Campaign Overview

Shadows of the Fallen Realm

A once-bright world now lies under an unending eclipse. The tyrant Overlord Vexar has shattered kingdoms, twisted magic into instruments of oppression, and cast the land into eternal darkness. Only scattered enclaves of survivors—clinging to hope by candlelight—resist his merciless legions.

You are a band of adventurers, drawn by rumors of legendary riches beyond a mysterious portal. Upon stepping through ancient standing stones on a windswept cliff, you find yourselves stranded in this dystopian nightmare. The portal seals behind you, your only way home lost. Faced with monstrous patrols, corrupted arcana, and the pervasive despair that grips every heart, you must carve a path through ruin.

Shattered city-states riddled with mutant beasts, desert fortresses in ashen wastes, and the final Obsidian Spire—Vexar’s seat of power—stand between you and a new dawn. Along the way you will form uneasy alliances with the Lightbearers, a secretive order of divine champions; the ragged Forgotten Resistance; and even turn Vexar’s own inner circle against him. Each region poses unique challenges: stealthy forays through haunted ruins, brutal skirmishes beneath living stone, and moral crucibles where compassion clashes with necessity.

Twisted magic must be cleansed with relic shards; ancient sigils reforged to shatter impenetrable wards; and lost rituals recovered from half-destroyed catacombs. Side quests bring moral dilemmas—will you save a desperate village at the risk of alerting patrols? Steal forbidden artifacts that may corrupt you? Each choice shapes the battlefield for the final assault.

Your ultimate goal: breach the Obsidian Spire, dismantle the Heart of Darkness, and face Overlord Vexar himself. Only by harnessing shards of light, uniting disparate factions, and defying despair can you restore dawn to this world. The fate of countless souls hinges on your courage. Will you rise from the shadows, or will the fallen realm consume you forever?

Prepare your weapons, rally your allies, and step into the darkness—heroism awaits in the shadows of the fallen realm.

Starting Location

The Blighted Coast

The Blighted Coast stretches along a shattered shoreline where perpetual storms whip jagged rocks and crashing waves, the sky painted in ashen grays and blackened purples. Once a bustling maritime hub, its ruined piers jut into swirling mists and boards lie broken beneath half-sunken fishing boats. A constant lightning flare reveals skeletal buildings inland, their collapsed roofs and scorched masonry standing as hollow memorials. Scattered survivors huddle in hidden enclaves carved into cliffside caverns or within ruined warehouses, eking out supplies by scavenging seaweed and wreckage. Dark, mutated creatures prowl the shoreline at night, their twisted forms emerging from shadow to snatch the unwary. Atop a windswept promontory stands an ancient standing stone ringed by strange runes, the remains of a portal long dormant—until your arrival. Rumors whisper that beneath the salt-stained earth lies a network of long-forgotten tunnels, made by an age before darkness conquered these lands. Every gust of wind seems to carry lamentations from lost souls, and the horizon vanishes into the endless gloom. This is where your party finds itself stranded, with only shattered hope and the flicker of that unexpected gateway.

Secrets

  • A hidden smugglers’ tunnel under the docks leads to a secret cache.
  • The warped oak’s roots conceal an entrance to an ancient druid shrine.
  • A coded message in the catacombs points to Vexar’s next warcamp.

Key Locations

Portal Cliff

Perched on a narrow ledge above churning black waters, Portal Cliff is dominated by the shattered standing stone circle that once powered the gateway. Moss and lichen cling to carved runes, now dimly glowing with unstable magic. Lightning strikes illuminate cracks in the stone arch, and the wind carries a low hum of arcane resonance. Below, waves crash against eroded precipices, sending salty spray upward. The ground here is slick with algae, concealing deep fissures that drop into the sea. Rusted fragments of ancient machinery lie half-buried beneath wind-blown sand, hinting at a long-lost civilization’s attempt to harness planar travel. Every storm heightened by dark energy seems to breathe life into the ruins, as ghostly images flicker around the stones at twilight. Explorers claim they hear faint voices and feel unseen hands brushing their backs, urging them closer to the abyss. This perilous perch is the only known site where the portal might reopen—if its power can be reclaimed.

Additional Notes

This is the campaign’s entry point. Runes here change color with party actions. DM can tie weather to magical resonance checks.

Ruined Harbor

The remains of the harbor stretch for half a mile along the shore, broken piers leaning at odd angles and barnacled support beams jutting from the water like skeletal ribs. Rusted chains and shuttered warehouses harbor mutated rats the size of dogs, and flitting shadows hide ghoulish water-spawn. Once-prosperous fishing boats are half-submerged, their decks slick with oil and coral growth. The smell of rotting fish and brine is overwhelming, broken only by the hiss of steam venting from corroded kettles used by survivors to boil seaweed soup. A collapsed lighthouse stands at the harbor’s mouth, its beacon lantern extinguished, though occasional sparks flicker as faint wards react to moonless nights. Beneath the old warehouses lie supply caches overlooked by opportunistic scavengers, but many claim the real treasure is hidden in a sealed boathouse where the ruling families kept a mysterious “lightstone.” Locals dare not approach after dusk, when cries echo across the water—some swear it is the wail of drowned sailors, others that twisted merfolk patrol these depths.

Additional Notes

Include moving platforms of debris during a storm, forcing balance saves. Provide hooks for retrieving the “lightstone.”

