Epilogue
Scene One: Alas and Alack
The heroes have fallen prey to one or
another of the dangers opposing them.
Here are some final thoughts for the
future.
Overview
Whether they simply failed to bring
back the dragonlance or were killed by
the Knights of Takhisis or Gellidus, the
heroes have failed in their mission.
While this may be a personal tragedy
for them, it does not mark the end of
the war. It will, however, make the
going more difficult for other characters and heroes who will carry on the
fight against the dragon overlords.
Getting Started
Whichever path brought the heroes to
this stage, this is not a happy ending to
the adventure. In most instances the
heroes will have been killed, and the
players may be wondering what is to
come next. The passages below provide
closure for this segment of the campaign
as well as a ray of hope for the future.
The Story Continues
The Narrator can pick the ending most
appropriate to the adventure's outcome.
A Valiant End in Battle
Whether the group faced opponents
who were simply too powerful, made a
catastrophic error in tactics, or found
that the Fate Deck simply turned
against them, the heroes drew their
swords and went bravely to their deaths:
Despite your best efforts. Evil has carried the day. As your consciousness
fades, you have the cold comfort of
knowing that you did all that anyone
can do - you gave your life in the fight
against Evil. The forces of darkness
may have won today, but the tales of
your valiant efforts will spur others to
take arms against them. This battle has
been lost, but the war goes on.
Death at Dragon Claw
Meeting their end fighting Gellidus is
perhaps the most tragic death, if only
because it could have been avoided with
a modicum of discretion. No heroes
should ever face a battle against a Great
Dragon without a massive army and
powerful magical artifacts to support
them. To do so is pure foolishness. Still,
though they have more courage than
brains, they exemplified the spirit of
heroism, and can take some pride in that:
Gellidus the White, overlord of Southern Ergoth, proved in the end to be too
powerful for you to defeat. There is no
dishonor in death at the hands ot a
superior force. The Great Dragons are
unlike any beasts ever known in Ansalon
in all of recorded history. They are more
powerful than even their gigantic bodies
suggest, for they have cunning and skills
which they developed through centuries
of warfare. Although you died this day,
you can take solace in the fact that your
deaths may save the lives of other heroes
who will hopefully do everything within
their powers to avoid entering battle
with the Great Dragons.
So Close, and Yet...
The heroes may have survived, only to
lose the dragonlance to the Dark
Knights. While a powerful artifact has
fallen into the claws of Khellendros, to
be used somehow in his unguessable
plans, at least the heroes lived to fight
another day. This is the best of all possible failures, for as long as they learned
from their mistakes, the heroes cannot
be said to have come away completely
empty handed. Knowledge and experience are expensive commodities and
powerful tools. There may be some
serious repercussions to their failure,
but the heroes will be stronger for
weathering them:
Your mission has failed. The true
dragonlance that Huma himself guided
you to has fallen into the enemy's
hands. No one blames you. The
Knights and Palin will know that you
did your best and applaud you for volunteering for such a mission at all.
Still, knowing that success was
within your grasp, literally, makes this
knowledge small comfort. Every
encouraging phrase, every "if only the
gods were still here" and "bravely
fought" and "the next battle will be
ours" only makes you that much more
anxious to find the next battle, to carry
the light onward. Nurture this hunger,
carry it within your heart - you will
surely need it before the war for Krynn
is done.
The heroes can return to Castle Eastwatch as described in the Epilogue,
Scene Two (although their arrival without the lance does not occasion a lavish
feast). The heroes have an entire world
of possibilities and the decisive battle
against the forces of Evil yet ahead of
them. Hopefully, with their experience
from this adventure serving as both
inspiration and abject lesson, they will
find a way to overcome this setback
and win the war for Krynn.
There is also the matter of Silvara's
revelation. The Narrator must decide
whether she tells Gilthanas her true
identity as she does in Scene Two of the
Epilogue - salving his defeat with
unconditional love - or whether she
simply disappears, leaving him to begin
his quest anew. The race against the
Dark Knights was always secondary to
Gilthanas; he will follow Silvara's trail
wherever it leads.
Atmosphere
The adventure has ended in failure, and
quite probably tragedy, so the atmosphere in this scene is understandably
subdued. However, the Narrator should
point out that the fight against the
dragon overlords goes on.
If they died during the adventure,
the heroes will be remembered as brave
souls who gave their lives in the cause
of freedom. Because they fought the
good fight, even though they lost (perhaps especially because they lost), they
exemplify the true meaning of heroism.
The players should come away with a
sense of pride for their heroes having
done the right thing.
Outcome
Even if the group cannot continue with
the next scene of this Epilogue, many
other adventures await. The next part
of the Dragons of a New Age campaign,
part of the Heroes of Hope dramatic
supplement, can take a new group of
heroes traveling through eastern Ansalon to continue trying to collect magical artifacts before they fall into
Khellendros's claws. They will not only
face conflicts with fierce barbarian
tribes but will also travel to the amazing undersea realm of the Dimernesti
sea elves.
