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AE01-11 - Convergence Manifesto - A Heart in Mourning

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A Heart in Mourning
Retrieve a lost artifact in the Mournland... if you have the heart for it.

Episode 11 of Convergence Manifesto

An Across Eberron Adventure

CREDITS
Writers: Chad Justis and Aaron Killeen
Scenario Consultant: Patrick Dunning

Editors: Will Brolley, Wayne Chang, Laura Hirsbrunner


Executive Producer: Keith Baker

Cover Art & Design: Kristóf Köteles, Laura Hirsbrunner


Interior Art: Kristóf Köteles
Maps: Anthony Turco
Layout: Laura Hirsbrunner

Playtesters: Mike Berenato, Frank Bowles, Nick Costanzo, Nick Dougherty, Brandon Huelskamp, Brendan James, Bill Jargowsky,
Slayer Jesse, Jennifer Killeen, Ed McCloskey, Thomas Patrick, Brian Potter, Dean A. Smires, April Thompson, Jeff Witham

Thanks from Chad to Wayne, the editors, and playtesters. Thanks from Aaron to my wife, an amazing person.
Special thanks to Keith Baker for giving us the gift of Eberron, a world where we spend as much time as we can.

Published by Across Eberron, an Eberron community project.

Disclaimer: The Across Eberron authors and editors are not responsible for any feelings of existential dread brought on by your time in the Mournland, nor any consequences of your
dealings with Eldritch horrors, aberrations, undead, fiends, demons, celestial beings, or warforged. The hat, however, is responsible. For everything.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers
League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive
likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material
or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.

©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA.
Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK

1
INTRODUCTION RUNNING THE ADVENTURE
Welcome to A Heart in Mourning, episode 11 of Convergence A Heart in Mourning is a tense survival adventure intended for
Manifesto, an Across Eberron adventure path. This adventure is five 6th-level characters and designed to take approximately 4-5
the sequel to AE01-10: At Death’s Door, available on the hours of game time. If you have additional time, the two bonus
Dungeon Masters Guild, using characters and story elements scenes add approximately 1 hour total, and travel through the
introduced in the previous adventure. This adventure plays best Mournland can be extended as long as the DM desires by using
when used in conjunction with the Wayfinder’s Guide to the random encounter table from Scene 2.
Eberron (WGtE) by Keith Baker. If your players are unfamiliar All monster stat blocks needed for encounters in this
with either the Eberron setting or the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventure are contained in Appendix A: Bestiary. Battle maps
game, you may wish to use this set of 1st-level pregenerated of Ash Tower are contained in Appendix B: Maps.
characters, tailor-made for Eberron. While running the adventure, look for the following formatting:
A Heart in Mourning is an adventure designed for five 6th
level characters to explore the diversity and themes of the
Text like this is intended to be read aloud or paraphrased for your
Eberron Campaign Setting. Player characters will have a
players.
chance to explore the Mournland, a former nation destroyed by
a mysterious event known as the Mourning, where the bodies of
the dead don’t decay and strange things happen. The heroes are Sidebars like this contain rules reminders, reveal background Eberron
charged with traveling to a ruin called Ash Tower, where a lore, or point you to sources to learn more.
powerful artifact is believed to reside.

SUMMARY
A Heart in Mourning is a dungeon crawl and survival adventure
that takes the party through the mists into the strange and
dangerous Mournland, where they encounter threats both
environmental and living. The party has been given a map with
the task of retrieving the Steelheart from Ash Tower, where the
Provost’s research has led them under direction by Guild
Handler Lhara. Their destination lies in the middle of a
manifest zone of Shavarath. Once there, the party will have to
survive a tower climb filled with fiends, demons, and more in
order to retrieve the Steelheart, a powerful artifact guarded by a
powerful guardian. This adventure is split into the following
scenes:

• Scene 1. The player characters are given their mission and


warned of the dangers they might face in the Mournland.
• Scene 2. After entering the Mournland, the characters begin
to experience the bizarreness of this twisted landscape.
• Bonus Scene 1. The party is attacked by a figure of the mists.
• Bonus Scene 2. Hazards continue through the night’s watch.
• Scene 3. A strange storm threatens the party and their
precious goodberry wine.
• Scene 4. A group of warforged stops the party from
advancing. The party learns they share a similar goal.
• Scene 5. The party reaches Ash Tower, discovering it’s going
to take more than goodberry wine to reach the top.
• Scene 6. With the Steelheart in hand, the party must escape a
falling tower and the Mournland to complete their mission.

2
Last Star. The commander of the other warforged in this
CAST OF CHARACTERS adventure, Last Star is a high-ranking officer of the Lord of
In A Heart in Mourning, the player characters travel to the Blades’s army. She wields an adamantine morningstar and has
broken land of the Mournland, where the dead lie frozen in time star carvings on her chassis that resemble military rankings.
and the living fear to tread. The party encounters these unusual Personality: Order will lead us to success. Fall in line, or line
characters along the way. up to fall.
Ideal: War never changes—and I wouldn’t have it any other
MAJOR CHARACTERS way.
Bond: The Lord of Blades leads the warforged to our true
Anchor. A stocky warforged with carvings etched into his
enemy in this never-ending war.
composite plating, each serving as a memento from his travels
Flaw: I am so focused on my goals that I am blind to failure.
in his days as a pirate. The etchings vary from Kraken tentacles
to sparrows and skulls, covering most of the visible areas of his
Mary. A Cyran human soldier and one of the few survivors of
body. He is the only surviving member of his crew, which
Ash Tower, she has left the tower to seek help for the only other
capsized in Kraken Bay, to the south of Cyre, on the Day of
survivor of her unit.
Mourning. He wields a hooked spear from his days on the ship
Personality: Helping others above myself is my goal in life.
and can often be heard singing sea shanties.
Ideal: My country might be gone, but I will help preserve its
Personality: Memories of major events are important to me. I
memory in my actions.
have literally carved reminders of them into my body.
Bond: I owe my life to my unit for being a family to me after
Ideal: The past is not to be forgotten, but to be learned from. It
my family perished in the Mourning.
makes us who we are.
Flaw: I would risk my own life to save another.
Bond: Loyalty to my leader, originally my captain and now the
Lord of Blades, is unquestionable.
Gabriel. The leader of a unit of Cyran soldiers. His unit
Flaw: My need to record events as etchings has become a
ventured into the Mournland to save anyone who might still be
coping mechanism to deal with loss, but it isn't filling the void.
alive from the Day of Mourning and to retrieve relics from the
fallen nation of Cyre. Gabriel is secretly a deva from the plane of
Brutus. A towering warforged, nearly 7 feet tall, with no neck
Shavarath, guiding and protecting his unit from the horrors of
and broad shoulders. They wield no weapons, but have fists like
the Mournland. In his true form, he has lustrous dark skin and
boulders and deal damage like a mace. Prior to pledging loyalty
enormous shimmering wings, but he prefers to keep an
to the Lord of Blades, Brutus enjoyed spending time in the
unnoteworthy human form.
kitchen. They have always been intrigued by food, despite not
Personality: Evil, unnatural things have tainted this world. I
needing to eat it for nutrients. Their arm-maces, which are not
will lead others to rid this world of this evil.
removable, make cooking a difficult task, but it never stopped
Ideal: Saving this nation begins with its people and history.
them. They often recount recipes of various Khorvarian regions
Bond: My unit is made of pure souls who I would be proud to
they have visited.
fight with in battle.
Personality: I am not just a weapon, but I am one.
Flaw: War never ends, but I forget I fight this battle with mortals.
Ideal: I am built to destroy, but I can also create.
Bond: The Lord of Blades sees value beyond my design by the
humans that made me.
Flaw: I am slow and get in my own way.

