(Alchemy RPG) Lore of Aetherra: The Lost Druid

III EPILOGUE

204 T he portal ring darkens, and the water turns black as the glowing fretwork of Chrysalean technology laced throughout the room returns to its lifeless and muted state. Only an echo remains of the great stirring that occurred moments before, and it soon fades to a rolling hush that falls over the library hall. The grave silence shatters as a legion of Spiran guards pour in from the broken doors at the back of the room. They brandish their weapons with trembling arms and uncontrolled rage. An Indosian warlock, hidden away from the earlier violence, turns toward the guards with cupped hands and mutters a few arcane words, and a sphere of necrotic power materializes in front of the robed conjurer. Tensions ignite, but the remaining members of the Indosian Council keep their eyes fixed upon the dead waters in the portal. An uneasy dread settles across the room, and for a moment, time all but pauses. These final few moments of calm mark the last time civility would reign between the orders. Rupturing the eerie stillness, a cacophony of Spiran warcries shakes the foundations of the room. The spell in the warlock’s palms quivers, waiting to be flung at the growing crowd of soldiers entering the Epilogue THE GREAT WAR OF FANO "I heard a throaty and harsh roar, so I rushed out to the docks. There I felt a gust of wind and a thunderous flutter, and my stomach dropped as I looked above my head — a dragon wearing the symbol and colors of Madam Empra thrust its wings across the bay and soared toward the city. In the distance, smoke and flame enveloped the library, and it appeared to be lost. Then, a mob of humans, dwarves, elves, and gnomes marched through the streets and alleyways. They wore golden armor bearing the dragon wing symbol of the Eschans and made their way toward the library to answer their captain’s call, attacking every Spiran guard along the way. This was the Flaring — the beginning of the end for the Fano." room. Moments later, the library’s dome bursts open, sending debris crashing to the floor. Madam Empra, in her true and terrible draconic form, descends upon the room, the seed of a flame stirring deep within her smolders in anticipation. The Spirans strike, the few Indosians that remain unleash their foul magic, and Empra’s breast swells with burning fury and untethers hell. In this fiery bedlam, the three orders wreak utter wrath and destruction upon each other. War breaks out across Fano, and no neighborhood or district is spared the incivility of battle. Bloodshed and chaos rule the day in a way this city has never seen. The devastation caused during the War of the Orders stains the soil with spilled blood, leaving a black mark on the already vicious history of Aetherra. Brother turns against brother, sister against sister. Among the charred and crumbled remains of the city, an account, scrawled on the wall of the Bluefin, written by some unknown bard who, setting aside his prose, wrote plainly in hopes his words will live longer than his flesh. He soon succumbed to his injuries on the floor of the Bluefin Tavern. The scrawled account reads as follows:

EPILOGUE 205 I Day 1. Flame and smoke rise from the desecration of the library. Spiran guards, heeding their captain’s call, make haste from the Lost Lantern and are attacked by the Eschan Militia in an alleyway. This battle signals the beginning of open warfare in the streets. II Day 2. Bodies of Spiran guards riddle the docks, many of them floating in the merqua-infested waters of Chrysal Lake. Eschan militants occupy the island of Lakeport Docks. In Tetha, Llief, and Aunaranda, they gather in condemned buildings and fortified hideouts, planning their assault on the District of Indos. IV Day 4. Madam Empra, in draconic glory, destroys the bridge between Lakeport Docks and the main island of Fano. Smaller ships full of Eschan fighters set out from the docks and begin their siege in the neighborhood of Cloverres. VII Day 7. The Eschans overtake Cloverres, Olean, and Archis West. All the land north of the Novarian River in the district of Indos is occupied by the Eschans. In Tomes and Flickering Fingers, the Indosians hold the Spirans off with their dark magic. XV Day 15. War wages on fronts at both the Novarian and Archis rivers. The Indosian grasp on their namesake district weakens, and they now hold only Tomes and Flickering Fingers. The Spirans have moved over the Archis River and are beginning to fortify the district of Spira. XXIV Day 24. The Eschans, equipped with mechwood armor suits, overpower the Indosian warlocks and claim the last two neighborhoods — the Eschan militants now occupy the districts of Escha and Indos. XXX Day 30. Mad Prince Airon and his alchemist reveal strange and diabolical weapons reinforcing the Monarchy for the coming Eschan assault. The Eschans draw up plans to attack around the north coast of the district with Hendan ships. XXXI Day 31. The most terrible and vile of the warlocks among the Indosian Nine emerges from the rubble of Flickering Fingers. Her power is unmatched as she sets her eyes toward Spira. The Spiran guards left to rot in the merqua-soaked waters off the docks begin to crawl out of the water. Their eyes are no more than black orbs, and their bloated skin takes on a violet hue. More monster than man, these foul beings indiscriminately attack every living thing unfortunate enough to cross their path. Fano has fallen, and few remain to mourn her ashes.

IV APPENDIX

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APPENDIX A: NPCS 209 LORE Fawn Lee owns and operates the Waterleaf Book Shoppe in the Eschan neighborhood of Tetha. She inherited the store and its contents from her father, presumed dead. The most precious of those items is the diary where Irem Lee recorded his research into the three Orders of Fano, the storied city of Chrysalea, and Gilgazo, a mythical druid from an ancient sect called the Allianders. Fawn believes that her father's insistence on delving into forbidden knowledge led to his disappearance and demise. Even so, she follows her father's path into wilds of dangerous esoteric knowledge. More fond of books than people, Fawn nonetheless has developed a great affection for her acolyte, Meyfyre. Together, they have delved into the diary's mysteries and learned the location of Gilgazo, deep within the Broken Top Mountains. Fawn, born in Fano, has never been off of the island and, if she can find adventurers up to the task, plans on sending Meyfyre to escort them to Gilgazo's hidden location. Her father wrote that Gilgazo, a mythical being not seen for a thousand years, could restore the broken city of Fano to wholeness. Fawn believes that if anyone could provide her answers about her father's death, it would be the last Alliander. Fawn wears two articles of clothing wherever she goes — the crimson cloaks typical of those in her Order and an azurite pendant fashioned into the shape of her family crest. She has learned a few rudimentary spells during her studies. Fawn is kind and generous, although her general aloofness means deep relationships take years to form. Her knowledge outpaces her experience, often blinding her to the far-reaching consequences of her actions. Fawn Lee MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), NEUTRAL GOOD Armor Class 10 (13 with mage armor) Hit Points 90 (20d8) Speed 30 ft. STR 10 (+0) DEX 10 (+0) CON 11 (+0) INT 16 (+3) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 13 (+1) Saving Throws Int +5 Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Insight +3 Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Common, Elvish Challenge 1 (200 XP) Spellcasting. Fawn is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). Fawn has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): mage hand, mending, message, prestidigitation 1st level (4 slots): identify, mage armor, illusory script 2nd level (3 slots): arcane lock, gentle repose ACTIONS Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage.

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APPENDIX A: NPCS 211 LORE History books spanning cultures and millennia mention a tall spry man who would befriend both animal and person alike, who would empty his pockets to prevent a single child from going hungry — the ageless and wise Gilgazo. His piercing azure eyes have seen nations rise and fall, and his kind smile has warmed the hearts of both prince and peasant alike. A crowd would form every time he would tell one of his astounding tales, but he would also take the time to listen to a stranger on the side of the road. The blue symbols etched into Gilgazo's flesh identify him as an Alliander, a sect that trains to use aether to better the world. These traits appealed to both his benevolent nature and his propensity for abusing mind-altering substances. No matter intoxicated he might be, however, Gilgazo delights in the presence of a crowd and blends effortlessly into every culture he visits. Braided Hair Beads Wondrous item, rare While wearing at least one bead, Gilgazo is immune to scrying and any magical effect that would sense his emotions, read his thoughts, or detect his location. Creatures can telepathically communicate with Gilgazo only if he allows it. Wildbriar Necklace and Key Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) While wearing this necklace, Gilgazo is permanently affected by the speak with animals spell, and all lagomorphs will treat him as a friend. Gilgazo MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), CHAOTIC GOOD Armor Class 15 (protection runes) Hit Points 137 (25d8 + 25) Speed 30 ft. STR 11 (+0) DEX 12 (+1) CON 12 (+1) INT 14 (+2) WIS 17 (+3) CHA 17 (+3) Saving Throws Wis +6, Cha +6 Skills Animal Handling +6, Arcana +5, History +5, Medicine +6, Nature +5, Perception +6, Persuasion +6, Survival +6 Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages Chrysalean, Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, Novarian Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Aether Focus. While under the influence of aether, Gilgazo can neither use his change shape ability or cast any druid spells. Timeless Body. Gilgazo does not age and cannot die from old age. Soul of the Wind. When under the influence of aether, Gilgazo can control the winds, allowing him to levitate 5 ft. from the ground and double his standing long and high jump. Spellcasting. Gilgazo is a 7th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). Gilgazo has the following druid spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, guidance, mending, produce flame 1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, detect magic, purify food and drink 2nd level (3 slots): animal messenger, gust of wind, lesser restoration 3rd level (3 slots): conjure animals, speak with plants, water walk 4th level (1 slot): hallucinatory terrain ACTIONS Soul of the Flame. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (6d6 + 3) fire damage. While under the influence of aether, Gilgazo can summon a small ball of intense heat and project it at a target. Soul of the Earth (Recharge 5-6). While under the influence of aether, Gilgazo can cause the earth beneath an opponent's feet to shake, causing the target to become prone (DC 14 Dexterity saving throw to stay standing). Soul of the Lake (recharge 6). While under the influence of aether, Gilgazo can project a 60 ft. cone of water, dealing 17 (5d6) damage to all targets in the area (DC 14 Dexterity saving throw for half damage). Change Shape (2/Day). Gilgazo magically polymorphs into a beast (octopus, wolf, giant elk, owl, fox, hare) or back into his humanoid form. Any equipment Gilgazo is wearing or carrying is worn by the beast form. Gilgazo reverts to his humanoid form when he dies in beast form.

