Katha: The City of Potential

A city between empires full of adventure and intrigue

by Bryce K, aka AuthorDM

 Introduction Part One: Geography,
Katha is a fully built city with hundreds of NPCs, dozens of Economy, and History
shops, and many different factions all vying for power over This section is highly dependent on DM discretion and
this growing city. Kahta is a growing city-state that can where it is placed within your setting. Change it according
expand (or regress) in any direction depending on the to your needs, but use it as the backdrop to the city.
choices of your group. It can easily suit any party of any size
or level. The city will grow (or shrink) and change at the Geography and Economy
party's every move, making it a city full of potential. Katha is a natural harbor sheltered from storms by several
outlying islands that form a bay. Most of the city is built on
The Hook the mainland, but recent expansion has begun to the
Maybe your party starts in Katha, maybe they are enticed outlying islands. The city itself is not on many major trade
there by the invitation to quest for the local Lady, maybe a routes, but neither is it terribly far from them.
warlock's patron or a cleric's god brings them there... The mainland hosts the Old City of Katha. The Old City
Katha is a city full of plot hooks and intrigue, enough to run is the walled off coastal village that used to act as the trade
many sessions no matter why your group came in the first center for the region, and also a place for outlying villages
place. But now that they are here, they need to make to retreat to when times got bad. It used to fit only a few
choices that will affect the present and future of this hundred people. Now, the walls have almost completely
growing city. come down, and the open areas used to pasture cows or
sheep during times of siege have been filled in by new
The Plot construction.
At its most basic, the plot of Katha is to give your players Refuge Island is just off the coast of the mainland, and
agency to affect the present and future of this rapidly used to be empty 99% of the time; the 1% was during
growing city. They could help turn it into an empire and bandit raids or attacks from neighboring countries or
become lords of the land, bring it to ruins, keep it small and kingdoms. Refuge Island is a rocky, cliff-face of an island
independent, or anything else they desire. with only one reasonable landing spot and path up the
Provided throughout the document are a number of crags. At the top is an old fort, built out of the rock of the
adventures to keep the party busy, introduce them to the hill. Villagers from Katha and beyond would seek refuge in
main characters, and provide a structured story that the this generations-old fort during times of extreme need. It
DM can use in whole or abuse as idea-fodder. Very little is has become the center of Maddie Turner's government.
set in stone here in Katha, which is half the fun. Barrier Island is a long, L-shaped, sandy island that
The provided story arc provided will focus on the strong- mostly encloses the bay used by Katha. It was uninhabited
willed Lady of the land, the adventurer-turned-ruler Maddie except by an old lighthouse until very recently.
Turner, as she turns her homeland into a strong, Katha has long had a steady trade history, but not a rich
independent nation. She will compete with the factions one. This area of the world is hard to reach by boat or foot,
arrayed with and against her, from the well-intentioned making the villages in Katha's periphery mostly
local merchant council to the devious cultists to the self- independent and self-sufficient. Katha was the only hub of
centered Thieves' Guild. trade for the region, with agricultural produce being
shipped away and general trade goods - iron for farm and
For the DM household tools for example - being imported by small-time
Katha is a reference book providing a fully built city, local merchants. Outside of agriculture and this modicum
inclusive of NPCs, shops, factions, and plots. It can be of trade, Katha and surrounds has mostly been neglected
placed into any setting with ease. It suits any party, but by trade routes, technology, and the spread of empires.
particularly suits a party that is beginning to accumulate
wealth and could use a place to invest their winnings. Even History
if following the provided plot, it will require the DM to be Katha has a long yet undistinguished history. It existed
ready to react to the party's actions. The DM should be mostly as a small village and regional trade-hub for
familiar with the key NPCs and factions, understand their hundreds of years with little variation. Its proximity to trade
motivations, and then be able to react accordingly to new routes and the piracy and banditry that accompanies them
developments. The document will lead you through made it a frequent, secondary target for such thieves. In the
possible outcomes as best as possible, but this is the city of further distant past, various other empires have claimed to
potential: be prepared for anything! hold, or did in fact hold, sway over Katha, yet none in living
memory, and none for very long. According to some oral
Adapting Katha traditions, however, Katha was once an empire of its own
Katha is a pre-built coastal with no addition
and a major site of religious pilgrimage.
necessary. You can place it outside of one or
More recently, earlier this generation the great hero
between two major empires in any setting. It Testicles fought and killed the vicious Red Dragon which
could also be placed into the wilderness. The plot lived in the area and kept vast expanses beyond the city
and character of the city depend on it being uninhabitable. Testicles defeated the dragon and took its
outside of any empire, where it can thrive (or fall) hoard with him, leaving behind more wealth than the entire
on its own, according to the actions of your region had ever seen or could ever produce. This caused
party. Katha as presented here will have several massive deflation in the price of gold, a massive increase in
holes in it, and the document will help you fill the number and size of attacks on the city and outlying
them to make sure that the city can be placed in villages, and in some areas completely broke down the
your chosen setting without difficulty. social order since none could agree on the value of trade
goods. Maddie Turner was young when this happened, and
it has shaped her views on proper economic management.
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 Rodney was originally from the far outlying village of
Part Two: Major NPCs Black Hollow and escaped to come live in Katha after it
Maddie Turner – Halfling female, rather young for her was destroyed by pirates nearly 20 years ago. He is
importance to the place though quickly approaching convinced that recovering and resettling the area would
middle-age. She grew up in Katha with her single father provide a boon to trade because of the rare ironwood trees
who did whatever odd jobs came up. She will happily tell that grow there, but nothing has been done for the area yet
the story of how she decided to make Katha into something and it is still used as a bandit camp. Fixing this issue would
more. This part of the world was always plagued by bandits guarantee his friendship. He lives with his partner Clarence
and pirates; when years were good people farmed, but Monroe and does not take much part in the idle rich social
when they were bad they robbed their neighbors. It was a circle.
vicious circle that kept the whole area impoverished and
out of touch with the rest of the quickly growing world.
Then when she was a young girl, Testicles came to the
area. Many had hoped that he would end some of the
Maddie Turner
Small humanoid, lawful neutral
permanent pirate/bandit villages and restore some safety to
the area. Instead he killed a local dragon, one which ate Armor Class 18
their stock sometimes but was not as much of a nuisance, Hit Points 100
and left. He left a fair portion of the dragon’s hoard spent in Speed 25ft.
Katha for services, gifts, and general aid. This totally broke
the economy though, because people had more gold than
they’d ever seen in their lifetime, and nothing to do with it, STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
so inflation spiraled out of control and people starved, with 8 (-1) 20 (+5) 16 (+3) 10 (0) 12 (+1) 14 (+2)
gold in their pockets. Then the bandits came and took
almost all of it, killing many. It changed her view of the Senses passive Wisdom 19
world, she realized that wealth isn’t measured in gold, but in Languages Halfling, Common, more
exchange, and she vowed to get revenge on the bandits and Saves Str +3, Dex +9, Con +7
make something of Katha. Maddie learned the bow and Skills Acrobatics +9, Deception +10, Insight +9,
how to track, then personally exterminated many of the Perception +9, Stealth +14
bandit lairs in the area. She saved all the loot carefully and
is spending it on building Katha. Lucky. Reroll 1s on ability checks, saves, or attack
Maddie is smart as a tack, beautiful, charming, and a rolls. You must take the result of the new roll.
more than capable governor, but she is also a ruthless killer Brave. Advantage on saves versus fear.
and is determined to have her way. She considers very few
people around her to be her equal. As such, Maddie is Natural Assassin. Advantage on initiative rolls. You
pushing the creation of an aristocracy of the few she trusts have advantage on attack rolls against any enemy
that will rule as a council, one that she clearly controls at which has not acted in combat yet. Hits against
the moment. The wealth concentration happening in Katha surprised enemies are automatically critical hits.
and the slow organization of religion is happening Supreme Sneak. Advantage on Dexterity (Sneak)
intentionally under Maddie’s plan to create this aristocracy. checks if you move no more than half your speed.
Maddie is the most influential voice in Amalgamated Sneak Attack. Once per turn with a finesse or
Shipping and the de-facto ruler of Katha, though she holds ranged weapon, when you have advantage on an
no official titles. She rules through sheer willpower and her attack roll or an ally is within 5 ft of the target, do
not-insignificant pile of treasure. an additional 5d6 damage.
Evasion. When targeted by an effect which
Amalgamated Shipping (AS) requires you to make a Dex save on which you
Amalgamated Shipping, covered in more detail in Part can take half damage on a success, instead take 0
Three: Factions, is a trust run by a board of five, the four on a success and half on a fail.
below and Maddie Turner. It has a near monopoly on all
shipping related businesses as well as being a front for the Actions
Thieves’ Guild in Katha. The company is split up into many Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach
buildings across the town, and each member of the board 5ft., one target. Hit 11 (1d8 + 7)
generally pays attention to their side of the business only,
but they do meet regularly in the main offices to discuss Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit,
prospects and business operations. The group generally range 80/320, one target. Hit 11 (1d8 + 7)
operates well together, but there are several divisions that Cunning Action. As a bonus action, use dash,
could be exploited by an insightful and enterprising party. disengage, or hide.
Rodney Byrd is a halfing male that is balding but has a
long, braided beard in a somewhat dwarven style. He is Mark. Bonus action: range 60, concentration, one
friendly, boisterous, fond of jokes (particularly bad ones), target. Target takes an additional 1d6 damage
and under-cautious. He generally sees to the longshoreman when you hit with a weapon attack. You may
move the mark as a bonus action when the first
side of the business, which in turn provides some of the target is reduced to 0 HP.
muscle for the illegitimate side of business.
Uncanny Dodge. Reaction: when you take damage,
halve the amount taken.