Spike. A small, dextrous warforged with spikes accenting her


body and a mohawk atop her head. She wields a morningstar.
Spike spent her years during the Last War as an adept
combatant, mostly in the grasslands of Eastern Breland fighting
in the name of King Boranel. At times, she was known to adorn
her various spikes with the local foliage to compete in friendly
stealth competitions with her military unit.
Personality: All things can be skewered, and if they cannot, I
will tenderize them until they are soft enough to be skewered.
Ideal: My quips match my body: sharp and to the point.
Bond: Freedom cannot be given by those who enslave. The
Lord of Blades will make all those who used us pay.
Flaw: I use my words to distance myself from others because
I’m afraid of hurting those who get too close.

3
ACROSS EBERRON CHARACTERS Provost Nigel Faurious (NIGH-jel FAR-ee-us). The Provost is
The following characters are recurring characters in the Across very focused on his work and is often lost in thought. He seeks
Eberron series, though Faurious does not appear directly in this to prove his theories on planar bodies and is willing to spend the
adventure. money required to build his strange device.
Personality: I am horribly, horribly awkward in social
Guild Handler Lhara (LAHR-ah). Lhara is a shifter with white situations and have little patience for any conversation that
hair streaked with black. Her skin is pale, she has blue eyes, and doesn’t have to do with my work.
wears an eyepatch over the left. She holds a middling position Ideal: No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility
of authority within the Clifftop Guild. Lhara is the characters’ inherent in all existence.
handler inside Clifftop and is trying to increase the guild’s Bond: My life’s work is the study of planar bodies and their
coffers and reputation. effects on Eberron. I must complete my work and be given the
Personality: I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I recognition I deserve.
never raise my voice or let my emotions control me. Flaw: Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth every coin of my
Ideal: Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild. The Guild is my home and family fortune.
its members are my family.
Bond: I will prove that Clifftop is the best group of skilled CLIFFTOP ADVENTURERS' GUILD
troubleshooters and that we can get any job done. Eberron, of course, has its share of organizations dedicated to the
Flaw: I am very sarcastic, and it can be difficult for people to support and employment of exceptional individuals. Professional
tell when I am being serious. adventurers in good standing might be invited to join the Clifftop
Adventurers’ Guild (WGtE 150, Sharn: City of Towers 52), based in
the Clifftop district of Upper Dura, Sharn. It was founded 150 years
ago by a dwarf named Shekkal Korranor. The current leader is Sumara
Korranor, better known among her charges as Summer.
The reputation of the CAG is well earned, and members are
expected to uphold the Guild’s virtuous principles. Their long-
standing rivals, the Deathsgate Guild, have no such inclinations.

4
SCENE 1: TARNISHED JEWEL THE MOURNLAND
In the year 994 YK on the Day of Mourning, the nation of Cyre ceased

OF GALIFAR to exist when a magical explosion warped the nation and turned it
into a bizarre wasteland where the laws of nature no longer hold
"War, what is it good for? Quite a few things, actually." sway. This dangerous, unpredictable land, known as the Mournland, is
-fragment of Provost Nigel Faurious’s Convergence Manifesto surrounded by an ever-present dead-gray mist. Dead bodies from that
fateful day show no signs of decay four years later. Adding to the
The party begins by meeting Lhara, their guild handler, at the other hazards, healing magic works unpredictably—and in many
Clifftop Adventurers' Guild in Sharn. She tasks the party with places, not at all—throughout the Mournland.
entering the Mournland on a four-day journey to recover an
artifact known as the Steelheart for Provost Nigel Faurious.
What does Lhara know? Lhara will answer questions to the
Read or paraphrase the following:
best of her ability, including the following.
• Why the Mournland? Provost Nigel Faurious’s research has
When you arrive at the Clifftop Guild offices, Lhara is waiting for you, uncovered evidence of a manifest zone of Shavarath. It lies
leaning jauntily against the desk. “Glad you could make it. I wish I within the Mournland at Ash Tower.
could say this is an easier mission than the last few, but...you know I • What is the Steelheart? Somewhere within the tower lies the
wouldn’t lie to you.” She motions to the leather armchairs near the Steelheart, an artifact that Faurious needs to further his
fire, for you to make yourself comfortable. research. A glowing metal orb, it is said to be the still-beating
heart of a legionnaire devil from Shavarath. It can be attached
“The task will be a lucrative one, but it’ll be hard-earned. You are to
to a warforged like a docent, or surgically implanted into
recover an artifact, the Steelheart, from Ash Tower within the
another humanoid to replace their heart. Doing so is rumored
Mournland. The map should take you from the edge of the Mists to to aid the bearer in combat, but the whispers of the devil
the Tower, though the last survey of this area is from before the slowly drive the bearer to sociopathy.
Mourning. We do not know what might have changed since.” Her • How do we get there? The Foundation has arranged for
demeanor becomes even more serious as she looks directly into your travel by Orien caravan to Vathirond, just outside the
eyes, “I would not be asking this of you if there was any other way.” Mournland. After reaching the mists, however, the party will
The shifter reaches down and produces a map, as well as a leather have to use the map to navigate on their own.

