Dark Weavings - What about a Dread Ring?

Further Ideas for Dark Weavings

Dread Ring

Dungeon 70 contained one of D&D's truly landmark adventures - Kingdom of the Ghouls - by Wolfgang Baur. It was so popular that it was also updated and expanded for 4E (the original was 2E) by Open Design, Wolfgang's company.

I mention this because for about 15 years now I have wanted to run something inspired by Kingdom of the Ghouls. Elturgard would be an interesting setting for such an adventure because, of course, it is protected from undead by the Companion, the second sun raised by Daelegoth Orndeir to the glory of Amaunator.

What if the Thayans determined that Elturgard was the perfect site for their next attempt at a Dread Ring? What if the Dread Ring ritual can be modified - and improved! - by using the Companion as a power source? Of course, that ritual would then leave the Companion as a thing of darkness hanging in the sky... and that is when the ghouls would appear from below ground.

The other thing about the Thayans is that the church of Bane has a special place in Thay as a result of the bargain struck by Szass Tam with the Black Lord. I have been wanting to have a clash between Bane and Cyric for a long time - tyranny versus strife - and Elturgard makes an interesting setting for this because of the presence of the Cyricist Zhentarim in Darkhold.

Furthermore, it may be that Bane is behind the Eye of Justice Heresy that has corrupted many of the Tormite paladins in Elturgard. Perhaps this is also part of Bane's plan for revenge against Torm for slaying his avatar in Tantras during the Time of Troubles?

Gnolls

One of the other things that attracted me to Elturgard as a potential setting for a campaign is the presence of gnolls in the Reaching Wood. 

Gnolls are (IMO) underused - although I used them a lot in 2E - but they are also really mechanically interesting in 4E.

The Thayans use a lot of gnolls in their armies. What if the Thayans promise their gnoll legions dominion over the Reaching Woods and the gnolls that dwell there in exchange for their support for the latest Dread Ring project? What if the Thayans also provide the gnolls with the means to summon a (minor) aspect of Yeenoghu in order to demonstrate their supremacy and right to rule over the gnolls of the Reaching Wood?

There is also a connection between gnolls and ghouls. In 1E, Yeenoghu was owed fealty by a tanar'ri lord, later named Doresain, who was the lord of ghouls. Doresain's loyalties changed over the editions - I forget the details - but Yeenoghu might be persuaded by the Thayans to lend his support for this endeavour in exchange for Doresain's renewed pledge of loyalty.

Obviously, the idea is not exactly developed as of now but I think it would be easy to build a link between the gnolls and the White Kingdom, as the kingdom of the ghouls is known.

Lord of the White Field & Bark at the Moon

4E's adventures have been pretty ordinary but one of the highlights has been Lord of the White Field from Dungeon 184. It was designed for 6th- to 8th-level characters and involves ghouls. If I run with the ideas in this post, I will have a logical reason to use this adventure.

There is also the two-part adventure Bark at the Moon from Dungeon 185 for 5th- to 7th-level characters. This involves werewolves and the werewolf infested Werewoods, formerly known as the Wood of Sharp Teeth, make up part of the western border of Elturgard. While no link with the ghouls or gnolls currently springs to mind, it would be an interesting adventure to run. Perhaps it is the Thayans building one of the Dread Ring towers that has disturbed the werewolves?

What about the Drow?

Of course, the problem with these new ideas - the Thayans and the ghouls - is how also fitting the drow into the story without it feeling too cramped. My original plan was to have the drow antagonists come from the sole Lolthite drow house - House Zauvirr - in Sshamath, the City of Dark Weavings, but perhaps I should have them come from Undrek'Thoz, the segmented drow city that is under Thay?

There have been alliances between the drow of Undrek'Thoz and Thay and this could simply be an extension of one of those alliances. One of the segment-cities of Undrek'Thoz is dominated by House Vrasl who are noted as being expert necromancers. Perhaps House Vrasl now owes fealty to Szass Tam and have sent some of their necromancers with the Thayans to Elturgard to assist with the construction of the Dread Ring? Perhaps they also have some experience with magic involving darkness? (And considering their racial powers, this makes sense.)

How Does This Look?

If I include the Thayans I will have the following power groups/organisations involved in this campaign:

• the Darkhold Zhentarim;
• the beholders of the Gauth Grottoes;
• the drow of Sshamath (?);
• the drow of Undrek'Thoz;
• the Eye of Justice heretical paladins; and
• the gnolls of the Reaching Woods.

Will this feel too crowded?

One big advantage, though: the nature of the Dread Ring - a series of fortresses - provides me with easy inspiration for adventure sites. It would be interesting if one of these fortresses was actually being built by Eye of Justice heretics. The PCs think they're in the stronghold of paladins of Torm only to discover that it is a site of great and monstrous evil! (I am also thinking one of the Dread Ring towers is located underground, directly beneath the companion, and is being built by Banite ghouls.)


(I should also add that I think that Banite runepriests - as opposed to cleric or warpriests - make a lot of sense when it comes to creating the Dread Ring. Rune magic should be a key component in the creation of a Dread Ring.)


Also, the presence of the Thayans adds another reason for opening the campaign with an adventure inspired by the original Slave Lords series. Rather than having the Zhents behind it - although there is nothing stopping their involvement - it could be a Thayan undertaking.


