D&D - Marvelum - Age of the Gods

151 Fishing Characters on boats or in coastal areas may fish for survival rather than foraging. This follows the same process as foraging, with the exception that to reel in the fish a successful strength check need be made. Fish in Marvelum are often imbued with magic innately due to the spellscarred sea being adjacent to the plane of magic for thousands of years. Fish go bad in three days. Many have effects that withstand being cooked, but for some the effects are nullified or lessened so they are traditionally eaten raw. D20 Fishing Cost Stength DC 1-4 1d4gp of seaweed, edible and useful in certain potions and cooking 5-7 1d10gp of Bass and normal fish, enough to feed 1d6 people 8-10 1d100gp of rare fish like turtles and shark meat 14 11 A mutated, two headed fish that shimmers with magical potential. Upon eating this fish roll on the wild magic surge table in the Player's Handbook to determine the effect 10gp 12 12 Ironclad turtle, this turtle with a larger and harder than normal shell grants the effects of barkskin for one hour when eaten 20gp 15 13 Hearty Grouper, consuming this magically fortified fish grants 1d10+2 temporary hit points. 15gp 13 14 A Heartfish, if eaten functions as a philter of love, and is used as a prime ingredient in such potions. 25gp 10 15 Your line snags a mollusk, within which is a pearl worth 100gp 100gp - 16 Yellowfin Tuna imbued with fey magics of positive energy. Eating this fish grants one 2d8+4 temporary hit points. 50gp 13 17 Rainbow trout, this fish when consumed has the same effect as a potion of healing. 50gp 13 18 A small silverfin shark, when its fin is used in a soup it confers the consumer the effects of Heroism for an hour. 50gp 16 19 A blue hued crab that when eaten confers the effects of Fox’s Cunning as the Enhance Ability spell for one hour 100gp 14 20 A green hued largemouth bass that when eaten conger the effects of Bear’s Endurance as the Enhance Ability spell for one hour 100gp 14 21 A red hued gar that when eaten confers the effects of Bull's Strength as the Enhance Ability spell for one hour 100gp 15 22 A yellow hued catfish that when eaten confers the effects of Cat’s Grace as the Enhance Ability spell for one hour 100gp 14 23 A silver hued smallmouth bass that when eaten confers the effects of Eagle’s Splendor as the Enhance Ability spell for one hour 100gp 14 24 A blobfish that when eaten confers the effects of Owl’s Wisdom as the Enhance Ability spell for one hour 100gp 14 25 A yellow hued jellyfish, incredibly rare and biologically immortal, consuming this delay that numbs the mouth and sends tingles throughout the body grants the effects of a potion of longevity, though interestingly is not a component in that potion's creation. 250gp 13 26 A Pufferfish, if eaten raw it provokes a DC 15 constitution save or the 200gp 14

152 D20 Fishing Cost Stength DC consumer is poisoned for one minute. A DC 15 poisoner’s tools check can distil this effect into an edible poison 27 A Voidfish, composed of wildspace when eaten this inky black fish with stars speckled within it grants the effects of foresight for a minute. After the effects where off the consumer is blinded and poisoned for an hour 500gp 17 28 Reef Stonefish, this ornate orange fish has a potent venom, if extracted with a DC16 poisoner’s tools check it can be distilled into an injury poison with the same effects as wyvern venom 600gp 13 29 You manage to snag a juvenile kraken! 1500gp 22 30 A magical carp with rainbow scales, the rarest of all fish it is sentient, and will grant a wish if released freely back into the water. The fish tastes immaculate but grants no magical effects upon consumption. 1000gp 17

153 Traveling Actions While traveling characters can perform various actions. A character may only perform one action per day while traveling. While traveling at an accelerated pace any checks made would have disadvantage. While traveling stealthily certain checks impose disadvantage on the stealth checks made. The following actions can be taken by each individual character while traveling. Foraging for Food: Forage for food using the rules from the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Outlanders need make no check when food is abundant. Imposes disadvantage on stealth checks. Foraging for Materials: Characters may make a survival check each day to look for herbs and materials from the environment. Roll on the appropriate foraging table in the world document depending on region. Imposes disadvantage on stealth checks. Lookout: Characters may act as lookout using their active perception instead of their passive perception for the day. For this check, the passive perception floor rule applies. Navigation: Characters may navigate unfamiliar or unmapped with a survival check as a travel action. Steer: If traveling with animals or vehicles someone must make the steer action to maintain course. Either an animal handling check or a land vehicles check to steer the animals or the vehicle. The check is usually an easy one, unless the environment or weather is treacherous. The environment imposes a higher check, the weather disadvantage. Mapmaking: Characters may spend their time traveling mapping out the areas they have been. This requires a Cartographer’s Tools Intelligence check, at disadvantage if made without tools, must have at least inks and parchment. Research and Reading: Characters may read and study books within their possession while traveling. This requires no check (unless reading the tome would usually require a check) but does count as a full travel action for the day. Bonding: Bonding and speaking with other players, NPCs, or pets is a very common action while traveling. This is typically roleplay and requires no check but cannot be performed alongside other actions. Tool Checks: Most tools checks like blacksmiths or cobblers cannot be made while in motion, unless within a vehicle with enough space and materials to typically perform the action. Other Actions: This is not an exhaustive list. If other actions become apparent, they may be taken, but only one travel action may be taken per day. Exotic Weapons These weapons are not for purchase at character creation, and though given a gold value, may not be for purchase anywhere within the world. Rather, these weapons are best encountered as a type of common magic item, looted from rare enemies or treasure hoards. They are rare in some way, be it that they are literally exotic, from a far off land or reclusive race, difficult to wield or to craft, or simply no longer produced by blacksmiths for one reason or another. These weapons are meant to be

154 as strong as a regular weapon or common magic item, but less strong than a proper uncommon or rarer magic item and exist to provide flavor and customization to weapons. They require no feat to use, but are all martial weapons. Weapon Cost Damage Weight Properties Gnomish Hook Hammer 50gp 2d4 Bludgeoning 6lbs Two-Handed, Thrown, Expanded Critical Dwarven Urgosh 50gp 1d8/1d6 Slashing 12lbs Heavy, Two-Handed, Double Lightsaber 1000gp 3d4 Radiant 1lb Finesse, Light, Special Gnomish Chainsaw 300gp 3d6 Slashing 15lbs Heavy, Two-Handed, Special War Fan 5gp 1d4 Bludgeoning 2lbs Light, Special Double Sword 100gp 1d8/1d8 Slashing 10lbs Two-Handed, Double Double: Double weapons function as two weapons for the purposes of two weapon fighting, the first die being the main hand damage and the second being the off hand. All normal penalties for two weapon fighting apply to double weapons, and the off hand is not considered a light weapon for these purposes Expanded Critical: This weapon gets a critical hit on a roll of a natural 19 or 20. Lightsaber: A lightsaber is retractable, and as such one has advantage on sleight of hand checks to conceal a lightsaber on their person. War Fan: Checks made to disarm with a war fan have advantage. Alternative Weapons: Many familiar exotic weapons are missing from this list, this is because these weapons are easily reskinned versions of already existing weapons within dungeons and dragons SRD. For example, a Katana is a longsword, a Wakizashi is a short sword, Nunchaku are effectively a club, Shuriken are darts, Siangham are sickles, etc. Effectively, if a weapon would not have an innate special property unique to it, it is easiest and most mechanically simple to ascribe it a similar (if not exact) weapon from the PHB rather than invent a new weapon wholesale. Magic Items The following are magic items available on the Plane of Marvels not found elsewhere. The Artifacts of Elder Elementals During the time of the War of the Gods shortly after the Chrysalis the four elder elementals were used by the gods of nature against their enemies. The gods of Man used the gods of nature’s greatest weapon against themselves and took their essence and forged four legendary items, one for each of the elder elementals. These items evened the playing field during the war but just as quickly as the war began, it ended, and the items and elementals themselves were no longer useful to the gods, and so they were abandoned on the material plane. The elementals scattered to the corners of the world, the Zaratan created his island, the pheonix was tamed by a vampire, the Tempest rages in the jungles to the southeast, the Leviathan rests in the great

155 divide. Their items originally stayed with them, but have moved more than the elementals themselves. The Zaratan’s Staff was taken from his island to the old nation of Marvelum by a druid named Wildemount. The Cloak of the Pheonix is wielded by the Vampire that tamed the Pheonix. The Tempest’s Axe was taken by a clan of frost giants called the Devastators. The Leviathan’s Trident is the holy relic of the tribe of Nor. The Staff of the Zaratan Staff, legendary (requires attunement) The staff has 10 charges and regains 1d10 expended charges at dawn. While wielding the staff of the Zaratan, you can speak and write Terran. You can use an action to cast Speak with Animals that only effects creatures with a burrowing speed at will. Elementals: You can use an action to expend 1 charge to cast Dominate Monster targeting only elementals. You can use an action to spend 5 charges to cast Conjure Elementals but you may only conjure earth elementals. Spells: You may expend one or more charges to cast one of following spells, use your own spell save DC. Earth Tremor (1 Charge), Earthquake (10 Charges), Erupting Earth (3 Charges) Move Earth (5 charges), Wall of Stone (3 charges) The Axe of the Tempest Weapon (axe), legendary (requires attunement) You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon which deals either cold or lightning damage. You can change the damage type of the axe as a bonus action. While wielding the axe you can speak and write Auran. You can use an action to cast Speak with Animals that only effects creatures with a flight speed at will. Once per day you may cast either Mealstrom or Control Weather, using your own spell save DC. The Cloak of the Pheonix Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement) While you wear the cloak you can speak and write ignan. You can use an action to cast Speak with Animals that only effects creatures with a flight speed. While wearing the cloak you emit bright light for 60 feet and dim light for an additional 30 feet. While wearing the cloak if you drop to 0 hit points you may use your reaction to explode into fire, each creature within 30 feet of you must succeed on a DC 16 dexterity saving throw taking 6d6 fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful save. This turns your body to ash, you return in the same spot in 1d3 days with your full amount of hit points. Your equipment is undamaged by the fire but is dropped in your space. The Ring of the Leviathan Ring, legendary (requires attunement) While wearing the ring you can speak and write aquan. You can use an action to cast Speak with Animals that only effects creatures with a swim speed. While wearing the ring you have resistance to acid damage, a swim speed of 60 feet, can breath under water, and can cast control water once per day. Set Bonus: You may attune to all four artifacts of the elder elementals at the same time.

156 Weapons of the Gods Each god forged and wielded a weapon of sorts to fight the fourth war of the gods 2000 years ago. Indestructible and potentially useful, these items were hidden behind 36 barriers on the island to the south of the Saltmarsh swamps. Orb of Chaos Wonderous item, very rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster) While attuned to the orb of chaos any time you would cast a spell (including those cast through this orb) roll a d20. On a 1, roll on the wild magic surge chart. While attuned to the orb of chaos you can manipulate the forces of chaos to grain advantage on one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. Once you do so you must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again. Any time before you regain the use of this feature, the DM can have you roll on the Wild Magic Surge table immediately after you cast a sorcerer spell of 1st level or higher. You then regain the use of this feature. This orb has 20 charges. While holding it you can use an action to expend one of its charges to cast a random spell. Roll a d10 to determine spell level and then another die to determine the individual spell. The spell expends a number of charges equal to the spell level, if this would exceed the number of charges left on the orb the number of charges goes to zero. The spell is still cast. You can expend 5 charges to cast a spell that functions like polymorph except the new form the target assumes is determined at random. The orb regains 1d20 expended charges at dawn.

157 Other Magic Items These items carry little connection to the gods or other factions but have made an influential impact on Marvelum all the same. Staff of Shadows Staff, very rare (requires attunement) While holding this staff you have darkvision 60 feet and can hide in areas of dim light. The staff has 10 charges and regains 1d10 expended charges at dusk. If you expend the last charge, roll a D20. On a 1, the staff no longer casts a shadow and becomes non-magical and inert. Spells: While holding this staff, you can use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC and spell attack bonus (based on charisma): invisibility (3 charges), pass without trace (2 charges), darkness (2 charges), revivify (5 charges), greater invisibility (5 charges), raise dead (10 charges). Creatures resurrected by revivify or raise dead cast by this staff no longer cast a shadow. Creatures without a shadow cannot benefit from any of the effects of this staff. The Chaos Gauntlet Wonderous Item, Very Rare (requires attunement by a worshipper of Chaos) The Chaos Gauntlet is an odd, gaudy, golden gauntlet that shapes to fit the hand of any wearer, but is initially fitted for the hand of a slaad. The Gauntlet has 6 charges and regains 1d6 charges daily. A charge can be expended as an action and the five cubic feet of inorganic material transforms into a different material of the wielder’s choice. The gauntlet requires a DC 16 intelligence check to operate properly, and if this check is not met instead roll on the Chaos Gauntlet Effect table. If the gauntlet was on its last charge, it is always a roll on the table regardless of the intelligence check. Attempting to use the gauntlet on organic matter turns the gauntlet and the wielder’s hand to stone until a remove curse spell is cast upon them. d100 Chaos Gauntlet Effect 1-10 The material turns into poisonous gas, DC 15 constitution save or 6d6 poison damage. 11-20 The material turns into violent flame, there is a 10% chance it is a fire elemental. 21-30 The material turns into living flesh, 5% chance it is a malformed CR ½ creature. 31-40 The material turns into thin air 41-60 The material stays as it is 61-70 The material explodes, propelling shrapnel at high speeds, DC 16 dexterity save or 1d6 bludgeoning damage within a 30 foot radius. 71-80 The material randomly turns into a pure element of the first 100 on the periodic table. 81-89 The material turns into salt.

