The Lair of Elaacrimalicros in the High Forest, the Aarakocra Tribe Seek to Exact Revenge on an Ancient Enemy
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The Lair of Elaacrimalicros In the High Forest, the Aarakocra tribe seek to exact revenge on an ancient enemy. Can the PC's assist in their cause? A Forgotten Realms adventure for 4-6 characters of 5th level by Joseph Bingaman DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2017 by Joseph Bingaman and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. Sample file 1 Credits While reading through my mass amounts of D&D material Developmental Team on my laptop, looking for good plots based in the Silver Lead Designer: Joseph Bingaman Marches, I stumbled across Jeff Quick's Aarokocran Portals Story Design: Joseph Bingaman, Robert Smith column, specifically the portal to the Elemental Plane of Air. I Editor: Joseph Bingaman read the column, and cross-referenced everything I had on Art Director & Cartography: Joseph Bingaman the aarakocra in the High Forest, Elaacrimalicros, and the Cover Art: neocaos on deviantArt. The Dragon's Princess like. What I gathered together looked like a plotline that was http://neocaos.deviantart.com/art/The-dragon-s-princess- ready to go, but was never followed up on. So I started 136884106. 2009 Used under Creative Commons writing the adventure. Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License As I said, I had OP character issues (my own fault mixed (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode) with lucky die rolls), so I devised a deathtrap of a dungeon, Playtesters: Karen Bingaman, Lori Congdon, Dustin Hunt, using every source I could. I pulled obscure traps from Robert Smith Dragons of Faerun and found a few obscure creatures here Made using the Homebrewery and there. I ran some stuff by my best friend/D&D sidekick http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com Robert Smith, who suggested the hoard screwjob (again, Big Shout Out: To Glen Cooper of Dreadful Dungeons. This more on that towards the end), and in a matter of days, I had guy really brought the trap door for the secret entrance to the finished adventure. life, with a spin on the OTHER trap door. Check out his Play on this adventure commenced in early 2014. The "Deadly Dungeon Doors" on DMGuild campaign revolved around the PC's having repeated attempts (http://bit.ly/DDDDmsG), as well as his Patreon at assassination by the Red Wizards of Thay. The PC's were (https://www.patreon.com/dungeondoors). in the area between Quosten's Hold and Calling Horns, I Dedicated In Memory Of Cody Derby, fellow gamer and cannot recall why, however, this was the perfect place, with friend. 1990-2017 R.I.P. Derb, our adventures had just it's close proximity to the Lost Peaks that I could have begun, JB. Wuorlah (remember, it was originally based in 1372 DR) meet them. Additional Information Everything went as expected. The players jumped on the The following D&D books provided material and inspiration: deal offered by Wuorlah - what 5th level player wouldn't jump on the chance for a dragon's hoard for just mapping the lair Baker, Richard, Robert J. Schwalb, and others. Elemental for a strike team of assassins? It was bait, I'll admit it, but it Evil Players Companion. 2015 was a good bait, as the deal makes them wait 30 days to reap Boyd, Eric L., Eytan Bernstein. Dragons of Faerun. 2006 the rewards. It didn't seem too unbelievable, even to my Boyd, Eric L. Dragons of Faerun, Part 1: Roll Call of outside-the-box thinking players. Dragons, Wizards of the Coast website I have to give Robert credit, as he knew what was coming, (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp? and stayed quiet. Excellent separation of player/character x=dnd/we/20060913a). 2006 knowledge. My wife Karen knew stuff as well, except she Greenwood, Ed, Jason Carl. Silver Marches. 2002 didn't realize it until later that I had given her vague Greenwood, Ed, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, and scenarios, like the mirror kitsune. Granted, I don't think she Rob Heinsoo. Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. 2001 would have used the knowledge, but she is my Rules Guru. Helland, Jenna, Adam Lee, and others. Storm King's She will find loopholes to any situation thrown at her. Ask her Thunder. 2016 sometime about using Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, and Henson, Dave "slade", Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, and shards of glass to clear a room of kobolds. others. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier. 1996 All in all, the adventure served it's purpose. My players Mearls, Mike, Jeremy Crawford, and others. reined in a bit, everyone had fun, and I had an adventure that Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. 2018 was worthy of publishing. After we made the switch to 5th Quick, Jeff. Perilous Gateways: Aarakocran Portals: Edition, and the Dungeon Masters Guild website was Elemental Plane of Air Portal, Wizards of the Coast initiated, I brought this to the newest edition. Website (http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp? x=fr/pg20020109a). 2002 - Joseph Bingaman, 02/07/2017 Wyatt, James, Rob Heinsoo. Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerun. 2001 REVISION NOTES After Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes was released Author's Introduction in 2018, the Green Abishai trap was changed to a I wrote this adventure originally late in 2013 for the 3.5 trap that summons two WHITE abishai. The Green revision of Dungeons & Dragons. I was having some issues Abishai was removed and replaced with the White, with players and OP characters, so I decided to have some due to the change in strength of the Green Abishai from 3.5 to 5th. The spell, Conjure Green Abishai fun andSample make something that seemed harmless, but turned file was rewritten and renamed Summon Abishai. This out to be quite deadly, as well as a potential moment that was done to keep with Wizards published content. would make them groan (more on that later). J.B. 02/01/19 CREDITS 2 Introduction or over a century, the wrath of the ancient green dragon Elaacrimalicros has been felt by the The Assassination Plot aarakocra of the High Forest. This is most felt The plan of the Nest of Retribution is simple. After gaining near the Lost Peaks, where their numbers have entry to Elaacrimalicros' lair, powerful air elementals will dwindled to the teens. A resistance, known as keep him held back in his main chamber, buffeting him with the Nest of Retribution, has started to rise up, their strong winds, while also protecting the aarakocra from Fand has planned out an attack on the dragon's his poisonous breath weapon. The aarakocra, meanwhile, lair, with assassination as the outcome. will attack with ranged attacks, careful to avoid any attacks by The players won't be expected to participate in that part of the dragon that may get past the air elementals' assaults. the plan, however. The plan for them is to scout the actual lair For all this occur, however, the aarakocra need to know the and map it out, as well as disable any traps, if possible. The layout of Elaacrimalicros' lair. They know the location of his easier they make the job for the Nest of Retribution, the lair on the Star Mounts, but no aarakocra that has ever greater liklihood that their mission will be a success, and the entered his lair has ever come out. It is widely known that he players will reap the benefits...sort of. did charm a clan of dwarves into expanding his lair as he grew, however, it is assumed that Elaacrimalicros did not Adventure Background allow them to leave, as to protect the whereabouts of his lair. The Star Mounts lie near the center of the mysterious High Forest, located in the Savage Frontier. It is from the Star Aarakocran Portal Mounts that the Unicorn Run springs from, as it flows down The Nest of Retribution opened this portal to the through the High Forest into the Delimbiyr Vale on its way Elemental Plane of Air in 1374 DR, with the hopes into the Delimbiyr River. This is one of the safest routes into of a speedy victory in a battle with Elaacrimalicros. the High Forest, and possibly the only way to find the Star However, though the aarakocran clerics, druids, Mounts, as no roads or trails are known to lead to them. and wizards were familiar with the Elemental Plane The green dragon known as Elaacrimalicros made his lair of Air and its occupants, they did not expect them here about six centuries ago. He hunted what he could, but to be so much of mercenaries. As a result, in eventually he slumbered for decades. When he awoke, about exchange for the elementals' promise to help 1364 DR, he discovered the local tribes of aarakocra were defeat Elaacrimalicros, the Nest of Retribution easy targets, and he shrank down his hunting grounds to the must perform favors or retrieve lost or stolen items High Forest. For generations, he hunted down the aarakocra, for the elementals from the Prime Material Plane. causing some tribes to flee, while others went extinct, killed Because the aarakocras are asking every elemental off by Elaacrimalicros' hunts. they can summon to attack an ancient dragon, one By 1374 DR, only a handful of tribes remained.