Page 62 - Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting

May the Lawbearer grant us all strength
of spirit when chaos next threatens our peaceful civilization.
descendant of the heroic wizard Atz Yuminor. The obser-
When that time comes, may the Black King
vatory is open to all, and the diviners here will gladly
unsheathe his sword
give a star reading for 10 gp, once per day. Receiving this
reading allows you to roll 1d20. Note the result, you can to rally our people and lead Westruun to victory.
exchange it for any d20 roll made by a creature you can —The Blessing of the Black King
see. This divination fades after 24 hours. The Scions of
Yuminor are so affable, how could anything sinister be
lurking behind their star charts and telescopes?
the black king
Palest Westruun was not a king, but his new statue in the
Opal Ward is often called the Black King, a subtle jab at regarding either issue, but the sadis-
the city’s previous “Black King,” the tyrannical dragon tic oni secretly responsible for both is
Umbrasyl. The High Priest of the Lawbearer blessed deft at erasing its tracks. Nyx and Vryll, a pair of twin
both the Black King and Westruun itself when the statue tieflings with only a single horn each, have also recently
was unveiled on a recent anniversary of Westruun’s rec- opened a dream-reading stall, and their business is boom-
lamation, saying “May the Lawbearer grant us all strength ing. Are they responsible, or is their exploitative business
of spirit when chaos next threatens our peaceful civilization. just a red herring?
When that time comes, may the Black King unsheath his sword
down below
to rally our people and lead Westruun to victory.”
When the safety of all of Westruun is threatened, the For high-level characters: A massive sinkhole has emerged
Black King will animate and defend its people, becoming beneath the temple of Erathis, taking a portion of the
a stone golem with a mounted movement speed of 60 feet temple into the darkness of the Underwalk Ward. With the
and Charisma and Intelligence scores of 18 (+4). depth seemingly bottomless, and initial investigators going
missing, the Head Cleric Umentu seeks the assistance of
westruun adventures brave and able-bodied mercenaries to seek answers. Only
one thing is certain when descending into the unknown
burrowing thieveS
below—the terror only grows as the light from above fades.
For low-level characters: Over the past week, over four dozen
plainscows—exceptional livestock and beasts of burden— counter-eSpionage
disappeared from the Westruun’s agricultural outer ring, For characters of any level: Margrave Brandon Zimmerset is
leaving nothing but a series of five foot holes in the ground, nearing the climax of a three-year investigation on the Clasp
and traces of acid scarring. Farmers and caravanners headquarters within Westruun. He has detailed informa-
alike are frightened and confused; these recurring attacks tion on the daily routines of the three Clasp leaders within
threaten to destroy Westruun’s agriculture and cripple com- Westruun, Spirelings Gholesh, Oalan, and Fetch, and is
merce. Jeremiah Sook, head of the regional Farmers’ Guild, hoping to crush them here once and for all. However, a
is willing to pay a hefty bounty for the the culprits. respected nobleman and secret Clasp plant named Winston
Destwiler has been feeding the margrave misinformation,
an aSSiStant’S plight
and the Clasp is is ready to retaliate; already a brutal ambush
For mid-level characters: Just outside Westruun is Slaterock and assassination plot has been set into motion. Depending
Tower, the abode of renowned archmage Realmseer Eskil on the PCs’ allegiances, they may hear about this plot either
Ryndarien. Normally, none are invited to the tower, but from friendly Clasp or Westruunian sources.
the PCs, wherever they may be, receive a missive from the
Realmseer’s assistant, Jekt. The letter claims the Realm-
seer has gone missing within the tower, and the building wildwood byway
itself now bars his entry. Upon arrival, and confirmation
of Jekt’s request, the tower seems to constantly shift its Known as the oldest road in Tal’Dorei, this path linked
interior structure, almost acting like a sentient entity. the adolescent cities of Kraghammer and Syngorn before
Dangerous room after deadly challenge are thrown at the the landfall of man in the recent age. During the reign
party as they traverse the labyrinthine paths of the tower, of Drassig, the Silvercut Roadway intersected with this
only to find that the protections of the tower, as well as ancient road, and after the relationship between Syngorn
the Realmseer himself, are actually trying to keep some- and Kraghammer eroded following the Scattered War,
thing far more dangerous imprisoned within. Tal’Dorei interests began to utilize the byway more than
most. Syngornian elves sometimes refer to this path
the Stuff of nightmareS
north of the crossroads as the “Traitor’s Stair”, in refer-
For mid-level characters: Reports of missing children rise ence to the dwarven stronghold it leads to. While travel
once again within Westruun, with a seemingly unrelated in the open isn’t any more dangerous than Silvercut, it is
scourge of nightmares plaguing people old and young common knowledge that both wooded ends of this path
alike. Mystic expertise is sought to acquire information are fraught with their own threats.

chapter 2: gazetteer of tal’dorei 61