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 Jesse Yates is a male halfling and a flamboyant personality Jacob wants to find and bring back these artifacts as
that revels in his newfound wealth and showing off his historical pieces. Most of AS want them for the possibility
tastes in all things foreign, even though he has a poor of weather control. Maddie (in addition to the practical
understanding of them. He often uses foreign words wrong, effects of weather control and tourism) wants them as
or mixes up places, but gets irritable whenever anybody symbols of legitimacy. He cannot keep a secret from
corrects him on it. He runs the banking and insurance side Maddie because he as quite the crush on her. He wears the
of the company, all of which are questionably moral and pink for the Order of the Scarf on occasion, but wouldn’t be
rarely pay out what was promised. caught dead in it whenever anybody important shows up.
Jesse is an easy person to ingratiate but also easy to Yendriel is the female human leader of the Orange Hand,
infuriate; his capricious nature makes him a bit of a wild and is a charismatic, robin-hood sort of figure to many. She
card and he can easily turn on the closest of friends for is wildly popular among the poorest sections of the
perceived slights. Suck up to him enough and he might let populace, but hated among any of the rich rulers of Katha.
you know a legend that has been passed down through his She is clever, endearing, exceptionally charismatic, and
family about the hiding place of an ancient artifact. His more than a little mysterious.
family of wife Eunice, and children Valerie and Lewis, live Rumor has it that she was fighting for the freedom of the
in a manor that is often the center of the idle rich circle. serfs in the provinces of the distant empire of her birth.
Hazel Foster is a female halfling and by far the most This has led to her popularity among similar sections of
industrious and hardworking of the board of AS. Hazel society. The truth, however, is that she was a prominent
deals with warehousing and coopers side of business, and member of the thieves guild in a major pirate port (under
at the same time is also the least involved in the illegitimate the name Brianna) before taking the money from a major
side of things, though does have to keep certain heist all for herself and running here to Katha. She is thus
warehouses available for purposes which cannot be written on the run from a powerful criminal organization.
down. She does not much like her role, and prefers a don't While she does distribute some of the money she
ask don't tell policy on what happens illegitimately in brought and continues to earn through her gang activities,
Katha. sometimes supporting the Order of the Scarf and other
Hazel is a single mother who adopted a little refugee girl, efforts to resist the overreach of the new government, she
Julia, who is having nightmares. Recently bounty hunters is really motivated by her own wealth. However, she is a
from an unspecified empire came looking for the girl, so major figure in city politics because of her control of the
now Hazel needs help finding somebody who knows about Orange Hand, her popularity among the poor, and the fact
the girl, and she’s heard rumors of an old hermit out by that she is perhaps the only one who associates in both
Julia’s original home village far inland. circles of the rich and the Order of the Scarf, though both
Caitlin Wade is a beautiful, young female halfling that only tolerate her presence. For the right price she can open
may or may not be engaged to Mannford Sheridan (M7 and a lot of opportunities and communication channels. Her
H7), though she courts him only for the business price usually seems fair and reasonable, but will almost
controlling another operation might bring to AS. She exclusively benefit the growth of her personal wealth and
handles the more illegitimate side of things and is the chief fame rather than any other cause.
adversary of Yendriel and the Orange Hand. She can Clifford Preston the Fourth (halfling) is the owner of
usually handle herself with calm and poise, but bring up the oldest tannery in town, a business he inherited from his
the Yendriel and the Hand and she can lose it. father, and his father from his father. The once small shop
Caitlin would love nothing more than to collapse some is expanding into an empire, one supported outright by
old cave network below Yendriel’s home, but that would Maddie and the board of AS, though he has no place on it
also likely cause the collapse of the Seafarers' Shrine (R3). yet. Outside of AS, he is by far the richest member of
The Order of the Scarf somehow knows of this and society and the center of the idle rich circle. He is a stuffy
opposes it. Caitlin suspects a leak in the AS board. More so grouch convinced that his own hard work and virtue has
than actually implementing her plan to spite Yendriel, brought him wealth. Despite his belief that he has built his
Caitlin is obsessive about finding out where information empire based on his own virtues, he has also hired two
about the board of AS is leaking from. She suspects goons (Esisso and Onraq, truly nasty sorts who enjoy the
everyone. job for the violence they get to inflict on innocents, who
should be level-appropriate challenges for your party) who
Other Major NPCs make sure new tanneries do not open up. Clifford is
Jacob Silver is a male halfling and the son of a long line of married to Vergie, who can often be found in the company
shamans who lived in and served the local area. While of the idle partners of the other newly rich, semi-noble
much of the knowledge was passed on to him, he chose to families. Their children Ruth, Lola, Clifford the Fifth, and
ignore the calling and went to abroad to pursue a different Edward live in a nearby manor and are tutored by a gnome
sort of life, he wasn’t sure what yet but studied general wizard Emiliya Yemelyanova.
religion and history. He returned recently when he heard of Grog is a half-orc Fighter/Warlock with a mean
Katha’s growth and has wound up in charge of the reputation, which is more than well deserved. He works for
Seafarer’s Shrine, and has become a useful source of Maddie Turner as her privateer in chief -- a licensed pirate
information for the rulers in Katha. He has a serious crush that works for the government. He and his crew are good at
on Maddie Turner, and cannot keep a secret from her. their jobs, supplying the muscle for the very young navy of
Based on his old stories inherited from his family and Katha. Grog, however, hides his warlock pact with an evil
some research, Jacob is familiar with a number of artifacts deity, the same evil deity that is worshiped by the Cult of
from ancient times hidden around the area, items from a the Storm, the central figures in the plot of Part Five. He
bygone age when this area was a major center of activity will end up being an important villain that will race the
and a pilgrimage site. He suspects that the items are party to their goals at times, or outright attack at others.
powerful weather control devices. This will lead the For whatever reason, Maddie trusts him; removing him can
plotline outlined in Part Five: Cultists and Ancient Artifacts. change her approach to governing.