158 90-100 The desired outcome occurs. Dancing Hut of the Baba Yaga Wonderous Item, Legendary (requires attunement) The Dancing Hut of the Baba Yaga is a 40 foot by 40 foot 2 story wooden house that stands on two chicken legs that are 50 feet tall. The Hut has an AC of 12, a dexterity of 2, and 250 hit points. A wielder attuned to the heart of the hut, a jagged piece of obsidian that pulsates when held, can use their action to move the Dancing Hut 60 feet. The Dancing hut may move through any large or smaller creature during this movement. Creatures whose space the Dancing Hut moves through must succeed a DC 14 dexterity saving throw or take 4d10 bludgeoning damage. As an action, the wielder of the heart can retract the legs of the hut and have it appear as a normal hut until they use another action to expand the legs. The heart can only control the hut while it is on the same plane of existence as the wielder and it does not understand complex commands. When a creature attunes to the heart of the hut it must make a DC 18 wisdom saving throw. If it fails, the Baba Yaga knows the creature’s true name and location until it unattunes with the heart. If it succeeds on the save the Baba Yaga knows someone has attuned to her hut, but not who or where.

159 Chapter 4: Towns and Cities Redrun Redrun is the predominant empire ruling over what remains of Marvelum. While it has not civilized the entire nation, most areas of civilization identify with Redrun. Redrun is somewhat distinct among empires due to being unaffiliated with any specific divine sponsor. They revere the triumvirate of law matrimony and conquest, but they have no direct divine support. Their capital city is the eponymous Redrun and is the largest and oldest remaining city in Marvelum following the sacking of Shrekton during the fourth war of gods. After being devastated by the devil prince of murder Taraka’s attempted ascension, Redrun took advantage of the chaos of the surrounding lands to create its empire, aiding the nearly destroyed villages for promises of fealty and taxes. Since those early beginnings Redrun has stretched itself alarmingly thin, held together only by generations old contracts and a semblance of trust, both things running out of value in the modern age. The City of Redrun The capital city of Redrun is a sprawling metropolis that ostentatiously boasts its old world glory from its architecture to its policies. Ancient building sat next to newer structures adorn the inner cities surrounded by the ever-expanding shanty towns of the "new district". The veneer is thin, as the powerful attend to larger issues and the day-to-day problems of the city and its peoples go unchecked. Structure and Architecture The city is comprised of three rings. The center most ring is the Political district, where the city's oldest and most ostentatious buildings lay, including the spire, a massive tower that looms over the city from any vantage point, nearly piercing the clouds. The architecture here is the most neo roman of all of the districts, complete with a multitude of columns and domes and an aqueduct surrounding and connecting the district. The second ring comprises the residential or "old" district. Here the domed old stone buildings stand side by side with more conventional wooden building built in a newer style. The old district makes up

160 most of what people know as Redrun despite being technically smaller than the new district. Here one can find comfortable housing, higher end inns and markets, and moderate social gathering places such as four town squares, each with a court statue, facing each of the four gates of the city. Lastly is the new district or the shanty towns. When Redrum became and empire, they set out to expand their main city. However, as imperialism became increasingly expensive, the money ran dry but the people kept coming. This created a large ring of shanty towns eventually unified into the "new district". Here wooden hovels are built off of half finished construction or made wholesale. The buildings are strictly function over form. The buildings are small, so there are ample outside gathering places, even on the beaten dirt streets where perhaps it shouldn't be. Laws The laws of the City of Redrun are also the laws of the empire, though they may not be enforced as rigidly elsewhere. Most cases are dealt with summarily, with the guard or the Justices of the court of Mechanus handing out judgement as they see fit. However, in cases where the facts are dubious, the victim can claim their right to a fair trail. They can argue their case before the justices of the court (or pay an arbiter to do so for them) to reduce or eliminate their sentence. While, short of fees for an arbiter, a trial is a right and is free, in the event a trial is demanded (and not freely given by the court) and failed, sentences tend to be excessively longer, discouraging the practice. Murder: Murder is punishable by public execution via beheading. Dubious murder charges are ran through a Zone of Truth by a Cleric of Mechanus. Light worship: Light worship is strictly prohibited and Light worshippers are hung outside the outer gate or in one of the town squares, stripped and branded. Rape: The City of Redrun has a very conservative view of women, much to the chagrin of the female adventurers. They view that women should be married and then serve the husband, following the tenants of certain scriptures of Lia. As such, rape is punishable by public burning at the stake unless the offender marries the victim, then there is no crime. Similarly, married men cannot rape their wives. Taxes: Taxes and funding the incredibly stretched thin Redrun empire shapes much of the larger imperial structure. The Empire is divided into fifes and dukedoms. Dukes rule over their own areas mostly independently from the King and the Courts with the exceptions of strong suggestion to adopt Redrun’s laws and culture, adoption of Redrun’s currency (though it may not be the only acceptable currency), loss of travel sovereignty, and of course, payment of taxes to the king. Due to this, tax law beyond the borders of the city of Redrun are varied. The King requires a tax based upon number of peasantry and size of controlled landmass from the dukes of his kingdom, and some dukes even further subdivide their territories with lords and marquees paying taxes to them, them to the king. However, within the city of Redrun itself, the jurisdiction of only the high court, the tax codes are far simpler, though not as simple as their sister city’s flat 10% wealth tax. Firstly, the tax only applies to land and business owners. Those who rent or are homeless are exempt from taxation. The taxes are based on income, requiring some amount of bookkeeping within the city. Taxes are paid at the end of

161 each year, and a 15% income tax is levied upon land owners, while a 10% tax is levied upon business owners. Up to a 7% tithe can be deducted from income taxes for a donation to one of the triad churches, but only a 3% tithe is deductible to a separate church of the 36, these tithes can only add up to 7% of income total. Soldiers receive tax relief upon the receipt of land of the full 15% in the first year, reducing by 5% each year, until paying the full 15% tax in year 4. Sales to the courts of Redrun can be deducted from income with proper documentation. Businesses that make less that 100gp in income need only pay a 7% tax, that can only be reduced to a minimum of 3% by tithes and other deductions. Those who make more than 1000gp in a year must pay a 15% tax even if they do not own land or a business as an anti abuse mechanism. However, as renters are not required to file for taxes many do not pay fees anyway. Committing tax fraud in the city of Redrun (such as not reporting all income or not paying taxes when one should) is punishable by repayment of the tax with an additional 50-500gp fee per year of fraud. Lack of payment results in indebtedness to the courts, see the laws for indebtedness. Duels: If honor has been insulted, a duel is reasonable to be declared. A duel exempts one from the laws of assault and murder if both parties accept to it. A duel can be freely refused, but it is considered cowardly to do so. Reasonable time to gather affairs is required, usually no more than a year. You can have someone fight in your stead, but they must be a member of your house, related to you in some way. Duels are to the yielding, not to the death, though often people don't yield until death. Insulting a member of the court: If one has insulted a member of the court and they challenge them to a duel, they cannot legally refuse. Champerty: While most criminal issues are dealt with summarily, some involve a trial with the Justices of the court of mechanus. In such cases, there are arbiters that work on retainer to represent and argue for the accused. Paying for another’s arbiter is illegal and called Champerty. Doing so results in up to a year in the dungeons. Theft: Theft of more than 20gp worth of material is punishable by public removal of one's hands. For less than 20gp return of the item and payment of its value to the victim is the punishment. Divorce: Divorce is only permissible by the high priest of Lia. Assault: Assault is delt with by time in the dungeons. Sentences vary by severity of assault as determined by the justiciars of the court of Mechanus, usually no longer than 5 years. Public nudity: Public nudity is heavily frowned upon in Redrun and may be punishable by up to a year in the dungeons. Public drunkenness and disturbances: Especially rowdy drunkenness or disturbances may land you in the dungeons for a night or two, but are generally permissible. Contraband: Certain items and substances are banned within the City and the Empire. Possession of such substances is punishable by time in the dungeons and confiscation of the contraband.

162 Shema: A stout dwarven ale brewed from fermented moldy rocks. Known to possibly kill nondwarves. 1 season per pint. Max sentence 1 year. Light Paraphernalia: Includes texts and holy symbols as well as relics. If not deemed a Light worshipper and hung, punishable by 1 year in the dungeons. Redleaf: A hallucinogenic leaf from the feywild banned after an epidemic of escapism in the new district. Punishable by a week per dose. Poison: All poisons and venoms are banned throughout the empire. Punishment depends on severity of poison but tends to be 1 to 10 years. Poisoner's tools are also banned. Thieves' Tools: punishable by a season in the dungeons, but is usually just confiscated unless used in breaking and entering. Property damage: Property damage is punished by repayment to the wounded party, lack of payment results in debt. Fraud: acts of fraud (using illusion magics on coins, etc.) Are punishable by up to a year in the dungeons. Debt: debtors are subject to indentured servitude to their debt holders if reasonable and timely payments are not maintained. Indentured servitude is worked off at a rate of one gold a day. Contracts: Redrun recognizes freedom of contract and will typically allow any lawful transaction therein, including defined penalties for breach. Slavery, prostitution, etc.: Items not listed in these laws are assumed legal within the empire. The Trinity Redrun as an empire and especially as a city is highly religious. While all of the 36 gods are revered and respected, three patron deities represent the trinity that Redrun bases its society on. This trinity

163 is Order, Matrimony, and Conquest, via Mechanus, Lia goddess of matrimony, and Domi god of conquest. Lia and Domi are worshipped here slightly differently than normal. While Lia is a goddess of marriage, she can also be a goddess of free love outside of marriage. This aspect of Lia is shunned in Redrun, and further scripture is added to subjugate women within a marriage. Domi is worshipped more as god of expansion and conquest than a god of power and dominance, though that aspect of him is not as shunned and frowned upon as the alternative form of Lia is. These three gods each have their own temples in the city, as well as the general cathedral to the 36. These religions and their high priests and priestesses hold more influential and even legal power than the other religions. Political System Their political system is built from an idea in the books of Mechanus, as is their legal system. The political system is comprised of various "courts", the High Court is the King, his advisors, and attendants. They preside over disputes among lower courts and over taxation and funding. The Lord's Courts preside over various affairs, such as the Court of the Armory over the guard and army or the Court of Gold over the mint. These courts are controlled by a noble lord, nominated, and voted on by other members of the court. These courts can create Small Courts that focus on especially unique issues and answer to the Court that begat them. Courts appoint new members, and the king is decided by birthright. The system is entirely patriarchal, with only men allowed to be appointed to Courts or nominated as Lords. The exception to this is the High Court, where the king may have female attendants, but not official female advisors. There is no element of democracy and little of upward social mobility in this system. The Court of Agriculture claims ownership of the farms and those that live on them like serfs. The Court of Mechanus holds great influential political power, but little in the way of actual power beyond the ability to pardon criminals should they see fit. Outside of the city the laws of Redrun are generally followed, but local law presides paramount. Redrun was founded from the uniting of previously disparate city-states and many operate under previous standard, with their lords, baron, and dukes (in order of power, wealth, and amount of land) being the previous rulers of their lands, though sometimes they are appointees from and by the courts of Redrun. The Redranian army is stretched thin, between dealing with the threats of Alvyn’s raiders and Stryxtra’s armies and the continual threat of their patchwork empire coming apart at the seams they let “smaller” issues slip through the cracks, creating the need for adventurers and mercenaries that often go to the highest bidder, a system that further enrages the common folk. The Courts High Court: Leader: King Lorens IV. Duties: Taxation and funding. Sigil: Golden Stag on field of Azure. King John Lorens is a human and is getting on in years, being 56 now. He is content to allow his courts control of their various duties. So long as nothing is going wrong, he is content to live a life of opulence with his wife, Queen Neva, and his four children. His heir, Prince John Lorens V, is a much more arrogant man, though he is in his thirties he still acts like a child. He is disgraced by his father’s lack of action and swears to any who will listen to be a more active king, a better king than his father. His Daughter Patricia is the second oldest in her late 20s. She has been groomed to be wedded off as

164 a political pawn when one of the duchies grows unruly. This is not her first choice, but she has grown to accept it as her lot in life. The second youngest son, Patroclus, chose the life of a Knight and is off fighting the forces of evil against Stryx’s armies to the east. Their youngest son, Foxtail, is more reserved and studious. He is in the studies of obtaining power from otherworldly entities. Other than that however, there is little drama in the High Courts. They live a life of opulence, away from the riff raff of the city and the burden of true responsibility. Court of Arms: Leader: Lord Balthazar (dwarf, tactical, worships Kirby) Duties: presides over the guard and army. Sigil: silver bear on field of crimson. Lord Balthazar earned his title “the returned” after falling in the civil war against the Light and being resurrected a week later by the Clerics of Mechanus. In spite of this, he still reveres Visiduous as his main deity. Lord Balthazar is a ball of stress, knowing his armies are underfunded and stretched too thin and faced with a king who seems not to care. Still, Balthazar is a man of loyalty and wouldn’t dare betray his king. Balthazar has a wife, Hamara, two grown sons and two young sons, but his wife deals with them and they have little sway in the political sphere. There are those beneath Balthazar who would use their control over the army to launch a coup against the “do nothing king”, and they have taken the first steps in doing so, setting up a small council of co-conspirators, but they would also have to take out Balthazar, a beloved figure, which would be political suicide. Court of Gold: Leader: Lady Agripina (Goliath, stalwart, worships Domi) Duties: presides over the mint Sigil: Pile of Coins on a field of white. The mint holds paramount power within the city, having sole control over the mint and funding. Lady Agripina rules over the mint, she is a veteran of the fourth war of the gods and a stalwart believer in the empire of Redrun. She protects the Mint from all who would attempt to defraud it, and reluctantly works with the other courts, especially the court of magic, to achieve these goals. The mint is locked up tight and she personally lives there most of her days. She had a husband who served with her in the war, but he was killed by accidental friendly fire. In addition to that trauma, Lady Agripina carries a scar across her face and infertility to remind her of her time served in the wars. Court of Trade: Leader: Lord Sinvin (Vedalkan, conspiratorial, worships Osvaldo, secretly still worships Vistra). Duties: regulates commerce (tariffs, price fixing, trade disputes) Sigil: Open hand on a field of green. Lord Sinvin is a power-hungry man of logic and facts. As a Vedalkan, he lacks any sense of empathy or emotion in his actions. He sees the courts purely as a game of power and desires to march to the top of it. He masks his true intentions among those of his own guild by claiming that the trade guild needs more power to achieve the goals of profitable trade to accelerate the empire. Most agree with this façade, but there are a few who he keeps within his inner circle, a tiefling woman who worships Strtxtra and shares his ambition named Magarath, and a Leonin man who simply believes Sinvin would be a better king than Lorens or his heirs named Arma. The others who discovered and disagreed were either shamed and removed from the courts and sometimes even exiled (usually for things they had actually done in the past) or quietly assassinated, usually by poisoning.

