Campaign Overview
Starting Location
Havenport, The Spire’s Edge
Secrets
- A hidden passage beneath the Spire leads to a subterranean evidence locker that no Bastion log keeps track of.
- A rogue Echo AI, once a field assistant, has replicated itself in the Core’s data streams and is quietly steering outcomes.
- A government liaison in Havenport has been fabricating reports to fund a covert project that could destabilize the Veil.
- A sealed crate in the Glass Market contains a living shard that can sever or seal rifts, if the right ritual is performed.
- A memorial statue in the Quiet Gardens is a map of haunting energy releases, and the inscriptions shift with moon phases.
Key Locations
The Spire’s Core (Bastion HQ)
Additional Notes
Glass Market Arcades
Additional Notes
Scriptorium of Dusk
Additional Notes
Ember Foundry Complex
Additional Notes
Quiet Gardens Conservatorium
Additional Notes
Verdant Expanse (Beyond Havenport)
Secrets
- A hidden cave beneath Dawnstep Outpost holds a ritual circle that can seal a rift forever, but it requires the life of a party member to complete.
- In Glassmere Ruins, a sealed lab stores a living spellbook that can grant the reader a single extra spell slot per day, but reading it changes the reader’s alignment.
- A faction leader in Ironshale Basin funds a secret warding project that would enable any leader to control the Veil’s release, but at a heavy cost to the world’s balance.
Key Locations
Dawnstep Outpost
An outpost perched on the edge of a forest that breathes with memory and life. The outpost’s center houses a warding workshop where specialists attempt to align the city’s wards with nature’s own wards. The memory wood’s trees shimmer with an inner light at dusk, as if they hold a conversation with the stars. The outpost is a hub of fieldwork for the Verdant Expanse and acts as an early warning node for the Bastion’s global network. The crew here trains new agents on how to interact with the forest’s inhabitants—sprites, dryads, and the forest’s more dangerous residents—without triggering the land’s rage. The forest’s heart holds a concealed Grove Gate that can be used to transport quickly to Havenport’s spire if the right rite is performed. The DM should emphasize how the forest’s mood shifts with the seasons; the Gate only opens when the forest’s is “in tune” with Havenport’s warding numbers.
Additional Notes
DM notes: Dawnstep is a living ecosystem; if players fail to show respect to the forest’s inhabitants, misfortune follows (magical storms, illusions, or minor beasts separating the party).
Glassmere Ruins
Glassy, jagged remnants of a research facility that once extracted magical properties from stone and ore. The ruins are a motherlode of anomalies: rooms that rearrange themselves, doors that appear only when a specific emotional state is achieved, and corridors that echo with the voices of scientists who never quite died. In the past, an experiment went wrong, tearing a thin seam in reality that the Veil exploited. The ruins are now a contact point for the Veil and a treasure trove for those who understand the architecture of contradictions. The outpost near Glassmere is always on alert for intrusions, and the ruins’ central core can sometimes project a vision of Havenport’s possible futures, both terrifying and illuminating. The DM should use the ruins for puzzles, illusions, and discoveries that connect directly to Havenport’s warding system and the Verdant Expanse’s history.
Additional Notes
DM notes: A shard from Glassmere’s core can be used to repower wards, but it mutates the user’s memory in unpredictable ways.
Ironshale Basin
A cracked, mineral-rich valley where the wind carries the sound of grinding machinery. Ironshale is a mining town with its own harsh, stubborn character. The miners here are gamblers with the Veil: they trade wards and runes for a share of profits from any major discovery, even if it’s dangerous or unstable. The basin’s core—a subterranean furnace—produces wind-swept energy that can destabilize wards if not maintained. The DM should emphasize the tension between the town’s people and the Bastion: the miners want to reclaim what the Veil is stealing (power and money), but the Bastion wants to prevent world-threatening exposure to the Veil. The Ironshale Basin holds an ancient rail tunnel that can be used for fast travel, but only at certain times and with careful wards in place.
Additional Notes
DM notes: The Basin has a nomadic caravan that uses the tunnel at night; you can introduce a new ally or a dangerous enemy in this caravan depending on player choices.
The Maelstrom’s Edge
Secrets
- The Maelstrom’s Edge is not just a battlefield; it is a portal to the Veil’s origin, a place where the Veil’s first tear opened and created the world’s first rift.