Ashen Village

Set in the lee of the cliffs, Ashen Village is a cluster of soot-black thatched huts and decaying stone cottages. Every roof and fence is coated in a fine layer of ash carried on the relentless winds, muffling footsteps and dulling color. A stagnant stream runs through the village, its waters tinted rust-red from iron deposits and toxic runoff. The villagers—gaunt survivors wrapped in ragged cloth—eye strangers warily, clutching crude weapons made from driftwood and scavenged metal. They whisper furtively of “the Harvester,” a monstrous creature that slinks through alleyways at night, snatching livestock and occasionally villagers. In the center stands a well, dry and cracked, where a cursed spirit is said to slumber; its farewell cries once awakened, it promises to grant a boon or curse in return. Old tattered signposts point to distant family homesteads, now reduced to smoking ruins. The moans of the wind through broken shutters resemble distant lamentations, and many adventurers have reported fleeting glimpses of pale apparitions drifting between houses after midnight.

Additional Notes

The Harvester can be a recurring threat. The well’s spirit offers a moral choice: power or release.

Hidden Enclave

Tucked beneath the overhangs of a collapsed cliffside warehouse, the Hidden Enclave serves as a clandestine refuge for resistance fighters. Wooden platforms and canvas awnings perch precariously over sunken stone floors, connected by rope bridges that sway over shadowy chasms. Soot-blackened walls are lined with maps and hastily scribbled plans, illuminated by lanterns fueled with alchemical phosphor. A low hum of whispered strategy drifts through corridors, and the scent of gunpowder mingles with the brine-tinged air. Makeshift workshops craft everything from crude crossbows to mutated beast traps, while supply crates from fallen caravans are sorted and rationed. At its heart, a warped tree trunk anchors the hideout—an ancient oak infused with corrupted mana that glows faint purple. Here, hopes for rebellion are nurtured, even as trust is precious and betrayal common. Secret doors lead deeper into natural caves below, rumored to house an artifact stolen from Overlord Vexar’s army. Only those proven loyal may descend.

Additional Notes

This safehouse can serve as a recurring base. The warped oak grants mysterious boons and risks.

Corrupted Grove

A small wood of gnarled trees stands south of the village, each trunk blackened and twisted by dark magic. The ground is slick with oily sap that glows sickly green beneath moonlight, and mutated creatures—a blend of forest animals and shadow—skulk between the undergrowth. Tangled roots form natural traps that ensnare the unwary, and phosphorescent fungus glows on fallen logs. Birdsong is absent; instead, an eerie silence presses in, broken only by distant croaks of unseen amphibians. Ancient standing stones lie half-submerged in moss, their carvings eroded but still pulsing with malignant energy. A clear pool at the grove’s center reflects an impossible sky, not the perpetual gloom above but a shimmering twilight—portal echoes or illusions, none know. Druids who once guarded this grove have vanished, and now only their hollow hollows remain, inhabited by furtive ghost-sprites. Some say if you drink from the tainted pool, you glimpse your darkest fears made manifest.

Additional Notes

Random shadow-mutated beasts patrol. Grove can shift its layout each day.

Forgotten Catacombs

Beneath the ash-dusted churchyard at the village’s edge lies the entrance to the Forgotten Catacombs, long sealed by iron grates and wards. The stone steps descend into labyrinthine tunnels lit by dripping bioluminescent fungi that cast unsettling shadows on vaulted ceilings. Rusted skulls of fallen crusaders and broken tomb slabs line the corridors. Stagnant pools of foul water block some passages, home to bloated rat-king horrors. Acidic drips from overhead stones form shallow craters in the flagstones, and the air grows thick and metallic. At the lowest level, a sealed chamber contains the sarcophagus of a once-mighty paladin whose restless spirit is said to guard a fragment of “Light’s Heart,” a shattered divine relic. Intricate traps—pressure plates and whirling blades—protect the inner vault. Cryptic glyphs warn of unleashing shadow-wraiths if the seal is broken. Few dare delve these depths without precise knowledge, and those who return speak of haunted screams echoing behind them.

Additional Notes

Use dynamic lighting to simulate phosphorescence. Trap reset timers encourage speed.

Ashfall Desert

Beyond the Blighted Coast’s cliffs lies the Ashfall Desert—a vast expanse of black-dusted dunes and shattered mesas under a sky perpetually streaked with smog and ember. Windstorms carry fine volcanic ash that scorches exposed flesh and clogs breathing, forcing travelers to don makeshift veils. The ground crackles with latent heat, and steam vents hiss beneath unstable crusts. Occasional petrified forests of obsidian trees create labyrinthine canyons where mutated scorpions and sand wyrms hunt. Hidden among the dunes are the ruins of the Ember Citadel, once a flaming palace where Vexar’s lieutenants conducted dark rituals. Now its broken walls still pulse with smoldering mana, forming dangerous oases of corruption. Several oases of foul water offer brief respite but risk inflicting madness if drunk. Ancient trade caravans—now inverted skeletons of horse and cart—mark paths to caravanserai turned prison camps. In this hostile realm, magic flickers unpredictably, warping spells or creating dangerous anomalies. Only by navigating ruined roads, deciphering half-eroded maps, and forging alliances with dune nomads can one hope to cross Ashfall Desert alive.

Secrets

  • A hidden channel beneath the brazier in Ember Citadel holds ritual notes.
  • Nomad elders know a safe wind corridor through Cinderwind Pass.
  • A smuggler marked one vertebra with a secret compass symbol.

