Campaign Overview

Storms of the Forgotten Empire

After the cataclysmic collapse swallowed entire civilizations in hellish storms, survivors fled to the ancient land of Egypt, bringing with them fragmented myths of old gods and half-remembered rituals. Generations later, the Shattered Wastes stretch east of the Nile—an unforgiving desert pockmarked with ruined shrines, obsidian plateaus, and drifting temples of a vanished empire. Refugee tribes trade water and relics at nomadic oases, while secret orders and elemental guardians vie for the power to master—or quash—the returning cataclysmic storms.

In their dreams, every adventurer faces the same haunting vision: an empty city of alabaster and gold, silent streets protected by warding obelisks and humming with dormant magic. This City of Promise—Shaph-Khut—calls out to them, promising refuge from the encroaching tempest. To answer that call, the heroes must journey through the Shattered Wastes, rekindle the Ever-Burning Flame at Nomad’s Lantern Oasis, recover storm-bound crystal tablets from the Ruins of Nophah, and wrest the Stormheart from the Cavern of Whispers. They will forge alliances with the secretive Stormwardens, navigate the obsidian-sculpted canyons of the Glass Wardens, and bargain with nomad tribes who worship the desert’s spirits. Along the way, they face elemental guardians, resurrect ancient wards, and unlock portals to the desert city’s gates.

At the heart of Shaph-Khut lies the Sun-Spire Temple, where a final ritual must unite the Stormheart and Lost Crown in a unison chant to reignite the city’s protective wards. Players must decide which powers to trust, and whether wielding storm magic is redemption or hubris. Will they succeed in restoring Shaph-Khut as a sanctuary against cataclysm— or become the spark that unleashes an even greater tempest? The sands whisper: only those who master wind and stone can claim safety when the Storms of the Forgotten Empire return.

Starting Location

The Shattered Wastes

Stretching beyond the last civilized oasis, the Shattered Wastes are a vast expanse of wind‐swept dunes, jagged stone mesas, and half‐buried ruins of a forgotten empire. The skies here are a relentless swirl of dust and cloud, shadows racing across the sand as if alive, whispering in a tongue no living mortal truly understands. Bands of refugees—survivors of the storm’s last cataclysm—scour the desert for any sign of civilization, half‐mad from thirst, half‐remembering distant gods. Their whispered prayers to recreated deities mingle with ancient invocations carved in hieroglyphs on half‐erased monuments. During the day, blinding sun and scorching wind test the limits of all but the hardiest, while at night, unsettling cold and the distant howl of djinn‐like spirits drive many to campfires where rumors flourish. It is said that those who enter the wastes soon dream of Shaph‐Khut, “the City of Promise,” hidden somewhere beyond the shifting sands. Each dawn brings new evidence of the old empire’s collapse: fractured statues of jackal‐headed gods, half‐buried obelisks inscribed with half‐lost names, and labyrinthine sewer shafts choked with storm‐drift, hinting at a civilization swallowed whole. Time itself seems broken here: days blend into nights, memories into nightmares, as the desert tests the mind even more savagely than the body.

Secrets

  • A hidden map carved beneath a sentinel statue points to an underground cistern network.
  • The winds sometimes spell out corrupted hieroglyphs when heard through broken obelisks, hinting at hidden doors.
  • An ivory‐horned sphinx gargoyle tumbles from the sand at midday to reveal a buried reliquary.

Key Locations

Nomad’s Lantern Oasis

In the heart of the Shattered Wastes, Nomad’s Lantern Oasis is a rare pool of fresh water surrounded by palm clusters, reed huts, and a great, fractured bronze brazier that burns constantly—its original purpose long lost to the winds. Refugee tribes huddle here, bartering storied relics for purifications of water and nightly guidance through the desert. Merchant caravans set up dusty tents, trading foreign silks and broken automata‐parts from beyond the sea for water skins and dates. Tents of seers, ex‐templars of other empires, line the eastern fringe, offering to interpret dreams of the City of Promise—for a price. At the oasis’s center lies a flattened stone dais carved with spiraling runes: an old god’s locus, now dark and silent, yet humming faintly when the wind shifts. Toward sundown, traders light the great brazier; its bronze arms glow orange, casting shifting shadows that dance like specters across the sand. Beneath the oasis’s surface, sun‐cracked mosaic tiles mark the foundations of an ancient shrine—its vaulted roof collapsed centuries ago. The water here tastes of stone and citrus, carrying an odd fleeting warmth; it is said to bestow clarity in dreams, though some sip too deep and wake in the dunes. Around the edges, hardy tamarisk brush shields pit traps dug by desperate brigands to catch stray camels or travelers. The heated nights echo with chants from the watchtower, calling desert‐borne spirits to guard the living.