APPENDIX A: NPCS 213 STU HARRINGTON LORE Maytria, a massive arachnid with seven glassy eyes, rules the fathomless darkness of the grotto. Sticky black resin coats the myriad of thorns protruding from her spindly legs, and her mandibles habitually snap at the air in hopes of snaring a tasty snack, her hunger insatiable. Years of exposure to merqua has infused the beast with a sickly purple glow, and it stains the venom dripping from its maw. Her gnarled body carries the scars of a violent life, and her thunderous steps as she strides towards her prey ensure that its final moments will be spent in abject horror. More than a solitary hunter, Maytria leads a teeming horde of spiders that devours all life managing to enter the dank cavern they call home. She never lets any of her underlings get too big — if any become large enough to threaten her dominance, she will slaughter them and feast on their corpses. A pool of merqua in her lair nourishes her and facilitates her prodigious growth and propensity for rage. Maytria began life as a common spider, but decades surrounded by merqua have transformed her into the monster she is today. Few have come across her and lived to tell the tale. Still, one brave soul managed to escape her claws and wandered back into civilization after months of meandering through the tunnels in the mountain. He named the beast Maytria in honor of an overbearing schoolmistress he had as a child. Maytria HUGE BEAST, UNALIGNED Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 90 (12d12 + 12) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 16 (+3) CON 12 (+1) INT 4 (-3) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 5 (-3) Saving Throws Str +4, Dex +5 Skills Acrobatics +5 Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages — Challenge 2 (450 XP) Spider Climb. Maytria can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Web Sense. While in contact with a web, Maytria knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web. Web Walker. Maytria ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing. Merqua Glow. Maytria emits 10 ft. of glowing dim violet light. Arachnid Mouthparts. If Maytria successfully attacks with its chelicerae attack, she can make a bite as a bonus action. ACTIONS Chelicerae. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, taking 4 (1d8) poison damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but poisoned for 1 hour even after regaining hit points and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way. Additionally, merqua is infused in the attack, causing the target to receive 2 temporary hit points. Web. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 15/60 ft., one target. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 12 Strength saving throw, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10, HP 5, vulnerability to fire damage, immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage.)

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APPENDIX A: NPCS 215 LORE Meyfyre Hetheria claims to be a humble wood elf from the township of Henda, but in reality, she is a Chrysalean, a resident of the city beneath the lake. Sent to the surface by Queen Lillius to retrieve the druid Gilgazo, Meyfyre conspired with the Indosian Council of Nine to become Fawn Lee’s acolyte, as she believes that Fawn has determined the location of the wayward druid. While not physically powerful, her cunning and quick-thinking allow her to influence events with nothing more than her words. While Meyfyre holds no ill will towards Fawn Lee, her loyalties belong to her Chrysalea and her queen, and she requires Gilgazo, the last of the Allianders, to save their city from destruction. Unable to make the journey herself, she has helped convince Fawn to seek adventurers to find the druid. While Fawn wants answers about her father’s death and the restoration of the fallen city of Fano, Meyfyre’s plans for Gilgazo follow a more sinister path. Meyfyre wears a ring of mind shielding that she keeps invisible and a girdle of the infiltrator that she wears to disguise her Chrysalean appearance. She carries weaponry but rarely uses it, preferring to stay out of combat if she can avoid it. Girdle of the Infiltrator Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) While wearing this simple cloth girdle, you may cast disguise self at will. Additionally you make all Charisma (Deception) checks with advantage. Meyfyre Hetheria MEDIUM HUMANOID (ELF), CHAOTIC NEUTRAL Armor Class 13 (studded leather) Hit Points 82 (15d8 + 15) Speed 30 ft. STR 8 (-1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 12 (+1) INT 12 (+1) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 12 (+1) Saving Throws Int +3 Skills Deception +3, History +3, Perception +4, Religion +3 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Chrysalean, Common, Elvish, Novarian, Thieves' Cant Challenge 2 (450 XP) Fey Ancestry. Meyfyre has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put her to sleep. Spellcasting. Meyfyre is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). Meyfyre has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): mending, spare the dying, sacred flame 1st level (3 slots): cure wounds, inflict wounds, healing word ACTIONS Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

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APPENDIX A: NPCS 217 LORE Countless legendary captains have sailed the storied waters of Chrysal Lake, but none have the reputation that Gattlish "Red" Redfall has earned throughout his career. The captain secured his place in folk tales when he slew the mighty beast of Bluefin, the namesake and decoration of the tavern he frequents along the docks. When Red braved the terrors of Broken Top Bay twice and lived, he cemented his place in the pantheon of Aetherran folk heroes. Nowadays, Red idles away his time at the Bluefin, downing flagon after flagon of cider and recalling tales that, if told by any other, would seem exaggerated, if not completely fabricated. A natural storyteller, his charisma draws the crowd in, and the attention fuels his theatrical tendencies as he stirs the crowd's emotions with his tales of derring-do. A beast of a man at nearly seven-foottall, Red excels at contests of physical strength and won't turn down a kin scrap challenge, and those that think they might best the captain in a drinking game are soon disabused of that notion. Red cares deeply for those who make it to his inner circle. While the world knows only of his fearless exploits and reckless courage, he reveals his vulnerabilities to those he has learned to trust. His tales often reference a person he only calls "the love of my life." However, no one knows if they actually exist or are merely a figment of Red's imagination, invented to give his stories extra weight. The captain's latest vessel, the Moxi VII, is the latest in a series of Hendan vessels that have faithfully served Red in his journeys. Each of the previous six has met a grisly fate, as even the finest ship has trouble meeting the captain's exacting demands. Captain Gattlish Redfall MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), NEUTRAL Armor Class 12 Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36) Speed 30 ft. STR 16 (+3) DEX 15 (+2) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 7 (-2) CHA 12 (+1) Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +5 Skills Athletics +5 Senses passive Perception 8 Languages Common, Orc Challenge 2 (450 XP) Brave. Redfall has advantage on saving throws against being frightened. Grappler. Redfall has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by him. ACTIONS Multiattack. Redfall makes two dagger attacks. Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage. Captain's Exhortation (Recharge 6). All friendly willing targets within 60 ft. of Redfall make their next attack roll with advantage.

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APPENDIX A: NPCS 219 LORE Lieutenant Myano has served his people for centuries as a soldier and leader of the Chrysalean Guard. His level-headed leadership and sharp analytical mind drew the attention of Orrien, patriarch of Chrysalea, and the two developed a deep friendship sealed with the bond of mutual respect. Myano was assigned to guard the entrance of Gloom, a habitat in Chrysalea built to house those overtaken by their lust for aether, before Orrien asked him to go on a special assignment, off the record. Orrien's dear friend, Gilgazo the Alliander, had not only begun to succumb to his crippling need for aether — he was being hunted by Orrien's sister, Lillius, who needed the druid for her twisted plans. Orrien prepared a place to hide Gilgazo away while he recuperated from his brush with degeneracy, deep within the Broken Top Mountains. To allow his friend a modicum of comfort in his cage, an eternal party, the Reverie Fantastica, was set in motion, drawing the curious and crazy brave to enjoy an endless supply of food and drink as they keep Gilgazo's company. Myano, the only member of the Chrysalean guard Orrien could trust, was asked to choose men he could rely on and guard Gilgazo as he convalesced in the Eternal Eden. The life of a soldier has hardened Myano's exterior, although those who know him don't attribute his gruffness to hostility. Loyal to a fault, he would give his life for his friends, thinking nothing of sacrificing everything in service of others. Once primed for duty, however, Myano will do whatever it takes to ensure that his mission is successful and will level lethal force as he deems necessary. Lieutenant Myano MEDIUM HUMANOID (ELF), LAWFUL NEUTRAL Armor Class 15 (chain shirt) Hit Points 88 (16d8 + 16) Speed 30 ft. STR 13 (+1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 13 (+1) Saving Throws Dex +4 Skills Athletics +3, Medicine +3 Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Chrysalean, Common, Elvish Challenge 2 (450 XP) Fey Ancestry. Myano has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put Myano to sleep. Lucky. When Myano rolls a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, he can re-roll the die and must use the new roll. Martial Advantage. Once per turn, Myano can deal an extra 2 (1d4) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 ft. of an ally of Myano that isn't incapacitated. ACTIONS Multiattack. Myano makes two longsword attacks. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage, or 6 (1d10 + 1) slashing damage if used with two hands. Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.

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APPENDIX A: NPCS 221 LORE An Osia Phon looks like a nightmare become flesh, a vile and twisted rendition of the honest and good person they, in another life, once were. Before their transformation, these ghoulish creatures were once Allianders, a sect of warriors and protectors that sought to use aether, a dangerous and powerful substance, as a force for good in the world. Desiring greater power than their current dosage of aether offered, some of the Allianders gave in to their cravings and began their trek down a path that would leave them as husks of their former selves. These tortured souls spend every moment scouring the world for aether, desperate to the point of violence. If they detect it, they will stop at nothing to obtain it, taking a life with no more care than snuffing out a candle. History books tell of Osia Phon singlehandedly devastating entire armies, laying waste to villages, and leaving entire nations quaking in fear. The proliferation of merqua in Chrysal Lake has recently attracted Osia Phon to the region. The purple algae's similarity to aether can take the edge off of the addiction that enslaves them. As aether becomes rarer, these ghoulish fiends have begun to descend upon the lake, putting its inhabitants at risk of a merciless end. Most Osia Phon wear a mask to hide their ghastly visage. Beneath, flayed skin reveals muscle and bone, red seeping eyes that twitch uncontrollably, and a hideous mouth that gapes with broken black teeth. The sight of an unmasked Osia Phon has driven more than a few brave souls past the brink of madness. Osia Phon MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), CHAOTIC EVIL Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 137 (25d8 + 25) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 15 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 8 (-1) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 4 (-3) Saving Throws Str +5, Dex +5 Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +5, Intimidation +0, Perception +4 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, unconscious Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Common, Elvish Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the Osia Phon can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Innate Spellcasting. The Osia Phon's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: misty step, detect aether 3/day each: spider climb (self only), fog cloud 1/day each: haste (self only) Thirst for Aether. The Osia Phon always has its detect aether ability active, and if it senses aether, it will stop at nothing to acquire it. ACTIONS Multiattack. The Osia Phon makes two barbed claws attacks. Barbed Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage. Shadowcraft (Recharge 5-6). Osia Phon summons 3 (1d4 + 1) shadowlings, who appear next to and resemble shadowy versions of randomly selected hostile targets. (see Osia Phon Shadowling on page 228). Hideous Visage (Recharge 6). The Osia Phon tears their mask off, revealing a twisted, grotesque face underneath. All creatures looking at the Osia Phon must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the Osia Phon's next turn. If a creature's saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the Osia Phon's hideous visage for the next 24 hours. REACTIONS Frenzy. If the Osia Phon drops below half of its maximum hit points, it will cast haste on itself.

