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# Contents
- ### [3Welcome to Exandria](#p3) - [3What is this guide about?](#p3) - [3Why Lost Mine of Phandelver?](#p3) - [3Why Exandria?](#p3) - [3Who is this guide for?](#p3) - [3What will you need?](#p3) - [4Speaking the language](#p4) - [4Lay of the Land](#p4) - [4When is a good time?](#p4) - [4Where to begin?](#p4) - ### [5**Background**](#p5) - [5Wave Echo Cave](#p5) - [5The Battle of Umbra Hills](#p5) - [5Long Road Back](#p5) - [5The Shadewatch](#p5) - ### [6**1. Goblin Arrows**](#p6) - [6On The Road](#p6) - [6Cragmaw Hideout](#p6) - ### [7**2. Jorenn Village**](#p7) - [7Discover Jorenn Village](#p7) - [8Shadewatch Hideout](#p8) - ### [9**3. The Spider's Web**](#p9) - [9Conyberry](#p9) - [9Old Owl Well](#p9) - [10Thundertree](#p10) - [10Wyvern Tor](#p10) - [10Cragmaw Castle](#p10) - ### [11**4. Wave Echo Cave**](#p11) - [10Bodies of the Fallen](#p10) - ### [12**Appendix A: Backgrounds**](#p12) - [12Dwarf Cleric (Soldier)](#p12) - [12Halfling Rogue (Criminal)](#p12) - [12High Elf Wizard (Acolyte)](#p12) - [12Human Fighter (Folk Hero)](#p12) - [12Human Fighter (Noble)](#p12)
``` ``` ### About this Guide - **Created by**: Donald Farland (donfarland.com) - **Version**: 1.0.0 - July 1, 2019
#### Images - **Cover Photo**: Eberhard Grossgasteiger - @eberhardgross - **Map of Exandria**: Donald Farland & u/korson #### Additional Images Additional images used in this guide were obtained from the following artists on Pixabay: SplitShire, JAKO5D, _Alicja_, skeeze, Thomas Ulrich, Artie_Navarre, David Mark, Bernhard Rohm ### Special Thanks - Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure. - Matthew Mercer & James Haeck for the Critical Role Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Guide. - u/stolksdorf for creating & maintaining the Homebrewery. - u/AeronDrake for the Homebrewery Formatting Guide and u/calculuschild for his TOC code & u/QalarValar for his assets and technique for the watercolor effect. - u/Megasploot for creating the outstanding cartography application Wonderdraft. - Ross McConnell of 2 Minute Tabletop for his Wonderdraft Asset Pack & 2D Settlement assets. ### Disclaimer Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, the Dragon logo Lost Mine of Phandelver and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. © 2019 Wizards. All Rights Reserved.
CONTENTS
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# Welcome to Exandria Welcome to the wonderful world of Exandria. A rich & vibrant fantasy world that is the setting for the hit web-series, Critical Role. A series where a bunch of "nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons." ## What is this guide about? The purpose is of this guide is to share my experience, tips & tricks for running the Dungeons & Dragons adventure, The Lost Mine of Phandelver in the Critical Role universe. Like many official D&D adventures from Wizards of the Coast, the Lost Mine of Phandelver takes place on the Sword Coast in the land of Faerûn. I have created this document to serve as a guide for game masters that would instead like to run the adventure in the world of Vox Machina & the Mighty Nein. ## Why Phandelver? The Lost Mine of Phandelver is an excellent D&D adventure and one that is particular well suited for new players & GMs alike. It is well written, provides a good mix of encounters, and is a lot of fun. It takes a small party from level 1 to 5 and doesn't take a long time to run. ## Why Exandria? The decision to port this adventure to the land of Exandria was easy to make. I was approached by my daughters to run an adventure for their friends, but they wanted to run it in Exandria. The majority of them are fans of Critical Role or "Critters" and became interested in Dungeons & Dragons from watching the show. Transporting the Lost Mine of Phandelver to the world of Exandria seemed like a logical thing to do. ``` ``` ## Who is this guide for? While I created this guide for fans of the show, I made sure to keep the adventure as accessible as possible. The Lost Mine of Phandelver is an excellent adventure for players regardless of their experience with D&D or the Forgotten Realms and it was important that I stick to that ideal. The only caveat to that mission is for new GMs. While the adventure is great for new GMs, running this conversion could be challenging for your first time. For new GMs, I recommend running the adventure as-is, but if you really want to run this conversion ... ***You can certainly try.*** ## What you will need? This guide is **not** a complete rewrite of the Lost Mine of Phandelver. You **must** have the original adventure. It can be found in the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Starter Set*. This set contains a basic rulebook, pre-made characters, a blank character sheet, & six dice. I also recommend the Critical Role Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*. The book was created by Matthew Mercer and James Haeck and it contains a wealth of knowledge about the Critical Role universe.
