TEXT:  
   
   
   
  
  INTRODUCTION 
  Purple lightning crashes through the sky, but you don’t see it deep within the 
  tunnels of the Warrens.  You do feel the thunder and high winds rocking the 
  entire city though, as you sit in this cave of a tavern and sip an ale brewed from 
  lichen.   
  You’ve always felt a wanderlust, a need to get out, but there’s nowhere to go.  
  There is only the Drifting City.  Eternally floating over a world you’ve never seen. 
  It is overcrowded and under-resourced, a hell drifting through the heavens.  
  Everyone you’ve ever known was born here and everyone will die here, destined 
  to feed the fungal grottoes as they decay.  But the last message from your rebel 
  contact was different.  There was an urgency to it.  And the last sentence filled 
  you with both terror and hope.  
  “Soon we leave.” 
   
  Rebels of the Drifting City is a short form, action-oriented adventure for the 
  fifth edition of the world’s greatest role-playing game.  The players are a single 
  cell of a rebel group trying to end the reign of despotic rulers known as the 
  Five. The intention is that this adventure is run in a single session of gameplay, 
  totaling a few hours.  The players are dropped into the middle of the action and 
  at a breakneck pace fly toward the end. Think of this like the final act of an 
  action movie.   
  The players are given a rich, strange world with endless possibilities, full of 
  interesting stories, but kept condensed and contained to keep it exciting and 
  energetic.  The players get new spells, new equipment, and a clear path to 
  victory. Encourage boisterous action and drive-it-like-you-stole-it shenanigans, 
  because it’s only a session or two to complete it. 
  While this adventure is designed for 5E, it can easily be adapted into any 
  fantasy role-playing setting. Scaled for a party size of four characters playing at 
  5th level, the difficulty can be adjusted by reducing or increasing the number 
  of enemies in each encounter. 
   
   
  
  GAME MASTER NOTES
  As stated before, this is an action-
  oriented adventure intended for a 
  single session of gameplay.  Keep that 
  in mind while running the game.  This 
  adventure has a very linear structure 
  and is “on rails” as the saying goes, so 
  players should not get bogged down in 
  the minutiae of the adventure.  There 
  are three key tools built into the 
  adventure to help keep things moving. 
  The first is a synopsis of the setting 
  meant for the players.  Covered on the 
  following two pages, this information is 
  intended to be provided to the players 
  prior to the start of the game so that 
  they can become familiar with the 
  setting.  This gives them a basic 
  understanding of the world, and what 
  their mission is. 
  The second is The Voice.  Select one or 
  more players to hear an unknown voice 
  in their heads, giving them guidance on 
  their mission. This is a way to help 
  guide the players without them 
  knowing the full story. The Voice, 
  revealed to the players in the epilogue 
  as a mage from the surface world, is a 
  tool to make sure the players stay on 
  target.  It is highly recommended that 
  the messages from the Voice are given 
  on separate sheets of paper or cards 
  rather than saying it aloud to the 
  player who hears it.  This keeps it 
  secret.  The player who received the 
  information must then decide whether 
  to tell their party members about what 
  they are hearing or not.  You will see 
  key times for The Voice to be used 
  referenced in the adventure guide. 
  The third key piece is the Goggles of 
  Truth.  A magical item received during 
  the raid into the Cadre Barracks, they 
  allow one player to see the Five as they 
  truly are. Ideally, the players will use 
  these on their own, but if not, a prompt 
  on their use can happen easily by 
  simply asking, “Who has the goggles 
  on?”  
  These three tools should easily keep 
  the players on track and quickly 
  moving toward the grand finale of the 
  adventure. 
  Throughout this adventure module, 
  there are two forms of call outs. 
     
  The first, in yellow, are meant to be 
  read aloud to the players, directly or 
  paraphrased.   
   
  The second, in green, are tips for the 
  game master. 
   
   
  
  WHAT YOU KNOW
  History  
   
   
   
   
  Millennia ago, a war between the gods 
  released powerful magic that shattered 
  the very structure of the world.  All of 
  civilization was on the verge of 
  collapsing.  Five powerful wizards 
  joined their arcane skills together to 
  save what remained of the inhabitants 
  of the world.  Wrenching a mountain of 
  the hardest stone from the ground, 
  they created a massive city in the sky 
  and floated it high above the storm 
  clouds of eldritch fallout from the god’s 
  war.  
  Centuries after the city’s creation, 
  these five wizards, now simply known 
  as the Five, have become despotic 
  rulers of The Drifting City.  They believe 
  themselves to be the new gods of this 
  world, and as the Drifting City grows 
  overcrowded, they show little concern 
  for the wellbeing of the city’s people.  
  They hold the citizens in an iron grip 
  enforced by the Cadre, a violent police 
  force loyal to their rule, and the Dark 
  Sky, spellcasters apprenticed to them. 
  Geography of the Drifting City 
  The Drifting City is a massive mountain 
  of stone, teardrop shaped with the 
  point aiming down.  The surface at the 
  top is full of buildings, but as the 
  population grew and space became 
  limited, more and more people moved 
  underground.  With the high winds 
  around the city and the unstable 
  nature of the city’s movement through 
  the sky, underground proved to be the 
  safest place, though space there is 
  becoming limited as well. 
  Most surface buildings are low to the 
  ground, to avoid the danger of the 
  winds, and the tallest structure in the 
  city is the Tower of the Five.  Multiple 
  stories high, pulled amorphously from 
  the stone of the city itself, it looms 
  above everything else.  The Tower sits 
  at the Raising Square, in the center of 
  the Surface. The Five rarely leave the 
  Tower, but when they do, something 
  terrible is occurring. 
  The Five  
   
   
   
   
  The five wizards responsible for the 
  Raising of the Drifting City, may have 
  begun their reign with good intentions, 
  but over time it has turned into a 
  totalitarian regime. Their will is done, 
  or people die.  The most visible and 
  vocal of the Five is Draga. He is the one 
  most likely to take direct action.  
  Though rarely named, the others of the 
  Five are Isolde, Fratek, Lopilla, and 
  Requis.  
  The Cadre 
   
   
   
   
  The Cadre are soldiers trained to exert 
  the Five’s will in violent and destructive 
  ways. Enlistment in the Cadre is seen 
  as one way to guarantee your survival 
  in the harsh reality of the city.  The 
  Cadre is led by Captain Arra Reltik, a 
  
  highly competent and intelligent 
  commander. 
  The Dark Sky  
   
   
   
  The Five have taken powerful magic 
  users as apprentices, collectively 
  known as the Dark Sky.   Imparting 
  their arcane malevolence to the 
  apprentices, the Five have created 
  powerful weapons to exert their will. 
  The three most prominent of the Dark 
  Sky are Icondria, a dark cleric, Argast, 
  a spellcasting master of torture, and 
  Vandro, most powerful of all the Dark 
  Sky and a potent storm-bringer.  
  The Fire  
   
   
   
   
  Atop the Tower of the Five, an arcane 
  light shines at all times, emitted from 
  the artifact known as the Fire. It 
  crackles with eldritch lightning, casting 
  a twilight hue across the Surface of the 
  Drifting City even in the darkest hours.  
  Pieces of stone orbit the Fire, remnants 
  of the spell that formed the city 
  originally.  Imbued and sustained 
  through the magic of the Five, the Fire 
  gives them complete control over the 
  Drifting City.  
  The Lawless 
   
   
   
   
  You are part of a rebel group opposed 
  to the rule of the Five, dubbed the “The 
  Lawless” by the Cadre.  The Lawless 
  are organized in a cell structure and 
  other than those in your cell, you 
  cannot identify anyone else in the 
  Lawless.  You only communicate 
  through a series of dead drops.  
  You’ve been told to wear yellow on your 
  person, keeping it hidden from plain 
  sight but easily revealed as an 
  identifying mark.  If asked the 
  question, “Is your journey far?” you 
  are to respond with the confirmation 
  phrase “I know the way.” 
  You received a dead drop that indicates 
  the time for The Lawless to move from 
  rebellious actions to full rebellion is 
  now.  In one day, the Ritual of the 
  Raising is held.  This annual 
  “celebration” of the day the Five saved 
  the people of The Drifting City is when 
  the Five make their only public 
  appearance together.  The uprising is to 
  take place at this event.    
  Your group has been given a vitally 
  important task.  You must acquire 
  the magic cloaks worn by the Cadre, 
  in order to gain access to the Tower 
  of the Five.  A distraction will 
  happen at the Ritual, and you’re to 
  move into the Tower of the Five to 
  take the Fire.  The Five, and their 
  minions will likely try to stop you.   
  This will be your final mission, one 
  way or the other.
  
  SETTING  
  The following information about the 
  Drifting City is not vital to the playing 
  of this adventure but does help to 
  inform the game master regarding the 
  world the players will be inhabiting. 
  People 
   
   
   
   
   
  The remnants of all civilized races 
  found a place in the Drifting City.  
  Dwarves, humans, and halflings are 
  common.  Less plentiful, but still 
  common, are the elves and gnomes.  
  The other races number fewer but are 
  still represented.  Each has found their 
  niche in the city, but due to the 
  majority of people living underground, 
  races comfortable there have done best.  
  Though no formal census has been 
  completed, there are clearly thousands 
  of people in the Drifting City. 
  There is a constant dark cloud over the 
  Drifting CIty, both literally and 
  figuratively, and it mutes the colors of 
  life to those who live there. Despite the 
  issues of scarcity and the oppression of 
  the Five and their minions, the people 
  of the Drifting City live their lives as 
  any others might.  Despite the 
  hardships, people still raise families, 
  still work and trade, and still take joy 
  in living.  The bright light that is the 
  resilience of the Drifting City citizens is 
  something that can never be snuffed 
  about by the tyranny of the Five.  
   