3
 Their goal, mostly, is to see government contracts
Part Three: Factions distributed more equitably and competitively, allowing all
Amalgamated Shipping - This near-monopoly of all businesses to have the chance to bid. This is particularly
shipping related businesses is the main source of important to the members who are in construction,
government income. It is split into four main areas of work, blacksmiths, textiles, or shipping and have to compete with
each covered by a different board member. the government-created monopoly businesses. Others who
Maddie Turner formed the business out of the have less to gain, such as the tavern keepers or the
acquisition (sometimes by buy-outs, sometimes forcible) of artisans, tend to look more radically and see that the
many other small companies. She installed some of her government is intentionally skewing wealth distribution in
friends and some local dignitaries into positions on the their favor and protest against that. These disagreements
board not only to ensure their loyalty, but because they are have led to a lack of clear leadership within the Order, one
the only ones she trusts. The company exists to enrich the which could be filled if a majority of members could be
board members and a few other chosen businesses, and convinced to one side or another.
eventually elevate them to an established nobility. Outsider Tieflings - Tieflings are a persecuted, pariah
The docks and longshoreman side of business run by race not usually welcome in many places around the world.
Rodney Byrd controls almost all of the docking and trade in The Outsider Tieflings are both a religion and a gang which
and out of Katha. If you want to dock your ship, unload or recruits Tieflings with promises of rebuilding a Tiefling
load goods, or have any repairs done to the ship, you have empire which will save them from the hatred of the rest of
to go through this part of the company. There are plans for the world. Their patron god is a setting appropriate Lawful
the formalization of import and export taxes, but for now it Evil entity who stands for the subjugation of all but his
operates more like a protection racket. chosen people. The group is led by Master Voldinoth and
Jesse Yates runs the banking and insurance section, his right-hand, Kalorel the Vile. They have cells and agents
which is hardly more than a scam. Insurance never pays around the world, in nearly every major port, as they
out, and loan repayments are made to by on time by thugs. attempt to recruit Tieflings to their cause and eventually
Hazel Foster runs the only legitimate side of business rebuild the Tiefling empire.
with her monopoly on warehouses and coopers - barrel and So far they have generally kept quiet in Katha, but are
box making for transport. The coopers are actually of very slowly transferring all of their agents and recruits from
high quality, something Hazel takes pride in. around the world to Katha. They engage in some petty
The most illegitimate side is run by Caitlin Wade, who protection rackets to fund themselves but avoid direct
collects information on other empires, monitors shipping conflict with other established gangs. They only go out of
routes, engages with pirates, runs protection rackets their way to attack the Sel's Wall Tieflings, who they see as
around the city, controls the drug trade, and harasses worse than heretics, as traitors to the entire race.
political opponents. What they are doing in Katha, however, is working with
The Idle Rich - Closely related to AS, but also separate the Cult of the Storm. They do not necessarily believe in
from it, is this loose grouping of those wealthy Kathans anything that the Cult does, but they believe that creating a
who celebrate their new luxurious life styles. It is built by cataclysm to wipe out the existing world order will allow
reciprocating invitations to dinner parties, fancy teas, or them to raise their empire more easily and punish all those
other excuses to show off their lavish wealth. Something is who persecute the Tieflings.
going on nearly every day, in one wealthy house or another, Sel’s Wall Tieflings - The Tieflings of Sel's Wall, a
meaning that these people spend very little time working. village about three days walk away from Katha, found a
At the center of the group is Vergie Preston, who organizes different solution to combating the racism against them:
a fair share of the events and is intentionally turning the get away. They have founded an independent and self-
social club into an organized force to protect their wealth sufficient farming community away from the gaze of the
from any that might protest it. world. Many of the Tieflings living there ran away from the
The group is most defined, however, by the fact that its Outsider Tieflings group, but some have lived there for
membership is largely idle. They are the partners or generations. Some are agnostic, others worship the regular
children of those business magnates that control the city gods, but some still worship their old god but prefer to see
through AS or other monopoly businesses. As such, they him as a Lawful Neutral god which supports self-sufficiency
have ample time to socialize with each other, spend their as the path to radical individualism and freedom.
wealth, and think very little about their actions. Only a few
in the organization really realize that their accumulation of The Tieflings
wealth has come through government policy. The fued between the two groups of Tieflings
Order of the Scarf - Comprised of many of the plays a role in the development of the plot in Part
merchants and artisans that have not benefitted as much Five because of their connections to the Cult of
from Maddie Turner's patronage, the Order of the Scarf is a the Storm. About half of my players are Tieflings,
loose organization which advocates for better government and I personally enjoy playing with their status as
policy for themselves. Their following and impact is a little pariahs and how they would react as a
larger than they know how to deal with as their symbol, a community. Substitute in any other race for them
pink scarf, has accidentally come to stand for most protests if appropriate to your setting, or possibly use a
against the government of Maddie Turner. Wearing the pink religious denomination instead of a race. And if
scarf, or lately any sort of pink, is a sign of dissatisfaction you still don't feel like these groups fit your
with the government, though not necessarily membership setting and play style, don't use them at all.
in the group. The group itself is quite small, has no real
charter or organization yet, and has a worse reputation
among the government than it probably deserves.

4
 The Orange Hand – Robbery, fencing stolen goods, and The Cult of the Storm - The Cult of the Storm are central
some smuggling, the Orange Hand does it all. It is run by to the plot presented in Part Five. Should you chose not to
Yendriel, the charismatic demagogue that is a bit of a Robin use the plot in Part Five, forget these guys.
Hood figure who claims to want to create a fairer Katha The Cult is millenarian in that they foresee the end of the
and get back at the new idle rich, but is really quite world coming (the Storm), but believe that the faithful will
motivated by money and trade. Yendriel lives openly in an be spared and rule in the new world. They aim to make the
ostentatious mansion and sometimes invites herself to end come faster by finding the weather control artifacts
events of the idle rich, who despise her more than even the around Katha to summon the Storm, a cataclysmic event
Order of the Scarf, but because of social norms, her that will destroy civilization. This can be modified for your
popularity, and her status as a rich foreigner, they can do setting and campaign to any other evil aim, such as raising
little about it. She and the Hands are respected mostly by an undead army, summoning a demon lord, or whatever.
the fisherman and sailors, and it is through their support The Cult is a murky organization with no real leader, but
that she can run any smuggling operations at all. Aside a few devotees that spread their prophesies around the
from Yendriel’s residence (H9), where many meetings take world. Where the party strikes down one, others will rise.
place, the hand’s base of operations is generally in the new The Outsider Tieflings are currently working to protect
sections of city on the mainland where the poor are most and grow the Cult because they see an opportunity for their
concentrated. own group to tear down the world to allow for a new
Any player character interested in joining or using Tiefling empire to rise, as per their goals.
illegitimate goods, such as drugs or getting into the Grog is also working secretly for the Cult, having been
information trade, will find that it is easiest to contact the bribed by an evil entity representing the Storm.
Orange Hand with some thieves' cant in a few of the bars
outside the Old City. However, chances to join and move up
in the organization are hard to come by. The opposite is Grog
true of Amalgamated Shipping; it is hard to join, but do a
few favors for the right people and you can get real close to Medium humanoid, chaotic evil
leadership. Armor Class 19
Yendriel and the Hands mostly rebel against the Hit Points 174 (4d10 + 9d8 + 52)
illegitimate side of AS, making them the chief enemy of Speed 30ft.
Caitlin Wade. At times, they work with the Order of the
Scarf; at others, they promote wearing pink just to infuriate
the government and confound the Order. Yendriel may STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
stand only for her own self benefit, but on principle she 20 (+5) 8 (-1) 19 (+4) 10 (0) 12 (+1) 16 (+3)
does not agree that the government should be running
what is essentially a thieves' guild. Many of her close Resistances Radiant; bludgeoning, piercing and
confidants and higher ranking Hands are native Kathans slashing from non-magical weapons.
and pirates/bandits from the old days, but still want to see a Senses passive Perception 16
better city, even if that just means returning to the lawless Languages Common, Orcish
times. Exposing Yendriel as a thief on the run and a self-
serving leader could shake up this entire group and shift Searing Vengeance. When you would make a death
them decisively towards the Order of the Scarf and the saving throw, instead regain half your total HP,
betterment of Katha, or it could turn them into a street and all hostile creatures within 30 ft. take 14
gang with no real ambitions or goals. radiant damage and are blinded until the end of
The Dwarven Community – not a gang or club so much your turn. You may use this once per long rest.
as it is just the loose grouping of dwarves in Katha. It is
about evenly split between dwarves who grew up in the Relentless. Once per long rest, when you are
area or surrounds and those who have more recently reduced to 0 HP but not killed, you may instead
(within a generation) from other parts of the world. The drop to 1 HP.
arrival of a group of refugees from the recently destroyed Action Surge. Once per rest, take a second action
‘heretic’ city state has challenged these perceptions, and on your turn.
the community’s eventual acceptance of these refugees has Second Wind. Once per rest as a bonus action,
made some (a number which will grow steadily) consider regain 1d10+9 HP.
themselves Kathans. They are among the only races that
seem to act as a coherent unit, with some dissent here and Spellcasting. Grog's spellcasting ability is
Charisma (DC 16).
there naturally, but general unity. They haven’t, however,
made much of a decision on Order of the Scarf or Maddie’s At will: Eldritch Blast, Sacred Flame
plan for Katha, and with some pushing could fall decisively 3/rest as a 5th level spell: Armor of Agathys, Hex,
on either side. Fire Shield, Flame Strike

The Dwarves
Actions
Multiattack. Make two attacks, critical hits on 19-
Like the Tieflings, you can substitute in any other
20, adding an extra weapon dice on critical hits.
race religion, for the dwarves. It would make
extra sense to pick based off of a particularly Demon's Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to
religions or race-driven character in your party. hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 14 (1d12 + 8) and
While they are not a necessity for the plot, they you may spend up to 3 Hit Dice to add to the
do add flavor to Katha. damage. Reroll all 1s and 2s on the damage roll.

