The adventure ahead

Campaign Overview

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Edoría is a mountain kingdom where men and magic are woven into every law, trade, and prayer. Its capital, Lumenhal, is a city of white stone built into the mountain's bones, famous for its enchanters, its floating lanterns, and its Royal Pearl—a relic that stabilizes the city's wards and blesses its markets. When the Royal Pearl is stolen, the crown cannot risk panic. The royal family hires a small team to find it quietly.

The investigation reveals a trail of mirror magic, paid informants, and a hidden conspiracy called the Hollow Crown. The party must recover the pearl before the city's enchantments fail, and before the thief's master learns they are coming.

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Player Handout

In Edoría, magic is not a secret. It lights the streets, seals the treaties, and prices the grain. Lumenhal, the white-stone capital, is the jewel of the mountain kingdom—a city of enchanters, merchants, and pilgrims. At its heart rests the Royal Pearl, a relic said to keep the wards strong and the royal line true. Last night, the Royal Pearl was stolen. The crown cannot announce the theft without causing panic, so Princess Aelira has hired you to find it quietly. You have three days before the Festival of Lanterns. Work fast, ask carefully, and remember: in Lumenhal, every stone listens.

Free Act I Preview
Levels 1 3 Sessions 3-4

The Pearl of White Edoría

Behind the screen

This free preview contains Act I of a longer campaign. The party begins at 1st level in Lumenhal, the white-stone capital of Edoría. They are hired by Princess Aelira to recover the stolen Royal Pearl without alarming the public. Act I is an investigation with three main phases: the palace and White Archive, the Lantern Market undercity, and the Sunken Vault. The central villain of this act is Corvin Thale, a royal enchanter who betrayed his oaths.

He is not the campaign's ultimate villain; he is a pawn of the Hollow Crown and its mysterious leader, the Gilded Voice. By the end of Act I, the party should reach 3rd level, recover the pearl or prevent its complete loss, and learn that the pearl is one of seven keys. The greater villain remains off-screen, known only through symbols, letters, and a missing shard. This preview is designed for 3-4 sessions and gives enough material to run the opening arc.

Adventure Hooks

Hook 01

The Royal Writ

Princess Aelira Edoría summons the party to the Gilded Audience Chamber and offers a sealed royal writ. The Royal Pearl has been stolen, but the public believes it is being polished for the Festival of Lanterns. The party is hired to recover it quietly before panic spreads.

Hook 02

Whispers in the Lantern Market

A nervous lantern vendor in the Lantern Market whispers that a royal enchanter paid for passage through the undercity with stolen palace silver. The vendor will talk for a few coins or a kind word, but Corvin's lookouts are watching.

Act Structure

Act I: The Pearl's Shadow

Recommended level: 1-3

The Royal Pearl of Lumenhal has been stolen from the white-stone city of Edoría. The royal family hires the party to investigate discreetly before the public learns that the city's greatest enchantment is vulnerable. The trail leads from the palace reliquary to the White Archive, through the Lantern Market undercity, and into the Sunken Vault. There the party confronts Corvin Thale, a junior royal enchanter who stole the pearl for a hidden conspiracy called the Hollow Crown. Corvin is only a pawn. The party can recover the pearl, but a shard escapes through a mirror gate, and the name 'the Gilded Voice' becomes the first hint of the true villain.

Objectives

  • Accept the royal commission and keep the theft of the Royal Pearl secret from the public.
  • Investigate the royal reliquary and the enchanter's workshop for signs of how the pearl was taken.
  • Trace the thief through the white-stone city's markets, wards, and undercity without causing panic.
  • Confront the Act I villain, Corvin Thale, before the pearl is sent through a mirror gate.
  • Recover the Royal Pearl and secure the first clue pointing to the Hollow Crown.

The Gilded Summons

The Gilded Audience Chamber, Royal Palace of Lumenhal, Edoría

Read aloud

The audience chamber is carved from a single vein of white stone, its walls veined with gold that catches the morning light. Princess Aelira stands beside an empty pedestal. The Royal Pearl, she says, was the heart of Lumenhal's enchantments. It was taken last night. The city must not know. You are to find it quietly, before rumor becomes riot.

Running this scene

Open the campaign in the royal audience chamber of Lumenhal, the white-stone capital of Edoría. The party is hired discreetly by Princess Aelira Edoría. The public believes the Royal Pearl is merely being polished for a festival. If the party asks about suspects, the chamberlain names Corvin Thale only reluctantly. This scene is investigation and roleplay; no combat is expected. If the party causes a public disturbance, a patrol of 2 Guard arrives to restore order, but the royal writ should prevent arrest. Corvin Thale is the central villain of Act I and uses his forthcoming character sheet; do not represent him with a monster stat block.

