Are you ready to truly build a kingdom in your D&D campaign? ‘The Puppet’s Crown’ is an experimental adventure designed to put my domain rules at the heart of the story, transforming months or even years of gameplay into an epic saga of growth and struggle. This series will details an episodic adventure that not only guides players from granted land to full-fledged kingdom, but also serves as a comprehensive tutorial for managing their realm.

But this is the Feengrenze, and nothing is ever straightforward. As part of their contract, Fionnuala the Fair has finally delivered on her promise of a new realm to rule! She has secured a recently manifested territory to serve as the players’ nascent kingdom. However, Fionnuala’s intentions are far from pure. This river valley, now gifted to the players, strategically lies between the zones of influence of Loch Slanach and the powerful successor states of Shambala and Dun Doganh. These rival nations are subtly seething, furious that Fionnuala claimed the valley first. Adding to the tension, Ailénach, the Queen of Hexes, remains utterly enraged by the players’ role in thwarting her Beltane gambit. The sight of them being granted a kingdom only fuels her formidable wrath. Will their fledgling realm manage to stand on its own two feet, or are they destined to wear a puppet’s crown, pulled by the invisible strings of powerful fey?

Background

In the Feengrenze, the very landscape is a reflection of its tumultuous nature. When a whimwhirl forms – a violent manifestation of Faolan the Mad’s leaking power – the world instinctively attempts to plug the resulting hole by pulling in whatever iron-rich crust it can find. These stolen fragments often originate not just from different regions, but from entirely different worlds, or even universes. Occasionally, when a particularly immense whimwhirl tears through the fabric of reality, the Feengrenze piles enough disparate crust onto the wyrdland that spawned it to completely bury it, transforming it into relatively stable ground.

This is precisely how the players’ new valley came to be. Only a few short months ago, this roughly 70 by 70-mile region was a volatile wyrdland known as the Bay of Wandering Rocks – a vast inlet dotted with dozens of mobile rocky islets and plagued by bizarre phenomena. However, approximately twenty days before the adventure’s start, a massive surge of wyrd magic triggered an equally immense whimwhirl. True to its nature, the Feengrenze drew in whatever forgotten bits of iron-rich worlds it could find, piling them ten miles high until they fused into a new, semi-natural landmass.

Despite barely achieving the minimum Wyrd magic index for long-term habitation, the valley is already attracting significant attention. With no less than two successor states and Loch Slanach surrounding, multiple parties are looking to stake their claim in the valley and are willing to do anything to get it. It does not matter that Fionnuala the Fair was the first to plant a flag and claim it as hers; there will be blood, whether or not it is the players’ blood is up for debate.

What you need

To run this adventure, you will need:

• The 2025 ruleset for Dungeons and Dragons
• The warfare rules from MCDM’s Kingdoms & Warfare or Strongholds & Followers
• The Great Game: Running a Domain for the Clueless 

The adventure begins

The adventure begins a week after Into The Scraplands. The players are riding on a short train being pulled by Elizabeth the Locomotive Dragon. The players have been appointed a private railcar that they share with a strange goblin. The goblin is the most ungoblin-like goblin they have ever seen; his sensible suit is clean, his skin is clean, and there is not one hint of foul odor about him. He clutches a briefcase and sits in silence, staring ominously through horn-rimmed glasses at the players and not saying a word as if they are not worth his time. Outside the countryside of Loch Slanch passes by the carriage window. Elizabeth appears to be in high spirits, as the players can hear her singing to herself.

Let the players roleplay among themselves or try to elicit a response from the strange goblin. Once the roleplay naturally starts to wind down, read the following.

Outside the window, the rolling farmland and pastures of Loch Slanach fade into wild country as you ascend over a coastal mountain pass. At the top of the pass, you get a stunning view of a large river valley draining out into the sea. Two smaller streams empty into this one, and you can see what looks like a swamp, forests, a tower, and some small settlements.

About half an hour after the panoramic view of the valley, the train starts to slow down until it eventually stops in a clearing with a large camp in it. Elizabeth’s voice, clear and resonant, rings out: “Last stop, the Valley!” The goblin promptly hops from his seat and shuffles away, muttering under his breath about the ‘farce’ finally being over.’

First steps in the valley

The camp that surrounds you is rough, little more than a bunch of tents surrounded by a palisade surrounding a little, rough-hewn train platform. You see a mix of soldiers, workmen, women, and children milling about the camp. As you step onto the platform, a human soldier from a group of them calls out to you and tells you to follow him. The others open up the armored carriage and start to unload it.

Captain Rhamed Cohrur is the leader of the force of troops that Fionnuala the fair has provided to the players. His orders are to escort the players personally to Fionnuala’s tent.

Fionnuala’s tent is the largest in the camp. Inside is Fionnuala the fair, the little goblin the players shared their carriage with, and a muscular dwarf with a leather apron filled with tools. Fionnuala greets the players fondly and takes them aside to talk. She asks how their journey was and what they think of their new virgin lands. She reiterates that the lands in the valley are theirs to claim and rule in her name. She expects great things of the players and their new realm, which will be the site of one of the first wyrd magic extractor rigs for the Great Undertaking.

In celebration, she presents several gifts. The first is a chest brimming with gold coins. Should any player attempt to touch it, the goblin from the train ride—now introduced as Isaac MacMhaoilein, one of Loch Slanach’s royal accountants—sprints over. With profanity, he slaps away their hand, making it unequivocally clear the money is a loan from ‘her benevolence,’ Fionnuala the Fair, strictly for establishing their realm. Isaac wastes no time explaining that any expenditure must be approved by him, explicitly stating his veto power over any financial decision. He is, pointedly, their new treasurer – and their leash.

After Isaac’s verbal assault on the players, Fionnuala presents the other gift to the players. A smallish box contains a single crystal. The crystal, she explains, is a gift from one of her godchildren from another world. It is a castle seed. If you bury the crystal in the ground and water it, a castle will grow up from it. She does not need such a thing, but it will prove helpful for the players because the first step in claiming the land is to build a stronghold from which to rule. There is a rise just south of the camp overlooking the sea that would be an excellent spot to set up their castle.

She then introduces the rest of the players’ initial band of followers.

• Captain Rhamed Cohrur of the Amber Fangs. A gruff middle-aged human man with a noticeable scar on the left side of his face. Decades of warfare have taught him to be cynical and never see the bright side of any situation. He is half hoping that the players will grant him a knighthood and a manor so that he can go into semiretirement.
• Chief engineer for Magic Siphon Site 3, Thadric Brightbraids. This middle-aged dwarf is stocky and broad-shouldered; he has black hair and a long beard that is braided with gold ornaments at the end. He is the stereotypical site foreman and always responds to orders with an enthusiastic yes, sir.

Lastly, she hands the players a simple gold diadem. She tells them they are now officially the rulers of the valley, suggesting they start work immediately and speak to their lieutenants for advise about where to begin. She is needed elsewhere and bid them a good day and good luck before heading towards the platform.

Taming the Valley

Fionnuala the Fair has granted them a valley and a contract. In return, they must build a kingdom from the ground up. Their starting assets are substantial — but finite — and success depends on effective strategy, cooperation, and a clear vision.

Starting resources

The players realm begins with the following

• 1 seasoned Captain
• 120 infantry
• 50 scouts
• 1 loyal Acolyte
• 1 Accountant, loyal to Fionnuala the Fair
• 500 civilians, including:
  • 100 engineers and craftsmen (mostly dwarves and gnomes)
  • 400 woodsmen, farmers, and homesteaders

• A rudimentary train station
• Enough supplies, tools, seed, and livestock to build:
  • 1 large farming village
  • or up to 6 modest hamlets
  • or up to 167 individual homesteads

• 1 Castle Seed 
• A Mirror of Communion

• A 5,000 gp loan, due to be repaid in a few months
• Whatever gold the players already have

Players must secure as many 3-mile hexes as possible for their realm, utilizing their starting assets and any additional resources they can find, buy, or secure. Initially, they can claim 13 lightly defended hexes, supporting a scattering of 12 homesteads (four people each). If they want to rule over more territories, they will have to acquire more followers, settlers, and soldiers.

Before venturing into the valley, the party’s key advisors request a brief audience. Each offers their perspective on what matters most in the early days of kingdom-building — and each will become an invaluable asset (or occasional thorn) as the realm takes shape.

🛠️ Thadric Brightbraids — Foreman of the People

It’s yer call, boss. But my lads won’t build much with monsters about. I say plant that castle seed the Lady gave you, clear the land around it, then we can start laying roads and raising houses. Oh — and we’ll be needing timber. Lots of it.

Construction System Overview

• The players begin with 200 able-bodied settlers, organized into 8 work crews.
• Each construction project requires a specific number of crews and days, as listed below.
• Costs are waived during this phase — only time and labor are tracked.
• Assume ∼1/3 of all settlers (new or existing) can be added to your labor pool.
• Multiple projects can be run simultaneously if the players have the crews.

Project	Crews	Days	Effect
Clear Land for Village	2	5	Transforms a wilderness hex into Marginal Cropland
Build Frontier Road through hex	2	4	Halves the time to travel through a hex
Construct a village	3	6	Constructs a village for 200-800 settlers in the hex, gives the hex high population density
Construct a hamlet	1	4	Constructs a hamlet for 100-200 setlters in the hex, gives the hex backward population density
Construct homesteads	2	5	Constructs homesteads for 10-80 people in the hex, gives the hex frontier population density
Bridge or Ford River	1	4	Opens travel across waterways
Repair Existing Ruin	2	6	Restores a ruined tower, bridge, etc.
Lay Out Fields & Irrigation	1	5	Turns Marginal Cropland into Rich Agricultural Land
Prepare Wyrd magic Siphon Rig Site	3	7	Needed for Fionnuala’s siphon plan

Captain Rhamed Cohrur – Acting Marshal

“We’re fifty miles from the nearest civilized land. That means we need to scout the area and eliminate any threats now, before they come to us. I can organize patrols to sweep the area around the safe zone — but let’s be clear: my men are scouts, not dragonslayers.”

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Scouting

Captain Rhamed oversees the safety of the realm. He can dispatch scouting parties from the camp to:

• Survey adjacent hexes (up to 3 per day).
  
• Report hazards, monster lairs, oddities, ruins, and valuable sites.
  