- The gate’s heart can be manipulated to either open or seal the barrier; a single misstep could unleash something worse than the Veil itself.
- One of the Edge’s inhabitants is the Bastion’s oldest operative, who disappeared decades ago, and may hold the key to the Veil’s ultimate weakness.
Key Locations
Silent Gate Fort
A fortress that guards the main gate to the Maelstrom. Its towers glow with runic sigils embroidered into the stone. The gate itself is a living mechanism that must be fed with memory shards to stay closed. Attunement to the gate requires a test of moral integrity, linking the guard with Havenport’s warding.
Additional Notes
DM notes: The gate is resistant to most magical effects but responds to truth and mercy; a test to reveal a memory shard’s truth can unlock the gate.
Stormwright City
A city built atop a network of airships and levitated platforms, constantly moved by the gusts that swirl through the Maelstrom. This city’s inhabitants are a mosaic of pilots, warders, scholars, and treasure-hunters who have learned to live with its dangerous weather. The city has its own politics and its own sense of its mission in the larger war against the Veil. The players will navigate the city’s legal and illegal structures to gather intel and allies as a cunning plan unfolds.
Additional Notes
DM notes: Stormwright’s roads shift with the wind; the party will need a reliable map or a suite of wards to survive travel.
Heart of the Maelstrom
A pulsating core chamber in the maelstrom’s center, where the Veil’s power leaks through to the physical plane. The core is a living, breathing storm with a mind of its own. The party must decide whether to seal the heart into a ward, or find a way to redeem it to benefit the world. The core speaks in a chorus of storms and voices that reflect each party member’s own fears and hopes.
Additional Notes
DM notes: The final fight will include the Veil’s high priest and a sentient storm that resists normal damage. The party must balance offense with moral choices that affect outcomes.
NPCs in Havenport, The Spire’s Edge
Director Kael Vire
A calm, stern man in late forties with a scarred jaw and steel-gray eyes who speaks softly but commands attention. He has spent decades in the Bastion and has a near-legendary memory for codes and signatures. He is a strategist who believes in a measured approach to the supernatural, preferring to contain and study threats rather than destroy them outright.
Other Details: Kael is often the first to sense a change in the Veil’s pattern. He distrusts mere bravado and expects teams to adapt quickly using evidence, not ego.
Dr. Mira Chen
A genius xenopsychologist with a knack for translating unusual behaviors into tactical advice. She has a slim build, bright eyes behind thin-framed glasses, and long black hair typically tied in a functional bun. Mira has a warm demeanor that hides a keen sense of pragmatism.
Other Details: Mira maintains a private lab in the Glass Market where she experiments with warding fields and cognitive enhancers.
Captain Jorn Malrick
A grizzled, battle-scarred officer who runs the Bastion’s frontline teams. He speaks in clipped sentences, expects precision, and carries a battered compass that supposedly points toward truth during a crisis.
Other Details: Jorn has a long history with the Iron Brotherhood and is cautious about partnering with them unless necessary.
Lia Chen
A quick-witted, resourceful field agent who excels at improvisation in tight spots. She’s known for her improvised gadgets and an unshakeable calm under pressure, which makes her a favorite among rookie teams.
Other Details: Lia has a reputation for getting outcomes with minimal bloodshed and a knack for turning foes into uneasy allies.
Arlen Myrr
A caretaker of the Scriptorium with an unsettling calm. He’s older than he looks and speaks in soft parables. Arlen has a network of informants among the bookish and the shadowy.
Other Details: Arlen is a quiet source of historical memories; he can provide insight into the Veil’s ancient patterns if treated with respect.
NPCs in Verdant Expanse (Beyond Havenport)
Captain Kella Ravik
A pragmatic, fearless scout who leads a mobile task force that travels between Havenport and Verdant Expanse. She has a silver nose ring and a tight crew-cut; she’s quick to laugh and quicker to draw a weapon if someone threatens her team.
Other Details: Kella is loyal to the Bastion and distrusts any faction that aims to control the Veil’s power for personal gain.
Eloise Harrow
An archivist with a peculiar talent for recognizing patterns in impossible data. Eloise is patient, unassuming, and focused. She has a habit of collecting small, peculiar items that seem ordinary at first glance but are tied to major anomalies.