5
 T: Inns, Taverns, and Brothels
Part Four: Minor NPCs T1: The Mighty Stag – Margaret Davenport (Halfling)
and Shops owns and operates the oldest, and formerly only, inn in
Katha. The land she is on is now worth far more to others
This section goes by category and provides a map location than to herself, but she is obstinately holding onto the old
for each business (See Appendix B for the map), providing place. Maggy, as he is better known, is a grandmotherly old
relevant NPC details for each. Halfling that never married and never wanted to, but that
doesn’t stop her from flirting with all the young men and
B: Blacksmiths, Leather workers, and women that pass through. She is a proud member of the
Equipment Order of the Scarf and takes to wearing pink everything
B1: Bright Forge – Agnes Bright (Halfling) is the owner of these days. The Stag is a local institution, but rather small
the oldest blacksmith in the city of Katha, from when it was on the whole, and offers low to mid-range fare.
still a small village, and she misses the simpler times. Her T2: Eagle and Steed – Tattligat (elf, male) runs the
wife was recently murdered, and she will give anything to converted old warehouse turned tavern by the docks. It is a
find out who it was. She would not be able to meet orders rowdy place frequented by the longshoreman, and serves
for martial weapons or heavy armor as she is experienced as a recruitment place for underhanded side of
in village demands, not those of the growing city. Amalgamated Shipping. If you ask in thieves' cant, you can
B2: Preston’s Leatherworks – See important NPCs and find most of the illicit purchases you might want. The place
H1 for more details on Clifford Preston the Fourth and his is owned officially by someone in the Byrd arm of AS, but
wife Vergie. nobody really takes responsibility for the place and Tattligat
B3: Roland’s Temper – Dagan ben Eretz (Dwarf, male) runs it how he will. Tattligat wants to see a dragon.
runs the most well equipped forge in town, though he is T3: High Glade – Troy Hodges (Halfling) is the
kept busy with orders so sees no reason to negotiate on proprietor of the highest class boutique restaurant and
prices. His wife, Yekara bat Gera, runs the bakery nearby. winery with upscale living for short or long-term residents.
B4: Ancesteral Guardians – Stasima Pilus (Rare race It is a sprawling complex with probably more workers than
your pick, female) has just set up shop near the old wall residents to cater to the expensive tastes of those that
and offers the basic necessities at a good price. She is an come here. Fare starts at 5 gp a meal and accommodation
outspoken member of the Order of the Scarf, and she can run from between 10 to 100 gp a night. Hodges, is in
wears the pink scarf signifying her affiliation everywhere. many ways a gatekeeper for the idle rich circle; if you can
Because of it she gets no business from the government. afford his services, you deserve to meet people, and Troy
She also devoutly prays to her ancestors for forgiveness can introduce you. He is rumored to have a secret
that she hasn’t had any children of her own yet. relationship with nearly every lady on the fringes of the idle
B5: The Woodpecker – Calvin Berger (Halfling) lives rich, but the truth is he is secretly seeing Jesse Yates.
with all sorts of animals and is pioneering ways to make T4: Lilac Valley – Zehava bat Herschel (dwarf, female)
horseshoes, saddles, bits, bags, and barding for all sorts of named this mid-to-upper class establishment after her
animals that does not hurt them in any way. He doesn’t do home village. It is one of the few inns which is catered to
normal orders very well though. He has many contacts with foreigners, or the tall folk in the common parlance of
the local druidic circle. Katha. You won’t find much local culture here, but it is the
B6: Horne and Daughters - Everett Horne (Halfling) is a best place for news from around the world. Zehava herself
widower with three daughters, Cynthia, Jane, and Miranda, is extremely devout and credits her god for personally
all of who are of age and work at the smithy. He moved in saving her from her near-death experience and the
from another village not so far away rather recently. He earthquake that destroyed her home.
could use a little help getting off the ground, and if provided, T5: Dusty Roads – Gregmam (Tiefling, male) recently
would be very grateful to whoever invested in the business. opened this tavern by the old wall. It has minimal
B7: Unnamed – Charry Hancey (Halfling, male) and his accommodation and awful food to go along with the
wife Elean and young son Reyny have set up a tannery and watered down beer. All that makes it a favorite lair of the
leatherworks in one of the newer parts of town. They are Orange Hand, or at least the people that sympathize with
being threatened by the Prestons’ goons and might have to them. He is an outsider Tiefling who is secretly very
give up and leave town soon for their own safety. devoted to the evil version of Saurumort, and he has taken
B8: Northern Locks – Oleg Timurovich (gnome, male) it as a personal task to not only ensure that the other
and his massive family of three wives, one of their other outsider tieflings follow the religion, but that the Sel’s Wall
husbands, and 16 children recently came to Katha. He is a tieflings are eliminated for their heresy.
perfectionist who makes outstanding locks; however, he is T6: Ice Way – Marisa Saavedra (Human, female) runs
overworked and many of the orders end up in the hands of the new inn by the incoming road by the old wall. It is
his still learning children. Either his eldest son or daughter nearly brand new and hasn’t established much of a
(Vadim and Frosya) generally take the orders and presence in town yet, and could really use a boost. She and
cultivating a relationship with them can provide some hints her husband Jorje with their two sons (one each from
for aspiring thieves on how their father makes the locks, previous marriages, Antonio and Alonso) escaped from
making future jobs in the area that much easier. serfdom in the provinces of a distant empire.
T7: Watering Hole – Sima bat Lidi (Dwarf female),
caters to dwarven community with cheap beer and food, no
Add Some Familiar Faces accommodation at all really. Obviously has many links to
To endear your players to the city faster, bring in the dwarves, this is as good a place as any to get in with
a few NPCs from the past and drop them in! them and get to know them. A well known spot for locals as
There is always room for new businesses here. well, has good entertainment. Sima is an important voice in
welcoming the refugees.

6
 R: Religion M: Miscellaneous Shops
R1: The Grove – this large, walled park at the center or M1: Fancy Folks Attire – the recent rename of Leo
Katha is a very old grove of trees that had special, religious Coffey’s tailor shop (it was once called Shepherds' Attire,
significance to the druidic religion of the Halflings who the Shepherds' is crossed out with Fancy Folks written
lived here originally. The wall is new and was built below), the oldest in town, has not helped its business with
specifically to stop further encroachment from the city, but the newly rich class. Leo and his team of eight close and
much has already been lost. Its protection is one of the few distant relatives are busy outfitting the working folk and
things that the Order of the Scarf can agree on; the pink of have a government contract to provide tunics for the local
their scarves comes from the hue of a cherry tree that was guard, but he has still set his eyes on finer products. No
torn down earlier this year which served as the impetus to matter how he tries though, his works feel a little too
start the order. Nobody specifically sees to the grove, but traditional and homespun for the rich, which irritates him
Forrest, a Halfling druid of mysterious origin (he was a to no end.
hermit on a distant, uninhabited island for many years, M2: Booktower at Katha – Thirnan (half-elf) runs the
though originally a druid trained by a respected yet distant only book shop in town where you can get works on most
druidic enclave), lives here nearly full time. topics. She is quiet and prefers her books to people, though
R2: Seafarer’s Shrine – Jacob Silver oversees this she opens up to anyone who spends time reading in store
newly built temple. While it caters to the local, unorganized rather than buying. She is a useful source of general
naturalist religion, the people here are starting to formalize history, world cultures, and religions if you can cultivate a
the religion. It is more of a curated garden and complex of relationship with her, but knows embarrassingly little about
buildings, with one large meeting hall dedicated to all Katha. She never knew her father and her mother, far away
creatures of the sea. Jacob isn’t much of a priest, though the at home, doesn’t like to talk about it. She does not go out
Silvers have a long shamanic tradition in the area, he often, but when she does is frequently bullied by the local
rebelled and studied abroad for a time before coming home kids for her half-elf heritage.
to catalogue the history of his people, see important NPCs. M3: Garso’s Finest – Garso Lopez (Human, male) runs
The shrine does have two full-time, low level clerics, that the newest, most fashionable store in town and is
give blessings and some healing for the town; Lloyd Burton frequented by all the newly rich. The clothes are actually of
and Susanne Hudson (halflings). Lloyd is one of Jacob’s old poor quality and are not of the current fashion in the
friends and followed a similar path, but had been a simple fashionable foreign city he comes from, despite his claims.
farmer beforehand and prefers the organization of other His real name is Garso Amengual, and is not a noble like he
religions; Lloyd is part of the Order of the Scarf, however, claims to be. He pays his tailors, a group of younger people
driving a bit of a wedge between him and the others here. recently arrived from the villages, poorly if at all. He is a
Susanne is an old shaman woman who used to wander con-man through and through, and if confronted will act
among the villages of the inland who is quickly learning to repentant and ask for clemency, claiming he is a reformed
like the sedentary life with steady income. man, but take the money and run on the first ship out of
R3: Human Temple – with a fair number of human Katha if given the opportunity.
immigrants of late a small temple to their god of the sea M4: Adam’s Accessories – Adam Pittman (Halfling) ran
has been built in Katha. Salvador Pinto (human male) lives a cobblers’ shop not so long ago but has expanded through
in the priests quarters of the temple, though he works for marriage (the new Mrs Grace Pittman) into other
Katha Construction (M8) since priesting doesn’t pay the accessories such as purses, gloves, and hats. Grace arrived
bills. He has no formal training and but worked as a from a major city recently and had built up a burgeoning
manservant in the home of a priest and can therefore business in especially fancy gloves and hats for the newly
imitate some of the religious rites. He's as close as the town idle rich of Katha. The marriage, one of business more than
can come to a priest of this religion. love gave each new markets. Both are frequently found
R4: Dwarven Church – is a converted home, but only socializing among the circles which buy their goods, though
barely because it is still used as a home by a handful of rarely together.
recent arrivals from a recently destroyed dwarven ‘heretic M5: Brilliant Earth – Amarel bat Agas (Dwarf, female)
state.' They have caused a bit of a debate among the runs one of the new jewelers shops in town. Her
dwarven community, but in the end Zehava bat Herschel’s connections to mines back home, run by friends and family,
(T4) calls for clemency won the day. While the effects are means she offers better prices, but her shipping is
still being seen, this acceptance of these religious ‘heretics’ problematic so far with some shipments misplaced. She
has pushed the whole dwarven community away from their suspects her rival jeweler at The Delicate Forge despite the
roots in dwarven culture outside Katha and towards seeing more reasonable answers and sometimes engages in petty
themselves as Kathans first. Also, Zehava was the one to acts of vandalism or sabotage against it in retribution.
buy and convert the place into a church. M6: The Delicate Forge – Natan-el ben Menachem
(Dwarf, male) is a middle aged, quiet fellow who
apprenticed as jeweler under his father, then spent years in
Katha's Religion and your Setting a dwarven military saving the money to open his own shop
Religion in Katha is defined here as carefully as since his elder brother will inherit the father’s shop. He has
necessary to build the plot provided here, but no seen the worst side of dwarven culture and has no faith in
more. It has been left as vague as possible so that the traditional religion. He displays the pink scarf of the
you can plug in any setting-appropriate gods or Order of the Scarf, but is more of a casual member. Many
philosophies to the roles set out here. Unless of his patrons find it somewhat distasteful, but his work is
you are confident in your skills in running Katha, high quality. He suspects Amarel at Brilliant Earth of
be careful in altering religion here too much lest sabotaging his business, which isn’t entirely unfounded.
it affect the plot or society of Katha too
drastically.

