799 Queendell – City

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“Leaf Valley has never seen a threat so ominous. Mighty heroes, I summon you to wealth and glory. Slay this dragon and become immortal in all our hearts.”

Shalendra, Ruler of Leaves

Southeast of Northcrest Mountain lies the larg­est settlement in Leaf Valley: Queendell. The city was originally founded by forest elves centuries ago but migration and alliances with humans have slowly transformed the population and the once heavily-forested region. Shalendra, Ruler of Leaves, is the sole leader. The elf hierarch was among the city’s founders and is the only authority the town has ever known. It has sometimes caused distress to humans as Shalendra, with her elven immortality, shall never re­linquish power. Alas, she has proven to be a fair ruler and a shrewd negotiator, thus avoiding humans’ proclivi­ty to seek power and control. The new threat of the ruby dragon scouring the region is on everyone’s minds. Sto­ries of the dragon’s attacks in northern settlements start to emerge as refugees arrive seeking protection from the scaled abomination. The danger looms ever closer.

 Level 1-2 Settlement

  • Special Events. Check for a Random Event in every other area the characters visit (3-in-6 chance).
  • Elvish Abodes. Queendell merges with the surround­ing forest almost seamlessly. Large trees within the city walls feature elvish accommodations among their branches. Some elves refuse to live on the surface as hu­mans; preferring their elvish traditions instead.
  • Shattered Sky. The strange, crimson glow tainting the sky above Northcrest Mountain, is at times interrupt­ed by a dark presence that flies above it. Even at such a distance, the Ruby Dragon can be glimpsed above the treetops that surround the city of Queendell.
 RANDOM EVENT d6 Details
1 Rumor has it that a fabled, fire-resistant set of armor is hidden in the Ironbark Catacombs, an ancient elvish tomb.
2 Beggars in the city clamor about a holy shrine east of Northcrest Mountain. Stories vary but they claim great treasure is buried there but it can only be claimed by someone who knows no greed. It is also said that the near future can be glimpsed there.
3 Ten farmer refugees arrived yesterday from Willowhill. They said the ruby dragon was flying above the town when they left.
4 A messenger from Pinegate came yesterday to request Shalendra’s aid. The man claimed that no one in Pinegate can sleep as they suffer from foul nightmares. Nonetheless, he was sent away as the urgency to deal with the dragon trumps all else.
5 People say that the glow from Northcrest Mountain foreshadows a future eruption of the dormant volcano.
6 A relief caravan wants to travel to Willowhill. No escort dares accompany them though they offer 200 gp as payment.

1. Linna’s Brewery

The pungent smell of fermenting ale surrounds this wooden building and welcomes weary travelers. Linna, the master brewer, directs many laborers in their craft.

Lost Shipment. Linna offers 300 gp to sellswords to visit her associate Mark in Pinegate. Mark is a barley farmer who should have sent a shipment a week ago but it is missing. There are strange rumors about Pinegate but Linna believes none, she needs the barley.

2. Chop-Stew Inn

This three-story building is the perfect place for adven­turers and traveling merchants to settle during their ad­ventures in the Leaf Valley. The owner is a dwarf named Gardold who is always inebriated and blushing.

  • Pilgrims. Twelve commoners gather here to set out toward the Night of Spirits. Anticipating trouble, they of­fer 150 gp to the characters to be their bodyguards.

3. Red Auction House

This museum and storehouse of interesting items and relics from the past hosts an auction every Thursday at sunset. Merchants and nobles gather to bid on these pieces and to mingle with each other. The curator of the fine collection is Shalendra’s sibling, Theverell.

  • Retrieval. Theverell seeks valiant warriors to trav­el to the Shrine of Beggars to retrieve a mythical relic called the Beggar’s Cape. He offers 450 gp for it.

4. Gamblers’ Abode

Open all day and night, the Gamblers’ Abode is the per­fect place to splurge one’s money and carouse until all gold coins are spent. This elf-managed business caters to all social circles and features entertaining card games and dice wagers. It is truly a gold trap.

  • Peace-Making. During the characters’ first visit, four drunk thugs rage after losing their games; they hit the clerks and start thrashing the place. If the characters help the two guards to restrain and arrest the thugs, the manager is thankful and offers 100 gp as a reward.

