```metadata
title: A Day to Forget
description: >-
  A one-shot adventure in the homebrewed setting of Xelix. Survive as your world
  falls apart!
tags: []
systems:
  - 5e
renderer: V3
theme: 5ePHB

```

# A Day to Forget
The Lost Day is a special day in the otherwise uneventful world-city of Xelix, as it is a day nobody remembers once it ends. As citizens go about their humdrum lives in the city's Plaza of Lights, none realize that today is about to become special in quite a different way, as it is the day their peaceful, unchanging world plunges into chaos.

## Running the Adventure
*A Day to Forget* is a short introduction to both the world of Xelix (pronounced "zeh-licks") and *Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition*. It is meant to be run within 90 minutes, and makes no assumptions of the players' experience with any tabletop games.

This document is meant for you, the Dungeon Master, alone. It is recommended to read the entire adventure before attemting run it. It assumes that you have the fifth edition Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide, though not the Monster Manual, as stat blocks for the few NPCs and monsters in this adventure are contained here.

Nonmagical equipment and the basic mechanics of play are described in the Player's Handbook. General guidelines for running any adventure are described in the Dungeon Master's Guide. All other specifics of this adventure, including magic items, are described in this document.

{{note
Text that appears in a box like this is meant to be read aloud or paraphrased for players when their characters first arrive at a location or under a specific circumstance, as described in the text.
}}

## Story Overview
The adventure focuses on a group of people who face a sudden and catastrophic event in the world of Xelix. The protagonists of this adventure, controlled by the players, aren't adventurers -- in fact, the incredibly stable society of Xelix has until now made adventuring a thing of the distant past, the stuff of myth along with stories of fabulous treasure and terrifying monsters. Rather, the player characters are effectively commoners who have found themselves in the wrong place, and the wrong time.

Xelix is an ecumenopolis, a moon-sized planet and a city all in one. Its sky features no stars or other astral objects, save for its sun, which some groups call the Eye. Many centuries ago, the world was a much more chaotic place, as nascent civilizations at every corner of the world clashed with each other for dominance, before their settlements covered the surface of the small planetoid, merged, and formed the city-state of today. Those settlements are now at the bottom layer of a world-city that had then rapidly expanded upwards in countless layers built upon one another.

All of these significant events happened in Xelix's distant past, in an era now called the Troubled Times. There are only few historical records of this time, and such records are largely considered unreliable and contradictory. These records speak of rapid technological advancement, but also of magic and creatures long extinct, if they even existed at all. Since that era, Xelix's society has been stagnant, neither evolving nor devolving: technology has not meaningfully advanced past the development of clockwork and steam power, politics revolve around the dull minutiae of day-to-day life such as infrastructure maintenance, and even art and culture appear to be cyclical, as the same trends fall in and out of favor over the years. Magic is thought to have existed once, but no longer, though it is studied on a theoretical basis and certain faith groups claim to wield it in some amount.

Over the course of this adventure, this incredibly static world is turned upside-down. Disaster strikes, thrusting the characters into an unfamiliar and dangerous situation where they will have to make choices and put their skills to use. At the end of the adventure, they will encounter a foe they thought only existed in legend: a dragon. Confused and weakened, but a dragon nonetheless.

The adventure ends when either the dragon or the characters are defeated. Though the adventure does endanger the characters, total defeat or even the death of a player character is unlikely to happen, to avoid punishing players who may be entirely new to tabletop gaming.

## Adventure Structure
The adventure is split into four small chapters, each outlining an aspect of play in *Dungeons & Dragons*:
- **Chapter 1: The Plaza of Lights.** In this chapter, the players are introduced to the basics of the world, and get to introduce their character in a safe environment and participate in roleplay. The triggering event occurs, chaos ensues, and the characters brush with the dragon. Circumstance puts the characters together, where they will have to choose how to leave the area.
- **Chapter 2: The Escape.** Following the triggering event in Chapter 1, and based on the characters' choice of escape, the newly-formed party is thrust into a dangerous situation, represented by a series of ability checks. This situation also gives the players the choice to rescue bystanders in danger, incurring an additional degree of immediate risk. The dragon from Chapter 1 returns and starts to hunt the party, adding to the danger of the situation.

{{pageNumber,auto}}
{{footnote INTRODUCTION}}

\page
- **Chapter 3: The Stranger.** As the players survive the danger in Chapter 2 and are being hunted by the dragon, they encounter a mysterious stranger, who guides them to a hidden armory. The party gets the opportunity to recover, equip magic weapons, and prepare to fight.
- **Chapter 4: The Dragon.** The party finds themselves in a now-ruined, yet familiar part of the city, which becomes a fighting arena where the characters take on the dragon in a climactic combat encounter.

## Character Levels
Characters in this adventure are at a special "level zero", and have no class levels and only a few proficiencies and trinkets on them. Though the players can choose characters of different species, their unique racial traits are suppressed.

Although the players' choices do influence the course of the adventure, it proceeds in fairly linear fashion. The DM is encouraged to keep things moving at a fairly rapid pace, in line with the urgency of the characters' situation, while making sure to give each player the opportunity to have their character shine.

By the end of this adventure, the characters become adventurers -- it is entirely up to the players whether they want to continue with their character on future adventures, giving them a level in a class, or start anew. Because the specifics of the day's events are erased from memory, it is up to the players to decide whether they want their characters to keep adventuring together: fate could conspire to keep their adventuring party just as well as it could to split them up and send them down their own path.

### Character Creation
Character creation for the purpose of this adventure is streamlined, as detailed in Appendix A: each character has six hit points, is proficient in two skills, knows two languages from a limited list, and gains a trinket from the Xelix Trinkets table in Appendix B. This adventure offers pre-generated characters, listed in Appendix A, though players can choose to alter those characters or create a new one if they prefer. Players can choose their character's species from the list below, though this would only carry a minor impact on roleplay for the purpose of this adventure. Characters have no class levels, no additional proficiencies or backgrounds, and all of their ability scores are 10, for a modifier of 0. If a player chooses to keep playing the same character in future adventures, they can change their character's ability scores, following the normal rules for character creation.

The following races are available for player characters:
- **Dragonborn:** Many dragonborn boast that they descend from dragons of legend, who were themselves said to come from primordial flame. Their tall frames and fierce appearance often land them positions as enforcers of the peace, though dragonborn are often assumed to be among the first to run afoul of it.
- **Dwarves:** Stout and squat, dwarves are longer-lived than most, and are more likely than most other races to spend their lives in the levels below the surface layers of Xelix, practicing long-honed crafts or excavating lost wealth. Some even claim their ancestral homes *were* once on the world-city's topmost layer, and they simply never felt the need to move since.
- **Elves:** Tall and slender, elves maintain a youthful appearance despite decades of experience accumulated over their long lifespans, a combination many find unsettling. It is perhaps in part due to this disconnect with sentient races that many elves find a closer connection to nature, tending to the flora and fauna of the world-city's parks and reserves.
- **Gnomes:** Burning bright over a lifetime lasting rarely over thirty years, gnomes are said to operate at an entirely different pace from other races, acting, thinking, and feeling faster, and more intensely. Gnomes often find themselves devoting their lives to science or the arts, though it is said that they are cursed to die before their pursuits can truly bear fruit.
- **Humans:** Thought to have formed their first settlements in a confluence of many rivers, humans are often thought of as consummate diplomats, merchants, and administrators. Their original language is now the Common tongue, spoken by all.
- **Orcs:** Legend says orcs once ruled the skies as they sailed across the world in airborne caravans. Other legends, particularly among dwarves, allege that ancestral orcs descended from the skies to pillage the lands below. Though no evidence exists to give credence to either legend, many orcs do find themselves moving from place to place across and above the surface layer of Xelix, working varied jobs and forging their own path along the way.

Characters can read, write, and speak Common, in addition to one of the following languages: Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Gnomish, and Orcish.

{{pageNumber,auto}}
{{footnote INTRODUCTION}}

\page
# Chapter 1: The Plaza of Lights
{{note
It is the last day of the year in the world-city of Xelix. To most, it starts and ends just as would any other day, but to all, it differs in one key aspect: everyone forgets the day once it is over. Nobody can say why, but that is the way things have been for as long as anyone can remember.

It is on this day that the Plaza of Lights is at its most beautiful, or so people say. As the sun disappears entirely for the day, it gives way to a dazzling array of gas-lit lamps, arranged meticulously around the plaza to diffract and reflect off of its towering structures of glass and metal. Even the lanterns on the clockwork carriages travelling the roads above and below add to the display in regular bursts of iridescence.

On this day, you find yourself at the plaza. The year’s Lost Day has thus far been entirely uneventful, and perhaps more than anywhere else, peace and stability reign supreme in this veritable temple to perfect order. It does not seem like anything could possibly go wrong.
}}

The characters begin anywhere they like on the plaza, on Map 1-1. Initially, there is no set goal: this is a good time to invite each player in turn to briefly describe their character and what they're doing. After introductions are complete, it is up to you to decide when to begin the adventure: it is recommended to let players move their characters around a little and interact with the scene, perhaps even directly communicate to them how much freedom they have to act, before triggering the cataclysm and beginning the adventure proper.

### 1A: The Plaza
The circular plaza is over 100 feet wide, and bathed in bright light from regularly-placed gas lamps. The edge of the plaza is a walkway lined on the outside with an ornate guardrail, and on the inside with various artworks made of steel, glass, and other materials designed to catch the light coming in from various angles.

At the center is another, far larger structure -- approximately 100 feet high and 50 feet in diameter, also made of glass and steel. The base of the structure is made up of various arches, allowing any humanoid to easily enter and admire it from within. A massive gas lamp hangs near the top, giving it the appearance of a lighthouse and allowing the structure to be seen from miles away. As the light catches the glass and metal, it diffracts, splashing rainbow colors across its walls.

The plaza is suspended 300 feet above ground from two bridges on opposite ends, giving a view of several of Xelix's layers, all of which are also brightly-lit at this time. Each bridge is 200 feet long and 20 feet wide, and at the center of each bridge is a toothed track allowing for the city's clockwork trams to move, up to where the bridge ends and the plaza begins. Around the plaza, both above and below, are a multitude of rails, which are part of the city's monorail system.

\column
### 1B: Triggering the Adventure
There is no set trigger for the cataclysm that begins the adventure, as it happens independently of the player characters' actions. It is recommended to trigger the event after the players get their characters to interact a bit with the scene, though you may want to trigger the cataclysm sooner if the players attempt to take more disruptive actions with their characters, such as the following:
- Attempt to leave the plaza by moving to one of the bridges.
- Climb the guardrail on the outer edge of the plaza (the 300-foot drop to the ground below would guarantee the character's death, so it is recommend to interrupt the player before they follow through with their decision).
- Assault a non-player character, or NPC for short. Do not do the same if they try assault a player character, or PC for short, as it is strongly recommend you disallow player-versus-player actions entirely and discourage your players from taking them.
- Vandalize any part of the plaza, or otherwise engage in openly disorderly behavior that would have someone call the guard.

If one or more characters take such actions and you want to give the other players more time to have their characters interact with the scene, tell the triggering characters' player (or players) that you'll get back to them, and let the remaining characters act. Once you are satisfied, play out the other characters' actions (though you need not describe any consequences, even if they assault a NPC) and trigger the adventure.

Once you are ready to trigger the adventure, read the following aloud:

{{note
You're interrupted by a rumbling sound. A white light in the distance catches your attention, this one far brighter even than the one at the top of the plaza you're standing in. It couldn't be farther than a few miles away, yet nothing in that part of the city is known to shine so brilliantly.

Suddenly, the light shoots up into the sky, forming a radiant pillar so tall that it is impossible to see where it ends. The air around it seems to briefly turn solid, and a few seconds later, a violent shockwave knocks you off your feet, nearly pulverizing you. Your ears ring from a thunderclap far louder than anything you've ever heard, as glass explodes all around you. The stone at your feet cracks, and the sturdy metal structures around you warp and buckle, gas lamps falling down and spreading flame as they break open.

Still reeling, you hear a ghastly screech of metal, as the plaza's central structure plummets into one of the bridges. Its lamp explodes on landing into a massive fireball, setting the entire bridge aflame. You are lucky to still be alive, yet you are in grave danger.
}}

{{pageNumber,auto}}
{{footnote CHAPTER 1 | THE PLAZA OF LIGHTS}}

\page
### 1C: The Plaza, Post-Cataclysm
Change to Map 1-2, and remove all NPC tokens save for one of your choice. The plaza is now a very different and far more dangerous place: many lamps have fallen to the ground and cracked open, spreading flame. A character who touches the flame or moves through its space must make a DC 10 Acrobatics check, taking 1 fire damage on a failure.

It is up to the DM to determine the level of detail with which they want to describe the scene: at its most basic, the plaza is ruined and in the process of breaking down even further, with its central tower collapsed into one of the bridges and bits falling off the edges. If all the players are comfortable with grittier detail, the DM can also describe bystanders killed or injured by the disaster in various ways, such as falling glass or metal, fire, or falling off the edge.

Regardless of detail, there are six important points to the scene, which the DM is invited to briefly describe: this can happen if the characters survey the area, or the guide NPC can point these out to them, as described further below. Each point of interest is a different means of escape, and leads to a different variation of Part 2 of the adventure. When the characters choose one of these means of escape, conclude this chapter as described in part 1D, and keep a note of the listed part when progressing to Chapter 2.

- **The Burning Bridge:** One of the bridges is still miraculously intact, but is set ablaze from the collapse of the plaza's massive central gas lamp on top of it. At a glance most, but not all of the bridge is on fire, and it looks like you could potentially forge a safe path through it. Entering this bridge takes the characters to **2B: Trial by Fire**.
- **The Sewers:** The other bridge has partially collapsed, revealing the sewer running directly under its surface. A ramp of broken stone and warped metal allows the characters to travel from the plaza and enter the sewer. Entering the sewer takes the characters to **2C: Trial by Water**.
- **The Monorail:** A monorail car has fallen to one end of the plaza, bringing its rail down with it. Its clockwork mechanisms are still running, and the car could be started up again to follow the rail away from the plaza. Entering the monorail car takes the characters to **2D: Trial by Metal**.
- **The Tree:** On one end of the plaza, the characters can see thick tree branches reaching out, stretching so far that it's impossible to see in the now much darker district where they're coming from. These branches are large enough to be walked on, and can be reached from the plaza. They were nowhere to be seen until the disaster, however. Climbing the tree branches takes the characters to **2E: Trial by Wood**.
- **The Balloon:** A hot air balloon has fallen on top of the now-collapsed structure, its original occupants dead or gone. The structure can be safely climbed up to the balloon, which can hold all of the characters at a time, and the balloon is miraculously intact. Starting up the balloon with everyone inside takes the characters to **2F: Trial by Air**.
- **The Platform:** A portion of the plaza has fallen off, but hasn't entirely separated, as it is held aloft by wires and rails. The platform is close enough to the rest of the plaza that the characters can jump safely down, and it looks like there might be other similar platforms from the bridge leading towards one of the levels. Jumping down the platform takes the characters to **2G: Trial by Earth**.

The remaining NPC acts as a guide during this segment: use this NPC to find the player characters, get them together, and have the characters come up with a plan of escape. It is up to the players to choose how their characters leave the Plaza of Lights, though they must agree on the same means of escape. The other NPCs are either dead or too injured to move. The surviving NPC's temperament is up to the DM to determine, based on their personality prompt, but in all cases they are motivated by an urgent need to escape the plaza by any means the characters see fit, and to escape together for a better chance of survival. The NPC has enough presence of mind to tell the others that they need to come up with a plan of faction, and may point out potential means of escape (i.e. one of the points of interest) if the characters are struggling to make a decision. If the characters take too long to decide, you may conclude this chapter as described in part 1D and then go to part 2G.

### 1D: Concluding the Chapter
{{note
As you prepare to escape the ruined plaza, you hear a terrifying roar in the distance. Most of the district's lights have gone, so you can't see well from afar, but you pick out a shape in the air—a massive pair of wings, and it's coming right for you!
}}

The creature is a dragon, though the characters have never seen one in their lifetime, only heard of them in stories. Choose one of the following dragon types or select one at random, which determines the damage type of the dragon's breath weapon: red (fire), white (cold), clockwork (thunder), green (poison), or black (acid). The dragon uses its breath weapon, though doesn't target any of the party members. Instead, the guide NPC is killed by the breath weapon, only a few feet away from the characters. This concludes Chapter 1, and you now transition to Chapter 2.

{{pageNumber,auto}}
{{footnote CHAPTER 1 | THE PLAZA OF LIGHTS}}

\page
# Chapter 2: The Escape
The following chapter is an escape sequence, designed to challenge the players with obstacles to overcome as they make ability checks to progress and survive. This chapter uses a special resource, called **Victory Points**, that the DM tallies in secret to determine the progress the characters make. The rules for running this chapter are listed in part 2A, with each subsequent part detailing the characters' chosen means of escape, as listed in part 1C.

### 2A: Running the Escape
This chapter introduces the players to ability checks in a series of fast-paced obstacles to overcome. Depending on their choice of escape, the characters follow one of the parts in this chapter, using the following rules and structure. Because this sequence requires tracking turns taken and group attempts, it is recommended to roll initiative for better organization.

#### 2A.1: Obstacles and Victory Points
Each escape path challenges the characters with obstacles that must be overcome. On their turn, a character declares how they go about trying to overcome the obstacle, and attempt a DC 10 ability check (the DM determines the skill or ability that applies). This can generate a special resource called **Victory Points** for the party, which the DM tracks but doesn't reveal to the players:
- On a roll of 20, the character generates 2 Victory Points.
- On a success, but not a roll of 20, the character generates 1 Victory Point.
- On a failure, the character generates no Victory Points.
- On a roll of 1, the character subtracts 1 Victory Point from the total, to a minimum of 0.

At the end of the round, if the characters have a total number of Victory Points equal to or greater than the total number of characters (4 for a regular-sized party), the obstacle is cleared and the characters' Victory Points are reset to 0. Otherwise, the characters must attempt to clear the same obstacle in the next round, keeping their current Victory Point total.

#### 2A.2: Progress
The escape progresses based on 2 factors: **obstacles cleared** and **rounds**, or total numbers of group attempts when not running initiative.
- The characters must clear 3 obstacles to escape, progressing to the **conclusion** of the escape sequence.
- After clearing 1 obstacle, read the **rescue** section of the escape. This adds an optional challenge where the characters can attempt to rescue endangered bystanders, as described below in part 2A.3.
- At the beginning of round 4 of initiative, or after 3 group attempts have been made, read the **complication** section of the escape. This adds an additional danger as the dragon finds the characters and begins to attack them, as described below in part 2A.4. If both the rescue and the complication occur on the same round, read the rescue first and then the complication.

#### 2A.3: The Rescue
After making headway in their escape, the characters are presented with a dilemma in the form of endangered bystanders. It is up to each character to choose whether to rescue these bystanders, or save themselves and escape.
- Rescuing the bystanders requires clearing 1 obstacle. The Victory Points used to clear this obstacle are tracked separately from those used to clear the obstacles to escape.
- Each character can choose whether to work towards rescuing the bystanders, or facilitate their own escape. This determines whether the Victory Points generated (or subtracted) during their check contribute towards the rescue or the escape. Each character can still only make one check on their turn.
- If all the escape obstacles are cleared at the end of the round, but the rescue obstacle isn't cleared, the characters successfully escape to the **conclusion** but the rescue fails, resulting in the bystanders' deaths.

#### 2A.4: The Complication
After enough attemps have been made, successful or not, the dragon returns to attack the characters once more. In addition to the text listed in the section, read the following aloud to any players whose characters speak Draconic:

{{note
To your surprise, you understand what the creature is saying: it's speaking in Draconic! You hardly recognize the language, as the monster speaks it in a manner very different from your own, yet you can still make out the words as they thunder out:

"Where is the wizard? Where is he hiding? He shall pay for what he has done to us!"
}}

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{{footnote CHAPTER 2 | THE ESCAPE}}

\page

Once the dragon appears, at the end of each round (and thus at the end of the group attempt when it appears), the dragon uses its breath weapon. Each of the characters (but not the bystanders) must make a DC 10 saving throw, taking 2 damage on a failed save and 1 damage on a success. The dragon uses the following saving throw and damage type for its breath weapon, based on its type:

- **Black:** Dexterity, acid
- **Blue:** Dexterity, lightning
- **Clockwork:** Constitution, thunder
- **Green:** Constitution, poison
- **Red:** Dexterity, fire
- **White:** Constitution, cold

The bystanders are immune to this damage while the escape sequence is ongoing. If the party leaves them behind as they escape, the DM can choose to have the dragon kill the bystanders instead of having them die from their impending danger.

When the players clear the last obstacle needed to escape, they leave the dragon's reach, and the dragon does not attack them that round.

#### 2A.5: Checks and Inspiration
The checks for this sequence are meant to be freeform, and the DM is encouraged to let the players flex their creative muscles when coming up with a means of having their characters overcome obstacles. Players are encouraged to make use of their characters' skill proficiencies even in unconventional ways, though if the DM deems an attempt to tie an action to a skill too far-fetched, or senses that a player is over-relying on one of their skill proficiencies, they are advised to recommend that the player try something else instead.

While not a necessary tool, the characters' trinkets can offer additional means of overcoming obstacles. If a player's use of a skill or trinket is deemed particularly apt or creative, the DM is encouraged to award their character with inspiration, and the DM can award players with inspiration at any other time in the adventure as normal if they so choose. It is recommended to allow players to use their inspiration to reroll checks, rather than simply grant advantage, including checks made by characters other than their own, if that character's player consents to the reroll.

### 2B: Trial by Fire
{{note
You barely make it to the burning bridge before the ground lurches under you again. With a groan and a shudder, the Plaza of Lights breaks from its remaining support, plummeting to the ground below. It may not be long before the rest of the bridge follows, and now your only path is through the flames that surround you.
}}

**Example obstacles:** a wall of flame, the gas lamp, a crack in the bridge, an upturned carriage, bits of structure.

#### 2B.1: Rescue
{{note
It is difficult to hear anything amidst the roaring flames, yet you still manage to hear pleas for help and the banging of doors from the tram ahead of you. There are people still in there, and they're trapped! It may yet be possible to free them, though the pervasive creaking of bent metal reminds you of your own risky predicament.
}}

**Example obstacles:** the lock, the windows, the door, the crank mechanism

#### 2B.2: Complication
{{note
As you forge a path through the bridge, you hear a roar much like the one you heard before, only closer this time. The winged creature shoots up from the air only a few feet to your side and swoops over you. You hear its voice boom once more, yet this time its guttural bellowing sounds almost like words.
}}

#### 2B.3: Conclusion
{{note
Through the flames, you can see the end of the bridge is close. Only a few more strides and you'll be safe. That is when the bridge gives out from under you.

You feel the ground suddenly drop from your feet, only to violently crash back up. Then again, and again, as you fall through one city level after another. Finally, the crashing stops, and you land intact, if shaken, in a part of Xelix you have never seen before. There is little time to rejoice, as you once again hear the flapping of giant wings. The creature is not far behind you.
}}

### 2C: Trial by Water
{{note
A foul odor accosts you as you step into the sewer. Before you can consider turning back, the Plaza of Lights plunges down, all the way down this time, landing with a distant crash. Now that you've made your choice, you must follow it through to the bitter end.
}}

**Example obstacles:** branching paths, a grate, a gap underneath, a dark tunnel, a manhole.

#### 2C.1: Rescue
{{note
You hear unfamiliar voices echo out through the tunnels, muffled by a heavy manhole cover. It sounds like some people tried to escape in the sewers as well, yet they were far less fortunate: "The sewer's flooding! Somebody help!" you hear. If you try, you could rescue them, though the longer you stay in these crumbling tunnels, the more you risk an ignominious death.
}}

**Example obstacles:** a manhole cover, a flood control mechanism, directing the people to work together

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{{footnote CHAPTER 2 | THE ESCAPE}}

\page

#### 2C.2: Complication
{{note
A roar stops you dead in your tracks, echoing through the sewer. It appears the creature from the Plaza has followed you all the way here, somehow managing to fit its monstrous frame through the narrow tunnels. It rears its head from out the corner, clearly struggling to move, and bellows out at you once more. This time, however, its screams are different, as if it were speaking a language.
}}

#### 2C.3: Conclusion
{{note
Finally, you find what you were looking for: an escape out of the sewer! You scramble up the ladder, into a part of the city you don't recognize. Your reprieve is brief, however, as the sound of violent thuds, cracking stone, and enraged roaring can only mean one thing: the monster is still following you, and it may only be a few moments until it breaks out of the tunnels and comes for you once more.
}}

### 2D: Trial by Metal
{{note
You start the car, but it doesn't move, grounded as it is. You hear the gears grind as they strain to pull the car, right up until the ground falls from underneath. You barely have time to see the Plaza of Lights fall all around you before the car lurches forward onto the track, no longer held back. From now on, there is no getting off this ride.
}}

**Example obstacles:** jumping to another car, switching tracks, dropping to another car, a malfunction, 

#### 2D.1: Rescue
{{note
As you stay the course, another car careers down a parallel track, matching your pace. The gap is too large to close, but you can see that it's also full of people, and they all appear to be panicking. Something's gone wrong for them, and if you can spare the time, you might be able to help. Doing so would take attention off your own track, however, and there's no knowing what other dangers you might have to watch out for.
}}

**Example obstacles:** a broken control box, switching the other car's tracks, assessing the issue

#### 2D.2: Complication
{{note
Amidst the commotion, you hear an all-too-familliar roar, and the horrid flapping of wings: the monster has found you! Not only that, it's keeping pace with your car, and it appears intent on chasing you. You expect it to immediately exhale its destructive breath as it did before, but instead it bellows out different sounds in its guttural voice. It's almost as if it were trying to speak to you.
}}

\column

#### 2D.3: Conclusion
{{note
Your worst fears are confirmed as you see that your track has broken off in the distance. There is no track to switch to, no safe place to jump. All you can do is brace for impact as your car hurtles across the void into the city below.

Although the drop seemingly takes forever, it is still shorter than anticipated. You appear to have built enough momentum for the car to shoot directly into one of the city's lower levels, breaking through a wall and rapidly grinding to a halt. Though bruised and battered, you are otherwise unharmed.

Your relief is cut short as you see wings in the sky, coming ever closer. The beast is still onto you, and it will not be long until it finds you.
}}

### 2E: Trial by Wood
{{note
You know not where these massive branches came from, but following them appears to be your best way out of here. As you tread downwards, you hear a rumble, and a distant crash several seconds later: the Plaza of Lights has fallen mere moments after you'd left. Whatever it is you are standing on so precariously, it has become your only chance of escape.
}}

**Example obstacles:** a rotten branch, falling onto a leaf, swapping to another branch, strange wildlife, falling fruit

#### 2E.1: Rescue
{{note
As you descend, you hear a clamor of terrified voices not far from where you stand: it appears another group of people have landed on the tree as well, and fallen onto one of its leaves. Their branch is much thinner, however, and looks like it's beginning to snap under their weight. You might be able to rescue them, but doing so will almost certainly put your own lives at risk.
}}

**Example obstacles:** an injured person, supporting the branch, assessing the branches' properties

#### 2E.2: Complication
{{note
A thunderous roar almost knocks you off-balance as a massive form shoots up only a few feet beside you. The beast has found you! Its eyes are filled with malevolence, yet also appear strangely dull. You brace against its baleful breath, yet instead the creature bellows out not another guttural howl, but what almost sounds like some kind of language.
}}

#### 2E.3: Conclusion
{{note
The branches are all beginning to converge, each the width of a great trunk. You are getting close to whichever great tree has sprung out of the city, and come to a thicket of massive branches emerging directly from old cobblestones in a part of the city you've never seen before. Finally, you've reached solid ground.

There is no time to investigate this mystery any further, however, as a destructive breath blasts through the thicket, a narrow miss. The creature from the Plaza is after you.
}}

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{{footnote CHAPTER 2 | THE ESCAPE}}

\page

### 2F: Trial by Air
{{note
The balloon inflates slowly, too slowly. It may be another minute until you can properly lift off.

As it turns out, you don't have a minute. The ground lurches under you as the entire Plaza begins to freefall down to the bottom, and you with it. Suddenly, you are thrown onto the floor of the balloon's tiny basket as it finally manages to suspend itself in the air. You're saved!

There appears to be one complication, however: the balloon isn't rising, but is instead slowly continuing to descend into the city's depths. There's no telling where you'll go, but at least you have a chance of surviving the landing.
}}

**Example obstacles:** patching a hole, avoiding a collision, piloting the balloon, fixing the burner, refuelling the balloon

#### 2F.1: Rescue
{{note
In the dim light, you spot what appears to be another balloon coming towards you. There are many more people on board, however, and their balloon looks in much rougher shape. At this rate, they may not survive the landing unless you intervene, though trying to help is a risky endeavor.
}}

**Example obstacles:** calming the people, someone about to fall off, fixing the balloon

#### 2F.2: Complication
{{note
A terrible roar sends your ears ringing. Turning to face where it came from, you spot a massive winged silhouette coming from where the Plaza of Lights once stood. The creature that attacked you has come back, and you feel all the more aware of how precarious your current situation is.

There is little cover to take from the creature's breath, yet it does not attack you just yet. Instead, it bellows out to you once more, only this time it sounds like it's trying to speak to you in its cavernous voice.
}}

#### 2F.3: Conclusion
{{note
You appear to be falling faster and faster; at this rate you will soon drop from the air like a rock. Thankfully, you appear to be hurtling towards one of the city's lower levels. It's not a place you know well, but at least it's solid ground.

The landing is rough, as the balloon hits a building, skids across the pavement, and tips over as it finally halts. You are all lucky to have made it without suffering further injury. The creature from the Plaza appears to have other plans, however, as a streak of destructive breath hits the balloon where you stood only moments before. You have little time before it catches up to you.
}}

\column
### 2G: Trial by Earth
{{note
Your stomach lurches as the ground gives out from under you. The Plaza of Lights is falling, and taking you with it! The next few moments feel like eternity, as the rush of air fills your ears and everything blurs around you from the speed of your descent, before it all fades to black.

You wait for a crash, yet when it arrives, it's strangely distant, and several hundred feet above you. Is this what it's like to die? Your surroundings are dim, yet they don't appear to be part of the afterlife. Rather, it looks like you're still in Xelix, albeit in an ancient part of the city. Stranger still, you can see the ground a few feet below you. Dropping down, you see that the portion of the Plaza you were standing on is floating somehow, kept in balance just a short distance from the pavement. What is this place? 
}}

**Example obstacles:** floating pavement, alleyways, ancient gates, arcane devices, a divine temple

#### 2G.1: Rescue
{{note
In the eerie quiet of the city's depths, you hear muffled cries from around the corner. There are more people here! Their predicament appears even stranger than yours, however: much like you, they seem to have landed after the Plaza's fall, yet each of them is suspended more than ten feet in the air, surrounding by floating rubble. They cry out for you to help, yet their pleas sound as if they'd travelled through a thick pane of glass. A strange glowing device not unlike others you've seen here sits in the middle of the street. You could try to help, though there's no telling what unforeseen consequences may come from your meddling.
}}

**Example obstacles:** fix the device, cushion the fall, pull the people down

#### 2G.2: Complication
{{note
You are interrupted by a crash up above, followed by a roar. A massive winged figure dives towards you, falling even faster than the rubble generated from its impact. It seems the monster from the  Plaza has been looking for you. It opens its mouth, as if to deliver another round of its deadly breath, yet instead it booms out to you in a guttural voice, forming sounds that almost resemble words.
}}

#### 2G.3: Conclusion
{{note
The streets are narrowing. Dim light seems to be coming from somewhere, but you can't see any source. Even after having walked through this strange part of the city, you still know so little about it, let alone how you're going to get back up to the surface.

