Defense of Shardi'nam - Level 14 Adventure (Thalassia 3)

This article provides material to prepare and run an adventure titled, »Defense of Shardi’nam« as a stand-alone adventure, or as the third part of a mini-campaign set in the ocean world of Thalassia. The material below builds on the general setting information about Thalassia which you can find here: Thalassia Overview. Find the first part of the mini-campaign here, and the second part here.

The adventure is optimized for a party of four 14th-level characters.

Adventure Overview

Following the events at the Congregation, and the adventure in the ruins of Calathis, the characters might have allied themselves with a faction of Thalassia. Whether or not you ran the first and second adventure, in »Defense of Shardi’nam«, the party heads to the Colony at the behest of their patron to defend the rebel stronghold called Shardi’nam against the warmongering city-state of Rathun and their rival New Calath. The characters must act strategically, forge alliances, and stand strong against overwhelming odds.

As with previous adventures in this series, the adventures starts right in the middle of the action. If you prefer, you can run a short introductory roleplaying scene in which the party’s patron briefs them on their mission to defend Shardi’nam. Use some of the secrets of Shardi’nam as information the patron provides.

Strong Start

In the first scene, the characters meet Rebel Leader Fenix Tal but then sharpshooter archers of Rathun ambush the meeting. During the ambush, the chaos intensifies as another force attacks both the soldiers of Rathun and the rebels.

When you’re ready to start the adventure read or paraphrase the following:

You have come to the Colony. In the dunes which dominate much of the only landmass of Thalassia, the dashing rebel leader Fenix Tal awaits you to coordinate the defense of the rebel stronghold Shardi’nam. Admiral Korrak the Iron Tide is on the move for Rathun, and it’s unclear whether they’ve already made it to the Colony. You are just able to exchange a greeting with Fenix Tal when you get the answer. Arrows fly, and you spot shapes of archers moving in the dunes 500 feet away. Rathun has come. And you and Fenix Tal are caught in their ambush.

Long-range ambush. This ambush tests the characters’ resilience and their quick thinking. The Rathunian archers start combat 500 feet away from the characters — within the maximum distance of 600 feet of their longbows, which they can shoot from without disadvantage because they are sharpshooters.

New Calath interferes. War has broken out between Rathun and New Calath (see secrets below). And the forces of Governor Thalia Marun attack the sharpshooters after a couple of rounds have passed. When New Calath’s soldiers manage to defeat the sharpshooters, it becomes clear however that New Calath, too, is not an ally of the Colony. Thalia’s soldiers proceed to attack the rebels and the characters after dispersing the Rathunians. The chaos of war has come to the Colony.

Scenes

The goal of the characters is to protect the rebels and their stronghold Shardi’nam from the attacking factions, Rathun and New Calath. The following scenes might take place in the course of the adventure:

Ambushed in the dunes of the Colony
Planning the defense of Shardi’nam, which can include the following:
- Building traps and defensive structures
- Finding allies, for example Chancellor Gearwright Coglaine of Nod’nol
- Playing Admiral Korrak (Rathun) and Governor Marun (New Calath) against each other
The battle of Shardi’nam. Instead of running all of the NPCs involved in a large-scale battle, we can focus on small squads around the leaders of the attacking factions which the characters face directly. Describing the larger battle surrounding the characters narratively is more effective than minutely figuring out mechanics for mass combat. We can use elements of the characters’ preparation efforts to influence the overall outcome of the battle, or to give them advantages in their combats.
Epilogue (Only if running Part 4 of the Thalassia campaign): The standing stones activate. If the characters have successfully defended Shardi’nam, they have achieved their goal. However, they cannot stop the celestial activation of the standing stones surrounding the outpost. After the conclusion of the adventure, narrate the opening of a celestial prison signalled by streams of light flowing from the standing stones to constellations in the sky, which suddenly start to move.

Secrets of the Colony

The following secrets, clues and bits of information can be revealed during the course of the adventure. We decide when and how to give these to the players — they might be disclosed by NPCs, picked up in enemy communications, or revealed through divine visions.

