# An Ensemble of Danger ## part 1 ###### A campaign for levels 1-8 Written by Dustin Rios

##### Fight agaisnt organized crime in a city filled with adventure

\page ## Credits * **Formatting:** The Homebrewery * **Map Making:** Wonderdraft, Gimp, Gplates * **Name Generation:** Fantasy Name Generator * **Art:** Nicholas Rogers ## Special Thanks to my Lovely Play Testers Alex, Bjorolf, Brandon Rios, Cydney Fernandez, Damrath, Drew Fernandez, Erica Tipping, Groover, Hernan Hernandez, Jarratt Hill, Many Things, Nicholas Rodgers, Nick Sanchez, Sidney Rios, Sir Ladder Stalls, Solrac, Todd, and Vi ## Foreward This all started in the summer of 2011. My dad had put together a D&D campaign that we never really got to finish. Months went by and we still hadn't played. I eventually decided to just make my own one shot out of the back of the 3.5 DMG. I got a group together and we played "The Jigglestone". From there I made another adventure, and another, and another until I had a loosely connected series of dungeons that I called a campaign. 1 year and another playthrough later and I got something a bit more refined than that. I had a world and a story I wanted to share, but was no where near ready to do so. Then I just sort of stopped playing for a few years. Until 5e came out. One of my good friends had bought the Tyranny of Dragons campaign, and I was hooked on the new edition. It kick started me back into campagin creation. I then worked off and on over the years to get to where I am now. A world ready to be explored and a story ready to be shared amongst friends. When making this campaign and campaign setting I wanted a game where players can play a race however they wanted to, and it still be canonically accurate. As a result, many cultures and races were brought to Kydan from all over the multiverse; allowing for players to play characters from worlds they are familiar with in an unfamiliar and explorable setting. The tone I was going for when I wrote this campaign was a light-hearted romp that turned into something much more sinister and horrifying. As characters explore the world around them they will eventually be face to face with pure and unfeeling evil. My design philosophy for this campaign was that encounters should have more than one way to be solved and that clever players should be able to circumvent combat. If an encouter seems far too deadly it was likely meant to be circumnavigated and roleplayed through. I also didn't want to burden any DM who picks this module up with too much lore, but also give enough to where they know what's going on in the world at any given time.

Dustin Rios

October 2019

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##### Table Of Contents - **[1 An Ensemble of Danger](#p1)** - [1.1 part 1](#p1) - [1.2 Credits](#p2) - [1.3 Special Thanks to my Lovely Play Testers](#p2) - [1.4 Foreward](#p2) - **[2 The Setting](#p4)** - [2.1 Adventure Background](#p4) - [2.1.1 Forroth](#p4) - [2.1.2 Factions of Forroth](#p4) - [2.1.3 Politics](#p5) - **[3 Chapter 1: Joining the Wayfarer's Guild](#p6)** - [3.1 Session Zero](#p6) - [3.1.1 Character Creation](#p6) - [3.1.2 The Wayfarer's Guild](#p6) - [3.1.3 Inside the guild](#p6)

