Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Dragonnel Down

When the characters are about a day from reaching the Kalaman ships at the coast, read the following:

The injured wasteland dragonnel (see appendix B) crashes to the ground 30 feet from the characters. It has 4 hit points remaining and is restrained by a net. The three Dragon Army officers and their Dragon Army dragonnels (see appendix B for both stat blocks) land nearby. They approach the injured dragonnel, planning to capture it and train it to serve as a mount. If the characters interfere, the Dragon Army troops attack them. The Dragon Army dragonnels flee if their riders are defeated.

Meeting with the Marshal

If the characters seek out Marshal Vendri for further conversation, she's pleased to see them. Vendri shares that the war hasn't gone well in their absence. Kalaman's forces have held their own, but the Dragon Army has claimed much of the surrounding land. The enemy has conspicuously avoided Kalaman, and the bulk of its forces are camped near the ruins of Vogler, as if waiting for something. With the news of the flying citadel, Vendri now knows why. She has ordered all troops to return to Kalaman and shore up the defenses along the walls. However, she admits the city has little hope of defeating a flying fortress.

Planning the Counterattack

Allow the characters to use the details Clystran and Darrett share to concoct a plan for infiltrating the flying citadel. If they miss particulars or need ideas, Darrett makes the following suggestions:

• Facing the Undead dragons and the Dragon Army troops directly on the surface of the flying citadel would end in disaster.
• The citadel is surrounded by flying foes, but their attention could be diverted by a distraction.
• Using the tunnels in the citadel's foundation, a group might sneak inside and find a way to destroy the flying citadel.
• Clystran might be able to find the other dragonnels in the region and bring them to aid the characters in reaching the flying citadel.

The characters can add their own embellishments to this plan, but the flying citadel will be vulnerable only during its attack on Kalaman. The tunnels in the flying citadel's foundations are the safest path for getting inside the fortress, and "x" later in this chapter assumes the characters use these tunnels.

Once the characters and their allies agree on a plan, Clystran and his dragonnel rest briefly before heading off to find the other dragonnels and convince them to aid in Kalaman's defense.

Night Encounters

Testing the Defenses

Four Dragon Army dragonnels carry a total of eight bozak draconians (see appendix B for both stat blocks). On the walls near the characters are three ballistae (detailed in the "Siege Equipment" section of the Dungeon Master's Guide) and six Kalaman soldiers (see appendix B).

The Dragon Army dragonnels are currently 360 feet from the city. In 3 rounds they will be 20 feet above the walls, and the eight bozak draconians will recklessly glide onto the ramparts and attack.

The characters can use the ballistae to attack the approaching dragonnels. A dragonnel struck by a ballista bolt panics and retreats with its two riders.

Highmaster's Message

This encounter occurs while the characters are outside, possibly on Kalaman's walls or the city streets. The character with the highest passive Wisdom (Perception) score sees a strange violet light in the sky. After they react, read the following text:

This lesser death dragon (see appendix B) has come specifically for the characters. After its dramatic crash landing, it starts the battle with 160 hit points and fights to the death.

During the fight, the first character to deal damage to the death dragon notices a piece of parchment is pinned to the skeleton with a dagger. When the death dragon is defeated, the characters can retrieve the parchment, which bears this message:

The message was written by Kansaldi Fire-Eyes specifically for the characters. There is no signature, but the wording suggests the characters have become objects of the highmaster's ire.

Defending the Wall

Ballista Breakers

A flight of dozens of sivak draconians soars from the flying citadel toward Kalaman. Many are shot down, but four sivak draconians (see appendix B) land on Kalaman's wall and attempt to destroy three ballistae 30 feet from the characters.

On each sivak's turn, it attacks a ballista unless the sivak was targeted before that turn by a character. A ballista is destroyed after sivaks attack it three times. If all three ballistae are destroyed, three dragonnels and their riders fly overhead, avoiding the wall's defenses. This provokes the "Daring Riders" encounter immediately after this encounter is resolved.

Daring Riders

Three Dragon Army officers mounted on Dragon Army dragonnels (see appendix B for both stat blocks) manage to get past Kalaman's walls. The riders throw alchemist's fire onto the city as they circle overhead. Characters on the wall can turn a ballista to fire over the city, but doing so takes an action and a successful DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check. If the ballistae near the characters have been destroyed, they can find an additional ballista 60 feet farther along the city wall.

Death Dragon Attack

A lesser death dragon (see appendix B) crashes against Kalaman's wall at least 90 feet from the characters. By the time the characters draw close, the death dragon has already used its Cataclysmic Breath to kill four Kalaman soldiers, transforming them into zombies.

