Contents
Leilon Besieged
"Leilon Besieged" is balanced for characters of 11th level. The quest is triggered when the characters complete two of the three starting quests.
Quest Overview
Ularan Mortus, high priest of the death god Myrkul, has mustered an undead army to invade Leilon and seize the mystical ruinstone from the House of Thalivar. As he makes his move, cultists of the storm god Talos, led by Fheralai Stormsworn, assault the town to steal the stone before it falls into their enemy's hands. Caught in the middle, the characters must marshal Leilon's forces and hold the line against both armies.
Quest Goals
To succeed in this quest, the characters must survive the battle. If they achieve any result other than "Crushing Defeat," they'll earn a reward from the town council (see "x" for instructions on calculating victory results).
Running the Battle
This quest is an epic battle involving hundreds of rival combatants. Use the following rules to resolve the conflict.
Narrative Combat
Instead of resolving the battle with miniatures, you'll guide your players through a series of tough dilemmas, each leading to a different battlefield encounter. Their actions on the field determine the overall success or failure of the battle.
Use the Battle Flowchart provided nearby to guide your players through the conflict. Each box on the chart introduces a different mission, event, or dilemma (see "x"). When the players get to the end of the flowchart, count their victories to determine the success or failure of the overall conflict (see "x"). If your players use clever tactics during the battle, grant them one or more of the following benefits, as appropriate:
- Their enemies are frightened for one or more rounds.
- The players surprise their enemies in the next combat.
- The players gain advantage on any ability checks related to their current task.
- Each character gains inspiration.
- If the players fail this objective, their allies still triumph.
It's possible that your players will veer off from the events on the flowchart. In this case, you'll need to improvise encounters based on the enemies' plan of attack (see "x"). Feel free to add your own victories if the players achieve their chosen goals. Players who split the party are likely to be overwhelmed, but that's the risk they take for splitting up!
Random Encounters
Each time the group undertakes a new challenge on the Battle Flowchart, roll a d12 on the Random Encounters table. Try to incorporate the resulting event into the scene when it feels most appropriate.
Random Encounters
| d12 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 1 | An allied unit is being overwhelmed, but the nearest officer is frozen with fear and won't give the order to reinforce them. |
| 2 | Ghouls have surrounded a hospital cart. People are dying, but the distraction is giving nearby allied units an opportunity to advance. |
| 3 | A mounted group of Neverwinter knights prepare to charge valiantly to their doom. |
| 4 | An acolyte of Tymora tries to quash rumors that the Maimed God Tyr has promised to turn anyone who dies in his name into an angel. |
| 5 | Allied soldiers ask the characters to discipline a group of deserters hiding out in a nearby barn. |
| 6 | Townsfolk call for the characters' aid as the shrine of Tymora goes up in flames. |
| 7 | A cart carrying medical supplies sinks into the mud, dragging its oxen down with it. |
| 8 | Lightning ignites the roof of a nearby house. Locals are hiding out in the cellar but going to their aid could betray their position. |
| 9 | A blackguard cultist yells for a worthy enemy to face them in single combat. |
| 10 | A group of routed defenders are busy looting a house, supply cart, or command tent. |
| 11 | Nearby troops waver in fear and look to the characters for inspiration. |
| 12 | One of the enemies goes berserk and starts cutting down enemy and ally alike. |
Resting
The battle is intense, with no real opportunities for rest. If the players insist on taking a short rest, advance to the next box on the Battle Flowchart, taking whichever battlefield result is least positive. If the characters are resting when they would otherwise make a choice, their allies choose for them.
How Many Combatants?
The number of NPCs fighting each other in each scene is left intentionally vague. By keeping this mysterious, you can introduce reinforcements or trigger routs whenever it feels most dramatic to do so. Even so, it helps to have a rough idea of how each side compares.
Defenders
Leilon is defended by just over 200 commoners, guards, and guard veterans. If the players negotiated reinforcements in the "Icingdeath and Twinkle" quest, an additional 300 guards, knights, and scouts are also present.
Cult of Talos
The war priest Fheralai Stormsworn besieges Leilon with an army of 400 cultists, cult priests, and anchorites of Talos. Her elite warriors are blackguards or half-blue dragon gladiators (see appendix A).
Cult of Myrkul
The god Myrkul has performed a miracle to awaken the undead from the Mere of Dead Men and gifted them to his war priest Ularan Mortus. In total, just over 800 ghouls, ghasts, and zombies bow to his command, with a handful of boneclaws and greater zombies at the head (see appendix A). His greatest weapon is the ancient green dragon Claugiyliamatar, who is possessed by the unholy spirit of the dracolich Ebondeath.
Use of Magic
Magic plays a powerful role on a fantasy battlefield. A wizard armed with fireball or lightning bolt serves as a deadly artillery unit, while clerics can roam the battlefield, using cure wounds to heal the injured. In the chaos of battle, spells such as message, sending, or thaumaturgy can make the difference between triumph and disaster.
In a narrative battle, the simplest way to adjudicate such spells outside of combat is to grant an ad-hoc benefit to the party (see "x"). If a spell creates a powerful effect that sways the course of the battle, consider granting the caster's side an additional victory.
Determining Victory
At the end of the battle, count the group's victories to determine the result of the battle.
Victory Results
| Victories | Result |
|---|---|
| 0 | Crushing Defeat |
| 1–2 | Defeat |
| 3 | Pyrrhic Victory (1,000 gp reward) |
| 4–5 | Victory (2,500 gp reward) |
| 6+ | Decisive Victory (5,000 gp reward) |
Crushing Defeat
Ularan Mortus claims the ruinstone. Leilon is sacked and its inhabitants put to the sword. Both enemy generals survive, along with the dragon.
Defeat
The ruinstone is claimed by the enemy. Leilon fends off the attack, but the defenders are decimated. At least one enemy general survives.
Pyrrhic Victory
The ruinstone remains hidden. Leilon holds, but the defenders are decimated. At least one enemy general survives.
Victory
The ruinstone remains hidden. Leilon holds, and more than half the defenders survive. At least one enemy general is slain.
Great Victory
The ruinstone remains hidden. Leilon holds, and most of the defenders survive. Both enemy generals and the dragon are slain.
[image: Battle Flowchart]
Order of Events
The attack begins just before dawn, when Ularan Mortus assaults the south gate with a huge force of ghouls. Soon after, an even larger force of zombies emerges from the mere to invade the quayside. The defenders rally to protect the town but are outnumbered.
While the defenders struggle to hold the perimeter, Fheralai Stormsworn's forces breach the north gate and pour forward to seize the town square. Ularan Mortus responds by deploying his dragon, Ebondeath, which swoops in from the east and decimates Stormsworn's forces gathered in the square. The cultists of Talos are forced to fall back and regroup.
As Ularan Mortus's army forces its way into Leilon, Ebondeath reaches the House of Thalivar and searches for the ruinstone. Unless stopped, it claims the stone and flies back to its hiding place in the mere. Ularan Mortus withdraws in victory to his headquarters. Stormsworn's troops intercept his entourage outside town, but her reduced forces are beaten back. The remaining members of both sides retreat to their respective headquarters.
The Battle Begins
When the battle begins, read the following boxed text aloud:
The Battle of Leilon has begun.
Battlefield Events
The following events correspond to boxes marked on the Battle Flowchart.
Event 1. Dawn of the Dead
The battle begins when Ularan Mortus orders his ghoulish army to attack the south gate. When the party arrives on the scene, the battle is already underway. Read the following boxed text aloud:
To triumph in this encounter, the characters must hold the line against an ever-growing horde of undead. The palisade is soon breached, so it doesn't matter whether the party faces their foes on the ramparts or inside the town: more undead are always coming!
In the first round, the players face three ghasts per character, including sidekicks. At start of each new round thereafter, two more ghasts per character enter the fray. To prevail, the party must hold out for 8 rounds without retreating (or 5 rounds if they successfully completed the "Icingdeath and Twinkle" quest). After this time, allied reinforcements rally to secure the palisade in this section and drive back the undead.
- The party holds the line. Mark one victory and advance to Event 2: "The Storm Breaks."
- The party retreats. The undead spill into the town. Proceed to Event 5: "x."
Event 2. The Storm Breaks
If the defenders hold the line, alarm bells ring out across town! Read the following boxed text aloud:
The players must choose what to do next: repel the cultists of Talos at the north gate, or stop the zombies from assaulting the quayside. Once the players have made their choice, Jack gives each character a potion of healing to aid them in the battle, and then collapses exhausted in the mud.
- The party moves to the north gate. Go to Event 3: "Against the Lightning."
- The party moves to the quayside. Go to Event 4: "x."
Event 3. Against the Lightning
The characters arrive at the north gate to find it besieged by the anchorites of Talos. Read the following boxed text aloud:
The anchorites of Talos are using a battering ram to demolish the burning gate. Each time they spot a defender on the wall, the barbarians hurl lightning bolts at them. The players have one minute to act before the gate is destroyed and the barbarians pour through. A large force of anchorites is pressing at the gates, numbering at least a hundred. Use your judgement to resolve any plans that the players devise and award them appropriately (see "x").
If the gate is demolished, the players must hold the line alongside the defenders. In the first round, the players face two anchorites of Talos for every character in the party, including sidekicks. At the start of every round thereafter, one additional anchorite joins the conflict for every character in the party. To prevail, the party must hold out for 8 rounds without retreating (or 5 rounds if they successfully completed the "Icingdeath and Twinkle" quest). After this time, allied reinforcements rally to secure the palisade in this section and drive back the cultists. Regardless of how the characters fare, they hear screams from the quayside: the undead have overrun the docks!
- The party holds the line. Mark one victory and advance to Event 6: "x."
- The party retreats. The cultists of Talos surge into the town. Go to Event 5: "x."
Event 4. Back to the Mud
Ularan Mortus has ordered a large force of zombies to march underwater through the marsh and invade the quayside.When the characters arrive here, read the following boxed text aloud:
A boneclaw has cornered Councilor Estapaar and is preparing to slay her. Estapaar is a veteran, but she is currently restrained underneath the rowboat. To free the councilor, characters with a combined Strength score of 15 or higher must spend an action to heft the boat aside (if they attempt this while the boneclaw is perched on the boat, they need to muster a combined Strength score of 25 instead). At some point during the battle, the characters hear bells ringing to the north of town: the barbarians have broken through the gates!
- The party defeats the undead and rescues Valdi. The surviving defenders rally around them to hold the docks. Mark one victory and advance to Event 6: "x."
- The party retreats or Valdi dies. The defenders crumble and the zombies advance into the town. Go to Event 5: "Streets of Rage."
Event 5. Streets of Rage
Overrun by enemies, the party retreats into Leilon's streets. Read the following boxed text aloud:
Sergeant Yorrum is a cowardly human male guard. The party can defy him and attempt to rally his troops, or retreat with him to the town square. If they stay, the players must describe what they say or do to rally the troops, and then make an appropriate ability check opposed by Yorrum's Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the players accrue five successes before three failures, Sergeant Yorrum flees and his troops rally against the approaching enemies.
- The party rallies the troops. Mark one victory and advance to Event 6: "Rolling Thunder."
- The party retreats or fails to rally the troops. The characters are pulled along with the crowd into the town square. Go to Event 7: "x."
Event 6. Rolling Thunder
As the characters catch their breaths, the cultists of Talos unleash a magical storm on the town. Read the following boxed text aloud:
The party must choose whether to leave town and silence the drummers or move to reinforce the town square.
- The party attacks the drummers. Go to Event 8: "x."
- The party reinforces the town square. Go to Event 7: "Enter the Dragon."
Event 7. Enter the Dragon
The dragon attacks the forces gathered in the town square. Read the following boxed text aloud:
Ularan Mortus has sent his dragon to crush his enemies. Claugiyliamatar is an ancient green dragon, except her breath weapon deals necrotic damage instead of poison damage as a result of Ebondeath's possession. If the party has not yet silenced the drummers (see Event 8: "Thunder Drums"), the magic storm cloud above town unleashes targeted bolts of lightning during combat. At the end of each round, ask each player to roll a d20, and then roll a d20 for the dragon. Whoever gets the lowest result is targeted by the effect of a call lightning spell.
The dragon attacks any enemy forces gathered here, including cultists of Talos, but switches to attack the party if they present a threat. If the dragon loses over 100 hit points or is forced to use its Legendary Resistance feature more than once, it retreats into the clouds. If the dragon retreats, the defenders are inspired to turn the tide of battle against their enemies.
- The party drives off the dragon. Mark one victory and go to Event 13: "x."
- The party flees from the dragon. Go to Event 11: "x."
Event 8. Thunder Drums
The party heads outside town to attack the priests playing the war drums. Read the following boxed text aloud:
Six wereboar drummers perform a magical ritual to bring down lightning. Once per round, while at least one wereboar is drumming, any one of the drummers can duplicate the effect of a call lightning spell, except it has no limit to its range. The drummers fight until death and refuse to parley.
- The party silences the drummers. Mark one victory and go to Event 9: "Eye of the Storm."
- The party retreats. Go to Event 11: "x."
Event 9: Eye of the Storm
As the drums fall silent, read the following boxed text aloud:
Characters who played Sleeping Dragon's Wake recognize the figure as Fheralai Stormsworn, the Stormlord of Talos. They have an opportunity to strike against her but doing so means leaving the dragon to ravage the House of Thalivar.
- The party attacks Fheralai Stormsworn. Go to Event 10: "Champion of Storms."
- The party hunts down the dragon. Go to Event 13: "x."
Event 10: Champion of Storms
The party challenges Fheralai Stormsworn, leader of the cult of Talos.
Fheralai is in no mood to exchange words. The storm lord is a war priest, and she is accompanied by one half-blue dragon gladiator for every two characters in the party, including sidekicks.
- The party defeats Fheralai Stormsworn. Mark one victory and go to Event 11: "Exodus."
