Vincent Yau Andreas Walters

Credits
Director
Andreas Walters
Core Art
Vincent Yau
Writers
Elizabeth Chaipraditkul Ryan Schoon
Scott Vandervalk Sarah Richardson
Ben McFarland Ben Woerner
Editors Proofreader
Scott Vandervalk Alison Corboy
John Adamus
Extra Art
Eric Quigley
Jeff Brown John Devlin
Eren Arik Dean Spencer

© 2018 Metal Weave Games Inc.

EMBERS OF THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM, also known as EMBERS, its contents
and logo are trademarks of Metal Weave Games in the U.S.A. and other countries.
All Metal Weave Games characters and character names, and the distinctive
likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Metal Weave Games. Reproduction of this book
and its contents are forbidden.

Some stock art by Art by Dean Spencer & Jeff Brown

© 2018 Dean Spencer and used with permission. All rights reserved..
© 2018 Jeff Brown and used with permission. All rights reserved..
 Navigation
Introduction 6

The Cycle of Kingdom Ember 16

Core Characters 22
Brennin, The Last Lord 25
Ceidwen, Reaper of Ash 31
Cliodhna, The Earl of Aderyn 37
Maeve, Queen of Winter 41

Major Characters 44
Caddell, Last Prince of Summer 47
Rhonwen, The Fatesealer Witch 51
Atkond, The Sundered Duke 55
Tylwyth, The Crystal Sage 57

Castle Ember 58

The Vitreous Wood 74

Abbey Marowlyth 86

The Royal Mausoleum 98

The Forlorn Cove 110

The Fate Marshes 120

 Special Thanks
To Our Kickstarter Backers
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Audrey Cox Colin VInyard Filipe Cunha Jatavius D. Harris
Aurélien LENGRAND Colleen Riley Florian Hollauer Jay “Doughnut” Richards
Austin W Hoffman Dan “Spite” Luck Forrest D. Johnson Jay Airey Howl
Axile Daniel Enderle Francisco Martinez JC Hawley
Bazza Baker Daniel J A Peterson Frank Gawryla of the Jeff Brooks
Bear Weiter Daniel Leete Poison Swamp Level Jeff W Shiflett
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4
Jerrod Rose Jr. Marc Plourde Pierrick BOYER Steve Sick
Jimmy the Mushy Brain Marcus Hutchings Pinky the Paleontologist Steven “Sammeal”
Jinnapat Mark Craddock Quasi Reinhart
Treejareonwiwat Mark Morrison Quentin Bell Steven A.
Jitse Paping Matt Lee Raquel Orozco Torres-Roman
Joël “Mabana” Wenger Matt Masten Razmooten Steven K. Watkins
Joel Marco Matthew Redfuji6 Steven Thesken
Johanne Skjerven “J Wall” Wallace Reid Tennis StormbringerGT
John “Verren” Ham Matthew Clarke Reto M. Kiefer Sven Huber
John Bjornstad III Matthew Swinburne Rhel ná DecVandé T. Hall
John D. Kennedy Matthew Warnock Richard Fraser Talvisto
John Pyrich Megan “M5” Richard Gant Taras Dunin
John R. Trapasso Matta methylDragon RiTides TastyMusic
John-Michael MeU/Once RJMull Teodor Knigge
Warkentin Michael (Twit32) Miller Rob Deobald and Thalji
Jonathan Romulo Michael A. Baird Rachelle Shelkey Thanatopsis
Geronimo Michael Bedggood Robert J Duncan IV De'Bergerack
Jonathan Smith Michael Ehmer Robert J Schea Thibaut Mereu
Jonathan Tan Michael Lusty-Smith Robert R. Monroe Thom Duda
Jordan (Sendo) Hardy Michael Salt Robert Smith Thomas Edgerton
Jordan White Mike Greszler Robobones Thomas Lee Bunting
Jörn Kiwitt Mike Piazza Rod Holdsworth Thomas Madge
Joseph Le May Mildred Gothington Roufus Thomas Milazzo
Josh Rensch Milow LeBlanc Ruben Caparros Perez Thorin of Grimfells
Josh Sheridan Talley Mitch Barry RumDrum Tim Lund
Josh Thunder Morgan Gate-Leven Ryan Crowe Timothy Baker
Joshua Bailey Mr. Toothbrush Ryan Linegar Todd Gibel
Joshua Flippen Nat Skinner Ryan Seratt Tomas Burgos-Caez
Joshua Hatfield Nathan Smith Ryan William Parsons Tomas Denemark
Joshua Ridens Neal Tanner Saajan Patel Trip S
JOSHUAKING Nicholas Barber Sabastian Wilkinson Troy Ellis
JT Scott Nicholas Harvey Sam Sarphatie Tyler Brenman
Juliano de Souza Silva Nick Colombo Sam Ziemer Tyler Guthire
Jürgen Mayer Nick Orosz Sarah S. U. Peter
Kaffeesaurus_Rex Nickolaus “BossRush” Sarah “Seraph” Howes UniKage
Kate Bullock Hairston Saverio Iacono Vandel
Kateri Ander Oakarms Scott E. Robinson “Mapforge” Arden
Kendrick Hernandez Oskar “Ogge” Carlsson Scott Krammer Veetalin
Kevin J. Lee Pádraig Branagan Scott Maynard Victor Mahnic
Kevin Kalenda Pandemonium Scott Sysol Viktor “Merroth” Halasz
Kieran Kowalski Games and Hobbies Scott Vandervalk Vincent Noiseux
Kordramath Patricio Aguilera Scotts Barbarossa Logic Virosh Lich
Kyle Gutshall Patrick & Sarah Pilgrim Sean Anderson Vojtech Pribyl
Kyle Hart Patrik Byhmer Sean Izaakse Warrick
Lai Ling Ling Paul Lukianchuk Sean Mackey Weil
Lamalord Paul Schifferer Sean Patrick Hagen “Pedroichi” Sebastian
Laura Wilkinson Paul Spindler Seriok Wesley Wiegreffe
Lauren Boland Paul Steffens Shane Fergus William Buxton
Leandra Christine Pedro Grana Shaun Varsos William
Schneider Carmona (Porlakh) Shawn Polka “comfy socks” Swindells
Leo Lima Pedro barrenechea Silas McDermott William J. Holton
Lester Ward “the statmonkey” Simon English Wright S. Johnson
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5
 I ntroduction

Cradle of Thorns
A constantly writhing flower of animated wood and
thorns, beset in its heart is a glowing orb. Some sorcerers
recognize this as Aderyn pearl, a focus for dark sorceries and
blasphemous bindings.

6
Note from the creator
I want to thank everyone who helped make this book a
reality. I remember back when I first picked up Dark Souls,
I almost immediately put it back down. It took me several
months before I got back into the game again, after which I
had followed the Extra Credits blind playthrough to finally
understand how the gameplay worked and why people loved
it. Even before I played the game, I was drawn into the lore
of Dark Souls. Videos created by VaatiVydas, SilverMont,
Hawkshaw and many others were of great inspiration to push
me into creating the tabletop version of the soulsian epic.
Thank you for your support, especially our backers, and I
hope you enjoy the book!

Andreas Walters
Creative Director & Producer

7
 I nspiration of E mbers
W hat is E mbers ?
reading environmental clues, talking to non-
Embers of the Forgotten Kingdom, or “Embers”
player characters (NPCs) (often multiple times),
for short, is our tabletop homage to the Dark
and uncovering bits of lore hidden in item
Souls franchise. It consists of an interconnected
descriptions. What makes this presentation even
web of characters set in a fictional region
more fascinating are the narrative gaps, which
designed to be used in tabletop fantasy
lead to the lore being “incomplete,” forcing the
roleplaying games. In this book you will find
players to draw their own conclusions with the
only worldbuilding and lore, so the game is not
information they have collected.
tied to any particular game system or setting.
This flexibility allows you, the GM (or inspired If this sounds interesting to you, I would highly
player), to use the contents of this book no recommend giving the game a try. It’s best
matter the type of game you play. if done blind—but remember to take it slow.
If you’re still having trouble like I did, then
If you’re looking for a rules-primer, we have a
check out some of the streams or playthroughs
number of PDF-system companions that will
(YouTube channel, Extra Play, does a great
give you a few mechanics ideas and stats for the
playthrough called Dan Sucks at Dark Souls).
characters and creatures within Embers to use in
your campaign
D efining the S oulsian
W hat I nspired E mbers ? Much how H. P. Lovecraft or Franz Kafka
defined their own genres, Dark Souls did the
The video game Dark Souls, produced by From
same with its games, defining a new genre (the
Software and first released in 2011, is a pivotal
soulsian or souls-like, as mentioned above).
inspiration to this book. In fact, the series
There is some debate on how much a genre can
has helped inspire a new genre of game, the
really progress, based on how closely the name
“Soulsian,” or more commonly known as the
of the genre compares to its founder, but that’s a
“Souls-like.”
conversation for another day. When most try to
If you are new to Dark Souls, it is a near- describe what defines the souls-like genre, often
apocalyptic western fantasy roleplaying game. the following aspects are given:
You are a nameless undead with a forgotten
• Deliberate combat with action warm-ups,
past, marked by a mysterious curse. Upon
animation priority and stamina management
being released from your prison, you set forth
on a great adventure to fulfil a prophecy, and • Unknowable and obtuse story and lore
supposedly, rid yourself and the land of an (emergent narrative)
undying curse. What makes the game unique • Dropping XP on death
is its “tough but fair” combat and its method
• Difficulty (usually due to the combat)
of revealing lore to the player. In the way of
combat, Dark Souls is fairly simple and all When it comes to a more thematic analysis,
characters operate this way. Each attack has I believe it has been best distilled by Mike
a wind-up and takes time, so each attack is a Rugnetta, host of PBS Idea Channel, who
commitment, and making a mistake is nothing describes it as “a world on the brink, pervaded
but your own fault. By dying a lot, the player by difficulty and ruin, both: individual, societal
embarks upon a repetitive cycle of learning, and spiritual.”
dying, retrying and mastering. And finally, my
favorite piece: the narrative presentation
(don’t worry, no spoilers here). The game
is passive in its presentation of lore, so
much so that the player has to seek
it out by interpreting architecture,

8
I ntroduction
Individual are necessary to dive into the structure,
You and those who have survived are symbolism and meanings found in the game.
combating against all odds in a world that has If you’re looking to do some research of your
only stagnated. As you die again and again, you own, I highly recommend picking up the
lose sight of not only your purpose but your Handbook of Japanese Mythology by Michael
own identity as well. Some cling onto purpose Ashkenazi.
or something else that is precious to them, but
that only makes the mind last a little longer. Quest for the Status Quo
Most have already succumbed to their madness In Japanese mythology, an act is committed
either in totality or in cackling laughter, that sets the story in motion, of which it is the
knowing that all is for naught. hero’s goal to set things right and return the
status quo, be it restoring honor or bringing
Societal balance. The status quo does not have to be
Government and society has, for the most part, good, it just needs to be restored. Heroes
crumbled. Although the castles and cathedrals sacrifice themselves to restore order to society
may still stand, the groups of people that in these types of stories, unlike in western epics
enforced and served these governments have all where they are the catalyst for a change to the
since fallen apart. Those who bore a namesake, status quo of a society. The idea that a right and
a rank or a birthright may attempt to hold onto proper functioning society is, or should be, the
the past, serving their duty until the very end. status quo is a very Buddhist ideal with aspects
Whatever institutions that once persisted may of the Shinto balance with nature.
only be standing in stone, and any relevance to
rank or birthright has been lost, only claimed by Perspective on the Soul
those who deem them worth persisting. In Shintoism, it is believed that everything is
connected together and each thing has a kami
Spiritual or a soul. The ocean has a kami, the rivers that
The gods crafted this world and kingdom, run into that ocean have kami, the trees and
ruling as righteous lords of light and justice. rocks that it cuts through have kami, and even
Ever since the onset of the curse, they have the tiniest pebble, insect and bacteria have a
slowly disappeared from public view as kami, but also an entire forest of trees has a
everything turned to dust. Some loyalties kami. There are even kami for concepts like
remain, but faith has been lost, faith that one martial arts, superheroes, and even Japan itself.
day the gods will return things to the way they In many senses, it’s similar to a Platonic view
once were—the gods have abandoned the land. of reality. Thus, even if the corporeal form is
destroyed, the kami or soul can continue if
C ultural I nfluences there is even a small memory of the thing that
Dark Souls lore is both “obtuse and once existed.
unknowable,” rife with emergent narrative and
plenty of narrative gaps for players to come to Relationships and Objects
their own conclusions. The narrative gaps were If everything is/has a kami then every
inspired by Hidetaka Miyazaki’s childhood (the relationship between every single thing is
game’s director), where, in an interview he talks important, and the combination of kami via
about reading western stories and fairytales, objects and their owners alters the story of
but due to his lack of English comprehension, each and every one in that relationship. Every
the stories he was reading were full of gaps, and soul is changed by their relationship, even the
thus he filled them with his own imagination. weapons and the armor worn by the heroes
When it comes to the structure of the stories, and villains. Illuminating the story of what
it’s not as obscure as it may seem. Dark Souls is has come before can be done by the objects
a western RPG made by a Japanese studio, and themselves bringing enlightenment to the
thus the synchronistic view of Japanese beliefs benighted.
that combine Buddhist, Shinto, Christian, and
other religious and mythological concepts