Draconian Assassins

While the characters are at the Trade Gate command post or another vulnerable point, two aurak draconians (see appendix B) teleport nearby using the dimension door spell and attack a Kalaman commander (use the veteran stat block). This might be Marshal Vendri, Captain Narnhelm, or another Kalaman officer.

Over Enemy Lines

Clystran found the dragonnels he went looking for and convinced them to follow him to Hawker's Grove, a wooded area southwest of the city. To rendezvous with Clystran, the characters must reach him amid the siege. The characters might come up with their own methods, but if they ask Darrett or another ally for suggestions, they're directed to the southwest city wall where Rookledust is posted.

There, the characters find Rookledust and her new assistant, Than (introduced in x), have managed to convert a defunct catapult into a gnomeflinger (see appendix A). They created it to help get soldiers into the field or city rapidly, but thus far no commanders have incorporated the device into their strategies. The gnomes are delighted to let the characters use the gnomeflinger. They even provide each character a narycrash (see appendix A)—or two, if a character asks for a backup.

Once the characters are ready, the gnomes happily launch the characters one by one from the southwest city wall and over the Dragon Army forces below. After flying several hundred feet, the characters land a short distance from the tree line and Hawker's Grove.

Hawker's Grove Battlefield Features

The battlefield includes the following features:

• Burnt Ground and Trees. This area has recently been blasted with flames. It still smolders, and smoke heavily obscures this area. The smoke disperses after 5 minutes or if exposed to wind moving at least 10 miles an hour.
• Fray. The 15-foot-wide area marked by the design at the edge of the map represents areas from which dangers might appear.

Hawker's Grove Battlefield Events

During this battle, roll on the Hawker's Grove Battlefield Events table each round on initiative count 0. Also consider rolling on the table when a red dragon is slain or if a character enters the Fray or otherwise tries to leave the battlefield.

Red Ruin

[image: The Dragon Army's ace dragonnel rider, Red Ruin, soars toward her target]

After the characters avoid or contend with the dragonnels, Clystran breaks away from the Dragon Army flight path he had been following, rushing the characters toward the base of the flying citadel. Read the following text as the characters approach:

The characters are spotted while they're approximately 600 feet above the ground. Coming for them is Red Ruin, the Red Dragon Army's ace dragonnel rider, and Bakaris the Younger (a Dragon Army officer). Both are mounted on Dragon Army dragonnels (see appendix B for all three stat blocks).

Red Ruin fights to the death, but Bakaris flees if reduced to 20 hit points or fewer. If Bakaris is knocked from his mount or slain, he falls and vanishes amid the chaos.

Clystran and his dragonnel stay out of combat.

Entering the Citadel

Once Bakaris and Red Ruin are defeated, Clystran urges the characters to follow him directly to the citadel. Other Dragon Army dragonnel riders have noticed the battle and are turning from Kalaman to investigate, but they're still minutes away.

As the characters reach the flying citadel, read the following text:

Clystran urges the characters to land swiftly, dismount, and head into the cave before they're spotted. He'll take their dragonnels and lead off any pursuit. He doesn't know what's in the cave beyond the landing site, but he urges the characters to move fast and stay quiet, as untold numbers of Dragon Army troops occupy the land around the Bastion of Takhisis above. Soon after, Clystran and the dragonnels depart.

Before the characters enter the cave, have each character make an Intelligence check. The character with the highest result calculates that based on the flying citadel's current speed, at least three hours remain before the citadel reaches Kalaman's walls (at which point crashing it would destroy the city). The party shouldn't dally within the citadel, but they don't need to rush for the sake of bringing down the citadel quickly.

The tunnel here is narrow, and only Medium or smaller creatures can enter. It leads to x in "The Flying Citadel."

Unseat Soth

The party's initial plan most likely hinges on destroying Lord Soth or otherwise removing him from the citadel. Soth is the absolute commander of the Bastion of Takhisis, and defeating him would render it inert. The characters need to be ingenious, as they can't hope to beat Lord Soth by direct confrontation.

Discover Lost Elven Magic

Hidden in the depths of the temple is a magic item known as the mirror of reflected pasts (see appendix A). It can temporarily paralyze Lord Soth and halt the citadel. Multiple people point to the mirror as crucial to Soth's downfall, but on its own, it's only a temporary solution.