165 Lord Sinvin’s plans are varied, but most involve an endgame of killing the king and all of his available heirs. For this, Sinvin has agents in nearly every court as well as in the army to the east. Lord Sinvin is a patient man, and has several plans to expand his power, both personal and political before such a scheme would take place. These plots include weakening the infrastructure of the courts while eliminating opposition with Nothics obtained from the Court of Magic, Getting the powers of the totems to himself and his constituents, and expanding the importance of trade to make him and his court invaluable to the city and the empire. Court of Mechanus: Leader Justice Markus (human, solemn, worships Mechanus) Duties: presides over law and religion Sigil: An azure cog on a field of white. The court of Mechanus exists on the council as a relic of a bygone era before the trinity gained a foothold in the city and Mechanus was the singular patron deity. Now the Court’s powers are greatly diminished, but still acts in the arbiters of most law within the city. Justice Markus is a generally respectable person, upholding the law to the letter as best he can. He still has two angels beneath the court of Mechanus still corrupted by the Light’s influence he fears measn the Light may yet still return. Court of Agriculture: Leader: Lord Hithon (halfling, slavedriver, worships Pelianora), Duties: Presides over the farms, maintains a small militia to keep the serfs in line Sigil: amber grain on a field of light blue. Lord Hithon is not well liked among the courts, even within his own court. He overstates the importance of the farms and the slaves as requisite to life within the city, ignoring factors like imported foods from elsewhere within and without of the empire and food reserves. Hithon will mobilize his slaves and the militia afforded to him if he fears a threat to the farms, to slavery as a institution, or to his own power, but so far has not had to. Court of Beauty: Leader: Lord Gray (Elf, snoody, worships Lia, but not Lia matrimonia). Duties: construction and beautification of the city. Sigil: purple lily on a field of pink. Lord Gray is flagrantly homosexual, and while he is unmarried (as he must be, as Lia Matrimonia does not accept gay marriage) and has had several, usually much younger partners. Lord Gray is likely the only reason homosexuality isn’t outright banned in the city, as though he does not often flaunt it, Gray is the third richest single member of a court after the King himself and Lord Sinvin. Lord Gray cares for the city and is a large part of the fawning over old architecture. He is in no small part responsible for New District, as he has no desire to making newer structures, instead interested in preserving the history and innate beauty of the ancient architecture of the city. This has earned him much hatred among the poor within the city, that does not seem to phase him. Court of Magic: Leader: Lord Wirt (svirfneblin, secretive). Duties: Deal with magical problems and affairs within the city. Sigil: A wand laid in an open tome on a field of purple. Lord Wirt has always been interested in his own goals above others, scouring the world for all of the spells he could acquire. He originally wished to hoard all of the spell for himself, but eventually decided that others could help him in his own pursuits. He cleared the remnants of the spire as his

166 own personal laboratory where he pursues his ultimate goals of creating 10th level magic and ascending to or past godhood. He possesses the wand of Orcus he obtained during the last war of the gods, which he uses to create the undead army that protects the spire. He uses the students he takes from the college in his experiments, many of which create the Nothics he sells to Lord Sinvin of the court of Trade, the money he uses to further fund his research. Criminal Element There are five criminal elements that make their name within Redrun. Two in New District that openly war with one another but mostly stay within the boundaries of New District knowing they are not established enough to make plays against the real crime families. The Crime families of old district are well established and known players to any who knows anything and each control a different section of the city. Garnet the Great: Garnet’s bruisers charge protection fees from businesses within New District, though he mostly “protects” them from himself, the introduction of the Tunnel Snakes has made his job much more difficult. In general, Garnet’s men are typical thugs, in it for the money and sliver of power, forced into this position due to lack of other opportunities in New District. Garnet himself holes up in a maximalist palace standing out from the rest of shabby new districts, in a distinctly foreign style. Garnet is not particularly impressive, just a thug who made it to the top.

167 The Tunnel Snakes: A more “punk rock” guild of disenfranchised New District Residents, primarily younger adults and teenagers. The Tunnel Snakes find refuge underground using “tamed” ankegs to tunnel though the city, often losing control of their massive insectoid beasts. The tunnel snakes are led by Frankie Hobscop, a teenage gnome who saw the injustice of both Garnet and the Guard and decided to do something about it, raiding a shipment of ankegs brought in by the court of trade to expand their tunnels beneath Old District. The Maggia: The most traditional of the “crime families” of old district, the Maggia operate as a thieves guild with some protection rackets and heavy use of symbolic thieves cant. Hey control the northern section of the city, the most balanced section of the land. They operate out of various controlled inns and businesses, and while their leadership is more obfuscated that the other families, their leader is Jean, an air genasi thief who has been at this for decades. She started to get money for her family, but couldn’t get enough of the lifestyle and eventually drove her family away with it, finding new family in the Maggia and eventually running the organization after the 36-Light civil war preceding the fourth war of the gods. The Gold Diggers: While their name in dwarven is more flattering, this mostly racial crime family is known colloquially as the gold diggers. They control the southern section of the city, technically the largest section of the families, but also the least prosperous. The Dwarves utilize the tunnels beneath the city, some preexisting but many they have carved themselves. They are primarily dwarves and are viewed as an exceptionally racist guild, but do accept non-dwarves as members and, thought perhaps more difficult, even in higher management. Their leader is Fingald, a dwarf who has grand plan for the city and the money, his primary goal to make an inevitable play for the mint. The Great Family: Controlling the market district, the Great Family control the smallest but most profitable section of the city. Unlike the other families that operate in secret or even underground, the Great Family operates in public, hosting great parties and profiting from depravity and controlling the trade of illegal goods. There are five “families” in the great family, united by Umbridge, a troll with a headband of intellect she looted from adventurers who realized she could make much more than charging a bridge toll.

168 Notable Locations: Political District Castle Greyscale: The Castle near the center of the city in the political district houses the king, the courts, and the courtiers. It is an elaborate and ancient castle, complete with four domes at the four towers making up the wall of the castle. The castle has a large courtyard where some trade is done at the center of which is a statue of the king. The castle is of fairly rote construction, but does have several secret passages connecting disparate rooms, including a tunnel from the throne room to outside of the city, an escape route for the elite. The Mint: Located firmly in the political district is the most infamous building among thieves in the city, the mint. The mint receives shipments of raw metals and converts them into coins called crowns. The mint has an entire outer shell of traps and defenses, and workers live in the mint for a season before leaving to welcome the next shift, to prevent as many unnecessary entries and exits as possible. The mint is next to the College of Threshold, that keeps a close magical eye on it. It is also home to the lord of the court of gold.

169 The Grand Bank: Separate from the mint but still within the political district is the grand bank, and opulent, expansive, and exceedingly flat building where the wealthy store there money for safekeeping. The bank also offers money changing services as well and loans, but only to those who are well off and with adequate credit vouchers. The bank is ran by an elven man named Eucidyous. He is a member of the court of trade. The Spire: Looming tall over any point of the Redrun skyline, the spire is a defining feature of the city, some would say the defining feature. In spite of this, most denizens of the city could not tell you what happens within the spire, nor its purpose. In truth, the spire is a place of arcane research and experimentation overseen by Lord Wirt. Certain graduates of the college of Threshold are taken to work in the Spire, and they work on projects for the empire. Notably, the main projects the spire is working on at the moment are arcane ballistae, iron golem defenders, transmuting lead into gold, and immortality. Their biggest success story is that of airships. At the peak Lord Wirt works at creating new spells, attempting to crack the secrets of god level magics, or 10th level spells. The spire has a slight rotting smell to it no one can quite place. This is due to the spire being protected internally by an army of undead created by the wand of Orcus that Wirt possesses. Court of Mechanus: The oldest religious institution in the city and the most revered, the court of Mechanus stands as the oldest building in the city, older even than castle Greyscale. Within are shrines with tributes to the god of order as well as postings of all of Redruns laws and regulations. While religious services are held here, so too are legal services when the guilt or punishment of the accused is in question. The court is ran by Justicar, who has ran the court for decades. Temple of Lia: This Temple to Lia is unlike most other of temples to the goddess of love, bereft of nude statues of the goddess and holy prostitutes. This is because this temple reveers Lia as Lia Matrimonia, the goddess of Marriage and faithfulness, rather than of love and sex. As such, most of the priests are male and the temple is primarily used as the site of weddings. Lia matrimonia preaches monogamy after marriage, but not necessarily before. The weddings are primarily ceremonial, involving oaths and lamentations, as well as a gathering of families. Large parties afterword are not traditional, but have come into vogue recently. Any priest of Lia can officiate a marriage, but only the high priest can initiate a divorce. The sitting high priest is Foloran Frederick, a staunch older firbolg man. Shrine to Domi: A massive open bodega surrounding a central shrine to Domi in his black dragon form made entirely of imported obsidian. Here small gladiatorial bouts as well as certain political debates take place alongside prayers to the god of power and conquest. The church of domi is structured by power, so the high priest is also the strongest priest, and any who can defeat him shall become high priest. The current high priest is Lucidio Dagmar, a half elven paladin. The Gilded Lily: An ancient 2 story building on the very edge of the political district houses the Gilded Lily, the up-scale inn where the aristocrats and dignitaries stay on visits. Their cheapest suite is 4gp but they pride themselves on their platinum experience, a larger more luxurious suite complete with wine, food, and service. This is often where small gathering and parties of the wealthy are held. The Lily is notable for not serving ale or mead, instead stocking only wines and spirits, more dignified

170 drinks. While the Lily is staffed by a multitude of races all clad in all white vestments, it is owned by an elven noble, son of Lord Gray named Gildaroy Gray. The lily houses a secret in its basement. It is base of the Society, a group of wealthy canible philanthropists. Notable Locations: Old District Barracks: The guard of Redrun still only have one barracks for the entire city, an older large building in Old district near the political district. These barracks house the 1,500 guards the city employs as well as the captain of the guard, A gold dragonborn paladin of Mechanus who is obsessed with the concept of absolute justice named Faran. The barracks does not house the dungeons, those are beneath castle Greyscale, but it does house a sizable holding facility, used primarily for drunks and those awaiting trial or transfer to the dungeons. Hunter’s Hall: An older and more decrepit building in the old district is always alit with torchlight and the sounds of songs and merriment. This is the Hunter’s Hall, inhabited by those who have made their names hunting beasts of all sort, but mostly the divine beasts unleashed in the wake of the last war od the gods. There is a ranking among the hunters, the head of a “sizable beast” is required for admission, as well as dues of 10gp a year, but grants access to the hall, its patrons, and free ale and housing, within reason. The more monsters slain the more prestige and “rank” one attains, with more wishing to join or even just aid in their hunts. The current de-facto leader of the Hall is a half-orc woman named Marla Tusk, who has slain 14 beast, the closest to the King’s reward. Cathedral of the 36: While Lia, Mechanus, and Domi get their own shrines and statues in the political district, there is also a more general, and populous cathedral to all of the 36. The building is massive

171 and impressive by most standards, but despite being in Old district, it is fairly new which detracts from its status among the nobility of the city, obsessed as they are with the prestige of the past. The Cathedral houses shrines to the 36, some larger and more ornate than others. In general, the Evil gods have fewer followers and less ornate shrines. All of the gods have a high priest, and most have other clergy as well. Each of the churches operates independently of one another, with no “high priest of the cathedral”, which often leads to problems with the followers and priests of gods with inherently conflicting values. The cathedral is laid out in a traditional manner, mirroring the positioning of the essences with a large statue of the King in the center representing the material plane. At any given time, one can find ample sacrifices, be they of food, valuables, or animals, lining the shrines as well as ceremonies and sermons filling the cathedral with a perpetual noise but also a sense of community and life that is hard to find elsewhere within the city. Private Eye: In the shadows of Old District is a small stone building housing Private Detective John Mason and his assistant. John Mason was originally from Saltmarsh, his mother was kidnapped by a cult trying to revive Shub Niggurath, the black goat of the woods. He thwarted the cult and rescued his mother to return to the destroyed Saltmarsh. He eventually moved to Redrun and continued his private eye business, though an older, more wounded man. Pet Shop: A smaller shop with several display windows where pets like birds, dogs, cats, and lizards, are kept in cages. The store sells various small pets and is ran by an elderly halfling man who takes abandoned pets off the street, nurses them back to health, and then attempts to resell them. The entire store smells of piss and shit and none of the animals have prices upon them. Tello gives prices on demand, usually 5gp-10gp. There are three extraordinary “pets” in the store, a baby displacer beast for 25gp, a baby owlbear for 50gp (untamable), and a Gauth for 100gp. Town Squares: there are four such squares, each in the center of a representative subdistrict of the Old District, and all similar. Nearest the Barracks to the west stands a statue of Lord Blathazar the Returned of the court of arms facing the west gate in the center of the square. In the east nearest the mint stands lord Zinvim, of the court of trade facing the east gate. Nearest the North gate sits the lord of the court of beauty, and Nearest . The High court's statue of the king rests in the courtyard of Castle Greyscale and the Court of Magic's Lord Wirt is enshrined within his college of Threshold. Threshold: The local Wizard's College. Not as impressive or multidisciplined as the Wizard's College in the Gilded City, catering only to wizards and a subset of sorcerers, but still an impressive institution. It is ran by the lord of the court of magic, Wirt, and takes students on tuition. The fees are high, 300gp a semester (2 seasons), but not absorbent as fees in the Gilded City. The Institution has a professor for each school of magic and a single professor for sorcerers, a large courtyard, and a library with several tomes of magical lore as well as spellbooks. Archivald's Tomes: A smaller wooden shack on the outskirts of town. It bears a wooden sign near its door that in black, elegant calligraphy reads "Archivald's Tomes". This is Redrun’s most eclectic book store and most of note to adventurers. While it's depth on any one topic isn't great, its breadth is where is shines, boasting anything from The Toothman's Bride to Planes, and What We Don't Know About Them. These tomes were collected by Archivald Sant, the gnomish curator of the shop, over a long scholarly life. There is no tome in the shop Archivald has not read at least once. Archivald will