9
 M aking the S oulsian
Most video-game settings are inspirational, Forlorn Thematics
equipped with diverse mechanics, and full of Soulsian characters are known for being
memorable experiences, ones that any player survivors in a ruined, overlooked realm.
would love to bring to the table. Unfortunately, Characters encountered in the realm are at the
this task is not that easy or as straightforward as brink of insanity. Those who have persevered
we’d like it to be. Some video-game mechanics usually latch on to a single ideal or goal, for
just don’t work well in a tabletop group setting any waiver may lead them to forgetting their
and quite often an eager gamemaster (GM) duty and who they themselves are. The land
will fall into a trap attempting to retool their itself resembles that of a ruined romanticised
favorite tabletop RPG to fit every single medieval kingdom, featuring gothic
game mechanic that exists in the video game. “megalithic” architecture. Buildings will vary
Although we encourage you to hack as much in wholeness but a majority of them will be
of the game system as possible, pushing it to its traversable.
limits, we have found that players don’t need
all the mechanics in the video game at the table Storytelling Through Objects
to feel like they’re playing in the desired video Soulsian games are renowned for their opt-
game universe. Just a few notable mechanics is in narrative where item descriptions provide
often enough for players to feel immersed in the some insight into the world and the events that
world. occured. Upon inspection or attunement, some
In emulating the soulsian, there are a few items may reveal pieces of information for the
aspects that help to solidify the tone and feel players to begin piecing together various facets
of the setting. Not all of these concepts need to of the realm and its history.
be implemented, so feel free to pick and choose
what you think your group will enjoy the most. S oulsian M echanics
Death and Difficulty
GM ing the S oulsian
Although difficulty (and subsequently dying)
As a gamemaster of a soulsian game, there are a is part of the core experience of soulsian games,
number things to keep in mind as you try your this does not translate into a good tabletop
best to inspire and draw your players into your experience.
soulsian world.
Combat encounters are expected to be difficult
Discover As You Go and perhaps even punishing. Death, on the
Players are thrust into the unknown, attempting other hand, can really depend on the game
to make sense of the events that brought about system and group; however, we find the most
the curse and trying to discover some way to enjoyable experience is keeping death to a rare
undo it, or at least find a cure themselves from occurrence, and this thus makes those specific
its effects. Conversations with characters will deaths more meaningful.
not reveal all information but rather provide a
nuanced perspective. Experience As Currency
Instead of granting experience points and gold
(or whichever in-game currency you’re using),
merge them into a single resource. Players
We have made system companions of can then use this currency to purchase gear,
your favorite tabletop RPG systems, of upgrades as well as leveling up. In Dark Souls,
which we go into more technical detail this is souls. Powerful individual souls may
in working these aspects to your crystallize and persist even after their death,
advantage while working within an opportunity for players to use as a higher-
those rulesets. value currency (like a gem), or to consume if the
experience is needed.
10
I ntroduction
If the party ends up dying (which should be
avoided for the most part), it’s up to you to
either have the players retain their experience
or drop it where they died so they must recover
it. Or even possibly the creature that killed them
“collects” their experience.

Growing Insanity
The oppressive nature of the soulsian setting
drives its inhabitants, who are often lacking
in motivation or devoted to madness. This
progression to madness can take the form of a Humanity
thematic penalty that occurs after death or even Once part of the greater soul that was broken
as an occasional test of will, making the party apart and given to humankind, humanity is
“suffer” from pressuring hopelessness. separate from the soul, and not everyone has
it. Consuming humanity can help remove the
Bonfires ailments of growing insanity, or even provide a
A symbol of safety and respite. These are temporary boost to the characters who consume
locations that should be considered safe by the it. Those who have consumed lots of humanity
players. These locations should be places where also tend to draw unwanted attention from
the party can take a brief rest or even where those both within this world and those outside
player characters can make offerings to the fire of it.
for short-term benefits.
Outsiders
Beings from outside worlds are drawn to
this cursed realm, some seeking to consume
humanity, souls or something else entirely—
no-one really knows. What is known for certain
is that those with a lot of humanity tend to
attract these beings.

11
 R unning E mbers
Embers is sandbox setting, meaning that there We have listed them all here for your reference:
is no specific way to run this book. Rather, the • Bartun the Bold (page 61)
GM can start the players at any location or by
introducing any character. We have organized • Gorwedd the Guardian (page 62/63)
the book so that you learn about the backstories • Stargazer Telanuon (page 90)
and motives of each of the key characters so • Wayside Golem (page 91)
that you can use them best, and as you see fit.
This, hopefully, should in no way constrain • The Stewards of the Luminous Circle (page 92)
you from adapting, altering or making use of • Kor the Many Voiced (page 93)
these characters or their stories in different
• Death Agari (page 101)
ways. If you feel like you just want to use a
single (or several) character concept in your • The Brachyura (page 114)
campaign, we’re happy to have provided you • The Deep Ones (page 115)
that inspiration.
• Satyr Mwars (page 123)
B ook of B osses • The Drake of Marowlyth (page 124)
When we first set off on this project, the book • The Bloodletter Fiend (page 126)
of bosses was our first approach. We decided to • Byrnhorn, Overlord of Steel (page 133)
expand the narrative and lore in order to create
more interconnectedness and depth to better G etting S tarted
match the soulsian style we were aiming to
achieve. As with many good stories found in novels,
or roleplaying or computer games, the main
As for bosses, this book is all about the characters arrive on the scene near a point of great
inspiration material, and there is a lot of it here! change to the established setting. These characters
In this context, the lore and locations won’t are catalysts for change, or are even there to
mean much to you; however, you will find prevent it. And so it should be with
great value in the Abilities, Motivations and Embers. The realm is broken,
Tactics sections for each of the Core Characters. and there are many forces at
Major Characters are also fairly fleshed out, but work that might destroy it
not as well-defined. utterly. The characters who
In addition, sprinkled throughout the book are engage with this setting
some other illustrations that would make great have the opportunity to
encounters for your players. bring it back from the
edge, or push it over
completely into an
uncertain future.

12
I ntroduction
 If some ideas don’t click with the GM,
R unning the R egion
discard them and rework them into
The Realm of Ember is meant to act like a something that does work for you or your
place in stasis, in which the player characters group. Don’t be afraid to change and tweak
enter and change things in some fashion, for things. The ideas here are meant to provide any
better or worse, or even take advantage of this number of possibilities that resonate with your
stagnant realm, depending on their outlook. group.
To this effect, a lot of important NPCs and
even background characters are in some sort of Arrival in Ember
prolonged or stasis existence, be that summer- There are a number of ways that the PCs come
cursed (being physically reborn after death, to be in Ember. They might:
but coming back more corrupted each time),
fae (long-lived beings), or undead (either as a • be shipwrecked on or near the Forlorn Cove
physical undead or as a spirit). Some of these • be summoned magically by one of Ember’s
important NPCs are also in a place where their NPCs
memory of events or their purpose is forgotten • have journeyed across the border from
in some way, giving the possibility of the player another land
characters interacting with those characters and
enabling them to find what has been forgotten. • already be a resident of the Realm of Ember.
In this way, it’s the actions of the PCs that
restores these NPCs, and this would give the
PCs an ally or a source of information in Ember.
The book has a core story, a situation that might
be presented to the player characters who enter
this dark realm. This story outlines the reasons
why the Realm of Ember currently exists in
its current condition. The player characters
can explore the realm and interact with NPCs,
and start to piece together what has happened
to Ember and to the key NPCs connected
to this story. With this information, further
investigation might occur into major NPCs and
locations, and the PCs might eventually settle
on a plan on how to address the problems at
the heart of Ember. While there are a number of
possibilities on how Ember could be “fixed,”
these are only suggestions, and you and your
group might devise other
interesting ways to address
Ember’s situation.
While there is a central
story that can be resolved,
Embers is also meant to
act as a sandbox setting.
It provides numerous
ideas to help spark the
GM’s and the players’
imaginations, from the
history of the setting, to a
range of interesting locations,
characters, and opportunities
that could be combat
opportunities or roleplaying
opportunities.

13
 Lore in Ember
Lore is presented in a way to give the base
overview to set the scene. Additional elements
of lore may be found later under different
characters and locations. Not all lore is
stringently defined, allowing gaps for the GM
and players to fill in as needed. Some of the lore
is meant to hint at possibilities that can likewise
be tweaked into what fits for how this story is
run by your group.
Certain elements of the setting of Ember are
left vague, so they can more easily be dropped
into a campaign you’re already be running,
or adapted as needed for your own group.
For example, elements such as religion—the
Pontifex as the leader of the religion and
spiritual advisor to the king—but the details of
the religion are kept vague on purpose.
Many elements of Embers are presented in an
almost archetypal fashion and not altogether
specific (the Forlorn Cove, the Solemn
Graveyard, and so on). More specific names
could be given, but it was thought it would be
easier like this to tap into for different groups.
Purpose in Ember As your group journeys to different locations
What are the player characters doing in Ember? in Ember, you might give more specific names
Their motivations might include some of the to these places, to your particular version of
following. Ember.
• Survival (the PCs are shipwrecked in Ember The “Opportunities” presented under each of
and must survive their time there) the locations are a mix of story opportunities
• Escape (the PCs must find a way to and encounter opportunities—some of these
escape Ember from their summoning or might be combat encounters, or roleplaying
imprisonment) encounters, or treasure or trap encounters—
basically suggestions for how these locations
• A search for answers (the PCs are searching might be engaged with in some way.
for answers for some other task and must
journey into Ember for them)
• Help (the PCs see the tragedy of Ember,
and those good-of-heart see a problem that
must be overcome, or they are possibly even
invited or requested to come to Ember and
help at an NPC’s request)
• Treasure (the PCs know of great artifacts
within Ember and they seek these out)
• Power (the PCs seek to overthrow those
in power in Ember in order to claim it for
themselves)
• Revenge (the PCs hold a grudge against
one of the key Ember NPCs and must
find a way to bring their revenge
against that NPC)

14
I ntroduction
 Your story of Embers may end with the death
P otential outcomes
of many of the key characters of the setting.
There is no one way to end the story of Embers. Or perhaps through events of your story these
A number of possibilities are indicated in the characters are transformed into something else
characters and locations—some more strongly entirely.
than others—but there is no right or wrong
solution in fixing the curse that has befallen the The many possibilities are presented for you
Realm of Ember. within Embers of the Forgotten Kingdom. Go forth
into this dark realm and explore the forlorn.
The most obvious ending is through the
restoration and death of Brennin, the one who
broke the land. But the Cycle may be restored
(or destroyed) in other ways that you devise
using the lore, history and characters presented
within this book. Maybe Brennin is given a
true death, passing into the restored Cycle, and
a new Summer King takes his place. Maybe
Maeve is finally ousted as the Winter Queen
and someone like Rhonwen or Ceidwen takes
her place. Or maybe it is time for Ember to fall
and a new kingdom to arise from the ashes.

15
 The Cycle of
Kingdom Ember

The Frozen Moon

A simple broach shaped as a crescent moon and made
from royal silver. It was said these signified the mark of the
Queen’s Guard, a noble rank to attain. It is also believed that
the moon reflects the state of the queen’s mind, but the broach
is now dull and cold to the touch.

