Encounter of the Week: An Early Dawn

Prepare for the release of Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount by playing your own encounters in the world of Critical Role! This encounter is based off of “An Early Dawn,” an any-level adventure hook presented in Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, which you can preorder now on the D&D Beyond Marketplace!

Wildemount is a land of dark and epic fantasy, with low-level characters fighting to survive in a world full of common folk who are just as mud-splattered and hungry as they are—and high-level characters contending with the fate of nations and magic that has the power to bring about the end of the world, or the creation of a new one. This series of Encounters of the Week are totally unconnected mini-adventures for low-level characters that you can run as one-shots or string together to create an episodic fantasy series. The encounters will be set in the four major regions of Wildemount: the grim, authoritarian Dwendalian Empire; in Xhorhas, home of their mortal rival the Kryn Dynasty; the neutral and tropical Menagerie Coast; and the frozen and forbidden Greying Wildlands, home to strange mystics and every sort of criminal scum.

This week’s encounter is An Early Dawn, and takes the characters on a wild chase through the sprawling streets of the Xhorhasian capital Rosohna.

This encounter contains major spoilers regarding the Kryn Dynasty, including the Luxon beacons and the process of consecution, up to Critical Role episode 91.

Rosohna and the Kryn Dynasty

Rosohna, capital of the Kryn Dynasty, is abutted by the darkened peaks of the Penumbra mountain range to the east, the god-scarred Barbed Fields to the north, and the nigh-impenetrable Vermaloc Wildwood to the west. Thus protected by the land of Xhorhas itself, the people of Rosohna fear no outside attack—and even if an invading army did break through, a veritable army of Aurora Watch guards stand stationed upon the city’s walls.

The Kryn Dynasty was founded by dark elves who emerged from the Underdark and abandoned the cruel ways of a Betrayer God known as Lolth the Spider Queen. These traitorous drow discovered an esoteric deity of light, creation, and rebirth known to them as the Luxon. Armed with their new faith, the Bright Queen Leylas Kryn led her followers from the darkness and onto the surface of Exandria. The followers of Kryn suffered under the bright sun of the surface world, but they endured it—for enduring the burning rays of the sun as free drow was better than being bound to the will of an evil god.

The city they found refuge in was an ancient ruin of the ancient Calamity known as Ghor Dranas. In the darkest days of the Calamity, the citadel of Ghor Dranas was the seat of the Betrayer Gods’ power. Since the end of that war of gods and mortals, however, all evil drained from Ghor Dranas. The Betrayer Gods were sealed behind an impenetrable Divine Gate, and their minions fled into the Wastes of Xhorhas and beyond. The nascent Kryn Dynasty named their new home Rosohna, and over the years crafted a spell that would block the sun and shroud their home in eternal night.

Free to practice their worship of the Luxon in peace, the people of the Kryn Dynasty discovered an incredible power: the ability to be reborn through the power of the Luxon. The power of the once-forgotten Luxon was contained within geometric objects called beacons, and those who engaged in a sacred ritual known as consecution were bonded to the essence of the Luxon within the beacon. Consecuted individuals who died within around one hundred miles of such a beacon would find their soul reborn in the body of any newborn within that same range. As a consecuted being reaches adolescence, memories of their past life (or lives) begin to slowly filter in through dreams or stray thoughts. A being undergoing this supernatural process of recollection (known as anamnesis) often seeks out the source of these memories, especially if they were reborn into the body of a different race, a different sex, or into a life that is wildly different from the one they remember.

In part due to the process of consecution, the Kryn Dynasty is populated with people of all races, from drow to humans to goblins to minotaurs. The dynasty’s ambassadors are well-trained in contacting Xhorhassian communities and forming alliances, especially after a Kryn soul has been reborn into a newborn Xhorhassian outlander. Some relationships transcend lifetimes, such as the one shared between the Bright Queen Leylas Kryn and her devoted general, Dusk Captain Quana Kryn.

