O’Neill 1

Connor O’Neill
Dungeons and Dragons Campaign Writing Examples
1-1-22

Dungeons and Dragons Campaign Writing Examples

Table of Contents-
• Campaign Start Setting Example- Page 2
• Example National History/Background and Character
Background- Page 3
• Example Religious History- Page 5
• Example Encounter 1- Page 6
• Example Encounter 2- Page 14
 O’Neill 2

Campaign Start Setting Example:

The Year of Destruction and the War of the Three Princes has forever shaped the lands
of Cathair. Much was changed both physically and politically across the lands of Cathair as
nations rose and fell, wars were fought and lost, and once great nations were left husks of
themselves. In the fifteenth year After the Destruction, there was a great restructuring of
nations across Cathair. A band of adventurers, revolutionaries, necromancers, and warriors
caused great chaos across Cathair. Wherever they went, war, destruction, and death followed
as they left a path of ruin in the wake of their travels. The Leistung Order was forever changed
following a massive civil war, Laidir in Cairdeas was annexed by Treasach after a bloody coup,
the Massa family of Forza seceded from the nation while the Lotano family seized Forza for
themselves, and the once great Orc city of Baalbek was sacked and burned, being taken over by
a mad sorcerer simply known as the Necromancer. Yet these destructive adventurers managed
to save the world from a great and mysterious threat. In their travels they made many allies,
but also a great enemy. These adventurers sought the four swords of power, but so did the
most powerful being in all of Cathair. The ancient and powerful Emperor of Cathair sought
these weapons too but was thwarted. At the Battle of the Forge, the Adventurers and their
allies defeated the Emperor of Cathair and banished him back to the Land of the Elves. The
adventuring band disbanded and went their separate ways, fading into history and legend. Yet
one of their allies, the young Sciath Emperor, has continued to change the Land of Men. In the
fifteen years since the Battle of the Forge, the Sciath Emperor has reasserted the dominance of
the Empire over the Lands of Men, reining in some of the unruly nations and powerful lords. He
has done this through negotiation, clever political strategies, marriages, treaties, threats,
bribery, and war. Many of his plans were realized by the use of the reformed White Wolves.
The White Wolves were ancient protectors and assassins of the King of Treasach and the first
Sciath Emperor. The current Sciath Emperor revived them when his rule was threatened, and
now they have become indispensable to him and are essential to his rule. He sends them as
diplomats, soldiers, guards, spies, investigators, and assassins across the world to do his
bidding. Yet even still, there is much to do for the Empire. Many nations and lords still must be
brought to heel, plots must be investigated, deals must be made, rebellions must be crushed,
and wars must be won. The men to do this are the White Wolves….
 O’Neill 3

Example National History/Background and Character

Backgrounds:
The Duchy of Glas (Green in Gaelic) is an island nation with lands of rolling fields, grassy hills,
and cliffs that overlook the sea. Heavily reliant upon trade with the kingdoms of the Sciath
Empire as well as with the many kingdoms of the Dwarves. Is known for being militarily strong,
but rarely uses its power, rather projecting its power through the nation’s economic strength,
and the use of its navy in keeping the seas safe from pirates and rogue nations. When it goes to
war, Glas is a force to be reckoned with, with an army second only in size to the army of the
Kingdom of Treasach. The nation is strong allies with the Principality of Càirdeas and is the
principal holding of the son of the Sciath Emperor, giving the ruler of the country the title of
Prince Duke of Glas. The flag of the nation is a checkered white and green background with a
knight rampant upon it, and a ducal crown in the upper right-hand corner.
After the Year of Destruction, Glas was left leaderless as the Prince Duke of Glas died without
an heir or wife. The lords of Glas would not accept foreign rule and fell into infighting amongst
themselves. Due to this, two claimants to the throne of Glas have arisen, both with ancient,
pre-imperial claims to rule of the island.

