hill outside the city that once served as a park for the city’s residents. The crews stripped the hill of all salvageable timber, leaving the Upland Rise a sparse echo of its former beauty, and used it to rebuild the docks. Today, supplies and coin flow into Neverwinter through the docks, along with repatriated refugees. The Lord Protector takes a keen interest in anyone entering the city in this manner, and charges steep tariffs on deals consummated at the docks.

*** '''Tarmalune Trade House''': The rebuilt docks have attracted visitors from across the sea—members of a trade cartel from the city of Tarmalune in Returned Abeir. They have arrived in Neverwinter to arrange permanent trade routes between the two continents, and to outmaneuver their rivals from the Abeiran city of Lylorn, who have landed in Luskan with a similar goal. The Abeirans have set up shop in a large warehouse complex next to a set of docks that are being rebuilt. The Tarmalune Trade House is a busy area where contacts gather, deals are made, and adventurers find their services in high demand.

*** '''The Winged Wyvern''': Of the three bridges that once crossed the Neverwinter River, only the Winged Wyvern remains largely intact. Mintarn mercenaries in the hire of Lord Neverember patrol it day and night, watching traffic to and from the northern portion of the city, charging a toll, and guarding against threats from Castle Never.

** '''Notable NPCS'''

*** '''Lord Dagult Neverember''': The Open Lord of Waterdeep, Neverember arrived in Neverwinter about ten years ago and proclaimed himself the Lord Protector of the city. Over the past decade, Dagult Neverember has made progress in restoring the devastated city. Seeing an opportunity to add to his mercantile empire, Lord Neverember employed an army of artisans and carpenters to rebuild, and he hired mercenaries from Mintarn to keep monsters at bay and maintain order. Five years ago, Neverember established the Protector’s Enclave from his base in the Hall of Justice, and declared that section of the city safe for occupation once more. Since then, he has worked to tame the wild streets, rebuild the ruins, and coax refugees to return to their homes. The Open Lord of Waterdeep is a commanding noble. Big, boisterous, and affable, Neverember treats each new acquaintance as a friend. But beneath his congenial display, his quick mind is sizing up everyone in attendance, tallying potential gains or threats each could offer him. Neverember hasn't tried to claim the throne of Neverwinter (yet, at least), but he has floated the idea he is a descendant of Nasher Alagondar, a beloved lord from before the Spellplague. The protector’s savants have managed to trace the lord’s heritage to the adventurer Vers Never, a supposed bastard son of Lord Nasher Alagondar and younger half-brother to Bann, who succeeded their shared father as king. As Neverember tells it, Vers settled in Waterdeep and married Mirtria Ember, thus forming the “Neverember” name.

*** '''General Sabine''': A tough-as-nails mercenary named Sabine leads Neverember's Mintarn forces. She serves as Neverember’s chief enforcer in the city and has come to represent the harsher aspects of his beneficence.

*** '''Soman Galt, Mayor of Neverwinter''': Once a great explorer, Soman Galt has turned into a calculated politician who projects a cold, disconnected presence. The dwarf stares absently, his eyes seeming to watch something no one else can see, and he often mumbles to himself. He is capable of rigid focus, however, when the situation warrants it, and he takes his work seriously. A former government official, Galt was a natural choice when Neverember sought an underling to manage the city’s affairs. He oversees tax collection, grants of property, and city files.

*** '''Liset Cheldar''': This half-elf woman runs the Moonstone Mask with a wink and a smile. She genuinely likes most of the people she meets, and she flirts with anyone who seems receptive. A recently returned native of the city who inherited the inn, Liset was pleased to find the place still in one piece (and still floating). The legitimacy of her claim to the Moonstone was unclear, but, plying her natural charm, she successfully lobbied Neverember for funds to reopen the inn, and she maintains a bright smile thanks to his patronage.

*** '''Durham Shaw''': The Captain of the Wall, he holds the command of it under General Sabine, seeing to its defense and coordinating patrols of it between the Mintarn mercenaries and the hardened natives who refuse to give up their stewardship. While he's not too harsh of a commander compared to Sabine or the Mintarns in general, he's resented by many people for a different reason—he has been allowed to stay in the city and work on the Wall even though he suffers from the effects of the Spellplague. Some say Shaw receives this special treatment because he is a personal friend or distant relation of Lord Neverember.

*** '''Loremaster Atlavast''': The only priest who remained after the Prophet’s departure from the House of Knowledge, he is a middle-aged human who became the custodian of the library after the cataclysm. Fearing the worst as the cataclysm occurred, the loremasters of the temple sealed the inner sanctum, leaving the young Atlavast sealed within. As the ground shuddered and shook, Atlavast’s mind grew unstable. Now grown into an eccentric recluse, Atlavast keeps to the lower vaults, continually cataloguing and reorganizing. He is rarely glimpsed these days, and the main evidence of his existence is the occasional flickering light that filters up from cracks in the cobblestones in the dead of night. As a rule, no one ventures closer to investigate.

* ''' Fisher's Float''': This island hovers over the Sea of Swords beyond the southern end of the bay. Dotted with a smattering of shacks, it is the home and workplace of fishers who have lived on this earthmote since the Spellplague. Skilled at their trade and fearless of the weather and the turbulent sea, they provide a great deal of food for the city. For many years, rumors have spread that the fishers have thrived because of their worship of dark gods or unnatural alliances with creatures that live beneath the waves. Regardless of the veracity of these barstool stories, the people of Neverwinter happily eat the fish and crustaceans brought to land each morning and evening.

* '''Pirates' Skyhold''': Neverwinter legends say that this high-floating earthmote served as an unassailable harbor for sky pirates in the years following the Spellplague. Because the mote floats a hundred feet up and could not be accessed by a direct path from the land, the pirates supposedly stored all manner of treasure there, as safe storage for wealthy or well-connected residents of the city. Then, the story takes a dark turn. All the pirates died in one night of blood and betrayal, leaving the treasure and their skyship on the mote—along with whatever slew them. Some people believe that a dragon has claimed the pirates’ loot as its hoard, taking the earthmote as its lair because the city below lacks the means to interfere. Regardless of the story’s truth, one thing is true—Pirates’ Skyhold has long been abandoned. From the right locations in Neverwinter, one can see rotting wooden buildings poking out of the forests of the mote, but whatever still exists up there has seen little intrusion in decades.

* '''Castle Never''': An imposing fixture of Neverwinter’s western end, Castle Never stands as a monument to the city’s former glory. The cataclysm struck it hard, toppling towers, collapsing walls, and starting fires that burned throughout the structure. The entire royal family is thought to have perished, and the remaining servants sealed the vaults, crypts, and grounds with the hope that a worthy heir to Neverwinter would arrive one day to take his or her rightful place on the throne. On that day, it is said, the magic treasures and other resources of the castle will serve the new ruler. To the uninformed eye, Castle Never looks like a big, hulking ruin. Half its towers fell in the cataclysm, and the wall on its seaward side crumbled to rubble. Chunks of stone and fallen statues litter the windswept courtyard. Inside, the stone corridors stink of ash and dust, which swirls up around the feet of intruders. Even in their emptiness, the corridors never seem vacant. The spirits of the hundreds who died here linger on. The castle was built on a strong foundation, however, and if the structure were purged of monsters, it could be refurbished. Many of the interior rooms collapsed, but others stand eerily intact.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''Drow Encampment''': The courtyard of Castle Never bears the traces of a camp that was well hidden but has become increasingly obvious from frequent use. The camp originally belonged to an infamous pair of drow: Drizzt Do’Urden, legendary ranger of the North, and the less well-regarded Jarlaxle, captain of the Bregan D’aerthe mercenaries. The two drow were in the area when the cataclysm claimed Neverwinter, and they still have interests in the region. The drow established this camp as a base of operations in Neverwinter, enabling them to keep an eye on their schemes in the city. At first, the camp consisted only of a few companions sharing a fire, but Drizzt’s and Jarlaxle’s occasional visits to the city encouraged young would-be adventurers to seek them out as teachers of the ways of combat and heroism. The drow, both grandmasters, have inspired a small following among the disenfranchised or ambitious youth of Neverwinter. After Drizzt and Jarlaxle’s last visit several months ago, half a dozen young citizens set up their own camp in this spot, where they practiced the ways of combat, dared one another to venture into the castle proper, and sought to make themselves apprentices to the two absent legends.

*** '''Hall of Ashen Mirrors''': Full-length mirrors once adorned the walls of this long corridor, wherein young heirs of Alagondar practiced their noble gait and posture. The mirrors shattered in the cataclysm, instantly killing anyone in the corridor at the time, just before a wave of searing gas blasted through the huge windows and turned the corpses to ash. This double catastrophe left the hallway a wasteland of soot and splintered glass.

*** '''Fungal Bloom''': This atrium once housed all manner of pretty birds and flowers. Since the cataclysm, they have been reduced to skeletons in gilded cages and rotted, desiccated blossoms. Boarded over to keep out the sunlight and trap the heat of rot inside, the cavernous chamber is suffused with dim blue light from glowing lichen.

*** '''Web-Strewn Spires''': Cobwebs fill the upper halls of Castle Never, and scrabbling noises can be heard in its high towers. Only the boldest explorers—those with no fear of fangs in the dark—venture up to the spires.

*** '''Neverneath, Endless Maze''': The catacombs beneath Castle Never came through the cataclysm mostly untouched, thanks to a warding spell commissioned in times past to maintain the structural integrity of the castle. However, the Spellplague wrought strange changes upon the ward, which has grown in strength. What once protected the catacombs now traps intruders. The complex beneath Castle Never, called Neverneath by locals, closes around trespassers. Corridors lead back around to themselves, and dead ends appear where tunnels led only moments before. Explorers can step through a door, turn around and go back through the same door, and end up in a different part of the dungeon. They can wander the abandoned halls and chambers for days without finding an exit.

*** '''Vault of the Nine''': Beneath the center of Neverneath lies a vault built especially for the legendary bodyguards of House Alagondar—the Neverwinter Nine. These great warriors served their beloved city in life, and they lie entombed with honor at her very foundation.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Xalbyn''': A moon elf who has established himself as the captain of the Drow Encampment in the absence of any actual drow. He's taken some of the younger would-be adventurers who stay or visit the camp under his wing, providing training and challenging them to complete minor quests. He values quick-witted warriors after his own heart.

*** '''Aerlyse''': A half-drow psion, she's a newer resident of the camp, who admires intelligence and charm. She has been tasked with securing the camp and making sure the denizens of the crypts beneath Castle Never don't spill out into the courtyard.

* '''Blacklake District''': This region of Neverwinter stands largely intact in the wake of the cataclysm. Credit for the survival of the Blacklake District goes mostly to the nobles of Neverwinter who dwelt here and constructed their homes with extra support, both material and magical. Many of these nobles died in the fire that swept the area after the cataclysm, but their houses remain. The district holds a large number of overgrown estates, scores of stout, defensible holdfasts, and a large park that contains the lake for which the region is named. The water was polluted by a great deal of ash and rubbish in the quake, and today Blacklake looks more like a midden pit of sludge than a lake. Some locals are making an effort to dredge it and restore the surrounding environs. After securing the Protector’s Enclave, Lord Neverember’s mercenaries have turned more of their attention to Blacklake as the next district for resettlement, but their efforts have not been fruitful. Numerous secret societies aggressively resist their efforts to pacify the neighborhood. Blacklake harbors a great deal of old blood and nationalism, which takes the form of opposition to the Lord Protector. Muggers and hot-tempered duelists plague the streets of Blacklake, and political agitators hold small rallies or foment subtle conspiracies against the powers that be. The Sons of Alagondar set ambushes for Mintarn enforcers and wage pitched battles in the streets.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Driftwood Tavern''': An inn and tavern that caters mainly to longtime locals, the Driftwood Tavern takes pride in having kept its doors open since before the Spellplague. When the cataclysm struck, innkeeper Madame Rosene, a serious woman now in her late fifties, sheltered refugees within her walls. The Driftwood offered people a makeshift city hall and gathering place during the troubled years. Madame Rosene and her regulars have filled the inside of the tavern with bric-à-brac, curios, and relics of Neverwinter before its fall. The statue from a favorite fountain stands in a corner. A wineseller’s planter boxes, filled with flowers, brighten the walls. A knob and a knocker from a noble’s estate are attached to the privy door. Ornate doors pulled from the wreckage make fine tables, and unbroken panes of stained glass hang overhead as chandeliers, lit by hundreds of carefully placed candles. Though the decorations have been salvaged from all over the city, the tavern does not feel junky, and no one thinks Madame Rosene is taking advantage of Neverwinter’s fall. Quite the opposite—the Driftwood is considered a monument to old Neverwinter, like a dusty painting of a beautiful girl hanging above the deathbed of an aged noblewoman. Prices for room and board at the tavern are high. The atmosphere is one of quiet reflection, rather than boisterous merriment. The Mintarn mercenaries stay away, preferring to eat and drink at the Moonstone Mask or some other cheaper place. Visitors to the city stop at the Driftwood to marvel at the museum of objects, or to learn about old Neverwinter from Madame Rosene for the (expensive) price of a drink and a meal.

*** '''The Beached Leviathan''': The Beached Leviathan tavern caters to sailors, smugglers, pirates, slavers, merchants, and others arriving by sea. The name of the tavern honors the owner's ship, ''Leviathan'', which ran aground during a storm before the docks had been rebuilt. The tavern is built in and around the refurbished wreckage of the ship.

*** '''The Swamped Docks''': Below the more recent construction lie the remnants of the original docks: a splintering, rotting mass of ancient wood and stone that makes any number of natural lairs for aquatic creatures or hideouts for those on the run from the Mintarns. This area was partially submerged during the city’s devastation. Now, half-sunken buildings rot beneath seaweed, the drowned dead float through foul water, and amphibious horrors crawl up onto land. No one, not even Lord Neverember, looks forward to cleaning up this area, but the job must be tackled eventually. The city’s hand might be forced soon—sahuagin have been sighted in the bay, and disappearances from nearby areas have become common. Rumor has it that a halfling gang operates out of the swamped docks, led by a sneak thief named Palas. The halflings prey on those who wander the docks alone or in the dark.

*** '''Vellgard Manor''': At least one noble villa in the Blacklake District houses its actual owner, the dashing Mordai Vell holds sway over a small, well-guarded compound known as Vellgard Manor. The product of an affair between a devil and an member of a human family from the south, Mordai was a scandalous embarrassment hushed up by his human relatives. When they perished in the cataclysm, he inherited the family estate. Mordai moved back into the city before Neverember arrived and with the arrival of the Lord Protector, Mordai took a more visible role in the district. Charismatic, handsome, and wealthy, he has become a popular figure—a civic leader who, some whisper, might aspire to hold the throne of Neverwinter. The estate is an armed compound flanked by metal gates and hidden guards. An inner wall creates a killing field that could stop a small army.

*** '''House of a Thousand Faces''': With its broad windows and comfortable couches, this tavern is a popular gathering place in the Blacklake District. Amid mannequins dressed in the threadbare trends of thirty years past, patrons lounge about the airy interior, drinking, laughing, and scheming. Named for the dozens of mirrors and mannequins positioned about the common room, the House of a Thousand Faces once was a fashionable boutique. The cataclysm crippled the house’s business, and the owner, an elf named Theryis, packed up her remaining goods and closed her doors. When the city’s population began to recover and increase, she opened the shop again as a tavern, using the dusty clothes and mirrors as decoration.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Madame Rosene''': A serious woman in her late fifties, she is the tavernkeeper of the Driftwood Tavern. Only longtime customers and old friends come to the Driftwood regularly, a situation that suits Madame Rosene just fine, as she is slow to trust outsiders, placing her faith mainly in familiar citizens of old Neverwinter or their children.

*** '''Harrag''': A sallow former pirate captain who lost a leg in a battle with sahuagin long ago, he is the proprietor of the Beached Leviathan. Harrag is as a scurvy, independent scoundrel who will deal with anyone, but never permanently joins a side.

*** '''Len-jes''': A scarred watersoul genasi, she serves as Neverember’s harbormaster. Once a corsair on the Sea of Fallen Stars, she fled her enemies there and settled in Waterdeep. Neverember recognized her business acumen and recruited Len-jes to be his master of trade in the reborn city. The harbormaster’s head for numbers serves her well in balancing Soman Galt’s tax ledgers. Her less academic duties include dredging the bay to open more berths for trade ships. She permanently leases a chamber in the Beached Leviathan and can be found in the taproom there many nights, recounting her adventures as a corsair.

*** '''Mordai Vell''': Tall and dark, Mordai has luminous gold eyes even though most tieflings boast red or black ones. Charisma practically drips from him, setting all around him off their guard. His obvious wealth doesn’t hurt, either. As the last heir of a noble family (one whose holdings remained remarkably intact after the cataclysm), he exerts great influence over Neverwinter’s economy and politics. Mordai is arrogance incarnate. He pursues whatever interests him, regardless of how far he must reach. Mordai is a smooth operator—charming, rich, and always keen on how he might ally with new acquaintances and use them.

*** '''Theryis''': The owner of the House of a Thousand Faces, she has short, straight, silver hair and golden eyes. She can be friendly and kind to those she knows well, but often comes off as gruff and no-nonsense to others.

*** '''Toram''': A half-elf with long, wavy, red hair and blue eyes, he is Theryis's half-brother, though they bear little resemblance. He is competitive in a good-natured way, often challenging patrons of the Thousand Faces to friendly competitions in one thing or another. He lives at the tavern, staying in its basement, and helps his sister run it.

* '''River District''': The River District takes its name from the terrain feature that has saved it from being overrun—namely, the Neverwinter River, which holds at bay the plaguechanged forces that emerge from the Chasm to the south. The bulk of Neverwinter’s merchant class once dwelt here, and the architecture shows it. The houses were sturdily built, and although they are not ostentatious, most are large enough to have held a family of six or eight plus servants. Guardhouses and security walls abound offering cover for skirmishers looking to ambush unsuspecting visitors. Long flower gardens run through the center of each street, although over the years they have gone to weeds or decay. One might think the Mintarns could have pacified the River District by now, but safety proves elusive, mostly due to a band of orcs in the ancient Cloak Tower at the eastern edge of the area. New Neverwinter’s forces occasionally venture into the district, but generally only as far as the Fallen Tower tavern. That establishment serves as neutral ground for negotiations between Lord Neverember and Vansi of the orcs, to whom the rest of the district belongs. Beasts from the surrounding wilderness occasionally stalk the streets here, hunting for food. Even if the orcs were not present, the other dangerous creatures would be reason enough for refugees to avoid this district, regardless of whether their houses remain standing. For now, a hastily erected barrier seals most of the River District from Blacklake. It usually stands unattended, since the Mintarn guards have better things to do than patrol the barrier, opting instead to post signs warning people away. Some people enter the district despite these warnings. The relative privacy makes discreet liaisons and daredevil games frequent occurrences in the River District, and stern parents have to caution youngbloods with a thirst for adventure against going in.

** '''Locations'''

*** '''The Fallen Tower''': The broken base of an old wizard’s tower has long been the site of a popular tavern in Neverwinter. Within the Fallen Tower, phantoms form in the air each night, seeming solid and real as they replay the moments of their deaths during the Spellplague by appearing to fall into and through the cookfire in the middle of the tavern. Two terrified wizards, their bodies already ablaze, fall first, followed by another wizard whose limbs have turned into eels. Finally, a fourth wizard’s body descends as its flesh is stripped away, leaving the skull’s eerie grin as the last image to fade. Since before the cataclysm, the show has attracted customers to the Fallen Tower. When the Many-Arrows orcs discovered this vacant building, they found stores of wine and were in the midst of a celebration when the phantoms appeared. The orcs started to flee, but when it became clear that the spirits were harmless, the wine lured them back. Now the Many-Arrows orcs run the tavern as a place where members of their force and others worthy enough to join them can share a few drinks. The Lord Protector and the leader of the Many- Arrows orcs have declared the Fallen Tower neutral ground, and the orcs do not bother anyone who comes to the tavern to do business. No bouncers are needed, because anyone who breaks the truce of the tavern faces the blades of every patron present.

*** '''Cloak Tower''': An expeditionary force of orcs from the Many-Arrows kingdom has come to Neverwinter and makes its base in the structure known as the Cloak Tower. The orcs have defied all attempts to rein them in or push them out, and Lord Neverember is biding his time until he figures out how to get rid of them. For the moment, the orcs have helped to control the monster population in the northern half of the city. They tend to slay anyone who interferes with their business, including plaguechanged spawn that come up through the sewers on the north side of the river. The tower takes its name from a guild of mages called the Many-Starred Cloaks who lived and gathered there. They were well known in the city for their arcane skill and for the whimsical, colorful cloaks they wore. During the Spellplague, the tower and its occupants vanished. The tower reappeared half a year later on a different patch of ground in the city. As tavern tales have it, when thieves first broke into the tower several months after it first reappeared, they found empty halls and no mages (or bodies). Only the guild members’ many-starred cloaks remained, hanging from pegs on the walls. Then disaster struck the thieves: The lone survivor of the group told of a horrific attack from cloaks that suddenly came to life and enveloped the other bandits. Whether the tale or any part of it is true, the citizens of Neverwinter shunned the tower for decades thereafter—no one wanted to risk entering it. District residents expected that the orcs, too, would run afoul of the tower’s wards when they tried to occupy the place, but the warriors were able to move in safely. They have now established themselves quite nicely in the most protected holdfast in the district.

*** '''The Shard of Night''': A bleak tower of black stone hovers above a cluster of ruined apartments in the River District, seemingly sheared off at its base when it was torn from whatever location it once occupied. The tower has been here since the Spellplague, but no one who investigated the structure in the early years after its appearance ever returned, so people decided to leave it alone. The Shard of Night rises high into the sky over Neverwinter, but it casts no shadow during the day. Any creature that passes under the tower in daylight sees its own shadow disappear, as if the tower were absorbing the darkness. During the night, the tower casts a shadow by the light of the moon that looms over much of the area around the place. Nearby residents believe that the Shard of Night is haunted, since no one or thing is ever seen to come or go, yet sounds sometimes echo down from the opening in its base.

** '''Notable NPCs'''

*** '''Vagdru One-Ear''': This orc veteran acts as bartender and purveyor of the Fallen Tower, providing whatever drinks the orcs can find and passing out raw meat of dubious origin for the patrons to roast at the central fire (or to eat uncooked if they want).

*** '''Vansi''': The commander of the orc force, she is a warrior known for her reaving flail and fearsome war cry. Ferocious even for an orc soldier, Vansi claims the streets of the River District as a colony of the Many-Arrows kingdom, governed from the mysterious Cloak Tower.

* '''The Chasm''': The southeastern quarter of Neverwinter lies in almost complete ruin, virtually flattened by the earthquake during the cataclysm and since then under continual assault by plaguechanged monsters that emerge from the depths. At the center of this wasteland yawns the Chasm—a canyon-like crack in the earth that spawns all manner of twisted and deadly beasts. It supposedly extends down into the Underdark, but few have ever ventured down the Chasm and even fewer returned. Proximity to the Chasm causes mild anxiety, moodiness, and paranoia. The effects are obvious on people at the Wall, and they increase in intensity as one moves closer to—or deeper into—the Chasm. It becomes difficult to think clearly, and even allies seem to hold treachery in their hearts. Recently, this pervasive ill will has begun to radiate beyond the confines of the Wall, plaguing the dreams of Neverwinter’s residents with terrible nightmares.

** '''Ruined Terrain''': The surrounding land in the district that takes its name from the Chasm is a tangled maze of broken buildings and clotted streets, all of it battered by the elements and crushed under the paws of the Chasm’s monsters. Wall patrols venture into this wasteland only occasionally, since few who leave the barricade’s safety return. Those who do sometimes carry marks from the experience, such as azure burns, twisted limbs, or some other physical manifestation of a spellscar. Lord Neverember has ordered that anyone showing symptoms of infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold for treatment.

** '''The Upper Reach''': For the few people who have done it, climbing down into the Chasm resembles what they may have heard of tales about venturing into the Abyss. The first hundred or so feet are fairly normal, except for occasional swells of superheated air. Past that point, conditions grow more hostile. Elemental energy surges up from the depths in sudden storms. Earthmotes float in the pit, some drifting slowly and others bashing against the walls as though driven by demons. Handholds are scarce on the treacherous walls, which can explode with flame or lightning at any moment. Rocky outcroppings come and go, collapsing or molding themselves as onlookers watch. All manner of plaguechanged creatures dwell in pockets and on precipices in the upper Chasm. Some climb the walls, and others ride bolts of chaotic energy that flare from the bottom of the pit. These creatures rise like birds filling their wings with wind.

** Few, if any, know what lies in the lower reaches of the Chasm...

* '''Underground Neverwinter''': True danger in Neverwinter lurks in places the sun never touches—in the darkness beneath hundreds of tons of stone. Underground ruins abound in a city that has suffered so much damage. The Mintarn enforcers rarely venture below ground, preferring to deal with threats if and when they emerge onto the surface. Thus, sewers and crypts make perfect lairs for all sorts of creeping, scheming evil.

** '''Shattered Sewers''': When the cataclysm struck, Neverwinter’s sewer system took a serious beating as buildings collapsed into their foundations, leaving a maze of precarious wreckage and treacherous tunnels. The sewers quickly became dangerous in the extreme, home to all manner of awful beasts. Provided one is willing to risk getting lost or being attacked, the extensive sewers provide a means of moving about the city. This method of travel is confusing and potentially deadly, however—one never knows when a building overhead will collapse, bringing part of the ceiling down with it, or when a group of underworld squatters might ambush intruders. The tunnels near the Chasm are particularly hazardous because they play host to aberrant beings. The forces of New Neverwinter rarely search the sewers, so rebels and schemers use the filthy tunnels freely.

** '''Kraken Tunnels''': A seaside, underground maze shaped vaguely like an octopus, this complex once belonged to the Kraken Society, a ruthless conglomerate of slavers and blackmarket traders that sought to control the Sword Coast. Many rooms throughout the complex have openings in their floors, revealing the dark, murky water that lies beneath.

** '''Tunnels and Trenches''': The opening of the Chasm and the earthquakes that brought down many buildings in southeastern Neverwinter collapsed many of the sewers in the district. This created trenches in or beside the streets and tunnels where the sewers had not collapsed. These pathways now provide cover for the movement of monsters beyond the Wall and secure places to which they can retreat when repelled from their frequent assaults. The sewers, trenches, and ruined buildings offer an excellent tactical advantage by allowing the forces of the Chasm to approach close to the Wall without sustaining attack, but this is offset by the high vantage of the House of Knowledge, whose occupants ring a bell when they can see significant movement in the far-off trenches. Unfortunately for the Wall’s defenders, night and weather can obscure observation of the trenches, and thus they often use arbalests to launch balls of flaming pitch into the district in the hopes of illuminating the scene.

== Helm's Hold ==
Once a bastion of safety on the edge of Neverwinter Wood, the fortified monastery and community called Helm’s Hold has endured through the last decades, diminished but unyielding. It has lived through the death of the god who gave the place its name, the
ravages of the Spellplague, and the ruination of Neverwinter. Through all this, Helm’s Hold has taken a serious beating but stubbornly clings to its original purpose: to provide sanctuary for those who none. Helm’s Hold has always been a place of healing
and protection for the people of Faerûn. Even when Helm perished a year before the Spellplague, the monastery remained open, seeking to aid those with nowhere else to turn. During the decades after the Spellplague hit, the Hold became one of the few safe
destinations—if not the only one—along the Sword Coast. The cataclysm once again made clear the need for Helm’s Hold and its services. Its doors have remained open over the years, admitting all who suffer, regardless of race, background, or faith. Today, the monastery proper serves as an asylum for those cursed with the Spellplague. People from all over Faerûn make the pilgrimage here for treatment, as do people from Neverwinter, which is less than a day’s journey to the northwest. In fact, Lord Neverember issued a standing order a year ago that anyone in the city showing symptoms of Spellplague infection should be sent to Helm’s Hold as soon as possible. The influx of the needy since that time has swelled the town’s numbers, but tolerance is in the air here, so the spellscarred feel more at home in the Hold than anywhere else in the Realms. Originally a small monastery and its surrounding village, Helm’s Hold has grown over the decades. The cathedral’s foundation had hardly been laid when Helm died, but the people finished it as a monument in his honor. Helm has become a cultural icon here—a patron saint of the community—and all followers of all gods are welcome under his watchful gaze.

* '''Locations'''

** '''The Hungry Flame''': A decrepit tavern which has a reputation for being unfriendly to patrons who are not spellscarred. The place is a rogue’s gallery of the strange and twisted.

** '''The Dragon’s Gauntlet''': The battered town hall of Helm’s Hold, formerly an inn, is a popular gathering place for the people of the city, as well as a forum for its tempestuous governmental process. The people of the town are rugged individualists at heart, a characteristic that does not always mesh well with governmental edicts. Loud shouts, challenges, and shows of intimidation are acceptable methods of discussing legislation.

** '''Heartward''': Life and death are both on stage in the plaza called Heartward at the center of Helm’s Hold, where a marketplace is arrayed around a hangman’s scaffold. Food and gold are both scarce in the marketplace, and brawls break out between customers who feel cheated. Soldiers keep watch from the perimeter of the plaza. Town criers declaim the words of the Prophet, particularly when she has foretold something seen as especially wonderful or dire. The pronouncements are entertainment as well as news, since people love debating exactly what her portents mean. The Heartward’s chief notoriety is a haunting that fills the plaza on certain nights, when clouds obscure the waning moon. Luminous shapes appear—a gathering of ghosts that go about the business of the living. Phantom vendors sell ephemeral apples at empty stands, ghost children run happily through the streets, and spirits hang one another at the scaffold. Some of the scenes appear to be reenactments of past events, whereas others have not occurred—at least, not yet. The ghosts speak mostly nonsense, but some of what they say might offer clues to past or future happenings. The plaza’s name comes from a small shrine on the edge of the marketplace devoted to Sune, goddess of beauty and romance, which is a favored meeting place for lovers in the city. On haunted nights, couples gather at the shrine, hoping for a thrill.

