Campaign Overview

Campaign Overview: Pillars of Ugarit

In a realm where bronze empires have crumbled into dust, you and fellow dreamers are drawn each night to visions of seven humming monoliths: the Pillars of Ugarit. No living scholar remembers their purpose, but each pillar holds a fragment of knowledge so potent it could resurrect lost arts, reforge broken alliances, and decide the fate of a fractured world.

The Sundrous Vale marks the beginning of your journey: fields ringed by basalt ruins, a broken amphitheater, and a silent forge that still crackles with unseen embers. Here, under the guidance of farmers, scribes, and soldiers—each touched by the same dream—you uncover the First Pillar’s shard buried beneath ancient slag. Rival factions vie for control, and ancient guardians emerge from stone and steam to test your resolve.

Next, you cross into the Ember Wastes, a sun-baked desert littered with volcanic ruins and obsidian spires. You’ll wrest shimmering slag from a half-collapsed foundry, decode cryptic ledger entries in a burned caravanserai, and negotiate with arcane tinkerers, nomadic queens, and mechanical overseers. Each step draws you closer to the Second Pillar shard but ignites deeper rivalries: mercenary couriers hunt for profit, star-hunters seek arcane power, and cultists crave forbidden rites.

Your path leads to the Vault of Echoes, carved deep in the mountains. In resonant halls and mirrored chambers, you must solve sonic puzzles, brave echoing wraiths, and synchronize shards to unseal the Third Pillar. Guardians forged of iron-wood and ink-wraiths descend upon you as you piece together ancient chants and melody puzzles that echo across time.

At every Pillar, you collect fragments that vibrate with collective knowledge: lost star charts, advanced metallurgical formulas, and spells of untold might. But with each discovery, the world’s fragile balance shifts. The Order of the Star-Hunters offers mentorship—and often demands loyalty. The Crimson Couriers attempt to buy or steal your gains. The Dreamer’s Circle watches from the shadows, hoping you’ll choose wisdom over power.

As the Third Shard hums in your grasp, you return to the Sundrous Vale to unite your discoveries. In a grand ritual beset by mercenary sieges and cult uprisings, you align the shards, trigger an astral translocation, and prepare to leap toward Pillars Four through Seven—each in a landscape more alien and treacherous than the last.

Will you rebuild a new empire of light, hoard the Pillars’ power for yourselves, or shield the world from secrets too potent for mortal hands? The Pillars of Ugarit beckon—awaken the ancient knowledge within, and shape the fate of all civilization.



This campaign blends exploration, puzzle-solving, and moral conflict. Dreamers must navigate treacherous ruins, interpret cryptic glyphs, and balance alliances with powerful factions. Combat encounters range from animated monolith guardians to elemental conflagrations and echoing specters. Along the way, side quests reveal hidden lore, forge unexpected allies, and offer glimpses of the world that was—and that which might yet be rebuilt.

Starting Location

The Sundrous Vale

Lush fields and shallow streams carve a gentle bowl surrounded by low hills dotted with ancient basalt ruins. Where farmers now till the fertile loam with wooden plows once stood stone workshops and forges, long since silent. Weathered monolith fragments, etched with half-erased glyphs, lie half-buried along winding paths; cattle graze unconcerned by the faint hum that sometimes vibrates through the air at twilight. A broken stone amphitheater sits beside the swollen Honeyford River—its carved seats worn but still arranged in concentric tiers facing a collapsed dais. Moss and creeping vines snake through cracks, lending a green sheen to the blackened stone. On clear nights, the Vale’s sky glitters with stars mirrored by phosphorescent algae along the riverbank. Villagers in simple mud-brick huts whisper of “the first pillar,” convinced it slumbers beneath their feet. Although once part of a grand empire’s heartland, the Sundrous Vale now feels forgotten, a crossroads for dreamers summoned by visions of monoliths glowing with arcane light.

Secrets

  • A half-forged bronze key hidden beneath the amphitheater benches unlocks the Marrowforge door.
  • Moss on one Pillar shard spells out a partial map by moonlight.
  • A cracked reliquary at the Temple of Broken Whispers contains a vial of silver-tinted oil used for glow-glyph activation.
  • Stars from the watchtower charts align only every fortnights to point toward the next Pillar site.
  • Villagers worshipping nightly at the amphitheater sense the hum but mistake it for divine murmurs.

