Dollen on the River

The ancient stone of Dollen provided shelter to the earliest humans on the continent, harboring both merchant and war ships throughout the pre-Galifar era. However, after a millennium of peace the city was ill-suited to regain its war footing, as it had not been fortified by the military expenditures from Jarot’s paranoid dreams.

The Harbor

Bolstered by military investments, Dollen’s harbor showcased some of House Cannith and House Lyrandar’s finest collaborations. Thundering arcane cannons could launch enormous blasts of lightning, deterring enemy naval assaults. Warforged sentries stationed below the waterline watched for undead legions sent to walk along the riverbed. Small experimental watercraft leveraged mephits for rapid response efforts. However, all this military action left little room for ordinary economic activity, leaving the city in a perpetual siege mentality.

The Market

Once a vibrant thoroughfare, a century of war left the market in Dollen a ghost of its former self. Store fronts that didn’t cater to the Cyran soldiers slowly emptied out and failed, drained by shortages and depopulation. Cheap alcohol, drugs, and sex replaced traditional businesses, indulging the vices of soldiers long away from home.

Castle Dollen

A local landmark, Castle Dollen was rebuilt several times after devastating Karrnathi raids punched holes in its defenses. Still, the castle’s oversight position on the harbor left it an invaluable defensive asset. As such, rather than a retreat and refuge for the upper class, Castle Dollen was only nominally a home and primarily a bastion of war.

Fortunately for explorers, maps of the city from before the Mourning are largely accurate; the city was not shattered by cataclysmic earthquakes nor eerily reconfigured. Below are some locations of particular interest to expeditions seeking to retrieve treasure or information from the city.

The Bloody Bay

While most of Dollen is simply a lifeless echo of the city it once was – unrotting corpses lying where they fell – the water in the city’s harbor has turned an unsettling shade of maroon. The mists extend out to the edge of the city’s primary harbor defense, seemingly corrupting anything that flows within them. Creatures who start their turn in the water must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for one hour. Furthermore, waterborne travelers must contend with corrupted versions of the Vadalis-created aquatic defenses.

Dollen Sivis Relay Station

While the simple existence of a Sivis station in a city is rarely important, the station in Dollen has become the source of many rumors and stories. Operators in Karrnath often report strange, indecipherable messages coming from the Dollen station, which is of interest to a house devoted to understanding language and decoding ciphers.

Forgotten Defenses

Constantly besieged, Dollen had access to many of Cannith’s automated defenses. While past expeditions have cleared and disabled many of the ones that still work, the strange magic of the Mourning means that past efforts are sometimes undone. These defenses included “dumb” weapons like blast disks as well as varieties of constructs – not to mention the living spells created by this abundance of magical items.

The following were commonly known by residents. Any number of them might have survived to the current day, having disappeared into the masses of surviving Cyrans seeking a living in post-war Khorvaire.

Count Randir ir’Dollen

The Dollen family has occupied the lands on the Cyre river for over a millennium, successfully keeping their lands even after Galifar’s conquest. With the outbreak of the Last War, Queen Mishann bestowed the title “Shield of Dollen” upon Randir’s grandfather, to signify the county’s importance in maintaining Cyre’s borders. Nominally in charge of law and order in the city, Randir (he/him) was a paranoid recluse obsessed with personal vendettas and imagined slights. His inheritance of the Shield title left him in charge of the local military forces but did not confer authority over the national military operations in Dollen. This limited authority was a fertile breeding ground for petty political retaliations. His role should have made him an advocate for the rights of Dollen’s citizens, but instead made him a force to be avoided and deflected.

Viceroy Daria d’Vadalis

While Cyre is certainly best known for its employment of House Cannith, House Vadalis also played a critical role in its survival. Dollen on the River made use of a variety of magebred aquatic defenses, from small bioluminescent creatures that provided early warning on dark nights to trained carnivorous fish that shredded attackers. Viceroy Daria (she/her) grew up in Cyre and believed strongly in reuniting Galifar under its banner. These beliefs sometimes conflicted with her business obligations to her house, from sharing research data across national lines to the financial terms and bargaining tactics she pursued.