16
17
 There has always been a During this ritual, the Equinoct
kingdom ruled by the Liyume Queen, or her selected heir,
King and the Erya Queen. The king would then join the king’s son in
represented light, summer, life and the flames. Both the Winter Heir
fire, and the queen represented night, and the Chosen of the Flame were
winter, death and ice. They each ruled then cleansed and reborn in the
for an Era—only ever summer or flames. This rebirth has led many in
winter—though these seasons Ember to refer to them as the Rulers
each lasted the span of of the Phoenix Crown.
a mortal life. The only The Erya Queen’s reign would
times of short transition take place across the winter. As
were those of autumn the queen had done so during
and spring—the times the summer, the Equinoct
of change. When the King would now become
Liyume King ruled it was consort to the queen and become
summer and when the Erya the Queen’s Champion. Upon the
Queen ruled it was winter. The beginning of spring, the Liyume King
other would be as Equinoct, while would wither and die and the queen would
their opposite was in ascension. When spring kiss the king’s hand, marking the end of her
and autumn came to the Realm of Ember then reign. The Equinoct King’s body would then be
it marked the beginning of change for the two burned once more as part of the Hearth’s ritual,
rulers and the time of their rebirth and death. and reborn with his eldest son, as the Liyume
The Liyume King would live the life span of a King of Summer.
mortal man, and the Era of Summer would last Upon the beginning of autumn, the Equinoct
this reign. During this time, the Equinoct Queen Queen would enter a crystal cocoon, said to
would live as the consort to the king, and as an have been made by the faeries. She would
important knight and the King’s Champion. remain dormant there until the equinox when
When the Liyume King’s time came to an end, the king would burn away the cocoon to reveal
and thus the season, his body would be burned, the reborn Erya Winter Queen.
and his eldest son would walk into the the
Hearth’s Flame, retrieve the Capsa Signet and This has always been known as the Cycle and it
assume his place with the kings of old. In rare was always ever expected to go on.
circumstances, the son would also be consumed As far back as can be remembered, there has
by the Flame, and the next oldest son would only been one Winter Queen, the fae known
attempt the retrieval. as Maeve. During the summer’s end ritual,
again and again she declared herself heir,
Travelers from Afar and each time she joined the Summer King’s
son in the flames and was reborn. And while
As the Liyume King and the Erya Queen
Maeve herself was countlessly reborn, the
were ever reborn through the Cycle, the
Summer King was merged anew every time he
people of Ember also died and were reborn
entered the flames. When Lewellyn became the
into the Realm of Ember, a world unto
Summer King, and later, the queen’s consort,
itself, its own microcosm within the greater
the pair had many children together, and
multiverse.
eventually a royal bloodline was established.
Those traveling from far off places who As generations of kings passed, the bloodline
visited this realm were easily not caught up of Lewellyn remained strong but the king
in the Cycle, instead their souls went on to whom Maeve loved had been lost, a single
whatever fate awaited them elsewhere in voice drowned out by hundreds of past kings.
the planes. But like humans visiting Faerie, Lewellyn was lost to the flames and his eldest
it was possible they might entangle became the next Summer King, as did his eldest
themselves deeply into the fate of born, and so on and so forth. But since that
the realm that they would add to time, all has remained constant within Castle
the story of Ember and become Ember, all the way to Summer King Ahnarad,
woven into the Cycle itself. and now to King Brennin...
18
T he C ycle of K ingdom E mber
A tragedy has befallen Ember and the great
Cycle has been broken. The realm is stuck
in a perpetual Endless Summer, and life has
run wild and cancerous as the king, who has
revealed himself as an untrue king, has halted
the Cycle and refused to die. Only with the
death of the Summer King and the burning
of his corpse and soul can the Cycle begin
once more. Any who enter this realm can die,
but instead of remaining dead, and being
reincarnated here, their physical body is infused
with the Life of Summer and arises again. Many
who are weak slowly begin to warp and mutate
into mindless monsters, living cancers who
have gone mad.

T he T ragedy of E mber
Brennin was third in line for the throne after And so the next winter passed unexpectedly
his uncle, father, and older brother. He never quickly, and then spring began and Brigid,
expected to rule as king and married a mortal as the new Winter Queen, kissed the king’s
woman he loved. He became known as hand and Brennin was reborn in flames as the
Brennin the Bold for his ambitious works as an Liyume King of Summer.
architect, designing some of the wondrous and Brennin ruled his Era of Summer for many
innovative buildings across Ember. mortal years, but during this time, feared
It was early autumn, soon after Brennin’s his unorthodox queen would not succeed in
uncle, Ahnarad, had been reborn in the Flame. becoming a true Queen of Winter. In the early
Ahnarad and Brennin’s father, Eurwyn, and days of Brennin’s reign as Summer King, a
brother, Grufeid, went hunting, something foreigner arrived in Ember. Cliodhna, an earl
they’d done hundreds of times before in the from far off Aderyn, sought to rest her weary
Kingswood. During the hunt, however, a feet from years of travel and found her way
massive white wolf—said to be Helyór, the ice to Castle Ember and its city, Yúla. There, she
wolf—attacked the party and killed Brennin’s joined the city watch, and soon came to the
uncle and father. Grufeid was gravely wounded attention of the Summer King himself for her
in the attack, but not before he drove off martial prowess, earning ranking amongst
the beast. In order for the Cycle to continue, the Tirithal Knights, the royal guard. In his
Grufeid was to become the Liyume King, and growing self-doubt over his own ability to
in haste, he entered the Flame. Perhaps because rule, and the worthiness of Brigid in the Cycle,
his wound had weakened him, or perhaps Brennin found himself confiding more and
because the wolf’s tooth was stuck in his more in Cliodhna. Taking advantage of these
wound, the Hearth consumed and destroyed confidences, Cliodhna soon emerged as a
him, leaving Brennin next in line to embrace the prominent and trusted advisor to Brennin. And
Flame. so she whispered into his ears time and again,
Brennin, who wished to uphold the family manipulating his self-doubt even further.
line and restore the kingdom, took the Capsa During this time, the residents of Yúla, the
Signet and stepped into the Flame to be reborn. capital city were namely unaware of these
Though instead of involving the queen and her inner workings, but its inhabitants were simply
chosen heir (Maeve herself), Brennin proceeded pleased a new king and queen had stepped in
with his mortal wife, Brigid. to stabilize the realm.
As these events unfolded, Maeve had already
entered into her cocoon state, to be awakened
at the end of autumn, but with Brennin having
taken Brigid as his queen over Maeve, the
Chosen of the Flame never released her.

19
 During their time together as Summer Ceidwen and Caddell, previously cast out by
King and Equinoct Queen, Brennin and Brigid their father had been taken in by Fatesealer
had two children, Ceidwen and Caddell. Witch Rhonwen and taught the ways of Ember
They were marked and considered weak and and the Cycle, until they came of age. One
decrepit due to the disruption in the Cycle, as night, Ceidwen was to visit Rhonwen, when
they were not born from a true Erya Winter she overheard her father’s command for the
Queen. And while Brennin first loved his witch to construct the phylactery, and what
children, the Earl of Aderyn slowly convinced purpose it would serve. The Cycle was already
Brennin that such a powerful king should in a tenuous position, and Ceidwen knew that if
never be associated with such weakness and Brennin trapped Brigid’s soul in the phylactery,
imperfection, so Brennin eventually banished there would be no queen to take up the next
his children away from the throne, not to be cycle, which would bring ruin, but to what
associated with them further. extent she could never imagine. Ceidwen knew
With the birth of each of her children, Brigid that above all things, above her father and his
had grown weaker, her health failing, another love for Brigid, the Cycle had to continue.
sign that the Earl of Aderyn used to advance At the point of transference of Brigid’s soul to
herself further into Brennin’s confidences. With the phylactery, Ceidwen arrived and slew her
his increasing fear as to Brigid’s fate, Brennin own mother, attempting to release her soul
approached the Stargazers, a monastic order to the spirit realm. Brennin fell into despair at
who read the celestial bodies to peer into the Ceidwen’s actions, and at this point the Earl
past, present and future. Brennin requested of Aderyn made her move. Seizing the Capsa
for the fate of his wife to be read. Stargazer Signet for herself, it was that moment Ceidwen
Telanuon foresaw that Brigid would inevitably realized how deeply Cliodhna’s actions
die, in all possible futures. Brennin, unwilling had affected the realm. She could not allow
to accept that fate, sought out the Fatesealer Cliodhna to possess the ring, and so she severed
Witch Rhonwen and demanded that she the earl’s hand, separating the ring from her
build a phylactery to capture his queen’s soul altogether. Ceidwen fled at that point with the
and protect her from being lost in the Cycle. ring, and into the night.
Rhonwen had only ever done this to save Between the loss of Brigid and Ceidwen’s
mortal humans temporarily, never one so actions, Brennin was filled with grief, and in his
closely bound into the Cycle and the natural continued weakness, he locked himself inside
order of Ember… the Royal Sanctum within Castle Ember and
thrust his own soul into the phylactery. But
given his soul was tied to the Capsa Signet and
the phylactery was attuned to hold Brigid’s
soul, something went awry. Brennin’s very self-
essence became fragmented, and he is now both
trapped in part in the phylactery while his other
selves, other aspects, walk the Realm of Ember.
This fragmenting of Brennin’s self, with his soul
not being consigned into the Cycle, has brought
about stagnation to the seasons.
And it is after countless repeated summers, the
player characters enter this realm in stasis.

20
T he C ycle of K ingdom E mber
Steward of the Luminous Circle
21
 C ore
C haracters

Earl's Feathered Mask

Aderyn warriors prove their mettle against the great beasts
of their land. Some beasts are so great that it forever defines
the warrior who brings it down. After the kill, the warriors
fashioned armor to embody and resemble the beast that gave
them such honor.

22
23
24
 Brennin
The Last Lord
Brennin never saw himself as ruler of Ember and He surrounded himself with his five loyal
was content with this fact. His uncle was the Liyume Tirithal Knights, led by Gorwedd the
King of Summer, and if anything should happen Guardian, who continue to seek out enemies of the
to him, it was Brennin’s father and brother who realm and protect their king. The inhabitants of
were next in line to rule. Knowing this, Brennin set Castle Ember, particularly those closest to Brennin,
his aspirations elsewhere, to providing for Ember have become infected by Brennin’s growing
through architectural accomplishments. Before he paranoia at the numerous perceived threats around
fell in love with Brigid, he completed projects in and them.
around Yúla, including the Sun Dome and the Royal
Museum. And after he and Brigid married, the two M otivations
of them had many more plans together to improve The remnant of Brennin that stalks Castle Ember is
Yúla, their capital, none of which would ever be a husk of the man he once was, both lost in misery
realized, due to the events of the ill-fated hunt that and the desire to protect his kingdom. This version
would render Brennin as the Summer King. of Brennin is difficult to deal with, especially in the
King Brennin is himself a prisoner within Castle manner he has treated perceived threats to Ember,
Ember—albeit trapped in a prison of his own frightening off most of the surviving residents.
making. The king was poisoned by the whispers This Brennin is very black and white, since he is
of his longtime friend, the Earl of Aderyn, who not tempered by the complexities of the soul, nor
convinced him that his mortal queen would never especially by reason. His cold dead eyes sit in
be able to rule everlasting by his side, as she judgement. There are others, however, that
would eventually wither and die as all humans do. this husk of Brennin will react to, those who
Enraged by the thought, Brennin commanded for have been closest to him: the Earl of Aderyn,
a phylactery to be built that could contain Brigid’s Gorwedd the Guardian, and Brennin’s loyal
soul, and planned to protect his queen within, so knights. The words of others fall on deaf ears.
that that they could remain by each other’s side But there are also other aspects of Brennin
forever. Upon learning of his plan, his daughter, that exist within the Realm of Ember, each
Ceidwen, killed the queen in an attempt to free her an idealised part of Brennin as he had once
soul before it became imprisoned. In his rage and hoped to be, each of different aspirations from
despair at the thought of having to live without his his life.
beloved wife, Brennin thrust his own soul into the
phylactery instead. If he was forced to live a cursed All Brennin had ever wanted was to live
life, so would the Realm of Ember. out a life with his family and doing what
he loved, which was giving himself over to
It was this selfish act that began the Endless architecture and providing for the Realm of
Summer. While the true Winter Queen has been Ember. But it was a twist of fate that ensured
forced into slumber, the Summer King rules a land that this would never happen. When he
in a broken cycle, a land now in eternal stagnation. became the Summer King, Brennin started
The curse of madness that has overtaken Ember to lose his grip on his beloved family, first
begins and ends with the soul of Brennin. when Brigid grew ill and weak with
Fragments of the king’s soul are now scattered each of her children, and then
across Ember, with part of it trapped inside the when Brennin was convinced
phylactery within the Royal Sanctum of Castle his children were cursed. He
Ember. Without his soul, his body is but a husk, held onto his love of Brigid
doomed to wander his cursed palace. above all else, and with

