Against the Court of Urdor Campaign – Part 1

Zepheus the Mage and the Prince Berethil 

Our story begins in the first month of the 1000th year of the Second Age of Humanity… 

One eon ago, the Rylandar Imperium – led by the undying Autarch N’veldar – was defeated, thereby ending the First Age of Humanity (in its 2,550th year). While the centre of the Imperium was the great northern island of Aldena, it also cruelly ruled much of the southern island of Urdor. 

The celebrations in the Republic of Koronande – and its allied realms, Taaliraan, Hathor, and Tuktan – are intense, despite rumours of the Autarch’s return in the north. The date passes uncelebrated in the Kingdom of Tantûrak, however, as it is a former colony of Rylandar, and remembers fondly the time of the Imperium’s hegemony. 

Our protagonists – Einar Quicksilver, the Green (“Dusk”) Elf scout of Koronande, and Kiren Hammerstone, the Dwarf animist of Grimhold (one of the five Halls of Pale Steel) – meet in the great Elvish city of Tauronde, the centre of the Green Elvish community within the Republic of Koronande. In the city’s splendid taverns, over glasses of Taaliraani wine and pints of Hathorian lager, they learn that they have overlapping goals. Einar must travel to the Taaliraani city of Tilvirin, where he hopes that the learned Blue Elf sages there can analyse a sample of his late aunt Yvenna’s blood and identify the poison that killed her. The mystery concerning her assassination is a dark cloud that hovers over the young elf. Kiren also must travel to Tilvirin, where he hopes to learn more about the ancient Night Elf organization, “The Court of Urdor.” After defeating a band of Dwergar raiders, the forces of Grimhold recovered the body of a Night Elf magician wearing a badge of that organization. Most scholars, however, believe that the Court ceased to exist over 3700 years ago, with the final defeat of Queen Everekka at the end of the Era of the Elves. Before they travel to Taaliraan, though, Einar intends to deliver his slain aunt’s enchanted necklace to his cousin Nuriel. She is said to be the leader of a band of Green Elves – the “Emerald Guardians” – within the region known as the "Cursed Lands." 

February 1000 2AH

1st – 3rd: The Journey South 

The adventurers leave the Elvish region of Koronande and enter Kirani (human) lands, travelling south along the great Koronande highway from the city of Tauronde to the city of Azure Spires. The next day they travel to the river’s mouth and take a ferry across it to a fortified border village. They then leave the territory of Koronande and follow a trail along the coast for a while, before turning west into the dim and misty jungle. Once they pass the jungle’s verge, the going becomes easier, as the canopy above permits little sunlight to the lands beneath, and hence there is minimal ground vegetation. Ominously, the jungle region that the duo enters is known as “The Weblands” because of the numerous giant spiders that are said to dwell within it.

At the end of the third day of their journey, Einar and Kiren make camp. Around midnight, a malevolent black mist descends upon them, defeating their vigilance and causing them to fall unconscious.

4th: The Barrow of Prince Berethil

The heroes awaken within a large tent. They find that there are iron bands on their wrists. Also in the tent is an elderly Tantûraki in a deep blue cloak and four rather sour looking warriors (another Tantûraki, a Hathorian, a Kirani, and a Half-Orc). The cloaked Tantûraki introduces himself as “Zepheus.” He explains that the iron bands on the adventurers’ wrists are enchanted, and at his command they will constrict, severing the adventurers’ hands. Zepheus promises to remove the bands if Einar and Kiren perform a service for him. They must enter the barrow of the Green Elf Prince Berethil, something that he and his warriors cannot do, as the barrow is warded against humans. Within the barrow, Zepheus explains, the adventurers must locate the preserved heart and brain of Berethil and return the organs to him intact. Once this is done, Zepheus promises to remove the iron bands and, moreover, reward each of the adventurers with a sack of gold coins.

