Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Northern Wastes Land Travel

Movement with an Army

Darrett's troops have a challenging time navigating the Northern Wastes. They move at a slow pace, covering about nine miles a day. Darrett encourages the characters to move ahead of the troops and rendezvous with them at predetermined points. He relies on the characters to help him determine where to head next.

Running Travel in the Wastes

The Northern Wastes span hundreds of miles. Instead of roleplaying every minute of the party's travel, use the encounters from the "x" section later in this chapter as often as you please—usually once per day. After the characters have spent several days in the wastes and learned about its dangers, consider making encounters less frequent.

The hexes on map 5.1 measure distance, but characters don't need to explore every hex. Feel free to skim over days of travel to reach new locations or return to already-visited ones. The Dragon Army also faces the challenges of the wasteland, so the characters don't need to rush to prevent their enemies from fulfilling their plots by a certain time.

Nature of the Wash

Dangers of the Wash

When the Wash fills the Northern Wastes, the characters must make a DC 12 group Wisdom (Survival) check. On a successful check, they notice signs of water beginning to fill the canyons, giving them time to reach safe ground. On a failed check, the characters are caught in a flash flood.

Flash Flood

During a flash flood, turbulent Wash waters flood the canyons in the area the characters are traveling through. If the characters are in a canyon, its walls are 2d4 × 10 feet high.

When the flood starts, have the characters and nearby creatures roll initiative. Each round, on initiative counts 10 and 0, the water level rises by 10 feet (up to the height of the canyon) and travels 100 feet horizontally. On each of these initiative counts, creatures in the water and moving along with it must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw as they're smashed by large chunks of debris. A creature takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The water level continues to rise and move this way for 2d4 rounds, then stops.

Northern Wastes Encounters

Dragon Army Patrols

Hostile Dragon Army patrols scour the Northern Wastes for pre-Cataclysm ruins to exploit. Roll on the Dragon Army Patrol table to determine which patrol the characters encounter (see appendix B for the patrol members' stat blocks). If the characters are defeated or surrender, they're taken as prisoners to x (detailed later in this chapter).

Malfunctioning Gate

The characters find a stone archway lined with sigils. This gate used to be a teleportation gate—part of a magical transportation system created by Istarian mages. It once stood in Onyari before the city fell. As soon as a character approaches, magical energy swirls within the arch. The magic kicks up nearby debris that animates as a hostile clay golem.

[image: Few can survive the flood-prone canyons of the Northern Wastes]

Wastes Predators

Roll on the table below to determine what predators the characters encounter. Each entry provides a different threat depending on whether the Wash is high or low (as noted in parentheses).

Army in Tow

During this part of the adventure, the characters are guiding Kalaman's troops toward battle with the Dragon Army. The characters should frequently split from the troops, then meet back up with them, serving as scouts and handling missions while the army advances. Darrett won't send his soldiers into uncertain danger, such as caves or ruins.

Combat Encounters

Avoid involving Kalaman's troops in encounters meant for the characters. If combat breaks out while the characters are with Kalaman's troops, use five Kalaman soldiers (see appendix B)—or however many you deem appropriate—to represent allied soldiers who are quick to aid the characters.

Kalaman Army Camp

As they travel the wastes, Darrett and his troops establish temporary camps. These camps offer characters a safe place to rest, replenish supplies, and interact with allies. A camp includes the following features, which you can arrange as you please:

• Characters' Tents. The characters can rest in their tents.
• Command Tent. A large table is set up in this sizable tent. Here, the characters can meet with Darrett to discuss strategy and troop movement.
• Cudgel's Tent. Cudgel's tent features an impressive weapons collection. If the characters need to talk to the dwarf, they likely find her here.
• Darrett's Tent. Darrett's tent is spartan and well kept. If the characters ever need to talk to him in private, they're likely to find him here.
• Rookledust's Tent. Rookledust's tent is filled with strange contraptions and unfinished projects. The gnome is often here, tinkering with the fargabs (see appendix A) and other inventions.
• Other Tents. Guard posts, hospital tents, supply tents, and other accommodations fill out the camp.

Hidden Cove

After about an hour of exploring the shore, the characters spot a narrow cove. This time is halved if a character is proficient with water vehicles or is a ranger whose favored terrain is the coast.

A few rotten wooden buildings abandoned by smugglers line this cove. Additionally, a small ship is anchored near a clear beach inside the cove.

Elven Ship

The ship belongs to a group of elven wizards who found Wrecker's Edge a few months ago. Characters who grew up in an elven society or who succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence (History) check identify the ship as being of Silvanesti elven origin.

The ship is small but seaworthy, with enough room for a dozen crew members. It has nothing of value on its deck or in the communal bunks below deck. However, two air elementals on the deck defend the vessel against intruders. They attack any non-elf that sets foot upon the ship.

If the characters haven't met Dalamar yet (see the following section), he's nearby when they board the ship, and an alarm spell cast on the deck alerts him to their intrusion. He might approach them anytime after they defeat the elementals (see the following section).