Key Locations

Ember Citadel Ruins

At the heart of Ashfall Desert loom the crumbling remains of the Ember Citadel, an obsidian fortress scarred by flame and corruption. Torrents of smog pour from shattered ramparts, and glowing cracks ooze molten mana, forming pools of fiery sludge. Stalwart towers have collapsed inward, creating chokepoints filled with jagged debris. Within the central keep, a massive brazier once fueled elemental portals; now its inverted runes pulse with malevolence, summoning flame wraiths into the night. The throne room’s floor is fractured, revealing glowing lava flows beneath—daring intruders risk fiery falls. In one hall, blackened tapestries depict Vexar’s rise, hinting at a hidden vault under the throne dais. Heat-bent mirrors in the courtyard once projected illusions of grandeur, but now reflect scorching rays back onto foes. Exploring the Citadel demands extreme caution: molten traps, animated armors scorched by cursed fire, and shifting walls that realign to trap invaders. Yet survivors speak of a sealed vault containing a corrupted sigil fragment vital to weakening Vexar’s defenses.

Additional Notes

Use dynamic heat zones causing exhaustion. The shifting walls create a mini-maze.

Obsidian Oasis

Amid black dunes stands a rare pool of inky water, its surface broken by petrified tree roots jutting like claws. The Oasis is ringed by high ridges of volcanic glass that shimmer at dawn. Drinking its water grants temporary vision through illusions, but prolonged exposure poisons the mind—dreamlike hallucinations of past tragedies. Beneath the glass shards live crimson skitters—mutation-ridden crustaceans that guard the pool. Legend tells of a hidden grotto beneath the oasis floor, reachable only when its waters recede under a blood moon. Inside is a petrified statue of an ancient druid queen, clutching a staff rumored to harness cleansing rains. Recovering that staff could help purge corrupted magic elsewhere, but the Oasis’s defenses include elemental water mephits and illusive shadow serpents. Guides among the dune nomads can provide insights into safe approach patterns.

Additional Notes

Hallucinatory effects require Wisdom saves. Grotto emerges only under specific lunar conditions.

Cinderwind Pass

This narrow canyon cuts through a field of jagged basalt spires, where scorching winds funnel between walls to create scorching gusts and dust devils. Beneath the swirling ash lies an old trade route, partially visible through crumbling waystones carved with ancient runes. Travelers can take cover in wind-eroded alcoves, but these often contain vents of sulfurous gas that leave victims coughing and blind. Bandit clans—descendants of caravaneers—ambush merchants here, using illusions cast by residual portal magic to disorient targets. A half-collapsed bridge of obsidian spans a chasm, offering the only crossing, but its supports creak under weight. At the pass’s entrance stands a monolithic statue of a forgotten god, its eyes missing; some believe the missing gems lie hidden nearby. Surviving nomads speak of ghost caravans re-appearing in the wind storms before vanishing into the sands, dragging new travelers with them.

Additional Notes

Obsidian bridge collapse can be triggered. Gas vents require Perception to avoid.

Scorchbone Carapace

A colossal sand wyrm’s fossilized skeleton—half-buried in dunes—creates a natural fortress. Its rib bones arch overhead, protecting a hollow where refugees once sheltered during storms. Within, makeshift tents cling to bleached bones, and a small bazaar hawks trading goods between nomad tribes. At night, bioluminescent lichen glows along vertebrae, illuminating secret passageways that lead deeper into the skeleton’s skull. These caves hold rare mushroom spores prized by alchemists and a half-broken steampunk transmitter once used by a Resistance splinter cell. However, wild flame fiends use the tunnels to enslave local ghouls, and mutated wyrm-spawn prowl the outer slopes. Capturing this site could secure a vital waypoint across the desert.

Additional Notes

Lichen requires stealth. Fiendish creatures patrol by scent.

Obsidian Spire

The final stretch leads to the Obsidian Spire—Vexar’s imposing fortress that rises like a black tooth from the Deadlands. Jagged obsidian walls absorb light, and rivers of molten nightflow stream from spire vents. The surrounding Deadlands are a wasteland of broken armor shards, haunted graves, and pools of necrotic sludge. Wraith-knights patrol the parapets, and gargoyles of living stone lie in wait along twisting battlements. The spire’s interior is a labyrinth of shadow-forged halls, eternal flame pits, and war-forged golems. Echoes of incantations reverberate through void-tuned corridors, fueling scrying devices that watch every move. An elevator of raw mana connects levels: the Throne Hall at its apex, where Vexar channels corrupted planar energies through the “Heart of Darkness”—a massive crystal that sustains his tyranny. Below lies the Prison of Echoes, where captured heroes’ souls scream in perpetual torment. Only by dismantling the Heart and overcoming Vexar’s enforcers can the realm see dawn once more. This is the crucible of rebellion and the site of the campaign’s final showdown.

Secrets

  • An ancient escape tunnel runs from Gate of Midnight to the coast.
  • Labyrinth rune keys can be found in the Prison of Echoes.
  • The Heart of Darkness houses a benevolent shard at its core.

Key Locations

Gate of Midnight

The northern gate is a colossal obsidian arch carved with writhing reliefs of chained souls. Two massive doors studded with glowing runes bar entry, and twin sulfurous braziers flank the portal. Wraith-knights stand guard on elevated platforms, while shadowy sentinels patrol the dry moat below. A bridge of living darkness retracts and extends on command, controlled by arcane symbols above the gate. Siege engines powered by soul-ether pulse behind the walls, ready to repel any assault. Pressure plates buried in the approach trigger ports that unleash poisonous mists. Rumor holds that one of the guard captains once fell in love with a captive priestess; his lair beneath the gate hides secret tunnels into the fortress. Only by defeating him and claiming his sigil badge can the bridge controls be overridden.