Additional Notes

Major Quest: “Light of the Forgotten Flame” (300+ words) • Description: At the heart of the oasis rests the ancient brazier—once tended by priestesses of the storm‐god Ra‐Khmet. Legend says rekindling its everlasting flame will banish the returning cataclysmic storms. The brazier’s fuel, Stormfire Resin, must be gathered from the jagged cliffs of the Thunder Gorge. But the gorge is famed for its winged scorpions corrupted by storm‐forged magic, and its twisting ravines where storms coil like living serpents. The players must escort a fragile shrinescroll, chant the Invocation of Renewal, and ignite the brazier before dawn or risk a sandstorm that could drown the oasis. • Goals: Retrieve Stormfire Resin (3 gp per flake), defend the shrinescroll, rekindle brazier at dawn. • Enemies: 4 Winged Scorpions (MM), 2 Dust Serpents (reskinned constrictors), 1 Storm Elemental Wisp. • Reward: +1 Sun‐blessed Hammer (see Magic Items), Oasis gratitude—free lodging and water, rumor of hidden passage beneath brazier. • DM Notes: Emphasize the urgency with sandstorm rolls each hour. Reward creative use of Invocation chant (Performance/Religion). Secret hint in brazier runes leads to a subterranean tunnel to Ruins of Nophah. Secrets: 1) A collapsed tunnel under the brazier leads directly to hidden cisterns under Ruins of Nophah. 2) The shrinescroll is inscribed with dual invocations—one summons a benevolent storm, the other a wrathful one. Do not mispronounce.

Ruins of Nophah

Once the seat of a regional governor under the old empire, Nophah’s sandstone walls stand broken, half‐buried by centuries of drifting dunes. Towering pylons carved with winged scarabs flank a wide plaza now choked with sand. Portions of the grand hypostyle hall remain upright—rows of palm‐frond capitals carved in relief now stained black by time. Heraldic banners faded to ghost‐white symbols hang from rusted bronze rings. Pillars whisper with the echo of long‐dead oratory. Beneath the plaza’s sand, the flooded catacombs of Nophah trap the bones of nobles and slaves alike, their opalescent jeweled coffins shattered by the collapse. Inside, the very stones hum with latent magic: when the wind howls through collapsed arches, harmonics reveal hidden glyphs of protection and warning. Fauna have taken over: desert bandits lair in the hypostyle hall’s shadows, giant bats nest in collapsed roof beams, and narrow wall fissures are home to crimson stone beetles with shells of polished garnet. Recent tremors—once blamed on shifting sands—signal the return of an ancient mechanism buried beneath the city that once regulated unnatural storms. A half‐buried ziggurat at the north end of the plaza holds the archivist’s crystal tablets, a trove of legend fragments from the lost empire waiting to be deciphered.

Additional Notes

Major Quest: “Echoes of the Crystal Archives” • Description: The players must delve into the half‐flooded catacombs below Nophah to retrieve the Archivist’s Crystal Tablets, which contain portions of the ritual used to calm the cataclysmic storms. Chambers are rigged with ancient water traps, collapsing corridors, and warding glyphs that animate stone guardians. The tablets are stored on a rotating plinth that aligns only when the howling wind outside reaches a specific pitch. Players must decipher runic clues carved in the hypostyle hall to unlock the path. • Goals: Navigate catacombs (DC 15 Survival/Investigation), deactivate water traps, recover Crystal Tablets (6 fragments). • Enemies: 2 Stone Guardian Statues (MM), 1 Animated Column (use Animated Armor), 6 Garnet‐shell Beetles (swarm stat block). • Reward: 200 gp worth of antiquities, partial Storm‐calming Ritual (adds +1 to future storm‐control rolls), rumor of secret forge at Obelisk of the Weary Sun. • DM Notes: Use echoing acoustics to disorient players—grant disadvantage on Perception unless guided by the wind pitch. The tablets glow in moonlight, offering a visual clue. Secrets: 1) A hidden door behind the archivist’s dais opens into a collapsed channel leading toward the Cavern of Whispers. 2) The rotating plinth’s mechanism requires an “Echo Chant” hidden in the scattered remnants of the governor’s diary.

Obelisk of the Weary Sun

Rising from a perfect circle of granite tile, the Obelisk of the Weary Sun is a thirty‐foot monolith carved from black basalt. Its four faces depict the old empire’s sun god, R’Khon, bound by chains of lightning—each chain etched in metal inlaid with copper. At the base, deep grooves channel sand around a mosaic pattern representing a storm’s eye. Ancient inscriptions speak of a binding ritual that once trapped a titanic sand elemental within the obelisk’s heart, preventing storms from ravaging the land. Over centuries, the inlay has corroded, and the chains appear broken. A network of hidden conduits beneath the tiled circle once fueled the binding ritual with storm‐charged water from distant peaks. Now, the conduits are clogged with debris, and the elemental stirs. Pilgrims gather here at dawn to offer grain and incense to appease the restless spirit, though many leave offerings uncollected when the wind picks up—a sign that the binding weakens. An old caretaker, Mechati al‐Sadir, scours the base for fallen fragments of copper inlay, hoping to repair the broken chains and delay the storm’s return. Around the obelisk, the cracked granite tiles shift as if under living hands, and glowing runes flicker during dusk.