Meeting Dalamar

Dalamar approaches the characters soon after they defeat the elementals or Kalaman's troops start disembarking. Dalamar is curious about the adventurers' motives and whether they align with his. Speaking with him reveals the following information:

• Dalamar is part of a contingent of Silvanesti elves.
• The ship is the elves' conveyance.
• Dalamar is surveying the coast for ancient ruins. He knowns there are none here, but his leader, Zhelsuel, wants him to search thoroughly anyway.
• If the characters mention the City of Lost Names, he pretends not to recognize the name until he knows more about the characters (see the "x" section). A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check believes Dalamar knows more than he says.
• Dalamar invites the characters to return with him to his group at the x (location B on map 5.1).

Dalamar

[image: Dalamar provides a glimpse of lost, ancient ruins]

An ambitious elf magic-user, Dalamar (neutral elf mage) has an insatiable thirst for knowledge. This often puts him at odds with other Silvanesti mages, whose conservative methods wear on his patience.

Dalamar participated in the ill-fated defense of Silvanesti against the Dragon Armies. His desperate actions were part of the reason he and the other mages were sent to the Northern Wastes. Despite resenting his people's small-minded decisions, he sees this mission as a chance to prove himself and potentially strike back against the Dragon Armies. Dalamar studied pre-Cataclysm magic long before being sent here, and he believes something of magical value might be hidden in the region. He wants to find it swiftly, return to his people, and continue working toward joining the Mages of High Sorcery.

Reporting Back

If the characters return to their ships and give Darrett directions to Wrecker's Edge, he orders the ships to shore. He's curious about Dalamar and the elves. He suggests the characters investigate the elven encampment and determine whether they can be trusted.

While the characters are away, Kalaman's troops unload the ships and set up their first camp as detailed in the "Kalaman's Army Camp" section earlier in this chapter.

Expedition Members

The elven camp lies next to some small ruins on a plateau overlooking the wastes, with a dozen or so tents arranged in a spiral pattern. Ten elves are present in the camp when the characters arrive, including their leader, Zhelsuel. Others roam the wastes in search of information. They all use the mage stat block.

Silvanesti's Exiles

Once a beautiful woodland nation with sculpted trees and towering spires, the elven land of Silvanesti lies in ruins after being invaded by the Dragon Armies. The elves struggled to defend their homeland and were ultimately forced to retreat to the island of Southern Ergoth to seek a new home.

The elves here in the Northern Wastes were among the defenders of Silvanesti. When they failed to protect their homeland, they were sent on an expedition to the wastes following centuries-old legends of Silvanesti magic lost in the region. They hope recovering such magic might help them save their homeland and redeem themselves in the eyes of their people.

Zhelsuel

Zhelsuel, a once-respected member of House Mystic—an elven clan known for magical prowess—is reaching a venerable age even by elven standards. He's keenly aware this expedition is a fool's errand analogous to exile, and he believes his homeland is lost to him forever. But if he must spend the rest of his days in this bleak expanse, he's determined to spend them as an exemplar of thoroughness and scholarship. He drives his subordinates to catalog every foot of the Northern Wastes in search of the barest scrap of Silvanesti magic.

Meeting Zhelsuel

Zhelsuel confronts Dalamar and the characters when they arrive. He wants nothing to do with outsiders and sees them as an obstacle to the elves' progress. He tells the characters he and the rest of the elves are conducting research, but he refuses to elaborate.

A character who speaks to Zhelsuel in Elvish or succeeds on a DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces him to converse, though most of Zhelsuel's responses are cutting and brief:

• Zhelsuel shares any of the information from the "x" or "x" sections.
• If characters bring up the Red Dragon Army's attack on Kalaman, it clearly gives him pause, but he quickly dismisses the conflict as irrelevant to his people.
• If the characters mention they're in pursuit of the Dragon Army, Zhelsuel scoffs at their eagerness to rush to their deaths.

Zhelsuel ultimately demands the characters leave and not return. He commands the expedition, specifically Dalamar, to focus on their survey of the region. He then tells Dalamar to escort the characters away and return to his work.

Mutual Understanding

Dalamar is frustrated that Zhelsuel seems content to spend the rest of his days—and those of the other expedition members—turning over rocks in the Northern Wastes. After being told to see the characters away, he shares that the elves recently spotted Dragon Army soldiers headed north. He doesn't know their destination, but he suspects they're not just wandering. He suggests that perhaps the Dragon Army, the elves, and the characters have similar interests in this land's hidden magic.

Finding the City of Lost Names

If the characters asked Dalamar about the City of Lost Names, he tells them he learned of the city from the Silvanesti writings that led him and the other elves to this region. Though he doesn't know its location, he's interested in finding it, as it reportedly was a magical marvel that might hold valuable secrets.

Once Dalamar reveals this shared interest in the City of Lost Names, he proposes an arrangement that would allow him to advance his research without technically disobeying Zhelsuel. He points the characters to sites in the Northern Wastes he has already identified as being related to or of a similar age to the City of Lost Names. With the characters' insights and reports about whatever magic remains at those sites, he should be able to glean more information about the city's location. The following locations (detailed later in this chapter and shown on map 5.1) are of particular interest to Dalamar:

• x (location C)
• x (location D)
• x (location E)

Mark these sites' hexes on the players' map of the region in appendix E after Dalamar notes their locations.

If the characters agree to work with Dalamar, he's pleased. They can explore the locations in any order they wish. Dalamar plans to convince Zhelsuel to let him meet the characters at Wakenreth. Once they've relayed their findings to him, he hopes he'll be able to determine the location of the City of Lost Names (see the end of the "x" section for details). With this, Dalamar sends the characters on their way, wishing them fruitful investigations.