222 Aether Echo MEDIUM ELEMENTAL, CHAOTIC EVIL Armor Class 11 Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20) Speed 50ft, flying 50ft STR 6 (-2) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 12 (+1) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 8 (-1) Skills Perception +6, Stealth +6 Damage Resistance bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages understands all languages it spoke in life but can't speak Challenge 1 (200 XP) Aether Memory. If an echo is ever outside a 100-foot range of its bones, the echo takes 1d10 force damage at the start of its turn. Invisibility. The echo is invisible. However, creatures within 5 ft. of the echo or its bones are able to see it. Incorporeal. The echo can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 1d6 force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. ACTIONS Multiattack. The echo makes two Life Drain attacks. Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) necrotic damage. The echo heals itself with equivalent hit points to the damage it causes with this attack. LORE Only the most strong-willed individuals that consume aether turn into Osia Phon. However, those that consume it and die become a shade, almost a memory of their past. The aether that killed them binds to the dead creature's bones, rendering them gold and blue. An Aether Echo will attack any who touch their bones. However, some have retained a measure of their humanity. Creatures & Monsters Corrupted Elementron LARGE CONSTRUCT, CHAOTIC EVIL Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 78 (12d10 + 12) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 6 (-2) CON 12 (+1) INT 7 (-2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 6 (-2) Saving Throws Str +4, Con +3 Skills Perception +3 Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned Senses passive Perception 13 Challenge 2 (450 XP) Safety Mode. The construct begins combat with its firespray and electrical discharge abilities uncharged. Elemental Fusion. If both firespray and electrical discharge recharge on the same turn, the construct consumes both charges and, in place of their regular effects, regains 10 (3d6) hit points and makes all attacks during this round and the next with advantage. ACTIONS Smash. Melee Weapon attack: +4 to hit, 10 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 13 (2d10 + 2), and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or become prone. Firespray (Recharge 6). The construct launches fire in a 30 ft. line, dealing 21 (6d6) damage to all creatures in the line's path (DC 13 Dexterity saving throw for half damage). Electrical Discharge (recharge 6). The construct emits a bolt of electricity dealing 14 (4d6) damage to its primary target, 7 (2d6) to a second target, and 3 (1d6) to a third target. All targets succeeding at a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw take half damage. All targets are randomly chosen, and the same creature can't be targeted twice. The first target must be within 30 ft. of the construct, and each subsequent target must be within 30 ft. of the previous target.

APPENDIX A: NPCS 223 Council of the Nine MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), CHAOTIC EVIL Armor Class 14 (Blessing of the Mother) Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12) Speed 30 ft. STR 9 (-1) DEX 10 (+0) CON 12 (+1) INT 14 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 13 (+1) Saving Throws Int +4, Wis +3 Skills Arcana +4, Religion +4 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Common, Elvish, telepathy 100 ft. Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Link Power (Recharge 6). The councilor is ready to perform the Council of Inquisition ability. If, at the beginning of the turn, at least four of the Nine are also ready, all living members of the Nine will use that special attack in lieu of their other actions. ACTIONS Mortiferous Discharge. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) necrotic damage. A ball of filth materializes in front of the councilor and flies at a target within range. Profane Whispers (recharge 5-6). The councilor attempts to invade one target's mind, who must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. If successful, nothing happens. If the saving throw is unsuccessful, foul whispers in unknown alien tongues telepathically flood its mind, and it becomes frightened of the councilor. The target may make a new save at the beginning of its turn. Once a creature has made a successful saving throw against Profane Whispers, they can't be affected by it for 24 hours. Council of Inquisition. Violet energy arcs between the Nine before lashing out at the Nine's foes. All enemies within 60 ft. must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. Those who fail take 15 (3d6 + 5) psychic damage or half as much damage with a successful one. If at least six of the Nine are ready, the damage increases to 20 (4d6 + 7) psychic damage. Eden Guards MEDIUM HUMANOID (ELF), LAWFUL GOOD Armor Class 14 (studded leather) Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 18) Speed 30 ft. STR 12 (+1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 12 (+1) Saving Throws Str +3, Dex +4 Skills Athletics +3 Languages Common, Chrysalean, Elvish Challenge 1 (200 XP) Martial Advantage. Once per turn, the guard can deal an extra 4 (1d8) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 ft. of an ally of the guard that isn't incapacitated. ACTIONS Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage, or 6 (1d10 + 1) slashing damage if used with two hands.

224 Ekvas LARGE ABERRATION, CHAOTIC EVIL Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 123 (19d10 + 19) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 10 (+0) CON 12 (+1) INT 7 (-2) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 5 (-3) Saving Throws Str +4, Wis +3 Skills Intimidation -1 Damage Vulnerabilities radiant Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, psychic Condition Immunities poisoned Senses passive Perception 11 Languages — Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Innate Spellcasting (1/Day). The Ekvas can innately cast counterspell, requiring no material components. Its innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom. ACTIONS Multiattack. The Ekvas makes one Tail Whip and three Kickpunch attacks. Kickpunch. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage. Tail Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (3d6 + 2) slashing damage. Vile Tongues (Recharge 5-6). As a bonus action Ekvas begins uttering guttural syllables from a bizarre alien language. All creatures able to hear within 60 ft. of the Ekvas must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become incapacitated until the Ekvas's next round, as they collapse screaming, trying to drown out the profane noises. REACTIONS Instinctual Protection. Ekvas will attempt counterspell the first spell it sees being cast each day. Faequin MEDIUM CONSTRUCT, UNALIGNED Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Hit Points 4 (1d8) Speed 30 ft. STR 10 (+0) DEX 10 (+0) CON 10 (+0) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 10 (+0) Skills Performance +4 Senses Passive Perception 12 Languages Common, Elvish Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Thrall. A faequin remains dormant unless a creature wearing the glove of the puppetmaster is within 1 mile of the faequin, in which case it is under that creature's control. Ultimate Mimicry. A faequin can mimic any Small or Medium humanoid it has touched with perfect accuracy. ACTIONS Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage. LORE These constructs arose from Chrysalean experimentation with aether and microbial lifeforms, and they possess the uncanny ability to mimic the appearance and mannerisms of any creature they have touched. A faequin activates when within 1 mile of a creature wearing the glove of the puppetmaster. If ordered to attack, the faequins will brandish a shortsword.

APPENDIX A: NPCS 225 Flybane Goblin SMALL HUMANOID (GOBLINOID), NEUTRAL EVIL Armor Class 13 (leather armor) Hit Points 31 (6d8) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 14 (+2) CON 10 (+0) INT 8 (-1) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 6 (-2) Saving Throws Str +2, Dex +2, Wis +0 Skills Stealth +6 Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 9 Languages Goblin Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Nimble Escape. The goblin can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns. Bugsumption. Once per combat, after a flybane goblin consumes a Tiny creature, it gains +2 to Strength for the remainder of the encounter. ACTIONS Down the Hatch. A flybane goblin can grab a Tiny insect and attempt to eat it as an action. Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. Friendly Facsimile SMALL CONSTRUCT, LAWFUL NEUTRAL Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3) Speed 30 ft. STR 12 (+1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 3 (-4) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 6 (-2) Skills Stealth +4 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages understands Common but doesn’t speak Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) False Appearance. While the facsimile remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary piece of furniture. Pack Tactics. The facsimile has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the facsimile's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. ACTIONS Unexpected Shove. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage. If this attack hits while an opponent is surprised, the target must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. Stub. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. LORE Friendly facsimiles are arcane constructs created from small pieces of furniture to serve as pets and caretakers and were born from the unfortunate combination of drinking, magic, and good intentions. The facsimiles move with surprising speed on their tiny makeshift limbs. Their arcane transformation has made them more flexible, rubbery versions of their original selves, allowing them to move in unnatural ways.

226 Fuzzhorde LARGE SWARM OF TINY BEASTS, UNALIGNED Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30) Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. STR 8 (-1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 16 (+3) INT 3 (-4) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 12 (+1) Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages — Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a rat. Fuzzball. All creatures sharing a space with fuzz take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage at the start of their turn (DC 14 Dexterity saving throw for half damage). ACTIONS Divide and Multiply (Recharge 5-6). The frantic mass of creatures begins to pop, each one splitting into two creatures. Double the current hit points of the swarm. There is no limit to the fuzzhorde's hit point total. LORE While the fuzzhorde aren't malicious creatures, they have the unfortunate tendency to reproduce quickly and take over an ecosystem. Many regretful parents have bought their children a pet fuzz that multiplied so many times it destroyed their house. Cute and fuzzy, all they do is fly around at high speeds, eat, and reproduce. They prefer darkness and will scatter in the light, eventually forming dozens of new hordes. Giant Merqua Spider MEDIUM BEAST, UNALIGNED Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Hit Points 36 (8d8) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. STR 12 (+1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 11 (+0) INT 4 (-3) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 6 (-2) Skills Stealth +4 Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages — Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Web Walker. The spider ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing. Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the spider knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web. ACTIONS Sticky bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. If the attack is successful, strands of sticky silk adhere to the target and stretch back to the spider, causing the target to make attack rolls made with bludgeoning or piercing weapons with disadvantage. Fire or an attack made with a slashing weapon will destroy the webbing, as well as spending an action to remove the residue.

APPENDIX A: NPCS 227 Iceshard Elemental ELEMENTAL (MEDIUM), UNALIGNED Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 5 (-3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 8 (-1) Damage Vulnerabilities fire Damage Resistances acid Damage Immunities cold, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 1 (200 XP) Iceshard Form. The elemental can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. ACTIONS Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage. Frostbite (Recharge 5-6). All creatures within 30 ft. of the elemental take 7 (2d6) cold damage, or half as much with a successful DC 14 Constitution saving throw. Creatures occupying the same space as the elemental take 14 (4d6), or half as much with a successful DC 14 Constitution saving throw. Maggie Moon MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), CHAOTIC NEUTRAL Armor Class 13 (chain shirt) Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20) Speed 30 ft. STR 16 (+3) DEX 10 (+0) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 13 (+1) Saving Throws Str +5 Skills Performance +3 Senses passive Perception 9 Languages Common Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, Maggie can move up to her speed toward a hostile creature that she can see. ACTIONS Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, or 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack. Net. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 5/15 ft., one Large or smaller creature. Hit: The target is restrained. A creature can use its action to make a DC 10 Strength saving throw to free itself or another creature in a net, ending the effect on a success. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the net (AC 10) frees the target without harming it and destroys the net. LORE At a towering eight feet tall and built like a stone quarry, Maggie Moon considers herself the de facto leader of Lakeport Docks and works hard to cultivate an air of notoriety. Atop her head of long, black hair sits a dented golden crown. Her arms and face are scarred and weathered from the rigors of a hard life. Maggie cares deeply about her appearance and adorns herself in a red dress that is always clean and freshly pressed. She will engage in criminal activities and rough up a few marks yet remains careful not to stain her outfit. Spearheading a petty crime ring down by the docks and throughout the dark corridors of Fano isn't Maggie Moon's only pursuit. Her real passion is music — she is the singer and leader of her band, Maggie and the Bandits. The band often performs at the Bluefin, and her reputation grows with each passing performance. Her voice matches her disposition — loud, boomy, and energetic, but she always sings on key. She utilizes her brawn and bold personality to grift The Strays, a secluded and mysterious region of the Dimlight Divide — a place people say melodies take form and float through the mist.