###### **Amazon affiliate links.* \page
## Speaking
the Language Making the transition from Faerûn to Exandria is not difficult. While there are differences in geography, pantheon, & factions, simply remembering to swap out Faerûnian terms for Exandrian equivalents as you go is most of the work.
##### Faerûnian to Exandrian Translator | Faerûn | Exandria | |:---|:---|:---| | Phandalin | Jorenn Village | | Neverwinter | Westruun | | Triboar | Turst Fields | | High Road | Parchwood Way | | Triboar Trail | Black Valley Path | | Sword Mountains | Cliffkeep Mountains | | Neverwinter Wood | Bramblewood | | Sword Coast | Lucidian Coast | | Dragon Coast | Menagerie Coast | | Lathander | Pelor| | Oghma | Ioun | | Tymora | Avandra | | Maglubiyet | Bane |
Do not bother changing the names of NPCs, items, or shops. Jorenn Village barely gets a mention in the series and the details in the Tal'Dorei campaign guide are sparse. Don't make things more complicated than they need to be.
## Lay of the Land While remembering your translations will help sell the move to Exandria, there is the matter of geography. While there are plenty of similarities between the two regions, directions and distances between the major settlements have changed. To help navigate the local area, you can find two maps I created for this conversion at donfarland.com. - Jorenn Village LMoP Region Map - Jorenn Village LMoP Settlement Map ## When is a good time? This adventure takes place in 820 PD, about 5 years after the events of campaign 1 and 15 years before the events of campaign 2. This date is consistent with the state of Exandria as described in the Critical Role Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting*. ## Where to begin? The adventure provides two means of starting this adventure. You can either start on the road, right before the ambush, or in Westruun before the party departs. This guide will start on the road, but if you prefer to start in Westruun, consult the map I provided and factor in your travel days. The hexes can represent 5 or 6 miles ... your choice. \page
# Background When settlers first arrived in the area, they found a lush & verdant landscape. Rolling hills extended in every direction and the Cliffkeep Mountains loomed to the east, north, and west of the valley. They there new home the Emerald Highlands and they settled in for a quiet life away from civilization. For nearly two hundred years, the people of Jorenn Village lived in relative peace and obscurity. At first, the settlement was mostly human, but as more and more big folk flooded the Dividing Plains, many halfling families moved north. Likewise, dwarves and gnomes tired of Kraghammer and its politics made the trek over the Cliffkeeps and settled in the valley as well. ### Wave Echo Cave With the arrival of the dwarves and gnomes, mining quickly became a major industry in Jorenn Village. While these small mines couldn't rival the size and wealth of the mines of Kraghammer, there was one that, for a time, would eclipse the fame and fortune of the bottom slab's Keenstone Quarry. At first, Wave Echo Cave looked like a colossal failure. First discovered by a young dwarf named Daeradin Rockseeker, Wave Echo Cave was a natural cavern that dove deep into the Cliffkeep Mountains to the west of town. Despite its size and depth, the Rockseekers couldn't find any decent veins of silver or iron like their neighbors. Nearly out of funds and ready to shut down the mine, Daeradin's workers made two remarkable discoveries. The veins of Mithril were more than enough to put the mine on the map, but while digging a new shaft to get to it, they discovered a mysterious source of arcane energies. With the help of mages from Westruun & Emon, the Forge of Spells was born. Soon, Wave Echo Cave was producing magical arms and armor of power not seen since the Age of Arcanum. ### The Battle of the Umbra Hills Word of Wave Echo Cave and the Forge of Spells first reached the ears of King Drassig as his forces approached the village of Torthil. He'd been waging war against the elves and an insurgency led by a charismatic leader named Zan Tal'Dorei. Recognizing the strategic value of the Forge of Spells, Drassig dispatched his youngest son to secure the mine for the war effort. He moved north with haste and quickly took control of the area. The dwarves of Wave Echo Cave fought off wave after wave of Drassig's forces, but they were no match for the younger Drassig's army. A handful of dwarves managed to escape the mine and destroy