The more I type, the more I think this idea could work....

The Aspect of Bane

At several points during the brainstorming process, I had planned for the corruption of the Companion to be the catalyst for the summoning of an aspect of Bane. (After all, I have the miniature and it cost be quite a bit!)

The purpose of the Dread Ring is to suck the power out of a region and channel it to Szass Tam, ruler of Thay. Tam wants this power to fuel his apotheosis not simply out of a lust for power but because it's the only way to escape the bargain he made with the Black Lord.


What if, at the moment that the Dread Ring starts to drain the power from the Companion, an aspect of Bane is summoned? Rather than the unleashed power being diverted to Szass Tam, it is instead absorbed by Bane via his aspect. This is the reason for the presence of the Banite runepriests during the construction of the Dread Ring. It's also the primary reason that the centre of the Dread Ring is underground beneath the Companion because the ghouls of the White Kingdom are actually servants of Bane.


When this happens, the Black Age of Bane begins. The sun loses some of its brightness - after all, a massive blow has been struck against Amaunator now that the Companion has been not only extinguished but turned into a thing of unnatural darkness - and across Toril, temperatures fall. The Black Lord is truly ascendant.


If I go with this option, Dark Weavings is no longer an appropriate title. This campaign is truly better named:

 

Possible Adventure Synopses

The Carrion Caves
Levels 1-3

This is remarkably simple but it may actually work as the entire idea is based on the Caves of Chaos in the much-loved B2 Keep on the Borderlands.

There is a defile in the Reaching Woods surrounded by numerous caves. These caves may be the remnants of Netherese-era mines or even dwarven delves (there are dwarves in the Sunset Mountains and Far Hills).

Representatives of the gnoll tribes are gathering after receiving gnoll dread legionnaire emissaries from Thay (these have the dread warrior template from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide - cf the section on Thay - and may also be half-vampires).

It boils down to this. The Thayans plan to have their gnolls summon an aspect of Yeenoghu (albeit a minor one). This will unite the gnolls of the Reaching Woods and the Thayans will be able to use them, more or less, at will.

The way I picture this adventure concluding is for the aspect of Yeenoghu to be successfully summoned in the middle of the defile so that all of the gnolls present can witness this. This happens while the PCs are also in the middle of the defile - possibly fighting a veritable horde of gnoll minions trying to prevent the summoning from happening - and then they have to face the Beast of Butchery himself.

If the PCs win, all of the gnolls present turn on each other making it easy for the PCs to fight their way to freedom. If the PCs lose, then any subsequent campaign set in this region will involve wandering gnoll packs led by undead Thayan gnolls.

The summoning of even a minor aspect of Yeenoghu requires a lot of fresh carrion. The Slave Lords - this may be a placeholder term - have been supplying the Thayan gnolls with slaves and they are currently manacled to a series of sacrificial rocks in the defile. The PCs are fighting for the lives of these slaves. Not all will live but it will make for an interesting gaming story later.

The Slave Lords of Scornubel
Levels 3-5
The rescue of the slaves from the Carrion Caves should put the PCs on the trail of the Slave Lords. Going with an earlier idea, these should be traceable to the Dungeon of the Inquisitor in Elturel.

Frankly, I will just use my earlier notes for this.

The Dread Ring Forts
Levels 5-7
I think I can get two Dread Ring fortresses into one adventure.

The first one is actually a Zhent fortress, or so the Zhents think. The Cyricist Zhents don’t realise there are Banite Zhents in their midst who have allied themselves with the Thayan Banites. The first adventure is a simple “clear the dungeon (fortress)” exercise and the primary enemy is the Zhentarim.

The second one is in the Werewoods so I can use werewolves in conjunction with the Thayan Banites. They are linked by portal and the portal key is an unholy symbol of Bane or the words of Bane’s dogma.

This second tower may also include drow necromancers of House Vrasl plus their House soldiers.

Of course, the PCs may at this point be wondering what is going on. I don’t want them to really uncover the Dread Ring plot yet and I am thinking that they aren’t able to undo the Dread Ring network. That leaves following the clues I need to include to lead them underground into....

The White Kingdom
Levels 7-9
This should basically rip-off Wolfgang Baur’s masterpiece from Dungeon 70... except that it ends in the middle of the ghoul’s capital city where there is a tower very similar in form to the two towers or fortresses of the previous adventure but which is also clearly a temple of Bane.

Anyway, the bulk of this adventure is set in the Underdark. Now I have a good story-based reason for including Uzaglu, the myconid vampire, from one of the 2E Dungeon magazines.

(I would like to include an event involving the PCs acquiring dire bat mounts so they can fly through the White Kingdom. Something about this visual appeals to me.)

The Dread Temple
Levels 9-11
I need to think some more about how this adventure will work but this is how I see it concluding.

Two Thayan liches with various undead minions appear on the top of the temple to fight the PCs. (Alternatively, this battle could be against a lich vestige of Szass Tam - created as a level-appropriate elite or solo rather than a 26th-level minion.) While this is happening, the Dread Ring temple rises up through the earth directly into the centre of Elturel, appearing beneath the Companion the light of which is strangely muted due to the dark energies being shed by the Dread Ring temple.