bag for each party member. Handing a clinking sack to each of you,
• What will we face there? The Mournland is an unpredictable
land where the environment is as dangerous as the creatures
she explains, “Your destination is an unnatural one that requires
within. Foes run the gamut from dead that refuse to die to
special provisions. These are bottles of goodberry wine from the
grotesque aberrant creatures, and even warforged with an
hamlet of Hatheril, enough to last you for a four-day mission. Healing antipathy toward other humanoids. With unimaginable
magic does not work normally within this broken land, so guard these dangers within the Mournland, the party should not
with your life—they may be the only way to save it.” necessarily engage all perceived threats. The priority is to
attain the Steelheart and to return alive.
• Why doesn’t healing magic work in the Mournland? Nobody
While Lhara seems to be slightly shaken at the idea of this
knows. But whatever the cause, spells that usually heal
mission, she is insistent that this highly skilled party is well-
creatures have no effect. A noteworthy exception is the
qualified to do so. She offers to pay the characters 800 gp each
goodberry spell. Lhara also relates that Provost Faurious
for the successful retrieval of the Steelheart.
suggests that a skilled artificer could briefly create an exit
from the Material Plane and using healing magic in an
GOODBERRY WINE extradimensional space.
Each jug of goodberry wine contains enough • What is goodberry wine? Goodberry wine was first made by
wine for 5 doses. Each dose restores 20 hit druids in the Greenhaunt forest of northern Breland. When
points and provides enough nourishment to the Mourning happened and healing magic ceased to work as
sustain a creature for one day. usual in that land, exploration parties to the Mournland found
While within any area of the Mournland that the wine’s healing properties still functioned, making it an
that inhibits healing, a creature that has invaluable resource for adventurers in the Mournland. The
drunk a dose of goodberry wine within the party will need the goodberry wine in order to heal within the
last 12 hours is able to regain half the normal Mournland, although still not as well as they could in another
hit points (rounded up) from any healing land.
effect that otherwise would not function due
• Can we have some healing potions? If the party presses for
to the nature of the Mournland, and regains
additional resources, Lhara apologizes that typical healing
all hit dice and half the usual number of hit
potions do not function in the Mournland, so all that she can
points at the end of a long rest.
offer are rations and adventuring packs.

5
HEALING IN THE MOURNLAND
SCENE 2: BEYOND THE MIST Upon the Day of Mourning, the rules that govern reality
Once the party is done speaking with Lhara and ready to seemingly ceased to function. In most places in the Mournland,
proceed on their mission, read or paraphrase the following: creatures do not heal normally, either naturally or magically.
The bizarre nature of the Mournland means that a DM could
Departing Sharn, the lightning rail crackles with blue lightning as it choose for healing to work differently from place to place within
passes over the elemental nodes. Two days later, as the train pulls this land, or even from moment to moment. However, for the
into Vathirond, you can’t help but notice the rail line continues past a purposes of this adventure, the area the Clifftop adventurers
large wall of dead-gray mist. However, the Orien heirs aboard the rail explore in the next several scenes will be under the following
explain that the train will not be able to move beyond it. On the Day healing restrictions.
of Mourning, many elemental nodes mysteriously moved or vanished Characters may regain hit points from the following:
entirely, and rail travel there has been entirely discontinued since. • The goodberry spell and goodberry wine function as usual.
• A paladin's Lay on Hands ability functions as usual.
• A fighter’s Second Wind ability functions as usual.
ADVENTURING IN THE MOURNLAND • Spells and abilities that give temporary hit points function as
Before the party ventures into the Mournland, the DM should be usual, as these are not healing nor true hit points.
familiar with the following mechanics used in this adventure: • Hit dice may be spent to regain hit points as usual.
Characters may not regain hit points from the following:
MOURNLAND RANDOM ENCOUNTERS • Spells. With the exception of the above, characters cannot
Travel in the Mournland is never simple. The entire land is
regain hit points from any spells or other abilities that restore
fraught with death, despair, and uncertainty. In addition to
hit points, including the Mark of Healing.
physical hazards, Mournland travel should include a strong
element of suspenseful horror. The following random encounter • Long rests. Characters do not regain any hit points or hit dice
table will help set the tone for the two-day travel to Ash Tower. from a long rest.
When prompted in this adventure to “Roll on the Mournland • Healing potions. Healing potions cannot restore hit points.
Random Encounters table,” roll 1d8 three times on the table
Note: Spells such as rope trick that allow characters to access
below, once for each column, to create a random scene. To
an extradimensional space can provide a safe short rest outside
ensure variety, reroll any repeats, or create your own scenario
the Mournland, allowing healing to operate as normal.
from the options below:

TABLE: MOURNLAND RANDOM ENCOUNTERS


d8 There is... ...that has... ...and there is...
1 ...a child’s doll missing the eyes... …dried blood smeared all over... ...a faint smell of sulfur.
2 ...a stone just larger than a fist with a PC’s name …a torn piece of parchment attached. ...the sound of a little girl singing a
etched into it... The only words that can be made out are nursery rhyme, just out of sight, that
“help me.” fades away as soon as the party
mentions hearing it.
3 …a deck of cards depicting the royalty of Cyre ...a dagger covered in soot laying ...an oddly copper taste in everyone’s
on some cards... nearby... mouths.
4 ...concern that the party is now lost and doubt ...a severed finger laid upon it... ...the foul smell of rotten meat coming
that the navigator is leading properly. The party from one of the character’s bags.
comes across a compass sitting on a stump...
5 ...a small pouch that contains several small cogs, ...a nearby bottle of a red, viscous liquid... ...a single humanoid footprint pointing
gears, and springs. One is etched with the in the direction the party is headed.
Cannith Gorgon...
6 ...a journal filled completely with anatomical ...a music box that only one party ...a nearby tree that has the branches
drawings of humanoid hearts... member can hear... swaying and creaking despite the lack of
a breeze.
7 ...a family sitting having a picnic that seems to ...a pile of the remains of sacrificial ...a small house cat that walks by, just at
be frozen in space and time. If touched, they animals... the edge of a character’s vision...again.
shatter like glass. There is a basket...
8 ...a young human girl is sitting on the ground ...a sketch of someone that looks like the ...a sickeningly sweet smell of honey
and crying. She seems unharmed, but once person that picked up the sketch...and it that, moments later, turns to the scent
interacted with she disappears. However, the changes to be whoever picks it up... of rancid milk.
doll she was carrying remains...