There is no time to plan, however, as a gout of destructive energy blasts the wall beside you. The creature is still after you, and it's not far behind.
}}

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{{footnote CHAPTER 2 | THE ESCAPE}}

\page
# Chapter 3: The Stranger
{{note
You enter a dimly-lit alleyway, in a part of the city that looks like it was abandoned eons ago. The monster's screams aren't far behind you, and it sounds like it's gaining on you fast.

A door opens, and a strangely-dressed man comes out. He beckons to you and shouts, "Get inside! Quickly!". With death at your back, it looks like there is little alternative.
}}

Change to Map 3-1. With the stranger's door blocking the path further down the alleyway, the characters have little option but to enter the door. If the characters spend too much time without going through the door or try to turn back, the dragon appears on the other side of the alleyway: though the dragon is too large to enter the small passage, it periodically uses its breath weapon, using the same rules as in Chapter 2. The breath weapon damages all creatures in the alleyway, though this damage does not kill the stranger.

Once all characters are through the door (excluding characters at 0 hit points who were left in the alleyway, who die from the dragon's breath), continue to part 3A.

### 3A: The Armory
{{note
You scramble down a flight of stairs and are greeted by bright light, along with row upon row of gleaming weapons. Each one is in pristine condition, shining in a way you've never quite seen before. You hear the creature exhale its baleful breath, but before it can reach you, the stranger slams the door shut.

"We have little time," he announces, seemingly to no-one in particular. "You are being hunted by a dragon, and it will not stop until you are dead. I cannot stay to help, but these armaments should give you the means to defeat it." He walks to a door on the far side and grabs the handle. "When you are ready, exit through this doorway. It will take you where you need to go."
}}

All characters in the room are healed to their hit point maximum. The armory is full of weapons, all of which are magic weapons. There are no other objects of note, save for a table in the center and the two doors. The entry door is locked shut, and attempts to force it open or pick its lock automatically fail.

The weapons in the armory are all simple and martial weapons from the Player's Handbook. The DM can, at their own discretion, additionally list Renaissance-era firearms such as the pistol and musket, as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide. These items function like their nonmagical counterparts, except they also have the following properties:

- **Familiar:** The wielder is proficient with the weapon regardless of whether or not they would normally be proficient (for this adventure, this adds a +2 to attack rolls). A character touching one of these weapons feels like they've trained with it their whole life.
- **Ammo-Generating:** The weapon generates any ammunition it uses when making a ranged attack, which disappears immediately after an attack with it is made. This does not affect the weapon's loading or reload properties, however.
- **Slippery:** The weapon is enchanted to slip out of the wielder's grasp should they be carrying too many. A character can hold up to two one-handed weapons with this property, or one two-handed weapon, but as soon as they pick up another weapon when this limit is reached, all such weapons they're currently holding slip and fall to the floor, no matter how tightly they're secured or stashed. The stranger will comment on the first character who triggers this effect, telling them to only take what they need.

The characters can interact briefly with the stranger in the armory, and once they're all equipped, the stranger opens the door and beckons them to leave, leading to Chapter 4.

### 3B: The Stranger
Although the stranger can be interacted with, he is a man of few words, and is interested only in having the characters arm themselves and leave. He will answer questions regarding the dragon's nature and behavior, as well as the weapons and their properties, and if asked to explain the day's events, will answer: "Something has gone terribly wrong". He will, however, refuse to elaborate, citing lack of time and reminding the characters of the urgency of the situation.

The stranger has the appearance of a human in his forties, and is dressed in grey robes that do not correspond to any style the characters can remember. Succeeding at a DC 10 Perception check to examine the stranger reveals that the robes are much older than the man's appearance would suggest. Succeeding at a DC 10 Insight check to examine him reveals that he is observing the characters intently, as if analyzing their behaviors. Succeeding at a DC 10 Medicine check to examine him reveals that he is trying to hide the fact that he is exhausted and quite possibly injured. All other ability checks against the stranger automatically fail.

If one or more characters take too long to leave, act in a hostile way towards the stranger, or mention "the wizard" the dragon spoke of in Chapter 2, read the following aloud:

{{note
The stranger's brow furrows as he stares at you—no, through you—with piercing eyes. "I have no time for this," he declares, and before any of you can react, he strides through the open door, which closes immediately behind him.
}}

The exit door can still be opened, though the stranger isn't on the other side—he's disappeared entirely.


{{pageNumber,auto}}
{{footnote CHAPTER 3 | THE STRANGER}}

\page
# Chapter 4: The Dragon
{{note
You exit the doorway, one by one, and find yourselves in a familiar place: you're back in the Plaza of Lights—what's left of it, anyway. The fires have burned out, and the city's top levels are now far above you. The door shuts behind the last of you with a click, and you see that you've come out of one of the plaza's artworks, the only one still standing. There are no marks to indicate any form of passage, as if the doorway never existed at all.

You hear a familiar roar above you. With a beating of wings, the dragon lands heavily at the center of the plaza. It glares at you with hazy, rage-filled eyes, and bellows once more.
}}

Change to Map 4-1. Immediately when you begin this chapter, have the characters roll initiative. The dragon always goes last, with an initiative of 1, with the guidelines for running the creature listed in part 4A. If the characters rescued the bystanders, they participate in the combat starting from the second round, acting on initiative count 20 and winning ties, as described in part 4B. If the characters kill the dragon, progress to part 4C.

### 4a: Running the Dragon
The following dragon stat block is simplified and balanced for a very low-level party, and when running the combat encounter, the DM is encouraged the following precautions to avoid killing any of the player characters:

- The dragon is confused by their reawakening in an unfamiliar place, and is not fighting at their best. They will frequently change targets, and will not target a character who has 4 or fewer hit points unless all of the characters each have that many hit points of fewer.
- The dragon only uses Charge Breath Weapon when below 19 hit points. As with their attacks, the dragon only uses their Breath Weapon on targets with more than 4 hit points, targeting more wounded characters only if all targets have 4 hit points or fewer.
- The dragon only uses their fly speed in the combat encounter to reposition to another spot on the ground, and always repositions to a spot that the characters can reach with their attacks.