Additional Notes

This gate serves as first battle. Include siege-style obstacles and sigil puzzle.

Shadow Labyrinth

Within the outer walls, a twisted hedge maze of obsidian walls and shifting corridors confounds intruders. Phased shadows drift through the halls, sometimes merging with party members to hinder progress. Light sources behave erratically, flickering or extinguishing entirely. The maze has three known exit shrines, each requiring a different rune key found elsewhere. Hallucinations manifest—visions of fallen companions or false doors luring explorers into traps below. Animated statues of knights challenge interlopers to tests of honor, offering clues if bested in duel. Hidden alcoves hold supply caches or prisoner cells slashed open by crazed wraiths. Only those who decipher the labyrinth’s pattern of runes can navigate to the inner sanctum.

Additional Notes

Use illusion spells and shifting hallway mechanics to disorient players.

Prison of Echoes

Beneath the spire, this dungeon of steel bars and echoing chambers holds the souls and bodies of Vexar’s enemies. Dark energy flows through filament veins in the walls, generating oppressive psychic pressure. Cells contain half-mad prisoners who murmur secrets or hiss warnings. The specter of the paladin Sariel haunts the deepest level, offering cryptic guidance in exchange for release. Trap-riddled corridors include sonic disruptors that fracture spells and soul-leech wards that sap strength. Keys are crafted from crystallized misery and must be shaped on-site by freeing lesser spirits from torture chambers. Portions of the prison are flooded with acidic slime, and goo-soaked zombies roam randomly. Rescuing allied souls can grant temporary buffs but risks awakening the prison’s warden: a massive shadow golem animated by thousands of voices.

Additional Notes

Long corridors encourage resource management. Psychic traps require creative solutions.

The Throne Hall

Atop the Obsidian Spire, a massive chamber crowned by stained-glass windows depicting Vexar’s conquests. The floor is a mosaic of shattered mirrors that reflect and multiply magic, empowering spells cast here. Four colossal pillars of obsidian flank the room, channeling planar energy into a central dais where the Heart of Darkness—a black crystal pulsing with raw corruption—hovers in chains. Vexar draped in shadow and plate stands before it, flanked by high priests and elemental guardians. Corridors behind the dais lead to supply caches and fallback points. Floating platforms orbit the dais, requiring dextrous movement or flight. Breaking the Heart destabilizes the entire spire, triggering collapse protocols. The final battle demands tactical positioning, disruption of dark pillars, and direct confrontation with Vexar’s true form: a shadow-infused titan of despair.

Additional Notes

Epic boss room: multiple phases, terrain hazards, collapsing floor.

NPCs in The Blighted Coast

Alira Moonshadow

A silver-haired ranger and leader of the local resistance cell, Alira is stoic, resourceful, and haunted by past failures.

Role: Resistance Leader

Other Details: She knows a partial ritual for reactivating the portal.

Thorne Blackmarrow

A grizzled former sailor with an iron peg leg, Thorne trades in contraband supplies and secrets.

Role: Smuggler Kingpin

Other Details: He can grant safe passage across the coast—for a price.

Brother Kaelin

A broken cleric of the Lightbearers, he seeks redemption in these dark times and still carries divine whispers.

Role: Cleric and Healer

Other Details: Knows forbidden rites that can cleanse corruption briefly.

Mirabel Ashbane

An exiled noblewoman who lost her lands to Vexar’s forces and now works as a spy.

Role: Informant

Other Details: Holds a key to an ancient supply vault in the harbor.

Rorin Ironfist

A dwarven blacksmith turned weaponsmith for the resistance, forging crude but effective arms.

Role: Artisan

Other Details: Rumored to possess a hidden forge blessing technique.

Lysandra Vell

A mysterious sorceress with shifting eye colors, found wandering after escaping a labor camp.

Role: Arcane Guide

Other Details: She dreams prophetic visions of the obsidian fortress.

NPCs in Ashfall Desert

Sahira Dustwalker

A fierce nomad chieftain who commands respect across clans, Sahira rides atop a sand steed and negotiates passage through Ashfall’s treachery.

Role: Nomad Leader

Other Details: Offers desert survival training.

Korrin the Blade

A burned veteran of the Ember Citadel siege, now a bounty hunter seeking Vexar’s lieutenants.

Role: Bounty Hunter

Other Details: Holds grudge against fire wraiths.

Zellem Orr

A hermit alchemist seeking obsidian glass to craft a protective elixir.

Role: Alchemist

Other Details: Trades potions for rare mushrooms.

Ruqia Waveglass

A Water Genasi exile who studies corrupted oases and hopes to restore pure springs.

Role: Scholar

Other Details: Knows lunar ritual timings.

Garris Stormhand

A dwarven trapmaster who sold his clan’s forge to mercenaries and now hides in Scorchbone Carapace.

Role: Engineer and Trap Expert

Other Details: Can disable Citadel runic traps.

NPCs in Obsidian Spire

High Priestess Selwyn

Vexar’s chief ritualist, clad in midnight robes. Selwyn channels planar magic to sustain the Heart but secretly doubts her master’s cause.

Role: Antagonist Sorceress

Other Details: Players can sway her to sabotage the Heart.