• The first claimant, Lord Cormac Flain has ancient blood on his mother’s side which ties
him the original ruling family of Glas from before the imperial subjugation of the island.
He is a shorter man, but stocky with curly black hair and mustache and is sixty years old.
He is also a Follower of Aufheit and vehemently opposes the Aufheitists who he believes
are heretics. He also is highly opposed to the Sciath Empire and its policies, finding
support in the former rebels in western Glas, as well as among the more zealous
Followers of Aufheit. Yet there are whispers that he is consulting dark magic and trying
to summon ancient fiends to rid Glas of his enemies and the Sciath Empire. He has all
but declared independence from the empire, having repulsed multiple imperial armies
and actively wars with the other claimant to the throne of Glas. He will soon declare
independence and conquer all of Glas and make it free of imperial rule.
• Lord Irard Nial is the second claimant to the throne of Glas. He is a tall man at six feet
three inches, with shorter reddish blonde hair, slightly heavyset, yet strong and agile. He
is fifty years old, having worked in many positions throughout the Kingdoms of Men. As
his family were the lords of the city of Uaill, he first worked in the court of the former
Prince Duke of Glas and was recognized for his diligence and was sent to work as an
adviser at the imperial court of former Sciath Emperor Corwin. At the imperial court, he
was the personal foreign policy adviser to the Emperor, serving him well, quietly
working his way to power behind the scenes. He became the second most powerful man
in the empire, controlling many of the Emperor’s decisions. Yet he never was fully in
control and was never fully respected by his peers, and silently brooded over these
slights. When the imperial capital of Eolas was sacked, and the Emperor killed, at the
 O’Neill 4

beginning of the War of the Three Princes, the power of the Sciath Empire was
shattered. Nial managed to escape the city, returning to Glas, to aid the Prince Duke in
his war. With his plans and power destroyed, he set about gaining power in Glas, and by
the end of the Year of Destruction, he had managed to secure control over the Eastern
and Southern regions of the island. This was partially due to being an Aufheitist as well
as his ancient ties to the region. His family had been the controlling clan on the island
throughout much of its history, yet Clan Nial could never maintain control past a few
generations. They were the last true kings of Glas before the Empire invaded and
decimated their clan. After a few unsuccessful rebellions over the years, the Nials found
it was more advantageous to ally with the empire than to fight it. As such, Lord Irard
Nial is a complete foil of Cormac Flain, being an Aufheitist as well as pro-empire. He also
seeks to be named heir of the empire but is hostile to the current Emperor for his desire
to impose direct imperial rule on Glas. Even though he is pro-empire, he has fought off
imperial expeditionary forces and has threatened to secede from the Sciath Empire as
well. He quietly works behind the scenes gaining support from abroad, as well as inside
the Empire, in the hopes of one day becoming Emperor himself.
 O’Neill 5

Example Religious History:

The Lord of the Two Eyes- The religion of the Lord of the Two Eyes is an interesting religion as it
began as a small sect, about which much is unknown. It first rose to prominence in the nation
Macht 300 years ago, and slowly made its way through Protektorato, Càirdeas, and Forza. Its
followers believe that the Lord of the Two Eyes has shaped history through the power of his
gaze. The right eye, is an eye which appears to have an iris of bright blue, calm confidence, and
the eye is wreathed in leaves of gold. It is said when the Lord gazes upon you with this eye, you
will have a time of peace and plenty. The left eye, appears as an eye with a bright orange iris
which is bloodshot from rage and anger, and is wreathed in orange red flames. It is said when
the Lord gazes upon you with this eye, you have done wrong and you are being punished as you
will have times of hardship, pain, and suffering. The followers of the Lord of the Two Eyes
believe that as well as watching the individuals of Cathair, the Lord of the Two Eyes also gazes
upon the world as a whole. If the right eye gazes upon Cathair, the world will have general
peace and plenty, but if gazed upon with the left, war, death, and pain will consume the world.
If the Lord gazes upon the world with two eyes, parts of the world will be wracked with war and
violence, but others will have peace and prosperity. The religion does not have a religious head,
but rather local religious leaders known as the Eyes of the Lord. They are said to be vessels
through which the Lord sees the world and decides which eye to gaze upon the world with.
They are blinded and have their eyelids sewn shut and have the Eyes of the Lord tattooed on
their respective eyes. They preach to local congregations in long halls with two giant eyes,
made in the likeness of the Lord of Two Eyes, at the end of the hall looking down over the
congregation with a pulpit in front. The doctrine and dogma are highly different beyond its
basic teachings, and each congregation is very different and localized. Its symbols are the two
eyes floating in a field of light blue. Common phrases are “May the Lord look upon you with his
right eye and bring peace and plenty” and conversely “May the Lord gaze upon you with his left
eye as punishment for your wrongs.”
 O’Neill 6

