TASK FOR THE TYRANTS

AN EBERRON ADVENTURE FOR 6TH LEVEL

BY ROGHAN DUGGAN METCALF

 Task for the Tyrants
Credits
Author: Roghan Duggan Metcalf
Editor: Elizabeth Schippers

Cover Artist: Tithi Luadthong (tithi-luadthong.pixels.com)

Cover Art Licensed by: 123rf.com
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Special Thanks to:

All my players and you, for downloading this adventure

Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Adventure Background 3
Adventure Synopsis 3
Running the Adventure 3
Adventure Hooks 4
Part 1: Boldrei's Rest 5
A Message From the Tyrants 5
Journey to the Cogs 5
The Cogs 6
Boldrei's Rest 6
Heart of Steel 7
Part 2: Boartooth Hideout 8
Rieveldt Warehouse 8
Entering the Hideout 9
Boartooth Hideout Locations 9
Dragon Towers 15
Camila d'Deneith 15
The Spider 15
Traveling to the Opera 16
The Lumin Opera 17
Getting In 17
Confronting Titus 18
Part 4: Race to the Docks 18
Flying Complications 19
Lyrandar Tower 20
Platform 5 20
Neera's Betrayal 21
Fighting Ash 21
Aftermath 21
Further Adventures in Sharn 22

Part 3: A Night at the Lumin Opera 13 Appendix A: Magic Items 23

The Search for Titus 13
Independent Investigation 14 Appendix B: Creatures 23
Terminus Landing 14
Appendix C: Maps 28
Merin d'Orien 14

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 “When the mountains and the stars were both quite different, the Traveler bestowed
his divine gifts upon the Children of Jes: shapechanging and eternal life. With these, the Children spread
across Khorvaire, some mingling with the masses of crowded cities, others sequestering themselves in the
mountains and the forests."
-Yuri Pendrast, A History of Khorvairian Mythology
“The Children? Pah! An old changeling fairy tale. If they ever existed, which I doubt,
they are long dead by now. You’d be better served focusing your efforts elsewhere.”
-Vorbis Lock, during a seminar at Morgrave University
Introduction
T
ask for the Tyrants is a short
adventure for 3 to 4 characters of levels
5 to 7. It is set in the city of Sharn, but
could be adapted to fit any major city in
Khorvaire. It should take 3 to 5 sessions to
complete.
The adventure will send the party rushing across the city
as they attempt to reclaim a package of vital importance
to the Tyrants – a changeling organization specializing in
blackmail and deceit – and culminates in a battle with a
warforged titan, a cunning betrayal, and a final showdown
atop a plummeting airship.
Adventure Background
The adventure takes place in the city of Sharn, where
monolithic spires and mile-high walkways serve as the
backdrop to many illicit exchanges. New lies weave their
way through its streets each day, connecting the city-
dwellers in a web of deception. At the heart of this web sit
the Tyrants: a band of changelings that employ trickery
and deceit to ensure the continued security of their race.
They have recently struck gold.
During an expansion of the dragonshard mines in the
Shadow Marches, the orc miners of House Tharashk
unearthed a peculiar creature: a girl, with pale skin and
fair hair, sound asleep beneath the rubble. Though she
appeared to be in excellent health, the orcs could not find
a way to wake her. However, one of the miners – a Tyrant
spy named Nyx – immediately knew the girl for what she
was: a Child of Jes, an ancient being spoken of only in
changeling legend, and one of the first to be graced with
the Traveler's gift of shapechanging.
That night, Nyx spirited the Child away and had her
sent to Sharn with extreme discretion. The shipment
containing the Child was left for pickup at the Rieveldt
Warehouse. Unfortunately, before the Tyrants could
reclaim the package, the building was "acquired" by a gang
of goblins – the Boartooths.
Now, the Tyrants are faced with the uninviting prospect
of breaking into a goblin hideout, a matter they’d rather
not dirty their own hands with. As such, they have decided
to enlist a group of adventurers for the job.
But in the time it has taken the Tyrants to respond,
other forces in Sharn have taken notice. The quori of
the Dreaming Dark, eager to possess such an ancient
and powerful being, are now well aware of the Child's
presence in the city. One of their Inspired servants, Silas
d'Orien, has already sent his nephew Titus to procure
the Child from the Boartooths in exchange for advanced
weaponry. Silas plans to leave Sharn by night's end with
the Child in tow.
Adventure Synopsis
After receiving a cryptic message from the Tyrants, the
party travels to a shrine known as Boldrei’s Rest, located in
the Cogs – the blistering underbelly of Sharn. Once there,
a high-ranking Tyrant operative by the name of Kaz briefs
the party on their assignment to infiltrate the Rieveldt
Warehouse and reclaim a misplaced package.
After infiltrating the warehouse, the characters discover
that Davask – the Boartooths' hobgoblin leader – has
already traded the package to Titus d’Orien, scion of
House Orien. During their exploration of the warehouse
the party also encounters Ash, a captured former Tyrant
affiliate who seeks to take the Child for themselves, and
poses as a half-elf named Neera to gain the party's trust.
The characters' search for Titus will either take them
through the various districts of Sharn or to the Spider,
a reclusive Tyrant informant. Either way, they will learn
that Titus is attending the evening premiere of a new show
at the prestigious Lumin Opera.
When confronted by the party, Titus discloses that his
uncle Silas d’Orien is at Lyrandar Tower, about to leave
the city with the Tyrants' package. As the party scrambles
to get there in time, they must commandeer an airship.
At Lyrandar Tower, the characters at last come face-to-
face with Silas d'Orien, whose mind has been overtaken
by a Kalaraq quori of the Dreaming Dark. Silas activates a
colossal warforged and fights the group head-on.
Once Silas is defeated, Ash puts their plan into action,
betraying the characters and commandeering the airship,
along with the package containing the Child of Jes. The
party will need to either shoot the airship down as it leaves
or fight Ash on its deck to finally reclaim the package and
return it to the Tyrants.
Running the Adventure
Items listed in Italics can be found in Appendix A.
Monsters listed in Bold can be found in Appendix B,
or on the indicated page of the Monster Manual. NPC's
use the commoner stat block (MM page 346) unless
indicated otherwise.
Structure
This adventure has been separated into four parts; one for
each major location the characters will visit.
Seamless transitions between these different parts are
crucial; Sharn is a big city, and it is easy for players to get
disoriented or lost.
Travel descriptions have all been provided in boxed text,
but you should feel free to add flavor relating to the party's
current situation or mood.
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 "Brimming with confidence after your successful raid on
the Goblin’s hideout, you strut back out onto the side
streets of Sharn, your objective seemingly just within
your grasp."
Or:
"The darkness of the Lower Ring welcomes you back into
its embrace, and you clutch once more at your sides. The
wounds you sustained from the depth dweller still sting,
and you fear they may never fully heal."
Connective sentences like these will help bring Sharn to
life in the minds of both you and your players.
Where necessary, indications of travel time have been
given: these are by no means definite, and you should feel
free to adjust them to suit the needs of your sessions.

Adventure Hooks
Part 1: Boldrei’s Hearth provides an instigating incident
to get your players involved in the adventure immediately.
However, some adventuring parties might need a bit more
incentive. Below are some options to more firmly connect
your group to the events of this adventure.

Returning Operatives
When forming a new group for this adventure or running
it as a one-shot, consider having the characters already
be affiliated with the Tyrants, with the adventure being
the latest in a series of assignments. Invite your players to
consider what their previous assignments were, and how
they played out. If you want, you can then splice references
to these previous missions into the adventure; perhaps
during Part 3 the party runs into a member of the noble
family whose private documents they "liberated".

Divine Favour
If one of the characters is a Cleric or Paladin, or just has
strong affiliations with a particular deity, consider adapting
Boldrei’s Rest in Part 1 to a place of worship for that
character's deity, giving them more of an incentive to visit.

Changeling Solidarity
If one of the characters is a changeling, it’s very possible
they have already heard of the Tyrants. An assignment
from a changeling-run organization could provide an
extra motivation, along with the enticing possibility of
recruitment.

Double Agents
You can also consider having the party be contacted by
an organization they are already affiliated with (such
as the Adventurers’ Guild or Morgrave University). While
this organisation doesn’t know the exact contents of
the Tyrants' shipment, its secrecy is more than enough
incentive, and they request the party to reclaim the
package while pretending to be in league with the Tyrants.
This adventure hook is particularly useful when running
Task for the Tyrants for Good-aligned characters.
Memories
Before starting the adventure, ask each player to come
up with two valuable memories for their character.
This is a wonderful way to get a player invested in their
character early on, but will also heighten the emotional
impact if they end up losing some of these memories
(see The Spider in Part 3).