Captain Vaelgrim

Leader of the Wraith Knights, bound by iron will. Vaelgrim hunts the resistance across the fortress.

Role: Elite Guard Commander

Other Details: His personal blade binds intact souls.

Sariel, Wraith Paladin

A fallen champion whose spirit haunts the prison. Sariel offers guidance if freed.

Role: Ally Ghost

Other Details: Can grant a one-time divine boon.

Vorun Blacksteel

A war-forged golem smithing weapons in the depths, torn between duty and emerging self-awareness.

Role: Engineer NPC

Other Details: Help disarm fortress defenses if convinced.

Eloise the Chronicler

A captive historian forced to record Vexar’s deeds. She knows choke points and secret passages.

Role: Informant

Other Details: Provides map of hidden corridors.

Factions

Lightbearers

A sacred order devoted to restoring true light across the realm, the Lightbearers trace their lineage back to the first heroes who once stood against darkness. They preserve ancient rituals and guard remnants of divine relics. Despite being scattered and weakened, they clandestinely support resistance cells and train clerics to channel untainted radiance. Their banner—a stylized sunburst—sparks hope among oppressed survivors, even as they hide from Vexar’s shadow-seekers.

Goals

* Secure and restore fragments of Light’s Heart to rebuild the Great Beacon.*
* Train new acolytes in lost rites to cleanse corruption.

Relationships

With Other Factions
The Lightbearers are uneasy allies of the Forgotten Resistance, providing divine support but clashing over strategy. The Umbral Court seeks to destroy them outright.
With Players
Often grant quests for relic retrieval and offer boons; view the party as potential initiates or champions.

Umbral Court

Vexar’s elite circle of warlords, sorcerers, and corrupted nobles who administer his dark dominion. They vie for power and favor within his court, each controlling territories and waging private vendettas under the cover of eternal night. Their ruthless efficiency keeps the realm in chains, and their twisted politics ensure none grow too powerful. They deploy shadow-knights and mutated beasts to enforce rule, but infighting leaves exploitable cracks.

Goals

* Crush all pockets of resistance and secure ritual sites.*
* Enhance Vexar’s reach by conquering unaligned regions.

Relationships

With Other Factions
They persecute the Lightbearers and clash with Umbral warlords for spoils. They view the Forgotten Resistance as pests to be exterminated.
With Players
Primary antagonists; the party will encounter their agents and can sow discord among them.

Forgotten Resistance

A network of ragtag guerrilla cells formed from survivors, deserters, and exiles. They operate in secrecy, sabotaging supply lines and gathering intelligence. Their symbols—a broken chain—are spray-painted on walls as calls to gather. They lack unified command, leading to local warlords and competing agendas. Despite limited resources, they provide safehouses, share smuggled supplies, and rescue captives. They believe in overthrowing Vexar’s rule rather than simply escaping his realm.

Goals

* Unite disparate cells under one banner to coordinate a final assault.*
* Gather magical artifacts to weaken the Obsidian Spire’s defenses.

Relationships

With Other Factions
Closely allied with the Lightbearers, though some factions distrust divine orders. They are targeted mercilessly by the Umbral Court.
With Players
Welcome allies, offering side quests and safe passage. They can become permanent comrades or fall to betrayal if mishandled.

Main Questline

Through the Dark Gate

Given by:

Alira Moonshadow

The party must investigate the standing stone atop the Blighted Coast and reactivate the ancient portal to return home—or uncover the power to overthrow Vexar. They gather runic reagents, defend against coastal patrols, and complete a partial ritual to stabilize the gateway.

Goals

→ Investigate runes
→ Gather reagents
→ Complete ritual to partially open portal

Reward

• *Portal Activation Key*
• 300 XP

Secrets

  • Portal circle has hidden power nodes.
  • A failed channel draws coastal wraiths.

DM Notes

Introduce dark portal mechanics and tension of success vs. loss.

The Echoes of Ruin

Given by:

Brother Kaelin

To fully power the portal key, the party must retrieve a fragment of Light’s Heart from the Forgotten Catacombs. They fight undead guardians, disarm crypt traps, and negotiate with a trapped well spirit to claim the shard.

Goals

→ Delve catacombs
→ Defeat undead threat
→ Secure shard

Reward

• *Shard of Light’s Heart*
• 500 XP

Secrets

  • Spirit knows hidden passage.
  • Catacomb glyphs foretell Vexar’s origin.

DM Notes

First large-scale dungeon crawl; foreshadow main antagonist.

Resistance Rekindled

Given by:

Sahira Dustwalker

With key and shard in hand, the party journeys across Ashfall Desert to forge an alliance with nomad clans. They must overcome the Ember Citadel to rescue Sahira’s captured council, then secure the Obsidian Oasis staff to stabilize the portal’s energy flow.

Goals

→ Infiltrate Ember Citadel
→ Rescue clan council
→ Retrieve cleansing staff

Reward

• *Staff of Cleansing Rains* (+spellcasting focus)
• 700 XP

Secrets

  • Citadel vault holds nomad hostages.
  • Oasis staff also dispels shadow illusions.

DM Notes

Combine combat, social, and environmental challenges.

The Shattered Sigil

Given by:

Eloise the Chronicler

Eloise directs the party to locate and assemble the three fragments of Vexar’s original binding sigil—hidden across the fortress’s outer perimeter. Reclaiming it can weaken the spire’s defenses for the final assault.