** '''The Old Dirty Dwarf''': The region’s hard years have closed many businesses, but the Old Dirty Dwarf has stood the test of time. The best inn and tavern in Helm’s Hold, the Old Dirty Dwarf caters mostly to newcomers to the city. In the wake of the Lord Protector’s occupation of Neverwinter and his increasing presence in the Hold, Mintarn mercenaries have come to dominate the inn’s patronage, often with new exiles from Neverwinter in tow.

** '''Scar Alley''': Numerous setbacks have taken their toll on the structures and the people of Helm’s Hold. Nowhere in town is this fact more evident than in the oldest district—Scar Alley, a small collection of weathered streets where the least fortunate residents live. The district is home to the worst spellscarred in town, those shunned because of their extreme physical deformities. During the Spellplague, the ground upon which the Hold is built softened, causing some buildings to bow or lean precariously out over the streets. Much of the original stone construction of Scar Alley is approaching ruin, and the residents do what they can to bolster the failing structures with planks, mortar, and fresh stone. The district is poorly patrolled, full of hovels that are frequented by shady characters or infested by monsters.

** '''Helm's Cathedral''': The cathedral to the dead god Helm lost its original religious purpose long ago and became a sanatorium for the ailing, tended by the aging faithful who still honor the traditions of their deity. The spellscarred find treatment here, and many of the servants in the cathedral are also patients. They work as part of their treatment. The Prophet Rohini is the undisputed master of Helm’s cathedral, even if she disdains political status. She exists, she says, only to pass on the mysterious prophecies of her equally mysterious faith. The cathedral can hold about a thousand souls. Most of them are patients of the sanatorium, though a few enjoy relatively good health and handle the day-to-day maintenance of the temple. A dozen or so acolytes who have skill in non-magical healing or an aptitude for service keep order in the cathedral. Several followers of Oghma labor alongside the former Helmites, continuing the work of the late Brother Anthus.

*** '''Halls of the Guardian''': The daylight floors of the temple look much as they did a hundred years ago: hung with banners of Helm’s sigil and warded at all corners by suits of armor that feature stylized eyes on their gauntlets and prominent, blankfaced helms. Cavernous chambers soar high through flying buttresses, and great statues of Helm and heroes of legend gaze down upon supplicants. The walls block most sound, but sometimes a cry or an incoherent rant reverberates up from the deeper levels of the complex. The effect is a sharp contrast in what otherwise appears to be a glorious temple. The great hall of the cathedral could accommodate a hundred men-at-arms comfortably, though today it has a far different purpose. It is here that the Prophet sits in audience, dispensing her predictions of future events. If asked to do so, she may lay her hands on those in attendance and tell their fortunes.

*** '''Sanatorium''': Beneath the stately, well-lit halls on the surface, the lower levels of the cathedral grow darker and more frightening. A sanatorium hides in the vaults: a maze of cramped corridors that houses a growing number of spellscarred victims, who struggle with insanity or physical deformities. Once a day, the patients are allowed out onto the cathedral grounds, under close observation by priests. Although the madness of these unfortunates unnerves most visitors, the Prophet spends a great deal of time in the sanatorium without being affected. To the folk of Helm’s Hold, this is a sign of her compassionate nature.

** '''Beneath Helm's Hold''': Through the many years that Helm’s Hold has stood, its occupants delved underground. Their crypts and ossuaries utilized natural caverns as well as chambers left in the earth by old empires, creating a vast network of tunnels and levels. Once the domain only of the peaceful departed, these places have now been invaded by the living, making the dead grow restless.

* '''Notable NPCs'''

** '''Halas''': A charismatic half-elf, he is a former landowner in Neverwinter who came to Helm's Hold after being afflicted with a spellscar. He is an informal leader of the spellscarred, and pushes back against those who wish them gone.

** '''Meryth''': A female elf, she is another informal leader of Helm's Hold's spellscarred population. She advocates peaceful resistance in the face of prejudice.

** '''Rohini, the Prophet of Helm’s Hold''': Rohini is the main healer and head researcher of Helm's Hold monastery, taking over in that last role for the now deceased Brother Anthus, who passed away shortly after her arrival at the House of Knowledge. Rohini earned her sobriquet through the foretellings she speaks of pivotal events to come, both good and ill. The Prophet claims knowledge of extraordinary mysteries beyond mortal understanding. She says this awareness gives her the power to purify the worthy. She bestows healing on individuals that have been visited by the Spellplague. Although Rohini does not sit in overt leadership in the cathedral, the acolytes, servants, and patients bow to her, calling her simply “Prophet.”

** '''Dunfield''': An old associate of Lord Neverember, he leads a band of mercenaries the Lord Protector has lent Helm's Hold to serve as a town watch. Hard-bitten and cynical, Dunfield remains an honorable man who tries to keep his soldiers in line and serve the community as best as he can.

** '''Alisara Callum''': Everyone in Helm’s Hold pays deference to her, the town’s elected Chief Speaker. Her ability to inspire loyalty helps to keep the haphazard government functioning. A former soldier now past her prime, Alisara brings a note of legitimacy to the council. She wears a frayed purple tabard with a white dragon sigil—the symbol of her former service with the Purple Dragon Knights of Cormyr—which some locals consider to be her personal coat of arms. Alisara is well liked, though her policies of accepting the spellscarred irk some in the city.

** '''Doloran Bard''': An aging farmer and councilman whose family long ago helped build the original monastery, he is wary of trusting the direction of Helm’s Hold to an outsider. An unrepentant purist when it comes to the spellscarred, Bard would prefer that the town push out the “unclean” hordes and return the Hold to its original purpose.

** '''Juetta''': A human female of about thirty years, she is the proprietor of the Old Dirty Dwarf, an establishment that is mostly safe, if none too clean. The Old Dirty Dwarf welcomes all, but some of the staff makes an exclusion for spellscarred, actively discouraging their business. Juetta frowns on this sort of behavior, but she can’t be everywhere in the place at the same time, so she can’t stop the growing tensions that bubble over in the tavern from time to time.

** '''Brother Satarin''': An acolyte before Helm’s death, the young dwarf took his vows shortly before the god fell. Satarin stayed at the cathedral, teaching the ways of his fallen master and attending to the needy after the rest of Helm’s clergy left the place for other gods or retired from the cloth. Now, at the age of 160, Satarin is as close to a high priest as the cathedral is likely to see again, though he firmly eschews any title but Brother. He opened the cathedral’s doors to the Prophet at the request of Brother Vartan, a priest of Oghma whose research on resurrecting dead gods was of interest to the still-devout Satarin.

** '''Torlgar''': The warden of the sanatorium is Torlgar, a hulking goliath. An early convert to Rohini’s ways, Torlgar is fiercely loyal to his beloved mistress, to the point of death or beyond.

Savage Hand of Doom

2024-06-26T22:43:12Z

NightGoblyn: /* Our Heroes */

[[File:RHOD_header.png|1000px|center]]

'''War drums thunder in the hills'''

Danger threatens the peaceful region of Elsir Vale. Rumors whisper of an unstoppable horde gathering in the Wyrmsmoke Mountains—a fearsome army under the banner of the Red Hand of Doom. Led by the ruthless warlord Azarr Kul, this monstrous force of hobgoblins, monsters, and even dragons threatens to sweep across the land, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.

Heroes are needed to rally the forces of good and defend the towns of Elsir Vale from the advancing horde. You will need allies and ancient relics, and must negotiate with mysterious druids, brave haunted ruins, and gain the trust of skeptical leaders. Undertake dangerous scouting missions into the heart of enemy territory and uncover the dark plans of Azarr Kul. Disrupt their schemes, plan your tactics, and confront the warlord himself in a battle that will determine the fate of the vale.

Do you have the courage to face the Horde? Sharpen your blades, and prepare your spells. Destiny calls!

[[File:Elsir-vale-players-.jpg|1200px|center]]

==Setting Rules ==
*'''BORN A HERO:''' Player characters ignore Rank requirements for Edges during character creation.
*'''CONVICTION:''' Heroes gain Conviction Tokens that can be used to add a d6 to all Trait and damage rolls for one round.
*'''CREATIVE COMBAT:''' A raise on a Test allows the character to roll on a special table that grants additional effects.
*'''FANATICS:''' Enemy thugs take the damage for their masters.
*'''HIGH ADVENTURE:''' Spend a Benny to gain the one-time use of a Combat Edge.
*'''MORE SKILL POINTS:''' Start with 15 skill points instead of 12.
*'''MULTIPLE LANGUAGES:''' Characters know half their Smarts die type in different languages at d6.
*'''UNARMORED HERO:''' Wild Cards without armor add +2 to their Soak rolls.
*'''WOUND CAP:''' Wild Cards never suffer more than four wounds from a single hit.

''Fantasy Companion''
*'''DESPERATE ATTACK:''' Take a +2 or +4 bonus to a Fighting roll and the equivalent penalty to damage. Cannot be combined with Wild Attack.
*'''LIMITED ACTION:''' A limited action is a free action that can be taken once per turn.
*'''STREAM TEMPLATE:''' Any power or effect that uses the Cone Template can swap it for a Stream Template: 1” wide and 12” long.

==Our Heroes==
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character''' ''player'' || '''Ancestry, role'''||'''Parry''' || '''Toughness''' || '''Notes'''
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC01 | Veryacas]] ''Elfwine'' || Elf, Ranger || 7(1) || 7(2) ||
|-
|'''[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rPR52vlzNrna0bRugPbwM2_e8XnvdSUYRd-KlWXzemw/edit?usp=sharing Corva Dorian Adredar] ''NightGoblyn'' || Gnome, Wizard || 4 || 3 ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC03 | Nguyen]] ''brahnamin'' || Neogi, Mystic || 2 || 7 (2) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC04 | Tira]] ''eijk_djeq'' || Warforged, Cleric || 5 || 9 (4) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC05 | Steeled Soul]] ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/seandemonium.106158/ Seandemonium]'' || Psiforged, Soulknife || 6 || 9 (4) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC06 | Brook Moonglitter]] & [[SHoD_PC06A | FUMP]] ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/eplov.229812/ Eplov]'' || Mundane Pixie, Artificer || 2 & 6 || 5 (4) & 7 (2) ||
|-
|}

[[SHOD_Party_Wealth |Party Wealth and Resources]]

==Significant NPCs, Allies and Villains==
* '''Lord Jarmath ir'Drago,''' ruler of Brindol and veteran of the Last War

==Timeline of Events==
*'''1 Barrakas:''' The heroes head east and south from Brindol, making for the town of Drellin's Ferry.

Savage Hand of Doom

2024-06-26T22:40:59Z

NightGoblyn: /* Our Heroes */

[[File:RHOD_header.png|1000px|center]]

'''War drums thunder in the hills'''

Danger threatens the peaceful region of Elsir Vale. Rumors whisper of an unstoppable horde gathering in the Wyrmsmoke Mountains—a fearsome army under the banner of the Red Hand of Doom. Led by the ruthless warlord Azarr Kul, this monstrous force of hobgoblins, monsters, and even dragons threatens to sweep across the land, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.

Heroes are needed to rally the forces of good and defend the towns of Elsir Vale from the advancing horde. You will need allies and ancient relics, and must negotiate with mysterious druids, brave haunted ruins, and gain the trust of skeptical leaders. Undertake dangerous scouting missions into the heart of enemy territory and uncover the dark plans of Azarr Kul. Disrupt their schemes, plan your tactics, and confront the warlord himself in a battle that will determine the fate of the vale.

Do you have the courage to face the Horde? Sharpen your blades, and prepare your spells. Destiny calls!

[[File:Elsir-vale-players-.jpg|1200px|center]]

==Setting Rules ==
*'''BORN A HERO:''' Player characters ignore Rank requirements for Edges during character creation.
*'''CONVICTION:''' Heroes gain Conviction Tokens that can be used to add a d6 to all Trait and damage rolls for one round.
*'''CREATIVE COMBAT:''' A raise on a Test allows the character to roll on a special table that grants additional effects.
*'''FANATICS:''' Enemy thugs take the damage for their masters.
*'''HIGH ADVENTURE:''' Spend a Benny to gain the one-time use of a Combat Edge.
*'''MORE SKILL POINTS:''' Start with 15 skill points instead of 12.
*'''MULTIPLE LANGUAGES:''' Characters know half their Smarts die type in different languages at d6.
*'''UNARMORED HERO:''' Wild Cards without armor add +2 to their Soak rolls.
*'''WOUND CAP:''' Wild Cards never suffer more than four wounds from a single hit.

''Fantasy Companion''
*'''DESPERATE ATTACK:''' Take a +2 or +4 bonus to a Fighting roll and the equivalent penalty to damage. Cannot be combined with Wild Attack.
*'''LIMITED ACTION:''' A limited action is a free action that can be taken once per turn.
*'''STREAM TEMPLATE:''' Any power or effect that uses the Cone Template can swap it for a Stream Template: 1” wide and 12” long.

==Our Heroes==
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character''' ''player'' || '''Ancestry, role'''||'''Parry''' || '''Toughness''' || '''Notes'''
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC01 | Veryacas]] ''Elfwine'' || Elf, Ranger || 7(1) || 7(2) ||
|-
|'''[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rPR52vlzNrna0bRugPbwM2_e8XnvdSUYRd-KlWXzemw/edit?usp=sharing Corva Dorian Adredar] ''NightGoblyn'' || Gnome, Wizard || 5 || 5 ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC03 | Nguyen]] ''brahnamin'' || Neogi, Mystic || 2 || 7 (2) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC04 | Tira]] ''eijk_djeq'' || Warforged, Cleric || 5 || 9 (4) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC05 | Steeled Soul]] ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/seandemonium.106158/ Seandemonium]'' || Psiforged, Soulknife || 6 || 9 (4) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC06 | Brook Moonglitter]] & [[SHoD_PC06A | FUMP]] ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/eplov.229812/ Eplov]'' || Mundane Pixie, Artificer || 2 & 6 || 5 (4) & 7 (2) ||
|-
|}

[[SHOD_Party_Wealth |Party Wealth and Resources]]

==Significant NPCs, Allies and Villains==
* '''Lord Jarmath ir'Drago,''' ruler of Brindol and veteran of the Last War

==Timeline of Events==
*'''1 Barrakas:''' The heroes head east and south from Brindol, making for the town of Drellin's Ferry.

Savage Hand of Doom

2024-06-26T22:40:42Z

NightGoblyn: /* Our Heroes */

[[File:RHOD_header.png|1000px|center]]

'''War drums thunder in the hills'''

Danger threatens the peaceful region of Elsir Vale. Rumors whisper of an unstoppable horde gathering in the Wyrmsmoke Mountains—a fearsome army under the banner of the Red Hand of Doom. Led by the ruthless warlord Azarr Kul, this monstrous force of hobgoblins, monsters, and even dragons threatens to sweep across the land, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.

Heroes are needed to rally the forces of good and defend the towns of Elsir Vale from the advancing horde. You will need allies and ancient relics, and must negotiate with mysterious druids, brave haunted ruins, and gain the trust of skeptical leaders. Undertake dangerous scouting missions into the heart of enemy territory and uncover the dark plans of Azarr Kul. Disrupt their schemes, plan your tactics, and confront the warlord himself in a battle that will determine the fate of the vale.

Do you have the courage to face the Horde? Sharpen your blades, and prepare your spells. Destiny calls!

[[File:Elsir-vale-players-.jpg|1200px|center]]

==Setting Rules ==
*'''BORN A HERO:''' Player characters ignore Rank requirements for Edges during character creation.
*'''CONVICTION:''' Heroes gain Conviction Tokens that can be used to add a d6 to all Trait and damage rolls for one round.
*'''CREATIVE COMBAT:''' A raise on a Test allows the character to roll on a special table that grants additional effects.
*'''FANATICS:''' Enemy thugs take the damage for their masters.
*'''HIGH ADVENTURE:''' Spend a Benny to gain the one-time use of a Combat Edge.
*'''MORE SKILL POINTS:''' Start with 15 skill points instead of 12.
*'''MULTIPLE LANGUAGES:''' Characters know half their Smarts die type in different languages at d6.
*'''UNARMORED HERO:''' Wild Cards without armor add +2 to their Soak rolls.
*'''WOUND CAP:''' Wild Cards never suffer more than four wounds from a single hit.

''Fantasy Companion''
*'''DESPERATE ATTACK:''' Take a +2 or +4 bonus to a Fighting roll and the equivalent penalty to damage. Cannot be combined with Wild Attack.
*'''LIMITED ACTION:''' A limited action is a free action that can be taken once per turn.
*'''STREAM TEMPLATE:''' Any power or effect that uses the Cone Template can swap it for a Stream Template: 1” wide and 12” long.

==Our Heroes==
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character''' ''player'' || '''Ancestry, role'''||'''Parry''' || '''Toughness''' || '''Notes'''
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC01 | Veryacas]] ''Elfwine'' || Elf, Ranger || 7(1) || 7(2) ||
|-
|'''[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rPR52vlzNrna0bRugPbwM2_e8XnvdSUYRd-KlWXzemw/edit?usp=sharing Corva Dorian Adredar]] ''NightGoblyn'' || Gnome, Wizard || 5 || 5 ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC03 | Nguyen]] ''brahnamin'' || Neogi, Mystic || 2 || 7 (2) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC04 | Tira]] ''eijk_djeq'' || Warforged, Cleric || 5 || 9 (4) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC05 | Steeled Soul]] ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/seandemonium.106158/ Seandemonium]'' || Psiforged, Soulknife || 6 || 9 (4) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC06 | Brook Moonglitter]] & [[SHoD_PC06A | FUMP]] ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/eplov.229812/ Eplov]'' || Mundane Pixie, Artificer || 2 & 6 || 5 (4) & 7 (2) ||
|-
|}

[[SHOD_Party_Wealth |Party Wealth and Resources]]

==Significant NPCs, Allies and Villains==
* '''Lord Jarmath ir'Drago,''' ruler of Brindol and veteran of the Last War

==Timeline of Events==
*'''1 Barrakas:''' The heroes head east and south from Brindol, making for the town of Drellin's Ferry.

Savage Hand of Doom

2024-06-26T22:38:59Z

NightGoblyn: /* Our Heroes */

[[File:RHOD_header.png|1000px|center]]

'''War drums thunder in the hills'''

Danger threatens the peaceful region of Elsir Vale. Rumors whisper of an unstoppable horde gathering in the Wyrmsmoke Mountains—a fearsome army under the banner of the Red Hand of Doom. Led by the ruthless warlord Azarr Kul, this monstrous force of hobgoblins, monsters, and even dragons threatens to sweep across the land, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.

Heroes are needed to rally the forces of good and defend the towns of Elsir Vale from the advancing horde. You will need allies and ancient relics, and must negotiate with mysterious druids, brave haunted ruins, and gain the trust of skeptical leaders. Undertake dangerous scouting missions into the heart of enemy territory and uncover the dark plans of Azarr Kul. Disrupt their schemes, plan your tactics, and confront the warlord himself in a battle that will determine the fate of the vale.

Do you have the courage to face the Horde? Sharpen your blades, and prepare your spells. Destiny calls!

[[File:Elsir-vale-players-.jpg|1200px|center]]

==Setting Rules ==
*'''BORN A HERO:''' Player characters ignore Rank requirements for Edges during character creation.
*'''CONVICTION:''' Heroes gain Conviction Tokens that can be used to add a d6 to all Trait and damage rolls for one round.
*'''CREATIVE COMBAT:''' A raise on a Test allows the character to roll on a special table that grants additional effects.
*'''FANATICS:''' Enemy thugs take the damage for their masters.
*'''HIGH ADVENTURE:''' Spend a Benny to gain the one-time use of a Combat Edge.
*'''MORE SKILL POINTS:''' Start with 15 skill points instead of 12.
*'''MULTIPLE LANGUAGES:''' Characters know half their Smarts die type in different languages at d6.
*'''UNARMORED HERO:''' Wild Cards without armor add +2 to their Soak rolls.
*'''WOUND CAP:''' Wild Cards never suffer more than four wounds from a single hit.

''Fantasy Companion''
*'''DESPERATE ATTACK:''' Take a +2 or +4 bonus to a Fighting roll and the equivalent penalty to damage. Cannot be combined with Wild Attack.
*'''LIMITED ACTION:''' A limited action is a free action that can be taken once per turn.
*'''STREAM TEMPLATE:''' Any power or effect that uses the Cone Template can swap it for a Stream Template: 1” wide and 12” long.

==Our Heroes==
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character''' ''player'' || '''Ancestry, role'''||'''Parry''' || '''Toughness''' || '''Notes'''
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC01 | Veryacas]] ''Elfwine'' || Elf, Ranger || 7(1) || 7(2) ||
|-
|'''[[ ''https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rPR52vlzNrna0bRugPbwM2_e8XnvdSUYRd-KlWXzemw/edit?usp=sharing'' | Corva Dorian Adredar]] ''NightGoblyn'' || Gnome, Wizard || 5 || 5 ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC03 | Nguyen]] ''brahnamin'' || Neogi, Mystic || 2 || 7 (2) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC04 | Tira]] ''eijk_djeq'' || Warforged, Cleric || 5 || 9 (4) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC05 | Steeled Soul]] ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/seandemonium.106158/ Seandemonium]'' || Psiforged, Soulknife || 6 || 9 (4) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC06 | Brook Moonglitter]] & [[SHoD_PC06A | FUMP]] ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/eplov.229812/ Eplov]'' || Mundane Pixie, Artificer || 2 & 6 || 5 (4) & 7 (2) ||
|-
|}

[[SHOD_Party_Wealth |Party Wealth and Resources]]

==Significant NPCs, Allies and Villains==
* '''Lord Jarmath ir'Drago,''' ruler of Brindol and veteran of the Last War

==Timeline of Events==
*'''1 Barrakas:''' The heroes head east and south from Brindol, making for the town of Drellin's Ferry.

Savage Hand of Doom

2024-06-26T22:38:32Z

NightGoblyn: /* Our Heroes */

[[File:RHOD_header.png|1000px|center]]

'''War drums thunder in the hills'''

Danger threatens the peaceful region of Elsir Vale. Rumors whisper of an unstoppable horde gathering in the Wyrmsmoke Mountains—a fearsome army under the banner of the Red Hand of Doom. Led by the ruthless warlord Azarr Kul, this monstrous force of hobgoblins, monsters, and even dragons threatens to sweep across the land, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.

Heroes are needed to rally the forces of good and defend the towns of Elsir Vale from the advancing horde. You will need allies and ancient relics, and must negotiate with mysterious druids, brave haunted ruins, and gain the trust of skeptical leaders. Undertake dangerous scouting missions into the heart of enemy territory and uncover the dark plans of Azarr Kul. Disrupt their schemes, plan your tactics, and confront the warlord himself in a battle that will determine the fate of the vale.

Do you have the courage to face the Horde? Sharpen your blades, and prepare your spells. Destiny calls!

[[File:Elsir-vale-players-.jpg|1200px|center]]

==Setting Rules ==
*'''BORN A HERO:''' Player characters ignore Rank requirements for Edges during character creation.
*'''CONVICTION:''' Heroes gain Conviction Tokens that can be used to add a d6 to all Trait and damage rolls for one round.
*'''CREATIVE COMBAT:''' A raise on a Test allows the character to roll on a special table that grants additional effects.
*'''FANATICS:''' Enemy thugs take the damage for their masters.
*'''HIGH ADVENTURE:''' Spend a Benny to gain the one-time use of a Combat Edge.
*'''MORE SKILL POINTS:''' Start with 15 skill points instead of 12.
*'''MULTIPLE LANGUAGES:''' Characters know half their Smarts die type in different languages at d6.
*'''UNARMORED HERO:''' Wild Cards without armor add +2 to their Soak rolls.
*'''WOUND CAP:''' Wild Cards never suffer more than four wounds from a single hit.

''Fantasy Companion''
*'''DESPERATE ATTACK:''' Take a +2 or +4 bonus to a Fighting roll and the equivalent penalty to damage. Cannot be combined with Wild Attack.
*'''LIMITED ACTION:''' A limited action is a free action that can be taken once per turn.
*'''STREAM TEMPLATE:''' Any power or effect that uses the Cone Template can swap it for a Stream Template: 1” wide and 12” long.

==Our Heroes==
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character''' ''player'' || '''Ancestry, role'''||'''Parry''' || '''Toughness''' || '''Notes'''
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC01 | Veryacas]] ''Elfwine'' || Elf, Ranger || 7(1) || 7(2) ||
|-
|'''[[ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rPR52vlzNrna0bRugPbwM2_e8XnvdSUYRd-KlWXzemw/edit?usp=sharing | Corva Dorian Adredar]] ''NightGoblyn'' || Gnome, Wizard || 5 || 5 ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC03 | Nguyen]] ''brahnamin'' || Neogi, Mystic || 2 || 7 (2) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC04 | Tira]] ''eijk_djeq'' || Warforged, Cleric || 5 || 9 (4) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC05 | Steeled Soul]] ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/seandemonium.106158/ Seandemonium]'' || Psiforged, Soulknife || 6 || 9 (4) ||
|-
|'''[[SHoD_PC06 | Brook Moonglitter]] & [[SHoD_PC06A | FUMP]] ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/eplov.229812/ Eplov]'' || Mundane Pixie, Artificer || 2 & 6 || 5 (4) & 7 (2) ||
|-
|}

[[SHOD_Party_Wealth |Party Wealth and Resources]]

==Significant NPCs, Allies and Villains==
* '''Lord Jarmath ir'Drago,''' ruler of Brindol and veteran of the Last War

==Timeline of Events==
*'''1 Barrakas:''' The heroes head east and south from Brindol, making for the town of Drellin's Ferry.

Chronicles of the Fifth Cycliad

2024-04-14T15:15:44Z

NightGoblyn: /* Active Characters */

__NOTOC__

=Scenario Overview=

A motley crew of mismatched adventurers wandering the fifteen-millennia-year-old Venerable Autocracy of Sakara

*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/chronicles-of-future-earth-chronicles-of-the-fifth-cycliad.918912/ | Out-of-Character Thread]
*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/chronicles-of-future-earth-chronicles-of-the-fifth-cycliad.918911/ | In-Character Thread]
* [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/interest-recruitment-sarah-newtons-the-chronicles-of-future-earth.918399/ | Interest/Recruitment Thread]

=Helpful Resources=

*[https://chroniclesoffutureearth.wordpress.com/ An old Chronicles of Future Earth resource]

=Mechanical Game Information=
===Active Characters===
{| class="wikitable"
! Player
! Character
! Race
! Essence
! Refresh
! Stress
! Notes
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/glyptodont.23463// Glyptodont]
|[[Radan_Aratta|Radan Aratta]]
|Human
|Inexperienced young student from privilege ready to put theory into practice
|5/5
|Physical [1][2]; Mental [1][2][3]; Status [1][2][3][4]; Wealth [1][2][3][4]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962// NightGoblyn]
|[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eSsEo654Nr0O5BRIbjD0zPG9SVakxibRXgGLSJ3WPzs/edit?usp=sharing Stasia Valoren]
|Human
|Orphan raised by the Swords of Dawn, a warrior cult of Lord Regos
|4/3
|Physical [][][][]; Mental [][][][]; Status [][][][]; Wealth [][][][]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/caiphon.182758/ Caiphon]
|[[Tuja_Alza-Balde|Tuja Alza-Balde]]
|Human
|Qali Alchemist Practicing Medicine and Dialectics
|3/3
|Physical [][][][]; Mental [][][][]; Status [][][][]; Wealth [][][][]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/astronocky.176732/ Astronocky]
|[[Chronicles of the Fifth Cycliad:_Pavani Tenehiti | Pavani Tenehiti]]
|Human (Mukhari)
|Daringly adventurous cat burglar
|5/5
|Physical [1][2][3]; Mental [1][2][3]; Status [1][2]; Wealth [1][2]
|
|}

=Important Places=

'''Please note''': Many place names refer to canonical locations in the Fifth Cycliad, but details may vary... considerably.

'''Andalas'''

A peaceful farming and lumber town of five thousand people on the banks of the Lower Timosia River, little happens here beyond the regular arrivals and departures of the barges of the river people tracking up and down from distant Typhon. Under the watchful eye of its Manumarch, Andalas still seems remarkably successful at ignoring the great political events happening elsewhere in the Empire.

'''Kados'''

Kados is the greatest city in the world, the vast and timeless capital of the Venerable Autocracy of Sakara, oldest of the Springtide Civilisations. It’s been here since before time began: first in its twin citadels of Old Hespin and
Crystal Origen, and then in the “Battle Walls” which enclosed the city precincts north and south of the Ethereal Strait during and after the Time of Snows. The city as it exists today has been here for fifteen thousand years; rebuilt every Cycliad, it’s now well overdue, an ancient and crumbling metropolis stretching kilometre after kilometre, with ruins, rubble-strewn pasture, and even stony croplands within its walls. It’s a city centred on unfathomable structures of the Ancients in its citadels, whose function and purpose, even construction and materials, are no longer fully understood. There are glowing stones in Old Hespin which light the streets at night which not even the Artificers of Khosht can explain. A city of over a million souls, yet which feels empty and abandoned in places. In others, humans, jeniri, and esteri teem like ants over cyclopean structures

'''Korudav'''

Great City of Korudav, this ancient metropolis predates the Time of Snows and even the Empire of Splendid Tlan, and is said to feature in several key myths of the Armageddon of the Gods. Its sky-scraping spires and towers and its leviathan walls of unfathomable smooth grey material, neither metal nor stone, give Korudav perhaps its most famous sobriquet – “The City of Leaden Walls”. At the Citadel’s heart stand the exotic Botanical Gardens, the miraculous spires of the Autarchal Palace, and the mysterious Syleen Monolith, said to control the fabled Palace Shield.