• Avoid combat. Scouts never engage enemies, only observe and return.
  

How to use scouting:

• Speak to Rhamed and name the hexes.
  
• The GM rolls one scouting encounter per hex.
  
• Players can then investigate known sites strategically, rather than blundering around.
  

✧ Scouting consumes 1 day per 3 hexes. Works well with a domain turn system.

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Isaac MacMhaoilein – Reluctant Treasurer

“I don’t want to be here. My Lady ordered me to keep her ‘pet adventurers’ from burning through her money. She’s granted you a generous grace period — but when it’s over, she expects 15% tribute on your net income. So, let’s get this over with.”

“I suggest you start investing in more settlers, soldiers, or competent professionals. Just tell me what to spend the money on — and I’ll see it’s done properly.”

---

Investment Projects (Using the 5,000 gp Loan)

Isaac controls the disbursement of the kingdom’s loan that is the player’s treasury and the funds the players add to it. He strictly enforces the restriction: only domain-building expenses are permitted.

To invest, the players must:

• Choose a project below.
  
  
• Wait for the specified time for the investment to yield a return.
  

Isaac sends instructions via the next train or courier leaving the valley.

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Spending Table: Kingdom Investments

Item	Cost	Effect	Notes
Hire Skilled Servitor	500 gp	Attracts a named non-combat professional	Choose from servitors list in the Servitors list
Attract Follower	1000 gp	Attracts a heroic follower	The gm will choose from the follower list
Recruit Settlers	100 gp/attempt	Gain 3d10 + 10 settlers	Settlers take 1 week to arrive
Recruit Soldiers	250 gp/attempt	Gain 1d6 × 5 warrior infantry or scouts
Recruit Veterans	500 gp/attempt	Gain 1d4 × 4 veterans or knights
Establish Caravan Route	750 gp	Opens a trade route to the nearby realm	The players realm gains a steady income of 100gp per week

The Valley HexCrawl

The players must venture out to scout the valley, searching for resources, wealth, and potential settlers to expand their kingdom. Moreover, they need to find a place to build the new Magic Siphon rig.

Hexcrawling Procedures

The valley is vast, and the players must explore it to secure resources, locate dangers, and expand their domain. Each hex represents 3 miles across and contains forests, rivers, swamps, ruins, lairs, and scattered settlements.

Basic Movement Rules

• Overland Speed: A party can move through 4 hexes per day in normal terrain (e.g., forest, hills, grassland). Roads allow 6 hexes per day, while swamps and mountains reduce travel to 2 hex per day.
  
• Camping: Players must rest after a full travel day. The GM may roll for random encounters based on the region’s danger level
  

Exploration Actions
During exploration, a party may perform 1 major action per hex, such as:

• Survey the Hex: Takes a half a day. Reveals any encounters, resources, or notable terrain features. (Triggers a random or keyed encounter.
• Track or Follow Trails: If a trail, lair, or ruins are discovered, players can pursue it instead of surveying.

Encounter Checks
Each hex visited has a 1-in-3 chance of containing an encounter or notable feature. If a trail, camp, or lair is discovered, roll or select from the Hex Crawl Encounter Matrix.

Hex Crawl Encounter Matrix

This section details various types of encounters and features that players might discover as they explore the hexes of the Feengrenze. Each entry provides a basic encounter, and then specific scenarios for trails, camps, remains, and lairs associated with that type.

		1	2	3	4
1	Black Dragon	Encounter	trail	carnage	Meal remains
2	Ettin	Encounter	Camp	Trail	Remains
3	grave	simple	mausleum	tomb	catacomb
4	Fey folk	Encounter	camp	trail	Trick
5	Hexmire goblins	Encounter	camp	Trail	remains
6	Hyperborean giant	Encounter	camp	trail	remains
7	goblins	Encounter	camp	trail	remains
8	Shambhalan monks	encounter	camp	trail	remains
9	Strange sight
10	Valley resident	encounter	camp	trail	remains
11	Misplaced people	encounter	camp	trail	remaains
12	Out of place monster	encounter	lair	trail	remains
13	Donaghan hobgoblins	encounter	camp	trail	Battle site
14	orcs	encounter	camp	trail	Remains
15	Ettercaps	encounter	carnage	trail	remains
16	Ruins	stonework	wall	cottage	building
17	Wyrd magic reading	minor	moderate	high	Wyrd magic flare
18	Hydra	encounter	lair	trail	remains

Master Reaction Table

Roll 2d6	reaction
2-3	Immediate Attack
4-6	Hostile, possible attack
7-9	Uncertain, confused
10-11	No attack, leaves, or considers offers
12	Enthusiastic friendship

Sanillur the Black Dragon

Sanillur targets either the players directly or a group of local ettins. If the dragon targets the players, roll for initiative immediately. If it targets ettins, the players arrive just as the battle begins and can choose to intervene.

Trail: The players encounter a path of violently toppled trees and patches of half-melted, blackened rock, the air around them thick with a sulfurous scent. Following this destructive trail for 3d12 minutes leads the players directly to Sanillur, who is feasting on a fresh kill.

Carnage: The players stumble upon a scene of brutal carnage: the aftermath of a ferocious battle between Sanillur and a group of ettins. One ettin’s monstrous body lies nearly torn in half, its grotesque form mangled and acid-scorched, indicating the dragon’s overwhelming power.

Meal Remains: The players find the grisly remnants of one of Sanillur’s recent meals: a half-devoured, acid-scorched carcass of a large beast, its bones picked clean. A DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check might reveal a small, scorched coin (1 gp) or a broken shard of a gemstone (2 gp value) amidst the decay.

Ettin

Encounter: The players stumble upon 1d4 Ettins, lumbering through the trees with sacks overflowing with pilfered provisions. Loot: The players discover 1d6 *50 pounds of various foodstuffs after defeating the ettin band. 

Camp: The players come across a crude campsite, clearly used by creatures of immense size. GM Note: Determine if the camp is active (1d4 Ettins are feasting on stolen food and slain deer, making loud, guttural noises) or abandoned (a 50-foot wide circle of beaten-back brush with footprints 1d4 days old).

Trail: The players find a trail of giant footprints leading off in a direction. Following them for 1d20 minutes leads the players to an ettin band.

Remains: The players discover the grotesque, slain corpse of an ettin. Its crude weapons lie nearby, and a few shiny, oddly-shaped baubles are scattered across the ground, worth about 1d10 x 4 gp.

Grave

Simple: The players encounter a simple grave in the middle of nowhere. There is a 50/50 chance that the grave is intact and contains 1d12 gp worth of grave goods.

Mausoleum: The players encounter a half-buried and overgrown mausoleum. The mausoleum consists of one room with 1d12 burial vaults. There is a 50/50 chance that the vaults are still intact and have grave goods worth 1d12 gp each.

Tomb: The players find a tomb half buried in the woods. The tomb consists of 1d4 rooms. There is a 50/50 chance that the tomb has not been robbed. IF the tomb is still intact, there is a 0-4 level hoard (see page 121 of the DMG) in one of the rooms. 1 in 4 chance there is an undead inside

Catacomb: The players discover a catacomb leading into the side of a small hill. The Catacomb has 6d20 burial vaults. Each vault has a 50/50 chance of being undisturbed. Undisturbed vaults have 2d20 gp worth of grave goods inside. There is also a 1 in 4 chance that the undead haunts the catacomb.

Fey Folk

Encounter: The players encounter 1d6 sprites, pixies, or satyrs frolicking in the woods. They flit away before the players can interact with them, requiring a DC 14 Survival check to follow them.

Camp: The players encounter a scenic bower that has been used by or is currently being used by members of the fey folk as a camp. 

Trail: The players discover a nearly imperceptible trail that leads off into the forest. The only sign that somebody has passed this way is the vague smell of flowers, the occasional bent blade of grass, or a broken twig. Following the trail requires a DC12 survival check and takes 1d20 minutes. At the end of the trail is a group of fey frolicking

Trick: The players encounter a small trap meant to play a trick on whoever comes this way. The trick is a small, magical effect that replicates a cantrip to a humorous effect.

Hexmire Goblins

Encounter: The players encounter 1d12 goblin warriors, two goblin tricksters, and a goblin trickster mastermind. They immediately attack the players.

Camp: The players encounter a hastily erected camp of small tents and improvised furniture sized for goblins; there is a 1 in 4 chance that the goblins are nearby. Otherwise, the camp has been abandoned for 1d4 days.

Trail: The players encounter a trail hacked through the woods with scimitar blades. Following the trail leads to a pack of goblins after 1 d20 minutes of walking.

Remains: The players encounter the remains of a hexmire goblin warrior savaged by a beast. The goblin armor is torn open, and teeth have torn out parts of the body. The goblin simitar and shortbow are untouched. The goblin also has a broken and nonfunctional hag eye on his person and a set of sketches of the players.

Hyperborean Giant

Encounter: The players encounter 1d4 hyperborean giants out in the woods. Roll the reaction table to determine their disposition.

Camp: The players encounter a large, cleared-out area with the remnants of a fire pit the size of a cottage and voids left by tents the size of a large inn. The camp is 1d4 days old.

Trail: The players encounter a trail of knocked-down trees leading through the woods. Following the trail for 1d20 minutes leads to its source.

Remains: the players encounter the corpse of a hyperborean giant. The cause of death is up to the GM. If the players search the body, they find 2d6 coins the size of dinner plates, each worth 50gp in the giant’s pockets, and assorted other giant-sized personal items.

Goblins

Encounter: The players encounter a hunting party of 1d6 goblin warriors. Each one is carrying several pieces of small game. Roll the reaction table to determine disposition.

Camp: The players find an improvised campsite that’s either abandoned or in active use. If the camp is actively used, 1d6 goblins are lounging around the campfire, each with a collection of game traps, small game, or baskets of forage. If the camp is abandoned, the players find nothing but a cold fire pit and footprints in the disturbed earth, indicating it was abandoned 1d4 days ago.

Trail: The players find a trail of small boot prints. Following the trail for 1d20 minutes led to a goblin hunting party

Remains: The players find the remains of one of the local goblins. The cause of death is up to the GM. The goblin simitar and shortbow are untouched.