Goals

→ Recover all three fragments
→ Reforge the sigil at Gate of Midnight

Reward

• *Sigil of Sundering*
• 900 XP

Secrets

  • One fragment in Gate of Midnight guardtower.
  • Another fragment in Shadow Labyrinth exit shrine.

DM Notes

Quest shifts campaign tone toward siege planning.

Assault on Nightmar’s Hold

Given by:

High Priestess Selwyn

Using the reforged sigil, the party leads a two-pronged attack on the Fortress’s outer defenses. They disable battlefield wards at the Gate of Midnight, breach the Shadow Labyrinth to open the inner gate, and hold off reinforcements until the main army can enter.

Goals

→ Deactivate outer wards
→ Clear Shadow Labyrinth
→ Secure inner gate

Reward

• *Command of the Resistance Forces*
• 1,200 XP

Secrets

  • Reinforcements arrive from the desert.
  • Selwyn may betray unless persuaded otherwise.

DM Notes

Large-scale battle; manage allied NPCs.

Final Confrontation at Vexar’s Obsidian Spire

Given by:

Vision of the Standing Stone

The climactic battle takes place in the Throne Hall. The party must disrupt the Heart of Darkness’s power pillars, survive waves of elemental guardians and wraith-knights, and face Overlord Vexar in his true titan form.

Goals

→ Destroy or disable pillars
→ Defeat Vexar’s minions
→ Confront and slay Vexar

Reward

• *Heart of Light Relic*
• 2,500 XP
• Restoration of the realm’s dawn

Secrets

  • Vexar’s true form vulnerable to radiant magic.
  • A hidden shard in the Heart can permanently banish him.

DM Notes

Multi-phase boss fight; stakes highest possible.

Side Quests in The Blighted Coast

The Lost Supplies

Given by:

Thorne Blackmarrow

A cache of medical herbs and clean water has gone missing from Thorne’s hidden warehouse. Without them, survivors at the Hidden Enclave risk succumbing to illness and dehydration. Reports suggest bandits—or worse, Vexar’s patrols—stole the crates and stashed them in the ruined lighthouse at the harbor’s mouth. The party must navigate the treacherous docks at night, distract or eliminate the guards, and recover the supplies before they spoil under damp conditions. Along the way they encounter desperate villagers, moral choices over who gets first aid, and a locked boathouse rumored to hold an almost-intact “lightstone.”

Goals

→ Infiltrate the ruined lighthouse
→ Defeat or bargain with the bandit leader
→ Secure and deliver the supplies

Reward

*100 gp* and **Antitoxin Potion**

Secrets

  • The bandits work for a rival faction.
  • The cached herbs are laced with a truth-serum ingredient.

DM Notes

Encourage stealth and moral negotiation. The lighthouse bell can be triggered as alarm.

Survivor’s Heirloom

Given by:

Mirabel Ashbane

Mirabel seeks the recovery of a locket that contains her family’s crest—lost when she fled her estate during Vexar’s siege. She believes the heirloom rests in the burnt remains of the Ashen Village mayor’s home, now occupied by a monstrous Harvester. Retrieving it will require clever traps, careful navigation of warrens of rubble, and possibly an uneasy truce with the well spirit in the village well. Success restores Mirabel’s morale and provides the party with a powerful ally among the nobles-in-exile.

Goals

→ Enter the mayor’s ruined house
→ Outmaneuver or slay the Harvester
→ Bargain with or pacify the well spirit

Reward

*Family heirloom (worth 500 gp)* and **Advantage on future noble interactions**

Secrets

  • The locket contains a hidden map fragment.
  • The well spirit remembers the former noble house’s downfall.

DM Notes

Allow roleplay with the well spirit; multiple outcomes possible.

Befriending the Smith

Given by:

Rorin Ironfist

Rorin’s forge is running low on rare iron ore needed to craft reinforced weapons. He heard rumors of an abandoned submarine wreck off the coast, its hold filled with smeltable ore. The water is polluted and patrolled by mutated sea creatures, and the wreck is partly collapsed. The party must dive—or find a way inland through tidal caves—to retrieve ore before it’s lost to the tide. Rorin offers to upgrade one weapon free of charge, forging in secret until the resistance’s day of need.

Goals

→ Locate and enter the submarine wreck
→ Recover at least 50 lbs. of iron ore
→ Return safely to Rorin’s forge

Reward

Masterwork weapon upgrade (+1 to one weapon)

Secrets

  • The wreck’s hull hides smuggler contraband.
  • A trapped merfolk device grants control of sea shades.

DM Notes

Include environmental hazards: toxic water, collapsing tunnels.

The Smuggler’s Path

Given by:

Thorne Blackmarrow

A hidden smuggler’s tunnel beneath the harbor has collapsed, stranding his mule and a valuable crate of explosives. Without those charges, the Enclave’s planned sabotage of a Vexar supply convoy cannot proceed. The party must navigate unstable tunnels, shore up supports, and defend against vermin and a lurking creature drawn by the noise. Success ensures the next major assault can proceed.

Goals

→ Clear the collapsed tunnel
→ Defeat tunnel predators
→ Escort mule and crate back

Reward

*Demolition Charges* and **Safe harbor in future infiltrations**

Secrets

  • Crate contains both charges and rebel propaganda.
  • The mule wears a bracer etched with a secret faction symbol.

DM Notes

Use cave-in mechanics to create tension and urgency.

