The First Thread

## World info

The First Thread is located in the continent Caifam, 4000 years before current time in the world of IDAS, in the Age of Dragons (pre-shattering).

In this one-shot, our heroes are Elves from the Elven Kingdom **Allanora.** These Elves are are dedicated to the study of magic (nature, divine and arcane), history and the accumulation of knowledge.

Their main **enemies** are:

**Myrkthul** to the west. It is the kingdom of **Tazzoroth**, the Green Tyrant (chromatic green dragon). She has **enslaved** humanity and uses them to build monuments and manufacture weapons for her army of draconians;

**Sairaus** to the east. It is the territory of **Byldorog, the Sickened** (chromatic black dragon). She both hunts and enslaves goblins and orcs. Her sickness corrupts the land and turns it grey, trees lose their leaves but still stand, creatures become strangely draconic in nature;

**The Winter's Brood** to the north. It is the territory of **Zoruthax, the Frozen Dread**. (white dragon) He and his brood of dragons, draconians and dragonborn forced the dwarves in the mountains to go underground. They are more animalistic in nature and consider *the hunt* as a sacred part of their essence. **Allanorean cities** are built underground, following the emerald caves that made the dwellings of **Allanor** and his brood. Floating gargantuan stone towers fly above the cities, forts and outposts and are used mainly for defense.

Here are some of these cities:

**Earennae** - The capital city of the Northern section of Allanora. This is where the one-shot begins and where the HQ of the Invesarin are located.

**Celenore** - City in the Northwest. One of the most well defended cities due to constant attacks by the **Winter's Brood** and **Tazzoroth**'s forces;

**Gerendell** - City in the Southwest, close to the border with **Sairaus**. The city holds important enchantments that keep **Byldorog's** sickness at bay. It is full of important scholars and mages that specialize in the enchantment of objects;

**Lothinael** - City in the Eldari Forest, around the eastern side. It is the capital of the Southern section of Allanora. It is built along the roots of great trees.

This Kingdom has 3 orders: The Invesarin, The Si'laerd and The Son'ila'nen

The Invesarin order works as the special operations taskforce of Allanora. They are sent to investigate strange occurrences, document events and retrieve important artifacts, no matter the cost. They are allowed to kill enemies on sight, as long as their presence is concealed and no trail is left behind. To the enemies, they are ghosts. To Allanora, they are the first line of defense.

**The Si'laerd** are scholars at heart. There are quite a few sub-orders specializing in different areas of magic and history;

**The Son'ila'nen** is the military of Allanora. They too are divided in sub-orders. Some are warmages, others are pure soldiers, others tacticians.

## One-Shot Story

Characters:

* Melina
* Deanna
* Yelmaris
* Kiirion

### 01 - Your mission, Invesarin

Starting this one-shot, our group is resting in the Invesarin headquarters when the high observer of the Invilsarin appears saying he has an urgent assignment regarding a disturbing report coming from 3 human refugees in the Drenalin outpost. These humans were rescued running from Myrkthul border forts.

One of them had shown a peculiar behaviour. She is able to communicate in Elvish, which is rare. Ans speaks of a great master that will liberate all from the draconic dominion. And speaks of welcoming the nightmare.

The group is now responsible for talking to her and find out what she means.

The group accepts the mission.

### 02 - Dunnaril Outpost

They take the teleport circle. And immediately encounter an Elvish woman who greets them formally.

With a history check, Daenna and Yelfaris have more information

```
These outposts work as a refuge for humans that manage to escape Myrkthul, but also as garrisons of the Sod’ila’nen, the military forces of Allanora.

There are also researchers of some Si’laerd sub-orders, particularly scholars with interest in medicine, physiology and even psychology. There are more outposts along the river, some of them are even riverports, with more towers above them.

Drannaril Outpost (this one), specifically, has been built on top of a rather large hill, giving it a view of a huge portion of the riverbank beneath. Historically, it’s the only one that has never been attacked by Tazzoroth’s forces.

As for the towers, it is general knowledge to people that combat mages stay within them and move them around. Some, more towards the inside of the kingdom, are also used in research. This one in particular, we know to be armed with very strong emerald arcane cannons. The designs for these weapons all came from knowledge passed down from Allanor.
```

They finally arrive to the room where the 3 humans are standing and an Elvish woman writing frenetically called Cyranna.