172 also buy books he doesn't already possess, though at half their appropriate value. Archivald's is a book store, not a library, but Archivald has been known to loan out a few of his treasures to likeminded scholars such as those who took the cloistered scholar or sage backgrounds. Archivald's store contains from the general public but will share with those who completed one of his quests or a likeminded scholar he calls friend. One is a spellbook containing 5 first level spells and 2 second level. The second is a tome of quickness of thought with 75 years left to recharge. The spellbook goes for 300gp starting and the other tome is, at least initially, not for sale. Archivald is one of the survivors of Stein, along with Claire, and had a similar shop there that he claims had a much more detailed collection. The Hithon Plantation: Owned by the Hithon’s, a family of halflings, the plantation not only grows the wheat needed for the Brewery, but also most of the crops needed to sustain Stein as a whole. The plantation is managed by the Hithons, but is tended to primarily by slaves. The are is massive but somehow feels confined by the absolutely oppressive aura of slavedrivers and hard unpaid labor. Gilbert and Gilthur, Construction and Masonry: A somewhat unattractive, large wooden building sat behind a quaint, more thoughtfully designed, masonry structure, outside which is an immaculately mounted wooden sign with the somewhat lengthy title, Gilbert and Gilthur, Construction and Masonry inscribed upon it in both common and dwarven. This is a joint construction venture ran by two adoptive brother worshippers of Bes. A dwarf named Gilthur manages his expertise, masonry, while his brother, a human named Gilbert manages his expertise, carpentry. Together, Gilbert and Gilthur are responsible for most of the structures built in Stein in the past 50 years. Each have a few genuine employees, Gilthur employs his actual cousin and nephew as well as his dwarven friend Tordrid, while Gilbert has a few anomalous employees of varied race. Most of the work however, is handled by slaves, of which Gilbert and Gilthur collectively house 35. Cartographers’ Shack: A small wooden shack nearly indistinguishable from a normal house save for the small wooden sign inked to look like a map with calligraphed lettering reading Cartographer’s Shack. Inside is a small makeshift storefront in what was previously a living quarters with several maps pinned to the walls of the shack as well as tables with several maps enclosed in map cases. The shack is ran by an elderly human man named Simon Cartman who claims to have an expansive family elsewhere in the world but lives alone. He spent his youth traveling abroad and mapping less mapped areas of Marvelum as well as collecting and copying maps he found in his travels. A map of the local region is 10gp, a map of Marvelum as a whole is 15gp, and world map is 20gp.

173 The Meat Slab: A butcher’s shop in a simple two story brink and mortar building, with the smells of meats radiating several feet off of the closed oak door. A wooden sign outside shaped roughly like a cartoonish pigs head has engraved in it the word “The Meat Slab”. A Half-Orc woman named Wanda runs and lives in the shop with her seven kids who often run amok in the store. Sells most meats from the farms. Here food and rations (in the form of cured meats and jerky) can be bought at PHB prices. The Leather Sole: The Cobbler’s Shop, a slightly ostentatious building with peculiar unnecessary architecture, in front of the door hanging down roughly two feet is a leather sign dyed to read “The Leather Sole”. A Gnomish workmen named Marris runs the shop with his wife and 2 kids. He has a large stock of “improved” shoes that don’t ever seem to change inventory. He sells these odd shoes, normal shoes, and provides the benefits of a cobbler’s tools from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything for 1gp per person. No Horsing Around: The local stables, found in the outskirts of town near the vast swaths of farmland. It is easy to spot with wooden gates corralling several horses with mounds of hay, and an approachable looking wooden ranch with a slightly dark tint at the front. The stable has a sign at the front with the words in whimsical font “No Horsing Around”, a name made by the wife of Petri, the man who runs the shop with his family of halflings, totally 10 and some change as some come and go as they please. They offer stabling at the rate of 5sp a day. They offer several common mounts for sale, all from the PHB excluding the Camel and Elephant. They sell them at varying prices that range on the quality of the horse, more for mares that might have slightly above average speed or a mule that carries more than normal, less for a dog that has a limp hind leg, but normal animals are sold at normal PHB prices. They also sell most tack, harnesses, and drawn vehicles with the exception of an exotic saddle, a chariot, and barding, at 20% higher than PHB prices. The Clean Cut: A smaller wooden building with a sign out front with an elven rapier and a dwarven ax crossed over the words “The Clean Cut”. Travelers who walk in looking for weapons are often sorely disappointed to find A barber shop ran by a dwarf named Geraldo and an elf named Heraldo and are often pressured into getting a haircut anyway. 5Sp a hair cut. Necessary Needlework: An intricately carved small wooden building has outside it a large sign with elven script in large print and common smaller underneath it reading “Necessary Needlework”. A tailor’s shop ran by an elven person named Allore who’s gender is androgynous, and they dodge the question when confronted. They sell many clothing options, including all of those out of the PHB and more, several things of elven design but also those not of elven design. They will perform patching and hemming services for 5sp an hour, and they give an unadvertised discount to clothes of elven make and design. Home Remedies: An herbal shop that sells mostly shoddy home remedies for various ailments, their storefront is nondescript and their interior is a disorganized mess. It does have a sign bearing its name overtaken by moss near its crookedly mounted door but more notable is the hobo sign in thieves’ cant on the door for “fence”. It is managed by a firbolg by the name of Rand Tell. In truth, the shop is a front for a thieves’ shop that sells poisons and thieves’ supplies such as Thieves’ Tools, Forgers supplies, and disguise kits. All illegal items are sold at double PHB price. Outside of its humble curator, Home Remedies houses a variety of interesting characters in its sordid back half. Mostly catering to

174 thieves on the run the back half often house Terri House, a halfling woman who is a renown fence in the countryside. There is a 40% each day that she is at Home Remedies, if she is not, Rand Tell wants nothing to do with stolen goods. Yond’s Forge: A minimally decorated stone building with a large chimney that seems to always be emitting smoke. There is an anvil on the outside porch with a wooden roof over it, a large colorful sign indicating that this is indeed a forge. Both on the inside and the outside there are minor elven carvings adorning the wooden sections of the building that are easy to miss if you don’t look for them, and contrast the relatively human style the forge itself is built in. The interior of the shop houses primarily a forge but also several weapon racks housing metal weapons of near expert craftsmanship. There are also examples of master crafted armors all fitted to a frail human figure, Yond’s figure. The table that separates the shop from the forge is usually manned by a 12 year old half elven boy named Marian. Marian is the son of Yond, the master of the forge. Yond too is a half elf whose wife was taken in a tragic accident in the forge. He has a few younger boys, a half-orc named Bjork, a human named Garrick, and a fire genasi named Hoss, who help him work on the forge. He is attracted to Garrick and Hoss, but has never made any actions in relation to that attraction. Yond and Marian live in the adjoining house to the forge. Yond himself is a 50 year old half-elf who took the loss of his wife hard. He closed the forge for a while and it only reopened just this year. He refuses Marian the ability to work in the forge despite Marian’s wish to learn his father’s trade due to the loss of his wife. Yond is a master of the forge trained by an elven master and a human master in two separate villages in his youth. While he is not quite the level of either of his teachers, he can create beautiful arms and armor, the types of which can be used to make enchanted items. Yond is a survivor from Shrekton and longs to return home, but knows the business is better in Redrun. The shop sells metal weapons, they sell master crafted items (used to make magical weapons, and very intricately detailed and reinforced) at 200% PHB costs, regular weapons at PHB cost, and shoddily crafted “practice” weapons (effectively -1 weapons) at 70% PHB cost. Most weapons are readily available, but rarer or more specific weapons will need to be specifically crafted. Metal armors are also sold here, regular craft at 120% PHB cost, master crafted at 210% PHB cost. Armors take a day per 50gp of cost to craft, minimum of 5 days. He also sells metal adventuring gear such as manacles at PHB cost, as well as master crafted versions at 200% cost. He will refit armors as well at PHB costs. The Quaint Quilt: A small shop known mostly only to locals, ran out of a quaint little brick and mortar house in the housing district identified only by a quilt hung from the banister of the porch on all days except for holy days of the light, the quilt is intricately patterned by ultimately reads in delicate cursive “The Quaint Quilt”. Inside is a small stock of quilts ranging from average blankets for 5sp to more elaborately designed quilts for upwards of 10gp. The shop is ran by an elderly halfling woman named Yentil. She has family in town but lives alone. Odds and Ends: A rickety wooden shack in the old district that bears a shoddily repaired sign that reads in very basic writing “Odds and Ends”. Within the shop is several tables laid out in a crooked arrangement housing any number of mundane oddities such as trinkets, masks, and holy symbols. The curator of this shop is a lone drow man named Raymond. He is an outwardly awkward and sketchy

175 figure, often dodging questions of any sort, especially how he came into possession of the items. This has led many to suspect he is a thief but Steinguard raids have proven otherwise. He wears a work holy symbol of Hillregaurd around his neck and claims to have found the items out on his many adventures, and this is backed up by his store occasionally closing for him to restock. In truth, Raymond is a corpse robber, stealing odds and ends from graves and dead bodies of adventurers, selling off the more valuable materials to more reputable sources, and selling the scraps in his shop which doubles as his home. The shop sells 1d20+20 random trinkets at any given time, several masks of variously degrees of quality, holy symbols of 1d8+2 gods, gaming sets (PHB price), 1d4 musical instruments (PHB price), colored inks, potion of healing (50gp), sealing wax, perfume (7gp), tinker’s tools (75gp), ruby (100gp), diamond (500gp), onyx (500gp). Raymond will negotiate on price. The Black House: A black painted two story wooden building that smells strongly of perfume on the outside and in. The building bares no signs, but in purple there is a thin outline of a tiefling woman’s face with her finger pressed against her lips. This is the Redrun Brothel. It is located shortly north of the market district in near the homes of the wealthy. The Brothel offers rooms, adult entertainment, and other accommodations. The alcohols and rooms are more here than at the local inn, but their variety of women and men is far more, 20 concubines work at the House, listed below. They are also a hub for drugs in Stein, and a hub for members of the varied trades seeking information on marks in the town. It is commonly known that what happens at the House of Whispers stays there, and they value their secrecy. A night with a girl is 2gp, including a room but usually more for alcohols, and each additional girl (or guy) is 1gp, to a maximum of 5 before reservations must be made. • A pair of tiefling sisters who go by the devil sisters, really Talia and Chastity Modrom. Talia is older by 5 years, putting her at 22. They signed on 5 years ago, first Talia, then Chastity after their parents never returned from sea. • A Fire genasi who goes by Ruby, really Dariah Tarrow. She’s broaching 30 and signed on 7 years ago as she simply “wasn’t suited to other work”. • A human man who goes by Rod, really Harry Welch, got into the business for the thrill of the trade, staid for the drugs. • A goliath man known only as The Slab. He shares with no one his real name or reason for working in such an establishment. • An aaracocra woman named Barb, but often referred to as Feathers, she chose to spend her short life in pleasure after finding this place while traveling in her clan’s coming of age ceremony. • A gnome woman named Tracy, goes by Minx, known for her ingenuity in the bedroom. She’s in it solely for the money to fuel her true passion, inventions that never work quite right. • Four blond elves all called Aveena, the name of the first blond elf. These elves are slaves, bought from various traveling merchants who visit Stein.

176 • A half orc man called Tusks, one of the best at his job. He was originally a slave, when granted his freedom he chose to stay for pay. • A drow girl who goes by Celeste, she’s the youngest of the bunch, not counting feathers, at 12 years old. She’s here to pay off her father’s debt to the House. • A Dwarven man known as Prick, though he never responds to that name preferring “the mountain”, a title only he calls himself. He is a struggling concubine, as he is always drunk or high. He plunged himself into this world with the death of his wife, leaving his son father and motherless. He never pulled himself back out. • A silver Dragonborn known for his domination work, known as the master. He is in truth a bard who insists he’s just passing through despite being here for 2 years. • A Lizardfolk dominatrix called The Mace. She uses primal methods akin to hunting and understands just one human emotion, humiliation. A complex series of events led her down this path, but no one but her will ever know them. • A Half elf 14 year old who is simply named Sara. This is the only work she could find after fleeing her home for her parents not accepting her sorcerous inclinations. She is clearly inexperienced. • A handsome half orc woman, Durran, the mistress of the House of Whispers. She deals the drugs and the women in the House, and is the strongest willed woman anyone’s ever seen. She’s also ruthless, and has no issues killing or throwing out unruly or non-paying patrons. Bathhouse: An openly laid out wooden building in the market district of town. It has simple signage that reads only “Bathhouse”. There are two large open rooms in the bathhouse, a cheaper public room with less accommodations for 2sp, and a more expensive deluxe room with more accommodations and curtains for privacy for 1gp. Both rooms have heated water, but in the regular room it’s mostly just a large tub of heated water that many are using along with some used soaps and rags to dry with. In the deluxe room, there are perfumes and unique washes and curtains that, at the customers’ option, can seclude themselves from the rest of the bath, and even a full time attendant to suit whatever needs are necessary. Jeweler: In the market district is a masonry building with a wooden sign out front bearing simply a ring painted in what used to be vibrant colors on the sign, now faded to a more modest tone. Within is a small room, claustrophobic for a 5-man adventuring party, but comfortable for a couple in love. There are several tables adorned with jewelry, some simple, come absurdly showy, but all at least handedly crafted. Behind the counter facing the door is a dwarf. The Dwarf is known simply as the Jeweler, so too is the shop, as the dwarf cannot, or at the very least does not, speak. He wears pressed, white clothing and a large symbol of the Light around his neck, though judging from his displays it appears he has no issue with crafting emblems to the traditional gods, as many followers of the Light would. Some say the Jeweler can speak, he simply choses not to out of some sort of misguided reading of the story of Silence from The Light. This is mostly misguided, as the Jeweler truly cannot speak, his tongue removed due to a cult dedicated to the Light, causing him to leave the church. He still reveres the

