Campaign Overview
Three centuries ago, brave champions destroyed the mad god Thalor with the God-Relic, yet in victory fell victim to its corrupting will. Now, these fallen heroes reign as the Iron Lords—immortal tyrants whose arcane dominion extends into every mind and settlement. The world is a tapestry of illusions and spectral enforcers, ruled from a floating Citadel wreathed in storm and shadow.
In the remote borderland of Hewnvale Frontier, whispers of a daring heist ignite rebellious hearts. A coalition of master thieves, fallen mages, and exiled nobles forms an unlikely fellowship. Their audacious goal: steal the God-Relic from the impenetrable Vault of Eternity at the Citadel’s apex, shatter the Iron Lords’ immortality, and free their enslaved souls.
Journey through haunted taverns plotting rebellion and mines echoing with vengeful wraiths. Traverse the perilous Blackspire Marsh, where drowned temples and toxic bogs conceal fragments of arcane power. Cling to life on a stolen skyship assaulted by flying constructs as you ascend storm-lashed skies. Within the Citadel, master labyrinthine traps in the Hall of Mirrors, confront your deepest fears in the Chamber of Wills, and invoke the potent but perilous Shatter Invocation in the Obsidian Vault.
Allies await in secret enclaves: the Freeblade Conclave’s daring guerrillas, the Circle of Sealed Runes’ arcane scholars, and the druidic Elders of the Wildwood protecting nature’s last sanctuaries. Side quests abound—rescuing bound heroes, brewing antidotes for soul-warping toxins, and sabotaging anchors that tether the Citadel’s runic wards.
Challenges test your resolve: diplomacy under the gaze of mind probes, stealth amid spectral sentinels, puzzle-solving in shifting corridors, and brutal combat against corrupted champions. Corruption points track your resistance to the relic’s whispers—too few, and you may fall; too many, and you risk heralding a new tyranny.
Will you sever the Iron Lords’ unholy reign and reclaim the world from shadow? Or succumb to the very power you seek to destroy? The fate of the realms rests on your courage, cunning, and unbreakable will. Embark now upon the Shadows of the Iron Lords—where legends are shattered or forged anew.
Starting Location
Hewnvale Frontier
Secrets
- An unmarked tunnel under Raven’s Rest leads directly to a Citadel scry-pod.
- A rebel cipher embedded in the tavern’s floorboards reveals patrol schedules.
- Echoing Caverns’ reflective pool hides a message from the original heroes.
- Whispering Pines fungus resists enchantments if eaten as a paste.
- Hewnvale’s soil near the shrine grows metal-resistant plantlife useful against the Lords’ constructs.
Key Locations
Raven’s Rest Tavern
Raven’s Rest occupies a battered stone building under a gnarled oak. Inside, mismatched tables creak beneath the weight of stolen goods and hushed planning sessions. Lanterns cast long shadows over rough-hewn benches; the air smells of stale ale, burning tallow, and anxiety. Half a dozen regulars—hungry exiles, vengeful widows, and shady information brokers—jam the bar, always glancing toward the back door. A narrow stair leads to cramped attic rooms where fugitives hide overnight. Behind the bar, a tapestry stolen from a Citadel governor flutters over a secret panel concealing coded rebel dispatches. Every nail, every stone, seems to bear witness to whispered oaths to overthrow the Iron Lords. The proprietor, Kaiyah Dorn, claimed the lounge’s name after a spectral raven that guided her out of captivity—now its likeness appears in every illicit flyer plastered around the region.
Additional Notes
This tavern is a hub for side-quests and intel. Patrons have shifting loyalties; a barkeep might become a traitor if pressured by illusions from the Citadel. Watch for secret trapdoors under the stage where smugglers store contraband. NPCs here can be blackmailed or won with bribes. Repeated visits grant more rumors but risk detection by disguised soul-scryers hidden among the staff.
The Iron Lash Watchtower
Perched on a rocky promontory overlooking the main road, this half-ruined tower bristles with arcane antennae—crystal spires that beam mental probes across the Frontier. Its rusted iron gates serve as both obstacle and beacon to travelers, who must kneel to enchanted helm-scripts reciting loyalty oaths. Guards—hulking iron-forged constructs—patrol the ramparts, eyes glowing with otherworldly light. Below, miners’ cottages gather dust, their wells choked with debris. A desecrated shrine to Thalor stands in the courtyard, its broken statue used as a platform for public spell-castings meant to cow dissenters. In the tower’s lowest cell, a surviving cultist nursemaid tends to a child born with a fractured soul—an unintentional side effect of living too close to the Citadel’s lingering corruption.
