Go to Table of Contents

We’ve analyzed the revelation lists of Storm King’s Thunder and we’ve revised those revelation lists by adding and enhancing clues throughout the campaign.

Before we move on, I want to talk for a moment about the fact that what we’ve seen so far is not what my typical revelation list looks like. In the middle of a session, of course, you don’t want to have to remember that there’s a clue on the revelation list that you need to inject into a particular scene or location. You want that information to be at your fingertips and ready to go.

So although we’ve been detailing what our revised clues will be on the Remix’s revelation lists, what I would do in actual practice is:

• Work the clues into the actual key of the adventure.
• Write up a much more streamlined revelation list to serve as a combination of index and checklist during play.

The revelation lists that we’ve presented here in the Remix, therefore, are best thought of as worksheets or to-do lists. The expectation here is that you’ll add this material to your prep notes, develop it where necessary, and distill a final revelation list for use in actual play (that isn’t bloated with the now extraneous details).

MAKING THE REVELATION LIST

Let’s consider the revelation list for Deadstone Cleft. In Part 3B of the Remix, our worksheet list for this revelation looked like this:

DEADSTONE CLEFT – CANYON OF THE STONE GIANTS

• Uthgardt Blessings (Stone Stand). Members of the Blue Bear tribe, which has recently formed an alliance with Kayalithica of Deadstone Cleft, seek blessings from the Grandfather Oak at Stone Stand for their efforts. They do so by describing their endeavor on the tanned hide of a bear, which is then tied with blue gut-string in ceremonial knots and left within the clefts between the old oak’s roots. One of these was left by Kriga Moonmusk (p. 66) seeking blessing for her alliance with Kayalithica. The document includes a reference to Deadstone Cleft as Kayalithica’s fortress. (The PCs should be able to make inquiries to identify the location of Deadstone Cleft.)
• Silixia (Grayvale), p. 88. This young brass dragon will point the PCs towards Deadstone Cleft.
• Grudd Haug – Area 13: Prisoner. Gryhawk, the Uthgardt prisoner here, is from the Blue Bear tribe (instead of the Elk tribe). He was a spy sent by Kayalithica, but was captured by the giants. If freed, he will thank the PCs (as described on p. 144) and tell them that he is certain they will also have the thanks of the greater giants that he serves when he returns to Deadstone Cleft.
• Svardborg – Area 1G: Throne Room. Jarl Storvald has correspondence from Kayalithica, in which she proposes, with the Ordning dissolved, an alliance between them — one in which her giants will “tear apart all that the little ones have built, restoring Ostoria to its glory” under her rule, while Storvald’s reavers will “rule the seas.” Her letter notes that she has traveled to consult the oracles of Deadstone Cleft in the Graypeak Mountains, and it has suggested that the All-Father and fortune alike would smile on such an alliance.
• Questioning/Backtracking Giants. Grayvale Run (p. 88), Llorkh (p. 96), Orlbar (Zorkh, p. 103). The origins of the giants in Grayvale Run and Llorkh are not indicated in the text, but are from Deadstone Cleft.
• Eye of the All-Father, p. 151. Oracle gives them directions.

Ultimately, in my prep notes for the campaign this revelation list would look like this:

DEADSTONE CLEFT – CANYON OF THE STONE GIANTS

• Uthgardt Blessings (Stone Stand)
• Interrogating Silixia (Grayvale), p. 88.
• Uthgardt Prisoner (Grudd Haug, Area 13)
• Kayalthica’s Letter to Jarl Storvald (Svardborg, Area 1G)
• Questioning/Backtracking Giants. Grayvale Run (p. 88), Llorkh (p. 96), Orlbar (Zorkh, p. 103).
• Directions of the Eye of the All-Father, p. 151.

It’s not difficult, obviously, to see the rather radical difference between these two lists, and how much easier it would be to reference and use the latter during play. (For more details on this, check out Using Revelation Lists.)

ADDING THE CLUES

In How to Prep a Module, I discuss how I prepare my notes for a published adventure like this. The short version is that, rather than rewriting entire locations, my notes usually consist of a diff doc (which simply notates what changes or new elements are added to the published key).