With the defeat of the Thayans, the light of the Companion flares briefly once more and the PCs receive the benefit of an extended rest plus one or more boons. As this happens, an aspect of Bane appears and starts to devour the Companion.

The PCs must now fight the aspect of Bane. It is a fairly potent solo. It may be possible with powers or appropriate skill checks to weaken the aspect by “disconnecting” it from the Companion. Followers of Amaunator, in particular, are going to have a better chance of this and also an intuitive understanding that this is possible; ditto for followers of Torm.

An army of true ghouls from the White Kingdom begins to rampage through Elturel while the party fights the aspect of the Black Lord. If the aspect is still standing after a certain number of rounds then the Companion is lost. The aspect roars in triumph and disappears while the Companion hangs overhead shedding an unholy darkness. All the PCs can do now is escape... but there is still the Paragon Tier if they wish to fix what they failed to stop.

If the PCs successfully defeat the aspect of Bane in the time allowed, the Companion returns to its former glory and the true ghoul army bursts into flames as the Companion’s light removes their undead flesh from existence. This is a tremendous achievement for the PCs and they will receive numerous rewards from the High Observer and Elturgard. After all, the PCs have stopped the Black Age of Bane from happening.

This would make a more than satisfying conclusion to the Heroic Tier and I would be happy to end the campaign there.

Reskinning the Outline to be more Drow-centric

In the three or so hours since I typed the above I have been thinking about how the same sort of outline might work if I still wanted to use drow as the principal antagonists. 

Obviously, there would be no Dread Ring nor do ghouls - true ghouls or otherwise - feel appropriate. 

What could work is something like what happened to Sulasspryn as noted in the 2E supplement, The Moonsea. The drow are beneath Elturel and cause great sinkholes to open to swallow parts of the city. And in the midst of this unnatural disaster, a great spider-like temple rises up through the stone from the Underdark and, instead of an aspect of Bane syphoning off the power of the Companion, it is an aspect of Lolth.

If I go with this option, maybe I can also use the Crystal Shard. Instead of Dread Ring towers, I can have a series of Cryshal-Tirith towers created by Crenshinibon. And maybe the drow tricked the Zhents into thinking that they found the Crystal Shard when the reality is the drow want the Zhents to wield it. The drow knows its strengths and weaknesses but a Zhent Black Cloak soon discovers he is merely a pawn of the 'Shard.

If I run with this, I rather like the LFR-inspired idea that Crenshinibon is a splinter from the Shard of Evil at the heart of the Abyss. That also means that, if used to pierce the a vital place in the Demonweb Pits, it can cause the Lolth's astral realm to unravel as it seeks to reunite with its former abyssal home.

That also makes for an interesting Paragon Tier adventure. Perhaps it is a cleric of Waukeen (actually a thrall of Graz'zt) who suggests such a course of action to the PCs after Lolth's defeat at their hands. If so, that lets me run D1 Descent into the Depths of the Earth, D2 Shrine of the Kuo-toa, D3 Vault of the Drow and Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits - with a smattering of the 3E Dungeon adventure The Harrowing - just like I have wanted to do for close to three decades now.

And, in a perfect world, that would then segue into For Duty & Deity allowing the PCs to free Waukeen from Graz'zt's grasp. However, I have no idea how I would make that work for a low- mid-Paragon Tier party. (While I have already weakened the basic tanar'ri to a level matching their 1E hit dice, it still doesn't solve the problem of how to deal with the Dark Prince who is very much an Epic Tier entity. Unless, of course, he is distracted by the unravelling of the Demonweb Pits....)

Dark Weavings - Appendix One: Elturgard

Background

The Secret History of Elturgard

Before the Spellplague, the rise of the faith of Amaunator was in the hands of Daelegoth Orndeir. He was considered a heretic by the followers of Lathander - Amaunator’s predecessor in a sense - and was persecuted by same until the day he caused the Companion to shine in the skies over Elturel.

A miracle on this scale demonstrated the power of Amaunator and caused many Lathanderites to doubt. Over a period of two decades or so, the majority of Lathanderites converted to the worship of Amaunator and Orndeir himself became the Supreme Potentate of the Sun Lord.

The land of Elturgard was named by Orndeir and he ruled beneath the light of the Companion, the second sun he had caused to be created. Then, some 30 or so years ago, Orndeir was on retreat in Fort Morninglord, a noted bastion of the faith and the Supreme Potentate’s favourite place for study and meditation. A great beam of sunlight struck the fort at high noon and the inhabitants of the fort were seen no more. It was told that Orndeir was taken by Amaunator to be an exarch of the Sun Lord but Elturgard changed suddenly thereafter.

The church of Amaunator in Elturgard had long been allied with the church of Torm and the Tormites enjoyed a similar status to the followers of Amaunator within the borders of the Land of Two Suns. After the disappearance of Orndeir, high-ranked clerics of Amaunator met in secret with the senior clergy of the church of Torm. After that, the official faith of Elturgard was changed to Torm and the clergy of Torm replaced the clergy of Amaunator in all official positions.

It became part of Amaunatori dogma that this change not be questioned by the faithful. Indeed, all discussion of Orndeir, Fort Morninglord and the change in government of Elturgard became prohibited. Too much talk would lead to a visit by a church inquisitor and, it was rumoured, in some cases the disappearance of the one who questioned the church’s decisions.