Disrupted Pilgrimage

Every year, a group of Dimernesti sea elves from Thoradin Bay travels to the Blue Phoenix Shrine to honor the Sea Lord for his bounty. While most sea elves have forgotten the name Habbakuk, they faithfully continue this annual pilgrimage.

Though the Wash changes chaotically, the sea elves swim to the shrine following reliable rivers that flow through ravines. This year, however, the pilgrimage went awry when the sea elves crossed paths with the Red Dragon Army. Four sea elves were captured—including their leader, the priest Yearkal—and many others perished in the confrontation (the characters can rescue three of the captured sea elves at x, while Yearkal was taken to the x). Six survivors reached the shrine, but they managed to hold on to only one offering: a pouch of blue deep-sea pearls.

Approaching the Shrine

When the characters arrive, the Wash is low. The sea elves have set up camp near the shrine's entrance. They periodically leave to scout for signs of the Dragon Army or missing comrades.

The Sea Elves

After their recent ordeal, the sea elves are on alert for large groups of people. If the characters approach them with Kalaman's troops in tow, the sea elves retreat. Their current leader, Ishvern Stargazer, approaches only if it's clear no one's pursuing them with hostile intent.

Ishvern and the sea elves use the scout stat block with the following changes:

• They have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put them to sleep.
• They have darkvision out to 60 feet.
• They have a swimming speed of 30 feet and can breathe air and water.

Ishvern Stargazer

[image: Ishvern]

Ishvern (neutral good, sea elf scout), the de facto leader of the Dimernesti group in their priest's absence, is pious, curious, and insightful. Having survived in the deadliest depths of the Turbidus Ocean for over a century, he knows better than to venture into mysterious places unprepared. He isn't eager to risk his companions' lives without the priest Yearkal's guidance. However, Ishvern fears Yearkal might be lost forever. If others might aid him in fulfilling her spiritual mission, he's eager for their help.

Ishvern's Plea

Ishvern tries to get a sense of the characters' motivations for traveling the Northern Wastes. He explains the nearby shrine is a sacred place, dedicated to an old deity the sea elves now remember only as the Sea Lord. If the characters approached the camp respectfully, he also tells them how the sea elves were attacked by the Dragon Army.

Even if he is suspicious of the characters, Ishvern sees value in their presence—especially if there's a cleric among them. He requests the characters help him make the group's offering in the name of their lost priest, Yearkal. The elves seek to make this offering in keeping with their peoples' centuries-old traditions, but they know little of the deed's religious ties or the god Habbakuk. If the characters agree, Ishvern leads them to the shrine's entrance.

Shrine Features

The shrine has the following features:

• Ceilings. The ceilings in the shrine are 15 feet high.
• Light. All areas of the shrine are brightly lit by blue continual flame spells cast on seashells and other objects embedded in the walls.
• Walls and Doors. The shrine's walls and doors are made of solid stone. Except for the door in x, the doors throughout the shrine open easily.
• Water. The Wash is low when the characters reach the shrine, but each room is filled with 2 feet of standing water, except for x. Areas with standing water are difficult terrain.

Shrine Locations

The following locations are keyed to map 5.2.

C1: Shrine Entrance

The shrine's entrance is carved in the escarpment of the ravine. Once the characters reach the entrance, read the following text:

A follower of Habbakuk or a character who succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the bird on the door as a blue phoenix, the symbol of the god Habbakuk, god of the seas and animal life.

C2: Altar Room

Upon entering this chamber, Ishvern directs the characters to the west archway leading to area C3. He encourages them to cleanse themselves with the water there before proceeding deeper into the shrine.

C3: Cleansing Room

On entering this room, Ishvern reminds the characters to cleanse themselves with the pool's water before proceeding deeper into the holy place. He then spends a minute washing his own face and hands.

Characters who follow suit feel refreshed. The first time a creature washes itself with water from the basin, it gains 5 temporary hit points.

C4: Hall

This passage is empty, but its north door bears an inscription in Elvish: "Honor those who came before, and walk on." Ishvern can translate this text if needed.

C5: Crypt

This crypt is the resting place of followers of Habbakuk who tended to this shrine.

C6: Offering Chamber

Here, initiates of Habbakuk once made offerings to honor their god.

Leaving the Shrine

Dalamar needs to know only that the Blue Phoenix Shrine is a holy place sacred to the god Habbakuk.

As the group leaves the shrine, if the characters haven't already rescued the sea elves at Camp Carrionclay, a sea elf scout approaches Ishvern to tell him they've found where their captured companions were taken. The sea elves have been imprisoned at a Dragon Army camp in the middle of a murky lake (see the "x" section). These sea elf scouts provide directions to area I on map 5.1. Mark this hex on the players' map of the region in appendix E.

Ishvern asks the characters to find and free these captives. In return, he offers them what remaining treasure he has: a few blue pearls worth 750 gp.

Shard of Chaos

When Dragon Army scouts discovered the ruins of the Sunward Fortress, the black-robed wizard Lohezet ordered an outpost established there. A servant of the Dragon Queen and a fervent antiquarian, Lohezet sought to discover the forgotten ruin's secrets. Dragon Army soldiers and captives worked tirelessly until they unearthed a mysterious stone in the ruins' depths. Soon after, workers at the site began transforming into scaled monstrosities. Unbeknown to everyone, the shard was imbued with the power of the Spawning Stone—the source of the vicious monsters called slaadi.