Additional Notes
Use illusion magic to bypass its mind-probing crystals. A hidden ladder behind the statue leads to a neglected shaft to the roof. If players disable a crystal, its feedback can stun nearby constructs for one round. Guards automatically trigger an alarm glyph that summons spectral riders unless dispelled first.
Whispering Pines Mines
A tangle of collapsed tunnels and rusted rails, Whispering Pines Mines were once famed for gleaming iron ore. Now they echo with mournful groans as restless shadows drift among broken carts. Faint runic scars on the walls resonate with hysterical whispers whenever anyone speaks—echoes of miners trapped when a section caved in under a dark ritual. Luminous fungus grows near veins of corruptive ore, staining pickaxes with black ichor that seeps into the soul. The mine’s southern chamber opens onto a cliffside overlook, where a secret lookout used by rebel scouts offers brief safety.
Additional Notes
Hidden among the fungus is a small rare herb that counters illusion enchantments (grants advantage on next saving throw vs illusions). A secret cartway under rubble leads to an unmonitored exit. Shadows here can coalesce into Wraith Miners if disturbed. A Geas trap forces characters to reveal allies’ names if they utter a lie in the chamber.
Echoing Caverns
Beneath a waterfall’s roar, a vast cave system opens into a cathedral-like hollow with stalactites dripping silver water. Strange glyphs carved centuries ago by death cultists line the walls, pulsing faintly when moonlight strikes. Echoes here can mask footsteps, but also distort voices, luring wanderers into hidden abysses. Suspended rope bridges cross bubbling chasms full of pale blind fish—edible but rumored to induce prophetic visions.
Additional Notes
A secret mechanism behind a stalagmite wall reveals a narrow passage. Drinking cave water grants advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks once per day but curses visions that can’t be dispelled unless you ingest a Blessed Pearl. Rope bridges are rigged to collapse under more than 500 pounds at once. GMs can use echoing effects to confuse PCs’ location tracking.
The Hollow Shrine
Deep in the woods, an open-air shrine to the old gods stands overgrown with brambles and ivy. Stone pillars depict Thalor’s defeat; shattered chains lie at their base. Scattered around are carved runestones that emanate protective wards, now flickering. Beneath loose limestone slabs, offerings—ancient coins, dried flowers, shards of divine bone—lie undisturbed. At night, moonlight activates glyphs that guide pilgrims along safe forest paths—but also broadcast their locations to the Citadel’s soul-scryers.
Additional Notes
Four hidden pressure plates around the shrine must be pressed in sequence to open the central crypt. The crypt houses a Bound Lantern that reveals invisible creatures. If the lantern is lit under an eclipse, it shows glimpses of past events tied to the Iron Lords’ origins.
Blackspire Marsh
Secrets
- A sunken vault beneath the causeway holds a shard of the God-Relic.
- Corpse lilies’ toxin can be refined into a potent paralytic dart coating.
- Temple murals conceal a star chart pointing to the floating citadel’s approach vector.
Key Locations
Temple of the Drowned Echo
Three moss-slick steps lead into a flooded sanctum with murals depicting submersion rituals. Water-level grooves on pillars tell of rising tides. An altar half-submerged in brackish water exudes an aura of compulsion, forcing entrants to kneel. Below, a submerged crypt houses skeletal priests clutching rune-inscribed tablets.
Additional Notes
Dispel water-level enchantment with Remove Curse or Force damage. Each tablet grants a Vision Spell (like Augury) once per tablet.
Bogheart Glade
A small island within the swamp where flora thrives. Carnivorous vines twist around stumps; giant fungus pods rise from the muck. A circle of standing stones radiates anti-magic fields, protecting a hidden portal to an under-swamp cavern network where cultists smuggle relic fragments.
Additional Notes
Anti-magic field radius 15 ft. Recognizing portal glyphs requires Arcana DC 18. Disable vines with fire-based attacks.
Shrouded Causeway
A narrow wooden path rotting under foot, connecting the forest edge to the temple heart. Tension-thorn barricades entangle intruders, and brooding detritus spells hide concealed pressure plates. At night, spectral stag illusions roam, their silent steps luring travelers off the path into waist-deep mud.
Additional Notes
Fog masks gates—Perception DC 15 or Survival DC 17 to stay on track. Pressure plates trigger darts coated in sleep toxin (save DC 13 or fall unconscious).
Citadel of Chains
Secrets
- A hidden side chamber stores the first God-Relic fragment removed by the original heroes.
- The distorted sphere above can be tuned to replay Thalor’s final scream—disorienting enemies.