Additional Notes

Major Quest: “Chains of the R’Khon” • Description: To strengthen the binding, players must recover three fragments of Storm‐forged Copper from the Eye of the Storm Cavern (beneath the obelisk) and the Thunder Gorge. Once gathered, they must recarve the chains on the monolith and perform the Nightfall Binding ritual as the sun sets. If completed, the obelisk will emit a warding glow, repelling wind elementals for 24 hours. • Goals: Retrieve 3 Copper Fragments, perform Nightfall Binding (DC 18 Arcana/Religion), sustain ritual without interruption for 1 hour. • Enemies: 1 Minor Sand Elemental (use Dust Mephit stats buffed), 4 Bound Quarry Golems (use Stone Golem reduced HP), Sand Wraiths (MM) appear if binding falters. • Reward: R’Khon’s Sentinel—an amulet granting resistance to thunder damage, access to hidden chamber below obelisk. • DM Notes: Ritual requires components heated to 100°F—use portable brazier or Obelisk’s residual warmth. If interrupted, trigger a Minor Sandstorm (see Encounters). Secrets: 1) A concealed hatch at the obelisk’s base leads to the Eye of the Storm Cavern. 2) The caretaker holds a letter revealing the original ritual included a sacrificed oath by the empire’s first pharaoh.

Cavern of Whispers

Beneath the shifting sands, accessible through narrow fissures near the oasis and via the obelisk’s hatch, lies the Cavern of Whispers. Its walls are covered in luminescent lichen that pulses with eerie blue light, casting dancing shadows across vast chambers strewn with ossuaries and broken idols. The cavern gets its name from the constant low hum that echoes through twisting passageways—a chorus of voices some claim are the restless spirits of storm‐wrecked sailors and drowned desert traders. Pools of cool water mirror the crystal‐studded ceiling, and in the deepest hall hangs a massive stalactite shaped like an inverted pyramid. Its tip constantly drips mineral‐rich water into an obsidian basin, forming ripples that trigger haunting whisper echoes. Hidden niches hold fragments of storm‐scarred scrolls, and broken obsidian mirrors reverberate sound along exact frequencies. Travelers who listen too closely may hear prophecies or pleas to “Return the Heart” to where the storms first broke. Many who enter lose track of time as the whispers lull them into half‐remembered visions.

Additional Notes

Major Quest: “Heart of the Storm” • Description: Deep in the cavern lies the Stormheart—an orb of condensed storm‐energy, dormant since the collapse. The players must navigate whisper traps (DC 16 WIS saves vs. madness), avoid falling stalactite traps, and defeat the Whispering Shade that guards the orb. Once claimed, the orb can be used to power the Obelisk of the Weary Sun or quell the next cataclysm—though it carries a corrupting influence. • Goals: Survive the Whisper Traps, defeat Whispering Shade (use Shadow Demon stats), retrieve Stormheart. • Enemies: Whispering Shade, 3 Echo Wraiths (reskinned Wraiths), animated stalagmite (use Animated Object). • Reward: Stormheart (special ritual component), whisper‐granted vision of Shaph‐Khut’s true location. • DM Notes: Whispering Shade can possess an ally—rotate saving throws secretly. Reveal the orb’s whispering counsel gradually. Secrets: 1) A hidden side‐passage leads to the Forgotten Caravanserai beneath the dunes. 2) The lichen’s glow changes hue when the Stormheart is near, guiding players.

The Forgotten Caravanserai

Half-buried under a crescentic dune, the long‐abandoned Caravanserai once served as the nexus for trade between the desert’s eastern tribes and the old empire’s heartlands. Its facade, now half-glazed with salt, still bears a horseshoe-shaped rukhps: the empire’s mark. A monstrous sand barge lies overturned at the entry courtyard, cargo boxes scattered, slowly swallowed by sand. Inside, overgrown clay pots sprout thorny vines, and navigational astrolabes rust on broken pedestals. A grand central hall, its roof caved in, allows moonlight to illuminate mosaic floors depicting caravans lost to storms—caravans bearing golden idols of unknown gods. In hidden amphorae buried in the sand, faded scrolls track merchant logs, weather reports, and lore of an empty city—Shaph‐Khut—where no storm can reach. Water troughs once fed by aqueducts are now dry, but walls still bear faint moisture stains, hinting at a subterranean aquifer that might be tapped. Pocketed chambers contain skeletons adorned with foreign coins, suggesting refugees died here en route to safety. Along one wall is a carved plinth shaped like a dragonfly, a seal rumored to open a portal when pressed in the right pattern.

Additional Notes

Major Quest: “Passage to Shaph‐Khut” • Description: Scrolls in the caravanserai piece together the path to Shaph‐Khut’s gates—a lost desert metropolis. Players must decode the merchant logs, find the pattern to activate the dragonfly plinth, and hold off dune beasts attracted by the resonating magic. Stepping through the portal requires a sacrifice of a storm‐touched artifact. The heroes must decide which artifact to use—and risk long‐term consequences. • Goals: Collect and interpret merchant logs, activate portal, choose artifact sacrifice. • Enemies: 3 Dune Howlers (basically Dire Wolves with sand camouflage), 2 Animated Tents (use Animated Object stats), 1 Dust Hydra Spawn (homebrew weaker hydra head). • Reward: Portal to Shaph‐Khut unlocked (later Main Quest path), +2 Desert‐tuned Scarf granting advantage on saving throws vs. exhaustion in hot climates. • DM Notes: Portal activation is a triggered cutscene—describe swirling sands and half-glimpsed city. Let players debate artifact ethics. Secrets: 1) A lost merchant’s brand – “Azure Lotus” – is a key to safe passage through Shaph‐Khut’s gates. 2) One merchant log suggests a spy among the caravaners, still alive somewhere in the Wastes.