Scene Two: Revelation and Reunion
If the heroes survived the journey into
Gellidus's realm, they will arrive back
at Castle Eastwatch a week later, exhausted but alive.
Overview
The heroes escape the frozen mountains
and move back into the western reaches
of Southern Ergoth. They see no sign of
Gellidus or Sunrise but may note that a
shadow dragon seems to be following
them. Back at Castle Eastwatch, a great
feast is held in their honor. Sunrise
explains his actions, and the adventure
concludes with the reunion of
Gilthanas and Silvara.
Getting Started
The sidebar on Castle Eastwatch (see
page 26) contains information help
ml for the play of this scene.
Should the Narrator choose to
allow a bond to form between
one of the heroes and the gold
dragon Sunrise, he might wish
to review the material on
dragon mages in Chapter Five
of One Moon, Not Three. If Ulin
is not present in this adventure,
another hero could bond with Sunrise
as a dragon mage.
First Impressions
The heroes have managed to walk out
of the frozen wastes of Gellidus's realm
alive, if battered. The trip through the
Last Gaard Mountains and the forest
on the western side of the island is relatively uneventful.
On several occasions during their
trip, the Narrator should have the
heroes attempt Perception actions. Anyone who generates an average success (or Fiona) notices the form of a huge
shadow dragon circling the peaks above:
The shadowy creature must he at least
three hundred feet long, more than
twice as long as the largest shadow
dragon ever seen. It appears to notice
you struggling along the mountain
path, but it seems completely disinterested, neither attacking nor aiding you.
You might consider this a bad omen -
you are in a Dragon Realm, after all -
but the creature doesn't even fly lower
to have a better look at you.
Any hero who generates a challenging
success and has been through the Storm
Over Krynn adventure thinks this could
be the same creature he heard about in
Skie's realm - the beast that killed the
dragon belonging to the Dark Knights
who captured Marda. This shadow
dragon does not work for Gellidus,
Khellendros, or Malystryx. Its purpose
remains, for now, an utter mystery.
The Story Continues
After a week's journey, the heroes arrive
back at Castle Eastwatch. The Solamnic
Knights welcome them and treat them
like celebrities when they see the true
dragonlance from Huma's Tomb. These
Knights will sing songs of this triumph
for years to come, for they have been
unable to visit the Tomb since Frost's
arrival. They arrange a great feast to
celebrate the mission's success and
allow everyone to congratulate the
heroes personally.
The feast in the castle's immense
Great Hall is lavish and rowdy, with Knights engaging in mock duels, arm
wrestling, and drinking contests. This is
a side of the Solamnic Knights that few
see. The heroes may choose to join if
they wish - they are lauded as brothers
to the Solamnics.
At the feast the heroes are seated at
the head table with the commanders of
the castle and Sunrise in his human
guise, although all the Knights seem to
be aware that he is actually a dragon. He
explains to the heroes why he was acting so strangely at Foghaven Vale, and
apologizes to anyone he may have accidentally hurt. Sunrise is very interested
in Ulin (or another appropriate hero),
and the sorcerer, for his part, feels as
though the dragon is an old friend.
They seem to have hit it off quite nicely.
Lady Arlena is conspicuously
absent. The heroes may think she is
embarrassed for having been so hard
on them or believe she is away on a
mission. The Narrator should allow
them to think what they like.
If they did not find out during the
last scene, Sunrise informs the heroes
that Malystryx plans to return the
Dark Queen Takhisis to Krynn (but he
is not certain how). This news must be
carried to as many of the dragons' enemies as possible. Sunrise volunteers to
carry the message to the metallic
dragons on the Dragon Isles (see
"Actions"), the Knights will make sure
that word gets to the Solamnic High
Council on Sancrist Isle, and the
heroes are asked to bring word back to
Palin, Goldmoon, and the other leaders on the mainland.
One final question remains: Where
is Silvara? Gilthanas has gone through
this entire quest hoping only for a
reunion with his true love. Although
Sunrise says she asked him to meet the
heroes, Silvara herself has yet to be
seen. If none of the heroes mentions
this, Gilthanas will. Whoever brings it
up, though, the matter is settled when
Lady Arlena enters the hall:
The din of the feast fades away as the
assembled Knights grow silent and turn their attentions to the great doors. Standing there in a rich royal blue dress chased
in silver is Lady Arlena, looking radiant.
Her entry brings silence to the hall.
All eyes upon her, Lady Arlena
crosses the hall and approaches the
head table, stopping before Gilthanas.
She smiles and reaches out a hand to
stroke his cheek. As her hand nears his
face, her entire body shimmers, and
suddenly the Solamnic Knight is gone.
In her place stands a large silver dragon
resting her front paw gently against the
elf's face. Her eyes never leave his as
she speaks. "Forgive me, my love, but I
had to be sure you had truly overcome
your doubts. I had to know that when
we joined again ... it would be forever."