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Part 1: Boldrei’s Rest
During this part of the adventure, the characters receive
an invitation from the Tyrants which sends them on their
way through the maze-like underbelly of Sharn: the Cogs.
Once there, the party will enter into Boldrei's Rest to be
briefed on their assignment.
A Message From the Tyrants
Before starting the adventure, have each player roll a d20.
The player with the lowest roll is your pickpocketing
target. When the session begins, read the following text
aloud, with the second part depending on whether their
character’s passive Perception is higher than 12:
Your party walks along the bustling streets of the Middle
Ring of Sharn, taking in the sights: eagle-eyed merchants
excitedly display their exotic wares, and colorful washing
lines are hung along towering spires which stretch ever
further skyward. Up above, majestic skycoaches soar
along , twisting and turning between the wide walkways of
the Upper Ring.
If their passive Perception is lower than 12:
A faint clinking sound reaches your ears. Instinctively, you
reach into your pocket – your coin purse is gone! Looking
around, you just catch sight of a pair of scabbed feet
turning hurriedly into a side-alley.
The alley is completely deserted save for the coin pouch,
which the party finds sitting upon a small wooden crate.
Underneath it is a small piece of parchment which reads:
"Descend into the Cogs, toward Boldrei’s Rest. Follow that
which has a head and a tail, but no body. The Tyrants have a
mission for you."
If their passive Perception is higher than 12:
You feel the slightest tug at the inside of your pocket.
Looking down, you see a freckle-faced street urchin – a
dwarf, from the looks of her – grinning sheepishly as she
holds up your coin purse.
Regardless of how the player deals with the urchin,
they notice a piece of parchment in their pocket when
putting their coin purse back. It bears the same message as
the one above.
The What?
Allow characters to make a DC 10 Intelligence (History)
check to see if they know who the Tyrants are. Characters
native to urban areas of Khorvaire have advantage
on this check. If succesful, they know the Tyrants are
a changeling-run criminal syndicate, who operate in
information and deception rather than violence.
If any of the characters are native to Sharn, they
immediately know the Cogs are the steam-filled tunnels
that run underneath the city, and that the entrances to
these tunnels are situated in the Lower Ring. If none of the
characters know this information, anyone they ask on the
street is more than willing to provide it:
“The Cogs? Aye, that’s where them warforged all hang out,
ain’t it. You’ll find plenty entrances down in the Lower Ring,
but don’t expect to come out the same way you did before.
Those tunnels shift and change with the tides, so I hear.”
“You’re not thinking of going down to the Cogs, are you
love? Mighty dangerous down there, not to mention the
fumes. I wouldn’t trust those warforged as far as I could
throw ‘em, me. But if you must know, there’s entrances
along the river in the Lower Ring.”
“Going for a little adventure, are we? Wouldn’t recommend
the Cogs though, them’s hard goings. Still, far be it from me
to tell you what to do, Lower Ring’s where you wanna be.
You’ll find entrances damn near everywhere, just follow the
smog and keep heading down.”
The Tyrants
The Tyrants in this adventure differ from those described
in Eberron: Rising From the Last War. Still a criminal
syndicate, the Tyrants’ have no interest in gaining power
for power’s sake; their primary motivation is to create
an information network to secure the safe and peaceful
cohabitation of changelings with the other races of Khorvaire.
To this end, they have established changeling shelters within
many notable cities..
Journey to the Cogs
The function of Boldrei’s Rest is well known: a shrine
to Boldrei, it was placed in the Cogs to provide comfort
to those that work there. Asking around, however,
will bring the characters no closer to knowing its exact
location; for that, they will need to travel down into the
Cogs themselves.
The Lower Ring
As the characters travel to the Lower Ring, the spires of
Sharn become increasingly dilapidated. The people here
are skittish; they avoid the characters’ eyes and mutter
softly to themselves.Read the following text aloud:
As you climb further down the spires, the daylight itself is
blocked out. By the time you reach the depths of the city,
the air is a murky grey, and plumes of smoke and steam
fully obscure the sky.
The walls eventually run together in a gulley of soft, muddy
ground. This is the gutter of Sharn, where all the city's
filth collects into a foul stew. Set into the walls are several
jagged archways, out of which stream plumes of thick, hot
air. Uneven stone steps descend into the darkness.
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 The Cogs
Give the party a moment to take in their surroundings
and collect themselves before they venture into the Cogs.
When they move through one of the openings, read or
paraphrase the boxed text below:
The smoke thickens as you descend, burning slightly as
you inhale. The light here is sparse, and wrought-iron
lamps on the walls cast the tunnel walls in an orange glow.
From deep within the depths of the tunnel comes a slow,
rhythmic clanging: the mechanical heart of the city.
Navigating the Cogs
The cavern eventually widens out into a spacious chamber.
Any character with darkvision can see three stone
tunnels that lead further into the Cogs. A character that
succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check notices
that each tunnel has a small symbol engraved beside it:
a chimera, a book, and a coin. A character that directly
inspects the tunnels notices the symbols automatically.
Symbols. These engravings are the map by which the
tunnels of the Cogs are navigated: each symbol represents
a landmark, and its tunnel leads to another intersection
marked with similar symbols. By following a particular
symbol all the way, you can eventually reach the landmark
it represents. The answer to the riddle from the Tyrants'
invitation indicates that the route with the coin symbols
leads to Boldrei's Rest.
Encounters in the Cogs
If the party decides to proceed without following the coin
symbol, allow them to potter around a bit in the Cogs
before they figure it out. Trying to guess their way through
will only lead the characters back to the first intersection.
However, if the going gets tedious, you may want
to spice things up a bit. Below are a few encounters
to consider springing on the party while they wander
through the Cogs:
• A broken down warforged worker slumps against a
wall; it is missing half its face, and believes one of the
characters to be its long-lost master. The warforged
desperately grabs hold of them as they pass, refusing to
let go. The characters can either lie to console it, or put
it out of its misery.
• Three magma mephits squeeze out of the tubes that
span the tunnels' ceilings. They accost the characters and
ask them for food; the more magical the better. It takes
three gifts of slightly magical items to satisfy them. If the
characters refuse, the mephits attack.
• The party comes across an abandoned warforged
foundry, its rusted metal covered with a thick blanket
of dust and debris. If they forage they can find an
uncommon magic item, but this will also disturb the
black ooze that has taken up residence amid the rubble.
These Tunnels Lead Nowhere
If the player haven’t figured out the correct path forward
yet, do your best to stoke their uncertainty. Ask repeatedly if
they’re sure of the path they’ve chosen, consult your notes as
if there’s a route plotted out, only to bring your players pure
dismay by conveying that they have, yet again, ended up in the
exact same spot.
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Depth Dweller Ambush
After the characters begin to follow the coin symbols,
they are ambushed by two depth dwellers. If one of the
characters has a passive Perception of 15 or higher, they
notice the depth dwellers before they attack. Otherwise,
the characters are surprised. Read or paraphrase the
following before starting combat:
As you move further along this path, the lamps grow
sparse, and the darkness of the tunnel seems to thicken
around you. All at once, the lamp next to you sputters and
dies, and a razor sharp claw comes curving towards you
out of the shadows!
Encounter area. The cavern is 15 feet wide and the depth
dwellers attack the party from either side. The creatures
focus their attacks on the frailest characters, using their
Hide bonus action to get around the frontline.
Retreat. Once the depth dwellers are brought to a quarter
of their Hit Points, they retreat back into the caverns. If
the party has had a hard time with previous encounters,
consider reducing the amount of depth dwellers to one, or
even skipping the encounter entirely.
Last-ditch switch. If you notice the party is having trouble
during the fight, consider having one of the characters
stumble into a switch, which when pressed activates all the
lanterns in the cavern and fills it with light (note the depth
dwellers’ Light Sensitivity)
Once the characters trek on towards Boldrei’s Rest, the
lanterns on the wall gradually flicker back to life, if they
haven’t already been reactivated.
Boldrei’s Rest
The rest of the way towards Boldrei's Rest passes
without incident. The shrine itself is a domelike
enclosure, carved from the rough walls of a natural
cavern. At its center stands a blazing bonfire.
When the players enter, read or paraphrase the
following text:
Gazing into the fire at the center of the shrine
immediately fills you with warmth. Ornate
engravings cover the dome’s walls, stretching high
above you. Beneath them, other visitors rest on
crude stone benches, reaching their palms out
toward the flames.
Moving among them is a tall woman, wrapped in
a white and gold robe. She speaks softly to the
assembled crowd, sometimes clasping their hands
in hers. On the other side of the fire stands a
statue of Boldrei; the Goddess' arms stretched out
as if in invitation. Two darkened curtains hang on
either side of it.
Kaz. The tall woman is named Kaz – a Tyrant
operative – but has adopted the persona of
Minerva, cleric of Boldrei. Kaz is not devoted
to Boldrei, but considers the Goddess among
the few worthy of devotion; a devotion which,
as ‘Minerva’, they are willing to channel. Any
character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom
(Insight) check when interacting with Minerva
notices something is off about her behavior.
Hearth and home. Any character who rests by the
fire for a few minutes will receive Boldrei’s Blessing,
which grants them the full benefits of a long rest,
along with 10 Temporary Hit Points.
The Mission
If the players do not speak to
Minerva, she walks up to them
of her own accord after a while.
Either way, read or paraphrase
the following:
The robed woman turns towards
you, her gentle face silhouetted
against the warm glow of the
fire. Bright amber eyes, covered
by a short fringe of auburn hair,
survey each of you calmly. “Welcome, friends,” she smiles,
“I had hoped you would accept my invitation. My name is
Minerva, cleric of Boldrei and Keeper of this hearth."
After the characters have introduced themselves, Minerva
invites them to move with her behind the altar. If asked
about the Tyrants, she holds a finger to her lips and smiles
slyly, her eyes shifting from amber to purple:
“It wouldn't do to talk about those things in public. Soon,
friends, very soon.”
Previous assignments. If your group has decided that
they have worked for the Tyrants before, it would do to
have Minerva acknowledge their involvement in some
fashion. E.g.:
“Yes, I am well aware of who you are. I was actually the one
overseeing [Assignment]. Your handling of the situation
was quite… unique.”
Behind the Altar
Through the curtains, an assortment of clerical gowns lie
stacked in a corner and a small dining table takes up the
majority of the room.
As the characters enter, Minerva pulls a torch from its
sconce and moves her arm in a wide arc. With this, the
far wall of the chamber moves aside to reveal a circular
stone passage, just high enough for a Large creature to
crawl through.
The Legend of St. Luna
The engravings on the dome of Boldrei's Rest depict a torch
being passed through two separate families, one on each side,
for multiple generations, with the flame keeping them warm
through harsh winters, and lighting their path in the darkness.
The last engraving for both sequences is displayed on the wall
above the altar. It shows a woman, her back turned to the
central flame, proudly holding both torches up towards the
sky. This figure is St. Luna, protector of Sigilstar and the first
to carry Boldrei's conjoined flame.
Tyrants' Shelter
Minerva holds the torch out of in front of her as she leads
the party through yet another maze of tunnels. This tunnel
network is one of the Tyrants' underground changeling
conglomerates: a shelter for those of their kind who
may need it.
Changeling infants play in the tunnels off to the side,
their appearances shifting rapidly as they tumble and chase
after each other.
If the characters ask about the children, Minerva replies:
“Oh, the little ones? They’re vagrants; exiled from their
communities. We try as best we can to replace the homes
they’ve lost; we care for them, keep them fed, and teach
them to control their abilities. When they’re older, they'll
make their homes up there in the city, though some…
choose to stay.”
Kaz (Minerva) themselves was once one of these
foundlings, but chose to continue to work for the Tyrants.
Any character that succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight)
check notices that Minerva's fondness towards the
foundlings is deeply personal. If prodded, she will mention
that she used to be one herself.
Kaz and Ash. However, characters who succeeded on
the earlier Insight check can tell that Kaz is still hiding
something. A successful DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion)
check convinces Kaz to tell them of a foundling that they
failed to protect.
Twenty years ago, a group of hunters made their way
into a Tyrant shelter under Kaz's supervision, killing
all except one of the foundlings. The foundling that
mananged to escape was Ash (see Part 2, Area A4). Kaz
still blames herself for the incident, and has been looking
for Ash ever since.
The Foundlings
Though the Tyrants conceal the children they take in from
Sharn, their eventual goal is to re-integrate the foundlings
into the city. The Tyrants firmly believe safety for changelings
will only come through mutual co-operation. Others, like
Ash, believe that changelings can never reconcile their
differences with the other races, and that living amongst them
is a pipe dream.
Heart of Steel
As the party reaches the end of the tunnel, it slopes down
onto a wide metal platform, jutting out into a central area
of the Cogs. Read or paraphrase the following:
On either side you see an array of gargantuan gears, made
from metals of every kind and interlocked in a seemingly
endless sequence. Their presence alone is enough to
send chills down your spine, and their slow yet powerful
movement is nothing short of otherworldly. Billows of
steam whirl around this massive metal structure, its creaks
and whirrs echoing off the walls and into the distance.
When they arrive, Kaz drops the guise of Minerva and
resumes their original form. Their demeanor changes too;
their speech, formerly gentle, is now cold and clipped.
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 Briefing
Kaz introduces themselves to the characters as a Tyrant
operative, and leans back against the railing of the platform
as they brief the party on their assignment. Read or
paraphrase the following text.
“Right then, let me cut to the chase: I need you to recover
some goods for our organisation. Two days ago, an agent
of ours carried a package of vital importance into Sharn.
They left it at the Rieveldt Warehouse in the Stores, which
had previously been, well… unattended. Upon our retrieval
attempt, however, we found the Warehouse doors guarded
by goblins. It would seem a gang known as the ‘Boartooths’
has taken up residence in the place. They have it on quite
a tight lockdown, and it is nigh impossible to get them to
leave of their own accord.
That’s where you come in. The Tyrants don’t like to
involve themselves directly in matters of violence, so we
have recruited your group to retrieve the package and
deliver it to us. By midnight, and by any means necessary.
Any questions?”
If the characters inquire further, Kaz can provide the
following information on the assignment:
• The package in question is a rectangular crate bearing
the Mark of Passage, firmly fastened with white rope.
• The exact numbers of the Boartooth gang are unknown,
but the Tyrants have managed to gather information
which suggests they number around fifteen.
• The leader of the gang is a hobgoblin named Davask,
known as a ruthless killer throughout Khorvaire. His
gang are incredibly loyal, and treat each other like
family.
• Upon completion of the task and delivery of the items,
Kaz will pay the party a total of 1,500 gp, as well as a
promise of a favour from the Tyrants, should they ever
need it.
• Kaz is unwilling to part with this information, as it
may up the party’s fee, but a DC 15 Charisma check
convinces them to disclose that Davask has contacted
another party to initiate a sale of the package. With
whom, they are unsure, though they suspect it is one of
the Dragonmarked houses.
After answering the party's questions, Kaz whistles along
the tunnels to call a foundling, who escorts the party back
to Boldrei's Rest. Kaz has other work to attend to, and
won’t return to the shrine until later. As the party leaves,
Kaz imparts some final words to them:
“Oh and, should any… complications arise, then your first
point of contact will be the Spider. He runs a shop in the
Tradefair district in Middle Central. You are to answer his
question with the phrase "that which does not look where
it is going". And remember: under no circumstances are
you to open the package. We will know.”
With that, Kaz slips a piece of paper containing the
Spider’s address into one of the character’s hands and
watches them leave.
Changing roles. When the characters arrive back at
Boldrei's Rest, another Tyrant operative has taken over
Kaz's role as Minerva. The new cleric bids them goodbye
with a knowing smile.
Return to the Surface
The character’s journey back through the Cogs is relatively
uneventful, unless of course they decide to explore their
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
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depths even further. A full
exploration of the tunnels in
Cogs is beyond the scope of
this adventure, but feel free to
refer to the section Encounters
in the Cogs if you want to
accommodate the party's
exploratory desires.
Upon their return to the
surface, the characters will
be ready to move on to the
second part of the adventure:
Boartooth Hideout.
Part 2:
Boartooth Hideout
Read or paraphrase the following boxed text as the
characters reach the Boartooth Hideout.
Your travel back up through the city progresses smoothly.
The streets steadily become more lively as you ascend
and when you break free of the smog, the sky is visible
once again.
As you cross the last walkway to the Stores, you’re struck
by how tightly packed the district is; the sheer amount of
traffic congesting in its avenues is almost suffocating.
The narrow back alley that houses the Rieveldt Warehouse
however, is almost entirely deserted. The building itself is
rather unassuming; the only thing indicating otherwise are
the two stocky Goblins standing guard outside its doors.
Rieveldt Warehouse
Before the warehouse fell into disrepair it was used by the
Rieveldt family, who primarily traded in minor magical
trinkets. The family fled Sharn some thirty years back due
to an incident involving a faulty reduce spell and a very
anrgy T-Rex, leaving most of their wares behind.
When Davask and the Boartooths moved in, they
shoved these wares to the side to make room for their own
operations. As such, every room in the warehouse has
crates lined up against the wall, stacked to the ceiling, and
spread across the floor.
Lighting. The warehouse has no windows, but is brightly
lit by candles and oil lamps, which hang from the ceiling.
Wild Magic (Optional Rule)
None of the items stored in the warehouse's crates are
particularly valuable, but many are extremely volatile. If
you want to make combat in the warehouse a little more
exciting, consider using this optional rule:
On an attack roll of 3 or lower (or whenever it makes
sense), the attack hits a nearby crate and causes a random
magical effect. Roll a d8 and consult the table below to
determine which effect occurs:
1 A cascade of indigo butterflies bursts out of the crate,
mesmerising those in their path. Each creature within 10
feet of the attack target must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom
saving throw or be Charmed by the attacker until the end
of their next turn.
 2 Petrifying gas hisses through a crack in the crate. Each
creature within 5 feet of the attack target must make a
DC 12 Constitution saving throw at the start of each of
their next three turns. On two failed saves, a creature is
restrained as their legs are petrified. On three failed saves,
they turn to stone completely.
3 Both the attacker and the target are suddenly enveloped by
a soft white glow. After the target’s next turn, they switch
locations and turn order with their attacker.
4 All metal within 10 feet of the attack target turns to gold,
giving it -1 to damage rolls and -1 to AC (when applicable).
5 The crate blasts open in an explosion of unfettered magical
energy. Any creature within 15 feet of the attack target
must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take
1d10 force damage.
6 A soft, ephemeral light trickles out of the crate,
accompanied by gentle wails. Any creature within 10 feet
of the attack target must succeed on a DC 12 Charisma
saving throw or age 1d12 years.
7 The box expands and morphs into an enraged gibbering
mouther, which attacks the nearest creature it can see.
8 A dustborn raccoon bounds out of the crate and forms
a Bond with the attacker. If its bonded partner is slain, the
raccoon vanishes into thin air.

