The Dragontide Relic

Adventure Hook

Rhudd, an operative of the subversive cult known as the True Scales, approaches the party with a lucrative contract. For generations, Drosau has maintained the illusion that the monarchs commanded and subdued wild dragons. However, the True Scales claim this was a lie. Desperate to validate their standing and undermine King Dradoc Maengor, the cult seeks an ancient draconic relic rumored to sit in Abermadd Grot, a flooded cavern just across the border in The Kingdom of Liekia. Sent by cult leadership, Rhudd must hire outsiders to retrieve the relic, hoping its magic will reveal clues to the remaining dragons of the region and allow the cult to bring one under their command. The True Scales are unaware that local Liekian patrols and crown spies are watching the site closely.

Encounter Tier: APL 3–5 | Exploration, Combat & Political Intrigue

• The Trigger: Triggers when the party is approached by Rhudd in Drosau. He advises them of rumors surrounding a lost draconic relic in Liekia, warns of environmental hazards within the grot, and hires them to assist with retrieving the relic.
• The Objective: Rhudd hires the party alongside Aeddan, a local Drosauan scout that he’s brought to assist in delving into Abermadd Grot at the Liekian borderlands. Upon arrival, the group enters a subterranean cavern system choked with flooded chambers and ancient draconic warding. Unbeknownst to Rhudd, the party learns Aeddan is a covert intelligence agent working for King Dradoc Maengor who has been monitoring the True Scales and became aware of the plan. While Rhudd is occupied, he pulls the party aside and reveals the True Scales’ real plan: using the relic to subjugate a wild dragon and overthrow the monarchy. The party must navigate the grot, claim the relic, and decide whether to aid Rhudd’s cult or assist Aeddan in delivering the artifact to the Crown to preserve King Maengor’s authority.

Adventure Progression

Time Limit: 5 days before Liekian frontier garrisons lock down Abermadd Grot and seize the relic for themselves.

• The Cult Path (Helping the True Scales): If the party chooses to deliver the relic to Rhudd, they must handle the royal agent embedded in their party before escaping the grot.
  • Infiltrating the Grot: The party must navigate the flooded subterranean passages of Abermadd Grot and disarm ancient draconic wards alongside Rhudd (DC 13–15).
  • Neutralizing Aeddan: Once the relic is retrieved, the party must subdue, deceive, or kill Aeddan inside the vault to keep Drosau’s crown in the dark (DC 14–16).
  • Cult Escalation: Delivering the artifact to Rhudd allows the True Scales to decipher ancient clues leading toward a sleeping wyrm in the deep wilderness.
• The Royal Path (Helping King Dradoc): If the party decides to side with Drosau, they must betray Rhudd inside the grot and escort Aeddan back to Cyndraig.
  • Securing the Relic: The party and Aeddan must outwit or defeat Rhudd within the inner vault (DC 13–15) and safely deliver it to King Maengor while True Scales agents persue them.
  • Restoring Legitimacy: Escorting Aeddan to The Obsidian Coil in Cyndraig, the party delivers the relic to King Dradoc Maengor, granting Drosau a massive political advantage and silencing rumors of royal fraud.
• True Scales Triumph (Helped Rhudd): If the True Scales receive the relic, they gain powerful momentum against the crown. The party is rewarded with 800 gp and a Draconians’ Sight (Eyes of Minute Seeing) from the cult’s secret vaults.
• Royal Restoration (Helped King Dradoc): If the Crown receives the relic, King Dradoc Maengor uses its presence to publicly reestablish his bloodline’s authority. Siding with this path grants the party a bounty of 1,000 gp, and a Dragonic Guard (Ring of Protection) from the royal armory.
• On a Failure or Breakdown: If the party destroys the relic, gets caught by Liekian forces, or fails before time expires, Liekian garrisons breach the grot and overwhelm both Rhudd and Aeddan. The artifact is seized by The Kingdom of Liekia, while both the True Scales and King Dradoc brand the party as incompetent traitors.

Regional Escalation:

• If True Scales Triumph Succeeded:
  • In Drosau: Civil unrest erupts across settlements as Rhudd and the True Scales openly challenge royal legitimacy, using their new clues to launch expeditions into dragon territory.
  • In Liekia: Tensions spike along the border as Drosauan cultists frequently cross into Liekian territory unmonitored.
• If Royal Restoration Occurred:
  • In Drosau: Armed with intel from his agent, King Dradoc crackdowns on seditious talk, locking down cities and driving the True Scales deep underground.
  • In Liekia: Liekian authorities increase border patrols to prevent further Drosauan state incursions.
• If Failure Outcome Occurred:
  • In Drosau: Desperate for control after losing both the relic and his agent, King Dradoc imposes martial law along the border.
  • In Liekia: Liekia establishes permanent military outposts around Abermadd Grot, and closes trade passages along the frontier.