\page # The Setting You don't need to have memorized all of how the setting works in order to run this game, but there are some setting specific things that should be covered before you get started. You are encouraged to make the setting fit your story not the other way around. I will keep this as short as possible as I prefer to give most of this knowledge whenever it becomes necessary as to not bog you down with lore. ## Adventure Background During the Cosmic Migration a green dragon wyrmling named Hevarax appeared in a forest filled with portals. He named his new home the Woods of the Veil. He spent hundreds of years there and, while the rest of the world was struggling to pick up the pieces of their new life, he thrived. Hevarax would polymorph himself into a variety of humanoid forms and live amongst commoners. As he grew so did his reputation as "The Green Bastard". Hevarax was a habitual schemer and liar. He was proud of this fact and would often take humanoid form for the purpose of shaping wars, deposing kings, and building regimes. The great pride he felt for his deceptions and tricks often led him to reveal his secrets before any plans he had were actually completed, but were too far along in progress to actually be stopped. Eventually, Hevarax grew complacent and changed his form to a previous disguise and made an attempt to stir trouble amongst the elves. It wasn't long before the long lived elves recognized him and forced him back into the woods where he stumbled backwards into a portal. Hevarax vanished from the elves' pressence, but then reappeared halfway around the world in what would one day be called the continent of Erdonia. He found a malestrom of magic there. The storm raged and tore at Hevarax; transforming his deeply wounded body and awakening the elemental might within him. His wings became noxious clouds, his scales looked a sickly pastel green, and an aura of toxins began to swirl around him. Centuries passed and the maelstrom finally died down. Not long after, the first settlers appeared through the woods. These settlers were lead by a druid named Thorn Treekin. Hevarax seized the opportunity to place himself as the new leader of these travelers, but Thorn saw through Hevarax's lies. Over the next hundred years Thorn and his followers would slowly drive Hevarax out of the forest and claim it for themselves. Adding insult to injury, Thorn named the area Feybark Forest in reference to the magically gnarled bark they would use to craft magic items. Six hundred years later, the nation of Forroth has been established bordering the woods Hevarax once called home. The dragon now goes by Harkan; a halfling businessman who owns ninety percent of all taverns in forroth and is the head of a network of organized crime called the Shadow Ensemble. His goal is to use the might of Forroth to drive the druids away so he may finally return to his home and hoard. This campaign starts as Harkan's plan for revolution is already underway. Players will start together in a Wayfarer's outpost in a city of their choosing. > ##### Lore Note: **The Cosmic Migration** > about one thousand years ago seven Empryeans, seeking deification, found a desolate battle scarred planet and decided they could become their own pantheon if enough mortals worshiped them. So, they prepared a single conteneint to test their idea and instnantly relocated thousands of potential worshipers from all across the multiverse. The relocation and the chaos that followed are referenced in history as The Cosmic Migration. ### Forroth The Republic of Forroth is where the vast majority of this campaign takes place. It was founded by a band of adventurers and their followers after discovering the great lakes that would become central to Forroth's economy and culture. This area had been overrun with horrifying monsters, but also an oasis of magic, water, and surprisingly fertile soil. The adventurers spent years claiming the area around the Golden Road from horrendous monsters, demons, and eldritch abominations that had slipped out of their bindings during the maelstrom. Soon, each adventurer had founded their own towns with the treasure they had collected from within the spires and ruins that dotted the landscape. In time, these towns would grow into ten large independent cities. ### Factions of Forroth There are many organizations and factions within Forroth, but few have a strong an influence on Forroth. The following factions were made to appeal to a wide variety of player classes as to avoid players feeling that they have to pick one faction over another because of class requirements or theme. **Arcan's Order.** A guild of magic users that originated in the Magocracy of Arcan. The Order is based in the captial city of Olstin and its main goals are to uncover the secrets of the past, recording important events, and making magic use more accessible. Nothing is sacred when it comes to this faction. Those within Arcan's Order believe that no knowledge should be forbidden and that no topic is taboo. Secretly they plan on creating and modifying sorcerers in order to slay the gods who they believe have trapped them in this world.

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CHAPTER 0 | THE WORLD OF KYDAN

\page **Legion of the Griffin.** A Paramilitary force created in the early years of Forroth by Rylan Dalemore and Aridan Hornraven. The Legion is based in the city of Aridan and is dedicated to hunting down monsters, discovering and shutting down magical threats, and clearing out or demolishing spires. The Legion believes that one day they will rid Forroth, and the world at large, of its monsters and magic anomolies. **Protectors.** A faction started by Thorn Treespeaker after driving out Harkanoar. The protectors are completely dedicated to the protection of the Woods of the Veil and the cataloging of the portals contained within. The Protectors believe that the woods are too dangerous to be tampered with and wish to keep out any who would seek to use its portals at any cost. The Protectors have Enclaves in Anclen, Dale, Strita, and Synlion as the Veil borders those cities. **Shadow Ensemble.** A network of actors, artists, adventurers, courtesans, hitmen, politicians, priests, spies, taverns, and thieves all acting as a section in a larger ensemble. The conductor of this ensemble is the only one who knows the piece he conducts in its entirity; since each section is given only what they need to perform. Members of the Ensemble have one thing in common however: they see the republic as a failed experiment and work within it to dismantle and reshape it as a monarchy. ### Politics Harkan will use politics to get what he wants, and as of the beginning of this campaign he will have already corrupted several elected officials and nobles. Don't worry, a lot of the politics will happen in the background. Forroth is a republic of sorts. It is governed by an elected representitive titled, archon. The archon's job is to make laws and policies as well as meet with nobles in order to get a feel of what laws need to be made. Under the archon are 5 legislators who are elected to vote on laws made by the archon as well as 3 executors in charge of military, law enforcement, and the protection of nobility. There are also nobles within Forroth, and they are descendants of the founders of Forroth's ten great cities. The nobles represent a city's local government and are concerned with the wellbeing of the territory they are in charge of. local laws will vary from city so adventurers should be careful if they want to travel from city to city. Once a year the nobles will meet with the archon in an attempt to change and propose new federal policies and laws.