The Dragon Army evacuated the ruin, but not completely. The evil cleric Belephaion, Lohezet's peer, was fascinated with the phenomenon. He ordered a bozak draconian named Virruza to stay behind and claim the Spawning Shard's magic in the Dragon Queen's name.

Approaching the Fortress

Read the following when the characters approach the Sunward Fortress:

The Sunward Fortress was once a hermitage for those seeking to commune with Sirrion's greatest flame: the sun. The structure was akin to a great lighthouse, the upper reaches of which burned in the god's honor. It toppled down during the Cataclysm and has been abandoned ever since.

Toppled Ruins

The Sunward Fortress's pinnacle remains unexcavated, but characters who investigate it find only several crumbled, half-buried floors. A character who examines these ruins and succeeds on a DC 16 Intelligence (History) check can tell this was a holy site whose upper levels were constructed to burn like a massive beacon.

Dragon Army Excavation

At the base of the spire's remains stand a dozen ragged canvas tents in the red and black colors of the Red Dragon Army. Dozens of empty or shattered crates are scattered amid the camp. Nearby, an earthen ramp cuts through the clay and leads to an opening into the ruined spire's foundation. This opening leads to area D1.

Sunward Fortress Features

The ruin has the following features:

• Ceilings. The ceilings in the ruins are 10 feet high.
• Light. The ruins are not illuminated. The current occupants rely on darkvision to see. Area descriptions assume the characters have a light source or other means of seeing in the dark.
• Tracks. The floors throughout the ruin are covered in clear footprints of booted Dragon Army soldiers, captives wearing foot-wrappings, draconian claws, and slaadi claws. They go in every direction and don't suggest individual paths.

Sunward Fortress Locations

The following locations are keyed to map 5.3.

D1: Entry Chamber

This room once served as a place of worship for the hermits who occupied the spire.

D2: Abandoned Dormitories

The Dragon Army's prisoners rested here before slaadi destroyed the room. A character who spends five minutes searching the debris finds bits of clothing, two sets of manacles, and a blue pearl worth 150 gp.

D3: Lower Chambers

This floor once served as lodging for the fortress's residents. Characters who enter the east hall see the barricaded door leading to area D4.

D4: Barricaded Room

The entrance to this room is barricaded by heavy mining equipment. Inside are two Dragon Army captives who escaped the initial slaadi attack and Virruza (see area D5 for details). A character can unblock the door by succeeding on a DC 17 Strength check, but doing so alerts the hybrid draconians in area D3. If the characters try to speak through the crates, Yearkal answers them in a whisper, urging them to keep quiet.

D5: Spire Depths

The creature is a red slaad covered in five slaad tadpoles. These monsters attack as soon as they spot the characters. A character who succeeds on a DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check recognizes the monsters as slaadi, denizens of the plane of Limbo.

[image: A red slaad covered in slaad tadpoles]

Hidden in the shadows south of the chasm is the mutated draconian Virruza (see below). He doesn't attack until someone tries to cross the chasm.

Leaving the Fortress

Once the characters have investigated area D5—and potentially claimed Virruza's notes—they have all the information about this site Dalamar requires.

If the characters want to seal the entrance to the Sunward Fortress or otherwise bury the Spawning Shard, the equipment left around the ruins allows them to collapse the ramp leading to area D1 with four hours of effort. Destructive magic hastens this work.

The Doomed Mausoleum

In addition to being a symbol of peace between Silvanesti and Istar, the tower of Wakenreth served as a crypt for the elves who lived in Onyari—though it saw little use before the city's destruction. When Onyari began its slow fall across the skies of the Northern Wastes, the monolith broke from its foundations, toppling toward the ground far from where the rest of the city eventually crashed. As the structure fell, Wakenreth's caretaker desperately invoked the tower's magic in hopes of transporting it to the Feywild. However, the magic of the displaced tower went awry and partially transported the tower to the Shadowfell. Though this helped Wakenreth survive, the portal within the tower has corrupted the spirits of those who rested within and trapped the site in a state of perpetual dissolution.

Approaching Wakenreth

As the characters near the ruined tower, read the following text:

Exposure to Shadowfell magic has caused the upper levels of Wakenreth to deteriorate. Caught between that plane and the Material Plane, the ruin is locked in a perpetual state of frozen dissolution. Although the upper levels are crumbling, the shattered stone walls are still bound tightly enough to prevent creatures from slipping inside.

The ancient door here opens into x.

Wakenreth Features

The mystical tower has the following features:

• Ceilings. Wakenreth's ceilings are 20 feet high.
• Doors. All doors are made of rusty iron. They are unlocked and open easily, though noisily.
• Lighting. x and x are brightly lit by continual flame spells cast on wall sconces. In x and x, these glowing sconces are affected by Shadowfell magic that causes them to produce only dim light and shine with an eerie green glow. x is dimly lit by a gloomy gray sky.

Wakenreth Locations

The following locations are keyed to map 5.4, except for x, which is unmapped.

