The Red Keep Adventure
Welcome to the World of Dromaria
Welcome to Dromaria, a world of wonder, conflict, magic, gods, and the people who represent them. Dragons live side by side with some mortals while being in a hidden war with others, demons have emerged from the depths to stake their claim, all while ancient evils slip the bonds that once held them to plague the world once again. The gods have left Dromaria, leaving behind bastions of knowledge for their mortal followers. Those they call Anointed, Champions, and Chosen are left to find the buried secrets and defend the world as best they can. Dromaria is a fantasy setting intended to be used with any d20 system, although this module is specifically for Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition.
Table of Contents
• Part One: Shelter Lake, Festival of the Crown
• Part Two: Dondarian, the Merchant City
• Part Three: Lolien, the Survivors
• Part Four: Tintown, Quarantined
• Part Five: The Red Keep
• RKA Encounters
• RKA: Magic Items
• RKA: Stat Blocks
The Red Keep Awaits...
Across the Tritos Dominion festivals are being held in honor of the coronation of
Adventure Hook
You can let players invent their own reasons for visiting Shelter Lake, or you can use the following adventure hook:Aiding the Hammer. The group has just finished a job for Elder Kierie Bastinade. The elderly dwarf hired the party to deliver costly materials to The Temple of the Hammer. Now the festivities for the Festival of the Crown have begun and the party is welcome to stay and enjoy things. They have a couple of rooms at The Hanging Trout.
Running the Adventure
This content is written for the Dungeon Master. It contains a complete Dungeons & Dragons adventure, as well as descriptions for every creature and magic item that appears in the adventure. It also introduces the world of Dromaria, a new setting for you to enjoy. The Red Keep Adventure is a classic Dungeons and Dragons adventure for 4-6 people intending to take players from level 3 to level 6. Any class combination is viable, although it is intended for heroic, goodly characters. Many of the encounters in this adventure are deadly. They are designed to test the player's ability to make smart, informed decisions under pressure. This book is intended for the DM's use, along with the Dromaria Website, Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master Guide. Some creatures and items included may only be found in this module.
Character Advancement
Rather than have you track experience points, this adventure assumes that the characters gain levels after certain tasks. At the end of each location is a “Character Advancement” section, which tells you the circumstances under which the characters advance in level. Players are expected to level after leaving Dondarian, again after Lolien, and for a final time after Tintown. You may choose to ignore this and track XP as normal.Regional Background
The game begins in the quaint farming village of Shelter Lake, found in the southern region of the Tritos Dominion on the continent of Pathriam. Approximately ten years ago was a worldwide conflict known as The Demon War. It was at this time that the ruler of the Tritos Dominion, King Caraconne Tritos, was killed. Now, almost a decade after the war has ended, King Ender Ramus has been crowned and many are concerned that he will revive traditions from a bygone era. Intense hatred towards magic and its applications was widespread in the country's past, although it had significantly diminished in the modern age. The Eastlands of Pathriam have been the property of the Tritos Dominion for as long as it has existed. While those in the capital were arguing over issues of succession, two major sections of the country left the Dominion, forming the nations of Frijring and Serawa. There have been food and trade disruptions causing conflicts between the nations to escalate even further. The country now sits in a precarious position. Lothoren is the most prominent religion in the area by a significant margin. Lothor is a god of forgiveness, justice, and service on Dromaria. Inspired by the Illumination faith, Lothor has a whole branch of the religion dedicated to his teachings. Often referred to as the Prophet of Light and the Herald of Varity, he pulled the land from the icy grips of the age of horrors and into a time of prosperity. Though the majority of those who worship him are human, people of all walks of life find their way into his light. Many warriors and paladin's walk the path of Lothor as well as those who are looking for salvation from the darkness. Hearthhome Castle in the capital city of Ania was Lothor's home during his lifetime. Now the fortress has become a holy site and the bastion of the monarchy. Although not described in detail, every town in this region is assumed to have a church dedicated to Lothor and at least one priest. Major issues afflict much of Dromaria, as outlined in the World News page of the Dromaria website. Thankfully in Shelter Lake, many of those larger problems have gone unseen. Here people wish to live their lives in peace and celebrate in style as the new king takes his throne.The Civil Legion VS the People
With the recent issues of succession, additional Civil Legion troops have been stationed in various cities across the Tritos Dominion. In many locations this has caused the citizens to feel oppressed, forced to follow the military's policy. At the beginning of the adventure the players will be working alongside the Crown and the Civil Legion. As they continue they are expected to negotiate with politicians and soldiers alike. As the adventure continues the players will encounter harsher conditions in the places they visit. There is a balance to be struck as the adventure plays out. The more in-line with the Crown's actions the players are the easier their final encounter with the dragon will be. The players need the help of the Civil Legion but at what cost? This conflict is a core component of this region and will have an impact throughout this campaign and beyond.Items in the Adventure
Pathways
A modern convenience, Pathways serve as small handheld power sources. The devices serve a number of functions but their core feature is to work as an elemental power component to many public features in modern towns. Each Pathway holds a charge for either air, earth, electricity, fire, or water. By placing the correct Pathway into a slot, most commonly called the "juicer", it powers the device, draining the Pathway of the appropriate amount of energy. Pathways are being used heavily in the northern portion of the kingdom and will only see regular use in Tintown and Dondarian in this adventure.