A Luxon beacon; Critical Role fan art by Caio Santos (@BlackSalander

Chase Encounter: An Early Dawn

This encounter assumes that the characters have lived in Rosohna for some time, and is optimized for 3rd-level characters, though the difficulty can be scaled for higher tiers of play.

Thanks to the Luxon’s gift of consecution, Nym and Istal have been partners across multiple lifetimes. They each have been reborn a handful of times—and each time, without fail, the couple manages to find their way back to each other.

Nym’s most recent cycle through the beacon resulted in their rebirth as Amra Theyliss, a young Kryn arcanist prodigy. Though only at the cusp of what elves consider adulthood, Amra has already begun studying the arcane art of dunamancy, training to one day join the ranks of dunamancers who weave the arcane shields that keep Rosohna in perpetual dusk. Amra is a neutral good female drow mage, with the following changes:

  • Amra has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and she can’t be put to sleep via magical means.
  • While in sunlight, Amra has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
  • The spell dimension door replaces greater invisibility in her spell list. In addition to her wizard spells, Amra can innately cast darkness and faerie fire once per day, requiring no material components. Charisma is her spellcasting ability for this trait (spell save DC 11).

Istal’s most recent rebirth, though, is a much different story. Once an elite Echo Knight of the Kryn Dynasty, Istal fell in the skirmish at Nogvurot fifteen years ago, which led to their rebirth as Kaplan Eryth—a human cleric of the Dawnfather in the Dwendalian Empire. Kaplan is a chaotic good male human priest with the following changes:

After his thirteenth birthday, Kaplan (unbeknownst to him) began undergoing anamnesis, the process through which consecuted individuals recover memories of their past lives. Confused by these visions of a city in endless twilight and beset with a heartache for a partner he’s never met, fourteen-year-old Kaplan struck out on his own for the wastes of Xhorhas.

His journey led him back to Rosohna, where he reunited with Amra. However, with wartime tensions only growing and the Aurora Watch tightening security across the city, the couple realized they could not safely stay in Rosohna together. By combining Amra’s dunamancy studies with Kaplan’s divine magic, the pair devised a plan to flood the city’s arcane shields with sunlight, distracting the Aurora Watch long enough for them to make their escape.

Encounter Summary

While passing through the Firmaments (a wealthy district of Rosohna), the characters watch as a massive hole rends through the shields above the Lucid Bastion (the Kryn palace). Sunlight floods the center of Rosohna, and as the rest of the city descends into panic, the characters chase after the likely culprit, a disguised Kaplan. This dash ends with a confrontation at Kaplan’s run-down dwelling in the Coronas, where Kaplan and Amra reveal the complicated truth of their relationship. Will the characters help the young couple make their escape, or will wartime loyalties pull them apart?

Encounter Start

This encounter begins in the Firmaments, near the center of the city. As the war with the Empire rages on, tensions rise in Rosohna. The Aurora Watch patrols the streets in increasingly larger numbers, and whispered suspicions of spy activity creep among the worried citizens. Nevertheless, life attempts to continue as best it can.

Unbeknownst to the characters, Kaplan is also among the daily crowd bustling through the Firmaments. Using a hat of disguise to appear as a young drow scholar, Kaplan plans to sneak close to the Lucid Bastion before casting daylight above the cathedral. In addition to the normal spell’s effects, though, Kaplan also worked with Amra’s dunamancy skills to increase the potency of the light generated, allowing it to momentarily break the city’s arcane defenses against sunlight.

As the characters approach the Lucid Bastion, read or paraphrase the following:

Brilliant white light suddenly pierces the dusky sky above the cathedral’s crystal spires. A bassy hum reverberates through the air, purple arcane rings rippling outward as the shields surrounding the city warble and crack. And, for the first time in months, sunlight shines on the streets of Rosohna.

