Page 78 - Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting

tal’dorei campaign guide

necropolis of Prince Hdar; Ezordam-Haar, eyrie of the red
pegasi; and Ortem-Vellak, the petrified elventree. uSing rifenMiSt PeninSula
beynsfal plateaus adventures Like the Neverfields in the far north, the lands of
Rifenmist have been deliberately left more vague
the wayward bloodline
than the rest of Tal’Dorei. Just as these distant
For mid-level characters: Tz’Jarr has a single heir to his realms are a mystery to the people of the Tal’Dorei
throne: his hobgoblin child Zuun’dak, nearly of age and Republic, they are too a mystery for all players who
being groomed to become a great general. However, explore them. They are a place where the GM of a
Zuun’dak has grown up with trepidation regarding the bru- Tal’Dorei campaign can run wild, setting any sort of
tality of his society, and after being briefly captured by an adventure in these uncharted lands.
outlying Orroyen scouting party and learning of the gentler
world abroad, he’s begun to long for escape and reformation.
When the party stumbles upon a disguised and fleeing
the dreamgate
Zuun’dak, they must decide whether to turn over such a
valuable bargaining tool to the Orroyen, or aid and groom For mid-level characters: After a scavenging party goes miss-
the defecting heir as a rebellious force against his father. ing deep within the chasm, locals begin to report vivid,
communal dreams involving members of the missing party
byroden pleading for help. When another local goes seeking answers
and vanishes as well, they quickly begin to appear in these
same dream, referencing them directly. The adventurers
Small Town • Population: 850 (46% Human,
are requested to delve into this unearthed pathway and find
21% Half-Elf, 15% Halfling, 10% Gnome, 8% Other)
answers while hopefully returning with the missing people.
The northernmost, and second-largest community in the
Mornset Countryside, Byroden borders the Gladepools mornset countryside
and marks the first stop for any traveler endeavoring to
traverse the Rifenmist. Most who live here spend their
days farming, fishing the pools, or manning the small As the Verdant Expanse and Gladepools give way to
chasm on the outskirts of the township to recover miner- scrublands, and the Stormcrests break into rolling hills,
als and ore from the exposed earth. an open plain of grass and scattered woodlands marks
While comparably pleasant and welcoming on the out- the Mornset Countryside. Home to many misfits and
side, this lifestyle is protected by a fierce and intense drive self-proclaimed “free folk” who either shun the guidance
to defend their way of life at the first sign of threat or of northern governments, or have fled persecution for
danger. Most citizens are armed at all times, and trained their illegal deeds, the people here have maintained a
to rise as a communal militia at a moment’s notice from simple, if occasionally tumultuous lifestyle.
the town’s War Ringer, a designated sentinel charged with Bound by necessity to survive in the outskirts, this land
the town’s protection. is held by a general code of honor and respect for all out-
Much of this behavior stems from a event nearly two casts. Each denizen looks out for their neighbor, while the
decades ago, when Byroden was brought to its knees by towns and homesteads are quite self-sufficient, if modest
Thordak the Cinder King in an attack that reduced half in living. This, however, does not absolve them of the
of the town to ash and rubble, and condemned a third occasional uncouth upstart wanting to seize power, or an
of the population to burn in the wyrm’s hellish flames. incursion of dangerous creatures raiding from the Rifen-
While most of the town has been rebuilt since the incur- mist Jungle tearing through the outlier communities.
sion, this tragedy has instilled the people of Byroden Most of the Mornset free folk are humans, but many
with an ever-present, underlying paranoia of another such free cities have alliances with the local hill giants, cyclo-
attack… and rumors of the Iron Authority looking north- pes, and ogres—the “Lowborn” giantkin—that help
ward hasn’t helped quell this anxiety. protect them against the hobgoblins to the south.
byroden adventures mornset adventures

glaSS waterS anger everburning
For low-level characters: A streak of sudden and unfor- For low-level characters: A recent trend of residents sud-
tunate suicides by drowning have taken a number of denly flying into a violent, mindless rage has left many
youth within the town. When the War Ringer is sent to within the local community confused and worried about
the Gladepools to investigate, he is found attempting to a new plague. However, investigation by the party reveals
drown himself as well. Having no recollection of the event each individual driven to these unending fits are con-
or reasoning to have done so, the mystery grows… is there nected to a failed herbalist endeavor in Kymal ten years
some enchantment on the waters beckoning people to before, and if there’s any luck to find an antidote, perhaps
their death? Has something sinister taken up nearby? they must seek the reasoning or instigator.

chapter 2: gazetteer of tal’dorei 77