7
M7: Mannford Foreman – Mannford Sheridan (Halfling) M14: Katha Conservatory - the only school in town at
is one of the several construction magnates in town and the moment, run by the headmistress Diana Carballal (elf,
employs over 100 laborers and counting. His works are female) and employing four teachers: history, Angelica
usually quick and dirty, but business is booming and few Figueroa (elf, female); music, Kadgid (dragonborn, male);
know any better. Mannford moved to Katha to become a arts, Rahmat Ergashev (gnome, male); and math, Sylvia
cooper not long before the boom hit. He has some anxiety Haley (halfling, female). The richest of the rich prefer to
in social situations and therefore is accidentally ‘engaged’ hire their own tutors for their children, but that still leaves
to three different girls, causing quite the row among the a fair number of well-off artisans and merchants who
idle rich. choose to send their children here. It caters to children
M8: Katha Construction – Hugh Wilkins (Halfling) is ages 8 to 15, and has contacts to send the best students
the other major construction magnate in town fewer but elsewhere around the world, if their parents can afford it.
better trained workers than Mannford Foreman. He and his Maddie sponsored the creation of this school recently, but
only son, Logan, are both transmutation mages of some like many of her projects it has been marred by some
ability and use this ability in their building projects, making corruption as much of the building expenses were given to
the buildings more expensive but of higher quality and her favorite contractors who produced poor work, and the
desirability. Many of their workers have some basic profits of the school are being taken to repay the debt for
abilities, namely Mold Earth. Hugh has been widowed for the work. Some investigative work here could really make a
30 years now, his wife having died birthing Logan, and has lot of parents come around to the Order of the Scarf and
the reputation as quite the rake among the idle rich circles. seriously embarrass the government.
Logan values every chance to practice his magic and
dreams of learning magic elsewhere but is tied here S: Shipping and Navigation
because of his father’s business. S1: Amalgamated Shipping main offices - an imposing
M9: Fitted Finest – Dhysoria (Tiefling, female) runs one building along the shorefront, this is where the board of AS
of the higher quality tailors in the town but is only favored generally meets, though rarely works. Much of the
by the middle class of folks, the rich preferring imported administration for all the various branches of the company
fashions. She is part of the small tiefling community in is housed here, though the illegitimate side all works in S3.
Katha and one of the few links between the division in that S2: AS Warehouses
community because neither side considers her one of their S3: AS Warehouse: secret storage – for all intents and
own yet both want her patronage. She left the tiefling purposes this looks like any other AS warehouse, but look
village of Sel’s Wall due to ideological differences, and is closely or behind some of the large boxes, and you will find
part of the Order of the Scarf. the illegitimate side of AS.
M10: Unnamed Tailor – Annabelle Taylor (Halfling) just S4: AS Box and Barrel – the barrel and box factory for
moved in from the villages inland to seek a better life for AS. Foreman Amos Townsend (Halfling male) runs a large
herself and family, who she plans to send useful items to floor of 15 workers, just about split Halfling and dwarven,
once a trade network is built. She is hard working and very to provide the things necessary for shipping. The
ambitious; with prodding she could fall in with either the containers themselves are usually well built and worth a
government by procuring a contract for herself, or the fair amount.
Order of the Scarf with an appeal to her sense of fairness. S5: AS Port Authority – is a small shack by a larger
Either way, any amount of attention (or gold) paid to her building currently under construction. It is staffed by a
will eventually be repaid many times, even though she rotating group; Daniel Blake (Halfling male, 12-6am), June
appears very unassuming. Day (Halfling female, 6-12pm), Dasi ben Neriad (dwarf
M11: Roland's Bakery - Yekara bat Gera (Dwarf, female) male, 12-6pm) and Anafa bat Karem (dwarf female, 6pm-
bakes some of the hardiest sourdough breads in town. 12am). While the port will start assessing taxes on
She's not much for fancy foods like cakes and pastries, but incoming goods sometime in the future, for now they
she will lower herself to the soft breads that lesser races, as assess only a small docking fee to watch the ship. The local
she refers to them, prefer to eat. She was against army, working as constabulary, helps enforce this.
welcoming the refugees since she is a devout worshiper of
the normal dwarven gods and is aghast at any heresy. She H: Houses of Note
is married to Dagan ben Eretz of Roland's Temper (B3). H1: Preston Residence – see B2 and important NPCs
M12: Of the Cloth - Camilla Gray (Halfling female) runs H2: Yates Residence – see important NPCs -
this low-profit weavers shop. They specialize in sails and Amalgamated Shipping
ropes for ships, as opposed to anything fancy. She will pay H3: Byrd Residence – see important NPCs -
any orphans or refugees, or generally anyone who could Amalgamated Shipping
use a little cash and help, to work for her. The pay is low H4: Foster Residence – see important NPCs -
but fair. Camilla herself prays to a good deity, unlike many Amalgamated Shipping
of the halflings of this area. H5: Wade Residence – see important NPCs -
M13: Meds, Wrath and Beyond - Kostyantyn Amalgamated Shipping
Radchenko (gnome, male) and his partner Petro H6: bat Eretz Residence – see B3 and M11.
Radchenko (gnome, male), each run one side of this store, H7: Sheridan Residence – see M7
which is literally split down the middle with long shelves H8: Wilkins Residence – see M8
and desks on each side, one gnome sitting on each side. H9: Yendriel’s Residence – see Factions: Orange Hand
Kostyantyn is an alchemist and can provide common
potions and some rarer ones if you can find him the G: Guards and Military
ingredients. Petro sells scrolls and some magic items, G1: Watch Towers
mostly common things or scrolls up to level 2. He has G2: Barracks
contacts around the world that might be able to fill specific G3: Armory
requests if the buyer has the gold and doesn't mind waiting. G4: Headquarters