Destroy the Citadel

Ending the magic that holds the citadel aloft means snuffing the Cataclysmic fire in the Mourning Sanctum, the heart of the citadel, or destroying the flying citadel helm (see appendix A) it empowers. Lord Soth will never allow this to happen, though, so he needs to be neutralized beforehand.

S1: Tunnels

As Clystran departs and the characters venture into the cave tunnels, read the following:

The tunnels are 10 feet wide, occasionally opening into larger chambers. Switchbacks, dead ends, and sloping tunnels make these passages a maze.

To navigate the tunnels to x without incident, the characters must succeed on a DC 16 group Wisdom (Survival) check. If more than half the characters fail the check, they find the passage leads through a 50-foot-wide, 70-foot-long, 50-foot-high cavern where a lesser death dragon (see appendix B) lurks. It attacks when it notices the characters. Once the dragon is defeated, the characters face no more dangers in the tunnels. They eventually find a 30-foot shaft rising to area S2.

S2: Entry

This chamber is a crooked seam in the rock. The passage to the east splits, with both routes connecting to area S3. One path enters area S3 through a broken crypt in that room's wall, while the other descends 15 feet and leads to a gouge in the floor of that area.

[image: Leedara]

The elf waiting here is Leedara (a neutral ghost detailed in x) in her guise as a living Silvanesti elf. She's here to aid the characters in confounding Lord Soth's plans and imparts the following information:

• Lord Soth lurks in the ruins above. He's using the Cataclysmic fire from Kalaman's catacombs to control the flying citadel and reanimate dragon skeletons buried in the flying island's foundations.
• If the characters can quell the Cataclysmic fire, the Undead dragons will be destroyed and the flying citadel will fall.
• Leedara isn't certain how to quell the Cataclysmic fire. The flames were created by the gods, so it stands that the power of the gods could extinguish them.
• Lord Soth is a peerless foe. The characters won't be able to stand against him in battle.
• Hidden somewhere in the chambers ahead is an elven relic known as the mirror of reflected pasts (see appendix A). Those who view the mirror see glimpses of their past.
• Leedara believes the mirror can distract Soth, giving the characters a chance to extinguish the Cataclysmic fire.

Leedara also knows Lord Soth's past and relates all the information from "x" in chapter 4.

The characters likely have many questions about Leedara herself: why she's here, how she knows so much about Soth, and so forth. If questioned, Leedara reveals her true, ghostly form. She explains that, in life, she was one of the elven priestess Isolde's attendants and was among those who distracted Soth from his quest to prevent the Cataclysm. For her deeds, she's cursed to live as a ghost—but she's also a curse on Soth and works to stymie his ambitions. She can't stand against Soth alone and earnestly seeks to aid the characters. After sharing the information here and answering any questions the characters have about Lord Soth, she vanishes.

During the conversation with Leedara, if the characters attack or disbelieve her, the ghost vanishes, then reappears later to provide any of the information here as it proves helpful.

S3: Burial Vault

A fissure has opened in the wall of this vault, allowing access from area S2. Eleven sealed crypts line its walls. One crypt has been broken open, and a branch of the fissure connects it to area S2. The broken crypt bears a plaque reading "Acont, Prince of Minotaurs."

Two skeletal knights (see appendix B) and a minotaur skeleton stand guard in this room and attack intruders on sight.

S4: Chemosh's Shrine

This shrine is under the effect of a hallow spell, with the additional effect that creatures other than Undead that attempt to ascend the dais are subject to the spell's fear effect (save DC 16).

S5: Vestry

The small room is strewn with shattered pottery, a broken chest of empty drawers, and a moldering pile of clothes. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check shows this room has been ransacked; the chest of drawers and pottery have been carelessly handled and the clothes tossed about.

S6: Elven Catacombs

The Large statues mark the entrances to the tombs of three elves: the Silvanesti ambassador Cithcillion and his companions, Madar and Tenadria. All three died as captives of the Bastion of Takhisis and were interred here so their spirits could be further interrogated using magic mirrors in their tombs.

The statue to the south has been pushed aside, revealing the entrance to a tomb behind it. Similar entrances exist behind the other statues, which can be pushed aside with a successful DC 20 Strength check.

S7: Madar's Tomb

The doorway to this tomb can be accessed by pushing its statue aside with a successful DC 20 Strength check.

Close inspection of the floor reveals the shards of glass are pieces of a mirror. The bones belong to Madar, one of Cithcillion's companions. Madar's bones were thrown from the marble slab when the City of Lost Names fell from the sky. The bones are now scattered and shattered beyond repair.