Shambhalan Monks

Encounter: The players encounter 1d8 warrior monks from Shambhala. Role in the reaction table to determine their attitude towards the players

Camp: The players encounter a former campsite. The campsite is 1d4 days old.

Trail: The players find a trail of sandal marks leading through the wilderness. Following leads to a group of 1d8 monks or warrior monks

Remains: The players discover the body of a monk; the cause of death is determined by the GM. Searching the body uncovers a set of well-made prayer beads made from semiprecious stones worth 4gp

Strange Sight

The players witness something bizarre, a fleeting glimpse of the Feengrenze’s chaotic nature. Describe the weirdest inanimate thing you can think of, something that evokes wonder, confusion, or a sense of “wrongness.” GM Note: This is a great opportunity for GM improvisation. Consider adding a prompt for why this sight is significant or what action it might provoke. Examples:

• A fully grown oak tree swaying gently, but all its leaves are made of finely spun glass that chime in the breeze.
• A small, perfectly spherical pond floating three feet above the ground, its water reflecting the sky upside down.
• A section of a stone wall, half-buried in the earth, that hums with the sound of a distant, impossible symphony.
• A patch of wild berries that are clearly ripe but shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow, shifting hues as you watch.
• A single, perfectly carved wooden chair sitting in the middle of a clearing, its surface polished despite the damp, with a faint smell of pipe tobacco clinging to it.

Valley Resident

Killing residents of the valley and looting the bodies will give the players a disadvantage on any social checks in the nearest town to the encounter.

Encounter: The players encounter 1d6 commoners foraging or scouts hunting—the residents of one of the settlements in the area. Roll the reaction table to determine their disposition. Killing the residents will 

Camp: The players find an active or abandoned camp belonging to residents of the valley. If it is active, there are 1d6 commoners foraging or scouts with food hunted or gathered from the forests. If abandoned, the players find assorted debris like broken tools, old cooking pots, and discarded animal bones left 1d4 days ago.

Trail: The players find a trail of bookmarks leading deeper into the forest. If the players follow the trail for 1d20 minutes, they find a foraging or hunting party.

Remains: The players find the remains of one of the valley’s residents. There are the remnants of whatever game or forage they had collected.

Whimwhirl Survivors

Encounter: The players encounter a group of 1d20 people that arrived in the recent whimwhirl, stumbling through the forest looking dazed and confused. Roll the reaction table to determine their disposition.

Camp: The players encounter an abandoned or active campsite of whimwhirl survivors. If abandoned, there is a 1 in 6 chance the former inhabitants are nearby. If active, the inhabitants invite the players to join them.

Trail: The players encounter a trail of heavy boot marks leading off into the woods. Following the trail for 1d20 minutes leads the party to a group of whimwhirl survivors.

Remains: The players find the remains of a whimwhirl survivor. There is a 1 in 6 chance that they have an interesting item of your choice on their person.

Out of Place Monster

Encounter: The players encounter an out-of-place monster. The monster should provide a medium difficulty encounter for the party’s Average Party Level (APL). GM Note: Choose a monster randomly from the Monster Manual that feels thematically distinct from the Feengrenze, or roll a d4 for a category: (1) Monstrosity, (2) Aberration, (3) Elemental, (4) Giant. Then select a creature within the medium Challenge Rating (CR) range for your party’s APL.

Lair: The players encounter an out-of-place monster lair. There is a 1 in 4 chance that an out-of-place monster is inside.

Trail: The players encounter a trail in the woods. Following the trail for 1d20 minutes leads to an out-of-place monster.

Remains: The players encounter a recently slain out-of-place monster corpse.

Donaghan Hobgoblins

Encounter: The players encounter 1d20 hobgoblin warriors, a priest, and a hobgoblin captain. Roll on the following reaction table to determine their reaction.

2d6	reaction
2	Immediately attacks
3-5	Hostile, makes taunting remarks about the players’ abilities, and looks
6-8	Passive-aggressive, they make snide remarks about the players to each other, but otherwise leave the players alone
9-11	Sleazy offer their services to the players for a price
12	Tries to talk the players into an alliance with Dun Donaghan

Camp: The players encounter an abandoned or active, well-organized military camp in the middle of the woods. The camp was abandoned 1d4 days ago

Trail: The players encounter a trail of dozens of footprints left by heavy boots. Following the trail to its source reveals that it is a squad of 1d20 hobgoblin warriors and a hobgoblin captain.

Remains: The players discover the remains of a hobgoblin warrior. The cause of death is up to the DM. If the players search the body, they find a purse with 1d8 gold coins, dog tags identifying the hobgoblin and their unit, and of course, the hobgoblin’s gear.

Molzo Residents (Orcs)

Encounter: The players encounter 1d12 orc berserkers out hunting. Roll the reaction table to determine their disposition. 

Camp: The players encounter a camp. If the camp is active, 1d8 berserkers are sitting around the campfire trading stories and boasts. Roll on the reaction table; if they are friendly, they will ask the players to join them. If the camp is abandoned, the players find discarded deer bones and an old fire pit that is 1d4 days old.

Trail: The players encounter a ragged trail with dozens of footprints. Following the trail for 1d20 minutes leads the party to a hunting party from Molzo.

Remains: The players find the body of an orc berserker from Molzo. The cause of death is up to the DM. Searching the body uncovers a crude medallion depicting a pair of crossed axes.

Ettercaps

Encounter: The players encounter 1d4 ettercaps and 1d8 giant spiders

Lair: The players encounter a forest covered in webbing. 1 in 4 chance there are ettercaps inside

Trail: The players encounter a trail covered in webbing. It takes 3d20 minutes to hack their way through the trail and find its sources, an Ettercap hunting party.

Remains: The players encounter the desiccated remains of an ettercap victim, tightly cocooned in webbing.

Chimera

Encounter: The players encounter a chimera

Lair: The players find a large burrow in the forest. There is a 1 in 4 chance that the chimera that lives in the burrow is home.e

Trail: The players find a trail of smashed brush leading through the woods

Remains: The players uncover the remains of a person killed by a chimera

Wyrd Magic Reading

Minor: There is a slightly higher Wyrd magic reading here than in the surrounding hexe.s

Moderate: There is a moderate wyrd magic reading in the hex. Next time the players return to this hex, it will have become a high reading.

High: The Wyrd Magic Detector is going off the charts. A wyrd magic flare will happen in the next few minutes if they stay.

Wyrd magic flare: Mere moments after entering the hex, a wyrd magic flare occurs.

Hydra

Encounter. The players encounter a hydra.

Lair. The players encounter a dank cave surrounded by broken bones and the occasional pool of acid.

Trail. The players encounter a trail of broken trees and crushed underbrush. 

Remains. The players encounter a mangled corpse with multiple bite marks.

Keyed location

Keyed location

1. Fairy village<>

Deep in the purple-hued fairy woods, you find a clearing with a small village of houses made from mushrooms or bark and leaves, each one the size of a large watermelon. Pixies and sprites flit between the houses.

You recognize the missing townsfolk — adults and children alike — giggling and twirling aimlessly, eyes wide and unfocused, their feet bare and dusted in glittering pollen. Pixies feed them sparkling fruit. They don’t seem afraid… just enchanted.

As the players step into the glade, the other fairy folk suddenly scatter, leaving only one pixie. This is Kesiray Jingleberry, a minor archfey and queen of the violet forest. She views the players as trespassers and is magically potent, immediately casting an 8th-level mass suggestion spell.

Read-Aloud: 

A single pixie, adorned in a crown of vibrant flowers and a regal robe of leaves, floats regally in the center of the clearing. Her voice, though small, rings with surprising authority, ‘You trespass in my violet forest at great peril! I am Kesiray Jingleberry, queen of this domain, and I am as learned in the magical arts as any mortal archmagi. Before me, you shall prostrate yourselves!’”

Kesiray’s Demands: Once she is certain the players will not attack her or her court, Kesiray begins negotiations. She believes the players are here to retrieve the villagers taken from Bredalem. Her demands are straightforward: she claims half of her forest, along with almost a third of her citizens, went missing when Bredalem and its fields appeared on her land. She insists that Bredalem must be removed and her entire domain restored before she will release the hostages. Kesiray is currently too emotional to understand the true nature of what happened to her missing forest.

Convincing Kesiray. The players will have to persuade Kesiray of the actual events that had transpired a week ago and that Bredalem is not at fault. This is a social encounter only. Kesiray cannot be fought, cannot be intimidated, manipulated with magic, or tricked with illusions — she is an archfey, after all. The players must rely on sincere persuasion, empathy, and evidence to support their claims.

Kesiray’s Mindset:

• Kesiray is significantly more powerful than the players; all intimidation checks instantly fail.
• She has no tolerance for players who are not respectful of her station. She will use her magic to silence anyone she considers rude or crude.
• Remember, as a fey, she is driven by emotions and intuition. Players have advantage on all checks when appealing to pathos.
• She is utterly convinced of Bredalem’s maliciousness. Her gut feeling is that since the village and its fields now occupy the land where her forest once stood, they must be responsible for its disappearance. She may propose various theories, such as time travel, teleportation, or 100-year naps, to explain it. The players will need to be extra creative to convince her otherwise.

Convincing Kesiray:

• Describing how terrified the townsfolk are at being trapped in a new land is particularly effective here. It can be made even more effective with persuasion or performance checks (DCs as determined by you, the Dungeon Master).
• Alternatively, if they have brought any of the townsfolk from the village with them, they can attest to their innocence.
• If the players reveal that they know an archfey that can cast the wish spell, Kesiray offers this compromise: Swear an eightfold oath to bring this archfey to her to grant her wish that her forest be restored, and she will let the hostages go (see the events section for information about what happens when Kesiray and Fionnuala meet).
• Kesiray knows of the Feengrenze and of the archfey that dwells there. She knows most by reputation alone, but she is well-versed in all the stories the fey tell of Fionnuala, the ones that make her out to be a scheming mastermind and the bane of kings across the manyfold.
• She will not initially believe the players if they tell her that they are in the Feengrenze. It will take a DC 18 persuasion check or an excellent argument to convince her.
• If the players claim to be the sovereigns of the lands, she will not believe them. It will take a DC 15 persuasion check to convince her that they rule a kingdom or evidence of their rulership (deeds, official correspondences, titles, followers, etc.).
• If the players can convince Kesiray that they are vassals of Fionnuala the Fair, she panics and apologizes profusely for her treatment of the players.