  Magic 
   
   
   
   
   
  Magic of the minor variety, such as 
  some cantrips, is fairly common,  
  passed down in families or during 
  apprenticeships. A strong focus is 
  placed on magical skills that are of the 
  conjuration and transmutation 
  varieties because of the ongoing 
  resource limitations in the city.  As an 
  example, someone who learns mending 
  will always find their skills in demand. 
  Magical practitioners of significant 
  power are not common, but they do 
  exist, often learning their skills in 
  secret. Once discovered though, their 
  path is decided for them.  They can join 
  the Dark Sky or die at the hands of 
  them. 
  The primary limitation to the expansion 
  of magic usage in the Drifting City is 
  the prohibition on paper or any other 
  form of permanent record keeping.  
  This is one of the strictest rules 
  enforced by the Five and their 
  underlings.  Any person caught with 
  paper, scrolls, or anything similar will 
  have the object immediately 
  confiscated, and likely will be executed 
  on the spot.  The elimination of written 
  records is one of the primary duties of 
  the Dark Sky mages.  
  Religion 
  The Five actively prohibit religion and 
  any temple or shrine discovered is 
  
  destroyed and often the worshipers 
  executed.  The more cynical among the 
  citizens spread the message that the 
  Five discourage the worship of gods 
  because they fear drawing the attention 
  of any gods that survived the war that 
  destroyed the World Before.  Others 
  choose to believe that the Five are the 
  new gods of the world that remains and 
  should be worshipped as such.  This 
  belief is led by Acolytes of the Five who 
  work to spread the message of harsh 
  benevolence to the people of the 
  Drifting City.  
  Despite all of this, the old ways 
  continue to persist and many gods are 
  worshipped in secret, regardless of the 
  dangers associated with it.  
  Geography and Locations 
   
  Initially, the people of the city survived 
  and thrived on the Surface.  Eventually 
  though, with such limited space and 
  limited resources, more and more 
  people moved underground.  With the 
  high winds around the city and the 
  unstable nature of the city’s movement 
  through the sky, underground proved 
  to be the safest place.  Known as the 
  Warrens, the underground space has 
  become limited as well. The city above 
  ground is large enough that a person 
  can walk for about an hour from edge 
  to edge and underground is far larger 
  due to its volume. 
  Swirling around the Drifting City are 
  dark storm clouds, streaked with violet 
  lightning, remnants of the eldritch war 
  of the gods that led to the city’s 
  creation.  The thick cloud cover 
  obscures the ground below, and none 
  have seen the surface in known 
  history.  In general, the city floats 
  above the worst of the storm clouds, 
  but occasionally the heavy storms 
  surge up over the city and buffet it 
  about.  The cloud cover commonly 
  extends above the city and limits 
  sunlight to only a few hours a day.  The 
  high winds across the Surface can 
  become exceptionally dangerous and 
  many lives have been lost due to them. 
  In the underground portions of the city, 
  the storms create earthquake-like 
  reverberations. 
  One can never forget that space is 
  limited in the Drifting City.  There is no 
  option to expand the city.  Streets on 
  the Surface and passageways within 
  the Warrens are almost never more 
  than 20 feet across.  Chambers and 
  buildings may be larger, but even they 
  are built in such a way as to maximize 
  space usage.  
  The most powerful tool in the Five’s 
  arsenal is that they still control the 
  floating of the city.  The most 
  prominent exhibition of their mastery 
  has been their willingness to  rotate the 
  city to deal with dissidents.  In the 
  tunnels beneath, and inside the 
  buildings on the surface, this is 
  dangerous with walls becoming ceilings 
  and floors becoming walls.  On the 
  surface itself, it is usually fatal, with 
  people being thrown from The Drifting 
  City, cast down into the horrors below.  
  The atrocities of the Five are myriad, 
  but specifically twice in recorded 
  history, dissidents have tried to rush 
  the Tower of the Five, to take control, 
  
  and both times the Five turned the city 
  on its side, killing the dissidents and 
  hundreds more innocent people.  
  The Surface 
   
   
   
   
  The oldest part of the Drifting City, the 
  Surface is the part most like a 
  traditional city and the smallest portion 
  overall. It is primarily inhabited by the 
  species that prefer the open air, such 
  as halflings, elves and humans, though 
  there is a mix of all races on the 
  Surface and in the Warrens.  Broadly 
  speaking, the Surface is laid out in 
  concentric rings with roads and 
  avenues connecting them.  The 
  structures are tightly packed together, 
  and gaps between buildings usually 
  only exist due to natural disasters, 
  such as the frequent lightning strikes 
  and windstorms, or natural rock 
  formations that pierce through the 
  surface making building difficult.  Most 
  surface buildings are low to the 
  ground, to avoid the danger of the 
  winds. 
  For many years, much of the Surface 
  was abandoned by the people of the 
  Drifting City.  Over time, most people 
  have moved into the Warrens, both for 
  the safety of its structures and to move 
  further from the Five and their 
  underlings, all of whom live on the 
  Surface.  But as the overcrowding in 
  the Warrens continues to grow, more 
  have moved back to the Surface, with 
  all the dangers inherent with it. 
  Many buildings on the Surface have 
  private entrances into the Warrens, 
  and public access points exist 
  throughout the Surface city as well. 
  The Tower of the Five 
  The most visible landmark and a 
  constant reminder of the tyranny of the 
  Five, their Tower stands high above all 
  other structure on the Surface.  Many 
  stories high, the Tower of the Five has 
  an organic quality to it.  Unlike the 
  other buildings on the Surface, the 
  Tower was not built, but rather 
  mystically pulled from the ground 
  through the arcane powers of the Five.  
  The Tower sits centrally surrounded by 
  the largest open area on the Surface, 
  the Raising Square. 
  Atop the Tower, an arcane light shines 
  at all times, emitted from the artifact 
  known as the Fire. It crackles with 
  eldritch lightning, casting a twilight 
  hue across the City even in the darkest 
  hours.  Pieces of stone circle the Fire, 
  remnants of the spell that formed the 
  city originally.  Imbued and sustained 
  through the magic of the Five, the Fire 
  gives them complete control over the 
  Drifting City.  
  The Cull 
  One of the darkest events in the history 
  of the Drifting City left not only a deep 
  emotional scar in the hearts of the 
  people, but also a dark gash across the 
  landscape of the Surface.  
  Before the majority of people started 
  moving underground, there was 
  already concern regarding 
  overcrowding. A mass of people went to 
  the Tower of the Five and demanded 
  the Five address the issue. Their 
  
  solution was as simple as it was brutal. 
  With what seemed like little effort, they 
  released a burst of magical energy that 
  destroyed everything in its path. 
  Buildings and people disintegrated in 
  an instance. Nearly 20% of the total 
  population at that time, and nearly 
  80% of the elves overall, simple ceased 
  to exist due to the Five.  Hundreds of 
  years later, some rebuilding in the area 
  has begun, but most of this area still 
  stands empty and charred, and it is 
  now known as The Cull.  
  The Grove of the Sun 
  The soil in the Drifting City is rocky 
  and poor. The growth of plants is 
  difficult except for one area maintained 
  by a group of highly protective and 
  militant Druids. 
  Roughly pentagonal in shape, the 
  Grove of the Sun is full of trees and 
  plants seen nowhere else in the Drifting 
  City. The Druids allow no one other 
  than their order in and a thick hedge 
  full of razor-sharp thorns circles the 
  entire glade.  The Druids in the glade 
  are self-sufficient and rarely leave it. 
  They do offer a bit of trade periodically 
  with the greater city, allowing some 
  wood and other products to be shared, 
  sold, or bartered.  They are also known 
  to provide materials to the Five and 
  their subordinates, as the price to be 
  allowed to function on their own. 
  Dark Sky Lyceum 
  A group of interconnected obsidian 
  buildings on the Surface contains the 
  Dark Sky Lyceum.  Children identified 
  with arcane abilities are taken from 
  their families to be raised here.  These 
  children train to become the most loyal 
  and powerful servants of the FIve, 
  enforcing their will through coercion 
  and fearsome magical attacks.  Life in 
  the Lyceum is dualistic in nature.  The 
  students there live a life of luxury not 
  seen anywhere else in the Drifting City.  
  They want for nothing and receive far 
  more education than the common folk.  
  But the sheer brutality of their training 
  offsets any positivity found in it.  The 
  Dark Sky clearly believe in the concept 
  that only the strong survive and those 
  that live through their training are 
  clearly the strongest. 
  Cadre Barracks 
  The Cadre, like other servants of the 
  Five, live on the Surface.  More than a 
  dozen Cadre Barracks are spread 
  through the Surface with the greatest 
  concentration being close to the 
  Raising Square and the Tower of the 
  Five.  Each barrack is self-contained, 
  serving as home, training center, and 
  administrative offices of Cadre officers. 
  The Warrens  
   
   
   