- One iron throne holds the soul of an uncorrupted hero who can aid in the final ritual if freed.
Key Locations
Hall of Mirrors
An endless hall lined with floor-to-ceiling mirrored panels that reflect infinite corridors. Each mirror can manifest a doppelgänger that tests the party’s resolve. Hidden levers beneath the floor align reflections to open side passages when manipulated in the correct sequence. Failing to solve the mirror puzzle summons spectral duplicates of the Iron Lords’ greatest champions.
Additional Notes
Puzzle: intelligence saving throws (DC 15) uncover patterns. Doppelgängers use party stats. Mirrors are fragile (AC10, 20 HP), shattering one disrupts adjacent illusions.
Chamber of Wills
A domed chamber with a swirling vortex above, where each intruder’s fears coalesce into physical form. Seated at the base are skeletal thrones bearing the Names of the Corrupted. Pillars inscribed with runic wards absorb Will saves; those who lose become trapped as echoes. The only way forward is to quell your own illusions by confronting personal regrets—a Wisdom saving throw or a unique roleplay moment determined by the DM.
Additional Notes
Save DC 16 or suffer disadvantage on next attack. Echo traps hold you in place for 1 turn unless freed by an ally.
Obsidianshard Vault
A spherical sanctum of black glass cradling the God-Relic on a floating pedestal. Seven runic chains tether the dome to six arcane anchors. Each chain is keyed to a Virtue—Courage, Compassion, etc.—that must be attuned by channeling a corresponding emotion or magic. The Relic glows crimson, pulsating with both divine wrath and seductive whispers promising ultimate power.
Additional Notes
To unlock a chain, the party must succeed on a skill challenge (DC 17) tied to the Virtue. If a chain breaks incorrectly, it releases a shockwave: Dex save DC 15 or be stunned. The final ritual requires each PC to contribute a vow, which can lead to corruption if not monitored.
NPCs in Hewnvale Frontier
Celina Farrow
A disillusioned former Citadel scryer, graceful but haunted eyes.
Branock Shale
Gruff ex-miner with a prosthetic iron arm that doubles as a war pick.
Mira Thaloris
Disgraced noblewoman in tattered finery, scheming to reclaim her title.
NPCs in Blackspire Marsh
Ysaline Murkfoot
Hulking swamp witch with algae-green skin and rivulet hair.
Cassian Vore
Former Citadel scout shipwrecked years ago; he wears swamp-resistant gear.
Brother Kellis
Fanatic cultist survivor; shackled hands stained with ritual blood.
NPCs in Citadel of Chains
Lord Caius Ironbraid
Tall, brazen-haired veteran whose eyes glow with unholy light.
Lady Thessa Soulveil
Silken voice chanting endless psalms, her lips never still.
Baron Varric Nighthorn
Masked figure in black iron garb with bull horns.
Factions
The Freeblade Conclave
Goals
- Overthrow Iron Lord tyranny
- Recover divine relics to restore mortal rule
- Reestablish a council of free cities
Relationships
With Other Factions
They clash with the Circle of Sealed Runes over methods but cooperate with the Elders of the Wildwood for resources. Distrust the Scryer’s Syndicate due to mind-control tech.With Players
They are official patrons; players earn favor by completing main quests and can call on their safehouses and contacts.Circle of Sealed Runes
Goals
- Secure and neutralize all divine relic fragments
- Prevent misuse of powerful magic
- Restore balance between magic and mortal will
Relationships
With Other Factions
Often at odds with the Freeblade Conclave’s direct tactics; share uneasy truce with the Elders of the Wildwood. They despise the Scryer’s Syndicate for perverting magic.With Players
Offer knowledge and spells in exchange for relic shards. May withhold support if they suspect players intend to wield relic power.Elders of the Wildwood
Goals
- Safeguard nature sites corrupted by Iron Lord magic
- Heal the land’s wounds from relic fallout
- Ally with other factions to topple the Citadel’s mechanical grasp
Relationships
With Other Factions
Cooperate with Freeblade Conclave on guerrilla strikes, share information with the Circle of Sealed Runes on relic locations. Remain neutral toward Scryer’s Syndicate.With Players
Provide healing sanctuaries and nature-based aids. Demand service in restoring corrupted groves.Main Questline
Spark of Rebellion
Given by: Celina Farrow
Goals
• Acquire witness accounts • Steal the stolen ledger from the WatchtowerReward
- Rebel Emblem (grants safe passage among resistance cells)
- 300 gp split
- Leads to next mission
Secrets
- Ledger suggests the floating citadel’s route.
- Branock’s brother works under the Lords as a forgemaster.