Einar recalls that Prince Berethil was the younger brother of Queen Blàithnaid, who was the last ruler of the Green Elves of northern Taaliraan. A thousand years ago, in the final battle against Tantûrak (which then was part of the Rylindar Imperium), Queen Blàithnaid and her Green Elves were allied with the Blue Elves of southern Taaliraan, the Kirani of Koronande, and the Hathorians of Hathor. Prince Berethil and his band of followers, however, fled before the battle, stealing the Queen’s crown. While the Autarch’s forces were defeated in the great battle, the Green Elves suffered terribly, and subsequently abandoned their lands, departing for either southern Taaliraan or Korondande. Because of the death caused by the final battle, and the undead minions of the Autarch that are said to haunt it to this day, the region became known as “The Cursed Lands.” The Green Elf Queen herself disappeared afterwards. The fate of the Prince is unknown, although legends say that he was hunted down and slain by the Queen’s former bodyguards a few years after his treachery. 

Drawing upon his knowledge of arcane matters, Kiren infers that Zepheus plans to magically prepare and consume Prince Berethil’s heart and brain, in the belief that doing so will confer upon him the agelessness of the Elves. While some uniquely powerful Arsilonian (“High Men”) mages, including those among the Tantûraki, choose to follow the Autarch and become liches in order to avoid death, a few scholars believe that there is an alternative, namely, transformation into living immortality through the consumption of the brain and heart of a powerful Elf (or other descendant of Faerie) or, alternatively, a Demon. Whether this is in fact true, Kiren does not know. The attempt to skirt death, however, is deeply offensive to Dwarfish religion and philosophy, as it thwarts the soul’s quest for union with The Form of the Good.

Zepheus provides the heroes with a vial of universal antidote (which will cure any poison or venom upon consumption), two doses of Amerke (a shrub root that, when made into a paste, can stop bleeding), four leaves of Abaas (which, when crushed and consumed, will facilitate healing), and two torches. Einar and Kiren then leave the camp, unhappy with their situation but with little choice but to do what Zepheus demands.

After a couple of hours, the duo discovers the barrow within a small clearing in the jungle. Einar is surprised to find that there are two Elbrinth trees – the white trees that the Elves use to craft many of their enchanted items – growing upon the barrow. The entrance to the barrow itself is blocked with a smooth white door with a green tree engraved in its centre. On either side of the tree are two handprints. Einar places his hands on the handprints, and the white door slides upwards. The party enters the barrow.

They soon come across the burial place of Prince Berethil. The elfin lord’s skeleton lies upon a great slab of smooth dark green stone. It wears white wooden armour – crafted from Elbrinth trees – and holds two black arrows in its crossed arms. A crown of twisted white branches, with green leaves sprouting from it, adorns the lord’s skull. Beyond the slab hangs a great hourglass, suspended from the ceiling by a mighty silver chain. Kiren casts “Sense Darkness” on the skeleton and discerns that it is cursed. Beyond the slab chamber, the heroes find a barrel filled with green elvish wine. They are puzzled that it still looks fine after all these centuries.

Exploring further, the adventurers encounter some skeleton guards wearing ancient Tantûraki armour. They are sentient, and in the midst of a game of dice when happened upon. The undead guards speak an archaic form of Arsilonian, but the adventurers can understand them well enough. They stiffly ask the duo to leave, explaining that they were cursed almost a thousand years ago by the followers of Prince Berethil to serve as guards here. Noting that the adventurers do not seem inclined to leave, they apathetically shrug. Over the years, discipline seems to have waned. However, they cannot end their service, at least not until the spirit of the elfin lord departs the mortal plane for Faerie. If the adventurers wish to speak with Prince Berethil, the skeletons say that turning the hourglass over will summon his ghost for a brief time (until the sand runs out). They remark that he’s not that much fun to talk to, but perhaps as non-humans, he will be less hostile towards the adventurers. The skeletons then ask them if they would like to exchange favours. If the adventurers release one of their comrades from a giant spider’s web, they will tell them about what lies in the rest of the barrow and give them a magic glowing bead as well. They mention that an elf had entered the barrow recently – he also had iron bands on his wrist (no doubt an earlier victim of Zepheus’s machinations) – and had agreed to help their comrade, but never returned. The skeletons assume that the elf was slain by the spiders. 