The reality was that Orndeir was a heretic blinded by pride and tempted by the blandishments of Graz’zt the Dark Prince. The Supreme Potentate had captured a minor aspect of Graz’zt within a golden cage of binding. Rather than simply consigning this shard of the Dark Prince to eternal imprisonment, Orndeir revelled in his ability to command and control - to dominate - such a potent creature.

Graz’zt bided his time but was soon able to manipulate Orndeir to his own ends. He explained the history of Amaunator and twisted ancient Amaunatori teachings to show that Amaunator should be supreme on Toril. The Sun Lord should be the supreme lawgiver: he should even replace Bane as the deity of rulership!

Part of Orndeir’s pride was based on his deep knowledge of the Three-Faced Sun Heresy. He believed Amaunator to be one aspect of three faces of the sun: Dusk, Dawn and High Noon. Myrkul was the last deity to hold the portfolio of Dusk and Orndeir secretly sought after any information he could find on the Lord of Bones. He even visited the Mere of Dead Men and gathered some of Myrkul’s essence and traded with the yuan-ti for knowledge about the Crown of Horns, a malefic relic containing the last of Myrkul’s identity.

This heresy also became a topic of conversation with the imprisoned aspect and the Dark Prince also used this as fuel for his own blandishments. In due course, Orndeir’s fall was complete on the day he attempted to perform a ritual within the grounds of Fort Morninglord to absorb the essences of Myrkul and Bhaal (whose black blood still stained the [name] River near the Boareskyr Bridge) and to replace Amaunator but as the Three-Faced Sun.

At this point, Amaunator struck. A mighty blast of sunlight rent the sky and Orndeir was no more and Fort Morninglord became the blackened husk under the ban of Elturgard to this day. In reality, Orndeir was transformed into an undead thing - something like a skull lord, with three heads representing the three sources of power he now wielded - but, although not destroyed, the divine wrath of Amaunator consigned Orndeir to a darkened prison beneath Fort Morninglord with the caged aspect of Graz’zt his only company.

The Dark Prince was - and still is - playing a dangerous game. Ultimately he wishes to steal the portfolio of tyranny from Bane, the Black Lord, and properly enter the pantheon of the Realms. His masquerade as Waukeen, a result of the Time of Troubles, means he is already a member of the pantheon, albeit in disguise.

As for Orndeir, he waits beneath Fort Morninglord, a weakened pawn of the Dark Prince, for the day when someone might free him and he can return to his plans for apotheosis anew.

(Alternatively, I could replace the aspect of Graz’zt with a glabrezu in the service of Lolth. In 3.5E terms, it would have the fiend of temptation prestige class.)

The Present Day

“The High Observer is dead! Long live the High Observer!”

The highest-ranking cleric of the church of Torm has died and been replaced by [name], a Vigilant Seer of the Eye of Justice from Westgate.

The Eye of Justice arrived in Elturgard some three or so years ago. Introduced to the population as experts in combatting the Zhents, they soon showed their value by bringing many Zhent agents to justice and defeating a large Zhent force sent to secure the Boareskyr Bridge.

The leader of Eye of Justice is one of five Vigilant Seers with oversight of the entire order. He has been chosen as the new High Observer and promises a new era of vigilance and justice under his rule. However, things seem darker....

Dark Weavings - Enemies & Allies

Enemies

Drow House Zauvirr of Sshamath

Eye of Justice

Yuan-ti of Najara

Zhents of Darkhold

Allies

The Merchant's Guild/The Lion's Den

The Merchant’s Guild in Elturgard seeks to bring prosperity to the region. They desire free trade and freedom of choice.

The Merchant's Guild supports a separate organisation of adventurers to deal with local problems this group is known as the Lion’s Den.

"The Den" is composed of mostly well meaning adventurers – though some prefer to call them mercenaries.

While the guild has means to bring prosperity to the region, some feel that only money motivates the guild.

People of many different faiths in Elturgard support the Lion's Den. Most of these are good-aligned faiths, including the faiths of Sune, Tymora, and of course Waukeen.

Dark Weavings - Adventure One

The Slave Lords of Scornubel

Background


It begins in Scornubel and ends in the Dungeon of the Inquisitor in Elturel.


I need twenty encounters - call it 18 - so that makes six batches of three encounters each. So, Level One encounters would be three batches of three encounters; Level Two encounters would be the same. The first three batches are in Scornubel; the final three batches are in Elturel (although that's not entirely true as there is also some travel).


Synopsis


When the Sun is Black (Encounters One to Three)

Uncovering the Zhent nest.


The Forgotten Temple of Bane (Encounters Four to Six)




Down at the Docks (Encounters Seven to Nine)




To Elturel (Encounters Ten to Twelve)


The party can choose to travel by road or by river so the encounters will need to reflect their choice.




The Dungeon of the Inquisitor(Encounters Thirteen to Fifteen)




The Chambers of the Slave Lords (Encounters Sixteen to Eighteen)


The final three encounters are with the titular slave lords.



Who are they?


Markessa, eladrin swordmage
Zhent slaver (see the picture above with the whip)
Gnoll from the Reaching Woods
female drow cleric of Lolth


The final encounter is a with a shadow demon-possessed cleric of Waukeen. This is a 3rd-level solo encounter. When bloodied, the shadow demon is freed from the cleric's body. Alternatively, it's a cleric or paladin of Torm.