8
 Part Five: Cultists and
Ancient Artifacts Click-Clacks
Medium insectoid, neutral
This section is left quite vague. My main goal is to give you
a city full of complex relationships and side quests that you Armor Class 15
can use to make your own. The secondary goal is to provide Hit Points 34 (4d8 + 16)
a main quest for the city. The plot provided here will Speed 40 ft, burrow 20.
attempt to tie in as many threads as possible while still
focusing on Maddie Turner and the future of Katha so that
your players feel like they are helping to create this city STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
from nothing. Should you edit or completely replace this 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) 12 (+1) 7 (-2)
quest, my only advice is to tie it to the city in the same way.
Senses passive Perception 13, darkvision
First Hints and the Buried City Skills Perception +3, Stealth + 5
Hook your party somehow to come to Katha and visit Jacob Languages Click-clack
Silver, the new priest at the Seafarer's Shrine. A warlock's Challenge 3
patron might offer this, possibly a Cleric or Paladin's deity,
or maybe they are just old acquaintances of Jacob, or were False Appearance. the Click-clack has advantage
invited to adventure by Jacob or Maddie. How you get them on stealth rolls in a cave environment
to Katha and in contact with Jacob is up to you.
Jacob Silver is very invested in Katha; he grew up in the Actions
area but never really fit in with the rural villages. Instead he
studied abroad, and came home to help turn his homeland Multiattack. Make two weapon attacks.
into something. Chatchka. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach
As one in a long line of shamans from the area, he knows 5ft., thrown range 30/120, one target. Hit 6 (1d6
some of the history and lore of the area. Jacob has heard + 3) piercing damage.
stories of the ancient, weather control artifacts that were
lost over time. Legends about these artifacts and what Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
Hit 8 (2d6+1) piercing damage and the target
Katha used to be long before the bandits and the dragon makes a Con save DC 12. On a failure, the target
are still common out in the villages. Jacob thinks that if is poisoned. It can reroll the save at the end of its
Maddie can accumulate these items, she will establish her turn.
own legitimacy as a ruler of the land. He does not really
believe that they are powerful, or that he could use them
even if they were. Jacob just thinks that the artifacts are It may be possible to communicate with the Click-clacks,
symbols of the rebirth of Katha. possibly with the Tongues spell or a DC 17 Intelligence
Jacob directs them to the village of Legge's Maw some check followed by a DC 17 Charisma (Perform) check to
four days sailing along the coast to the East. Legge's Maw attempt to convey meanings across the language barrier.
is built on a dramatic looking island just off the mainland, The Click-clacks only desire food, and will warn of bigger,
where the villagers keep their farms and flocks. There is a meaner creatures below, which they describe as not-foods.
cave network accessible in the hills on the mainland nearby Level 2 can be approached from two directions,
Legge's Maw, and Jacob thinks that's the best place to start depending on how they leave level 1; the stairs, or the
looking for lost artifacts. Tower. The stairs are half stairway, half tunnels, half ruins
Legge's Maw is a village of around 30 halflings. There is that go deep into the earth. Anyone using the stairs can roll
no tavern, but Emily Gartner has a spare room that they a Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check DC 18 to recognize
can stay in. The locals all avoid the caves because there are that the tunnels are, in fact, created by a massive Purple
monsters inside, but they have stories of great treasures Worm. It eventually ends in a large, open square filled with
buried below, the ruins of an ancient city. rubble that looks like it was once a market square. They
A map of the caves is provided in Appendix B. The caves can see the tree towers, remaining buildings that appear to
are split into two basic levels: level 1, the upper caves; and be massive towers created by hollowing out a super-
level 2, the buried city. If your party is higher level and you massive tree. A druid or a character who rolls a successful
don't think this would challenge them, then boost some HP Intelligence (Nature) DC 15 check suggests that the trees
and to hits and damage a little, or add an outside encounter. are still alive. If you want, throw in an encounter here. I
Level 1 is a massive cave network where the Click-clacks used Xorn because they explain why there are no valuable
live; their stat bloc is provided. They are an intelligent race metals here, though they can loot for some living wood art.
that lives underground, their origins unknown. While The tower path leads through one of these trees, as a
intelligent, they do not understand any languages but their similar massive tunnel slides down into the ruined tree
own, which is a very simplistic language which uses clicks tower. From inside, they can see clearly that the tree is still
and chirps, not able to be imitated by humans, to convey alive, and that it was not carved; it grew this way, stairs,
basic messages. They are motivated to eat and survive and furniture and everything. Going down four floors of the
will back off if the challenge becomes too great, but will intact tower, they pass through a garden out the front door
also defend their nest to the death. They use their which might have once been a beautiful zen courtyard, but
burrowing speed to cut across caves and flank any is now overgrown and very alive despite the darkness.
intruders, attacking quickly and running. Their Chatchka is From there they can reach the market square noted above.
a triangular blade that only their strange forearms and From the square, they can clearly see one tree that is far
claws can hold; a humanoid would not be able to use it larger than the rest, though it is only 100 ft tall it must have
without cutting themselves. once been hundreds as the cave ceiling now cuts it off.

9
Inside the tree is a massive library. It is all open, with a
spiral staircase sloping slowly up the side to make all books Divination Shell
accessible. In the middle is a pillar which holds a glowing, Spellcasting Spell save DC 17, +9 to hit.
green orb around 3 ft radius. Any Intelligence check
suggests this is not only the thing they are looking for, but At Will: Guidance
the source of whatever is keeping all these plants alive in 3/day: Mark (One target within 60 ft is marked for 1
the dark. There are also four small stone pedestals in the minute, it takes 1d6 extra damage when hit by another
four 'corners' of the ground floor, each with a small orb shell's attack.
swirling with a different elemental material. As soon as 1/day: Mass Detect Thoughts (As Faerie Fire but targeting
they look to take the orb, things come to life. Use a different all enemies within a 60 ft range for an Int save)
boss, or tone it down, to fit your party.

Enchantment Shell
Spellbook Golem Spellcasting Spell save DC 17, +9 to hit.
Large construct, neutral
At Will: Vicious Mockery
Armor Class 17 3/day: Crown of Madness
Hit Points special, see Shells 1/day: Confusion
Speed 30ft levitate.

Evocation Shell
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Spellcasting Spell save DC 17, +9 to hit.
6 (-2) 20 (+5) 10 (0) 20 (+5) 1 (-5) 1 (-5) At Will: Ray of Frost
3/day: Lightning Bolt
Condition Immunities Blind, deaf, frightened, 1/day: Bigby's Hand
grappled, poisoned, prone, stunned
Saves Dex +9, Int +9
Damage Vulnerability Fire
Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, piercing, and Illusion Shell
slashing Spellcasting Spell save DC 17, +9 to hit.
Challenge 15 ish
At Will: Color Spray
3/day: Silence
Shells. The Spellbook Golem is made of 8 shells.
Each has its own initiative, action, bonus action, 1/day: Phantasmal Killer
and reaction. All move together on the 1st shell's
turn. Each has 30 HP. Damage done to one does
not carry over to another shell. As a reaction, one
shell can move in the way of an area of affect
Necromancy Shell
spell and fail the save to take the damage, Spellcasting Spell save DC 17, +9 to hit.
shielding the other shells. When damage is done At Will: Chill Touch
to the Spellbook Golem, roll a 1d8 to determine 3/day: Ray of Enfeeblement
which shell is targeted. A creature can take 1/day: Blight
disadvantage on the attack roll to target a specific
shell.
Flaming Shell Explosion. When a shell is reduced Transmutation Shell
to 0 HP by fire damage, it explodes outwards. All
enemies within 15 ft of the Spellbook Golem Spellcasting Spell save DC 17, +9 to hit.
make a Dex save DC 17, taking 4d6 fire damage At Will: Thron Whip
on a fail or half on a success. 3/day: Spike Growth
Counterspell. Each shell may cast Counterspell 1/day: Telekenisis
once per day as a reaction.
The four stone pedestals with elements inside also activate.
As an action, they produce a Memphit of their associate
Abjuration Shell element. The Memphit uses the Monster Manual stat block
but has only 1 HP. Instead of attack, they will fly up the wall
Spellcasting Spell save DC 17, +9 to hit.
and begin tearing apart books to throw the pages into the
At Will: Aid Spellbook Golem, restoring 15 HP to the weakest still
3/day: Counterspell living shell. Each pillar can only maintain one memphit at a
1/day: Banishment time. The memphit spends its first turn appearing and can
only act on its second turn. Players may target the pillars as
well; the pillars are AC 15, and the player must do 15
Conjuration Shell damage in a single hit or score a critical hit to destroy the
pillar, any less and it takes no damage.
Spellcasting Spell save DC 17, +9 to hit. Once the Spellbook Golem is destroyed, they can take
At Will: Acid Splash the orb. It should be clear now that the orb is keeping the
3/day: Hunger of Hadar area alive, and taking it will doom what is left of this city.
1/day: Conjure Elemental Throw in some other appropriate loot, like spell scrolls!