The Obsidian Frontier

Beyond the shifting Wastes lies the Obsidian Frontier: a jagged basalt plateau carved by ancient floods. Rivers of black glass snake between spired pillars of volcanic glass; in the twilight, everything appears to ripple with unseen currents. The surface is dotted with abandoned watchforts, half‐sunk in shimmering sand, and interconnects by a network of obsidian causeways that test travelers’ footing. Occasional geysers of superheated steam hiss from fissures, and jeweled minerals flash like embers beneath the surface. The Frontier’s true marvel is the Glass Canyons—a labyrinth of refractive walls that transform direction and sound. Here, storms are shaped into mana cascades that leave raw sorcery embedded in the stone. Scattered across the plateau are shrines to storm gods long forgotten, their inlaid opals smashed or stolen. Refugees whisper that the Frontier holds the Forge of the Last Pharaoh, where an artifact key to controlling storms waits—sealed behind riddles of wind and obsidian. But the path is fiercely guarded: elemental warlords claim dominion, and monstrous forms wrought from fused glass roam the canyons. Daytime heat fractures equipment, while radiation of residual magic warps memory. Nonetheless, maps recovered from the caravanserai hint at three critical sites: the Echoing Bastion, the Glass Forge, and the Stormward Obelisk.

Secrets

  • A glass‐stitched scroll in a sealed vial reveals the coordinates to the hidden Glass Forge Grotto.
  • An obsidian shard etched with old empire runes can be placed in the Echoing Bastion for extra resonant power.
  • A steam vent at the plateau’s edge masks a secret airshaft down to a buried sky‐tensor chamber.

Key Locations

Glass Forge Grotto

An obsidian‐lined cavern illuminated by molten glass flows from an underground vent, the Glass Forge Grotto was once tended by pyromancers forming storm‐forged artifacts. The cavern walls glint with veins of starmetal ore, and streams of liquid glass carve channels through basalt, cooling into runic plates. A central forge—an anvil of fused quartz—endures, scarred by countless creations. Soot‐blackened braziers still hold embers of storm‐charged coal. Four elemental braziers embedded in alcoves around the forge must each hold a different essence—fire, water, air, earth—simultaneously ignited to awaken the forge’s latent power. The brotherhood of Glass Wardens once maintained the site, but they disappeared during the cataclysm. Now, the grotto is claimed by a Glass Elemental Warden and its gargoyle‐like servants, who see any intruder as an invader.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) A hidden side‐channel leads to unworked veins of starmetal ore—perfect for reforging a lost artifact. 2) The elemental braziers require ritual runes inscribed from composite glass—only found in Ruins of Nophah. DM Note: Provide lore via recovered Glass Warden monograph; use smoke hazards and armorer’s tool checks.

Echoing Bastion

Perched at the northern edge of the Obsidian Frontier, the Echoing Bastion is a ruined watchfort carved from polished black glass. Once manned by imperial legionaries who monitored the desert’s edge, its broken battlements now host swirling air vortices that carry voices from across miles. Within the shattered courtyard lies a circular dais with concentric rings inlaid with obsidian and mother‐of‐pearl. When activated by specific tonal frequencies—often produced by wind passing through shattered glass pillars—the rings align to open a hidden vault beneath the courtyard. Inside, crystalline armors and glass‐edged scimitars lie corroded by elemental energies, but rumor says a fully intact Ocular Helm remains, granting visions of past storm events.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) The dais can be tuned by singing the chant learned from the Crystal Tablets. 2) Hidden valves in the walls, once turned, flood the courtyard briefly with purified steam to reveal shelf inscriptions. DM Note: Use auditory illusions to mislead players; true chant requires a combined Performance/Arcana check (DC 17).

Stormward Obelisk

At the southern extreme of the plateau stands the Stormward Obelisk—a hewn pillar of shimmering black obsidian topped by a massive crystal prism. It was erected to ward off the fiercest storms, focusing lightning strikes into subterranean channels that vent them harmlessly into the earth. The obelisk’s prism refracts sunlight into a blinding flare at dawn, signaling the empire’s boundaries. Over centuries, the prism cracked, dulling the flare and weakening the ward. The base is inscribed with three valves that must be aligned with the morning star, midday sun, and evening star on different nights to calibrate the prism. Now, minor storm echoes aggregate around the obelisk, drawn like moths to a flame. Travelers who approach at twilight report seeing ghostly pharaoh’s processions in the dust, reenacting the ritual that once powered the ward.

Additional Notes

Secrets: 1) A hidden hatch at the obelisk’s base leads to an antechamber storing calibration rods. 2) The processional ghosts can be appeased by placing Stormheart at the obelisk’s foot. DM Note: Ghosts deliver prophetic riddles—reward players who decipher them with advantage on next storm‐control roll.