Conclusion


Having bearded the Slave Lords in their lair, the PCs find themselves in the Dungeon of the Inquisitor beneath the supposedly holy city of Elturel. They are brought before the High Observer or another senior cleric or paladin of Torm. He will give them their next mission.


Hook


The opening scene is a Zhent mage, Dalmanu, attacking a boy-thief, Almon.


A messenger snake soon appears as do the mage's bodyguards.

The Main Idea

The Eye of Justice have taken an aggressive approach to cleaning up the streets, as they see it, in the cities and settlements of Elturgard.


For a long time the rule was that, after being convicted of three crimes, the offender would be gaoled in the Dungeon of the Inquisitor beneath Elturel however, without any official announcement, it seems anyone can be gaoled for almost any offence and a conviction is not required.


With the aid of an heretical cleric of Waukeen (actually a thrall of Graz'zt... and a cleric of Waukeen) from the Merchant's Guild, the Eye of Justice has organised a slaving operation based out of the Dungeon of the Inquisitor.


A council of Slave Lords has been formed to oversee the operation and to represent the interests of the various parties. Actually, there are two councils: a lesser council to oversee operations and a greater council to set prices and policy.

The Slave Lords

This is the lesser council:

fallen paladin of Torm (now blackguard of Lolth or Graz'zt or both)

drow cleric of Lolth

yuan-ti rogue (?)

cleric of Waukeen (actually thrall of Graz'zt)

female eladrin merchant (actually a "body-swapped" drow - per Exemplars of Evil)

Dalmanu, Zhent slaver and mage

Ingredients

Synopsis

Event One: "When the Sun is Black"


Dalmanu the Slave Lord (elite artillery 2), a Zhent mage, is waiting with a bunch of Eye of Justice thugs (minion brute 3) for the arrival of a yuan-ti messenger snake. It is trained to respond to a Zhentarim pass-phrase. It carries a list of the slaves that the yuan-ti want to have.


While Dalmanu et al wait, a boy thief is spying on them. The Zhent and the thugs assume he is a street urchin (which he is) but he is actually a spy for Andar the Torchbearer, an honourable and noble cleric of Amaunator who is trying to find out why so many of the street children etc... are going missing.

Markessa & her Broken Ones



Markessa: elf slave lord from A2 or A3
Broken ones: monsters from the 2E Monstrous Compendium created when polymorph spells go wrong


What if the eladrin-who-is-really-a-drow (cf Exemplars of Evil) is the elf slave lord, Markessa, from the 1E adventures. Rather than cavelings as detailed in the original series she has broken ones, remnants of her experiments with ancient sarrukh magic involving transformations.


"Bonus" Level: The Sarrukh's Tomb

One of the things I really liked about Caverns of Thracia was that there were secret sub-levels that were difficult to find. I want to try and include such a concept in this adventure by incorporating a sarrukh's tomb. 


The sarrukh is either a lich or a mummy, roughly speaking, and its power has deteriorated markedly. However, it will still pose a significant threat to the heroes but I also need to think about its motivations and how it might be bargained with.


Before reaching the sarrukh's actual tomb, there needs to be chambers filled with serpentine guardians. I am thinking iron cobras would be appropriate and, perhaps, an immortal naga of some kind re-levelled as a solo controller or solo artillery.

Dark Weavings - Brainstorming

Dark Weavings

aka When the Sun is Black
A Rise of the Underdark Campaign

Basic Ideas

I have never really run a traditional drow-based campaign. In 3E and 3.5E drow were involved; the former as servants of the aboleth, the latter as followers of Shar. But I have never run a traditional drow-with-spiders-and-serving-Lolth campaign and clearly I am itching to do so. Of course, some of the things I have read about WotC's Rise of the Underdark series may be contributing but I like to think it is because I keep thinking that I want to run 1E's D1 Descent into the Depths of the Earth, D2 Shrine of the Kuo-toa and D3 Vault of the Drow at some point before I give up on D&D.

The main idea for this campaign outline is based on this question,  "What if the Lolth-worshipping drow of Sshamath decided to corrupt Elturgard's second sun to be a thing of darkness and thus create a surface nation suitable for drow habitation?"

Of course, this makes it a variation on both my When the Sun is Black and Doom of Daggerdale campaign arcs but that means anything I design for those arcs could be used in this campaign as well.


Ideally, this will really feel like a First Edition campaign in the sense of having lots of pre-Drizzt drow but also feel like an early Forgotten Realms campaign because the Zhents play such a key role. 

Ingredients

First Edition
D1 Descent into the Depths of the Earth
D2 Shrine of the Kuo-toa
D3 Vault of the Drow
Dragon 73 - Forest of Doom


Second Edition
Bastion of Faith
Castles boxed set
Night Below boxed set


Third Edition
Drow of the Underdark
Dungeon 84 - The Harrowing
Expedition to the Demonweb Pits


Fourth Edition

Dragon zzz - Eye of Justice
LFR Enemy of My Enemy

Background

The Secret History of Elturgard

Before the Spellplague, the rise of the faith of Amaunator was in the hands of Daelegoth Orndeir. He was considered a heretic by the followers of Lathander - Amaunator’s predecessor in a sense - and was persecuted by same until the day he caused the Companion to shine in the skies over Elturel.