Her form shimmers again, and she
becomes a beautiful elf maiden with
long, flowing, silver hair. Gilthanas, a
single tear staining his cheek, takes her
in his arms and draws her close. "We
will never be parted again, my love" the
elf whispers. "This I swear."
A great "Huzzah!" rises from the
assembled Knights as Gilthanas and
Silvara kiss - a tender, pure kiss as long
and as sweet as the future that stands
before them.
Atmosphere
Although life is rarely festive in a
Solamnic castle, the mood upon the
heroes' return is one of celebration. The
heroes carry with them a true
dragonlance from the Tomb of Huma,
they defeated the machinations of the
Knights of Takhisis and their dragon
master, and they faced a Great Dragon
and survived.
Actions
The heroes may participate in the festivities at the feast, wrestling or dueling
with Knights of the Narrator's creation. The activities should be physical
in nature, but not harmful. This is,
after all, just for fun. The Narrator
should resolve such actions using the
nonlethal combat rules mentioned in Act Two, Scene One (-3 action penalty
to the attacker, temporary damage
only). Heroes who do well against the
Knights, though, may be recognized as
worthy warriors and offered positions
in the Solamnic auxiliary. The Knights
will gladly offer the heroes sponsorship, if they accept the honor.
Narrators who wish to introduce
the dragon mage pairing discussed in
Chapter Five of One Moon, Not Three
can use the feast as a chance to do so.
Ulin and Sunrise feel a bond born of
common purpose growing between
them. Sunrise asks Ulin to go with him
to the Dragon Isles to warn the Good
dragons of Malys's plan - and to spend
some time exploring the parameters of
this new friendship. The fact that
human and dragon still live and fight
side by side gives great promise for the
future of Ansalon.
Characters
Suhnrysanti (Sunrise): A young adult
male gold dragon, hedonistic demeanor.
Co 10B, Ph 51A, In 11B (121), Es 11A
(121), Dmg +16, Def -12, also dragon
breath, swallow whole, dragonawe, dive
attack, sorcery (transmutation) and mysticism (meditation, alteration, sensitivity).
Fiona Quinti: Human young adult
female, modest demeanor, Adventurer.
Co 6, Ph 6, In 6, Es 6, Dmg 0 (unarmed),
Def -5 (plate mail).
Gilthanas: Qualinesti adult male,
capable demeanor, Legend, 4
. Ag 8C,
Dx 6A, En 7C, St 6B, Re 7A (49), Pe 8B, Sp
7D, Pr 6B, Dmg +7 (long sword), Def -3
(chain mail), also missile weapons (long
bow/+6), acute eyesight, sorcery (divination, enchantment, aeromancy), Amulet
of Healing Hands.
D'Argent (Silvara): Silver dragon mature
adult female, purposeful demeanor. Co 11B,
Ph 48A, In 13B (169), Es 13B (169),
Dmg +20, Def -16, also dragon breath,
swallow whole, dragonawe, dive attack,
mysticism (alteration, healing, spiritualism) and sorcery (cryomancy).
Solamnic Knights: Humans of varied age
and demeanor, Adventurers. Co 6, Ph 6,
In 6, Es 6, Dmg +7 (long swords), Def -5 (plate mail).
Outcome
The heroes have succeeded in their mission, plus they have information vital to
the battle against the dragon overlords.
Getting both the dragonlance and the
details of Malys's plot to Palin, Goldmoon, or one of the other influential
characters should be their next goal.
The fourth chapter in the Dragons
of a New Age campaign is part of the
Heroes of Hope dramatic supplement.
In this adventure, the heroes will travel
through eastern Ansalon in their continued attempt to collect magical artifacts before they fall into Khellendros's
claws. They not only will face conflicts
with the barbarian tribes of the east but
will also visit the amazing undersea
realm of the Dimernesti - the sea elves.
In the meantime, there are several
possibilities for further adventures:
- The heroes can remain in Southern
Ergoth until Captain Lindak
returns. This will, of course, be several months later, but there is much
work to be done repairing the secret
tunnel connecting Castle Eastwatch
with Dragon Mountain. Also, Gellidus could decide to expand his
holdings west of the Last Gaard
Mountains at any time.
- The heroes can leave on another
ship heading for one of the other
islands in the North Sirrion Sea or
possibly one of the port towns in
Khellendros's realm. Any number of
adventures can occur traveling the
remaining miles overland.
- Not many ships sail south from
Castle Eastwatch. However, if the
heroes are lucky enough to find
one, it would most likely make its
way to a port within Beryllinthranox's realm. The heroes could then
set out through the Qualinesti and
Wayreth forests toward Solace. This
would give the Narrator the opportunity to run adventures based on
some of the other happenings in
The Day of the Tempest or use the
scenario from The Last Tower dramatic supplement.