228 Maytria HUGE BEAST, UNALIGNED Located with core NPCs on page 222. Merqua Ragecat MEDIUM BEAST, UNALIGNED Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 4) Speed 40 ft. STR 10 (+0) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 4 (-3) WIS 7 (-2) CHA 3 (-4) Saving Throws Dex +4 Skills Stealth +4 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 Languages — Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Keen Hearing and Smell. The cat has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. Pack Tactics. The cat has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the cat's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. ACTIONS Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6) piercing damage. Rage slash (recharge 6). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., all targets within 5 ft. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. Merqua-tainted Gull SMALL BEAST, NEUTRAL EVIL Armor Class 11 Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2) Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. STR 8 (-1) DEX 13 (+1) CON 12 (+1) INT 2 (-4) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 3 (-4) Skills Perception +4 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages — Challenge 1/2 (25 XP) Keen Sight. The merqua-tainted gull has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. ACTIONS Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage. Merqua-tainted Seaweed MEDIUM PLANT, NEUTRAL EVIL Armor Class 11 Hit Points 10 Speed — STR 8 (-1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 12 (+1) INT 4 (-3) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 3 (-4) Skills — Senses passive blindsight 60 ft. Languages — Challenge 0 (0 XP) Alluring Aura. At the end of their turn, creatures within 5 ft. of merqua-tainted seaweed must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become incapacitated for 1 round. ACTIONS Get On. Merqua-tainted seaweed can attach itself to any organic substance. Stay On. If merqua-tainted seaweed is attached to an organic substance, it will remain attached until destroyed.

APPENDIX A: NPCS 229 Osia Phon MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), CHAOTIC EVIL Located with core NPCs on page 220. Osia Phon Shadowling MEDIUM ELEMENTAL, CHAOTIC EVIL Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) Speed 30 ft. STR 10 (+0) DEX 12 (+1) CON 12 (+1) INT 3 (-4) WIS 6 (-2) CHA 4 (-3) Saving Throws Con +3 Skills Deception -1 Damage Vulnerabilities radiant Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, stunned, unconscious Senses passive Perception 8 Languages — Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Corrupted Mimicry. When the shadowling appears, it takes on a shadowy corrupted form of a random hostile target and appears next to them. Shadow Form. The shadowling can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. ACTIONS Howl of Agony. The shadowling screams out, causing all creatures within 10 ft. to take 7 (2d6) psychic damage or half damage on a successful DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. Osia Phon and other shadowlings are immune to this effect. Purpleback Cave Viper LARGE BEAST, UNALIGNED Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 68 (8d10 + 24) Speed 30 ft., climb 10 ft., swim 30 ft. STR 12 (+1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 16 (+3) INT 2 (-4) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 2 (-4) Skills Stealth +4 Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Challenge 2 (450 XP) ACTIONS Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d8 + 1) piercing damage, and the target must make a successful DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned. While poisoned this way, the target takes 3 (1d6) poison damage at the start of each of its turns. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a successful saving throw. Venom Spray (recharge 6). Ranged Attack: The purpleback cave viper spits poison in a 30 ft. cone. Any creatures in the area take 7 (2d6) damage or half damage on a successful DC 14 Dexterity saving throw.

230 Skeletal Merqua Abomination LARGE UNDEAD, LAWFUL EVIL Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 75 (10d10 + 20) Speed 30 ft. STR 12 (+1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 14 (+2) INT 6 (-2) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 5 (-3) Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 Damage vulnerabilities bludgeoning Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Challenge 2 (450 XP) Spare Parts. The creature shifts and reforms, adapting and shifting to the environment. At the beginning its turn, it forms 2 new arms. • The Skeletal Merqua Abomination begins combat with 3 arms. • The arms can be targeted and destroyed. Each arm has 5 (1d6 + 2) HP and AC 12. Multiple Arms. The Skeletal Merqua Abomination has the same amount of reactions as it has arms. Grappler. The Skeletal Merqua Abomination has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it. Merqua Glow. The Skeletal Merqua Abomination emits dim light in a 10 ft. radius. ACTIONS Multiattack. The Skeletal Merqua Abomination can take a number of actions equal to the number of limbs (begins combat with 3). Shattered Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage. Grasping Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 13). Spiran Barfly MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), LAWFUL EVIL Armor Class 13 (chain shirt) Hit Points 38 (7d8 + 7) Speed 30 ft. STR 12 (+1) DEX 11 (+0) CON 13 (+1) INT 12 (+1) WIS 9 (-1) CHA 10 (+0) Saving Throws Str +3, Con +3 Skills Intimidation +2, Investigation +3 Senses passive Perception 9 Languages Common Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) ACTIONS Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. Bottle Throw (Recharge 6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 10/40 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage. Roll a d6. On a 1-4, the bottle remains whole, and on a 5-6, the bottle breaks, causing another 1d4 of slashing damage.

APPENDIX A: NPCS 231 Spiran Berserker MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), CHAOTIC EVIL Armor Class 13 Hit Points 97 (15d8 + 30) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 16 (+3) CON 15 (+2) INT 8 (-1) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 11 (+0) Saving Throws Str +4 Skills Athletics +4 Condition Immunities frightened Senses passive Perception 9 Languages Common Challenge 2 (450 XP) ACTIONS Multiattack. The berserker makes two dirty scratches attacks. Dirty Scratches. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage. The target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. If they fail, they become poisoned. Creatures poisoned this way take 7 (2d6) poison damage at the end of each of their turns. They may attempt a new save at the beginning of every round. Unfettered Rage (recharge 6). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., all targets within range. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) slashing damage. Spiran Inquisitor MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), LAWFUL EVIL Armor Class 13 (chain shirt) Hit Points 36 (8d8) Speed 30 ft. STR 12 (+1) DEX 10 (+0) CON 11 (+0) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 12 (+1) Saving Throws Str +3 Skills Intimidation +3 Senses passive Perception 10 Languages Common, Elvish Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) ACTIONS Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. Spiran Lackey MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), LAWFUL NEUTRAL Armor Class 14 (chain shirt) Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12) Speed 30 ft. STR 13 (+1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 12 (+1) INT 8 (-1) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0) Saving Throws Con +3 Skills Athletics +3 Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Common Challenge 1 (200 XP) ACTIONS Multiattack. The lackey makes two longsword attacks. Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage, or 6 (1d10 + 1) slashing damage if used with two hands.

232 Spiran Major MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), LAWFUL NEUTRAL Armor Class 15 (half plate) Hit Points 117 (18d8 + 36) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 11 (+0) CON 15 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 11 (+0) Saving Throws Str +4, Con +4 Skills Athletics +4 Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Common, Elvish Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Spiran Battle Advantage. The major has advantage on all attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the major's allies is within 10 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. ACTIONS Multiattack. The major makes 3 attacks with its fleshsaw. Fleshsaw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 7 (1d10 + 2) slashing damage if used with two hands. The target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. If they fail, until magical healing has been received, they make all ability and attack rolls with disadvantage as the blade leaves loose tendrils of skin clinging to a deep wound, inflicting unbearable pain. A target affected this way may attempt another Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. Spiran Templar MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), LAWFUL EVIL Armor Class 15 (chain shirt, shield) Hit Points 36 (8d8) Speed 30 ft. STR 12 (+1) DEX 10 (+0) CON 11 (+0) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 12 (+1) Saving Throws Str +3 Skills Intimidation +3 Condition Immunities blinded, deafened Senses passive Perception 10 Languages Common, Elvish Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) ACTIONS Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

APPENDIX A: NPCS 233 Swarm of Flashroaches MEDIUM SWARM OF TINY BEASTS, UNALIGNED Armor Class 12 Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6) Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft. STR 8 (-1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 1 (-5) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 1 (-5) Saving Throws Dex +4, Con, +3 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages — Challenge 1 (200 XP) Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny insect. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. ACTIONS Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 10 (4d4) piercing damage, or 5 (2d4) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. Self-Detonate (recharge 5-6). As a bonus action, several of the insects in the swarm detonate, creating a bright flash of light, dealing 2 (1d4) damage to the swarm and any creature occupying the same space, as well as forcing all creatures within 30 ft. to succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw to avert their eyes or become blinded. Blinded creatures can attempt a DC 13 Constitution saving throw at the start of their turn to recover. Swarm of Merqua Spiders MEDIUM SWARM OF TINY BEASTS, UNALIGNED Armor Class 12 Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. STR 5 (-3) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 3 (-4) WIS 4 (-3) CHA 5 (-3) Skills Acrobatics +4 Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 7 Languages — Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a tiny insect. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. Spider Climb. The swarm can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Web Walker. The swarm ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing. Merqua Glow. The swarm emits 10 ft. of glowing dim violet light. While among merqua, the swarm has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. ACTIONS Flurry of Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage, or 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.

234 Tortured Crow MEDIUM BEAST, CHAOTIC EVIL Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 117 (18d8 + 36) Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. STR 10 (+0) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 8 (-1) Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages understands Common but can't speak Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Putrid Stench. If a creature is within 5 ft. of the crow, it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. If they fail, the foul smell sickens the creature, knocking them prone as they choke on the rotten air. ACTIONS Dive Bomb. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d8 + 2) piercing damage. The crow must be at least 90 ft. in the air to use this attack. Bile Eruption (Recharge 5-6). The crow expels a torrent of bile from its mouth. All creatures within 15 ft. of the crow as it flies overhead take 10 (4d4) poison damage, or half as much with a successful DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. Verminswarm LARGE SWARM OF TINY BEASTS, UNALIGNED Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 58 (9d10 + 9) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. STR 10 (+0) DEX 14 (+2) CON 13 (+1) INT 2 (-4) WIS 9 (-1) CHA 1 (-5) Saving Throws Str +2, Dex +4 Damage Vulnerabilities fire Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned Senses tremorsense 60 ft., blind otherwise, passive Perception 9 Challenge 2 (450 XP) Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny rat. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. Envelop. Prone creatures in a space occupied by the swarm take an addition 7 (2d6) damage when attacked. ACTIONS Multiattack. The swarm makes a bite attack against all creatures occupying the same space as it. Biting Frenzy. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., all targets occupying the same space as the swarm. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage. Each creature bit by the swarm must roll a d6. No additional effect on a 1 or a 2. On a 3 or a 4, the target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned. On a 5 or 6, the target must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.