6
INTO THE MISTS
Once the party disembarks from the lightning rail and follows
Lhara’s map into the Mournland, they walk a worn path with
remnants of travels from the years before Cyre was destroyed.
Since the Mourning, however, it seems few feet have come this
close to the mists, except perhaps the occasional Brelish patrol.
Superstition and outright fear keep the townsfolk and half-
hearted adventurers away.
As the characters enter the Mournland’s dead-gray
mists, read or paraphrase the following:

Looming above you, and as far as you can see to either


side to the horizon, there is a wrongness about the
mists that tower ahead of you. Though there is a
breeze blowing, causing the grasses you're standing
among to sway and ripple, the dead-gray mists float in
front of you, unmoved and untouched by the wind. As
you step into the mist, you sense why—the winds do
not penetrate at all, though the mist offered you no
resistance. Light and sound become muted and the
air feels heavy, stagnant. As you begin to move
through the mists, everything seems deathly quiet and
still, and the only sounds you hear are those of you
and your companions. The stillness and quiet leave
you with an oppressive feeling of unease.

A successful DC 13 Perception check allows a character to


notice that the mist seems to almost be reaching for living flesh.

NAVIGATING THE MISTS


As the characters travel toward their destination, they will first
need to navigate through the Mournland’s disorienting and
hazardous mist. The characters must succeed on three DC 16
Wisdom (Survival) checks. Each check represents one hour of
travel. Upon a success, the party navigates that portion without
getting turned around and lost, but each character suffers 5
points of psychic damage from the mists. Upon a failure, the
party gets lost, each character suffering 10 points of psychic
damage as they wander lost for an extra hour.
After the first failure, roll on the Mournland Random
Encounters table. After the second success, if you wish to add a
bonus combat encounter, run Bonus Scene 1 below. After the
third success, some time after the party emerges from the mists
into daylight, roll again on the Mournland Random
Encounters table.
If the party chooses to take a short rest while passing through
the mists, they will need to shield themselves from the mist
using a tent or spell, such as rope trick or Leomund’s tiny hut,
or take 5 points of psychic damage from the mist during the
hour of rest.

7
BONUS SCENE 1: GONE BUT NOT BONUS SCENE 2: EVENING AND
FORGOTTEN MOURNING
If you have additional time and want to add a bonus encounter If you have additional time and want to add a bonus encounter
after the party’s second successful Wisdom (Survival) check to after the characters pass through the mists and make camp for
navigate through the mists, read or paraphrase the following: the night, read or paraphrase the following to those keeping
watch while the others sleep:
While traveling through the oppressive mists, the sky above turns
even darker and an eerie silence sets in. You feel an odd sense of In the darkness, as your companions sleep, an uneven sloshing sound
longing and unease, manifesting as a sharp pain in the pit of your echoes around the campsite. A moment later and you realize the
stomach. Just then, you see a figure over your shoulder that you are ground ten feet away from you has begun to melt into mud, quickly
certain was not there a moment ago. It coalesces from the mists coalescing into two flowing forms of teeth, eyes and long, slavering
itself, dark swirls of gray and black and white intertwining into a tongues.
humanoid with two long blades of pure shadow.
These two gibbering mouthers pose little threat to the party
This creature, which uses the stats of a shadow assassin, but must be dispatched before the characters can resume their
appears out of the dead-gray mists. This shadow was an unlucky long rest. Upon their defeat, the creatures melt back into the
soul that was killed at the precise moment of the Mourning, and ground they came from, leaving no trace that they ever existed.
rather than its soul passing on, it has lingered in the mists in The rest of the night’s sleep is uneventful.
this form. If you wish, you may describe the mists swirling into a Shortly after the characters begin the second morning’s travel,
vaguely recognizable face, that of a party member’s former roll again on the Random Mournland Encounters table.
acquaintance, perhaps from during the Last War.
Roll initiative. Any character with passive Perception 21 or
lower is surprised by the shadow. Due to the mists and cloud
cover, the whole area is dim light, and there is no danger of
sunlight during the encounter unless the party creates their own
with a spell or similar effect.

8
Once the party finds cover within a cottage, they find a single
SCENE 3: RAINING TEETH room, 20 feet square. Each has a bed and a table with chairs.
As midday approaches on the second day, the party faces a One of the two cottages have two eerily still bodies sitting at the
hazard that threatens not only their health, but if they have not table in front of plates of food that are still warm; the bodies
taken measures to protect it, their source of restoring it. Read or have not begun to decompose despite the Mourning taking
paraphrase the following: place years ago. The other home is void of people and food, but
the characters do notice a framed picture on the wall depicting a
As the sun moves higher in the sky, you are passing two small young half-orc couple and their daughter holding a doll—the
same doll that is now sitting on the rumpled bed.
cottages when you see an arachnid-like creature the size of a large
bear approaching in the distance. The creature is transparent in color
TREASURE
and seemingly made of living glass. As it skitters toward the party, If the party searches the cottages, upon a successful DC 12
the clouds above and behind it begin to darken quickly. The sky Intelligence (Investigation) check, they find a small purse with
opens up, and it begins to rain...or is that hail? With a horrified 13 gp in one cottage, and a red Eberron dragonshard valued at
sinking of your stomach, you realize the glass horror approaching is 180 gp in the other.
fleeing the storm, and those tiny projectiles hurtling toward the
ground are teeth, humanoid and…otherwise. THUNDER AFTER THE STORM
The sound of bone repeatedly striking glass in the distance begins
After the storm subsides and the party opens the door of the
with a ‘tink, tink’ but quickly intensifies. In mere moments, the glass cottage to venture outside, they find two living thunderwave
horror chipped and then shattered completely. Only a matter of spells have followed in the wake of the storm. Living spells are
seconds passes before your party is bombarded with teeth as well. semi-sentient creatures, formed from spells that were being cast
at the moment the Mournland was created. These living
thunderwave spells look like undulating waves of force, and as
The rain of teeth overtakes the party, lasting for 1 minute (10
they move across the blasted countryside, they are demolishing
rounds) and driving them to seek cover. There are two small
and powdering the fallen teeth as they go. The two creatures are
single-story cottages 120 feet away from the party, and no other
currently 30 feet away from the cottage. While they only have a
significant cover close by. For every round a character remains
speed of 20 feet, they can use their Engulf action to move an
outside, they take 1d4 points of piercing damage from the rain
additional 20 feet a round to close on and attack the closest
of teeth. After the first round, the teeth crunching underfoot
character. If the party barricades themselves inside the cottage,
create hazardous footing, making the ground difficult terrain.
the creatures will target the door with their attacks, easily
Any time a character takes the Dash action, they must succeed
breaking through in one round.
on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, falling prone upon a failure.
If a character falls and has any goodberry wine or other
breakable potions on their person (that aren’t stored in a bag of
holding or other extradimensional space), they must roll 1d4;
upon a roll of 1, the bottle shatters and the contents are lost.