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CHAPTER 0 | THE WORLD OF KYDAN

\page # Chapter 1: Joining the Wayfarer's Guild This chapter offers material for a roleplayable session zero as well as four one shot adventure hooks to get players used to the setting and allows them to get a better handle on their characters before the campaign properly starts. ## Session Zero It's important to have a session zero in order to prepare yourself and your players for the campaign to come. Take the time to communicate your expectations with your players, and have them reciprocate with their expectations. This section will give you options for your session zero. You do not have to follow any of these suggestions, and are free to structure your session zero however you please. ### Character Creation Players should save character creation for the session zero. This allows the group as a whole to have a better understanding of each other's characters and tends to lead to better team cohesion. When selecting a background, players are encouraged to be more involved with the setting by choosing a city within Forroth for their character to be from. This can benefit the players with knowledge of locations within the city, local lore, a contact, or whatever you feel appropriate. For their equipment, have players roll for their gold and save it until after registration so they can buy their equipmemt themselves. lastly, have players draw connections to each other's characters and have them tell you how they all met. This will help get your players warmed up and give their characters reason to be together. ### The Wayfarer's Guild After character creation it's time to start roleplaying. have the players pick a city to start in then read the following:

You enter the Wayfarer's guild, and see a very clinical looking room. There is a half-elf sitting at a desk putting away files. She greets you as you enter. A metal sculpture dedicated to the spirit of adventure stands next to the archway that leads to the rest of the building. Beyond this room veterans gather to share old stories in the lobby while aspiring explorers search the job board in order to test their metal. Several merchants try to sell their wares in the designated shop area to varying degrees of success, and priests of various faiths offer blessings and healing in the Allfaith chapel annex.

#### Wayfarer Registration Before they can continue into the guild the party must register with the Wayfarer's Guild. Have the party introduce themselves to the receptionist. In order to register, the party needs to come up with a company name. After a name has been chosen, each member of the party will need to pay a 10 gp fee. This fee allows members of the guild to use the facilities the guild has to offer. #### Diviners After fees are paid the receptionist will hand each party member a Wayfarer Crystal they can wear whever they choose, and explain that each party is observed through their crystals by a diviner. Their diviner acts as the party's public relations representative, and will perform promotion ceremonies for members of the party. #### Ranks Wayfarer Crystals also indicate rank through a series of colors. Most wayfarers never make it past rank 1. Those who don't advance within the guild have either joined for status and clout, quit, or died. For this reason the guild doesn't allow lower ranks to use magic items sold within the guild store until they've proved themselves capable. ##### Wayfarer Ranks | Levels | Rank |Color|Magic Item Access| |:----:|:------:|:---:| :---:| |1-4 | 1 |Red|Common |5-10 | 2 |Yellow|Uncommon |11-14 | 3 |Green|Rare | 15-20 | 4 |Purple|Very Rare| Diviners will contact their party members through their crystals when they are deemed ready enough to be promoted. Everyone close to the wayfarer being promoted is invited to hear their adventures told by the diviner incharge of their party. The story the diviner tells is written down and logged away into the Lore Library in Anclen and sang about by bards. Once the story is told the Wayfarer's Crystal will change color and a celebration will be held on behalf of the promoted wayfarer. ### Inside the guild Your players are now ready to move beyond the enterance and move through the archway and into the lobby. #### Lobby #### Job Board #### Allfaith Chapel #### Magic Item Shop

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CHAPTER 1 | Joining the Wayfarer's Guild

Options