Or did - because much of the city now lies in ruins after the catastrophic Firefall. Its shattered, once mighty precincts are now the dwellings of squatters, and death traps for foolish fortune hunters.

'''Sapedra'''

Affectionately known as The Great Whore of the North, this city of ten thousand souls has the dubious reputation of possessing the largest provincial slave market outside the city of Korudav. The principal city of the Plutarchy of Sapedra, its wharves and markets deal with transporting the produce of all of the slave plantations of the Timosian Properties via the Grand Sapedra Canal to the Provincial Capital and also downriver into the Provincial Heartlands of the Lower Timosia and thence to the city of Typhon, as well as the crucial caravan trade over the Jeneset Wilderness to Amadorad. It’s a thriving mercantile center with a pronounced mean streak, and like many places in Hivernium currently teeming with mercenaries. Certainly not a place to be without friends and money – “Sell your soul to Sapedra” say the Sakari, and throw away your guilt and conscience forever.

'''Timosia River'''

The Timosia River is the principle riverine traderoute of western Korudav, navigable from the town of Sapedra down to Great Typhon at the river’s mouth. Huge slave plantations stretch the length of the Upper Timosia River as far as the Tower of Virigu. These “Timosian Properties” are a byword for grasping, thieving merchants, pitiless slavers, and cruel plantation owners. The Properties produce a large proportion of the Hivernian ketel grain consumed by the Autarchy. Few people linger there longer than they have to.

'''Typhon'''

The poet Macabrial, writing in 2500CV, called Typhon the “Smoke-belching father of Monsters”, a description which is just as appropriate today.

The city contains some of the very few still functioning mines in the Autocracy. The principal lodes were exhausted millennia ago, but traces still remain deep underground and in hard-to-extract ores. The Artificers of Khosht, strong in this town, know secret techniques to extract the priceless metals from the very rocks, and Typhon is one of the few producers of metal in the entire Middle Sea region (the Ing Shu have other techniques, and claim to even produce metal from sea water!).

As dark and grim as Calamis is pleasant, a large proportion of the Korudav slave trade passes through this city en route to the Timosian Properties far upriver in the fabled and dreaded “Black Ships of Typhon”. Calamis and Typhon are often referred to together as “the Twins”, and are also the names of two noticeable stars in the night sky.

[[File:Map_of_Glorious_Kados.jpg]]

=Important People=

* Enessi XXI, Avatar of the Venerable Autocrator, eternally re-incarnating ruler of Sakara and living god

=Story Episodes, Leads=

Chronicles of the Fifth Cycliad

2024-04-14T15:14:09Z

NightGoblyn: /* Active Characters */

__NOTOC__

=Scenario Overview=

A motley crew of mismatched adventurers wandering the fifteen-millennia-year-old Venerable Autocracy of Sakara

*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/chronicles-of-future-earth-chronicles-of-the-fifth-cycliad.918912/ | Out-of-Character Thread]
*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/chronicles-of-future-earth-chronicles-of-the-fifth-cycliad.918911/ | In-Character Thread]
* [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/interest-recruitment-sarah-newtons-the-chronicles-of-future-earth.918399/ | Interest/Recruitment Thread]

=Helpful Resources=

*[https://chroniclesoffutureearth.wordpress.com/ An old Chronicles of Future Earth resource]

=Mechanical Game Information=
===Active Characters===
{| class="wikitable"
! Player
! Character
! Race
! Essence
! Refresh
! Stress
! Notes
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/glyptodont.23463// Glyptodont]
|[[Radan_Aratta|Radan Aratta]]
|Human
|Inexperienced young student from privilege ready to put theory into practice
|5/5
|Physical [1][2]; Mental [1][2][3]; Status [1][2][3][4]; Wealth [1][2][3][4]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962// NightGoblyn]
|Stasia Valoren | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eSsEo654Nr0O5BRIbjD0zPG9SVakxibRXgGLSJ3WPzs/edit?usp=sharing
|Human
|Orphan raised by the Swords of Dawn, a warrior cult of Lord Regos
|4/3
|Physical [][][][]; Mental [][][][]; Status [][][][]; Wealth [][][][]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/caiphon.182758/ Caiphon]
|[[Tuja_Alza-Balde|Tuja Alza-Balde]]
|Human
|Qali Alchemist Practicing Medicine and Dialectics
|3/3
|Physical [][][][]; Mental [][][][]; Status [][][][]; Wealth [][][][]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/astronocky.176732/ Astronocky]
|[[Chronicles of the Fifth Cycliad:_Pavani Tenehiti | Pavani Tenehiti]]
|Human (Mukhari)
|Daringly adventurous cat burglar
|5/5
|Physical [1][2][3]; Mental [1][2][3]; Status [1][2]; Wealth [1][2]
|
|}

=Important Places=

'''Please note''': Many place names refer to canonical locations in the Fifth Cycliad, but details may vary... considerably.

'''Andalas'''

A peaceful farming and lumber town of five thousand people on the banks of the Lower Timosia River, little happens here beyond the regular arrivals and departures of the barges of the river people tracking up and down from distant Typhon. Under the watchful eye of its Manumarch, Andalas still seems remarkably successful at ignoring the great political events happening elsewhere in the Empire.

'''Kados'''

Kados is the greatest city in the world, the vast and timeless capital of the Venerable Autocracy of Sakara, oldest of the Springtide Civilisations. It’s been here since before time began: first in its twin citadels of Old Hespin and
Crystal Origen, and then in the “Battle Walls” which enclosed the city precincts north and south of the Ethereal Strait during and after the Time of Snows. The city as it exists today has been here for fifteen thousand years; rebuilt every Cycliad, it’s now well overdue, an ancient and crumbling metropolis stretching kilometre after kilometre, with ruins, rubble-strewn pasture, and even stony croplands within its walls. It’s a city centred on unfathomable structures of the Ancients in its citadels, whose function and purpose, even construction and materials, are no longer fully understood. There are glowing stones in Old Hespin which light the streets at night which not even the Artificers of Khosht can explain. A city of over a million souls, yet which feels empty and abandoned in places. In others, humans, jeniri, and esteri teem like ants over cyclopean structures

'''Korudav'''

Great City of Korudav, this ancient metropolis predates the Time of Snows and even the Empire of Splendid Tlan, and is said to feature in several key myths of the Armageddon of the Gods. Its sky-scraping spires and towers and its leviathan walls of unfathomable smooth grey material, neither metal nor stone, give Korudav perhaps its most famous sobriquet – “The City of Leaden Walls”. At the Citadel’s heart stand the exotic Botanical Gardens, the miraculous spires of the Autarchal Palace, and the mysterious Syleen Monolith, said to control the fabled Palace Shield.

Or did - because much of the city now lies in ruins after the catastrophic Firefall. Its shattered, once mighty precincts are now the dwellings of squatters, and death traps for foolish fortune hunters.

'''Sapedra'''

Affectionately known as The Great Whore of the North, this city of ten thousand souls has the dubious reputation of possessing the largest provincial slave market outside the city of Korudav. The principal city of the Plutarchy of Sapedra, its wharves and markets deal with transporting the produce of all of the slave plantations of the Timosian Properties via the Grand Sapedra Canal to the Provincial Capital and also downriver into the Provincial Heartlands of the Lower Timosia and thence to the city of Typhon, as well as the crucial caravan trade over the Jeneset Wilderness to Amadorad. It’s a thriving mercantile center with a pronounced mean streak, and like many places in Hivernium currently teeming with mercenaries. Certainly not a place to be without friends and money – “Sell your soul to Sapedra” say the Sakari, and throw away your guilt and conscience forever.

'''Timosia River'''

The Timosia River is the principle riverine traderoute of western Korudav, navigable from the town of Sapedra down to Great Typhon at the river’s mouth. Huge slave plantations stretch the length of the Upper Timosia River as far as the Tower of Virigu. These “Timosian Properties” are a byword for grasping, thieving merchants, pitiless slavers, and cruel plantation owners. The Properties produce a large proportion of the Hivernian ketel grain consumed by the Autarchy. Few people linger there longer than they have to.

'''Typhon'''

The poet Macabrial, writing in 2500CV, called Typhon the “Smoke-belching father of Monsters”, a description which is just as appropriate today.

The city contains some of the very few still functioning mines in the Autocracy. The principal lodes were exhausted millennia ago, but traces still remain deep underground and in hard-to-extract ores. The Artificers of Khosht, strong in this town, know secret techniques to extract the priceless metals from the very rocks, and Typhon is one of the few producers of metal in the entire Middle Sea region (the Ing Shu have other techniques, and claim to even produce metal from sea water!).

As dark and grim as Calamis is pleasant, a large proportion of the Korudav slave trade passes through this city en route to the Timosian Properties far upriver in the fabled and dreaded “Black Ships of Typhon”. Calamis and Typhon are often referred to together as “the Twins”, and are also the names of two noticeable stars in the night sky.

[[File:Map_of_Glorious_Kados.jpg]]

=Important People=

* Enessi XXI, Avatar of the Venerable Autocrator, eternally re-incarnating ruler of Sakara and living god

=Story Episodes, Leads=

Chronicles of the Fifth Cycliad

2024-04-14T15:13:54Z

NightGoblyn: /* Active Characters */

__NOTOC__

=Scenario Overview=

A motley crew of mismatched adventurers wandering the fifteen-millennia-year-old Venerable Autocracy of Sakara

*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/chronicles-of-future-earth-chronicles-of-the-fifth-cycliad.918912/ | Out-of-Character Thread]
*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/chronicles-of-future-earth-chronicles-of-the-fifth-cycliad.918911/ | In-Character Thread]
* [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/interest-recruitment-sarah-newtons-the-chronicles-of-future-earth.918399/ | Interest/Recruitment Thread]

=Helpful Resources=

*[https://chroniclesoffutureearth.wordpress.com/ An old Chronicles of Future Earth resource]

=Mechanical Game Information=
===Active Characters===
{| class="wikitable"
! Player
! Character
! Race
! Essence
! Refresh
! Stress
! Notes
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/glyptodont.23463// Glyptodont]
|[[Radan_Aratta|Radan Aratta]]
|Human
|Inexperienced young student from privilege ready to put theory into practice
|5/5
|Physical [1][2]; Mental [1][2][3]; Status [1][2][3][4]; Wealth [1][2][3][4]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962// NightGoblyn]
|[Stasia Valoren | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eSsEo654Nr0O5BRIbjD0zPG9SVakxibRXgGLSJ3WPzs/edit?usp=sharing]
|Human
|Orphan raised by the Swords of Dawn, a warrior cult of Lord Regos
|4/3
|Physical [][][][]; Mental [][][][]; Status [][][][]; Wealth [][][][]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/caiphon.182758/ Caiphon]
|[[Tuja_Alza-Balde|Tuja Alza-Balde]]
|Human
|Qali Alchemist Practicing Medicine and Dialectics
|3/3
|Physical [][][][]; Mental [][][][]; Status [][][][]; Wealth [][][][]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/astronocky.176732/ Astronocky]
|[[Chronicles of the Fifth Cycliad:_Pavani Tenehiti | Pavani Tenehiti]]
|Human (Mukhari)
|Daringly adventurous cat burglar
|5/5
|Physical [1][2][3]; Mental [1][2][3]; Status [1][2]; Wealth [1][2]
|
|}

=Important Places=

'''Please note''': Many place names refer to canonical locations in the Fifth Cycliad, but details may vary... considerably.

'''Andalas'''

A peaceful farming and lumber town of five thousand people on the banks of the Lower Timosia River, little happens here beyond the regular arrivals and departures of the barges of the river people tracking up and down from distant Typhon. Under the watchful eye of its Manumarch, Andalas still seems remarkably successful at ignoring the great political events happening elsewhere in the Empire.

'''Kados'''

Kados is the greatest city in the world, the vast and timeless capital of the Venerable Autocracy of Sakara, oldest of the Springtide Civilisations. It’s been here since before time began: first in its twin citadels of Old Hespin and
Crystal Origen, and then in the “Battle Walls” which enclosed the city precincts north and south of the Ethereal Strait during and after the Time of Snows. The city as it exists today has been here for fifteen thousand years; rebuilt every Cycliad, it’s now well overdue, an ancient and crumbling metropolis stretching kilometre after kilometre, with ruins, rubble-strewn pasture, and even stony croplands within its walls. It’s a city centred on unfathomable structures of the Ancients in its citadels, whose function and purpose, even construction and materials, are no longer fully understood. There are glowing stones in Old Hespin which light the streets at night which not even the Artificers of Khosht can explain. A city of over a million souls, yet which feels empty and abandoned in places. In others, humans, jeniri, and esteri teem like ants over cyclopean structures

'''Korudav'''

Great City of Korudav, this ancient metropolis predates the Time of Snows and even the Empire of Splendid Tlan, and is said to feature in several key myths of the Armageddon of the Gods. Its sky-scraping spires and towers and its leviathan walls of unfathomable smooth grey material, neither metal nor stone, give Korudav perhaps its most famous sobriquet – “The City of Leaden Walls”. At the Citadel’s heart stand the exotic Botanical Gardens, the miraculous spires of the Autarchal Palace, and the mysterious Syleen Monolith, said to control the fabled Palace Shield.

Or did - because much of the city now lies in ruins after the catastrophic Firefall. Its shattered, once mighty precincts are now the dwellings of squatters, and death traps for foolish fortune hunters.

'''Sapedra'''

Affectionately known as The Great Whore of the North, this city of ten thousand souls has the dubious reputation of possessing the largest provincial slave market outside the city of Korudav. The principal city of the Plutarchy of Sapedra, its wharves and markets deal with transporting the produce of all of the slave plantations of the Timosian Properties via the Grand Sapedra Canal to the Provincial Capital and also downriver into the Provincial Heartlands of the Lower Timosia and thence to the city of Typhon, as well as the crucial caravan trade over the Jeneset Wilderness to Amadorad. It’s a thriving mercantile center with a pronounced mean streak, and like many places in Hivernium currently teeming with mercenaries. Certainly not a place to be without friends and money – “Sell your soul to Sapedra” say the Sakari, and throw away your guilt and conscience forever.

'''Timosia River'''

The Timosia River is the principle riverine traderoute of western Korudav, navigable from the town of Sapedra down to Great Typhon at the river’s mouth. Huge slave plantations stretch the length of the Upper Timosia River as far as the Tower of Virigu. These “Timosian Properties” are a byword for grasping, thieving merchants, pitiless slavers, and cruel plantation owners. The Properties produce a large proportion of the Hivernian ketel grain consumed by the Autarchy. Few people linger there longer than they have to.

'''Typhon'''

The poet Macabrial, writing in 2500CV, called Typhon the “Smoke-belching father of Monsters”, a description which is just as appropriate today.

The city contains some of the very few still functioning mines in the Autocracy. The principal lodes were exhausted millennia ago, but traces still remain deep underground and in hard-to-extract ores. The Artificers of Khosht, strong in this town, know secret techniques to extract the priceless metals from the very rocks, and Typhon is one of the few producers of metal in the entire Middle Sea region (the Ing Shu have other techniques, and claim to even produce metal from sea water!).

As dark and grim as Calamis is pleasant, a large proportion of the Korudav slave trade passes through this city en route to the Timosian Properties far upriver in the fabled and dreaded “Black Ships of Typhon”. Calamis and Typhon are often referred to together as “the Twins”, and are also the names of two noticeable stars in the night sky.

[[File:Map_of_Glorious_Kados.jpg]]

=Important People=

* Enessi XXI, Avatar of the Venerable Autocrator, eternally re-incarnating ruler of Sakara and living god

=Story Episodes, Leads=

Chronicles of the Fifth Cycliad

2024-04-14T15:12:36Z

NightGoblyn: /* Active Characters */

__NOTOC__

=Scenario Overview=

A motley crew of mismatched adventurers wandering the fifteen-millennia-year-old Venerable Autocracy of Sakara

*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/chronicles-of-future-earth-chronicles-of-the-fifth-cycliad.918912/ | Out-of-Character Thread]
*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/chronicles-of-future-earth-chronicles-of-the-fifth-cycliad.918911/ | In-Character Thread]
* [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/interest-recruitment-sarah-newtons-the-chronicles-of-future-earth.918399/ | Interest/Recruitment Thread]

=Helpful Resources=

*[https://chroniclesoffutureearth.wordpress.com/ An old Chronicles of Future Earth resource]

=Mechanical Game Information=
===Active Characters===
{| class="wikitable"
! Player
! Character
! Race
! Essence
! Refresh
! Stress
! Notes
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/glyptodont.23463// Glyptodont]
|[[Radan_Aratta|Radan Aratta]]
|Human
|Inexperienced young student from privilege ready to put theory into practice
|5/5
|Physical [1][2]; Mental [1][2][3]; Status [1][2][3][4]; Wealth [1][2][3][4]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962// NightGoblyn]
|[Stasia Valoren|https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eSsEo654Nr0O5BRIbjD0zPG9SVakxibRXgGLSJ3WPzs/edit?usp=sharing]
|Human
|Orphan raised by the Swords of Dawn, a warrior cult of Lord Regos
|4/3
|Physical [][][][]; Mental [][][][]; Status [][][][]; Wealth [][][][]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/caiphon.182758/ Caiphon]
|[[Tuja_Alza-Balde|Tuja Alza-Balde]]
|Human
|Qali Alchemist Practicing Medicine and Dialectics
|3/3
|Physical [][][][]; Mental [][][][]; Status [][][][]; Wealth [][][][]
|
|-
|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/astronocky.176732/ Astronocky]
|[[Chronicles of the Fifth Cycliad:_Pavani Tenehiti | Pavani Tenehiti]]
|Human (Mukhari)
|Daringly adventurous cat burglar
|5/5
|Physical [1][2][3]; Mental [1][2][3]; Status [1][2]; Wealth [1][2]
|
|}

=Important Places=

'''Please note''': Many place names refer to canonical locations in the Fifth Cycliad, but details may vary... considerably.

'''Andalas'''

A peaceful farming and lumber town of five thousand people on the banks of the Lower Timosia River, little happens here beyond the regular arrivals and departures of the barges of the river people tracking up and down from distant Typhon. Under the watchful eye of its Manumarch, Andalas still seems remarkably successful at ignoring the great political events happening elsewhere in the Empire.

'''Kados'''

Kados is the greatest city in the world, the vast and timeless capital of the Venerable Autocracy of Sakara, oldest of the Springtide Civilisations. It’s been here since before time began: first in its twin citadels of Old Hespin and
Crystal Origen, and then in the “Battle Walls” which enclosed the city precincts north and south of the Ethereal Strait during and after the Time of Snows. The city as it exists today has been here for fifteen thousand years; rebuilt every Cycliad, it’s now well overdue, an ancient and crumbling metropolis stretching kilometre after kilometre, with ruins, rubble-strewn pasture, and even stony croplands within its walls. It’s a city centred on unfathomable structures of the Ancients in its citadels, whose function and purpose, even construction and materials, are no longer fully understood. There are glowing stones in Old Hespin which light the streets at night which not even the Artificers of Khosht can explain. A city of over a million souls, yet which feels empty and abandoned in places. In others, humans, jeniri, and esteri teem like ants over cyclopean structures

'''Korudav'''

Great City of Korudav, this ancient metropolis predates the Time of Snows and even the Empire of Splendid Tlan, and is said to feature in several key myths of the Armageddon of the Gods. Its sky-scraping spires and towers and its leviathan walls of unfathomable smooth grey material, neither metal nor stone, give Korudav perhaps its most famous sobriquet – “The City of Leaden Walls”. At the Citadel’s heart stand the exotic Botanical Gardens, the miraculous spires of the Autarchal Palace, and the mysterious Syleen Monolith, said to control the fabled Palace Shield.

Or did - because much of the city now lies in ruins after the catastrophic Firefall. Its shattered, once mighty precincts are now the dwellings of squatters, and death traps for foolish fortune hunters.

'''Sapedra'''

Affectionately known as The Great Whore of the North, this city of ten thousand souls has the dubious reputation of possessing the largest provincial slave market outside the city of Korudav. The principal city of the Plutarchy of Sapedra, its wharves and markets deal with transporting the produce of all of the slave plantations of the Timosian Properties via the Grand Sapedra Canal to the Provincial Capital and also downriver into the Provincial Heartlands of the Lower Timosia and thence to the city of Typhon, as well as the crucial caravan trade over the Jeneset Wilderness to Amadorad. It’s a thriving mercantile center with a pronounced mean streak, and like many places in Hivernium currently teeming with mercenaries. Certainly not a place to be without friends and money – “Sell your soul to Sapedra” say the Sakari, and throw away your guilt and conscience forever.

'''Timosia River'''

The Timosia River is the principle riverine traderoute of western Korudav, navigable from the town of Sapedra down to Great Typhon at the river’s mouth. Huge slave plantations stretch the length of the Upper Timosia River as far as the Tower of Virigu. These “Timosian Properties” are a byword for grasping, thieving merchants, pitiless slavers, and cruel plantation owners. The Properties produce a large proportion of the Hivernian ketel grain consumed by the Autarchy. Few people linger there longer than they have to.

'''Typhon'''

The poet Macabrial, writing in 2500CV, called Typhon the “Smoke-belching father of Monsters”, a description which is just as appropriate today.

The city contains some of the very few still functioning mines in the Autocracy. The principal lodes were exhausted millennia ago, but traces still remain deep underground and in hard-to-extract ores. The Artificers of Khosht, strong in this town, know secret techniques to extract the priceless metals from the very rocks, and Typhon is one of the few producers of metal in the entire Middle Sea region (the Ing Shu have other techniques, and claim to even produce metal from sea water!).

As dark and grim as Calamis is pleasant, a large proportion of the Korudav slave trade passes through this city en route to the Timosian Properties far upriver in the fabled and dreaded “Black Ships of Typhon”. Calamis and Typhon are often referred to together as “the Twins”, and are also the names of two noticeable stars in the night sky.

[[File:Map_of_Glorious_Kados.jpg]]

=Important People=

* Enessi XXI, Avatar of the Venerable Autocrator, eternally re-incarnating ruler of Sakara and living god

=Story Episodes, Leads=

Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk

2024-03-15T14:37:57Z

NightGoblyn: /* PCs */

== Background ==

The current year is 597 CY.

100 or so years ago, the Mad Mayor Zagig achieved apotheosis and became a demigod in a ritual he conducted in the dungeons below Castle Greyhawk. In the process of doing so he captured and imprisoned nine other demigods, taking a piece of divine essence from each. One of these demigods was Iuz, the half-demon son of the Witch-Queen Iggwilv and the demon prince Graz’zt and he (and the other demigods) remained imprisoned below Castle Greyhawk after Zagig ascended and departed the Material Plane as the newly divine “Zagyg” to serve in the court of Boccob, Archmage of the Gods.

None of this was well known until perhaps 30 years ago when the wizard Mordenkainen and his adventuring companions (primarily Riggby the cleric, Mordenkainen's apprentice Bigby and the fearless warrior Robilar, though other companions came and went as well), after years of exploring the ruins of Castle Greyhawk, found Zagig's Prison and the imprisoned demigods. Eventually, in 570 CY, realizing that sooner or later the binding magic would fail, Mordenkainen devised a plan to slay the worst of the imprisoned gods: Iuz. At his behest, Riggby, Robilar, and one of Robilar's henchmen made their way to the Prison and dispelled the magic barrier keeping Iuz bound, intending to slay him.

Unfortunately, just a moment too late, Tenser, Bigby and the warrior Neb Retnar teleported in, planning to stop Iuz from being freed, fearing that the whole plan was too risky. The two groups, after some momentary confusion, realized that the die was cast and they must band together to kill Iuz, but even that moment of hesitation was too much, and Iuz regained enough of his power to escape certain death in the clutches of Bigby’s notorious crushing hand by plane shifting to the Abyss. That magical warp freed the additional gods (as far as anyone knows) and caved in many of Castle Greyhawk’s deepest dungeon complexes. After it was all over, Iuz swore vengeance upon the adventurers who had attempted to kill him, dedicating a portion of his eternal rage to plotting their destruction.

Twenty-seven years have passed. To the west, in the not-so distant city of Verbobonc, Riggby has escaped Iuz’s vengeance by dying of natural causes in his twilight years. His body now travels by sacred procession along the Western Road toward Greyhawk.

=== Additional History ===

After the gambit of freeing, and attempting to slay, Iuz failed, word of Lord Robilar’s role in the demongod’s release spread quickly, and he took the brunt of the blame. Local magistrates sacked his castle west of Greyhawk, scattering his dragons and exiling him from the city. Feeling remorse over his role in what happened, Mordenkainen formed the Circle of Eight, an organization of wizards dedicated to "preserving the balance", though some members (like Tenser) argued for a more active role in combating evil. Meanwhile, Iuz wasted no time in re-establishing his rule in Dorakaa, and in 582 CY, a series of small, regional conflicts erupted into continent-wide war, thanks to Iuz's machinations. This war, known as the ''Greyhawk War'', or the ''Great War'', would rage for two years, from 582 to 584 CY. Eventually a peace treaty was negotiated and was due to be signed in the Great Hall of the City of Greyhawk, but treachery almost overturned it and threatened to destroy the Circle of Eight in one fell swoop.

When the wizards Bigby, Tenser, and Otiluke inspected the building that would house the treaty event, they discovered an elaborate magical trap meant to destroy the assembled ambassadors and dignitaries. The archmage Rary, the only member of the Circle whose magical prowess matched that of Mordenkainen, then emerged from the shadows to congratulate his allies on their foresight. His schemes thwarted, Rary lashed out at his friends, slaying Tenser and Otiluke and gravely wounding Bigby. Worse, Mordenkainen soon received word that his greatest friend, the fighter Lord Robilar, had sacked the slain wizards’ strongholds and destroyed their clones and soul objects, preventing their return to life. Then Robilar departed to the Bright Desert to serve Rary and his quixotic empire of the sands. However, Rary and Robilar had failed to discover a clone Tenser had hidden away on Celene, one of Oerth's moons, and in the month Goodmonth of 585 CY, Tenser was restored to life.

== The Flanaess ==

[https://i.redd.it/mafu3l69zkx11.png Map of the Flanaess]

== The Ruins of Castle Greyhawk ==
[[File:Ruins.png]]

== City of Greyhawk ==

[[File:Greyhawkcity2.png]]

* '''S''': '''Slum Quarter''': The poorest section of town, made up of ramshackle houses and destitute commoners.
* '''T''': '''Thieves' Quarter''': The other section of the Old City, along with the Slum Quarter, and slightly better off than its poorer neighbor, but not much more so.
* '''A''': '''Artisans' Quarter''': A sleepy district (relative to the other parts of the city) where most of Greyhawk's finest artisans live and work, as well as the guildhalls that represent them.
* '''F''': '''Foreign Quarter''': The only quarter of the city where non-citizens are allowed to own property.
* '''R''': '''River Quarter''': A boisterous district of taverns, brothels, and gambling dens that caters to those who work the wharfs just outside the gates, and the travelers who arrive by river.
* '''C''': '''Clerkburg''': The quarter that swarms with students from the dozens of colleges, universities and academies, that have made Greyhawk one of the foremost cities of learning on the continent.
* '''G''': '''Garden Quarter''': The second richest district of the city, home to many ennobled heroes, made-good prospectors, acclaimed artists and artisans, retired adventurers, and other nouveau riche.
* '''H''': '''High Quarter''': The richest part of the city, filled with magnificent mansions that sit atop a low rise that makes them visible from most of the city.

== The Green Dragon Inn ==
[[File:Green_dragon_inn.png|1400x1000px|Click on map to get the full sized version.]]

== River Quarter ==
[[File:River_Quarter.png|1400x1000px|Click on map to get the full sized version.]]