9
focuses on tripping his foes and attempting to attack with his
SCENE 4: THE NOT-SO- extended reach hooked spear, from behind Brutus if possible.

WELCOME PARTY The warforged fight until one of them is felled, at which point
the other two attempt to flee to Ash Tower to alert their
After the rain of teeth, the party continues following the map commander, Last Star. The first warforged felled has a final
Lhara gave them, and in the late afternoon they approach the messenger, a tiny construct with AC 26 and 6 hp. As soon as the
area where Ash Tower is supposed to lie. However, they instead warforged is knocked unconscious, it springs out of their chest,
find an empty valley. Read or paraphrase the following: moving quickly at 120 feet per round, and flies away to alert the
commander about the situation and the party’s imminent
Weary from the time in the Mournland, your spirits lift as the map approach.
indicates you are drawing close to your destination. But when you If the warforged defeat the party, they tie them up and bring
them by force to just outside Ash Tower to their commander. In
crest the last hill, instead of seeing the tower you expect, you see
Scene 5, see sidebar “Alternate Start: Prisoners.”
only a gentle valley, cheery river burbling through it. You search for
If the player characters defeat the warforged, they find that
any sign of the tower, making widening circles, to no avail. one of the warforged’s packs contains 18 gp, an everbright
lantern, and a map to Ash Tower that was clearly made post-
Characters may attempt a DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) check. Mourning, with significant differences that will allow the party
Upon a success, they are certain that they have followed the to easily navigate to the current location of Ash Tower.
map correctly, but the landscape has changed, and Ash Tower is
not where they expect. Upon a failure, they are unsure if they THE LORD OF BLADES
followed the map correctly, but there is certainly no tower in This warforged is a messianic figure to the many warforged who feel
sight. Either way, read or paraphrase the following: betrayed by the Treaty of Thronehold. While the Treaty ended the
Last War, it also forbade the creation of any more of their kind. The
Lord of Blades calls out to these angry warforged to come to the
The only sign of civilization you find is a distant cluster of small
Mournland. There, an army of dissident warforged grows by the week,
cottages, with one figure standing outside—a towering warforged. enthralled by the promise that one day they will rise up and claim
They glance your way, raising an arm in acknowledgment. A moment Khorvaire as their own.
later, two more ‘forged emerge from one of the cottages.

These three warforged follow the Lord of Blades. They are


patrolling through the Mournland with an eye out for
trespassers and potential threats. One of them is nearly 7 feet
tall with massive boulder-like firsts, another is smaller with
spikes accenting their body, and the third is covered in a variety
of detailed and creative etchings. See the Cast of Characters for
more information on each one’s appearance.
If the party does not approach, the three warforged begin to
confidently make their way toward them. If the party attempts to
flee before even approaching the warforged, they pursue using
the Chases rules in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Once the party approaches the warforged, the one with
decorative carvings speaks up in a gravelly, yet stern voice.

“Welcome to our homestead. We hope you have had a delightful


journey thus far through our land. My name is Anchor. My friends,
Spike and Brutus here will be relieving you of your weapons and
belongings. If you comply, you are more than welcome to wander
back off the way you came. This is best done with little resistance...if
you would be so kind.”

If the party resists, Anchor, Brutus, and Spike will initiate


combat. Brutus is utilized as a central, nearly stationary
combatant that knocks characters back as often as they can.
Spike utilizes her movement capabilities to move in and out of
the battle attempting to hit and run as often as possible. Anchor
10
creature as a vargouille, a tiny fiend whose cursed kiss can
SCENE 5: THE EPICENTER OF transform a humanoid’s head into one of their own within

SHAVARATH hours. Any character that succeeds on this check will easily be
able to identify any humanoid in the transformation process, as
If the party escapes the warforged, the new map they found after well as recall that once cursed, it requires a spell such as
the battle allows the characters to spend a couple hours remove curse or greater restoration to prevent the
navigating to the Shavarathan manifest zone and Ash Tower’s transformation, or constant exposure to sunlight to pause it.
true location without further incident. If they were captured, see The vargouilles fly off as the party approaches, the Cyran
the sidebar for an alternate start to this scene. soldier killing a few more in the process. She collapses to one
knee, gripping her side and dropping her shield and sword. The
ALTERNATE START: PRISONERS heavy doors to Ash Tower are open, about 50 feet from where
If the party was unable to defeat the warforged party from Scene 4, Mary, the soldier kneels.
they will be brought to Ash Tower as prisoners, receiving the benefits What does Mary know? She will answer questions to the best
of a short rest during the trip. Their weapons and equipment will be of her ability, including the following.
tossed into a pile of rubble out of reach. There, a warforged • Her name is Mary. She is one of two remaining members of
commander named Last Star waits, along with three other warforged. her unit that took refuge in Ash Tower several days ago.
She wields an adamantine Morningstar and has star carvings on her • The other living member is Gabriel, who was wounded by a
chassis that resemble military ranking. The warforged that brought monster, a giant metallic spider, at the top of the tower. Last
the party here will be told to leave them bound so the vargouille can
night, Mary attempted to leave the tower in search of help, and
feast on them. Last Star will then lead the other warforged into the
left Gabriel tending to his wounds on the third floor of the
tower to look for the Steelheart for the Lord of Blades.
tower. When she left, she was swarmed by vargouilles. Shortly
Once the warforged leave, a wounded Mary will come out from
after, a band of a half-dozen or so warforged arrived, including
hiding around the side of Ash Tower and free the party. As she does,
three vargouilles will fly down and attack her and the party, which a leader with an adamantine morningstar and stars etched on
they should easily be able to dispatch. After that, continue the scene their body. They scared off the vargouille, and Mary has been
at “What does Mary know?” in hiding behind some debris all day. Some of the warforged
left on a scounting mission, and the rest went inside less than
an hour ago, at which point the vargouilles returned.
As the characters approach at sunset, smoke billows from
• Mary is mortally wounded and asks the party to leave her to
behind a large debris-piled hill. Once the party climbs the slope
die and go save Gabriel.
to the top, a smoking tower comes into view. Read or
The characters will readily see that Mary has two bumps on
paraphrase the following:
her forehead that are slowly growing, and her teeth appear to
sharpen the longer the party talks to her. If the characters are
The smoke rising over the hill becomes darker and thicker as you aware of the nature of vargouilles, they will recognize that Mary
climb over the debris. An enormous octagonal obelisk appears as you has been cursed and will turn into one herself if she is not kept
make your way to the top of the hill. This tower reaches a hundred in sunlight...and the sun is just now setting. Based on her guess
feet in the air, smoke billowing from its many imperfections. The as to when she was first attacked, she will realize she has very
setting sun glimmers through the pockmarked holes that riddle the little time left, but refuses to go down without a fight. While the
party may attempt to heal her wounds, the only way to end this
stone. This valley, much like the hill, is filled with debris, but among
curse is with remove curse, greater restoration, or the like.
the rubble, something else litters the landscape. Lifeless hands and
The party can choose to abide by Mary’s wishes or take her
feet buried beneath the debris reach out for nothing. At the base of with them into the tower. If they take her with them, she will die
the tower, a female figure with a sword and shield is fending off tiny when the party enters the second floor, her head tearing off her
flying creatures that shriek as they swarm her. body and become a new vargouille. If the curse is ended on
Mary through the means stated in the vargouille’s stat block
(see Appendix), she will help the party until they reach Gabriel.
The tower is pockmarked with holes, revealing a well-worn
Then, she will stay and help Gabriel, the two refusing to face the
structure scarred with the marks of war. From the top of the
metallic creature in the tower again.
hill, the characters can see a field of debris and corpses. Near
the entrance, one lone soldier appears to be fighting off small
flying creatures that are attacking her. SHAVARATH
The characters will need to get closer to the tower to see the Shavarath, the Battleground, is the Plane of War. In this plane is an
soldier and what she’s fighting. Characters with passive eternal battle of celestial archons, devils, and demons. Manifest
Perception 10 or higher will identify the soldier as Cyran by the zones of this plane tend to exhibit increased conflict and enhance
uniform and crest on her shield. The creatures she is fighting spells and magics of battle.
appear to be more bat-like than bird-like. The characters can see
that the bats have grotesque humanoid faces. A successful DC
16 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check identifies this