177 Light, but in his own way. He does not attend the meetings in the church of the Light. The Jeweler’s shop sells Jewelry, not gems, but there is a golden ring with a 300gp diamond for 500gp (The ring itself worth 100gp), a pair of pearl earrings costing 250gp, each pearl worth 100gp with 10gp of scrap gold. There are a few other spell components as jewelry usually for 50% more than the component. Claire’s: A small but notable wooden building in the market district painted many vibrant colors all seamlessly blurred together as to not show where one extreme ends and another begins. Outside of the colorful structure is a sign, containing 6 differently colored letters, all crisp and disparate in contrast to the blurred and conjoined tone of the building behind it that reads “Claire’s”. Within is an assortment of not just various types of art for purchase, but also art supplies such as the various art related artisan’s tools and general paints and clays. The eponymous owner of the shop is a Verdan artist who has little focus for just one artform. She is a taller Verdan, standing at 6’5, and is known for always wearing a horrendously, but often colorfully stained smock at all times. Her hair slicked back black along with her curved, green ears, some come to her shop just to witness the oddity that is her and her husband. She doesn’t mind, she knows not the truth of where the Verdan come from, stating only that she was born this way and that they are not harmful like goblins. Claire is constantly bouncing between projects with bubbling enthusiasm and can be found around the shop working on anything from sculpture, to dramatic arts, to oil painting. This means she is rarely behind the till to assist customers. For that, she has Greggory. Greggory is also a Verdan, older in fact than Claire, but he has not hit his growth spurt yet, despite being in his mid-thirties. As such, he stands less than half his wife’s height, a portly 3’2. He is often mistaken for a goblin due to his size and more sour demeanor but has never gotten into any real trouble because of it. He manages the business side of the store, selling paintings and artworks for their price in the DMG and art supplies for 120% their PHB price. The store is the only place in Stein that will buy art from adventurers, and has some ancient pieces on display, but Claire handles such purchases and never pays more than its value, usually trying for less. Some of the art in the shop is notably different from the rest. Dour, mournful oil paintings of sometimes fantastical war-torn landscapes dot the otherwise happy and colorful merchandise. These are Greggory’s paintings, memories from his time running with the Gatecallers, which no one but his wife knows about. Adventurers’ Supply Shop: In the old district there is a now permanent feature, a wagon overflowing with various adventuring supplies. Never far from the wagon is its devilish caretaker, Neval. This flamboyantly red skinned tiefling has slicked back jet black hair revealing his 6 inch long red devil horns. He always wears a dapper brown suit and his face is never found without his stunningly white teeth contrasting his beet red face. Neval sells most adventuring supplies for 120% their PHB price. He sells a few weapons and armors, a single potion of healing, and several trinkets. Neval is very knowledgeable of the town, even its secrets like the Herbalist’s Hut and will be glad to share with his well-paying customers. General Store: In the old district there sits a large, unadorned, wooden building with a simple sign with white text reads General Store. Within the large building are several well organized, well stocked shelves behind a clerk. The clerk, an elderly half elven woman named Tune. She has two teenaged workers, a young goliath and a young human. You place your order with Tune upfront and she sends her employees to gather the list given and then payment is received. She has a list of items posted at

178 the desk, this list, her inventory, is comprised of mundane items, seeds, food ingredients, farm equipment, ointments and creams, and other various mundane items that would usually not interest an adventurer. The store sells certain artisan tools at 120% PHB price and most trade goods at PHB price, as well as other mundane effects that are appropriately priced. Potions and Stuff: A newer building near the college of Threshold houses a potion shop, owned by a couple, a calm Firbolg named Kobalt and his life partner Umbrage, a male feisty gnome. Kobalt gathers the materials outside of the town and Umbrage makes the potions. They sell herbalist’s kits, alchemists kits, potions of healing, and potions of climbing here at 120% PHB cost. They will buy herbs for their full value. She as functions as an alchemist from Strongholds and Followers. The hut bares no markings so only those who know where to look can find her services. The Driftless Pony: on the edge of Old District near New district is the most popular inn in Redrun, the Driftless Pony. A stonework 3 story establishment ran by a HalfOrc named Strongjaw, who is also the barkeep. The bar also staffs a halfling barmaid named Moira who works to support her 3 children after the husband died from heat exhaustion on the march toward Stryx's domain as well as Hucb Xelbtao Jka'wiu, a Gnomish bard who specializes in the accordion. Hucb ran away from the circus as a child and pursued a life of violence in the military before realizing he didn't want to bring people sadness, but rather joy and joined the Songbird Bard's College and became a bard. He saw how people laughed at the accordion and pursued it as his instrument of choice. The inn is known predominantly for one game, but is has a few games and activities for patrons to partake in. The most notable takes place at the dragon table, a larger oak table with an engraving of Bahamut, the patron of metallic dragons in the center of it. Here, three dragon ante tournaments are held. Games are usually played for high stakes and can even draw something of a crowd. The big games are held every tenth day, but there are usually smaller games held every day. A typical games of three dragon ante is played one of two ways, either longform, with the cards in hand and Deception and Insight checks are used to bluff and decern bluffs and sleight of hand checks are made to cheat. Proficiency in Three Dragon Ante grants advantage on these checks. The alternative is to set three checks, Insight, Deception, and three dragon ante intelligence or sleight of hand. The winner of the most of three checks wins the game. If there's a tie, the winner of the three dragon ante roll wins the game. Using sleight of hand instead of three dragon ante represents cheating instead of playing the game fairly The dwarf Adrian Goodfellow who works at the bank holds the champion title at the inn and has for nearly a full year. He has a +7 to sleight of

179 hand though only cheats when he's on the ropes, a +6 to Three Dragon Ante, a +6 to Insight and a +9 to Deception. The inn also has darts played via opposed ranged attack rolls, a given ring has an AC of 15, the board has an AC of 10, and the bullseye has an AC of 20 which are frequented by members of the tunnel snakes, led here by Jon Coll, a half elf with half shaven poorly dyed purple hair. They often try to coerce people into betting on games but rarely to never pay out if they lose. Lastly the inn has a single challenge drink, an aquarium of aged dwarven ale. To drink it requires 5 constitution saves, 2 fails fails the trial and 4 fails results in unconsciousness (see drunkenness rules). The DC is 14 and if you succeed that drink and all of the drinks you had that night are free, if you fail you pay for your drinks and the challenge, which is a platinum piece (10gp). Regulars In addition to the gamers that own the tables, the driftless pony is no stranger to regular customers the party will no doubt become acquainted with should they find themselves among their ranks. John Mason: The local private eye detective lost his mother to a cult years back and still works cases too hopeless for the guard to take on, he often spends his nights in the inn drinking away his sorrows. For more information, see his entry. Kyle Hobbs: A half elven man notable within the bar for his soiled studded leather armor and weapons. He drinks and plays here when he is not out hunting. He has killed 3 beasts with various parties, most of whom died. He will give advice to those who ask as to how to hunt divine beasts, namely doing research and using lures. He will also offer his services for 100gp. Threshold Students: A group of 7 students from the college of Threshold who frequent the bar for the three dragon ante table, usually on nights of smaller games. While not all of the seven always appear together, they often do. They are typically friendly, though sometimes lightly magical bout have broken out on particularly drunken nights. The seven are detailed below. Phillip Nye: An elven conjuration student who is originally from Avalon. He has superiority issues and detests that Helena is with Ulfrig, both because Ulfrig is human and because he is not him. Phillip’s racism and prejudice often lands him in hot water, but his quick wit and occasional ruthlessness usually get him out of any jam. He is also slightly hated for being the best Three Dragon Ante player of the seven. Ulfrig Willington: A ginger haired human born and raised on the streets of Redrun during the Light civil war and the fourth war of the gods. His father died of natural causes before the wars, and he witnessed his mother get immolated by light worshippers. He grew up an urchin, but got a big break from stealing from adventurers who took pity on him years ago, and paid his way into college. He studies Evocation and pursues magic because he never wants to feel powerless again. He is in a public relationship with Helena and has a known rivalry with Philip. Unbeknownst to most of the group, he is also having an affair with Raven, whom he is attracted to for her mystique and power.

180 Helena Yevaris: A wood elven girl raised in the druid’s conclave. She has minor druidic powers, but was never truly in tune with nature. She leapt at the chance to join an adventuring party that was passing by. They went to the Cave of mysteries and were all slaughtered. She survived by turning into a mouse, but knew she could no longer return to the druids. She fled to Redrun where she took interest in Threshold. She paid for the tuition by selling off her old party’s adventuring gear and studies transmutation. She feels lost in life, she likes the city and the magic, but longs for her old home among nature. She is Raven: A black haired light red skinned tiefling with small ram horns on the sides of her head. She studies necromancy at the college and hopes to attain power another way than from her great-grandfather, a great Pit Fiend of Asmodeus. She used his powers to burn down a small village in his name before seeing the devastation she had wrought. She hopes to never use his power again and gain enough power of her own to break her pact. She is in a lesbian relationship with Moira who loves her deeply, but Raven grew bored of the relationship. She is cheating on her with Ulfrig, whom she finds exciting, though only because he is forbidden. She is also good friends with Helena, which raises complications. Moira Stonehammer: Miora is a dwarven princess of Fort Svintonworth. She is going to college to become an artificer to be an asset to her barony. Despite this, she is woefully dreadful at becoming an artificer. This is because she has no desire to go home, enjoying here a life of no responsibilities as well as not having to hide her sexuality. She fell nearly immediately in love with Raven, an exotic mystery. They've been together for 2 years and she is genuinely considering running away with her. Her other close friend is Nate, another artificer who actually inspires her to try in her studies. He can do wonderful things and is a good friend. Honestly the only friend she really has. Nathaniel Sungarten: A gnomish artificer and the oldest of the group. Nate comes from a family of tinkerers and is on track to becoming a professor at the university. He can enchant basic weapons, but not much more outside of his artificer abilities. He is also extremely knowledgeable of magic items and can cast identify, if enticed with a compelling enough mystery he will cast it for free. He is good friends with Moira, who he saw struggling and sympathized with her plight. She is the only real reason he's part of the group. He finds [[elf]] detestable. Storyteller: A strange elderly human who spins tales of Marvel's history to all who will listen, primarily children whom he has amassed a small gathering of 5 at most times. His tales are mostly accurate, and the inaccuracies are not lies, but rather common misinformation. He always ends his tales on a downer ending and often with a moral that the world is a cruel and uncaring place, often without any semblance of narrative thread, or that adventuring, and heroism are innately flawed concepts that lead to pain and misery for all involved. These morals are often disputed by the children listening. In truth, he is Rift, one of the great heroes of the last war of the gods who killed the Light and ended the war. A fact he does not keep secret but refuses to prove with any test of skill. After the war he traveled to Amnon's lands to aid in his cause of ending entropy. He disagreed with Amnon's methods that any cost was worth the ultimate goal and left after 3 years. When he returned, his apprentice

181 whom he had left in his stead had adopted a similar philosophy. He tried to sway him, but ultimately, they came to blows and he ended him. With both his quests for vengeance and altruism failed, he retired, telling stories for a room and the hope he can still dissuade some from the path he walked. Hein Hillthorn: An older dwarven man, a retired member of the Redranian army. He has severe PTSD from seeing his comrades die over and over again and he was flung across the ever expanding empire from crisis to crisis, never with enough men, equipment, or preperation. He will tell his doomed war stories to any who will listen. He spends most of his waking hours at the bar, drinking away his sorrows and leaving his wife and child husband and fatherless.Notable Locations: New District Notable Locations: New District Garnet's Palace: A building of eastern luxury offsetting itself in both architectural style and in splendor, sticking out amid the shanty towns of New District. This is the home of Garnet the Great, leader of the local thieves' guild. The inside is a maximalist paradise, dripping with cheap jewels, foreign tapestries, and gaudy decor. The palace is a non-stop party of whores, drugs, and illegal deals, at center of which is Garnet himself. Garnet is a dwarven bully, abused as a child and clinging to whatever power and semblance of status he can. He has attempted to get into the courts several times to no avail. He is prone to fits of rage and violence in the face of adversity, and attained his current power mostly by accident, and is absolutely terrified by the prospect of losing it.