Kiren and Einar return to the skeleton of Prince Berethil. They turn over the hourglass. As the bright white sand starts to fall, the ghost of the elfin lord appears. He at first moves to attack the duo but stops once he notices a fellow Green Elf. The adventurers explain why they are in the barrow. Prince Berethil responds that he will tell them how they can remove the iron bands, and moreover receive a great gift from him, if they promise to help him lift his curse. He asks that the crown of his sister, Queen Blàithnaid, be returned to her. If this is done, his curse shall be lifted, and his spirit will be able to depart for Faerie. However, he will linger in the barrow long enough for the adventurers to return and receive their reward. When asked if the Queen is still alive, he affirms that he knows that she is because of his connection to her. She lingers in the mortal realm, somewhere near the final battle of the past Age. Einar and Kiren vow to return the crown within one year. In return, Prince Berethil tells them that there is a turquoise pool within the barrow that will dissolve anything that is not of living flesh or bone. Within the pool, moreover, is some treasure that the party may keep. As he starts to fade, the ghost tells the adventurers that they may take the two black arrows, which are enchanted to slay humans.

The heroes return to exploring the barrow. They fill their wineskins with the green wine that they found earlier, which turns out to be enchanted with rejuvenation and healing magic. They subsequently find a tapestry that vividly displays a scene from Faerie.  Eventually, they come to the chamber with the turquoise pool. To their great relief, the iron bands dissolve once Einar and Kiren thrust their hands into the cool liquid. Also within the pool is a white steel lockbox, apparently immune to the liquid’s effects. Einar removes the box and skillfully picks the lock, uncovering numerous valuable gems. The adventurers are now moderately wealthy!

Exploring further, the duo comes upon the chamber of preservation. Within enchanted urns, they discover the arcanely maintained brain and heart of Prince Berethil. No longer bound to Zepheus’s vile task, they leave the organs in their resting places. 

The heroes then come to a large room filled with webs. There are four web sacks hanging from the ceiling, one of which is moving. Curses in ancient Arsilonian emanate from it. No doubt it contains the missing skeleton guard. They also spot the corpses of an elf and a massive spider lying on the ground. It looks as though the two recently slew each other, as their bodies have not rotted away yet. Just after they recover a smart looking sword from the grip of the dead elf, a living spider scuttles across the ceiling toward them. This one is far smaller than the one slain by the elf, but nonetheless proves to be quite a challenge. It bites Kiren, but the dwarf shakes off the effects of its venom. It then bites Einar and the Green Elf screams in agony as the venom courses through his veins. Kiren uses his magic to cause the spider to fall asleep, and quickly dispatches the disgusting creature with his mace. He administers the vial of universal antidote to Einar. The two then free the skeleton guard from the web sack and return with him to the chamber where the other guards are still rolling dice. In gratitude for the return of their friend, the skeleton guards give the adventurers an enchanted glowing bead – it provides a perpetual candle worth of light – and tell them about a secret exit from the barrow to the east. 

The duo drink from the enchanted elvish wine and feel much better. Kiren thinks to write a message to any future invaders that might be sent by Zepheus, telling them about the turquoise pool. Hopefully this will thwart any future attempts by the blackhearted Tantûraki magician to obtain the heart and brain! The adventurers leave the message on a piece of wood, propped up by the slab on which Prince Berethil lies. 

After telling the bored skeleton guards that they hope to lift their curse within a year, the adventurers leave the barrow. They wander through the dim jungle for a few hours before finding the trail that they previously had been following. As night falls, they journey a bit north of the trail and camp for the night, delighted that they have recovered their freedom.

Notes:

• The master page for the World of Ukrasia and this campaign is here.

• The Island of Urdor (especially its central part) draws upon – but significantly modifies – ICE’s 1981 Court of Ardor campaign module by Terry Amthor. The map of the central region and the “Cursed Lands” are from the module’s main map, by Peter Fenlon. (I added a number of new locations to the “Cursed Lands” map – it should be obvious which ones are not part of the original map.)

• The political map of the island of Urdor is my creation (although, as noted, the central part draws upon The Court of Ardor).

• The barrow of Prince Berethil draws upon – but significantly modifies – the adventure, The Barrow of the Elf King (review here). The pictures of Prince Berethil and the lockbox are from that adventure. 

• The picture of Einar is from the Neverwinter Nights CRPG; the pictures of Kiren and Zepheus are from the Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition CRPG.

• Queen Blàithnaid is from the Against the Darkmaster core book. Nuriel is from the Silence of Dawnfell adventure for VsD. As will become clear in future posts, I have adapted both adventures for this setting.