Priestess Khadija Ufayr

Unlike the typical priest of the Sovereign Host, Khadija (she/her) was a cleric with a moderate amount of divine power. While most of her services were conducted to bless the soldiers of the city in the name of Dol Arrah and Dol Dorn, she personally favored Kol Korran. Khadija worked to alleviate shortages and make the necessary economic connections to renew the city economically and take care of its people.

Below are a few characters who have continued interest in the city even after its destruction in the Mourning.

Commander Nizar Wasil

While much of Dollen’s forces were able to escape, Commander Nizar (he/him) stayed behind to ensure the full evacuation of the city. Now a ghost that haunts the ruins, he relentlessly seeks someone or something that he was unable to get out of the city in time.

The Sewer Crawler

Multiple expeditions have reported something sinister lurking in the sewers of Dollen on the River. Whatever it is appears to take sadistic pleasure in maiming its isolated victims before they die. To this day, nobody has laid their eyes on it and survived— speak with dead has been useless as every victim’s lower jaw has been torn out.

Vyth‘thadarsh

The Chamber, a secretive conspiracy of shapeshifting dragons, has agents all over Khorvaire. Vyth’Thadarsh (he/him) was such an agent, a black dragon caught by the Mourning’s twisted magic. No longer able to control his own form, he lurks in the ruins of Dollen, often appearing as a young black dragon with a second head replacing his left front claws (Replace one of the two claw attacks with a second bite). He is obsessed with finding a lost treasure in the ruins and is presumed dead by his superiors within the Chamber after four years of no contact.

With its proximity to the border, Dollen is an excellent choice for a group looking to get its feet wet (sometimes literally) with a Mournland expedition.

House Business. The Day of Mourning caught the houses by surprise as much as anyone else. Records and data communication in Khorvaire still largely rely on paper, meaning plenty of important “in the field” research was lost in the evacuation. House patrons interested in recovering the city’s findings would pay good money for recovering any high-quality data.

Record Retrieval. While the evacuation from the city was as orderly as could be, plenty of people left behind papers and curios important to them legally and sentimentally. Retrieving a favored heirloom or important family records from the city would be an easy way for an adventuring party to help any number of people who used to call the city home but now struggle with their identity.

Treasure Caches. Castle Dollen has held onto its secrets, as it is now guarded by a host of malignant undead. While old Cyran battle plans hold little value today, records of hidden caches remain within its walls. While most caches are weapons— valuable, but not unique—at least one rumor holds that the papers include a seized map to a Lhazaar pirate’s buried treasure.

Dollen represents a Cyran city on the frontlines of the war, constantly engaged in both offensive and defensive movements. Here are a few ideas for roles you might have played in the city.

Criminal. War breeds scarcity, and scarcity breeds smugglers. Whether servicing civilians or soldiers, everyone has needs – were you just bypassing the sugar rations and liquor taxes, or did you provide more exotic and illegal goods?

Guild Merchant. While the houses profited off the war, strategically moving their business to stay safe and make money, local businesses weren’t so lucky. What desperate measures did you take to stay afloat?

Soldier. In one way or another, you were directly involved in the war effort – watching for Karrnathi (or on rare occasion, Thranish) aerial raids, providing arcane support on the waterfront, or shepherding logistical support from the heartland. What was your worst day of service to your country?

One of the last cities consumed by the Mourning, many of Dollen’s residents successfully fled across the river. Unfortunately, they were also swiftly captured by the Karrnathi military and held as prisoners of war until the signing of the accords established them formally as refugees. Their long imprisonment and relative isolation from other Cyrans drove many of the residents of Dollen to seek out a new life in Q’barra, far from the war-torn reminders of home.