Shaph‐Khut, City of Promise

Legends whisper that Shaph‐Khut lies beyond the southern dunes, veiled by illusions and protected by the gods themselves. Now, using recovered maps and Stormheart, the party finally stands at the gates of alabaster walls engraved with sun‐discs and crescent moons. Inside, avenues paved with obsidian and gold glimmer under a sky unnaturally calm. Towering colonnades display murals of storm deities kneeling before mortal pharaohs, and shrines brim with offerings of storm‐forged relics. Yet the city is empty—no living soul stirs. Traces of a great exodus linger: half‐eaten feasts on marble tables, personal journals left open, and footprints leading to massive underground vaults locked by complex mechanisms. The air hums with dormant magic; the heart of Shaph‐Khut pulses like a giant arcane engine awaiting activation.

Secrets

  • A subterranean conduit from the Vault of Exodus leads to the Storm Engine chamber.
  • An ancient pharaoh’s mummy in a hidden niche offers prophecy if awakened (requires Remove Curse or Resurrection).
  • The city’s heartbeat is powered by four sentinel obelisks buried beneath each quadrant—unearthed, they can be repurposed to expand the city’s storm ward.
  • NPCs are absent—Shaph‐Khut’s guardians are sealed in stasis until the final ritual is complete.

Key Locations

Sun‐Spire Temple

Rising at the city’s center, the Sun‐Spire Temple is a colossal ziggurat of white alabaster crowned by a disk of polished brass. Steps carved with hieroglyphics spiral upward, depicting the Binding and the Great Exodus. Within the inner sanctum, a blazing solar forge once imbued storm‐forged items with divine essence. Atop the spire, the Stormheart must be placed into a carved plinth to complete the ritual and renew the ward preventing storms. Surrounding chambers contain dormant spirit hosts awaiting resurrection: statues line alcoves, poised to awaken when the ritual concludes. The air is thick with pollen of sun‐lotus blossoms—nectar said to be the final catalyst. Additional Notes: Ritual chambers induce exhaustion—each hour drains 1 level until Sun‐Spire blessing cast. Hidden glyph under altar reveals that the ritual requires a unison chant in the ancient tongue—use notes from Cavern of Whispers.

Vault of Exodus

Beneath the eastern quarter lies the Vault of Exodus: a network of sealed chambers containing relics and journals of every refugee family. Doors bear keyed locks matching family crests, now worn with age. Within, safekept amulets, stormwarden contracts, and water‐laden terracotta jars hold purified water that never spoils. The largest vault door, inscribed with protective runes, can be opened only by combining the Nightfall Binding symbol (from Obelisk) and the Echo Chant (from Nophah). Inside rests the Lost Crown of the Last Pharaoh—a golden circlet that grants mastery over minor storms when worn by a rightful heir. Additional Notes: The family crests correspond to symbols found on merchant logs; DM should allow Investigation (DC 17) or Arcana to match them. A secret lever behind the largest vault door reveals a hidden stairway down to the Subterranean Conduit, where the final storm engine lies.

Hall of the Nameless

In the southern precinct, the Hall of the Nameless is an underground coliseum carved into a natural cavern. Pillars of sandstone support an arched ceiling etched with the names of those lost in the cataclysm—some names deliberately erased. Blood‐stained sands still lie on the arena floor, used centuries ago for trials by combat and ritual duels to settle disputes between deities. At its center, a raised platform holds a stone keystone embossed with an eye motif, binding the city’s protective wards. Should the party place the Lost Crown upon it and recite the Invocation of the Mourned, the wards will activate, shielding Shaph‐Khut indefinitely. Additional Notes: The arena occasionally summons phantom gladiators—use Specters and Shadows for combat. The keystone mechanism requires a combined Religion/Performance check (DC 18) to synchronize chants and crown placement.

NPCs in The Shattered Wastes

Safi el‐Razi

A weathered desert guide clad in patchwork robes, with a parrot that screeches ancient prayers. He knows every hidden sand‐trap and mirage in the Shattered Wastes.

Role: Guide and scout Other Details: Will only accept payment in relics of the lost empire.

High Seeress Mahrani

Cloaked in cerise silks, Mahrani reads the dreams of the refugees. Her eyes gleam with uncanny certainty when she speaks of Shaph‐Khut.

Role: Quest giver / Visionary Other Details: Harbors secret fear that speaking too much will draw storms sooner.

Mechati al‐Sadir

Centuries‐old caretaker of the Obelisk of the Weary Sun, half‐mad from decades of guarding the broken chains.

Role: Caretaker Other Details: Knows the Nightfall Binding ritual but has lost the final stanza.

Jahil the Sandfallen

A former imperial archivist turned bandit leader, wears a cracked crystal tablet around his neck.

Role: Antagonist‐turned‐ally Other Details: Seeks redemption by aiding the party, but his trust is fragile.

Zaynab of the Sun’s Mercy

Priestess distributing water and solace at the Nomad’s Lantern Oasis. Her hymns can calm minor sandstorms.

Role: Healer / Support NPC Other Details: Collects rare lichen from Cavern of Whispers to brew soothing salves.

NPCs in The Obsidian Frontier

Rahim al‐Zahur

A geologist and former oasis scholar, seeking obsidian for study. He carries a battered field guide and fan samples to test elemental charges.

Role: Scholar / NPC Other Details: Can identify elemental veins and aid in Extraction checks.

Navo the Glass Warden

An ancient glass elemental in human form, bound to protect the Forge. Stoic, aloof; admires skill but distrusts mortals.