25
 the thought of his children being lost When Brennin is forced into a fight, he uses his
to him, he only wanted to remain with her, sheer brute strength to overcome an enemy,
thus leading to the series of events that have knocking them down, or forcing them into
doomed Ember. objects within the battlefield. He will use the
When Brigid was lost, Brennin decided to effects of the Sword of Ember upon those he
hell with the rest of Ember, and with that he sees as a true threat to the realm, summoning
cast himself inside the phylactery so that the soulfire to terrify them, and in readiness
Ember would share in his suffering. But the to severe their soul from their body so that
transference went catastrophically wrong, and they never enter the Cycle to stain the realm
Brennin was splintered apart. Brennin now with their perceived dark deeds. Depending
exists in a number of fragments throughout on what mood one finds Brennin in, if he is in
Ember. Beyond the physical husk roaming a gloom with grief and despair, this weakens
Castle Ember, Brennin’s ghostly aspirations can him, perhaps giving him more mercy than he
also be encountered: might otherwise have. If one finds Brennin in a
mood of growing anger, he is often savage and
Brennin the Husband merciless in his dealings with a foe.
An aspiration of Brennin as his ideal
husband and lover R elationships
Brennin the Father
An aspiration of Brennin as the ideal The Earl of Aderyn
parent and carer Cliodhna grew into Brennin’s confidences over
a long period of time, and what little of Brennin
Brennin the Builder remains in his fragmented state still trusts her.
An aspiration of Brennin as the ideal So close were they, had not Ceidwen intervened
dreamer and architect in Brigid’s fate, eventually Brennin would have
Brennin the Summer King taken Cliodhna as his next queen, furthering
An aspiration of Brennin as the ideal the Earl of Aderyn’s own goals. Cliodhna still
noble and ruler of Ember has the power to whisper advice to the husk
of Brennin within Castle Ember and direct his
A bilities growing distrust to her own ends. Brennin has
Brennin has no particular abilities of note save been ever oblivious to the full extent of her
for his physical prowess and the artifacts he manipulation and deceit, and if it were ever
possesses, and the authority he wields as the revealed, Brennin would have a new focus
Summer King. As one of the royal bloodline, for his anger. It suits Cliodhna at present for
Brennin is bound to the Cycle, and his personal Brennin to remain incomplete, so she does
fate has always had the potential to affect the not concern herself with any other aspect of
Realm of Ember as a whole. Those of Castle Brennin but the husk in Castle Ember.
Ember, those closest to Brennin, still find
themselves caught up in the king’s authority, Gorwedd the Guardian
while the stagnation of the realm has slowly Gorwedd stems from a long line of bannermen
sewn distrust amongst the remaining subjects, for the royal family, tasked with upholding the
distrust that their ruler is unable to protect virtues of the royal family and their protection.
them from the Endless Summer’s curse. Soon after Grufeid was consumed by the Flame,
Gorwedd became bound to Brennin, offering
T actics guidance to the new king, and their friendship
quickly grew. While the Earl of Aderyn truly
Brennin was never one for the ways of fighting.
had Brennin’s ear, Gorwedd’s advice helped to
While his father, Eurwyn, taught both Brennin
temper the king’s decisions for what was best
and Grufeid sword-mastery skills, Brennin
for the royal family and for the Realm of Ember.
was always quiet and reserved during those
sessions. Brennin was always a tall,
broad child and during his years as an
architect and builder he grew into a
bear of a man.

26
C ore C haracters
Ceidwen and Caddell
These two were born of Brennin and Brigid
in the early days of Brennin’s ascension as the
Summer King. While initially Brennin was
fond of his children, simmering underneath
was a coldness, brought about by the growing
weakness in Brigid as a result of childbirth and
of Brennin’s doubt that Brigid could be the
Winter Queen. This divide was pried open by
the Earl of Aderyn until the children were seen
as defective and cast out by their father.
Ceidwen, in particular now, is especially
despised by Brennin, and he burns with anger
at his daughter’s betrayal against her own The Sword of Ember
mother, the very actions that took Brigid away This blade was forged in the earliest days of
from Brennin forever. Ember and by the greatest blacksmith of that
age. It is the finest blade to have been crafted
Queen Maeve and ever would be crafted within that realm.
Brennin was never close to his mother, the Its steel is darkened, almost as if tinged by
long-time Erya Queen. She was frequently the dying embers of a fire. The blade has only
consumed with the affairs of the fae and the ever been reserved for use against the Ember’s
running of the Realm of Ember while she was enemies, for rebels who have turned against
in ascension. Despite this distance, there was the crown, and for the land’s worst criminals.
previously considerable respect and familial As well as having an edge keen enough to cut
love between the two. That is, until Brennin through stone, upon command, it summons
became the Summer King, and events spiraled a soulfire, roaring flames existing both in the
and twisted in such a manner that threatened physical realm and in the spiritual realm. The
the very fabric of Ember. Maeve now hates her blade can be used to severe one from the Cycle,
son’s weakness, and she seeks to find a way to casting their soul adrift in the realm between
deal with Brennin and restore the Cycle. realms.

U nique E quipment The Shield of Lewellyn

This shield was gifted to Lewellyn, first of the
The Sinistral Phoenix Crown bloodline, by three of his loyal knights. After
There are two crowns of Ember, both of equal it was crafted, each of the knights sought a
weight and power, the Sinistral Phoenix Crown different blessing from a power of the realm in
and the Dextral Phoenix Crown. The Summer order to give it strength. The first knight asked
King’s crown has always enabled the king to for a blessing from the Guardians, those who
project himself to an audience of his choosing, protected the ruling family, but also those who
be it those gathered in the throne room or to observed and recorded the history of the family.
a gathering in Castle Ember’s courtyard. The The blessing was intended to instill the wielder
crown enhances Brennin’s appearance, the most of the shield with the wisdom of past rulers.
subtle of illusions, and the crown projects his The second knight requested a blessing from
voice also, so that he commands the attention the priests of Saint Ebberynn—a revered figure
of all, if and when he wishes. This Phoenix known for his work toiling the fields while the
Crown also protects the wearer from all sources people of the realm turned to decadence—so
of mundane fire and heat, the flames licking that the king would be tireless in his efforts to
around the user to no effect. protect the realm. And the final knight sought
the blessing from the Stargazers—a once
thriving monastic order dedicated to their
study of the celestial bodies—to protect
the Summer King from all future
threats to the realm.

27
 R oleplaying B rennin
Brennin exists in fragments, scattered across
Brigid
Ember. The aspects are missing key emotions The Winter Regent
and memories, elements of Brennin’s essential B ackground
being and each should be played as a man
Brigid came from an old noble family of Ember,
incomplete. Each can be more easily reasoned
one dating back to the original houses present
or communicated with when conversation
as the kingdom of Ember was founded. She
revolves around something linked to that
grew up in an affluent home, and was the
particular aspiration. The ghostly apparitions
middle child of a family of seven siblings.
can be “resolved” (either through joyfulness
Brigid watched as her elder brothers and sisters
or misery) and cast back to Brennin and the
were used as bargaining chips in political
phylactery, making him more complete, and
arrangements and marriages, while her
perhaps not as single-minded as the husk
younger siblings relied on their parents’ wealth
within Castle Ember. If they are made to realize
and privilege. From a young age, Brigid was
that certain aspirations have been completed in
ambitious enough to decide that she would be
some way, or could never have been attained,
defined by her accomplishments, and not by
then each ghostly fragment rejoins the greater
her nobility.
self of Brennin. These aspects of Brennin are
detailed further in the locations in which they As a result of her upbringing, Brigid was
appear. well-educated in the arts, and found she had
a predilection for painting and sculpture, an
U sing B rennin area in which she worked hard to improve.
Brennin is responsible for the Endless Determined to make a name for herself, she
Summer’s curse and all that has befallen joined the Artisan’s Guild, initially as a patron,
Ember since, and the key to the restoration using her family’s money, though soon Brigid
or damnation of Ember is in dealing with the became recognized, both for her sheer talent
current Summer King. Resolving the conflict and her shrewd business acumen, helping to
across Ember, and the conflict within guide the guild’s finances. Eventually Brigid
Brennin, may mean dealing with a mix cut ties with her family altogether. After
of the king’s ghostly aspirations, his years working from the sidelines within
physical husk within the castle, those the Artisan’s Guild, she rose to the
who are close to him—the Earl of top, and became the youngest to
Aderyn, Gorwedd the Guardian—or serve as head of any guild in Ember.
those who have also played a part But this was not enough for Brigid.
in Ember’s downfall—Ceidwen and
Fatesealer Witch Rhonwen. Potentially,
any who wish to solve the “puzzle”
of the Endless Summer might have to
either destroy the phylactery at the heart
of the castle, or find a way to enter it and
remove Brennin from it.