the entrance as they fled. After the elder Drassig fell at Torthil, the armies of Syngorn and Tal'Dorei marched north and fought the forces of Trist Drassig in the Emerald Highlands. The battle was so fierce and magics so foul that the highlands were forever transformed into the Umbra Hills. Life ceased to grow in the once verdant hills and the town of Jorenn Village nearly destroyed. ### Long Road Back For many, the battle marked a new beginning. The reign of the Drassigs ended, and that of the Tal'Dorei's began. The people of Tal'Dorei would know peace and prosperity for a time. That is, for everyone except the people of the Black Valley. Fortunately for the town, the people of Jorenn Village do not give up easily. It took time, but they built new homes, opened new stores, and dug new mines. The only thing not restored was Wave Echo Cave. Many looked for the lost entrance, but none found it. Over time, Wave Echo Cave passed from memory into legend. ### The Shadewatch For the entirety of its history, Jorenn Village has relied on its citizenry to keep the peace. Retirees from Westruun's guard, old adventurers, & huntsmen have, for centuries, banded together to protect the people of the Black Valley from the foul creatures that stalk the Umbra Hills. They called themselves the Shadewatch, and for a time, they kept the people safe. Over time, things started to change. Mercenaries, local toughs, & criminals saw the Shadewatch as an opportunity to make some coin. Eventually, they stopped pretending and morphed into a full-time criminal enterprise. Now the Shadewatch shakes down merchants for protection, but the only thing that buys is protection from the Shadewatch itself. \page
# 1. Goblin Arrows The opening act of this adventure is an excellent introduction to the game of D&D and the world of Exandria. It focuses primarily on the mechanics of the game and doesn't overwhelm the GM with lots of lore and backstory for the wider world. It's a great way to kick off this conversion. ## On the Road When you're ready to begin the adventure, simply read the following to get your adventure in Exandria started.
In the city of Westruun, you ran into a dwarf named Gundren Rockseeker and his bodyguard, Sildar Hallwinter, at a tavern near the north gate. After a couple of rounds of Strongjaw Ale, Gundren hired the lot of you to escort a wagonload of supplies to the town of Jorenn Village, a small mining town about 120 miles to the north. He wasn't willing to talk specifics, but whatever it was, you could tell he was very excited. All he'd say, is that it was "something big" and he and his brothers would be set for life. "Deliver the wagon to Barthen's Provisions in Jorenn Village and I'll pay each a ya 10 gold pieces.", he said as he paid for your round and hopped off his stool. Each of you nodded in turn and he smiled broadly. "Great! Here are the details. Now if you don't mind, Silda head north first thing in the morning." And with that he slid a piece of parchment on to the bar and strode towards the door. As he pulled the it open he called back over his shoulder, "I'll see ya in Jorenn Village!" The next day you collected your belongings, followed Gundren's instructions and soon you were heading out the north gate of Westruun onto the Parchwood Way towards Turst Fields. After a day of skirting along the eastern edge of the Bramblewood, you turned north onto the Black Valley Path towards Jorenn Village.
And that is where we will begin our adventure.
### Goblin Ambush There is little to change in this encounter. Use the narrative below or change it to suit your style of storytelling.
You’ve been traveling on the Black Valley Path for three days. The Cliffkeeps loom to the west and a bit farther off to the north. You think you’ll reach Jorenn Village by dusk and you’re looking forward to a good night’s sleep indoors. The air is growing colder and the thought of spending another night outside is less than appealing.
``` ``` ### Goblin Trail No changes are needed to this section of the adventure, but you can add some flavor by adding some details of the Bramblewood Forest to your description of the forest on either side of the trail.
The forest on either side of the trail is a thick, tangled mess of trees. Large, ancient oak-like trees with razor-sharp thorns tower above you, while their roots intertwine with a thick undergrowth of vines and ferns. The forest pushes right up to the edge of the well-worn path and you imagine it would reclaim if it went unused for long.
