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The Dragon Hoard: Starlen

Introduction

The morning sun lights upon the party’s skiff as it drifts over a rugged stretch of land half-choked by erratic bursts of strange energy. Below, an old temple complex—broken pillars, toppled arches, and jagged stone walls—sprawls across the earth. Glints of faintly shimmering light play off the cracks in the masonry, hinting at latent planar magic woven through its corridors.

The crew—Jareth, Aure, Sparks, Treesa, Fritz, Coriander, Cobble, Maggie, and Drumma—exchanges uneasy glances as they descend the final yards to the ground. According to Verloise’s spirit, Starlen escaped, but her trove might still survive.

Temple Arrival

“It’s definitely got that old draconic vibe,” Sparks mutters, fiddling with a reading device that fizzles in the aura. “Lots of magical distortion. Enough to make my gizmos go haywire.”

Aure scans the temple’s fallen arches, noticing flickers of ephemeral light dancing in cracks along the walls. “Could be planar tears, or leftover spells Starlen used to, I don’t know, break free?”

“Break free from what? Verloise never said.” Maggie asks quietly, eyes flicking to the tattered symbols etched on the nearest column. “Arkalion? Some bigger threat from the Fey?”

Cobble grimaces. “We only know she was an odd one out. No record of a spirit or final resting place.” He tightens his grip on his warhammer. “Means no friendly ghost, that’s for sure.”

“Not a ghost,” Drumma says firmly, taking in the environment, “but someone else might have beaten us here.”

Scavenger Camp

Past a chunk of fallen statues, the crew spots signs of life: tents, fires, and moving figures scattered among the debris. At least a dozen individuals—scavengers in mix-and-match gear—work with guarded precision, hauling away relics and artifacts from the crumbling halls. The party notices a faint shimmer in the center of the courtyard, possibly some arcane device or ward they’ve erected.

Fritz sighs, pushing past a broken slab to peer at the ragtag operation. “It’s never simple, is it? They’re robbing the place blind already.”

Jareth narrows his eyes at the scavengers. “We’re here by Tharion’s permission. These folk likely aren’t.”

Sparks lowers his gadget. “We find the main hoard, we find Starlen’s heirloom—whatever it is—and get out. That’s the plan.” He glances at Aure. “Or do we try negotiating with them first?”

“Doubt they’ll be friendly,” Treesa mutters, sizing up their defenses. “They’ve got watchposts, look at those sentries. They’re organized.”

“Which means we pick how to handle them,” Coriander says, stoic. “Hit them head-on, sneak in, or play them off each other. Common approach for draconic hoards, right?”

Drumma flexes her shoulders, letting out a deep breath. “If we’re quick and smart, maybe we can slip past. Otherwise, we carve a path. Just don’t let them walk off with Starlen’s legacy.”

Distraction Plan

The crew clusters behind a collapsed archway, rummaging for potions and doing final gear checks. Past the scavengers’ makeshift camp, broken steps lead deeper into the temple’s recesses where, presumably, Starlen’s main vault or hidden trove lies. Planar sparks roll through the air like lazy fireflies, occasionally popping with tiny arcs of violet light.

A hush settles. Jareth sets his jaw. “So… how do we handle this?”

Sparks checks his device once more, a wry grin touching his lips. “They’re definitely messing with some potent stuff down there… probably can’t handle it safely. But if we wait too long, they might cart away everything.”

Maggie watches from behind cover, heart pounding. “We can’t let them claim Starlen’s hoard. It’s meant for Tharion’s cause—and ours.”

Nearby, Aure lays a gentle hand on the warm stone, feeling a hum of old magic. “Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Starlen was said to be introspective, planar, maybe gentle. We can’t let these scavengers twist her final gifts.”

Choices:

• ⚔️ Direct Assault
• 🥷 Stealth & Sabotage
• 🗣 Feign Diplomacy

The crew gathers in a semicircle, each potential saboteur nodding determinedly. Jareth rests a hand on Bellanthia’s Bulwark, ready to shield his comrades if chaos erupts.

“Well,” Coriander says softly, a roguish glint in his eyes, “we only get one chance at a first impression.”

Aure takes a deep breath. “Decide quickly. Every second we lose gives them more time to dismantle Starlen’s secrets.”

Sparks checks his gadget. “Alright then—who’s taking the lead?”

Major Distraction Choices:

• 📖 Aure’s Illusory Spectacle (Arcana or Spellcasting Check) – Conjure phantom invaders or illusions from a safe vantage, forcing the scavengers to chase shadows.
• 🔧 Sparks’ Gadget Meltdown (Arcana or Sleight of Hand Check) – Tinker with their ward generators to stage a small explosion that draws all attention.
• 🎭 Coriander’s Infiltration (Deception Check) – Disguise himself as a low-level guard or mercenary and sow confusion from within the camp.

Aure steadies herself and murmurs an incantation. Phantom shapes appear along the far side of the ruins—blurry, draconic apparitions creeping through debris with hushed commands. A scavenger sentinel shouts, and more rush over to confront the ghostly menace.

“That’s our cue,” Jareth whispers, motioning for the group to move. Holding the illusions steady, the crew slips behind toppled statues and mossy rubble.

They nearly reach a collapsed archway on the far side when a lone guard is spotted near stacked crates. The crew takes cover behind a broken column.

Guard Distraction Options:

• 🥷 Coriander’s Stealthy Lead – Guide everyone past in a quiet detour.
• 🤜 Drumma’s Swift Knockout – Deliver a quick knockout blow before the guard can shout.
• 🤺 Cobble’s Duel – Challenge the guard to single combat to draw him away.

Time is short, and one misstep could bring the entire camp down on them.