**First man** - His name is Dvari Volshtar, he was transported from the southern edges of Myrkhtul to the border fortifications with Allanora, as punishment. His family was left behind. He is a blacksmith by trade and was used to make weapons for the draconians. Work has been increased recently, but the weapons are being moved to the northern edges, to fend off Zoruthax’s frequent raids.

**Second Man** - His name is Anathion Lorikirous. He came from the western coast of Myrkthul, moved to this side a year ago to work on the sylencia. He doesn’t know where his family is. When examined, the strange markings on his skin seem to be gray scales, some of them obsidian.

**About the woman** - She had been frequenting some strange meetings, within the secret caverns the humans had dug beneath the dungeons of Fort Rekthur. They would not dare go, for fear of the Draconians finding out. They thought it might be a plot to strike at them and they weren’t naive enough to believe it to be possible, or to risk their lives on empty promises. One day, this woman came out of these dungeons and began walking, in a trance. Both of them followed her, trying to dissuade her to turn back. As she kept walking, no one noticed her, even the gates opened at the most convenient time and let her through, under the cover of a cart that walked beside her. They followed and eventually came here.

### 02 - The Strange Human

While questioning the woman, she suddentely grabs Melina and says:

"Mortals live a lie. Torn away from our own power. Not harnessing the horrors that live in our minds, a product of years of suffering, of lack of purpose, hidden by our creator.”

We submit to the dragons, as if we didn’t have within us the power to rule over them. As if we are somehow inferior because we are younger. They know not of the things we have created already and how they have gained shape.

The Nightmare will soon arrive. The first thread has been woven. The chosen of Uithar comes and all minds shall be opened to the ultimate truth.”

Cyranna takes out an old book to check about Uithar, translates to oblivion.

They finally receive the directions to Fort Rekthur in Myrkthul, which is but 3 days across the river, due west and a WATER WALKING SCROLL.

### 03 - In to Myrkthul

The group starts their journey and get to the river. They use the scroll of Water Walking and cross the river.

As we get on the other side, the ground is muddy. A strange bog extends past the river, for what seems to be a few miles. Every time you take a step, gas is released from the mud and the water that fills in the footprints you leave behind is green, thick and foamy.

A heavy stench is carried by the wind, one that makes you wince at the first whiff. Pungent, rotten, poisonous.

After 3 days, the group begin to see what they think is Fort Rekthur.

The sky above it is dark… occasionally flashing with lightning, revealing the shapes of the clouds and illuminating the slick walls that surround your target.

Above them, hovering the fort, a flock of wyverns flies in circles, eventually perching on top of the keep that you can see peeking over the walls, standing on higher ground. A thick stone building, with 3 square towers that rise at the corners of its larger centre, all of them covered with metal spikes.

The walls themselves are made of dark, mossy, gray stone and the gates are black and made of damp, dark wood, reinforced with metal. There is also a drawbridge that is currently raised.

There is a moat around the fort, filled with that same greenish water you had seen previously across the realm. (Seen up close, it’s about 15 ft. wide

### 04 - Climb the Walls and Shenanigans

The goal of the group is to fund the dungeon where all the humans are enslaved within the walls of Fort Rekthul.

The group is able to climb the walls and pass through the guards, sneakly. They catch one of the guards for interrogation and with a successfull intimidation check, the guard tells them the dungeon is beneath the keep.

Through the streets of Rekhul, the group passes by through a bunch of guards, distracting as they could.

### 05 - The Dungeon

Arriving at the dungeon entrance, they see 2 big draconians outside of the dungeon. The street doesn't seem to be heavily patrolled but both draconians are larger and with better armor then the ones on the walls.

They manage to put the guards to sleep and proceed to enter.

Inside the dungeon, a 40-foot-wide tunnel curves its way deeper into the hill. They can feel the stench of sweat, mixed with ash and perhaps rotten meat and eggs, swallow you whole, overbearing their senses. Reaching the end of it, they are presented with a bunch of cells and inside the first few that they can see from the entrance, dozens of humans. Each cell almost bursting out, filled to its limits with people.