## Cragmaw Hideout Cragmaw Hideout is a great introduction to D&D that is focused on combat, stealth and a little bit of role play. There is not a lot to change here. ### Sildar Hallwinter Sildar Hallwinter is a veteran of the Shields of the Plain, the force that guards Westruun and the Dividing Plains. During the attack on Westruun by the Chroma Conclave, He, a fellow shield named Zimmerset and a mage named Albrek led a large number of refugees out of the city to Kymal. After the dragon was slain, they returned to Westruun. Sildar retired from the Shields, but Brandon Zimmerset was made Margrave. Albrek was asked to check on Jorenn Village by Zimmerset and report back, but never returned. Hallwinter hired on with Gundren, but he's really heading to Jorenn Village to find his friend. He believes Albrek was killed by the Shadewatch, but needs proof. ###### **Note:** *This conversion will not be introducing any of the Forgotten Realms factions to the world of Exandria. There are no direct equivalents in the Critical Role universe and I deemed it best to simply drop them from the adventure.* \page
# Part 2. Jorenn Village Eventually the party will find its way to Jorenn Village & the second act in the adventure will begin. In this portion of the adventure, the players will be introduced to lots of new people & places. Many can be left alone, while others need minor changes to fit the lore of Exandria. ## Discover Jorenn Village While Jorenn Village is a good stand-in for Phandlin in Exandria, the two have a number of differences. Chief among them is their size. Despite the name, Jorenn Village is actually a town of roughly 1,800 souls, while Phandalin is a much smaller settlement of roughly 500 people. As was mentioned earlier though, Jorenn Village was never visited by Vox Machina and there is very little canon material on it in the official campaign guide. Therefore, how you want to present the town is completely up to you. You can stick largely to the script provided by the adventure or you can make it a little bigger to match my map. Whatever you decide, just remember to stay consistent. There are a number of places of interest in town and most of them require a few tweaks here and there. ### Stonehil Inn The Stonehill Inn is one of the more challenging locations because it contains breadcrumbs for lots of side quests and rumors about the backstories for various NPCs. I recommend getting familiar with all the various rumors and quests in the adventure and then skim through the other locations before your players step foot in the Stonehill Inn. * Toblen Stonehill is from Turst Fields (not Triboar). * Sister Garaele is the overseer of the Shrine of Avandra. * The miner's rumor puts the orcs west along a mining road. ### Barthen's Provisions There is virtually nothing to worry about at this location. Simply play it as is and remember your substitutions. ``` ``` ### Edermath Orchard You can have a lot of fun with Daran Edermath. He's an old, retired adventurer and has seen a lot in his day. He can be a vehicle for lore dumping the information in the "Background" page or even tell tales of the group known as Vox Machina. * Old Owl Well was built by Trist Drassig during the War. * Daran is faction-less in this adventure. (But not Divergent) ### Lionshield Coster There is not much that needs to be done here. Just change Yartar to Westruun as the home of the company. ### Jorenn Village Miner's Exchange We are not porting the Zhentarim to Exandria, so I would recommend using the Myriad as her faction. Keep her motivations consistent with the adventure, but I would think twice before her recruiting players. Only add that element if you think there is a good chance your group will continue on after LMoP and they lean towards the dark side. ### Alderleaf Farm There is not a lot that needs to be remembered here, but this is likely to be the first place the party hears of Thundertree. Read up on it in section 3 to be ready to explain its history if needed. ### Shrine of the Changebringer Avandra the Changebringer replaces Tymora and is the goddess of travelers, change, and luck. ### The Sleeping Giant Taphouse There is nothing to do here other than remember to call them the Shadewatch and not the Redbrands. ### Townmaster's Hall Remember your substitutions, but **NOT** for Wyvern Tor's location. It is **NOT** on the Black Valley Path. It is located to the west of town overlooking a popular mining trail into the Cliffkeeps. \page
## Shadewatch Hideout While there is a good amount of lore to convert in the first half of part 2, there is not much that needs to change once the characters dive into the Shadewatch Hideout. Some minor changes to some NPCs and that is all. Enjoy. ### Why Tresendar Manor? In the early days of Jorenn Village, the Shadewatch met in public at Townmaster's Hall. The organization had nothing to hide. They were an all volunteer organization from the very people they swore to protect. As corruption began to seep into the organization, they became more secretive and paranoid. This only served to fuel the fires of mistrust between the people of Jorenn Village and the Shadewatch and the divide grew wider. They stopped meeting in the Townmaster's Hall and instead started holding all their meetings in the Sleeping Giant Taphouse. Eventually, the Shadewatch stopped pretending to be Jorenn Village's guardians and became a full-time criminal organization. While they continue to call the Sleeping Giant Taphouse home, their new leader Glasstaff moved their main base of operations to the basement of Tresendar Manor. ### 5. Slave Pens (Mirna Dendrar) Mirna Dendrar and her son are being held by the Shadewatch and are going to be sold into slavery. While slavery is outlawed in the Republic, the practice is still fairly common. Most end up in the far south of Gwessar (Tal'Dorei) in the goblin lands of the Iron Authority, while many find their way to the continent of Wildemount. ``` ```
The Dendrars ran the herbalist shop in Thundertree and were very happy. After the dragon attacked Westruun, Kevdak and the Herd of Storms rolled through and razed the village. The Dendrars just barely managed to survive the onslaught and found their way to Jorenn Village. ### Iarno "Glasstaff" Albrek Once a pupil of the Realmseer Eskil Ryndarien, Iarno "Glasstaff" Albrek was a bright, but ambitious student. Concerned about his ethics & motives, Ryndarien dismissed the young Albrek shortly before the attack on the city. When the dragons attacked, Iarno fled with some refugees led by two Shields of the Plains named Hallwinter & Zimmerset. The three would fight many battles together and became friends. They led the refugees to Kymal and continued to look after them until the dragons were defeated. When they returned to Westruun, Zimmerset was named Margrave and Hallwinter was offered command of the Shields, but declined. Iarno, on the other hand, used connections he made in Kymal to become a powerful member of the Clasp. With friends in high places, Albrek's influence grew. When Zimmerset asked Albrek to check on Jorenn Village, he jumped at the chance to extend his and the Clasp's influence to the north. \page
# Part 3. The Spider's Web During the first and second parts of the Lost Mine of Phandelver, the biggest challenge has been remembering your substitutions. In part 3, the changes to the geography will become more important as the players explore and navigate the Black Valley in search of Cragmaw Castle.
If you haven't already downloaded my map of the Black Valley, got to the web adddress below & download the full-size map. http://donfarland.com/cartography/lost-mine-of-phandelver-maps-for-critical-role-conversion
## Conyberry Located along the Black Valley Path, the village of Conyberry was a small farming & fishing village about halfway between Jorenn Village and Westruun. The village was sacked and burned to thr ground by the Herd of Storms on its way to Westruun. It remains lifeless as a painful reminder of the region's darkest days. The party would have passed through the ruined village on their way to Jorenn Village. If you decided to start the adventure in Westruun, you'll want to make sure to include this landmark during their journey. *... You read through this guide before starting right?*
The Bramblewood grows close around the edges of the tiny, desolate village of Conyberry as the Black Valley Path cuts a path through the burned out husks that were stone and timber homes and shops. An old inn sits in the main square, it's roof collapsed in on itself. Just past the also collapsed stable, a small path cuts its way east into the woods.
``` ``` After a few miles on the path, read the description in the official adventure. There is nothing else that has to be changed for Conyberry or Agatha's Lair. location. ## Old Owl Well Built by the forces of Trist Drassig during the Scattered War, the Old Owl Well is all that remains of an old watchtower in the eastern valley. The site is one of many believed to have been used by Drassig to summon demons and devils from the planes of Hell to fight with him against the forces of Zan Tal'Dorei and the Syngornian Elves. ### Hamun Kost Hamun Kost is a member of the Remnants, a cult dedicated to the worship of Vecna, the Whispered One. He has a number of black tattoos including an "emaciated hand with a large eye in the center of the hand" and a symbol that looks like a fork with five tines on top and a large circle for a handle. Any character from Whitestone will recognize the tattoos immediately. Everyone else would need to make a DC15 on Arcana, Religion, or History. \page
## Thundertree Located to the west of the Black Valley Path, the village of Thundertree can be found along the Bramblewood Creek, deep in the forest. Like Conyberry, Thundertree was destroyed by the Herd of Storms on their march toward Westruun. Many of the residents of Thundertree found their way to Jorenn Village like Thel and Mirna Dendrar. ### Reidoth There is nothing that has to be changed concerning Reidoth. Their is no equivalent to the Emerald Enclave in Exandria, and the only druidic organization is the Ashari. You could make him a member of either the Terrah or Zephrah Ashari, but its not a good fit. There is no good reason for one of the Earth or Air Ashari to be hanging out in Thundertree. I recommend playing him as written in the official adventure. ### Venomfang I love role-playing dragons and Venomfang in the official adventure is rather boring. In my playthough, Venomfang is a young, but intelligent dragon. He was inspired be the Chroma Conclave and hopes to one day create his own conclave. While he is incredibly vain, he understands that to become an ancient dragon, he must choose his battles wisely. This provides a great explanation for why he flees at half health. ### 11. Old Garrison Given it's location deep within the Bramblewood, the village of Thundertree had a small garrison of Shields of the Plains. They were no match for the Herd of the Storms though and were wiped out in the initial assault.