11
This scene is meant to establish atmosphere for what lies
SCENE 5A: ASH TOWER – ahead. The different crests and army colors are meant to add

FIRST FLOOR mystery to what might have happened here. Ash Tower has no
discernible purpose, yet it is clearly a focal point of war at the
The doors to Ash Tower’s entrance are already ajar, wide center of the manifest zone. Shavarath is the plane of unending
enough for a medium creature to enter. They are heavy stone, war, and war does not always have a clear purpose. Any
and if the party wishes to open them wider, this will require a descriptions given of the corpses and other narrations should
successful DC 10 Strength check, creating a loud, scraping create a sense of unease and dread in both the players and their
sound that echoes inside the tower. Once inside, read or characters. Imagine this as a scene from a horror movie where
paraphrase the following: both the on-screen character and the audience expect a jump
scare, the music building tension as that moment approaches
Just past the stone door lies a macabre scene. Lifeless bodies of but is never reached, leaving the audience on the edge of their
soldiers lay scattered across the floor. Crests and colors of different seat waiting for the shoe to drop and release the built up
tension. There will be no payoff on this level.
nations decorate the corpses. The smell of iron and death fills the air,
If characters search the corpses in the room, a successful DC
but like the other corpses in the Mournland, there is no sign of decay.
14 Intelligence (Investigation) check yields a set of glamoured
Rubble and debris fill the gaps that the bodies don’t cover, creating a studded leather armor and one feather token.
new ‘floor’ to this foyer. The dim light shining from flickering torches
and through the pockmarked holes in the walls reveals more bodies FEATHER TOKEN
and debris scattered up the stairs and across the overlook. This tomb Wondrous Item, Common
of lifeless eyes and gaping maws seems to stare aimlessly at you as This small metal disk is inscribed with the image of a feather. While
you move. the token is in your possession, you can cast feather fall as a bonus
action. A feather token only holds sufficient charge for a single use,
after which it loses its power. While it’s an expensive form of
The interior of Ash Tower (on all floors) is dimly lit by ambient insurance, frequent airship travelers and citizens of Sharn often
light from a couple flickering torches, as well as pockmarked appreciate the security it provides.
holes to the outside (though the sun is quickly setting). The floor
and stairs are covered with corpses and debris, so much so that
characters will inevitably have to decide whether they will step
on crumbling stone or a lifeless limb to advance further.
The foyer of the entrance is 30 feet by 20 feet with stairs
leading up to a 10-foot-wide U-shaped overlook, and more stairs
leading up into the tower further (see Appendix B: Maps for
battle maps of each floor). The entire area is difficult terrain due
to the corpses and rubble. Characters can make any check or
interaction they want, but no encounter will happen here. A
successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check will spot
movement that looks like a small, grayish jellyfish moving in the
shadows. A successful DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion)
check identifies this creature as a dybbuk, a fiend that can
possess and animate the bodies of corpses. It does not attack for
the moment, quickly disappearing, but it will make another
appearance on the second floor. If the party tries to follow it or
find it, it will use its incorporeal movement feature to move
through the walls of the tower and disappear.

12
SCENE 5B: ASH TOWER –
SECOND FLOOR
Once the characters proceed up the flight of stairs to the second
floor, read or paraphrase the following:

As you climb the crumbling stone stairs to the second floor,


fragments of the structure tumble down to the debris below. Each
step makes you question its stability, but you cling to confidence in
the fact that the stairs are strewn with corpses and debris. If the
bodies didn’t break the stairs, perhaps you won’t either. And indeed,
you do not.
The second floor reveals greater destruction to the tower’s
structure. Large holes in the walls, exposing the setting sun, riddle
each side of this octagonal obelisk. One of the two staircases to the
next level has been completely destroyed. The other leads up but is
blocked by several bodies that look as though they died attempting
their own climb.