DM Notes
Use social skill checks; encourage creative infiltration methods.Shards of the Past
Given by: Mira Thaloris
Goals
• Defeat the wraith guardians • Secure the Relic shardReward
- Shard of Relic (removes illusion field)
- Potion of Mind Shield
- Unlocks Marsh passage
Secrets
- Wraith leader was the original hero’s lieutenant.
- Shard hums louder near the floating citadel.
DM Notes
Provide environmental hazards; players can learn shard’s resonance.Marsh of Despair
Given by: Cassian Vore
Goals
• Destroy all arcane anchors • Reach the makeshift dock at dawnReward
- Airship passage from smuggler crew
- 500 gp compensation
- Leads to Citadel entry
Secrets
- Cultists scatter fragments to other regions.
- Sabotaging anchors can summon a minor storm elemental.
DM Notes
Include dynamic hazards: acid bog, shifting ground.Stormbound Ascent
Given by: Smuggler Captain Elira Stormwind
Goals
• Repel 3 waves of skyborn constructs • Stabilize the ship’s rudder arrayReward
- Safe Arrival to Citadel Platform
- Magical harness grants flight for short bursts
- Readies final infiltration
Secrets
- Stormwind betrays if she’s not paid enough.
- A hidden compartment carries a second Relic shard.
DM Notes
Use aerial combat rules and environmental hazards like lightning strikes.Vault of Eternity Infiltration
Given by: Overheard Citadel Herald
Goals
• Navigate all three Vault layers • Perform the Shatter Invocation • Withstand Relic’s corruptive backlashReward
- God-Relic (campaign finale item)
- Title: Breakers of Chains
- Epilogue determined by corruption checks
Secrets
- Relic whispers can seduce PC wills.
- The shattered chains echo Thalor’s voice for final roleplay twist.
DM Notes
Epic final battle; track corruption points and allow redemption or downfall endings.Side Quests in Hewnvale Frontier
Mine the Corrupted Vein
Given by: Branock Shale
Goals
• Harvest 3 vials of corrupted ore • Escape the mine without triggering the spectral guardiansReward
• 500 gp worth of ore; 2 potions of advantage on Insight saves • Brannock’s personal guide for one additional travel daySecrets
- The wraiths guard a hidden cache of rebel supplies
- The mine’s depths hide a journal by the original adventurers
DM Notes
Scale spectral wraiths to party level. Allow players to discover ore’s secondary properties through experimentation.Smuggler’s Run
Given by: Mira Thaloris
Goals
• Deliver 5 crates intact • Avoid construction patrols or disable them silentlyReward
• 300 gp • A map to an unguarded Citadel waste chuteSecrets
- One crate contains illegal runes Mira plans to sell
- A young priest knows a counter-spell against the Citadel’s gaze
DM Notes
Consider random patrol checks; allow creative use of environmental noise to distract constructs.Pilgrimage of the Moonlit Path
Given by: Celina Farrow
Goals
• Translate 5 lunar runes • Complete the ritual without detectionReward
• Token of shielding (grants once-per-day immunity to divination) • Celina’s scryer’s veil (a cloak of advantage vs mind probes)Secrets
- A hidden ledger in the shrine details Thalor’s final invocation
- Lantern fuel must be mixed with certain herbs to avoid backlash
DM Notes
Use skill challenges for the ritual; adjust DCs for translation and stealth checks.Broken Chains
Given by: Branock Shale
Goals
• Locate ritual components in the Watchtower • Free the prisoner and escort her to Raven’s RestReward
• Blessed Pendant (+1 AC vs spell attacks) • The prisoner’s gratitude: future safe haven in exchange for infoSecrets
- The Watchtower chapel stores a holy relic
- The prisoner can commune with Thalor’s lingering essence
DM Notes
Include traps in the Watchtower chapel and a moral dilemma about trusting the prisoner.Fungal Antidote
Given by: Celina Farrow
Goals
• Harvest 6 antidote mushrooms • Brew 3 doses by midnightReward
• 2 potions of Mind Shield (advantage on saving throws vs charm) • Celina’s personal favor (to be called in later)Secrets
- The antidote double-cures lycanthropy for one moon cycle
- A hidden druid circle safeguards the mushrooms
DM Notes
Use nature checks to differentiate fungi; consider time pressure for brewing.Side Quests in Blackspire Marsh
Rite of the Mudfall
Given by: Brother Kellis
Goals
• Harvest toxin from 4 lilies at dusk • Retrieve singing shell without alerting the statuesReward
• Lilly’s Vial (1 charge of paralysis poisons) • Kellis’s cult robes (+1 stealth in swamp conditions)Secrets
- The shell summons actual spirits that can be bargained with.