A miracle on this scale demonstrated the power of Amaunator and caused many Lathanderites to doubt. Over a period of two decades or so, the majority of Lathanderites converted to the worship of Amaunator and Orndeir himself became the Supreme Potentate of the Sun Lord.

The land of Elturgard was named by Orndeir and he ruled beneath the light of the Companion, the second sun he had caused to be created. Then, some 30 or so years ago, Orndeir was on retreat in Fort Morninglord, a noted bastion of the faith and the Supreme Potentate’s favourite place for study and meditation. A great beam of sunlight struck the fort at high noon and the inhabitants of the fort were seen no more. It was told that Orndeir was taken by Amaunator to be an exarch of the Sun Lord but Elturgard changed suddenly thereafter.

The church of Amaunator in Elturgard had long been allied with the church of Torm and the Tormites enjoyed a similar status to the followers of Amaunator within the borders of the Land of Two Suns. After the disappearance of Orndeir, high-ranked clerics of Amaunator met in secret with the senior clergy of the church of Torm. After that, the official faith of Elturgard was changed to Torm and the clergy of Torm replaced the clergy of Amaunator in all official positions.

It became part of Amaunatori dogma that this change not be questioned by the faithful. Indeed, all discussion of Orndeir, Fort Morninglord and the change in government of Elturgard became prohibited. Too much talk would lead to a visit by a church inquisitor and, it was rumoured, in some cases the disappearance of the one who questioned the church’s decisions.

The reality was that Orndeir was a heretic blinded by pride and tempted by the blandishments of Graz’zt the Dark Prince. The Supreme Potentate had captured a minor aspect of Graz’zt within a golden cage of binding. Rather than simply consigning this shard of the Dark Prince to eternal imprisonment, Orndeir revelled in his ability to command and control - to dominate - such a potent creature.

Graz’zt bided his time but was soon able to manipulate Orndeir to his own ends. He explained the history of Amaunator and twisted ancient Amaunatori teachings to show that Amaunator should be supreme on Toril. The Sun Lord should be the supreme lawgiver: he should even replace Bane as the deity of rulership!

Part of Orndeir’s pride was based on his deep knowledge of the Three-Faced Sun Heresy. He believed Amaunator to be one aspect of three faces of the sun: Dusk, Dawn and High Noon. Myrkul was the last deity to hold the portfolio of Dusk and Orndeir secretly sought after any information he could find on the Lord of Bones. He even visited the Mere of Dead Men and gathered some of Myrkul’s essence and traded with the yuan-ti for knowledge about the Crown of Horns, a malefic relic containing the last of Myrkul’s identity.

This heresy also became a topic of conversation with the imprisoned aspect and the Dark Prince also used this as fuel for his own blandishments. In due course, Orndeir’s fall was complete on the day he attempted to perform a ritual within the grounds of Fort Morninglord to absorb the essences of Myrkul and Bhaal (whose black blood still stained the [name] River near the Boareskyr Bridge) and to replace Amaunator but as the Three-Faced Sun.

At this point, Amaunator struck. A mighty blast of sunlight rent the sky and Orndeir was no more and Fort Morninglord became the blackened husk under the ban of Elturgard to this day. In reality, Orndeir was transformed into an undead thing - something like a skull lord, with three heads representing the three sources of power he now wielded - but, although not destroyed, the divine wrath of Amaunator consigned Orndeir to a darkened prison beneath Fort Morninglord with the caged aspect of Graz’zt his only company.

The Dark Prince was - and still is - playing a dangerous game. Ultimately he wishes to steal the portfolio of tyranny from Bane, the Black Lord, and properly enter the pantheon of the Realms. His masquerade as Waukeen, a result of the Time of Troubles, means he is already a member of the pantheon, albeit in disguise.

As for Orndeir, he waits beneath Fort Morninglord, a weakened pawn of the Dark Prince, for the day when someone might free him and he can return to his plans for apotheosis anew.

(Alternatively, I could replace the aspect of Graz’zt with a glabrezu in the service of Lolth. In 3.5E terms, it would have the fiend of temptation prestige class.)

The Present Day

“The High Observer is dead! Long live the High Observer!”

The highest-ranking cleric of the church of Torm has died and been replaced by [name], a Vigilant Seer of the Eye of Justice from Westgate.

The Eye of Justice arrived in Elturgard some three or so years ago. Introduced to the population as experts in combatting the Zhents, they soon showed their value by bringing many Zhent agents to justice and defeating a large Zhent force sent to secure the Boareskyr Bridge.

The leader of Eye of Justice is one of five Vigilant Seers with oversight of the entire order. He has been chosen as the new High Observer and promises a new era of vigilance and justice under his rule. However, things seem darker....

Synopsis

Adventure One: The Slavers of the Second Sun

Levels 1-3

The Dungeon of the Inquisitor is an important site in this adventure. The Eye of Justice faction within the church of Torm is selling prisoners to the Zhents, the drow of Sshamath, the gnolls of the Reaching Wood (although this is via the Zhents) and the yuan-ti of Najara.

A council of Slave Lords have been formed (stolen more or less wholesale from the original A1-4 series.



What I really need is a strong opening. (I really like the first adventure for Fimbulwinter and need something at least as strong as that.)


What do I want from the first adventure?