Checks
  • DC 12 Insight: Success reveals that the royal chamberlain is frightened, not merely officious; he knows the pearl's loss could topple the crown.
  • DC 13 Investigation: Success finds faint pearl-dust on the reliquary floor and a single blackened thread caught in the lock.
  • DC 14 Persuasion: Success convinces the princess to grant the party a sealed writ of inquiry, allowing them to question royal staff without public alarm.
  • DC 10 Arcana: Success confirms the reliquary wards were not broken by force but opened by someone who knew the royal enchantment sequence.
Clues
  • The Royal Pearl was taken without triggering the public alarm wards.
  • Only a royal enchanter or someone trained in the palace's private sigil sequence could bypass the reliquary.
  • A blackened thread smells of sulfur and mirror-silver, a residue linked to teleportation magic.
  • The chamberlain mentions that Corvin Thale, a junior royal enchanter, missed his morning duties.
Where next
  • Once the party accepts the writ, the princess directs them to the royal reliquary and Corvin Thale's workshop in the White Archive.
  • If the party refuses or delays, the chamberlain warns that the festival begins in three days and public panic will make investigation impossible.

The White Archive

The White Archive, Royal Enchanter's Workshop, Lumenhal

Read aloud

The White Archive smells of ozone and old parchment. Enchantment circles glow faintly on the floor, but one is smeared and cold. A silver mirror shard lies in the corner, and the air hums with the aftertaste of a hasty spell. Somewhere deeper in the workshop, metal scrapes against stone.

Running this scene

The White Archive is a royal workshop of enchantment. Corvin Thale has fled, leaving guardian constructs to delay pursuit. Encounter: 2 Animated Armor and 1 Flying Sword. These are official SRD creatures. The constructs attack intruders who lack the royal writ; with the writ, the party can attempt DC 13 Persuasion to calm the archive's spirit-seal and avoid combat. If combat occurs, the constructs fight until destroyed. After the encounter, the party can search the workshop. Corvin Thale is not present. Do not use a monster stat block for him.

Checks
  • DC 13 Investigation: Success finds Corvin's ledger hidden beneath a loose floor tile; it lists payments from a buyer called 'the Hollow Crown.'
  • DC 14 Arcana: Success identifies the teleportation residue as mirror-gate magic, keyed to a destination in the Lantern Market undercity.
  • DC 15 Thieves' Tools: Success opens Corvin's private strongbox, revealing a map of the Sunken Vault and a silver mirror shard.
  • DC 12 Perception: Success notices fresh boot prints leading from the workshop to a service stair used by palace staff.
Clues
  • Corvin Thale's workshop is abandoned, but his tools are still warm.
  • A ledger shows he was paid in platinum by someone using a hollow-crown seal.
  • The teleportation residue matches a mirror gate, not a standard portal.
  • A map marks the Sunken Vault beneath the Lantern Market.
Where next
  • The ledger and map point to the Lantern Market undercity and a meeting place called the Sunken Vault.
  • If the party lingers, a palace servant warns that Corvin was seen near the Lantern Market an hour ago.

The Lantern Market

The Lantern Market, Undercity of Lumenhal

Read aloud

Below Lumenhal's white streets, the Lantern Market glows with colored glass and floating lights. Merchants sell spell components beside smoked fish and stolen relics. Every shadow could be a lookout, and every whisper could be a clue. Somewhere below, a stolen pearl is waiting.

Running this scene

The Lantern Market is a bustling undercity bazaar where magic and trade mix openly. The party must gather information without starting a riot. Encounter: 3 Bandit and 1 Spy, who are Corvin's lookouts. They can be avoided with stealth, bribed with 20 gp, or fought. If fought, they prefer to flee toward the Sunken Vault to warn Corvin. The Spy uses SRD statistics. Corvin Thale is not among them. Keep the scene tense but not a full dungeon crawl.