Characters with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 14 or higher hears Kaplan enunciate the spell’s verbal components from the shelter of a nearby alleyway. Other characters may make a DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check to attempt to trace the source of the light. On a success, a character discerns that while this light appears to be divine in nature, there are no upcoming holy days honoring the Luxon’s brilliance, and this light most likely comes from a source not aligned with the clerics of Rosohna.

As Kryn and other individuals sensitive to sunlight immediately rush to find cover along the streets, Kaplan attempts to blend into the panicking crowd to make his escape. However, despite his outward Kryn appearance, Kaplan himself is not sensitive to sunlight, which shows in his body language. A successful DC 11 Wisdom (Insight) check made while surveying the crowd notices Kaplan’s unusual behavior amongst the other Kryn. Alternatively, a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check detects the flicker of Kaplan’s illusory disguise.

The moment Kaplan gets an inkling that someone has caught onto his deception, he panics and runs. A chase ensues.

Chasing the Sun

This references the chase rules in chapter 6 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide as well as the Rosohna Chase Complications listed below.

Rosohna Chase Complications

d20

Complication

1

You run into a squadron of the Aurora Watch marching in the opposite direction. Make a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (your choice) to make your way through them unimpeded. On a failed check, the squadron counts as 10 feet of difficult terrain.

2

Skidding too close to an entryway, you trigger the security of a graviturgist’s home. Make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, you are pulled 10 feet away from your current path, and all terrain within a 5-foot radius is considered difficult terrain as you battle against a gravity well.

3

A goblin dragging a wheelbarrow full of potions crosses your path. Make a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to leap over them. On a failure, you take 2 (1d4) acid damage as alchemical reagents spill onto you.

4

You vault past a stable containing a pair of moorbounders. Make a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) piercing damage as you try to dodge the moorbounders’ snapping jaws.

5

An old crumbling clay wall blocks your path. Make a DC 10 Strength saving throw to smash through the wall and keep going. On a failed save, you bounce off the wall and fall prone.

6

You realize too late that you are hurtling towards one of Rosohna’s many street bonfires. Make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw to avoid colliding with the flames, taking 5 (2d4) fire damage on a failure.

7

The stray sickening spell cast by a Marble Tomes Conservatory student careens towards you. Make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, you take 4 (1d8) poison damage and fall prone.

8

You come face-to-face with a hill giant helping build a new block of flats. Make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Intelligence check (your choice) to navigate around the giant’s legs. On a failed check, the giant counts as 10 feet of difficult terrain.

9

You trip on a stray chain and knock one of the city’s green lanterns to the ground. Make a successful DC 12 Dexterity saving throw to avoid the spray of shattered crystal or take 4 (1d8) piercing damage.

10

You stumble between two quarreling bugbears. Make a DC 15 Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), or Charisma (Intimidation) check (your choice) to get past them unimpeded. On a failed check, you take 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage, and the bugbears count as 10 feet of difficult terrain.

11–20

No complication occurs.

 

The chase leads the characters from the Firmaments to the Coronas, where Kaplan plans to meet Amra at his current residence before leaving the city. Kaplan starts 40 feet away from his pursuers and spends each round of the chase attempting to put as much distance between himself and the characters as possible. The chase lasts no more than 10 rounds, after which Kaplan disappears into the fog covering the Coronas.

If all characters lose track of Kaplan, they can question some of the neighborhood inhabitants. Though Kaplan’s current Kryn disguise is unfamiliar to them, most inhabitants here have at the very least heard rumors of a human lurking in the area and can point the characters towards Kaplan’s home,

Home Sweet Home

As the characters approach Kaplan’s residence, read or paraphrase the following:

Cold fog laps at your legs as you push through the crumbling ruins that make up the Coronas. Soon, hazy shadows emerge before you in the mist: a rickety cart overflowing with supplies, the silhouette of a lanky elven girl with hair pulled back into a braid, and the smaller figure of a human boy bustling at her side.