182 Songbird Bard's College: a larger though still makeshift building in New District, Songbird Bard's college is a bastion of music and song. The fees are low, though it does require bringing your own musical instrument, and the teachings begin. It is ran by the titular songbird, an aarakocra who dedicated herself first to music, then to teaching. The students frequently give impromptu performances in the courtyard in front of the college near the main street. Medicine Man: In a sanctioned off hut shortly on the outskirts of town is the medicine man, a kenku named Geoffrey Everard. Geoffery has his hands full with plague victims. He is well versed in herbal remedies but has no sense of magic, in fact he despises it, believing the plague was started from magic, they did begin to remerge at the same time. Graveyard: At the center of town is a small field littered with gravestones. It is surrounded by a metal fence and is concentrated ground. The graveyard is tended by a drow priest of Oriax named Reginald. Reginald mourns the death of every person who has passed from life, but stays as guard to ensure none rise again from the grave as his son did in the past, thanks to a vile lich necromancer named Kildrack. He guards one other thing on this graveyard. Within the grand mausoleum, next which Reginald makes his abode, lay the founders of the town of Stein, along with much of their wealth and riches, included within is a sword of vengeance wielded by the first constable of the Steinguard. Reginald is aware of the magic item, but does not reveal it to anyone, for he believes it will one day be of use. Leatherworker: On the outskirts of town is a sturdy wooden hut with a tanning rack set up outside of it. Here lives Perqen, a firbolg hermit who makes a tiding living tanning hides for hunters and fashioning leather armors for adventurous sorts. He cares not to mask the smells of tanning, so one often smells the Leatherworker before they see it, and it turns off all but the most dedicated customers. Pergen has a nasty habit of frequently slipping into elvish and will speak fully in elvish if given the chance. He sells tanned hides, tans hides, and sells leather armors for 120% PHB cost. Work in Progress: An inn built off of a bombed out building in new district, Work in Progress (or Whip, as most locals refer to it) is the seediest bar in town, where criminal activity is the expectation, not the exception. The inn is frequented by members of the gang who often do drug and slave dealings on the premises. The inn is ran by a female Yuan-Ti pureblood known simply as the viper. It is known that if you get on the viper's bad side, you may find poison in your drink a few minutes too late. The main attraction, if you can call it that, of the inn is the ring. In the center of the in is a 10-foot diameter ring drawn in chalk. No weapons or magic is allowed in the ring. Those in the ring pummel each other bare fisted until they lose consciousness or go out of the ring. Whoever is in the ring at the end of the night is the king in the ring. There are no rewards for this, though sometimes patrons will toss gold in the ring (as reward or to see what fools dive in after it) or make illicit bets on the side. Redrun Quests Monster Hunter World: The Crown hereby issues the following edict: In order to deal with the monstrosities left behind in the wake of the last divine war, the crown is issuing a 500gp reward for each such beast slain in addition to posted local rewards. Additionally, if any one hunter or group of hunters can slay 20 such beasts, they will be rewarded with titles of nobility, lands, and a keep. (Combat)

183 King Lorens IV Something is Killing the Children: The missing children aren't runaways. They weren't kidnapped and they're not thieves. They've been murdered. By a shadow monster, 8 foot tall and ambling on two legs. It leaves the children naught but drained husks. I have seen it. There is no hope. Run, while you still can. (Mystery) Horance Torrend Planar Convergence: We at the college of Threshold have been studying these newfound areas of Essential Convergence with the Material Plane. We will pay 300gp a piece for samples from these areas and will additionally reward any generous doners who can contribute a sample from each Essence with unfettered access to Threshold's esteemed grounds and Library as well as a wand of wonder. (Hexcrawler) Saran Mystica Mecha Dragon Reclamation: Before his ascension to Godhood, Mechanus was an automaton. And the most glorious of automatons was he, a magnificent mechanical serpentine dragon. In my plundering exploration of his bunkers I have found a map showing where his original body was scattered. This could be the most important religious relic and weapon of war in generations. Unfortunately, my journeys have wounded and worn me, so I cannot retrieve the pieces myself. However, I have accrued quite the collection of items and wealth in my life and would gladly trade such items for the pieces. Come to me for the locations and an advance if you are interested. (Dungeon crawl) (4 locations, the City of Chrome, Necromancy Wizard tower, City of Marvels, and the island of his birth) Ashton Albartie The Island's Tides: Alvyn's Raiders have made it harder and harder to sail the spellscarred sea, but I promise you the rewards are worth it. In my travels I have discovered three isles full to the brim with incomparable bounty. An isle housing a well of pure magic, an isle upon which sits a city of pure gold, and an abandoned pirate outpost of nautical relics and treasures. I need only a crew to venture to these isles and with which to share my bounty. (Seafaring) Captain Cutler The Southern Menace: The menace of Stryx's army from Verta are coming closer to the borders of Redrun. The Redrun army is moving to intercept and will justly compensate any brave souls who sign on to face this threat with 2gp a day, titles, and land. (War) Lord Balthazar The Moon Palace: An opalesque palace fell from the moon two seasons ago. None who have ventured there have returned. Samples from such a place would be invaluable to my research, but it is incredibly dangerous. I would pay 500gp for samples from the palace, and twice market value for any relics contained within. (Event Based)

184 Toril Contran Monsters Under the Bed: House Sinvin and the Court of Trade have gone too far. Political intrigue is the name of the game in Redrun, but using actual one eye gremlin monstrosities to spy on and assassinate political rivals is unconscionable. I would gladly given a parcel of land in the country and 1000gp to any who could prove these beasts are sent by Lord Sinvin, as well as 5gp a head for the one-eyed bastards. (Intrigue) Duke Daveed That Which Cannot Be: Long ago I stopped a cult that took my mother from resurrecting a horror that never should have existed. Now, years later they've returned to finish what they started, but I'm too old to take them on now. I'll give my magic item to whoever can stop them. (Horror) Detective John Mason Stirrings Beneath the City of Chrome: The City of Chrome is still a bastion of rare technologies and trade. However, it is built atop mysterious caves guarded by high level angelic forces. Something is happening in those caves. Earthquakes shake the foundations of the City of Chrome, and magical storms pour out of the caverns imposing miracles and death alike on those caught in them. These stirrings are harming trade, and the Court of Trade will offer 5000gp for the ending of these subterranean maelstroms. Lord Zinvim The City of Marvels: Someone has reactivated the factory within the City of Marvels, flooding it once again with murderous, ceaseless automatons restricting access to old world magical relics. The armies of Redrun are too concerned with the mythical threats of the invisible armies beyond the sands. So the adventurer’s guild of Redrun will award 1000gp and a collection of magical items for the destruction of the factory. Saadia Farouk Good Press: A newspaper in Redrun would both sell like hotcakes and increase quality of life within the city and empire as a while. Hiring a large group of scribes is cumbersome, but in the Gilded City they’ve had a revelation, the printing press. A machine that replaces scribes entirely and makes newspapers cost effective. Any who could contribute a press to my company will earn 50% stake in the new paper, including 50% of the profit. Adam Wymar The Lightning Serpent: Caution! Experienced hunters only! The Lightning Serpent comes out of hiding once every seven days and swallows poor merchants or adventurers near Redrun whole. Whosoever finds and vanquishes the Lightning serpent shall receive a 5000gp reward from the court of arms. Lord Balthazar

185 Garnet the Great: For too long the shanty towns and the poor have been trampled and kept in fear by the bully king Garnet the Great, sat like a far hen in his gilded palace of shit. The people will no longer stand for it. The people of new district are issuing a warrant for Garnet's death, with a 2000gp reward. The People of New District Dragon Taming: The knights of the ages of old rode on giant dragons into battle, asserting their dominance with air superiority and the might of elemental majesty. Now dragons are reclusive beasts that hoard away wealth and are know for murdering any fool who enters their lair. I have discovered a nesting ground for these beasts, and desire a group of like minded individuals to gather some wyrmlings to train as mounts! The reward is implicit, see me at the House of Whispers if you’re interested. Airell Conchobar An Insidious Infestation: The attacks on us from the Stryxrian empire has already begun. The shrieks in the night are not nothing to be concerned about. It is floating disembodied demonic heads that will decapitate you with a kiss. This sounds crazy until it happens to you, or your wife. The guard deny this attack, so it’s on us to deal with it. I am no hunter, but I have made a modest name for myself as a blacksmith. I will offer my services to any who can deal with this menace. Yond Mimic Colony: Beware the shimmering cave. The treasures within are not what they seem, the gold and gems turn to teeth and death. It is not worth it to any adventurers, hunters, or treasure seekers. Nemo Lost Adventurer: My son and his idiot friends went to that damn Spelunker's Dungeon. All the rage among the youngsters these day. But my boy... my boy never came back. I never got to lay his body to rest. I would give the magical amulet he got me from his journeys to any who could bring him back to me. Susanne Stonehewer The Society: Everyone's so worried about missing children no one's cared to look at the missing adults. Three go missing from New District every season on the 29th, like clockwork. Usually old, or homeless types. I believe this to be the work of the Society. Sure, they seem like an upstanding organization providing homeless shelters in the name of Raelinn, but I believe they are actually a cult trying to resummon the demon prince Orcus. I have proof, but the guard won't do anything about it. I will pay 1000gp to see the society brought to justice. Detective Mason (Society is a Cannibal group, most of their meals come to them willingly due to gaslighting and desperation, which they take as an abolement of their sins. Led by Courtier Milage of the court of trade.)

186 Totems of Power: Ancient Relics of a bygone age, when touched they confer magical powers to the blessed. Hundreds of adventurers flock to these relics each year, according to my sources there are three, though only two are marked on maps. I would pay 10,000gp per totem returned to me in the city. Lord Sinvin of the Court of Trade Air Superiority: The airships of nobility and tradesmen provide safer and faster travel for the elite class. Or at least it should. The ships keep getting shot down somewhere near the monolith when traveling north. The court of trade will pay 2500gp to any who can stop whatever is shooting down our vessels. Lord Sinvin of the court of trade (The monolith is actually an ancient anti-magical weapon, creating antimagic zones causing the ships to crash. There are three crashed ships in a sort of ship graveyard inhabited by monsters. Between the three ships there's enough material to salvage a full airship.) Greenskins: I can't believe these idiots in the court allowing the fucking greenskins into the city. Especially while they're still raping and pillaging right outside our walls. I will pay 5sp for each killed greenskin and 50gp for the head of that bastard Krenko on a spike. Gena Feltsmith Missing Children: Scattered across the quest boards and buildings of New District are postings for missing children, at least a dozen in total. The rewards range from 2gp to 200gp, and are of varied races, genders, and ages, though all under the age of 14. A Bard's Expertise: I am Pheonix Nathanial Smith of the Songbird Bard's College. For the small price of 2gp a day, I will follow any adventurers, knights, or hunters and write and perform songs of your tales and glory. This will grant you fame and good publicity in the towns you visit, a truly invaluable service. Of course, I also offer single song and poetry comissions. See me at the college for pricing. Pheonix Nathanial Smith The Taming of the Shrew: Katherina Minola has murdered her noble husband and fled into the woods to the north, taking shelter with a conclave of druids. Her crimes are of the most heinous variety and she must be brought to justice. So the crown is issuing a 500gp bounty for her return alive, 250gp dead. Captain of the guard Clearing Paths: The Empire of Redrun is divided, with the King's Road connecting the countryside, and Arand's road connecting Old Shrekton. For years the court of trade has been trying to connect these two roads through Philomena's grace but the workers keep quitting or vanishing. We belive this is due to an unmarked monster. We will pay any hunter or adventurer 5% of the profits generated from the connection for 5 years. Conrad, High Priest of Arand

187 The Lichlord of Unx: Unx is a small town, really more of a Hamlet, in the Saltmarsh Swamps. It is part of the Redrun empire but is ruled over and pays vile taxes to the lich in the tower of necromancy. Despite being in the empire, the Redrun Military is too preoccupied with imaginary threats to the east to do anything about it. I'm from Unx, and I offer its treasures to any who can liberate us. Pages from the Necronomicon itself. Harley Warren Harpy’s Nest: To the north there's a nest of Harpies making travel along the King's road a tricky and dangerous affair. The millitary are more concerned with devils and the trade guild has airships so what do they care? But for us common folk it's something that gets in the way of shipments and travel. I will pay 500gp to any who can exterminate these harpies. Aaron Blackstone The Following Quests are in Thieves’ Cant The Big Score: The Mint in the political district is the source of all the crowns, and all the stockpiled gold and silver of the empire. It would be the greatest hit of the century, but security has it locked up tight. Many have tried, all wound up handless or worse. Still, if you have an idea, you'll find like minded hands at the Hurdy Gurdy. (Heist) The Grand Heist Guild Stay in Your Lane: Garnet the Great owns organized crime in New District. You organize a hit you check with him first and he gets as big of a cut as he needs. Your only alternative is to work with the Tunnel Snakes, and they're far less agreeable. Old District has the three families. The Altamuras control the north, the Caccia the east, and the Magia in the south and west. Don't go to them, they'll come to you. The political district is free game, but that's because it's the only place in this city that still belongs to the guard. A Friend The Tunnel Snakes: The Tunnel Snakes are vile, uncivilized fiends. Destroying homes with their untamable tunnel-beasts and disrupting business. I'm issuing a 1000gp on Frankie Hobscop's head. Garnet the Great City of Redrun Random Encounters D10 Negative Random Encounters 10 1 An ankeg bursts out of the ground hungry for flesh. It reveals one of the tunnel snakes tunnels beneath it. 2 1d2 vargouille screech across the night sky 3 Two opposing criminal factions clash in the street 4 The party is mugged by 1d4 members of the local thieves guild 5 A Charlton sells half priced potions that are really colored water.