The corpses and debris continue on this floor. Chunks of stone


from the floor, wall, and stairway are missing or gone entirely.
Any damage dealt to any of the stonework will cause stone to
crumble, speeding up the inevitable decay of the structure. One
of the two staircases up is gone, leaving only one way up. If
Mary is with the party but they did not end her curse, her head
tears away from her body, turning into a vargouille, once they
enter this floor, but before the characters begin to move up the
stairs.
As characters approach the only stairs up, a corpse animates
and blocks the stairway. This corpse was once a knight, now
possessed by a dybbuk like the one the party likely noticed on If Mary’s curse was ended by the party and she came with
the first floor. It will block the stairway until defeated or moved. them, she uses the stats of a knight and aids in fending off the
There are 10 dybbuks in the lower levels of the tower. On attackers. She will urge the party to ascend to the third floor, as
every odd-numbered round of initiative after the first, characters she knows there are rocks and rubble ready to block the stairs.
hear another knight’s corpse animate on the first floor, taking If the party shows no signs of retreating against the undead
one round to reach the second floor. There can be as many as horde, after 5 corpses have been defeated, read the following:
10 active corpses at any given time after the first few animate.
desire, but this fight is not intended to be winnable. The The growing number of reanimated corpses continues on the floor
dyubbuks can animate an effectively endless stream of below, quickly outnumbering you. Even the bodies you have already
possessed bodies, and unless the party is able to destroy the fought begin to twitch with life. A voice from the floor above yells
dybbuks’ incorporeal forms, they can continue possessing out over the horde, “Up here! If you destroy the stairs, they cannot
corpses to create a never-ending wave of zombies. The only
get to you!”
escape will be up.

13
the hopes that others might come find them, but Mary left for
SCENE 5C: ASH TOWER – help when things seemed bleak. Gabriel remains, too injured

THIRD FLOOR to safely escape.


• No, we mean, why is a deva here? Gabriel and other
As the party flees the oncoming flood of corpses to the third celestials came to bring balance against the fiends in this
floor, read or paraphrase the following: manifest zone’s unending battleground. He deeply regrets not
being able to protect his unit any longer.
As you climb up to the third floor, large rocks and debris line the • Have you seen any warforged? Last Star and the warforged
floor near the crumbling stairwell. These rocks appear to have been under her command passed through not too long ago, but they
strategically placed so that they can be pushed to destroy the stairs, have not returned. They spoke of a heart among themselves,
and seemingly wished to strike a deal with its guardian.
preventing anyone from climbing up or down the tower.
Gabriel feigned death and avoided interacting with them,
The rest of the level appears to be a makeshift camp. Empty
because he knew they would have tried to kill him in his
bedrolls and packs lie strewn about the floor, all marked with the weakened state.
Cyran crest. An almost-lifeless body is propped up against the wall, • If we heal you, will you come help us fight? The party can
wrapped in bloody bandages around its waist. offer Gabriel some healing if they wish using their goodberry
“Push the rocks! Destroy the steps! It’s the only way!” As you wine, but he will not follow them up into the tower to face the
approach, the dying man lifts a weak finger toward the stones at the retriever again. He will wait for them on this floor if they
top of the steps. return.
• What are the flying bats with people’s faces? If the party
failed to identify the vargouilles earlier, Gabriel can explain
The party will find large rocks and debris at the top of the the same information they would have learned with the check.
stairway that can be used to block the stairway, requiring a
• Can you heal our cursed party member? In exchange for the
successful DC 20 Strength check. The party can also destroy
party having helped Mary or honored her last wish, he can
the stonework of the crumbling stairs (AC 8, HP 1) with a
offer them aid if they have suffered a demonic curse or ailment
simple melee attack, providing no accessible way for the
caused by the vargouille’s kiss or the chasme’s proboscis
corpses to climb up to this level. Any effect that deals force or
attack (on a higher floor).
thunder damage will also destroy the stairs automatically,
stopping the horde.
On this floor, the characters see Gabriel’s makeshift camp. He
leans against the wall, nearly dead. If the player characters
mistake his form for one of the dybbuk’s corpses, he will yell out
things like “I am not dead!” or “I am not one of those demons!”
and try to defend himself.
This is Gabriel. If Mary is not with the characters, he will ask
the characters if they saw her and inquire about her fate. If the
characters are truthful, he will reveal his true form as a deva, an
angelic creature with lustrous dark skin and glorious wings. He
is clearly near death, and explains that the cursed land will not
let him heal, or he would offer to heal them, and would not have
sent Mary alone.

What does Gabriel know? He will answer questions to the best


of his ability, including the following.
• How were you injured? What lies above us? Gabriel warns
the characters of the retriever, a metallic ‘spider guardian’ on
the top floor. His unit fought the beast and injured it by
breaking off one of its mechanical legs, but it killed most of the
unit in retaliation. Gabriel will also warn the party of a beast
that moved into the next floor above. He speaks of its droning
buzz and its large size, but it has left him alone on this level.
• Why are you here? Gabriel’s unit was sent to retrieve Cyran
relics, encountering the retriever when they went to the top of
the tower to retrieve the Steelheart. Gabriel was mortally
wounded during the battle, and Mary was the only one to
make it out unscathed. They waited until rations ran low in

14
Each character that reaches the top of the stairs must make a
SCENE 5D: ASH TOWER – save against the chasme’s drone ability or fall unconscious on

FOURTH FLOOR the floor of this level.


The vargouille will use their kiss against any unconscious or
As the characters bid Gabriel farewell and head up the stairs, incapacitated character and the chasme will focus on anything
read or paraphrase the following: that attacks it. After two of the three vargouille are killed, two
more vargouille fly through the windows in the following round.
One by one, you climb the steps toward the fourth floor of Ash If the characters did not see Mary turn into a vargouille or save
Tower. A buzzing sound, like a large drone, begins to fill your ears her from her fate, one of these will have the fiendish face of the
former Mary. If the characters try to look for her after exiting
just as the smell of smoke reaches your nose. Looking up, you see
the tower, they will find a headless body near the place where
the ceiling covered in smoke. The droning buzz begins to rattle your
they left her.
senses, making you catch yourself from a brief sense of vertigo. The
higher you go, the louder the buzz, like a swarm of mosquitoes flying
into your mind.

As the characters proceed upstairs, take note of their marching


order. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, characters can see
that this level is half-filled with smoke that’s pouring out of the
windows. The smoke provides cover for a chasme (a grotesque
fly-human hybrid) and three vargouille, roosting among the
crates. The smoke is caused by wooden crates, barrels, and
supplies scattered around the room that are smoldering ash or
still burning with small flames.

15
SCENE 5E: ASH TOWER –
FIFTH FLOOR
Once the chasme and vargouille are defeated, the party can
proceed to the top floor of the tower. Read or paraphrase the
following:

The smoke diminishes, seeping through the holes in the tower,


as you walk up the steps to the top level. Above and around
you, you see webbing everywhere. Across the floor are
scattered metal remains with carved stars that resemble
military ranking. An adamantine morningstar lies broken in half,
the hilt still held by a dismembered metal hand. The former
commander of the warforged lies broken on the floor.
The webbing concentrates about 15 feet above the floor and
becomes thicker the closer to the peak of the tower. Through
the webbing, you notice the glowing of a metal orb: the
Steelheart. The webbing above moves and a metal, seven-
legged spider peeks out at you down below, the webbing
hiding most of its large body. Its eyes glow as it moves to block
the view of the artifact. Around it, entangled in the web, you
see several humanoid forms.

