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Act One: It Begins

Scene One: The Scouting Party

A new quest begins as the heroes come face to face with a group of Dark Knights.

Overview

While setting up camp for the evening, the heroes hear a woman's scream. Upon investigating, they discover the remnants of a Dark Knight scouting party with one lone prisoner.

Getting Started

The beginning of this adventure finds the heroes just east of the Vingaard Mountains, deep in the territory held by Khellendros the Blue. (See the map on the back of this booklet.) Those who have just concluded The Rising Storm have recently traveled from Palanthas, where they retrieved from the sorcerer Palin Majere the final piece to a footman's dragonlance - the one carried by the legendary Sturm Brightblade during the War of the Lance.

For those just joining the Dragons of a New Age cycle. Narrators should explain that the heroes have ventured into the dragon's realm to investigate villagers'disappearances - reportedly kidnapped to further a sinister scheme of Khellendros and his Dark Knights. One hero has a lesser dragonlance with them (a family heirloom or a treasure acquired on a previous quest).

First Impressions

A windswept, arid plain unfolds eastward as far as the eye can see. No signs of civilization break the landscape's monotony, but here and there, small hills jut from the dry ground. You have begun making camp on the leeward side ot one such hill. In the west, the Vingaard Mountains rise into the darkening sky.

The Story Begins

As the heroes finish setting up camp, the Narrator should read the following:

A scream echoes across the countryside. It's hard to tell where it came from, but it sounded like the voice of a woman in great pain. The scream rises again, this time followed by sobs, as though from one pleading for mercy.

Then, as suddenly as it broke the still of the evening, the sobbing stops.

A search reveals that the scream came from behind a slight ridge west of camp. Heroes who investigate find that other travelers have been set up camp nearby - sinister travelers, from the looks of them. Below, a Knight of Takhisis in ornate plate mail stands over the form of a young woman sprawled on the ground, dead or unconscious. Nearby stands another woman, clad in leather armor and grinning widely. In a sarcastic tone, she says to her comrade, "Nice going, Knight-Warrior. I'm confident she'll talk now."

"Quit your silly act," the Knight barks at the prone figure, "or I warn you, your blood will flow freely!"

The Battle

As heroes, the group members should want to protect an innocent prisoner from harm. They might try a sneak attack or rush the warriors, in which case they gain surprise - the two had not expected trouble. Both warriors fight to the death when attacked but, should the heroes try to subdue rather than kill them, they can be captured.

The Terrible Tales

If the heroes capture the Knight, his fanatical devotion to the Dark Queen prevents all coercion to talk, magical or otherwise. The woman in leather armor, a tracker named Ainia, proves more talkative.

Ainia tells the heroes that a talon of Dark Knights hired her to track down villagers in the area who escaped earlier sweeps. Her scouting party was assailed at dusk the previous night by a strange dragon-shaped beast that swooped down upon their blue dragon mount. The mount and the rest of the talon died in the terrifying assault - she says the attacker looked like a wyrm made of pure shadow and breathed a cloud of blinding blackness. They were on their way to report the attack to the Knight's superior (she can offer directions).

A splash of water on her face brings the prisoner around: a dark-haired, dark-skinned barbarian wearing a halter top and colorful, multitiered skirts. A bruise darkening on her face shows where the Knight struck her. This tired, hungry young woman tells the heroes her name is Marda, but seems distant. She can confirm Ainia's story about the dragon attack, adding that she had escaped with the other prisoners during the onslaught but was apprehended earlier today. Tearfully, she offers the heroes only this tale about herself:

"Some time ago, my clan was destroyed by Sable the Black. Only my little brother and I survived. I was captured by the trustees of her zoo and tortured, but Wilie helped me escape. For the last few years we've traveled from city to city telling fortunes. In Palanthas, a Dark Knight bound for Vingaard Keep decided he needed a personal slave. He took my brother and tried to lock me in jail, but I escaped, only to he captured again by this group. Without Wilie, I am all alone."