APPENDIX A: NPCS 235 Vervillia SMALL BEAST, UNALIGNED Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 39 (6d6 + 18) Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft. STR 12 (+1) DEX 8 (-1) CON 16 (+3) INT 4 (-3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 4 (-3) Saving Throws Str +3, Con +5 Skills Perception +2 Damage Resistances piercing, slashing Senses darkvision 30 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 12 Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Web Walker. The spider ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing. Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the spider knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web. Pack Tactics. The spider has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the spider's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. ACTIONS Multiattack. The spider makes two bite attacks. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. REACTIONS Websplosion. After the spider drops to 0 hit points, its shell begins to hiss and explodes, coating the area with webbing. All creatures within 10 ft. of the blast must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained. Creatures restrained in this manner may use one action to remove the webbing and their restrained status. Vined Nightmare LARGE PLANT, UNALIGNED Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24) Speed 40 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 13 (+1) CON 14 (+2) INT 4 (-3) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 2 (-4) Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +4 Skills Athletics +4 Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages — Challenge 2 (450 XP) ACTIONS Multiattack. The vined nightmare makes two vine slash attacks and a bite attack. Vine Slash. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned. Barbed Vine (Recharge 6). Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft., up to two creatures. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage, and targets hit by barbed vine must succeed at a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become incapacitated. Creatures incapacitated this way can attempt a new saving throw at the beginning of each of their turns.

236 Appendix B: Lore Books O ver the eastern hills of Fano, a small island floats on the sparkling blue waters. The islet is rich in agriculture and has three green woodland hills along with grey pebble beaches. This place is home to several hundred proud residents, who prefer the more secluded homelife. During these cloudy nights holed up in my stone corner chamber of the Monarchy's Rivea Quarter, I find myself deeply aching to be back there. I wish to be home, nestled under the southern hill's shadow in my cottage warmed by the low orange light and my husband's embrace. On the eve of my departure, I sat up in bed and observed from my bedroom window, through the twisty apple orchards, the far stone walls of the Monarchy's borders peeking over the top of the forest. My husband stirred, and I turned to watch him sleep. He had prepared a boat for me the day prior. Although he was apprehensive, he could not row me across the sound come morning, for it was harvest and picking season in the orchard. I worried if I was making the right decision by accepting the royal request to tend to Prince Airon as his therapist and cure him of his madness. However, my husband insisted that I had come to the correct conclusion. He always believed in my abilities as a therapist, a career my mining family ridiculed me for pursuing. My husband was a black sheep too. His family was also legendary in the mining business, specializing in ruby and opal. They scoffed at his dream to work in cultivation, such as tending an apple orchard. The two of us made a life out of both Fano and our families' fray. Latterly, I was faced with a quandary, often found when straying far from the well-trodden path. The next morning I rowed to Fano's rocky basin, through the grey mist hovering over the lake that separated the two islands. I was met by Spiran guards on the lakeshore. They stood tall and regal with their shining armor, but the lack of dents on their chest plates betrayed their lifelong lack of combat experience. They escorted me up the high marble steps and into the courtyard of the Monarchy. I stood in the afternoon sun, now blazing as it cast golden beams through the canopy of vines in the king's garden. A feeling of long-lived nostalgia washed over me. At one time, this garden was where the brazen elven siblings stood with the noble Fa'an Dri and would discuss how to better the kingdom for the people's sake. My feelings of sentiment quickly faded when the first knight to the prince approached me to discuss my assignment's details — to cure the prince of his madness. The first knight encapsulated his speech in such a close-minded and ignorant way that at once, I should have made my way back across the sound. Back to my sweet husband, just in time to help him gather apples. Instead, I followed the knight to my sleeping quarters, where I have resided for the last two years. I needed to make certain my memories were intact before engaging in my next account. Thus I have written down a brief history of my home and how I came to be here. It is necessary to cast the torch across the room, ensuring everything is in its place, before dousing it out and succumbing to the gloom. I now douse the torch. My first encounter with Prince Airon was on the cold cobblestone steps of the throne room. We sat in the glow of lanterns strung in the hundreds across the arching heights. The prince said nothing and instead upturned his forearm to show me a wooden cylinder device implanted into his skin. It appeared that blood was entering the tube at one end, passing through a small golden sphere and then returning into his veins in a bright blue color on the other end. Purple liquid frothed in small amounts out of the top of a small ventilation hole. I looked into his eyes and caught a sly smile spreading across his face. I also noticed dried blood under his fingernails. "What happened to your fingers?" I inquired. I watched his eyes twitch. He was confused about why I hadn't asked about the contraption in his arm. "It's beet flower. I was helping Thandia, our cook, in the kitchen this morning," he replied, examining my presence closer. "Do you help her often?" I asked. He nodded. The Bells of Lament A MEMOIR BY GLETHIA STONEDWELLER

APPENDIX B: LORE BOOKS 237 "And you like to be helpful?" He half-smiled and nodded again. Then the prince stood up and wandered into the center of the throne room. I noticed that there were several guards within the shadows behind the marble columns. They all stood braced and ready, watching the prince intensely. He began to twirl with his arms stretched out, eyes looking up at the rafters, prancing about and dancing gracefully to some inaudible music. He even chuckled a few times, bowing to imaginary guests. Then he stopped. "I'm feeling tired now," the prince said softly. He began to saunter off toward the far end. I called out to him, "We haven't begun our session!" He didn't respond but disappeared into the shadows, followed by the guards. I was left sitting alone on the cold cobblestone steps. The next day I was summoned, not to the great throne room but instead to a remote tower called Ivy Gable. I crossed a courtyard, and upon spotting the tower's contorted pinnacle, thought to myself, How could a person even get up there? As I was squeezing my way up the spiral staircase, I found my question wasn't too far gone. About halfway up, I almost slipped on the now wet stairs. Water was trickling down from somewhere up above. When I finally reached the top, I came to a closed door with candlelight flickering from the gap underneath. I heard water sloshing around, and more surged out from under the crack, soaking my shoes. I knocked lightly upon the chamber door. I quietly announced that I had arrived for our session and asked if the prince was in there. There was no response, and it was completely silent. Even the sloshing of water had ceased. I carefully considered my next move. On the one hand, there were no guard escorts, and I would be entering a room without permission. I could walk in on his majesty in an indecent nature. On the other hand, I was his therapist — his doctor, and it was my duty to ensure his safety. So I pushed down on the heavy latch, and the wooden door creaked open. I saw a bathtub in the center of the room overflowing with steaming water. A cauldron lay toppled over on the floor, in-between the flicker of the fireplace and the tub. I stepped toward it, carefully approaching the bathtub. The inch of water that flowed along the stone floor soaked through my shoes, and I could feel the warmth. When I moved close enough to see inside the tub, two things happened at once. I came upon the prince, submerged under the water, lifeless, still, with a fiery red hue to his skin. The next thing was a reflex. I reached into the water to pull him above the surface, but when I did, I jumped back — the water was scalding hot. I glanced around the room and found a fire iron in the corner next to the hearth. I plunged it into the water and pried it against his back, leveraging him out of the water. His body was steaming and unresponsive. I propped him up, took his face, and yelled into it. He didn't flinch nor open his eyes. He was lifeless. I was about to call out to the guards, but first, I took his wrist and felt for a pulse. There was no sign of life. After a long moment, I let go, and his body slid slowly back into the water. I sat down down and leaned against the tub, the metal hot against my neck. I called to the guards not long after, and they accompanied me back to my quarters. The declining sun gently rolled a golden hue over the stone banister. I watched from my balcony as two birds fluttered from the grapevine to a swinging lantern. When twilight surrounded, I heard the eerie toll ring out from the Bells of Lament — the prince was dead. The next morning I placed my manuscript atop the clothes in my traveling bag and shook my head with pity. There were only a few notes within the first page that recollected my encounter with the prince two days prior. I noted that he was child-like and sweet, maybe a little fearful. I hadn't even the chance to give an analysis, and I cursed myself for not asking about the device embedded into his skin. I was playing the long game, thinking that I would reserve the curiosity. But maybe that question would have saved his life. I failed. On my way down the stairs from my chambers, I had a sudden thought. It was about the Bells of Lament I heard last night in the blue hour. When I once lived in Fano proper, I remember hearing the bells from the Monarchy often. They were always jubilant and came in progressions of three or four. The Bells of Lament last night were low and single. They shook the walls and reverberated in sorrow and dread. I realized that I had been hearing those bells for months, echoing across the waters, since the bell tower faced our island. It was never the jubilant bells, but always the single, solitary toll. My husband and I had been hearing the Bells of Lament quite often. Now I was preparing to travel back across the sound to return to him. Just before I entered the courtyard on my way out of the king's garden, the first knight took me gently by the shoulder. "You've been summoned to the throne room," he said. When the doors of the great hall opened up for me,

238 I assumed some distant family member of the prince wished to speak to me regarding my encounter with him on his fateful night. To my shock and horror, the prince stood in the middle of the throne room. Alive and well. I approached him with my hand to my face, bewildered beyond measure. He raised his hands to me — once again, I could see red underneath his fingernails. "I helped Thandia this morning," he said as his eyes flickered. He spoke with such delight. It sent a shiver down my spine. He continued, "I wanted to make a cake to thank you for helping me. I want to get better, and I do hope we can be friends." Two years have passed since then, and this nightmarish reoccurrence has become my reality. No breakthroughs have I made regarding a key to the prince's behavior nor his internal struggles. My meetings with him are short-lived. He remains child-like and easily startled. After a day or so of him dancing or playing some adolescent game, I am summoned toward him in the dark corners of the castle grounds, to find him a victim of some ghastly death. The Bells of Lament toll throughout my corridor, and by morning the prince is alive again, utterly absent in mind about the experience. I shall not uncover the details of these deaths in my journal, for most of them are too gruesome and horrible to whisper, let alone record with ink — it would be a curse upon humanity to have the words forever etched in stone. I peer out into the murkiness, knowing I may never return to my beloved husband and the warm glow of our cottage among the twisty apple orchards. Though, I must remember him and the life we had, as not to go mad myself. Being that on a few most recent occasions, I've been staring at the heights of my bedchambers, wondering if a plummet would truly be a quick and painless death. Confessedly, what prevents me is the fear that I'll hear those dreadful Bells of Lament and wake up the next morning unscathed.