This level has a much higher ceiling due to the peak of the
tower, all of which is covered in webbing which the retriever
uses to hide and gain half cover. Near the very top of the tower,
35 feet above the floor, a metal orb glows through the webbing—
the Steelheart.
There are several warforged entangled in the webbing—at
least three from Last Star’s band, plus Anchor, Spike, and
Brutus if they survived their first encounter with the players. As
the characters approach, the retriever will kill one of them as a
warning (perhaps whichever one gave the players the most
difficulty in battle earlier). The warforged will plead for help and
will fight the retriever if freed, though they will be at half health.
AVOIDING THE FINAL FIGHT
The battered retriever remains in the webbing to provide
It is entirely possible that the party can avoid the fight with the
cover, using its force beam and paralyzing beam to attack
retriever. Since their objective is to obtain the Steelheart, they can
characters. If it succeeds in paralyzing a character, it will
flee once they get it. A spellcaster with a fire spell, like scorching ray
attempt to scoop them up and bring them to the webbing to be
or fireball, can burn away the webbing so the Steelheart falls to the
restrained. During the battle, narrate that the tower is swaying floor. Players may come up with another creative method that makes
as loose stone crumbles. It should be clear to the players that sense for avoiding the restraining webbing and obtaining the artifact.
the tower is at risk of falling during the course of the battle. Use your best judgment in allowing them to attempt whatever
The webbing can be burned away by fire, whether from a spell method they decide on. If they succeed in releasing it but fail to pick
or using the smoldering supplies from the previous floor. This up the artifact before the retriever’s next turn, the retriever will use
can be used to release a warforged or player character from the its turn to grab the artifact and place it back up into the webbing.
web, or to free the Steelheart to attempt an escape before the This object interaction will not use the retriever’s action.
retriever is defeated. If a party manages to avoid the final fight by getting the Steelheart
If any warforged remain alive after the retriever is defeated, before defeating the retriever, the retriever will angrily try to come
they will try to turn on the party to obtain the Steelheart for after them, poking holes into the floor and the walls of the tower.
themselves. However, the tower will begin to fall before battle However, this will cause the tower to begin falling. Proceed to Scene
can start. Proceed to Scene 6: Falling Tower. 6: Falling Tower. The retriever will die when the tower collapses.

16
Before the characters depart, Gabriel provides them with a gift:
SCENE 6: FALLING TOWER a small token with carvings of a bird on it. This Quaal’s feather
The retriever does not need to be defeated for the Steelheart to token of a bird was the planned means of escape for his unit, but
be obtained. If any warforged are still alive, they will demand they unfortunately won’t need it. He hopes this will help the
the characters give them the Steelheart or threaten to kill them party escape the horrors of the Mournland.
for it. Before a battle can break out, the clear sounds of the Regardless of any healing the party offers Gabriel, he will
tower crumbling and a distinct leaning of the tower will indicate choose to remain in the manifest zone to bury the dead and
the tower is indeed going to fall. consecrate the land, and then he will return home to Shavarath.
The tower will fall in 5 rounds, giving characters a chance to Mary will stay with him, if she survived the adventure.
figure out a safe escape. An item giving characters feather fall Any warforged that remain in the tower will die in its fall. For
could be found in an earlier adventure or part of this adventure. a DM who wants to continue this plot thread beyond the scope
If the party returns to Gabriel and has healed any of his wounds, of the Convergence Manifesto adventure path, the Lord of
he can grasp two Medium or Small characters, gliding out a Blades could find the remains of the warforged and revive them,
window and down to safety. If they do not return to him, they finding out what happened to the Steelheart and sending more
will find him outside after escaping the tower. agents after it.
If any characters ride the tower down, they will take 10d6
bludgeoning damage. If they are inside the tower when it falls, QUAAL’S FEATHER TOKEN, BIRD
add 8d6 more damage from the crumbling rocks falling on Wondrous item, rare
them. If a character that falls with the tower has any glass on This tiny object looks like a feather. You can use an action to toss the
their person (like goodberry wine), it all shatters. token 5 feet into the air. The token disappears and an enormous,
multicolored bird takes its place. The bird has the statistics of a roc,
AFTERMATH but it obeys your simple commands and can't attack. It can carry up
After the tower falls, Gabriel meets the party near the rubble. to 500 pounds while flying at its maximum speed (16 miles an hour
Read or paraphrase the following. for a maximum of 144 miles per day. with a one-hour rest for every 3
hours of flying), or 1,000 pounds at half that speed. The bird
disappears after flying its maximum distance for a day or if it drops to
Gabriel smiles to you, his dark skin seemingly glowing with divine 0 hit points. You can dismiss the bird as an action.
light. “Thank you for destroying that creature that killed my people. I
only wish I had not led them to their deaths. Please, take this token RETURNING HOME
as a gift, so that you may escape this wretched place.” Gabriel holds After Ash Tower, the party can make their return home without
out his hand, in it a small, hand-crafted token decorated with runes any lethal encounters in the Mournland. If desired, you can roll
and a large feather. “I will remain here to bury the dead, both of my on the Mournland Random Encounters table to add more
own people and of those whose bodies were used by the evil fiends
flavor. Otherwise, characters can navigate the way they came,
avoiding any dangers they faced before, or use the Quaal’s
to attack you. Then this land shall be consecrated before I return to
feather token of a bird that Gabriel gave them to fly most of the
my home in Shavarath.” Gabriel bids farewell to you and begins his
way back. While passing back through the dead-gray mists from
long, arduous task. Scene 2, the characters must succeed on two DC 14 Wisdom
(Survival) checks. Upon a success, each character suffers 5
points of psychic damage. Upon a failure, each character suffers
10 points of psychic damage as they wander lost.
Upon their return home, Lhara pays the party 800 gp each.

THE CONVERGENCE MANIFESTO


With the adventurers returned safely home with Farious’s
newest artifact, the Steelheart, the Provost nears the
completion of his Convergence Manifesto. Only two episodes
remain in this adventure path, continuing with the penultimate
AE01-12: Lost in Dreams.

17
APPENDIX A: BESTIARY

18
19
20
21
22
23
APPENDIX B: MAPS OF ASH TOWER
LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

24
LEVEL 3

LEVEL 4

25
LEVEL 5

LEVEL 5 - SIDE VIEW

26

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