Page 97 - Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting

tal’dorei campaign guide

the snowember fields to shift and shimmer as the eye tries to comprehend,
moving through time as they remain static in space.
The Snowember Fields are the widest, most barren por-
The once-renowned archaeologist Karaline von Ethro
tion of the Scar. This patch of ruined farmland is lifeless
has claimed to have visions of Salar, described a subter-
and coated by a thick layer of white ash, interrupted
ranean city with twisting pillars that stretched higher
occasionally by the immolated remains of a windmill. The
than any tower, kissing the seat of our land from the
destruction looks peaceful from afar, like freshly fallen
bedrock of the earth. At the tallest height of the central
snow, but no one who wishes to live travels here, for to
pillar floats a giant pearlescent disc, which she labeled
disturb the ash is to invite death. Living embers lurk
the Moon Disc, that acts as the central light source of
beneath the snow-white ash—for every 5 feet a creature
the city. In Karaline’s journal, she recorded hearing
travels, a pyromaniacal magmin flares from below. And
whispers and voices; however, most believe her journal to
the deeper one travels to the heart of the Snowember, the
be nothing more than the diary of a madwoman, and any
greater the danger grows.
inquiry of regarding her findings are generally laughed
grey sKull Keep upon by scholars. Laugh as they might, the surviving
aboleth brood, helmed by Overseer Durrom, lives on
Built outside the city walls, beyond the southern most in secrecy while expanding their army of thralls and
region of the southern slums, is the homestead of Emon’s learning all they can about the ignorant surface dwellers.
own heroes: Vox Machina. Designed by Theadorn Krazz Durrom’s ultimate goal is to shatter the forgotten Pillars
and constructed as a gift for saving the lives of the late of the Earth and cause the surface of Tal’Dorei to col-
Sovereign’s family, this respectable stone fortress stands lapse into his subterranean domain.
as home and the base of operations for the members of
Vox Machina who have business within Emon itself.
As the various adventurers are usually scattered to their seashale mountains
own responsibilities across the lands, the entire band of
warriors is rarely assembled within the Keep outside of Northwest of Emon along the coast runs the curious range
holidays, political meets, or times of danger. of mountains known as the Seashale. The name “Seashale”
comes from their unique shape; appearing to looking like
ruins of salar a tidal wave about to crash on the inland territories, frozen
in dynamic stone within the few, broken bursts of forest
that dot the perimeter of the mountain range.
In the deepest depths of the Crystalfen Caverns, directly Crashing waves and salty sea breezes have carved miles
under the prized city of Emon, lay the ancient ruins of of twisted valleys between its jagged peaks, creating an
Salar, capital of a time-lost subterrestrial aboleth empire. unusual home for the many coastal creatures lurking
The aboleths know Salar as the Unseeable City, because within the cavernous rock, shoreside pools, and towering
mortal eyes cannot look upon its alien architecture without bluffs. High tide leads the briny waters into the Night-
destroying their fragile minds. Salar is nothing more than wash, a miles-long lagoon that wends its way through the
a rumor to Emon’s scholars and archaeologists—no sane base of the bluffs, carrying hosts of dangerous ocean life
person has ever verified its existence—but their crazed with each pass. Conversely, the tidal phenomenon also
scribbling indicate all that survives of the ruined city are brings a bevy of deep sea fish on occasion, which gave
emerald marble structures of unfathomable design, seeming birth to the fishing community of the Shalesteps within
these mountains.

karaline Von etHro
the shalesteps
Archaeologist, Anthropologist, and Explorer Extraor-
dinaire; Karaline von Ethro was a human adventurer Small Town • Population: 456
and inventor. It was her designs that created the (40% Human, 30% Halfling, 30% Dwarf)
Sunbeam Compass, a device that always directs the The Shalesteps is a series of small, allied villages that
user to the Sun by emitting a small light at the tip of choose to live a more simple life outside of the bustle of
the needle in a glass orb, allowing it to rotating in all the capital city, but close enough to enjoy ready imports
directions; very useful when exploring subterranean and protection should the need arise. Most of their food
territory. She had also recovered several relics from the
is sourced from the ocean and the Nightwash tide, while
battles that occurred in O’Noa, early civilizations from a small hunting community wanders the higher peaks
Daggerbay Mountains, and predicted civilizations on
for avian quarry and other sources of meat and resources.
the Visa Isle. However, despite her discoveries she is While no known adventurers have ever been known to
most remembered for going mad after allegedly having
come from the Seashale Mountains, those who live there
visions of the Ruins of Salar. Karaline’s madness even- are sturdy and ready to defend themselves against the
tually led to her demise at the young age of 37.
dangerous wilds surrounding them, and the occasional
monstrosity that washes in with their nets.

96 chapter 2: gazetteer of tal’dorei