The hostages were freed. The outcome of the encounter depends on how convincing the players are.

• If the players are moderately convicing, she begrudgingly lets the hostages go and tells the players to relay a message to the village: they are not welcome in her forest.
• If the players are compelling or able to convince them of their status or connection to Fionnuala the Fair, the anger drains out of her and is replaced by shame over her actions.
  • She releases the hostages and apologizes to the players, asking if it is pretentious of her to ask to restart their relationship on a better footing.
  • As one last favor, she asks the players, assuming one is literate and has paper, to write an official apology letter to the people of Bredalem. She dictated a lengthy and poetic apology, stating that she was sorry for kidnapping their citizens, was angry, and blamed them for half of her realm disappearing. She asks for forgiveness.
• If the players convince her of their status as rulers, she is unwilling to bend the knee, but she does offer a treaty to the players.
  • Travelers are free to travel through her realm via the river
  • There will be free trade between their realms

She is unconvinced. If the players fail to convince her after one real-world hour of roleplay, Kesiray uses the mass suggestion spell again, this time to force them to swear an eightfold oath to bring her forest back. Only then will she release the hostages. This is an impossibility for the players, given their current levels, the forest is back in the world she came from. The only way the players can resolve the quest is with Fionnuala the Fair’s help, and she is willing to do so, but they will have to do a favor for her in return.

2. Penham

In the northeastern part of the map is a small village of 500 Feengrenze-native goblins named Penham.

First Contact. 

Read-Aloud: 

The village is a stereotypical goblin village, made of whatever bric-a-brac they could find and lash together into shops and homes. A foul stench hangs about the place, and the streets are churned mud. Strangely, there is wreckage of docks and rafts along the south side of the town. A few of the buildings on the south side of the village also have gaping holes in their roofs or collapsed walls. There is not a soul to be seen, but you feel like you’re being watched.

The players should be able to deduce that the goblins are hiding. If not, let them take a DC 12 Perception check to notice eyes peeking out through windows and cracks in doors.

Ettin Attack.  If the players linger for more than a few minutes, they hear massive footsteps behind them. Moments later 3 ettin crash out of the forest and immediately attack the players

Savior of the Goblins. If the players drive off the Ettin, the goblins emerge from hiding and swarm the players. They are babbling in Goblin about being saved and acting really out of character for goblins; a DC 10 Insight check reveals they are genuinely distraught and uncharacteristically open, not attempting to swindle the players. If the players ask what’s going on, the goblins eagerly tell their sad story, speaking over each other:

The Goblins’ Plight: Penham was once a thriving fishing village on the Bay of Moving Rocks. When the whimwhirl struck, it not only moved their entire settlement far inland, smashing their docks and rafts, but also brought with it the ettins, who have relentlessly raided them for food. After weeks of attacks, they are starving, with only meager, hunted food to survive.

Goblin Quest. The goblins of Penham request that the players clear out the ettin lair or lead them to a safe place along the coast where they can build a new fishing village. If the players succeed, the goblins will gladly follow.

Quest Reward:

• Adds 400 new citizens to the kingdom.

3. Bhurnria hold and the crystal fields

This small dwarf mining hold is located in the northwestern corner of the valley. The hold is home to 300 dwarves.

First Contact. Read-Aloud: 

Upon this barren mountain slope is a mountain hold and a field of blod red crystals.The fortifications around hold entrance are dwarven in origin, although they seemed to be mostly unmanned except for a single bored dwarf with a shield and spear. The crystal field occupies the area north of the hold and there are dozens of dwarves hacking away at the crystals with picks and hammers.

The hold. The guard challenges the players and asks what their business is in Bhurnria. If the players explain their purpose, he bids them wait until he fetches the clan head. 

The guard returns with Elder Groulean Twilightback, an elderly dwarf dressed in well-made robes, with cataracts in one eye, and using a cane with a head made from a mining pick. The aged dwarf introduces himself as Elder Groulean Twilightback. If the players tell him they are the rulers of the valley, he finds the story suspect. The mountain was stolen when all the dwarves of Bhurnria had retired to the halls for the night, and there was an earthquake, but no rainbow colored storm. The notion that their mountain hold is now in some other world is ridiculous. He does humor the players a bit, saying that if the players can take down a dragon or equally fearsome beast, the clan will consider joining the players’ realm.

Crystal Fields. Just North of the hold is a field of large, red crystals where most of the dwarves are working. They are working together to break off shards from the crystals.

If the players ask, the dwarves reveal that the crystals have magical properties that make them heavily sought after for creating magic items. A character who uses one of the crystals when crafting a magical armament or implement requires only 75 percent of the time and money normally required

Quest Reward. Completing this quest (by taking down a dragon or equally fearsome beast) will stun Elder Groulean and his clan, convincing them to join your realm.

• The players realm gains:
  • 200 dwarves (citizens)
  • Four hexes with a rich mine and frontier population (see the income rules in Running a Domain for the Clueless).

4. Ettin Den

Read-Aloud: 

You uncover a large cave in a hill with multiple large footprints leading in and out. You can hear multiple loud guttural voices within.

The cave is the home of a small band of ettins and ogres. Most of the band is out hunting, leaving a small group behind to guard the cave. The sound of dozens of voices arguing can be hear

A Watchpost

An ettin and a pair of ogres are “watching” the entrance to the cave by a small fire. The ettins’ heads are shouting at each other angrily as the ogres watch. There is a passageway with a curtain to your left and a passageway with an even louder argument in front of you.

GM Note: The ettin’s two heads are engaged in a very loud, very heated argument about how to prepare beef properly; one argues that meat should be eaten raw, and the other roasted on a spit. The two ogres are watching the drama unfurl with rapt attention. None are watching the entrance to the caverns. Players have an advantage on stealth checks and are guaranteed surprise if combat breaks out.

Treasure. One of the ogres has 5 10 gp gemstones sanded down into crude marbles in a crude leather pouch.

B Ettin Sleeping Chamber 1

The room is as dark as night inside. You can hear thunderous snoring inside as well as thrashing as though somebody is trying desperately to get to sleep.

There is a single ettin in the room, sleeping. One head is snoring as loudly as a freight train, the other is desperately trying to block out the noise. The snoring is so loud that it gives the players an advantage on stealth checks.

Attacking the sleeping ettin. If the players try to sneak attack the sleeping ettin, he will immediately wake up and be confused for one round. He will then flee to area A or E

C Sleeping Chamber 2

The room is dark inside and empty, except for some crude pallets and bags.

Treasure. Searching the bags uncovers four crude jade necklaces with leather straps, each worth about 18gp

D Ogers chamber 3

The chamber reeks like a garbage dump. Grey forms are lying on crude pallets, fast asleep, a crude curtain leading to a room with light and harsh words spilling out of it.

5 ogres are fast asleep in this room

E Common room

The noise in this room is unbearable. Three ettin women are standing around a large cookfire. Their six heads are arguing with each other over what to prepare for the next meal. The argument sounds heated, as though it could get physical at any moment.

The argument’s volume grants players advantage on Stealth checks.

Heated Argument: The players arrive as the argument between the women escalates to the stage of escalation involving threats of violence. Players can easily incite the ettins to fight each other with a DC 10 Performance check or use of the Ventriloquism spell.

Treasure. The cave contains approximately 50 gp worth of foodstuffs, including:

• Recently slaughtered game
• Bags of flour
• Barrels of vegetables.

F Leaders Chamber

This is a private bedroom of sorts. There is a nicer pallet than the others you have seen, and nicer personal belongings.

There is a 1 in 4 chance that the leader, an Ettin with +1 hide armor, +1 battle ax, and a +1 morning star, is in the room

G Food storage

The room is piled high with boxes and barrels of all kinds.

There are 700 gp of various foodstuffs in this room, in dozens of boxes and crates

5. The Village of Bredalem

A small farming village consisting of 3 dozen half-timber buildings surrounded by a well-made wall of earth and wood. Three dozen or so farmsteads surround the town.

First Contact. Read-Aloud: 

The village is in a state of panic. Outside the pub in the middle of the village, a posse is being assembled. The crowd is arming themselves with light armor and spears, hatchets, and light crossbows. Suddenly, someone among the villagers shouts, ‘The fiends have come to take another one!’ The posse surrounds you, shouting semi-coherent things about monsters in the woods.

The posse is hyped up on fear and paranoia, so they will not listen to anything the players say and will accuse them of being various types of monsters or fiends. This will continue until a shout rings out.

 Read-Aloud: 

Stand down, you fools, they are not monsters,” comes from the square. The shout emanated from a middle-aged human man wearing the clothes of a priest.

The crowd disperses to start preparations again as the priest approaches the players. He apologizes for his congregation’s behavior; everybody in Bredalem is jumpy after the unnatural storm that swept through a few weeks back and the disappearances. He introduces himself as Father Julius Weinberg, and he shepherds the players towards the tiny chapel that serves as his parish.

Father Julius’s Story:Once the players are inside and settled, Father Julius explains the situation. 

Since the rainbow-colored maelstrom swept through a few weeks ago, things have been falling apart. When the storm cleared, half our fields were gone, as well as our neighboring towns. Now, there are woodlands as far as the eye can see beyond our remaining fields. Worse, strange things lurk in the forest—glowing balls of light, beautiful women who tempt our young people into the woods, never to be seen again. I’ve been trying to keep everyone calm, but as you saw when you arrived, we’ve reached a breaking point. The townsfolk have formed a posse, hoping to catch these interlopers when they strike again. 

IF the players explain that the village is in a different world from the village’s original world, read the following

It all makes strange sense now that you’ve explained it. I’ve begun to suspect as much myself, as we’ve had no contact with our neighboring villages or our lord since the storm, and even the constellations are different in the night sky.

Father Julius then makes his plea: “If you can venture into the woods and find our lost children, dead or alive, I swear I will convince the townsfolk to accept your rulership over Bredalem.”

Upon Completing Father Julius’s Quest. If the players return the kidnapped citizens safe and sound, Father Julius keeps his end of the deal. It takes a couple of days, but he convinces the townsfolk that they have been transported to another world and that they should accept the players as their liege.

• The players gain 800 citizens.
• They gain six hexes of rich agricultural land with backwater population (see the income rules in Running a Domain for the Clueless).