Example Encounter 1:
The Game in Glas-
a. Begins in Castle Dallan.
b. The Emperor will instruct you to go to Glas and pacify the island on his behalf.
You are now working directly for the Emperor and carry the weight of his direct
authority. He will give you his seal and permission to make the best deal possible
on behalf of the Empire.
c. He does not have a preference on which Lord you make a deal with. He explains
both Lords and their stances and advises you that working with Lord Nial may be
easier.
d. He informs you to make haste and that a fully crewed Imperial Galley will be
waiting for the unit in the Port City of Kios. The ship is one of the fastest in the
fleet and is named the Sovereign. The ship is captained by Earl Salamis of Castle
Akti.
e. The Emperor will then dismiss you back to Duke Rowan and Castle Wolf.
i. If Conall was disinherited, the Emperor will ask him to join the unit. You
must accept and he will become your companion. This will make Lorcan
betray you during this mission, once in Glas.
f. The players will then return to Castle Wolf to gather provisions and prepare for
the mission. While there, they will notice a heightened sense of activity and an
uneasiness and tension in the air. The players have no idea why. Sir Bardan will
come to you and express apprehensions that he thinks something is about to
happen and to make sure you protect yourselves.
i. If players did the Deimos side quest, they may be confronted by Captain
Theron Greer, if Paris Greer was killed or abdicated. He is rather angry,
and his level of anger will depend upon what happened to his brother. He
will seek a confrontation with you.
1. Players can talk him down, and he will leave.
2. Players can pay him off and he will leave.
3. Players can kill him, but then they must justify that to Duke
Rowan.
g. After collecting any equipment and provisions, you will then be brought before
Duke Rowan. Rowan will state that your actions in the matter appointed by the
 O’Neill 7

Emperor have great importance. Your actions may change the course of the
Sciath Empire as Glas is key controlling the Empire. He who can harness the
power of Glas, can bring the rest of the Empire to heel. He thanks you for your
loyalty and hopes that you will continue supporting the Wolves in all things. He
also states that there will soon come a time when you will have to make a
decision which will decide the very course of history. With that, he sends you on
your mission.
h. After, Players proceed to Kios where they board the ship and sail for Glas.
i. Plyers can decide to head for Kells and try to make a deal with Flain, or sail to
Uaill and deal with Nial, via the Ui Nial River which has been widened into a canal
for sailing ships.
i. If players go to Kells, they must figure out a way to get Lord Cormac Flain
to make a deal with the Empire. He does not like the Empire and will only
make a deal if you allow Glas to be a free and independent kingdom not
under the control of the Empire. The Sciath Empire must then ally with
Glas and help Flain defeat Lord Irard Nial.
1. If Conall is with you, he will also demand him as a hostage.
ii. If players go to Uaill, they must get Lord Irard Nial to agree to a deal. He
seeks peace with the Empire and is just simply tired of playing second
fiddle and being relegated to the background. He wants him and his
family to be recognized for their service to the Empire and his family be
named the heirs of Glas. This would make his descendants the Prince or
Princess of Glas in the future. He also wants his family either to become
the next family to be put forward as the line of Emperors or would like to
create the hereditary position of Lord Protector of the Empire, which his
family would control. He also will ask the players to help him rid Glas of
its other pretender. Nial also lets on that he knows much about the issues
facing the Emperor, and is the only one who can help the Empire in the
coming war.
j. If players decide to help Flain, they will make a deal and sign the treaty right
then and there after a few days of haggling over the specifics. After this is done,
he will require the players to come with him and his army, to meet Irard Nial on
the field of battle outside the city of Finglas. Flain has goaded Nial into battle by
sweeping through his territory, seizing Castle Torr, Eoin, and Mullingar. Now the
only thing standing between Flain and Uaill is the besieged city of Finglas. Flain
has received reports that the bulk of the Army of Nial, led by Lord Nial, is moving
to relieve the city, and Flain is intent on ambushing the army and killing Nial. The
players are tasked with finding and killing Nial once battle commences.
 O’Neill 8