Role: Guardian Other Details: May ally if players craft a near‐perfect stormforge blade.

Kaliq of the Vent

A dwarf glass‐smith exiled for trying to weaponize storm‐glass. He claims to know the calibration ritual but demands control of the forge.

Role: Antagonist / Smith Other Details: Ambitious—can become rival or uneasy ally.

NPCs in Shaph‐Khut, City of Promise

Factions

Order of the Stormwardens

A secretive sect descended from imperial priests who once tended the grand storm‐binding rituals. Clad in azure robes rimmed with copper, they seek to restore the old empire’s wards against cataclysms. Many members have settled in desert oases or hidden among the ruins, awaiting the return of a prophesied stormbreaker. They value knowledge, ritual precision, and unwavering faith in the old gods.

Goals

Rekindle all storm‐binding obelisks and altars, recover lost rituals, protect refugees from the returning storms.

Relationships

With Other Factions
Friendly to the Oasis Triумvirate but suspicious of nomad tribes and hostile to the Glass Wardens who seek to weaponize storm magics.
With Players
They view the party as potential allies to fulfill prophecy—but will test their worth through trials.

Glass Wardens Brotherhood

Formed by master smiths and pyromancers in the Obsidian Frontier, this militant guild crafts weapons and artifacts from storm‐charged glass. Obsessed with controlling elemental power, they believe storms are best harnessed as weapons rather than quelled. Their members wear layered glass armor and carry refractive scimitars. They clash often with the Stormwardens and fear the party may side with their enemies—or worse, steal their secrets.

Goals

Secure the Glass Forge, dominate obsidian trade routes, capture Stormheart to forge ultimate warforged glassbeings.

Relationships

With Other Factions
Hostile to Stormwardens and the Azure Lotus Company; uneasy truce with nomad tribes when interests align.
With Players
Wary of outsiders; may offer dubious bargains if persuaded by force or gold.

Nomad Tribes of the Golden Scorpion

A coalition of desert clans bound by the emblem of the golden scorpion. They roam the Shattered Wastes, trading water for relics and stories. Skilled in desert survival, they worship composite deities—hybrids of old empire gods and local spirits. They believe the returning storms are divine wrath against the empire’s hubris and seek to appease the gods rather than rebuild old wards. Their tent cities shift nightly to avoid storms’ patterns, and their shamans read sand patterns for omens.

Goals

Protect nomad caravans, recover lost water sources, oppose any faction that overuses storm magic recklessly.

Relationships

With Other Factions
Cooperative with Stormwardens when mutual survival is at stake; conflict with Glass Wardens over obsidian forges.
With Players
Open to trading safe passage; may test party’s respect for desert spirits before offering aid.

Main Questline

Dreams of the Empty City

Given by: High Seeress Mahrani

Each party member dreams of Shaph‐Khut and its silent streets, guided by a beckoning voice promising sanctuary from the storms. Mahrani explains these dreams herald the City of Promise’s calling—earnest pleas from ancient spirits to rekindle its wards.

Goals

Investigate shared visions, consult Mahrani, travel to Nomad’s Lantern Oasis.

Reward

Clue: Map fragment to Nomad’s Lantern Oasis

Secrets

  • Dreams include cryptic hieroglyphs relevant to later rituals.

DM Notes

Use shared dream sequences as roleplay hook—allow Insight checks.

Relighting the Ever‐Burning Flame

Given by: Mechati al‐Sadir

The Brazier at Nomad’s Lantern Oasis must burn anew to point the way to Shaph‐Khut. The players must gather Stormfire Resin from Thunder Gorge, recite the Invocation of Renewal, and light the brazier before dawn.

Goals

Secure resin, defend shrinescroll, reignite brazier.

Reward

+1 Sun‐blessed Hammer, rumor of hidden cistern tunnels

Secrets

  • Alternate chant summons sand‐spirits for aid.

DM Notes

Time pressure: dawn arrives in 4 game hours.

Fragments of Forgotten Lore

Given by: Jahil the Sandfallen

To piece together the storm‐calming ritual, the party must gather Archivist’s Crystal Tablet fragments from Nophah’s catacombs and the Obelisk of the Weary Sun. Each fragment reveals a step in the ancient Rite of Stormbinding.

Goals

Retrieve 6 crystal fragments, avoid guardians, decode runes.

Reward

Partial Storm‐calming Ritual (+1 future ritual roll), 200 gp in antiquities

Secrets

  • One fragment is cursed, requiring dispel magic to handle.

DM Notes

Use echo acoustics in catacombs; ramp difficulty with guardian respawns.

The Heart of the Storm

Given by: Cavern’s Whispering Shade

Deep in the glowing Cavern of Whispers, the players must defeat the Whispering Shade and claim the Stormheart—an orb of pure storm‐energy. This powerful relic is the final component to power Shaph‐Khut’s Sun‐Spire.

Goals

Survive traps, defeat shade, retrieve orb.

Reward

Stormheart (unique ritual component), prophetic vision of Shaph‐Khut’s gate

Secrets

  • Stormheart whispers in ancient tongue—may impart sanity checks.

DM Notes

Use madness/possession mechanics sparingly to heighten tension.