1. It should take the PCs from 1st to 3rd level.
2. The Zhent pass-phrase that includes the response, "When the sun is black", should be in the first scene.
3. Zhents and drow should make an appearance, as should heretical members of the Order of Torm.
4. It should involve the merciful and gracious cleric of Amaunator, Andar the Torchbearer, who comes from a long line of Lathanderites.

Adventure Two: Call of the Carrion King

Levels 3-5

The trail of the slavers leads to a combined Zhent and drow base in the Reaching Woods. It seems that they are manipulating the gnolls. 

Those slaves too weak to be of use are sold to the gnolls who are filling a great charnel pit with corpses. They plan to summon an aspect of Yeenoghu (solo skirmisher 5).

Adventure Three: Secrets of Fort Morninglord

Levels 5-7

A traitorous Tormite leads the party to Fort Morninglord, the source of the corruption in Elturgard. The party may even confront the heretic, Daelegoth Orndeir, in his current form: a skull lord (solo artillery 7).

This is when the Companion is darkened.

Adventure Four: Under Darkhold

Levels 7-9

The next place to investigate is Darkhold. Why? 

Could it be that the High Observer is secretly meeting with the Zhent leadership giving the party an opportunity to strike?

Is it as simple as breaking the alliance between the Zhents and the drow?

(It is important that the PCs have drow house insignia in their possession before they go any further. If they did not gain any in Adventure Three then they should obtain them in Adventure Four.)

Adventure Five: City of Dark Weavings

Levels 9-11

This is D1, D2 and D3 combined. The final battle takes place in a temple of Lolth - for the sake of D3-inspired nostalgia, this will be called the Great Fane of Lolth.


There are four factions in Sshamath as noted in the LFR adventure Enemy of my Enemy. Lolth's faction is not the strongest and the PCs may be able to manipulate the other factions into destroying the Lolthites... with, of course, the leader of that faction reserved as a foe for the PCs to fight.

Conclusion

So far, this is feeling like a stronger story than When the Sun is Black. It steals a lot of the ideas from that campaign outline but the drow feel like a better "finish" to the campaign.


I also love the way that - finally! - I can run the D1-3 adventures after wanting to do so for close to 30 years! It scratches the drow itch. It scratches the Zhent itch. And, with some additional work, it will scratch the beholder itch as well.


Expanding into the Paragon and Epic Tiers


The 4E adventure Tomb of Horrors is a solid update of the 1E classic and could be adapted to the post-Spellplague Forgotten Realms. Rather than Acererak being the BBEG it makes more sense, Realmslore-wise, to replace him with Larloch. Coincidentally, Larloch's demesne - the Warlock's Crypt - is on the western border of Elturgard.


I could use Larloch and the Tomb of Horrors by making it Larloch's goal to replace Mystra as the deity of magic. To do this he needs both souls, as Acererak required for his schemes, and also to harvest the arcane energies of Plaguelands. I am thinking that he has connections within Sshamath which he manipulated to have House Zauvirr attempt their corruption of the Companion. In fact, the energies of the Companion are a vital component in the apotheosis ritual that Larloch has designed.


While I would be happy to end this campaign simply with an updated version of 1E's D3 The Vault of the Drow, it may be that the players wish to continue the game so, in that case, I think I will use this as the expanded plotline. 

When the Sun is Black - Brainstorming

Corrupting the Companion

Ever since I first read about the second sun above Elturgard, I have been imagining scenarios that would allow the Companion, as it is known, to be darkened turning Elturgard from a land of eternal day to a land of eternal night. Many factions would desire this and this campaign is designed to explore what would happen if various factions - the Cyricist Zhents, the Banite Zhents and the Netherese - made this event their goal.

The campaign is also supposed to be about yet another civil war within the the Zhents of Darkhold involving the Cyricists against the Banites. This time, however, the Banites are being manipulated by another faction - beholders. A beholder hive with long-time ties to the Zhents. The hive wants to return to the "good old days" when the Zhents would provide them with prisoners and magic to satisfy their various appetites.

As the Companion was a product of Epic magic, its corruption would also unleash a lot of power. My first thought is that the moment when the Companion is corrupted - assuming this is performed by the Banite faction - would result in the summoning of a (level-appropriate) aspect of Bane.


Similarly, if the corruption of the Companion is performed by the Cyricists, I could see it being transformed into a colossal unholy symbol of Cyric that lashes out with purple fire against the Dark Sun's enemies. As for the Netherese, if the corrupt the Companion something like a huge nightshade might be summoned (and I am sure I have the miniature for this, just as I also have the miniature for the aspect of Bane).


Of course, the corruption of the Companion is something that might occur as the party advance from Heroic to Paragon Tier (with the balance of the campaign then based around reversing the corruption). I rather like using gnolls from the Reaching Woods, werewolves from the Werewoods, corrupt paladins of Torm and a multitude of Zhents until this point is reached. 


The Call of the Carrion King

The gnolls of the Reaching Woods play an important role in this campaign as they comprise the major non-PC race humanoid foe.


Their primary goal is to summon an aspect of Yeenoghu that will lead their packs on a rampage through the lands of Elturgard.


Cyric: Keeping it Simple, Stupid

As I have been plotting out the possibilities for this campaign I have been making it more and more complicated. What started out as a Banite plot to corrupt the Companion now involves Cyricist Zhents against Banite Zhents, manipulations by beholders, further manipulations by followers of Shar and Graz'zt and who knows what else.