# '''The Green Dragon''': The Green Dragon Inn is located in Greyhawk’s River Quarter, along a wide street crowded with rivermen, cutthroats, and thieves. At night the two-story stone building comes alive with activity, the sound of boisterous laughs and the sight of flickering windows attracting custom from all quarters of the city. Most of the shabby clientele are locals, Dockway bully-boys or bargefolk looking for cheap drinks and good atmosphere. The Dragon provides the latter in quantity, for its proprietor does little to quell light violence and overtly encourages enthusiastic drinking and carousing. Weapons and armor are allowed (and a wise precaution). It’s a dangerous place but a friendly one, as long as no one harms the staff.
# '''City Watch Station'''
# '''Hauld's Apothecary''': This small shop run by a portly, mustachioed fellow, has rows and rows of potions and magical unguents lining the walls. The affable, somewhat clumsy merchant barely fits behind the crowded desk, always nearly bumping over a leaking jar of this or shattering a glowing bottle of that.
# '''Dark Moon Monastery''': A sprawling estate of white stone arches and enclosed courtyards overlooks the River Quarter from the small bluff supporting the Nobles’ Wall. In the shadows of its manicured campus dwells an order of fighting monks and mental adepts who seem always to be training for ''something''.
# '''Pirthan Estate'''
# '''The Lore of the Lake''': A bewildering array of stuffed creatures dangles from the low ceiling of this workshop located below street level. Visitors must take care lest they run eye-first into the preserved beak of a slain stirge or the spiny frill of an Abbor-Alz quillbeast.
# '''Onella's Palms'''
# '''Geeridan's''': The bright blue awning of this two-story building stands out among the staid store fronts along the north side of Cargo Street. The cavernous showroom within contains a dizzying array of products from markets across the Flanaess, all offered at reasonable prices. The weapons and armor section—highly picked over by the district’s adventurers—leaves something to be desired, but the stock of standard gear makes this one of the most popular general stores in the city, and certainly in the River Quarter.
# '''Low Seas Tavern'''
# '''Nulligan's Trove''': Northwest along Cargo Street, where the broad avenue intersects with the Strip, a short alley loop known as the Open Close is home to a collection of idiosyncratic shops and galleries. With its green continual flame torches and firebeetle ichor-infused sign, Nulligan’s Trove is the most unusual offering on an unusual block. A businesslike balding merchant named Penander Nulligan runs the curio shop, which offers a small selection of magic items for sale to the district’s adventurers and wealthy sea captains docked in Greyhawk’s Wharf District.
# '''Khellek's Tower''': The witty, willful wizard Khellek, chessmaster of the Green Dragon Inn, owns a black stone tower on the bluff overlooking Cargo Street, not far from the gate to the Wharf District. During daylight hours that do not find him otherwise occupied, Khellek entertains visitors interested in purchasing arcane scrolls or spellcasting services.
# '''River Quarter Mission'''
# '''Redacted'''
# '''Geld's Maps''': Geld's Maps is in a refurbished old manor house on the corner of Horseshoe Road and Cargo Street, at the eastern end of the River Quarter. Geld's small office, just off the three-story structure’s main entry, holds a wide variety of regional maps.

== PCs ==

* '''[[Beovar Dwursen]]''': [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T-bv4FzGd0FCIFgINbfWTJnYwMwt_Xgc/edit#gid=425184510 Human Warblade 5/Anointed Knight 3]
* '''Zhenis''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Zhenis| Human Fighter 1 psion 3 Soul Knife 3 Soul Bow 1]]
* '''Kangorox''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Kangorox| Dwarf Duskblade 8]]
* '''Daniel Carter''': [[Expedition_to_the_Ruins_of_Greyhawk:Daniel_Carter| Elan Vitalist 9]]
* '''Cacophony''': [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uDrn4FdbGkXwGZHiL_ppLe8urYyLydXGaWh8FNj0x2E/edit Lesser Cansin Artificer 8/Cloistered Cleric 1]
* <s>'''Syvis''': [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12gidB-7B4falykE0SJ0ZW_ekJoHAVrA95vF0dXcspOE/edit#gid=0 Human Dread Necromancer 8]</s>
* <s>'''Nember''': [[Nember| Human Binder 8]]</s>
* <s>'''Oonagh''': [https://www.dropbox.com/s/d5mw8ffm947mfbx/Oonagh-3.pdf?dl=0 Human Sorcerer 8]</s>

== Treasure ==

====Unsplit Loot====

* 2902 gp
* bag with 3,950 gp
* 1 potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
* 2 unknown alchemical substances (from goblins in ruined temple)
* 1 badge and key (from giant in ruined temple)
* Bone Orb engraved with a Labyrinth (500 gp)
* Electrum Bell set with a single flawless Blue Diamond (1000 gp)
* Fine Steel Censer engraved with Draconic Scales (1500 gp)
* Gilded Wooden Cup engraved with Runes (600 gp)
* Jasper Scepter engraved with a Labyrinth (1300 gp)
* Porcelain Plate adorned with Silver and a Castle in relief (1300 gp)
* Scroll of shield and acid arrow
* Oil of Bless Weapon
* Psionic Tattoo (on Zhenis)
* Psionic Crystal
* Magic Headband with moderate transmutation aura
* Small Psionic Crystal
* Magic Shroud with strong necromantic aura
* Magic Amulet with evocation aura
* Magic Ring (grey scale of some scaled beast, perhaps even a dragon, is set in a heavy gold band) with strong transmutation aura

====Party Share====

* 11 pp
* 2,579 gp
* 1 sp

Rivers in the Barrens:Main Page

2024-02-11T20:47:58Z

NightGoblyn: /* Characters */

''"The overriding problem is to change the structure of society so that people gain power. The best arena to do that is the municipality — the city, town, and village — where we have an opportunity to create a face-to-face democracy."'' - Murray Bookchin

''"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better."'' — Albert Camus

==Characters==
[[Sunflower]]

[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Amber Amber]

[http://www.fedifensor.com/html/games/shadowrun/Promo.htm Promo]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SWok67IFzFM93S5GH2GqNFi_xu4U87eBlaTWZSpCYtQ/edit?usp=sharing Coppertop]

* Players - please add your characters, and pages for them, here!

====Retired====

[[Ushitara]]

[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Twilight Twilight]

[[Pyrus]]

[[Doctor_Potre]]

==Contacts==

'''Joe Jones, AKA Double J [Sunflower]:''' He's a 30ish orc man, who dabbled as a shadowrunner for awhile, but got out of it, because "that shit is bad for your karma, you know?" Cool and laid back, he now works as a bouncer at The Wall, where he's good at talking down rowdy customers before violence happens. Owns a customized Evo Falcon off-road bike, which he occasionally lets Sunflower borrow ("..., but I'm charging you for every new dent I find in her, understand?")

'''Lizzy McDonald [Sunflower]:''' A human woman, aged 24. She's a comparative religions grad student at the University of Washington who is particularly interested in new religious movements (NRM), which includes cults like the one Sunflower grew up in. She's been occasionally interviewing Sunflower about his experiences. She's a fast talker who fixates on the task at hand, often to the exclusion of everything else. She sometimes slums it at The Wall, which is how she met Sunflower.

'''"Crazy Ivan" [Ushitara/Sunflower/Twilight/Amber]:''' Operator of The Wall, a dive bar in northeastern Ashbarrow, who claims to be a retired member of Black Star. This grizzled anarcho-syndicalist dwarven fixer is not at all Russian, but he does speak the language and put on the accent, because "you would not be buyink Kalashnikov from Canadian, da?" Behind the bar's façade, Ivan moves civilian goods, information, and shadowrunner/revolutionary essentials through Ashbarrow and beyond; the notion that he's "retired" is probably more unbelievable than the claims of being ex-Black Star. Ivan has a complicated relationship with Tylr Mikell, owner of the Working Class - Ashbarrow's *other* leftist bar.

'''Victor Nguyen [Ushitara]:''' A "fisherman" who technically lives up in Everett, but frequently comes down the Puyallup River into Ashbarrow. Vic actually does fish, but he's *also* a smuggler and small-time coastal pirate, of the strictly inglorious variety. He's usually full of tales from friends in low places, even when the catch of the day isn't a net full of grenades.

'''Abigail Petrowski [Twilight]:''' A member of the Petrowski family of farmers. Twilight met Abby at Petrowski Farms and befriended her over a mutual love for animals. Abigail knows a lot about what goes on around the farm, but not about that occurs off of it.

'''Kenna Dahl [Amber]:''' Amber's older sister, who works as a bartender at [LOCATION].

'''Gillian Higurashi [Amber]:''' A Horizon News Network investigative reporter willing to brave the barrens for a scoop. Amber suspects Gillian is actually corporate spy, but is willing make trade for the high-level information Gillian is privy too. Of course, that information is filtered through Horizon's interests. Always keep in mind: you are not immune to propaganda.

'''Karli Svensdottir [Amber]:''' A talismonger of Norse magical paradigm whose services Amber makes use of, based out of [REGION]. Markedly amoral, Karli sells her wares to Odinists associated with Humanis and more old-school fascists without hesitation. Her craftsmanship is trustworthy, that's about it.

'''Ahamkara [Pyrus]:''' [WIP]

'''Kseniya Kuznetsov [Pyrus]:''' [WIP]

'''Vassili Sideras [Coppertop]:''' The patriarch of the sprawling and influential Sideras family. The Sideras are mostly orks with a handful of satyrs by birth, but both humans and trolls have married into the family. Vassili owns Sideras Repair and Body, which started as an auto garage about a century ago and has since expanded into all kinds of repair work. He has ties to the Orc Rights Commission, but usually isn't interested in "talking politics" with people.

'''Hordemode [Coppertop]:''' Presents himself as a Reality Hacker that specializes in running swarms of micro- and mini-drones, but only meets in VR. Has a good line on hacked software and illicit drone components.

==Important People==
'''Alarota (He/Him?):''' The founder and presumed leader of Icarus. Doesn't leave the group's headquarters, if he's even still alive. Witnesses consistently describe him as a thin, Latino, human male with dark brown skin and long, greying, black hair. Presumed to be awakened due to the deeds ascribed to him, though separating truth from urban legend is difficult.

'''Dr. Hajera Sultana (She/Her):''' A humanitarian street doc in Ashbarrow, and an open member of the Anarchist Black Crescent (essentially a decentralized, anarchist version of Doctors Without Borders). Dr. Sultana runs the only medical clinic in Ashbarrow worthy of the name, treating those most in need for free.

'''Duane Petrowski (He/Him):''' Patriarch of the Petrowski family, whose farming complex in Puyallup district has defied volcanos, economic collapses, and hordes of go-gangers. Employment on Petrowski's farm is one of the few legitimate paying jobs available to inhabitants of the Puyallup barrens, but his family isn't a charity - they sell their crop for profit.

'''Kenneth Brackhaven (He/Him):''' Governor of Seattle Territory, Brackhaven is a member of the Archconservative Party. Brackhaven's policy focus seems to be advancing his barely veiled human (and white) supremacist agenda. Pounding the old "law and order" canard, many fear Brackhaven will repeat the bad old days of the late 30s under Governor Allison. Brackhaven's economic platform is blatantly pro-corp, with tax cuts and "business friendly" policies exchanged for the assistance of corporate security in the "war on crime."

'''Lon Campa (He/Him):''' Mayor of Puyallup district, and the city's only orcish mayor. Mayor Campa gets his strongest support from Carbonado, but works hard for all inhabitants of the district. Lon is also the first Puyallup mayor in years who isn't a puppet for organized crime, possibly explaining the two attempts on his life since he was elected.

'''Tylr Mikell (They/Them):''' Owner of the Working Class restaurant in "The Weeds" between Puyallup City and Ashbarrow. A democratic socialist, Tylr alternatively cooperates or clashes with the more anarchist elements in the Ashbarrow, while developing strong connections with mainstream center-left Seattle politicians and worker's unions. Their strained relationship with "Crazy Ivan" is renowned in Ashbarrow and the subject of much idle speculation.

'''Vök Rútsson (She/Her):''' Local head of the Rútsson family, who operate the unauthorized Landsblood Artery power plant in Hell's Kitchen. Vök handles the business and community side of the Artery's operations, leaving engineering and maintenance to her sister Voney, Voney's husband August Kresinger, and their employees. Widely believed to have connections to the Stonecutter's Guild.

==Major Concepts==
'''The Blights:''' Local name applied to the sudden slew of widescale problems facing Ashbarrow since early 2072.
* Concrete and brick edifices fracture and crumble as though suddenly exposed to a fierce freeze-thaw or unfelt earthquake. This first type of degradation heavily stems from existing structural weaknesses, but even slight dent and cracks suddenly expand over the course of days to hours rather than months to years.
* Metal tarnishes and rusts at an enhanced pace. Especially worrisome accounts claim even metals that are painted, kept in dry areas, or oiled can begin to oxidize.
* Weeds, ivies, moss, and other encrusting plants grow quickly and spread aggressively - akin to bamboo or kudzu. Anyone with botanical knowledge can tell this isn't entirely natural.
* A new respiratory illness that causes patients to cough up thickening, rust-colored phlegm. Uncreatively called "Rust Throat" by Ashbarrow inhabitants, this illness results in progressive inflammation of the throat and eventually the lungs. Rust Throat is particularly dangerous when combined with inhaling volcanic ash. There are untested claims the disease also causes behavioral alterations.

==Shadowruns==
[[Rivers in the Barrens:BTL Warehouse Run]]

==Setting Information==
'''Year:''' Summer 2072

===Country: UCAS (Seattle Territory)===

The United American and Canadian States is the remnants of the United States and Canada after the Ghost War, the secession of the California Free State, the Confederation of American States, Quebec, and Florida joining the Caribbean League.

While still one of the wealthiest nations in the world on paper and a nuclear power, the UCAS is by and large a hollowed-out shell propped up by the megacorporations. The megacorporations find the continued existence of the UCAS convenient, because they rely on the economic scaffolding and laws laid out by the United States in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

===City: Seattle===

Seattle is a territory of the United American and Canadian States, and the nation’s only remaining port on the west coast of North America. The Seattle area was inhabited by Native Americans of the Duwamish tribe for at least 10000 years before being colonized by Europeans in 1851. The city was retained by the USA, soon-to-be UCAS, following the Treaty of Denver in 2018. Since then, Seattle has existed as UCAS territory while completely enveloped by the Salish-Sidhe Council on all sides. Within the borders of the territory, Seattle expanded into and merged with several satellite cities, including Everett, Redmond, and Tacoma.

The city’s peculiar political position is the product of conflict avoidance, corporate convenience, and mutual benefit between the Salish-Sidhe Council, Tír Tairngire, and the UCAS. The city allows UCAS to maintain a presence on the west coast, gives corporations a port free of the NAN’s strict customs and environmental policies, supports Salish-Sidhe’s tourism industry, grants Tír Tairngire a trade window to the world without completely opening itself up, and gives all three nations around the Emerald City a way to exchange cultural and political dissidents. These competing interests, and the city’s premier placement near national borders by land and by sea, makes Seattle a haven for smugglers and shadowrunners.

The Emerald City is home to over 3,000,000 people in 2072. Seattle is home to a diverse and multifaceted culture, arising from the unique crossroads where people from the UCAS, NAN, Tír Tairngire, many Asian nations, and other international travelers and immigrants meet. Seattle’s original culture is strongly rooted in the old United States, but time, isolation from the main body of the UCAS, and elements from foreign cultures have led to many changes in Seattle’s social character. This social character is further granularized by the metroplex’s division into 1 consular and 11 municipal districts.

===District: Puyallup===

Puyallup is the second major barrens district in Seattle – bigger than Redmond in area, but with less than half the population density. Prior to the Ghost War of 2017, Puyallup was comprised of various Seattle suburbs grading into parks and fertile farmland. Then, in deterrence against the United States’ and Canada's genocidal Resolution Act, Daniel Howling Coyote and allied magicians detonated the Cascade Range in 2017. Puyallup took the collateral damage head-on, as pyroclastic flows and lahars swept down from Mt. Rainier into the southeast Seattle suburbs. The survivors of the eruption were soon joined by exiles fleeing the formation of the Salish-Sidhe Council and the other Native American Nations, unwilling to abide by NAN laws or believe assurances of peaceful co-existence*. Seattle and the megacorporations initially tried to rebuild the Puyallup region, some seeking to exploit lava fields for geothermal energy, but Crash 1.0 derailed those ambitions. Abandoned thereafter, what was left of Puyallup slid into becoming what is now known as a “barren.”

''>* In contrast to the default ''Shadowrun'' lore, in my version of things the NAN reasserted their ancestral rights to the land and attained self-determination without exiling every non-indigenous person. The goal of the NAN was to create a harmonious, culturally diverse, and sustainable society - results since 2018 have varied, but the fears of the refugees who flooded into Seattle never came to pass.

The district’s reputation as one giant refugee camp was cemented in 2039 under the human-supremacist regime of Governor Victor Allison, who rounded up all the city's meta-humans into a series of warehouses for “deportation.” The situation exploded when the Metroplex Guard began opening fire on the trapped masses, with the ensuing slaughter and desperate escape resulting in countless deaths. Protests and riots erupted in a "Night of Rage" as the escapees fled and new of the atrocity broke, some led by metahumans and their progressive human supporters, others led by fascists trying to “finish the job." A large number of metahuman refugees fled to Puyallup in the wake of the Night of Rage and never returned to their former homes. A second Puyallup revitalization effort was subsequently begun, and swiftly abandoned, in the 2040s.

In the three decades since, Mountain Rainer erupted again, several more humanitarian crises ensued, and the SINner population of Puyallup contracted towards Tacoma as the barrens expanded. Throughout it all, a steady stream of debris — both ash and people — trickles into the Puyallup Barrens.

Puyallup district is informally divided into further sub-districts or neighborhoods, most of which are not officially recognized by the metroplex government. The most important of these are:

* '''[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Ashbarrow Ashbarrow]:''' A neighborhood nestled within the rotting shell of abandoned urban sprawl, which experiences regular and severe ashfalls from Mt. Rainier. ''Your neighborhood''.
* '''Carbonado:''' A collection of mining and timber ghost towns re-inhabited by refugees and squatters. The majority demographic is orcs, many of whose families fled here after the Night of Rage, but outcasts of all sorts are welcome in Carbonado’s derelict company apartments and mines. The residents have attempted to salvage from, or even revive, several of the mines.
* '''Hell’s Kitchen:''' An almost uninhabited field of lava flows, geysers, and boiling mudpots left in the wake of Mt. Rainer’s 2017 eruptions. The landscape is largely barren, save for the occasional rusting hulk of a derelict geothermal plant. Tourists and mages on pilgrimage are about the only people who come here, and never for very long.
* '''Loveland:''' The largest sub-district of the Puyallup barrens, Loveland covers the northwest of the region. Loveland is the most densely populated and violent region of Puyallup, with the crime rate driven by competing efforts to control the local vice industry, black market, and smuggling routes. The primary players are the Shotozumi-rengo and the Commissione, but both sides mostly use lesser street gangs as pawns. Despite all that, Loveland actually has (spotty) matrix-linked municipal services, facilities, stores, and restaurants, unlike the rest of the barrens. As a result, it is a popular, if dangerous, destination for tourists looking to slum in the local nightlife.
* '''Petrowski Farms:''' The Petrowski family has stood tall against economic collapse, bandits, and volcanic eruptions for the entire duration of the Sixth World. They still proudly sell their organic produce at the Pike Place Farmer’s Market as they have for more than a century now. That said, some things have changed since the Fifth World, like the triple layered barbed wire and electric fences, or the armed guard towers, or the land spirits said to enrich and defend the place.
* '''Puyallup City:''' Sitting between Auburn and Tacoma, Puyallup City is the district’s seat of governance and where most “legitimate” businesses are located. The residents of this relatively middle class, clean, and safe neighborhood put much political effort into fighting perceptions that Puyallup is a lost cause. The dirty little secret of the “Light in the Ashes” is that Puyallup City is propped up almost entirely by organized crime. Administrations sink or swim (sometimes literally) by their ability to judge if the wind is blowing towards the mafia or the yakuza.
* '''Tarislar:''' The name of this neighborhood means “Remembrance” in Sperethiel. Home to a large population of elvish refugees displaced by the Night of Rage, as well as exiles and thrillseekers from Tír Tairngire, visitors to this neighborhood receive chilly receptions. Completely abandoned by the metroplex government, Tarislar residents only have access to goods and services they can create, gather, or steal. Security is mostly provided by the Laésa, a Tírian crime syndicate.

Scion 2E Masks Of The Mythos: Through Timeless Nights

2024-01-28T21:32:44Z

NightGoblyn: /* Characters */

=Scion 2E Masks of the Mythos: Through Timeless Nights=

[[File:Night_Land_Last_Redoubt.jpeg|400px]] [[File:End_of_Time_official_sprite.jpeg|400px]] [[File:Yithian.png|400px]]

''You remember a time that never was, and might be.''

''You don't know why you were chosen, or even if that was intentional on anyone's part. All you knew is a sensation of strange pressure, a moment of time as large being of towering flesh - and then you were in an Earth without a visible sun, or frequently, visible stars.''

''If you told them, to your surprise, the people of this time simply nodded, before ushering you to the vast historical archives of the tower of stacked cities called the Last Redoubt as a whole. Apparently, someone being lost in post-cognition is accepted, and capitalized on as a rare sight into the mindset of the distant past while the reincarnation's memories resolved. Whether told in dialogues by the archivist-adepts as they interviewed you or having learned from observing the world around you, they called the Earth of this era the Night Lands, and that the sun had been dark for centuries. There were still stars - it was the world of Night, not of Darkness, and most humans had left the now nearly-uninhabitable cradle of mankind at the cost of their physical humanity, reshaped into beings that could survive passage to and upon alien worlds. The Redoubt was what was left behind to those who wished to make something of the darkened, now-alien world of nocturnal plants and roving beasts, by-blows of the Old Ones' post-Shrouding awakening, the twisting of the sable-sun's eldritch radiations...and the brutality of man without any humanity of mind.''

''They aren't the only ones out there. Some are simply peaceful villages - maybe it is was or will be different, but not all of the Night Lands are hungry horrors or in thrall to what the Redoubt calls, prosaically, Forces of Evil. Humans are stubborn creatures, and with a sorcerer, Denizen, or Scion at the helm, life can be eked out even with the stars themselves usually hidden by the Shroud of a pitch-black sky in less hostile places. But then there is the Tsan-Chan, and the House of Silence's cultists. The latter is an old threat - the strange living mansion that takes explorers from the Last City into itself and Destroys them - not kills, for their souls go on to the afterlife and their next incarnation, but so wounds their spirit they are caught in an agonizing half-life as bodiless spirits that are just alive enough to suffer - has a sect of mystical bandits that serve it for power over the monsters of the waste, in hopes of power over humans. The former is new - the shapers of flesh like clay and cloth, who disdain mercy as venerating weakness, and have made their own domed cities in the image of the castles of empire - one that seeks to expand.''

''It all ended along the same lines - you met an Old One in some way, and experienced the terrifying wonder of the sublime - and whether by intention or coincidence, you were sent back to your time, where you were out an hour - and knew your fellow reincarnates' names.''

''So you sought them out - but in the process, you made a discovery.''

''The Tsan-Chan are many things. Authoritarian, brutal, and contemptuous of anything that smells of sentiment that disrupts their precious order and its desire for growth. But they think of themselves as akin to eusocial insects, all serving the Empress their divine founder made to oversee after he passed from mortality into a representative of the divine, like many a Caesar before him, as workers serve their queen - which is to say, she is their heart, not their brain, the Chani make decisions that do not concern Her on their own. One of the things that struck the more culturally aware of you is that the Chani often represent themselves as honeybees, from their art to their sigil, a bee in flight over a strange letter in Aklo you are told means both "divinity" and "shadow."''

''Variations of that same honeybee symbol - when you were looking online, you saw that many posters that grew suddenly hostile to you have it in their profiles, and threatening sigils were left incorporating it stenciled near your homes.''

''Perhaps in that world, the Shrouding was thousands of years in the future - but it is clear a terror of it is present now.''

==Links==

Recrutiment: [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/recruitment-closed-scion-masks-of-the-mythos-chrono-trigger-with-cthulhu.916601/]

OOC: [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/through-timeless-nights-scion-2e-masks-of-the-mythos-x-chrono-trigger.916803/]

==House Rules==

- Nothing mechanical, at the moment.

- PBtA style questions, please post your answers to these on your character page.

* Who were you in the Last Redoubt, and who, if anyone, knows you’re being ridden by a past alternate ancestor?

* What is something good about the Redoubt that makes it worth fighting for? What is something that is bad but could be reformed?

* Have you met any survivors with humanity out in the Night Lands? Why aren’t they “human survivors”?

* What is awful enough about the Tsan-Chan to make you realize that the Last Redoubt deserves to win their cold war?

* When and how did you encounter your new patron Old One, and how did they send you back? Is there something alien about the transformed world of the Night Lands you actually enjoy?

* Have you met the Brethren of Silence? What made you fear the House of Silence without seeing it directly?

* How did you figure out others had the same disjunct you did, and how did you figure out there are people who want to be the Tsan-Chan, including probably darkening the sun?

==Characters==
Joseph Caro [[Joseph Caro]]

Monique Drew [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-IwewTPDDW0G3FAM5py4Eb-cJE7Cx2OGvwdWcDMHRT8/edit?usp=sharing Monique Drew]

Scion 2E Masks Of The Mythos: Through Timeless Nights

2024-01-28T21:31:42Z

NightGoblyn: /* Characters */

The Sheltered Hand

2023-12-03T18:25:53Z

NightGoblyn: /* Player Characters */

[[File:The_Sheltered_Hand.png]]

'''Acalan'''

[[File:Acalan.png]]

==Player Characters==

[[The_Sheltered_Hand:_Tereza|'''Tereza Dalca''']] ''played by'' [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/potted-plant.24190/ Potted Plant]

[[Eglantine Belwyse|'''Eglantine Belwyse''']] ''played by'' [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]

[[The_Sheltered_Hand:_Character 4|'''Caledon the Outsider''']] ''played by'' [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/mr-adventurer.3201/ Mr Adventurer]

[[The_Sheltered_Hand:_Character 6|'''Idris Ofori''']] ''played by'' [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/dersen-lowery.72493/ Dersen Lowery]

- retired -

[[The_Sheltered_Hand:_Mama Nguyen|'''Mama Nguyen''']] ''played by'' [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ brahnamin]

'''[[Saxx Avendaar]]''' ''played by'' [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/llayne.162426/ Llanye]

[[The_Sheltered_Hand:_Character 5|'''Arohata''']] ''played by'' [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/ckirby.35473/ CKirby]

== A Brief History ==

The Sheltered Hand is a peninsula jutting off a larger continent. Called 'The Hand' originally as it separates into five smaller peninsulae.

It gains the name Sheltered in two ways.

First, the Suntoucher Mountains - a range of large mountains that blocks most travel to and from the peninsula. The Suntouchers extend into the ocean both to the North and South, making travel even by water treacherous.

Second, some three hundred years ago, the great prophet Carran, tired of the near constant war between the gods and their faithful, had the audacity and the courage to upbraid them.

While all know that the gods cannot - or at least, will not - slay mortals directly, as the saying goes, 'you'd be surprised what you can live through'. None doubt his courage.

Nor was his tongue lacking, either, as he convinced some of the gods - eighteen in all - to aid him. He took his followers and others as tired of the war as he, and removed to The Hand, home at the time to a long-isolated peoples - the Saram - who welcomed him and his followers.

The gods with him then put up The Shield. The passes between the mountains and even the water paths, could no longer be traversed by any armies, and no gods, nor their power, could operate from outside.

Several nations formed, but the people of the Sheltered Hand learned a lesson - the intervention of Gods wasn't needed for folk to fight, and fight they did.

The priests of the Gods and the followers of Carran strove mightily to stop the fighting, but all they managed was to limit it.

Until seventy years ago - give or take - when the followers of Carran, now calling themselves The Creed of Carran, showed their hand. In every nation then standing, The Creed had been building power, and they showed that power, stopping the wars and battles that were occurring. The Churches of the Gods, working with The Creed, helped to enforce that peace. Even the Gods, it seems place the Creed of Carran over worship to their own faiths, though they do still ask for worship.

Of course, no peace is perfect. There are still skirmishes, outlaws, and so on, but the Creed prepared for that, as well. They created an offshoot - the Carran Guild - which provides training and some support to the kind of outsiders who can act when others can't.

== Character Creation ==

D&D 5th Edition characters.

PHB, Xanathar's and Tasha's are in play.

People:
*Human (You can play as either Standard or Variant)
*Sinandre (Wood Elf)
*Esinandre (High Elf)
*Halfling (½ Elf)
*Tarat (Dwarf)
*Yryc (½ Orc) - No actual Half-Orcs, the Yryc are an Orcish People, using the ½ Orc rules.
*Gnomon (Gnome)
*Havlin (Halfing)

No Tieflings, no Dragonborn.

Basic Array for Stats with a single free +1.

All PCs get 1 Feat free at 1st Level. (Variant Humans therefore have two)

Starting Level is 5th. HPs are Max at 1st level and average for class after that.

Multi-classing - One class only, after 4th level (so all PCs will have 4 levels of their main class minimum)

All PCs get starting funds +35 GP per level (with the assumption that 15 GP per level went to living it up, paying needed dues, etc.)

All PCs can have 4 Common or 2 Common and 1 Uncommon Magic Item.

Weapons and metal armour are assumed to be Bronze or Brass.

Every character may have 3 Iron Weapons or 1 Steel Weapon.

Iron Weapons will have a +1 to Hit '''or''' a +1 to Damage.

Iron Armour (including Shields) gain a +1 to AC

Steel Weapons will have a +1 to Hit and Damage.

Steel Armour will have a +1 to AC and increases the allowed Dex Mod by 1 / grants a +1 Max Dex Mod if there wasn't one.

Other items which might benefit from Iron or Steel construction will have similar bonuses.

Any items found in the three allowed books can be purchased with available gold.

== Peoples ==

'''The Sinandre''' (Elves)

'''The Tarat''' (Dwarves)

'''Yryc''' (Orc)

'''The Havlin''' (Halfing/Hobbit)

'''Gnomon''' (Gnome)

'''Halflings''' (Half Elf)

'''Humans'''

[[Anam:Peoples|Additional Information on the Peoples of the Sheltered Hand]]

== Cultures ==

The Sheltered Hand is in the very '''very''' early Iron Age for the most part.

Armour and Weapons are mostly of Bronze, with some Iron here and there.

Two nations know how to make Steel, and do, but neither sells the secret, and costs for Steel weapons are astronomical.

[[Anam:Cultures|Cultural Information]]

== Backgrounds ==

Backgrounds from any of the three allowed books can be used.