S8: Cithcillion's Tomb

The doorway to this tomb can be accessed by pushing its statue aside with a successful DC 20 Strength check.

A detect magic spell reveals the mirror on the ceiling radiates an aura of necromancy. If the characters return Cithcillion's bones to the slab, the reflection in the mirror is of him as he was in life. His reflected image opens its eyes and speaks:

[image: Cithcillion]

Cithcillion is aware he's dead, but he has no idea what became of his companions. The characters may realize the other tombs (areas S7 and S9) belong to Madar and Tenadria.

S9: Tenadria's Tomb

The doorway to this tomb opens to x, as its statue was moved before the characters arrived.

Close inspection of the floor reveals the shards of glass are pieces of a shattered mirror. The skeleton on the slab belongs to Tenadria, an elf diplomat and one of Cithcillion's companions. Tenadria responds uncooperatively to the speak with dead spell.

S10: Corridors

The corridors on this level are guarded by two skeletal knights (see appendix B). The knights guard the door to the sanctuary (x), and they notice anyone using the southeast stairs to x.

[image: Lorry Wanwillow]

S11: Rubble and Ruin

Rubble chokes the southern half of this room where the wall and ceiling have collapsed. A character who examines the room and succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check notices a set of bootprints from a Small Humanoid going north to south. At the midpoint of the room, the Humanoid tracks stop and a set of rat tracks begin, leading directly into the rubble.

S12: Sanctuary

This chamber's vaulted ceiling is 50 feet high. Obsidian columns outline the walls, though a portion of the south wall has partially caved in, collapsing two of the columns. At the center of the room stands a statue of Takhisis in her five-headed form. Statues of the evil gods Chemosh, Hiddukel, Morgion, Nuitari, Sargonnas, and Zeboim (detailed in the x) form a semicircle behind Takhisis's statue. A character who is a cleric of a depicted deity or who succeeds on a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the deity's statue.

S13: Treasure Vault

This is the temple's treasure vault, where offerings and the recovered goods of enemies were kept.

S14: Primordial Altar

This chamber holds a primordial altar to Takhisis, a weakening in the fabric of the planes where the Dragon Queen's will bleeds into Krynn. The chamber is desecrated ground that grants Undead, Fiends, and worshipers of Takhisis advantage on attack rolls.

S15: Draconian Garrison

This garrison is occupied by four bozak draconians and three kapak draconians (see appendix B for both stat blocks).

S16: Study

The top drawer of the desk contains Dragon Army reports on troops and supplies on the surface of the flying island, as well as a spell scroll of arcane eye.

S17: Library

The books here are rotted and worthless, but a character who spends five minutes searching the library finds a spell scroll of polymorph.

S18: Draconian War Room

Six sivak draconians (see appendix B) are here reviewing the battle plan for the assault on Kalaman. On the table in front of them are rough sketches of Kalaman's leadership, including Marshal Vendri, Darrett, and the characters themselves. One of the sivaks has a key to the cells in area S19.

If Drayan was encountered in x and escaped, she is here when the characters arrive. If so, only four sivak draconians are with her. Drayan has readied an action to use her Noxious Breath as soon as she sees a character in range.

S19: Cells

These bare stone cells once quartered the temple's priests. They are currently empty.

S20: Storeroom

Lord Soth's servants use this room to store junk. Most of it has no value, but the bust is of Istarian origin and is worth 1,000 gp to a collector. Characters might recall seeing hats of similar style to the one the man is wearing in the City of Lost Names.

S21: Ruined Hall

When the characters enter this area, read or paraphrase the following:

This hall connects the stairs leading to areas S19 and S22.

S22: Nuitari's Shrine

A cleric of Nuitari or a character who succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the moon in the wall carvings represents the god Nuitari.

S23: Mourning Sanctum

[image: Wersten Kern loyally serves Lord Soth and stands guard over the Mourning Sanctum]

This is the heart of the flying citadel. The magic of the Cataclysmic fire here holds the citadel aloft—and it is also the forge from which death dragons emerge. The gates at the south of the room lead from the temple to the surface of the flying island, but they're sealed shut.

S24: Sargonnas's Shrine

Two skeletal knights (see appendix B) stand guard in this room.

A cleric of Sargonnas or a character who succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes the images on the walls represent the god Sargonnas.

[image: Lord Soth glimpses his past betrayals in the Mirror of Reflected Pasts]

S25: Lord Soth's Throne Room

Read or paraphrase the following text when the characters enter this room:

The throne is the flying citadel helm (see appendix A) that controls the movement of the flying island. It draws its power from the brazier in x. If the brazier there is destroyed, the helm ceases to function.