188 6 A pickpocket attempts to pickpocket one of the PCs 7 A guard harasses the party, demanding to search their bags for contraband. 8 A pariah with a contagious disease walks the streets 9 The party witnesses a kidnapping 10 A caravan of goods was robbed on the road. For the next week there is an additional 10% markup on goods. D10 Neutral Random Encounters 11 1 A crazed man delivers a speech atop a soapbox, drawing quite a crowd 2 The party wanders near a town square on the day of a public execution 3 The party witnesses a slave auction. The slaves are indentured servants. 4 A parade of people walk the streets to the temple of Lia for a wedding 5 An airship flies overhead bringing foreign dignitaries 6 The Guard are violently arresting a criminal 7 Cultists of the Light are strung up in the town square, people, including children, throw things at them until they die or starve. 8 A guard is taking a distraught woman’s young child as payment for defaulting on debt. 9 A magical street performance occurs on the street for tips. The tiefling man is trying to earn enough money to enroll himself in the wizard’s college. 10 An exhibition match from the colosseum is occurring in the streets. D10 Positive Random Encounters 12 1 A traveling merchant, Yerran the tabaxi sells standard adventuring gear, a few used weapons, and 10% chance of an uncommon magic item, at 120% PHB price. 2 Cleansing stones are added to the town squares (or a similar municipal improvement) 3 A merchant is selling potions at half price today 4 There is a surplus or sale. Goods are sold without their typical 10% markup this week. 5 A stray cat crosses the PCs path and leads them to a small hoard of 1d100gp in jewelry and small coins if they follow. 6 A merchant has set up a stall selling spell candles, spell scrolls that are candles that activate when burned and ignore spell scroll class restrictions. 7 A member of the region's criminal organization offers to sell drugs to a member of the party 8 A group of adventurers are looking for merchants to sell their latest haul 9 A man and woman dressed in fine clothing approach the party, asking if they have seen their daughter. Their names are Appan and Ehelda, and their daughter’s name is Alyana. They will reward the party for returning her safely to them. 10 The group is invited to one of the Great Family’s extravagant and illegal parties

189 Features of the Countryside Goblin Encampment Home to the Korinthi Goblins, a clan of goblinoids 562 strong, consisting of 300 militants, 142 nonmilitants, and 120 children. The Korinthi worship Mugrunden, god of whims and following your fancy. They recognize nothing as trivial as property or personal identity, existing as a communal group. This lack of respect for property and personality have earned them a reputation as monsters among the city of Redrun, who have to deal with their “borrowing” property and people for their survival and perverse rituals. The Korinthi frequently have fertility rituals honoring Helga, which require a nongoblinoid centerpiece, whose defilement is considered an offering to the goddess of fertility in exchange for good fortune in the rest of the mating sessions. The victim is defiled by most of the male goblins, starting with the chief and then, if she survived the ceremony, released back into the wild, often without any clothes or way to get back home. The Korinthi Chieftain is a bugbear called Great Mane, he achieved his status by being the strongest of the goblins. He keeps his flock content with fertility rituals and preying on the caravans coming to the city, so his position has not been questioned. Due to the communal nature of the Korinthi, few ever leave the group, but those who do are not property, and may leaved freely. Behir The anti-Dragon beast, formed by vile wizards of the third age to combat Io's draconic armies, and later reclaimed by the gods of nature to exterminate the Light during the fourth war of the gods. Now,

190 one such beast rests in the caves beneath Redrun, rising every season to have a meal before hibernating once more. They have an innate and unbreaking hatred for dragons, and the presence of one would lure it out of hiding. They use predominately lightning based attacks and have a Lightning Breath. They also resist bludgeoning and slashing damages due to its impressive scales intended to ward off dragons as well as thunder and acid. Piercing weapons can get in between the beast's mighty scales and cause real damage. Countryside Death Convergence This convergence with the unrelenting sands of death brings hoards of aimless spirits and perpetual burning sandstorms that sometimes blow out into the surrounding area. While within the Convergence, the sandstorm obscures vision and deals 1d4 bludgeoning and 1d4 fire damage per round to those not protected. Additionally, the hopelessness of the realm of death permeates this land. For each hour a creature spends within the area they must make a DC 15 Con save or incur a level of exhaustion that cannot be removed until they leave the area. The wandering spirits are mostly harmless, and will even speak if spoken to, though they seem lost or in a daze. If spoken to, it is revealed that all of these spirits are recently departed and sent here instead of the realm of the dead. At the center of the sandstorm and the convergence is the Archangel of Oriax, the reaper. He lay screaming "there are too many dead! Too many dead all of the time!" And must be convinced of life to be at peace, after which he crumbled to sand, the convergence is dispersed, and the area is revealed to be the site of a genocide in some dark ritual of the past. He leaves behind an Essence of Death, a magic item that has 5 charges. 1 charge can prevent a deceased creature from ever rising as an undead or being resurrected by touching it. 5 charges opens a gate to the plane of death. When this ability is used, roll 1d100. On a roll of 1-50, the gate last for an hour, on a Roll of 51-100 the gate is permanent. The essence recharges one charge at dawn and once all charges have been used it recombines with the Essence of Death and disappears. Ruins of Fort Lyat

191 Fort Lylat was an outpost for the empire before the Chrysalis. During the 2000 years of Chrysalis it saw a revolving host of would-be warlords and monstrous creatures call it home. In the time of the last war of the gods it was occupied by Redranian soldiers and destroyed in a siege by Light Worshippers. Now only its charred ruins and the ancient dungeons beneath remain. While not as common an adventuring site as Spelunker's ruin, it still attract its fair share of treasure and glory seekers. It houses an evil adventuring party who has trapped and rigged the early floors of the dungeons to kill and loot any would be adventurers who come to this place. They have 2 magic items, and plate male, as well as 7 potions of healing. Deeper within the dungeon are various cavern dwelling creatures, including a particularly nasty Umber Hulk who guards a rare magic item. Throughout the dungeon's 9 rooms there is 2000gp scattered about, including a diamond work 300gp. 1000gp of it concentrated in the pockets of the evil adventuring party. The adventuring party consists of a red dragonborn fighter named Kaleb who has the sword of Vengeance, an elven wizard named Fin who has the bracers of defense, a halfling rogue named Allen who has a portrait of his family with him at all times, and a gnome death cleric of Stryx named Fizzbad. Countryside Nature Convergence The land here is verdant beyond compare. Plants grow faster and stronger within the area and animals feel a sense of comfort and do not wish to leave. The area is filled with dyads and nymphs who have gathered mass cults of wanderers to their beauty and grace. Those who oppose these cults are killed without prejudice. At the center of the forest is a massive tree, within which is an imprisoned angel, the archangel of Philomena. She mutters quietly to herself over and over again "they love beauty. They crave. They need it" only by convincing her beauty is harmful or showing her true ugliness can she be put to rest. The forest, and her, wilts to the ground revealing the site of a mass forest burning by Light worshippers. She leaves behind the Essence of Nature, a magic item with 5 charges. As an action 1 charge can be expended to cast the spell plant growth. When cast in this way, it is always as though it were cast for 8 hours. 5 charges opens a gate to the plane of Nature. When this ability is used, roll 1d100. On a roll of 1-50, the gate last for an hour, on a Roll of 51-100 the gate is permanent. The essence recharges one charge at dawn and once all charges have been used it recombines with the Essence of Nature and disappears. Spelunker's Ruin: The most popular adventurer's attraction in the region, the Spelunker's ruin is an old castle of a Chrysalis warlord, long since adandoned and nearly destroyed by divine beasts in the last war of the gods. However, in its near destruction a seismic even split the castle in twine, revealing not only its heretofor hidden dungeons, but further burried ruins still intact beneath it. The only way to access either is by repelling down, hence the name "spelunker's ruin". The dungeon here is really three dungeons. The still somewhat intact castle houses animated arms and armor, some of which prove to be enchanted when defeated. As well as other adventuring groups, some less morally scrupulous than others. A layer down, the dungeons of the old castle hold the haunted remains of those tortured there, including a gallows caller and several zombies. There are also ample amounts of ancient gold and gems as well as a necromancy magic item. The gems have attracted Xorn, who occupy one room.

192 The third dungeon is deep beneath the earth, 2000ft down the ravine. There is a strange place, that is actually the old prison of Demagorgon, since freed. There are many magical runes and traps as well as lesser demons haunting the place. In addition are magical items and expensive gems and components intended to seal the escaped demon prince. Hooked Horror A horrifying mutation, a strange purple bipedal beast with hooks for hands, straight out of some kind of ghost story. The beast is known for its blindsight and burrowing, emerging from the ground to bring someone under, never to be seen again. It resists Lightning Fire and Cole damage, but has sensitive ears due to its use of echolocation. Deafening it will cause it to lose its blindsight and it is vulnerable to thunder damage. It is, paradoxically, drawn to loud noises and this could be used to lure it out of hiding. Ruins of Port The ruins of a Post-Chrysalis port destroyed during the last war of the gods. It is notable not for what is on land but what lay just beneath the sea, sunken ships containing weapons (some magical), gold, and spell components to aid in the war effort. The now craggy shores are plagued with sirens that lure would-be treasure hunters to their doom. The port ruins are also occasionally raided by Alvyn's raiders, who come for the sunken treasure as well as fresh bodies. The Loneliest House A tall elven tree house that stands watch over the wood for Avalon. It was called the Loneliest house as there is nothing notable nearby and often the watchmen would stay there for seasons at a time. Once it was a legitimate watch post, but now it has been converted into a rather notorious inn. The Loneliest House is technically within the Redranian Empire under the barony of king of Avalon, but the Innkeeper Larry of the Roses a Halfling crime lord of Saltmarsh before its first destruction pays or otherwise accommodates the local authorities to make the Loneliest House a lawless haven of revelry. Here many an uncouth transaction is taking place, the hiring of hitmen both mortal and devilish, the slave trade of prostitutes and laborers, illegal drug deals, and the teaches of forbidden magics. Despite these dealings, the Loneliest house is still a lively place of merriment and intoxication, thanks in no small part to the ten flesh golems that guard the establishment acting as bouncers. Larry of the Roses has a complicated history. Starting in a small town as a simple horse thief he traveled the spellscarred sea as a pirate until finding a bride aboard and settling down in Saltmarsh. There he ran a drug empire, distilling a rose with the power to make people forget things that he had found on his travels. This worked for a time until saltmarsh was attacked by a conclave of angry druids who overgrew the roses to claim the town, erasing everyone's memories, including Larry and his family. Larry was separated from his family and was left without memory. He used his skills and acquired the loneliest house and established it to what it is today. Eventually, he got a cleric to restore his memories and is sending anything he can get his hands on to find his family.

193 Peryton One of the divine beasts left over after the 4th war of the gods. The peryton is a vicious beast created from a devout aarakocra, it hunts the hearts of the corrupt and stalks the area in between Redrun and the Spelunker’s ruin, often preying upon would be adventurers. Its biggest danger is remaining air born and avoiding attacks. It can be lured by elven, half-elven, and human hearts and if tied down its greatest weakness is thunder damage that shatters its internal organs. As it lives in the sky, it resists Lighting, cold, and acid damage. Moon Palace: An opulent, pale white palace that seems to have been carved out of one solid piece of stone. It stand out strangely against the green hills of the countryside, as though it were placed from another world. This assumption isn't entirely invalid, the palace came from the Moon, where the Pale Men plot to free mortality from the tyranny of the gods. They moved a palace to the material plane to serve these dark goals. The palace is guarded with magical and mundane traps as well as a sphynx and the pale men themselves. The ritual requires 10,000gp in diamonds that is at the palace, along with other valuables. There is also a book detailing parts of the Pale Men's plots as well as the locations of 2 other palaces on the material plane. Conjuration Wizard's Tower A duergar wizard named Ongendus was the master of Conjuration before the world fell to the chrysalis. Like many great wizards, he warded his tower against the chrysalis, and survived to now through the use of clones. He became obsessed with the cosmic threat of Libitina the devastation after encountering her in his visits off plane. He went to research her, leaving a simulacrum to gather the other great wizards of Marvelum against this threat. The simulacrum tried many things. First,

194 teleporting into the wizard's towers, but they were warded, hidden, or both. Then he tried to take an apprentice to help him as he was running out of spell slots, but that too failed. He then attempted summoning groups to complete the task but that proved problematic. He now hovers above the ruins of the city of marvels, a perpetual challenge in an area of adventurers to hopefully find and requisition a worthy group. He offers a magic item per tower successfully contacted, and the whole tower to any who contacts all of the towers. Ongendus does not wear traditional wizard's robes. He wears a leather smock of a craftsman like a tinkerer or perhaps a smith. The most notable feature of his attire is his large, dragon leather baby blue gloves he never removes from his hands. Gladiator Mechanus Bunker Previously hidden within a cliff face, the gatecallers have exposed the top of this metallic domed structure from the face with explosives. The door is large and magically sealed. Inscribed on the door in common is a riddle. The riddle reads "not for fame, fortune, or power but for all three. A man who not only fights but does so with glee". The answer is gladiator. Within the door is a small room with old weapons, 2 basic healing potions, and another set of doors. Beyond the second set of doors is an arena, crafted of stone with empty stands but disembodied cheers fill the space. There are three pentadrones here that attack on sight. After defeating the pentadrones the floor of the arena drops off into a treasure room with 10,000 copper pieces, a sword of warning, 10 trinkets, and a tome of ancient lore. The party can progress to the next arena by going through the door the pentadrones came from. If so, they find another waiting room with more weapons and 2 greater healing potions. The next foe is a mechanical dragon, with the stats of a young red dragon except it is a construct. The reward at this stage is 10,000 silver pieces, flame tongue, 10 trinkets, and a tome of ancient lore. Two more stages lay beyond, one for gold and very rare, and platinum and legendary. Totem of Power A strange shard of obelisk that seems out of place, as though from another world, perpetually surrounded by a thin layer of mist. It hails from the Shadowfell, a plane that reaches across the multiverse like a dark reflection. It briefly appeared on the material plane of Marvels during the fourth war of the gods but was fended off by Finnickan before his untimely demise. During its brief time however, this mysterious monument appeared. Touching and communing with the totem may cause a darklord of a domain of darkness to appear before them and offer a dark gift from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft in exchange for a favor, usually an item from this plane or promise of a favor in the future. Removing the totem causes minions of a random darklord to attack those attempting to take the totem. It is also nearly a ton and requires a DC 18 strength check to remove it from the ground. Ruins of Port Starboard Once the second largest city in Marvelum and certainly the second most magical before the great chrysalis. Unlike the City of Marvels which deteriorated relatively naturally in the age after the third war od the gods, Port Starboard was the site of a great battle of the gods, leaving it little but a ruin even before the 2200 years of age and decay. While it was occasionally looted during the Chrysalis, only now that magic has fully been restored to all formerly magical relics have adventurers and

