The Drow War Book Two. The Dying Of - RoseRed

4
island of Chillhame, then in the land of Caldraza where
the drow had hatched a wicked and cunning plot. They
had placed a doppelganger on the throne of Caldraza
to impersonate the King. This impostor had signed
treaties with the drow, opening Caldraza up to them and
allowing them to use the country as a power base.
With hard fighting, bravery and clever tactics, the
Player Characters destroyed the impostor and broke
the Terror’s hold on Caldraza. The Terror herself was
defeated shortly afterward in a final massive attack,
though the cost may have been terrible indeed.
Player Levels
The Player Characters should be no lower than 10 th
level when they begin this adventure and ideally no
higher than 12 th . If they have somehow managed to
finish the last section of the campaign without reaching
10 th level, then a story award to bring them up to this
level is entirely legitimate; alternatively, they can earn
experience by hunting down stragglers from the drow
army.
Although it is possible to play The Drow War, Book
Two: The Dying of the Light without having run the first
book, we strongly recommend that this adventure be
played after The Drow War, Book One: The Gathering
Storm rather than as a standalone, as it requires a good
deal of background information.
The Aftermath of Victory
After the Player Characters’ defeat of House Arakh in
the events of Book One, it seems that there will be a
time of peace and recovery. The kingdom of Caldraza
temporarily calls a truce with its less civilised neighbour,
Ghael; the armies of the Chthonic Alliance, broken and
confused without the Terror to lead them, retreat from
the light back into the darkness below Chillhame.
Following the decisive battle at Underdell, the Player
Characters should be given a few days to rest, recover
and re-equip themselves. They now have a chance to
spend their reward for saving the throne of Caldraza (if
they received one) and may wish to visit any property
that they have bought or been awarded.
News and Rumours
While the Player Characters are resting and preparing,
reports reach them of developments in other parts of
the world.
• The Chthonic Alliance has abandoned Chillhame
and fled back below ground. There are celebrations
in the streets and the Player Characters are honoured
with heroic (and wildly exaggerated) songs in the
taverns. Eyewitness reports describe the drow and
duergar forces fleeing as if in fear, though the human
opposition was no stronger than before. Most of the
citizens are so happy that they do not question the
invader’s motives, though some are saying that it
means something worse is yet to come.
• Ships docking in Crescent City have reported
encountering floating debris on the ocean, the
remains of other ships smashed to pieces. Wreckage
has begun to wash up on the shores of Jehannum.
Strangely, there have been fewer reports of pirate
activity than before. Perhaps some new threat is
targeting pirates and merchant shipping alike.
• The dwarves of Svarth have seen smoke rising
from distant mountains in their country, as if forges
other than their own were being worked. Nobody
but a small population of grey dwarves is known
to live in those areas, yet the smoke rises all day
and all night. Either the grey dwarves are working
hammer and tongs on some massive undertaking
or there is something else smouldering under the
mountainside.
Information: Why Was Chillhame
Abandoned?
The real reason for this panicked retreat is not fear of
the humans but fear of the other drow houses. If House
Arakh had succeeded, its presumption in breaking its
exile would have been forgotten, since it would have
proven that it carried the favour of the Dark.
However, since the Terror has been destroyed, House
Arakh now appears as a collection of upstarts and fools
who have moved against the upper world and given them
warning before the Ennead can begin its own invasion.
Now it can expect no mercy at the hands of its fellow
drow. Its only hope is to retreat to Arakh Mur and hope
that the humans are able to defeat the drow before they
destroy House Arakh.
The Player Characters should have a chance to learn
this, as it will add an undertone of dread to their victory
and remind them that they have won a battle but not
the war. Surviving drow warriors can beg them to
be allowed to return home or even plead for political
asylum. They will explain that any punishment the
Player Characters can devise is bound to seem like
paradise itself compared to the perverse tortures that
their fellow drow will dream up.
Ibon Presno Gonzalez (order #73006) 8