5. Quartz Observatory

The domed top of this elvish spire opens at night to gaze at the skies and, increasingly these days, toward North­crest Mountain. An elf acolyte named Veler uses the tele­scope to observe the stars and infer the future from their movements and positions. His predictions are not accu­rate as he slowly learns the ways of magic.

  • The Lens. Veler laments the inaccuracy of both his observations and predictions as his former master re­tired and left him alone. He claims that a quartz lens is said to be guarded in a place known as the Temple of the Dragon God. He offers 350 gp to escort him there. He wishes to find this lens to improve his telescope.

6. Queendell Docks

The docks are crowded with small vessels and barges from the western settlements as refugees arrive. City guards do their best to sort them out but they are disor­ganized and lack the resources for proper shelter. The characters can use a barge to travel to Pinegate for 5 gp each. Navigating west, upstream, is not possible.

7. House of Flames

The turmoil and worry from the town abate in the temple grounds. The aura of peace before the House of Flames attracts those who seek to calm their souls. The priest, a man named Jorland, does his best to quell the fearful townsfolk and offer shelter to the endless stream of refu­gees. When meeting the characters, Jorland shares that he has foreseen troubling signs during his meditations.

  • The Curse. Trying to find a solution to the dragon problem, the priest prayed to the god of flames for ad­vice. In prayer, he has seen strange images of a doomed expedition to a temple south of Queendell. He has seen the pain and suffering of a single man. He knows not how this relates to the ruby dragon but beckons the char­acters to visit the Temple of the Dragon God.

8. Adventurer’s Guild

Led by the retired adventurer Danna Wolf-Eye, the Ad­venturer’s Guild is a good place to look for mercenary work. Danna charges 2 gp per adventurer to sign up.

  • Escort. Danna offers 150 gp to travel to Glenfield and escort any refugees there back to Queendell.
  • The Noble. A high-born man wishes to visit the Night of Spirits with his daughter to make an offering. Danna offers 180 gp to escort them there and back.

9. Sir Wilhelm’s Home

Knighted after beating single-handedly a wolfish mon­ster in Duskview, Sir Wilhelm (knight) seeks glory once more. Sir Wilhelm summons the characters to dine at this table and offers his services if he sees them on the streets. Otherwise, the characters meet Sir Wilhelm in the Bastion of Leaves as he too heeds Shalendra’s call. The knight is held in high regard in Shalendra’s court; she recommends the party welcome his help.

10. The Elfin Bazaar

Characters seeking traveling equipment, dungeoneering gear, carts, mounts, and a small selection of potions and menial magic items can find all that here. Dozens of mer­chants offer their wares here during the day.

11. Rivercross Library

Characters looking to increase their knowledge of the region and its locations find important information after 1d6 hours of research (DC 12 Intelligence).

  • Ironbark Catacombs. It is a burial site of great elvish warriors. It is said that a dragon guards their remains.
  • Shrine of Beggars. Offering a coin or food at this al­tar provides a glimpse of a fleeting image of one’s future.
  • Temple of the Dragon God. A gatehouse’s log reveals that the place was visited by Eustace Gibett weeks ago. Their expedition never came back to Queendell.

12. Bastion of Leaves

A fine amalgam of elvish and human architecture, the Bastion of Leaves is a resilient fortress that has never been lost in battle. Three elvish spires rise to overlook Queendell; the tallest structures in the city.

  • Summons. Valiant warriors and mercenaries are summoned to the castle for the war effort. Messengers in the streets and taverns beckon all strong-looking peo­ple to heed the ruler’s call to the Bastion of Leaves.
  • The Crisis. Soldiers, mercenaries, mage apprentic­es, nobles, and the characters gather in the bastion’s au­dience room where Shalendra, Ruler of Leaves awaits, sitting on a throne decorated with brass leaves. The el­ven ruler explains that many smaller settlements are un­der attack and refugees must be escorted to Queendell to protect them. According to witness reports, the drag­on flies around Northcrest Mountain but increases the radius of its journeys with each passing day. The dragon is expected to storm Willowhill any given day. Soldiers and mercenaries are called to help escort and shelter the countless refugees from towns close to the mountain.
  • Dragon Slaying. Shalendra calls for the strongest of all to step forward as there is a dragon to slay. She offers 3,000 gp for the dragon’s head as it must be put down immediately. Apart from the monetary reward, she offers knighthoods for the would-be dragon slayers.

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