Checks
  • DC 13 Persuasion: Success convinces a lantern vendor to reveal that Corvin bought passage through the undercity with stolen palace silver.
  • DC 14 Intimidation: Success frightens a bandit courier into admitting Corvin hired guards for a ritual at the Sunken Vault.
  • DC 12 Stealth: Success lets the party follow a courier to the hidden entrance of the Sunken Vault without being noticed.
  • DC 15 Investigation: Success uncovers a hidden mark of the Hollow Crown scratched into a market post, matching the seal in Corvin's ledger.
Clues
  • Corvin Thale is hiding in the Sunken Vault beneath the Lantern Market.
  • He has hired bandits and a spy to watch for royal agents.
  • The Hollow Crown seal appears on crates of mirror-silver and ritual chalk.
  • A ritual is planned for midnight, when the city's enchantments are weakest.
Where next
  • The clues lead to a sealed stair behind a broken fountain, descending to the Sunken Vault.
  • If the party is noticed, Corvin's lookouts flee to warn him, giving the party less time before the ritual begins.

The Sunken Vault

The Sunken Vault, beneath the Lantern Market

Read aloud

The vault is half-flooded, its walls carved with a hollow crown. Corvin Thale stands before a tall silver mirror, the Royal Pearl floating in a cage of light. 'You are too late,' he says. 'The Gilded Voice already has what it needs.' The mirror ripples, and armed figures step from the shadows.

Running this scene

The Sunken Vault is a flooded ritual chamber beneath the Lantern Market. Corvin Thale is the Act I villain and uses his forthcoming character sheet; do not use a monster stat block for him. Encounter: Corvin Thale, 2 Thug, and 1 Cultist. The Cultist is an official SRD creature. Corvin fights from range with spells and mirror tricks, using the thugs as shields. If reduced to 10 hit points or fewer, he tries to flee through the mirror gate.

If the party disrupts the ritual, the pearl is saved but a shard escapes. This is the climax of Act I. The greater villain is not present and should not be fought here.

Checks
  • DC 15 Arcana: Success disrupts the mirror-gate ritual, preventing the Royal Pearl from being sent through and causing the gate to collapse.
  • DC 13 Athletics: Success shatters the ritual mirror, ending the teleportation effect and stunning Corvin for one round.
  • DC 12 Perception: Success spots a hidden letter before Corvin can burn it; the letter bears the Hollow Crown seal.
  • DC 14 Persuasion: Success convinces Corvin to surrender by offering him a chance to name his master; he reveals only that the Hollow Crown is 'older than Edoría.'
Clues
  • The Royal Pearl is one of seven keys needed to open a vault called the Hollow Crown.
  • Corvin Thale was only a pawn; he received orders through mirror messages.
  • A letter names a greater villain only as 'the Gilded Voice.'
  • The pearl can be recovered, but a small shard is missing and already sent through the gate.
Where next
  • If the party recovers the pearl, Princess Aelira rewards them and asks them to investigate the Hollow Crown beyond Lumenhal.
  • If the shard escapes, the party learns the greater villain now has a piece of the key, launching Act II.
  • Either way, the party reaches 3rd level and gains the first true lead on the campaign's big villain.

Milestone: At the end of Act I, the party reaches 3rd level, recovers the Royal Pearl (or prevents its permanent loss), and learns the name of the hidden conspiracy: the Hollow Crown. The pearl is revealed to be one of several keys, setting the path toward the greater villain beyond this preview.

Villain Character Sheets

Corvin Thale Corvin Thale

Corvin Thale is a wiry, pale man in his early thirties, with the stooped posture of someone who has spent six years being overlooked in roo…

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Villain Plans

Corvin Thale Character Sheet

Royal enchanter turned traitor; Act I villain and pawn of the Hollow Crown.

Motivation

Corvin Thale was a junior royal enchanter drowning in debt and overlooked by his superiors. The Hollow Crown offered him wealth, forbidden mirror magic, and a chance to matter. He convinced himself that stealing the pearl was a victimless crime, but he is now terrified of the Gilded Voice and desperate to escape before his master discards him.

Personality

Corvin is precise, anxious, and defensive. He speaks in technical terms about enchantment and ritual, but his hands shake when he is cornered. He is not a true believer in the Hollow Crown; he is a frightened man who made a terrible bargain. He respects competence and can be reasoned with if the party offers him a way out.

Resources

  • Access to royal enchanter training and mirror-gate magic.
  • A hidden workshop in the White Archive with enchanted guardians.
  • Hired bandits, a spy, and a cultist in the Lantern Market and Sunken Vault.
  • A silver mirror shard and a map of the Sunken Vault.
  • Knowledge of the Hollow Crown's seal and the name 'the Gilded Voice.'