Passage to the City

Given by: Forgotten Caravanserai Scrolls

Decoding merchant logs and activating the dragonfly plinth in the Forgotten Caravanserai opens a portal to Shaph‐Khut. Players must choose which storm‐touched artifact to sacrifice—risking unintended consequences.

Goals

Decode logs (DC 18 Investigation), activate plinth, sacrifice artifact.

Reward

Portal activated, +2 Desert‐tuned Scarf

Secrets

  • Portal alignment requires Azure Lotus brand.
  • Artifact sacrifice influences final ritual outcome.

DM Notes

Encourage player debate; allow checks to foresee possible fates.

Awakening Shaph‐Khut

Given by: Shaph‐Khut’s Silent Spirits

Within Shaph‐Khut, the Sun‐Spire Temple must be recharged by placing the Stormheart and Lost Crown into ancient plinths while reciting the Invocation of the Mourned. Failure risks unleashing uncontrolled cataclysmic storms.

Goals

Place relics, perform rituals, survive phantom guardians.

Reward

City protection ward permanent, pharaoh’s legacy artifacts

Secrets

  • Hall of the Nameless keystone riddle.
  • Vault of Exodus hidden stair reveals final storm engine.

DM Notes

Final showdown: unleash summoned storm‐elementals if any step fails.

Side Quests in The Shattered Wastes

The Lost Camel Herd

Given by: Safi el‐Razi

A merchant’s prized camel herd wandered into a hidden crevasse near the oasis. Safi asks the party to track the hoofprints at dawn, navigate dust‐blind ravines, and coax the camels out without spooking them into the cliffs below. If they can recover the herd before sunset, Safi will guide them safely to the Thunder Gorge’s entrance.

Goals

Locate the herd, calm or lead them out safely, return to Safi.

Reward

250 gp, a shared meal and Safi’s in‐depth knowledge of desert shortcuts.

Secrets

  • One camel wears a collar with coded merchant runes pointing to an underground smuggler’s cache.
  • Tracks of a larger creature suggest the herd’s panic was caused by a desert hydra spawn.

DM Notes

Use Animal Handling (DC 15) or Performance for herding. Time pressure—every hour increases chance of camel stampede.

Echoes in the Stone

Given by: Jahil the Sandfallen

Jahil claims that in a collapsed temple near Ruins of Nophah, voices still echo through cracked stones—rumored to guide one to buried hoards. He wants the party to explore the fractured hypostyle hall, avoid animated pillars, and record these echoes for translation. In return, he’ll share one full crystal‐tablet fragment unattainable by other means.

Goals

Record the echo patterns, avoid or defeat guardians, return intact.

Reward

1 Fragment of the Archivist’s Crystal Tablet, 50 gp.

Secrets

  • A pillar’s echo is actually a binding incantation—speaking it aloud may animate more guardians.
  • The crushed mosaic floor shows a hidden lever under shifting sands.

DM Notes

Use Perception/History checks to interpret mosaic. Echo recordings can be used later for the cataclysm ritual.

Mirage of the Djinn

Given by: High Seeress Mahrani

Mahrani dreams of a benevolent djinn trapped in a sandstone urn blown away into a sandstorm. She begs the party to track the swirling vortex, recover the urn, and consult the djinn’s knowledge of the old storm rites. If they succeed, she’ll teach them a protective ward spell.

Goals

Locate and recover the urn, safely unseal it, return to Mahrani.

Reward

Spell Scroll: Warding Bond, 150 gp worth of incense.

Secrets

  • The djinn’s urn is cracked—freeing it releases a fragment of storm magic that lingers.
  • Mahrani omitted that she once bound the djinn herself and fears its wrath.

DM Notes

The sandstorm is a minor magical hazard—use Storm Atlas rules (DMG p.111).

Side Quests in The Obsidian Frontier

Shatter the Obsidian Snare

Given by: Rahim al‐Zahur

A massive obsidian glassfall collapsed across a causeway, trapping a refugee party inside Glass Canyons. Rahim begs the party to clear the snare—he’ll pay in rare glass samples and lore. They must navigate razor‐sharp shards, set controlled bursts of steam to soften the glass, and avoid the unstable elemental nodes feeding the shards. Success frees the refugees and yields elemental glass.

Goals

Clear the blockage without cutting refugee’s rope lines; secure elemental glass.

Reward

3 charges of Glassfall Potion (grants +2 AC vs. ranged), 100 gp, map fragment.

Secrets

  • The refugees include a deserter from the Glass Wardens with password knowledge.
  • One shard hums with imprisoned air elemental energy—dangerous if mishandled.

DM Notes

Use tool checks (Tinker’s tools, DC 16) or creative spell use (Heat Metal).

Voice of the Obelisk

Given by: Navo the Glass Warden

Navo demands the party retrieve the missing prism shard from the Twilight Spire—a ruined watchtower where bandits stoke minor storms to drive out rivals. If they return the shard intact, Navo will help recalibrate the Stormward Obelisk for 24‐hour protection.

Goals

Infiltrate Twilight Spire, retrieve shard, return to Navo.

Reward

Prism Shard (component), favor of Glass Warden, minor storm ward that lasts one encounter.