Atmosphere

It is early evening. The setting sun has turned the cloudy sky into a brilliant sea of fire slowly dying over the mountains in the west. Narrators should emphasize the serene surroundings in contrast to the sharply pained scream.

Actions

Determining where the scream came from is an average Perception action for those with acute hearing, but challenging for other heroes. Before launching a surprise attack on the camp, the heroes might attempt average Dexterity (Perception) actions opposed by the scout to move to a more favorable position.

On hearing Ainia's story, a hero who succeeds at a daunting Reason action can guess that the scouting party ran afoul of one of the legendary shadow dragons.

Characters

The uncommunicative Knight of the Lily seems surprisingly encouraged if the heroes decide to pay a visit on his superior by following Ainia's directions.

Knight-Warrior Ruanall: Human adult male, fierce demeanor, Champion. Co 9, Ph 7, In 7, Es 5, Dmg +6 (broad sword), Def -8 (target shield and plate mail).

Ainia: Human adult female, cynical demeanor, Adventurer. Co 8, Ph 5, In 6, Es 7 (49), Dmg +5 (scimitar), Def -2 (leather), also mysticism (alteration).

Marda: Human adult female, reserved demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 8A, Dx 9B, St 5C, En 5B, Re 8X, Pe 7C, Sp 9X, Pr 7A, Dmg +2 (dagger or sling), Def 0 (common clothing), also uncontrolled mystic power (see Act Three, Scene One for details).

Outcome

After thanking them for their aid, Marda begs the heroes to help locate her brother. Regardless of their decision, Ainia uses her alteration magic to slip free later that night, leaving no sign of her trail.

- Heroes who agree to seek Marda's brother in Vingaard, more than a week's travel away on the shores of the Vingaard River, begin their search in Act Three, Scene One.
- A trip to see the Knight's superior, according to Ainia's directions, takes the heroes to Scene Two.

Scene Two: The Dragon's Lair

The heroes may have thought the scout's directions would lead them to a senior Dark Knight. Actually, this "superior" is not a Knight at all; the heroes' trip takes them to one of the Blue Dragon's lairs.

Overview

Khellendros is absent, giving the heroes the chance to steal several items from his hoard and learn a valuable secret about the dragon's stronghold. First, however, they must bypass various traps and fight a couple dragonspawn and a semi-intelligent wyvern.

Getting Started

Information about the items of magic mentioned in this scene appears in the Book of the Fifth Age, Chapter Five.

First Impressions

As you crest yet another sandy hill in the Blue Waste, you come upon an immense cave mouth hidden mostly in the shadows of the surrounding dunes. The area seems just as desolate as the miles of arid terrain you have already crossed - certainly not a bustling Dark Knight center of operations.

The Story Continues

As they enter the cavern, heroes can easily make out a number of claw marks on the floor. Some are the size of large lizard tracks, while others are immense. Clever heroes might deduce that they were formed by the cave's resident dragon and his servants.

A cavern just off the cave entrance holds the dragon's hoard. Braziers light the area enough for the heroes to make out a large selection of coins, jewels, weapons, armor, and other items. This collection includes the following magical trinkets, treasures, and artifacts:

- Three rings of distinction offering their wearers -2 defense bonuses.
- Two short swords of renown.
- Two suits of Solamnic plate armor of fame and one suit of Dark Knight plate armor of fame.
- One horse shield of glory that all recognize to be the Shield of Huma.

Although the items of magic appear unguarded, they are in fact protected by three wards. First, a unique form of lichen covers the floor around the display. This magical growth, which Khellendros discovered while exploring the Gray and the vast Abyss beyond Krynn, causes anyone who steps on it to risk falling victim to total amnesia.

Second, an enchantment upon the items alerts one of Khellendros's magically enhanced wyvern servitors that someone has touched them.