- Kellis intends to use the ritual to bind new followers, not free minds.
DM Notes
Allow social skill checks to negotiate with statues or resist poisonous spores.Mangrove Ambush
Given by: Cassian Vore
Goals
• Destroy 3 nests • Optional: slay the queen in the central sinkholeReward
• 200 gp • Cassian’s Salvager’s Hook (grants advantage on climbing checks near water)Secrets
- One nest hides a drowned pirate captain’s cursed sword.
- The creatures retreat if their queen is slain, visible deep in a central sinkhole.
DM Notes
Nests emit acid splash (Dex save DC14). Queen is a Swamp Hag (use coven stats).Side Quests in Citadel of Chains
Liberation of the Lost Hero
Given by: Baron Varric Nighthorn
Goals
• Locate the hidden cell under Varric’s dais • Break or exploit the fetters without alerting sentinelsReward
• Hero’s Guidance (advantage on final ritual roles) • A shard of the God-Relic (partial immunity to corruption)Secrets
- Freeing him also shatters part of the soul chain protecting the Vault.
- Binding him to new wills grants bonus control spells.
DM Notes
Present moral dilemma; choices affect final battle reinforcement.Upper Deck Sabotage
Given by: Lord Caius Ironbraid
Goals
• Place charges on all anchors • Detonate synchronously with an arcane stormReward
• 400 gp explosive materials • Caius’s honorary Chain of Valor (+1 to initiative)Secrets
- Anchors can be re-tuned to weaken the Lords’ immortality pool.
- One charge can be rerouted to open a side door to the Hall of Mirrors.
DM Notes
Use skill challenge for stealth; storm timing is a 1-in-4 random roll.Encounters
Wraith Ambush
MediumSuggested Level: 4-6
Creatures
- 3 Wraiths
Terrain Features
Narrow tunnels with loose rails causing difficult terrain. Chambered echos that disorient ranged attacks.
Treasure
100 gp hidden in a collapsed tunnel.
DM Notes
Scale number of wraiths if party is large. Use darkness to advantage.
Will-O’-Wisp Swarm
HardSuggested Level: 5-7
Creatures
- 5 Will-o’-wisps
Terrain Features
Slippery moss, waist-deep mud on either side.
Treasure
A pouch of phosphorescent mushrooms (used as torches).
DM Notes
Wisps target lone characters. Allow Nature checks to ward them off.
Skybound Construct Raid
DeadlySuggested Level: 6-8
Creatures
- 4 Arcane Sky Sentinels (homebrew)
Terrain Features
Open deck with torn sails causing disadvantage to stealth.
Treasure
Magic harness components for flight bursts.
DM Notes
Use aerial combat rules; wind gusts can knock players prone.
Mirror Doppelgängers
HardSuggested Level: 7-9
Creatures
- Party doppelgängers
Terrain Features
Reflective panels, illusions hide real doppelgängers.
Treasure
Mirror shard that acts as a one-use dispel magic.
DM Notes
Challenge players to distinguish reflections; Int or Investigation DC 15.
Spectral Riders
EasySuggested Level: 3-5
Creatures
- 2 Spectral Knights
Terrain Features
Fog reduces visibility to 20 ft.
Treasure
An enchanted bridle that tames spectral mounts.
DM Notes
Knights retreat if reduced below half HP, calling reinforcements.
Magic Items
Rebel Emblem
RareLocation
Reward from Main Quest 1
Attunement
True—must swear an oath to the rebellion
Shard of the Past
Very RareLocation
Whispering Pines Mines
Attunement
True—absorbs arcane signatures
Airship Harness
UncommonLocation
Smuggler’s Run side quest
Attunement
False
Cloak of the Scryer’s Veil
RareLocation
Pilgrimage of the Moonlit Path
Attunement
True—worn under headgear
Bound Lantern
UncommonLocation
Hollow Shrine crypt
Attunement
False
Chainbreaker Blade
Very RareLocation
Held by Lord Caius Ironbraid
Attunement
True—requires oath against tyranny
Soulveil Whip
RareLocation
Used by Baron Varric Nighthorn
Attunement
False
Phosphorescent Mushrooms
CommonLocation
Encounter Treasure: Will-o’-Wisp Swarm
Attunement
False
Blessed Pendant
RareLocation
Broken Chains side quest
Attunement
True
Obsidianshard Amulet
LegendaryLocation
Hidden in Vault side chamber
Attunement
True—binds to the God-Relic
Player Characters
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