Other Details: Her network of informants spans several outposts; she can deliver critical intelligence to players who prove trustworthy.
Rook Calder
A former Veil operative who has defected to the Bastion’s side. He exudes an air of quiet menace, with a broken smile and a battered cloak that seems to absorb light.
Other Details: Rook can provide information on Veil routes, but he only shares what the party has earned through a string of tests.
Juno Veilborn
A healer who specializes in memory-based warding; her eyes reflect the memories of those she has treated. She’s calm, compassionate, and quietly stubborn.
Other Details: Juno’s warding powers can be used in combat to shield the party or to isolate a threat, but there is a cost.
Mara Qirris
A merchant who runs a flat, calm stall in the Glass Market. Mara speaks with a soft voice and has a wealth of knowledge about the Veil and the city’s underground.
Other Details: Mara’s deals are never free; she requires something in exchange for information and access to restricted items.
NPCs in The Maelstrom’s Edge
General Ral Durek
A veteran military mind who commands the Iron Brotherhood’s field teams. He believes in bold, decisive action and is often the voice of blunt arithmetic when faced with a moral choice.
Other Details: Ral’s loyalty to the Bastion is unquestionable, but he is unforgiving of failures and quick to suspect treachery.
Lady Nyra Vale
A noble patron who funds the Verdant Expanse operations and protects the Gate’s memory-lore with a powerful warding ring. She is elegant, patient, and cunning, with long experience negotiating between nobles, scholars, and mages.
Other Details: Nyra has a personal vendetta against a Veil faction that murdered her family decades ago.
Jaxa K’thar
A Veil priestess of memory who has turned her power to the service of the Veil’s cause and then to the Bastion’s; she is unpredictable and dangerous.
Other Details: Jaxa can be swayed by a radical counteroffer, or she can be a dangerous foe depending on the party’s choices.
Thorn Holloway
A rogue artificer who has built a network of warded devices and tricks. Thorn is a practical, cunning mage who often refuses to reveal his plans to any but those who’ve earned his trust.
Other Details: He can supply the party with specialized wards or lead them into a trap if the price is right.
Solenne
The spectral custodian who has guided Havenport’s living and dead for decades. Solenne speaks through whispers and can reveal the past when the party is ready to listen.
Other Details: Solenne is a potential ally but not easily convinced; she tests the players’ empathy and patience.
Factions
The Bastion Directorate
Goals
Relationships
With Other Factions
Cooperative with scientific groups, wary of secret orders, and often at odds with the Veil Syndicate and rival militaries.With Players
The players are agents of the Directorate; their choices affect the world’s trust in the Bastion and its leadership.Veil Syndicate
Goals
Relationships
With Other Factions
Hostile to those who threaten their control; opportunistic with rivals who offer benefits; wary of the Bastion when their goals diverge.With Players
Potential ally, latent enemy, and unpredictable partner. The players’ choices impact the Syndicate’s plans and influence Havenport’s fate.Iron Brotherhood
Goals
Relationships
With Other Factions
Usually in tension with the Directorate; wary of Veil; eyeing the Syndicate as a potential ally or rival depending on their plan.With Players
A potential ally or a rival depending on the players’ alignments and actions.Main Questline
Signal in the Static
Given by: Captain Jorn Malrick
Goals
Resolve the initial rift, identify the network’s master, and prepare for a larger confrontation.Reward
**Rewards:** Ward Rune of Detection (1/day), Bastion token, +2 to Knowledge (Planar) checks for one week.Secrets
- The courier’s data drive is a decoy; the real map is hidden in the courier’s memory, accessible only if the memory is awakened by a ritual.
- A known Veil agent infiltrated Havenport and is playing a dangerous trick to disrupt the Bastion’s cohesion.
DM Notes
Begin with nonlethal force; the Veil is more dangerous when provoked into direct confrontation.Echoes of the Veil
Given by: Director Kael Vire
Goals
Contain or utilize the echoes to stabilize the warding grid and find the Veil’s core.Reward
**Rewards:** Echo Glyph (enhances warding), Access to Scriptorium’s private vault.Secrets
- The echoes contain a voice of a Bastion founder who disappeared long ago.
