Rumors of a lost dragonshard trove point to an obscure Ohr Kaluun island. There lie the ruins of a port city that have become a battleground for the forces of Riedra, the smuggling cabal known as the Dream Merchants, and the dark wizards of the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun.
Approach
The waters around the largest island in the archipelago, Ohr Kel, are patrolled by Riedran forces. Elsewhere, smugglers and aquatic monsters are a constant threat. Travelers arriving at the unnamed island they seek have no trouble finding a safe and hidden landing spot.
Features
The island is only 10 miles across. A sprawling city once stood on the western shore, with a wizard’s fortress occupying the high land to the east. Now, overgrown ruins are all that remain.
Farther inland, what seemed to be hills from a distance are revealed as the straight lines of ruined city walls, overgrown now with vines and brush. An unnatural quiet hangs over the area, the din of birds in the forest ahead seeming to shift away.
Important Features
No detailed map is provided for this location. The placement of the following features is at the DM’s discretion, as is the composition of guardian forces.
Abandoned Smugglers’ Outpost: Close to the beach where the PCs disembark, a low mound of earth reveals the former entrance to a smugglers’ base. This site was a carefully laid-out series of tunnels and underground storage areas (DC 15 Spellcraft check to reveal signs that soften earth and stone was used to assist in the excavation). The tunnels have been recently razed; a successful DC 20 Search check determines the event occurred within the past six months. Afterward, whoever was responsible for the demolition backfilled much of the area with tons of dirt and rock. Another DC 20 Search check reveals signs that a Huge or larger creature did the digging.
Riedran Fort: A force of water soldiers (elite Riedran special forces; see the encounter table) have set up a well-defended camp in the shelter of a ruined city gate. From there, they scout the island, monitor the movements and operations of the Dream Merchants, and carry out a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun.
The base is a standard military field station, but a number of semipermanent structures cobbled together from materials taken from the ruins suggests that the Riedrans plan to be here for some time. The camp has a three-tiered perimeter of hidden guard posts, and the water soldiers pride themselves on not being seen by their foes until they choose to reveal themselves.
Dream Merchant Outpost: After the destruction of their former outpost, the Dream Merchants have established a more defensible position in the ruins of an ancient temple. The collapsed upper levels have been fitted with mechanical and magical traps that protect the entrance to the lower levels. There, the smugglers have set up a rough barracks and command center, reclaiming what equipment they could from their abandoned outpost.
From this site, the Dream Merchants monitor the running battles on the island between Riedran troops and the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun, carefully staying clear of the fray in the hope that neither side gains the upper hand. Normally, the smugglers avoid any possible conflict with Riedran forces, but the rumors of the ancient hoard of dragonshards hidden here make it worth the risk.
From their position in the middle of the conflict, the Dream Merchants have discovered an important fact. Both the Heirs and the Harmonious Shield believe that the other faction knows the location of the dragonshard trove. As a result, each side refrains from all-out assault in favor of skirmish attacks and intelligence-gathering missions. Meanwhile, the Dream Merchants scour the island in search of the lost site, hoping to beat both sides to the plunder.
Bastion of the Heirs: The foundations of a shattered keep are all that remain from the days of the Sundering, but the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun make good use of the dungeons beneath this ancient ruin. A sect of that dark magic order has claimed this site, using the tunnels, chambers, and catacombs as a base of operations from which to gather the lore and relics of a lost age. The remains of two round towers rise from the rubble, high enough to give watchers a clear view of anyone approaching the site.
Through a collapsed well, the Heirs use levitation magic to move between the surface and a guardhouse below. The order patrols the forest around the ruins, and slays any intruders on sight.
The Heirs’ base is a veritable treasure trove of ancient magical knowledge and lore, but breaking into it is not a task for the faint of heart. The sect’s wizards guard the complex around the clock, and the magic wards they set throughout its corridors and caverns are designed to destroy invaders in a variety of painful ways (as determined by the DM).
Dragon’s Lair: Deep beneath the shattered keep lie the caverns that have become the lair for this sect’s leader. This dragon was discovered by the Heirs in the island’s war maze, held in some kind of magical stasis. Since being awakened, the dragon (any color; approximately CR 12) has claimed to be one of the sorcerer-kings of old. His mastery of arcane power and knowledge of ancient lore has inspired the Heirs to follow him without question. The dragon knows of the millennia-old dragonshard trove and has turned all the resources of the sect to finding it. However, his larger motivations are up to the DM to determine.
Dark Temple: Hidden in a sheltered copse of vine-choked trees, this fallen temple was once a shrine to the sorcerous power of Ohr Kaluun. Though the interior has been largely overgrown, the nave remains bare: Plants seemingly are unable to grow there. At the center of this barren space, a hexagonal pillar stands as a shrine to the Dark Six, its features unnaturally free of the ravages of time. Great magical power (as suits the DM’s campaign needs) is held within the pillar, as well a key that reveals the dragonshard trove hidden within the island’s war maze.
The War Maze: The war mazes of Ohr Kaluun were labyrinthine fortresses created by the ancient lords of that land. A war maze is the ultimate deathtrap dungeon, featuring devious mechanical and magical defenses of the DM’s devising. As well, a host of creatures might inhabit a war maze, from skulks (FF 154) and Riedran exiles to construct warriors and the spirits of long-dead sorcererlords that have dwelt there since the Sundering.
Shard Chamber: At the center of the war maze lies the treasure that the Riedrans, the Dream Merchants, the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun, and the PCs all seek. A fortune in Khyber dragonshards is hidden here, collected and stored by the sorcerer-kings of old before its location was lost in the Sundering. Potent magical defenses and construct or undead guardians protect the shard chamber, as do unexpected foes. Agents of the Lords of Dust found this site years before but were trapped by the magical defenses of the place. Once freed, they claim the trove as their own and slay any who oppose them.
Most of the shards are small (worth 4d4 × 75 gp each), while some 10% are greater shards (worth 4d4 × 500 gp). If the shards are to be claimed as treasure, base the number of shards found at the site on the party's level.