The floor of area S23 is 40 feet below the ledge bearing the throne. The entirety of that area is visible from here.

Soth's End

The characters witness Lord Soth consumed by disaster. If he is in x or x, the ground opens beneath the death knight and he falls into darkness. He doesn't appear again in this adventure, and it will take exceptional coercion for Soth to ally with the Dragon Armies in the future.

Escape Routes

Allow the characters to decide how they're going to escape the citadel. If they race through the temple's underground levels, they encounter falling rocks as the structure shakes apart (see "x"). Alternatively, widening cracks in the temple walls allow the characters to quickly leave the bastion and flee to the flying island's edge (see below). The area outside is depicted on map 7.4 and features the following areas outside the Bastion of Takhisis:

• Cataclysmic Smoke. Violet vapor drifts from the temple, leaving the area it fills heavily obscured.
• Dragon Army Camps. Dozens of Dragon Army troops panic amid rows of tents and dragonnel landing strips.
• Plaza. This raised, 10-foot-high plaza provides a vantage of the surrounding chaos. Stairs descend to the south.
• Ruins. Ruined Istarian buildings lie scattered across the area.

The hundreds of Dragon Army troops outside the citadel are largely too preoccupied with their own escape to pay the characters any attention.

Whatever their path, before the characters manage to escape, highlight the flying citadel's deconstruction with events from the "Scenes of Destruction" section, then proceed with the "x" section.

Scenes of Destruction

Emphasize the destruction of the flying citadel and the effects of the extinguished Cataclysmic flames using any of the following events you wish:

• Death Dragon Destruction. A lesser death dragon (see appendix B) lands near the characters. The violet flames animating it fade, and the creature collapses into a pile of inanimate bones. Elsewhere, the characters can see other death dragons falling, their flames extinguished as well.
• Falling Rocks. Part of the temple collapses. Each character must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 27 (6d8) bludgeoning damage.
• Hungry Crevice. Six baaz draconians (see appendix B) rush toward the characters through a crack opening in the temple walls. A 10-foot-wide fissure in the ground opens up, swallowing the draconians in darkness.

Karavarix's Revenge

Before the characters escape, they're confronted by Karavarix, the first and most powerful of the death dragons. Read or paraphrase the following text:

Karavarix is a chaotic evil greater death dragon (see appendix B) who hasn't been affected by the destruction of the brazier in the Mourning Sanctum (x). In life, she was the gold dragon Sarlamir slew during his quest to the flying city of Onyari—and Karavarix still seeks revenge. Before she attacks, she roars, "Sarlamir! I won't be driven from the skies again. I'll have my revenge on you and all humans!" Characters who explored the catacombs beneath Castle Kalaman (detailed in x) recall the name Sarlamir, the dragon he slew, and the statue in his tomb with gold dragon features. Karavarix then fights until destroyed.

[image: Karavarix]

Escaping the Bastion

The citadel is 300 feet in the air. Before it crashes, the characters can escape it using the following options or any other approach they please:

• Magic. The easiest way off the Bastion of Takhisis is magic, such as the feather fall or fly spell.
• Narycrash. If the characters obtained extra narycrashes earlier in the adventure, these devices can be used to escape.
• Enemy Dragonnels. Although most Dragon Army dragonnels have abandoned the citadel, a few remain trapped in stables across the plaza. If the characters free them, the dragonnels help them escape to the battlefield below.
• Clystran's Dragonnels. If the characters can find no other way off the flying citadel, Clystran and his dragonnel friends arrive just in time to airlift the characters to the battlefield below.

Clash of Fallen Flames Features

The battlefield includes the following features:

• Citadel Spire. A 30-foot-tall stone shard dominates the center of the battlefield. A cliff winds up its side, making it possible to walk from the ground to the top. There are ample handholds in the rock, making it easy to climb.
• Citadel Rubble and Dragon Skeletons. The squares with fallen rubble or bones of dead dragons are difficult terrain.
• Fray. The 15-foot-wide area marked by the design at the edge of the map represents dozens of Dragon Army troops trying to retreat. This area and the battlefield beyond the map are difficult terrain. A creature that starts its turn in the Fray or that enters the Fray for the first time during a turn must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) slashing damage from attacks by opportunistic foes.

Clash of Fallen Flames Events

During this encounter, on initiative count 0 each round, roll on the Clash of Fallen Flames Events table. The encounter ends when both Kansaldi and Ignia are defeated.