E1: First Level

If a character examines the coins or statue, have them make a DC 14 Intelligence (History) check. Silvanesti elves have advantage on this check. On a successful check, the character recognizes that the statue is a guardian common to Silvanesti burial sites and that the silver coins represent souls shining as stars in the night sky. The character also knows Silvanesti tradition dictates each visitor must leave a silver coin on the statue's pedestal.

E2: Second Level

The characters draw the attention of two hostile wraiths that lurk inside the crypts here. Once each wraith is defeated, it turns into an incorporeal elven spirit. One spirit quickly fades away, while the other—a woman with light-gray hair and pale eyes—floats through the ceiling and out of sight.

E3: Third Level

If the characters defeated the wraiths in the previous level, the elf spirit is here.

E4: Fourth Level

The darkness beyond this room's broken walls is only an illusion. This room stands at the top of the tower, not in an extraplanar space.

E5: Shadowfell Expanse

Once the characters enter the portal, they're in the Shadowfell, and they can see the door behind them shining like a beacon of light. Characters can freely pass back and forth through the portal between area E4 and E5, and they can speak through its mist to creatures in the other area.

Restoring the Tower

After the anhkolox is defeated, Veriel continues his explanation. To cut Wakenreth off from the Shadowfell, the runes on the portal in area E4 must be restored to their intended order, which Veriel shares with them.

The runes on the portal can be adjusted only in x. The process takes five minutes and requires a character to make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw as Shadowfell energies tug at their life essence. On a failed check, the character takes 17 (5d6) necrotic damage and gains 1 level of exhaustion, then the portal closes. On a successful check, the portal closes without harming the character. Either way, the portal's connection with the Shadowfell is severed.

Once Wakenreth is cut off from the Shadowfell, the supernatural darkness in area E4 fades, the torch sconces throughout the structure shed bright light, and the walls are restored.

Conferring with Dalamar

As the characters leave Wakenreth, Dalamar arrives at the ruin. Whether the characters were successful in restoring the monolith or whether they simply share what they've discovered, the mage is pleased with their findings.

Once the tower is cut off from the Shadowfell and cleared of threats, Dalamar takes an hour to investigate the portal. After doing so, he relates the following information:

• Wakenreth was clearly built elsewhere and somehow fell here. He believes he can use the portal's magic to pinpoint where Wakenreth originally stood.
• To do so, Dalamar must research the magical ley lines underpinning the region and how they're influenced by other sources of magic.
• If the characters haven't done so already, he encourages them to investigate the x and the x—two sources of unique magic in the region.
• Once he knows more about the nature of those places and what magic lingers there, he believes he can use Wakenreth's magic to discover the location of the tower's foundations.
• This should provide him with the general location of the City of Lost Names.

Once the characters learn (if they haven't already) that the Blue Phoenix Shrine is a holy place of the god Habbakuk and that the Sunward Fortress holds the slaadi Spawning Shard, Dalamar needs 24 hours to evaluate that information and complete his research. Afterward, he directs the characters to a mesa at the northern edge of the wastes called the Giant's Spine (x on map 5.1), where he believes they'll find the City of Lost Names.

A Second Quest

Once the location of the City of Lost Names is revealed, Dalamar is willing to conclude his business with the characters. However, during his research using the portal here, he's discovered a powerful source of magic to the north. He asks the characters to escort him there, not knowing the location is x (area J on map 5.1). If they do, he promises to reward them with whatever they find there and a future favor.

Not-Quite-Abandoned Lair

The cave was carved by a blue dragon that abandoned it long ago. It now houses a family of dwarves who were captured in the south by the Dragon Army but have since escaped. They claimed the cave as a home away from the war.

In a stroke of terrible luck for the dwarves, the Dragon Army leader Belephaion recently identified the place as a possible dragon's lair and sent draconians to investigate.

Approaching the Cave

Grasha recently finished a pit trap just inside the mouth of the cave. She has been hiding all day in a crevasse near the top of the cave's mouth, waiting to see if any draconians fall into it.

Grasha Migan

The leader of a dwarf family and an enthusiast of gnomish engineering, Grasha wears patchwork knit clothing and her hair in a long braid. Grasha is an accomplished inventor who's fascinated by the rare minerals she's found around Bluemaw Cave.

• Personality Trait. "If being a mother's taught me anything, it's the importance of improvisation."
• Ideal. "The best ideas are effective but also a little flashy."
• Bond. "I'll protect my family—their today and their tomorrow."
• Flaw. "Dangerous? My plans aren't dangerous—you just need to know where to stand."

[image: Grasha]

An Honest Mistake

When Grasha approaches the characters, she isn't threatening. Unless the characters are hostile, she deeply apologizes and helps anyone who fell into the trap. Grasha warns against going into the cave, as it's crawling with monsters and draconians.

She explains that she and her clan came here after being captured by the Dragon Army. She encourages the characters not to linger near the cave entrance, lest they draw the attention of foes within. Grasha suggests guiding the characters to a safe spot where they can meet the rest of her clan, but she warns the way might be uncomfortable for larger folk.

The Migan Clan

If the characters agree to go with Grasha, she leads them to a small passage near the cave's entrance. Medium creatures must squeeze through the cave's narrow tunnels, and Large creatures won't fit.