For example, Area 13 of Grudd Haug (STK, p. 144) reads:

13. PRISON

In the area north of the pigpen, rivulets of water trickle down the north wall and carve shallow ruts in the floor as they snake their way across the room and through openings in the opposite wall. Five wooden cages are arranged about the room. Their doors are situated on top, with heavy rocks placed on them. A creature can use an action to attempt a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check to knock off a rock or open a cage door that has a rock pressing down on it. The sound of a rock hitting the cave floor alerts the guards in this area.

Three of the five cages contain prisoners destined for Guh’s gullet. Two bugbears guard the prisoners. These bugbears can’t be surprised once the alarm sounds or if they hear combat in area 12.

PRISONERS

Unless otherwise noted, all the adult prisoners are commoners. Child prisoners are unarmed noncombatants with AC 10 and 2 hit points each.

One cage contains human farmers: a father, a mother, and their three children (a teenage girl and two boys).

A second cage holds an unarmed tribal warrior of the Elk tribe, Gryhawk (CN male Uthgardt human). He fights alongside his liberators. If he makes it out of Grudd Haug, he bites the palm of his hand and tries to smear his blood on the faces of those who freed him. Anyone who succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence (Religion) check realizes that this gesture is a sign of gratitude. Gryhawk leaves to return to his tribe whether the characters accept his gratitude or not.

A third cage holds an unarmed prisoner: Emerald Enclave member Ghalvin Dragonmoor (CG male half-elf scout). If freed, he asks the characters to escort him to Goldenfields, so that he can report to the Abbot what he has seen.

In my prep notes I would simply write:

AREA 13 – PRISON

Gryhawk: Blue Bear tribe member.

• Spy sent by Kayalithica.
• If freed, tells PCs that he is certain they will also have the thanks of the greater giants that he serves when he returns to Deadstone Cleft.

And that’s it. Super simple.

When running adventures like this, my procedure is simply to check my prep notes first to see if there are any modifications to an area and then refer to the printed adventure. (This means that I have the changes I need to make in mind as I scan the text, and can easily apply them as I go.)

On rare occasions, an area or scene may need to be so completely redesigned that it’s easier to just rewrite the whole thing. If that’s the case, I indicate this in my prep notes (with a tag like [REVISED]) and then I know I can just ignore the printed adventure entirely for this bit.

I also recommend paying attention to opportunities to prep physical props. Kayalithica’s letter to Jarl Storvald is a perfect example of this: Actually writing out the letter will take a little extra effort, but it will be a big value-add for the campaign and pay dividends as the PCs explore the sprawling twists and turns of Storm King’s Thunder.

Go to Part 4: Hekaton is Missing!

SPOILERS FOR STORM KING’S THUNDER

I’ve done a couple previous remixes of 5E campaigns. The first was Dragon Heist: The Alexandrian Remix. The second was Remixing Avernus. Those were more or less intentional. This one is a bit more accidental.

Before we dive in, let’s briefly discuss what an adventure remix is and why we’re doing one for Storm King’s Thunder. I discuss this at more length in How to Remix an Adventure, but broadly speaking a remix will seek to either expand the adventure (by adding lots of cool new stuff to it) or restructure the adventure (usually seeking to fix the structure of the adventure so that it will be more robust and/or interesting in play) or both.

This particular remix is, I think, mostly going to be of the latter variety. In my review of the adventure, I delved into a number of the structural defects I think Storm King’s Thunder has, and we’ll breaking those down in more detail and building them back up.

This may prompt the question: Why remix a “broken” adventure instead of just designing something new?

Generally, because the adventure has something really cool about it (or, more likely several things). The many strengths of Storm King’s Thunder are ALSO something that I discuss in my review, and our goal in restructuring the adventure is to make it easier to bring all those cool things to your gaming table and to share them confidently with your players.

As I mentioned above, it was not my original intention to do a full remix of Storm King’s Thunder. I started out by writing what I believed would be a short series of articles with a fairly narrow focus on analyzing and then revising the revelation lists which form the core structure of the campaign.

This work remains the core focus of the Remix, and you’ll find it in Part 2 and Part 3. But while working on that material, I had two key insights.