28
C ore C haracters
Through her passion, she elevated the guild The birth of her first child weakened
in both their business dealings and influence, Brigid significantly, and this forced her to
dominating the guild sphere and making give up her position as Head of the Artisan’s
appearances to the royal court to handle daily Guild, but this did not lessen the love she had
contracts. for Ceidwen. Soon after Caddell arrived—a
And always Brigid continued to work on her pregnancy that had been a gamble since
art, becoming known particularly for her bold she had not fully recovered from her earlier
sculptures, both popular within Castle Ember illness—Brigid became worse, to the extent that
and the homes of many noble families, and on she withdrew from all social engagements as
the streets of Yúla itself, in fountain plazas and a result. At first, Brigid’s illness did not stop
botanical gardens. her providing that foundation of kindness
and love that still remains deep inside her
As Brennin was just starting out as an architect, children. But as she grew weaker in her
as ambitious as Brigid, he became heavily illness, she began to withdraw from her family
involved in dealings with the Artisan’s Guild, altogether. As she became vague and listless,
in order to source materials, skill expertise, sadly, she inadvertently became open to the
and labor. It was through these dealings that manipulations from Cliodhna, a vulnerability
Brennin and Brigid encountered each other that led to Brennin casting out their children.
as they worked closely together on numerous
projects in Yúla. It was Brigid who first pursued Cliodhna and Maeve
Brennin, since the young noble was doggedly When Brigid was unable to help guide her
determined to focus on a career as an architect. husband as she became sick, and was caring for
Brennin found himself relying on Brigid, at her children, she saw how valuable Cliodhna
first for what she brought to his work, and then became to Brennin, and never suspected her
for her company, and the two spiraled closer of any malevolence. To Brigid, the Realm of
to one another. After Brennin’s success in the Ember needed a strong leader, and Cliodhna
development on the port district of Yúla, he seemed to have the kingdom’s best interests,
asked for Brigid’s hand in marriage. And after and Brennin’s, in mind.
they were married, as always between them,
the two were equal, as business partners, and as While they kept a cool, distant relationship,
husband and wife. Brigid and Maeve always deeply respected
one another for the leadership and insight they
brought to their respective domains—the fae
R elationships realm, and the guilds of Yúla.
Brennin
Brigid always set herself with fierce U sing B rigid
determination when she knew what she Brigid is dead, and her soul lost into the spirit
wanted. She was steadfast in her pursuit of realm, but her impact across Ember can still be
Brennin, and won him over. Their love grew, felt significantly. Echoes of Brigid remain in
strong, fiery, passionate. When Brennin had no some form: in the memories of Brennin and her
choice but to become the Summer King, Brigid children, the Royal Gardens, perhaps as pieces
was there at his side, supporting and advising of her artwork—the paintings and sculptures
him all the way. When Brigid became ill after found throughout Ember, even amongst the fae
the birth of Ceidwen, then worse after Caddell, of the Vitreous Wood.
Brennin was by her side to the point of shirking It is Brigid’s memory that can still impact on
his responsibilities as king. many of Ember’s Core Characters, notably
Brennin, Ceidwen and Caddell. Brigid’s
Ceidwen and Caddell
kindness and love, and the memory of this,
When Brigid thought there was no more room might be one of the keys to bringing
for love in her life besides Brennin, along many of her family out of the mindfog
came Ceidwen, and Brigid’s inner fire grew that has overtaken them.
brighter. But her pregnancy with Ceidwen
was not without its complications, and she
was surrounded with many court wizards
and apothecaries, all working to save her life.
29
30
 Ceidwen
Reaper of Ash
to the bloodline’s purity. In an effort to keep the
B ackground nobility of his bloodline, Brennin sent his children
Ceidwen, first daughter of ash of the Lewellyn away to Abbey Marowlyth, stripped of both title
bloodline, fated to become a fire maiden, was and honor.
born to the mortal queen Brigid and Brennin the
Summer King. She grew up happy and loved, but As children of the abbey, both Ceidwen and
in the castle there was always a certain weight Caddell were forced to live lives of the faithful
to the air, an unspoken, horrible truth upon her under the care of the Stargazers. Learning the
parents’ shoulders. abbey’s role in the Cycle, as well as the nature of
souls, aiding their passage into the Hearth. As
Soon after the birth of her younger brother soon as the children were able to leave the abbey
Caddell, Brennin’s demeanor darkened. The Earl on their own, they took the opportunity and ran
of Aderyn had enamored herself to Brennin as a away, with only their wits to protect them against
court advisor, whispering into his ear, corrupting the brigands and the beasts of the wild.
his mind and playing upon his fears—his children
were frail and weak, not worthy of the royal Eventually, they were saved by Rhonwen, a witch
Lewellyn bloodline. who took the siblings in and cared for them.
Ceidwen learned from Rhonwen how the Hearth
Rife with the worry that the Stargazers’ prophecy had marked her. Ceidwen put her trust into
for Brigid’s fate had lain upon him, Brennin Rhonwen and eargerly learned the magic arts,
devised a plan. He asked his fated fire maiden, becoming a fire maiden. Years later, a mistake on
Ceidwen, to look into the Hearth. It had been said Ceidwen's part forced Rhonwen to cast out the
that fire maidens, and those fated, can look into siblings, to find their own way in the world.
the Flame and see the Hearth’s Will, a glimpse Caddell left his sister’s side to forge his own path.
of possible realities. Brennin was still in denial Ceidwen took to the road on her own, only to
about the outcomes the Stargazers foretold. return years later.
Wanting to please her father and protect
the realm, Ceidwen agreed. In the Hearth, Upon visiting Rhonwen one fateful night,
where all kings and queens must join the Ceidwen heard of her father’s scheme. Fearing
fire in order to pass into the next cycle, Brigid’s mortal death, Brennin had forced the
Ceidwen stared into the flames. witch to create a phylactery for him to seal
away her soul—thus removing Brigid from
Entranced by the flickering fire, she drew her impending fate. Having only discovered
closer to the Hearth, but in fear for his daughter’s her father’s grim plot on the eve of its
life, Brennin reached to pull the girl away—she implementation, Ceidwen rushed to the castle
was to glimpse fate, not embrace death! In the to dissuade her father from an act of such folly.
king’s folly, a fiery lash leapt from the pyre,
burning the young maiden’s face and blinding Ceidwen arrived at the castle to see her father
her. The Hearth marked Ceidwen, and so she was performing the ritual that would contain her
to become a daughter of ash. The king took this mother’s essence in the phylactery. The Earl
as an omen—the Hearth had rejected her nobility; of Aderyn stood by Brennin’s side, holding
the Earl of Aderyn was right. the Capsa Signet, the noble catalyst of
the Cycle. While Brigid had been
Ever since the incident, Ceidwen was haunted by ill and weak, her body slowly
spirits, hearing their pain and final pleas. It wasn’t failing, part of her awoke in
long until the earl had convinced Brennin that his that moment of seeing her
children were ill-fated half-bloods and a blight daughter. Brigid cried out

31
 for Brennin to stop, the light of her soul ash, ultimately to kill—born from her wish to
pouring slowly into the phylactery. Ceidwen reunite Brennin with his family through death.
had only the briefest of moments to act. Unable to voice the anguish she feels, Ceidwen
Drawing her sword, Ceidwen ran her mother haunts the lands in search of souls, reaping
through, reciting an invocation that severed those unfortunate enough to cross her path.
Brigid’s soul, releasing it to the ash and saving Gaining favor with Ceidwen is difficult, but
it from the phylactery. Amidst the commotion, one must connect to what humanity remains
the earl used the queen’s death as an excuse in her; she must be reminded what it is like to
to escape with the Capsa Signet, but with be human, to feel, to care for others. Kindness,
one swift movement, Ceidwen separated honor, and selflessness will all shake the reaper
Cliodhna’s hand, and the ring, from her body. from within and breathe life into her memories.
Ceidwen then fled as far and as fast as she
could. When she finally stopped for air, her A bilities
lungs burnt, her eyes stung from sorrow. She No matter which form she is in, Ceidwen has
knew she had one last task—to send the Capsa the ability to reap souls. This was once her
Signet and its power far from the earl, and far sacred duty as a daughter of ash, with an ability
from her father. to pass lives seamlessly from this world to the
next; though now, as Ceidwen slips into the
Her power had grown considerably during her
persona of the Reaper of Ash, this is becoming
time with Rhonwen, and the years since she
a dreaded art. Rather than escorting the sick
had left her mentor. Using all her will, Ceidwen
and dying to a new life, the Reaper of Ash takes
plunged the Capsa Signet deep into the world
them before their time. And with each soul she
between worlds, the shadow realm between life
takes in this way, another piece of the Scarlet
and death. She hoped that one day she could
Hearld is lost in grief.
retrieve it and that it would come home and
restore the damage that had been done to the When Ceidwen was marked by the Hearth,
Cycle. her soul split. This was revealed to her by the
witch Rhonwen who helped her release her
M otivations soul, which manifested as a beast of fire, a
Ceidwen is a being of duality. She upholds her phoenix, who travels with her always. When
role as a daughter of ash, aiding the passage Ceidwen taps into the power of her phoenix,
of lost souls, guiding them to the ash and she can conjure forth great wreaths of flame
back into the Cycle. But the pressures of her and summon this fire into her sword to cut
role in her mother’s death, and the state that down her enemies. When she is fully restored
Ember has fallen into, have taken their toll on as the Scarlet Herald, Ceidwen can summon her
Ceidwen. In her grief at killing her mother, phoenix at will, see through its eyes, and bathe
Ceidwen has slowly lost her grip on reality. She in its fire to heal any wounds she has suffered.
is becoming more often the Reaper of Ash, a
grim, nihilistic-like being bent on sending souls T actics
to the ash, even well before their time. The Reaper of Ash fights with a skill and
tenacity that one would not expect from a frail
As the Scarlet Herald, she wishes to find
figure in tattered black robes. She will use her
someone to destroy Brennin’s phylactery, kill
Shadow Shroud to flicker through darkness,
him, and burn his body in order to restart the
to ambush an enemy. Within moments of
Cycle. She wants this for the good of the realm,
engaging an opponent she will ignite her
but also because of how deeply she once cared
sword in fire and with the grace of a dancer,
for the Summer King. Brennin, now lost, would
mercilessly slash away at them until they are
never truly be at peace until reunited with his
nothing but a soul for her to reap. If an enemy
family in another life.
manages to injure her considerably, she can
In Ceidwen’s dark state as the Reaper consume one of her recently reaped souls to
of Ash, memories of her past life are heal herself. Because Ceidwen’s ferociousness
fleeting and most of them have been is in fact tied to her higher nature, her wish is
replaced with an insatiable need to see the kingdom destroyed, she will not stop
to pass all souls in the realm to attacking until she has reaped a soul, or unless

32
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some part of the Scarlet Herald is awakened, Cliodhna
causing her to hesitate. If she dies in either Ceidwen was initially ambivalent to the Earl
form, Ceidwen falls to a pile of ash, consumed of Aderyn’s arrival at Castle Ember; she was
by flames, only to be reborn, bathed in the merely one of many sycophants in her father’s
twilight of a sun sinking below the horizon. court. But soon she grew distrustful—with her
father acting ever so slightly out of character at
R elationships Cliodhna’s advice—but this grew to hostility
when she realized the earl had poisoned
Caddell
Ceidwen and Caddell’s father against them.
Caddell is Ceidwen’s younger brother and she And now, with Cliodhna’s role in Brigid’s
loves him deeply. When they both fled Abbey death, and the Endless Summer, Ceidwen only
Marowlyth, before they were taken in by has a blinding, bitter hatred against the earl.
Rhowen, Ceidwen became Caddell’s primary
caregiver and their bond was cemented. Their
extraordinary bond is shown best when they
U nique E quipment
are both alone with one another, running, Veil of Sorrow
playing, hunting. As one acts, the other reacts, The Veil of Sorrow allows the bearer to see
two seamless sides of the same coin bringing a person’s truest sorrows, and also has the
balance to one another. potential to amplify or diminish these sorrows.
Rhonwen inherited the Veil of Sorrow from a
Brennin previous lover before her untimely death. This
Ceidwen has had a difficult relationship with witch had crafted the mask for use in a form
her father. There were the years of love, the of psychological therapy, which she used for
fiery ritual that marked Ceidwen, and then the petitioners who sought out her services. As the
years of abandonment. She has done everything Reaper of Ash, Ceidwen uses this to whisper
for her family, and for him, but Brennin has doubts into the ears of her enemies. As the
given very little in return. Deep down, the Scarlet Herald, she uses this to bolster others, to
Scarlet Herald knows her father is a vain, selfish assure them that there is hope in the world.
man and yet there is still room in her heart for
him. There is nothing more Ceidwen wishes Shadow Shroud
than to see her father realize the error of his Ceidwen wears a cloak of pure shadow, gifted
ways and make amends to the land he has so to her by some primal being in the abyss. The
greatly wronged. cloak allows her to walk between shadows and
she may cast it over someone else to shift them,
Rhonwen and herself, to any piece of darkness she can
When Ceidwen was banished from Brennin’s see.
side and after she ran away from the abbey, her
and Caddell were taken in by Rhonwen. The The Phoenix Blade
witch helped Ceidwen learn how to control This blade was originally gifted to Ceidwen by
her powers, wield magic, to deal with the the Grove Guardian in he fire maiden’s early
dead, and to coax souls into the ash. At one years when she still had her memories. This
point, however, Ceidwen foolishly betrayed black iron sword draws out nearby sources of
Rhonwen’s trust; she took Rhonwen’s dark heat and hungrily consumes them. Ceidwen
amulet and tried to wield its power. It swept can also imbue it with the power of her phoenix
her into a dark abyss to which no-one could and the Scarlet Herald; when not alight, it
find her for several days. When Ceidwen was appears akin to a smoldering brack of charcoal
finally found, its dark power had already and when set into flames, it burns with a
warped her. As punishment, Rhonwen sent the terrible searing heat. The longer a person is in
siblings away. Howling wind, bubbling brews, the presence of the lit sword, the more terrified
hissing cats, all bring back fond memories for they become, overwhelmed with the raw
Ceidwen of the woman she once knew so well power of its fire.
who danced with darkness and drank from the
well of fate.

33
 R oleplaying C eidwen U sing C eidwen
Ceidwen is a solemn character surrounded by Ceidwen has two forms: the Scarlet Herald—
sadness, the burden of responsibility and an which is Ceidwen as she should be, possessing
anger of betrayal. A deep sorrow pools around all her memories—and the Reaper of Ashes, the
her, a weight in the air, intangible, powerful. form that has forgotten all that she once was.
As the Reaper of Ash, Ceidwen preys on the As the grim reaper of Ember, she moves about
infirm and weak, but more and more she is her solemn duty. If she gives over to the Reaper
becoming less discerning. Those who are ill, or of Ash entirely, she would eventually end the
barely injured, may be visited by Ceidwen as Realm of Ember, passing all within into the
the Reaper of Ash, bringing about their death Cycle, but a Cycle currently broken. When the
too soon. Soft sighs echo through the chambers player characters encounter Ceidwen, she will
where she roams, the last sighs of each soul she likely be the Reaper of Ash, but through their
has reaped before their death. interactions with her, appealing to her better
As the Scarlet Herald, when she remembers nature, she can become the Scarlet Herald once
her goals, and her loss, she has regret at her more. As the Scarlet Herald, Ceidwen acts as
actions. Her head tilts from side to side and her the character’s guide through the lands and can
lips silently respond to questions no-one can help them to accomplish both their goals, and
hear. With her very being existing between two her own.
realms—the living and the dead—Ceidwen Ceidwen believes what her father has done is
often forgets how to speak, how to connect and ultimately selfish and evil. If asked, she would
communicate with those in the physical world. prefer to see the Summer King and Winter
Ceidwen is able to speak through the souls Queen restored, with her father and mother’s
she has reaped. When she wishes to verbalize souls fully returned to the Cycle.
something she summons forth a wispy ball of
light, which will speak in the haunting voice of
someone who has died. Each soul may speak
only for a short time before it is pulled back into
the ash; speaking to the Scarlet Herald is often
to listen to a chorus of disjointed voices forming
a broken harmony.