All of these effects can be reverted with a Lesser

Restoration spell.

Davask and the Boartooths

Driven from his forest home by humans and separated
from his family, Davask Boartooth traveled across
Khorvaire in search of other Goblins that shared a similar
fate. The Boartooths are a family first, gang second, and
their hideouts emulate goblin villages. Any goblin PC’s that
enter the warehouse immediately feel at home amidst the
rich fatty smell and worn leather hides.
Shady Dealings
Up until recently, Davask did in fact possess the Tyrants'
misplaced package. However, Titus d'Orien managed to
procure the package in exchange for money and weaponry
(see area A3) prior to the party's arrival.
Entering the hideout
There are various ways the characters can tackle the
Boartooth hideout: mainly either stealth, deception, or
violence. Any attempt will unavoidably become somewhat
of a mixture between the three, but the general pathways
for each have been outlined below:
Stealth
The party discovers the old sewer entrance to the hideout,
which leads them straight to Davask’s chest in area
A3. From there they can cause a distraction by scaring
away the domesticated displacer beasts, allowing the
characters easy passage to Davask’s quarters in area A5.
Deceit
A goblinoid character (or a character disguised to appear
goblinoid) convinces the guards to grant them an audience
with Davask. In this meeting, the characters can attempt to
wrangle the identity of Davask's buyer out of him. If their
true intentions are made clear however, the characters will
have to fight their way back out.
Violence
The party kicks in the door, swords and spellbooks
blazing, and hacks their way through the hideout, leaving
no survivors.
Boartooth Hideout Locations
The following locations are keyed to the map of the
Boartooth Hideout in Appendix C.
A0:
The front of the warehouse is guarded by two Boartooth
goblin guards: Gromp and Nibblet. The guards eye
the characters suspiciously if they get too close. If the
characters try engaging them in conversation, Gromp
interjects, closely followed by Nibblet:
“You lot ain’t welcome here!”
“Yeah, bugger off busybodies!”
The Gab. To talk their way in, a character will need
to succeed on a DC 15 Charisma check. Goblinoid
characters have adventage on this check. However,
Davask has expressly instructed Gromp and Nibblet to not
allow more than two people to enter at once. Unless the
characters manage to negotiate otherwise, some of them
will need to remain outside.
Combat. Gromp and Nibblet are not battle-hungry, but
will attack if provoked or unsuccessfully threatened.
Secret entrance. Along the side of the warehouse is a
muddy side street which leads to one of the Stores’ main
thoroughfares. The Boartooths have crudely placed a few
wooden boards across the entrance to block it from view.
Any character that examines the boards or succeeds on a
DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check discovers it.

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 Once inside the street, a sewage grate built into the side
of the warehouse is immediately visible. The entrance
is too narrow for anyone but a small or tiny creature to
fit through, but a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation
or Nature) check reveals the ground beneath it is soft
enough to be scraped away, widening the hole enough
for a Medium creature to enter. The entrance leads
directly to area A3.
A1:
On the other side of the main door is an old reception
area, where inventory would have been kept when this
warehouse was still operational. The wood of the room
is covered with various animal hides and a vicious, oily
stench permeates the air. On either side of you, two
broad oak desks are manned by two gnomes, a male and a
female, who look positively terrified and do not say a word.
Opposite the entrance, a wooden staircase leads up to a
faded red curtain. Sounds of muffled revelry can be heard
from behind it.
The two gnomes seated at the desks are Fran and Timber,
a traveling merchant couple who the Boartooths captured
three days ago. The Boartooths have kept the two here for
entertainment purposes, but plan to sell or eat them after
they leave the city.
Newly-fanged furniture. The chairs Fran and Timber
sit on have been enchanted to viciously bite their behinds
should they make any attempt to move. This is the source
of the gnomes' terror. Any character who succeeds on a
DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check notices Fran and
Timber's trousers are frayed around the rear area. A Dispel
Magic spell removes the effect on the chairs.
Who did this to you? If the characters are not
accompanied by goblins, a successful DC 15 Charisma
check convinces the gnomes to divulge the layout of the
warehouse (except area A3 and the tripwire near area
A4, of which they aren't aware). If the party has freed the
gnomes from the chairs, this check automatically succeeds.
Fran and Timbur can also provide the characters with
the following additional information at your discretion:
• The name of the Boartooth’s leader is Davask; he
fervently dislikes any creatures that aren’t goblins.
• Davask owns two domesticated displacer beasts.
Timber is frightened of the creatures, but Fran wonders
where they sleep. She has also noticed that both
seem to be afraid of chickens, but won't mention this
information unless it seems relevant.
• Yesterday, a blonde-haired woman broke into the
warehouse, but the goblins managed to subdue her. She
is being held captive in area A4.
Indebted. If the characters allow Fran and Timbur to
escape they are immensely grateful, and invite the party to
dine with them before the gnomes leave Sharn.
A2:
A cacophony of drunken shouting assaults your eardrums;
what seems to be the main storage area of the warehouse
has been converted into a kitchen, sleeping quarters, and,
it appears, a bar. Goblins and bugbears crowd around the
three tables in the center, while another bugbear, wearing
an apron and a chef's hat, industriously stirs a cast-iron
pan. The wood beneath their feet has taken on a sickly
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
10
yellow tinge, presumably from the copious amounts of ale
and meat juices it has recently absorbed.
Goblins. Around the three tables sit five Boartooth
goblins and two Boartooth bugbears, laughing amongst
themselves. The bugbear bent over the pot is Gormley,
the Boartooth's resident chef. He is stirring some vegetable
soup he has prepared for the rest of the gang.
If the goblins in this area perceive the characters
as friendly, they warn them of the tripwire
leading to area A4.
Combat. The goblins will notice and attack any non-
goblinoid creature that enters the room unannounced.
If the characters do not fight back, Gormley breaks up
the fighting after the first round and asks them what
their business is. If none of the characters can provide a
satisfactory answer, the goblins resume their attack.
Soup's on! A character can attack the cooking pot to
unbalance it, causing scalding hot soup to spill everywhere.
Any creature within 10 ft. of the pot must succeed on a DC
10 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 fire damage, or
half as much damage on a successful save.
Sneaking. If the characters try to Hide on the landing
before combat starts, that will require a DC 10 Dexterity
(Stealth) check.
Interrogation. The goblins will give up any information
they know on a successful DC 10 Charisma check. The
goblins know that a man was at the hideout not too long
ago, but nothing about the deal Davask made nor the
treasure stashed in area A3.
The bugbears require a successful DC 15 Charisma
check to tell the players anything. They know that Davask
recently sold two items from the warehouse to a buyer and
stored the profits somewhere safe. As to the identity of
the buyer, they don’t know much more than that he was a
"fancy lookin' eejit," and bore a Dragonmark on his arm.
Secret tunnel. Gormley’s cooking pot does more than
serve soup- it also serves as a diversion. The fire beneath
the pot conceals a tunnel large enough for a Medium
creature to squeeze through, leading into area A3. A
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check is needed
to discover the tunnel. This check automatically succeeds if
the pot is removed.
Trap. Running across the length of the hallway leading
towards area A4 is a tripwire. The goblins intended
it to simply trip up intruders, but they've fallen over it
themselves so often that it has damaged the masonry of
the ceiling. If one more creature trips on the wire, it will
collapse the entire hallway, dealing 3d10 bludgeoning to
any creature that fails a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw.
A3:
The characters might enter this room by two
ways: the secret tunnel from area A2, or the sewer
grating in area A0.
Occupants. The room itself is densely packed with
boxes, leaving only a small area where two domesticated
displacer beasts lie curled up in front of an ornate
silver chest.
The displacer beasts immediately notice any character
that enters through the secret tunnel from area A2.
Characters entering from the sewer can make an attempt
to Hide against the creatures' passive Perception. Note
that, as per their stat block, the displacer beasts also count
as Beasts for the purposes of any spell or ability that
influences interactions with them, e.g. Animal Friendship.
Combat. Upon noticing intruders, the displacer beasts
snarle and raise their tentacles. However, they've been
trained to guard the chest, and will only attack if a creature
approaches it.
Chicken? A character that remains unseen by the
displacer beasts can attempt to frighten them by making
chicken sounds. On a successful DC 10 Charisma
(Deception) check, the displacer beasts rush out of the
hideout through the exit to area A2. All the goblins from
area A2 except Gormley chase after them.
Unlocking the chest. Davask, the hobgoblin captain in
area A5, has the only key to chest. Otherwise, it requires
a DC 20 Dexterity check with thieves tools or a Knock
spell to open.
Treasure. The chest contains a coin pouch with 36 Gold
Pieces, 30 Silver pieces, and 5 Platinum Pieces, along with
a number of magical items which Davask traded for the
Tyrants' package: 2 Potions of Superior Healing, 4 Arrows +2,
an Arrow of Slaying (Construct) a Chime of Opening, Oil of
Sharpness, a Stone of Good Luck, and a Wand of Lightning.
Danger! Davask! The chest has been imbued with an
Alarm spell to alert Davask when it is opened. The spell
can be discovered with Detect Magic, and a successful DC 15
Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals the chest has been
enchanted, but not how. Once the Alarm spell is activated,
Davask and his captains (see area A5) immediately rush
towards area A3.
A4:
When the characters enter this area, read the
following text aloud:
In a shadowy nook off to the west of the hallway stands
an iron cage. Inside, you can see a woman, hands bound
behind her back and brow furrowed. As you enter, she
shuffles over to the bars. "Hey, you lot!" she whispers,
flashing you a sheepish grin, "Mind helping a girl out here?"
Prisoner. The woman in the cage calls
herself Neera. She tells the party that
she and her partner Garte recently tried
to break in to the Boartooth Hideout,
whereupon she was captured and Garte
was killed by Davask. Davask also
took Garte's pendant, a chipped red
stone on a silver chain, as a trophy. If
the characters untie Neera, she has no
problem unlocking the cage.
Pants on fire. Everything Neera tells
the party is a complete lie. Their real
name is Ash, a former changeling foundling. Their partner
Garte is also a fabrication, meant to drum up sympathy;
Fran and Timbur in area A1 specifically mentioned only
one intruder. Ash is a well-trained liar, and it takes a
successful DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check to see through
their deception.
Ash's goal. Ash feels that their race has hidden away
in the cracks of society for too long. They despise the
Tyrants' ideals of cohabitation. Ash wants to inspire a
changeling revolt, and carve out a new home for their
people in Khorvaire. When Ash caught wind that the
Tyrants had found a Child of Jes, it seemed to them a
perfect catalyst to inspire such a revolution. They tried
to break into the warehouse, but underestimated Davask
and got caught.
Behind closed doors. A large oak door leads towards
area A5. Laughter can be heard from the other side,
as well as raised voices speaking in Goblin. Any
character who understands Goblin can pick up on the
following conversation:
“Well Davask, you’ve done it again!”
“You’re damn right. 500 gold pieces and enough weaponry
to outfit a small army, all for a wooden crate. Quite the
excellent exchange, I’d say!”
“What’s next for us, then?”
“We live it up a little in the big city, and then, Kranz, we
head to the Eldeen Reaches! By the earth beneath our feet,
soon we will have a new home for our family!”
[in unison]: “By the earth beneath our feet!”
(Loud cheering, followed by a rowdy but uninteresting
discussion on the nuances of various hunting techniques)
A5:
Davask Boartooth and his captains, two bugbears named
Kranz and Urlik, are seated behind a table here.
This wood-paneled room is dusty and unlit, save for a single
lantern. Massive wooden boxes have been pushed aside
to make way for a large table, where a broad-shouldered
hobgoblin is resting his sabatons beside the flame. His
face, lit from below, looks more akin to a devil, and his
pointed teeth gleam a bright orange in the lanternlight.
Tough, clawed hands caress a single gold piece from the
considerable pile splayed out in front of him.
To his right is a bugbear with a thick, wiry mane and squinty
pupils, wearing a cloth war-garb. To the left sits another
bugbear, this one a hulking mass of muscle and matted
cedar fur. Its maddening eyes are wide and bloodshot, its
mouth slightly agape. A light purple tongue lolls out over a
row of stubbed teeth.
Calm and collected. When the characters first enter the
room, Davask acknowledges them with a smile. He greets
Neera, and strokes the pendant hanging across his chest,
but doesn’t mention Garte.
Conscription. Convincing Davask that a character
intends to join the Boartooths requires a successful DC 15
Charisma (Deception) check. Allow the characters to
make a DC 10 Intelligence (History) check to fabricate
a believable lie about their goblin ancestry, which will
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11
 reduce the DC by 5. If the characters have actual goblin
ancestry, the check automatically succeeds.
The missing package. If the characters ask any question
about the package, or a leading question towards it, Davask
picks up on it, saying:
“Maybe I have it, and maybe I don’t. Who’s to say? Even if
I did sell it, I wouldn't divulge my buyer's information, now
would I? I've got more integrity than that… ”
Davask is purposefully tempting the party; if they want to
know whether Davask has the package, they will have to
either fight him or make a deal.
Making a Deal
Davask Boartooth is nothing if not flexible. The party can
make a deal in any of the following ways:
Money. If the characters have the means, Davask will
accept any bribe upwards of 1,000 gp, to be paid up-front.
Upon payment however, Davask still won't disclose
his buyer, saying that if the characters really want the
information they can surely fork up another 500 gp.
(Davask is pushing his luck and he knows it, because he
fully believes that his men can take the characters in a
fight.) A successful DC 10 Charisma check convinces him
that the extra 500 gp aren’t necessary.
Part of the family. The other option for the characters is
to promise one of their own will join the Boartooths. This
is only an option if there are goblin characters in the party.
Davask will suggest this if the characters do not, noting
that he does not mind if the character only joins when the
Boartooths leave Sharn three days from now. A character
not intending to join the Boartooths will need to succeed
on a DC 10 Charisma (Deception) check to convince
Davask otherwise.
Escalation. If the characters strike up any other kind of
conversation Davask humours them for a while, before
calmly asking if they have killed any of his men. If the party
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
12
has not, a successful DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check
is enough to convince Davask to drop the matter. If they
have, a successful DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check
is required. If either check fails, Davask assumes they’ve
killed the rest of the Boartooths, but doesn't let it show.
At some point during the conversation, he snuffs out the
lantern in front of him and attacks.
Fighting Davask
If Davask isn't on edge (i.e. if the party hasn't failed
their earlier Charisma checks) he and his captains are
surprised if the party suddenly attacks them.
Combat. Kranz takes up the bulk of the frontline, with
Urlik standing back to cast his spells. Davask attempts to
skirt around the party, moving in and out of their range.
He will always try and use his reaction to prevent damage
to Kranz or Urlik, unless he himself is at death's door.
Family. The last thing Davask wants is to lose his family
again. If either Kranz or Urlik could plausibly die from
a character's attack, Davask shouts at them to stop and
lowers his sword. If the character still continues their
attack, Davask fights to the death. The next attack against
him is an automatic critical hit.
Treasure. The boxes in the room do not hold much:
various trinkets that seem more dangerous than they're
worth, and none of them carry the Mark of Passage. The
gold on the table numbers 500 gp in total.
If the characters take the pendant from Davask, Neera
implores them to return it to her. Otherwise, she
grabs it herself.
Clue. Sticking out from underneath the pile of gold
on Davask’s desk is a letter that bears the seal of House
Orien. Any character that succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom
(Perception) check notices the letter. If the characters
don’t investigate, they notice Neera picking up the letter
to inspect it. Characters previously involved with House
Orien recognize the seal immediately; other characters
recognize it on a DC 10 Intelligence (History) check.
The letter, written in flowery, elaborate handwriting,
reads as follows:
“I hereby confirm my receipt of the goods provided by
Davask Boartooth, and acknowledge that the exchange sum
has been paid in full.
Signed, Titus d’Orien.”
Neera offers to join the party in the search for Titus, as
thanks for letting her get revenge (or for freeing her if
they opted for making a deal). In truth, Ash is waiting
for the right moment to take the Child for themselves. If
the players choose to take Neera with them, she joins the
party (refer to Ash's statblock in Appendix B for combat,
ignoring their Pendant of Shadow Control until the climax
of Part 4). If the party leaves Neera behind, she thanks
them before they leave:
"If there’s ever anything I can do for you, just let me know.
I live up on Clifftop, near the edge of the city. Again, I can't
thank you enough."
Revenge. If Davask is left alive and finds out the
characters killed one or more Boartooths, he will pursue
them until the ends of the earth. (A hobgoblin with a
grudge makes a great recurring villain.)
Part 3: A Night at the
Lumin Opera
In this part of the adventure, the characters will discover
Titus d’Orien’s evening whereabouts: The Lumin Opera,
cornerstone of musical theatre in Upper Menthis. This can
be achieved through their own investigative abilities, or
with a little help from the Spider. The party will then need
to make their way to the Opera, confront Titus and obtain
the current location of the Tyrants' package.