• The Hekaton mystery which comes at the end of Storm King’s Thunder as published is not just inadequately structured and fragile, it’s impossibly broken. In Part 4 of the Remix, therefore, we’ll be redesigning this mystery more-or-less from scratch. (This task also required a deep dive into the Kraken Society, which now forms one of the major expansive portions of the Remix.)
• The published adventure doesn’t have a proper ending. We’ll discuss the specific reasons for this in Part 2, but the short version is that you can either (a) do a quick-and-dirty patch job which, unfortunately, has the side effect of making the entire campaign much less interesting or (b) create a whole new ending to the campaign. For better or worse, the new ending which is both a logical extension of the campaign and also provides an epic conclusion is… non-trivial. We’ll be working on that in Part 5 of the Remix.

And now that we’re fully committed to doing a complete Remix, we’ll round things out by strengthening the opening of the campaign, too.

Review: Storm King’s Thunder

Part 1: A Strong Beginning
Part 1B: Nightstone Conclusions
Part 2: Revelation Lists
Part 2B: Revising the Revelations
Part 3A: The Three Cities
Part 3B: The Giant Lairs
Part 3C: The Eye of the All-Father
Part 3D: Concept Revelations
Part 3E: Implementing the Revelations
Part 4: Hekaton is Missing!
Part 4B: The Path to Hekaton
Part 4C: Expanding the Path
Part 4D: The Hekaton Revelations
Part 5: The Final Act
Part 5B: Solutions
Part 5C: Running the Final Act
Part 5D: Making Alliances
Part 5E: Waging War

Addendum: Kraken Society
Addendum: Faction Reference
Addendum: Three Cities Proxies

If you’re new here at the Alexandian, you might find it useful to dive into these articles before the remix kicks off, as they include deep discussions of topics we’ll be visiting here:

• Three Clue Rule
• Node-Based Scenario Design
• Using Revelation Lists

There are many more articles at Gamemastery 101 that you might also enjoy! Please also consider becoming a patron if you’d like to support this type of work in the future!

Go to Table of Contents

ELTUREL’S RETURN

Into this turmoil, Elturel returns.

But, of course, this is not Elturel as it was. At best, its population has been decimated, its political leadership has been wiped out, and its military strength is depleted. So it’s not going to magically wave a wand and return everything to the status quo.

The effect it will have is going to depend a lot on what the balance of power is in the city upon its return, and that will probably have a lot to do with the choices the PCs have made and what they’ve managed to accomplish. Broadly speaking, though, it seems likely that the city will be:

• Controlled by Ravengard’s Peacekeepers.
• Controlled by High Rider Ikaia.
• Controlled by both of them, either in an agreed alliance or a de facto division (e.g., Ravengard is currently in control of the west half of the city and Ikaia is in control of the east).
• Controlled by the PCs.

The PCs, of course, will chart their own course. We’ll look at the other two in more detail below.

The other thing to consider are the lingering hostiles in the city. They might include:

• Ikaia and/or his sons and daughters, if they ended up on the losing end of the stick but weren’t completely wiped out.
• Demon raiders, who could have easily been carried to the Material Plane along with the rest of the city.
• Zarielite cultists, who will undoubtedly start trying to make alliances and seek aid from other Zarielites still active in the region.
• Hell Knights, some of whom could make a propaganda play of, “I was transformed by my travails in Hell, but I remain the most legitimate authority of Elturgard’s government and I hereby declare myself High Observer.”

Alternatively, don’t be afraid to declare any/all of these lingering problems completely solved by Elturel’s return: the demons and/or hell knights return to their respective planes, Ikaia and his offspring burn up in the sun or retreat back into the depths below the city, the cultists all go scurrying away to other cities in the region, etc. It’s okay to open up some space for the stuff in the next phase of the campaign, turning the focus away from the city and towards the whole region.

THE POLITICS OF IKAIA

If Ikaia has somehow managed to gain control of Elturel, he’ll likely recognize that his position is extremely tenuous and will seek to consolidate what he has rather than trying to reassert Elturel’s regional claims.

Given Ikaia’s history, his rhetorical and diplomatic sales pitch will probably be something along the lines of, “I was wrongfully deposed by someone who literally sold the entire city to Hell. All I seek is to return Elturel to its rightful place, with its rightful ruler.” (Some may recall that Elturel’s imperial ambitions were alive and well during Ikaia’s reign, but that’s water under the bridge, right?)