i. Once battle is joined, it will become chaotic and players must fight their
way to Nial. They will then fight and kill Lord Nial, and as he is dying, he
says “What have you done?! This is more than just ancient squabbles of
kingship. You have doomed Glas to suffer the chains of the Emperor of
Cathair. I was one of the only ones who knew the truth… Seek out Lady
Riona if you wish to save the world from darkness. Only she can find the
ones you seek.” He then dies and Flain comes and congratulates you. He
will then go over and place his hands upon Lord Irard Nial and it will
appear as if he is sucking the lifeforce out of Nial. Flain will turn back to
the group, his eyes black like the night sky with stars in it and will say in a
voice not his “You have done well. You will be rewarded in time. Now go,
may we meet again.” His gaze will linger upon Lorcan a little longer, and
he then turns around and walks into the battlefield once again.
ii. After this, the players will return to their ship, whereupon the Rian
Sphere they took from the bards will begin to glow and vibrate. Once
activated, a scene will be projected of the Emperor’s banquet hall where
the Emperor’s wedding day party is taking place. The room is filled with
imperial dignitaries, allies of the Emperor, some of his lords and ladies,
entertainers, servants, the Emperor, his new wife, (Conall as well if Riona
is chosen), and Duke Rowan. The players can see all and hear all but
cannot interact. They see that the Duke is agitated and there is an
unusually large amount of the Duke’s personal guards and White Wolf
Soldiers. The players also see that the three serial killer/assassin bards
are among the bards. The party attendees then sit down to begin the
banquet and the music changes to a melancholic, mournful, and warning
tune. The attendees appear spellbound, all except for Duke Rowan and
his men, as well as the Emperor and his family. The Duke’s Guards and
the White Wolves kill the Emperor’s guards, then the entertainers,
servants, and then start slaughtering the attendees. All the while, the
Duke sits in his chair staring at the Emperor, eyes black as night with
what looks like stars blazing in them. The assassins converge on the
Emperor and his family and the following possibilities occur: (Players will
roll a D20 to decide, and their actions will be accounted for as + or – 1 on
the roll) [The following are to be added to get the number: +1,+1,-1,-1,-2,
and + or – the # from The Marriage Mess encounter.]
1. On a roll of 1-5, the Emperor and his family will be murdered as
you look on unable to do anything. The Emperor is completely
taken by surprise and is unable to defend himself or his family,
whereupon they are all mortally wounded. As the Emperor is
dying, Rowan walks towards him, takes out his sword, and then
 O’Neill 9

runs the Empress (and Conall) through. He finally then stabs the
Emperor in the heart saying in a voice not his “The time of Man
has ended, I will return and this pitiful kingdom you call an empire
will burn in the fires of war.” He then turns back towards the
slaughter, raises his bloody sword, pointing it at directly the at the
players view, through the Rian Sphere, and says, “And it begins!”.
The Rian Sphere shuts down and begins to vibrate once again, this
time rising into the sky and explodes, knocking out all of the
players.
2. On a roll of 6-10, the Emperor (and Conall) will be murdered as
you look on unable to do anything. The Emperor is able to fight off
enough of his attackers to allow for his wife to escape, but he is
mortally wounded. As the Emperor is dying, Rowan walks towards
him, takes out his sword, (and then runs the fighting Conall
through), and stabbing the Emperor in the heart. Then saying in a
voice not his “The time of Man has ended, I will return and this
pitiful kingdom you call an empire will burn in the fires of war.” He
then turns back towards the slaughter, raises his bloody sword,
pointing it at directly the at the players view, through the Rian
Sphere, and says, “And it begins!”. The Rian Sphere shuts down
and begins to vibrate once again, this time rising into the sky and
explodes, knocking out all of the players.
3. On a roll of 11-15, the Empress (and Conall) will be murdered as
you look on unable to do anything. The Emperor is able to fight off
his attackers, getting to the door, which he opens and allows his
guards in, who are led by Sir Bardan. As he does this, the Empress
(and Conall) are stabbed. Rowan then walks towards him, takes
out his sword, (and then runs the fighting Conall through), and
stabs the Empress in the heart saying in a voice not his “The time
of Man has ended, I will return and this pitiful kingdom you call an
empire will burn in the fires of war.” He then turns back towards
the slaughter, raises his bloody sword, pointing it at directly the at
the players view, through the Rian Sphere, and says, “And it
begins!” Players watch as he and his men charge the Emperor and
his guards. The Rian Sphere shuts down and begins to vibrate
once again, this time rising into the sky and explodes, knocking
out all of the players.
4. On a roll of 16-20, the Emperor and his family survive. They are
able hold off their attackers long enough for more imperial guards
 O’Neill 10