If you want a custom background, speak to me.

== Professions ==

AKA Classes. Only classes and class options found in the three main books are allowed.

Each Culture has preferred and scorned classes. Each also provides a Bonus Skill. As with all such skill gains, if your PCs class or background would give them the same skill, you may choose another.

'''Acalani''' - The Acalani prefer Bards, Paladins and Wizards. They scorn Barbarians, Rogues and Warlocks.
*Bonus Skill: Persuasion

'''Trakken''' - The Trakken prefer Druids, Rangers and Fighters. They scorn Clerics, Rogues and Wizards.
*Bonus Skill: Survival

'''Caslaht''' - The Caslaht prefer Fighters, Paladins and Bards. They scorn Barbarians, Rogues and Sorcerers.
*Bonus Skill: Nature

'''Delisse''' - The Delisse prefer Druids, Clerics and Rangers. They scorn Fighters, Rogues and Warlocks.
*Bonus Skill: Nature

'''Sartana''' - The Sartana prefer Barbarians, Clerics and Monks. They scorn Druids, Rangers and Sorcerers.
*Bonus Skill: Religion

'''Kal Tora''' - The Kal Tora prefer Clerics, Paladins and Sorcerers. They scorn Barbarians, Rogues and Wizards.
*Bonus Skill: Athletics

'''Faram''' - The Faram prefer Bards, Sorcerers and Wizards. They scorn Barbarians, Fighters and Rogues.
*Bonus Skill: Investigation

'''Anlat''' - The Anlat prefer Barbarians, Druids and Rangers. They scorn Monks, Rogues and Warlocks.
*Bonus Skill: Survival

'''Sinandre''' - The Sinandre prefer Druids, Rangers and Sorcerers. They scorn Paladins, Monks and Wizards.
*Bonus Skill: Athletics

'''Esinandre''' - The Esinandre live amongst Humans and take the culture in which they live.

'''Tarat''' - The Tarat prefer Clerics, Fighters, and Paladins. They scorn Barbarians, Rogues and Wizards.
*Bonus Skill: Perception

'''Yryc''' - The Yryc take the Culture in which they live. They can be found amongst all save only the Tarat.

'''Havlin''' - The Havlin take the Culture in which they live. They can be found amongst all Peoples.

'''Gnomon''' - The Gnomon can be found amongst the Tarat, the Sartana, or the Kal Tora, and take that culture.

== The Creed ==

The Creed – more properly known as The Creed of Carran – are the primary Church within the Sheltered Hand. Individual gods have their own churches and centers of worship, yet almost all acknowledge the authority of the Creed of Carran.

The Creed takes its name from the agreement that Carran reached with the gods that they would not war against each other, an agreement which they have upheld. As none of the gods who were part of a pantheon were able to convince their entire pantheon to join Carran, the Gods within the Shield represent numerous cultures and belief structures, the Creed gives them all some stability and a framework within which they can work together.

The Creed do not worship any single God, rather they give reverence to the agreement – the Creed – which Carran made, and in general to the Gods for upholding the Creed.

To this end, they have amassed a great deal of temporal power. The various nations are allowed to function as they will, within their borders, saving only that they do not persecute any followers of the Creed, or of Gods who follow the Creed.

Any conflicts between nations are expected to be placed before the Creed for arbitration.

Most of those currently ruling the nations have been put into place by the Creed, either directly or by more subtle means.

== Gods of the Sheltered Hand ==

The Creed recognise 18 Gods – these are the ones who came with Carran and created The Shield.

They are, as noted, representative of numerous cultures and pantheons. Most of these Gods can be found in any nation, though each nation does tend to have favourites.

[[Anam:The_Rosseni|The Rosseni]] - Popular amongst the Acalani

[[Anam:The_Twins|The Twins]] - Most popular amongst the Anlat and the Delisse

[[Anam:The_Family_of_Rehma|The Family of Rehma]] - Most popular with the Trakken and the Delisse (as well as any fisherfolk, no matter where they live)

[[Anam:Individual_Gods|Individual Gods]]

[[Anam:Non-Creed_Gods|Non-Creed Gods]]

[[Anam:The_Anathema|The Anathema]]

404: Adventure Not Found

2023-11-03T00:27:36Z

NightGoblyn: /* Character Table */

__NOTOC__
[[File:Smallfolk4040004.png|600px|center]]

[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Table==
This is where you link your character sheet for all of us to have access as needed for the purpose of strategizing, shenanigans, and the like. Please, only make updates to your actual character sheet. I will update the table as needed. Feel free to thump my dome via DM or OOC if I forget.

{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character'''
| '''Race/Class'''
| '''Player'''
! I
! '''AC'''
! '''Mx HP'''
! '''Sp DC'''
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_1|Character 1]]'''
| '''Tabaxi/Sorcerer'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/cerulean-lion.5469/ Cerulian Lion]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[Meriweather_Meriweather | Meriweather Meriweather]]'''
| '''Tiefling/Bard'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YkO1sj82M46eWX3WpVInjYYtcJgZQbxURST2wGEtheM/edit?usp=sharing Bixie Heartspindle]'''
| '''Gnome/Rogue'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_4|Character 4]]'''
| '''Halfling/Barbarian'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/thorya.156264/ thorya]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_5|Character 5]]'''
| '''/'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/talisman.167661/ Talisman]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_6|Character 6]]'''
| '''Kobold/Paladin'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/archer.10289/ Archer]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''DM''' || '''Shenanigans''' || colspan="8"| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ brahnamin]''
|}

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Setting Details==
Explore the people and places of note in the gameworld [[404:_Gameworld|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Generation==
All of the rules options available for building your character may be found [[404:_Chargen|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Metagame Tools==

'''Threads'''
:Development Thread

:OOC Thread

:IC Thread

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Resources'''
:[http://orokos.com/roll/?action=roll Orokos] - Online Dice Roller.

:[https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/BookIndex Roll 20] - 5e Online.

:[https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] - If you can't post for whatever reason let us know here or in OOC.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Expectations==
'''Post Frequency'''

I am asking for a '''daily''' posting commitment for this game as a general rule, with the understanding that posting might be less frequent on weekends and holidays. Meatworld being what it is, this generally averages to 3-4 GM updates per week.
:'''Note:''' if 24-36 hours have gone by since my last GM update, I may post a new update, even if all players have not posted, to maintain momentum.

:This is sometimes just the most expedient path forward given the medium and the constraints of communicating over real distances rather than across a table.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Post Absences'''

If you will ''not'' be able to post, for whatever reason, please ping us in OOC so we know what is going on or post to the [https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] (I pretty much check that thing every time it lights up).

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

''' Post Formatting'''

Please include the following header at the top of each IC Post:
:'''Character Name''' || AC || '''HP Current/Max''' || Spell DC || '''Inspiration Y/N'''

Similarly, please observe the following guidelines when composing your IC posts:
* Please '''bold''' your character's name at the top of each IC post or '''bold''' the first instance of your character's name in the body of the post. We all game with lots of folk, sometimes with the same players in different games; this just makes it easier to keep track of which character we're addressing.

* If you are addressing another PC in your post it is helpful to '''bold''' their character name as well so it stands out for them.

* OOC blocks are fine for showing dice rolls and brief OOC comments directly related to a particular post. Please sblock if you need to include large blocks of text related to your IC post. All other OOC content should go in the OOC thread itself.

* Do not place action statements or dice rolls in the OOC Thread. I know from brutal experience that I will never keep up if you do. All action statements and dice rolls should go in the IC Thread [with dice rolls OOC Blocked].

* Please link all dice rolls back to your dice roller.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==House Rules==
'''Initiative'''

One of the things that makes D&D tricky to run for PBP games is the importance initiative order can have.

Posting by initiative order (whether rolled or static) can bring a PBP game to a grinding halt, so I don't follow that format.

Ideally, everyone posts their actions (incl. dice rolls - I'd rather you roll and not need it than not roll and need it) as they have time to come online and make a post, and then I roll NPC/Monster actions during the update and sort out who did what when by looking at static initiative bonuses and compose my update around that turn order.

I will also look at what is being declared and make it all work as much in favor of the players as possible. No shenanigans where you lose your turn chopping at an enemy somebody else killed already or having the wizard flamebroil another PC with their fireball for rushing in, etc.

This does rob y'all of the tactical mini-game that having an initiative order encourages, but it keeps the game flowing, and to my mind that alone makes it worth it.

:'''Note:''' I will do my best to be sure you guys have the necessary information to resolve your own rolls in combat scenes (AC/HP/Saves etc) to enure things go as smooth and hitch free as we can manage.

:'''Note:''' For those folk who get bonuses for specific initiative-centric builds/feats/etc, I'll work out a satisfactory equivalent with you before play starts.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Inspiration'''

Instead of the hoop jumping suggested for this oft forgotten resource, I prefer if inspiration instead just refreshes every short and long rest.
*You can only ever have one at a time.
*Players may donate their inspiration to another player who has none if they wish.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==PVP==
While there is the potential for player vs player conflict in any game, I prefer not to run games that lean heavily to that assumption. Games like that simply do not need a GM, and I would much rather spend my time running games that ''do'' need a GM.

'''For reference, what I consider PVP basically amounts to this:''' ''If an action would require dice to affect an NPC, then it counts as PVP to use against a PC''.

So disagreements, trash talking, indirect actions that might affect another character but aren't made directly against that character are all potentially on the table with the caveat that if something just makes the game not fun for someone that we respect that and steer clear.
----
If you want to do something that directly acts against another player's character, proceed based on the following criteria:
: '''Unilateral Permission:''' The other player agrees to your action. No rolls are needed. Just RP it out.
: '''Limited Permission:''' The other player doesn't agree that it is an automatic thing, but does agree to let the math rocks decide. Roll it out. If initiative is a concern, I will handle that case by case.
: '''Declined Permission:''' The other player does not agree to PVP. Move on with something else.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

404: Adventure Not Found

2023-11-03T00:26:42Z

NightGoblyn: /* Character Table */

__NOTOC__
[[File:Smallfolk4040004.png|600px|center]]

[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Table==
This is where you link your character sheet for all of us to have access as needed for the purpose of strategizing, shenanigans, and the like. Please, only make updates to your actual character sheet. I will update the table as needed. Feel free to thump my dome via DM or OOC if I forget.

{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character'''
| '''Race/Class'''
| '''Player'''
! I
! '''AC'''
! '''Mx HP'''
! '''Sp DC'''
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_1|Character 1]]'''
| '''Tabaxi/Sorcerer'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/cerulean-lion.5469/ Cerulian Lion]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[Meriweather_Meriweather | Meriweather Meriweather]]'''
| '''Tiefling/Bard'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[Bixie Heartspindle | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YkO1sj82M46eWX3WpVInjYYtcJgZQbxURST2wGEtheM/edit?usp=sharing]]'''
| '''Gnome/Rogue'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_4|Character 4]]'''
| '''Halfling/Barbarian'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/thorya.156264/ thorya]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_5|Character 5]]'''
| '''/'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/talisman.167661/ Talisman]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_6|Character 6]]'''
| '''Kobold/Paladin'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/archer.10289/ Archer]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''DM''' || '''Shenanigans''' || colspan="8"| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ brahnamin]''
|}

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Setting Details==
Explore the people and places of note in the gameworld [[404:_Gameworld|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Generation==
All of the rules options available for building your character may be found [[404:_Chargen|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Metagame Tools==

'''Threads'''
:Development Thread

:OOC Thread

:IC Thread

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Resources'''
:[http://orokos.com/roll/?action=roll Orokos] - Online Dice Roller.

:[https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/BookIndex Roll 20] - 5e Online.

:[https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] - If you can't post for whatever reason let us know here or in OOC.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Expectations==
'''Post Frequency'''

I am asking for a '''daily''' posting commitment for this game as a general rule, with the understanding that posting might be less frequent on weekends and holidays. Meatworld being what it is, this generally averages to 3-4 GM updates per week.
:'''Note:''' if 24-36 hours have gone by since my last GM update, I may post a new update, even if all players have not posted, to maintain momentum.

:This is sometimes just the most expedient path forward given the medium and the constraints of communicating over real distances rather than across a table.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Post Absences'''

If you will ''not'' be able to post, for whatever reason, please ping us in OOC so we know what is going on or post to the [https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] (I pretty much check that thing every time it lights up).

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

''' Post Formatting'''

Please include the following header at the top of each IC Post:
:'''Character Name''' || AC || '''HP Current/Max''' || Spell DC || '''Inspiration Y/N'''

Similarly, please observe the following guidelines when composing your IC posts:
* Please '''bold''' your character's name at the top of each IC post or '''bold''' the first instance of your character's name in the body of the post. We all game with lots of folk, sometimes with the same players in different games; this just makes it easier to keep track of which character we're addressing.

* If you are addressing another PC in your post it is helpful to '''bold''' their character name as well so it stands out for them.

* OOC blocks are fine for showing dice rolls and brief OOC comments directly related to a particular post. Please sblock if you need to include large blocks of text related to your IC post. All other OOC content should go in the OOC thread itself.

* Do not place action statements or dice rolls in the OOC Thread. I know from brutal experience that I will never keep up if you do. All action statements and dice rolls should go in the IC Thread [with dice rolls OOC Blocked].

* Please link all dice rolls back to your dice roller.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==House Rules==
'''Initiative'''

One of the things that makes D&D tricky to run for PBP games is the importance initiative order can have.

Posting by initiative order (whether rolled or static) can bring a PBP game to a grinding halt, so I don't follow that format.

Ideally, everyone posts their actions (incl. dice rolls - I'd rather you roll and not need it than not roll and need it) as they have time to come online and make a post, and then I roll NPC/Monster actions during the update and sort out who did what when by looking at static initiative bonuses and compose my update around that turn order.

I will also look at what is being declared and make it all work as much in favor of the players as possible. No shenanigans where you lose your turn chopping at an enemy somebody else killed already or having the wizard flamebroil another PC with their fireball for rushing in, etc.

This does rob y'all of the tactical mini-game that having an initiative order encourages, but it keeps the game flowing, and to my mind that alone makes it worth it.

:'''Note:''' I will do my best to be sure you guys have the necessary information to resolve your own rolls in combat scenes (AC/HP/Saves etc) to enure things go as smooth and hitch free as we can manage.

:'''Note:''' For those folk who get bonuses for specific initiative-centric builds/feats/etc, I'll work out a satisfactory equivalent with you before play starts.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Inspiration'''

Instead of the hoop jumping suggested for this oft forgotten resource, I prefer if inspiration instead just refreshes every short and long rest.
*You can only ever have one at a time.
*Players may donate their inspiration to another player who has none if they wish.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==PVP==
While there is the potential for player vs player conflict in any game, I prefer not to run games that lean heavily to that assumption. Games like that simply do not need a GM, and I would much rather spend my time running games that ''do'' need a GM.

'''For reference, what I consider PVP basically amounts to this:''' ''If an action would require dice to affect an NPC, then it counts as PVP to use against a PC''.

So disagreements, trash talking, indirect actions that might affect another character but aren't made directly against that character are all potentially on the table with the caveat that if something just makes the game not fun for someone that we respect that and steer clear.
----
If you want to do something that directly acts against another player's character, proceed based on the following criteria:
: '''Unilateral Permission:''' The other player agrees to your action. No rolls are needed. Just RP it out.
: '''Limited Permission:''' The other player doesn't agree that it is an automatic thing, but does agree to let the math rocks decide. Roll it out. If initiative is a concern, I will handle that case by case.
: '''Declined Permission:''' The other player does not agree to PVP. Move on with something else.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

404: Adventure Not Found

2023-11-03T00:26:03Z

NightGoblyn: /* Character Table */

__NOTOC__
[[File:Smallfolk4040004.png|600px|center]]

[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Table==
This is where you link your character sheet for all of us to have access as needed for the purpose of strategizing, shenanigans, and the like. Please, only make updates to your actual character sheet. I will update the table as needed. Feel free to thump my dome via DM or OOC if I forget.

{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character'''
| '''Race/Class'''
| '''Player'''
! I
! '''AC'''
! '''Mx HP'''
! '''Sp DC'''
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_1|Character 1]]'''
| '''Tabaxi/Sorcerer'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/cerulean-lion.5469/ Cerulian Lion]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[Meriweather_Meriweather | Meriweather Meriweather]]'''
| '''Tiefling/Bard'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''Bixie Heartspindle | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YkO1sj82M46eWX3WpVInjYYtcJgZQbxURST2wGEtheM/edit?usp=sharing'''
| '''Gnome/Rogue'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_4|Character 4]]'''
| '''Halfling/Barbarian'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/thorya.156264/ thorya]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_5|Character 5]]'''
| '''/'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/talisman.167661/ Talisman]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_6|Character 6]]'''
| '''Kobold/Paladin'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/archer.10289/ Archer]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''DM''' || '''Shenanigans''' || colspan="8"| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ brahnamin]''
|}

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Setting Details==
Explore the people and places of note in the gameworld [[404:_Gameworld|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Generation==
All of the rules options available for building your character may be found [[404:_Chargen|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Metagame Tools==

'''Threads'''
:Development Thread

:OOC Thread

:IC Thread

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Resources'''
:[http://orokos.com/roll/?action=roll Orokos] - Online Dice Roller.

:[https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/BookIndex Roll 20] - 5e Online.

:[https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] - If you can't post for whatever reason let us know here or in OOC.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Expectations==
'''Post Frequency'''

I am asking for a '''daily''' posting commitment for this game as a general rule, with the understanding that posting might be less frequent on weekends and holidays. Meatworld being what it is, this generally averages to 3-4 GM updates per week.
:'''Note:''' if 24-36 hours have gone by since my last GM update, I may post a new update, even if all players have not posted, to maintain momentum.

:This is sometimes just the most expedient path forward given the medium and the constraints of communicating over real distances rather than across a table.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Post Absences'''

If you will ''not'' be able to post, for whatever reason, please ping us in OOC so we know what is going on or post to the [https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] (I pretty much check that thing every time it lights up).

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

''' Post Formatting'''

Please include the following header at the top of each IC Post:
:'''Character Name''' || AC || '''HP Current/Max''' || Spell DC || '''Inspiration Y/N'''

Similarly, please observe the following guidelines when composing your IC posts:
* Please '''bold''' your character's name at the top of each IC post or '''bold''' the first instance of your character's name in the body of the post. We all game with lots of folk, sometimes with the same players in different games; this just makes it easier to keep track of which character we're addressing.

* If you are addressing another PC in your post it is helpful to '''bold''' their character name as well so it stands out for them.

* OOC blocks are fine for showing dice rolls and brief OOC comments directly related to a particular post. Please sblock if you need to include large blocks of text related to your IC post. All other OOC content should go in the OOC thread itself.

* Do not place action statements or dice rolls in the OOC Thread. I know from brutal experience that I will never keep up if you do. All action statements and dice rolls should go in the IC Thread [with dice rolls OOC Blocked].

* Please link all dice rolls back to your dice roller.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==House Rules==
'''Initiative'''

One of the things that makes D&D tricky to run for PBP games is the importance initiative order can have.

Posting by initiative order (whether rolled or static) can bring a PBP game to a grinding halt, so I don't follow that format.

Ideally, everyone posts their actions (incl. dice rolls - I'd rather you roll and not need it than not roll and need it) as they have time to come online and make a post, and then I roll NPC/Monster actions during the update and sort out who did what when by looking at static initiative bonuses and compose my update around that turn order.

I will also look at what is being declared and make it all work as much in favor of the players as possible. No shenanigans where you lose your turn chopping at an enemy somebody else killed already or having the wizard flamebroil another PC with their fireball for rushing in, etc.

This does rob y'all of the tactical mini-game that having an initiative order encourages, but it keeps the game flowing, and to my mind that alone makes it worth it.

:'''Note:''' I will do my best to be sure you guys have the necessary information to resolve your own rolls in combat scenes (AC/HP/Saves etc) to enure things go as smooth and hitch free as we can manage.

:'''Note:''' For those folk who get bonuses for specific initiative-centric builds/feats/etc, I'll work out a satisfactory equivalent with you before play starts.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Inspiration'''

Instead of the hoop jumping suggested for this oft forgotten resource, I prefer if inspiration instead just refreshes every short and long rest.
*You can only ever have one at a time.
*Players may donate their inspiration to another player who has none if they wish.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==PVP==
While there is the potential for player vs player conflict in any game, I prefer not to run games that lean heavily to that assumption. Games like that simply do not need a GM, and I would much rather spend my time running games that ''do'' need a GM.

'''For reference, what I consider PVP basically amounts to this:''' ''If an action would require dice to affect an NPC, then it counts as PVP to use against a PC''.

So disagreements, trash talking, indirect actions that might affect another character but aren't made directly against that character are all potentially on the table with the caveat that if something just makes the game not fun for someone that we respect that and steer clear.
----
If you want to do something that directly acts against another player's character, proceed based on the following criteria:
: '''Unilateral Permission:''' The other player agrees to your action. No rolls are needed. Just RP it out.
: '''Limited Permission:''' The other player doesn't agree that it is an automatic thing, but does agree to let the math rocks decide. Roll it out. If initiative is a concern, I will handle that case by case.
: '''Declined Permission:''' The other player does not agree to PVP. Move on with something else.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

404: Adventure Not Found

2023-11-03T00:25:37Z

NightGoblyn: /* Character Table */

__NOTOC__
[[File:Smallfolk4040004.png|600px|center]]

[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Table==
This is where you link your character sheet for all of us to have access as needed for the purpose of strategizing, shenanigans, and the like. Please, only make updates to your actual character sheet. I will update the table as needed. Feel free to thump my dome via DM or OOC if I forget.

{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character'''
| '''Race/Class'''
| '''Player'''
! I
! '''AC'''
! '''Mx HP'''
! '''Sp DC'''
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_1|Character 1]]'''
| '''Tabaxi/Sorcerer'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/cerulean-lion.5469/ Cerulian Lion]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[Meriweather_Meriweather | Meriweather Meriweather]]'''
| '''Tiefling/Bard'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[Bixie Heartspindle | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YkO1sj82M46eWX3WpVInjYYtcJgZQbxURST2wGEtheM/edit?usp=sharing]'''
| '''Gnome/Rogue'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_4|Character 4]]'''
| '''Halfling/Barbarian'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/thorya.156264/ thorya]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_5|Character 5]]'''
| '''/'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/talisman.167661/ Talisman]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_6|Character 6]]'''
| '''Kobold/Paladin'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/archer.10289/ Archer]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''DM''' || '''Shenanigans''' || colspan="8"| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ brahnamin]''
|}

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Setting Details==
Explore the people and places of note in the gameworld [[404:_Gameworld|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Generation==
All of the rules options available for building your character may be found [[404:_Chargen|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Metagame Tools==

'''Threads'''
:Development Thread

:OOC Thread

:IC Thread

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Resources'''
:[http://orokos.com/roll/?action=roll Orokos] - Online Dice Roller.

:[https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/BookIndex Roll 20] - 5e Online.

:[https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] - If you can't post for whatever reason let us know here or in OOC.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Expectations==
'''Post Frequency'''

I am asking for a '''daily''' posting commitment for this game as a general rule, with the understanding that posting might be less frequent on weekends and holidays. Meatworld being what it is, this generally averages to 3-4 GM updates per week.
:'''Note:''' if 24-36 hours have gone by since my last GM update, I may post a new update, even if all players have not posted, to maintain momentum.

:This is sometimes just the most expedient path forward given the medium and the constraints of communicating over real distances rather than across a table.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Post Absences'''

If you will ''not'' be able to post, for whatever reason, please ping us in OOC so we know what is going on or post to the [https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] (I pretty much check that thing every time it lights up).

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

''' Post Formatting'''

Please include the following header at the top of each IC Post:
:'''Character Name''' || AC || '''HP Current/Max''' || Spell DC || '''Inspiration Y/N'''

Similarly, please observe the following guidelines when composing your IC posts:
* Please '''bold''' your character's name at the top of each IC post or '''bold''' the first instance of your character's name in the body of the post. We all game with lots of folk, sometimes with the same players in different games; this just makes it easier to keep track of which character we're addressing.

* If you are addressing another PC in your post it is helpful to '''bold''' their character name as well so it stands out for them.

* OOC blocks are fine for showing dice rolls and brief OOC comments directly related to a particular post. Please sblock if you need to include large blocks of text related to your IC post. All other OOC content should go in the OOC thread itself.

* Do not place action statements or dice rolls in the OOC Thread. I know from brutal experience that I will never keep up if you do. All action statements and dice rolls should go in the IC Thread [with dice rolls OOC Blocked].

* Please link all dice rolls back to your dice roller.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==House Rules==
'''Initiative'''

One of the things that makes D&D tricky to run for PBP games is the importance initiative order can have.

Posting by initiative order (whether rolled or static) can bring a PBP game to a grinding halt, so I don't follow that format.

Ideally, everyone posts their actions (incl. dice rolls - I'd rather you roll and not need it than not roll and need it) as they have time to come online and make a post, and then I roll NPC/Monster actions during the update and sort out who did what when by looking at static initiative bonuses and compose my update around that turn order.

I will also look at what is being declared and make it all work as much in favor of the players as possible. No shenanigans where you lose your turn chopping at an enemy somebody else killed already or having the wizard flamebroil another PC with their fireball for rushing in, etc.

This does rob y'all of the tactical mini-game that having an initiative order encourages, but it keeps the game flowing, and to my mind that alone makes it worth it.

:'''Note:''' I will do my best to be sure you guys have the necessary information to resolve your own rolls in combat scenes (AC/HP/Saves etc) to enure things go as smooth and hitch free as we can manage.

:'''Note:''' For those folk who get bonuses for specific initiative-centric builds/feats/etc, I'll work out a satisfactory equivalent with you before play starts.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Inspiration'''

Instead of the hoop jumping suggested for this oft forgotten resource, I prefer if inspiration instead just refreshes every short and long rest.
*You can only ever have one at a time.
*Players may donate their inspiration to another player who has none if they wish.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==PVP==
While there is the potential for player vs player conflict in any game, I prefer not to run games that lean heavily to that assumption. Games like that simply do not need a GM, and I would much rather spend my time running games that ''do'' need a GM.

'''For reference, what I consider PVP basically amounts to this:''' ''If an action would require dice to affect an NPC, then it counts as PVP to use against a PC''.

So disagreements, trash talking, indirect actions that might affect another character but aren't made directly against that character are all potentially on the table with the caveat that if something just makes the game not fun for someone that we respect that and steer clear.
----
If you want to do something that directly acts against another player's character, proceed based on the following criteria:
: '''Unilateral Permission:''' The other player agrees to your action. No rolls are needed. Just RP it out.
: '''Limited Permission:''' The other player doesn't agree that it is an automatic thing, but does agree to let the math rocks decide. Roll it out. If initiative is a concern, I will handle that case by case.
: '''Declined Permission:''' The other player does not agree to PVP. Move on with something else.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

404: Adventure Not Found

2023-11-03T00:25:08Z

NightGoblyn: /* Character Table */

__NOTOC__
[[File:Smallfolk4040004.png|600px|center]]

[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Table==
This is where you link your character sheet for all of us to have access as needed for the purpose of strategizing, shenanigans, and the like. Please, only make updates to your actual character sheet. I will update the table as needed. Feel free to thump my dome via DM or OOC if I forget.

{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character'''
| '''Race/Class'''
| '''Player'''
! I
! '''AC'''
! '''Mx HP'''
! '''Sp DC'''
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_1|Character 1]]'''
| '''Tabaxi/Sorcerer'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/cerulean-lion.5469/ Cerulian Lion]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[Meriweather_Meriweather | Meriweather Meriweather]]'''
| '''Tiefling/Bard'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[Bixie Heartspindle | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YkO1sj82M46eWX3WpVInjYYtcJgZQbxURST2wGEtheM/edit?usp=sharing]]'''
| '''Gnome/Rogue'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_4|Character 4]]'''
| '''Halfling/Barbarian'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/thorya.156264/ thorya]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_5|Character 5]]'''
| '''/'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/talisman.167661/ Talisman]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_6|Character 6]]'''
| '''Kobold/Paladin'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/archer.10289/ Archer]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''DM''' || '''Shenanigans''' || colspan="8"| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ brahnamin]''
|}

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Setting Details==
Explore the people and places of note in the gameworld [[404:_Gameworld|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Generation==
All of the rules options available for building your character may be found [[404:_Chargen|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Metagame Tools==

'''Threads'''
:Development Thread

:OOC Thread

:IC Thread

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Resources'''
:[http://orokos.com/roll/?action=roll Orokos] - Online Dice Roller.

:[https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/BookIndex Roll 20] - 5e Online.

:[https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] - If you can't post for whatever reason let us know here or in OOC.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Expectations==
'''Post Frequency'''

I am asking for a '''daily''' posting commitment for this game as a general rule, with the understanding that posting might be less frequent on weekends and holidays. Meatworld being what it is, this generally averages to 3-4 GM updates per week.
:'''Note:''' if 24-36 hours have gone by since my last GM update, I may post a new update, even if all players have not posted, to maintain momentum.

:This is sometimes just the most expedient path forward given the medium and the constraints of communicating over real distances rather than across a table.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Post Absences'''

If you will ''not'' be able to post, for whatever reason, please ping us in OOC so we know what is going on or post to the [https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] (I pretty much check that thing every time it lights up).

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

''' Post Formatting'''

Please include the following header at the top of each IC Post:
:'''Character Name''' || AC || '''HP Current/Max''' || Spell DC || '''Inspiration Y/N'''

Similarly, please observe the following guidelines when composing your IC posts:
* Please '''bold''' your character's name at the top of each IC post or '''bold''' the first instance of your character's name in the body of the post. We all game with lots of folk, sometimes with the same players in different games; this just makes it easier to keep track of which character we're addressing.