6. The Tomb of Azoqihr, the stupendous.

Deep in the woods, you stumble upon a weathered mausoleum, its stone door ominously ajar. A foul scent hangs in the air, and from within, you hear gnawing and scratching. Inside, you see three gaunt, grey-skinned figures with long claws and tongues tearing at something. Another, larger, more grotesque figure, hunched over an open sarcophagus, seems to be rummaging furiously through the ancient remains.

 The figures are three ghouls and a ghast gravecaller. The ghast is indeed searching for something specific within the desecrated sarcophagus. They attack immediately upon noticing the players.

Treasure: If the players inspect the desecrated sarcophagus, they find what the ghast was looking for: a staff of fireballs.

7 Dolozmoth’s cave.

When the players approach this small cave for the first time, a rumbling voice from an unseen source asks who they are and why they come. He laughs at them and declares himself the mighty Dolozmoth, the Copper dragon. If the players are willing to undertake a task for him, he will give them a boon. If the players agree, he steps out of the cave, revealing that mighty Dolozmoth is merely a wyrmling, and his task? They are to play with him. He will let the players decide the game and choose the rules.

Roleplaying Dolozmoth. Dolozmoth behaves like a hyperactive but bright six-year-old. He has been entirely on his own since arriving in the Feengrenze and is desperate for anyone to play with.

Games. If the players spend at least 15 minutes (in real-world time) playing with him, he gifts the players a Gem of Brightness. Some suggested games are:

• Hide and Seek: Dolozmoth is “it,” and the players hide. They each make a Stealth check and describe their hiding place. Dolozmoth will make Perception checks to find them (DC determined by GM).
• Twenty Questions: Dolozmoth’s favorite game: play the game as you usually would.
• Tag: One of the players is “it,” and they have to chase after the others. Use the chase rules in the DMG.

Follower: If Dolozmoth has a genuinely fun time (as determined by the GM), he decides to become a follower of the player characters. He will follow them back to the camp and quickly become an instant hit with any children staying there.

Dolozmoth (Follower Benefits):

He might be barely older than a toddler by dragon standards, but Dolozmoth is eager and fiercely protective of his new friends.

• His playful antics are endlessly entertaining. Once per day, he can turn a failed Charisma check that results in a diplomatic faux pas into a success by being distractingly friendly and playful.
• He eagerly joins the players on adventures. When adventuring with the players, they cannot be ambushed by a random encounter when they make camp.

8. Hamlet of Brasbeek.

Read-Aloud: 

The clearing in the wood contains a rustic hamlet of stone and half-timber cottages surrounded by a low mossy stone wall. Golden fields of wheat and vegetables surround the village, and sheep graze in a small pasture, contented and still.

When the players enter the hamlet, read the following

The moment you step into Brasbeek, something feels wrong. Everyone is slow-moving and glassy-eyed, shuffling about their daily tasks with heavy eyelids and slack jaws, like puppets whose strings are slowly fraying. None react to your arrival beyond a dull glance.

Suddenly, an older woman grips your arm. Her eyes are alert and fearful.

“Please help us, stranger,” she whispers.”

Thessaly Grun’s Tale. The woman’s name is Thessaly Grun, the village herbalist. She is in her late sixties, with wiry gray hair tied in a bun and deep frown lines around her eyes. She smells of lavender, mint, and powdered mandrake.

She tells the players:

• A large, monstrous entity is haunting the village.
• It causes villagers to sleepwalk and commit disturbing acts against each other in their sleep.
• She has been using stimulants to keep half of the hamlet’s 150 residents awake, but her supply is nearly exhausted.
• The creature is expected to return tonight.
• She desperately begs the players for help.

Staking out the village. If the players agree to help, she tells them that they can wait at her home until nightfall. She may not have much, but she can at least be a good host. When night falls, ask the players to describe where they are staking out the residences of those who did not get stimulants and how they are concealing themselves. Have them make a stealth check with the appropriate DC.

About 40 minutes after the stakeout begins, an oni materializes by the house. The oni knows better than to fight a bunch of well-armed adventurers to death and tries to flee once he is at half his hit points.

Permanent solution. If the oni flees, it will be up to the players to figure out how to keep it away for good. Such a solution generally involves rituals, guardian statues, and superstitions. Onis are fairly common across the multiverse, so there is a lot of useless nonsense mixed with the genuine lore on the subject of oni. Sorting this out is a time-consuming and tedious task requiring at least a week of research and access to a good library, something that does not exist in the valley.

• To figure out a solution, the players will have to leave the valley for at least a week.
• This is a good task to assign to a follower who is skilled in lore

Brasbeek joins the players. If the players can kill or drive off the oni for good, the people of Brasbeek join the players, hoping that their new realm can protect them from such creatures in the future. The players gain four hexes of marginal crop lands with a frontier population and 80 new citizens for their realm.

Consequences. The oni known as Shaaheen al-Massoud is a member of the notorious False Genies oni gang from Ubar. He has been terrorizing the village because he was bored and wanted some excitement. The gang is infamous for false genie scams (hence the name), drug and alcohol trafficking in their notably restrictive homeland of Ubar. The gang is also not one to forget slights, and if Shaaheen escapes, the gang will target the player’s realm starting in episode 2.

9. The ruined abode of Thersandros, the Stoneshaper.

Read-Aloud: 

Up in the foothills of the mountains, you find the tumbled ruins of what was once a large hall. Beside it, a massive tent has been erected. As you approach, a giant figure dressed in simple workman’s clothes lumbers into view, dragging a large stone sled behind him, muttering curses under his breath about ‘storms and flying landmasses’ in a distinctly Greek accent.

Thersandros. If the players approach the giant, he introduces himself as Thersandros, a stoneshaper from Hyperborea. The players are the first people he has seen in a couple of days who have not run away from him, and he asks where here is. He does not recognize the surrounding landscape, and everyone he has met so far has run away from him.

• Thersandros’s Disposition: If the players explain what the Feengrenze is and that they are the rulers of this realm, Thersandros will be befuddled by the whole “being dragged from his world” situation but will remain primarily preoccupied with rebuilding his home before winter comes.
• Thersandros’s Request: He will ask: “Do you have any carpenters in your camp? I am good with stone but horrendous with wood, and I am willing to trade the extra stone I have quarried for the services of some carpenters to help rebuild my hall.”
• Offer Alliance: If the players then reveal their status as local rulers and extend an offer for him to join their realm:
  • Thersandros’s Response: He will be hesitant, stating he is more interested in rebuilding his home than joining some unproven kingdom.
  • Thersandros’s Condition: He might consider joining if the players can claim and settle half of the valley, but not at this time.

The tent. If the players approach the tent, they find a giant woman and two young giant children, a girl and a boy, inside. Their clothing has a vaguely ancient Greek style. When the players enter the tent, the children scramble behind the woman, who is wielding what looks like a giant rolling pin, warning them not to get one step closer to her or her children, or she will make them regret it.

• IF the players successfully disarm the situation, the woman relaxes and introduces herself as Laodameia, wife of Thersandros the stoneshaper. A disaster destroyed their home, and her husband is out quarrying stone so that they can build a new home.

10 Halfling Farming Cooperative of Duskshade

The woods thin out, revealing vast unplanted fields and a cheery collection of homes dug into the hills. The smell of turned earth hangs in the air, but the fields lie mostly untouched. A gathering of halflings is in the hamlet’s center, and from the sounds they are making, there is trouble.

The players arrived during an impromptu town meeting of all the villagers in Duskshade; all the halflings were gathered around an improvised stage with their leader, a ruddy, older halfling in a straw hat. The halflings are worried; they cut each other off and speak over each other and their leader. The consensus of the crowd is that they are worried about planting their crops.

When the villagers notice the players, there is a sudden change in the crowd. Where once there was worry and apprehension, there seems to be hope and even a little awe. The crowd disperses, each halfling rushing back to their homes seemingly with newfound purpose, leaving only the leader in the little village green.

Perwan Brushfingers’ Story. The halfling elder introduces himself as Perwan Brushfingers, Cooperative Headman, and gives each player a surprisingly firm handshake. He leads the players to his halfling hole and invites them to sit down on the porch to discuss matters. He tells the players that the little protest the players witnessed was the result of an acute shortage of tools and seeds. The storm a few weeks back carried away the barns where they store all of their seeds and most of their tools. They even lost the mules that they used to pull their plows. They can make do without the mules, but they need replacement 

Recruiting the Duskshade to the player’s kingdom. The Duskshadians will bend the knee if the players supply them 150 gp worth of tools and seeds. When Duskshade joins the players realm, the players gain five hexes of rich agricultural lands with a frontier populaion (See the income rules in Running a Domain for the Clueless) and 220 halflings.

Preemptive Gratitude. Whenever the players visit Duskshade before supplying the village with new tools and seeds, the villagers treat them with reverence befitting a king, offering them whatever small gifts and services they can. If the players ask Perwan Brushfingers about this, he sighs and says ten-year-old Hilna Proudbranch had been having dreams before you arrived about a group of kings and queens that look suspiciously like the players would save them from their seed crisis. A traveling wizard once said she had the gift of magic, whatever that meant, so folks are prone to believe her. That being said, the player’s arrival has added credence to the prophecy, and folks in the co op are more than willing to bend the knee.

11. The tower on the hill.

From the top of the tower, players can see every landmark within a five-hex radius, including Bhurnria, the ruined abode of Thersandros, and Penham.

12. Hydra lair

The stench of stagnant water and decay grows stronger as you approach a wide, shadowed cave mouth.

: A hydra lairs in this fetid cave deep in the swamp.

13 The sacred cave of Tezcatlipoca

You discover a secluded nook containing a small cave, its entrance adorned with ancient, intricate carvings. A sense of potent, divine energy emanates from within. 

This cave serves as the home of a couatl and a holy shrine dedicated to Tezcatlipoca, which the couatl guards. If any of the players are followers of Tezcatlipoca, it lets that player approach and receive a Charm of Night by reading the stele within the shrine.

Charm of Night (Supernatural Gift)

This charm allows you to cast darkness six times. ON the third time the charm disappears from you

14 Hospice of St Jude

A large, partially wrecked hospital sits in the woods in this gap between two mountains. The Walls are bowing inward, the windows have been smashed, and the attached chapel is crumbling. 