Titus' Current Location

At the moment the characters exit the Boartooth hideout,
Titus d’Orien is in Lyrandar Tower, overseeing the
handover of the Tyrants’ package to his uncle Silas d’Orien.
Silas needs the package – which contains a Child of Jes –
for his own nefarious purposes (detailed in Part 4), and
has taken care to cover his nephew’s tracks.
It’s near impossible for the characters to stumble upon
Titus during this transaction; all the information they can
collect will lead them to the Lumin Opera, where Titus
will arrive that evening.

Insurance
Though he is fairly certain no one will track down his
nephew, Silas d'Orien has enlisted the help of House
Tarkanan to keep an eye out. As the party leaves the
Boartooth hideout, two elite Tarkanan assassins begin
to follow them through the streets.
Every time the party travels to another location during
Part 3, roll a Dexterity (Stealth) check for the assassins.
If the result is lower than any of the character's passive
Perception scores, they notice that they are being
followed. If the party decides to confront the assassins,
proceed with the encounter outlined at the end of Part 3,
leaving out the detail of the abandoned skyway.

The Search for Titus

When searching for Titus, the characters can either
launch their own investigation into his whereabouts, or
enlist the Spider – previously mentioned by Kaz – to help
them gather information. Either method will provide the
party with the knowledge that Titus will be attending a
performance at the Lumin Opera that night. However,
both methods have their drawbacks.
An independent investigation will be significantly
longer, meaning the party will be unable to rest before
heading to the Lumin Opera. Consulting the Spider is
by far the faster route and gives the party ample time to
prepare, but will require them to give up something of
their own in return.

Player Deduction
The players might think Titus plans to leave on an airship. If
the players ask where airships depart from, feel free to direct
them towards Lyrandar Tower. Silas has covered Titus’ tracks
very effectively however, and it is not remotely possible for the
characters to obtain any sort of lead there.