After about 10 minutes of following Grasha's meandering path through the caverns, the characters finally arrive at the dwarves' cramped hideout. Other than Grasha, seven other dwarves are present: Reka, Blem, Grap, Lop, Oske, Trop, and Yula. Reka, Grasha's wife, steps forward to gently scold Grasha (in Dwarven) and question who the characters are (in Common).

Meeting the Dwarves

Grasha has already decided the characters are the solution to the family's draconian problem. Reka distrusts strangers and is skeptical of the characters, but she wants the draconians to leave so the clan can reclaim the cave. If the characters are willing to help, Reka gives Grasha her blessing to lead them to the lair.

If the characters are hesitant to help the dwarves, Grasha emphasizes that the draconians have been retrieving enormous amounts of treasure from an abandoned dragon's lair in the depths of the cave.

Preparing for the Maw

If the characters agree to help the dwarves, Grasha casually adds that, in addition to the draconians, they might have to deal with monsters she calls "fang worms." Grasha doesn't know it, but the creatures are gricks agitated by the draconians' presence.

Into the Cave

Once the characters are ready, Grasha takes them to the entrance of Bluemaw Cave. Grasha won't go beyond the cave's entrance, but she assures the characters she'll rearm the pit trap at the cave's mouth to ward off intruders.

Bluemaw Cave Features

The cave is carved from igneous rock. Its entrance sports a cavernous 40-foot-high ceiling, and its lower chamber opens to the surface above. The lair also has the following features:

• Blue Crystals. Glowing blue salt crystals line the cave's walls, most densely in area F1. Each 5-foot cube of crystal has AC 11, 15 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic damage, and vulnerability to thunder damage. The crystals are highly conductive to lightning energy, which a character can determine with a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check. If a crystal is dealt lightning damage, it explodes in a dazzling blast, dealing 7 (2d6) lightning damage to creatures within 10 feet of it.
• Lighting. Crystals fill the upper level of the cave with dim light. The lower level opens to the surface, allowing natural bright light in during the daytime.

Bluemaw Cave Locations

The following locations are keyed to map 5.5.

F1: Crystal Cave

Investigation reveals the crystals to be salt, though they have special properties (detailed in "Bluemaw Cave Features" above). The draconians in area F3 can be heard faintly from here, grunting and growling at each other in Draconic.

F2: Descending Cliffs

Three cliffs drop to the lower chamber. The first drops 30 feet, the second 40 feet, and the third 50 feet. Area F3 is visible from atop the last cliff.

F3: Sand Pit

This sand pit is where the dragon spent most of its time. The markings on the walls are artistic renderings of Draconic words, including the name "Nadir."

Victory!

Once the draconians are dealt with, Grasha thanks the characters for their help. The dwarves start moving back into the cave and offer to feed and shelter the characters for as long as they like.

The Dragon Hunter

As characters near Heart's Hollow (or whenever you wish to introduce Clystran), the Wash rises in the region. The character with the highest passive Wisdom (Perception) score hears energetic cursing ahead. Read or paraphrase the following text:

Clystran (neutral good, human scout) is being pursued by five giant spiders as the canyon floods (see "x" earlier in this chapter). You decide whether the characters are in the canyon as well or above it. The giant spiders turn their attention toward the characters if attacked, and they flee if three or more spiders are killed.

After the spiders are defeated, Clystran proves friendly—and tremendously excited to meet strangers in the Northern Wastes.

[image: Clystran]

Clystran

Clystran has lived his entire life in the Northern Wastes and considers himself an expert on the region. He knows dozens of interesting hollows and rock formations around High Hunt, the plateau that Heart's Hollow occupies. He can share any of the local names for Northern Wastes regions, like "Wormgut" and "Giant's Spine," shown on map 5.1. He also considers himself an expert on the fauna of the Northern Wastes and takes a particular interest in the region's wasteland dragonnels. Clystran claims he saw an actual dragon in his youth, leading to a lifelong search of the wastes for where such elusive creatures hide. No one in Heart's Hollow takes his story or lifelong hunt seriously, though.

Talking with Clystran

So long as the characters aren't hostile to Clystran, he wants to know all about them. Use the following topics to guide the conversation with him:

• Clystran wants to know where the characters came from and—if the Kalaman forces are nearby—why their whole village is with them.
• He doesn't know about the Red Dragon Army in the region, but he has seen strange dragonnels with people riding them, and he's fascinated.
• He's happy to point the characters toward many landmarks in the Northern Wastes (see "x" for suggestions).
• Clystran scavenges for his community, looking for anything useful the Wash brings in.
• He offers to take the characters to Heart's Hollow; he's headed there now. However, he'd prefer their whole army not come as well.

Heart's Hollow Locations

Most structures in Heart's Hollow are carved out of the wall of a deep crater. Patchwork fabrics scavenged from the wastes decorate each home, and lanterns hang in every window. Detail the unique community of Heart's Hollow however you please, including the following locations and landmarks (appearing on map 5.6):

• Breakwater Landing. Breakwater Landing serves as the town square and bartering place. A slate column marked with chalk serves as a community message board.
• End's Odds. Run by Grandit "End" Pike (neutral good, hill dwarf commoner), End's Odds sells "slightly used" goods and equipment found in the wastes.
• The Fort. Secrecy is Heart's Hollow's greatest defense, but the town also maintains the Fort, a communal warehouse and armory. Should danger arise, the locals arm themselves here.
• Lavender's. Lavender Jalls (lawful neutral, human mage) is a renegade wizard who hasn't taken the Test of High Sorcery. He specializes in casting helpful cantrips and brewing alchemical tinctures.
• The Mosaic. Spiraling through Heart's Hollow is the Mosaic, a sloped pathway lined with colorful stones. Every person who visits the village is invited to add a stone to the path, symbolizing the beautiful mark they leave on the community.
• Salt Lick. The Salt Lick is a popular tavern suspended over open air by a web of sturdy cords. Ness (see "Nezrah" below) can often be found here at a table jokingly called "the Mayor's Office."