The inside is a disaster zone in equal measure to the outside, metal beds and their mattresses are skewed across the floor, decorative crosses and other hangings are scattered across the floor or hang askew on walls, and broken equipment is everywhere.”

If the players search the hospital they find 4 priests, six sister nurses, 30 patients in various degrees of illness and injury, consisting of men, women, and children, and the archpriest and hospital director, archpriest Bishop Mauricio Lacasa huddled in a few of the intact rooms deep within the complex. There is a tangible sense of relief when the survivors see the players, and many of them fall to their knees and start praying; they were on the verge of losing hope that they would ever be rescued.

If the players lead them to the camp or their capital, all 40 survivors join the realm as citizens, and Bishop Mauricio becomes a devoted follower, somehow convinced that the players are divinely touched by god, Jesus, or one of the saints.

Archpriest (Follower Benefits): A bishop or hierophant like Bishop Mauricio can provide numerous benefits to an adventurous realm

• The realm cannot lose stability to any crisis involving sickness or disease.
• The players gain 1d12 temporary hit points when they rest in their domain.

15 The abandoned iron mine

The mouth of the tunnel is surrounded by half-destroyed timber buildings and mining tools embedded in odd locations.

Most of the debris has bits of incomplete English, like a few of the letters were worn off. Most have the message like ‘Mason and Sons Mining Supplies: H____ Wy___ing’.” Emblazoned upon them.

The mine. If the players take the time to investigate the mine, they find it in good shape with several promising veins of iron ore. It is otherwise abandoned with various signs of the miners making a hasty retreat on the day the whimwhirl struck.

Treasure: Players can find a box with 20 sticks of dynamite and about 200 sp (silver dollars) if they take the time to search every room.

Claiming the Mine: The players can claim the mine’s hex and restore it to operation by settling 80 people in the hex. Once settled, the hex produces income equivalent to Rich Agricultural Land.

16 The Valley camp.

GM Note: This is the starting point for the players and a haven where they can rest.

• Command center. This large tent is where Isaac MacMhaoilein, Captain Rhamed Cohrur, and Thadric Brightbraids can usually be found waiting for the players to give them orders or report on the status of projects assigned to them.
• The stockpile. A large tent with various supplies in crates and barrels. The players can acquire any mundane equipment from the storekeeper’s station here. Roll a d20 to determine the general quantity level (e.g., small, medium, large stock) for any one mundane item the storekeepers have in stock. Furthermore, items ordered from outside the valley are stored in the stockpile until the players retrieve them.
• The train station. Every three days, one of the locomotive dragons arrives at the station with a supply train. The cargo on the trains is as follows.
  • Each train carries components for either the Wyrd Magic Syphon Rig or the Wyrd Magic Pipeline, depending on project needs.
  • Beginning two weeks from now, supplies and workers for extending the rail line west to Dun Dunaghan will consistently arrive with the trains.
  • Fionnuala the Fair has arranged for the players to receive one shipment of general supplies every week for the next 3 weeks. This consignment includes rations for your followers and various supplies for setting up farming homesteads. After this period, you will need to establish self-sufficiency or acquire new supplies using gold.
  • Any recruited settlers or followers from the east arrive by train.

17 The lair of Sanillur the black dragon

The only way to access the lair is by finding the deepest part of the bog, where the ruins are sinking, and diving to the secret cave entrance at the bottom. Finding this area takes a DC 12 Perception or Investigation check, or about 1 hour of blind searching.

A. sleeping chamber

The large chamber reeks of rotting vegetation. A large, flattened mound of rotting vegetation sits in the middle of the room.

There is a 1 in 6 chance that Sanillur is resting in this cave. Regardless of whether he is present or not, his shambling mound guardian remains in the cave. Two shambling mounds guard the lair. One typically remains in this sleeping chamber, while the other patrols the hoard chamber. Any combat in this room will attract both.

B. hoard chamber.

A shallow, muddy pool fills this dank, smelly grotto lined with rotting vegetation. You can see occasional glints of gold in the murky water. A large pile of treasure sits at the bottom of this pool

Treasure. The treasure pile contains a gold idol of Vishnu worth 750 gp, a painted golden war mask shaped like a Kali worth 750 gp, a carved ivory statue of Braham worth 250 gp, three black pearls worth 500 gp a piece, and a steel coffer with 1750 gp

18 Fort Garter

The fort on the mountain ridge did not fare well during the trip. One of the fort’s walls has a massive hole in it, and one of the towers has crumbled almost to nothing.

The remaining garrison consists of 50 undertrained and jumpy orc trainee warriors (warrior infantry) led by the castle chaplain, Gularzob, an orc priest.

Arrival. When the players arrive at the castle, they are met by a pair of orc warrior infantry guarding either the gate or the hole in the western wall. These guards nervously challenge the players to state their intentions. If the players do not attack immediately, the warrior infantry leads them to Gularzob.

Gularzob. Gularzob pumps the players for any information he can about the situation. If the players explain where they are and who they are, he despairs and begs the players to let the remaining garrison join their realm.

• Read-Aloud (Gularzob): “The fort’s well is dry, our rations are almost depleted, and the fort is now completely untenable as a defensive structure. Please, lead us to the valley camp.”

19 Yellow Crystal fields

In one of the passes into the valley, you encounter a massive field of yellow glowing crystals. The crystals buzz softly and occasionally discharge small bolts of light

 An Arcana check (DC 12) suggests that magic is flowing through the crystals, but what kind is beyond the player’s ability to determine without some form of thorough analysis. They can break off a chunk with a DC 10 Strength check.

Analysis. If the players take a shard of the crystal to one of the engineers in camp or to Orujamar, it takes 2 days to analyze. They reveal that the crystal shard is overflowing with elemental earth magic. While not valuable on their own, they could power constructs and contraptions. Once the Ginkdimblidi learn of the crystals, they become highly sought after. 250 gnome and dwarf prospectors migrate to the valley to set up a mining operation. If the players claim the hex, they gain a rich and densely populated hex that generates 1600 gp per year.

20 Fishing village of Jokulsdalr

A small village sits in the shadow of the rise on the side of it, opposite the river mouth. The buildings are wooden, with strange, inverted boat-shaped roofs featuring carved decorations. A small wooden wall surrounds the village, and you can see docks jutting into the water and a variety of small boats.

Funeral. When the players arrive, the townsfolk are gathered outside the walls in somber clothing and hushed silence, a funeral is in process for several youths who tried to fight off the pirates that have been extorting the village. If the players try to talk to the people or interfere with the proceedings in any way, they will also receive a stern rebuke from the elderly lady druid performing the rites and the rest of the crowd; as a result, they will have a tougher time interacting with the townsfolk, who will view them as disrespectful curs. If they stay silent and respectful until the end, they gain advantage on all checks to interact with the townsfolk for 2 days.

Arnhild’s Story. Regardless of what the players do once the funeral is over, the lady druid seeks out the players and asks if they have a moment to listen to an old woman’s woes. She introduces herself as Arnhild, the wise woman of Jokulsdalr and the closest thing this village has to a priest or priestess. She was small for a human with a hunch back, knobly chin, wrinkled skin, and about a dozen missing teeth. She refers to herself in the third person when she speaks and frequently references the Norse gods.

According to Arnhild, the village has something of a Viking (pirate) problem. Every week, a pair of these massive (to her people) ships sail up to the harbor and extort the villagers out of most of that week’s catch before sailing away. The funeral they just witnessed was for a handful of brave but foolish young people who fancied themselves warriors who tried and failed to fight back. There were dozens of pirates, and four of them, so, of course, they died.

She asks if the players can send word to the local jarl about what’s been happening; hopefully, he can send some proper warriors to deal with the pirates. If the players tell them that they are the new jarls of the land, he looks abashed and bows, apologizing for any bit of disrespect imagined or otherwise. Word travels quickly through the village after that, and the townsfolk treat the players as if they were their lord.

Dealing with the pirates. The people of Jokulsdalr can attest that the combined crew of the two ships is at least 120, and the captains seem to be capable fighters (use the pirate captains’ stat blocks from the Monster Manual) who will be returning in about four days. This is the first fight the players will face that will require them to use their army to even the odds in their favor. It is highly recommended that you set up the fight using MCDM warfare rules or trekios mass combat rules. The players can muster two units of human infantry and a unit of human archers using their starting forces. In contrast, the pirates can muster two companies of pirate reavers and a pirate ship, as featured in the stat block in the appendix. The players, at your discretion, will be able to recruit additional units from the potential followers in the valley or foreign mercenaries.

After the battle. If the players successfully deal with the pirates, Jokulsdalr officially becomes part of the player’s kingdom, and the realm gains 300 new citizens and 1 new hex of marginal agricultural land (See the income rules in Running a Domain for the Clueless). The players can claim 100 gp in the form of Manyrevelian gold marks from the corpses of the slain pirates, and the ships have an additional 300 gp in various personal items and Manyrevelian marks. However, the players will also gain the personal enmity of the Donnacha family for defeating one of their reaver crews (See part 2).

21 The rise

At the mouth of the river is a bluff that overlooks the sea, which seems like a natural place to set up the player’s stronghold. The terrain is defensible, and there is only one easy way up.

22 Swift Eagles Clan Camp

On a rise by the sea is a large camp of yurts, tents, and crude pens of livestock in various stages of disassembly. Orcs, humans, and other species, clad in leather and hide clothing, work together to pack up their belongings and break down their tents. As you pass through the residents, their hands briefly flick to swords and axes as they eye you warily, but eventually return to their work.

The residents in the camp point the players towards a large, muscular orc with one tusk, wearing a fur mantle, sitting by a grand, half-disassembled tent and smoking a pipe. They are too busy packing the camp so they can look for greener pastures (literally).

Haguk.The big orc is named Chief Haguk. He is approximately 40 years old, with a scar on his chest, black hair tied back with a giant eagle feather ornament, and a dire wolf mantle and leather trousers adorned with metal accents. He is eager to talk to the players; his tribe has been scouting for suitable pastureland for their new campsite and has found nothing that suits their needs or anyone who can provide them with directions. He asks the players if they know of any suitable land for his horde to head to.