APPENDIX B: LORE BOOKS 239 T he three Orders of Fano are older than the land itself. The city is considered young compared to the ancient elven kingdoms across Aetherra. Even within the Chrysal Lake region, the village of Henda was established by a wandering group of Novarians two hundred years prior to the foundations of the first fishing villages. The Orders' construct, which governs Fano in a wondrous display of matchless economy and prosperity, is a concept passed down hundreds of thousands of years by elven kind. Truly not specific enough to implement any significant change in a struggling society in its basic outline form. Instead, the Orders' success in Fano is due to the honing and sharpening of the ideal by the three elven siblings. They advised the ruling monarch of Fano and infused their rich culture of invention and production with the aether element to bring the city to its beacon of glory. HOUSE FA'AN DRI A young wandering prince named Fa'an Dri, flushed out of his kingdom when the tyrant Noro Kensings usurped the throne, came to age in the wild woods north of the Broken Tops. He developed a reputation for taming wild animals and employing his diplomacy skills to settle disputes between small trade villages. By the time he traveled over the mountains and came upon the breathtaking sight of Chrysal Lake, his reputation had spread as a leader throughout the land. At that time, the modest island in the lake's center was in its early development as a budding port town. With his prior experience in establishing trade routes and his gift for uniting people around a common purpose, Fa'an Dri naturally became recognized as a chieftain among the anglers and merchants alike. Word traveled fast of the flourishing city's development, gaining the attention of three elven siblings from the nearby village of Henda, Orrien, Lillius, and Taos. The elves were intrigued by what they heard of Fa'an Dri and the rock island, and they mobilized a group of elves to journey there to meet him. The elven siblings and their community were great inventors but had very little interest in food and farming. By integrating each of their strengths, an agreement was formed between Fa'an Dri and the siblings to create twin cities; one city above the water and one below. Chrysalea, the city below, would share their technology as they harvested and experimented with aether, and the anglers would share their bounties and trades from fishing the waters. Fa'an Dri aptly named the city above, Fano, a nickname his grandfather gave him when he was once a young boy in the far north kingdom. Fa'an Dri and the elven siblings grew close with one another, and a tight bond formed. Together the four leaders established a near-perfect system of governance. The siblings adopted three qualities from Novarian traditions to form their new city and tie them to their strengths. Lillius, the eldest, was keen on skill and trade, Orrien favored knowledge, and Taos, the youngest, was a man of strength and action. Rather than adopting an order himself, Fa'an's contribution was to mediate between the other three and establish a system. That system became known as the orders of Escha, Indos, and Spira. Together they appointed nine rulers to govern each Order. The hierarchy of which became known as The Twenty Seven. One representative from each had a seat at Fa'an's Counsel. However, this Monarchy was only established as a physical manifestation of the Orders' power, rather than a force of governance. The district on the same hill where Fa'an's living quarters resided had no real power within the twin cities' reign and propriety. The three Orders, ran by the Twenty Seven, counseled by the three elven siblings, and managed by Fa'an, were responsible for Fano's prestige and prosperity. THE ORDER OF ESCHA The eldest elven sibling, Lillius, took a saying her mother repeated to her when she was a child and developed her Order—Escha Novaria, which roughly translated to, "Give more than you earn." This adage inspired the constructs of trade and merchant dealings between Fano and Chrysalea. This ideal of abundance birthed a prosperous circle of trade between the two—one supporting the other. "My catch would be threefold for the second night in a row if I anchored my ship out near Lakeport's southern rice fields, I told my second mate. But I must hire another collector to take the five percent. How will I find one along the docks? All wish to be a captain like I!" — Letter excerpt from a dwarf angler to her husband. Though best recognized for regulating trade, the Order of Escha was also responsible for designing and implementing the city's layout and infrastructure. They worked with the Chrysaleans, who infused their techThe Twenty Seven BY LEED S. FINAS, INDOSIAN SCHOLAR

240 nology and efficiency into the process, making it one of the most beautiful and wondrous cities in all of Aetherra, sparkling on the blue waters like a heavenly splendor. They also oversaw Fano's treasury, which, after the debts to infrastructure, there was never a surplus. The treasury's success was that they always broke even and took pride in distributing wealth to make that possible. The Eschan district occupied the shores of Fano. There they built a massive framework for trading known as Lakeport Docks. The Order's symbol is a circle, which brandishes the door of their order house, the great Lighthouse of Lakeport, which also holds one of 3 portals to Chrysalea. THE ORDER OF INDOS "The anglers were aware the three siblings had a submerged city at the bottom of the lake. The youngest and eldest both seemed preoccupied with the place they spoke of called Chrysalea, but the middle child, Orrien, took an interest in the growth of a dual community, one which Chrysalean and anglers could benefit from." — a passage from the March of Moonlight, an account of the Chrysaleans by Rivea Knellis. The middle sibling, Orrien, established the Order of Indos. Taken from the adage Indos Novaria, "To further knowledge, further questions." The Order maintained and preserved ancient secrets and history. The Order of Escha built a magnificent library to serve as its order house. The library's outward wings were open to the public and full of books of various kinds for research and education. However, the secret inner sanctums of the library were reserved for the nine only. The library was the amalgamation of the three orders and became a common gathering place for the elven siblings and Fa'an Dri. The largest of the portals to Chrysalea was situated in the center of the library's Dark Quarter. There stood three magnificent statues, each a model of the three siblings: Lillius, Orrien, and Taos. Apart from the Order's outward definition — to make knowledge available to the people of Fano — the secret dealings of Indos were shrouded. Orrien upheld the importance of truth and knowledge to everyone who desired but believed in keeping secret the lengths to which the Order would go to acquire that knowledge. Most of which put low-level recruits in dangerous positions. The Indosians were a proud and loyal organization. All different family types: gnomes, elves, humans, and dwarves passed on membership as a tradition and way of life. Therefore the Order of Indos became, in a lot of ways, a religion. In earlier years during the Age of Prosperity, Orrien would travel with the recruits. He was known to favor the lowly of society. They would embark on journeys throughout the surrounding region of Chrysal Lake. Beyond gathering knowledge and secrets to maintain balance and ensure safety, they created strong friendships. This bond between Orrien and the earlier recruits transferred into family lineages where secrets were passed through and hidden within. He believed that the best ways to protect secrets were within the loyalties of family. The symbol of the Order was an ever-watchful eye. Fa'an Dri was known to be more heavily involved in the inner dealings of the Indosians since he favored Orrien and loved him deeply. THE O R D E R O F S P I R A The youngest elven sibling, Taos, created the Order of Spira. It was the Order of strength and law. Like Indos, the Order contained a larger group of individuals: guards, military, and judges, lead by the nine. It wasn't ideal, but it was an occupation that brought the group together. Taos counseled the nine hierarchies, whose primary role was to create laws and ordain recruiters to employ guards, defense personnel, and judges. Their adage stemmed from Spira Novarian, "Separate and together." A cathedral in the Monarchy's courtyard served as the order house for the nine hierarchies. Inside the cathedral, there was a portal to Chrysalea and Fa'an Dri's counsel table. Here, one representative from each of the nine hierarchies would brief the council on the Orders' standings. Like the two portals found in the other order houses, this one was frequented mostly by the elven siblings and sometimes by The Twenty Seven with only selective guests. The people of Fano held the law accountable; they selected the judges, not chosen by the nine hierarchies. The basic laws in place during the Age of Prosperity were more relaxed than the regulations that the Orders had to follow. It was a system designed to be complicated only at the top and become simpler as it reached the problems and disagreements on the streets. Taos kept a significant role in the program for the guards and military. Rather than imploring such heightened detail on physical strength, as with most kingdoms, the defense personnel maintained a well-rounded training program emphasizing innovative mind tactics. The guards of the districts were clever individuals, and in the Age of Prosperity, it wasn't uncommon to find many of them on shift without armor. Physical strength was more prevalent within the defense line, but they were also highly trained in magic. Only wizards and sorcerers could train the military. This idea was formed between Taos and Fa'an Dri to create a branch of law that would be unmatched in all of Aetherra. It is important to note that with all three orders, the city of Chrysalea was set apart from Fano. Chrysalean's culture and practices were different. They all

APPENDIX B: LORE BOOKS 241 assembled under one premise — to invent, create, and experiment with aether. The Chrysaleans were preoccupied but kept peace with Fano and upheld the ancient agreement; the people of Fano would share trade and the Chrysaleans, technology. This agreement resulted from the governing bond between the siblings and the integration of the terms. Regarding the Order of Spira, this agreement is most clearly defined and proven to be effective. The wizards and sorcerers knew that aether affected their powers. In my youth, studying Fano's Age of Prosperity, I heard for the first time the term "Alliander" among my colleagues and whispered throughout the halls of Mossrock Gables. I won't go into too much detail on the subject, but it is necessary as an example of the fusion between the twin cities. Allianders have a rich history in the land of aethera. They are a group of individuals who use aether by way of ingesting it to become a force for good. Many scholars believe the term and class, Alliander, originated from the Order of Spira when the Chrysaleans introduced powdered aether to the nine to improve their army's defense. It was a radically new idea at the time and, for countless seasons, a heated debate across Fa'an Dri's table between the elven siblings and the representatives from The Twenty Seven. Ultimately, the premise was pure; the Chrysaleans discovered that aether in powdered form, once ingested, could accentuate power. They shared this knowledge willingly with the hierarchies to use at their discretion. Thus establishing a bond not from their proximity or friendship, since the two groups seldom had any form of contact, but from the governing power of Fa'an Dri and the elven siblings known as the orders of Escha, Indos, and Spira. Ultimately Fano's Age of Prosperity befell to circumstances I will cover in greater detail in my next account. In light of the splendor that was once the most magnificent and flourishing city in all the land, I leave you with a short story followed by a passage that became the timeless mantra still revered by many throughout Aetherra. When Orrien returned from his work on the Fringe, they threw a party in Fa'an Dri's courtyard. Fa'an Dri was so happy to have Orrien, whom he loved, returned, and became drunk on ale in celebration. He looked to Taos, who had been lovingly teasing him all afternoon, to refill his flagon, and then to Lillius and smiled. She was happily eating with her friends, and she was with child. It was a platonic agreement that she would carry the child he and Orrien would raise. These elven three were the family he never had. He stood upon the table and read a poem from his heart: "Routes in a circle, above and below, The eyes of the city, the new and the old, Refined in the fire, of blue and of gold!"

