Fallcrest stands amid the Moon Hills at the falls of the Nentir River. Here travelers and traders using the old King’s Road that runs north and south, the dwarven Trade Road from the east, and the river all meet. The surrounding ridges shelter several small valleys where farmers and woodsfolk live; few are more than six or seven miles from the town. In general the people outside Fallcrest’s walls earn their living by farming or keeping livestock, and the people inside the walls are artisans, laborers, or merchants. People with no other prospects can make a hard living as porters, carrying cargo from the Lower Quays to the Upper Quays (or vice versa).

Fallcrest imports finished goods from the larger cities downriver and ironwork from the dwarf town of Hammerfast, and exports timber, leather, fruit, and grain. It also trades with the nearby town of Winterhaven.

The surrounding hills hold several marble quarries that once produced a good deal of stone, but the area has little demand for ornamental stone these days, and only a few stonecutters still practice their trade.

A small town built from the ruins of a larger city, Fallcrest is the crossroads of the Nentir Vale.

Population: 1,350; another 900 or so live in the countryside within a few miles of the town. The people of Fallcrest are mostly humans, halflings, and dwarves. No dragonborn or eladrin are permanent residents, but travelers of all races pass through on occasion.

Government: The human noble Faren Markelhay is the Lord Warden (hereditary lord) of the town. He is in charge of the town’s justice, defense, and laws. The Lord Warden appoints a town council to look after routine commerce and public projects.

Defense: The Fallcrest Guard numbers sixty warriors (see the accompanying statistics block), who also serve as constables. Moonstone Keep is their barracks. The Lord Warden can call up 350 militia at need.

Inns: Nentir Inn; Silver Unicorn. The Silver Unicorn is pricier and offers better service; the Nentir Inn sees a more interesting clientele.

Taverns: Blue Moon Alehouse; Lucky Gnome Taphouse; Nentir Inn taproom.

Supplies: Halfmoon Trading House; Sandercot Provisioners.

Temples: Temple of Erathis; Moonsong Temple (Sehanine); House of the Sun (Pelor).

Fallcrest’s Story
Up until four centuries or so ago, the Moon Hills and the surrounding Nentir Vale were thinly settled borderlands, home to quarrelsome human hill-chieftains and remote realms of nonhumans such as dwarves and elves. Giants, minotaurs, orcs, ogres, and goblins plagued the area. Ruins such as those on the Gray Downs or the ring-forts atop the Old Hills date back to these days, as do stories of the hero Vendar and the dragon of the Nentir.

With the rise of the empire of Nerath to the south, human settlers began to move up the Nentir, establishing towns such as Fastormel, Harkenwold, and Winterhaven. A Nerathan hero named Aranda Markelhay obtained a charter to build a keep at the portage of the Nentir Falls. She raised a simple tower at the site of Moonstone Keep three hundred ten years ago, and under its protection the town of Fallcrest began to grow.

Over the next two centuries, Fallcrest grew into a small and prosperous city. It was a natural crossroads for trade, and the Markelhays ruled it well. When the empire of Nerath began to crumble about a century ago, Fallcrest continued to flourish—for a time.

Ninety years ago, a fierce horde of orcs known as the Bloodspears descended from the Stonemarch and swept over the vale. Fallcrest’s army was defeated in a rash attempt to halt the Bloodspears out on Gardbury Downs. The Bloodspears burned and pillaged Fallcrest and went on to wreak havoc all across the Nentir Vale.

In the decades since the Bloodspear War, Fallcrest has struggled to reestablish itself. The town is a shadow of the former city; little trade passes up and down the river these days. The countryside for scores of miles around is dotted with abandoned homesteads and manors from the days of Nerath. Once again the Nentir Vale is a thinly settled borderland where few folk live. This is a place in need of a few heroes.

In the previous game session the young villagers of Winterhaven had just defeated the Underpriest of Orcus. The blood is no longer flowing but the ritual was continuing below.

In this game session the players descend together using chains around the pit and some of the rope from your packs. Kitsune saves Quinn from a nasty fall by casting feather fall on him when he slips from one of the slick chains. As you make it to the bottom your eyes adjust to the nightmarish scene in front of you. Pools of blood are on several areas of the room. At one end stands a Deathlock Wight preparing to wreck some havoc and on the other end of the room stands Kalarel, Scion of Orcus. In between you and Kalarel are two Skeleton Warriors.The group starts attacking in multiple directions and defeat the Wight and Skeletons. By that time Kalarel has moved towards a wall containing a portal of ink like darkness. The group attacks Kalarel but the dark attacks those who get too close. Mathos falls to the ground overcome by injuries and Lavender has her dog pull him to safety while Splug jumps in with a healing potion. Kalarel is tough but the group defeats him and stop the opening of the rift.