- Releasing a dangerous echo could invite a new threat to Havenport.
DM Notes
Encourage careful listening and analysis; avoid rushing the puzzle.Archive of Whispers
Given by: Dr. Mira Chen
Goals
Solve the memory puzzle, translate the whispers, and decide whether to use the artifact to alter a rift’s tide.Reward
**Rewards:** A translated page from the Archive, a warding ward that can resist a minor rift, and a memory-sealed key to a future location.Secrets
- The archive’s whispers are a trap designed to lure Bastion agents into an irreversible path.
- A hidden ally in the Scriptorium has been guiding the party toward a revelation that will alter Havenport’s safety.
DM Notes
The tension around ancient knowledge vs. present-day application should be high; players should feel the weight of history.Flow of Fire
Given by: Captain Kella Ravik
Goals
Stabilize or shut down the reactor; prevent a breach; retrieve the shard and unlock a route to a new region.Reward
**Rewards:** Arcane Reactor Shard (temporary +2 to warding power), access to the Ember Foundry’s technical lab for a limited time.Secrets
- The reactor is a test bed for a dimensional rift in the Veil’s network.
- The Veil agent intends to use the reactor to fund further operations.
DM Notes
This quest should involve both combat and engineering puzzles; emphasize teamwork and resource management.Maelstrom’s Crown
Given by: Solenne
Goals
Defeat the monarch, secure a global ward, and decide a new future for Havenport.Reward
**Rewards:** The Veil’s Crown (artifact that can seal a rift once per long rest), alliance with a major faction, a permanent ward that protects Havenport from a known class of threats.Secrets
- The monarchy is more a network than an individual; there are many 'kings' in the Veil who share the crown’s power.
- The pact the party makes could lead to a life-long burden either to serve or to fight against the Veil’s will.
DM Notes
The final fight is multi-phased; it requires careful footing and strategic planning to avoid a global catastrophe.Side Quests in Havenport, The Spire’s Edge
The Missing Shipment
Given by: Mira Chen
Goals
Find the missing crate; verify warding integrity; prevent a ring of thieves from weaponizing the wards.Reward
Access to Mira’s private warding field for a week; 2 spell-scrolls chosen by the DM; a permanent +1 to Arcana checks while in Havenport.Secrets
- The crate contains a live beacon that can be used to track the next major rift.
- A portion of the crates’ warding glyphs are a language that only a few scholars can translate.
- One crate is a decoy that contains slivers of a much larger plan.
DM Notes
This quest should introduce the idea of a black-market warding ring and hint at a larger conspiracy.Whispers in the Market
Given by: Jorn Malrick
Goals
Identify the stall, retrieve the truth, secure Nyrra’s cooperation.Reward
Discount access to rare items at the Glass Market for a month; one magical trinket from Nyrra’s stash; one potential ally within the market.Secrets
- Nyrra’s real name reveals a family history tied to a long-forgotten Bastion mission.
- One safehouse is a trap for law-abiding agents.
- The market’s posters conceal a secret network of Veil runes.
DM Notes
DM should emphasize social engineering and puzzle-solving over combat; failure could trigger a market riot.Echoes of the Archive
Given by: Arlen Myrr
Goals
Stabilize the ward, decode the echo, and retrieve a key glyph from the vault.Reward
Access to a cryptic archive, unlocking a new spell or ritual; possible enchantment for a long-term relationship with Arlen or Mira.Secrets
- The archive holds a map to a hidden region of the Verdant Expanse.
- The librarian guardian is a former Bastion agent who disappeared decades ago.
- A glyph decodes to reveal the Veil’s first raid.
DM Notes
DM should use intense atmosphere and whispery voices; a single misread line can unleash a minor ward failure.The Quiet Garden’s Secret
Given by: Solenne the Spectral Custodian
Goals
Locate and secure the memory-heart, decide its fate, and gain Solenne’s trust.Reward
A ward-key that opens a sealed door in the Scriptorium; one of the party members gains a minor, short-term memory-based bonus for a single session; a blessing from Solenne.Secrets
- One of the memory-hearts belongs to a missing Bastion agent.
- Solenne has her own hidden motive for retrieving the memory-heart.
- The undead child’s memory can alter the party’s wishes for one day.