Ikaia’s realpolitik is likely to be hunkering down, repairing Elturel’s defenses as quickly as possible, and hoping to weather out the current chaos while still being in control of the city. His best bet will probably be to play Scornubel and Berdusk and Soubar off each other to make that happen, a strategy the Zarielite cabal will be perfectly happy with because it will allow the Elturian Wars to continue unabated.

Is Ikaia pure evil with a gilded smile, completely reformed and earnest, or somewhere in between? That’s up to you.

THE POLITICS OF RAVENGARD

Before we can look at Ravengard’s position in Elturgard, we first have to consider the politics in Baldur’s Gate. The circumstances during Act I of the campaign are detailed in Part 3:

• The position of Grand Duke is open.
• At least two of the four ducal seats are open, and probably a third after Duke Portyr’s assassination.
• The position of Marshal of the Flaming Fists is up for grabs.

In the time the PCs have been gone, it seems likely that at least some of this political turmoil will have resolved. And the most interesting thing that should be resolved is the selection of a new Grand Duke on the assumption that Ravengard is dead, because then when Ravengard comes back alive it instantly creates all kinds of juicy drama.

Who should be Grand Duke?

Well, the most effective answer is probably one of the Portyrs, because the PCs already have a relationship with them. If Duke Portyr survived, then I’d suggest that he becomes Grand Duke and arranges for Liara Portyr to become Marshal of the Flaming Fists, solidifying the family’s control of the city.

If Duke Portyr was assassinated, have Liara ascend to his position and claim the title of Grand Duke, as well. I’d recommend that she hasn’t been able to duplicate Ravengard’s trick of also becoming Marshal, but it’s possible she’s been able to keep the position open for the moment so that she can continue wielding significant influence on the Flaming Fists in the interim.

In either case, I’d leave at least one of the ducal seats still open, which will leave some hefty political stakes on the table to spur intrigue. (And maybe one of the PCs will end up in it.)

The point of all this is that Ravengard’s return is going to be contested. He will, of course, expect to resume his positions of Grand Duke and Marshal. But if one or both of those are no longer available, expect pushback from the new office holders.

How this plays out will depend on a lot of factors, not least the PCs. Some things to consider:

• A political compromise might be negotiated. (For example, Liara resigns as Marshal so Ravengard can resume that role, but she gets the open ducal seat, so there are now two Portyr dukes.)
• Or things might rapidly decay into blood in the streets, as the loyalties of the Flaming Fist (and the PCs?) split and Baldur’s Gate falls into civil war.
• What role does the large population of Elturian refugees play in these political maneuverings? How do the politicians vie for their loyalty? What do the Elturians want?
• Does the political system in Baldur’s Gate survive this chaos? Having three of the four ducal seats open simultaneously, for example, is unprecedented. Does someone seize that opportunity to consolidate power and become a tyrant? Alternatively, do the compromises resulting from Ravengard’s return result in a fifth ducal seat being created?

Meanwhile, if Ravengard has emerged from Hell as the top dog in Elturel, he’ll try to hold onto that dominion as well.

This might hinder him in the politics of Baldur’s Gate (“don’t be ridiculous; you can’t have the High Observer of Elturel serving as the Grand Duke of Baldur’s Gate”), but it could also give an immense power base of reputation and manpower to re-coalesce his power in Baldur’s Gate. (This can be literally in the form of soldiers, but also propaganda stuff like appealing to the Elturian refugees as the “savior of their city.”)

Whether Ravengard holds onto Baldur’s Gate or Elturel or both, he’s going to pursue imperial designs in the ruins of Elturgard. With the PCs’ help, he might even succeed. Outcomes might include:

• A new Chionthar Empire that brings peace and prosperity to the region.
• A strong alliance between Baldur’s Gate and Elturel, while the rest of Elturgard nevertheless fractures back into separate city-states.
• Ravengard fails utterly, succeeding only in deepening the animosity between Baldur’s Gate and Elturel.

However it plays out, Ravengard will almost certainly contribute to the ongoing chaos of the Elturian Wars.

WHITHER ZARIEL?

One thing we haven’t touched on yet is what happens with Zariel.