  Underground, in the Warrens, is where 
  most people live.  In fact, some have 
  never gone to the Surface before.  In 
  the early days of the Drifting City, most 
  lived on the Surface, but it didn’t take 
  long before the dwarves began 
  excavating and discovered many 
  natural caverns within the body of the 
  city.  Between the natural caverns and 
  the new chambers and tunnel 
  pathways created by the dwarves and 
  others, the Warrens quickly grew to 
  accommodate the burgeoning 
  
  population of the Drifting City.  For 
  many years, this allowed the 
  population to grow without issue, but 
  eventually, after generations, the 
  Warrens grew crowded like the Surface.  
  From an area and volume perspective, 
  the Warrens are 3-4 times larger than 
  the Surface.  
  Enclaves 
  Most spaces within the Warrens are in 
  groupings of connected chambers 
  known as enclaves.  Some are built 
  around a family structure, some by 
  race, some by an occupation, still 
  others by shared beliefs.  Ultimately the 
  only defining characteristics of the 
  multitude of enclaves is that those 
  living in them have enough in common 
  that they are willing to live in close 
  proximity and share their lives with 
  others.   Dozens of enclaves exist, but 
  other than the largest of them, few 
  have proper names.  The two most well-
  known are Fabrica and Helica. 
  Fabrica 
  The largest and most respected of the 
  enclaves is Fabrica.  Part home, part 
  factory and forge, part mining and 
  recycling operation, the Fabrica 
  provides most of the raw materials 
  used within the city.  The dwarves and 
  gnomes heavily populate this enclave, 
  though some others can be found here 
  as well. This enclave is the industrial 
  heart of the city, with forgers producing 
  metal from the stone, miners refining 
  coal, and everything else the stone can 
  provide being processed and created.  
  Fabrica is located centrally in the 
  Drifting City, not too far below the 
  Central Bazaar, giving it easy access for 
  the commerce resulting from the 
  manufacturing in Fabrica. 
  Helica 
  The enclave of the elves is the most 
  secretive of all the communities in the 
  Warrens.  Originally, most elves had 
  lived on the Surface, but after the 
  events of the Culling the remaining 
  elves gathered together in what seemed 
  like the safest place.  Though the elves 
  come and go from their enclave as they 
  please, and some live outside of it, non-
  elves, and those associated with the 
  FIve, are not allowed in the Helica. 
  Even the Dark Sky and the Cadre 
  appear to follow this rule with little 
  argument.  To the common knowledge, 
  the Five themselves have never 
  attempted to enter Helica, but it would 
  be a historic day if they attempted. 
  Helica spirals around the outer edge of 
  the Warrens with portions of it built to 
  be exposed to the exterior of the stone 
  structure.  This affords the elves of 
  Helica a view outside that others in the 
  Warrens do not have, though they see 
  nothing but the heavy storm clouds 
  surrounding the Drifting City. 
  Central Bazaar 
  The largest natural cavern within the 
  Drifting City, located in the top center 
  of the stone base, the Central Bazaar 
  has grown into a large gathering place 
  for people looking to work, trade, and 
  socialize on a daily basis.  The 
  craftsman of the Drifting City have 
  learned their trades for generations and 
  there is always someone willing to trade 
  for the right price.  Rows of tents 
  
  crafted by the stoneweavers stretch out 
  across the large space and majority of 
  commerce in the city happens here.  A 
  dim light always glows from the cavern 
  ceiling due to bioluminescent lichen 
  growing on the rocks, but the 
  merchants are likely to have lamps of 
  their own outside their tents to light 
  the paths more clearly. 
  A side effect of being above Fabrica and 
  the forges there, the Central Bazaar 
  maintains a warmer temperature that 
  most parts of the Warrens, and 
  substantially higher than found on the 
  Surface.  This warmth contributes to 
  the social aspect of the Central Bazaar 
  by creating a comfortable environment 
  for gathering. 
  Fungal Grottoes 
  Dozens of interconnected caverns, 
  spreading across multiple levels of the 
  Warrens, produce most of the 
  foodstuffs of the Drifting City in the 
  form of mushrooms, molds, lichens and 
  yeasts.  The environmental conditions 
  needed for successful growth vary due 
  to the types of crops grown within and 
  several groups work diligently to 
  maintain the necessary equilibrium in 
  the caverns for their success.  The 
  Great Famine occurred when one of the 
  largest caverns was thrown into 
  disarray due to a clash between Cadre 
  forces, support by the Dark Sky, and a 
  group of rebellious dwarves who had 
  taken refuge there.  
  Insectariums 
  Livestock and other domesticated 
  creatures in the traditional sense faded 
  from the Drifting City many 
  generations ago.  What few animals 
  remained in the city after the Raising 
  were not of sufficient population to be 
  sustained nor were there adequate 
  resources to sustain them. The need for 
  animals for food, as well as draft 
  animals, never went away though, 
  especially as the population of the city 
  grew.  Creative solutions were 
  eventually developed, and sections of 
  the Warrens were partitioned off for the 
  breeding of domesticated beasts.  
  Though the Surface contains aviaries, 
  the most unique area of animal 
  husbandry is the insectariums. 
  Most nutritional needs within the city 
  are met by the Fungal Grottos, but the 
  largest source of protein comes from 
  domesticated species of insects, both 
  traditional size and giant insects.  
  Selective breeding, coupled with subtle 
  magic influences, has led to the 
  creation of large insect species capable 
  of providing the resources historically 
  provided by domestic animals.  Several 
  species of horned beetles have been 
  propagated to serve as draft animals; 
  and even pets. 
  The giant taurus beetle is the most 
  widespread and will often be seen 
  pulling carts through the tunnels of the 
  Warrens.  Another common species is 
  the giant rhinoceros beetle, which is 
  stronger than the taurus breeds, but 
  also much more prone to violence.   
  Occasionally, giant beetles will escape 
  their enclosures and wreak havoc in 
  more populated areas.
  
  ENCOUNTERS 
  You begin in media res.  You are 
  standing outside the Surface level 
  entrance to one of the Cadre Barracks.  
  You must successfully infiltrate the 
  barracks, find the Cadre Cloaks and 
  get out to continue the Lawless plan.  
  The Cadre Barrack is two stories, one 
  above ground consisting of 
  administrative offices, the training 
  center, and holding cells.  The second, 
  below ground, contains living quarters.   
  BARRACK SURFACE LEVEL  
   
  A. Lobby 
  A big stone desk fills a large space in 
  front of a window. Behind the desk are 
  two suits of armor with the Crest of the 
  Cadre between them, a raven rampant 
  over two swords. Another window is 
  across the room in front of the desk. 
  On the wall opposite the entrance are 
  plaques on the wall and a massive, 
  taxidermy rhinoceros beetle head.  Two 
  Cadre soldiers stand behind the desk. 
  An open doorway behind the desk leads 
  to the holding cells.  Closed double 
  doors can be seen behind and to the 
  side of the desk. These lead to the 
  Training Room. 
  If the blood of a Cadre member is 
  spilled in the lobby, the suits of armor 
  come to life with standard statistics of 
  Animated Armor and will attack any 
  non-Cadre in the lobby. 
   
  Behind the desk are two Cadre soldiers 
  (human male veterans) outfitted with 
  shortswords and wearing armor, but 
  not wearing Cadre Cloaks.  They are 
  having a discussion of no importance 
  when the players walk in.  One turns 
  and asks, “What is your business 
  here?” when someone walks in.  If a 
  distraction is made outside, both will 
  come out, leaving the lobby empty. 
  B. Holding Cells 
  Three holding cells with iron bar doors 
  are found here. Each has a basic cot in 
  it, no blankets or pillow, and a bucket.  
  The center cell contains a female dwarf 
  who watches you intently as you enter. 
  The dwarf does not speak unless 
  spoken to.  If the players use the 
  Lawless confirmation phrase, she’ll 
  identify herself as a member and assist 
  them by watching the lobby if freed.  If 
  they do not, she will simply run away if 
  freed.  Freeing her will require a 
  successful DC 13 Dexterity 
  (Lockpicking) check or retrieving the 
  keys from a lobby soldier.  The only 
  assistance she will provide is watching 
  the lobby. 
  C.  Training Room 
  Through the double doors off the lobby 
  is a large training room. Two benches 
  line the walls. A small weapons rack is 
  in one corner and in the center of the 
  room on the floor is a large woven mat 
  where combat is practiced. Blood stains 
  
  can be seen on it from previous 
  practices.  
  Two doors off the training room lead to 
  offices.  In the back corner of the room 
  is a staircase leading down into the 
  living area of the building. 
  Three Cadre Initiates (one female 
  human guard, two male dwarf guards) 
  are practicing weapons drills.  A Cadre 
  Soldier (elf male Veteran) is overseeing 
  the training.  All are armed with simple 
  clubs, though swords are on the 
  weapons rack in the corners.  If 
  attacked, the Cadre will attempt to 
  reach the swords after one round of 
  combat. The Cadre are not wearing 
  Cadre Cloaks. 
  D. Officer Offices 
  No one is in these offices, but a 
  successful DC 10 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check will result in the 
  players finding orders to bring one of 
  every race to Argast in the Tower after 
  the Ritual of the Raising.  This is the 
  only item of interest and the rest is 
  nothing but administrative paperwork. 
  BARRACK SUBTERRANEAN LEVEL 
  Regardless of what happens in the 
  upper level, the players are successful 
  at reaching the lower level without 
  drawing any attention from people on 
  the lower level.  They must now find 
  the Cadre Cloaks and get out to 
  continue the Lawless plan. 
  A. Entry Hall 
  You enter down a flight of stairs into 
  the underground level of the Cadre 
  Barracks.  The entry hall to the living 
  level has the crest of the Cadre inlaid in 
  
  stone on the floor.  Three closed doors 
  and a hallway exit the room, in 
  addition to the stairwell.  Two suits of 
  armor flank the door directly in front of 
  you.  A tapestry, gold on red, depicting 
  the Five lifting the city from the world 
  below hangs on the wall. Torches 
  illuminate the room. 
  The door to the left of the stairs leads 
  to the Sleeping Quarters of the Cadre, 
  the door directly in front leads into the 
  Mess Hall. The door beside the stairs is 
  an Armory.  The hallway leads to the 
  Kitchen. 
  If the blood of a Cadre member is 
  spilled in the Entry Hall, the suits of 
  armor come to life with standard 
  statistics of Animated Armor. 
   