to break into the room, led by Sir Bardan. The two opposing
forces marshal on either side of the room, preparing to fight each
other. Rowan stands up from his chair, unsheathes his sword, and
says in a voice not his “The time of Man has ended, I will return
and this pitiful kingdom you call an empire will burn in the fires of
war.” He raises his sword, pointing it at directly the at the players
view, through the Rian Sphere, and says, “And it begins!” Players
watch as he and his men charge the Emperor and his guards. The
Rian Sphere shuts down and begins to vibrate once again, this
time rising into the sky and explodes, knocking out all of the
players.
k. If the players decide to help Nial, they will make a deal and sign the treaty right
then and there after a few days of haggling over the specifics. He will also let on
that he knows a great deal about the internal workings of the Empire, the
dealings of Duke Rowan, and a greater evil which threatens to destroy the world.
He will reveal bits and pieces as the treaty is signed but will not give the players
the entire picture until after the players help him deal with Flain. After this is
done, he will require the players to come with him and his army to besiege the
city of Kells. Just before your arrival and during your time in Glas, Lord Nial
launched an offensive deep into Flain’s territory, seizing the cities of Port Siorc
and Loch. Now his armies converge on the city of Kells, the seat of power for
Lord Flain. Upon arrival at the city, you will see the siege is well underway, and
Lord Nial takes personal command. He then asks you to infiltrate the city and kill
or arrest Flain in order to make the city surrender. He tells the players that he
most likely is taking refuge in the ancient tunnels underneath the city of Kells,
which is only accessible from the Palace of Kells.
i. The players will then infiltrate the city and make their way to the palace.
Upon arrival to the palace, they will find guards outside, but once inside,
the entire palace is completely and eerily deserted. They then will search
for the entrance to these tunnels, and find them in the temple of Aufheit,
underneath the Sword Altar. Upon entering the tunnel, they will hear
distant chanting coming from deeper in the tunnel system. Everything is
once again eerily deserted, and the cultic music and chanting becomes
louder and louder. Eventually the players reach a stone balcony which
overlooks a ritual being done by Lord Flain, some Priests of Aufheit, and
an Elven Priestess. They are leading some sort of ritual in front of an
ancient Elven statue of a demon, appearing as if they are trying to
summon it. Lorcan informs you that he has seen a ritual like this once
before, and says you only have about four minutes from when the ritual
starts until it ends. You must act now. The players attack and must
 O’Neill 11

disrupt the ritual by killing Flain, who seems to be the target of the ritual.
The players kill Flain, but as he is killed, his body starts to writhe and
contort in ways it should not, and from him, a dark black mist appears,
coming out of his body taking a vaguely humanoid form, but ever shifting.
The form says “Fools! This is but the beginning, you have not stopped me.
I will return and nothing will stand in my way!” It then explodes in a blast
of dark energy, incinerating any remaining people other than the players.
The players are knocked unconscious by the blast.
ii. The players wake up in a hospital ward with Lord Irard standing nearby.
He explains there was a massive magical blast a couple hours prior, which
originated from the palace, incinerating everyone in the city. He asks the
players to follow him to the throne room, and he continues talking. He
says that his men, upon entering the city, started looking for survivors,
but found none but the players. The only other people who were not
incinerated where those who were already dead. He then explains to the
players, that he thinks that all this strife and destruction across the Sciath
Empire is the doing of one being. That a single powerful being has been
manipulating events for the past thirty years. He does not know why, but
he is certain that this is true.
iii. The Rian Sphere they took from the bards will then begin to glow and
vibrate. Once activated, a scene will be projected of the Emperor’s
banquet hall where the Emperor’s wedding day party is taking place The
room is filled with imperial dignitaries, allies of the Emperor, some of his
lords and ladies, entertainers, servants, the Emperor, his new wife,
(Conall as well if Riona is chosen), and Duke Rowan. The players can see
all and hear all but cannot interact. They see that the Duke is agitated
and there is an unusually large amount of the Duke’s personal guards and
White Wolf Soldiers. The players also see that the three serial
killer/assassin bards are among the bards. The party attendees then sit
down to begin the banquet and the music changes to a melancholic,
mournful, and warning tune. The attendees appear spellbound, all except
for Duke Rowan and his men, as well as the Emperor and his family. The
Duke’s Guards and the White Wolves kill the Emperor’s guards, then the
entertainers, servants, and then start slaughtering the attendees. All the
while, the Duke sits in his chair staring at the Emperor, eyes black as night
with what looks like stars blazing in them. The assassins converge on the
Emperor and his family and the following possibilities occur: (Players will
roll a D20 to decide, and their actions will be accounted for as + or – 1 on
the roll) [The following are to be added to get the number: +1,+1,-1,-1,-2,
and + or – the # from The Marriage Mess encounter.]
 O’Neill 12