Heart's Hollow Residents

The lively people of Heart's Hollow are mainly humans, hill dwarves, and kender. Most feel they were given a second lease on life when they were rescued from the wastes or found their way here. Nezrah's desire to keep her community a secret from other dragons has rubbed off on the residents, and they are wary of strangers. However, once someone proves they care for the community's needs as much as their own, locals welcome them for life.

Nezrah

The secretive dragon Nezrah (neutral good adult bronze dragon) goes by the name Ness. She uses her magic to disguise herself as a middle-aged human woman, and no one knows she's a dragon.

Nezrah has made it her life's mission to build and protect Heart's Hollow. Over a hundred years ago, she came to the Northern Wastes seeking clutches of good dragon eggs hidden in the region, but she hasn't found any yet. Although she focuses on protecting the people of Heart's Hollow, she still hopes to find dragon eggs in the wastes one day.

Heart's Hollow Quests

Heart's Hollow serves as a safe place for the characters to rest and resupply in the Northern Wastes. The locals also know much about the region. If the characters have missed any important information during their exploration, they might learn it from Clystran, Ness, or another resident of Heart's Hollow.

The people of Heart's Hollow don't know where the City of Lost Names is and have avoided the Dragon Army. They know the location of the x, x, and x. They're also curious about other locations in the wastes and might ask for the characters' help—see the locations below.

Bluemaw Cave Exploration

A group of scavengers have heard of x (location F on map 5.1), an out-of-the-way cavern where they've spotted dwarves living. They'd like to meet the dwarves and perhaps establish a friendly rapport. If the threats in the cave have not yet been defeated, the scavengers encourage the characters to clear them out, but they won't participate in combat themselves.

Carrionclay Discovery

No one in Heart's Hollow knows about x (location I on map 5.1). However, if the characters recover the dragon egg there and return to Heart's Hollow, Ness urgently seeks them out. She pleads for the egg, swearing to keep it safe. She'll even reveal her true nature to the characters if she needs to convince them she'll be a worthy guardian, but she won't threaten or harm them. If the characters agree to give her the egg, she rewards them with a suit of bronze dragon scale mail made from her own scales. She won't interfere in the conflict with the Dragon Army, though.

Dragonnel Feeding

Clystran frequently takes dried meat to a flight of dragonnels he's been watching for years. However, he hasn't been able to visit for months and would like the characters' help delivering several packs of food to his dragonnel friends. Their den is at x on map 5.1. If the characters help him, Clystran will work for the characters as a scout (see "x").

Heart's Hollow Scouts

The characters might convince residents of Heart's Hollow to aid them in their travels. If they do, the characters gain the following benefits:

• Clystran the Guide. If Clystran guides the characters in the Northern Wastes, the characters can ignore difficult terrain during travel, allowing them to cover double the distance listed on the x table earlier in this chapter. While with the characters, Clystran avoids combat and most dangerous situations.
• Scavengers as Guides. A group of scavengers might temporarily join Darrett and his troops. These guides scout for the Kalaman forces through the Northern Wastes, allowing them to move at a normal pace of 12 miles (2 hexes on map 5.1) per day.

Approaching the Camp

When the characters approach Camp Carrionclay, read the following:

Camp Carrionclay Features

The camp has the following general features:

• Walls. The 15-foot-high walls around the camp are made from driftwood. Each 10-foot section has AC 12, 30 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
• Sentries. Three Dragon Army soldiers (see appendix B) keep watch from the central tower in x.
• Patrols. Two groups of soldiers patrol the camp, each including a Dragon Army officer and five Dragon Army soldiers (see appendix B for both stat blocks). One group watches the bridge outside the walls, and the other monitors the interior.

Infiltrating the Camp

It's difficult to infiltrate Camp Carrionclay. Here are some ways the characters might attempt to enter the camp unhindered:

• Entering at Night. Most troops are asleep at night, except for those on the bridge and in the watchtower.
• Posing as Soldiers. Characters can attempt to gain entrance by disguising themselves with magic or the uniforms of soldiers they've defeated. See x for how such an attempt might unfold.

Camp Carrionclay Locations

The following locations are keyed to map 5.7.

I1: Wooden Bridge and Lake

When the Wash is low, the lake surrounding the camp becomes a marsh filled with marine-animal carcasses and swamp plants, making the area difficult terrain. When the Wash is high, creatures can swim across the lake, but there is a 50 percent chance they are attacked by a swarm of quippers.

I2: Main Entrance

The camp's only gate is watched by a sivak draconian and two baaz draconians (see appendix B for both stat blocks).

I3: Watchtower

The watchtower is occupied by three Dragon Army soldiers (see appendix B). Due to the high vantage point, the soldiers' passive Wisdom (Perception) score is 19.