   
  B. Sleeping Quarters 
  The room is dark, but you can make 
  out the shapes of several bunk beds in 
  the room.  Several large wardrobes are 
  against the back wall.  
  Darkvision, or a successful DC 13 
  Wisdom (Perception) check, will reveal 
  three Cadre Initiates (male human 
  Guards) asleep in the room.  The Cadre 
  Initiates are unarmed and unarmored.  
  Cloaks are not found in this room. 
  Noise in this room does not carry 
  through to other rooms and if the 
  players leave them undisturbed with 
  the door closed, they will sleep through 
  the infiltration.  
  If an Initiate is attacked and not killed 
  in one attack, it results in enough noise 
  to wake the others.  If an Initiate 
  escapes the Sleeping Quarters and 
  
  makes it to the Entry Hall, they will 
  make an alert and the four Cadre 
  Soldiers in the Mess Hall will enter the 
  fight.  
  C. Armory 
  A collection of Cadre weapons hangs on 
  racks in this room.   The collection of 
  weapons is expansive, but you see no 
  armor, nor the Cadre Cloaks. 
  Players may find any weapon listed in 
  the standard table from the Player’s 
  Handbook here.  If players succeed on 
  a DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check, 
  they will discover all weapons in here 
  are +1 weapons. 
  D. Kitchen 
  A large table is in the center of the 
  room.  A cook (female dwarf 
  commoner), holding a large cleaver, is 
  chopping meat on a cutting board.  
  Another Cook (male human 
  commoner) is standing near the back 
  wall, washing vegetables in a basin.  
  Barrels, bags of food, and cooking 
  dishes are around the room.  There is 
  another door in the room.  It is closed, 
  and you cannot tell where it goes. 
  These Cooks are not Cadre members, 
  simply servants and will not attack 
  unless attacked first.  A successful DC 
  10 Charisma (Intimidation or 
  Persuasion) check and the Cooks will 
  tell the players the layout of the 
  barracks and warn them about who is 
  in the building. They do not know 
  where the Cadre Cloaks are kept.  The 
  second door in the room leads to the 
  Mess Hall. 
   
  E. Mess Hall 
  A spacious room with one long table 
  and several smaller tables with chairs. 
  Four Cadre Soldiers (2 male human 
  veterans and 2 female human 
  veterans) are eating a meal and 
  playing a card game.  They are fully 
  armored, wearing Cadre Cloaks, and 
  their weapons are leaning against the 
  table they are eating at.   
  Two carry halberds, the other two 
  longswords.  If they are attacked, it 
  takes one round to get their weapons. 
  F. Captain’s Quarters 
  The Captain’s quarters are spartan.  
  Against one wall is a small bed.  A large 
  fireplace is on one wall.  A modest 
  round table with a few chairs is on one 
  side.  Several items sit on the table.  
  Captain Arra Meltik is standing near 
  the fire, dressed in full armor with her 
  sword, looking at a glowing crystal 
  sitting on the mantle.  
  She knows the players are there 
  regardless of their stealth.  She turns 
  to look at the first person who enters, 
  pulls a yellow scarf from her belt pouch 
  and ties it around her arm.   
  She says, “Is your journey far?”   
  The Voice speaks into the mind of one 
  player and says, “Trust the Captain.” 
  The Captain speaks to the group.   
  “Hurry in, we’ve only got a few 
  moments. I’ve served most of my life.  
  We did some questionable things, but I 
  always felt that I served the greater 
  good.  My eyes were opened recently.”   
  
  As she speaks, you hear shouting and 
  loud voices down the hall toward the 
  entrance.  She glances toward the noise 
  and then points at the crystal.   
  “That’s the alarm.  You did well, but 
  you missed that.  The full force of the 
  Cadre is on its way here now.  Gather 
  the things on the table, I grabbed what 
  I could for you.”  She gestures to the 
  back wall of the room.  “The third stone 
  in the fourth row pushes in and opens 
  a secret passage.  I’ll hold them off as 
  long as I can.  GO!  NOW!”   
  She draws her sword, drops her 
  helmet’s visor into place and rushes 
  down the hall.  Loud yelling and the 
  clash of steel follows moments later. 
  BRIGHT & BOLD TAVERN 
  Having acquired the Cadre Cloaks, and 
  more (see Items), the players are 
  returning to the dead drop to receive 
  further instructions. 
  Deep in the Warrens, a rough stone 
  path leads up to the entrance of the 
  Bright and Bold Tavern. A single large 
  window beside the door looks out into 
  the path. A few lanterns hang outside 
  the tavern, illuminating the path and 
  stalagmites near the exterior wall of the 
  tavern form columns in front of it.  The 
  stone near here is a reddish-gray color 
  and reflects little light.   
  Though it is named the Bright and Bold 
  Tavern, it is neither bright; nor bold.  
  This dingy tavern stays busy because it 
  is along the path to the Central Bazaar 
  and people going or coming from there 
  often stop for a drink and a meal.  You 
  are very familiar with it and have used 
  it as a meeting place and hosting spot 
  for their dead drop messages to other 
  cells of the Lawless.  Brogan Turnstone 
  (male dwarf thug) is the owner and 
  barkeep.  He is not a member of the 
  Lawless but tolerates their activities in 
  his tavern as long as it doesn’t interfere 
  with business. 
  A. Main Room  
  A large L-shaped bar is inside the 
  room, with stools in front of it. Tables 
  with chairs are spread throughout the 
  room and one long table has benches 
  on either side of it. An open fire-pit is 
  in the middle of the room, illuminating 
  most of it, and the smoke drifts up into 
  a hole in the ceiling above it. 
  B. Kitchen 
  A kitchen area, without a door, is 
  behind the bar. It has a cooking 
  fireplace in the rear, a prep table to one 
  side, and a couple of woven baskets full 
  of tubers and mushrooms. 
  C. Storage Room 
  This storage room contains a stack of 
  barrels, some crates, and a storage 
  shelf against the wall. There is a door 
  exiting into the alley behind the tavern 
  and one into the Main Room. There are 
  lanterns hanging on the inside and 
  outside of the door to the alley. 
  The players contact the other cells of 
  the Lawless by writing a message in 
  chalk on the slate base of a lantern 
  hanging in the alley behind the tavern, 
  then lighting the lantern to indicate a 
  message is waiting.  When the players 
  see the lantern inside the store-room is 
  
  lit also, they know a response has 
  come. 
  The tavern is fairly full of patrons, with 
  a couple dozen or more in there. A 
  table is available if the players want to 
  take it.  The door to the storage room is 
  closed when the players enter. Once 
  they have left their message, they can 
  leave the storage room door open. 
  A shifty-looking halfling, Cade 
  Cobbletongue (male halfling spy), that 
  one of the players is acquainted with, 
  notices them entering the tavern from 
  his seat at the bar.  After the players 
  place their message at the dead drop, 
  he will approach, try to strike up a 
  conversation, and try to figure out why 
  they are there.   A successful DC 17 
  Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) 
  check will cause him to go away and 
  leave them alone and go back to the 
  bar, though Intimidation will cause a 
  bit of a scene and others will notice.  A 
  failed check and Cade will give them a 
  strange look, but still go away.  Instead 
  of returning to the bar, he will leave the 
  tavern.   
  (Optionally, Cade may return with 
  Cadre soldiers if the GM chooses to 
  have another combat encounter here.) 
  Brogan will approach after Cade leaves 
  the table and remind the players that 
  they can stay only if they don’t cause 
  trouble.  As he walks away, the players 
  will see the light come on in the storage 
  room.  As they enter the room, they will 
  hear the sounds of a fight in the alley. 
  As you enter the alley, you see a male 
  gnome lying on the ground, near the 
  door, bleeding.  The dead drop lantern 
  
  is broken on the ground and the base 
  is missing. 
  If the players approach the body on the 
  ground, they discover he is near death.  
  The wound is turning black already 
  from poison and no amount of healing 
  will save him.  There is no one around 
  that the players can see. 
  As he dies, he says, “Distraction ... 
  Square ... Tomorrow.” And with a final 
  gasp, “...I know the way.” 
  The players know that the Ritual of the 
  Raising is happening in the morning.  
  The players have just enough time for  
  a long rest before the Ritual. 
  RAISING SQUARE 
   
   
   
  The Raising Square is a large empty 
  cobblestone area, flanked by buildings 
  on all sides and the Tower of the Five in 
  the center. 
  At the break of dawn, the Cadre has 
  gathered hundreds of people in the 
  Raising Square.  A semi-circle of Cadre 
  surrounds the entrance to the Tower.  
  Throughout the Square, Cadre move 
  about in the crowd. 
  By the time the players arrive, it’s 
  difficult to move through the square 
  due to the people (the crowd is difficult 
  terrain). Give the players the 
  opportunity to place themselves within 
  the crowd and plan their approach. 
  After a period of time, a shout draws 
  everyone’s attention to the balcony on 
  the front of the Tower.  Walking out 
  slowly, the Five exit the Tower and take 
  position at the edge of the balcony 
  several stories up.  Identically dressed 
  in crimson robes with their faces 
  obscured, the Five stand menacingly, 
  looking over the crowd.  
  A player wearing the Goggles of Truth 
  will see that all of the Five, except 
  Draga, are illusions, but will not 
  understand why at this point. 
  Draga addresses the crowd.  “Look 
  upon your saviors.  We are those that 
  saved you from the sure death below.  
  And it is on this glorious anniversary of 
  the Raising that…”  
  Before Draga can finish that sentence 
  an explosion bursts in the distance. 
  After the sound of the explosion fades, 
  Draga aims a hand in the direction of 
  the explosion.  About half the Cadre in 
  the square head off in the direction of 
  the explosion.  Moments later another 
  explosion happens, on the opposite 
  side of the Surface. 
  The crowd begins to panic and the 
  remaining Cadre try to maintain order.  
  The Five confer, and when they turn 
  back to the square, 3 figures in dark 
  robes fly from a top floor window of the 
  Tower.  The Dark Sky are being sent 
  out to deal with the issue. 
  