There are a couple obvious scenarios: If the PCs kill her (presumably with help), she’s dead. If they negotiated with her to break the pact (or found a different solution that left her alive and unredeemed), then she still rules in Hell.

Of course, the most likely outcome is probably that the PCs help to redeem Zariel.

Homework: Descent Into Avernus almost certainly results in the power structures of Avernus being disrupted just as much as those of Elturgard. If Zariel is no longer Archduchess, who rises to take her place? What effect does that have on the Blood War? And even if Zariel is still in charge, it’s likely that other major players have been significantly affected by whatever deal the PCs made.

If the PCs have made allies in Hell and put schemes into motion, it’s possible they’ll want to return and continue pursuing their goals (or just to check in with their friends). Consider having the upheaval of power in Hell echo the upheaval occurring in the remnants of Elturgard. On Earth as it is in Hell, so to speak.

With Zariel redeemed, she likely returns with the PCs and Elturel to the Material Plane. There are a few ways this can then play out.

First, you can bring her story to a close. Assuming the players have invested in her story, frame a final scene with her before she departs for Mount Celestia in a beam of holy light. It worked. The PCs have helped to restore something beautiful to the multiverse and saved the soul of an angel.

Alternatively, maybe Zariel chooses to stay involved in the region. For example, she might try to reach out to the Zarielite cultists and convince them to join her and walk the path of redemption. The result might be a Second Zarielite Crusade (hopefully with more reasonable goals and/or happier outcomes).

Or maybe Zariel, even redeemed as she is, remains grandiose and a little self-important. “Elturel is mine!” she says. “And I will make right what I have wronged!” She’s likely to be opposed by Ravengard or Ikaia or both. Will the PCs help her? Oppose her? Either way, she will make her presence felt during the Elturian Wars.

And one final question: Whatever happens with Zariel… does Lulu go with her?

Or does she choose to remain with her new friends?

Either way, there are likely to be tears.

THE END…
…HAS YET TO BE WRITTEN.

Addendum: Rumors of Elturel
Addendum: Corpsedamp Zombies
Addendum: A Textual History of Elturel
Addendum: Playing Gargauth
Addendum: Streetcrawling Tools
Addendum: Elturian Names
Addendum: Hellturel Map Patches
Addendum: Soul Coins
Addendum: A Textual History of Zariel
Addendum: Player Hexmaps
Addendum: Avernus Map Patch
Addendum: The Ranks of Hell
Addendum: The Grand 5E Devil Index

Addendum: DMs Guild Capsule Reviews
Addendum: DMs Guild Capsule Reviews II
Addendum: DMs Guild Capsule Reviews III
Addendum: DMs Guild Capsule Reviews IV
Addendum: DMs Guild Capsule Reviews – Rhodarin Avernus
Addendum: Capsule Reviews – Adventurers League

Go to Table of Contents

So Elturel has been returned to the Material Plane.

(Probably.)

This is an epic conclusion to the campaign, and a triumphant note on which to finish. Everyone will probably be perfectly happy to see things wrap up.

But what if you want to keep playing?

To answer that question, we need to take a look at what’s been happening while Elturel was missing. And what’s likely to happen now that it’s returned. Whether you continue with high-level characters, likely to be dealing with the major political powers, or boot up a new campaign with low-level characters coping with these crises on the ground, there are rich opportunities for adventure.

ELTURGARD’S FATE

When Elturel vanished, it left a gaping wound in the earth. Tunnels that once connected to the dungeons beneath the city now opened into the crater, providing access to the dark dangers of the Underdark. (If you’re starting up a new campaign with 1^st level characters, consider running the first few sessions in The Crater to set the stage for Elturel’s abrupt return.)

Even with Elturel’s return, Elturgard is shattered. For nearly a century, Elturel had expanded its empire, laying claim to all the lands touched by the light of the Companion. They referred to this “protectorate” as Elturel’s Shield, which extended as far away as Berdusk and Boareskyr Bridge (where the Companion could be seen as an unmoving star near the horizon):

Note: This means that the Companion could be seen at least 175 miles away from Elturel. If you do the math, this means that the Companion must have been located 20,000 feet above Elturel. This doesn’t seem to match the lore, so it may be best to say, “It was magic,” if this should be interrogated.