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 Independent Investigation
Any character that succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom check
can think of two likely places Titus might be: Terminus
Station, situated in the Terminus District of Lower Tavick’s
Landing, or the Dragon Towers, a district in Middle Central.
Terminus Station is the main entry point for the
Lightning Rail, a commodity and leisure railway line
owned and operated by House Orien. The station is
of interest both due to its affiliation with house Orien
and because of its potential to ferry goods to and from
the city, making it the obvious choice if you wanted to
transport a package.
The Dragon Towers are the main contact point for
any Dragonmarked house; while members from the upper
eschelons of house Orien don’t usually frequent the area,
it’s not a bad place to start asking some questions.
As noted before, Titus d’Orien will be at none of these
places, but if they go to both, the party will have enough
information to deduce Titus' nightly activities.
Terminus Landing
A visit to Terminus Landing can provide the characters
with valuable information as to where Titus d’Orien might
be headed to next.
Travel time. From the Stores or the Spider, the journey
to Terminus Landing takes only three hours, whereas from
the Dragon Towers it takes the party five hours.
Read or paraphrase the boxed text below as the party
moves toward Terminus Landing:
Rounding the last set of winding steps, the gentle hubbub
of an assembled crowd welcomes you to Terminus
Landing. The Landing's usual to-and-fro motion of
passengers however, is noticeably absent. Creatures of
all races are clustered round the Landing's high-vaulted
dome, beyond which you can see the Lightning rail,
conspicuously immobile.
Along the edges of the throng, a lean half-elf male in a neat
green-gold uniform gently ushers people about. He nods
as you approach. His face is pale, and he is slighlty out of
breath. "Hello, hello! Terribly sorry, but it looks like our
transportation service is going to be held up for a while. In
the meantime, is there anything I can help you with? The
name's Merin d'Orien, and I'm the ticket master here."
Merin oversees Terminus Landing's operations; when
Titus d'Orien visited at the Landing for a routine
inspection before heading to the Boartooth
hideout, Merin was his main point of contact.
However, the Lightning Rail has come to an
unprecedented standstill, and Merin is currently
too preoccupied with the holdup to remember
the details of his conversation with Titus. If the
characters can get the Lightning Rail moving
again, Merin will be able give them some helpful
information.
Merin d'Orien
Merin is a pleasant, rosy-cheeked man who takes
to his position very well, and gives everyone who
requires his assistance his undivided attention.
As such, the sudden influx of duties caused by the
standstill has left him rather frazzled.
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
14
Talking to Merin. If the characters inquire about Titus,
Merin tells them he remembers that the youth dropped
by in the morning, and that they spoke briefly. However,
the stress of the current situation prevents Merin from
recalling further details of their encounter.
Getting Things Back on Track
If the characters ask about the holdup, Merin explains that
an owlbear has fallen asleep on the Lightning Rail tracks
just outside the city (something Merin assures them is
quite uncommon).
The Terminus Landing guards, though well-trained,
aren't equipped to deal with a monster of this size and
ferocity, and so are scared to wake the creature, lest they
anger it. Merin has sent word to the City Watch about
the situation, but they won't be at the Landing for another
two hours. Meanwhile, the queue of passengers is only
getting longer.
If the character's offer to deal with the owlbear, Merin is
more than willing to share its exact location with them.
Dealing with the owlbear
The party finds the owlbear half a mile out of the city,
some ten minutes travel along the Lightning Rail tracks.
Any character that succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence
check immediately notices the creature's slumber is far
from natural; its eyes move rapidly beneath their lids, and
its spasmodic movements indicate it is having some sort of
nightmare. Though the characters are unaware of this, the
increased presence of the Quori in Sharn is to blame for
the creature's sudden rest. A successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Arcana) check reveals the owlbear's sleep is a result of
malicious ambient magic, but not its source.
Wake up, sleepyhead. The owlbear can be woken up
peacefully with a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Animal
Handling) check. This check can be attempted twice; if
the second attempt fails, the owlbear attacks; it flees when
forced to use its smoke secretion. If successfully woken up,
the owlbear is docile, expressing its gratitude by nuzzling
up to whoever woke it.
The owlbear can also be roused by an attack which does
10 or more damage to it in a single hit. Attacks against
the sleeping owlbear have advantage. If woken up this
way, the owlbear perceives its attackers as the cause of its
restless sleep, and attacks relentlessly until dropping to 15
HP, at which point it retreats from the tracks.
Owl's well that ends well
Merin heaves a sigh of relief upon hearing that the tracks
are cleared, and immediately begins loading people
onto the carriages. Afterwards, he provides any details
about his encounter with Titus that he can. This is what
Merin remembers:
• Titus was quite well-dressed for the Lower City.
• He mentioned having plans in Upper Menthis that
evening.
• Titus was carrying a letter bearing the seal of house
Orien.
The Dragon Towers
Visiting to the Dragon Towers will provide the party with
an opportunity to learn about the premiere of a new opera
– White Blossom's Beauty – and procure a ticket to it.
This opportunity comes in the form of Camila
d'Deneith, a noblewoman who was hoping to make her
debut into high society at this evening's performance.
However, her ticket has suddenly vanished, and she is
inconsolable. The party can search for Camila's lost ticket;
it is up to them whether they choose to return it or keep it
for themselves.
Travel time. From the Stores, the journey to the Dragon
Towers takes three hours, whereas from Terminus
Landing it takes the characters about five.
As the party arrives at the Dragon Towers, read or
paraphrase the following:
The imposing stonework of the Dragonmark house
enclaves rises up from all round, with other minor – though
no less elaborate – enclaves scattered around the edges of
the plaza. On any other day, the expansive view of Middle
Central would be enough to justify the steep climb towards
this district’s central plateau. However, on this occassion
you have little time to fully appreciate it.
The characters will find no new information on Titus
when asking around the enclaves. However, upon moving
through the reception area of House Orien's enclave, they
hear a gentle sobbing: Camila d'Deneith is sitting, her back
against the wall, lamenting the loss of her opera ticket.
Camila d'Deneith
If the characters ask Camila what’s wrong,
the noblewoman launches into a lengthy
and frantic diatribe about how she “just
took her eyes off it for a minute,” and
“everybody who’s anybody is going to be
there” and that she “promised Marybell
she’d come”.
Once she’s calmed down, Camila
explains to the characters that she left
her ticket on a desk inside this enclave,
only to turn around and find it had
disappeared.
Finding the ticket
The one behind the ticket’s mysterious
disappearance is Alfy, a Chaotic Good
Pixie (MM page 253) who hangs around in the rafters
of the enclave. Alfy has a fondness for items of personal
importance; she noticed how happy Camila was with the
ticket, and decided to take it for herself. If the characters
look for Camila’s ticket, have them roll an Intelligence
(Investigation) check. The player with the highest
result spots Alfy’s face peaking out from behind a beam in
the ceiling.
Catching Alfy
Alfy is easily lured out from her
hiding spot, and when caught
is rather bashful, despite her
mischievous nature. She never
intended to deliberately hurt
anyone, and if confronted with
the consequences of her actions
will – somewhat reluctantly –
part with the ticket.
If the characters wish to
console Alfy, they can provide
her with any item of slight
importance to them (a scrap of
a valuable letter, the scabbard
of their sword, etc.) If Camila is
present, she is quite taken with
the pixie and gives her a rose-
shaped silver brooch which she
received from a suitor, as a token of forgiveness.
The Spider
The simplest way for the party to discover Titus’
whereabouts is to contact the Spider, whose shop, as
mentioned by Kaz in Part 1 is located in the Tradefair
district in Middle Central. However, they will have to give
up something in return. If the party decides to travel to the
district, read or paraphrase the following text:
The Tradefair district is a cornucopia of sight and sound;
seemingly every corner houses a new fascination, and
every shop window or extravagant sideshow pulls at your
coin purse, begging you to loosen its contents. With some
effort, you wrench yourselves away from the throng of
the main streets and into a quieter area, which runs along
the edge of a lengthy tower. The Spider’s shop, Fenbris’
Antiques, is nestled comfortably in-between a perfumery
and a rustic jewelry store.
The characters can spy a number of curios in the windows
of Fenbris’ Antiques; old wind-up clockwork toys, various
archaic teapots, and faded newsprints. Character who
succeed on a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana check) notice
the shop’s faint magical aura, and any character that casts
Detect Magic recognizes the aura as Illusion magic.
If the characters enter the shop, read or paraphrase the
following boxed text:
The shop smells like a loft, or other places where old
secrets have settled into the woodwork. Though it has no
windows, the interior is brightly lit by a variety of lanterns,
all of which illuminate a vast array of antique fixtures and
furniture. Through the closed door, the muffled sounds of
the street outside are still somewhat audible. A wizened
man sits behind a mahogany counter, his face bent over
heaps of paperwork. He looks up as you walk in, and his
expression brightens. “Hello, now here’s a delight!” He
says, sitting back as he clasps the rests of his armchair,
“what manner of business brings you all here?”
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
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 Talking shop. The old man’s name is Fenbris (or so
he says), and he will happily answer any questions put
to him about his wares. He only shuts up if explicitly
asked to do so.
Down to business. If the characters say they are looking
for the Spider, Fenbris goes still and looks them directly in
the eye, asking in slow, deliberate tones:
“Are you now? Then tell me, what is it that gets
caught in a web?”
If the characters reply correctly (see Part 1), the shop
is plunged into magical darkness. Read or paraphrase
the following:
The lights are snuffed out, and the shop around you is
plunged into darkness. The muffled hubbub from outside
is immediately silenced. From the ceiling, a single strand
of light trickles down, and where the cheerful old man
was sitting before, you now make out the outline of a
spindly figure.
A finger, bony and white, moves into the patch of light and
beckons you forward. It is accompanied by a raspy shadow
of a voice, which cuts through the silence like a knife across
silk: “Correct… To what do I owe the distinguished pleasure
of a missive from the Tyrants?”
When asked about Titus’ whereabouts, the Spider states
very plainly that he doesn’t know the boy’s current location
(something he finds slightly disturbing), but that he can
tell the characters where Titus will be that night. However,
they must offer him something in return.
Information exchange
The Spider doesn’t operate in grand conspiracies and
power plays. He believes that true power is the control
of individuals. Thus, the Spider only deals in personal
information. This is where the precious memories from
the characters, mentioned in the sidebar on page 4, might
come into play.
Below are listed some things the Spider might request
from the party:
• A valuable memory (i.e. a significant figure/moment in
the character’s life).
• An untold truth from the character’s past (only if
absolutely no one else knows will the Spider accept this).
• An ability (a character can choose to give up one of their
skill proficiencies or known languages).
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
16
• The promise of a future favour, which comes
accompanied by a burning Spider tattoo on the
character's arm; it will light up again when the time
comes to act upon this promise.
A deal worth making. If the character’s pick any of the
first three options, the Spider’s extends his arm, pushing
a thin glass vial to their lips, and asks them to whisper the
information into it. Upon complying, a thick dark liquid
dribbles out through the character’s open mouth into the
vial until it is full, whereupon the Spider withdraws his
arm. The character immediately forgets the information
they just provided, knowing only that something has been
taken from them, but not what.
Roleplaying the Spider
The Spider can be tricky to roleplay – you have to keep up the
air of mystique and all that, so here are a few pointers:
• Don’t laugh. Or smile.
• Be pleasant; the Spider would never frighten away
potential customers.
• Don’t directly answer a question that you don’t have to.
• When possible, ask the characters about themselves: about
their fears, and their dreams. Any information given for free is
a win in the Spider's book; he will remember it all.
Traveling to the Opera
After the characters have discovered Titus' location, they
will need to make their way to the Lumin Opera. If the
party visited two or more locations in the previous section
of the adventure, they will only have time for a short rest
before the performance of White Blossom’s Beauty begins.
If the party visited only one location, they will be able to
take a long rest before heading to the opera. Remind the
party of this if they forget, as they will need their health.
Travel time. Regardless of where the characters are, it
will take two hours for them to reach the opera.
Death from above
Before reaching the Lumin Opera, the two elite
Tarkanan assassins make their move.
Read the following boxed text below:
A chill wind sweeps across the skybridge as you pass,
suddenly uncomfortably aware that the noise of the city
has dimmed. All at once, two robed figures drop down
from the spires on either side of the skybridge! Without
uttering a word, they rush towards you, twin daggers
glinting in the glaring orange light coming off the towers.

Motive. A successful DC 15 Charisma Check convinces
a captured assassin to reveal that they were hired
by a member of House Orien, though they don't
know their name.
The Spider's Request
I'll leave it up to you to decide what form the Spider's request
will take, if you continue with this group of players. One piece
of advice though: make it small. It's tempting to have debts like
this be resolved with high drama, but here's two reasons why
not to do that in this case:
• 1: It would be out of character; the Spider doesn't do high-
drama plans, and prefers to operate on a smaller scale.
• 2: If the request is something small, you don't have to decide
immediately what the consequences are, and can later work
out a way for it to significantly impact your larger story.
For inspiration, here are some examples of small requests
which can really get under your player's skin:
• A child is praying beside an altar as the party strolls into a
village. The Spider requests that they tell the child to distrust
the next person they meet.
• The party bumps into a postal worker, whose letters fall
to the ground. The Spider ask the party to steal one of the
letters and burn it, without reading it. If they do read it, the
letter is blank.
The Lumin Opera
The Lumin Opera, situated centrally in the entertainment
sector of Upper Menthis, is an astonishing piece of
architecture. Dozens of famous characters from operatic
history have been carved into its walls. Its tallest spires
reach almost up to the Skyway, offering unparalleled depth
of acoustics.
The building derives its name from Luminous Sunstone,
which was the principal material used in its construction,
and gives the Lumin Opera its famed nightly glow.
Upon arriving, the party finds that the concourse in front
of the opera is already packed with people mulling around
in anticipation of the new show.
If at any point the party displays an interest in the opera,
refer to the sidebar White Blossom's Beauty on page 18,
which lays out the opera's story.
Getting in
A bulky warforged attendant named Cervix has squeezed
itself into a maroon glass-paneled ticket booth, sighing
despondently every now and again as it hands out tickets.
Unless the characters climb the opera’s walls (see sidebar:
Scaling the Lumin Opera) they will have to speak to Cervix
to get tickets and enter the opera. Trouble is, the show is
all sold out.
Cervix
A combat-built warforged who struggled to find a job
after the Last War, Cervix is not particularly happy with
its current line of work, as any character who succeeds on
a DC 10 Insight check will notice. If the
characters take pity on the warforged's
predicament, Cervix becomes more loose-
lipped about the Lumin Opera's interior,
and on a DC 10 Charisma check can
provide the following information:
• Members of dragonmarked houses have
locked private booths on the upper floor.
Cervix doesn’t know which doors belong
to who.
• One of the hallways on the upper floor
has a heating issue, and the windows to
outside have been left open.
• Every private booth has two guards posted outside, one
of which holds the key to the door.
• Teenage nobles often climb up into the private booths
from the middle row of the auditorium during the
performance, for a laugh.
• Titus d'Orien has not yet picked up his ticket.
A further DC 10 Charisma check can convince Cervix
to let the characters tour the foyer while the current show
is ongoing. Entry to the upper floors, however, is blocked
by two opera guards, who refuse to let the characters
through without a ticket.
Appropriation. If the characters try to impersonate
a ticket holder who has not yet arrived, they will need
suitable attire and a name. A DC 10 Intelligence
(Investigation) or Widsom (Perception) check
will catch a few names of potential ticketholders in the
assembled crowd.
If the characters attempt to use one of these names
with Cervix, roll a d20: on an even result the ticket is still
available, and Cervix hands it over on a successful DC 10
Charisma (Deception) check, made with advantage
if the character is wearing suitable clothing. On an odd
result the ticket has already been picked up, and Cervix
tells the character(s) to stop wasting its time. At the second
failed attempt, Cervix calls the opera guards to escort the
characters away.
Scaling the Lumin Opera
The many reliefs on the side of the Lumin Opera make for
excellent handholds; the tricky part is not getting spotted.
Due to the building's natural glow, any check made to Hide
while climbing it has disadvantage. The window mentioned by
Cervix is a good 80 ft up, and a character will need to succeed
on a DC 10 Athletics (Strength) or Dexterity (Acrobatics)
check to reach it.
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
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 Titus’ arrival
Titus d’Orien, a wiry young man with squinty eyes and
slicked-back brown hair, arrives about half an hour after
the characters. He mingles with the crowd for a while,
before collecting his ticket and entering the Lumin Opera.
Characters who chat with Titus or follow him as he enters
learn that his private booth is booth A-4.
Following Titus while remaining
unnoticed requires a DC 10 Dexterity
(Stealth) check, and his door, which is
guarded by two Opera Guards, requires
a DC 20 Dexterity check with thieves’
tools to unlock.
Confronting Titus
The characters might accost Titus
before, during, or after the performance.
Either way they'll need to get him alone.
The young noble needs absolutely no
intimidating or persuading; he is scared out of his wits and
spills the beans the instant he feels his life is genuinely in
danger. This is what he knows:
• Silas d’Orien, Titus’ uncle, asked him to pick up an
important package and check in at Terminus Landing
beforehand. (This was to throw off potential pursuers,
though Titus doesn't know this.)
• Titus delivered the package, as well as an Orb of Storms
from his father’s vault, to his uncle at platform 5
of Lyrandar Tower. (Characters can make a DC 10
Intelligence (History) check to see if they know the
Orb's properties)
• The package itself was a large wooden box. Titus
remembers it was quite heavy, and swears he saw it
move once.
• The package will be shipped out of Sharn within the
hour.
• His uncle, always a rather strange man, was acting
particularly odd that afternoon. If asked what he means
by this,Titus says he isn't sure; only that he remembers
feeling slightly drowsy after meeting with Silas.
If asked to accompany them to Lyrandar Tower, Titus
complies, but will attempt to alert the opera guards and
escape the first chance he gets.
Make sure to emphasise that it will take the characters
no less than an hour to travel to Lyrandar Tower on foot;
by which point they will probably already be too late. In
Part 4, they will need to commandeer an airship if they are
to reach the docks in time to stop Silas from leaving.
Part 4: Race to the Docks
This part of the adventure sees the characters rushing
towards the docks to face off against a warforged titan
and its owner, Silas d’Orien, a nobleman who has
been possessed by a Quori of the Dreaming Dark. The
characters will need to stop Silas before he manages to
escape with the Tyrants’ missing cargo.