1. On a roll of 1-5, the Emperor and his family will be murdered as

you look on unable to do anything. The Emperor is completely
taken by surprise and is unable to defend himself or his family,
whereupon they are all mortally wounded. As the Emperor is
dying, Rowan walks towards him, takes out his sword, and then
runs the Empress (and Conall) through. He finally then stabs the
Emperor in the heart saying in a voice not his “The time of Man
has ended, I will return and this pitiful kingdom you call an empire
will burn in the fires of war.” He then turns back towards the
slaughter, raises his bloody sword, pointing it at directly the at the
players view, through the Rian Sphere, and says, “And it begins!”.
The Rian Sphere shuts down and begins to vibrate once again, this
time rising into the sky and explodes, knocking out all of the
players.
2. On a roll of 6-10, the Emperor (and Conall) will be murdered as
you look on unable to do anything. The Emperor is able to fight off
enough of his attackers to allow for his wife to escape, but he is
mortally wounded. As the Emperor is dying, Rowan walks towards
him, takes out his sword, (and then runs the fighting Conall
through), and stabbing the Emperor in the heart. Then saying in a
voice not his “The time of Man has ended, I will return and this
pitiful kingdom you call an empire will burn in the fires of war.” He
then turns back towards the slaughter, raises his bloody sword,
pointing it at directly the at the players view, through the Rian
Sphere, and says, “And it begins!”. The Rian Sphere shuts down
and begins to vibrate once again, this time rising into the sky and
explodes, knocking out all of the players.
3. On a roll of 11-15, the Empress (and Conall) will be murdered as
you look on unable to do anything. The Emperor is able to fight off
his attackers, getting to the door, which he opens and allows his
guards in, who are led by Sir Bardan. As he does this, the Empress
(and Conall) are stabbed. Rowan then walks towards him, takes
out his sword, (and then runs the fighting Conall through), and
stabs the Empress in the heart saying in a voice not his “The time
of Man has ended, I will return and this pitiful kingdom you call an
empire will burn in the fires of war.” He then turns back towards
the slaughter, raises his bloody sword, pointing it at directly the at
the players view, through the Rian Sphere, and says, “And it
begins!” Players watch as he and his men charge the Emperor and
his guards. The Rian Sphere shuts down and begins to vibrate
 O’Neill 13

once again, this time rising into the sky and explodes, knocking
out all of the players.
4. On a roll of 16-20, the Emperor and his family survive. They are
able hold off their attackers long enough for more imperial guards
to break into the room, led by Sir Bardan. The two opposing
forces marshal on either side of the room, preparing to fight each
other. Rowan stands up from his chair, unsheathes his sword, and
says in a voice not his “The time of Man has ended, I will return
and this pitiful kingdom you call an empire will burn in the fires of
war.” He raises his sword, pointing it at directly the at the players
view, through the Rian Sphere, and says, “And it begins!” Players
watch as he and his men charge the Emperor and his guards. The
Rian Sphere shuts down and begins to vibrate once again, this
time rising into the sky and explodes, knocking out all of the
players.
iv. Throughout the mission, if Conall becomes a party member, Lorcan subtly
tries to undermine the good decisions made by the players and weaken
the Empire.
 O’Neill 14

Example Encounter 2:
Here There be Dragons…-
a. The players follow the path up the cliffside closer to the castle ruins. They notice
path slowly becomes steeper, and the entire stairway is covered in lilac flowers.
These lilac flowers extend in every direction around the stairs, all the way up the
ruins. The players also notice that the stairs seem to have been recently used.
b. Soon, players come upon what appears to be a gatehouse, but it is overgrown
with vines and the gates are open. Upon further investigation, the players find
the gatehouse was recently used. There is grass and flowers in both gatehouse
towers, made into nests for a bird. But these nests are look like they are large
enough for something man sized.
c. After the gatehouse, the players move through the ruined outer courtyard and
outer walls. The players will find that it did not naturally fall apart over time, but
rather it initially was destroyed in a siege. The players see ancient armor,
weaponry, and bones nearly full decayed and mostly buried, but some of these
items seem to have been dug up. The players also see what appears to be
catapult and trebuchet stones, along with massive ballista heads. Parts of the
stone wall also seem to have been melted by intense heat many thousands of
years ago.
d. Players enter the castle and find in the entranceway, a camp for Half-Dragons.
There are twenty Half-Dragons, all heavily armed, but half are sleeping. They are
armed with what appears to be ancient Elvish and Cian weaponry, most likely
scrounged from the ruins.
i. They can be fought and defeated to proceed.
ii. Players can try and talk their way past, but the Half-Dragons only speak
Draconic.
iii. Players can sneak past.
iv. Players can poison their food, whereupon the Half-Dragons will all eat
dinner, and die immediately after.
e. Once players get past the main entranceway, they must make their way through
the winding passages of the bottom floor. Along the way, they will find more
evidence of a great ancient battle between the Cian and the Elves, as bits of
bone, armor, and weaponry are scattered about. They will also find great gaping
holes in the walls which look they were made by the same stones found in the
courtyard. Yet these holes have claw marks on the edges. The players will also
 O’Neill 15