The grandiose claims of Elturel’s Shield were unpopular with local polities, but were often more welcomed by local villages and farmers threatened by the trolls, orcs, and foul beasts that emerged from the Trollclaws, the Wood of Sharp Teeth, and the Forest of Wyrms. Over time, the claims became less boastful and more reality as one local power after another fell to Elturgard.

As we’ve seen, the disappearance of Elturel created a refugee crisis in the region. This was initially due to survivors of the catastrophe who had escaped the city or lived on its outskirts, but the crisis rapidly worsened as the threats once kept in check by the Hellriders began raiding and razing smaller settlements throughout the region.

Things worsened again as multi-polar wars broke out between the powers once aligned under Elturgard. These conflicts are heavily influenced by the Zarielites who had, of course, infiltrated the Elturgardian governments. They want never-ending, meat-grinder wars to chew up the corrupted military orders they’ve compromised and happily capitalize on the chaos left in Elturel’s wake.

(This is somewhat standard operating procedure for the Cult of Zariel: They target and hollow out martial orders and military organizations. Those they can’t convert directly to Zariel’s worship they corrupt by issuing immoral orders and fostering a culture of glorified violence and evil. Then the violence itself chews up the lives of those who have tainted their souls, speeding them on their way to Hell.)

THE ELTURIAN WARS

Scornubel declared itself the “Elturgard government in exile,” naming the citadel built by the Elturians in the city center as the new capital. Altaer Ambermantle was named High Observer.

This was most likely a sincere effort to stem the growing chaos, particularly as the government in Scornubel had purged the Zarielite attempt to infiltrate it due to an alliance between the Ambermantles and a band of daring adventurers in the 1480’s. In Scornubel, the Zarielites instead sunk their talons into the thieves’ guild, which they now used to destabilize Ambermantle’s neophyte administration.

Soubar was the first Elturgardian polity to openly declare independence. A small walled city ruling over a cluster of farming communities, there are rumors that the Banite priests who have recently reinhabited the Black Abbey, the ancient temple of Bane in the city, have performed a secret coup, but this may be nothing more than opportunistic propaganda.

Berdusk, the Jewel of the Vale, denounced Scornubel’s “coup,” effectively declaring themselves as the “true” capital of Elturgard.

Berdusk is ruled by the Twilight Hall. Originally a bardic college founded by the Harpers, Twilight Hall evolved into the native nobility known as the First Folk. When the city-state was conquered by Elturel (becoming the “second city” of the newly minted Elturgard), the First Folk made a great show of their piety, with heirs and scions joining and becoming high-ranking priests in the new religious orders of Torm established by High Observer Restat. This tradition of the First Folk to join holy orders eventually spread to the older churches in Berdusk, as well — the Inner Chamber of Deneir, Helm’s Ready House of the Right Strong Hand, Milil’s Evensong Tower, Oghma’s Seat of Lore, and minor orders dedicated to Leira, Lliira, Tempus, and Waukeen.

The problem is that the religious order of Torm was basically a front for Zarielite cultists. Under that guise, the First Folk were subverted, and then Zarielites spread into the leadership of the other religious orders, too. The First Folk are not all cultists, of course, but their ranks are riddled by them.

Triel, a small town northeast of Elturel, found itself choked with refugees, which have caused its population to increase five-fold. A former farmer named Sarika Fortune has, much to her own surprise, found herself leading a rag-tag volunteer militia. They recently (and controversially) assisted some of the independent gnome and halfing communities in the Trielta Hills, and there are some preliminary discussions of a Trieltan defensive alliance of some sort.

Representatives from both Berdusk and Scornubel have recently arrived to determine where Triel’s loyalty lies.

Najara, the serpent kingdom of nagas, yuan-ti, and lizardfolk which lies north of Elturgard, has seized advantage of the chaos. An army of serpents has moved south along the Winding Water and seized Boareskyr Bridge and Fort Tamal. As such, they now control the river crossing of the Iriaebor-Waterdeep Trade Way and de facto expanded their sphere of influence into the northern reaches of the Fields of the Dead.

