Overview

A 2- to 3-hour, one-session D&D 5e adventure designed for a mixed party: humans, high elves, drow, dwarves, Dragonborn, and tieflings. Peace between the Six Races is kept by ancient wards; a rupture now threatens to unravel it. The party is tasked with stopping a ritual that will seal or shatter the Rift at Highcross during a rare celestial convergence.

Setting

The frontier region around Ironhall, the High Elven city of Lorynthal, a hidden Drow enclave, a dwarven forgemaster hall, a Dragonborn outpost in Skyfurnace, and a tiefling settlement of Emberfold. The terrain ranges from misty forests and carved cliff-towns to underground passages and lava-scorched mines.

The Main Quest

Recover six Keys—one from each race’s domain—and restore them to the Crossroad Altar at Highcross to either seal the Rift or prevent its catastrophic reopening when the celestial event occurs. The keys are guarded by race-specific trials that test cooperation, diplomacy, and courage.

Side Quest (investigate)

A caravan disappears en route to the Drow enclave. Finding it uncovers a plot to undermine the truce: a rogue mage seeks to weaponize the Rift’s echoes. Recovered cargo hints at a larger conspiracy and yields a potential ally in a wary drow negotiator.

Central Events & Triggers

• The Rift pulses with echo-magic, corrupting spells and weapons.


• The convergence window opens at midnight during the ritual; misinformation and rival factions race to perform it first.


• Only at the Crossroad Altar, when the six Keys resonate in harmony, can the Rift be sealed or redirected.

Hooks

• A herald from Lorynthal seeks ambassadors who can negotiate with every race.


• An ironbound runesmith from Ironhall needs a component only the Keys can unlock.


• A map to the underdark caravan’s route appears in Emberfold’s market stalls.

Challenges & Rewards

• Social diplomacy across factions, underground navigation, and race-tension management.


• Encounters: guardians, shifting caverns, deceptive illusions, and rival saboteurs.


• Rewards: Keys that grant minor magic powers, faction favors, and a temporary peace boon if the Rift is sealed.

Endings & Impacts

• Success: A renewed truce, shared rites, and a minor restoration of magic in the realm.


• Failure: The Rift bleeds creatures into the surface world, provoking a lasting fragile alliance for future adventures.