### 13. Dragon Cultists The cultists are members of the Cult of the Conclave. They were among the first to cower before the dragons and worship them. They served as informants for the dragons and did their bidding. When Umbrasyl was slain by Vox Machina, they scattered and went into hiding. Many of their number were capture or killed, but some escaped. When they learned of Venomfang's residence in Thundertree, they came to make contact with him and become his loyal servants. ## Wyvern Tor Wyvern Tor is a crag due west of Jorenn Village. It is located along a commonly used trail that winds up into the Cliffkeeps to the west. It is an important trail for miners and the orcs are causing trouble for them. ## Cragmaw Castle The original name of the castle has been lost to time, but it was clearly built by humans around the time of the Drassigs. At one time it probably served a local noble, but is now home to the Cragmaw. Other than the two notes below, there is nothing specific that needs to be changed for this location. ### 8. Dark Hall The gods mentioned in the official adventure do not exist in Exandria, but they have reasonable equivalents. The four gods should be. * Ioun the Knowing Mistress (for Oghma) * Bahamut the Platinum Dragon (for Mystra) * Pelor the Dawnfather (for Lathander) * Avandra the Changebringer (for Tymora) Corellon the Archeart would be a better replacement for Mystra, but she is typically linked to the Elves and Bahamut is a more likely deity for humans than Corellon. ### 9. Goblin Shrine The makeshift shrine in this area worships Bane the Strife Emperor. \page
# Part 4: Wave Echo Cave Congratulations, you've made it to the final act of the Lost Mine of Phandelver. By this point you've probably got this conversion firmly in hand. Your reward is to sit back and enjoy the best dungeon crawl in the adventure. Cragmaw Hideout, the Shadewatch Hideout, and Cragmaw Castle have all been preparing you for this, Wave Echo Cave. ## Bodies of the Fallen While there is not much that needs to be changed in this portion of the adventure there are still plenty of opportunities to sprinkle in Exandrian lore. In the first half of Wave Echo Cave, many of the descriptions will describe the presence of various bodies and remains strewn throughout. In the official adventure, Wave Echo Cave was overrun by Orcs, but in this conversion, the mine was one of many battlefields between the armies of Trist Drassig and the forces of Zan Tal'Dorei. Among the dead you might come across the dwarves and gnomes that worked the mine, elves from Syngorn, and humans on both sides of the conflict. Drassig even had devils and demons fighting with him, so throw in a description of one or two here and there. ### 14. Wizard's Quarters Dwarves and gnomes were not the only people working in Wave Echo Cave. A number of human mages tended to the Forge of Spells and helped in the creation of the mine's great magical items. These mages came from all over Tal'Dorei and different backgrounds. The leader of these mages was a man named Mormesk. ``` ``` #### Mormesk the Wraith An associate professor of enchanting at the Alabaster Lyceum, Mormesk was mostly satisfied with his life. He felt his promotion was overdue, but he was content to wait his turn. When the opportunity for a promotion finally arrived, he was passed over and began to lose heart. It was then that he was approached about a job at Wave Echo Cave. It wouldn't carry the same prestige, but it would make him rich. Unfortunately for Mormesk, the war came shortly after he arrived in the Black Valley and his life ended defending the Forge of Spells. Over the next 800 years, he became increasingly bitter and angry about his misfortune. ### 19. Temple of Moradin The statue in this room is that of Moradin the Allhammer. The god of craft and creation. He is also the patron deity of dwarvenkind. #### Nezznar the Black Spider As far as villains in official adventures go, Nezznar is easily the most poorly developed. There is virtually nothing written about him and no real direction on his motives or personality. In most playthroughs this hasn't been an issue, but the potential for some role-play with Nezznar is possible. In those cases, I simply use the following to give him greater depth: * Nezznar is from the underdark city of Ruhn-Shak. The center of Drow culture in Tal'Dorei, Ruhn-Shak is located deep beneath the Stormcrest Mountains. * Nezznar's moniker, the Black Spider, comes from his devotion to Lolth, the Spider Queen. * If captured, he is taken from custody by Halia Thornton for the Myriad and whisked away to Wildemount. \page
# Appendix A: Character Backgrounds The following alternate backgrounds