Secrets

  • The shard is cursed—touching it without protective gloves causes short‐lived visions of the cataclysm.
  • Bandits know a chant that can activate the shard’s minor warding.

DM Notes

Bandits use minor storm traps—consider dispel magic or shielding spells.

Encounters

Dust Serpent Ambush

Medium

Suggested Level: 3–5

A pair of dust serpents coils beneath the sand and strikes a lone traveler’s caravan.

Creatures

  • 2 Dust Serpents (reskinned Constrictors)

Terrain Features

  • Sandshell Pit: players must succeed on DC 14 DEX save or fall prone.
  • Mirage patches impose disadvantage on Perception checks beyond 10 ft.

Treasure

50 gp in caravan goods, +1 Dune‐tuned Scarf.

DM Notes

Scale number of serpents by party size; use blind‐fights tactically.

Steam Vents of the Frontier

Hard

Suggested Level: 6–8

In the Glass Canyons, geysers of superheated steam burst unpredictably.

Creatures

  • 3 Glass Gargoyles (use Gargoyle stats, buffed for elemental resistance)

Terrain Features

  • Narrow basalt corridors block movement.
  • Steam vents erupt every 1d4 rounds (DC 15 DEX save or 2d6 fire damage).

Treasure

Crystal Shard (component), 150 gp worth of starmetal ore.

DM Notes

Time the vents to block escape; encourage creative water/earth spells.

Phantom Gladiators

Deadly

Suggested Level: 8–10

The Hall of the Nameless summons spectral fighters to test intruders.

Creatures

  • 2 Specters, 2 Shadows

Terrain Features

  • Uneven sand floor: DC 12 STR check to avoid stumbling.
  • Dim light from drifting lanterns.

Treasure

Mummified Hand Scroll (contains Invocation bonus), +2 Pharaonic Ring.

DM Notes

Use environmental effects to separate melee and ranged. Attack corpses for added dread.

Sandstorm Mephit Swarm

Medium

Suggested Level: 4–6

A minor sandstorm coalesces into dozens of mephits that surround the party.

Creatures

  • 6 Sand Mephits (reskinned Mephits)

Terrain Features

  • Visibilty limited to 5 ft.
  • Constant 10 ft. wind pushes players toward edge of cliff if any.

Treasure

Stormmephit Dust (30 gp), minor scroll of Control Winds.

DM Notes

Encourage area spells; mephits flee if two leaders fall.

Guardian of the Crystal Archives

Deadly

Suggested Level: 7–9

Animated guardian statues protect the vaulted chambers beneath Nophah.

Creatures

  • 1 Animated Column (use Animated Armor), 2 Stone Guardians

Terrain Features

  • Echoing hall: disadvantage on stealth.
  • Floor traps trigger 2d10 bludgeoning (DC 16 DEX save).

Treasure

Archivist’s Crystal Tablet fragment, 300 gp in gem rubble.

DM Notes

Use echo acoustics for disorientation; reward clever bypass of traps.

Magic Items

Sun‐blessed Hammer

Rare
A warhammer that glows at dawn, granting +1 to attack and damage versus elemental creatures.

Location

Nomad’s Lantern Oasis brazier chest

Attunement

True (requires dawn prayer)

+1 Dune‐tuned Scarf

Uncommon
A sand‐woven scarf granting advantage on saves versus exhaustion in desert conditions.

Location

Forgotten Caravanserai portal trek

Attunement

False

Stormheart Orb

Very Rare
A condensed orb of storm energy used to power rituals, emits faint thunder rumble.

Location

Cavern of Whispers

Attunement

True (bond with storm elemental)

R’Khon’s Sentinel Amulet

Rare
Grants resistance to thunder damage and advantage on checks to calm storms.

Location

Obelisk of the Weary Sun base

Attunement

True (must be placed near lightning)

Crystal Tablet Fragment

Rare
Shard of ancient tablet; when combined, reveals steps to the Rite of Stormbinding.

Location

Ruins of Nophah catacombs

Attunement

False

Pharaonic Ring of Ward

Very Rare
Allows once per day to cast Protection from Energy (thunder) at level 3.

Location

Hall of the Nameless prize

Attunement

True

Glassfall Potion

Uncommon
When thrown, creates a 10‐ft‐radius field of sharp glass fragments, AC –2 for creatures inside.

Location

Obsidian Frontier side‐quest

Attunement

False

Azure Lotus Token

Uncommon
A blue lotus‐engraved coin needed to open hidden gates in Shaph‐Khut.

Location

Hidden inside nomad’s camel collar

Attunement

False

Mummified Hand Scroll

Rare
Scroll containing advanced Invocation of the Mourned, grants +2 on ritual checks.

Location

Phantom Gladiator encounter prize

Attunement

True (must be held during reading)

Sun‐Lotus Nectar Vial

Uncommon
Grants one target advantage on saves vs. exhaustion and poison for 1 hour.

Location

Sun‐Spire Temple shrine

Attunement

False

Stormwoven Garb

Very Rare
A cloak woven from stormwinds—once per long rest grants Gust of Wind at will.

Location

Glass Forge Grotto inner sanctum

Attunement

True

Player Characters

You need to register to create and view player characters in this campaign.

Register Now
Login to start your adventure