see ancient Elvish frescos, which are badly damaged, but show images of Dark
Elves and High Elves being lorded over by the Cian.
f. The players will then come to a grand staircase leading to the second level. In
this room, the players will see more frescos, but they are badly blackened and
burned. Players can just barely make out images of Dark Elves and High Elves
together, in what appears to be a large clan or family. The players can then
vaguely make out a damaged fresco, above the stairs, of a Dark Elf noblewoman
and a High Elf nobleman holding something in their hands, above them,
together. The Cian are nowhere to be found in these images.
g. Two large statues, or what had looked to be statues, suddenly move and come
alive, they are two Red Dragon Wyrmlings, and the players must defeat them to
progress.
h. After defeating them, the players go up the stairs and into a long hallway. Once
again, this room is scarred by the marks of an ancient battle. The hallway also
contains frescos on each side, depicting the adolescence of a young Elvish
woman. Yet this child is marred with a hunchback, skin that is neither akin to a
Dark Elf or High Elf and is shunned by all of her family. Then the scene goes to a
new panel, towards the end of the hall, where it shows the child in the center of
what appears to be three Half-Dragon Druids. The last panel, nearest to the
door, should have something on it, but it is destroyed as a massive stone had
come crashing through it, thousands of years ago. Once again, there is also
brand-new large claw marks on the edges of the hole.
i. Players then proceed through the ancient doorway and into a great hall. Upon
stepping into the great hall, the players see that it is three times larger than any
great hall in the Lands of Men. It also is covered in in ancient Elvish and Cian
bones and armor. The walls also look as though they had frescos on them, but
everything in room is blackened from an ancient fire. The only thing not
blackened from the fire is a dais with a singular throne upon it at the end of the
hall. The throne is intricately carved out of pure white gemstone and has a fist
sized ruby inlaid above where a head would rest. The throne also has lilacs
woven around it, that appear to have been there for centuries, neither dying nor
wilting. Upon the throne, rests a white orb, much like a Rian Sphere. Flanking the
throne are two Dragon statues, as well as two Dragon statues at the base of the
dais.
j. Once the players reach the dais, the four Dragon statues will come alive and
attack, needing to be defeated before proceeding.
 O’Neill 16

k. Players will eventually touch the orb, and the room will immediately glow with
magic, and tendrils of energy will shoot out of the orb at each player, hitting
them. The energy will engulf them, and they will have a communal vision.
i. They will be transported back in time thousands of years and will be
placed in the bodies of Dark Elf and High Elf nobility arriving as guest to
the castle.
ii. Upon seeing the castle, it is a massive structure with eight circular
towers, a large outer curtain wall, a tall inner wall, and a sprawling many
towered keep at the center. All around the castle, there are fields upon
fields of violet lilacs.
iii. Upon arriving at the gatehouse, the players will see hundreds of Dark Elf
and High Elf Nobles streaming into the castle in their finery as guests to
the party. The guards are outfitted in pristinely polished plate armor and
chain mail, with crowns of violet lilac flowers, and surcoats of violet, upon
which is emblazoned a pure white gemstone circlet crown, with a single
ruby. The guards carry longswords and large kite shields. They are the
epitome of the image of a knight of chivalry
iv. Upon moving through the courtyard, there are entertainers, artists,
musicians, and actors everywhere, all in violet and white.
v. Upon entering the castle, the guests are directed by servants, dressed in
violet and white with lilac flowers, down a series of halls. The players see
the frescos in their full glory and see that the frescoes show the great
oppression of the Elves by the Cian. Each fresco is punctuated with a
guard standing to either side.
vi. They will exit the hallway and come to the grand staircase room and are
directed up the stairs. All around them are tapestries, interspersed with
guards, and servants dressed in their finery and the ever-present lilacs.
The frescos perfectly show a Dark Elf noble family and High Elf noble
family coming together to escape the oppression of the Cian. The heads
of the two families have child, which is thought will be their savior.
vii. Players will then procced up the stairs and into the main hallway, where
the fresco will depict this very same savior child, who is a young girl,
shunned by her families for being deformed and mis-colored. When this
child becomes a young woman, she seeks out three Half-Dragon Druids
who then transform her into the most beautiful being in history,
activating her dormant magical powers. She now radiates with both
beauty and power.
 O’Neill 17