Cleansing the Grove

Given by:

Brother Kaelin

Brother Kaelin believes the Corrupted Grove still holds a shard of divine fire that can purge small pockets of dark magic. He needs a party to accompany him in a ritual at midnight, trekking through mutated wildlife and twisted terrain. The ritual circle requires rare moonflowers that grow only in the deepest shadows. Collecting them will test stealth and survival skills, and completing the ritual may draw the attention of Vexar’s shadow-knights.

Goals

→ Gather 5 moonflowers
→ Set up the ritual circle
→ Defend Kaelin until ritual completes

Reward

**Blessing of Light** (temporary resistance to necrotic damage)

Secrets

  • Moonflowers bloom only when shadow-knights patrol nearby.
  • The ritual may awaken a sleeper druid spirit.

DM Notes

Ceremony can be interrupted, leading to spawning wraiths.

Unholy Catacombs

Given by:

Alira Moonshadow

Alira tasks the party with exploring the Forgotten Catacombs to recover the fragment of Light’s Heart. Vexar’s scouts have been seen near the tombs, and the paladin’s sarcophagus may conceal more than just a relic: hints that the Lightbearers once held an uncorrupted power. Navigating traps, undead guardians, and poisonous gas chambers will test every skill. Finding the shard grants the resistance a sliver of hope.

Goals

→ Navigate to the inner vault
→ Bypass or disable traps
→ Retrieve the Light’s Heart fragment

Reward

*Shard of Light’s Heart* and **Experience 500 XP**

Secrets

  • The shard is one of several.
  • The paladin’s spirit can join as temporary ally.

DM Notes

Design undead waves scaling with party size.

Side Quests in Ashfall Desert

Guardian of the Glass

Given by:

Ruqia Waveglass

Ruqia requests the party escort her to Obsidian Oasis under a new moon to collect water samples and find the grotto entrance. Battling through skitters and mephits, they must place protective wards before extraction. Failure risks madness from the waters.

Goals

→ Reach Oasis at night
→ Place protective wards
→ Collect water and return

Reward

**Water of Clarity** (removes charm effects)

Secrets

  • Grotto door opens only at high tide.
  • Crimson skitters guard a hidden rune stone.

DM Notes

Manage environmental madness effects.

Echoes of the Past

Given by:

Zellem Orr

Zellem seeks mushroom spores in the buried skull beneath Scorchbone Carapace to complete his elixir that grants temporary flame immunity. The party must negotiate with local ghouls or clear out fiendish intruders, then carefully harvest fungi without releasing hallucinogenic spores.

Goals

→ Clear skull tunnels
→ Harvest 10 spores
→ Return safely

Reward

*Flame-Ward Elixir* (resistance to fire 1 hour)

Secrets

  • Spore cloud hides an obsidian shard.
  • Ghouls worship a flame prophet.

DM Notes

Include stealth vs. ghouls for varied play.

Whispers in the Wind

Given by:

Sahira Dustwalker

Strange voices call travelers off course in Cinderwind Pass, leading to disappearances. Sahira wants the party to investigate the monolithic statue and retrieve its missing gem eyes. They must navigate sulfur vents and illusions spawned by residual portal magic to locate a hidden cavern behind the statue’s maw.

Goals

→ Investigate statue
→ Recover both gem eyes
→ Escape illusions

Reward

*Gem-encrusted Dagger* (+1, bonus to illusions)

Secrets

  • Gem eyes spellknit a protective ward.
  • Voices belong to trapped caravan spirits.

DM Notes

Use illusion terrain to confuse players.

Searing Embers

Given by:

Korrin the Blade

Korrin hunts a renegade fire wraith that escaped Ember Citadel and torches nomad camps at night. He provides a tracker’s net and asks the party to lure the wraith into a trap in the desert ruins of an old beacon tower.

Goals

→ Set up ambush at beacon tower
→ Capture or slay wraith
→ Return with proof

Reward

*Tracker’s Net* and **Personal favor from Korrin**

Secrets

  • Wraith craves elemental shards.
  • Beacon tower mechanism can bind spirits.

DM Notes

Ambush mechanics with lure and trap timing.

Side Quests in Obsidian Spire

Sigil of the Betrayer

Given by:

High Priestess Selwyn

In secret, Selwyn tasks the party with retrieving a hidden ritual knife from the Gate of Midnight’s guard captain—a tool she needs to break her bond with Vexar. She warns that betrayal must be buried deep within the spire. This side quest can pivot her allegiance.

Goals

→ Infiltrate Gate of Midnight
→ Steal ritual knife
→ Deliver to Selwyn undetected

Reward

**Favor of Selwyn** (assistance in the Throne Hall)

Secrets

  • Knife hilt holds a confession scroll.
  • Captain’s lair has tunnel to labyrinth.

DM Notes

Stealth mission inside main fortress.

Echoes of Freedom

Given by:

Sariel, Wraith Paladin

Sariel asks the party to liberate five imprisoned souls scattered across the Prison of Echoes levels. Each freed soul weakens the Heart’s aura by 5%. They must find keys crafted from agony, navigate sonic disruptors, and avoid drawing the warden’s full attention.

Goals

→ Locate and free 5 souls
→ Survive the warden’s assault
→ Return to Throne Hall

Reward

**Saint’s Boon** (one divine intervention)

Secrets

  • One prisoner is a Lightbearer prophet.
  • A freed soul whispers a secret pillar code.

DM Notes

Scale warden difficulty by number of freed souls.

Encounters

Forsaken Guard Patrol

Medium

Suggested Level: 3–5

A squad of five wraith-knights on patrol near the Portal Cliff, searching for intruders.