Key Locations

Temple of Broken Whispers

This collapsed shrine once honored a deity of memory and loss. Its marble columns lie toppled, scattered among cracked mosaics depicting crescents and pillars. The air is thick with echoes—soft voices repeating phrases no one seems to speak. Entering its main chamber, adventurers hear a constant background hum that resonates with dreamers. Small alcoves along the walls contain broken reliquaries, each holding fragments of crystalline tablets inscribed with ghostly text. Some tablets drip with a silver fluid that never dries.

Additional Notes

DM: Whisper echoes—players make DC 13 Wisdom saves to avoid visions. Silver fluid is alchemical catalyst needed to activate certain glyph-locks elsewhere.

Grayspire Watchtower

Perched on an eastern hill, this squat basalt tower overlooks the Vale. Its spiral staircase is intact but coated in dust thick enough to leave footprints. Narrow slits serve as arrow loops, though any weapon placed there points at empty sky. On the ground floor, a small room houses a cracked telescope and star charts matched to the Pillar dreams. A ruined quill and inkpot sit atop a broken lectern, and a barrel of dried parchment scrolls lines one corner. One roll-away stone panel conceals a spiral descent into a hidden crypt.

Additional Notes

DM: Telescope can identify the second Pillar’s constellation. Secret crypt door triggers a trap—falling net plus waking stone guardians.

Honeyford Amphitheater

Once the site of imperial proclamations and scholarly debates, this semi-circular stone structure has lost its marble facade. The lower tiers are cracked, weeds push through crevices, and the stage has collapsed inward. Despite its ruin, acoustics remain uncanny: a whisper from the ruined dais can be heard in the highest seats. Villagers sometimes use the amphitheater to distribute grain, turning it into a twilight market illuminated by torchlight. Local legends hold that a hidden vault lies beneath the stage, containing a fragment of the First Pillar. Each evening, the carved reliefs along the archway faintly glow, revealing patterns that shift nightly.

Additional Notes

DM: Use the amphitheater’s echo effect for dramatic reveals. Hidden alcoves under the seating can hide small ambushes or clues. A secret lever triggers a hidden stairwell beneath the stage.

Marrowforge Ruins

A half-sunken blackstone forge flanked by melted bronze implements and rusted bellows. Once used to alloy legendary metals of impossible strength, the forge’s hearth has gone cold, but embers still glow dimly at midnight. Walls bear scorch marks and glyphs that bleed sparks when touched. On the southernmost wall, a faint relief depicts a towering pillar entwined with serpentine runes—now half-eroded. Below it lies a sealed blast door, behind which alchemical supplies once fueled the empire’s greatest smiths. Muck and brambles have clogged the entrance, but water still drips from unseen cracks above, forming a shallow pool at the base.

Additional Notes

DM: The forge can reignite if players locate the alchemist’s crucible hidden nearby. The sealed door requires a three-glyph code—clues scattered among other ruins.

Sundrous Pillar Fragment Field

A wide meadow strewn with dozens of monolith shards—some larger than wagons, others barely the size of fists. Each fragment hums with a low vibration and bears unknown glyphs that seem to rearrange themselves when nearby. One central shard is encircled by standing stones laid out in a precise compass rose, their tips pointing toward distant hills. A half-buried obelisk stands at the field’s rim, etched with a star map that matches the Vale’s night sky on certain nights. Despite its calm appearance, the field is rumored to animate at dusk: the shards drift slightly, reshaping the compass pattern.

Additional Notes

DM: At dusk, roll initiative—shard sentinels (AC 15, Str 16) animate to defend the site. The compass pattern, when realigned correctly, opens a hidden cavity in the central shard.

The Ember Wastes

A vast wasteland of black sand and jagged obsidian spires, the Ember Wastes were once the site of a volcano-forged foundry complex. Ash-choked winds howl across open plains, carrying fine cinders that glow red at dusk. Scorched remains of massive forges lie strewn among cracked gullies, and heat-baked riverbeds wind through blistered rock. Strange hissings echo when the wind slows, as if metal coils hidden underground are releasing tension. Ancient roadways, now half-submerged by shifting dunes, hint at caravan routes leading toward the next Pillar. Remnants of rusted wagons, collapsed caravanserai walls, and broken spears suggest violent encounters.

Secrets

  • A forgotten lever in the Foundry crater opens a magma-cooled vault containing a Pillar shard.
  • One Obsidian tower hides a spectral engineer who will guide dreamers for a price.
  • The caravanserai ledger references a secret third Pillar site farther east.

Key Locations

Crimson Foundry Crater

A sunken pit over two hundred feet across, its floor littered with molten-cooled slag and collapsed furnace arches. Occasional geothermal vents spew scalding steam. Walls within the crater bear embedded metal plates inscribed with cryptic assembly diagrams. In the center lies a twisted iron structure, still faintly warm, shaped like a skeletal pillar half-forged. Deep beneath the slag shards, tunnels descend into a ruined workshop.

Additional Notes

DM: Steam vents create zones of difficult terrain and intermittent damage. Hidden workshop tunnel requires DC 15 Strength or Intelligence check to lift slag.

Obsidian Tower Graves

A grove of spire-like towers made of glassy black rock that glint eerily. Each tower marks a mass burial of imperial engineers. At their bases, skeletal remains clutch tools in petrified grips. The towers hum faintly and resonate like tuning forks when struck. Inside one hollow tower is an amphora of volatile powder used for foundry blasts, now inert but useful as alchemical component.

Additional Notes

DM: Striking towers can set off sonic dissonance—players within 10 feet must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution save or be deafened for 1 minute.

Charred Caravanserai

Cracked walls and collapsed roofs form a skeletal square of rooms where traders once rested. Burn marks cover every surface. Cages for pack beasts and charred crates still line the main courtyard. Beneath a cobbled floor slab, a hidden ledger lists caravans that traveled toward the Pillar sites, including coded coordinates. A partially buried chest contains rust-eaten bronze tokens stamped with imperial seals.

Additional Notes

DM: Use survival checks (DC 13) to locate the hidden ledger. Tokens can be exchanged for safe passage with certain NPCs later.

Vault of Echoes

Hidden within a mountain cleft, the Vault of Echoes houses the site of the Third Pillar. A narrow gorge leads to twin basalt doors carved with concentric runes. Within, corridors of resonant stone parry every footstep, amplifying whispers into thunderous echoes. Great chambers contain floating monolith segments suspended by unseen forces. Pools of still water mirror inverted glyphs on the ceiling. At the core lies an echo chamber—a circular room where a colossal monolith stands, humming in unison with the vault’s walls. Touching its surface floods the mind with visions of the “before time.”

Secrets

  • One conch shell plays a missing melody that opens a secret hatch in the Reflection Pool.
  • The rune-inscribed doors can be bypassed by whispering the lost song from the Whisper Hall.
  • A hidden chamber beneath the Echo Core holds an ancient scribe’s journal with schematics for Pillar assembly.

Key Locations

Whisper Hall

A long narrow hallway with polished black stone. Walls pockmarked with alcoves each holding a bronze conch shell. Speaking into any shell returns layered echoes of your voice over hours, sometimes revealing secret messages from past dreamers. Faint footprints in dust suggest recent visitors. One shell sounds wrong—its echo is silent until the correct glyph phrase is spoken at the hall’s entrance.

Additional Notes

DM: Use this location for foreshadowing and lore drops via echo playback. Shell puzzle can require successive DC 15 Performance checks.

Reflection Pool

A circular room with a perfectly smooth water surface that reflects the rune-etched ceiling in pristine detail. Stone benches line the perimeter. Dropping a coin into the pool produces incantations in the water’s ripple patterns. Bathing a monolith fragment here reveals hidden glyphs on its surface for one minute. The walls faintly glow when the moon rises through a narrow slit overhead.

Additional Notes

DM: Players can recover hidden glyphs for future puzzles. Pool water acts as a scrying medium (DC 14 Arcana to use effectively).

Echo Core

The chamber housing the Third Pillar segment—an eight-foot black obelisk suspended by fluted stone ribs. Vibrations travel through the ribs when the Pillar hums. A series of rune-carved pedestals surround it; placing corresponding Pillar fragments causes synchronization, unlocking a hidden stair to lower levels. At full resonance, the core projects astral visions of a ruined library filled with glowing tomes.

Additional Notes

DM: Resonance puzzle uses Intelligence (Arcana) checks to align fragments. Once completed, allow a vision granting a cryptic clue for the next quest.

NPCs in The Sundrous Vale

Ardian Leaffoot

A wiry halfling farmer turned blessed dreamer. Knows parts of the monolith map from childhood visions.

Role: Guide and cartographer Other Details: Skittish around magic, but dreams give him uncanny insight.

Helvega Mossbinder

A dwarven scribe obsessed with recovering ancient texts. She deciphers fragments of glyphs.

Role: Linguist and archivist Other Details: Carries a notebook that glows faintly when near Pillar fragments.

Captain Tovric Alden

Retired guard captain governing the Vale’s militia. Brutal but pragmatic.

Role: Quest giver and protector Other Details: Has secret orders to retrieve Pillar knowledge for a noble patron in the capital.

NPCs in The Ember Wastes

Zeraphine Emberlight

Tiefling arcanist seeking to harness volcanic power. Wears protective wards.

Role: Merchant of rare reagents Other Details: Holds a partial translation of assembly diagrams.

High Foreman Rougrath

Ancient bronze automaton still functioning, overseeing foundry remains. Speaks only in gear-grinding clicks.

Role: Cryptic guide Other Details: Under his control is one small bronze sentinel useful in combat.

Nomad Leader Shasira

Human caravan queen with scarred face and calm eyes. Knows desert lore.

Role: Quest broker Other Details: Trades water for service; will trade coordinates to next Pillar.

NPCs in Vault of Echoes

Echo-Singer Avemir

A half-elf mystic attuned to the vault’s resonance. Soft-spoken but intense.

Role: Lorekeeper Other Details: Knows how to interpret visions from the Pillar but fears its power.

Guardian Sculptor Tarvak

A grizzled human warrior sculpted in iron-wood armor. Speaks rarely.

Role: Sentinel Other Details: Has orders to protect the vault but is sympathetic to dreamers.

Sibran the Silent

A mute gnome researcher in layered robes, communicates by writing.

Role: Archivist Other Details: Hides a sharpened shard—useful if vault is breached.

Factions

Order of the Star-Hunters

Knights and sages dedicated to rediscovering the Pillars’ celestial knowledge. Clad in starlight-etched armor and armed with astrolabes, they believe restoring each Pillar can rebuild lost arcane arts. They maintain observatories across the realm, mapping star positions against dreamer visions.

Goals

– Recover all seven Pillar fragments – Reestablish the ancient Astral Library – Train new star-magi in lost constellation lore

Relationships

With Other Factions
Rivals of the Crimson Couriers over artifact control; uneasy alliances with the Dreamer’s Circle for intel.
With Players
Offer resources and guidance if players aid their recoveries; expect return of Pillar shards afterward.

Crimson Couriers

A mercantile syndicate turned artifact smugglers. Once reputable traders, they now traffic in ancient Pillar relics for profit. Their caravans cross the Ember Wastes under armed guard. They value wealth above all, hiring cutthroats to seize Pillar fragments and sell them to the highest bidder in the capital.

Goals

– Secure as many Pillar shards as possible – Establish a monopoly on relic trade routes – Undermine rival factions by any means

Relationships

With Other Factions
Hostile to the Order of the Star-Hunters; occasionally broker deals with the Dreamer’s Circle when beneficial.
With Players
May hire the party for heists or offer dubious information at steep cost.

Dreamer’s Circle

A loose network of visionaries and mystics bound by shared Pillar dreams. They gather nightly to interpret dreams and compile fragmented maps. Non-hierarchical and secretive, they maintain hidden enclaves in ruins. Members range from humble scribes to high-born aristocrats who mask their identities behind masks.

Goals

– Protect dreamers from exploitation – Safeguard Pillar knowledge until the world is ready – Unite dreamers to realize collective visions

Relationships

With Other Factions
Neutral to others but wary of both Order and Couriers’ motives. Occasionally leaks intel to both.
With Players
Players as fellow dreamers are potential circle members; trust earned slowly through shared visions.

Main Questline

Dreams of the First Pillar

Given by: Ardian Leaffoot

The party gathers in the Sundrous Vale, guided by shared dreams of a humming monolith. Ardian Leaffoot urges investigation of the Vale’s key ruins to uncover the First Pillar’s fragment. Assembling clues—from amphitheater engravings to forge glyphs—reveals its hiding spot beneath the Marrowforge. Scaling the collapsing hearth and solving a glyph puzzle grants access to the shard, which resonantly binds to a dreamer.

Goals

– Investigate five key locations in the Vale – Solve Marrowforge glyph puzzle – Recover the First Pillar fragment

Reward

Pillar Shard of Knowledge (attunes to one member; grants +1 Intelligence when near monoliths).

Secrets

  • Shard reveals part of a star map in Ardian’s dreams.
  • Marrowforge glyphs reference three Pillar locations.

DM Notes

Use exploration and lore checks to reveal each clue. Puzzle: align three glyphs matching whispered tonal sequences.

Convocation at Candlefall

Given by: High Priestess Leraena

With the First Shard secured, the party is summoned to Candlefall, a desert oasis on the Ember Wastes’ edge. There they must present the shard at the Convocation of Dreamers, hoping to access visions of the Second Pillar. The ritual attracts sand spirits and rival seekers. As flames circle the gathering, an assassination attempt by a dream-cult nearly derails the convocation.

Goals

– Defend the convocation – Perform the ritual with the shard – Survive an ambush

Reward

Vision of the Second Pillar (reveals Ember Wastes map and glyph sequence).

Secrets

  • Cult leader is working for a noble in the capital.
  • A hidden library beneath Candlefall holds the complete incantation for Pillar awakening.

DM Notes

Include social and combat challenges. Ritual requires successful Performance and Insight checks.

Heart of the Ember Wastes

Given by: Zeraphine Emberlight

Guided by the Second Pillar’s vision, the party ventures into the Ember Wastes to claim the Second Shard. They must brave the Crimson Foundry Crater, outwit magma elementals, and decode the foundry diagrams. At the Obsidian Tower Graves, spectral engineers demand a test of skill: crafting a molten alloy sample. Only by uniting elemental power with dwarven smithcraft can the Second Shard be freed.

Goals

– Retrieve glowing slag sample – Solve foundry resonance puzzle – Secure Second Shard

Reward

Second Pillar Shard and Molten Sigil (uncommon, advantage on fire magic saves).

Secrets

  • Magma mephits know chant that stabilizes foundry vents.
  • Obsidian tower engineer sprite trades shard knowledge for compassion.

DM Notes

Balance puzzle, combat, and negotiation. Allow creative alloy crafting.

Reflections in the Vault

Given by: Echo-Singer Avemir

Armed with two shards, the party journeys to the Vault of Echoes. They must traverse Whisper Hall, decipher the conch shell song, and avoid or defeat echo wraiths. In the Reflection Pool, placing both shards reveals hidden glyphs pointing to the Echo Core’s resonance puzzle. Synchronizing the shards unlocks the path to the Third Shard, but the vault’s guardians—the Iron-wood Sentinel and spectral librarians—stand watch.

Goals

– Navigate vault corridors – Solve Whisper Hall and Reflection Pool puzzles – Defeat guardians and claim Third Shard

Reward

Third Pillar Shard and Echo-Core Resonator (rare, grants bonus to Arcana in echo environments).

Secrets

  • Iron-wood Sentinel can be temporarily pacified by humming the conch melody.
  • Librarian wraith holds notes about Pillar Four’s resting place.

DM Notes

Include environmental hazards: echo blasts, slippery floors.

Assemble the Pillars

Given by: Captain Tovric Alden

With three Shards in hand, the dreamers regroup at the Sundrous Vale to activate the First Pillar’s pedestal, now revealed by visions. They must align all three shards, channeling their combined resonance to unlock a translocation glyph. Rival factions arrive to seize the power. In the final confrontation, dreamers defend against mercenaries and cultists while solving a multi-shard alignment puzzle to transport them to the next Pillar.

Goals

– Defend the Vale pedestal – Align three shards correctly – Activate translocation glyph

Reward

Access to Pillars Four through Seven and Vestige of the First Empire memoirs (legendary lore item).

Secrets

  • Noble patron behind mercenaries seeks to weaponize Pillar power.
  • Translocation glyph requires dreamers to synchronize heartbeats.

DM Notes

Epic multi-stage combat—include waves of enemies and timed puzzle phases.

Side Quests in The Sundrous Vale

Ghosts of the Forge

Given by: Helvega Mossbinder

Helvega tasks the party with retrieving a missing page from her journal, lost in the Marrowforge Ruins. Rumors say it drifted into the flooding lower chamber where molten slag once pooled. The chamber is unstable, with leaky pipes hissing steam and shifting rubble. Fire spirits awakened by residual heat now haunt the flooded forge, protecting the journal page lodged beneath a collapsed support beam.

Goals

– Locate and enter the lower chamber safely – Retrieve and return the journal page to Helvega

Reward

500 gp and Flare of Emberforge (a small flaming lantern that grants darkvision).

Secrets

  • A hidden valve can drain the chamber if turned, revealing a secondary exit.
  • One fire spirit is a bound smith-ghost who knows the full glyph code for the forge’s door.

DM Notes

Scale fire spirits to match party level. Valve puzzle can be a skill challenge (DC 15 Intelligence).

The Vanished Stockpile

Given by: Captain Tovric Alden

Shipping crates of bronze ingots designated for village repairs have gone missing from the riverbank warehouse. Tovric suspects smugglers operating at night. The party is asked to stake out the docks and intercept the thieves, rumored to be using an underground tunnel leading from the Temple of Broken Whispers crypt. Thieves employ traps—tripwires and pressure plates—set to trigger arrow volleys in the warehouse aisles.

Goals

– Uncover the underground tunnel – Defeat or drive off the smugglers – Recover the bronze ingots

Reward

600 gp plus a Bronzecaller’s Horn (uncommon, summons 1d4 bronze golems once).

Secrets

  • Tunnel entry is behind a movable reliquary shelf in the crypt.
  • Head smuggler is an ex-soldier claiming dreams of the Pillars led him to seize the ingots.

DM Notes

Use bandits with thief archetype. Tunnel trap sections can be stealth or disable device opportunities.

Mosaic Restoration

Given by: Ardian Leaffoot

Old mosaics in the Temple of Broken Whispers depict fragments of star charts. Ardian wants them restored to reveal hidden passages. The players must gather colored stone chips scattered around the Vale—under river riffles, inside pillar fragments, and in the watchtower crypt. Each recovered chip can be inlaid into the broken floor, but mishandling chips risks shattering them.

Goals

– Find five colored stone chips – Repair the mosaic without breaking chips

Reward

Ancient Starmap Fragment (provides advantage on navigation and lore checks about Pillars).

Secrets

  • One chip hides a microglyph leading to a hidden compartment under the mosaic.
  • When the mosaic completes under moonlight, it projects a beam of light pointing north.

DM Notes

Allow Intelligence (History) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks to protect chips.

Willowfolk Woes

Given by: Elder Mareen

The riverside hamlet of Willowfolk has been plagued by waterlogged livestock and diseased fish. Villagers believe an angry spirit from the monolith fragments upset river balance. The party must investigate upstream caverns beneath the amphitheater, where a breached aqueduct leaks brimstone-tainted water. A corrupted river guardian, a once-celestial sturgeon spirit, now lashes out at anyone passing.

Goals

– Clear the cavern and seal the leak – Purify or defeat the river guardian

Reward

Riverwarden’s Token (uncommon, grants +1 to saving throws against water hazards).

Secrets

  • A broken statue of a river deity lies submerged, its head cracked to reveal a silver key.
  • Spirit’s corruption root is a shard of blackstone in its heart.

DM Notes

Guardian: use a modified shambling mound reflavored as aquatic elemental. Caverns use slick terrain and low ceilings for tactical variety.

Night of Soft Echoes

Given by: High Priestess Leraena

Villagers report melodic whispers emanating from the Sundrous Pillar Field at full moon. Leraena fears a cult is drawing power from the shards to summon an otherworldly echo of the First Age. She wants the party to stake out the field all night and disrupt their ritual. Cultists wear vein-etched masks, chant in an impossible language, and may bring a small construct as a focus.

Goals

– Reach the central shard by dawn – Disrupt or defeat the cult ritual

Reward

Echo-Breaker’s Ring (rare, advantage on saving throws against enchantment).

Secrets

  • Cult leader bears a locket containing a map to the second Pillar.
  • Construct is powered by an amber gem that can be harvested for ritual stoppage.

DM Notes

Use a skill challenge with Religion and Arcana to identify chant phase windows. Construct: animated statue (CR appropriate).

Side Quests in The Ember Wastes

Ashen Alloy Retrieval

Given by: Zeraphine Emberlight

Zeraphine needs samples of slag from the Foundry crater’s most radiant vent. She suspects it holds trace elements to forge a protective amulet. The vents are surrounded by unstable glass shards and intermittent geysers of steam. While collecting samples, the party may disturb molten-infused elementals drawn to the heat.

Goals

– Secure two samples of glowing slag – Return safely to Zeraphine

Reward

Amulet of Emberguard (uncommon, resistance to fire damage).

Secrets

  • A deeper vent houses a molten shard with partial Pillar glyphs.
  • Elementals can be pacified by pouring slag-coolant solution from the caravanserai.

DM Notes

Elementals: magma mephits. Vents: random steam jets require DC 12 Dexterity save or take 1d6 fire damage.

Ledger Codebreaker

Given by: Nomad Leader Shasira

Shasira will pay for the ledger’s coded caravan coordinates. She offers safe passage if the party deciphers its cipher. The code uses a shifting key based on volcanic ridge star alignments. A cryptic poem etched into a nearby tower hints at the key. Players must translate the poem (DC 14 Intelligence) and apply it to the ledger.

Goals

– Translate the poem – Decipher the ledger code

Reward

Safe desert passage voucher and 300 gp.

Secrets

  • Poem reveals hidden coordinates to the Fourth Pillar.
  • Shasira’s voucher is magically bound to dreamers, repurposable for other sites.

DM Notes

Treat as an Intelligence (Investigation) skill challenge.

Side Quests in Vault of Echoes

Melody of the Lost

Given by: Echo-Singer Avemir

Avemir requests finding the missing melody that opens the Reflection Pool’s hidden hatch. He believes fragments of the tune are encoded in the obelisk pedestals and vault shell echoes. The party must play or speak the correct sequence in the Whisper Hall conches. Each mistake summons spectral echo wraiths bound to the vault.

Goals

– Decode and perform the melody accurately – Access and explore the hatch

Reward

Vest of Resonance (rare, advantage on Concentration checks in echo-rich environments).

Secrets

  • Final note of the melody echoes only when two dreamers sing harmonies.
  • Hidden hatch leads to a secret archive with lore for Pillar Four.

DM Notes

Encourage creative performance checks. Wraiths can be stat-ted as specters.

Crypt of the Scribe

Given by: Sibran the Silent

Sibran suspects a hidden scribe’s chamber lies beneath the Echo Core. He needs someone to pry open floor stones without collapsing the vault’s resonance mechanisms. The party must navigate narrow catwalks around the suspended Pillar and disable vibration wards (DC 15 Investigation). Failure risks triggering a cave-in and awakening the ethereal librarians—ink-wraiths that guard lost knowledge.

Goals

– Safely open the scribe chamber – Defeat or evade ink-wraiths

Reward

Scribe’s Quill of Recall (uncommon, once per day you can recall a spoken phrase exactly).

Secrets

  • A collapsed alcove contains glyphs describing Pillar Four’s location.
  • Ink-wraith leader holds a key inscribed with future Pillar coordinates.

DM Notes

Ink-wraiths are reskinned shadows with ink-splash attacks.

Encounters

Shard Sentinel Ambush

Medium

Suggested Level: 2–4

Animated pillar fragments spring to life in the Sundrous Vale field, attacking travelers at dusk.

Creatures

  • Shard Sentinel (AC 15, HP 45, Str 16, emits harmonic blasts; treat as earth elemental) x2

Terrain Features

Uneven ground with pillar shards providing half cover.