* If you are addressing another PC in your post it is helpful to '''bold''' their character name as well so it stands out for them.

* OOC blocks are fine for showing dice rolls and brief OOC comments directly related to a particular post. Please sblock if you need to include large blocks of text related to your IC post. All other OOC content should go in the OOC thread itself.

* Do not place action statements or dice rolls in the OOC Thread. I know from brutal experience that I will never keep up if you do. All action statements and dice rolls should go in the IC Thread [with dice rolls OOC Blocked].

* Please link all dice rolls back to your dice roller.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==House Rules==
'''Initiative'''

One of the things that makes D&D tricky to run for PBP games is the importance initiative order can have.

Posting by initiative order (whether rolled or static) can bring a PBP game to a grinding halt, so I don't follow that format.

Ideally, everyone posts their actions (incl. dice rolls - I'd rather you roll and not need it than not roll and need it) as they have time to come online and make a post, and then I roll NPC/Monster actions during the update and sort out who did what when by looking at static initiative bonuses and compose my update around that turn order.

I will also look at what is being declared and make it all work as much in favor of the players as possible. No shenanigans where you lose your turn chopping at an enemy somebody else killed already or having the wizard flamebroil another PC with their fireball for rushing in, etc.

This does rob y'all of the tactical mini-game that having an initiative order encourages, but it keeps the game flowing, and to my mind that alone makes it worth it.

:'''Note:''' I will do my best to be sure you guys have the necessary information to resolve your own rolls in combat scenes (AC/HP/Saves etc) to enure things go as smooth and hitch free as we can manage.

:'''Note:''' For those folk who get bonuses for specific initiative-centric builds/feats/etc, I'll work out a satisfactory equivalent with you before play starts.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Inspiration'''

Instead of the hoop jumping suggested for this oft forgotten resource, I prefer if inspiration instead just refreshes every short and long rest.
*You can only ever have one at a time.
*Players may donate their inspiration to another player who has none if they wish.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==PVP==
While there is the potential for player vs player conflict in any game, I prefer not to run games that lean heavily to that assumption. Games like that simply do not need a GM, and I would much rather spend my time running games that ''do'' need a GM.

'''For reference, what I consider PVP basically amounts to this:''' ''If an action would require dice to affect an NPC, then it counts as PVP to use against a PC''.

So disagreements, trash talking, indirect actions that might affect another character but aren't made directly against that character are all potentially on the table with the caveat that if something just makes the game not fun for someone that we respect that and steer clear.
----
If you want to do something that directly acts against another player's character, proceed based on the following criteria:
: '''Unilateral Permission:''' The other player agrees to your action. No rolls are needed. Just RP it out.
: '''Limited Permission:''' The other player doesn't agree that it is an automatic thing, but does agree to let the math rocks decide. Roll it out. If initiative is a concern, I will handle that case by case.
: '''Declined Permission:''' The other player does not agree to PVP. Move on with something else.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

404: Adventure Not Found

2023-11-03T00:24:13Z

NightGoblyn: /* Character Table */

__NOTOC__
[[File:Smallfolk4040004.png|600px|center]]

[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Table==
This is where you link your character sheet for all of us to have access as needed for the purpose of strategizing, shenanigans, and the like. Please, only make updates to your actual character sheet. I will update the table as needed. Feel free to thump my dome via DM or OOC if I forget.

{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character'''
| '''Race/Class'''
| '''Player'''
! I
! '''AC'''
! '''Mx HP'''
! '''Sp DC'''
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_1|Character 1]]'''
| '''Tabaxi/Sorcerer'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/cerulean-lion.5469/ Cerulian Lion]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[Meriweather_Meriweather | Meriweather Meriweather]]'''
| '''Tiefling/Bard'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[Bixie Heartspindle|https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YkO1sj82M46eWX3WpVInjYYtcJgZQbxURST2wGEtheM/edit?usp=sharing]]'''
| '''Gnome/Rogue'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_4|Character 4]]'''
| '''Halfling/Barbarian'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/thorya.156264/ thorya]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_5|Character 5]]'''
| '''/'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/talisman.167661/ Talisman]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_6|Character 6]]'''
| '''Kobold/Paladin'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/archer.10289/ Archer]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''DM''' || '''Shenanigans''' || colspan="8"| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ brahnamin]''
|}

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Setting Details==
Explore the people and places of note in the gameworld [[404:_Gameworld|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Generation==
All of the rules options available for building your character may be found [[404:_Chargen|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Metagame Tools==

'''Threads'''
:Development Thread

:OOC Thread

:IC Thread

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Resources'''
:[http://orokos.com/roll/?action=roll Orokos] - Online Dice Roller.

:[https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/BookIndex Roll 20] - 5e Online.

:[https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] - If you can't post for whatever reason let us know here or in OOC.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Expectations==
'''Post Frequency'''

I am asking for a '''daily''' posting commitment for this game as a general rule, with the understanding that posting might be less frequent on weekends and holidays. Meatworld being what it is, this generally averages to 3-4 GM updates per week.
:'''Note:''' if 24-36 hours have gone by since my last GM update, I may post a new update, even if all players have not posted, to maintain momentum.

:This is sometimes just the most expedient path forward given the medium and the constraints of communicating over real distances rather than across a table.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Post Absences'''

If you will ''not'' be able to post, for whatever reason, please ping us in OOC so we know what is going on or post to the [https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] (I pretty much check that thing every time it lights up).

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

''' Post Formatting'''

Please include the following header at the top of each IC Post:
:'''Character Name''' || AC || '''HP Current/Max''' || Spell DC || '''Inspiration Y/N'''

Similarly, please observe the following guidelines when composing your IC posts:
* Please '''bold''' your character's name at the top of each IC post or '''bold''' the first instance of your character's name in the body of the post. We all game with lots of folk, sometimes with the same players in different games; this just makes it easier to keep track of which character we're addressing.

* If you are addressing another PC in your post it is helpful to '''bold''' their character name as well so it stands out for them.

* OOC blocks are fine for showing dice rolls and brief OOC comments directly related to a particular post. Please sblock if you need to include large blocks of text related to your IC post. All other OOC content should go in the OOC thread itself.

* Do not place action statements or dice rolls in the OOC Thread. I know from brutal experience that I will never keep up if you do. All action statements and dice rolls should go in the IC Thread [with dice rolls OOC Blocked].

* Please link all dice rolls back to your dice roller.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==House Rules==
'''Initiative'''

One of the things that makes D&D tricky to run for PBP games is the importance initiative order can have.

Posting by initiative order (whether rolled or static) can bring a PBP game to a grinding halt, so I don't follow that format.

Ideally, everyone posts their actions (incl. dice rolls - I'd rather you roll and not need it than not roll and need it) as they have time to come online and make a post, and then I roll NPC/Monster actions during the update and sort out who did what when by looking at static initiative bonuses and compose my update around that turn order.

I will also look at what is being declared and make it all work as much in favor of the players as possible. No shenanigans where you lose your turn chopping at an enemy somebody else killed already or having the wizard flamebroil another PC with their fireball for rushing in, etc.

This does rob y'all of the tactical mini-game that having an initiative order encourages, but it keeps the game flowing, and to my mind that alone makes it worth it.

:'''Note:''' I will do my best to be sure you guys have the necessary information to resolve your own rolls in combat scenes (AC/HP/Saves etc) to enure things go as smooth and hitch free as we can manage.

:'''Note:''' For those folk who get bonuses for specific initiative-centric builds/feats/etc, I'll work out a satisfactory equivalent with you before play starts.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Inspiration'''

Instead of the hoop jumping suggested for this oft forgotten resource, I prefer if inspiration instead just refreshes every short and long rest.
*You can only ever have one at a time.
*Players may donate their inspiration to another player who has none if they wish.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==PVP==
While there is the potential for player vs player conflict in any game, I prefer not to run games that lean heavily to that assumption. Games like that simply do not need a GM, and I would much rather spend my time running games that ''do'' need a GM.

'''For reference, what I consider PVP basically amounts to this:''' ''If an action would require dice to affect an NPC, then it counts as PVP to use against a PC''.

So disagreements, trash talking, indirect actions that might affect another character but aren't made directly against that character are all potentially on the table with the caveat that if something just makes the game not fun for someone that we respect that and steer clear.
----
If you want to do something that directly acts against another player's character, proceed based on the following criteria:
: '''Unilateral Permission:''' The other player agrees to your action. No rolls are needed. Just RP it out.
: '''Limited Permission:''' The other player doesn't agree that it is an automatic thing, but does agree to let the math rocks decide. Roll it out. If initiative is a concern, I will handle that case by case.
: '''Declined Permission:''' The other player does not agree to PVP. Move on with something else.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

404: Adventure Not Found

2023-11-03T00:23:40Z

NightGoblyn: /* Character Table */

__NOTOC__
[[File:Smallfolk4040004.png|600px|center]]

[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Table==
This is where you link your character sheet for all of us to have access as needed for the purpose of strategizing, shenanigans, and the like. Please, only make updates to your actual character sheet. I will update the table as needed. Feel free to thump my dome via DM or OOC if I forget.

{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character'''
| '''Race/Class'''
| '''Player'''
! I
! '''AC'''
! '''Mx HP'''
! '''Sp DC'''
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_1|Character 1]]'''
| '''Tabaxi/Sorcerer'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/cerulean-lion.5469/ Cerulian Lion]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[Meriweather_Meriweather | Meriweather Meriweather]]'''
| '''Tiefling/Bard'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_3|https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YkO1sj82M46eWX3WpVInjYYtcJgZQbxURST2wGEtheM/edit?usp=sharing]]'''
| '''Gnome/Rogue'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_4|Character 4]]'''
| '''Halfling/Barbarian'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/thorya.156264/ thorya]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_5|Character 5]]'''
| '''/'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/talisman.167661/ Talisman]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_6|Character 6]]'''
| '''Kobold/Paladin'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/archer.10289/ Archer]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''DM''' || '''Shenanigans''' || colspan="8"| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ brahnamin]''
|}

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Setting Details==
Explore the people and places of note in the gameworld [[404:_Gameworld|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Generation==
All of the rules options available for building your character may be found [[404:_Chargen|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Metagame Tools==

'''Threads'''
:Development Thread

:OOC Thread

:IC Thread

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Resources'''
:[http://orokos.com/roll/?action=roll Orokos] - Online Dice Roller.

:[https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/BookIndex Roll 20] - 5e Online.

:[https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] - If you can't post for whatever reason let us know here or in OOC.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Expectations==
'''Post Frequency'''

I am asking for a '''daily''' posting commitment for this game as a general rule, with the understanding that posting might be less frequent on weekends and holidays. Meatworld being what it is, this generally averages to 3-4 GM updates per week.
:'''Note:''' if 24-36 hours have gone by since my last GM update, I may post a new update, even if all players have not posted, to maintain momentum.

:This is sometimes just the most expedient path forward given the medium and the constraints of communicating over real distances rather than across a table.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Post Absences'''

If you will ''not'' be able to post, for whatever reason, please ping us in OOC so we know what is going on or post to the [https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] (I pretty much check that thing every time it lights up).

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

''' Post Formatting'''

Please include the following header at the top of each IC Post:
:'''Character Name''' || AC || '''HP Current/Max''' || Spell DC || '''Inspiration Y/N'''

Similarly, please observe the following guidelines when composing your IC posts:
* Please '''bold''' your character's name at the top of each IC post or '''bold''' the first instance of your character's name in the body of the post. We all game with lots of folk, sometimes with the same players in different games; this just makes it easier to keep track of which character we're addressing.

* If you are addressing another PC in your post it is helpful to '''bold''' their character name as well so it stands out for them.

* OOC blocks are fine for showing dice rolls and brief OOC comments directly related to a particular post. Please sblock if you need to include large blocks of text related to your IC post. All other OOC content should go in the OOC thread itself.

* Do not place action statements or dice rolls in the OOC Thread. I know from brutal experience that I will never keep up if you do. All action statements and dice rolls should go in the IC Thread [with dice rolls OOC Blocked].

* Please link all dice rolls back to your dice roller.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==House Rules==
'''Initiative'''

One of the things that makes D&D tricky to run for PBP games is the importance initiative order can have.

Posting by initiative order (whether rolled or static) can bring a PBP game to a grinding halt, so I don't follow that format.

Ideally, everyone posts their actions (incl. dice rolls - I'd rather you roll and not need it than not roll and need it) as they have time to come online and make a post, and then I roll NPC/Monster actions during the update and sort out who did what when by looking at static initiative bonuses and compose my update around that turn order.

I will also look at what is being declared and make it all work as much in favor of the players as possible. No shenanigans where you lose your turn chopping at an enemy somebody else killed already or having the wizard flamebroil another PC with their fireball for rushing in, etc.

This does rob y'all of the tactical mini-game that having an initiative order encourages, but it keeps the game flowing, and to my mind that alone makes it worth it.

:'''Note:''' I will do my best to be sure you guys have the necessary information to resolve your own rolls in combat scenes (AC/HP/Saves etc) to enure things go as smooth and hitch free as we can manage.

:'''Note:''' For those folk who get bonuses for specific initiative-centric builds/feats/etc, I'll work out a satisfactory equivalent with you before play starts.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Inspiration'''

Instead of the hoop jumping suggested for this oft forgotten resource, I prefer if inspiration instead just refreshes every short and long rest.
*You can only ever have one at a time.
*Players may donate their inspiration to another player who has none if they wish.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==PVP==
While there is the potential for player vs player conflict in any game, I prefer not to run games that lean heavily to that assumption. Games like that simply do not need a GM, and I would much rather spend my time running games that ''do'' need a GM.

'''For reference, what I consider PVP basically amounts to this:''' ''If an action would require dice to affect an NPC, then it counts as PVP to use against a PC''.

So disagreements, trash talking, indirect actions that might affect another character but aren't made directly against that character are all potentially on the table with the caveat that if something just makes the game not fun for someone that we respect that and steer clear.
----
If you want to do something that directly acts against another player's character, proceed based on the following criteria:
: '''Unilateral Permission:''' The other player agrees to your action. No rolls are needed. Just RP it out.
: '''Limited Permission:''' The other player doesn't agree that it is an automatic thing, but does agree to let the math rocks decide. Roll it out. If initiative is a concern, I will handle that case by case.
: '''Declined Permission:''' The other player does not agree to PVP. Move on with something else.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

404: Adventure Not Found

2023-10-30T00:03:02Z

NightGoblyn: /* Character Table */

__NOTOC__
[[File:Smallfolk4040004.png|600px|center]]

[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Table==
This is where you link your character sheet for all of us to have access as needed for the purpose of strategizing, shenanigans, and the like. Please, only make updates to your actual character sheet. I will update the table as needed. Feel free to thump my dome via DM or OOC if I forget.

{| class="wikitable"
|'''Character'''
| '''Race/Class'''
| '''Player'''
! I
! '''AC'''
! '''Mx HP'''
! '''Sp DC'''
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_1|Character 1]]'''
| '''Tabaxi/Sorcerer'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/cerulean-lion.5469/ Cerulian Lion]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_2|Character 2]]'''
| '''Tiefling/Bard'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_3|Character 3]]'''
| '''Gnome/Rogue'''
| ''[nightgoblyn]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_4|Character 4]]'''
| '''/'''
| ''[]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|'''[[404_Character_-_5|Character 5]]'''
| '''/'''
| ''[]''
! ?
! ?
! ?
! ?
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|colspan="10"|
|-
|'''DM''' || '''Shenanigans''' || colspan="8"| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ brahnamin]''
|}

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Setting Details==
Explore the people and places of note in the gameworld [[404:_Gameworld|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Generation==
All of the rules options available for building your character may be found [[404:_Chargen|'''HERE''']].

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Metagame Tools==

'''Threads'''
:Development Thread

:OOC Thread

:IC Thread

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Resources'''
:[http://orokos.com/roll/?action=roll Orokos] - Online Dice Roller.

:[https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/BookIndex Roll 20] - 5e Online.

:[https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] - If you can't post for whatever reason let us know here or in OOC.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==Expectations==
'''Post Frequency'''

I am asking for a '''daily''' posting commitment for this game as a general rule, with the understanding that posting might be less frequent on weekends and holidays. Meatworld being what it is, this generally averages to 3-4 GM updates per week.
:'''Note:''' if 24-36 hours have gone by since my last GM update, I may post a new update, even if all players have not posted, to maintain momentum.

:This is sometimes just the most expedient path forward given the medium and the constraints of communicating over real distances rather than across a table.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Post Absences'''

If you will ''not'' be able to post, for whatever reason, please ping us in OOC so we know what is going on or post to the [https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709532-Grand-Central-Absences-Station Absences Thread] (I pretty much check that thing every time it lights up).

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

''' Post Formatting'''

Please include the following header at the top of each IC Post:
:'''Character Name''' || AC || '''HP Current/Max''' || Spell DC || '''Inspiration Y/N'''

Similarly, please observe the following guidelines when composing your IC posts:
* Please '''bold''' your character's name at the top of each IC post or '''bold''' the first instance of your character's name in the body of the post. We all game with lots of folk, sometimes with the same players in different games; this just makes it easier to keep track of which character we're addressing.

* If you are addressing another PC in your post it is helpful to '''bold''' their character name as well so it stands out for them.

* OOC blocks are fine for showing dice rolls and brief OOC comments directly related to a particular post. Please sblock if you need to include large blocks of text related to your IC post. All other OOC content should go in the OOC thread itself.

* Do not place action statements or dice rolls in the OOC Thread. I know from brutal experience that I will never keep up if you do. All action statements and dice rolls should go in the IC Thread [with dice rolls OOC Blocked].

* Please link all dice rolls back to your dice roller.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==House Rules==
'''Initiative'''

One of the things that makes D&D tricky to run for PBP games is the importance initiative order can have.

Posting by initiative order (whether rolled or static) can bring a PBP game to a grinding halt, so I don't follow that format.

Ideally, everyone posts their actions (incl. dice rolls - I'd rather you roll and not need it than not roll and need it) as they have time to come online and make a post, and then I roll NPC/Monster actions during the update and sort out who did what when by looking at static initiative bonuses and compose my update around that turn order.

I will also look at what is being declared and make it all work as much in favor of the players as possible. No shenanigans where you lose your turn chopping at an enemy somebody else killed already or having the wizard flamebroil another PC with their fireball for rushing in, etc.

This does rob y'all of the tactical mini-game that having an initiative order encourages, but it keeps the game flowing, and to my mind that alone makes it worth it.

:'''Note:''' I will do my best to be sure you guys have the necessary information to resolve your own rolls in combat scenes (AC/HP/Saves etc) to enure things go as smooth and hitch free as we can manage.

:'''Note:''' For those folk who get bonuses for specific initiative-centric builds/feats/etc, I'll work out a satisfactory equivalent with you before play starts.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

'''Inspiration'''

Instead of the hoop jumping suggested for this oft forgotten resource, I prefer if inspiration instead just refreshes every short and long rest.
*You can only ever have one at a time.
*Players may donate their inspiration to another player who has none if they wish.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

==PVP==
While there is the potential for player vs player conflict in any game, I prefer not to run games that lean heavily to that assumption. Games like that simply do not need a GM, and I would much rather spend my time running games that ''do'' need a GM.

'''For reference, what I consider PVP basically amounts to this:''' ''If an action would require dice to affect an NPC, then it counts as PVP to use against a PC''.

So disagreements, trash talking, indirect actions that might affect another character but aren't made directly against that character are all potentially on the table with the caveat that if something just makes the game not fun for someone that we respect that and steer clear.
----
If you want to do something that directly acts against another player's character, proceed based on the following criteria:
: '''Unilateral Permission:''' The other player agrees to your action. No rolls are needed. Just RP it out.
: '''Limited Permission:''' The other player doesn't agree that it is an automatic thing, but does agree to let the math rocks decide. Roll it out. If initiative is a concern, I will handle that case by case.
: '''Declined Permission:''' The other player does not agree to PVP. Move on with something else.

----
[[404:_Adventure_Not_Found#Character_Table| < < < Back to the Top]]

CPRED Future So Dark

2023-10-13T19:15:27Z

NightGoblyn: /* Characters */

=Cyberpunk RED: The Future's so Dark, We've Gotta Wear Shades=
=Introduction=

A crew of edgerunners tries to make their mark in the gritty world of 2045 Night City.

=Characters=
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Player !! Character Name !! Character Role
|-
| Dawgstar|| [https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/CPRED_Future_So_Dark:_Triage Triage] || Medtech
|-
| Kittlefish|| [https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/CPRED_Future_So_Dark:_Jaelyn_Higurashi Jaelyn Higurashi] || Media
|-
| Dersen Lowery || [https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/CPRED_Future_So_Dark:_Crowbar Crowbar]|| Tech
|-
| NightGoblyn|| [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IdxkY9OguMipUsMkhbkLSJs1Q4I3g_1M56NvK28M3q4/edit?usp=sharing Aoki Natsuki] || Solo
|-
| Stormraven || [https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/CPRED_Future_So_Dark:_Cruitaire Cruitaire]|| Rockergirl
|-
| The Wyzard|| [name]|| Solo
|}

=Locations=

=NPCs=

=Screamsheets=
[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/File:Screamsheet_intro.jpg Morning edition 10.18.24]

=Links=
*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/development-cyberpunk-red-the-futures-so-dark-weve-gotta-wear-shades.914217/ Development thread]
*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/cyberpunk-red-the-futures-so-dark-weve-gotta-wear-shades.914252/ OOC thread]
*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/cyberpunk-red-the-futures-so-dark-weve-gotta-wear-shades.914253/ IC thread]
*[https://www.nightcity.io/red/ Map of Night City in 2045]
*[https://orokos.com/roll/ Orokos Dice Roller]

Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk

2023-09-11T21:56:21Z

NightGoblyn: /* Treasure */

Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk

2023-08-27T20:22:25Z

NightGoblyn: /* Treasure */

Firefly Prime: I Aim to Misbehave

2023-06-19T22:53:42Z

NightGoblyn: /* Character Files/Meta Currencies */

__NOTOC__
[[File:Gogglegirl0005.png|300px|right]]

This is the main wiki page for our '''Cortex Prime''' ''Firefly'' game.

This game considers the events of the movie ''Serenity'' to be canon, while treating the TV series itself to be canon adjacent, meaning the events of the overarching plot of ''Serenity'' have happened. Miranda was discovered, Alliance culpability in regards to ''reavers'' and attempting to forcibly pacify the population of an entire planet was released across the black to the verse at large, but otherwise the details and particulars of the show should be considered taproom stories told over a pint with a distinct favoring of fancy over fact for the sake of spinning a good yarn.

'''IOW''', you don't need much familiarity with the show to keep up and follow along.

'''Show Canon we're Keeping:''' The ''Alliance'' want to control everything and everyone everywhere. They won a war to make that happen. The ''Independents'' want folk to have a more personal say and stake in their own lives. They lost that war with the Alliance.

Otherwise [[Firefly_Prime:_I_Aim_to_Misbehave#Our_Story_So_Far|Our Story So Far]] (below) contains all the necessary setting details for this game in particular.

==Character Files/Meta Currencies==
I will update the Character Table on the wiki each time I update the IC thread. Please do not update the table yourselves. I don't want anyone losing Plot Points or Hero Dice from double subtraction.

If you feel I have forgotten to update the table or that my math is wrong, let me know OOC or DM me and I will fix it. Likewise, if I make a mistake on the Complications and Assets lists (below), let me know and I'll fix it. These also get updated when I update the IC thread.

{| class="wikitable"
| '''Character'''
| '''Played By'''
|
! Stress
|
! XP
|
! [[file:d6a.png|24px|d6]]
! [[file:d8a.png|24px|d8]]
! [[file:d10a.png|24px|d10]]
! [[file:d12a.png|24px|d12]]
|
! '''PP'''
|-
|scope="row" colspan="14"|
|-
| '''[[Firefly_Prime:_Character_1 | Gideon Winters]]'''
| [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]
|scope="col" rowspan="8"|
! [[file:d0a.png|24px|d0]]
|scope="col" rowspan="8"|
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
|scope="col" rowspan="8"|
!
!
!
!
|scope="col" rowspan="8"|
! 1
|-
| '''[[Firefly_Prime:_Character_2 | John Hazard]]'''
| [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/potted-plant.24190/ Potted Plant]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px|d0]]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
| '''[[Firefly_Prime:_Character_3 | Doc Leyes]]'''
| [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/jel.108956/ JEL]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px|d0]]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
| '''[https://docs.google.com/document/d/18ALTE1hg9keoBKepro8DPJ6fL3Jang_AnnFQuLHXuBo/edit?usp=sharing Captain Minerva Nelson, ASN (retd.)]'''
| [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px|d0]]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
| '''[[Firefly_Prime:_Character_5 | Very Sharpe]]'''
| [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/garyfury.7014/ Garyfury]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px|d0]]
! 1
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
| '''[[Firefly_Prime:_Cat_Salazar | Cat Salazar]]'''
| [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/kittlefish.62862/ Kittlefish]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px|d0]]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
| '''[[Firefly_Prime:_Character_7 | Character 7]]'''
| [https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/psyop.16118/ PsyOp]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px|d0]]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
|! scope="row" colspan="15"|
|-
|! scope="row" colspan="15"|
|-
|! scope="row" colspan="15"|
|-
| '''GM'''
| ! scope="row" colspan="11"|[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ ''brahnamin'']
! 7
|-
|}
[[Firefly_Prime:_I_Aim_to_Misbehave#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies|< < < Back to Top]]

==Complications and Assets==
[[file:d6a.png|24px|d6]] [[file:d8a.png|24px|d8]] [[file:d10a.png|24px|d10]] [[file:d12a.png|24px|d12]]

Complication [C] '''//''' Scene Asset [S] '''/''' Episode Asset [E]
----
----
: [C]
: [C]
: [C]
----
----
: [S]
: [S]
----
: [E]
: [E]
----
----

[[Firefly_Prime:_I_Aim_to_Misbehave#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies|< < < Back to Top]]

----
----

==The Ship Herself :: XP [[File:d0a.png|32px]]==
[[Firefly_Prime:_Ship_Character_File | '''The Shìjiàn Shìjiè''' (Event Horizon)]] is a reconfigured series-3 Firefly Class Transport modded for rescue and retrieval.

[[File:Ffsilhouette0006.png|500px|center]]

*[[Firefly_Prime:_The Ship Herself|'''Ship Traits, Upgrades, and Assets]]
*[[Firefly_Prime: Ship Advancement | '''Ship Advancement''']]

[[Firefly_Prime:_I_Aim_to_Misbehave#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies|< < < Back to Top]]

==Our Story So Far==
Click [[Firefly_Prime:_Story Details | '''HERE''']] for story and setting details leading up to the start of the game as well as access to ''Episode Archives'' and ''Character Archives''.

[[Firefly_Prime:_I_Aim_to_Misbehave#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies|< < < Back to Top]]

==Traits/Chargen==
Click [[Firefly_Prime:_Traits/Chargen | '''HERE''']] to build your Firefly Prime character.
* [[Firefly_Prime: Blank Character Template | '''Blank Character Template''']]
* [[Firefly_Prime:_Dice_Pools | '''A Primer on Dice Pools''']]
* [[Firefly_Prime: Advancement | '''Character Advancement''']]

[[Firefly_Prime:_I_Aim_to_Misbehave#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies|< < < Back to Top]]

==Game Mods==
Click [[Firefly_Prime: Mods | '''HERE''']] to view the Prime Mods we will be using for this game.

[[File:Fix00003.png|300px|center]]

[[Firefly_Prime:_I_Aim_to_Misbehave#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies|< < < Back to Top]]

==Expectations/PBP House Rules==
Click [[Firefly_Prime:_Expectations | '''HERE''']] to see ''Game Expectations'' and ''House Rules'' for this game. This section contains guidelines for ''Resource Bidding'' and ''PVP'' play for this game.

[[Firefly_Prime:_I_Aim_to_Misbehave#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies|< < < Back to Top]]

==Game Resources==
Click [[Firefly_Prime:_Game_Resources | '''HERE''']] for helpful links to game threads and offsite resources.

[[Firefly_Prime:_I_Aim_to_Misbehave#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies|< < < Back to Top]]

==Alternate Players==
*'''-'''
*'''-'''
*'''-'''
*'''-'''
*'''-'''
[[Firefly_Prime:_I_Aim_to_Misbehave#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies|< < < Back to Top]]
[[File:Hegemony0002.png|600px|center]]

Rivers in the Barrens:Main Page

2023-05-24T00:12:48Z

NightGoblyn: /* Characters */

''"The overriding problem is to change the structure of society so that people gain power. The best arena to do that is the municipality — the city, town, and village — where we have an opportunity to create a face-to-face democracy."'' - Murray Bookchin

''"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better."'' — Albert Camus

==Characters==
[[Sunflower]]

[[Ushitara]]

[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Twilight Twilight]

[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Amber Amber]

[[Pyrus]]

[http://www.fedifensor.com/html/games/shadowrun/Promo.htm Promo]

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SWok67IFzFM93S5GH2GqNFi_xu4U87eBlaTWZSpCYtQ/edit?usp=sharing Coppertop]

* Players - please add your characters, and pages for them, here!