I4: Prisoner Cages

The draconians keep prisoners in these cages. If the characters are captured, they're imprisoned in a cage with Kennah. The cages are guarded by three baaz draconians (see appendix B) and Urta, a hobgoblin captain who serves as jailer.

I5: Zirrok's Hut

This hut belongs to Fewmaster Zirrok, the hobgoblin warlord in charge of the camp. Zirrok rarely leaves it. The hut is guarded by two sivak draconians (see appendix B). Inside is a cot, a desk, and an ornate chest.

Wings of Death

The following event occurs once the characters recover the bronze dragon egg or prepare to leave the camp. Read or paraphrase the following:

The creature is Akhviri, an adult black dragon tasked with retrieving the dragon egg for Belephaion. If the characters haven't left evidence of their presence, Akhviri waits for Fewmaster Zirrok to bring the chest from his tent to the watchtower.

The Occupied City

As the characters approach the City of Lost Names, read the following text:

The characters find the canyon leading to the City of Lost Names blocked by Dragon Army troops. The Dragon Army is an overwhelming threat the characters can't likely slip past, as Dragon Army mages see through magical methods of infiltration and dragonnel riders prevent any attempts to fly over. The characters can learn more about the Dragon Army by interrogating captured soldiers or slipping into the camp. Doing so reveals the following:

• The canyon leads to the City of Lost Names.
• There, the army's leaders—the mage Lohezet and the priest Belephaion—seek an ancient weapon.
• They are accompanied by the terrifying knight Lord Soth and hundreds of other troops.
• The canyon to the city is blocked by a simple stone fortification—a remnant of a long-vanished people.
• The walls surrounding the ruined city are riddled with passages. One leads from the city to Wind's End, a landing point for Dragon Army dragonnels.

Wind's End is the characters' best chance to access the City of Lost Names. Wind's End teems with patrols of Dragon Army dragonnels and Dragon Army soldiers (see appendix B for both stat blocks). If the characters want to sneak into Wind's End, they'll need a significant distraction.

The Allied Army

If the characters reveal the location of the City of Lost Names to Darrett, he's prepared to head there whenever the characters please. If the characters haven't learned about the Dragon Army's camp yet, Kalaman scouts can reconnoiter the area and bring back the information from the previous section.

Let the characters discuss methods of slipping into the City of Lost Names with their allies. If the characters don't bring these points up themselves, Darrett notes the following:

• The Dragon Army forces outnumber Kalaman's, but Kalaman has the element of surprise.
• If Kalaman's forces attack the camp, Dragon Army reinforcements from within the city can reach them only through the narrow canyon.
• An attack would draw forces away from Wind's End and likely from the city.
• This would give the characters the opportunity to find the path into the city and strike at the Dragon Army leaders there.

Darrett believes such an attack is their best strategy. He recognizes it'll come at a cost to Kalaman's forces, but he doesn't see another choice that would allow the characters to strike a decisive blow.

Assaulting the Dragon Army

Darrett will attack the Dragon Army, giving the characters the distraction they need to sneak into Wind's End, find the passage, and infiltrate the city. The adventure then proceeds in one of two ways:

• With Mass Combat. If you are using the Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn game along with this adventure, consult the "Warriors of Krynn: Scenario 7" sidebar instead of running the "Attack on Wind's End" section.
• Without Mass Combat. If you aren't using the Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn game, continue with the "Attack on Wind's End" section.

Attack on Wind's End

Darrett launches the attack on the Dragon Army whenever the characters choose. When the characters are in position and the Kalaman forces attack the Dragon Army camp, read the following:

Three Dragon Army officers remain here with a Dragon Army dragonnel in a pen (see appendix B for both stat blocks). While the dragonnel is alert, the officers are distracted by the Kalaman forces and are surprised when the characters attack.

The "Wind's End Battlefield Features" section notes elements of this battle. Soon after the characters attack, dragonnels from the City of Lost Names fly overhead. Some might notice the characters, adding additional threats to this battle (see the "x" section).

Wind's End Battlefield Features

The battlefield, depicted on map 5.8, has the following features:

• Crates. Numerous crates lie in and around the dragonnel pens, filled with water and dried meat for the dragonnels.
• Dragonnel Pens. A large cage encloses four spacious dragonnel pens and an equipment area. Its ceilings are 15 feet high.
• Fray. The 15-foot-wide area marked by the design at the edge of the map represents areas from which danger might appear.

Wind's End Battlefield Events

During each round of this encounter, roll on the Wind's End Battlefield Events table on initiative count 0. Also consider rolling on the table if a character enters the Fray or otherwise tries to leave the battlefield.

Passage

In a cargo-stuffed alcove at the north end of the dragonnel pens, several loose boards lean against the exposed cliff wall. The character with the highest passive Wisdom (Perception) score notices the gap behind these boards. The boards are easily moved, revealing a 5-foot-wide, 8-foot-high passage that winds into the cliff toward the City of Lost Names.

Next Steps

The characters entering the passage in Wind's End concludes this chapter and makes a perfect cliffhanger. As the forces of Kalaman clash with the Dragon Army and the characters make their way toward the City of Lost Names, they advance to 8th level (if they haven't already done so).

The characters will discover what dangers lie beyond this passage in chapter 6.

[image: The Dragon Army blocks the path leading to the City of Lost Names]