Kaplan’s hat of disguise flew from his head during the chase, revealing his true appearance: a teenage human male with unkempt mousy hair and freckles splattered across his face. Beside him is Amra, a young female drow dressed in the clothes of a Marble Tome Conservatory student. The two converse in hushed tones as they pack the last remaining things into their cart. A successful DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth) check allows characters to approach them unnoticed, and a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) picks up snippets of their conversation. Kaplan worriedly informs Amra that he may have been followed, while Amra reassures him that, so long as none of the Aurora Watch caught him, they should be able to leave the city safely. 

Confronting either of them causes Amra to jump defensively in front of Kaplan. She vehemently insists that despite how it seems, Kaplan is not a spy for the Dwendalian Empire. The couple explains the circumstances surrounding their consecution and rebirth, and a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that the pair are earnestly truthful. If asked about their intended destination, they state that they plan to move somewhere along the Menagerie Coast, beyond the boundaries of the war.

The characters may decide to help the couple or fight them.

Help Them

A successful DC 15 Charisma check persuades Amra and Kaplan to stay in Rosohna. Though both are nervous about bringing Kaplan to the Kryn’s attention, with the characters’ guidance they gather the courage to explain their situation to the umavi of Den Theyliss.

Alternatively, the characters may volunteer to help the couple leave Rosohna. Amra advises against them traveling too close to their cart, as a larger party would draw attention, but the couple appreciates the party trailing at a distance to ensure their safety. As the characters watch the couple’s cart trundle beyond the boundaries of the Coronas, a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) notices only a lone group of Aurora Watch patrolling the ruins in the distance. Amra and Kaplan successfully leave Rosohna without any further incident.

Either way, the couple breathes a sigh of relief as they release concentration on the jury-rigged spell that disrupted Rosohna’s shield of darkness.

Fight Them

If the characters make any motion to harm either Kaplan or Amra, have everyone roll initiative. Both Kaplan and Amra fight defensively, aiming to put as much distance between them and the characters as possible. As soon as she can, Amra casts dimension door and pulls Kaplan through with her. The pair disappear into the ruins and abandon their cart to escape the city on foot.

Characters who search the cart find two sets of common clothes, 10 days of rations, and Kaplan’s discarded hat of disguise.

Dusk Returns

After an hour, Amra and Kaplan’s spell dissipates, allowing the arcane shields to reform over Rosohna. (If either of them lose concentration, the spell ends early.) If the couple decided to stay, the Aurora Watch attempts to accost Kaplan, but Amra stops them and explains their plight. Otherwise, the Aurora Watch guards can be found in the Firmaments, questioning any witnesses of the event as they search for the perpetrator.

Regardless of how the characters resolved things with Kaplan and Amra, the knowledge that consecuted Kryn souls may be reborn into newborns within the Dwendalian Empire lingers with the party. Curious characters can peruse the archives of the Marble Tomes Conservatory or talk with soldiers recently returned from the war to investigate further.

As for where those new threads of information lead the adventurers? That is the beginning of another story entirely. Continue plumbing the mysteries of Xhorhas and grappling with the Dwendalian Empire in Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, coming to D&D Beyond on March 17th, 2020, with preorders available now. You can also keep up with the adventures across Wildemount in Critical Role, every Thursday at 7:00 pm PST on www.twitch.tv/CriticalRole.


Did you like this encounter? If you want to read more adventures like this, take a look at the other encounters in the Encounter of the Week series. You can also check out some of my other content on the DMs Guild—including the best-selling adventure i've been, which examines our struggles to vocalize our mental health and our often non-linear paths to progress, and Knarl's Candy Compendium, a collection of fifty enchanted candies to implement into your D&D games.


Makenzie De Armas is an independent tabletop game designer and writer. Known for her work as co-designer of MCDM Productions' Kingdoms & Warfare and co-host of the podcast One On One: A D&D Duet Campaign, Makenzie also serves as the lead writer for The Islands of Sina Una and appears in various streamed TTRPG campaigns on Scratticus Academy. You can usually find her screaming into the void on Twitter at @MakenzieLaneDA.

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