King Jarant of Najara has sent ambassadors to the major powers of the Sword Coast, declaring his actions “necessary for the stability of trade and for the good of establishing peace in the region.” It remains to be seen whether Najara will settle for what they have gained or if they’ll seek further expansion into the former realms of Elturgard. (It may depend on whether or not they see a good opportunity.)

No one, however, is under any illusions that they’ll be giving up Fort Tamal without a fight.

The Second Fall of Fort Morninglord. In 1476 DR the entire garrison of Fort Morninglord, which lies west of Elturel along the River Chionthar, disappeared overnight. The site had been contaminated by some unknown evil and the High Observer ordered it sealed.

A new fortified encampment was established nearby and garrisoned. After the fall of Elturel, this fort was the only significant concentration of surviving Elturian paladins and Hellriders. It became the sanctuary for a large number of refugees.

When news of Fort Tamal being besieged by Najara reached Morninglord, an expedition of knights rode north to relieve them. In their absence, Zarielite cultists within the fort summoned a pit fiend. The fiend was eventually defeated, but dozens of knights were slain, hundreds of refugees were massacred, and the fort itself burned to the ground.

This sent a fresh wave of refugees down river to beleaguered Baldur’s Gate and broke the last bastion of Elturgard that was not dependent on one of its constituent parts.

The expeditionary force, unable to reach Fort Tamal in time, remains active-but-itinerant within the Fields of the Dead.

Zhentarim. Darkhold, the citadel of the Zhentarim, lies just to the east of Elturgard. The Black Network’s influence had been kept out of the region for decades by the strength of Elturgard, but the current situation is ripe for them to gain long-term strategic advantage. And even if that wasn’t the case, the Zhents are mercenaries. And if there’s one thing mercenaries love more than a good war, it’s LOTS of wars.

When King Jarant declared Najara’s sovereignty to the powers of the Sword Coast, the Zhentarim were early supporters of his regime. They have remained on good terms since, making it likely that Zhentarim mercenaries will be available to pursue Najara’s interests in the region. (They may have already fought at Fort Tamal.)

As the conflict worsens, Berdusk, Soubar, and Scornubel will all become highly motivated to seek Zhentarim contracts. The Zhentarim know this, of course, and have already sent diplomatic missions to each city. These missions serve a dual purpose, as their embedded spies seek out any hidden opportunities for the Black Network. (The Zhentarim are not, of course, above claiming a chunk of territory for themselves if the opportunity presents itself.)

One way or another, the Black Network and its mercenary armies are going to get involved.

Go to Epilogue – Part 2: Elturel’s Return

Go to Table of Contents

So how does this all end?

Because we’ve created an open-ended campaign where the PCs’ choices and actions matter, I can’t really tell you how your campaign is going to end. I can’t just script a big, dramatic scene, because all the details of that scene will depend on what’s happened at your table. Ultimately, the end of your campaign will be unique. It will belong to you and your players. You’ll have built it together, and what you experience will be something your group and only your group will experience.

But here are a few key things to think about as you’re crafting your ending.

First, the broad outlines of this ending were laid out in Part 6B: The Avernian Quest. In order to save Elturel:

• Bellandi’s pact with Zariel must be broken.
• The chains holding Elturel must be severed.
• Elturel must be returned to the Material Plane. (Or, alternatively, the people of Elturel can be evacuated.)

There are many different ways for the PCs to achieve these goals, but this does mean that the finale of your campaign will almost certainly be the moment at which the PCs free the planetar from the Companion and the planetar literally lifts the entire city out of the Nine Hells.

As you’re figuring out what this scene looks like, think about:

• What’s going on in Elturel? Is the city stable or is it about to sink into the Styx? Have the PCs forged an alliance between the city’s factions or have things boiled over into a civil war?
• Who might oppose whatever it is that the PCs are doing? That might be an unredeemed Zariel. It might be Yeenoghu showing up with a demon army to confront Zariel once more. It might be Bel betraying the party and seeking to strike down Zariel to demonstrate to Asmodeus that he should once again rule in Avernus.
• What’s happening with the allies the PCs have made? Do they have favors they still owe, so that the PCs might choose to remain in Hell to fulfill their oaths, watching the city disappear into the heavens above? Is Tiamat flying nearby, having just severed the chains?