  Give the players the opportunity to 
  discuss their next steps.  
  A few moments after the Dark Sky pass 
  over, a rapid series of explosions is 
  heard, more muffled than before.  They 
  sound as if they may be underground 
  this time.  These explosions prompt the 
  Five themselves to float off of the 
  balcony where they were standing and 
  fly away to deal with the issue directly.  
  As the Five leave, the crowd becomes a 
  full-on stampede rushing from the 
  Square.   
  The Voice in one player’s head says, 
  “Now is the best chance to get the Fire.  
  Get in there!” 
  Dozens of Cadre are trying to maintain 
  order in the square and hundreds of 
  people are trying to get out.  The 
  players must find a way to make it to 
  the Tower, through the very difficult 
  terrain of the crowd and through the 
  Cadre still stationed at the door.  They 
  can do it by force, likely injuring 
  civilians in the process.  The best 
  chance for the players to get in the 
  Tower is to convince the crowd to aid 
  them.  If a player makes a speech to 
  the crowd, a successful DC 10 
  Charisma (Persuasion or Performance) 
  check will rally the crowd to their side 
  and against the Cadre.  The crowd will 
  distract the Cadre and the players will 
  make it into the Tower.  The players 
  must have the Cadre Cloaks on to enter 
  the Tower 
  TOWER OF THE FIVE FIRST FLOOR 
  Though many stories tall, once inside 
  you realize there are only a few floors, 
  each with very high ceilings.  The first 
  floor is mostly one large room that 
  appears to be some kind of workspace.  
  A large table is in the middle.   The 
  largest portion of it, to your right as 
  you enter, contains cages along the 
  wall with monstrous creatures, most of 
  which you’ve never seen before.  The 
  stairs are directly ahead of you.  Two 
  closed doors are on the left opposite the 
  creatures.  As you enter, the creatures 
  began thrashing about in their cages. 
   
  A. Main Room 
  With a successful DC 11 Wisdom 
  (Perception) or Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check, the players will 
  see a considerable amount of blood on 
  the table in the center, along with 
  surgical instruments, and a trough to 
  catch the blood around the edge.  They 
  will notice the creatures in the cages 
  have scars and fresh wounds as if they 
  have been experimented on. 
  
  The players see the creatures listed 
  below. The first one they recognize, but 
  the rest they do not.  As the players 
  look around the room, one of the 
  creatures in the cages breaks free and 
  attacks the players.  Choose a creature 
  or roll a d6 to decide which attacks. 
  1. Glaber 
   
  2. Furbick 
  3. Blaze Ghoul  
  4. Giant Scorpion 
  5. Dire Wolf 
   
  6. Owlbear 
   
  B. Library 
  Inside the first closed door is a small 
  library, containing dozens of books and 
  hundreds of scrolls.  A successful DC 
  11 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  and the players will find spell scrolls for 
  all spells listed in the Spells section of 
  this adventure. 
  C. Prayer Room 
  The second closed door reveals a room 
  in which two acolytes (female elf 
  acolyte, male dwarf acolyte) of the 
  Five are praying.  Once the door opens, 
  they will attack.  They are true 
  believers and will fight to the death. 
  The stairs go upwards, as well as down. 
  The players are surprised the Tower 
  has subterranean levels. 
  TOWER OF THE FIVE SECOND FLOOR  
  You enter out onto a floor that reeks of 
  blood and excrement.  Dim lighting 
  comes from a couple of torches on the 
  wall.   The stairs you came up end on 
  this floor but another staircase is 
  across the room. 
  A. Main Room 
  The main room is a torture chamber. 
  There is a large metal torture rack in 
  the middle of the room. Beside the 
  stairs down there is a pile of bones high  
  enough to have come from dozens of 
  victims. Beside the stairs up there are 
  several stacked barrels, and some type 
  of green ooze is coming out of one of 
  them and spilling onto the floor. 
  A male halfling is manacled to the 
  torture rack.  He is bleeding and 
  unconscious. 
   
   
  B. Victim Cells 
  To one side are four cells used to 
  contain victims. They are bare stone 
  floors with straw thrown in them to 
  soak up fluids. The doors are metal 
  cage doors. Rats are running between 
  
  the bars carrying scraps of food and 
  bones.  The cells are empty.  
  Argast is well hidden behind the pile of 
  bones near the stairs.  A successful DC 
  18 Wisdom (Perception) check will 
  discover him.  If discovered, or when all 
  the players are not looking, he will 
  attack.  
  TOWER OF THE FIVE THIRD FLOOR 
  After climbing several flights of stairs, 
  you enter onto a floor laid out similarly 
  to the first. This appears to be a living 
  space.  A sitting area and bed are off to 
  one side, and two closed rooms are on 
  the other.  As before, the stairs you 
  entered on do not continue up, but 
  rather a staircase opposite you does.   
  A. Main Room 
  A successful DC 8 Intelligence 
  (Investigation), or Wisdom (Perception), 
  check in the main room will cause the 
  players to notice there is only one bed 
  set up.  
  B. Storage Closet 
  The first closed door appears to be 
  simply a closet for storage.  A 
  successful DC 15 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check, will find a small 
  magically locked chest.  The chest 
  contains jewels and an amulet with a 
  cats-eye design. 
  C. Mirrored Room 
  The second closed door opens to a 
  strange room covered in mirrors. 
  Floors, ceilings, and walls are all 
  covered in mirrors.  There is nothing 
  else in this room, and no explanation 
  for it. 
  After the first player reaches the 
  halfway point of crossing this floor, 
  Icondria flies in from the balcony and 
  immediately attacks.  (Optionally, to 
  increase the difficulty, Vandro may 
  arrive as well with Icondria.) 
  After defeating the Dark Sky mages, 
  players have time for a short rest before 
  ascending to the roof. 
  TOWER ROOF  
   
   
   
  The Fire floats ten feet above the center 
  of the Tower. The central sphere of the 
  Fire is about three feet across, but its 
  aura reaches nearly 10 feet.  Arcs of 
  electricity spark from the center out to 
  the edge of the aura, with irregular 
  frequency. 
  To retrieve the Fire, a player simply 
  needs to take hold of it. The Fire can be 
  pulled down, with minor force applied 
  
  to it.  The electrical arcs look powerful 
  but do no damage.  When pulled down, 
  the electrical arcs and aura will fade 
  but the core orb will continue to glow.    
  When you pull the Fire down, several 
  things happen.  The Drifting City 
  immediately fades into twilight, the sun 
  becomes obscured as the clouds 
  around the base of the Drifting City, 
  rise up and surround it.  A tremor 
  occurs and the entire Drifting City 
  begins to pivot on its axis, slowly at 
  first, but you can tell it is gaining 
  speed.  It won’t be long until the city 
  has pivoted enough for people on the 
  Surface to be in lethal danger. 
    
  The Voice speaks into the mind of one 
  of the players, “Get the Fire off of the 
  Drifting City!  It is the only way!” 
  Once the Fire is touched, the Five are 
  alerted, and will arrive, floating in the 
  air, equidistant around the roof, 
  surrounding the players, before the 
  players can escape the roof. 
  With a booming, harsh voice, Draga 
  addresses you.  “What do you think 
  you’ll accomplish?  Taking the Fire will 
  doom all of what remains of civilization. 
  What is your goal?  Without us, 
  without the Fire, this city and this 
  world, will be over.” 
  Give the players the opportunity to 
  respond, either through words or 
  actions.   
  Draga himself is masked in illusion, 
  hiding his true form, a gaunt and 
  skeletal Lich.  
  Regardless of how they respond, Draga 
  begins to attack.   
   
  FINAL SHOWDOWN  
   
   
  Draga is a Lich and an 18th level 
  spellcaster.  The others of the Five are 
  illusions.  It is unlikely the players will 
  defeat him; their best option is to 
  escape.   
  See information about the Fire in the 
  Non-Player Character section. 
  The Fire is Draga’s phylactery, giving 
  him his immortality and sustaining his 
  power.  It is protected, and he is more 
  powerful, as long as it is in the Drifting 
  City. Draga will pursue and attack the 
  players but will be cautious of 
  damaging the Fire. 
  Give the players the opportunity to 
  escape, but don’t make it easy.  The 
  quickest way for them to get the Fire 
  out of the city is to run in the same 
  direction the city is pivoting until they 
  
  simply fall off the city.  If players 
  choose to do this, it only takes a few 
  minutes before they reach the point of 
  no return.  If the players do not 
  understand the requirements, the Voice 
  repeats its last message to all players. 
  If an attempt is made to throw the Fire 
  off the city, it will simply float in the air 
  relative to the ground where it was 
  released.  It must be held to leave the 
  city and it will take several people.  
  The players must sacrifice 
  themselves to do it. 
   
  As the Fire leaves the Drifting City, it 
  falls through the dark, swirling clouds 
  that the city has always floated above, 
  the clouds part and with a burst of 
  arcane energy, dissipate.  With the 
  clouds abolished, the ground below 
  opens into view for the first time in 
  millennia.  The world below is not as it 
  has been described in legends.  The 
  world looks lush and green as it rushes 
  toward you.  You look back up and you 
  see the Drifting City is no longer 
  rotating and has righted itself.  You 
  have succeeded in taking control of the 
  Drifting City away from the Five.   
  Outside of the Drifting City, the air is 
  too thin to breathe and as you fall, your 
  vision begins to fade to black while you 
  slip into unconsciousness. 
  EPILOGUE  
   
   
   
   
  To the players who made it off the 
  Drifting City: 
  You wake up in a cave.  You can clearly 
  see light coming from the cave mouth.  
  As you walk out, you are met by bright, 
  almost blinding sunlight.  As your eyes 
  adjust, you see you are standing on a 
  small stone overreach, looking out over 
  a verdant and green valley teaming 
  with plants and animals you’ve never 
  seen.  In all your life, you’ve never seen 
  this much space.  As you gain your 
  bearings, a deep resonant voice speaks 
  to you from the side.   
  You recognize it as the Voice.  A large, 
  dragonborn male, wearing a cloak 
  embroidered with cryptic symbols 
  approaches you.  He says,  
  “Welcome back to the world, I’m sure 
  we have much to talk about.”
   
   
   
  
  NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS AND MONSTERS 
  CADRE 
   
   
   
   
   
  Animated Armor 
   
  Decorative 
  suits of 
  armor in the 
  Cadre 
  Barracks 
  become 
  animated if 
  Cadre blood 
  is spilled in 
  specific 
  areas as 
  detailed in 
  the adventure. They will attack the 
  player who spilled the blood first. 
   
  The standard statistics for Animated 
  Armor as found in the Monster’s 
  Manual (MM) or System Reference 
  Document (SRD) should be used.  
   
  Cadre Initiates 
  These are new 
  members of the 
  Cadre. They 
  have not 
  completed their 
  training yet 
  and are not as 
  proficient as 
  fighters.  They 
  use the 
  standard 
  statistics for a Guard from the MM or 
  SRD.  They are unarmed and unarmored 
  while in the sleeping quarters. 
  Cadre Soldiers 
  These are experienced soldiers of the 
  Cadre and are well trained. Use the 
  standard statistics for a Veteran from 
  the MM or SRD for these characters. 
  Commonly, they use a longsword or a 
  halberd.  
   
  
   
   
   
   
  Captain Arra Meltik  
  Arra Meltik is a tall, striking woman of 
  intense focus with fiery red hair and pale 
  skin.  She has led the Cadre for years 
  with a loyalty to the Five that is second 
  to none.  She is highly trained and 
  deadly with her greatsword.  Recently, 
  she has witnessed something that has 
  shaken her faith in the Five.  After 
  capturing a member of the Lawless, she 
  uses the information she received 
  through interrogation to contact, and 
  join, the Lawless.  She is using the same 
  grim determination she has always had 
  serving the Five, to now end their reign. 
  ARRA MELTIK Medium human 
  Armor Class 18 (plate) 
  Hit Points 68 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR  DEX  CON   INT   WIS   CHA 
  16(+3) 11(+0) 14(+2) 11(+0) 11(+0) 15(+2) 
   
  Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +2 
  Senses Passive Perception 10 
   
  Brave. The captain has advantage on saving 
  throws against being frightened. 
   
  Actions  
   
   
   
   
   
  Multiattack. The captain makes three 
  melee attacks. 
  Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to 
  hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3d6 + 3 
  slashing damage. 
   
  Reactions 
   
   
   
   
    
  Parry. The captain adds 2 to her AC against 
  any melee attack that would hit her. To do 
  so, she must see the attacker and be 
  wielding a melee weapon. 
   
  
  Monsters  
   
   
   
   
  The first floor of the Tower of the Five is 
  an arcane workspace containing several 
  monsters in cages.  
  Glaber 
  Dwelling in 
  the 
  uninhabited 
  tunnels of the 
  Drifting City, 
  glabers have 
  evolved, or 
  possibly 
  devolved, into 
  dangerous 
  scavengers 
  living deep within the city.  They know 
  no fear, and feel no pain, making them 
  one of the most dangerous creatures to 
  encounter when along in the tunnels. 
  GLABER Medium monstrosity 
  Armor Class 18 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 58 
  Speed 30 ft., burrow 15 ft. 
    
  STR   DEX    CON     INT     WIS    CHA 
  18(+4)  13(+1)  16(+2)    7(-2)  10(+0)   7(−2) 
    
  Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive 
  Perception 10, Tremorsense 60 ft. 
   
  Tunneler The glaber can burrow through 
  solid rock at half its waling speed and leaves 
  a 5 ft. wide by 5 ft. high tunnel in its wake. 
  Pain Resistance The glaber feels no pain.  As 
  a reaction when receiving a killing blow, it 
  will make one final claw attack against the 
  creature that deals the killing blow to it, or 
  the closest creature. 
   
  Actions  
   
   
   
   
   
  Multiattack The glaber makes two attacks 
  with its claws. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 4 slashing 
  damage. 
   
  Blaze Ghoul 
  The result of 
  arcane 
  experiments on 
  an already 
  undead 
  creature, the 
  Blaze Ghoul 
  seeks little more 
  than 
  destruction.  
  BLAZE GHOUL Medium undead  
  Armor Class 16 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 48 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
  STR   DEX    CON     INT     WIS      CHA 
  16(+3)  17(+3)  10(+0)    11(+0)  10(+0)   8(−1) 
    
  Damage Resistances necrotic, fire 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities charmed, 
  exhaustion, poisoned  
  Senses darkvision, passive Perception 10 
   
  Heat. Any creature that starts its turn 
  within 5 feet of the blaze ghoul must 
  succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw 
  or take 5 pts of fire damage due to the heat 
  it generates. 
   
  Actions  
   
   
   
   
   
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3d6 + 3 slashing 
  damage.  
  Lava Breath (3 per day) The blaze ghoul 
  exhales a stream of lava from its mouth in a 
  15-foot cone. Each creature in that area 
  must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, 
  taking 6d6 fire damage on a failed save, or 
  half as much damage on a successful one. 
   
  
  Furbik  
  Initially, the 
  Furbik looks 
  somewhat 
  cute, standing 
  only a foot tall 
  and covered in 
  fur.  But their 
  mouth and 
  grotesque teeth 
  reveal their true nature.  Furbiks “speak” 
  as they are attacking. It sounds 
  somewhat like language but is 
  indecipherable. 
  FURBIK Small monstrosity 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 64 
  Speed 40 ft. 
   
  STR      DEX     CON     INT    WIS    CHA 
  16(+2)   13(+1)   14(+2)   7(−2)   10(+0) 13(+1) 
   
  Skills Perception +6 
  Senses darkvision, passive Perception 16 
   
  Standing Leap. The Furbik’s long jump is 
  up to 30 feet and its high jump is up to 15 
  feet, with or without a running start. 
   
  Actions 
   
   
   
   
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d12 + 2 piercing 
  damage. 
   
  Other Monsters 
  The Owlbear, Giant Scorpion and Dire 
  Wolf use the standard statistics as found 
  in the Monster Manual (MM) or System 
  Reference Document (SRD). 
   
   
  Acolytes  
   
   
   
    
  Servants and 
  worshippers of the 
  Five tasked with 
  assisting them in 
  their occult rituals. 
  They use the 
  standard statistics 
  for an Acolyte from 
  the MM or SRD. 
  Dark Sky Mages 
   
   
   
  Icondria 
  Icondria takes pride in healing wounds 
  and joy in inflicting them.  This dwarf 
  stays close to their Dark Sky compatriots 
  to ensure they can stay in battle.  Do not 
  underestimate them though, they are 
  more than capable of holding their own 
  in combat. 
   
  ICONDRIA Medium dwarf 
  Armor Class 14 (chain shirt) 
  Hit Points 45  
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR    DEX    CON    INT     WIS     CHA 
  10(+0) 10(+0)  12(+1)  13(+1) 16(+3)  13(+1) 
  Skills Medicine +7, Persuasion +3 
  Senses darkvision, passive Perception 13  
  
   
  Arcane Impact. As a bonus action, Icondria 
  can expend a spell slot to cause their melee 
  weapon attacks to magically deal an extra 
  3d6 necrotic damage to a target on a hit.  
   
  Spellcasting. Icondria is a 5th-level 
  spellcaster. Their spellcasting ability is 
  Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with 
  spell attacks). Icondria has the following 
  spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): resistance, sacred flame, 
  thaumaturgy 
  1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, guiding bolt, 
  inflict wounds 
  2nd level (3 slots): hold person, spiritual 
  weapon 
  3rd level (2 slots): dispel magic, spirit 
  guardians 
   
  Actions 
   
   
   
   
   
  Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d6 bludgeoning 
  damage. 
   
  Argast  
  The lead 
  interrogator of 
  the Dark Sky, 
  Argast believes 
  torture to be an 
  art form.  A 
  gaunt, pallid elf, 
  who has been 
  deformed 
  through magic 
  means, he only leaves the Tower and his 
  work at the direct order of the Five. 
  ARGAST Medium elf  
  Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor) 
  Hit Points 63 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR    DEX    CON    INT     WIS     CHA 
  11(+0) 16(+3)  12(+1)  10(+0)  13(+1) 10(+0) 
  Skills Deception +4, Persuasion +4 
  Senses Darkvision, passive Perception 11  
   
  Expert Torturer. Argast’s knowledge of 
  torture allows him to target his attacks into 
  vulnerable points on his opponent’s body. 
  Argast’s melee attacks score a critical hit on 
  a roll of 19 or 20. 
   
  Spellcasting. Argast is a 4th-level 
  spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is 
  Charisma (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with 
  spell attacks). He has the following spells 
  prepared:  
   
  Cantrips (at will): chill touch, shocking grasp, 
  acid splash 
  1st level (4 slots): command, inflict wounds, 
  bane 
  2nd level (3 slots): hold person, shatter 
   
  Actions 
   
   
   
   
   
  Multiattack. Argast makes two melee 
  attacks. 
  Daggers. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: 
  +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one 
  creature. Hit:  3d4 + 3 piercing damage. 
   
  Vandro 
  A handsome, muscular human, Vandro 
  has proven to be the star pupil of the 
  Five.  He is the most powerful of the 
  Dark Sky and has tailored his mastery of 
  the mystic arts towards elemental and 
  weather-based spells.  
   
  
  VANDRO Medium human 
  Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor) 
  Hit Points 72 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR    DEX    CON    INT     WIS     CHA 
  12(+1)   14(+2)   11(+0)  17(+3)  12(+1) 11(+0) 
  Saving Throws Int +6, Wis +4 
  Skills Arcana +6, History +6 
  Senses passive Perception 11  
   
  Spellcasting. Vandro is a 9th-level 
  spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is 
  Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with 
  spell attacks). He has the following spells 
  prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, ray of frost, mage 
  hand, chill touch 
  1st level (4 slots): fog cloud, mage armor, 
  magic missile, shield 
  2nd level (3 slots): misty step, gust of wind 
  3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, 
  lightning bolt 
  4th level (3 slots): fire shield, ice storm 
  5th level (1 slot): cone of cold 
   
  Actions 
   
   
   
   
   
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 
  to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 2d4 + 2 piercing damage. 
   
  The Five  
   
   
   
    
  Little is known about the Five before the 
  Raising, and little information has been 
  added since.  Identically dressed in long 
  crimson robes, with their faces obscured, 
  they primarily keep to their Tower.  They 
  have ruled for thousands of years, with 
  little regard for the wellbeing of the 
  people of the Drifting City. 
  Ultimately, it is revealed that the Five, as 
  seen by the people of the Drifting City 
  are an illusion.  Though there were 
  originally five wizards, only Draga now 
  remains as a lich. It is a lich that is 
  using the Drifting City to serve as its lair 
  and the Fire is its phylactery to sustain 
  its un-life.  Draga can only be defeated 
  after separating its phylactery, the 
  Fire, from the Drifting City. 
  DRAGA (lich) Medium undead 
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 196 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
  STR    DEX    CON    INT     WIS     CHA  
  11(+0) 16(+3)  16(+3)  20(+5)  14(+2) 16(+3) 
  Saving Throws Con +10, Int +12, Wis +9 
  Skills Arcana +18, History +12, Insight +9, 
  Perception +9 
  Damage Resistances cold, lightning, 
  necrotic 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities charmed, 
  exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned 
  Senses truesight, passive Perception 19  
   
  Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Draga 
  fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed 
  instead. 
   
  Rejuvenation. Draga may use its entire turn 
  to focus its arcane powers to heal all damage 
  and return to max hit points.  As long as the 
  Fire is in the Drifting City, Draga cannot be 
  reduced to 0 hit points. 
   
  Spellcasting. Draga is an 18th‐level 
  spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is 
  Intelligence (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit 
  with spell attacks). Draga has the following 
  spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): mage hand, 
  prestidigitation, ray of frost 
  1st level (4 slots): detect magic, magic 
  missile, shield, thunderwave 
  2nd level (3 slots): acid arrow, detect 
  thoughts, invisibility, mirror image 
  3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, 
  counterspell, dispel magic, fireball 
  
  4th level (3 slots): blight, dimension door 
  5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, scrying 
  6th level (1 slot): disintegrate, globe of 
  invulnerability 
  7th level (1 slot): finger of death, plane shift 
  8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, power 
  word stun 
  9th level (1 slot): meteor swarm 
   
  Turn Resistance. Draga has advantage on 
  saving throws against any effect that turns 
  undead. 
   
  Actions 
   
   
   
   
   
  Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +12 
  to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 3d6 cold 
  damage. The target must succeed on a DC 
  18 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed 
  for 1 minute. The target can repeat the 
  saving throw at the end of each of its turns, 
  ending the effect on itself on a success. 
   
  Legendary Actions  
   
   
   
  Draga can take 4 legendary actions, 
  choosing from the options below. Only one 
  legendary action option can be used at a 
  time and only at the end of another 
  creature’s turn. Draga regains spent 
  legendary actions at the start of its turn. 
  Cantrip. Draga casts a cantrip. 
  Paralyzing Touch (Costs 2 Actions). Draga 
  uses its Paralyzing Touch. 
  Frightening Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). Draga 
  fixes its gaze on one creature it can see 
  within 10 feet of it. The target must 
  succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw 
  or become frightened for 1 minute. The 
  frightened target can repeat the saving 
  throw at the end of each of its turns, 
  ending the effect on itself on a success. If a 
  target’s saving throw is successful or the 
  effect ends for it, the target is immune to 
  Draga’s gaze for the next 24 hours.  
  Disrupt Life (Costs 3 Actions). Each non--‐
  undead creature within 20 feet of Draga 
  must make a DC 18 Constitution saving 
  throw against this magic, taking 6d6 
  necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as 
  much damage on a successful one.
   
   
   
  
  The Fire  
   
   
   
   
  The Fire is a powerful magical artifact 
  specifically enchanted to extend life.  
  Draga has used the connection the Fire 
  has to all members of the Five to trap 
  their souls in it, including his own, to 
  power it and give him his un-life. 
  Having never expected anyone to take 
  the Fire from him, Draga has failed to 
  protect its rejuvenating powers from  
   
   
   
  others.  A player holding it will find 
  that mere proximity to the Fire will 
  extend life.  
  A player holding the Fire will regain 10 
  hit points per round, up to their 
  maximum hit points.  If a player is 
  reduced to 0 hit points while holding 
  the Fire, they will only drop to 1 hit 
  point instead. 
   
   
  
  ITEMS 
  These items are provided by Captain 
  Arra Meltik to the players at the end of 
  the Barracks encounter. 
    
  GUARDIAN SHIELD  
  Armor (shield), very rare 
  The Guardian 
  Shield is an 
  undecorated 
  metal shield that 
  glows with a faint 
  blue light.  It can 
  be activated as a 
  bonus action.  
  Once activated, 
  the Shield protects the wielder, by 
  absorbing up to 20 hit points of 
  damage.  After the shield has absorbed 
  20 points of damage, it can be released 
  as a melee attack action against an 
  opponent.  The opponent must make a 
  DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. If 
  unsuccessful, they take 20 pts of force 
  damage and are pushed back 10 feet. If 
  successful they take half damage and 
  are not moved. 
   
  CADRE 
  CLOAK  
  Wonderous 
  item, 
  uncommon 
  Crafted and 
  enchanted to 
  protect the 
  Cadre in 
  their duties, this garment is made of 
  crimson cloth interwoven with faint 
  golden silk threads. While wearing it, 
  the following benefits are gained: 
  • When you fall while wearing this 
  cloak, you descend 60 feet per 
  round and take no damage from 
  falling. 
  • You gain a +1 bonus to AC and +1 
  to Dexterity Saving Throws. 
  • You are granted access to the Tower 
  of the Five. 
   
  GOGGLES OF 
  TRUTH  
  Wondrous 
  item, very rare 
  These goggles 
  give the 
  wearer the 
  ability to see 
  things as they 
  truly are. While wearing them, they 
  can; see in normal and magical 
  darkness as if it were bright light, see 
  invisible creatures and objects, 
  automatically detect visual illusions 
  and see through them, perceive the 
  original form of a creature that is 
  transformed by magic, see a dark aura 
  around creatures that are lying.  
   
  DEFLECTION BLADE  
  Weapon, very rare (requires 
  attunement)  
  This sword is clearly 
  ancient and well used, but 
  it seems to have been finely 
  maintained and shows few 
  signs of damage other than  
  slight discoloration. 
   
  When wielded, the sword 
  provides a +1 bonus to 
  attack and damage rolls 
  
  made with this magic weapon.  
  Additionally, the magic of this short 
  sword guides your hand in defense and 
  provides +2 to your AC when wielding 
  it.  It cannot be used with a shield. 
   
  RING OF ALERTNESS  
  Ring, rare 
  This plain silver 
  band is not 
  noteworthy until 
  put on the index 
  finger.  The hand 
  it is worn on will 
  immediately feel 
  cold and stay 
  that way as long as the ring is worn. 
   
  While wearing the ring, you gain 
  advantage on initiative rolls. The 
  wearer will also discover the first time 
  they attempt to rest after putting on 
  the ring, that they are unable to sleep 
  while wearing it. 
   
  GELATINOUS DUST  
  Wonderous item, rare 
  A small, rough bag containing a 
  pungent green powder.   
   
  When mixed with a small amount of 
  water, the powder expands rapidly 
  until it is full-sized gelatinous cube 
  occupying a 5-foot cube.  The 
  gelatinous cube will remain in place 
  until it is 
  touched by a 
  creature, 
  including 
  attacks, at 
  which point it 
  will move 
  toward the 
  creature who 
  touched it. 
   
  The bag contains enough powder to 
  create two (2) gelatinous cubes. 
   
  OTHER ITEMS 
  In addition to the items above, 
  additional items are provided to the 
  players as listed below.  These items 
  use the standard information as found 
  in the Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) 
  or System Reference Document (SRD). 
   
  IRON BANDS OF BINDING 
  IMMOVABLE ROD 
  MANTLE OF SPELL RESISTANCE 
  RING OF SPELL TURNING 
  POTION OF GREATER HEALING Quantity 4 
  SPELL SCROLL OF MASS IDENTIFY (optional, 
  allows players to learn all item information)
  
  SPELLS 
  The following new Spells are available 
  to be used in this adventure. 
   
  ANCHOR 
  Transmutation Cantrip 
   
  Casting Time: 1 reaction, when you 
  would be involuntarily moved, 
  restrained, or grappled. 
  Range: Self 
  Components: V 
  Duration: 1 Round 
  May be used by: All spellcasters 
   
  Attempts by a creature, effect, or spell 
  to involuntarily move, restrain or 
  grapple you are impeded by a magical 
  force. You have advantage on any 
  saving throws in these situations. 
   
  FLASH STEP  
  2nd level Conjuration 
   
  Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you 
  take when you are hit by an attack, 
  physical or magical 
  Range: Self 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  May be used by: Sorcerer, Warlock, 
  Wizard, Bard, Paladin, Ranger  
   
  A flash of light bursts around you a 
  split second before an attack hits.  You 
  teleport up to 10 feet away to an 
  unoccupied space that you can see and 
  avoid the attack.  This movement does 
  not provoke opportunity attacks and 
  area of effect spells that hit your new 
  location are still effective.  
   
   
   
  ECHO SHIELD 
  2nd level abjuration 
   
  Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you 
  take when you are hit by an attack, 
  physical or magical 
   
  Range: Self 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: 1 Round 
  May be used by: Sorcerer, Warlock, 
  Wizard, Druid, Cleric 
   
  A barrier of magical force appears and 
  protects you from an attack that hits, 
  providing resistance to all physical and 
  magical damage.  An echo of the attack 
  directs back to the attacker, matching 
  the attack roll and causing half of the 
  original damage.  The attacking 
  creature may use reactions as normal. 
   
  THREAT SENSE 
  Divination Cantrip 
   
  Casting Time: 1 bonus action 
   
  Range: Self 
  Components: V 
  Duration: 1 Round 
  May be used by: Bard, Cleric, Druid, 
  Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard 
   
  You sense the presence of any hidden 
  or invisible creatures within a 10-foot 
  radius of you.   
   
  This spell merely reveals if a creature is 
  present.  You do not learn the location 
  of the creature if it is invisible or 
  outside your line of sight. 
   
   
  
  WALL WALK 
  Transmutation Cantrip 
   
  Casting Time: 1 bonus action 
   
  Range: Self 
  Components: V 
  Duration: 1 Round or 15 feet 
  May be used by: All spellcasters 
   
  For one round or 15 feet of movement, 
  whichever is completed first, one 
  creature you touch gains the ability to 
  move up, down, and across vertical 
  surfaces, as if the surfaces were 
  horizontal.   
    
  If still on a vertical surface as the spell 
  ends, the creature immediately drops 
  from their location. 
   
   
   
   
  RICOCHET 
  Evocation Cantrip 
   
  Casting Time: 1 bonus action 
   
  Range: Self 
  Components: V 
  Duration: 1 round 
  May be used by: All spellcasters 
   
  When taking your next ranged attack 
  action, you may make it against a 
  target outside of your line of sight, but 
  within your weapon range, whose 
  general location you are aware of.  
   
  On a successful attack roll, you are 
  able to ricochet your attack off of a 
  stationary object within your range and 
  hit the target. 
   
   
  
  ADVENTURE EXPANSION 
  While this adventure is intended to be 
  played in a single, action-packed 
  session, the setting of the Drifting City 
  is full of other stories and possibilities.  
  Here are some suggestions to continue 
  your exploration of this unique 
  location. 
   
  Expanding the Adventure 
  To expand the existing adventure, 
  include these additional encounters 
  into your sessions. 
   
  The Final Adventure Begins 
  Prior to the start of the adventure as 
  written, the players received a coded 
  message on their dead drop behind the 
  Bright and Bold Tavern.  They must 
  decipher its meaning and attempt the 
  mission.    
   
  With your bodies Cloaked in Crimson, 
  the yellow won’t be seen. 
  Where the little soldiers sleep, is our 
  goal you may glean. 
  Let us know when you’ve succeeded. 
  And have all the things we needed. 
  When they celebrate Raising, we’ll 
  start the uprising. 
  At your word, we will begin organizing 
  One, two, three, will ring out loud 
  You’ll need to make it through the 
  crowd 
  You’ll take the lead, and walk inside 
  Once it starts there is no place to hide. 
  You may win or you may not. 
  But regardless, this reign must stop. 
   
   
  Somewhere to Hide 
   
  After the infiltration at the Barracks, 
  and the incident at the Bright and Bold 
  Tavern, the Cadre are on high alert, 
  and the Dark Sky is assisting them in 
  searching both the Surface and the 
  Warrens.  The players must find 
  somewhere they can hide until 
  morning.  The only place they believe to 
  be safe would be in the enclave of the 
  elves, Helica.  Non-elves are not allowed 
  in, so the group must convince the 
  leaders of Helica to give them haven for 
  the night. 
   
  A Taller Tower 
   
  The Tower of the Five is four floors tall 
  instead of three.  The first three levels 
  are the same as in the standard 
  adventure.   
   
  The fourth level contains a scale model 
  of the Drifting City floating several 
  inches above the floor in the center of 
  the single room that makes up the 
  level.  The walls of the room are covered 
  in paintings that appear to tell the 
  history of the Five.  If players 
  investigate this room, they’ll discover 
  arcane locks on both stairwells.  They 
  can lock the room off and keep others 
  out long enough for a rest.  Review of 
  the paintings depicts something 
  unexpected.   
   
  If the players study it, they’ll discover 
  the true history of the Five, and that 
  over the centuries, Draga has killed all 
  of the other members, setting himself 
  up as the only power in the city.  
  
   
  Incorporating the Adventure 
  If you wish to incorporate this 
  adventure into a campaign you’re 
  running, do so as fits into your story.  
  But unless you are interested in basing 
  a campaign in the Drifting City, which 
  could be amazing, you may find some 
  difficulty incorporating it into your 
  existing campaign.  Here is a suggested 
  method. 
   
  Where Does This Lead 
   
  A magical door, teleportation circle, 
  obscuring mist or other mystical means 
  of transportation is made available to 
  the players.  When they enter through 
  it, they find themselves in the Drifting 
  City, unable to return the way they 
  arrived.  Perhaps introduce it 
  something like this: 
   
  Over the nearly empty plain, a 
  massive storm cloud, streaked with 
  purple lightning, hovers high in the 
  sky, unmoving.  A single shaft of blue 
  light descends from the cloud directly 
  to the ground. 
     
  When a player touches the light, they’re 
  all teleported. 
   
  Another option might be like this: 
   
  You woke up this morning to find a 
  large stone door on the wall.  It wasn’t 
  there when you went to sleep.  When 
  you open and look into the door, you 
  see an empty room that contains 
  another door. 
   
  If the players enter the other room, the 
  door closes behind them and 
  disappears.  They are now in a room in 
  the Drifting City. 
   
  Once the players are in the Drifting 
  City, I’d recommend treating it much 
  like Barovia in the classic adventure 
  Ravenloft (or its modern 
  reinterpretation The Curse of Strahd).  
  In these adventures, the players are 
  physically unable to leave Barovia until 
  they defeat the vampire Strahd.   
   
  To leave the Drifting City, they must 
  acquire the Fire to escape. Drop the 
  players unexpectedly into the Drifting 
  City, give them a session or two to 
  explore and learn, then have them 
  learn about the Lawless and attempt to 
  join it.  The adventure picks up as 
  written.  The players may have a 
  different motivation for acquiring the 
  Fire in this scenario, but the end goal 
  is the same. 
   
  It's important to remember, however 
  your players arrive into the Drifting 
  City, that the people of the Drifting City 
  believe themselves to be the last 
  survivors of the world and they know 
  nothing of the world below them.  
  Player attempts to convince people 
  otherwise will be met with confusion at 
  best, and violence at worst. 
   
   
   
  
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  System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; 
  Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, 
  Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and 
  Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave 
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  This product contains Open Content taken from the Systems Reference Document 
  under the Open Game License.   No other portion of this work may be reproduced in 
  any form without permission. 
   
  Designed and Written by Justin Spath 
  Edited by Kristen Clute 
   
   
  Special thanks to: Josh, TC, Jessica, Micah, DJ, and Josh.   
  A dungeon master is not anything without players. 
   
   
  Copyright © Space Daddy Games 2019 
   
  https://www.spacedaddygames.com 
   
   
   
   
  
  Back Cover 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Space Daddy Games/Rebels of the Drifting City - Adventure Booklet.pdf