Recruiting the Swift Eagles. If the players offer for the swift eagles to join their kingdom, Haguk finds the offer intriguing, provided that the players can convince him that they can deliver the grasslands for the clan’s hundreds of horses, cattle, sheep, and other livestock. However, there is a particular matter of honor that must be dealt with before his people bend the knee. The players must engage in a ceremonial bout of combat before he or his tribesmen bend the knee.

The ritual of Strength. The ritual of strength is a wrestling match between Haguk (who uses the stats of a berserker) and one of the players. The object of the game is that the one who forces his opponent out of the ring first is the winner. The characters use standard grappling rules in the PHB. No magic items or spells are allowed. If the players win, Haguk and his clan bend the knee. If they lose, the players can try as many times as they like.

The Swift Eagles. If the players convince the Swift Eagles to join the realm, they gain 400 new followers, 50 berserker warriors, and between 800 and 1200 horses, cows, sheep, and other livestock.

23 The island tower

A small, well-worn three-story tower sits on this small and lightly vegetated island. You can see a light in the window and two voices discussing something inside, an older man and a young woman with a haughty accent. There is no door in the doorway in the tower, and you can spot the occasional flick of a wrinkled hand or flash of blue clothing.” 

If the players enter the tower read the following 

You find yourself in a cozy, if somewhat cramped, parlor stuffed with bookcases and chairs. An old man with a long grey beard and wrinkled face sits in an armchair. He wears a blue robe with silver embroidered stars, blue slippers, and glasses. Opposite him, an ornate sword rests in another chair, with whom he appears to be discussing moral philosophy. Suddenly, the sword talks back, and the old man interrupts his conversation as he notices you. ‘Ah, splendid! I am Orujamar the Magnificent, and this, my dear companion, is Celeste the Consort Blade!”

Orujamar’s. Orujamar is an archmage of indeterminate age who specializes in enchantments. He is a warm, charming, and slightly absent-minded genius who acts like the best teacher you ever had. He has been living in this quaint tower while he works on his magnum opus, which he vehemently does not want to talk about until it is ready; however, he does reveal that it involves his housemate, Celeste, and his research is at a bit of an impasse. 

Orujamar’s Knowledge/Interaction: He is intrigued by what the players have to say about where they are, noting that the island changed universes, but he never expected to end up in the Feengrenze. If the players are good house guests, Orujamar is more than willing to drop by their castle from time to time if they need magical assistance.

Celeste the Consort Blade. Celeste is a longsword with a golden handle that looks like long blond hair that ends in a bow-shaped pommel. Where the grip meets the crossguard is a golden decoration in the form of a fair maiden’s face. In a certain light, the blade has a pattern of etching that suggests the body of a woman in a tight-fitting dress. She is haughty, aristocratic, and traditional, though she thinks she is a princess. She speaks with an aristocratic British accent, punctuated with huffs and sneers.

Wielding Celeste. Celeste is very particular about who wields her. She insists that he be a man, be of noble appearance, and a prince or a king. If the players reveal that they have been granted a realm to rule by a high queen, she grants the player she thinks is the best looking a trial to see if they are worthy of wielding her. 

The first test is simple: is the player lawful good, a character that fails will receive a painful jolt that forces them to drop her.

 The second test is a moral dilemma with no obvious right solution.

Two villagers are accused of theft. One did it to save their starving child. The other didn’t, but their reputation is ruined. You must decide who receives punishment, knowing that mercy can embolden crime… and justice may wrong the innocent.

Players must choose, justify, and roleplay the decision.

She judges not the choice itself, but the clarity, conviction, and principled reasoning behind it.

If she is satisfied, she sighs and tells them she accepts the player as their wielder.

If the players managed to prove themselves worthy of wielding Celeste, Orujamar will be impressed and practically beg to join the players’ court as court wizard.

Settlement Events

These events occur when players return to their base of operations (camp, stronghold, or capital).

The arrival of Selene Barkridge

The first time the players return to camp, read the following

As you wander back into camp, a shrill voice rings out from the northeast. “Out of the way, move, move, I can’t control this thing. I’m going down.” You see a young human woman with blond hair and the trademark red dress, apron, and hat of the silver moon coven careening towards the camp on an overloaded broomstick. She barely clears the palisade wall and lands with a crash that sends her and her luggage tumbling into a pile. 

Once players extract the girl from the pile of luggage. She hands the players a letter of introduction from Tansy. She introduces herself as Selene Barkridge, freshly graduated lay sister of the Coven of the Silver Moon and the kingdom’s new witch. 

She presents as the archetypal young Silver Moon witch: fair-faced, with long blonde hair tied in a red bow, a white blouse, a knee-length red dress with a hint of frills, striped stockings, and pointy-toed boots under a red hat with a green band. She is eager, spunky, and full of playfulness. 

GM Note: Her starstruck and ‘fangirlish’ demeanor around the players might sometimes overshadow her normal personality.

Silver Moon witch

Silver Moon Witches are widely respected by the folks of the Feengrenze as healers, midwives, teachers, and makers of medicine. Their almost preternatural upbeat personalities can soothe even the most troubled soul. 

• The realm gains a permanent +1 Stability.
• The witch can act as a healer.
• Before an adventure, the witch can provide a set of potions or poultices granting a boon (players learn their nature only upon consumption). Choose one of the four boons below:

1. Advantage on checks to resist fear for 1 hour
2. Immunity from poison for 1 hour
3. Truesight for 1 hour
4. Resistance to necrotic damage for 1 day

Planting the castle seed

Once the players find a good spot for their new stronghold, they can plant the castle seed. To plant the seed, the players must bury the crystal and water it using some of their own blood (a few drops from each player will suffice). 

The next day, a medium-sized castle magically rises where they planted the crystal. The castle is a bastion and comes with  the following facilities

• A barracks
• A stable
• An armory
• A smithy
• A courtyard
• A grand dining room
• A great hall
• A vast storeroom
• A vast kitchen
• 2 parlors
• 20 bedrooms  
• 5000 feet of stone walls enclosing two baileys, big enough to hold one additional bastion each

Each room is fully furnished with expensive, if somewhat generic, furniture, personal items, and linens.

A Goblin Merchant Comes to Town

This event triggers once the players establish their stronghold AND visit their capital for the first time.

The incoming train screeches to a halt, and a gaggle of colorfully dressed goblins jumps out. One of them whips out a violin and starts playing a halfway decent goblin folk tune while the others tear into the freight wagons unloading crates, barrels, tents, and tables at breakneck pace. In only 15 minutes, what was once a vacant lot in your nascent capital has become an improvised fantastical emporium and a banner proclaiming it the Ciarán MacMhaoilein Traveling Goblin Market, fantastical magic at bargain prices.

Ciarán MacMhaoilein is a traveling goblin merchant who has gotten the clever idea of using the newfangled railroads to transport an entire shop around with him. For the next week, he has set up shop in the players’ capital and is offering his wares for a fair price. If the players buy at least one thing from his stand, he thanks them profusely and promises to return next month with even better deals.

Ciarán. Ciarán is a goblin’s goblin. He wears a soiled circus ringmaster coat, sized for a human, with a matching top hat that’s mostly patches. When the shop is open, he is a chaotic, sleazy but somehow charming salesman with the attention span of a flea and the energy of an overcaffeinated spaniel. He flits around the store in a whirlwind of chatter, trying to get customers to buy his merchandise, and may invent extravagant deals to secure a sale.

Awkward Family Reunion. At one point during the week, when the players are pursuing the shop, Ciarán spots Isaac and homes in on him with an exaggerated shout of ‘brother’. He gives Isaac a classic side hug and immediately launches into a rapid-fire monologue, giving his brother no chance to speak. He recounts his recent adventures in a catching-up style, then transitions into their shared childhood, particularly Isaac’s peculiar nature, preferring gold and cleanliness over the typical goblin pursuits of pranks and dirtiness. Isaac, clearly uncomfortable, eventually wriggles free from the embrace and retreats, flustered. Wares. Ciarán is a traditionalist when it comes to goblin mercantile activity. His traveling emporium is packed with baubles, trinkets, and charms with various fey powers that do what he promises they do, mostly, if you ignore the minor side effects.

Item	Price	Effect	Quirk / Side Effect
Pocket Pouch of Holding	300 gp	Holds up to 50 lbs; fits in any pocket.	Sometimes coughs up glitter when opened.
Chattering Compass	100 gp	Points to the most “interesting” direction nearby (often toward story hooks).	Whispers unsolicited travel advice in Goblin.
Whistle of Invisibility	250 gp	Blow to turn invisible for 1 round. 3 uses/day.	Also turns pants invisible.
Toadstool Tonic	75 gp	Heals 1d6 HP and removes fatigue.	Tastes like feet. Also turns tongue blue for 1 hour.
Wyrd Lantern	500 gp	Reveals illusions and hidden fey in a 60 ft radius when lit.	Flickers and sings lullabies off-key.
Goblin Lockpick (One-use)	50 gp	Unlocks any mundane lock instantly.	Also locks something else nearby at random.If
Eel Soap	25 gp	Renders the user immune to being grappled or restrained (slippery!).	Smells terrible and makes squeaking noises.
Mirror of Compliments (Handheld)	150 gp	Once per day, this gives the user an advantage on Charisma checks.	Mirror praises the user loudly for 1 minute.
Dancing Thumbtack	20 gp	Distracts one creature (DC 12 Wis save or lose an action).	Will not stop dancing once activated.
One-Use Word Coin	200 gp	Flip to perfectly translate one sentence into any language.	Coin screams the translation in a theatrical voice.

Ominous Foretellings

This event triggers once the player’s realm expands to 25 hexes and they establish their stronghold. When they return to their realm, read the following.

As you ride back to your realm, Rhamed rushes up to you and bows. “My lords, we have a bit of a situation. My scouts found something ominous in the woods, and I think you would like to see it for yourself.

He leads the players out into the forest to a large tree. From the tree hang tiny nooses, one for each of the players, and in each noose is a well-made cloth doll representing one of the players. The likeness is stunning, but each one has a lolling head as though their necks have been snapped. On one of the dolls was pinned a note that reads, “Such a death is too good for Frederick’s loyal dogs. Your nemesis.” Ailénach’s followers placed these dolls to unnerve the players, signaling her intention to actively undermine their realm. While the players’ personal reaction may vary, this display has deeply frightened their subjects. Stability drops by one for 5 days.