The dragon uses the following saving throw and damage type for its breath weapon, based on its type:

- **Black:** Dexterity, acid
- **Blue:** Dexterity, lightning
- **Clockwork:** Constitution, thunder
- **Green:** Constitution, poison
- **Red:** Dexterity, fire
- **White:** Constitution, cold

{{monster,frame
## Weakened Dragon
*Large Dragon, Evil*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 36
**Speed**       :: 30 ft, fly 30ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Languages**            :: Draconic
### Actions
**Bite.** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +2 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. *Hit:* 2 (1d4) piercing damage.
:
**Charge Breath Weapon (1/day).** The dragon rears up and takes a deep breath. The dragon's speeds become 0 until the end of its next turn. On its next turn, it uses its Breath Weapon.
:
**Breath Weapon.** The dragon can only use its Breath Weapon on the turn after it uses Charge Breath Weapon. The dragon exhales energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 10 saving throw based on its type, taking 2 (1d4) damage based on its type on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
}}

### 4B: The Bystanders
If the characters rescued the bystanders, read this aloud at the beginning of the second round of combat:
{{note
In the chaos of combat, you hear some familiar voices call out. "Over there! Come quick!" You see figures gather around the level just above you. It's the people you rescued! They've come back, armed with firearms, slings, and bits of rubble. Though they dare not approach the frightful creature, they waste no time pelting it with whichever ammunition they can find.
}}

On this round and each round for the rest of the combat, on initiative count 20 and winning ties, roll 1d6. The dragon loses that many hit points, though can only be brought down to a minimum of 1 hit point from this effect.

### 4C: Concluding the Adventure
{{note
The monster roars again, not in anger this time, but in pain. It staggers, trying to exhale one final deadly breath, then crashes to the ground, as its eyes haze over completely. You have slain the dragon. Celebrate while you can, adventurers, for the next day, all shall be forgotten, as you awaken to a new and far more dangerous world.
}}

This concludes the adventure. Congratulations!

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{{footnote CHAPTER 4 | THE DRAGON}}

\page
# Appendix A: Characters
Player characters in this adventure are intentionally simplified, as it aims to be as accessible as possible and focus on a small number of skill proficiencies, rather than a larger set of class features and racial traits. Characters are "level 0" and effectively commoners: this section outlines the formula for generating such characters, and lists examples of pre-generated characters ready to be used for play.

## Creating a Character
Characters for this adventure can be created using the following steps:
- Select any two skills. The character is proficient in these skills, with a proficiency bonus of +2.
- Select a Xelix trinket, listed in Appendix B. The character has this trinket on their person.
- Determine a reason why the character finds themselves in the Plaza of Lights on the Lost Day, a day everyone forgets. The reason need not be particularly complex or meaningful ("Enjoying a stroll" is a valid reason, for example), and exists simply as a starting point for the character's actions as they interact with the scene.
- Select a race from the following: dragonborn, dwarf, elf, gnome, human, or orc. This choice is purely cosmetic, and has no gameplay impact for this adventure.
- Select a language from the following: Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Gnomish, and Orcish. The character can read, write, and speak this language as well as Common, the lingua franca of Xelix.


The character has 6 hit points, a walking speed of 30 feet, and ability scores all set to 10, for a modifier of 0. The character isn't proficient in any other tools, armor, or weapons, even though characters can choose weapons in Chapter 3, which have their own rules describing how characters use them.

## Stock Characters
The following pre-generated stock characters follow the above rules for character creation, and are ready to be controlled by the players. Consider including unused stock characters as NPCs to fill up the Plaza of Lights at the beginning of Chapter 1.

{{monster,frame
## Anatar Fuseth
*Medium Humanoid (Elf), Lawful Neutral*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Animal Handling +2, Medicine +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Elvish
**Trinket**              :: Wedding band (#66)
___
After the love of his life died of old age decades ago, Anatar grew numb to people. Despite this, he comes to the Plaza of Lights on every Lost Day, in honor of a first encounter so powerful it transcended memory.
}}

{{monster,frame
## Brigga Hornfels
*Medium Humanoid (Dwarf), Lawful Good*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Insight +2, Religion +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Dwarvish
**Trinket**              :: Prayer book (#44)
___
Once a miner, Brigga experienced a religious awakening following a dig. She's expecting a revelation today, which she believes will come from a bright light.
}}

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{{footnote APPENDIX A | CHARACTERS}}

\page
{{monster,frame
## Calistryx Phlegetos
*Medium Humanoid (Dragonborn), Neutral*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Performance +2, Persuasion +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Draconic
**Trinket**              :: Powder compact (#47)
___
Calistryx is well-known among her circle of wealthy socialites for her captivating presence and aura of mystery. Yet she longs for more, as she feels destined for greatness that is just out of her reach.
}}

{{monster,frame
## Gavin Brook
*Medium Humanoid (Human), Neutral*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Deception +2, Persuasion +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Dwarvish
**Trinket**              :: Uncut gemstone (#16)
___
The self-made head of a profitable excavation company, Gavin recently commissioned a renovation of one of the artworks in the Plaza of Lights, and has come to see it on the Lost Day purely for the sake of experiencing the satisfaction twice.
}}

{{monster,frame
## Hafthor Druckman
*Medium Humanoid (Dwarf), Lawful Neutral*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Intimidation +2, Religion +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Dwarvish
**Trinket**              :: Religious icon (#34)
___
Hafthor's father died unexpectedly just a few hours ago, leaving him to take up his mantle as the leader of his local temple. Though normally a stern man, Hafthor is struck with grief and is in the middle of a crisis of faith. He has come out of Xelix's lower levels to the Plaza of Lights, hoping for a moment of clarity.
}}

{{monster,frame
## Lorelei Glimmerflash
*Small Humanoid (Gnome), Neutral*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Perception +2, Performance +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Gnomish
**Trinket**              :: Notebook, ink and quill (#10)
___
A talented artist with an eye for detail, Lorelei has been experiencing creative block for several months, almost a lifetime to a gnome. She has come to the Plaza of Lights for inspiration, though she dreads the prospect of any breakthrough being erased the next day.
}}

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{{footnote APPENDIX A | CHARACTERS}}

\page

{{monster,frame
## Lottie Braithwaite
*Medium Humanoid (Human), Chaotic Neutral*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Acrobatics +2, Athletics +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Orcish
**Trinket**              :: Bag of bang snaps (#37)
___
Lottie is a daredevil with an irrepressible love of new thrills. A friend dared her to climb to the top of the Plaza of Lights, and she's raring to try.
}}

{{monster,frame
## Nariel Siannon
*Medium Humanoid (Elf), Neutral Good*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Nature +2, Survival +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Elvish
**Trinket**              :: Animal treats (#82)
___
Nariel chose to take the day off, a rarity given how much she loves her job as a park ranger. She chose to come to the Plaza of Lights because it is in many ways the opposite of her normal environment: full of people, and devoid of fauna and flora. A change of pace won't hurt her.
}}