==Contacts==

'''Joe Jones, AKA Double J [Sunflower]:''' He's a 30ish orc man, who dabbled as a shadowrunner for awhile, but got out of it, because "that shit is bad for your karma, you know?" Cool and laid back, he now works as a bouncer at The Wall, where he's good at talking down rowdy customers before violence happens. Owns a customized Evo Falcon off-road bike, which he occasionally lets Sunflower borrow ("..., but I'm charging you for every new dent I find in her, understand?")

'''Lizzy McDonald [Sunflower]:''' A human woman, aged 24. She's a comparative religions grad student at the University of Washington who is particularly interested in new religious movements (NRM), which includes cults like the one Sunflower grew up in. She's been occasionally interviewing Sunflower about his experiences. She's a fast talker who fixates on the task at hand, often to the exclusion of everything else. She sometimes slums it at The Wall, which is how she met Sunflower.

'''"Crazy Ivan" [Ushitara/Sunflower/Twilight/Amber]:''' Operator of The Wall, a dive bar in northeastern Ashbarrow, who claims to be a retired member of Black Star. This grizzled anarcho-syndicalist dwarven fixer is not at all Russian, but he does speak the language and put on the accent, because "you would not be buyink Kalashnikov from Canadian, da?" Behind the bar's façade, Ivan moves civilian goods, information, and shadowrunner/revolutionary essentials through Ashbarrow and beyond; the notion that he's "retired" is probably more unbelievable than the claims of being ex-Black Star. Ivan has a complicated relationship with Tylr Mikell, owner of the Working Class - Ashbarrow's *other* leftist bar.

'''Victor Nguyen [Ushitara]:''' A "fisherman" who technically lives up in Everett, but frequently comes down the Puyallup River into Ashbarrow. Vic actually does fish, but he's *also* a smuggler and small-time coastal pirate, of the strictly inglorious variety. He's usually full of tales from friends in low places, even when the catch of the day isn't a net full of grenades.

'''Abigail Petrowski [Twilight]:''' A member of the Petrowski family of farmers. Twilight met Abby at Petrowski Farms and befriended her over a mutual love for animals. Abigail knows a lot about what goes on around the farm, but not about that occurs off of it.

'''Kenna Dahl [Amber]:''' Amber's older sister, who works as a bartender at [LOCATION].

'''Gillian Higurashi [Amber]:''' A Horizon News Network investigative reporter willing to brave the barrens for a scoop. Amber suspects Gillian is actually corporate spy, but is willing make trade for the high-level information Gillian is privy too. Of course, that information is filtered through Horizon's interests. Always keep in mind: you are not immune to propaganda.

'''Karli Svensdottir [Amber]:''' A talismonger of Norse magical paradigm whose services Amber makes use of, based out of [REGION]. Markedly amoral, Karli sells her wares to Odinists associated with Humanis and more old-school fascists without hesitation. Her craftsmanship is trustworthy, that's about it.

'''Ahamkara [Pyrus]:''' [WIP]

'''Kseniya Kuznetsov [Pyrus]:''' [WIP]

'''Vassili Sideras [Coppertop]:''' The patriarch of the sprawling and influential Sideras family. The Sideras are mostly orks with a handful of satyrs by birth, but both humans and trolls have married into the family. Vassili owns Sideras Repair and Body, which started as an auto garage about a century ago and has since expanded into all kinds of repair work. He has ties to the Orc Rights Commission, but usually isn't interested in "talking politics" with people.

'''Hordemode [Coppertop]:''' Presents himself as a Reality Hacker that specializes in running swarms of micro- and mini-drones, but only meets in VR. Has a good line on hacked software and illicit drone components.

==Important People==
'''Alarota (He/Him?):''' The founder and presumed leader of Icarus. Doesn't leave the group's headquarters, if he's even still alive. Witnesses consistently describe him as a thin, Latino, human male with dark brown skin and long, greying, black hair. Presumed to be awakened due to the deeds ascribed to him, though separating truth from urban legend is difficult.

'''Dr. Hajera Sultana (She/Her):''' A humanitarian street doc in Ashbarrow, and an open member of the Anarchist Black Crescent (essentially a decentralized, anarchist version of Doctors Without Borders). Dr. Sultana runs the only medical clinic in Ashbarrow worthy of the name, treating those most in need for free.

'''Duane Petrowski (He/Him):''' Patriarch of the Petrowski family, whose farming complex in Puyallup district has defied volcanos, economic collapses, and hordes of go-gangers. Employment on Petrowski's farm is one of the few legitimate paying jobs available to inhabitants of the Puyallup barrens, but his family isn't a charity - they sell their crop for profit.

'''Kenneth Brackhaven (He/Him):''' Governor of Seattle Territory, Brackhaven is a member of the Archconservative Party. Brackhaven's policy focus seems to be advancing his barely veiled human (and white) supremacist agenda. Pounding the old "law and order" canard, many fear Brackhaven will repeat the bad old days of the late 30s under Governor Allison. Brackhaven's economic platform is blatantly pro-corp, with tax cuts and "business friendly" policies exchanged for the assistance of corporate security in the "war on crime."

'''Lon Campa (He/Him):''' Mayor of Puyallup district, and the city's only orcish mayor. Mayor Campa gets his strongest support from Carbonado, but works hard for all inhabitants of the district. Lon is also the first Puyallup mayor in years who isn't a puppet for organized crime, possibly explaining the two attempts on his life since he was elected.

'''Tylr Mikell (They/Them):''' Owner of the Working Class restaurant in "The Weeds" between Puyallup City and Ashbarrow. A democratic socialist, Tylr alternatively cooperates or clashes with the more anarchist elements in the Ashbarrow, while developing strong connections with mainstream center-left Seattle politicians and worker's unions. Their strained relationship with "Crazy Ivan" is renowned in Ashbarrow and the subject of much idle speculation.

'''Vök Rútsson (She/Her):''' Local head of the Rútsson family, who operate the unauthorized Landsblood Artery power plant in Hell's Kitchen. Vök handles the business and community side of the Artery's operations, leaving engineering and maintenance to her sister Voney, Voney's husband August Kresinger, and their employees. Widely believed to have connections to the Stonecutter's Guild.

==Major Concepts==
'''The Blights:''' Local name applied to the sudden slew of widescale problems facing Ashbarrow since early 2072.
* Concrete and brick edifices fracture and crumble as though suddenly exposed to a fierce freeze-thaw or unfelt earthquake. This first type of degradation heavily stems from existing structural weaknesses, but even slight dent and cracks suddenly expand over the course of days to hours rather than months to years.
* Metal tarnishes and rusts at an enhanced pace. Especially worrisome accounts claim even metals that are painted, kept in dry areas, or oiled can begin to oxidize.
* Weeds, ivies, moss, and other encrusting plants grow quickly and spread aggressively - akin to bamboo or kudzu. Anyone with botanical knowledge can tell this isn't entirely natural.
* A new respiratory illness that causes patients to cough up thickening, rust-colored phlegm. Uncreatively called "Rust Throat" by Ashbarrow inhabitants, this illness results in progressive inflammation of the throat and eventually the lungs. Rust Throat is particularly dangerous when combined with inhaling volcanic ash. There are untested claims the disease also causes behavioral alterations.

==Shadowruns==
[[Rivers in the Barrens:BTL Warehouse Run]]

==Setting Information==
'''Year:''' Summer 2072

===Country: UCAS (Seattle Territory)===

The United American and Canadian States is the remnants of the United States and Canada after the Ghost War, the secession of the California Free State, the Confederation of American States, Quebec, and Florida joining the Caribbean League.

While still one of the wealthiest nations in the world on paper and a nuclear power, the UCAS is by and large a hollowed-out shell propped up by the megacorporations. The megacorporations find the continued existence of the UCAS convenient, because they rely on the economic scaffolding and laws laid out by the United States in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

===City: Seattle===

Seattle is a territory of the United American and Canadian States, and the nation’s only remaining port on the west coast of North America. The Seattle area was inhabited by Native Americans of the Duwamish tribe for at least 10000 years before being colonized by Europeans in 1851. The city was retained by the USA, soon-to-be UCAS, following the Treaty of Denver in 2018. Since then, Seattle has existed as UCAS territory while completely enveloped by the Salish-Sidhe Council on all sides. Within the borders of the territory, Seattle expanded into and merged with several satellite cities, including Everett, Redmond, and Tacoma.

The city’s peculiar political position is the product of conflict avoidance, corporate convenience, and mutual benefit between the Salish-Sidhe Council, Tír Tairngire, and the UCAS. The city allows UCAS to maintain a presence on the west coast, gives corporations a port free of the NAN’s strict customs and environmental policies, supports Salish-Sidhe’s tourism industry, grants Tír Tairngire a trade window to the world without completely opening itself up, and gives all three nations around the Emerald City a way to exchange cultural and political dissidents. These competing interests, and the city’s premier placement near national borders by land and by sea, makes Seattle a haven for smugglers and shadowrunners.

The Emerald City is home to over 3,000,000 people in 2072. Seattle is home to a diverse and multifaceted culture, arising from the unique crossroads where people from the UCAS, NAN, Tír Tairngire, many Asian nations, and other international travelers and immigrants meet. Seattle’s original culture is strongly rooted in the old United States, but time, isolation from the main body of the UCAS, and elements from foreign cultures have led to many changes in Seattle’s social character. This social character is further granularized by the metroplex’s division into 1 consular and 11 municipal districts.

===District: Puyallup===

Puyallup is the second major barrens district in Seattle – bigger than Redmond in area, but with less than half the population density. Prior to the Ghost War of 2017, Puyallup was comprised of various Seattle suburbs grading into parks and fertile farmland. Then, in deterrence against the United States’ and Canada's genocidal Resolution Act, Daniel Howling Coyote and allied magicians detonated the Cascade Range in 2017. Puyallup took the collateral damage head-on, as pyroclastic flows and lahars swept down from Mt. Rainier into the southeast Seattle suburbs. The survivors of the eruption were soon joined by exiles fleeing the formation of the Salish-Sidhe Council and the other Native American Nations, unwilling to abide by NAN laws or believe assurances of peaceful co-existence*. Seattle and the megacorporations initially tried to rebuild the Puyallup region, some seeking to exploit lava fields for geothermal energy, but Crash 1.0 derailed those ambitions. Abandoned thereafter, what was left of Puyallup slid into becoming what is now known as a “barren.”

''>* In contrast to the default ''Shadowrun'' lore, in my version of things the NAN reasserted their ancestral rights to the land and attained self-determination without exiling every non-indigenous person. The goal of the NAN was to create a harmonious, culturally diverse, and sustainable society - results since 2018 have varied, but the fears of the refugees who flooded into Seattle never came to pass.

The district’s reputation as one giant refugee camp was cemented in 2039 under the human-supremacist regime of Governor Victor Allison, who rounded up all the city's meta-humans into a series of warehouses for “deportation.” The situation exploded when the Metroplex Guard began opening fire on the trapped masses, with the ensuing slaughter and desperate escape resulting in countless deaths. Protests and riots erupted in a "Night of Rage" as the escapees fled and new of the atrocity broke, some led by metahumans and their progressive human supporters, others led by fascists trying to “finish the job." A large number of metahuman refugees fled to Puyallup in the wake of the Night of Rage and never returned to their former homes. A second Puyallup revitalization effort was subsequently begun, and swiftly abandoned, in the 2040s.

In the three decades since, Mountain Rainer erupted again, several more humanitarian crises ensued, and the SINner population of Puyallup contracted towards Tacoma as the barrens expanded. Throughout it all, a steady stream of debris — both ash and people — trickles into the Puyallup Barrens.

Puyallup district is informally divided into further sub-districts or neighborhoods, most of which are not officially recognized by the metroplex government. The most important of these are:

* '''[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Ashbarrow Ashbarrow]:''' A neighborhood nestled within the rotting shell of abandoned urban sprawl, which experiences regular and severe ashfalls from Mt. Rainier. ''Your neighborhood''.
* '''Carbonado:''' A collection of mining and timber ghost towns re-inhabited by refugees and squatters. The majority demographic is orcs, many of whose families fled here after the Night of Rage, but outcasts of all sorts are welcome in Carbonado’s derelict company apartments and mines. The residents have attempted to salvage from, or even revive, several of the mines.
* '''Hell’s Kitchen:''' An almost uninhabited field of lava flows, geysers, and boiling mudpots left in the wake of Mt. Rainer’s 2017 eruptions. The landscape is largely barren, save for the occasional rusting hulk of a derelict geothermal plant. Tourists and mages on pilgrimage are about the only people who come here, and never for very long.
* '''Loveland:''' The largest sub-district of the Puyallup barrens, Loveland covers the northwest of the region. Loveland is the most densely populated and violent region of Puyallup, with the crime rate driven by competing efforts to control the local vice industry, black market, and smuggling routes. The primary players are the Shotozumi-rengo and the Commissione, but both sides mostly use lesser street gangs as pawns. Despite all that, Loveland actually has (spotty) matrix-linked municipal services, facilities, stores, and restaurants, unlike the rest of the barrens. As a result, it is a popular, if dangerous, destination for tourists looking to slum in the local nightlife.
* '''Petrowski Farms:''' The Petrowski family has stood tall against economic collapse, bandits, and volcanic eruptions for the entire duration of the Sixth World. They still proudly sell their organic produce at the Pike Place Farmer’s Market as they have for more than a century now. That said, some things have changed since the Fifth World, like the triple layered barbed wire and electric fences, or the armed guard towers, or the land spirits said to enrich and defend the place.
* '''Puyallup City:''' Sitting between Auburn and Tacoma, Puyallup City is the district’s seat of governance and where most “legitimate” businesses are located. The residents of this relatively middle class, clean, and safe neighborhood put much political effort into fighting perceptions that Puyallup is a lost cause. The dirty little secret of the “Light in the Ashes” is that Puyallup City is propped up almost entirely by organized crime. Administrations sink or swim (sometimes literally) by their ability to judge if the wind is blowing towards the mafia or the yakuza.
* '''Tarislar:''' The name of this neighborhood means “Remembrance” in Sperethiel. Home to a large population of elvish refugees displaced by the Night of Rage, as well as exiles and thrillseekers from Tír Tairngire, visitors to this neighborhood receive chilly receptions. Completely abandoned by the metroplex government, Tarislar residents only have access to goods and services they can create, gather, or steal. Security is mostly provided by the Laésa, a Tírian crime syndicate.

Rivers in the Barrens:Ashbarrow

2023-05-23T01:00:26Z

NightGoblyn: /* Notable Places */

Bordering Puyallup City and Hell’s Kitchen, situated around the junction between the Puyallup River and East Prairie Creek, '''Ashbarrow''' is built from the corpse of failed 2020s and 2040s Puyallup revitalization efforts. Additionally, Ashbarrow slowly grows as outlying portions of Puyallup City are abandoned to urban decay. Buildings in the Ashbarrow range from rusting factories, to stubbornly defiant early 21st century apartments, to revitalization-era mass-produced concrete urban blocks dilapidating in the wake of SINner flight.

Economically, Ashbarrow exists on a gradient from “The Weeds” bordering Puyallup City and Loveland, which still has a degree of legitimate municipal services, to true barrens south and eastward, where most services are community provided or siphoned from “official” sources. Population density, on the other hand, grades from thickest in the west and falls off eastward as one approaches the uninhabitable Hell’s Kitchen. Major transport lines through Ashbarrow include the old state route 162 and river transit down the Puyallup River, though they are rarely traveled by outsiders since they no longer lead to anywhere of note (Petrowski Farms is a major exception). No train or bus lines pass through Ashbarrow given its status as a barren, though several bus stops in Puyallup City are walkable from The Weeds.

Owing to its nearness to Hell’s Kitchen and Mt. Rainer, Ashbarrow is subject to frequent and relatively intense ashfalls. In fact, the neighborhood draws its name from the lumpy mounds of “rock snow” coating streets and buildings after volcanic weather. Those who can afford to wear gasmasks or rebreathers on such days, while those who cannot make do with facemasks and scarves. The latter articles of clothing are an Ashbarrow cultural and fashion touchstone even for those able to get better protection. Despite protective measures, chronic silicosis is sadly common among longtime residents of the Ashbarrow.

==Notable Places==
Ashbarrow’s most important source of electricity is the '''Landsblood Artery''', a refurbished geothermal station in Hell’s Kitchen run by the Rútsson family – rumored to have connections to the Stonecutter’s Guild. This station is augmented by solar panels lining the lava flows and adorning buildings, but ashfalls, the rainy season, and theft are a constant source of entropy for this aspect of the local grid. The Rútssons trade power for money, food, and favors, and also log contributions made by individuals supplying power into the system via solar panels, wind turbines, and generators. Efforts have been made to extend power lines out to settlements in Carbonado, but natural and man-made disasters have derailed every attempt thus far.

'''The Wall''' is a rough and tumble dive bar located in northeastern Ashbarrow along the East Prairie River, very close to the Cinders. Owned by local anarcho-syndicalist fixture "Crazy Ivan," purportedly an ex-Black Star agent, The Wall attracts hard talkers, hard drinkers, and hard leftists. The dive's signature drinks are unfancy cocktails made with various moonshines distilled from different barrens neighborhoods - most locals favor the varieties coming down from Carbonado. The bar is named for its singular brick wall, which extends to the first floor of the tenement above and is a stalwart remnant of the original pre-2017 building that once stood here. Those in the shadows know that Crazy Ivan keeps some of the rooms in the tenement unoccupied, using them as places to store contraband, set up meetings between interested parties, and hide refugees. Ushitara works as a bouncer here.

The '''Working Class''' is a restaurant and bar located in the Weeds just north of McMillin Bridge, where Ashbarrow grades indistinctly into Puyallup City. The joint is owned by a democratic socialist named Tylr Mikell (they/them), and purposefully courts both neo-anarchists and blue-collar wage slaves in an attempt to radicalize the latter. Interior decoration and staff dress evoke a proletarian parody of Downtown’s “classy” clubs – e.g., bartenders wear denim vests over blue-collar shirts and you can get your drink served in a plastic martini glass. Sometimes it even serves real food to boot. Iced tea of various flavors, hard or otherwise, is the signature drink at The Working Class – supposedly in remembrance of a runner the owner knew in the ‘50s. The Working Class began as a dive in the basement of an ailing carpenter's shop, but Tylr bought out and expanded into the ground floor - while also maintaining, supporting, and unionizing the carpenter's shop. Tylr is politically well-connected, with figures such as mayors Campa and Scholl being known to have patronized the restaurant.

Tylr's and "Crazy Ivan"'s strained and complicated relationship is low-key infamous within the Ashbarrow leftist community. Ivan has spit venom about "that class traitor" on numerous nights, while Tylr openly regards Ivan's approach as "all theory and no results." Despite the open ad hominem between the two individuals, their establishments have overlapping clientele and shipments between the two are regularly spotted moving along East Prairie Creek. The common scuttlebutt is that the pair were in an intimate relationship that went sour, but those in the shadows credulous of Ivan's Black Star claims have a different hypothesis.

'''Dr. Hajera Sultana’s House''' is the closest thing the Ashbarrow has to a proper doctor’s office or urgent care center (unless rumors about Icarus’ headquarters are to be believed). Most of the interior has been converted to medical facilities, with only half of the upper floor reserved for Dr. Sultana’s personal residence – necessary to even support eight beds in the small house. Dr. Hajera and most of her volunteer staff are members of the Black Crescent, with much of their work actually done via house calls. Non-member street docs around Puyallup sometimes refer patients who cannot pay to the Black Crescent. In turn, the Black Crescent often have to run patients they cannot provide care for across the barrens to Good Samaritan Hospital in Loveland or Deireadh an Tuartheil in Tarislar – the latter doesn’t ask as many questions as the UCAS military run Good Samaritan.

'''Three Block Park''' is a relic of and memorial to the town called Orting that died here when Mt. Rainier erupted. A narrow strip 1500 ft long and 150 ft wide, split into thirds lengthwise by roads, this city park is adorned with the melted and fused remnants of its pre-2017 incarnation. Since the metroplex government doesn’t send parks and recreation employees out here anymore, it falls to local residents to keep the park clean of trash and clear of ash. Far from being joyless and somber, Three Block Park features a playground, basketball court, and several small parkways between rows of hardy trees that have grown from the ashes.

'''The Cinders''' are a combination small shantytown and refugee camp on the edge of Hell’s Kitchen. The settlement is primarily home to those displaced SINless who don’t feel welcome in Carbonado or Tarislar, and don’t feel safe in Loveland. The inadequate infrastructure combined with local seismic and volcanic activity leads to regular building collapses and fires. Hydrogen sulfide gas seeps pose a more subtle threat to the residents, prompting many to loft up beds and carry around small pieces of metal as crude detectors.

'''Market Square''' is 4 blocks of solid brownstone townhouse/apartments with a central courtyard, another result of the attempts at post-volcanic revitalization. The courtyard between the rows of houses is locally known as 'The Goblin Market,' with an ever-shifting assortment of peddlers, dingy stalls, and carts hawking things from handcrafts to handguns. The ashfalls regularly force the merchants to scatter, and it's never quite the same assortment after they return. There are a few long-time regulars, such as Sam Liberty the ironmonger (a norm who is trying, with middling success, to look like Sam Adams as he appears in portraits) and Melinda Beasley, an elf who sells kitschy antiques and has a knack for knowing everyone at the market no matter how new they are.

'''Sideras Repair and Body''', which started as an auto garage about a century ago and has since expanded into all kinds of repair work.

''[Players, please add people and places of interest or importance to you!]''

==Notable Groups==
===Icarus===
Icarus are a faction of green syndicalists who are largely endemic to Ashbarrow, though city travelers report they also have bases in the Everett barrens and have been seen moving goods through Tarislar and the Underground. Going hypothesis for these sightings is that Icarus smuggles plants, seeds, and farming supplies in from Salish-Sidhe. Following the ideological theory and praxis of their founder, Alarota, Icarus seeks to encourage sustainable living in the Seattle barrens. This mission is centered around developing farming techniques and communes both in the urbanized zones and, without much success, in Hell’s Kitchen. The organization mostly focuses on hydroponic farming, to preserve water, but has also been experimenting with the volcanic ash enriched soil.

In addition to organizing farming communes, Icarus also: runs food drives; teaches water conservation, green magical praxes, and ideological seminars; assists unions while lobbying them to promote sustainable manufacturing; and attempts to co-organize with other local leftist groups. The latter efforts are hindered by the suspicion among many residents that Icarus is a cult, owing to the reverence members express towards Alarota. There are also concerns about where Icarus gets its resources from, or the funds to obtain them.

When they want to be, Icarus can be identified by their armbands depicting a horizontal red band over a horizontal green one, with a black wing in the foreground. The group is spread out over the ashbarrow, where members have turned their homes into farms, greenhouses, and meeting centers. However, Icarus also has a large enclave situated in the ruins of Orting Middle School, which has been converted to communal apartments, greenhouses, and hydroponic farms.

Icarus occasionally stirs up trouble with Petrowski Farms, on the basis that the Petrowski family is hoarding and commodifying their crops. Petrowski Farms largely ignores Icarus in return, given that the anarchists just make noise (or hire precise shadowrunners) instead of assaulting their fences like the more violent barrens gangs. Despite this strained relationship, there are rumors the two factions have secretly assisted each other in the past.

===The Reality Hackers===
This gang of runaway corp kids and barrens techno-geeks is largely responsible for much of Ashbarrow having wireless Matrix connectivity at all. Spread over Ashbarrow, Loveland, Puyallup City, and even parts of Tarislar, they consider the AR and VR net of Puyallup district their territory more than any piece of tangible real estate. The Reality Hackers are perhaps best known for dropping cheap wireless relays around the Puyallup barrens. Though the devices are often snatched up by scrappers or whatever passes for local security, the Reality Hackers routinely make it "rain toasters" throughout Puyallup to replace losses. They also search for, refurbish, and maintain the remnants of the 30s - 60s wired Matrix network wound through the city. This is not an act of charity: the Reality Hackers largely fund themselves via piracy and other cybercrime, and most rely on the Matrix in one way or another to defend themselves.

The Reality Hackers began as a small time collective of small time hackers, but their ability to punch above their weight class against corpro cybersecurity (often owing to members being runaways from said corps) drew Yakuza attention. The Reality Hackers were captured and groomed as a weapon by the Watada-''rengo'' for a time, until Hanzo Shotozumi usurped control from the Watada family - at which point the presumed disloyal Reality Hackers were repeatedly sent on suicide missions. In a self-fulfilling prophecy, the surviving Hackers escaped deeper into the barrens, rebuilt, and never forgot. The Reality Hackers ''hate'' the Yaks, and readily team up with anyone looking to take a bite out of the Shotozumi-''rengo''. The gang is also a haven for Japanese and Japanese-corporate exiles.

The Reality Hackers' colors are gold and chrome. Most are as cybered as the individual member can afford, electing for sleek and "electronic" aesthetics prominently displayed. Those who cannot adopt the gang's "fashion" in reality apply it in the Matrix instead.

Rivers in the Barrens:Main Page

2023-05-23T00:58:09Z

NightGoblyn: /* Contacts */

''"The overriding problem is to change the structure of society so that people gain power. The best arena to do that is the municipality — the city, town, and village — where we have an opportunity to create a face-to-face democracy."'' - Murray Bookchin

''"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better."'' — Albert Camus

==Characters==
[[Sunflower]]

[[Ushitara]]

[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Twilight Twilight]

[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Amber Amber]

[[Pyrus]]

[http://www.fedifensor.com/html/games/shadowrun/Promo.htm Promo]

* Players - please add your characters, and pages for them, here!

==Contacts==

'''Joe Jones, AKA Double J [Sunflower]:''' He's a 30ish orc man, who dabbled as a shadowrunner for awhile, but got out of it, because "that shit is bad for your karma, you know?" Cool and laid back, he now works as a bouncer at The Wall, where he's good at talking down rowdy customers before violence happens. Owns a customized Evo Falcon off-road bike, which he occasionally lets Sunflower borrow ("..., but I'm charging you for every new dent I find in her, understand?")

'''Lizzy McDonald [Sunflower]:''' A human woman, aged 24. She's a comparative religions grad student at the University of Washington who is particularly interested in new religious movements (NRM), which includes cults like the one Sunflower grew up in. She's been occasionally interviewing Sunflower about his experiences. She's a fast talker who fixates on the task at hand, often to the exclusion of everything else. She sometimes slums it at The Wall, which is how she met Sunflower.

'''"Crazy Ivan" [Ushitara/Sunflower/Twilight/Amber]:''' Operator of The Wall, a dive bar in northeastern Ashbarrow, who claims to be a retired member of Black Star. This grizzled anarcho-syndicalist dwarven fixer is not at all Russian, but he does speak the language and put on the accent, because "you would not be buyink Kalashnikov from Canadian, da?" Behind the bar's façade, Ivan moves civilian goods, information, and shadowrunner/revolutionary essentials through Ashbarrow and beyond; the notion that he's "retired" is probably more unbelievable than the claims of being ex-Black Star. Ivan has a complicated relationship with Tylr Mikell, owner of the Working Class - Ashbarrow's *other* leftist bar.

'''Victor Nguyen [Ushitara]:''' A "fisherman" who technically lives up in Everett, but frequently comes down the Puyallup River into Ashbarrow. Vic actually does fish, but he's *also* a smuggler and small-time coastal pirate, of the strictly inglorious variety. He's usually full of tales from friends in low places, even when the catch of the day isn't a net full of grenades.

'''Abigail Petrowski [Twilight]:''' A member of the Petrowski family of farmers. Twilight met Abby at Petrowski Farms and befriended her over a mutual love for animals. Abigail knows a lot about what goes on around the farm, but not about that occurs off of it.

'''Kenna Dahl [Amber]:''' Amber's older sister, who works as a bartender at [LOCATION].

'''Gillian Higurashi [Amber]:''' A Horizon News Network investigative reporter willing to brave the barrens for a scoop. Amber suspects Gillian is actually corporate spy, but is willing make trade for the high-level information Gillian is privy too. Of course, that information is filtered through Horizon's interests. Always keep in mind: you are not immune to propaganda.

'''Karli Svensdottir [Amber]:''' A talismonger of Norse magical paradigm whose services Amber makes use of, based out of [REGION]. Markedly amoral, Karli sells her wares to Odinists associated with Humanis and more old-school fascists without hesitation. Her craftsmanship is trustworthy, that's about it.

'''Ahamkara [Pyrus]:''' [WIP]

'''Kseniya Kuznetsov [Pyrus]:''' [WIP]

'''Vassili Sideras [Coppertop]:''' The patriarch of the sprawling and influential Sideras family. The Sideras are mostly orks with a handful of satyrs by birth, but both humans and trolls have married into the family. Vassili owns Sideras Repair and Body, which started as an auto garage about a century ago and has since expanded into all kinds of repair work. He has ties to the Orc Rights Commission, but usually isn't interested in "talking politics" with people.

'''Hordemode [Coppertop]:''' Presents himself as a Reality Hacker that specializes in running swarms of micro- and mini-drones, but only meets in VR. Has a good line on hacked software and illicit drone components.

==Important People==
'''Alarota (He/Him?):''' The founder and presumed leader of Icarus. Doesn't leave the group's headquarters, if he's even still alive. Witnesses consistently describe him as a thin, Latino, human male with dark brown skin and long, greying, black hair. Presumed to be awakened due to the deeds ascribed to him, though separating truth from urban legend is difficult.

'''Dr. Hajera Sultana (She/Her):''' A humanitarian street doc in Ashbarrow, and an open member of the Anarchist Black Crescent (essentially a decentralized, anarchist version of Doctors Without Borders). Dr. Sultana runs the only medical clinic in Ashbarrow worthy of the name, treating those most in need for free.