Hidden Entrance

Aure’s illusions keep most scavengers occupied as the party skirts rows of half-torn tents and arcane devices. They reach the jagged remains of an old statue, half sunken into the ground, sheltering a small cluster of supply crates. Just as Coriander signals for a turn, an alert guard appears. Before he can shout, Cobble intervenes: “I’m going to knock you out now,” he declares, and with a swift hammer blow, the guard falls unconscious.

Drumma rushes in to ease the guard to the ground, ensuring no alarm is raised. Jareth adjusts Bellanthia’s Bulwark. “So far so good. Let’s keep moving.”

Fritz tugs on the corner of a toppled marble plinth, revealing a hidden trap door beneath the rubble. A faint shimmer of wards lingers around its edges—a sign of older, elaborate magic. “Looks like a secret entrance,” Fritz murmurs. “Might be Starlen’s personal passage.”

Treesa stands guard while Maggie examines the rune-etched door. “This could lead right into Starlen’s deeper secrets—her library or vault,” she says.

Sparks adds, “Could be full of knowledge or relics… or more wards. But it’s definitely not on the scavengers’ map.”

Jareth presses his ear to the hatch. “So what’s the call?”

The crew glances around. There’s still plenty of treasure in plain view—but the trap door might lead to Starlen’s true legacy, hidden from the raiders. The illusions waver, a reminder that time is short.

Final Choice:

• 🪜 Descend into the Secret Library – Risk what lies beneath, trusting it holds the true heart of Starlen’s hoard.
• 🏴‍☠️ Gather the Treasures Here and Escape – Secure the valuables in sight before the camp becomes too dangerous.

Secret Library

The crew clambers down the hidden hatch into a vast, winding library buried deep beneath the temple’s rubble. Stone shelves laden with ancient tomes and scrolls glisten with drifting astral motes; faint star-like glyphs illuminate the cracks in the floor.

Aure runs her hand along delicate parchment. “Starlen must’ve filled this place with everything she learned before... whatever happened.”

Sparks gently lifts a half-broken mechanical globe, eyes shining. “Even her lesser devices look beyond anything those scavengers upstairs could manage.”

Jareth, shield in hand, surveys the chamber for traps. “If she wanted this hidden, she did a good job.”

Drumma, Maggie, and Fritz explore side alcoves filled with trinkets. Cobble stands near a raised dais, reverently tracing draconic lettering. Suddenly, Treesa brushes a tarnished astral projector—light flares, and arcs of astral energy swirl into a slender, dragon-shaped silhouette that materializes overhead.

Starlen’s Message

A gentle voice fills their minds:

“You found my sanctuary. I am Starlen. I fled our father’s grip, building this haven to protect what I learned. I have watched you venture through my siblings’ hoards, and I sense your purpose.

If only we had stood together, my brothers and sisters and I... But bonds were broken. Still, I have prepared another path—a child of mine, yet unaware of the burden they carry or their lineage. I guide them from afar, hoping they might help free Tharion from his torment and temper Arkalion’s ambition.”

Starlen’s shimmering form glides to a small pedestal where a pair of ornate boots appear, faint starlight rippling across their surface.

“Take these. Speak a single thought, and you may walk as though solid ground lies beneath your feet—air or water matters not. Let them grant you freedom where I once sought my own.”

The vision fades, leaving only motes of glowing dust behind. Coriander lifts the boots in awe. “She’s gone… but she left us these kicks.”

Final Decision

As the crew explores a side chamber at the back of the library, Sparks notices a relic of Starlen’s old security system—a rusted mechanism tethered to runes carved across the walls. One flip of its lever would unleash a catastrophic surge through the temple’s wards, eliminating every scavenger above and leaving the entire hoard at the party’s disposal. Yet such a blast would be lethal.

"We don't need anything else, right?" Maggie asks. "Wots da harm, guvnuhs?"

"The treasure they take might help turn the tide... or at least fund more jobs to help people," Treesa says thoughtfully.

"There's no honor in pressing a button to end lives," Cobble replies in his gravelly voice.

Choices:

• 🔴 Pull the Lever and Kill the Bandits – More items and gold, but at a terrible cost.
• 👋 Leave Quietly with the Library Spoils – Gather 6 items total and 1000 gp per person, sparing the scavengers.

Quietly, the crew exits the library the way they came, passing the ominous security mechanism. A lingering hush settles as they exchange uneasy looks—relieved they won’t throw lives away for extra loot. Jareth shifts Bellanthia’s Bulwark, Aure hugs the salvaged scrolls and tomes, and Sparks carefully balances a chest of lesser curios.

They slip through a side door hidden behind layers of crumbled stone. Drumma and Cobble support the load while Fritz and Treesa keep watch. Coriander stands guard at the rear, ensuring no one follows. Maggie exhales a soft sigh as they step into fresh air—relief that the dark weight of the temple is behind them.

Far above, in the Astral Realm, Starlen drifts on a current of starlight. Her consciousness flickers through distant memories—Dolos’s final, mirthful grin; Bellanthia’s proud form crumbling; Verloise’s last sacrificial breath. Each face lingers in her mind, and gentle sadness wells up in her cosmic gaze. Yet a faint hope kindles too—hope that this new band, guided by the relics of her siblings’ hoards, might mend what was broken and help Tharion’s family escape the Dragon Titan’s shadow.

The pirates move on, letting the faint glow of the setting sun guide them. They leave behind a temple that still holds secrets but spare the scavengers from utter destruction. In the deserted corridors, starry sparks flicker along ancient walls, echoing Starlen’s watchful vigil far beyond mortal sight. Though tragedy clings to her family’s name, she holds on to the promise that their pain may soon find an end.

Treasure

The crew uncovers a cache of wondrous items among the salvaged relics—treasures that preserve Starlen’s legacy. Below are the legendary items they recover: