Campaign Overview

The Last Scribe: Codex of Origins

Welcome, adventurers, to a world on the brink of losing itself. In an age where writing has become a myth, history is sung by bards and whispered by minstrels—yet the true stories of civilizations lie scattered on fragile clay tablets, buried beneath ruins and swamps. You are summoned by Arion, possibly the last living scribe, to recover these relics before the fanatical Warlord Zharan, known as the Flamebinder, incinerates them to cement his reign of ignorance.

Your journey begins in the Ruins of the Great Scriptorium, where half-collapsed halls hold the first fragments and the seeds of this quest. You will face moral choices: rescue cursed parchments from zealots, negotiate with frogfolk in the Emerald Marshlands, recover cursed prophecies from undead librarians in the Shattered Library Ruins, and outwit a gem dragon within the glowing Crystal Caverns. Each tablet reveals a piece of the world’s forgotten past and nudges you closer to the ultimate weapon of knowledge: the Codex of Origins.

But the journey is fraught with peril. Ink-soaked specters, clay golems, and ash spirits stand guard over history’s remnants. Bandits, cultists, and oppressive inquisition forces seek to seize or destroy what you save. You will forge alliances with unlikely factions—from the silent depths of frogfolk marsh-queens to the lyrical networks of the Songweaver’s Guild. Every recovered tablet expands your understanding and grants you new arcane tools: enchanted quills, lenses that pierce illusions, and tomes of prophecy that guide your path.

As you assemble the final Codex within the black spires of Zharan’s Citadel of the Ashen Quill, you will navigate magma-filled corridors, sabotage pyre forges, and inspire a rebellion within enemy ranks. Your ultimate goal: shatter the warlord’s ideological stranglehold and reintroduce writing as the key to enlightenment and peace.

Will you restore the power of the pen to shape the future, or will history—and possibly humanity—be lost to legend? The quills are out, the parchment unfurls, and the Last Scribe awaits your courage. Your story begins now…

Starting Location

Ruins of the Great Scriptorium

Once a beacon of knowledge, the Ruins of the Great Scriptorium now stand half-buried beneath centuries of crumbling stone and overgrowth. Pillars inscribed with half-erased glyphs lean precariously over broken mosaic floors. Faded tapestries of scholars and scribes drape from collapsed walls, their imagery of quills and scrolls testament to a bygone age when writing shaped the lands. Sunlight filters through shattered glass windows into shadowy corridors lined with carved alcoves that once held priceless tomes. Ivy snakes through open doorways, and the air smells of damp parchment and earth. The hush is broken only by distant calls of ravens perched on broken arches, scavenging for pages scattered by wind. Here and there, a glowing fragment of clay tablet rests in a niche—mysterious relics of a forgotten script. Local guard units and opportunistic treasure hunters prowl the ruins in search of scraps of knowledge to barter, while whispers persist that the last living scribe, Arion, hides among the ruins. Intricate ink wells and shattered writing desks litter the halls, offering clues to the Scriptorium’s final days. This desolate place is the perfect starting ground for adventurers recruited to reclaim lost clay tablets before a book-burning warlord can incinerate them forever.

Secrets

  • A subterranean catacomb beneath the vault holds a living memory demon bound to protect tablets.
  • One statue in the Grand Hall animates as a stone golem if disturbed.
  • An underground stream runs beneath the Scriptorium, leading to an escape tunnel once used by fleeing scholars.

Key Locations

Arion’s Refuge

A hidden chamber behind a swinging stone panel, Arion’s Refuge is dimly lit by bioluminescent moss clinging to the walls. Low shelves hold stacks of vellum and purified inks, and a low desk carved from obsidian bears half-finished scrolls. An ancient quill lies in a ceramic inkwell, its tip stained with indelible ink from forbidden clay tablets. Cupboards lined with wax-sealed clay tablets stand under makeshift lanterns, each tablet documenting a fragment of history long lost to song and rumor. Maps pinned to the wall show the locations of other scattered tablets, annotated with cryptic notes in the Scribe’s precise hand. Padded mats and blankets indicate Arion’s long vigil, sustained by parcels of dried fruit and bottles of spring water. A simple brazier crackles near a stone bench, and a small shrine to the goddess of memory, Erudalia, holds a prayer ribbon dyed with ink. The chamber’s silence is almost absolute, broken only by Arion’s scratching quill when he researches a tablet’s origin.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) A false bottom beneath the desk holds the ceremonial Quill of Recall. (2) A hidden ink reservoir leaks a magical stain that reveals unseen writing. Players can search with an Arcana or Investigation check (DC 15).

The Grand Hall of Annals

Once the heart of the Scriptorium, the Grand Hall of Annals stretches nearly a hundred feet long, flanked by towering bookcases hewn from marble. The vaulted ceiling, now sagging, is etched with bas-reliefs depicting scribe-heroes from ages past. Cracks in the stone floor lead to a sunken dais at the hall’s center, where an ornate lectern still holds a massive, shattered codex. Faded banners hang limply from scorched rafters, their heraldry hinting at alliances long expired. Spiderwebs drape the corners, and an unnatural chill seeps through the cracks in the walls. Pools of stagnant water cover much of the floor, reflecting flickers of torchlight brought by explorers. The hall opens onto side chambers where scribes once debated the nature of knowledge—these rooms contain broken tables, spilled ink, and mouse-gnawed scraps of parchment. Whispered voices are said to echo along the aisles when no one is present.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) A hidden alcove behind a collapsed bookcase stores a tablet of prophetic verses. (2) Inscribed floor tiles form a puzzle: stepping in the correct sequence reveals a trapdoor. DC 16 Intelligence (History) to decode.

The Inkwell Garden

An overgrown courtyard ringed by low fountains and wide stone basins once used for mixing pigments, the Inkwell Garden is choked by briar rose and creeping ivy. Moss-covered statues of muses stand in broken niches, and water still trickles from cracked spouts into dry basins. At the garden’s center is a circular pool filled with luminescent algae, whose glow reveals faded inscriptions carved into its lip. Petals of a rare moonwhite blossom float on the surface, prized for their use in ghost-ink. Stone benches flank the pool, carved with ancient alphabets in relief. Wild herbs grow in beds along the perimeter, hinting at botanical knowledge once used to craft inks and dyes. A series of weathered parchments pinned to a cedar board contain plant diagrams scrawled by the last botanist-scribe. Occasionally, a ghostly scribe silhouette is reported copying formulas onto parchment held aloft in spectral hands.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) Beneath the algae is an ink-soaked sarcophagus containing a Tablet of Origins fragment. (2) A thorny briar conceals a secret key that opens Arion’s Refuge. Investigation DC 14 to notice.

The Vault of Scrolls

Buried beneath the western wing via a spiral staircase, the Vault of Scrolls is a temperature-controlled crypt lined with metal-reinforced shelves. Rusted iron lattices hang over piles of sealed scroll cases. Heavy stone doors, scored by years of time, bear the sigil of the Archivist. The air is chill and dry, preserving parchments intact—an antechamber shows dozens of scrolls sealed in clay for future revelation. At the far end stands a pedestal with a blood-ink spill, and a single tablet sits atop it, bathed in a shaft of moonlight from a circular aperture above. Runes etched around the pedestal pulse faintly when moonlight strikes. Broken chains and scorched wood indicate a violent breach attempt. Dust motes swirl in pale golden beams, and a sense of reverential hush permeates the chamber.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) A pressure plate under the pedestal triggers a magical ward that obscures the tablet once taken. (2) A hidden panel behind the entrance holds a horn inscribed with an invocation to dispel the ward. Perception DC 15.

The Obsidian Tower

Rising above the eastern ruins, the Obsidian Tower is carved from black volcanic glass, polished smooth despite chips from centuries of earthquakes. Twisting spirals ramp around the tower’s base, leading up to a shattered summit. Inside, spiraling hallways are lit by enchanted brazier sconces that flicker with violet flame. Walls are inlaid with reflective glass panels inscribed with poems in an unknown tongue. The tower houses the Scriptorium’s most esoteric research: experiments in ink alchemy, glyph-binding, and chronomantic script. Rugged stone workbenches are stained with drips of glowing liquid that still hum with latent magic. Fissures in the walls emit soft humming, and the tower’s pinnacle is said to resonate like a tuning fork when tablets are near.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) A sealed laboratory chamber at the top contains the Chronos Ink vial. (2) A “singing wall” responds to recited verses and reveals a hidden staircase. Arcana check DC 17 to activate.

The Emerald Marshlands

Vast stretches of scented reeds and murky waterways rimmed by gnarled cypress trees, the Emerald Marshlands are both a sanctuary for rare botanical species and a labyrinth of hidden dangers. Soft, spongy ground sinks beneath a misplaced step, and phosphorescent fungi cast ghostly patterns at night. Ancient wooden walkways, long overgrown and rotted, spider across shallow pools where amphibious creatures lair. Mist rises at dawn, curdling into roiling fog banks that swallow travelers whole. The air hums with the buzzing of giant dragonfly swarms and the calls of unseen swamp serpents. Marsh harpies perch atop broken stilt-villages, their haunting songs luring victims into brackish waters. Waterlogged crypts of the necromantic Inkbound cult submerge beneath wetlands, ready to be uncovered by shifting silt. Scattered lily pads conceal glimmering runestones that pulse with latent eldritch magic. Below the murky surface, blazing electric eels wind through submerged reed-beds, guarding sunken tablets. The Marshlands bridge the Scriptorium to the wider world of lost archives, challenging adventurers with its ever-changing terrain and hidden crypts.

Secrets

  • A hidden Inkbound cult shrine stores stolen scroll fragments.
  • Marsh gas pockets can trigger hallucinations revealing hidden runes.
  • An ancient lantern buried near the Murky Bog beaconed scribes to safety—still functional.

Key Locations

The Murky Bog

A broad basin of knee-deep olives and browns, the Murky Bog is pitted with hidden sinkholes. Carnivorous marsh vines and giant leeches lurk beneath deceptively calm water surfaces. Occasional lumps of weathered sandstone emerge as islands, each hosting clusters of marshflowers that exhale potent hallucinogenic spores at dusk. Beneath the muck, fragments of a clay tablet lie buried in silt, rumored to inscribe the origins of the ink-witch’s magic.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) A submerged cavern beneath a sinking platform holds an entire tablet safely encased. (2) An invisible web of ley-lines energizes magical experiments—detectable by a DC 15 Arcana check.

The Stilted Village

Once a trading post for itinerant scribes, the Stilted Village clings above the marsh on wooden piles. Most huts have rotted away, but a few remain inhabited by frogfolk who worship forgotten muse-spirits. The frogfolk possess scraps of clay tablets used in their rituals. Suspended rope bridges creak overhead, and handmade wind-chimes tinkle with shells and bone beads. A half-collapsed chapel houses the Tablet of Origins fragment, locked in a damp reliquary.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) The frogfolk chief wears a carved amulet that reveals secret passages in the chapel on a DC 14 Religion check. (2) A trapdoor in the chapel floor leads to a flooded catacomb.

Marsh Altar of Erudalia

A circular stone dais engraved with faded runes, half-submerged in dark water. Aligned with moon phases, the altar glows silver on full moons. Blood-ink offerings placed here by ancient acolytes imbued the dais with protective wards. Characters who step onto the altar under the right lunar cycle gain visions of events tied to one of the clay tablets. Submerged glyphs beneath the water pulse when touched by moonlight.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) A hidden glyph on the underside of the altar unlocks an illusory vault. (2) The altar’s center pivot opens into a lower cistern containing a scribe’s ghostly advisor.

Citadel of the Ashen Quill

Perched atop a volcanic plateau, the obsidian Citadel of the Ashen Quill is the warlord’s stronghold. Spires of black glass tower above ash-bunged ramparts, and lava flows carve scarred ravines around its base. Vent shafts puff smoke-colored steam, and walls are emblazoned with slogans denouncing writing as heresy. The central keep’s courtyards are littered with smoking pyres of books, and sentries in ash-stained armor patrol the battlements. Black-robed acolytes chant banishment rites over immense braziers. In the inner gatehouse, folded siege engines stand poised to incinerate any who approach. Within the vault beneath the throne room lies the warlord’s greatest prize: the lost Codex of All Tomes, rumored to unify the scattered tablets into a singular power. The citadel’s layout is maze-like, built to disorient intruders, with hidden trap corridors and collapsing floors. Dungeons hold captured scribes, and guard towers overlook every approach. Magma chambers deep below serve both as heat source for ash bombs and as a final oubliette for enemies.

Secrets

  • The magma tunnels beneath the citadel connect to caves in the Crystal Caverns.
  • A dying acolyte whispers the true name of the warlord—needed to shatter his ward.
  • The throne’s obsidian back conceals a map fragment leading to a secret exit.

Key Locations

Gatehouse of Embers

Massive bronze doors inscribed with runic wards crackle with ember light from hidden braziers. Warlord’s legionnaires, clad in ash-black plate, man ballistae that fire flaming bolts. Judges in hoods oversee trials where captured scribes are forced to denounce writing or face the flames. The vaulted ceiling is so hot that torches flare spontaneously. Concealed murder holes and arrow slits pepper the walls.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) One braziers’ fuel supply tunnel leads to the citadel’s magma chambers and can be ignited to block reinforcements. (2) A hidden side postern allows stealthy entry for those who know the scribe’s mark.

Pyre Yard

An open courtyard ringed by stone altars piled high with books, scrolls, and tablets bound for the flames. Iron grates funnel ash into underground grinders. Overseers scour the pyres for contraband before incineration. The air is thick with choking soot and ash motes sparkle like embers around burning pulp. A hidden dwarven forgemaster crafts ash-bombs here, mixing charred inks into volatile mixtures.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) Under the largest pyre lies a concealed cache of warlord’s orders referencing the tablets’ next target. (2) A secret lockbox in the forgemaster’s hut contains a Hammer of Inscription fragment.

Throne Room of Quills

The central hall features a massive throne carved from a single obsidian block, tipped with jagged shards resembling quills. Flanking the throne are two leviathan ink reservoires bubbling with molten pigment. The warlord’s banner—an inverted quill dripping blood—hangs overhead. Guards stand at attention on raised platforms, their shields embossed with burning scrolls. The floor is a mosaic of shattered tablets, each piece radiating residual magic. The ceiling vaults are painted with scenes of scribes bound in chains, their ink escaping as spectral tendrils.

Additional Notes

Secrets: (1) A hidden switch in the left reservoir drains part of the molten ink, revealing a safe containing a key to the Inner Vault. (2) The mosaic holds a trap: stepping on the wrong shard triggers a glyph of soul-ink, binding the victim’s voice.

NPCs in Ruins of the Great Scriptorium

Arion the Last Scribe

A lean, aged man with ink-stained robes and keen, bright eyes. He speaks in hushed tones and treats every fragment of writing as sacred.

Role: Quest Giver Other Details: Arion believes writing can reshape the world’s destiny if the tablets are reunited.

Captain Lira Stormbrook

A stern city guard captain who patrols the outskirts of the ruins. She distrusts scholars but respects order.

Role: Ally/Obstacle Other Details: Offers support once convinced the tablets can prevent war.

Jorin Windtrill

A wandering minstrel versed in song, rumor, and tall tales. He knows parts of the lost histories in verse.

Role: Information Broker Other Details: Wants to transcribe the recovered tablets into ballads.

Thalia the Ink Witch

A reclusive alchemist living in the Vault’s antechamber. She crafts magical inks but hides her motives.

Role: Merchant/Quest Giver Other Details: Seeks rare pigments from side-quests.

Brother Kemnac

A zealous monk who believes all writing is blasphemous and seeks to destroy the tablets.

Role: Antagonist Other Details: Skulks in the shadows, burning scraps of parchment he finds.

NPCs in The Emerald Marshlands

Queen Rana the Croakseer

A regal frogfolk enchantress attuned to the marsh’s moods. She communicates in croaks and mud-sigils.

Role: Ally/Puzzle NPC Other Details: Demands a riddle-quest before granting access to tablet fragments.

Gregor the Warden

A rugged swamp ranger tracking monsters. He wears a patch from the Scriptorium guard.

Role: Guide Other Details: Seeks revenge on a marsh harpy that ambushed his unit.

Maris the Botanist

A halfling herbalist studying marsh flora for Thalia.

Role: Side-quest Giver Other Details: Needs rare spores from giant lily flowers.

Skrillix the Mud Shaman

An eccentric goblin who communes with elemental spirits of the swamp.

Role: Information Broker Other Details: Holds a fragment of a prophecy in exchange for a favor.

Inkbound Specter

Wraiths of cultists drawn to tablets. They whisper forbidden verses.

Role: Recurring Enemy Other Details: Each specter slain can drop runic residue.

NPCs in Citadel of the Ashen Quill

Warlord Zharan the Flamebinder

A hulking figure in ash-black armor crowned with a quill of red-hot steel. Zealous and cruel, he believes the written word is an abomination.

Role: Final Antagonist Other Details: Wields flaming greatsword Warbrand Claymore.

High Inkaris

Zharan’s lieutenant and pyromancer who crafts ash bombs from forbidden inks.

Role: Boss Encounter Other Details: Commands ash spirits in battle.

Forge Mistress Bryla

A dwarven forgemaster forced to work the pyre yard’s grinders by threat of death.

Role: Potential Ally Other Details: Will aid PCs if rescued.

Scribe-Prisoner Valenia

A captive historian who recorded details of the Codex’s construction.

Role: Informant Other Details: Offers critical info on vault wards.

Brother Kemnac

Now Zharan’s secret confessor and flame acolyte, still plotting to destroy the Scriptorium’s legacy.

Role: Recurring Antagonist Other Details: Facilitates secret reinforcements.

Factions

Order of Erudalia

A secret cabal of scholars, scribes, and archivists dedicated to preserving and passing on written knowledge. They operate in hidden enclaves scattered across the world, collecting artifacts, ink recipes, and forbidden glyphs. The order believes that the written word is the greatest force for peace and progress, storing their most precious vaults beneath ruined libraries and catacombs. Members wear rune-etched rings and communicate via coded scrolls.

Goals

  • Recover and protect all clay tablets
  • Establish new scriptoriums
  • Cure the world’s devolution into myth

Relationships

With Other Factions
Tense with the Warlord’s Legion, allied with the Songweaver’s Guild for information exchange.
With Players
They guide and fund the party’s quests, providing resources and lore.

Warlord’s Legion

A militant order ruled by Warlord Zharan, worshipping flame and destruction of written history. Legionnaires burn books and tablets in mass pyres, believing illiteracy makes populations more controllable. Their black-armored troops enforce Zharan’s anti-scribe doctrine, recruiting zealots and monks like Brother Kemnac. The legion masters siegecraft and flame magic, using ash bombs and living magma constructs to crush resistance.

Goals

  • Eradicate all written records
  • Enforce the warlord’s dogma
  • Expand the Flamebinder’s empire

Relationships

With Other Factions
At war with the Order of Erudalia, under constant skirmish with the Songweaver’s Guild.
With Players
Primary antagonists; players must weaken their legions and foil their campaigns.

Songweaver’s Guild

A loose network of bards, minstrels, and memory-keepers who believe in preserving history through oral tradition. They oppose both the Warlord’s Legion and the extreme scribe factions, fearing written records can be corrupted. Members travel in caravans, chronicling events in song and rhyme, and trade stories for safe passage. They often assist the Order of Erudalia by transcribing tablets and secretly distributing hidden verses beneath the warlord’s notice.

Goals

  • Maintain living oral histories
  • Aid scribes covertly
  • Expose false narratives spread by the Legion

Relationships

With Other Factions
Neutral to the Order, hostile to the Legion, wary of Brother Kemnac’s monks.
With Players
Provide information, travel support, and occasional minor magical aids in exchange for recovered lore.

Main Questline

Call to Scribe

Given by: Arion the Last Scribe

Arion convenes the party within his hidden refuge and reveals the scattered clay tablets that preserve the world’s true history—now targeted by Warlord Zharan’s crusade to erase all writing. He tasks the adventurers to recover the first tablet fragment from the Vault of Scrolls, teaching them the significance of each artifact.

Goals

• Enter the Vault of Scrolls • Obtain the first tablet fragment • Return safely to Arion

Reward

• 100 gp • Scroll of Understand Languages

Secrets

  • The vault’s ward can be bypassed with a stolen warlord crest.
  • A hidden fragment reveals the Scriptorium’s secret escape tunnel.

DM Notes

Sets tone & stakes; ideal for levels 1–3.

Echoes in the Marsh

Given by: Queen Rana the Croakseer

Having retrieved the first fragment, Arion directs the party to the Emerald Marshlands where the frogfolk queen holds the second tablet piece. They must negotiate with the frogfolk, overcome marsh hazards, and thwart the Inkbound cult’s ambush on the stilted village.

Goals

• Reach the Stilted Village • Recover the second tablet fragment • Defeat Inkbound cultists

Reward

• 300 gp • Pearl of Resistance (acid)

Secrets

  • Cultists plan to sacrifice a captive to awaken swamp spirits.
  • A frogfolk elder possesses a chant that nullifies specter attacks.

DM Notes

Introduce swamp terrain and negotiation with nonhuman allies. Levels 3–5.

Shattered Truths

Given by: Scribe-Prisoner Valenia

With two fragments in hand, the party ventures into the Shattered Library Ruins to locate the next tablet under layers of collapsed archives. Guided by Valenia’s information, they must bypass traps, decode shattered glyphs, and face undead archivists in the hidden scriptorium.

Goals

• Explore the Shattered Library • Defeat undead guardians • Secure the third tablet fragment

Reward

• 500 gp • Tome of Historical Lore (grants advantage on History checks)

Secrets

  • A hidden archivist’s diary details the warlord’s plan to burn all writing.
  • A trapdoor leads to an underground catacomb with a bonus fragment.

DM Notes

Challenge with puzzles & undead; levels 5–7.

Crystal Secrets

Given by: Thalia the Ink Witch

Arion and Thalia learn that the fourth fragment lies within the Crystal Caverns, fused to an enormous geode. The party must navigate mirrored tunnels, avoid collapsing crystal spires, and outwit gem dragons that brood over the geode. Thalia provides enchanted lanterns to reveal hidden runes.

Goals

• Traverse the Crystal Caverns • Recover the fourth tablet fragment • Return to Thalia

Reward

• Crystal Lens (rare) • 700 gp

Secrets

  • Gem dragon uses illusion to hide the tablet—as an identical glittering fragment in another cavern.
  • An enchanted phrase will cause the crystal to part like a door.

DM Notes

Use light puzzles & terrain hazards; levels 7–9.

Final Script

Given by: Arion the Last Scribe

With all fragments gathered, the party confronts Warlord Zharan’s Citadel of the Ashen Quill. They must infiltrate the fortress, rescue key allies, assemble the Codex of Origins, and defeat Zharan before he ignites his pyres to erase history forever.

Goals

• Infiltrate the citadel • Assemble and activate the Codex • Defeat Warlord Zharan

Reward

• Scribe’s Compendium (legendary) • Titles of Memory Keepers

Secrets

  • The Codex’s binding ritual requires the Chronos Ink from the Obsidian Tower.
  • Brother Kemnac betrays Zharan at the last moment if confronted with the true name.

DM Notes

Epic finale, levels 9–11.

Side Quests in Ruins of the Great Scriptorium

The Cracked Chronicle

Given by: Arion the Last Scribe

Arion has discovered a severely damaged clay tablet fragment in the Grand Hall. He asks the party to find the missing piece within the Vault’s collapsed antechamber. The fragment hints at an apocalyptic prophecy but is incomplete. To restore it, the adventurers must explore the vault’s lower levels and overcome traps left by protective wards. Along the way, they might rescue a captive scholar. This quest ties into the main quest by revealing one of three coded directions to the next tablet’s hiding place.

Goals

• Retrieve missing tablet piece • Rescue captive scholar • Return safely to Arion

Reward

• 200 gp and a Scroll of Understand Languages • +1 to History checks regarding ancient scripts

Secrets

  • The scholar rescued knows a suppressed verse that can nullify Brother Kemnac’s anti-scribe ward.
  • The damaged fragment once belonged to a private collection of the Warlord’s father.

DM Notes

Scales well at levels 2–4. Include faint sickly groans behind collapsed doors for atmosphere.

Ink Thief

Given by: Thalia the Ink Witch

Thalia’s supply of Luminous Ink has been stolen by greedy kobolds who dwell in the catacombs beneath the Scriptorium. Without it, she cannot craft inks strong enough to reveal hidden glyphs on recovered tablets. She tasks the party with infiltrating the kobold den, defeating the thief-chief, and retrieving the stolen vials. Kobolds have repurposed empty scroll tubes as horns and traps rigged with spikes coated in paralytic poison. This quest helps the party secure magical inks useful for later secrets.

Goals

• Recover all vials of Luminous Ink • Defeat or deter the kobold chief • Return to Thalia

Reward

• 3 vials of Luminous Ink (grants darkvision up to 60 ft. for 1 hour) • Thalia’s personal favor (advantage on one Arcana check)

Secrets

  • The kobolds worship a residual binding glyph and resist normal attacks unless the glyph is disrupted.
  • One vial was laced with a tracking spell revealing a secret lab in the Obsidian Tower.

DM Notes

Include poison traps; let players identify the paralytic toxin with a DC 13 Nature or Medicine check.

Lost Minstrel

Given by: Jorin Windtrill

Jorin seeks the diary of a long-dead bard rumored to contain lyrics that decode a clay tablet’s pictograms. The diary rests in a collapsed cistern beneath the Grand Hall, guarded by a small band of drowned specters. The party must brave the flooded tunnels, navigate underwater passages, and face specters that drain creative energy, imposing disadvantage on performance checks. Recovering the diary reveals mnemonic keys to unlock scribal enchantments.

Goals

• Retrieve the bard’s diary from the submerged cistern • Defeat or circumvent the specters • Deliver the diary to Jorin

Reward

• Lyre of Laughter (uncommon wondrous item) • Jorin’s gratitude—he accompanies the party as a guide for one region

Secrets

  • The diary also mentions a hidden chamber in the Shattered Library.
  • Specters can be turned with enhanced music—allow Performance DC 14 to repel them.

DM Notes

Use strong water descriptions: currents, silt. PCs should prepare for underwater combat.

Parchment Delivery

Given by: Captain Lira Stormbrook

Captain Lira asks the party to escort a precious vellum scroll to a nearby outpost before bandits known as the Inkblights can intercept it. The scroll contains an appeal to regional governors for peace. Bandits ambush along a river road through dense woodlands. The adventurers must defend the carriage, protect the driver, and potentially track the bandits back to their hideout, uncovering clues to a larger conspiracy to incite war.

Goals

• Ensure the scroll reaches the outpost intact • Protect the driver and carriage • Report bandit hideout location

Reward

• 150 gp and a Potion of Heroism • Letter of Recommendation from Captain Lira (social advantage in guard-controlled towns)

Secrets

  • The bandit leader carries a burned fragment revealing Brother Kemnac’s secret orders.
  • The driver is secretly an agent of the Songweaver’s Guild.

DM Notes

Include social skill challenge when negotiating with townsfolk for supplies.

Ghostly Lore

Given by: Brother Kemnac

Brother Kemnac feigns interest in preserving knowledge by asking the party to retrieve a set of spectral parchments from the Inkwell Garden. Unbeknownst, these parchments are cursed—once opened, they bind the reader’s memory. Kemnac plans to burn them later. The adventurers must decide whether to expose his true motives, rescue the parchments, or allow them to be destroyed. This moral quandary tests their loyalties.

Goals

• Retrieve the spectral parchments • Decide their fate (destroy or protect) • Confront Brother Kemnac

Reward

• If saved: Amulet of Truth (uncommon) • If destroyed: Brother Kemnac’s guarded gratitude (favor among certain religious orders)

Secrets

  • Kemnac’s confession of warlord allegiance hidden in the parchments’ margins.
  • The spectral parchments can be exorcised to release a helpful spirit guide.

DM Notes

Focus on roleplay and moral tension rather than combat.

Side Quests in The Emerald Marshlands

Lily of the Moon

Given by: Maris the Botanist

Maris needs moonwhite lily petals to create a potent ink solvent. These lilies bloom only under full moon light and grow atop slippery logs in the Murky Bog. The harvest requires stealth to avoid giant leeches and combats chloric marshtoads. A failed stealth check may awaken a Croakseer’s sentinel. Once harvested, petals must be delivered by dawn or they lose potency.

Goals

• Harvest 5 moonwhite lily petals • Return them to Maris by dawn

Reward

• +1 Herbalism Kit proficiency • Vial of Moonlit Pigment (use to reveal invisible ink)

Secrets

  • A lily’s pollen can be refined into a sleeping draught.
  • A hidden grove of lilies marks the location of an Inkbound relic.

DM Notes

Include a light-based skill challenge to collect petals in the dark.

Swarm of Terror

Given by: Gregor the Warden

Dormant insect colonies beneath the walkway have been disturbed by scavengers. Giant wasp-like beetles now overwhelm the Stilted Village, endangering frogfolk inhabitants. Gregor tasks the party to eradicate the nest by navigating rotted platforms and collapsing beams. Wasps swarm in waves, and poisonous stings can incapacitate. A shaken frogfolk clan will reward those who save their homes.

Goals

• Destroy the insect hive • Protect all villagers • Return to Gregor

Reward

• 100 gp and a Ring of Resistance (poison) • Friendly status with frogfolk in the Marshlands

Secrets

  • The nest’s queen was bred by the Inkbound cult—she carries a runic crest.
  • Breaking open a ceremonial sample vial yields ink that can animate clay.

DM Notes

Scale encounter to party size; include environmental hazards like collapsing boards.

Echoes in the Mists

Given by: Skrillix the Mud Shaman

Skrillix requests that the party retrieve a drowned journal from the depths of the Marsh Altar’s cistern. The cistern’s waters are tainted with magical residue that blurs vision. Elemental water spirits guard the journal, demanding a portion of the party’s luck in exchange. Negotiation or combat may follow. The journal holds cryptic references to an ancient archivist’s final resting site.

Goals

• Acquire the drowned journal • Return it to Skrillix

Reward

• Pearl of Temperance (uncommon) • +2 bonus on two Wisdom saving throws

Secrets

  • The water spirits can be sated with moonwhite lilies instead of combat.
  • The journal’s margins reveal the hidden path to the Shattered Library.

DM Notes

Offer alternative social or combat resolutions.

Side Quests in Citadel of the Ashen Quill

Rescue the Forgemaster

Given by: Forge Mistress Bryla

Bryla surreptitiously signals the party from the Pyre Yard. She begs rescue from her chains so she can sabotage the citadel’s ash-bomb production. PCs must free her, avoid or defeat pyromancer acolytes, and navigate collapsing scaffolds. Once freed, she uses ancient dwarven runes to lock down the pyre yard’s forges, crippling the warlord’s defenses.

Goals

• Free Bryla • Sabotage the forges • Exit via tunnel

Reward

• Hammer of Inscription (rare) • Bryla’s loyalty as a lifelong ally

Secrets

  • Bryla knows a hidden escape tunnel behind the forges.
  • The runes she uses can be repurposed to disable ward glyphs elsewhere.

DM Notes

Include timed elements as forges overheat.

Words of Rebellion

Given by: Scribe-Prisoner Valenia

Valenia has smuggled out fragments of rebel graffiti scrawled in invisible ink across the citadel walls. She asks the party to spread a coded message to Zharan’s troops, inciting mutiny. PCs must decipher the graffiti, avoid patrols, and replace the banners in three guard towers before dawn. Success can turn sections of the garrison against the warlord.

Goals

• Decode the graffiti • Replace banners in three towers • Rally the troops

Reward

• 500 xp per tower • Potential reduction in final battle troops

Secrets

  • One banner hides a tablet fragment that weakens the warlord’s flame magic.
  • A guard captain is secretly a sympathizer and can be recruited.

DM Notes

Focus on stealth and social checks; avoid overt combat.

Encounters

Guardian Golem of the Vault

Hard

Suggested Level: 2–4

A towering clay golem animated by residual ink wards defends the Vault of Scrolls.

Creatures

  • Clay Golem

Terrain Features

  • Narrow corridor forces single-file movement
  • Parchment debris provides half cover

Treasure

Tablet Fragment #1 bound to golem’s core

DM Notes

Golem vulnerable to thunder damage; use environment to slow its advance.

Marsh Specter Ambush

Medium

Suggested Level: 3–5

Inkbound specters rise from the mist to attack travelers on a rickety walkway.

Creatures

  • 2 Inkbound Specters
  • 4 Swamp Bats

Terrain Features

  • Collapsing boards
  • Deep water flanking the path

Treasure

Spectral residue that can enhance ink potency

DM Notes

Use dynamic terrain: boards break on failed Dex save DC 12.

Undead Archivist Council

Deadly

Suggested Level: 5–7

A circle of 4 undead librarians chanting over a battered lectern summons ink-manifesting shadows.

Creatures

  • 4 Revenant Archivists
  • Ink Shades (shadow variant)

Terrain Features

  • Collapsed shelves form pillars
  • Occasional falling debris

Treasure

Tome of Historical Lore

DM Notes

Interrupt chants before shadows fully manifest or suffer extra waves.

Gem Dragon’s Mirror Duel

Deadly

Suggested Level: 7–9

A silver gem dragon challenges the party in a reflective cavern filled with illusions.

Creatures

  • Silver Gem Dragon

Terrain Features

  • Cracked crystal floor may trap characters
  • Multiple mirrored walls

Treasure

Crystal Lens

DM Notes

Encourage creative use of reflections to confuse the dragon.

Flamebinder’s Last Stand

Deadly

Suggested Level: 9–11

Warlord Zharan and Brother Kemnac defend the Inner Vault with flame magic and cursed glyphs.

Creatures

  • Warlord Zharan
  • Brother Kemnac
  • 3 Ash Acolytes

Terrain Features

  • Lava moat on one side
  • Glyph-warded floor tiles

Treasure

Scribe’s Compendium

DM Notes

Timed ritual: party must complete assembly of Codex within 3 rounds or ritual fails.

Magic Items

Pearl of Temperance

Uncommon
A small pearl that grants advantage on one Wisdom saving throw once per day.

Location

Marsh Altar

Attunement

False

Quill of Recall

Rare
A feathered quill that records the last minute of spoken words into invisible ink.

Location

Arion’s Refuge

Attunement

True (scribe only)

Tome of Historical Lore

Very Rare
An ancient book granting advantage on all History checks about lost civilizations.

Location

Archivist’s Crypt

Attunement

True (any scholarly)

Lyre of Laughter

Uncommon
A finely carved lyre that can cast Tasha’s Hideous Laughter once per short rest.

Location

Cistern beneath Grand Hall

Attunement

True (bard only)

Hammer of Inscription

Rare
A dwarven hammer that etches runes into stone or metal with each strike.

Location

Pyre Yard lockbox

Attunement

True (artisan)

Crystal Lens

Rare
A faceted lens that reveals invisible magic and illusions within 30 feet.

Location

Crystal Caverns

Attunement

False

Ashen Banner

Uncommon
A charred banner that inspires allies, granting +2 on one saving throw when planted.

Location

Throne Room

Attunement

False

Scribe’s Compendium

Legendary
A bound collection of reunited clay fragments. Grants the wielder the Legend Lore spell once.

Location

Inner Vault

Attunement

True (chosen by Codex)

Amulet of Truth

Uncommon
An amulet that forces one target to speak only truth when activated.

Location

Inkwell Garden shrine

Attunement

False

Scroll of Understand Languages

Uncommon
A single-use scroll that deciphers any written script.

Location

Arion’s Refuge

Attunement

False

Player Characters

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