After exiting the Keep Will informs you that he questioned a goblin that he captured and apparently a mercenary group from a slaving group called the Bloodreavers is in the area and decided to keep some of the captured villagers. Mathos needs rest so you wait for him to sleep off some of his injuries before heading out. After resting, you catch up to the Bloodreavers and find they were trying to get away with some villagers as slaves. After defeating the Hobgoblins and Human Bloodreaver group you free a merchant and two of his guards/workers. They were captured off guard by the Bloodreavers. The merchant tells you some of the Bloodreavers already left with some captured villagers before last night. The Bloodreavers normally come from some where East of Fallcrest but they have been operating out of a ruined watch tower east of Winterhaven while they have been working on contract for Kalarel. You decide to march back to Winterhaven to report in since it’s along the way and you might get support.

In Winterhaven you bring in your prisoners and report in and learn the news of what has happened there. Of the list of the dead are: Will’s Dad, Ninaran’s Wife, Ben Potter (Shawna’s Uncle), Thurgan and Stragan Redbeard (Dwarf residents of Winterhaven), Nina Littlefoot (a halfling farmer) and Jeremy Wolhed (a shepherd). The list of wounded is larger. While people in Winterhaven are happy for your success, the mood of the village is very somber with the losses. Even worse there are a few people still missing: Sage (Lavender’s Brother), Rena (Ket’s Sister), Dotty (Quinn’s older sister) and [insert name here of a sibling of Rodney’s character]. You piece together that the missing villagers with the slavers are those still missing. The village mobilizes to get supplies and mounts for your journey.

While waiting for the mounts you have an opportunity to make some purchases from Marcus and Ket’s shop before departing and to get a meal. In the shop you discover Splug had a bag of holding and a hoarding issue. It seems he picked up every common weapon left behind in the Keep and trades them to Marcus for supplies. Splug gets some herbs, spices, a bedroll and tent, Broy (a foul liquor he likes), 2 candles, chalk, a disguise kit (heavy cloak, wig, beard, spectacles and makeup), an everburning torch, drum, soap, oil, bacon, flour, cornmeal, pots/pans and nice outfit with a bow-tie.

While preparing to leave Will approaches Shawna and says that life is too short and asks her to marry him before you all depart on the rescue mission. Ket is given a diary by Marcus and told to read it after leaving the village.

This D&D campaign takes place in a modified form of the “Points of Light” background. There is a large amount of information spread across several books about the immortals. Some of it is intentionally contradictory so that there is no one right answer. As a brief overview there are five primary types of immortals in this universe which include the Divinities, Primordials, Primal Spirits, Far Realm Entities and Archfey. There was an event called the Dawn War in which the Primordials and Divinities fought. Ultimately the Divinities became dominant and saved the The World from destruction. The Immortals now stay in their own planes of existence. When in the mortal World any Immortal can be killed. So Immortals normally work through followers in the mortal world such as Clerics, Paladins and other chosen followers. I have already had a few Immortals meddle in some events but I have not connected all the dots yet for you. The following is a brief description of some of the Immortals and the Planes.

Divinities

Most dwell in their Astral Dominions in the Astral Sea. At the height of the hierarchy are the Gods themselves. Under them are their Exarchs and Archangels.

Gods

• Avandra: The goddess of change, Avandra delights in freedom, trade, travel, adventure, and the frontier.

• Bahamut : Called the Platinum Dragon, Bahamut is the god of justice, protection, nobility, and honor.

• Bane: God of conquest and tyranny, and patron of goblins. (Originally called “Achra”)

• Corellon: The god of spring, beauty, and the arts, and the patron of arcane magic and the fey.

• Cotillion: The god of assassins, dark, poison and balance. Cotillion was a noble in the Nerath Empire before ascension. Cotillion is allied with the Raven Queen and reigns from the Shadowfell. (Created by DM)

• Erathis: The goddess of civilization and the muse of great invention, founder of cities, and author of laws.

• Gruumsh: The chaotic evil one-eyed god of destruction, and lord of marauding barbarian hordes.

• Ioun: The goddess of knowledge, skill, and prophecy.

• Kord: The storm god and the lord of battle, who revels in strength, battlefield prowess, and thunder.

