The Hollow Threshold is one of several unstable portals created by the Cult of the Eclipse to connect the Material Plane to the Shadowfell. Each portal is anchored by a powerful artifact steeped in darkness, and maintained through fear, ritual magic, and the weakening of the Elven barrier.

🕳️ Description

A desolate and warped location, where the natural world seems to fray at the edges. Light bends strangely, shadows stretch too far, and the very air feels hollow—as though something essential has been removed. This eerie terrain marks the boundary between planes.

1. 🌞 Duel in the Golden Light

Objective: Confront Manus at the summit of the Feywild mountain and secure the First Kiss of the Midday Sun, the radiant essence needed to reforge Summer’s Edge.

Location: Mountain peak in the Feywild, beneath the eternal summer sun.

Narrative Beat: The Blade Remembers

• As the Fey sun reaches its zenith, Skreek feels compelled to draw the shattered hilt of Summer’s Edge.
• The shards begin to glow faintly, and he experiences a vision of Eirik, the blade’s first wielder, receiving the sword from the Queen of the Summer Court.
• The warmth of the sword lingers, foreshadowing its rebirth.
• Manus arrives unaware of the sword’s legacy, taunting Skreek for carrying a broken relic.

Outcome:

“Fall Festival” in Japanese

Tavern run by Hencelle

A beautiful beer garden, nestled among serene Japanese maple trees of red and orange

A minion is a weak foe designed to allow GMs to create dramatic combat encounters with hordes of enemies without overwhelming the characters. In fact, an encounter with minions makes characters feel heroic since they can take on a myriad of foes and live to tell the tale. However, minions still make threatening foes. Killing a minion still requires penetrating their defenses, and characters can’t just shrug off damage from minion attacks. So how do minions make running a horde of enemies quick and easy for the GM?

Encounters with the Cult

1. Initial Skirmishes: Early encounters with cultists and lower-ranking members of the Cult of the Eclipse can help the party gain experience and gather intelligence.
2. Mid-tier Leaders: As the party progresses, they can face mid-tier leaders and more formidable cultists, each encounter increasing in difficulty and complexity.
3. Major Confrontations: Key battles, such as the one with the Black Dragon Sorcerer, can serve as significant milestones, offering substantial experience and rewards.

Missions for Reforging Summer’s Edge

1. Finding the Smiths: The journey to locate the great Smiths of the Summer Court can involve several quests and encounters with creatures or obstacles in the Elven Forest.
2. Gathering Materials: Collecting rare and powerful materials needed for reforging the sword can involve dungeon crawls, battles with powerful guardians, and solving intricate puzzles.
3. Trials of Worthiness: Proving their worth to the Smiths can involve completing a series of challenging trials, each designed to test different aspects of the party’s abilities.

Quests Related to the Chained Library

1. Proving Worth to the Massa’Ista: The series of quests given by the information guild to prove the party’s worth can be diverse and engaging, involving investigation, combat, and diplomacy.
2. Journey to the Chained Library: The journey itself can be an epic adventure, with encounters against natural hazards, powerful enemies, and other seekers of forbidden knowledge.
3. Exploring the Library: Navigating the dangers and mysteries of the Chained Library can be a high-stakes endeavor, filled with traps, powerful guardians, and ancient secrets.

Additional Content

To ensure the party reaches the desired level, you can also include: