Kenku are birdlike folk who once soared the skies and sang enchanted songs, but a curse stole their wings and transformed their voices. Now kenku slip through the shadows of cities and the Shadowfell, trying to recover what they’ve lost. To some, this means seeking an end to their curse; others search for magic or contraptions to enable them to fly and sing again. The curse affecting kenku allows…

Kenku are birdlike folk who once soared the skies and sang enchanted songs, but a curse stole their wings and transformed their voices. Now kenku slip through the shadows of cities and the Shadowfell, trying to recover what they’ve lost. To some, this means seeking an end to their curse; others search for magic or contraptions to enable them to fly and sing again. The curse affecting kenku allows…

Once there was a prince of a grand kingdom, the youngest of eight sons. His brothers were celebrated as heroes of the realm, but whatever the youngest prince did, his deeds were never noticed; the shadows cast by his brothers were too long. Even when he saved the kingdom from a cruel dragon, the people assumed one of his brothers had done the deed. But in that dragon’s lair, the prince discovered…

The cultures providing inspiration for the Northlands used a poetic metaphor called “kenning” in their riddles, poems, and songs. A kenning is a play on words that replaces a concept, usually a single word, with more figurative language. For example, a popular kenning for the sea was “whale’s road.” Often associated with skaldic poems, kennings draw on cultural and mythical knowledge. They are…

South. Down a snaking hallway to the First Giant’s chamber (Area 3). West. Along a winding hall to the Loom of Fate room (Area 5). Kennings In a kenning, two words (often connected by a hyphen) become a compound word that replaces a noun. For example, “oar-steed” is a kenning for ship. For more information, see Kennings in the Northlands Worldbook, Chapter 7: Running Northlands Campaigns .…

Broken bridge. Deadly pit. Color puzzle The western side of this mostly rectangular chamber plunges into a deep pit filled with moving wisps of shadow. Many crystal shards in various colors hang on slender threads from the ceiling above the eastern landing. To the north, a wall mural depicts Northlands gods standing upon a bridge of shining light that ends, as if broken, with glittering fragments…

Rough-and-tumble sailors make merry in this sprawling hall, whether it’s at the large, central wooden bar or at the large tables arranged around it. Private booths populated with quieter, dark-cloaked individuals surround the hectic clientele. Open at all hours, the main hall is a key gathering spot for sailors in Baldur’s Gate and a prime location where criminals discuss shady deals. R2a. The…

As the party enters the prop closet, read or paraphrase the following: Just inside the prop closet, a colorfully dressed kenku is digging through a crate about three times his size, braced by a male goliath, while a female halfling looks on. There are two juggling balls on the floor, and the kenku is looking for the third without success. After a moment, he rights himself, revealing matte-black…

N female (she/her) human Wenfleda (wen-FLAY-dah) is tall, broad-shouldered, and bald. Her many scars and rough hands attest to her years of swordplay. She tends toward a rather cold and impassive demeanor, but is as capable of great joy and sadness as anyone else. Her forehead is marked with the holy symbol of Kelanen, a nine-pointed star. Balance in All Things. As a priestess of Kelanen,…

Residents and long-term visitors rent apartments in this tenement building. The complex’s most notable resident is also its landlord, a crotchety jeweler who invests in gemstones and other valuables. When the characters arrive at the apartments, read the following boxed text aloud: A wooden jeweler’s sign hangs over an open door in the front of this two-story building. Inside, an old human man…

Human Jeweler Stat Block: Noble This elderly jeweler can identify and appraise any gemstone. Faultfinder. Lenk has a knack for spotting flaws, be they in things or people. Pessimistic. Lenk always sees the worst part of any situation. Rumors “Your money isn’t safe at the bank. I hear a burglar broke in recently and stole every last coin.” (Partially true; the burglar was unsuccessful) “Some…

Characters earn renown with the Kendricks by bringing rivals and enemies together, keeping the peace in Ffolk lands, and completing personal favors for the Kendrick family.

Originally built as a monastery for an order of contemplative monks, Fort Kentigern has become the last shield between the coldfire waves and the rest of the northlands. The high keep is built in a style similar to the fortresses of the south, with thick stone walls shaped by both craftspeople and mages. The fort’s curtain walls are 10 feet thick and sport defensive siege weaponry. The ramparts…

The adventure consists of these encounters. Raven Run. As characters leave for Idol Island, they are followed by a large flock of ravens, animals sacred to Shar. Eventually, the birds swoop down and initiate combat. They include three Swarms of Ravens and a fourth group infused with shadow magic (Swarm of Stirges). Gloom Mist. Mist around Idol Island dampens nonmagical lights and cantrips so…

The rampant criminality at Rat’s Run means purses frequently disappear from drunken patrons, bar fights occasionally turn deadly, and sometimes individuals go missing and never return. For the latter reason, Astarion considers Rat’s Run a diamond in the rough: a place from which he can lure victims to Cazador’s palace and assume no one will care to investigate their disappearance. Astarion is…

Dragon, Female, 85 (Young Bronze Dragon) Kaneru has rich yellow scales with bronzed edges. Normally she lives in peace with the local citizens.

Aarakocra Skirmisher Animated Broom Animated Flying Sword Axe Beak Blink Dog Boar Bullywug Warrior Constrictor Snake Draft Horse Dretch Elk Giant Badger Giant Bat Giant Centipede Giant Frog Giant Lizard Giant Owl Giant Venomous Snake Giant Wolf Spider Goblin Warrior Grimlock Kenku Kuo-toa Modron Duodrone Mud Mephit Needle Blight Panther Pixie Priest Acolyte Pseudodragon Pteranodon Riding Horse…

Kentrosaurus is a relatively small stegosaur from the Late Jurassic (165 million years ago) Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania. A close relative of Gigantspinosaurus and the famous Stegosaurus, it is well known for having a mix of defensive plates and spines along its back. Design Philosophy Life is diverse. We find that the current 5.5e system of normal, proficiency, and expertise for…

Abominable Yeti Ankheg Axe Beak Basilisk Behir Bulette Bulette Pup Carrion Crawler Chimera Cockatrice Cockatrice Regent Death Dog Displacer Beast Doppelganger Drider Ettercap Flying Snake Giant Axe Beak Giant Vulture Griffon Harpy Hippogriff Hook Horror Hydra Kenku Kraken Manticore Medusa Merrow Mimic Minotaur of Baphomet Owlbear Peryton Phase Spider Primeval Owlbear Purple Worm Quaggoth Quaggoth…

When the characters return to Minarrh, they find the town smelling faintly of rot and mold, with no townspeople in sight. They also see a faint reddish glow emanating from the temple entrance. If she was with the party, Kynah leaves their side to seek out Rostan and make sure he is safe. The party encounters Asha, the young acolyte, running from the temple in fear and seeing her covered in welts…

Beasts served many important roles in the Empire of Dhakaan. The Ruuska dar fill much the same role that House Vadalis does for the Five Nations: tending and training the many beasts of the empire, while always searching for—or creating—new beasts to fill a need. Ruuska is the Goblin word for “tiger,” and tigers and dire tigers are often used as cavalry in the vanguard of Dhakaani armies. But the…

Kynah was an orphan who arrived in Minarrh as a young girl. Due to her horns, she was met with fear and derision from most of the townspeople. When she met Rostan, he took her under his wing and sheltered her from the wary townsfolk, providing her with shelter, food, and company. She became fond of the old man and he of her, but she remained uncertain that she would ever be accepted by the…

Kithkin are short folk with stout legs, long arms, and sturdy torsos. Their broad faces; round ears; and large, expressive eyes lend them a vaguely ursine appearance. Most kithkin are linked by an empathic web that lets them sense the feelings of nearby kithkin. Because of this connection, many kithkin trust each other implicitly. Shadowmoor denizens such as this kithkin often find the land a…

The servants of kuo-toa archpriests, kuo-toa whips—so named for their role in enforcing order among other kuo-toa —lead war bands in carrying out the commands of their superiors. In return for their zeal, these kuo-toa are granted minor magical abilities and pincerlike weapons for subduing foes. In battle, whips drive on other kuo-toa with threats of violence and burbling chants. Kuo-toa Kuo-toa…

Enduring Gormadraug ’s tyranny since time began, each of the Primordials ached to be free of their sire. They found their opportunity from an unexpected source: a man named Kentigern and his six companions. Ilhara convinced her siblings to betray their sire and take the adventurers under their wing. Morakesh and Citrolach formed powerful magic weapons that could pierce Gormadraug’s flesh. Ilhara…

Abvekus are demons that embody assassins’ sadistic professionalism. Patient killers, they prefer to stalk targets from afar before striking. These targets might be the abvekus’ enemies or the enemies of demon lords or powerful villains the abvekus serve. Abvekus are bipedal, insectile demons whose arms end in scythe-like claws. They take pride in their kills and sometimes wear or otherwise…

A redwood towers above, its trunk as wide as a building and its bark peeling like dry skin. A few feet above the ground, a figure with green skin and hair made of leaves sits on an enormous shelf fungus like it’s a throne. He eyes you imperiously as you approach. This is Kaynen, a Dryad who made this tree his home just before Sunset-Is-Nigh hatched. Kaynen is initially Hostile toward the…