Battle Plan

Corvin begins combat behind the ritual mirror, using ranged spells and mirror tricks to confuse the party. He orders the Thugs to block melee combatants and the Cultist to protect the ritual. If reduced to 10 hit points or fewer, he attempts to flee through the mirror gate. If the gate is destroyed, he surrenders or fights desperately. He never uses a monster stat block; use his forthcoming character sheet.

Defeat or Redemption

Corvin can be defeated, captured, or convinced to surrender. If captured, he reveals that the Hollow Crown is older than Edoría and that he was paid in platinum and promises of power. He does not know the Gilded Voice's true identity. If shown mercy, he may become a reluctant informant in later acts, but he is too frightened to betray the Hollow Crown openly.

Running Notes

Recommended party: 4-5 characters, 1st level, any SRD classes. At least one character should have Arcana or Investigation; a rogue or bard is useful for social and stealth scenes. A cleric or paladin helps against the cultist and undead-adjacent magic in the Sunken Vault.

Session Zero

Before play, discuss the campaign's themes: political intrigue, theft, secret conspiracies, and the tension between public order and hidden truth. Establish safety tools such as the X-card, lines and veils, and open-door policy. Ask each player to create a 1st-level SRD character with a reason to work for the crown or care about Lumenhal. At least one character should have Arcana or Investigation; a rogue or bard is useful for social and stealth scenes. A cleric or paladin helps against the cultist and undead-adjacent magic in the Sunken Vault. Clarify that the campaign begins with a quiet investigation, not a public war, and that the greater villain will remain off-screen during this preview.

Scaling Guidance

This preview is built for 4-5 characters of 1st to 3rd level. For a party of three, remove one Bandit from the Lantern Market encounter and one Thug from the Sunken Vault. For a party of six, add one Animated Armor to the White Archive, one Bandit to the Lantern Market, and one Thug to the Sunken Vault. If the party avoids combat through stealth or persuasion, award experience as if they had defeated the encounter. Corvin Thale should feel dangerous but not unbeatable; if the party is reduced to half hit points, consider having him monologue or focus on the ritual instead of attacking. Never use a monster stat block for Corvin; use his forthcoming character sheet.

DM Advice

Run Act I as a quiet investigation with rising tension. The public must not learn the Royal Pearl is missing. Use the three-day countdown to the Festival of Lanterns to create urgency. Corvin Thale is the visible villain, but he is a pawn. The Gilded Voice and the Hollow Crown should remain off-screen, known only through symbols, letters, and the missing shard. Reward clever play, stealth, and social solutions as much as combat. If the party recovers the pearl, Princess Aelira rewards them and asks them to investigate the Hollow Crown beyond Lumenhal. If the shard escapes, the greater villain now has a piece of the key, launching Act II.

Secrets & Clues

  • The Royal Pearl is one of seven keys needed to open a vault called the Hollow Crown.
  • Corvin Thale was only a pawn; he received orders through mirror messages.
  • A letter names a greater villain only as 'the Gilded Voice.'
  • The pearl can be recovered, but a small shard is missing and already sent through the gate if the ritual is not fully stopped before midnight.

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Villain Character Sheets

Corvin Thale Corvin Thale

Corvin Thale is a wiry, pale man in his early thirties, with the stooped posture of someone who has spent six years being overlooked in roo…

Premium Campaign Feature

Free campaign generations include one villain sheet. Additional villain, NPC, and player-facing module character sheets are available in premium campaigns.

Subscribe Now

Monsters & Enemies

Premium Campaign Feature

Free campaign encounters use official monster sheets, plus the campaign villain character when referenced. They do not include generated custom monster sheets. Subscribe to create custom campaign monsters and enemy stat blocks.

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Villain Plans

Corvin Thale Character Sheet

Royal enchanter turned traitor; Act I villain and pawn of the Hollow Crown.

Motivation

Corvin Thale was a junior royal enchanter drowning in debt and overlooked by his superiors. The Hollow Crown offered him wealth, forbidden mirror magic, and a chance to matter. He convinced himself that stealing the pearl was a victimless crime, but he is now terrified of the Gilded Voice and desperate to escape before his master discards him.

Personality

Corvin is precise, anxious, and defensive. He speaks in technical terms about enchantment and ritual, but his hands shake when he is cornered. He is not a true believer in the Hollow Crown; he is a frightened man who made a terrible bargain. He respects competence and can be reasoned with if the party offers him a way out.