10
 Now your party should be well and exhausted. Don't let FML
them look around too long though. Any characters with Seriously, I said I'd make this short and vague, then give
Passive Perception higher than 15 will hear a rumbling you a two and a half page adventure with unique monsters,
heading their way. They may already know, but otherwise a a boss, and a skill challenge chase. I'll keep it smaller.
Intelligence (Arcana) DC 15 check suggests Purple Worm.
They see another path out from the library, a large tunnel The Archaeologist
likely created by this worm, that appears to head more Some time later, enough to give your group some time for
directly out. Let them know that based on the size of the rest and relaxation and maybe to see their building begin to
tunnel, this is no normal Purple Worm. Even if they were grow, Jacob will contact them again with a new lead. His
not exhausted, this would be deadly for anyone. friend Greg Jones is another foreign trained historian and
All of your players must have a score of 5 to leave. The archaeologist who is excavating out in the desert and has
worm begins at -2, or more if their Passive Perception is found something amazing. Unfortunately, he is also being
very high, and gains +1 each round. Roll on the table below harassed by some bandits and the guards out there are
to see what they find down the tunnel each round of chase. being worn down. They won't last much longer, so Jacob
If they split up, calculate separately per group. asks you to get there as soon as possible.
Worm Chase Chambers
Make a skill challenge to get them there in time. It is over
a week away walking, which is not as soon as possible.
1d8 Chamber They can try to run, meaning lots of Constitution saves or
1 A large room with a gorge splitting it. DC 16 Str checks and likely exhaustion by the time they get there.
check to jump, on success +1 score. Running They can buy horses, but then they will need to make some
around scores 0 for the round Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks to run them beyond
2 A long, slick tunnel with running water and slimy their endurance yet keep them alive, as well as Constitution
moss on the floor. They can go carefully for -1 saves to ride overnight without crippling exhaustion. Allow
score, or slide for a +2: however, when it comes to other ideas. If they pass enough checks and are quick, they
an abrupt end, they make a DC 18 Dex save or take might get there in time to defend the camp from the last
10d6 damage, half on success. bandit attack. If not, then they can still track the bandits
3 A wide, not jumpable gorge with no path around. back and rescue (some of) the archaeology team from
They can take -1 to turn around, or attempt to jump captivity. Either way, draw up a camp, either to defend or to
across the stalagmites, two DC 14 Dex (Acrobatics) attack, and fill it with an appropriate challenge of bandits.
checks to cross for a +2. The Monster Manual and Volo's Guide both have good stat
4 A wide, underground lake. Strength (Athletics) DC blocks for this sort of thing. Or, the bandits decided not to
19 to swim across for a +1, 14-18 for a 0, or below take the artifact, so they could take it themselves and
14 for a -1 to score. abandon Greg and the rest of the group.
5 A seeming dead end, but on a quick look the wall is The artifact is a massive chalice with a rounded bottom,
soft and can be dug out. Make a Strength (Athletics) like an unbalanced bowl, at least 3 ft in radius. It is
DC 16 to dig out for a -1, on a failure -2. intricately carved chalice covered in all sorts of arcane
6 A long, straight tunnel, probably made by the runes, almost all smaller than can be seen with the unaided
Worm. Make a Constitution save, DC20 for a +2, eye. The reason they did not take the thing is that any time
16-19 for +1, 12-15 for 0, or below 12 for a -1 to you touch the thing, the whole ground shakes like an
score. earthquake. The lightest touch creates a noticeable quake;
7 A proper dead end with no way out. -1 to turn moving the thing can make people fall over. However, as
around, but -2 to score if they dither. soon as it is removed fully and no longer touching the
ground, it has no such effect any longer.
8 A shaking tunnel of loose debris which may
crumble soon. They can attack it and tear it down
Unfortunately, underneath the chalice is a cave. The cave
behind them for a +1, but make an Intelligence DC is slick and wet, leading nearly straight down, and anything
15 check or it will do 4d8 damage to them as well. with any perception will see hundreds of eyes staring up at
them.
If the Worm catches them, they can attempt to distract it There should be a kobold horde to deal with. The
for another +1, or +2 if somebody stays back to fight it and Monster Manual has some, Volo's has more, all immune to
likely sacrifice themselves. Use your discretion if you roll fire from their Red draconic heritage. The party should be
too many difficult rooms and the Worm might catch up. able to outrun the kobolds and take out the ones that catch
Otherwise, they get out at score 5; at score 4, describe the up, then hide. I ran this as an escalating chase... first the
light at the end of the next chamber. kobolds are after them, but then the griffons come out to
On their return to Katha, Jacob will tell you to show the hunt both them and the kobolds, then the Red Dragon
orb to Maddie. This should be the first time the party appears to save his kobolds from the griffons and your
encounters Maddie, so read up on her. She will tell her group. In the chaos they can get away. Or they can stand
story to those who ask. She doesn't have much loose coin and fight, do what sounds fun and is level appropriate.
to pay you with, building a city and all, but can offer magic Once they have some time to think, it should be clear that
items from her personal collection or a 'gift card' for 5000 the chalice produces a pretty steady stream of water, or did
gold worth of construction from either construction at least, it is inactive in their possession. It likely kept a
company (M7 or M8). Adjust the gold to fit your setting for whole ecosystem alive underground. The dragon will not be
what construction costs might be; it should be significant happy about this and cause trouble down the road; your
enough to build a reasonable building with some sort of players can choose to deal with it later if they want, it is
services, like their own tavern, without being enough to part of the future of Katha for you to determine. With a
build a palace. Maddie will ask you to keep working with dragon out there in the villages nearby, Katha will only be a
Jacob Silver to find the other ancient artifacts to help city state; without it, it could expand and become an
legitimize her rule and maybe bring in tourism. empire.