Sectarian troubles

This event triggers when the player’s stronghold has existed for about 2 weeks to a month. 

One of the Buddhist monks from Shambhala has wandered into the player’s realm and begun preaching Zen Buddhism to the people of the realm. If the players have not been recruited by Bishop Mauricio Lacasa, this event has no immediate effect. If the players have recruited him, he storms into the stronghold and demands that the players do something about the monk. Bishop Mauricio Lacasa, an old Spanish Catholic, already struggles with the other faiths of the Feengrenze—at least those faiths acknowledge gods. A monk preaching a religion he perceives as atheistic, however, infuriates him to a degree he struggles to articulate. He delivers an ultimatum: either eject this monk from your lands, or he will incite his small but vocal congregation. The players are left with no good options; ejecting the priest will cause diplomatic tension with Shambhala, potentially leading to future complications. If they do not, Bishop Mauricio’s fire and brimstone preaching will cause the kingdom’s stability to drop by 1 until the monk leaves.

Donnacha Family Business 

This event triggers when the player’s capital has been constructed.

One of the player’s followers or servitors comes to the court with troubling news. The kingdom has developed a significant drug problem. A new type of feyfruit wine is flooding the realm’s pubs and turning everybody who drinks into raving alcoholics. Tax revenue is down 10% in the hexes around the towns in the valley. The follower needs 100 gp and a few days to track down the source of the wine.

If the players provide the follower with the requested support, they return 4 days later and reveal that a saytr merchant by the name of Pippa Donnacha, a young daughter of Manyrevel’s ruling Donnacha family, is the source of the wine. This seductive and pretty young satyr seeks to make a name for herself by expanding the family’s market.

This puts the players in an awkward position. Pippa’s actions are causing their realm legitimate harm; however, the Donnacha family is the sovereign of their own country and powerful mobsters, so they will not let the players’ arrest of Pippa slide.

Fionnuala’s State Visit

Five weeks after the players establish their capital, a formal letter arrives: Fionnuala the Fair intends to make a royal inspection of their burgeoning realm. Her missive is ornate, perfumed with wild roses, and sealed in gold leaf. She gives one week’s notice and makes it very clear — this is to be a state occasion.

On the day of her arrival, read aloud:

The entire camp gathers near the tiny train station. A festive tension hangs in the air — excitement tinged with anxiety. Then, a distant whistle splits the silence, followed by a steady rumble. Victoria the Locomotive Dragon, burnished to a shine, pulls into the station hauling a gleaming royal train adorned in violet, silver, and moonstone. A hush falls over the crowd as dozens of heralds and knights disembark in perfect formation. Trumpets blare, and Fionnuala the Fair emerges from her carriage, radiant in a shimmering gown that seems spun from moonlight and river mist. As if on cue, the crowd erupts into thunderous cheers.

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Fionnuala begins her visit with a personal tour of the capital and the newly grown castle. She asks pointed questions, praises clever innovations, and offers cryptic compliments with a fox’s smile. After the tour, she hosts a state banquet (see The Great Game: Running a Domain for the Clueless, Diplomatic Influence rules).

She formally invites the players to recount their adventures in the valley so far. Encourage players to roleplay their retelling, using in-character boasting, politicking, or downplaying depending on personality. For each keyed event they’ve completed, use the following tailored responses:

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Fionnuala’s Reactions

• Bredalem Rescued:
  “Ah, a tidy resolution. Enchantment balanced with mortal diplomacy — you’ve handled it well.”
  
• Kesiray’s Wish Promised:
  On the final day of the visit, Kesiray arrives in a flash of violet petals. After a private meeting with Fionnuala, a subtle tremor shakes the ground.
  Fionnuala emerges smiling, Kesiray sheepish and pink-cheeked.
  “Kesiray has graciously accepted my liege-lordship,” Fionnuala announces. “In exchange, I’ve returned her forest — a modest rearrangement of reality.”
  
• Penham Goblins Saved:
  She laughs. “Goblins acting like frightened villagers? You’ve surely made history.”
  
• Bhurnria Joined:
  “Those crystal fields will prove most profitable. Dwarves are stubborn — but you earned their trust. Well done.”
  
• Dolozmoth Recruited:
  She claps delightedly as Dolozmoth flits around. “Charming! Keep him close — he’s got potential.”
  
• Brasbeek Liberated:
  “An oni? In my valley? I’m glad someone handled it. That one’s a pest and a gossip.”
  
• Thersandros Recruited:
  “A Hyperborean stoneshaper? Now that’s a find. Build wisely.”
  
• Duskshade Joined:
  She chuckles. “Treated like royalty for simply showing up? Delightful. Though… this Hilna Proudbranch — if she truly dreams of the future, she may need proper training.”
  
• Sanillur Slain:
  She listens with rapt attention.
  “You faced a dragon in its lair and lived? Daring and strength — a potent mix. I’m impressed.”
  
• Yellow Crystal Field Claimed:
  Her eyes glitter. “You must alert the Ginkdimblidi at once. This could accelerate the entire Undertaking.”
  
• Jokulsdalr Integrated:
  “Your first true battle? Get used to it, darlings. Sovereignty is paved with blood and banners.”
  
• Swift Eagles Recruited:
  “You wrestled Haguk? Remarkable. A strong ruler must rule with muscle as much as mind.”
  
• Wish for Pasture Granted:
  If the players request a wish to make good on their promise to Haguk, she agrees — but not for free.
  “A sovereign’s word must carry weight,” she muses. “Very well, I’ll grant your wish — but you owe me.”
  She then uses a wish spell to raise a vast plain on the valley’s eastern edge, adding 300 square miles of fresh pasture to the realm.
  
• Orujamar & Celeste Encountered:
  She smiles slyly. “Orujamar dressed as a wizard on his sixth birthday… he was simply adorable.”
  (This strongly implies Orujamar is one of her godchildren.)
  
• Celeste Bonded:
  “You bear the Consort Blade?” she whispers, eyes narrowing. “You are fated to rule — or die trying.”
  

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Gifts

• If the players trigger four or more of the above reactions, Fionnuala rises from her seat and proclaims:
  “You’ve made a strong beginning — stronger than most. I grant you my Blessing of Rulership.”
  (Each PC gains Inspiration, and the realm gains +1 Stability for the next Domain Turn.)
  
• If the players manage to trigger all reactions, Fionnuala presents a velvet-lined case. Inside is a Rod of Rulership, its shaft carved with scenes from the players’ own exploits.
  “A sovereign should have a baton of office. This one’s yours. Use it wisely — and dazzlingly.”

Wishes granted

• If the players secured the release of the hostages by promising that Kesiray can request a wish from Fionnuala, then on the last day of Fionnuala visit, Kesiray arrives for a private conference with her. After about half an hour of negotiation behind closed doors, there is a subtle rumbling and both emerge, Fionnuala looking pleased with herself and Kesiray looking very sheepish. Fionnuala announces that Kesiray has recognized her status as High Queen and her liege in exchange for restoring the missing half of her forest. The rumbling the players felt is the valley rearranging itself to accommodate the missing half of the forest.
• If the players promised Haguk they could provide the swift eagles with all the pasture land they could want they have no choice but to ask Fionnuala the fair for a wish. SHe will agree to the wish provided the players do another favor for her. Using the wish spells she creates a vast plain on the eastern side of the valley adding 300 square miles to the players realm

New magic item

Celeste, the Consort Blade

Artifact (requires attunement by a Lawful Good humanoid of noble or royal status)
Weapon (longsword, or transforms into wielder’s preferred weapon on attunement)

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Description

Celeste is a sentient, enchanted weapon containing the soul of an eladrin princess, Caelestra Virelíel, who was sacrificed and bound into the blade by a courtly betrayal. The blade bears her likeness and mournful presence. She believes her wielder is her destined savior, becoming deeply attached — emotionally and magically — to them.

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Sentience

Celeste is a sentient lawful good weapon with an Intelligence of 17, a Wisdom of 16, and a Charisma of 20. She communicates telepathically with her attuned wielder and can speak aloud in Common, Elvish, Sylvan, Celestial, and three additional languages known by the wielder. Celeste perceives the world through both hearing and vision, extending up to 120 feet.

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Personality

Celeste is regal, romantic, and highly opinionated. She becomes clingy with her chosen wielder, convinced they are her fated king. She dislikes separation, detests other weapons, and is prone to jealousy, particularly toward romantic rivals. Despite this, she is noble-hearted and will fiercely protect her chosen.

Trial of Worthiness

Celeste only allows herself to be wielded by a Lawful Good male sovereign (prince, king, vassal-lord). Upon first touch:

• Test 1: Non-Lawful Good characters take 1d6 lightning damage and drop the weapon.
  
• Test 2: Celeste presents a moral dilemma. Success requires a clear, principled, and well-reasoned response. She judges conviction, not outcome.

Transformation

Upon first attunement, Celeste transforms into your preferred melee weapon (e.g., greatsword, spear, glaive). Her original eladrin design remains woven into the weapon’s aesthetics.

Scaling Powers by Wielder Level

Level	Power Gained
1–4	Celeste’s Favor: +1 weapon. Advantage on Persuasion checks in noble courts. Speaks aloud and via telepathy.
5–8	Unyielding Loyalty: +2 weapon. Wielder gains immunity to charm effects while wielding Celeste.
9–12	Royal Rebuke: Once per long rest, when struck by a melee attack, the wielder may use a reaction to blind the attacker until the end of the next turn (DC 16 Con).
13–15	Celeste’s Form: Celeste can animate herself as a Dancing Weapon (as per Dancing Sword) for 1 minute, once per long rest.
16–18	Cling of the Consort: Celeste will teleport to her wielder’s hand if separated (even across planes), once per long rest. Also, if the wielder drops to 0 HP, she casts Shield of Faith and screams in anguish, giving the wielder 1 HP instead (1/week).
19–20	Spirit of the Consort: Once per long rest, the wielder can summon Celeste’s spirit for 10 rounds. She appears as a ghostly eladrin princess with a glowing golden raiper, fighting as a oble prodigy under the wielder’s commands. Also, at this stage, beings with truesight always see her beside her wielder, brushing his hair, whispering advice, or glaring at rivals. He can feel her touch as if she were real.