• Laeris: God of trickery, reported to either have been killed by Vecna, or hiding from Vecna when he tried to steal a draught called the Final Moment.

• Lolth: The chaotic evil god of shadow, lies, and spiders, and patron of the drow.

• Melora: Goddess of the wilderness and the sea.

• Moradin: God of creation and patron of dwarves, artisans, and especially miners and smiths.

• Pelor: God of the sun and summer, he is the keeper of time.

• Raven Queen: Goddess of death, winter and fate. She was once mortal and ascended to godhood after death. Unlike other deities, she reigns from the Shadowfell rather than the Astral Sea.

• Sehanine: Goddess of the moon and autumn, and patron of trickery and illusions.

• Tharizdun: The chaotic evil god who created the Abyss, and is now chained in the prison plane Carceri.

• Tiamat: The evil goddess of wealth, greed, and envy, and patron of the chromatic dragons.

• Torog: The evil god of the Underdark, and patron of jailers and torturers.

• Vecna: The evil god of undead, necromancy, and secrets. He was once mortal and ascended to godhood after becoming a lich.

• Zehir: The evil god of snakes, darkness, poison, and assassins, and patron to the yuan-ti. Killed by Cotillion.

Archdevils

The Nine Lords of Hell

1. Bel: Archdevil and lord of Avernus, the first layer of Hell.

2. Dispater: The Father of Strife, and an archfiend who rules Dis, the second layer of Hell.

3. Mammon: The King of Greed, an archdevil who lords over Minauros, the third layer of Hell.

4. Fierna: An archdevil who rules Phlegethos, the fourth layer of Hell.

5. Levistus: An archdevil imprisoned in Stygia — the fifth layer of Hell over which he is lord — by Asmodeus for slaying Asmodeus’ first consort.

6. Glasya: Asmodeus’ daughter, she is an archdevil who rules Malboge, the sixth layer of Hell.

7. Baalzebul: The lord of flies and the archdevil in charge of Maladomini, the seventh layer of Hell.

8. Mephistopheles: An archdevil who rules Cania, the eighth layer of Hell.

9. Asmodeus: The evil god of tyranny and domination, patron of devils and ruler of Hell from Nessus, the ninth layer of Hell.

Primordials

These creatures of destruction dwell in the swirling maelstrom of the Elemental Chaos, beaten back by the gods in the Dawn War.

• Another long list of immortals that I will not be using. I think of them kind of like the Titans of Greek mythology.

Slaad Lords

• Ygorl: Lord of Entropy

Demon Princes

• Orcus: The demon prince of undeath.

• There are a ton more. I removed them from the list as they will not be used in my campaign and the list of immortals was getting long.

Obyriths

Vile entities that once presided over a dying universe and introduced the shard of evil into the Points of Light, and who now pose as demon lords in their quest to conquer the multiverse.

Primal Spirits

Dwelling in the World, these powerful spirits called an end to the Dawn War. Most of these spirits’ names are found only the description of powers of Primal classes.

• Death: The grim harvester.

• Fate Weaver: A great spider said to have created the bindings between the planes

• Hunter of Winter: Tiger patron of Tigerclaw Barbarians (Added by DM)

• Soul Serpent: Keeper of the gate of dreams.

• World Healer: The force that mended the world after the Dawn War.

 

Far Realm Entities

Bizarre alien creatures from beyond reality, they infect the world with madness. Little is known about these creatures.

• I don’t currently plan to use Far Realm Entities. I leave this here as an FYI that they exist. If any appear imagine their Gods are much like Cthulhu.

Archfey

Lords of the Feywild, these creatures govern the capricious world of the fey.

Fomorians

Court of Stars

Gloaming Court

Sea Lords

Summer Court

• Tiandra, The Summer Queen.

Winter Court

• Aurilandur: The frost sprite queen

Enigma

• Lady of Pain: The ruler of Sigil, it is unclear who or what she is.

• Primus: Lord of all modrons, it may be primordial, or god, or something entirely unique.

• The Red Witch: Patron and creator of the Vrylokas

The World Axis cosmology

4th edition uses a simplified default cosmology with only six major planes, each of which has a corresponding creature origin.

Fundamental Planes

The fundamental planes are two vast expanses from which the other planes were formed. It was the conflict between the inhabitants of each fundamental plane that constituted the Dawn War.