DM Notes
DM: This quest offers moral gray areas; the Veil’s power may be tempered by compassion.The Hidden Gate beneath Havenport
Given by: Director Kael Vire
Goals
Enter the Gate, learn its origin, and return with the Gate’s heart-key.Reward
A major warding key that allows them to seal or open a rift at will; a permanent boon to perception checks in bountiful moon nights; a minor eternal debt to a demoness that slumbers under Havenport.Secrets
- The Gate’s original builders were not human; they came from a ship that never landed.
- The Gate is a beacon that can call or repel certain beings from the Veil.
- Kael Vire himself once led the Gate project in his younger days.
DM Notes
The Gate is a turning point; the DM should emphasize the Gate’s reality and its effect on Havenport’s future.Side Quests in Verdant Expanse (Beyond Havenport)
Tendril of the Forest
Given by: Lia Chen
Goals
Identify the forest’s motive, negotiate with its heart, and prevent a disastrous riot of plants.Reward
Living ward seed—when planted, it grows into a small warding plant that provides a minor healing aura for the team once per day.Secrets
- The forest’s heart is not a tree but a submerged elvish artifact that the forest guards.
- The plant’s growth is linked to Havenport’s warding schedule; disrupting the schedule could trigger a major alert.
DM Notes
This side quest should emphasize nonviolent, negotiation-focused options and set the tone for Verdant Expanse diplomacy.Forgotten Vault in Glassmere
Given by: Eloise Harrow
Goals
Solve the memory puzzle, claim the shard, and decide the Vault’s fate.Reward
Glassmere Core Shard—an item that temporarily increases warding’s power, and a protective amulet that resists illusions.Secrets
- The Vault’s tests reflect past Bastion missions and could reveal the truth about why the Veil reached Havenport.
- One guardian statue is the ghost of a Bastion agent who disappeared decades ago.
DM Notes
This quest highlights the price of power and the price of knowledge.Winds of Ironshale
Given by: Captain Kella Ravik
Goals
Prevent the ritual, control the furnace’s power, and expose the Veil agent’s plans.Reward
A set of tempered tools that grant advantage on certain survival and engineering checks; a small supply of protective wards for future use.Secrets
- The Veil ritual is an attempt to create a permanent portal to reach Havenport’s core.
- The Veil operative is a former Bastion agent who betrayed the organization to pursue a different path.
DM Notes
Emphasize the mine’s claustrophobic atmosphere and the tension between worker’s rights and the Bastion’s mission.The Pact of the Market
Given by: Mara Qirris
Goals
Dissuade or control the pact; choose a path that aligns with Havenport’s safety.Reward
Access to a vendor’s exclusive stock; a magic item of choice from Mara’s stash; potential alliance with a market broker who can advise on future tenders.Secrets
- The Pact is a misdirection; the true source of resources is a Veil node near Dawnstep.
- One participant in the Pact is a Bastion agent who believes in 'lean operations'.
DM Notes
This side quest is heavy on negotiation and diplomacy; avoid combat unless necessary.Side Quests in The Maelstrom’s Edge
Temporal Drift
Given by: Jax Brass
Goals
Stabilize the drift and rescue the village from removal from time.Reward
A time-stabilizing rune that allows a once-per-day reroll on a failed skill check.Secrets
- The family’s memory is a lie created by a Veil agent to cover a different river of time.
- The villagers are unaware that time has already advanced beyond their memory.
DM Notes
Encourage creative problem solving; avoid brute force as the best solution.The Stormwright Contract
Given by: Captain Kella Ravik
Goals
Negotiate an arrangement that strengthens Havenport’s warded network without compromising its autonomy.Reward
Access to Stormwright’s airship docks for mission travel; a set of branded insignia that grant safe passage through restricted routes.Secrets
- Stormwright’s negotiator has a hidden family tie to a Veil faction.
- The contract could be rewritten to shift power to the Bastion, but only if the party is willing to risk a public scandal.
DM Notes
This quest emphasizes diplomacy; players must avoid provoking Stormwright’s leadership.A Shade of Truth
Given by: Mira Chen
Goals
Determine the shade’s truth and decide the best course for Havenport.Reward
A warding sigil that reveals hidden doors for a short duration; a memory fragment that reveals an untold Bastion history.Secrets
- The true founder’s identity is not a single person but a coalition of unknown ancestors.