Severing the Soul

Embers makes frequent mention of souls as the spiritual essence of one’s being that leaves the
body after death. There are many elements of the Embers setting in which a soul may be harmed,
one of which is through Ceidwen’s ability to sever a soul from its body. If such a thing should
occur to a player character, what this means, mechanically speaking, will be up to the particular
system in use. Perhaps it means that in matters relating to the spirit, willpower, or even sanity,
that the affected individual is at some sort of disadvantage. In some systems, this might be just
a different state of being, or an aspect, forced onto the character, and which can be used by the
player or gamemaster in some narrative or mechanical manner. Given that this is likely to be a
negative impact on the affected character, there should also be some manner in which the damage
to the soul can be undone, either through someone with the power to affect souls directly (such
as Rhonwen), or for an artifact to be able to knit a soul back together with its host body (such as
some artifact found in the Garrison of the Dead or an alien item possessed by the Deep Ones
of the Forlorn Cove). Separated souls may also be on a countdown to be restored to a body,
before they are out of reach, readied to be absorbed into the Cycle in order to be moved
on (though with the Cycle halted, this “moving” on into the next life may be slowed, or
not happen at all in your version of Embers).
34
C ore C haracters
35
36
 Cliodhna
The Earl of Aderyn
Hearth. Using forbidden rituals, she lured and
B ackground enchanted the ice wolf, Helyór—amplifying
Cliodhna hails from Aderyn, a distant land of his already fearsome prowess—to ambush the
rocky wastes where the strongest warriors prove royal family during one of their hunts. She had
their worth in battles against great beasts that specifically chosen a time when Brennin was
were the original inhabitants of their land. She not there, who she saw as more susceptible
was banished from Aderyn upon attaining her to influence. But when Grufeid survived, she
majority, after the Queen’s Oracle had foreseen cursed in frustration since he had already begun
that the girl would become an agent of chaos, regarding Cliodhna with suspicion by this point.
disrupting any kingdom she settled in. Cliodhna As Grufeid performed the ritual to become
took her family’s heirloom scimitar and mask— the Liyume King, next in line from Ahnarad,
artifacts of power—and swore to settle nowhere, Cliodhna’s twisted smile was the last thing he
thus averting the prophecy altogether. saw in the Flame as he died.
As she traveled the lands in search of adventure, Time passed as Brennin assumed his role as
Cliodhna heard tales of Aderyn’s wealth and the Summer King. Feeling adrift as a new ruler,
prosperity that had grown in her absence, and Brennin was impressed by Cliodhna’s unique skill
she longed for home. That longing soon turned to with a scimitar and her deftness in combat, so
bitterness and Cliodhna began to crave revenge. he appointed her to the royal guard, the Tirithal
In her travels, she sought out dark sorcery and Knights. The earl insinuated herself further into
blasphemous rituals, coaxing the spark of anger Brennin’s good graces, until he trusted her
that lived in her heart into an inferno, embracing above all others. She wove discord between
her destiny as firebrand and radical and him and his other advisors, his wife, and even
swearing to bring about the downfall of Aderyn. his children. Cliodhna waited and plotted, and
Eventually, Cliodhna heard of the power residing believed she found the perfect opportunity to
in Ember’s Hearth, and steal the Capsa Signet, the keystone to access
so she sought it out, the Hearth’s power, until Ceidwen intervened.
planning to obtain power Now, with Brennin more or less an absent ruler,
she could use against Aderyn. the earl is mostly free to wield power as she sees
Cliodhna concealed her sorcerous ways and fit.
appetite for power and sought asylum in Ember,
claiming to be the last scion of her house—the M otivations
Earl of Aderyn—unfairly banished from Aderyn Cliodhna is currently seeking to consolidate
due to a romantic rival’s machinations. She her power in Castle Ember, but ultimately she
ignored normal diplomatic roles at first and wants the Capsa Signet, stolen by Ceidwen. If
lingered around martial officers and proved her she were to acquire the ring, she would use its
skill, enough so to be assigned as a lieutenant in power to overthrow Aderyn, likely damaging
the city watch. Ember and the Cycle in the process. While
Cliodhna studied Ember and its rulers, distant the Capsa Signet seems out of reach for
at first, and slowly spiraled closer to the royal Cliodhna, she has started to dig deeper
family. And then, she saw an opportunity to into Ember’s history, looking for
disrupt the Cycle as Ahnarad, Brennin’s uncle, other sources of power, just as old
grew into power. Cliodhna would create the as the ring, if not older.
opportunities she needed to get closer to the

37
 Ceidwen is in Cliodhna’s sights—she Cliodhna relies a lot on her speed and friendly
blames the Scarlet Herald for thwarting her facade to take opponents by surprise. If given
plan, and is looking for a way to make her pay. the opportunity, Cliodhna will send her
With that in mind, Cliodhna is also searching beasts in first in order to assess an adversary’s
for Caddell, not to put him on the throne as weakness before putting herself in danger. She
she claims, but to turn him against his older prefers to have the upper hand in any situation.
sister, and perhaps even to guide him towards The Aderyn style of fighting is meant to allow
fratricide. Those who feel Ember has fallen small groups to bring down much larger and
under Brennin believe Cliodhna is trying to more powerful opponents, and Cliodhna
create order by installing Caddell upon the delights in taunting her adversaries before she
throne; those who still believe in King Brennin’s uses her scimitar to whittle them down, cut by
role as the Summer King, see the boy as an cut.
aberration who must be contained.
R elationships
A bilities
Cliodhna’s long years of study of sorceries Brennin
from various lands and cultures has led her to At first Brennin was a means to an end, but
possess a range of abilities. Most notably, the despite herself, Cliodhna has grown attached to
earl can summon shadow creatures to fight at the king. She has convinced herself that using
her side, and she can cloak her movement in his power through the Capsa Signet is key to
both shadows and silence. She is well-versed enacting her revenge on Aderyn. When Brennin
in the art of dueling as well as guerrilla-style turned to Cliodhna, desperate for a way to
warfare. restore Ember by making her queen, it was
The shadow creatures she can summon are the earl’s hesitation that turned Brennin away
in forms common to beasts of Aderyn. They and to seal himself in his sanctum, using the
are massive felines, sporting four tendrilclaws phylactery, and now Cliodhna blames herself
emerging from their backs, used to slash, for Brennin fragmenting himself across Ember.
hold and rend their prey. The creatures are Cliodhna respects Brennin’s previous devotion
insubstantial in shadow, although they can to his family, and harbors some jealousy over it.
attack, and they are weakened in strong light. She works hard to hide her true feelings about
Brennin from almost everyone.
Cliodhna has managed to restore the
function of her lost hand through the use of Ceidwen
an enchanted glove, but tends to favor her It was Ceidwen who thwarted the Earl of
remaining natural hand. Something about Aderyn’s plans, and brought them to a halt
the glove itches at her mind and makes it at her crowning moment. Cliodhna now
uncomfortable to use. hunts for the girl who crippled her, and who
stole the item of power she desires for her
T actics revenge on Aderyn. Cliodhna is finding it
Cliodhna is a skillful manipulator, preferring increasingly difficult to track and bring down
to move others into the position to defend or Ceidwen, especially with Ceidwen growing
kill for her. But when words don’t quite do into the Reaper of Ashes. There is an increasing
the trick, she relies on weapons and magic. number of bodies that lay at Ceidwen’s feet,
At her disposal in Castle Ember are the hirelings who have fallen to the girl’s fiery
Tirithal Knights—Brennin’s royal guard—and blade. Cliodhna pretends that she is looking for
Gorwedd the Guardian, even the husk of Ceidwen in order to protect her. She will try to
Brennin himself. She’s unafraid to confront paint Ceidwen as misguided and manipulated
others in face-to-face combat, and doesn’t by unnatural forces, and claim that only
hesitate to fight dirty if that’s what it takes. reuniting her with her father will bring
Above all, Cliodhna is a survivor, and will Ceidwen back to the right path.
often have contingencies in place for
herself.

38
C ore C haracters
Caddell R oleplaying C liodhna
Cliodhna plans to coax Caddell back to the Cliodhna is charming and friendly during most
court of Ember and use him as a prop ruler, interactions, even while engaged in combat.
and then against Ceidwen. While she initially She exults when she finds a worthy opponent,
had no particular attachment to him, something and can turn cold in an instant if she feels
about the boy reminds her about the family she threatened. She has a slight accent of another,
left behind in Aderyn. She would go to great far away land, and occasionally forgets seldom-
lengths to protect him, arguing that it is actually used words. She is normally self-deprecating
to protect her plans to abscond with much when this happens, although a close look will
of the realm’s power, but Cliodhna will put reveal a hard, calculating look in her eyes even
herself at personal risk to protect Caddell. She as she laughs. Cliodhna will talk at length about
knows Caddell would reject her if he knew of the military tactics of her homeland, but grows
her plans, so she does her best to hide that from sad and bitter when speaking of its people. She
him. So far, Cliodhna believes that Caddell can be a shameless flirt when an individual
has remained oblivious to her machinations in catches her interest, but will take being rebuffed
Ember, and if he were to find out, this might with goodwill.
spur him into any number of actions.
Cliodhna will present herself as an ally with a
U nique E quipment knack for smoothing out difficulties. Those who
view her as an enemy will hesitate to say so
Mask of Occultation openly, since they never know when Cliodhna
An heirloom of Cliodhna’s family, handed may be listening from the shadows.
down since the lands of Aderyn were first Some people make the mistake of thinking
colonized. The mask is of some ancient bird- Cliodhna is all talk, but that is quickly rectified
beast, brought down by Cliodhna’s ancestors by watching her morning practice or catching
and infused with sorcerous powers. This allows a glimpse of her training with the military
Cliodhna to manipulate both shadows and officers. Cliodhna respects strength, but hates
silence with a great deal of precision. the subservience often desired as part of the
military. She vastly prefers giving the orders.
Ring of Lunae
This ring had been used for generations in U sing C liodhna
Aderyn to aid in religious ceremonies until
Cliodhna stole it for herself before she left her Cliodhna wants revenge against Aderyn more
homeland. It allows the user an easier time in than anything and sees the Realm of Ember as
focus and concentration. In particular, the Earl a means to an end. She has become attached to
of Aderyn uses it to help summon and control some of the inhabitants, although she does her
her shadow beasts. While she can call them on best to hide that weakness. Cliodhna is good
her own at great cost, using the ring allows her at manipulating others, and she is not without
to forgo that effort. power in the realm.
While Cliodhna is obsessed with the level of
The Umbran Scimitar power she needs to bring down Aderyn, even
A witch’s blade, crafted in an unknown land. if the Earl of Aderyn were to acquire all the
When a killing blow is dealt, the blade begins power she wished for, she does not realize the
to shed a black fog, perhaps remnants from the extent of time that has passed with the advent
souls it has consumed. of the Endless Summer… and that those who
spurned her initially are long dead.
Bloodmoon Mantle
She will only aid the player characters if
Crafted by the earl herself, and considered by
their goals align with hers. At the slightest
Cliodhna to be a necessary item to survive the
suggestion that they might oppose Cliodhna’s
harsh onslaught of Aderyn’s beasts, this mantle
plans for Brennin, Ceidwen, or Caddell,
draws in the spilled blood of her enemies.
she will do everything in her power to
Blood shed in battle rises into the air and swirls
stop them.
about the wearer as they fight.