Creatures

  • 5 Wraith Knights

Terrain Features

Broken cliff edge gives cover, gusting wind imposes disadvantage on ranged attacks.

Treasure

Each knight carries 25 gp and a *Darksteel Dagger* (uncommon).

DM Notes

Scale knight HP by party size; use wind gust checks.

Mutated Dire Wolf Pack

Easy

Suggested Level: 2–4

Three large dire wolves twisted by corrupted mana emerge from Cliffs’ caves.

Creatures

  • 3 Mutated Dire Wolves

Terrain Features

Rocky slopes and narrow ledges; one slip can cause 10 ft. fall.

Treasure

One wolf pelt can be crafted into *Corrupted Hide Armor* (requires vial of purifying oil).

DM Notes

Encourage creative use of environment to flank.

Twisted Treants

Hard

Suggested Level: 4–6

Two crazed treants and four animated roots guard the edge of the Corrupted Grove.

Creatures

  • 2 Treants
  • 4 Animated Roots

Terrain Features

Dense undergrowth counts as difficult terrain; rolling logs can inflict 1d6 bludgeoning.

Treasure

Treant heartwood core valued 200 gp, used in powerful ward construction.

DM Notes

Use grapple and area control tactics.

Shadow Wraith Ambush

Deadly

Suggested Level: 6–8

Four shadow wraiths lurk in the Shadow Labyrinth corridors, draining life with chilling touch.

Creatures

  • 4 Shadow Wraiths

Terrain Features

Narrow hallways block melee multiples; darkness prevents darkvision.

Treasure

Wraith ectoplasm yields *Cloak of Shadowstep* blueprint.

DM Notes

DM can add a wraith if party is large.

Nightmar’s Gate Siege

Deadly

Suggested Level: 7–9

A battalion of 10 soulless militia and a siege golem defend the Gate of Midnight.

Creatures

  • 10 Soul Militia
  • 1 Siege Golem

Terrain Features

Moat of necrotic sludge surrounds gate; partial cover available.

Treasure

Militia carry 50 gp each; golem core yields *Alloy Shard* used for magical forging.

DM Notes

Allow siege engines use by party if they seize controls.

Obsidian Spire Sentinels

Hard

Suggested Level: 8–10

Patrol of four living-stone gargoyles in Throne Hall balconies.

Creatures

  • 4 Gargoyles

Terrain Features

High ledges allow dive-bomb attacks; crumbling floor sections risk collapse.

Treasure

Each gargoyle guard wields an *Obsidian Shard Spear* (+1).

DM Notes

Encourage use of flight or ranged to engage gargoyles.

Vexar’s Elemental Ward

Deadly

Suggested Level: 9–11

A quartet of planar elementals (fire, water, earth, air) guard the Heart’s power pillars.

Creatures

  • 1 Fire Elemental
  • 1 Water Elemental
  • 1 Earth Elemental
  • 1 Air Elemental

Terrain Features

Elemental aura zones inflict status effects: burning, drowning, immobilizing, and deafening.

Treasure

Destroyed pillars drop *Elemental Core* crystals used in powerful enchantments.

DM Notes

Use phase-based tactics: divide and conquer.

The Final Duel with Vexar

Deadly

Suggested Level: 10–12

The Overlord in titan form wields shadow energy and a massive greatsword infused with dark mana.

Creatures

  • Vexar, Shadow Titan

Terrain Features

Shattered mirror floor reflects spells unpredictably; rotating platforms move every round.

Treasure

Heart of Darkness shards can be reforged into *Relic of Dawn*.

DM Notes

Five phases: strategic removal of pillars, personal vulnerabilities.

Magic Items

Stone of Dawn

Rare
A pale gem that radiates daylight in a 60-foot radius when activated.

Location

Recovered from Forgotten Catacombs

Attunement

Yes, requires devotion to Lightbearers

Shard of Light’s Heart

Very Rare
A glowing crystal fragment that grants +2 to saving throws vs. necrotic damage.

Location

Forgotten Catacombs

Attunement

Yes, by a character of good alignment

Blade of the Fallen Star

Very Rare
A sleek longsword that deals an extra 1d6 radiant damage on a hit.

Location

Ashfall Desert treasure vault

Attunement

Yes, requires exposure to planar light

Cloak of Hidden Path

Uncommon
Grants advantage on Stealth checks in shadowed terrain.

Location

Hidden Enclave supply cache

Attunement

No

Holy Emblem of Selwyn

Legendary
When held, grants one use of *Divine Word* per long rest.

Location

Selwyn’s private sanctum

Attunement

Yes, by a spellcaster

Resistance Talisman

Uncommon
Provides +1 to attack rolls against Vexar’s forces.

Location

Hidden Enclave armory

Attunement

No

Rune-Etched Gauntlets

Rare
Imbued with cleansing runes, they allow one dispel magic per day.

Location

Obsidian Oasis grotto

Attunement

Yes, by a caster

Vial of Pure Essence

Very Rare
A single dose removes curses and corruptions when consumed.

Location

Scorchbone Carapace merchant trader

Attunement

No

Key of the Black Spire

Rare
Opens any two locks within Obsidian Spire without checks.

Location

Captured from Gate of Midnight captain

Attunement

No

Lantern of the Lost Crossing

Uncommon
Reveals invisible creatures and illusions within 30 feet.

Location

Throne Hall treasure chest

Attunement

Yes, by a ranger or rogue

Player Characters

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