Treasure

100 gp, 2 small Pillar glyph stones (clue fragments).

DM Notes

Scale to party size by adding more sentinels. Use for dramatic entry to quest one.

Magma Mephit Conclave

Hard

Suggested Level: 4–6

A cluster of magma mephits and their salamander leader guard a glowing slag vent in the Ember Wastes.

Creatures

  • Magma Mephit x4
  • Salamander Leader (AC 13, HP 60, fire whip)

Terrain Features

Steaming vents cause 1d6 fire damage on failed DC 12 Dex save.

Treasure

Emberforged Ingots (worth 250 gp) and a clue tablet.

DM Notes

Use environmental hazards to challenge ranged characters. Leader negotiable if shown kindness.

Echo Wraith Ambush

Medium

Suggested Level: 5–7

Spectral librarians emerge from vault reflections when shards resonate, assaulting intruders.

Creatures

  • Echo Wraith x3 (treat as wraith variant with sonic touch)

Terrain Features

Mirrored walls create confusing reflections—Perception DC 14 to pinpoint true wraiths.

Treasure

Scribal key inscribed with Pillar Four coordinates.

DM Notes

Limit line-of-sight; use DC skills to differentiate reflections.

Cultist Sandstorm Raid

Deadly

Suggested Level: 3–5

A dream-cult ambushes the convocation at Candlefall, summoning a minor sandstorm elemental.

Creatures

  • Cult Fanatic x2
  • Cultist x6
  • Duststorm Elemental (homebrew)

Terrain Features

Blowing sand reduces visibility to 10 ft.

Treasure

Cult symbols (50 gp each) and minor ritual scroll.

DM Notes

Use storm to separate party members. Offer social parley early.

River Guardian’s Lair

Medium

Suggested Level: 3–5

A corrupted sturgeon spirit attacks along flooded caverns beneath the Vale’s amphitheater.

Creatures

  • Corrupted Sturgeon Spirit (use aquatic elemental stats)

Terrain Features

Knee-deep water slows movement. Low ceilings restrict flight.

Treasure

Silver-tinted waterskin (alchemical catalyst) and 200 gp.

DM Notes

Allow players to purify or destroy the spirit. Water hazards for tactical depth.

Magic Items

Flare of Emberforge

Uncommon
A small flaming lantern that sheds bright light in a 20-ft radius; ignites magma coolants.

Location

Reward from Helvega in the Vale.

Attunement

False

Bronzecaller’s Horn

Rare
A polished bronze horn; once per day it summons 1d4 small bronze golems loyal for 1 minute.

Location

Recovered after defeating Vale smugglers.

Attunement

True, requires 1 hour tuning

Riverwarden’s Token

Uncommon
A carved bone token; grants +1 to saves against water hazards and underwater breathing for 1 hour.

Location

Reward from Willowfolk quest.

Attunement

False

Echo-Breaker’s Ring

Rare
A silver ring that grants advantage on saving throws against enchantments and mind effects.

Location

Reward from Vale night quest.

Attunement

True, by wearing during a dream ritual

Molten Sigil

Uncommon
A glowing sigil imitates molten metal; wearer gains resistance to fire damage.

Location

Found in Ember Wastes after crafting alloy.

Attunement

False

Vest of Resonance

Rare
Leather vest etched with echo runes; advantage on Concentration checks in echo-rich areas.

Location

Vault side quest from Avemir.

Attunement

True

Scribe’s Quill of Recall

Uncommon
A feather-like quill; once per day it allows perfect recall of one spoken phrase.

Location

Reward from Vault crypt quest.

Attunement

False

Starmap Fragment

Uncommon
A crystalline fragment showing a star chart; advantage on navigation and history checks about Pillars.

Location

Reward for mosaic restoration.

Attunement

False

Echo-Core Resonator

Rare
A crystalline device attuned to echo chambers; +2 to Arcana checks in resonant locations.

Location

Reward upon claiming Third Shard.

Attunement

True

Vestige of the First Empire

Legendary
An ancient tome containing lost lore. Grants +1 to all Intelligence checks regarding artifacts once per long rest.

Location

Final main quest reward.

Attunement

True

Player Characters

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