White Blossom’s Beauty

White Blossom’s Beauty is a recent opera written by Shantay
Pepperbridge. It tells the story of a Dasha, a girl in the Hamlet
of Lessyk, who begins exchanging letters with a boy named
'Halli'. Dasha happens upon the first letter in with the usual
mail delivery to her parents' house. The letter describes her in
such delicate and beautiful words, calling her a White Blossom.
It is signed 'Halli', in an elegant hand.
Flattered and slightly curious, Dasha sends a letter in return,
and thus begins an ongoing exchange with Halli. One day,
Dasha's curiosity gets the better of her, and she sends a letter
asking to meet the boy. However, Halli refuses, saying it would
be a bad idea for both of them. Naturally headstrong and by
this point very much in love, Dasha travels to the post office in
Sigilstar to learn where her return letters are being sent to.
Upon arriving, Dasha discovers that each of her letters
was stolen before it could ever be sent. She Investigates the
matter herself, and eventually manages to determine the letter
thief's location. By this point, Dasha's parents have noticed her
prolonged absence and her father sets off in search of her.
When Dasha finally arrives at the thief's location – an
abandoned cave out west of Sigilstar – she finds Halli inside,
and learns the truth: 'Halli' is a deformed creature from the
Mournlands, whose mind and body have been tainted by
the land's terrible magic. The creature, which still calls itself
Halli, begs Dasha to stay away, but she ignores its pleas and
throws herself into its arms, promising to take the creature
home with her.
Sadly, Halli is not the soft-spoken, gentle person from her
letters; unable to control its instincts, the creature devours
Dasha, just as her father, hot on his daughter's trail, finds the
entrance to the cave. Once he sees what this creature has
done to his daughter, Dasha's father kills it without hesitation,
bringing the child home so as to bury her.

CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
18
 Read the following boxed text as the characters exit the
Lumin Opera:
What few nobles are left on the concourse take little notice
of you as you leave the opera building behind you. One of
them, a squat bearded dwarf, is in the process of relieving
his private airship from its moorings.
The spires around you are fully lit, to accommodate for
the cloud-covered dusk. The stars above are practically
invisible, as if apprehensive about revealing themselves.
Beside the platform the air traffic is moving swiftly along;
every so often, a joyriding airship breaks loose from the
congestion, careening dangerously close to the edge of
the plateau.
Due to the closed-off nature of this section of Upper
Menthis, public air transport isn't available. The party
will need to find another means of transportation to reach
Lyrandar Tower on time. They might commandeer one of
the joyriding airships, or appropriate the ship of the nearby
dwarven noble.
Teenage Drop-in
A character can attempt a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics)
or Strength (Athletics) check to land on one of the
passing airships that comes close to the edge of the plateau.
If the check fails by 5 or less, the character still manages to
grab hold of the edge of the ship. Failing the check by any
more results in a deathly drop, which the other characters
in the party will need to rescue them from.
Upon successfully catching hold of a passing airship, the
characters find it occupied by three surprised elves in their
teenage years: Kai, Rizza, and Julien.
Questionable judgement. Julien is the son of a minor
noble in Sharn; both he and Kai agreed to Rizza's
suggestion to take the ship for a spin, a decision they are
now slowly beginning to regret, fearing Rizza's reckless
flying is mere minutes away from pancaking them
into a wall.
Joyride! Upon noticing the characters, Rizza insists they
tell the teens what their business is, threatening to ram
the airship against a tower if they don't. Upon hearing
something resembling the truth, Rizza hands over the
reigns, eager to experience a 'real' joyride.
Dwarf on Deck
The dwarf nobleman unmooring his ship is Lindle
d'Kundarak, an opera enthusiast who attends shows in
large part to escape the soul-crushing mundanity of his
everyday life.
If threatened, Lindle is initially fearful of the party, and
gives them control over his airship without protest. If
approached amicably, Lindle mulls it over for a little before
willingly relinquishing the airship.
In either case, the dwarf manages to muster up the
courage to ask one thing in return: that the party take
him with them.
Airship-ridin' son of a gun. While meek-mannered at
first, Lindle's thrill-seeking personality begins to shine
through as the party speeds through the city's airways. By
the end of the trip, he is hollering, gesticulating at other
airships, and revelling in the dramatics of it all. He thanks
the party with several furious handshakes before departing
from Lyrandar Tower, flushed with excitement.
Guess Who's
Back?
If the party did not
decide to team up
with Neera (Ash)
earlier, this is an
opportunity to
reintroduce them
into the adventure.
Neera could fly by
on an airship, note that the characters look like they're in a
hurry and offer to take them wherever they need to go.
Flying complications
At four points during their travel to the docks, have
whichever character is driving the airship roll a d10,
then consult the table below to determine whether a
comlpication occurs. Consider increasing, decreasing, or
doing away with the rolls depending on the current state
of the party's resources. Every time a complication calls for
a check, assume this has to be made by the current pilot of
the airship unless otherwise specified.
Most of the effects on the table can deal damage to the
airship; if the airship ever sustains more than 30 total
points of damage, it loses buoyancy and begins to dip
down, forcing the party to quickly make their way onto
another airship. Alternatively, if the ship is about to be
damaged, a character can throw themselves in front of
harm's way to take the damage instead of the airship. if you
roll a complication you've already encountered, roll again.
Complications Table:
1 Speeding past the airship in front of you, you suddenly
notice you are heading straight for a cross-tower
bridge! The airship's pilot must make a DC 15
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to get past the bridge.
The ship takes 2d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed
check.
2 The traffic up ahead is extremely congested. Either
attempt to ram the ship through, taking half of 3d6
bludgeoning damage, or attempt to maneuvre past
with a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, taking
no damage on a successful check and full damage on a
failed check.
3 A large airborn barge appears round the corner! Make
a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check to accelerate
the airship beyond its normal speed to pass the barge.
On a failed check, the barge clips one of the occupants
of the ship and sends them flying off. If you choose
to fly after them, roll another complication dice. The
flying occupant is rescued before the complication, if
there is one.
4 Above you, you hear a clattering sound; someone
has dropped their cargo! Make a DC 15 Dexterity
(Acrobatics) check as a large wooden crate hurtles
towards the ship, which takes 3d10 bludgeoning
damage on a failed check
5 One of the airship's sails is jammed! A character other
than the pilot must make a DC 10 Dexterity (Sleight
of Hand) check to unjam it without damaging the
ship. On a failed check, the airship takes 3d6 fire
damage from the friction.
6-10 No complication
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
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 Lyrandar Tower
When the characters arrive at Lyrandar Tower, read the
following boxed text below:
The city’s incandescence dims as you travel, as more and
more lights from the spires switch off. By the time you’ve
reached the crowded platforms surrounding Lyrandar
Tower, the entire district seems to be shaded in a deep
blue, lit only by what little light manages to seep through
the clouds.
As you stop at the platform, however, you notice that
the mass of commuters is not what it had seemed. Every
single person on the platform lies flat on the ground; their
eyelids are closed, and their muscles twitch violently. A thin
crepuscular haze hangs in the air, casting scintillations of
moonlight across the bodies.
If any characters interacted with the sleeping owlbear
in Part 3, they immediately recognise the similarities
between the two cases.
Upon inspection, a successful DC 5 Wisdom
(Medicine) check reveals that the people on the platform
are sleeping, but not through natural means. A successful
DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check determines that the
condition has been caused by ambient magic. Casting Detect
Magic reveals that the ambient magic is Illusion magic, and
that its origin lies somewhere inside Lyrandar Tower.
A successful DC 15 Charisma or Strength check can
snap someone on the platform out of their stupor for
half a minute, during which they tell the characters that a
middle-aged man with a soothing voice and wearing light
blue robes passed by them not too long ago. After this,
their eyelids close, and they can't be woken up again.
Platform 5
Silas d’Orien has been possessed by a Kalaraq Quori and
thus can’t be surprised. When the characters enter the
docking area, read the following boxed text aloud:
Evening shadows mull about the landing platform, which
juts aggressively out into the night sky. By the light of the
CHAPTER | SUBCHAPTER
20
moon you can make out a single airship, the moorings of
which now dangle loosely from the hull. A man in light
blue robes, his back to you, is lowering a large wooden
crate into the docked ship with a pulley. As you enter,
he straightens up and looks out over the moon-rimmed
clouds. “Ah, visitors. How did you come here, I wonder? My
fool of a nephew, no doubt. Well, no matter. You are too
late. The Dreaming Dark will not be halted now.”
Upon uttering these last words, a light forms around Silas
in the shape of a Quori. At the same time, a bright set of
lights and thunderous clanking sounds signal the activation
of the warforged titan (house Orien) 20 ft. to his left.
Fighting Silas
Area. The landing platform itself is 80 ft. wide and 40
ft. long, with an 50ft. wide opening at the North side,
in the middle of which sits the airship, itself 25 ft. wide.
The party enters the area from the South onto a raised
platform, 10 ft. above the central area, with 10 ft. long
steps leading down to the left and right.
Silas' actions. Silas is standing in front of the airship
when combat starts. On his first turn, he dashes towards
the warforged, which lifts him up onto one of the
platforms built into its chassis. The turn after that, Silas
casts mage armor; on subsequent turns he makes a ranged
attack with his crysteel dagger at any creature within 10
ft. of the warforged, using Vicious Mockery on any creature
that is further away.
Warforged tactics. The Orien warforged titan targets
creatures closest to it with its Hammerfist and Axehand
attacks, unless Silas commands it to do otherwise. Upon
brought to 2/3 health, the warforged uses its Sweeping
Axe, and anytime on recharge in subsequent turns. If Silas
dies or is knocked unconscious the warforged continues
fighting, operating under the last command given to it.
Silas' escape. If the warforged is defeated before Silas, he
attempts to make his way onto the airship, jumping off the
warforged if it happens to be close enough.
Treasure. Silas carries an Orb of Storms.
Neera's betrayal
After defeating Silas and the warforged, Neera attempts
to be the first to climb onto the airship if it is not yet in
flight, so as to restrain the characters with her Pendant
of Shadow Control before they can get on the ship. If she
has the opportunity, she will grab the Orb of Storms first,
but otherwise she will have one of her three shadows
bring it to her.
Grappling with Shadows
Once Neera reaches the airship deck, each character must
make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw as the shadows
attempt to grapple them. Neera, assuming their true form
as Ash, then uses the Orb of Storms to set the airship in
motion. Once the airship is moving, Ash calls the shadows
back to them.
In case of Ash's premature demise
If Ash/Neera has for some reason been killed before this, don’t
fret; it's the players' game after all. Besides, if your group is
open to killing a character, they’ll probably be satisfied with
just fighting a giant Warforged anyway. If however you still
want to have a climactic scene with the ariship, either have
Silas jump onto the ship before he dies, or have the Warforged
activate the Orb Storms by sending waves of magical energy
outwards as it's destroyed.
Pursuing Ash.
The characters have multiple opportunities to prevent
Ash’s escape. A timely DC 10 Dexterity check allows
them to grab on to the ship's the flailing moorings as it flies
off. A character can also make a DC 15 Athletics check
grab hold of the outside of the ship without the moorings.
Both of these will require similar checks to successfully
make it up onto the deck while the ship is in flight.
If a check fails by 10 or more, the character loses their
grip and falls. Any nearby character can make a DC 10
Dexterity or Strength check to grab them as they fall.
Shoot it down! Characters can also attempt to shoot down
the airship. It has 13 AC, 180 HP, and moves 40 ft. per
round for the first three rounds, after which it speeds up to
80 ft. per round. Upon being destroyed, the airship begins
to plummet towards the ground. However, the Child will
cast Featherfall before the ship hits the ground, keeping
both it and Ash intact.
Fighting Ash
In combat, Ash stays back and throws daggers, preferring
to let their shadows fight in melee range. Once they are
killed, their shadows disappear.
Skyfall. Upon being killed or knocked unconscious,
Ash drops the Orb of Storms, and the deck of the airship
lurches. A character within 5 ft. of Ash can make a DC
15 Dexterity check to catch the Orb before it hits the
ground. If they fail, the Orb shatters, and the airship starts
plummeting to the ground.
Featherfall. If the characters find themselves in freefall
with no way out, a strange light begins emitting from
the wooden casket on the deck; the Child, in an act of
unconscious self-defence, then casts Featherfall on the
entire party, allowing them to safely glide down into the
King's Forest.
Aftermath
Once the encounters with Silas and
Ash have concluded, the characters
will have a variety of options
depending on their situation, most
of which have been outlined in this
section.
Inside the King’s Forest
If the party was on the ship and
it plummeted down, they find
themselves in the King’s Forest along
with the package. If they shot the
ship down from the platform, the
package has fallen into the King’s
Forest and the party will need to look
for it. Either way, end your current
session at this point, and consult the suggestions for forest
monsters on page 302 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide to
determine what challenges the party might face when
retrieving the package.
Dealing with Ash
The party might decide they don’t want to kill Ash. In this
case, they will most likely take them back to the Tyrants
as well. Kaz's response to Ash’s reappearance in this way is
outlined below.
In case the party shoots the airship down from the
landing platform, Ash is subjected to the Featherfall spell.
At your own discretion, they might be unconscious when
the players arrive, or they might escape and become a
potential reoccurring villain.
Opening the package
The characters might decide to open the Tyrants' package
before heading back to Kaz. It is not enchanted, nor is it
locked, and the ropes are easy enough to untie. However,
the moment the box is opened, the Child of Jes rubs its
eyes and sits up, finally awake.
The Child is quite calm, and immediately takes a liking
to the characters. It cannot speak (yet), and the party has
the option to take the Child with them, or return it to the
Tyrants. If they choose to keep it, agents of the Tyrants
will most certainly try to track them down.
Returning to Kaz
If the characters decide to return to Boldrei’s Rest, Kaz
listens to their account of events with rapt attention.
They are somber when hearing of Ash’s involvement,
and reveal that Ash was once a Changeling foundling
under their care. If the characters have brought Ash along,
Kaz requests the party to leave them with Kaz in the
conglomerate.
Payment. If the party managed to stop Silas but failed to
retrieve the package, Kaz is willing to pay them 500 gp, but
urges the party to retrieve the package as soon as possible,
assuring them that it is not easily destroyed.
In the event that the party was unable to stop Silas or
Ash from leaving with the package, Kaz is extremely cold
to them and refuses to pay a single gold piece until the
package is in their hands.
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 If the party manages to bring back the package,
Kaz pays them the full reward of 1,500 gp, or
whatever was agreed upon earlier.