Slatetops
Slatetops are small boxes, typically made of wood, with a black slate top. Designed by The Slatetop Post, they are used as a mailing system in many places of the world. By placing an object weighing less than one pound in the box and writing a word or phrase on the slate, the object will appear in another box featuring the same word or phrase written on it. Complications may occur if the same words are written on multiple boxes, causing the enchantments to become disrupted and break. For additional gold it is possible to buy Secured Slatetops that only function between two locations. Many government and military facilities have done so in the Tritos Dominion.
Song Stones
Song Stones are fist sized blue or green gems that contain a recording capable of being shown like a hologram. The art to making them has been lost to time and the majority in existence are held by museums or other places of protection. Song Stones containing recordings of the ancestors are among the world's most treasured possessions. It is believed they were originally developed by the goddess Serithell. It is possible to erase what is in a Song Stone and record something new and is one of the many reasons they are so well protected.
Adventure Layout
This game is intended to start at Shelter Lake and go through the cities of Dondarian, Lolien, and Tintown, on the way to The Red Keep where the adventurers will have their final encounter. Each location will have additional quests and characters if players want to spend a bit more time there. The festival in Shelter Lake will be interrupted from an attack by an adult red dragon. The dragon will claim the festival's prize money and as many people as it can carry. The players are not intended to fight the dragon at this stage of the adventure. Instead, they are meant to survive and help as much of Shelter Lake as they can in the process. The event will be highlighted in detail later on. The players will then be tasked by Lawmaster Andias Teft to assist him in amassing a force to storm the dragon's home and put an end to it. Along their journey, the group will have to gather enough materials and forces to battle the red dragon. Depending on the aid they acquire throughout the adventure will alter the final combat in several impactful ways.
Dragons on Dromaria
When the first people settled on Dromaria they found it to be a land already ruled by dragons. A bitter and violent war ensued with mortals and dragons taking turns killing one another. With the world trees not yet planted, control of Dromaria's elements were firmly in the clawed grasp of the dragons, which they began to use against the Ancestors. Eventually a truce was brokered by the Ancestors called The Covenant, in the hope of ending their constant conflict. According to the Covenant the dragons would allow the mortals to stay on Dromaria and in exchange the mortals could never again kill a dragon who had not provoked. While there are other caveats to the bargain, for this adventure the most important is that it is illegal to salvage the body of a dragon, as legally it is the property of Emperor's Peak. Though there have been breaches of The Covenant in the past, it has held strong for ages and is a fundamental basis for life on Dromaria. Most recently Emperor's Peak was attacked and the dragons are reeling. Groups who have dissented against the dragons in the past are using their current weakness as a reason to fight back. Those in charge of maintaining the Covenant are struggling as well, trying to keep the peace.
Smolderthorn the Reclaimer
Smolderthorn the Reclaimer
Smolderthorn is an adult red dragon who claims to have lineage to a dragon from almost 2000 years ago, Scaborous the Pure. Scaborous terrorized the region in its time and Smolderthorn has returned to do the same, damn the Covenant. The dragon's motives are simple: instill fear in the people of the region and loot their valuables. Eventually he wants to move on to greater subjugation. Smolderthorn, like many other of his kind, has been rattled by the recent anti-dragon movements and is looking to reclaim control before it can be taken from him. What he doesn't understand is how fervently the mortals will strike back when a dragon attacks. As the adventure continues the players will see signs of Smolderthorn in the region and may see the dragon itself. The list of encounters the players may experience can be found in the RKA: Encounters section.
The Adventure Begins
To begin the adventure head to: Part One: Shelter Lake, Festival of the Crown