- The party retreats. Go to Event 11: "Exodus."
Event 11. Exodus
Heading deeper into town, the characters encounter an exodus of refugees. Read the following boxed text aloud:
The party must choose whether to cover the townsfolk's retreat or advance on the House of Thalivar to confront the dragon.
- The characters choose to cover the retreat. Go to Event 12: "Last Stand."
- The characters abandon the townsfolk. Go to Event 13: "x."
Event 12. Last Stand
The party makes a desperate stand to allow the defenders to escape. Read the following boxed text aloud:
To defend the escaping townsfolk, the characters must hold the line against a large force of enemies.
[image: Ghostly Warrior]
- The undead have advanced into the city. The characters face one greater zombie for every character in the party, including sidekicks.
- The cultists of Talos have advanced into the city. The characters face one half-blue dragon gladiator for every character in the party, including sidekicks.
- Both factions have invaded. Choose the faction that the party has fought the least.
To allow the townsfolk time to escape, the characters must hold out for at least 5 rounds. If they survive this long, the townsfolk get to safety, and the characters can retreat if needed.
When the encounter is resolved, count any victories scored so far:
- The characters scored fewer than three victories. They see the dragon tear down the House of Thalivar and fly away! To resolve the quest, go to Event 15: "Divine Contention."
- The players scored three or more victories. The town's archers drive the dragon away from the tower and it crash-lands inside the palisade! Go to Event 14: "Old Gnawbone."
Event 13. Ghost Tower
The characters arrive at the House of Thalivar to witness the dragon fighting the Swords of Leilon. Read the following boxed text aloud:
If the players completed the "House of Thalivar Rebuilt" quest or saw the painting at Aubrey's Peculiarities Shoppe, they recognize the warriors as the long-dead Swords of Leilon! Mysteriously, Aubrey the shopkeeper is fighting alongside them. Before reading further, count any victories scored so far:
The party achieved three or more victories
Read the following boxed text aloud:
Claugiyliamatar is an ancient green dragon, except her breath weapon deals necrotic damage instead of poison damage as a result of Ebondeath's possession, and she has only 192 hit points. During combat, the Swords of Leilon intervene to aid the party, granting advantage to up to three characters' attacks each round. If the dragon drops to 50 or fewer hit points, it flies off and crashes in the nearby streets. Go to Event 14: "Old Gnawbone."
Event 14. Old Gnawbone
The characters corner the dragon where it crashed in the ruined streets of Leilon. Read the following boxed text aloud:
Ebondeath's spirit has fled its host body, leaving Claugiyliamatar weakened and vulnerable. The characters can slay the dragon here, or at your discretion, negotiate terms for her surrender. Claugiyliamatar is an ancient green dragon, but she has only 50 hit points and all her attacks are made at disadvantage due to her exhausted state. If the party survives, mark one victory and proceed to "x."
Event 15. Divine Contention
As Ebondeath's spirit departs with the ruinstone, the characters gain an opportunity to strike at Ularan Mortus. Read the following aloud:
The players can attack Ularan Mortus if they dare. If they hold back, the figure rides away and the battle ends here: proceed to "Conclusion." Read the following boxed text aloud if the characters ascend the hill:
Ularan Mortus and his undead entourage face an elite squad of cultists. If Fheralai Stormsworn still lives, she is fighting here too.
- Ularan Mortus and Fheralai Stormsworn are both war priests.
- Ularan Mortus has one ghast on his side per character in the party, including sidekicks.
- Fheralai Stormsworn has one anchorite of Talos for every two characters in the party, including sidekicks.
The villains fight to the death. If the party survives, the battle ends here. Mark one victory and proceed to "Conclusion."
Conclusion
If the characters survive and save Leilon, they become heroes of the town. The councilors raise statues in the characters' honor, though they remain fearful of the rising cult activity in the area. In time, Lord Neverember asks the characters to stamp out these threats once and for all by striking at the cults' headquarters. This unlocks the final two quests: "Ebondeath's Mausoleum" and "Storm Lord's Hideout."
If Claugiyliamatar surrendered, she ends up indebted to the characters. The old wyrm is evil and untrustworthy, but a dragon's oath is still worth something. At your discretion, the characters could call upon Old Gnawbone's aid in their coming adventures.
Finally, an odd thing happens as the characters return to town. During the clean-up, the characters discover that nobody in town has ever heard of Aubrey's Peculiarities Shoppe—perhaps it was crushed by the dragon and nobody seems to care, or the characters mention seeing Aubrey fighting atop the tower and nobody remembers who he is. Visiting the site of his store, they see that the building was never actually restored from its ancient state. All that remains in the rubble is the dusty triptych of the Swords of Leilon—only now, the third member of the group, Aubrey himself, is visible in the portrait.