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Seeds of Doubt The Storm up North
Maddie will buy the chalice off you for a similar price to the Up North a week's travel up the coast where the mainland
orb, if they want to give it to her. By this time, they should ends, there is an unending storm, a cyclone swirling
be wondering about the consequences of their actions. In constantly and closing off passage across the top of the
both cases, the artifacts were sustaining ecosystems and mainland of Katha. I run a pirate campaign, so I made a
taking them away will have repercussions, especially the skill challenge to sail through and into the eye of the storm
water chalice and the dragon. Maddie will rarely tell the where the artifact waited. If your players are not sailors and
whole truth either, and people with insight might have just hire ships to take them around, maybe a battle with
picked up on that by now. Jacob is now starting to believe storm monsters mixed with a skill challenge to help the
some of the legends that these might be powerful weather captain might work. In mine, Grog attacked them in the
control artifacts, but doesn't seem to see any problem with middle of sailing through this storm; you might not be there
handing them all over to Maddie because he trusts her yet. The further this plot goes, the vaguer it since the plot
judgement entirely. relies so heavily on what has happened before.
Make sure that the party encounters Grog. He will The item is guarded by a banshee, adjusted to level, as
impress upon them the fact that they are lower than dogs to well as continuously respawning ghouls or ghasts or
him, playing fetch for their master, while he is the real something until the banshee is taken out.
muscle doing the important work in Katha. This is a bit of It is a chandelier made of what looks like antlers, but
reverse psychology to keep them at what they are doing, unearthly ones from no clear beast, arranged in a perfectly
since he would have to get the artifacts otherwise. He will symmetrical dome. It feels like bone to the touch, but is
start trying to obtain the artifacts himself if the party stops cold. As soon as it is removed from its hanging spot in the
bringing them to Maddie at any time. little abandoned temple on the island, the storm dissipates.
Katha should also start having some upheavals as the
plot progresses too. Options 1 and 2 from Appendix A: The McGuffin
Urban Random Event Table will hopefully have been
triggered by now. Even if they aren't, proceed as if they Your players may realize that this is a multi-piece
have. There should be a protest against the government McGuffin. Let them roll an Intelligence
that goes along peacefully all day. Maddie will play it off as (Investigation) check DC 18 or so to have
realized that the pieces they have so far would fit
if she knows nothing, if you let your players have access to together perfectly. The McGuffin is, in fact, a four
her during this time. As night falls, however, the guards part item; orb in the middle, chalice below,
watching the protest change shifts, and a different sort chandelier above, and held together by the
come on board. Not the predominantly halfling guards of chains. Given that each on its own is a major
the city, but mostly Tieflings dressed vaguely in the attire of magical device, together the power would be
the city guard. They will attack and kill some of the truly terrifying.
protesters led by the Order of the Scarf. Unless anyone
intervenes, they should kill a few of the Order, possibly
leaving businesses unstaffed and orphans to take care of.
The less attention the party pays to this, the worse it will Stealing the Chains
get. Maddie is stubborn and hard to work with; if The chains are not in Katha, or anywhere too near. Jacob
confronted with the deaths she finally will admit that she tells them that he finally tracked down what happened to
trusts almost nobody, and that she is engineering this city them. Apparently they were in the old dragon's hoard, the
to put the few she does trust in charge permanently. one that Testicles took with him after slaying the dragon,
Everyone else is too dumb to realize their own good, and have been sold a few times since. As far as he has
especially the Order of the Scarf or Yendriel. found, they are currently up for auction in another city as
As for Option 2 from the random event table, if they did part of the estate sale of their previous owner.
the quest they will have been spied on by some of Grog's Again, sailing skill check to get there in time. If they are
agents. I ran a bard masquerading as a hitchhiker that successful, they have the chance to either just buy the
asked for a lift and examined the package after it was chains outright, or to steal them during the once chance
delivered; pick something appropriate for your group. that they will be in the open and easy to find. If they come
While you should do your best to not let them capture the late, then they will have been bought and secured, making a
spy, the spy should be observed so that they know heist necessary. If they have angered Grog by this point,
somebody is watching them and the goings on of AS, Grog will have made an attempt on the chains, forcing the
confirming Caitlin Wade's suspicions. authorities in the city to hold them in the most secure
If they don't want to work for her any longer after these facilities available. For me, this meant the emperor's
seeds are planted, wherever along the line in the plot that palace. I can't guess what city you will place them in and
you choose to plant them, motivate them another way: how the authorities will respond to this. But a heist should
Grog. Make sure that they see him sailing North, away from be full of stealth, of investigating and stakeouts to learn as
where any challenges might be; they also see the spy on his much as possible before going in, and maybe short fights
ship. If that doesn't pique their interest, nothing will. conducted as quietly as possible. Maybe even some magical
guardians protecting the vault.
Adapting the Plot Climax
You will have to be flexible here. My party caught Should all four pieces come together, Grog will take them
on after the chalice that not all is what it seemed, to Voldinoth, leader of the outsider Tieflings, who will
yours might at another time. Know the basic accept the supreme power thinking Grog works for him.
progress, know the characters involved, and be Unfortunately, activating the full powers will take his entire
ready to improvise. life force, summoning the Storm. I like Kraken here, with
full regional effects, but your mileage may vary.

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 Appendix A: Urban Random Event Table
A party that does not ask questions of everyone they meet (which in my experience is likely) will not possibly find everything
that Katha has to offer. These tables are not built to provide random combat encounters, not necessarily anyway, but to
introduce your party to the many narrative threads and plots that form a web in the city.
Roll on this table when your group, whether together or apart, is out and about in the city and not otherwise engaged on a
specific mission. Good times would be while they go out shopping for supplies or split up to explore. Use your best discretion
on whether the event is right for the moment; rerolls are allowed if nothing was resolved the first time, reroll if you do not
think that the party would respond well at the moment, if events in the city have made the event irrelevant, or ignore it entirely
if your party has enough trouble keeping track of the plots they are already chasing. You are master of Katha now.
1d20 Random Events
d Event
1 You run into a impromptu meeting of the Order of the Scarf, as Stasima (B4) is talking with Maggy (T1) here with the
proprietor about politics and the future of the Order. They are talking about the possibility of organizing a strike and
protest this upcoming holiday to have government contracts distributed more equally.
2 Maddie Turner and Caitlin Wade are walking by with their entourage, guards clearing the streets for the pair to pass.
Maddie should introduce them to Caitlin, who will ask to talk briefly. Since Maddie trusts you, she offers quite a
bounty to bring an important package to her contact in Kirkduff, a village three days walk north. They must be
absolutely secretive in their journey (the package is coated in lead and warded against any magical scrying; inside is
just rocks. Caitlin actually wants to expose the leak in the AS board and this is her ploy, she will reveal as much after
the end of the quest)
3 Thirnan (M2) is being harassed by some local kids who are throwing old produce at her and calling her derogatory
names for being a half-elf. She is miserable and on the edge of crying, but nobody does anything about it and she
can't seem to deal with it herself.
4 Dhysoria (M9) has been cornered by a group of Outsider Tieflings, who are pressuring her to pick a side (meaning
their side) in the struggle. They'll quietly disperse with a few menacing words if they are confronted. Dhysoria will
just want to get out of the area, but if you are kind to her she will explain the nature of the debate between the
Tiefling groups and tell them about her upbringing in Sel's Wall before moving here to Katha since she hopes that
more interaction with Tieflings will show people that they are not evil.
5 You pass by the Dwarven Church, where you hear chants. If the character is Dwarven or follows the same god, or if
not on a Intelligence (Religion) DC 12 check, you recognize that the chant is an old one of thanksgiving for safety.
Inside, a group of the refugee dwarves and a handful of the locals are holding a service.
6 Tattligat (T2) is talking with an old halfling here about the dragon that Testicles slayed years back. The old halfling
remembers seeing the dragon eat his sheep, but seems almost sad that it is gone. The old halfling will recount how
the dragon was a nuisance but also a deterrent and that the villages were worse off after he was gone. If you talk to
Tattligat, he will try thieves' cant and ask if they need anything they can't get elsewhere and suggest his bar.
7 You pass by a yelling match between Amarel (M5) and Naten-el (M6) who are accusing each other of sabotage from
across the road. As soon as they have attracted a small crowd they both sheepishly retreat into their respective
stores. Talking to either will produce about the same results; each believes that the other is the source of the
robberies and vandalism that each is experiencing.
8 You happen to pass by the Unnamed leather tanner (B7) and hear some crying and screams inside. If you rush in, you
will see Preston's goons, Esisso and Onraq, beating Charry Hancey to intimidate him out of town. Esisso and Onraq
should be a tough fight, especially if the whole party is not there. Charry, if saved, will just want to leave town.
9 You walk into a negging contest as two halfling women both pursuing Mannford Sheridan (M7) are politely
interacting with scathing sarcasm and blatant disdain. Mannford is awkwardly stuck there in the middle, literally.
10 In a blacksmith or similar, you bump into Kadgid (M14), the music teacher from the Katha Conservatory, who is
trying to buy something that will provide his classroom with structural support since the roof is sagging.
11 You pass by a really ridiculously clothed halfling who seems to realize how badly he/she is dressed, but is trying to
play it off. He just left Garso's Finest (M3). Anyone with a noble background will realize the deceit.
12 Forrest (R1) the druid who lives in the grove and who you have never met starts talking to you about the caves below
his grove. He comes off as slightly unhinged, particularly for how he's talking to strangers.
13 Agnes (B1) is begging a local guard for information into the investigation as to her wife's murder.
14 A drunk halfling in the bar invites everyone there to a house party, which will be attended by much of the idle rich.
15 Wandering through a seedier part of the new town, a group of the Orange Hand tries to shakedown the passer-by for
protection money. They'll be much more aggressive the fewer people there are.
16 A flier has been put up advertising a job for adventurers; clear out a bandit camp. Report to Rodney Byrd at
Amalgamated Shipping for more information.
17 You hear some muffled crying down an alleyway. A few halfling kids say that they ran from their home village when a
dragon attacked and destroyed the whole town. They are the only survivors as far as they know.
18 All five of the married adults of the Timurovich family (B8) are having a romantic meal out, drawing looks from
everyone else passing by. Oleg seems to find the attention hilarious and heckles the ones who stare.
19 You see some of the workers of Katha Construction (M8) setting the foundation for a new building with magic. If
there are any mages present, young Logan will be very curious and take a break to ask questions about everything.
13 20 Bold pirates/bandits, hangers on from the old times, attack the town!
Appendix B: Maps
I'm no artist, give me a break. Fortunately, somebody has and has made a prettier version of one of them! Thanks /u/Causa21!
Katha: Old City

14
 Buried City

Acknowledgements
Thanks first to NaturalCrit and the Homebrewery for making this pretty.
Thanks again to /u/Causa21 for his redo of the map of Katha! For those of you who did not see the original, it was bad.
Thanks to /r/DnDBehindTheScreen community of subs and users for their constant encouragement, material, and advice,
in both this and all my other D&D endeavors, published and otherwise.
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Thanks as well to my players who play tested this and put up with me every week.