were something I created for a recent playthrough of the adventure for some new players. We decided to stick to the default, pre-generated characters that come with the Starter Set, but I needed to modify the character backgrounds for those characters. These are meant as a quick substitution if you're using the pre-generated characters or are just looking for some ideas to connect a player character to the overall adventure through their backstory. ### Dwarf Cleric (Soldier) For years you served as a Carver in the great dwarven city of Kraghammer. You are proud of your service, but you became disillusioned after a series of scandals tarnished the organization's reputation and nearly brought down House Glorendar. Shaken, you resigned, gathered your belongings and left. Armed with your trusty warhammer and your holy symbol of the Allhammer, you set out on your own. Eventually, you found yourself in the city of Westruun looking for work when you ran into an old friend, Gundren Rockseeker. Next thing you know you were riding a wagon heading north towards the town of Jorenn Village. You've heard stories about the Shadewatch in Jorenn Village and you're keen to teach them a lesson or two about protecting and not preying on the people. ### Halfling Rogue (Criminal) You grew up in Jorenn Village and fell in with the Shadewatch at a young age. You were never interested in an honest day's work in the fields or mines around town and quickly fell in with a bad lot. You had no illusions about the Shadewatch. You knew what they were about and you were more than happy to help keep the "peace". That is until Glasstaff showed up. Things got worse when he arrived. You didn't mind shaking down the occassional merchant or roughing up a debtor, but murders and kidnappings were a different story. Things got ugly fast and you didn't want any part of it. When they asked you to kill, you refused. The next thing you know your dodging arrows and running to Westruun. You're not sure why you're heading back to Jorenn Village, but you hell bent on revenge. ### High Elf Wizard (Acolyte) The backstory for the High Elf Wizard is nearly perfect as-is. The only change needed to bring it over to Exandria is to change the god Oghma to Ioun the Knowing Mistress. You can add additional details like studying at the Cobalt Reserve, the great library in Westruun. The Reserve is served by a monastic order devoted to Ioun. ### Human Fighter (Folk Hero) For years you worked odd jobs to get by. You woke up, you worked hard, and you collected just enough to keep a roof over your head and food in your stomach. That is, until the dragons & the Herd of Storms took over the city. You never considered yourself to be particularly brave, but when a goliath grabbed one of your friends, you snapped. You grabbed a hammer and you attacked the most terrifying thing you'd ever seen, a raging goliath. While you have no idea how you did it, the battle was over in an instant and the goliath was dead on the ground. You quickly rallied everyone you could find and led them out of the city and south to Kymal. After Vox Machina killed the dragon and drove out the Herd, you returned to Westruun. You bought some leather armor and a greatsword and started looking for work. It didn't take long before you found a job escorting a wagon to Jorenn Village. Your life as an adventurer had begun.
In another playthrough, this role was changed to that of a ranger. The character was a huntsman from Thundertree and helped lead survivors through the Bramblewood to Jorenn Village. The character was a good friend of Thel Dendrar and is heading to Jorenn Village to find Mirna and avenge his death.
### Human Fighter (Noble) Before the dragons descended on Westruun, your family was both wealthy & powerful. You lived in a stately manor in a quiet neighborhood & you were quite content. Your family's manor survived the initial attack, but was lost in the fires that rage for days. You managed to get out of the city and get to Kymal, but the rest of your family did not. By the time the dragon was slain and the Herd of Storms was driven from the city, you had nothing left. Your money, your home, and your family were gone. What wealth you left behind ended up in the dragon's hoard and was now being used to rebuild the city. Demoralized, you've decided to try a fresh start somewhere new. You'd heard things were picking up in Jorenn Village to the north. It might be not be the most glamorous place, but maybe you can establish yourself among the gentry of that back-water town ... if such a thing exists. You took a job from an eccentric dwarf named Rockseeker going that way. You'll just have to see where it leads you.