39
40
 Maeve
Queen of Winter
stability that kept the traditions and transitions
B ackground smooth and also allowed generations to
Her Royal Majesty, Queen Maeve the Fae, the prepare in advance for natural disasters and long-
Winter Regent, Mother of the Peerage, High brewing threats.
Sorceress of Crystal and Lady of the Southern
Marches is a complex individual. Before her involuntary sequester, Queen Maeve
assisted noble clans in maintaining their family
Standing nearly 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall, her bird- trees, even growing royal gardens to represent each
like head ends in many feathery palms, though of the houses and their family members. Another
her body is very clearly that of a fit human woman particular undertaking, given she has no need of
with a dusky gray skin which deepens to a wine- sleep, was Maeve teaching specially selected circles
colored purple at her hands and feet. Her eyes are of magi for 13 year intervals. Her interests focused
a swirling nimbus of lavender fire, and her wings on generational projects; the line of mystically
are four shattered panes of emerald crystal, augmented stallions she raised remains in demand
held in the air by an unseen by knights across the land.
force when extended. Her
plumed tail often flicks,
cat-like and reflective of her
M otivations
moods. The corrupt effects More than anything, Maeve seeks restoration as
of her extended existence Winter Queen, or failing that, regicide. While her
in crystal are visible even in her body lies within the crystal-tree sarcophagus
projected form, as she has begun to gain at the heart of the Slumbering Court, Maeve
more crystalline thorns on her hips and extrudes remains able to manifest a phantom of
viciously pointed claws from her fingertips. herself within the forest for one night out of
three. The permanence of this form is mentally
The line of Maeve stretches back to the dawn of and physically torturous, slowly destroying
recorded history within the kingdom, for there her, grinding away her mind like a knife
has only ever been one Queen of Winter. She is the against a stone.
source of innumerable faerie and human lines, the
founder of countless houses including the Winter It is clear she’s attempting to find champions
Peerage and first great grand-dame of the Luminous willing to serve her, even in her reduced state.
Circle, as the mother of all but the first Equinoct While she genuinely loves Brennin as one
King. Even the epithet of that initial Lord of Summer of her sons and mystically as the Summer
is lost in the generations, but all know and speak the King, she knows unless he comes to some
name of Queen Maeve in hushed tones. To carry the resolution with Brigid’s death, or he is
blood of Maeve is to be touched by fae royalty. murdered and a new Summer King takes
his place, she cannot escape her liminal state.
The queen has alway held a revered position within She realizes if someone cannot complete this
Ember, the fixed guidestar which led the traditions task soon, she may lose her grasp on sanity,
of the Capsa Signet and the Cycle, that is, until the becoming unable to fulfil her role, even
coming of King Brennin. Before those days, she if freed. Time is not on her side, and
was known to be a cool, but loving and benevolent she needs someone to act against
queen, one whose moods and temperament Brennin soon. To achieve this,
remained a source of reassurance for the people her agents continue to seek
through any troubled times. Her long years of ruling potential champions from
and great wisdom meant Maeve could provide a the markets and fae roads,

41
 noting them to Atkond, who evaluates
potential candidates and invites the best to meet
R elationships
with the Winter Queen. Atkond
Additionally, she appears quite interested in Atkond is Maeve’s oldest and dearest friends.
capturing Rhonwen and re-engaging the king’s He is Maeve’s longest standing general but,
former spymaster, the faerie wizard, Tylwyth. because of his many “instances,” he also
happens to serve as an actual fae army should
A bilities the need to use one ever arise. Maeve would
Maeve’s primary power at this time is the lose herself with surprising speed if the duke
ability to manifest as an avatar, a mostly solid were somehow eliminated. She relies on him
projection, outside her crystalline coffin, to heavily, and trusts him implicitly. She has no
interact and engage with people. However, greater ally.
she is also capable of vast acts of sorcerous Brennin
power, from manipulating nature to conjuring
This is the most twisted relationship. On one
crystals to be used as veils or deadly weapons.
hand, Maeve loves him as the Summer King; on
Like most items of faerie manufacture, such
the other, she hates what he has done to Ember.
weapons and trinkets crumble into dust and
If he came to her in adherence of the Old Ways,
tears upon leaving her realm or if her whimsy
she would take him. For now, she seeks his
dictates they should no longer exist.
removal, which by all likelihood can really only
As the true Winter Queen, Maeve possesses result from his death.
great powers over weather. This is limited
while trapped, but for now, she can keep the Ceidwen and Caddell
meteorology of the Vitreous Wood as she Only in secret has Maeve come to know the
likes, but beyond its borders, the weather must children of Brennin and Brigid, as she visited
follow the natural course. She uses this to her the court, the abbey and countryside of Ember
advantage, attempting to delay or entrap agents in disguise, often to examine the state of things.
from those considered foes. On one hand, she could not blame Brennin for
following his heart with Brigid and the children
T actics they wanted before the hunting accident that
In combat, Maeve does nothing in half claimed her son’s family, but on the other hand,
measures. Her first attack is as brutal as she has been dismayed that Brennin refused to
possible, driving to ensure the most decisive join with her in order to secure Ember’s future.
possible victory. She holds no targets as taboo, While she has remained relatively neutral to
and would sacrifice loyal agents and subjects Brennin’s children so far, she knows that it is
alike if it meant to ensure her rebirth. She has one possibility that through them Ember can
no qualms about those she destroys along the be restored. If she could engage them to strike
way, because, she posits, “How are they worth down or replace Brennin, she would do so.
more than my children, my home, my people?
They are not, and when we succeed, their loss Rhonwen and Stargazer
will be mourned but justified by our victory.” Weapons or tools, depending on how she
can manipulate them, Maeve sees them as
When engaged, Maeve strikes out with her distractions or useful pawns, but not allies.
magically summoned panoply and follows Perhaps the only thing Maeve wants as much
through with fearsome spells to warp the mind as a return to the Cycle, she wishes to learn
and summon jagged shards of ice from the sky. what secrets Rhonwen knows about the Endless
She brings allies and chooses battlefields that Summer’s curse and exactly how it came to be.
tip the balance of favor in her direction. While
capable of melee combat, she prefers to have a
champion battle for her, and only takes to the
field if a foe of equal status or greater has
joined the fray.

42
C ore C haracters
Tylwyth the Crystal Sage madness, of fear that she will descend
Tylwyth had previously been a close advisor to into some corruption she cannot escape, and
Queen Maeve, but some time ago he decided her legacy, her people, her very world, will
to spend more time amongst the mortal world, suffer for the worse by it. That terrible fear
becoming spymaster for the Court of Ember. bleeds into her responses when she grows
The wizard’s recent abandonment of the frustrated or when conversations wander into
cause to save Ember saddens Maeve, but she mindless prattle or basic sycophantry. Her
understands his position in wanting to leave the facade of polished nobility is many generations
realm, and this world, behind altogether. She thick, but erodes faster with each passing
does not yet know that the means for Tylwyth year; the anger she feels towards Brennin
to leave Ember behind might in fact destroy her sometimes bubbles through in a muttered
realm. If he were to rejoin her cause, she would curse at the Summer King’s mention, or erupts
be pleased. into complete fury should someone defend
or justify his actions without realizing the
U nique E quipment present company. While she wants to reset the
Cycle and take her rightful place, her seething
Bite of Winter’s Cold bitterness and fear occasionally sabotage her
A shard of razor sharp blue-white sea ice efforts, and scare off some legitimate allies
organically and masterfully crafted into a before they can be secured.
sword. Those wounded by this blade fall
prey to a bitter cold, freezing them in place or U sing Q ueen M aeve
slowing them down. Those who truly deserve Depending on PC motivation in your version
the worst of Maeve’s anger might see spikes of of Embers, Maeve is possibly one of the most
frozen blood burst from their flesh moments important characters as guide, ally, “quest-
later. giver” and source of information about
Ember and its history. Maeve needs the
Glacier Aegis help of the player characters; ultimately, she
Glacier Aegis is a frigid, crystal shield preventing needs outsiders who can break the stasis that
all fire from burning the bearer, and keeping currently besets Ember. Maeve is a strange
them unaffected by their environment, combination of haughty arrogance and quiet
pressure, or even a lack of air. Although the desperation. Her position demands the Winter
queen does not wield the shield for combat, she Queen act in certain ways to retain her royal
does bear it for ceremonial occasions. station and its separation from either common
citizens or simply those less powerful than her.
Mantle of the Vitreous Wood Unfortunately, her situation absolutely requires
The mantle is a fine, crystal-bark cloak granting she acquiesce, politely engaging potential
wide magical powers over forest elements, rescuers. This involves a delicate balance, which
from parting knotted trees and vegetation, she doesn’t find contradictory, as she courts
to communicating with a range of plants or possible champions, but distinctly rebukes
imbuing them with a temporary intelligence. them if they begin to act too familiar or casual
with such an august noble as herself. She does
R oleplaying Q ueen M aeve her best to work through proxies and trusted
When portraying Maeve, she should always use members of the Winter Peerage, attempting to
the royal “We” when referring to herself; for orchestrate Summer’s replacement and her own
example, “We think your proposal has flaws. rejuvenating freedom.
We would approach with Our allies from the
south while sending several of Our trusted
agents to create a distraction from the west
and foment dissent from inside his court.” The
Winter Queen approaches each conversation
with reserved politeness, attempting to discern
the mettle of visitors while maintaining
the old forms. However, there is a definite
undercurrent of desperation, a ragged edge of

43
 Major
C haracters

Orb of Stars
These ornate orbs were gifted to ranking monks of Saint
Marowlyth to enhance their intellects. As the Endless
Summer’s curse set in, lesser orbs were scavenged by the
surviving monks to aid their ailing minds.

44
45
46
 Caddell
Last Prince of Summer
long time. He secretly traced the maddened steps
B ackground of his father’s days before the queen’s death. He
Caddell was born some time after the initial saw the Earl of Aderyn’s hand in every action and
turmoil that placed Brennin as the Summer his father’s actions sloppy and desperate.
King, and shortly after his mother grew ill after
Ceidwen’s birth—an illness that worsened with Hearing Ceidwen’s name spoken like a curse
Caddell. His father was always at arm’s length between townsfolk set Caddell’s heart alight. A
from Caddell, but growing up this fact rarely feeling, something he hadn’t experienced in years,
bothered Caddell—he had his mother and his burned deep within him. Rage. How dare his
sister and their steadfast love supporting and father? How dare the earl?
caring for him as he grew into a young man. Caddell was unable to locate his sister, so instead
When his mother silently complied with his looked for another once close to him. Caddell
father’s decision to banish the children to the tracked Rhonwen to the Fate Marshes and
abbey, Caddell grieved. Grief turned to acceptance requested that she help him against the earl,
by the time Caddell and Ceidwen were taken and the witch looked into the misty future and
under Rhonwen’s care. The witch’s nurturing laughed. She sent Caddell to retrieve what she
made up greatly for what Caddell lost, or perhaps could forge into a powerful artifact—the Earl of
never had. But eventually, too, Rhonwen would Aderyn’s hand, severed by Ceidwen, and still
cast the royal children out, due to a mistake on containing its owner’s dark sorcery. Rhonwen
Ceidwen’s part. Betrayed once more, Caddell did imbued the hand with further power and taught
away with the chivalrous dreams of his childhood Caddell how to use it. The hand would lead
and turned to mercenary work, honing his skill him to the person the earl betrayed deeply. To
with a blade until he was the foremost warrior Caddell, that meant the hand would lead him to
and assassin in the land. his sister, and together they would take revenge
He was drawn beyond the borders of his on their cruel father and Cliodhna.
homeland as his services were requested by Caddell hid in the family mausoleum, plotting
nobles and rulers from Ember’s neighbors and against the Earl of Aderyn and King Brennin,
beyond. Caddell hid his pain away, and while to find a way to end the summer curse. He
part of him hardened, another aspect of him began to gather resources and loyal followers,
searched for meaning in his life. Slowly, but something in the mausoleum went
the young man became distant and awry. Underneath the mausoleum, he lost
detached, living from contract to his memories, and his purpose, step by
contract. His only fear in all that time step, thought by thought, until he was left
was returning home, lest his sister wandering listless in the labyrinthine halls.
discover what he had become after
leaving her side. M otivations
When Caddell heard of his mother’s death he Caddell has been trapped in the mausoleum
knew he had to return to Ember, if only to confirm for years. Battling the creatures in the deepest,
that what happened to Brigid was true. Sure darkest reaches of the labyrinth has consumed
enough, he uncovered the truth of the tales—his him, and taken him far from his original
father was mad, his mother dead, and worse purpose. Breaking through to any
yet his sister was branded a traitor to the realm. semblance of the man he once was
Caddell grew suspicious. Something was not will help to awaken him.
right. Had not been right at Castle Ember for a