195 looters once again showed interest in the port. The port has quite a few magic items as well as untold gold gems and art to be salvaged. Of course, it is not without is dangers. In addition to the roving looters and adventurers, the land is claimed by warring factions of kua-toa and sahguin who use the land’s ample weaponry to fuel their undersea wars. Zinvald’s Lair In the twilight of the age of the chrysalis before the fourth war there lived a 700 year old elf named Zinvald. He has experienced love, fought in wars, studied the mysteries arcane, and conquered beasts both great and small, but despite his, the longest of natural lives, he sought to do yet more on the material plane. He set about to make himself immortal, to become a lich and feed on the souls of those who deserved life less than he. He appropriated the dungeons of a fort near the old port Starboard. He was in the middle of his ritual to become a lich when Orcus was struck down by one of the heroes of the fourth war felled orcus on the planes of Nature, thus severing the power the ritual was calling upon halfway through. The ritual failed, and Zinvald was presumed dead, however parts of his life force were preserved within his unholy blood. His undead servants gathered his fluids and preserved them in a sepulcher, a moral prison. Now Zinvald stews in his dungeons, sending his undead in futile attempts to restore himself to a more appropriate form, a task that is impossible. In his quest for immortality, Zinvald invented for himself a fate worse than death. Within the Lair are ample skeletal and other inventive undead guarding Zinvald and the small hoard he has acquired in his attempts to restore himself. This includes 5000gp in gold and gems, including a diamond worth 500gp, 10 potions of healing, a potion of longevity, and a life siphoned. Lord Zinvald himself is a The Monolith Standing 50 feet tall the blackened monolith has long confused scholars both with its appearance and unclear origin as well as with its strange properties. Most of the time, the monolith is inert, but for at least an hour each day anything within a mile of the Monolith loses its magic. This is especially troubling for adventurers magical modes of transportation like the airships of Redrun. There are those that claim to have experienced other properties of the monolith, but the magic nullification is the most commonly held rumor and even it is dubious in most people's minds. In truth, the monolith is causing the antimagic effects and was originally created as a weapon of defense against magic, but its controls have gotten old and defunct, causing it to activate at random and only for small increments of time. It is able to function as it is actually pure Vivium encased in led plates that separate slightly when the obelisk is active. Chimera A fearsome amalgam composed by the most fiendish of gods. Unlike the normal chimera composed by Saur, god of beasts, this fiend has the body of a cloaker, the head of a cloaker, cockatrice, and flumph, as well as 3 beholder eye stalks growing out of its stomach. Man Convergence

196 The area of Man convergence is a strange place, filled with multicolor landscapes with strange spongey textures. Mortals entering this area have to make a DC 14 wisdom save or suffer indefinite insanity only curable by greater restoration or releasing the Man Convergence. The area in the convergence morphs and changes rapidly, often in dangerous and unpredictable ways causing falling or crushing damage. Strange aberrations swarm throughout this place and consume the insane wonderers in the area, converting them into lesser aberrations. At the center of this maelstrom is the archangel of Chaos. She is laughing and babbling incoherently, but there are tears and sadness in her eyes. Bringing this place to order causes her to openly sob, dying violently as the area subdues. It is revealed to be the site of a massive incarceration facility pre-chrysalis. The archangel leaves behind the essence of man, a magic item with 5 charges. As an action 1 charge can be expended to cast Charm Person, but the target always fails their saving throw. 5 charges opens a gate to the plane of Man. When this ability is used, roll 1d100. On a roll of 1-50, the gate last for an hour, on a Roll of 51- 100 the gate is permanent. The essence recharges one charge at dawn and once all charges have been used it recombines with the Essence of Man and disappears. Harpy's Den

197 A large nest atop a hill housing 2 score harpies. They are little more than dangerous local pests except for the fact that their nest is built on a magic item that empowers and emboldens them. They often taken prisoners to rape and torture, or to slowly feed to their young. Elements Mechanus Bunker The large dome has very faint, weathered runes inscribed upon it at various places. The runes are ancient and require an arcana check to decipher. The runes are fire, earth, metal, water, and wood, the elements as they were recognized pre-chrysalis. The bunker Requires all 5 elements to be placed touching the corresponding runes to open a passage into the bunker. The bunker contains 5 sequential trials, one for each element. Fire: a long 1000 foot room of hot coals, dealing 1d6 fire damage per round. Five fire eidolons roam the area and fireballs trigger every 300 feet. Leads to an earthen door, beyond which is a potion of fire breathing and the spot where a brazier of fire elemental control would have been, but it is taken. Earth: An area of earth with a perpetual earthquake (as the spell) and five earth elementals, at the end of which is a metal door. The brasier is here, rumbling around the ground, its previous claimers bones long since ground to dust. At the end is a potion of and earth elemental control Metal: A solid metal room with inevitable, at the end of which a sodden leather strap. Beyond it is a great wall of water suspended by magic, a potion of and the control rod to an iron defender. Water: a room that is pitch black and filled with water. Creatures take 2d6 bludgeoning damage per round from pressure and must find the wooden door out. The room is filled with water eidolons. After the wooden door is a potion of water breathing and water elemental control Wood: An aspect of Nature rests here amid a verdant underground forest. He is immobile, has an AC of 15 and 200hp. He is vulnerable to fire damage. On each of his turns all creatures within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 16 constitution save or take 4d8 damage and have their speed halved as they turn into nature, plants growing within them. On a successful save they take half damage and are not slowed. If a creature is already slowed and fails, it becomes restrained. If it is already restrained and fails, it is petrified. If defeated, he releases fireflies that grant the victors clarity, they permanently increase and ability score of their choice by 1, no maximums. Towns and Villages of the Countryside Residentia: Redrun used to be home to several small, orbital towns profiting off of proximity to the largest city in the region. However, during the Redranian civil war and the 4th war of the gods all of these towns were completely decimated, either turned into bases for military encampments, or burned to the ground entirely. While after the advent of the Redranian empire, most who sought power in Redrun were content even to live in the half build shanty towns of Old district, some were accepting of rebuilding the most intact of the old suburban villages on the edge of the farmlands. This town had a name affiliated with the Light before the wars, so now as it mostly serves a residential district for the wives and families of the poorer of Redrun’s working class it is referred to and eventually officially named Residentia. Residentia is a practical and boring settlement, made of similar, formulaically constructed houses and establishments that all seem painful new in opposition

198 to the nearly fetishized old nature of most of the buildings in Redrun. Residentia is practical, having food stores, tailors, cobblers, and things that ordinary people would need day to day, but larger needs and those of adventurers are reserved for Redrun. Residentia, unlike Redrun, generally dislikes adventurers, seeing them as “ratcatchers” that only leave trouble in their wake. As such, it is one of the few towns in the entirety of the empire to not have a quest board, though there may still be some quests spread by word of mouth an adventuring party could attend to, like daughters kidnapped by goblins or children who have gone kissing similar to Redrun. Residentia is still technically in the dominion of the king, but Lord Hithon frequently visit and exerts a semblance of control over the area, that also houses many of his more well off serfs and slaves, those he uses as task masters and awards accordingly. Sill: Sill: A small village, a hamlet really, whose economy was ruined years ago by a tiefling with magic items that could simply create the raw materials they were known for being near a small mine, forest, and fertile ground. The local economy is still in shambles from the copious amounts of magical material he threw around. Most people left, those that remain had nowhere else to go or have lived there for generations. Sill lacks many vital craftsmen positions, they've still a leatherworker, general store, small forge, and barber, but little more. Sill legally allows magic unlike Stein, but it is socially heavily frowned upon thanks to the tiefling. Their local inn is the Maudlin Goblin, a grimy establishment ran by a half orc name Halthor. They are ruled by a council of elders who have no desire to put their denizens on the front line and would rather flee back to Garrick Harbor or Redrun if it came to it. Many residents disagree with this philosophy however and would gladly fight for their homes. Whether or not they are able to is another matter entirely. The Council consists of four elders. Cheif elder Peren, a 762 year old elf who has lived in Sil for most of it. His family are local woodcarvers, once famous, now a relic of their former glory. Despite this he is still a strong cultural figure within the town. He is wise, but set in his ways. He worships Malida. Markus, a Duergar who defended the city in ages past. He is captain of the town guard and a gruff, war-hardened veteran. He worships Visiduous, god of war. Cantankerous, a cantankerous old gnome who still runs Sill's now decapitated merchant's guild, he worships the Light. Lastly is Hera, Tabaxi high priestess of Malida, patron goddess of Sil. She is the youngest and most levelheaded of the council Lardison: A larger town roughly the same size as Stein complete with walls. Originally a mining town, Lardison found a second life as a waypoint between The City of Marvel and the City of Chrome. Lardison has two adventurer clad inns, and many who seek to cater to an adventurer's palette. Those in desperate situations who need a miracle come here, as do those with flashy, high end goods to sell. The town has a large open market at its center where anyone can set up shop for a small fee of 2gp and 20% of profits. The market has 10 items on Magic item table A, 3 on B, and 1 on C, as well as 5 on F, 1 on G and 1 on K. The market, as well as the old mines and (effectively) the rest of the town are owned by the Corinthians, a wealthy family that discovered the silver mines and still claims ownership of the town to this day. Their rule is solidified by their mercenary guard force, though the citizens don't see them this way, this is the primary way they hold power. The current ruler is Grundenwald Fitzpatrick Wildman Floormat goldenboy Corrinthian II. He has a son, the Grundenwald III, a daughter, Daffodil, and but his wife was assassinated by a member of the order of Taraka 200 years ago.

199 Grundenwald is willing to help fight the order and Sedley, but is concerned about unrest caused by the Light in his own town. Mother Margery of Bes was an accomplished cleric who ruled over the town's temple of Bes, a relic from when it was still a mining town and miners would bring their families with them. Mother Margery was another draw for adventurers due to her ability to raise the dead and remove diseases and curses. However, when Daniel killed the Ibis the local chapter of the Brotherhood decided this was a message from their god to end the reign of the old gods. They killed Mother Margery. She did not resist. Now the Brotherhood is banned from Lardison and the townsfolk are spiritually confused as Mother Margery's apprentice and adoptive daughter Kila, a halfling, has taken over her mother's position but isn't a cleric, nor is she very good with people. There are also several permanent shops of note, including the adventurer's supply store, the black feather blacksmith, and Svintonworth Pawn. Adventurer's supply is ran by an ex-adventurer and sells adventuring gear both magical and nonmagical adveturing gear. These magical gear include +1 tool sets, elven rope, various common magic items, and a pariphat of wound closure. He also has 5 potions of healing The Black Feather Blacksmith is ran by Reek, a Kenku forge cleric of Mugrunden. He forges master crafted arms and armor and is a blacksmith of great renown. Svintonworth Pawn: Named after the occupied fort, Svintonworth pawn is owned by a grizzled old dwarf named Trauben. Svintonworth Pawn has several magical trinkets and baubles. Avalon: The city of elves, founded and ran before the chrysalis by Gil Galahad, the goodly king. Now ruled over by his eldest grandson Caeldrim Galahad. The city of elves is mostly inhabited by elves, though they are technically outnumbered by the human, dragonborn, and other shorter-lived races serfs that tend the farmland. Avalon relies not on gold, rather all needs are simply provided for and the elves are able to live freely and produce great works of art and literature. Drow live within the town, but many will not serve them, forcing them to live as second-class citizens. The town is small in land mass but sprawling vertically, climbing up into the tall trees in ancient, intricate homes. Magic is allowed an encouraged here, but no formal institute of learning exists. They do have a grand wizard named Everan who has 4 apprentices, as well as a cleric to the patron god of the town Philomena, named Xanaphia. The town is insular, requiring very little from outside their borders. They do trade with Garrick Harbor and Stein, but very seldom. They allow travelers to pass through, but have no inn, and are not keen on visitors overstaying their welcome. They have a somewhat renown guard/military known as the golden spears or sometimes the hundred spears. They are one hundred highly trained elven warriors kept on call at all times. Being elves, many of the other villagers are also combat worthy, but not to the level of the golden spears. The regiment was formed by Fineal Galahad, Caeldrim's father to defeat the nearby bloodtusk orcs, which they did, according to legend, outmanned 10 to 1. Their current king, Caeldrim, is but a shadow of his father's greatness, a fact that has driven him near to madness. Caeldrim had long thought his father foolish for not pursuing conquest over others with the golden spears, so as his first act he made them invade the City of Marvels. Their spears broke on

200 the metal of the automatons and they suffered heavy losses, including Caeldrim's younger brother Artil. Cealdrim has spent most of his reign in shame of that action, and has issued few decrees in the 200 years since. Some believe even now that this was a political move to get his brother, the more fit king, killed, but they are wrong. Caeldrim believes isolation is key to keeping the comfortable lifestyle he and his people enjoy. Caeldrim is married to his sister Anapheal, they have three children, Xion, Caedrick, and Pia. Xion serves with Caedrim's sister Lorelai with the druids of the wood. Caedrick is a spoiled prince who goes on many an ill fated quest, and Pia is still a child at 83. Caedrick is set to marry Pia when she comes of age. He would have married Xion, but she entered into the celibate druid's circle before he came of age. Fineal also had another son, a bastard with a human woman. The resulting half-elf is now an adventurer in the Saltmarsh to the south. The Countryside Random Encounters D10 Negative Random Encounters 10 1 Two random factions (roll twice on this chart) are fighting amongst themselves. 2 The nearest Divine Beast stalks the party 3 A hoard of 2d10 +2 goblins attack the party 4 Roving undead from a death convergence or Zinvald's lair attack the party 5 A group of 1d4+1 infected Plague Callers attack the party. 6 Bandits lay an ambush for any passers by 7 A lone owlbear stalks the area. If the owlbear is slain, this roll is another natural creature. 8 A man masquerading as a bard offers to join the party for song, really a thief here to rob them in their sleep 9 That night, the bagman emerges from the group's bag of holding 10 1d6 Harpies swarm the party D10 Neutral Random Encounters 11 1 A bard of a random college offers to share drink and story with the party. 2 A group of adventurers cross paths with the party. They are on a Redrun quest and have 1 random uncommon magic item 3 The party encounters a group of Hunters tracking the nearest divine beast. 4 The ground around the party shifts and they arrive at the nearest planar convergence 5 A march of the Redrun military is arriving late to a nearby crisis 6 The party passes near a ring of red mushrooms, a fairy ring, a portal to the feywild. 7 A small castle floats on a rock above the party’s heads. 8 A random faction has assaulted an adventuring party or members of the Redrun military. The battle is commencing, but avoidable to the party. 9 A kind family of 7 cross the party's path and offer to share food and shelter. They are actually cultists of the Light on the run. 10 The party finds a cave off the side of the road containing one of the factions and 100gp. D10 Positive Random Encounters 12 1 A traveling merchant, Yerran the tabaxi sells standard adventuring gear, a few used weapons, and 10% chance of an uncommon magic item, at 120% PHB price.