242 Author's Note My father and I weathered a turbulent relationship, constantly at odds between my passion for writing and the expectation for me to continue in the family's gemstone enchanting business. On the contrary, my grandfather never ceased to champion me. He was a kind and gentle soul, the patriarch of a family that embodied all things genial despite our bootstraps reputation. I was in the process of finishing up my thesis (a study on the Circlewind family) at Mossrock that was but a mere half-season until completion when a close friend of mine, McNari Petres, gifted me a journal that had washed ashore from the deep blue of Chrysal Lake. It was charred and tattered but contained records from a lost part of Fanonian history on the original Papa Giggio's Chrysal Cakes. McNari figured I was the best choice for interpreting such a complicated dialect considering I was one of the few at Mossrock (and most likely in all of the Chrysal Lake region) who knew the Drom tongue. Initially irresolute, given the near completion of my thesis, I began piecing together the excerpts that I could and translating them from their original Drom language. I chuckled to myself, knowing how worried McNari remained granted my reputation for losing papers inside my infamous Pen Hollow — a burrowed-out gully deep within the shadowed path of Mossrock, where I keep my stacks of books and manuscripts. I immediately became enamored with the story that was beginning to take form, and I particularly felt drawn to the relationship between the grandson and grandfather therein. Insomuch that I put aside my frustration over the missing pages and the translation, which had me bending the rules just to make sense of parts, to tell a unique story that held a personal tie to my life. This story is still incomplete, but I did my best to patch it together. Whether or not it was worth it to delay my thesis an entire season and a half later is up to the reader to decide. I feel as if though it was worth it, and now we have a small flickering light cast upon the Chrysal Cakes bakery legend. At the very least, I've managed to prolong my stay in my beloved Pen Hollow. I'm dreading the day I must vacate from the sounds of the damp wooded drip outside my ivy-covered knotholes, the faint orange glow from the fire, and the teapot steaming on the kettle. My great grandfather Giggio pioneered the family cakery empire, having founded the bakeshop famously known as Papa Giggio's Chryrsal Cakes on the corner of BerryBraun Lane in Flickering Fingers. Most people referred to him as Papo (akin to Papa, but he had no biological children of his own), howbeit our family called him Sweetie Boy. As for me, he was my Grandest Giggio, and he taught me everything I know about baked goods. But, most importantly, he instilled in me a fascination for hiding everything away. You see, Grandest Giggio mastered the art of hiding things in secret nooks and hollows. My earliest memory of Sweetie was the time he gave me the tiniest of silver spoons. It was elaborately hidden, starting with placing the spoon in a chiseled slot within a small wooden drawer that pulled out from a miniature dining piece. Then it was set on silk cloth inside a box and wrapped with twined threads. This box was then tucked into a small pillowed blanket and was stuffed inside an even bigger parcel. Finally, it was covered in cloth, tied off with ribbon, and stored in the furthest nook of the cramped loft that I slept in as a boy. Discovering this foreign, red ribboned ensemble, I was sure it wasn't meant for me to find, seeing how it was considerably stowed away. Sweetie Boy was obsessed with concealment. So naturally, he dubbed himself the original and coined the term "Stash Fairy" — one who specializes in the art of hiding items in the uttermost tucked-away corners of the world. And his Stash Fairy disposition bled into all parts of his life. Even the bakeshop's location seemed to be sequestered, situated in a building at the innermost corner of BerryBruan Lane. The bakeshop was in the heart of the city's center, albeit the smallest district, known for its narrow passageways and cobblestone. If my Grandest had it his way, the bakery would have been placed in the most peculiar hidey-hole within a maze of corridors, making it nearly impossible for customers to find. Mama Meina Giggio suggested the storefront for the sake of the family business, although it pained Sweetie to sign the deed. I was the only one in the family who had Sweetie Boy's talent for baked goods and the only one entranced, nay consumed, by Stash Fairyism. My Grandests' fairyism is, of course, what made Papa Giggio's Chrysal Cakes the most popular bakeshop in all of Fano despite its remote location. Every delightful bite of Sweetie Boy's baked goods led the tastebuds into a room after room of flavor. Certainly, these weren't just Papa Gigi's Blue Bakery BY GIGI MISTRIDER, TRANSLATED BY LENDE TWEED

APPENDIX B: LORE BOOKS 243 any old cakes. Within a golden, flaky pastry would be a thin layer of tayoca cocoa shell, followed by a ribbon of honey summer sauce, and within that, a darkened rum truffle filled with lemon milk and bits of candied spice. Using an ultra-fine baking tool, he would carefully infuse the candied zest with cinnda extract — the most delicious flavor in all of Aetherra. Resembling a baster but not much bigger in diameter than a strand of hair, this tool was invented just for Sweetie by a dear old friend. Unfortunately, I never did learn the name of this mysterious elven inventor who'd appear at family gatherings. He kept to himself until consuming several cakes and bottled spirits; only then would he speak in hushed tones about his place of origin, something about a lost city below the lake. Sweetie Boy needed this delicate basting tool to ensure the amount of cinnda added to his baked goods, given that cinnda can only be used in tiny amounts, or the taste is not only repugnant; it is straight poison. When a smidgen of the extract is added, the flavor is downright otherworldly. But any more than that, and it can kill a horse. Possessing both the small basting tool and Stash Fairy skills, Sweetie Boy's Chrysal Cakes were world-renowned. My Grandest Giggio's end season fell upon him like a grey mist over a coastal morning. He left behind written instructions to my mother for the hiding of his casket. It was to be his final masterpiece in Stash Fairyism, and note that it was to be the answer to his legacy. It was with a heavy heart that I followed in his footsteps and kept the bakeshop alive. Except it wasn't at all what I expected, his shoes were too big to fill. So year after year, I struggled with the business. Even when I tried using the small basting tool with his guidance echoing in my head, I could not inject the cinnda into the candied spice. In no time at all, the Chrysal Cakes bakeshop, once a must-visit for tourists and a city legend for the locals, locked its doors and doused its lanterns. And the failure of a grandson, myself Tenny Giggio, was the sole reason it was over. After a year-long drinking spree that had turned my beard yellow and had me sleeping on the floor of the dockside taverns, it all came to a breaking point at the Bluefin one night. I climbed the rattling old vertebrae of the beast hanging from the mainmast to drink my eighth flagon in the heights. In my drunken state, I surmised this to be an act that a Stash Fairy would do — I climbed up to the utmost corner of the tavern. Just as I reached the top and tipped my head back for a toast, I lost my footing and plummeted. Shouts rang out, and someone screamed in horror. Suddenly I found myself floating mere inches above the floorboards, suspended by indigo magic. A gnome wizard named Splink held his hand in my direction as he channeled the spell. We locked eyes fleetingly, and in the briefest of flashes, I saw a familiar look of total disappointment on his face. It was the same look I had seen in my Grandest's eyes when I was a child and had lied about lifting two gold pieces off a customer. Then Splink let go of the spell, and I fell to the floor with a thud. Shortly after, I found myself sitting on a dock, despising my reflection in the night's black waters. At that moment, I decided to set forth on a quest to find my Grandest Giggio's casket. When morning broke over Chrysal Lake, and the purple sky rolled back to greenish-blue, I untied the lines of a small wooden boat I purchased with the last of my coin, boarded and rowed out. I cruised into a day that would bring a great storm, likened to one of Fano's most treacherous in many years. The wind, rain, and tempestuous forces blinded my path quite severely; regardless, I mustn't document my journey to the location of Sweetie Boy's casket, for that would be blasphemous to the Stash Fairy way. I thought about the time I had finally found my tiny spoon hidden within an array of coverture. I excitedly made my way to my brother (who didn't care much for stashing) to explain to him the magical journey I went on to uncover it. Papa Giggio stopped me in the hallway and said, "Tenny. Follow the pathways, never trace them." For this reason, I shall not disclose the steps of my journey. However, it took me across wakes and water, through shadows and caves, over mountains, and into deep gulches, when I finally reached the secret location of the casket. Engraved upon its cedar surface was the insignia of an octopus. When I opened the lid, I found it void of a body. Instead, a tiny stone box lay inside the darkened bed, resting in the silk. Although I was mystified and disappointed, the journey to find my Grandest was far from over. But before I could take for myself the next riddle from the contents of the stone box, a wild fox, enlarged from feasting on merqua, attacked me. Although I suffered deep bites from its poisonous jaw, I was able to get loose and flee for my life. It was a drab morning as I rowed my boat back toward the island of Fano. The mist stung my face and fresh wounds, and I pondered the ways of the Stash Fairy. I came to the startling conclusion that I had found the riddle without opening up the stone box, for that was most likely a decoy. The actual clue was the cryptogram on the face of the casket — the octopus. It was that morning, renewed with confidence that I was, in fact, worthy of following in Sweetie Boy's footsteps. In honor of the paradigm shift that led me on this unique adventure, I changed my name to Gigi MistRider: a student of Stash Fairyism. I was to be an adventurer who would brave complex tasks to find answers, and most of all, hold the belief of a calling, nay, a

244 summoning to emulate my Grandest Giggio and reopen the bakeshop. From that time on, I followed the pathway of the octopus insignia. I found no connection on the streets of Fano. I wandered the seedy tenderloins of the docks, inquiring about the symbol to any washed-up merchant I could approach without getting knifed. I tarried around the exits in the golden districts of the city center where the Indosians held devious meetings, hoping to intercept a member on their way from an appointment to the shadows from whence they came. Maybe it was my abrasive arm-grabbing or the desperate look in my eye (I still hadn't groomed my yellow beard at this point), but they all just shook their heads and quickly vanished from my presence without the slightest hint of information toward the sign of the octopus. Not a single one had the answers I searched for, nor did they bear a look in their eyes like they had something to hide. Maybe I should've taken this as a good omen. After all, Sweetie Boy would never contrive such an effortless pathway to a secret spot, but I was beginning to tire. Soon the balmy season transitioned to a cloudy one, and I grew even more anxious with the absence of a sign. Until one afternoon, a dwarf shrouded in a hood took my arm near a decrepit alleyway and said in a scratchy voice, "Word is yer lookin' for the octopus. Follow the sign, never knock, not three times, only enter." He then vanished into the crumbling backdrop of the city. I had a rush of excitement surge through my veins — finally, a step forward. However, my excitement fizzled out when I repeated the message in my head. There was a sure sign that the octopus meant something and that someone knew I was searching for it, but the contents of the clue weren't much of an answer. I had no location, no hint pointing to where I could find the octopus insignia connection, only some vague instructions when I do. I sought high and low for the dwarf with no luck. I spent weeks roaming the city with his voice echoing in my head; Word is yer lookin' for the octopus. Follow the sign, never knock, not three times, only enter. One night I stood at the end of the docks watching the golden lit entrance of the Bluefin in the distance. I made up my mind to go back to its sweet, syrupy siren call. Just as I was about to enter the tavern and drown myself in cider, I saw it. I caught sight of an old blackened ship moored to the docks, with an octopus insignia carved into its side right below the last porthole. Of course, this was a common thing to see — a pressed stamp below the last porthole marking a water vessel's construction location. Most of the ships around Fano have the stamp of a leaf, which means it's Hendan made. Conversely, this was the very first time I noticed an octopus. Maybe, I thought, in the typical Stash Fairy way, this was all hidden in plain sight! After all, one's eyes don't often look to a small symbol when dealing with incredible, competing visuals. Fine details like that go unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of life against the backdrop of the vast sparkling blue of Chrysal Lake buoying such great water vessels. Still, I set forth to walk the entire length of the docks to see if I could spy another ship bearing the octopus emblem but returned to the blackened ship to find it was the only one! After which, with brave spirit, I walked up the ramp to the entrance of the ship. I wasn't surprised to discover not a single soul on the deck. It was ghostly empty aboard. I approached the galley door and raised my fist to pound against the wood when I halted. I remembered; Never knock, not three times, only enter. I turned the doorknob and opened her up with a loud creak. Inside, lit by flickering candlelight, was a short, round lady sitting at a desk and frenziedly penning something. She didn't look up nor acknowledge my presence with any social cue. She uttered, "You're looking for rice. At dawn we make for our port, there you will find the octopus. You cannot board my ship, you will follow. And bring gold." I suddenly noticed a guard behind the door, and with a wave of her hand, he forcibly pushed the door shut. And there I stood on the deck once more, baffled and disoriented. I departed and quickly returned to my small rowboat, which wasn't too far away along the docks, and from there, I could see the ship down the line. I waited and watched for hours on end until dawn broke and a muffled seashell horn blew. That old blackened ship creaked out from its berth like a groaning old lady waking up to sore bones. She might've been old, but surprisingly she was fast. I struggled to keep up my rowing and almost lost sight of her. For a time, she was a speck on the horizon as I dipped over the choppy waters that morning, and I hoped I hadn't swapped out my view of her for another. I arrived at Lakeport and was relieved to see the charred black ship resting at the docks. I entered the galley again without knocking. I found not the short, round woman or the guard, but a tiny folded note had replaced them. The note contained a message on it: Follow the octopus. aether rice. Burn after reading. I knew what I was supposed to do right then and there. A note like this would seem vague to an average person, but the writing style and all the clues leading up to this moment struck me like a flash of lightning — this was Stash Fairy mastery at its finest. The use of language and the pacing of how this whole ordeal played out epitomized my Grandest. The message was clear as day; here was my answer to keeping the bakery alive.