XP Story Rewards
Grant the party 1,500 XP each for returning
the package to the Tyrants. Additionally, if the
party managed to make it through the Boartooth
hideout without killing goblins, award them
1,000 XP each. Figuring out Titus' location
without consulting the Spider also grants each
party member 1,000 XP.
Finally, if the characters completed the
secondary objectives at Terminus Landing or the
Dragon Towers, award them 500 XP for each
objective completed.

Further adventures in Sharn

After concluding the adventure and having
gained a secure foothold in the city, the party
may want to continue to work with the Tyrants
and use Sharn as their base of operations. Here
are some ideas for further adventures within and
without Sharn, which expand on the characters
and themes of this adventure.

Do you dream of the dark?

The Dreaming Dark’s operations have begun in
earnest, and the citizens of Sharn are plagued
by nightmares. Kaz, the party’s main point of
contact with the Tyrants, has also fallen prey to
its influence. The characters are contacted by
Lok, a member of the Tyrants’ Inner Circle, who
asks that they determine the location of Silas
d’Orien’s masters in order to stop the nightmares
spreading throughout Khorvaire.

Trouble on the Rail

Merin d’Orien contacts the characters. From
checking the passenger records, he has noticed
a discrepancy in the amount of people entering
and exiting the Lightning Rail’s carriages
recently. It’s not that they are disappearing; the
number of passengers exiting is higher than it
should be. Clearly something is going on. Merin
invites the party aboard the Lightning Rail to
investigate the problem. Unbeknownst to him,
the group behind these curiosities is about to
make their first move…

Cogswallop
The inner mechanisms of the Cogs haven't been
running smoothly as of late. Entire foundries
have been abandoned by their workers, leaving
no signs of struggle nor trace of abduction.
Tyrant conglomerates are plagued by nightly
wailing, echoing through the tunnels. Whatever
is holding the workers captive must lurk far
beneath the city, perhaps lower even than the
Cogs themselves.