viii. The players will enter the great hall and see it is filled with dancing
nobles, performers, musicians, and guards. It has lilacs everywhere, violet
and white tapestries depicting scenes of chivalry, and banners with the
same image as being worn by the guards. The white gemstone circlet
crown with the singular ruby. The frescos on the wall depict scenes of the
young woman being courted by a figure that appears to be a Cian Prince,
while they are both in a forest. She eventually gives in as she loves him,
and the frescos lead to scene at the far end of the room, above the dais.
Above the dais, is a fresco which shows the Cian Prince dressed in black
obsidian armor, with a black cape, and a black obsidian crown, all
trimmed in Gold. Upon his crown is single red ruby and inlaid on his
breast plate is red ruby. This figure is crowning the Elven woman with a
circlet of pure white gemstone with a single ruby upon it. The Woman is
dressed in a white flowing dress, trimmed in gold and is holding a
bouquet of lilac flowers. And has bright violet eyes.
ix. Sitting on the throne beneath the fresco, is the woman from the fresco.
She is sitting bolt upright, but rather than a smile upon her face as in the
fresco above her, she remains expressionless.
x. The song changes and all of the attendees to the party begin to dance.
Vaguely far off, are the sounds of thuds. As the song goes on, the thuds
become louder, becoming cracks, coupled with the clang of steel on
steel. The party goers are still oblivious, but the woman on the throne
listens intently, and watches the door with dread.
xi. The crashes, cracks, and clangs become louder, and then the sound of
nearby explosions occurs. The door bursts open and Cian soldiers charge
in, slaughtering the guests and guards. The guards valiantly try to fight off
the enemy but are overwhelmed. The remaining guests run to the dais,
where the woman is now standing. She extends her arms as if to embrace
them, and from her hands burst streams of violet flame which envelope
the entire room and the music ends.
xii. The vision ends.
l. The players are then released from the vision but are knocked out from the force
of the magical energy and take a long rest.
m. Upon awakening, they will find a hidden door now outlined in the fresco behind
the throne. They must find a way to open it, and then proceed up the stairs. The
players will come out into a large circular, domed room that appears to be some
sort of map room. The room has images of the night sky upon the ceiling,
displayed in a constellation map, and on the floor is a massive map of Cathair.
 O’Neill 18

The dome is broken with a massive whole having caved it in and the floor is
cracked in many places. The players will then see a massive Dragon laying on the
floor, unmoving, but staring directly at the players. As soon as players move
further into the room, the Dragon will attack, and the players will have to defeat
it.
n. After defeating the dragon, players will see four archways carved into the wall
behind him, with half bowls cut into the walls. The first archway is broken in half,
but has writing above which says, “Gateway to the Source of Evil”. The next one
is also broken apart, but the writing can be barely made out and it reads
“Gateway to the Last Castle” (Castle Isola in the Miren League). The third
archway has cracks all over it and it may not work if activated but is intact. Above
it reads “Gateway to Castle of the First Men” (Ammut Castle in the Isles of the
Dead). The third gateway is wholly undamaged, and above it reads “Gateway to
the City of Knowledge” (Eolas, now the Ruins of Eolas).
o. In further examination around the room, the players will find two plinths, both at
the opposite ends of the rooms. The first plinth has a box upon it made of
ancient, petrified wood and marble. It cannot be opened and has no keyhole.
Upon it, carvings read “Only the soul of the one borne of enemies, deformed,
remade, and unmade may open me”. On the second plinth, they will find a key,
made of the same wood and petrified material as the other box. Inscribed upon
the key are the words “The key to the prison of the soul of the one who was
made and unmade”. This key appears as if it has only been here for maybe eight
or so weeks, and that it simply appeared on the plinth.
p. The players will eventually activate the gateways, with the third and fourth one
turning on. The third one will continuously flicker, but not stay on, while the
fourth one will remain continuously active.
i. If players try to go through the third one, they will go through, then it will
blink off and they flung back out of the portal, with a body part randomly
rearranged upon them. This is an unfixable effect of unknown magic.
q. Players can then go through the fourth gateway to Eolas.
i. They can go through by themselves and leave the ship and its crew to die.
The ship will never be heard from again and all will die.
ii. The players can go get everyone from the ship, bring them through the
castle without incident, and they will follow the players through. The
undead crewmembers cannot go through, vaporizing as soon as they
touch the portal.