'''Duane Petrowski (He/Him):''' Patriarch of the Petrowski family, whose farming complex in Puyallup district has defied volcanos, economic collapses, and hordes of go-gangers. Employment on Petrowski's farm is one of the few legitimate paying jobs available to inhabitants of the Puyallup barrens, but his family isn't a charity - they sell their crop for profit.

'''Kenneth Brackhaven (He/Him):''' Governor of Seattle Territory, Brackhaven is a member of the Archconservative Party. Brackhaven's policy focus seems to be advancing his barely veiled human (and white) supremacist agenda. Pounding the old "law and order" canard, many fear Brackhaven will repeat the bad old days of the late 30s under Governor Allison. Brackhaven's economic platform is blatantly pro-corp, with tax cuts and "business friendly" policies exchanged for the assistance of corporate security in the "war on crime."

'''Lon Campa (He/Him):''' Mayor of Puyallup district, and the city's only orcish mayor. Mayor Campa gets his strongest support from Carbonado, but works hard for all inhabitants of the district. Lon is also the first Puyallup mayor in years who isn't a puppet for organized crime, possibly explaining the two attempts on his life since he was elected.

'''Tylr Mikell (They/Them):''' Owner of the Working Class restaurant in "The Weeds" between Puyallup City and Ashbarrow. A democratic socialist, Tylr alternatively cooperates or clashes with the more anarchist elements in the Ashbarrow, while developing strong connections with mainstream center-left Seattle politicians and worker's unions. Their strained relationship with "Crazy Ivan" is renowned in Ashbarrow and the subject of much idle speculation.

'''Vök Rútsson (She/Her):''' Local head of the Rútsson family, who operate the unauthorized Landsblood Artery power plant in Hell's Kitchen. Vök handles the business and community side of the Artery's operations, leaving engineering and maintenance to her sister Voney, Voney's husband August Kresinger, and their employees. Widely believed to have connections to the Stonecutter's Guild.

==Major Concepts==
'''The Blights:''' Local name applied to the sudden slew of widescale problems facing Ashbarrow since early 2072.
* Concrete and brick edifices fracture and crumble as though suddenly exposed to a fierce freeze-thaw or unfelt earthquake. This first type of degradation heavily stems from existing structural weaknesses, but even slight dent and cracks suddenly expand over the course of days to hours rather than months to years.
* Metal tarnishes and rusts at an enhanced pace. Especially worrisome accounts claim even metals that are painted, kept in dry areas, or oiled can begin to oxidize.
* Weeds, ivies, moss, and other encrusting plants grow quickly and spread aggressively - akin to bamboo or kudzu. Anyone with botanical knowledge can tell this isn't entirely natural.
* A new respiratory illness that causes patients to cough up thickening, rust-colored phlegm. Uncreatively called "Rust Throat" by Ashbarrow inhabitants, this illness results in progressive inflammation of the throat and eventually the lungs. Rust Throat is particularly dangerous when combined with inhaling volcanic ash. There are untested claims the disease also causes behavioral alterations.

==Shadowruns==
[[Rivers in the Barrens:BTL Warehouse Run]]

==Setting Information==
'''Year:''' Summer 2072

===Country: UCAS (Seattle Territory)===

The United American and Canadian States is the remnants of the United States and Canada after the Ghost War, the secession of the California Free State, the Confederation of American States, Quebec, and Florida joining the Caribbean League.

While still one of the wealthiest nations in the world on paper and a nuclear power, the UCAS is by and large a hollowed-out shell propped up by the megacorporations. The megacorporations find the continued existence of the UCAS convenient, because they rely on the economic scaffolding and laws laid out by the United States in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

===City: Seattle===

Seattle is a territory of the United American and Canadian States, and the nation’s only remaining port on the west coast of North America. The Seattle area was inhabited by Native Americans of the Duwamish tribe for at least 10000 years before being colonized by Europeans in 1851. The city was retained by the USA, soon-to-be UCAS, following the Treaty of Denver in 2018. Since then, Seattle has existed as UCAS territory while completely enveloped by the Salish-Sidhe Council on all sides. Within the borders of the territory, Seattle expanded into and merged with several satellite cities, including Everett, Redmond, and Tacoma.

The city’s peculiar political position is the product of conflict avoidance, corporate convenience, and mutual benefit between the Salish-Sidhe Council, Tír Tairngire, and the UCAS. The city allows UCAS to maintain a presence on the west coast, gives corporations a port free of the NAN’s strict customs and environmental policies, supports Salish-Sidhe’s tourism industry, grants Tír Tairngire a trade window to the world without completely opening itself up, and gives all three nations around the Emerald City a way to exchange cultural and political dissidents. These competing interests, and the city’s premier placement near national borders by land and by sea, makes Seattle a haven for smugglers and shadowrunners.

The Emerald City is home to over 3,000,000 people in 2072. Seattle is home to a diverse and multifaceted culture, arising from the unique crossroads where people from the UCAS, NAN, Tír Tairngire, many Asian nations, and other international travelers and immigrants meet. Seattle’s original culture is strongly rooted in the old United States, but time, isolation from the main body of the UCAS, and elements from foreign cultures have led to many changes in Seattle’s social character. This social character is further granularized by the metroplex’s division into 1 consular and 11 municipal districts.

===District: Puyallup===

Puyallup is the second major barrens district in Seattle – bigger than Redmond in area, but with less than half the population density. Prior to the Ghost War of 2017, Puyallup was comprised of various Seattle suburbs grading into parks and fertile farmland. Then, in deterrence against the United States’ and Canada's genocidal Resolution Act, Daniel Howling Coyote and allied magicians detonated the Cascade Range in 2017. Puyallup took the collateral damage head-on, as pyroclastic flows and lahars swept down from Mt. Rainier into the southeast Seattle suburbs. The survivors of the eruption were soon joined by exiles fleeing the formation of the Salish-Sidhe Council and the other Native American Nations, unwilling to abide by NAN laws or believe assurances of peaceful co-existence*. Seattle and the megacorporations initially tried to rebuild the Puyallup region, some seeking to exploit lava fields for geothermal energy, but Crash 1.0 derailed those ambitions. Abandoned thereafter, what was left of Puyallup slid into becoming what is now known as a “barren.”

''>* In contrast to the default ''Shadowrun'' lore, in my version of things the NAN reasserted their ancestral rights to the land and attained self-determination without exiling every non-indigenous person. The goal of the NAN was to create a harmonious, culturally diverse, and sustainable society - results since 2018 have varied, but the fears of the refugees who flooded into Seattle never came to pass.

The district’s reputation as one giant refugee camp was cemented in 2039 under the human-supremacist regime of Governor Victor Allison, who rounded up all the city's meta-humans into a series of warehouses for “deportation.” The situation exploded when the Metroplex Guard began opening fire on the trapped masses, with the ensuing slaughter and desperate escape resulting in countless deaths. Protests and riots erupted in a "Night of Rage" as the escapees fled and new of the atrocity broke, some led by metahumans and their progressive human supporters, others led by fascists trying to “finish the job." A large number of metahuman refugees fled to Puyallup in the wake of the Night of Rage and never returned to their former homes. A second Puyallup revitalization effort was subsequently begun, and swiftly abandoned, in the 2040s.

In the three decades since, Mountain Rainer erupted again, several more humanitarian crises ensued, and the SINner population of Puyallup contracted towards Tacoma as the barrens expanded. Throughout it all, a steady stream of debris — both ash and people — trickles into the Puyallup Barrens.

Puyallup district is informally divided into further sub-districts or neighborhoods, most of which are not officially recognized by the metroplex government. The most important of these are:

* '''[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Ashbarrow Ashbarrow]:''' A neighborhood nestled within the rotting shell of abandoned urban sprawl, which experiences regular and severe ashfalls from Mt. Rainier. ''Your neighborhood''.
* '''Carbonado:''' A collection of mining and timber ghost towns re-inhabited by refugees and squatters. The majority demographic is orcs, many of whose families fled here after the Night of Rage, but outcasts of all sorts are welcome in Carbonado’s derelict company apartments and mines. The residents have attempted to salvage from, or even revive, several of the mines.
* '''Hell’s Kitchen:''' An almost uninhabited field of lava flows, geysers, and boiling mudpots left in the wake of Mt. Rainer’s 2017 eruptions. The landscape is largely barren, save for the occasional rusting hulk of a derelict geothermal plant. Tourists and mages on pilgrimage are about the only people who come here, and never for very long.
* '''Loveland:''' The largest sub-district of the Puyallup barrens, Loveland covers the northwest of the region. Loveland is the most densely populated and violent region of Puyallup, with the crime rate driven by competing efforts to control the local vice industry, black market, and smuggling routes. The primary players are the Shotozumi-rengo and the Commissione, but both sides mostly use lesser street gangs as pawns. Despite all that, Loveland actually has (spotty) matrix-linked municipal services, facilities, stores, and restaurants, unlike the rest of the barrens. As a result, it is a popular, if dangerous, destination for tourists looking to slum in the local nightlife.
* '''Petrowski Farms:''' The Petrowski family has stood tall against economic collapse, bandits, and volcanic eruptions for the entire duration of the Sixth World. They still proudly sell their organic produce at the Pike Place Farmer’s Market as they have for more than a century now. That said, some things have changed since the Fifth World, like the triple layered barbed wire and electric fences, or the armed guard towers, or the land spirits said to enrich and defend the place.
* '''Puyallup City:''' Sitting between Auburn and Tacoma, Puyallup City is the district’s seat of governance and where most “legitimate” businesses are located. The residents of this relatively middle class, clean, and safe neighborhood put much political effort into fighting perceptions that Puyallup is a lost cause. The dirty little secret of the “Light in the Ashes” is that Puyallup City is propped up almost entirely by organized crime. Administrations sink or swim (sometimes literally) by their ability to judge if the wind is blowing towards the mafia or the yakuza.
* '''Tarislar:''' The name of this neighborhood means “Remembrance” in Sperethiel. Home to a large population of elvish refugees displaced by the Night of Rage, as well as exiles and thrillseekers from Tír Tairngire, visitors to this neighborhood receive chilly receptions. Completely abandoned by the metroplex government, Tarislar residents only have access to goods and services they can create, gather, or steal. Security is mostly provided by the Laésa, a Tírian crime syndicate.

Rivers in the Barrens:Main Page

2023-05-23T00:57:01Z

NightGoblyn: /* Contacts */

''"The overriding problem is to change the structure of society so that people gain power. The best arena to do that is the municipality — the city, town, and village — where we have an opportunity to create a face-to-face democracy."'' - Murray Bookchin

''"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better."'' — Albert Camus

==Characters==
[[Sunflower]]

[[Ushitara]]

[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Twilight Twilight]

[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Amber Amber]

[[Pyrus]]

[http://www.fedifensor.com/html/games/shadowrun/Promo.htm Promo]

* Players - please add your characters, and pages for them, here!

==Contacts==

'''Joe Jones, AKA Double J [Sunflower]:''' He's a 30ish orc man, who dabbled as a shadowrunner for awhile, but got out of it, because "that shit is bad for your karma, you know?" Cool and laid back, he now works as a bouncer at The Wall, where he's good at talking down rowdy customers before violence happens. Owns a customized Evo Falcon off-road bike, which he occasionally lets Sunflower borrow ("..., but I'm charging you for every new dent I find in her, understand?")

'''Lizzy McDonald [Sunflower]:''' A human woman, aged 24. She's a comparative religions grad student at the University of Washington who is particularly interested in new religious movements (NRM), which includes cults like the one Sunflower grew up in. She's been occasionally interviewing Sunflower about his experiences. She's a fast talker who fixates on the task at hand, often to the exclusion of everything else. She sometimes slums it at The Wall, which is how she met Sunflower.

'''"Crazy Ivan" [Ushitara/Sunflower/Twilight/Amber]:''' Operator of The Wall, a dive bar in northeastern Ashbarrow, who claims to be a retired member of Black Star. This grizzled anarcho-syndicalist dwarven fixer is not at all Russian, but he does speak the language and put on the accent, because "you would not be buyink Kalashnikov from Canadian, da?" Behind the bar's façade, Ivan moves civilian goods, information, and shadowrunner/revolutionary essentials through Ashbarrow and beyond; the notion that he's "retired" is probably more unbelievable than the claims of being ex-Black Star. Ivan has a complicated relationship with Tylr Mikell, owner of the Working Class - Ashbarrow's *other* leftist bar.

'''Victor Nguyen [Ushitara]:''' A "fisherman" who technically lives up in Everett, but frequently comes down the Puyallup River into Ashbarrow. Vic actually does fish, but he's *also* a smuggler and small-time coastal pirate, of the strictly inglorious variety. He's usually full of tales from friends in low places, even when the catch of the day isn't a net full of grenades.

'''Abigail Petrowski [Twilight]:''' A member of the Petrowski family of farmers. Twilight met Abby at Petrowski Farms and befriended her over a mutual love for animals. Abigail knows a lot about what goes on around the farm, but not about that occurs off of it.

'''Kenna Dahl [Amber]:''' Amber's older sister, who works as a bartender at [LOCATION].

'''Gillian Higurashi [Amber]:''' A Horizon News Network investigative reporter willing to brave the barrens for a scoop. Amber suspects Gillian is actually corporate spy, but is willing make trade for the high-level information Gillian is privy too. Of course, that information is filtered through Horizon's interests. Always keep in mind: you are not immune to propaganda.

'''Vassili Sideras [Coppertop]:''' The patriarch of the sprawling and influential Sideras family. The Sideras are mostly orks with a handful of satyrs by birth, but both humans and trolls have married into the family. Vassili owns Sideras Repair and Body, which started as an auto garage about a century ago and has since expanded into all kinds of repair work. He has ties to the Orc Rights Commission, but usually isn't interested in "talking politics" with people.

'''Hordemode [Coppertop]:''' Presents himself as a Reality Hacker that specializes in running swarms of micro- and mini-drones, but only meets in VR. Has a good line on hacked software and illicit drone components.
'''Karli Svensdottir [Amber]:''' A talismonger of Norse magical paradigm whose services Amber makes use of, based out of [REGION]. Markedly amoral, Karli sells her wares to Odinists associated with Humanis and more old-school fascists without hesitation. Her craftsmanship is trustworthy, that's about it.

'''Ahamkara [Pyrus]:''' [WIP]

'''Kseniya Kuznetsov [Pyrus]:''' [WIP]

==Important People==
'''Alarota (He/Him?):''' The founder and presumed leader of Icarus. Doesn't leave the group's headquarters, if he's even still alive. Witnesses consistently describe him as a thin, Latino, human male with dark brown skin and long, greying, black hair. Presumed to be awakened due to the deeds ascribed to him, though separating truth from urban legend is difficult.

'''Dr. Hajera Sultana (She/Her):''' A humanitarian street doc in Ashbarrow, and an open member of the Anarchist Black Crescent (essentially a decentralized, anarchist version of Doctors Without Borders). Dr. Sultana runs the only medical clinic in Ashbarrow worthy of the name, treating those most in need for free.

'''Duane Petrowski (He/Him):''' Patriarch of the Petrowski family, whose farming complex in Puyallup district has defied volcanos, economic collapses, and hordes of go-gangers. Employment on Petrowski's farm is one of the few legitimate paying jobs available to inhabitants of the Puyallup barrens, but his family isn't a charity - they sell their crop for profit.

'''Kenneth Brackhaven (He/Him):''' Governor of Seattle Territory, Brackhaven is a member of the Archconservative Party. Brackhaven's policy focus seems to be advancing his barely veiled human (and white) supremacist agenda. Pounding the old "law and order" canard, many fear Brackhaven will repeat the bad old days of the late 30s under Governor Allison. Brackhaven's economic platform is blatantly pro-corp, with tax cuts and "business friendly" policies exchanged for the assistance of corporate security in the "war on crime."

'''Lon Campa (He/Him):''' Mayor of Puyallup district, and the city's only orcish mayor. Mayor Campa gets his strongest support from Carbonado, but works hard for all inhabitants of the district. Lon is also the first Puyallup mayor in years who isn't a puppet for organized crime, possibly explaining the two attempts on his life since he was elected.

'''Tylr Mikell (They/Them):''' Owner of the Working Class restaurant in "The Weeds" between Puyallup City and Ashbarrow. A democratic socialist, Tylr alternatively cooperates or clashes with the more anarchist elements in the Ashbarrow, while developing strong connections with mainstream center-left Seattle politicians and worker's unions. Their strained relationship with "Crazy Ivan" is renowned in Ashbarrow and the subject of much idle speculation.

'''Vök Rútsson (She/Her):''' Local head of the Rútsson family, who operate the unauthorized Landsblood Artery power plant in Hell's Kitchen. Vök handles the business and community side of the Artery's operations, leaving engineering and maintenance to her sister Voney, Voney's husband August Kresinger, and their employees. Widely believed to have connections to the Stonecutter's Guild.

==Major Concepts==
'''The Blights:''' Local name applied to the sudden slew of widescale problems facing Ashbarrow since early 2072.
* Concrete and brick edifices fracture and crumble as though suddenly exposed to a fierce freeze-thaw or unfelt earthquake. This first type of degradation heavily stems from existing structural weaknesses, but even slight dent and cracks suddenly expand over the course of days to hours rather than months to years.
* Metal tarnishes and rusts at an enhanced pace. Especially worrisome accounts claim even metals that are painted, kept in dry areas, or oiled can begin to oxidize.
* Weeds, ivies, moss, and other encrusting plants grow quickly and spread aggressively - akin to bamboo or kudzu. Anyone with botanical knowledge can tell this isn't entirely natural.
* A new respiratory illness that causes patients to cough up thickening, rust-colored phlegm. Uncreatively called "Rust Throat" by Ashbarrow inhabitants, this illness results in progressive inflammation of the throat and eventually the lungs. Rust Throat is particularly dangerous when combined with inhaling volcanic ash. There are untested claims the disease also causes behavioral alterations.

==Shadowruns==
[[Rivers in the Barrens:BTL Warehouse Run]]

==Setting Information==
'''Year:''' Summer 2072

===Country: UCAS (Seattle Territory)===

The United American and Canadian States is the remnants of the United States and Canada after the Ghost War, the secession of the California Free State, the Confederation of American States, Quebec, and Florida joining the Caribbean League.

While still one of the wealthiest nations in the world on paper and a nuclear power, the UCAS is by and large a hollowed-out shell propped up by the megacorporations. The megacorporations find the continued existence of the UCAS convenient, because they rely on the economic scaffolding and laws laid out by the United States in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

===City: Seattle===

Seattle is a territory of the United American and Canadian States, and the nation’s only remaining port on the west coast of North America. The Seattle area was inhabited by Native Americans of the Duwamish tribe for at least 10000 years before being colonized by Europeans in 1851. The city was retained by the USA, soon-to-be UCAS, following the Treaty of Denver in 2018. Since then, Seattle has existed as UCAS territory while completely enveloped by the Salish-Sidhe Council on all sides. Within the borders of the territory, Seattle expanded into and merged with several satellite cities, including Everett, Redmond, and Tacoma.

The city’s peculiar political position is the product of conflict avoidance, corporate convenience, and mutual benefit between the Salish-Sidhe Council, Tír Tairngire, and the UCAS. The city allows UCAS to maintain a presence on the west coast, gives corporations a port free of the NAN’s strict customs and environmental policies, supports Salish-Sidhe’s tourism industry, grants Tír Tairngire a trade window to the world without completely opening itself up, and gives all three nations around the Emerald City a way to exchange cultural and political dissidents. These competing interests, and the city’s premier placement near national borders by land and by sea, makes Seattle a haven for smugglers and shadowrunners.

The Emerald City is home to over 3,000,000 people in 2072. Seattle is home to a diverse and multifaceted culture, arising from the unique crossroads where people from the UCAS, NAN, Tír Tairngire, many Asian nations, and other international travelers and immigrants meet. Seattle’s original culture is strongly rooted in the old United States, but time, isolation from the main body of the UCAS, and elements from foreign cultures have led to many changes in Seattle’s social character. This social character is further granularized by the metroplex’s division into 1 consular and 11 municipal districts.

===District: Puyallup===

Puyallup is the second major barrens district in Seattle – bigger than Redmond in area, but with less than half the population density. Prior to the Ghost War of 2017, Puyallup was comprised of various Seattle suburbs grading into parks and fertile farmland. Then, in deterrence against the United States’ and Canada's genocidal Resolution Act, Daniel Howling Coyote and allied magicians detonated the Cascade Range in 2017. Puyallup took the collateral damage head-on, as pyroclastic flows and lahars swept down from Mt. Rainier into the southeast Seattle suburbs. The survivors of the eruption were soon joined by exiles fleeing the formation of the Salish-Sidhe Council and the other Native American Nations, unwilling to abide by NAN laws or believe assurances of peaceful co-existence*. Seattle and the megacorporations initially tried to rebuild the Puyallup region, some seeking to exploit lava fields for geothermal energy, but Crash 1.0 derailed those ambitions. Abandoned thereafter, what was left of Puyallup slid into becoming what is now known as a “barren.”

''>* In contrast to the default ''Shadowrun'' lore, in my version of things the NAN reasserted their ancestral rights to the land and attained self-determination without exiling every non-indigenous person. The goal of the NAN was to create a harmonious, culturally diverse, and sustainable society - results since 2018 have varied, but the fears of the refugees who flooded into Seattle never came to pass.

The district’s reputation as one giant refugee camp was cemented in 2039 under the human-supremacist regime of Governor Victor Allison, who rounded up all the city's meta-humans into a series of warehouses for “deportation.” The situation exploded when the Metroplex Guard began opening fire on the trapped masses, with the ensuing slaughter and desperate escape resulting in countless deaths. Protests and riots erupted in a "Night of Rage" as the escapees fled and new of the atrocity broke, some led by metahumans and their progressive human supporters, others led by fascists trying to “finish the job." A large number of metahuman refugees fled to Puyallup in the wake of the Night of Rage and never returned to their former homes. A second Puyallup revitalization effort was subsequently begun, and swiftly abandoned, in the 2040s.

In the three decades since, Mountain Rainer erupted again, several more humanitarian crises ensued, and the SINner population of Puyallup contracted towards Tacoma as the barrens expanded. Throughout it all, a steady stream of debris — both ash and people — trickles into the Puyallup Barrens.

Puyallup district is informally divided into further sub-districts or neighborhoods, most of which are not officially recognized by the metroplex government. The most important of these are:

* '''[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=Rivers_in_the_Barrens:Ashbarrow Ashbarrow]:''' A neighborhood nestled within the rotting shell of abandoned urban sprawl, which experiences regular and severe ashfalls from Mt. Rainier. ''Your neighborhood''.
* '''Carbonado:''' A collection of mining and timber ghost towns re-inhabited by refugees and squatters. The majority demographic is orcs, many of whose families fled here after the Night of Rage, but outcasts of all sorts are welcome in Carbonado’s derelict company apartments and mines. The residents have attempted to salvage from, or even revive, several of the mines.
* '''Hell’s Kitchen:''' An almost uninhabited field of lava flows, geysers, and boiling mudpots left in the wake of Mt. Rainer’s 2017 eruptions. The landscape is largely barren, save for the occasional rusting hulk of a derelict geothermal plant. Tourists and mages on pilgrimage are about the only people who come here, and never for very long.
* '''Loveland:''' The largest sub-district of the Puyallup barrens, Loveland covers the northwest of the region. Loveland is the most densely populated and violent region of Puyallup, with the crime rate driven by competing efforts to control the local vice industry, black market, and smuggling routes. The primary players are the Shotozumi-rengo and the Commissione, but both sides mostly use lesser street gangs as pawns. Despite all that, Loveland actually has (spotty) matrix-linked municipal services, facilities, stores, and restaurants, unlike the rest of the barrens. As a result, it is a popular, if dangerous, destination for tourists looking to slum in the local nightlife.
* '''Petrowski Farms:''' The Petrowski family has stood tall against economic collapse, bandits, and volcanic eruptions for the entire duration of the Sixth World. They still proudly sell their organic produce at the Pike Place Farmer’s Market as they have for more than a century now. That said, some things have changed since the Fifth World, like the triple layered barbed wire and electric fences, or the armed guard towers, or the land spirits said to enrich and defend the place.
* '''Puyallup City:''' Sitting between Auburn and Tacoma, Puyallup City is the district’s seat of governance and where most “legitimate” businesses are located. The residents of this relatively middle class, clean, and safe neighborhood put much political effort into fighting perceptions that Puyallup is a lost cause. The dirty little secret of the “Light in the Ashes” is that Puyallup City is propped up almost entirely by organized crime. Administrations sink or swim (sometimes literally) by their ability to judge if the wind is blowing towards the mafia or the yakuza.
* '''Tarislar:''' The name of this neighborhood means “Remembrance” in Sperethiel. Home to a large population of elvish refugees displaced by the Night of Rage, as well as exiles and thrillseekers from Tír Tairngire, visitors to this neighborhood receive chilly receptions. Completely abandoned by the metroplex government, Tarislar residents only have access to goods and services they can create, gather, or steal. Security is mostly provided by the Laésa, a Tírian crime syndicate.

Cortexthulhu: Damaged Souls

2023-05-22T22:01:41Z

NightGoblyn: /* Character Files/Meta Currencies */

__NOTOC__
[[File:Corthulhu DS 0002.png|500 px|center]]
==Character Files/Meta Currencies==
I will update the Character Table on the wiki each time I update the IC thread. Please do not update the table yourselves. I don't want anyone losing Plot Points or Hero Dice from double subtraction.

If you feel I have forgotten to update the table or that my math is wrong, let me know OOC or DM me and I will fix it. Likewise, if I make a mistake on the Character/GM Complications/Assets lists, let me know and I'll fix it. These also get updated when I update the IC thread.

{| class="wikitable"
| '''Character'''
| '''Played by'''
|
! '''EP'''
|
!'''SAN'''
! [[file:d6a.png|24px|d6]]
! [[file:d8a.png|24px|d8]]
! [[file:d10a.png|24px|d10]]
! [[file:d12a.png|24px|d12]]
|
! '''PP'''
|-
|scope="row" colspan="9"|
|-
| '''[[Damaged_Souls_-_Character 1 | Donny Girard]]'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/iustum.9231/ Iustum]''
|scope="col" rowspan="9"|
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
|scope="col" rowspan="9"|
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
|scope="col" rowspan="9"|
! 1
|-
| '''[[Damaged_Souls_-_Character 2 | Character 2]]'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/blacksheep.2831/ BlackSheep]''
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
| '''[[Damaged_Souls_-_Character 3 | Character 3]]'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/strange-behaviour.186867/ strange behaviour]''
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
| '''[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tz9mjSt5Xub25JfdzVUNbZgAW-WmkXhcddhG3vwf3o8/edit?usp=sharing Alexandra "Alex" Rowe]'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nightgoblyn.56962/ NightGoblyn]''
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
| '''[[Damaged_Souls_-_Character 5 | Character 5]]'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/thorya.156264/ thorya]''
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
| '''[[Damaged_Souls_-_Character 6 | Character 6]]'''
| ''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/kittlefish.62862/ Kittlefish]''
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
! [[file:d0a.png|24px]]
!
!
!
!
! 1
|-
|! scope="row" colspan="13"|
|-
|! scope="row" colspan="13"|
|-
|! scope="row" colspan="13"|
|-
| ! scope="row" colspan="1"|'''GM'''
| Shenanigans
|! scope="row" colspan="9"|''[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/brahnamin.70442/ brahnamin]''
! 6
|-
|}

==Complications and Assets==
[[file:d6a.png|24px|d6]] [[file:d8a.png|24px|d8]] [[file:d10a.png|24px|d10]] [[file:d12a.png|24px|d12]]

Complication [C] '''//''' Scene Asset [S] '''/''' Episode Asset [E] '''/''' GMC Asset [G]
----
----
: [C]
----
----
: [S]
----
: [E]
----
: [G]
----
----

[[Cortexthulhu:_Damaged_Souls#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies | < < < Back to the Top]]

==Our Story So Far . . .==
Click [[Damaged_Souls_-_Story Details | '''HERE''']] for story details leading up to the start of the game as well as access to ''Episode Archives'' and ''Character Archives''.

[[Cortexthulhu:_Damaged_Souls#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies | < < < Back to the Top]]

==Traits and Mods==
Click [[Damaged_Souls_-_Traits and Mods | '''HERE''']] to look at the mods we will be using for this game.

[[Cortexthulhu:_Damaged_Souls#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies | < < < Back to the Top]]

==Character Generation==

Click [[Damaged_Souls_-_Chargen | '''HERE''']] to make or advance your character for ''Cortexthulhu: Damaged Souls''.

[[Cortexthulhu:_Damaged_Souls#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies | < < < Back to the Top]]

==Expectations/PBP House Rules==
Click [[Damaged_Souls_-_Expectations | '''HERE''']] to see ''Game Expectations'' and ''House Rules'' for this game. This section contains guidelines for ''Resource Bidding'' and ''PVP'' play for this game.

[[Cortexthulhu:_Damaged_Souls#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies | < < < Back to the Top]]

==Game Resources==
Click [[Damaged_Souls_-_Game_Resources | '''HERE''']] for helpful links to game threads and offsite resources.

[[Cortexthulhu:_Damaged_Souls#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies | < < < Back to the Top]]

==Alternate Players==
*[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?members/nex.31778/ '''Nex''']
*'''-'''
*'''-'''
*'''-'''
*'''-'''

[[Cortexthulhu:_Damaged_Souls#Character_Files.2FMeta_Currencies | < < < Back to the Top]]

[[File:Corthulhu DS 0002.png|500 px|center]]