The third and most subtle enchantment of all is that the Great Blue can sense the location of each of these items at will. Further, by concentrating on one of them, he can see through the eyes of the individual carrying it.

Once someone has touched or recovered one item, a voice calls from the darkness, "Master! You're home!" and a large wyvern comes bounding from the darkness. It looks at the heroes with a quizzical expression and mutters, "Nope, nope, nope. None of you little ones is my Master! You look more like prisoners. Why aren't prisoners at the stronghold?"

With proper cajoling, the dopey wyvern sentry reveals the following:

- He serves the Storm Over Krynn.
- The "stronghold," called the Bastion of Darkness, is located in the town of Relgoth, several days' journey from their current location.
- Someone named Lord Sivaan oversees the captive villagers brought there for "spawning" by the Master's Dark Knights.

The dim wyvern answers a few such questions before noticing that the heroes have taken items from the dragon's hoard. "Thieves!" it yelps. "Spawn, spawn! Help me catch little thieves!" Not waiting for help, the creature attacks.

All appearances to the contrary, Khellendros has received word that the heroes have interfered with his plans; the dragon fully expects the heroes to visit his lair at some point. In fact, he actually wants them to abscond with some of the items of magic from his hoard - he just doesn't want to make it too easy. Once they have the treasures, he can use them to spy on the heroes as they continue to oppose his spawning efforts.

The Battle

The wyvern attacks the heroes with its claws and poisonous stinger. The commotion draws the attention of two blue dragonspawn, horrifying lizard-men hybrids almost seven feet tall, with enormous wings and wicked claws. The enraged spawn launch themselves at the strongest individuals in the group.

Atmosphere

The dragon's lair should give the heroes the feeling of impending doom, even though Khellendros does not appear.

Actions

Heroes can spot the claw marks in the cavern automatically, but deducing their origin requires a challenging Reason action. Succeeding at a desperate Reason action tells a hero that only one blue dragon on Krynn could make tracks this large - Khellendros himself.

When the group goes to loot the hoard, the Narrator should permit heroes with acute eyesight, or those who mention a concern over traps, to attempt a challenging Perception action. If they succeed, they notice the cave floor around the pile has a different texture than the rest of the sandy floor. To get the items without stepping on the floor, the group needs to use a lasso, a hook on a rope, or perhaps summoning magic.

If no hero has acute eyesight or thinks about traps, the alien lichen Khellendros has planted around his hoard sucks mental energy from any hero who steps on it. As soon as a hero is about to take an item, the Narrator should call for a challenging Reason action. Success means that nothing happens to the hero at the moment, but he must make another similar action for each item he tries to take. Failing at any of them makes the hero forget who he is and why he is on this quest. The amnesia lasts for a number of days equal to the total action score value of all cards played that minute - a bad situation if all the heroes just rush up to the artifacts. A mishap means the hero permanently forgets who he is.

An average Presence or Spirit (Reason) action convinces the wyvern to talk.

Characters

In addition to the creatures the heroes battle in this scene, they may interact with the Dark Knight from Scene One.

Intelligent wyvern: A monster. Co 12, Ph 28, In 7 Es 7, Dmg +11, Def -4, also dive, poison.

Two blue spawn: Hostile nonhumans. Co 8, Ph 12, In 5 (25), Es 8, Dmg +10, Def -5, also dragon breath, sorcery (electromancy), dissolves into an electrically charged cloud at its death.

Outcome

If the heroes have learned about the Relgoth stronghold from the wyvern, they find a set of orders (on the body of one of the spawn or tucked into a leather satchel in the hoard) naming the city as a major holding site for captive villagers destined to become spawn.

- Of course, Marda urges the heroes to help her seek her brother in Vingaard. If they agree, the adventure continues in Act Three, Scene One.
- Heroes deciding to visit Relgoth can go on to Act Two, Scene One. Marda concedes that rescuing the prisoners is a noble goal and decides to join them, hoping to get to Vingaard later.

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