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22
Appendix A: Magic Items
This appendix describes the magic items that appear in the
adventure and presents them in alphabetical order.
Arrow +2
Weapon (arrow), rare
You have a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with
this piece of magic ammunition. Once it hits a target, the
ammunition is no longer magical.
Arrow of Construct Slaying
Weapon (arrow), very rare
An arrow of construct slaying is a magic weapon meant to
slay constructs.
If a creature that is a construct takes damage from the
arrow, the creature must make a DC 17 Constitution
saving throw, taking an extra 6d10 piercing damage on
a failed save, or half as much extra damage on a successful
one. Once an arrow of construct slaying deals its extra
damage to a creature, it becomes a nonmagical arrow.
Chime of Opening
Wondrous item, rare
This hollow metal tube measures about 1 foot long and
weighs 1 pound. You can strike it as an action, pointing it
at an object within 120 feet of you that can be opened, such
as a door, lid, or lock.
The chime issues a clear tone, and if the sound can reach
the object, one lock or latch on the object opens. If no
locks or latches remain, the object itself opens.The chime
can be used ten times. After the tenth time, it cracks and
becomes useless
Oil of Sharpness
Potion, very rare
This clear, gelatinous oil sparkles with tiny, ultrathin
silver shards. The oil can coat one slashing or piercing
weapon or up to five pieces of slashing or piercing
ammunition. Applying the oil takes 1 minute. For 1 hour,
the coated item is magical and has a +3 bonus to attack and
damage rolls.
Orb of Storms
Wondrous item, very rare
This crystalline orb seems to house a miniature
thunderstorm. The magical energy contained within
allows any creature that touches the orb to connect their
mind to a single airship within 60 ft., enabling them to fly
it without the required training or dragonmark.
Creatures with an Intelligence score of 5 or lower cannot
use this item. When using this item, a creature cannot take
a free action on their turn.
Potion of Superior Healing
Potion, rare
You regain 8d4+4 hit points when you drink this potion.
The potion’s red liquid glimmers when agitated.
Stone of Good Luck
Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)
While this polished agate is on your person, you gain a +1
bonus to ability checks and saving throws.
Appendix B: Creatures
Creatures that appear in this adventure are presented in
this appendix in alphabetical order.
Ash (Neera)
Medium humanoid (changeling), lawful evil
Armor Class 14 (leather armor)
Hit Points 31 (7d8)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
11 (+0) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +3
Skills Deception +8, History +4, Insight +3, Sleight of Hand +5,
Stealth +7, Survival +3
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Elvish, Thieves Cant
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Pendant of Shadow Control (1/Day). While wearing their
pendant, Ash can use an action to select up to three creatures
within range that aren't incapacitated. They can then summon
a shadow within 5 feet of each creature. These shadows are
controlled by Ash, and act on Ash's turn.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Ash deals an extra 9 (3d6) damage
when they hit a target with a weapon attack and they have
advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet
of an ally of Ash that isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack. Ash makes two attacks with their dagger
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.
or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage.
In order to keep their existence hidden from the Tyrants
Ash must continuously hide their true appearance. This
fact only further fans the flames of their conviction- that
one day their race will be released from the shadows
of Khorvaire.
Boartooth Goblin
Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (leather armor, shield)
Hit Points 7 (2d6)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) 9 (-1)
Skills Stealth +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages Common, Goblin
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Nimble Escape. The goblin can take the Disengage or Hide
action as a bonus action on each of its turns.
Actions
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.
Flintlock Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range
80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
Stumpy and stubborn, the Boartooth Goblins come
from all walks of life and have sworn to treat each other
like family. However, such oaths are not always the
easiest to keep.
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 Boartooth Goblin Guard
Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (studded leather, shield)
Hit Points 22 (5d6+5)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0)
Skills Perception +3, Persuasion +2, Stealth +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Goblin
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Nimble Escape. The Goblin can take the Disengage or Hide
action as a bonus action on each of its turns.
Actions
Multiattack. The goblin makes two attacks with its
shortsword. The second attack has disadvantage.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: 4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit : 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.
Gromp and Nibblet are the largest of the Boartooth
goblins, with Gromp being only half a foot smaller
than a bugbear. Davask found them in the Northern
areas of Breland, stealing food from local towns.
Boartooth Bugbear
Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
Armor Class 14 (hide armor)
Hit Points 27 (5d8+5)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 8 (-1) 11 (+0) 9 (-1)
Skills Stealth +6, Survival +2
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Goblin
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Brute. A melee weapon attack deals one extra die of its
damage when the bugbear hits with it (included in the attack).
Surprise Attack. If the bugbear surprises a creature and hits
it with an attack during the first round of combat, the target
takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage from the attack.
Actions
Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 11 (2d8 +2) piercing damage.
Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft.,
one target. Hit: 11 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
The swarthiest of the Boartooths, most of these
Bugbears were the only survivors of raids on goblin
homesteads; they carry the sorrow of many on their
back, and it helps to have others around willing to
share that load.
Black Pudding
Large Ooze, unaligned
Armor Class 7
Hit Points 85 (10d10+30)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 5 (-3) 16 (+3) 1 (-5) 6 (-2) 1 (-5)
Damage Immunities acid, cold, lightning, slashing
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened,
exhaustion, frightened, prone
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive
Perception 8
Languages --
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Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Amorphous. The pudding can move through a space as
narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Corrosvie Form. A creature that touches the pudding or hits
it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8)
acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or
wood that hits the pudding corrodes. After dealing damage,
the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty
to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is
destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood
that hits the pudding is destroyed after dealing damage. The
pudding can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or
metal in 1 round.
Spider Climb. The pudding can climb difficult surfaces,
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an
ability check.
Actions
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) acid
damage. In addition, nonmagical armor worn by the target is
partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative penalty
to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty
reduces its AC to 10.
Reactions
Split. When a pudding that is Medium or larger is subjected to
lightning or slashing damage, it splits into two new puddings
if it has at least 10 hit points. Each new pudding has hit points
equal to half the original pudding's, rounded down. New
puddings are one size smaller than the original pudding.
Davask Boartooth
Medium humanoid (goblinoid), lawful evil
Armor Class 17 (half plate)
Hit Points 39 (6d8+12)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 13 (+1)
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Goblin
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Martial Advantage. once per turn, Davask can deal an
extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature he hits with a weapon
attack if that creature is within 5 ft. of an ally of Davask that
isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack. Davask makes two greatsword attacks.
Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) slashing damage.
Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
or range 30/120 ft, one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.
Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For
1 minute Davask can utter a special command or warning
whenever a nonhostile creature that he can see within 30 ft. of
him makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can
add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear or understand Davask.
A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at a time.
This effect ends if Davask is incapacitated.
Reactions
Sacrifice. If an attack would hit an ally of Davask that is within
5 ft of him, Davask can use his reaction to have the attack hit
him instead.
Nothing happens within the Boartooth gang without
Davask Boartooth knowing about it. He considers his
general paranoia and distrust a point of particular pride.
Depth Dweller
Medium aberration, chaotic evil
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 66 (12d8+12)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Displacer Beasts are more susceptible than other
1 (-5) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +3
Skills Stealth +5
Damage Vulnerabilities cold, radiant
Damage Resistances acid, fire, thunder, bludgeoning,
piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities lightning, necrotic
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, poisoned,
prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages understands Common but cannot speak, telepathy
120 ft.
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the depth
dweller can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
Incorporeal Movement. The depth dweller can move
through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult
terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside
an object.
Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the depth dweller
has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Actions
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit 10 (2d6+3) slashing damage, or, if the depth
dweller had advantage on the attack roll, 17 (4d6+3)
slashing damage.
Depth Dwellers are formed when the darkness of the
cogs fuses with the magical energies underneath. The
creatures' arms, though stubby at first glance, can extend
into lengthy spindly stalks that rake at unsuspecting
tunnelgoers.
Displacer Beast
(Domesticated)
Large Beast, chaotic evil
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 85 (10d10+30)
Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil
17 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 4 (-3) 10 (+0) 12 (+1)
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages --
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Avoidance. If the displacer beast is subjected to an effect that
allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it
instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw,
and only half damage if it fails.
Displacement. The displacer beast projects a magical illusion
that makes it appear to be standing near its actual location,
causing attack rolls against it to have disadvantage. If it is hit
by an attack, this trait is disrupted until the end of its next
turn. This trait is also disrupted while the displacer beast is
incapacitated or has a speed of 0.
Domesticated. All Animal Handling checks made by
humanoids to interact with the displacer beast have advantage.
Actions
Multiattack. The displacer beast makes two attacks with
its tentacles.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 7 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6)
piercing damage.
Despite their appearance and general reputation,
monstrosities to being trained. Those particularly
skilled in dealing with beasts might sometimes take
up the challenge of domesticating these creatures, to
varying degrees of success.
Dustborn Raccoon
Small elemental, neutral good
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 13 (3d6+3)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Cha +4
Skills Arcana +4, Perception +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages understands Common and Ignan but can't speak
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Bonding. Immediately after its creation, the raccoon magically
bonds with one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The
bond lasts until the bonded creature dies, whereupon the
raccoon disintegrates back into dust. While bonded, the
raccoon responds only to the creature it is bonded with, and
can communicate telepathically with it up to a range of 50 feet.
Keen Hearing and Smell. The raccoon has advantage on
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 6 (1d6+2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature,
it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be
poisoned. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of
each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
Dustborn Animals are created when living magic fuses
with dust particles upon agitation, chaining them together
into a recognizable, conscious form. Upon its formation
the animal seeks out an anchor - often a nearby creature
with high magical affinity - and forms a Bond, which
persists until the magic eventually fades.
Elite Tarkanan Assassin
Armor Class 15 (chain shirt)
Hit Points 45 (7d8+14)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 17(+3) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1)
Skills Athletics +6, Deception +5, Perception +4, Sleight of
Hand +5, Stealth +7
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Thieves Cant
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Innate Spellcasting. The assassin's innate spellcasting
ability is Constitution (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell
attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no
material components:
At will: frostbite, message
1/day: chromatic orb
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 Unstable Mark. When the assassin casts an innate spell, each
creature within 10 feet of the assassin must make a DC 12
Constitution saving throw, taking 5 (1d10) force damage on a
failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Actions
Multiattack. The assassin makes two rapier attacks.
Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6)
poison damage.
Chromatic Orb (1/Day). Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range
90 ft., one creature. Hit: 18 (4d8) damage of a type chosen by
the assassin: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder.
Frostbite (Cantrip). The target must make a DC 12
Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes
3 (1d6) cold damage, and it has disadvantage on the next
weapon attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
Highly trained, these Assassins specialize in neutralizing
their targets before their weapon has even been drawn.
Due to their higher combat capacity, however, they
are often kept at arm’s length from the house’s official
dealings, as their betrayal would prove an unnecessarily
high security risk.
Enraged Gibbering Mouther
Medium aberration, neutral
Armor Class 9
Hit Points 67 (9d8+27)
Speed 20 ft., swim 10 ft.
Condition Immunities frightened, prone
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages --
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Aberrant Ground. The ground in a 10-foot radius around
the mouther is doughlike difficult terrain. Each creature that
starts its turn in that area must succeed on a DC 10 Strength
saving throw or have its speed reduced to 0 until the start of
its next turn.
Gibbering. The mouther babbles incoherently while it can
see any creature and isn't incapacitated. Each creature that
starts its turn within 20 feet of the mouther and can hear the
gibbering must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On
a failure, the creature can't take reactions until the start of
its next turn and rolls a d8 to determine what it does during
its turn. On a 1 to 4, the creature does nothing. On a 5 or 6,
the creature takes no action or bonus action and uses all its
movement to move in a randomly determined direction. On a
7 or 8, the creature makes a melee attack against a randomly
determined creature within its reach or does nothing if it can't
make such an attack.
Enraged. The gibbering mouther's attacks have advantage,
and attacks against the gibbering mouther have advantage.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.
Hit: 17 (5d6) piercing damage. If the target is Medium or
smaller, it must succeed on a DC 10 Strength saving throw or
be knocked prone. If the target is killed by this damage, it is
absorbed into the mouther.
Unpleasant at the best of times, if a Gibbering
Mouther is kept in one place for too long the different
components of its fleshy form begin to grate against
each other. This agitates the creature, sending it into an
uncontrollable rage.
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Kranz
Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
Armor Class 14 (chain shirt)
Hit Points 75 (10d8+30)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 9 (-1) 12 (+1) 11 (+0)
Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +2, Stealth +3, Survival 3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Goblin
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when
Kranz hits with it (included in the attack).
Heart of Hruggek. Kranz has advantage on saving throws
against being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned,
stunned, or put to sleep.
Rage. Kranz can use his bonus action to enter a rage, dealing
+2 damage with his melee attacks, and taking half damage
from non-magical attacks. While raging, if Kranz rolls a total of
9 or lower on an attack, he hits an ally next to him for half that
attack's damage.
Surprise Attack. If Kranz surprises a creature and hits it with
an attack during the first round of combat, the target takes an
extra 7 (2d6) damage from the attack.
Actions
Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4)/(+6when raging) piercing damage.
Kranz’s powerful features are certainly arresting, and most
who meet the bugbear often make the mistake of assuming
there is little else to him. However, those who look past
their immediate impression will find a caring, huggable
lump of a creature, who takes life at a measured pace.
Magma Mephit
Small elemental, neutral evil
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 22 (5d6+5)
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
Skills Stealth +3
Damage Vulnerabilities cold
Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Ignan, Terran
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Death Burst. When the mephit dies, it explodes in a burst
of lava. Each creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 11
Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed
save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
False Appearance. While the mephit remains motionless, it is
indistinguishable from an ordinary mound of magma.
Innate Spellcasting.(1/Day). The mephit can innately
cast heat metal (spell save DC 10), requiring no material
components. Its innate spellcasting ability is Charisma.
Actions
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) slashing damage plus 2 (1d4)
fire damage.
Fire Breath (Recharge 6). The mephit exhales a 15-foot cone
of fire. Each creature in that area must make a DC 11 Dexterity
saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or
half as much damage on a successful one.
Opera Guard Crysteel Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to
hit, reach 5 ft., or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2)
Medium humanoid (any race), any non-evil alignment piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) force damage.
Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield)
Hit Points 11 (2d8+2) Vicious Mockery (Cantrip). Silas unleashes a string of
Speed 30 ft. insults laced with subtle enchantments at one creature he
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA can see within 60 feet of him. If the target can hear Silas, the
13 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or take
Skills History +2, Perception +2 2 (1d4) psychic damage and have disadvantage on the next
Senses passive Perception 12 attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
Languages Common
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Spurned by his siblings for his interests in magic beyond
the boundaries of the Material Plane, Silas d’Orien was
Actions a more than willing host for the Quori of the Dreaming
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Dark to make headway into the Dragonmarked houses.
target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) slashing damage, or 6 (1d10+1) slashing Though he retains his presence of mind, his formerly
damage if used with two hands. unbending will is sadly no longer his own.

Owlbear Urlik
Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
Large Monstrosity, unaligned Armor Class 17 (chain shirt, shield)
Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 45 (10d8)
Hit Points 59 (7d10+21) Speed 30 ft.
Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 16 (+3)
20 (+5) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) Saving Throws Wis+3
Skills Perception +3 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Common, Goblin
Languages -- Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when
Keen Sight and Smell. The owlbear has advantage on Urlik hits with it (included in the attack).
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
Heart of Hruggek. Urlik has advantage on saving throws
Actions against being charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned,
Multiattack. The owlbear makes two attacks: one with its stunned, or put to sleep.
beak and one with its claws.
Surprise Attack. If Urlik surprises a creature and hits it with
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one an attack during the first round of combat, the target takes an
creature. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) piercing damage. extra 7 (2d6) damage from the attack.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Innate Spellcasting. Urlik's innate spellcasting ability is
Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks).
Hit: 14 (2d8+5) slashing damage.
He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no
material components:
Silas d'Orien (Inspired) 2/day each: heroism, shield of faith
Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil 1/day: aid
Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
Hit Points 31 (7d8)
Speed 30 ft.
Actions
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Multiattack. Urlik makes two melee attacks.
10 (+0) 15 (+2) 10(+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Wis +2, Cha +5 Sickle. Melee Weaon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Skills Deception +5, History +5, Insight +2, Perception +2, Hit: 7 (2d4+2) slashing damage.
Persuasion +5
Damage Resistances psychic Urlik is a wispy, brooding bugbear who pledged himself
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened to Arawai. In his youth, faith brought him comfort and
Senses passive Perception 12 consolation, but ever since fleeing his home he has felt
Languages Common, Quori unworthy of his gifts. Urlik’s distaste for his own magic
Challenge 2 (450 XP) grows with each passing day.
Innate Spellcasting. Silas' innate spellcasting ability is
Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks).
He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no
Warforged Titan (House
material components: Orien)
At will: mage hand, vicious mockery Huge construct, lawful neutral
1/day each: charm person, dissonant whispers, mage armor Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 125 (10d12+60)
Dual Mind. Silas has advantage on Wisdom saving throws. Speed 45 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
23 (+6) 8 (-1) 22 (+6) 3 (-4) 11 (+0) 1 (-5)
Actions Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Multiattack. Silas makes one attack with his crysteel dagger, Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened,
and one attack with vicious mockery. paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
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 Languages understands the languages of its creator but can't
speak
Appendix C: Maps
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) The following appendix contains references for the maps
Platforms. The warforged titan has two platforms built into used throughout the adventure, in the order they appear.
its chassis. One Medium or smaller creature can ride on each
platform without squeezing. To make a melee attack against a
target within 5 feet of the warforged, they must use spears or
weapons with reach and the target must be Large or larger. Boartooth Hideout:
Siege Monster. The warforged titan deals double damage to A0
objects and structures.

Dragonmarked. The warforged titan can cast the following

spells using Dexterity as its spellcasting ability.
A1
1/day: misty step

Actions
Axehand. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) slashing damage, plus 11 (2d10)
slashing damage if the target is prone.
A2
Hammerfist. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
A3
one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) bludgeoning damage. If the target
is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving
throw or be knocked prone.

Sweeping Axe (Recharge 6). The warforged titan makes a

sweep with its axehand, and each creature within 10 feet of it
must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes
19 (3d8+6) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much A4
damage on a successful one.

During the final days of the Last War, artificers of the

various dragonmarked houses found a way to tap in to A5
the driving magic of the dragonmarks. Constructs keyed
to the signature magic of each dragonmarked house were
built, co-opting the magical techniques used to build shield
guardians. Unlike most Warforged, these constructs
are not sentient. Additionally, they aren't limited to one
owner; control can switch at any point to another creature
bearing the construct's dragonmark. Platform 5 (Lyrandar Tower):

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