Resources

  • Access to royal enchanter training and mirror-gate magic.
  • A hidden workshop in the White Archive with enchanted guardians.
  • Hired bandits, a spy, and a cultist in the Lantern Market and Sunken Vault.
  • A silver mirror shard and a map of the Sunken Vault.
  • Knowledge of the Hollow Crown's seal and the name 'the Gilded Voice.'

Battle Plan

Corvin begins combat behind the ritual mirror, using ranged spells and mirror tricks to confuse the party. He orders the Thugs to block melee combatants and the Cultist to protect the ritual. If reduced to 10 hit points or fewer, he attempts to flee through the mirror gate. If the gate is destroyed, he surrenders or fights desperately. He never uses a monster stat block; use his forthcoming character sheet.

Defeat or Redemption

Corvin can be defeated, captured, or convinced to surrender. If captured, he reveals that the Hollow Crown is older than Edoría and that he was paid in platinum and promises of power. He does not know the Gilded Voice's true identity. If shown mercy, he may become a reluctant informant in later acts, but he is too frightened to betray the Hollow Crown openly.

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Encounters

Guardians of the White Archive

Suggested Level: 1-2

Corvin Thale's abandoned workshop is guarded by enchanted objects left behind to delay pursuit. The constructs attack anyone without the royal writ, but a clever party can calm the archive's spirit-seal and avoid bloodshed.

Creatures

Terrain Features

Glowing enchantment circles, loose floor tiles, a silver mirror shard, and shelves of fragile parchment that can be toppled for cover.

Treasure

Corvin's ledger, a map of the Sunken Vault, 25 gp in mixed coin, and a silver mirror shard.

DM Notes

This encounter introduces the party to Corvin's mirror magic and the Hollow Crown ledger. The constructs are official SRD creatures. Corvin is not present.

Lookouts of the Lantern Market

Suggested Level: 2

Corvin's lookouts patrol the Lantern Market undercity. They can be bribed, avoided, or fought. If violence breaks out, they try to flee toward the Sunken Vault to warn their master.

Creatures

Terrain Features

Crowded bazaar stalls, floating lanterns, narrow alleys, and a sealed stair behind a broken fountain.

Treasure

20 gp in bribe money, a Hollow Crown seal, and a Potion of Healing.

DM Notes

The Spy uses SRD statistics. The bandits are loyal only to coin. A successful DC 13 Persuasion or DC 14 Intimidation check can turn one into an informant.

The Sunken Vault Ritual

Suggested Level: 3

In the half-flooded Sunken Vault, Corvin Thale performs a mirror-gate ritual to send the Royal Pearl to the Hollow Crown. He is guarded by hired thugs and a cultist who believes the Gilded Voice will reward him.

Creatures

Terrain Features

Half-flooded floor, a tall silver ritual mirror, a cage of light around the Royal Pearl, and walls carved with a hollow crown.

Treasure

The Royal Pearl, a mirror-silver shard, and a letter bearing the Hollow Crown seal.

DM Notes

Corvin Thale is the Act I villain and uses his forthcoming character sheet. Do not use a monster stat block for him. The cultist and thugs are official SRD creatures. The greater villain is not present.

Magic Items

Mirror-Silver Shard Mirror-Silver Shard Completed

Mirror-Silver Shard

uncommon
A palm-sized shard of mirror-silver that hums faintly near teleportation magic. Once per day, the bearer can use an action to cast Detect Magic, but the spell only reveals conjuration and illusion auras. If the shard is used as a spellcasting focus, it leaves a silver residue on the caster's fingers.

Location

White Archive, hidden in Corvin Thale's strongbox.

Attunement

no

Lantern of Quiet Wards Lantern of Quiet Wards Completed

Lantern of Quiet Wards

common
A small lantern of white glass and brass, designed to burn without oil. While lit, it sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for another 20 feet. Creatures within the bright light have advantage on saving throws against being frightened by magical effects. The lantern flickers when a lie is spoken within its light, though it does not reveal the liar.

Location

Lantern Market, traded by a vendor who does not know its origin.

Attunement

no

Pearl-Dust Compass Pearl-Dust Compass Completed

Pearl-Dust Compass

uncommon
A brass compass whose needle is set with a fleck of pearl dust. While attuned, the bearer can use an action to name a person, place, or object they have seen within the last day. The needle points toward the nearest trace of that subject for 1 minute, but only if the subject is within 1 mile. The compass grows warm near mirror-gate magic.

Location

Sunken Vault, resting on a ritual pedestal near the Royal Pearl's cage.

Attunement

yes

Player Characters

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