War has engulfed Thalassia with Governor Thalia Marun of New Calath openly declaring war against Rathun led by Admiral Korrak the Iron Tide. Only Emnor the City of Glass, Nod’nol the City of Gears, and T’hali the Veiled Cliffs stayed neutral in the war. But a recent deployment of large numbers of soldiers to the Colony makes for rising tensions among the great cities.
Admiral Korrak the Iron Tide is preparing for an attack on the Rebel Stronghold Shardi’nam which is under the control of Fenix Tal, leader of the grung rebels. The attack is going to happen within the week. Korrak says she will burn down the stronghold because grung workers have begun striking for even more rights and freedoms, (following their successes at the Congregation if the characters allied with them in that adventure).
Ambassador Orien Halix of Emnor thinks it might not be the worst thing to have the rebels cleared out if it would unite the city states. It might even bring an end to the war…
A battalion led by Chancellor Gearwright Coglaine of Nod’nol is stationed on the Colony as well. They too have stayed neutral so far, and have not reacted to the presence of the Rathunians. Nod’nol is heavily dependent on resources from the Colony for their industrial prowess.
Rebel Leader Fenix Tal has captured an aasimar and he and his personal guard have been drinking his divine blood to strengthen themselves. They want to keep this secret from the party.
The aasimar’s name is Tordahl and he was taken by the rebels when he wandered into the Stronghold. He was muttering nonsense about the Dark One, about the Shadow, about Him returning from his celestial prison. He kept repeating, »time is up«. At first Tal imprisoned the aasimar so that he couldn’t upset the rebel forces.
When things got dire, however, Rebel Leader Fenix Tal had the desperate idea of drinking the angel’s blood, and miraculously, it worked. It strengthened Fenix and his guard. They have been drinking the aasimar’s divine blood daily.
Governor Thalia Marun has sent ships filled with soldiers to also take out the rebels because they are halting industrial progress in New Calath which is dependent on the work the resources provide for New Calath’s exploding population. However, the New Calathians also hate Rathun and would like to see them dead. The governor and her soldiers are stationed on their ships just off the shore of the Colony.
Admiral Korrak and her soldiers have set up in abandoned mines close to the Anomaly, the source of arcane magic on Thalassia. They have developed body suits which protect them from the arcane radiation there.
The rebel uprising is only one minor reason why Rathun is attacking Shardi’nam. In truth, they want access to the standing stones that surround the stronghold. These are related to an ancient cult of Gan An Bar which sprung up on the Colony shortly after its creation by the evil Old God. The Rathunians believe they can ally with Gan An Bar
The Standing Stones are connected to celestial constellations, aligning perfectly with movements of certain stars in the night sky. The stones describe a countdown, until which the Prison of Depths Above remains sealed. During the night of the attack, the standing stones will activate and release the Ghannabar into Thalassia. (This sets up the final adventure in this series).

Fantastic Locations

The following locations are points of interest during the adventure:

Rathun Mine Encampment. Abandoned mines, magical war machines, disciplined brutal soldiers. Use this map by Dyson.
Nod’Nol Cave Outpost. Cave near the ocean, artificer experiments, pool of arcane-magic-infused water. Use this map by Dyson.
Rebel Desert Stronghold. Huts and tents surrounded by makeshift wall, in the middle of vast circle of ancient standing stones, rebel grung soldiers and their families. Use this map by Dyson but in a desert setting: no farms, next to a dried-out riverbed.
Colony Harbor – New Calath station. Wooden piers, ancient marble lighthouse, ships from New Calath as quarters for New Calath soldiers.

NPCs

These are the faction leaders which have come to the Colony in this adventure:

Rebel Leader Fenix Tal (male grung) – Colony
- Motivation: Defend and expand the rights of grung, perhaps making a sovereign homeland for them on the Colony.
- Mannerisms: Fidgets with a locket, speaks abruptly, often cutting to the chase.
Admiral Korrak ‘Iron Tide’ (female merfolk) – Rathun
- Motivation: Focused on expanding Rathun’s naval dominance, tenuous alliance with the imprisoned Ghannabar whom they hope to release at the standing stones of Shardi’nam.
- Mannerisms: Clenches jaw when thinking, voice is deep and commanding.
Governor Thalia Marun (female merfolk) – New Calath
- Motivation: Seeking to bolster New Calath’s status as an industrial powerhouse by gaining control over the Colony resources.
- Mannerisms: Strokes chin thoughtfully, speaks with a firm, assertive voice.
Chancellor Gearwright Coglaine (non-gendered machine-merfolk hybrid) – Nod’Nol.
- Motivation: Interested in researching materials found on the Colony, stays mostly neutral in inter-city conflicts.
- Mannerisms: Constantly tinkering with a small gear, voice oscillates as if modulating through different pitches.

Monsters

The following monsters can be used as soldiers of the different factions. Describe their differing armors and weapons, and reflavor attacks to fit the vibe of a certain faction. The maximum number of each below assumes no other monsters in a combat, but we can mix and match troops, adjusting their numbers accordingly.

Veterans (infantry) – maximum of 12x at one time
Archers (artillery, give them sharpshooter feat, to have range of 600ft.) – maximum of 12x at one time
Mages (artillery, control) – maximum of 6x at one time
Frost giants (reskin as elite soldiers) – maximum of 4x at one time
Governor Thalia Marun uses a reskinned horned devil statblock (using weapons)
Admiral Korrak uses a reskinned efreeti statblock (with lightning damage)

Treasure

Use any treasure from the previous adventure which you have not handed out, in addition to any of the following:

11.940 gp, 2.100 pp (32.940gp), 7,500 gp astral efreeti brass ore , 7,500 gp prehistoric life-sized silver statue , 7,500 gp cyclopean full royal pardon , 7,500 gp clockwork legendary tome
Mace of Terror
Manual of Gainful Exercise
Animated Shield
Demon Armor
Wand of Fireballs
Staff of the Woodlands
Elemental Gem