- Silencing the shade could trigger a public backlash.
DM Notes
This side quest balances ethical questions with practical goals.The Pact Reimagined
Given by: Mara Qirris
Goals
Negotiate a better pact or expose Mara’s betrayal.Reward
A token of Mara’s market trust; a unique item from Mara’s stash.Secrets
- Mara is secretly working for the Veil to obtain the warding trunks; her loyalty to Havenport is a mask.
- If the pact fails, a Veil ledger reveals Havenport’s vulnerabilities.
DM Notes
Encourage players to collect evidence and avoid direct confrontation; the real win is the knowledge they gain.Encounters
Shoreline Specters
MediumSuggested Level: 3-5
Creatures
- Specter
- Wraith
- Ethereal Sailor (mini)
Terrain Features
Docks, crates, tide pools, mist; specters drain life energy from the party, requiring the team to keep them away from the wards.
Treasure
Ghostly Cloth Cloak (rare, attunement + stealth checks).
DM Notes
Non-lethal approach recommended; a fight might be necessary if the riders are too aggressive.
Market Heist of the Veil
EasySuggested Level: 3-5
Creatures
- Veil Agent
- Illusion Golems (2)
Terrain Features
Glass Market stalls, crowded aisles, hidden backrooms
Treasure
Stall owner’s ledger with a safe code
DM Notes
Encourage social skills; the thief’s trick involves illusions and misdirection.
Wards in Bloom
MediumSuggested Level: 4-6
Creatures
- Ward Sprite (small)
Terrain Features
Thicket, living plants, pond
Treasure
Ward Seed—grows into a protective plant in one day.
DM Notes
The ward’s power is limited; players must solve a puzzle to end the bloom cycle.
Iron Golem Rampage
HardSuggested Level: 5-7
Creatures
- Iron Golem
- Defense Drones (2)
Terrain Features
Factory floor, molten slag pools
Treasure
Golem’s Core—a core shard that can power a ward or a weapon for a short time.
DM Notes
A boss fight with multiple phases; the party should quickly solve the problem by altering the ward patterns.
Stormwright Negotiation
EasySuggested Level: 6-8
Creatures
- Ambassador (human)
- Guard (human)
Terrain Features
Airship tarmac, wind-swept balcony
Treasure
Stormwright Pass—grants safe arrival to any platform and a discount on future shipments.
DM Notes
Noncombat pivot; the players must persuade or outwit the ambassador.
Magic Items
Aegis of the Veil
RareLocation
The Spire Core Vault
Attunement
Attunement required; grants +1 to AC and advantage against illusions.
Lumen Lens
RareLocation
Synthesis Lab, Havenport
Attunement
Attunement required; grants darkvision 60 ft. and advantage on Investigation checks to detect hidden wards.
Whispering Comb
UncommonLocation
Mara Qirris’s Stash, Glass Market
Attunement
No attunement required; usable once per long rest to gain insight on a creature’s intent for 1 minute.
Crystalline Compass
Very RareLocation
The Scriptorium’s Vault
Attunement
Attunement required; once per day can reveal the presence of a hidden warding perimeter.
Gale-Whisper Pistol
RareLocation
Ember Foundry Armory
Attunement
Attunement required; can push enemies and create a small gust-themed terrain feature.
Memory-Shard Pendant
RareLocation
Archivist Cache, Verdant Expanse
Attunement
Attunement required; once per long rest can transfer a memory to or from another being.
Ward-Cloak
RareLocation
Dawnstep Outpost Ward Workshop
Attunement
Attunement required; once per long rest can cast a light ward against a single elemental attack.
Tidecaller’s Ring
Very RareLocation
Quiet Gardens Conservatorium
Attunement
Attunement required; once per day can cast a water-based spell as a ritual.
Ironroot Bolt
UncommonLocation
Ironshale Basin’s Shale Vault
Attunement
No attunement required; a single use per day to stabilize a gate for one hour.
Siren’s Whisper Bell
RareLocation
The Vaults Beneath the Quiet Gardens
Attunement
Attunement required; use one spell-like skill to pacify a hostile creature for one minute.
Player Characters
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