{{monster,frame
## Naz Fellwing
*Medium Humanoid (Orc), Lawful Good*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Insight +2, Perception +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Orcish
**Trinket**              :: Cameo necklace (#76)
___
The proud matriarch of her clan, Naz has stopped by the Plaza of Lights on the way to seeing her wife and grandchildren.
}}

{{monster,frame
## Rakk Cloudwalker
*Medium Humanoid (Orc), Chaotic Neutral*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Sleight of Hand +2, Stealth +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Orcish
**Trinket**              :: Loaded dice (#99)
___
Rakk has gotten into debt with the wrong people, and is looking to snatch a few purses during a time when his marks won't remember him the next day.
}}

{{monster,frame
## Rhoskond Pyrexis
*Medium Humanoid (Dragonborn), Chaotic Good*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Athletics +2, Intimidation +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Draconic
**Trinket**              :: City guard's badge (#55)
___
Rhoskond joined the city guard to protect others, but chafed at the paperwork and protocol that seemed to take up the entirety of their work. Following a heated argument with their superior, Rhoskond quit their job on the spot, and went to the nearby Plaza of Lights to clear their mind.
}}

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{{footnote APPENDIX A | CHARACTERS}}

\page

{{monster,frame
## Rowan Walsh
*Medium Humanoid (Human), Neutral Good*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: Arcana +2, History +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Elvish
**Trinket**              :: Clockwork fidget toy (#22)
___
Rowan's end-of-year thesis is due tomorrow and they've only written the first sentence. Overwhelmed by anxiety, they've run to the Plaza of Lights to calm down and escape from it all, if only for an hour or two.
}}

{{monster,frame
## Sprigsocket Catchfizzle
*Medium Humanoid (Gnome), Chaotic Good*
___
**Armor Class** :: 10
**Hit Points**  :: 6
**Speed**       :: 30 ft.
___
|  STR  |  DEX  |  CON  |  INT  |  WIS  |  CHA  |
|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|
|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|
___
**Skills**               :: History +2, Investigation +2
**Languages**            :: Common, Gnomish
**Trinket**              :: Conspiracy theorist's pamphlet (#88)
___
Sprigsocket is a dogged conspiracy theorist. He believes there is a dark secret at the heart of Xelix, and has come to the Plaza of Lights to distribute scribbled tracts containing irrefutable proof (in his opinion) of a massive cover-up.
}}

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{{footnote APPENDIX A | CHARACTERS}}

\page
# Appendix B: Trinkets
{{wide
Trinkets are flavorful items designed more to evoke certain roleplaying themes than to provide any particular mechanical benefit. The following trinkets are adapted to the world of Xelix as it exists at the beginning of this adventure, when the setting is more technologically advanced than in most others in *Dungeons & Dragons* but features no magic (yet). You can either select a trinket of your choice from the table below, or roll a d100 and select the trinket in the table corresponding to the number rolled.
}}

{{table
##### Xelix Trinkets
| d100 |Trinket
|:-:|:-
| 00 | Tiny live pet animal
| 01 | Hilt of a tool, with the tip broken off
| 02 | Humanoid finger bone
| 03 | Political pamphlet
| 04 | Unfinished book manuscript
| 05 | Carved walking stick
| 06 | Friendship bracelet
| 07 | Unopened letter
| 09 | University diploma
| 10 | Notebook, ink, and quill
| 11 | Empty metal syringe
| 12 | Pocket watch
| 13 | Pilot's license
| 14 | Forged pilot's license
| 15 | Partially-written review
| 16 | Uncut gemstone
| 17 | Notice of unpaid bills
| 18 | Half-empty bag of candy
| 19 | Finely-printed brochure
| 20 | Large clump of chewable gum
| 21 | Pocket whistle
| 22 | Clockwork fidget toy
| 23 | History book of dubious veracity
| 24 | Elaborate sketch of a creature
| 25 | Illustrated horror novel
| 26 | Maudlin romance novel
| 27 | Gazetteer of Xelix's top level
| 28 | Theater script
| 29 | Top hat with a gaudy ribbon
| 30 | Preserved fossil
| 31 | Incense sticks
| 32 | Libretto
| 33 | Fascinator
| 34 | Religious icon
| 35 | Sewing box with needle and thread
| 36 | Weighty brass key
| 37 | Bag of bang snaps
| 38 | Pair of magnetic stones
| 39 | Soot-stained handkerchief
| 40 | Release papers from a nearby prison
| 41 | Unfinished clockwork contraption
| 42 | Diary that doesn't belong to you
| 43 | Perfume bottle
| 44 | Prayer book
| 45 | Ballroom mask
| 46 | Glass eye
| 47 | Powder compact
| 48 | Jerky strips
| 49 | Insignia bearing a family crest
}}

{{table
| d100 |Trinket
|:-:|:-
| 50 | Clump of stone from one of the city's lower levels
| 51 | Oil flask
| 52 | Carved figurine
| 53 | Flask full of drinkable liquid
| 54 | Abacus
| 55 | City guard's badge
| 56 | Book of tales from the lower levels of Xelix
| 57 | Fake coins
| 58 | Guidebook to spiritual seances
| 59 | Insect encased in amber
| 60 | Wrench
| 61 | Sheet of tin foil large enough to cover your head
| 62 | Portable musical instrument
| 63 | Bindle containing a change of clothes
| 64 | Blueprint for an elaborate clockwork machine
| 65 | Confetti
| 66 | Wedding band
| 67 | Sprig of mistletoe
| 68 | Wooden spoon
| 69 | Fur-lined manacles
| 70 | Pocketful of sand
| 71 | Wig
| 72 | Cube that falls slightly slower or faster than it should
| 73 | Tinderbox
| 74 | Party invitation
| 75 | Two crochet hooks and a bundle of yarn
| 76 | Cameo necklace
| 77 | Deck of playing cards
| 78 | Pocket mirror
| 79 | Clockwork gear
| 80 | Ornate snuffbox
| 81 | Hand fan
| 82 | Animal treats
| 83 | False teeth
| 84 | Freshly-picked flower
| 85 | Dull dagger
| 86 | Unsolved puzzle box
| 87 | Stuffed animal toy
| 88 | Conspiracy theorist's pamphlet
| 89 | Pocket compass
| 90 | Work punch card
| 91 | Smelling salts
| 92 | Bill of exchange awarding you 10,000 gold coins
| 93 | Pouch of strange-smelling herbs
| 94 | Weathered talisman
| 95 | Unloaded pistol
| 96 | Lump of coal
| 97 | Deed to a house on Xelix's top level
| 98 | Crowbar
| 99 | Loaded dice
}}

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{{footnote APPENDIX B | TRINKETS}}