Why not keep it simple?


The Darkhold Zhents are largely followers of Cyric. There is no Banite schism at present. Even the tolak (supreme commander) of Darkhold is a Cyricist (and not a beholder). The Cyricists simply want to disrupt the Land of Two Suns. They don't like the light. They want to corrupt the Companion so that it becomes a giant unholy symbol of Cyric and Elturgard becomes a dark land devoted to the Prince of Lies.


Simple.


I can still throw in Banite spies, agents of Graz'zt, Netherese nightcloaks of Shar - even drow followers of Lolth - but I should keep the campaign firmly focussed on the Cyricist faction that represents the majority of the Zhents of Darkhold.


There. I feel better now.


Legacy of Bhaal

At the risk of stealing a large part of the plot of the first Baldur's Gate CRPG, I rather like the idea of the Cyricist Zhents rediscovering an old Bhaalist ritual that allows them to corrupt iron and steel such that it weakens dramatically to the point where it is nearly useless in combat.


Imagine the paladins of Elturgard having their arms and armour weakened in this way? Who would defend the Land of Two Suns? Who would uncover the source of this corruption? What if it was even tied to the Companion? Bhaal's blood from the Boareskyr Bridge has been used in the recreation of the ritual. Furthermore, another ritual using Bhaal's blood has corrupted the Companion just enough that it is providing the power to weaken metal. Its light, in effect, is the medium by which the power of the Bhaalist ritual is imparted to the arms and armour of the paladins!


It's up to the PCs to uncover the mystery!


Three possible adventure sites:


- A dwarven mine in the Far Hills or Sunset Mountains where the ore is mined and arms and armour are forged by dwarves in exchange for food and lumber.
- An underground and partially underwater temple of Cyric near the Boareskyr Bridge.
- Another underground temple of Cyric beneath the Companion.


It's consistent with my new-found desire to keep the campaign simple by focussing on the Cyricists plus it's an idea I have wanted to run with since I played the first Baldur's Gate CRPG for the first time.


A Possible Sequence of Adventures


If I am going to go with the idea of the Companion corrupting the arms and armour of the paladins of Elturgard then I am going to need an adventure or two that will allow the PCs to show that they are loyal to Elturgard and can be entrusted with a mission of such importance.

Adventure One: The Assassins' Run

Beneath the streets of Scornubel is a dungeon once inhabited by a Bhaalist assassins' guild. Here, a Cyricist cleric holds sway and sends out gangs of bashers each night to take captives. Some are sold into slavery in Najara, while others are used for even more vile purposes in the Lost Temple of Bhaal near Boareskyr Bridge. A portal links the two locations.

The Cyricist in charge has a skulk assassin as his (or her) chief assistant.

The adventure begins with 1. the Zhent recognition code that is the basis of the name of this campaign being overheard and 2. a Zhent mage attacking a boy-thief.

 Adventure Two: The Lost Temple of Bhaal

This could largely rip-off the A1-4 adventure set in an ancient temple and involving slavers. The only difference is that this is the site where the rituals are performed to cause the arms and armour of the paladins to decay. The power of the ritual is fed into a small duplicate of the Companion which otherwise looks like an unholy symbol of Cyric.

This duplicate was created using the corrupted holy symbol of Daelegoth Orndeir.

Adventure Three: The Sunset Mines

Dwarven mines affected by the same Bhaalist ritual. Zhents are guarding the place. (What if the dwarves also know about the Zhent plan to somehow awaken an earth titan from beneath Darkhold? That could involve the Orcs of Stonefang Pass adventure with Zhents taking the place of orcs.)

Adventure Four: Into the Reaching Woods, Part One - The Crystrum of Tranquillity

Could this be about freeing the elves from their green dragon-induced nightmare?

Adventure Five: Into the Reaching Woods, Part Two - Call of the Carrion King

Ultimately this is about fighting the aspect of Yeenoghu and thus weakening the gnolls before their attack on Scornubel.

Adventure Six: The Siege of Scornubel

I need to look at Heroes of Battle for some more ideas for this adventure. A unit of Tormite knights turn traitors in the middle of the battle. It seems that they used to guard Fort Morninglord.

Adventure Seven: The Secrets of Fort Morninglord

This dungeon adventure uses the map and ideas from 2E's Bastion of Faith. The undead Daelegoth Orndeir is discovered and defeated.

Adventure Eight: The Infiltration of Darkhold

While the Zhents march on Elturel, the PCs are sent in the other direction to decapitate Darkhold's leadership. They arrive in time to stop an alliance between the Zhents and the drow.

Adventure Nine: The Corruption & Cleansing of the Companion

While the Zhent army lays siege to Elturel, a force of groundlings and Cyricist invokers appear in the temple of Amaunator linked to the Companion (think of the corrupted temple in The Speaker in Dreams) attempting to convert the Companion into a colossal unholy symbol of Cyric. They may even succeed for a time before the PCs use the Crystrum of Tranquillity to reverse the corruption.

Conclusion

The PCs have demonstrated that they are a major force for good in the Western Heartlands. Knighthoods and lands await them from the hand of the High Observer. The power of the Darkhold Zhents is largely broken.