APPENDIX B: LORE BOOKS 245 The grey fog hanging over the docks stretched throughout the damp, wood-planked town of Lakeport proper. The deafening silence was palpable, no children playing, no folks going about their business. It had the aura of a town asleep under the early morning hours, but in reality, it was almost the height of the day. I finally discovered the door made clear in the message, the one with the octopus insignia. I stood before a deep alley and faced a long, dimly lit hallway that smelled of wet cedar, and instinctively, I walked down it. Almost as soon as I stepped foot into the alley, I found myself lost in a labyrinth. Turn after turn, it was the same wooden hallway. The floorboards squeaked under my feet, and I could see lights jutting out through the cracks. Occasionally, shadowy figures passed by below as they walked about, but it was eerily silent, save the creaking of their footsteps. At one point, I peeked through a crack to see another wooden hallway. It was an exact copy of mine with a small gap in its floorboard where another figure's shadow passed underneath. How many levels and hallways were there? Eventually, I came to the end of the hallway and stood at another door. I opened it merely because it was the only one, and it had the same octopus emblem affixed to it. I crept into a dark, glowing tavern and sat down at the first table. Sitting across the table from me was a middle-aged woman, wearing a modest dress, with its collar up to her neck and a bonnet over her head. She was naturally stunning, yet her eyes didn't sparkle — they were glassy and lifeless. She moved precisely and with purpose but painfully slow. When she handed me a note containing the price I was to pay for my first crate of rice, I was taken aback and skeptical — it was cheap! As expected, I took the deal in a heartbeat. She gave me no reaction, not even a twitch of a muscle. When really, a smile should've spread across her face like the cracking of Aetherra because little did I know that's how "they" get clients to bend to their bidding. The next time I needed to replenish my rice supply, not only was the price tremendously higher but in the corner among the suppliers was a beast, snarling and licking its chops, ensuring I paid up. I always paid, no matter the price. When I returned home with my first crate of aether-infused rice, I ground it up and used it in the pastry dough, a substitution for Mr. Tulmie's Rice Flour (a common starch used in most Fanonian recipes). I needed not the cinnda extract nor the steady-handed talent of infusing it into the granules using the hair-thin basting tool to regain the bakery's success. All it took was for me to convince the first few (justifiably) hesitant customers to bite into a pastry and have their eyes opened to the bakery's magic anew. The customers were few but loyal. I no longer needed to craft each pastry layer by layer, room after room with flavor, for it mattered not the look nor the delectability of the dessert just as long as it was sweet, flaky, and made with a bump of blue. I was in business! Maybe I had abandoned the ways of a Stash Fairy in that regard, but I did take on the art of hiding away my business dealings with the Lakeport crew. I rarely left the bakery except to retrieve rice shipments, and when I would traverse the city, I'd find myself dodging from shadow to shadow like the merchant folk down by the docks. Although the bakeshop never reached the same level of greatness that it once had, I didn't need the bakeshop to be as it once was. I was consistent and wealthy. Deep down, I knew that the secrecy was primarily due to the pressure from dealers with connections to both Lakeport and Fano's sordid underbelly. Regardless, I felt good about a name change — Papa Gigi's Blue Bakery. I was never allowed a storefront sign nor any advertisement. Still, my Grandest would've been proud that I had to relocate within the serpentine corners of the darkest alley in all Fano, a place that not even Spiran guards dared to enter. Years later, after returning from Lakeport with another crate of rice, something genuinely astonishing dawned on me about the pathways that led to my supplier: the building with all of the hallways and corners and rooms within rooms felt a lot like a place that a Stash Fairy would reside. My mind when straight to the casket in the murky woodlands at the edge of the lake; there was nobody inside, only the octopus insignia on the casket lid and a strange box that I never had the chance to open since that rabid fox caused me to retreat. Could it be that I misunderstood? Had I not solved the riddle? Without notice, I locked up the bakery and hastened toward the casket's location. This time I arrived to find the fox, still guarding the ruins but fast asleep in a fevered dream. I stealthily retrieved the box, and only after rowing far enough away from the shore did I open it. I unfolded the sole object within the box: a letter. "To Tenny, my brother. You were ignorant to assume that you were the only aspiring Stash Fairy in the family. Did you think Great Grandfather loved me less? If you wish to locate me, I'm behind the glassy-eyed one." I sat there in my rowboat with my head to the wind. Once more, the lake's mist stung my face, my yellow, overgrown beard now down to my ankles. This passage is where the excerpt ends. (See attached Spiran guard report...)

246 SPIRAN GUARD REPORT REPORTING GUARD Harper Innes LOCATION District of Escha, Aunaranda Neighborhood INCIDENT Fano resident death, possible ties to criminal organization Eight Arms. Details of Event: Shortly before sunset, on my twilight rounds of Aunaranda District, I caught wind of a putrid smell coming through the gaps in the Wine Canal Bridge. I followed the stench and climbed underneath to discover what appeared to be a body wrapped in leather canvas and appearing as if it had washed ashore. Unwrapping the canvas revealed a male human with a long yellow beard. I estimated that he'd been dead a week. After returning to the Aunaranda guard post, I identified the body as Tenny Giggio, Papa Gigi's Blue Bakery owner. The following day I visited the bakery, located on BerryBraun Lane in the Flickering Fingers District, and found it boarded up and out of commission. I interviewed a few locals, but none of them had been to the bakery in ages, citing it had been closed up since the original owner passed away long ago. Two days later, I returned to the bakery and forcibly pried open the planks that nailed the door shut, and I entered the shop. It had been ransacked and destroyed, and it did appear that the place had been abandoned for some time. Upon exiting, I noticed a small engraving of an octopus on the bottom of the door frame; the symbol was so small it could have been easily overlooked in the low light. After a long investigation detailed in the Tulmie Report, I matched it to the Eight Arms criminal organization symbol. Actions Taken: I ordered a full audit of the bakery from the Indosian archive of both the Aunaranda and Flickering Fingers districts. I appealed to my superior, Hayra Shemlock, for an investigation into Lakeport proper. I attempted to notify the surviving family of the deceased. Summary: The Indosian archive declined my requested audits citing limited access given my lower rank. My superior denied my appeal, noting they didn't have the budget to send me there. I had no success in tracking down any of the surviving Giggio family members. But the bakery did reopen down on Lakeport Docks under new management. I pressed Shemlock for an investigation into the bakery, but she was dismissive and said they would be monitoring the situation concerning any ties to Eight Arms. I've been relieved of the case.

APPENDIX C: PRE-MADE CHARACTERS 249 HOMELAND Redroc. Self-proclaimed protectors of the West, the residents of this fortified city display a rough exterior, but in truth, they are goodhearted. They value family, community, and discipline. From a young age, both boys and girls are taught combat skills and meditation. In the impenetrable city of Redroc, warriors are held in the highest esteem, but war is far from glorified. Fighters tend not to engage in battle for territorial expansion or personal defense. Instead, they fight to protect cities and towns that can't defend themselves. In the streets of Redroc, folks may scoff at Fano for its lack of defense. And in recent seasons, unrest has begun to plague the neighboring city of Indaracia — a wealthy city known for hiring wayward Redroc fighters to fight their corrupt wars. HOMELAND FEATURES Steely Resolve. From adolescence, you've faced your fears head-on and have learned to fight back. Whenever you fail a saving throw against a fear effect, your next saving throw is made with an additional +2. This can only be applied once per saving throw. Bonus Proficiencies • Athletics (Strength) • Animal Handling (Wisdom) • Land Vehicles • Smith's Tools CHARACTERISTICS Gender Male Eyes Amber Size Medium Height 6’ 2” Hair Dark Brown Skin Brown Age 30 Weight 230 lbs. Alderman Abel MEDIUM HUMANOID (HUMAN), FIGHTER, CHAOTIC GOOD Armor Class 16 (chain mail) Hit Points: 12 (1d10 + 2) Speed: 30 ft. STR 16 (+3) DEX 11 (+0) CON 14 (+2) INT 9 (-1) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 13 (+3) Saving Throws Str +5, Con +4 Skills Animal Handling +4, Athletics +5, Intimidation +3, Perception +4 Senses passive Perception 14 Languages Common, Elvish Second Wind. You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a Short or Long Rest before using it again. ACTIONS Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 2d6 + 3 slashing damage. Handaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 1d6 + 3 slashing damage. Handaxe (thrown). Ranged Weapon Attack: Range: 20/60 ft., +5 to hit, 1d6 + 3 slashing damage. Unarmed Strike. Melee Attack: +5 to hit, 4 bludgeoning damage. DESCRIPTION Personality Trait. You believe everyone has great strength, they simply need help finding it. Ideal. Fight the body, not the heart. Bond. You can't stand back and watch a person struggle. Flaw. You have begun to doubt the sincerity of others. BACKSTORY You were raised in a wealthy and prominent family in Redroc. You defied family expectations by declining the role of commander — a position that every generation before you has accepted (except for your late grandmother, who believed the role must be earned). Your childhood best friend, who trained alongside you and bravely fought at your side during several wars, ultimately betrayed you by revealing your unit's location to the enemy for gold. You survived the attack, but most of your squad did not. Subsequently, you left behind the life of a soldier and turned to the solitary lifestyle of a fighter.