The Astral Sea

The Astral Sea corresponds to the Astral Plane of earlier editions. The Astral Dominions, counterparts to the Outer Planes of earlier editions, are planes which float within the Astral Sea. The majority of the gods dwell in Astral Dominions. The Astral Sea itself is spacially infinite, but the Astral Dominions are all finite. Creatures native to or connected with the Astral Sea generally have the immortal origin.

 

Astral Dominions in the Points of Light setting:

• Arvandor, the Verdant Isles: A realm of nature, beauty and magic similar to the Feywild. Home to Corellon and (sometimes) Sehanine.

• Baator, the Nine Hells: A place of sin and tyranny, a world of continent-sized caverns. Home to Asmodeus.

• Celestia, the Radiant Throne: A great mountain that drifts in a world of silver mists. Home to Bahamut, Moradin and, sometimes, Kord.

• Chernoggar, the Iron Fortress: The rust-pitted iron castle, where mighty warriors fight and die endlessly. Home to Bane and Gruumsh.

• Hestavar, the Bright City: a luminous metropolis which floats above sandy beaches and crystal-clear lagoons, the center of astral civilization. Home to Erathis, Ioun and Pelor.

• Kalandurren, the Darkened Pillars: A dominion that plays host to demons. It belonged to the god Amoth before he was killed by the demon lords Orcus and Demogorgon.

• Pandemonium: The former dominion of Tharizdun. The tower of the lich god Vecna is said to be hidden within it.

• Shom, the White Desert: The former dominion of the mysterious God of the Word. Astral giants loyal to the goddess Erathis fight for control of it.

• Tytherion, the Endless Night: A dark, arid wilderness where serpents and dragons lurk. Home to Zehir and Tiamat.

 

The Elemental Chaos

The Elemental Chaos corresponds to the Inner Planes of earlier editions (excluding the Positive and Negative Energy Planes), also containing some aspects of Limbo. The Elemental Chaos contains Elemental Realms, which are themselves planes; the Abyss is one such realm. The only god who dwells in the Elemental Chaos is Lolth, who resides on the 66th layer of the Abyss. The Elemental Chaos is spacially infinite, the Elemental Realms are not. Creatures native to or connected with the Elemental Chaos generally have the elemental origin.

 

Locations within the Elemental Chaos:

• The Abyss: A place of utter evil and corruption, the result of a mad god’s attempt to control the whole cosmos. Lolth’s home, the Demonweb Pits, can also be found here.

 

Parallel Planes

The World

The equivalent to the Prime Material Plane or Material Plane of earlier editions. This plane lacks a formal name and is most often referred to as the World, although titles such as the Middle World and the First Work were also presented in Manual of the Planes. Creatures native to the world generally have the natural origin. The gods Avandra, Melora and Torog have their homes in the World. The god Vecna wanders the whole cosmos (Sehanine is prone to doing this as well).

The Feywild

One of the two parallel planes, the Feywild is a more extreme and magical reflection of the world with some thematic links to the Positive Energy Plane and the Plane of Faerie of earlier editions and settings. Creatures native to or connected with the Feywild generally have the fey origin. According to the 4th edition Manual of the Planes, this plane has some sort of unspecified connection to Arvandor, and is suspected that the Dominion of Corellon can be reached by here. Important locales within the Feywild are known as Fey Demesnes.

The Shadowfell

The Shadowfell is a type of underworld, and the thematic successor to the Negative Energy Plane and Plane of Shadow from earlier editions. The Raven Queen makes her home here rather than the Astral Sea. Creatures native to or connected with the Shadowfell generally have the shadow origin.

• Gloomwrought, the City of Midnight

• Letherna, Realm of the Raven Queen

• The House of Black Lanterns

• Moil, the City That Waits

• Nightwyrm Fortress

• The Plain of Sighing Stones

• The Shadowdark (Underdark of the Shadowfell)

Demiplanes

Demiplanes are relatively small planes which are not part of larger planes. The most prominent demiplane is Sigil, the City of Doors.

Anomalous planes

Anomalous planes are planes which do not fit into other categories. The most prominent of these planes is the Far Realm.

The Far Realm

An anomalous plane, the Far Realm is a bizarre, maddening plane said to be composed of thin layers filled with strange liquids. Visitors to the Far Realm can only exist in one layer at a time, but large Far Realm natives can exist in multiple layers at once. Creatures native to or connected with the Far Realm generally have the aberrant origin. A crystalline structure connected to the Far Realm, known as the Living Gate, stands in the Astral Sea. Creatures such as the Beholder or the Gibbering beast are very corrupted by these realms.