The trick to a good ending is, first, to tie off the important loose ends (although it can be okay if a few are left dangling) and, second, to reincorporate elements from throughout the campaign to make it feel a like a cohesive whole. The Avernus Remix roughly breaks down into three acts:

• Baldur’s Gate and the Vanthampur conspiracy
• Elturel in Hell
• Exploring Avernus

Look back at what happened in each of those acts in your campaign and think about ways in which those events can be reflected in your finale. You’ll also want to think about the important themes which have been established in your campaign and find ways to put those themes in the crucible one last time.

For example, maybe themes of betrayal vs. loyalty have particularly resonated with your group. Is there someone who can betray the PCs at the eleventh hour? Or, more powerfully, is there a way that the PCs will be forced to choose between remaining loyal to one of their allies or betraying them in order to save the city?

WHAT IF THE PCs ABANDON ELTUREL?

The goal of Descent Into Avernus is to save Elturel, but the Alexandrian Remix is flexible and robust enough that it’s fully possible that the PCs might set a completely different goal for themselves. Maybe they’ll conclude that saving Elturel is impossible; or that it’s not worth saving. Or maybe they’ll never really think of Elturel as being their responsibility; or they’ll feel that their responsibility ended once they delivered the crucial information about Bellandi’s pact to Ravengard.

Or maybe they’ll just find personal goals that they think are more important. It’s a campaign set in Hell, after all. Amorality and cruel disregard for the suffering of others isn’t exactly outside of the purview here.

If this is the direction your campaign goes, I’m afraid I’ll be of even less use to you in shaping an ending. When the campaign concludes (if it ever does), the ending you’ll find will obviously be focused on whatever the new goals of your group have become.

But even as the campaign shifts focus, don’t let everything that came before drop away.

For example, what happens when Elturel falls?

This should be the beginning of a significant shift of power. The ranks of Zariel’s army will swell, and the front lines of Blood War will shift. (Either because of a massive, preemptive assault by the demons; or the inevitable advance of Zariel’s legions with their new strength. Or both.)

• Troop movements will begin altering your hex key.
• What opportunities are created for the factions in your game? For example, warlords might start running magical weapons stolen from the front lines. Or they might go on missions to scavenge from bloody battlefields.
• In addition to open war, espionage will also increase. Add demon spies and quisling devils.
• What happens in the Purple City? Does it fall to a surprise attack? Become besieged? Swell with the wealth of war profiteering?

And so forth.

A GUIDE TO MILESTONES

If you’re using level advancement milestones, I recommend the following milestones.

ACT I – BALDUR’S GATE:

• Reaching Baldur’s Gate
• Completing the Poisoned Poseidon OR Amrik Vanthampur (whichever they do first)
• Completing the Dungeon of the Dead Three
• Completing the Vanthampur Estate

PCs will be 5^th level as they leave Baldur’s Gate and head to Candlekeep (and, subsequently, Avernus).

Design Note: A number of DMs have found that the Dungeon of the Dead Three is potentially very deadly for 2^nd level characters. These milestones conveniently give PCs an extra level before tackling the dungeon.

ACT II – HELLTUREL: The PCs will be 5^th level when entering Avernus.

• The end of the streetcrawl in Elturel (when the PCs discover that the city is floating in Hell).
• When forming an alliance in Elturel OR when completing the Grand Cemetery (whichever they do first).
• Leaving Elturel.

ACT III – AVERNUS: The PCs will be 8^th level when they leave Elturel and begin to explore the Avernian plains.

• Once for each of the four dream machine component recovered.
• Claiming the Sword of Zariel.
• Saving Elturel.

These milestones, which will see the PCs complete the campaign at 14^th level, assume that the PCs are pursuing the Quest of the Dream Machine. This is not, however, the only way to complete the Avernian Quest. If the player pursue alternative paths, you’ll want to set milestones accordingly. Something like this might work:

• Making an alliance with a local power. (Warlords, Maggie, etc.)
• Making an alliance with an Avernian powerhouse (Bel, Tiamat, released Gargauth, etc.).
• Retrieving the adamantine rods.
• Completing a raid on the flying fortress OR
• Breaking Bellandi’s pact.
• Saving Elturel.

Once again, this will see the PCs complete the campaign at 14^th level.

Go to Epilogue: The Elturian Wars