47
 If he is able to meet the people of his past and
connect to the person he was before he set off
T actics
on his own, it may restore the humanity within. Caddell is a trained assassin and brutal fighter.
He is fast and decisive in melee, doing whatever
Awoken, Caddell is motivated to find his sister. he can to gain the upper hand from the outset.
Underneath his murky self, Caddell also burns He will disarm an opponent, or cripple them,
in anger at the Earl of Aderyn’s actions. If he and weaken their ability to fight back. Caddell
is reconciled with Ceidwen, the pair of them fights using his vicious blade, once known
can take revenge on Brennin and Cliodhna for as Promise and now known as Betrayal. If he
what they have done to the kingdom. In his cannot overcome his enemy quickly, frustration
years away, the prince learned of many ruthless gets the better of him and Caddell becomes a
tactics to bring down his enemies. The prince is whirling berserker, an unstoppable avatar of
willing to do whatever it takes in order to claim rage and deadly skill.
vengeance. That said, there is also a very small
part of Caddell that remains conflicted: the R elationships
loyal son.
Rhonwen
A bilities When Caddell was betrayed by his parents,
Caddell does not possess any preternatural particularly by Queen Brigid, who he thought
abilities, but it is his natural skills in combat loved him dearly, it was the witch Rhonwen
and the way in which he has previously led who took him under her wing. Caddell was
other warriors into battle that lift him above lost and bereft, but Rhonwen corrected the
the common man. Caddell learned numerous course, redirecting his sense of betrayal and
martial skills in his time abroad, many of which abandonment into kindness. But this time
have never been seen before in Ember, so his was short-lived, as Ceidwen’s mistake forced
techniques may easily surprise an opponent. Rhonwen to cast the children out once more.
He can change tact rapidly and adapt and Caddell has a lot to thank his surrogate
improvise in combat as needed or if he has a mother for, and if not for Rhonwen’s love, and
more specific purpose in mind. Ceidwen’s, he would have been lost long ago.

Ceidwen
Caddell’s strongest relationship is the one
he has with the sister. The two were close as
they grew up together and even closer in the
time they spent cast out from Castle Ember.
Reuniting the two will go a long way towards
healing the emotional wounds in Caddell’s
soul. Ceidwen is likely one of the only people
Caddell trusts without question.

Brennin
Undeniably, Caddell’s worst relationship is
with his father who banished him, caused the
death of his mother, and created the Endless
Summer that plagues Ember. While the earl’s
scheming played a large part in this, it was
Brennin’s selfishness and vanity that led to the
realm’s downfall. Despite the gulf between the
two, Caddell is often conflicted about his father,
and that deep buried spark could be reignited
as love or forgiveness, or perhaps it could be
snuffed out altogether.

48
M ajor C haracters
Cliodhna Betrayal
There are two sides to Caddell’s relationship The sword once known as Promise was a gift
with the Earl of Aderyn. On one hand, once from the Duchess of Blades, a noble from a
Caddell found the truth of her machinations, far off land leading an insurrection against a
his resulting anger drove him to prepare to tyrannical queen. The blade once held the souls
overthrow her from her position in Castle of those slain, and those souls could be briefly
Ember. This burning hatred may once have conjured forth to aid a determined wielder
broken Ember apart. However, at present, reach their aspirations. But now, the fabric of
Caddell has forgotten his purpose against the sword has been twisted; its frosty sheen is
the earl, and this has opened him up to her tainted black, and the souls of its victims bubble
manipulation, and Caddell has started to look up on the surface of the metal. They can still
up to her as another matriarchal figure. With be conjured forth to assist the wielder, but this
the right words, the right touch, Caddell will be sometimes goes awry, and afterwards, they go
hers, as Brennin was once in Cliodhna’s thrall. their own way.

U nique E quipment R oleplaying C addell

Caddell has hidden the pain of abandonment
The Earl of Aderyn’s Hand
in different ways over the years. Ultimately,
Cliodhna’s severed hand is now scrawled with this led to him leaving his closest connections
arcane swirls and coated in a black wax. The behind and searching for another purpose
hand acts as a divining rod, leading the way to in his life. He is often the hardened warrior,
those the earl has betrayed, and even having the calloused and distant, but within is still a
power to enable safe passage to those people. sensitive soul, one aghast at the plight of Ember
Those betrayed by the earl include Brennin and and its people. While currently his memories
Ceidwen, but there are so many others scattered around the earl are murky, anger at the master
across Ember—the nobles within Castle Ember, manipulator may be rekindled. He is still
minor functionaries, members of the city watch, saddened at the loss of his mother, and his
and even some of the creatures of the Forlorn emotions surrounding his father are frequently
Cove. But many of these people are now conflicted.
undead or summer-cursed. At present, Caddell
has yet to remember the artifact’s true purpose.
U sing C addell
Caddell has much potential, if one can find the
right way to restore him, or direct him. The Earl
of Aderyn has begun testing the waters, finding
ways to manipulate him without evoking his
anger, potentially restoring him to the throne
of Ember, and to direct him against Ceidwen.
If Caddell is reconnected to his true self, he has
great purpose and knows what he must do,
but he might also be directed in other ways.
If the player characters become involved with
Caddell’s purpose, he’ll be a strong ally. If he is
somehow turned against the player characters,
he is an enemy who will hound them to their
grave.

49
50
 Rhonwen
The Fatesealer Witch
hand in the curse, Rhonwen fled to the Fate
B ackground Marshes, where she tried to tie together the
Fatesealer Witch Rhonwen once held a position of strands of fate and keep them from unraveling,
great power and prestige in the Realm of Ember. She but it was too late. At first, Rhonwen worked
was able to manipulate the fate of herself and those closely with the Fate Witch Satyr Mwars to undo
around her, allowing them to escape certain dooms. the damage to fate, but it became obvious that
This ability was held in high regard by the Summer there was no cure for this. Over time, the pair both
King, who often consulted with the Fatesealer before succumbed to the Endless Summer’s madness,
making any major decrees. and grew paranoid, each suspecting the other of
Rhonwen was at the peak of her renown and her sabotaging their efforts. The witches engaged in a
abilities during the years she advised Ahnarad, petty, bitter squabble and attempted to wrought
Brennin’s uncle, and his court. But the spymaster, and change possibilities against one another, which
Tylwyth, grew jealous of her, and had always seen only increased the instability of fate.
her abilities as anathema to reality. Tylwyth began Rhonwen now lives as a nomadic hedge witch,
to whisper into the courtiers’ ears and soon turned wandering through the Fate Marsh. It is unclear if
gossip against Rhonwen. The Fatesealer was shamed she remembers who she is, or the part she played
before the court, rumored to have been having in the downfall of the Realm of Ember. The secret
multiple affairs with mortal and fae alike and even to destroying the king’s phylactery and ending the
abandoning her bastard children at birth. She left Endless Summer lies locked in her mind, behind
her long-time home at the court and lived in the the madness that has overtaken her.
Lower City of Yúla for a while, though she remained
in contact with those who she still had some favor
with.
M otivations
As has befallen so many of Ember’s most
Brigid and Brennin had always been kind to notable personalities, Rhonwen has become
Rhonwen, even after her fall from grace, for they a shadow of her former self, in part to the
especially did not give heed with court gossip. So madness that has swept through Ember, and
when the king and queen’s children, Ceidwen and due to the guilt over her own actions in the
Caddell, were cast out from Castle Ember, Rhonwen Endless Summer. Her mind has broken from
eventually sought them out and took it upon herself the enormity of the fate that awaits Ember,
to guide them. Not only to help these lost children, as she has not been able to foresee any
but to repay a kindness to their parents. future but complete cataclysm. Rhonwen
When King Brennin was shown the future of his truly wants to restore Ember to its former
wife by Ceidwen, and that Brigid’s life would end, place, but she is utterly at a loss as to how
he ran to Rhonwen to beg her to change his wife’s to bring this about. Some part of her mind
fate. Rhonwen was unable, since the powers at work clings to hope. She wanders through the
were far greater than her own. However, she had marshes, peering into the ghostly futures
the ability to create a phylactery powerful enough to she sees there, looking into all the myriad
contain a soul in suspension. This would allow the and changing possibilities, for just one
king to save his wife’s soul and, although her body stray thread she can use to help
would be destroyed, her spirit would live on. Ember.
In a twist of fate, the king used the phylactery to
store his own soul instead, plunging the realm into
the Endless Summer. Wracked with grief at her

51
 Rhonwen currently plies her trade as a witch led him to becoming an architect. The two have
in the marshes, for those who seek her out. She always respected one another greatly.
knows many herbal remedies and potions that Rhonwen pleaded with Brennin not to request
can be made from the natural materials found she use soul-magic, but the Summer King
within the Fate Marshes. was blinded by his love for his wife. It was
Rhonwen’s loyalty to the king that forced her
A bilities hand; she could not say no to her liege.
Fatesealer Witch Rhonwen has studied at
length rituals and spells that have been Ceidwen and Caddell
handed down through generations of arcane With Rhonwen being forced to leave the Ember
practitioners within Ember, and is also court long before Brennin became Summer
knowledgeable in herbalism, and to a lesser King, Rhonwen barely saw Ceidwen and
degree, alchemy. Her arcane powers have Caddell in their younger years. Though distant
never been in any of the arts that could be used from the court, Rhonwen would always seek
to harm directly, and often more to do with out those who frequented Castle Ember, so that
divination and enchantment than anything else. she might hear of how Brennin and his family
Her strength has always lain with her portents, fared. Many times, Rhonwen even attempted an
and the ability to manipulate the threads of fate. audience with Brennin, but the Earl of Aderyn
One of the rarer forms of magic she has control was well-aware of Rhonwen and the trust
over, but which she is still limited in skill, is Brennin had in her, so she found ways to make
soul-magic—previously used to tie souls to sure this never happened.
objects or places, to extend a mortal life, or even When the witch took Brennin’s children under
to coax back the spirit of a loved one, although her wing, she quickly grew to love them,
briefly. and became both their surrogate mother and
teacher. Rhonwen gave Ceidwen and Caddell
T actics strict rules about where they could go and what
Rhonwen does not have any physical prowess they could touch within her home, so that they
to speak of if forced into combat. Most of her would come to no harm from the many esoteric
magic requires lengthy ritual and various ritual components and artifacts in Rhonwen’s
esoteric materials to perform, but in some possession. When Ceidwen’s curiosity led to
instances she can change probability at the her using the witch’s amulet, Rhonwen blamed
last second, so that her opponents fumble, herself deeply, and she knew it was time to
their weapons strike a stone or tree that was send the children out into the world to make
seemingly not there before, or their blades their own way.
arc through the air where she was a moment
before, or perhaps had never been. She will Maeve
use what magic she can, and the artifacts at her Rhonwen and Maeve have always been cold
disposal, to obfuscate her whereabouts and and distant with one another. The fae very
escape to safety. much live in the now, and Rhonwen’s fate
magic allowed her to slip into and alter what
R elationships comes after, which meant she was simply a void
to Queen Maeve’s attempts to scry on her. This
Brennin meant the witch was unpredictable, for a mortal.
Rhonwen was heavily involved in Ahnarad’s Rhonwen has always been wary of the Cycle’s
court during Brennin’s younger years, and reliance on the fae Maeve as the eternal Winter
acted as a tutor to both Brennin and Grufeid, Queen. Rhonwen has always found the fae
teaching them the history of Ember, and the capricious and undisciplined, often meddling in
forms of observance and rituals of importance mortal affairs they should not, and Maeve is the
within the land. While Grufeid seemed exemplar of her kind.
more interested in the physical skills—
hunting and swordplay—Brennin was
interested in the arts. It was, in fact,
Rhonwen who encouraged Brennin’s
burgeoning skills in design that

52
M ajor C haracters
U nique E quipment R oleplaying R honwen
At present, Rhonwen is quiet, listless and vague
Shroud of Candlelight
where once she was a forceful personality, a
Most of Rhonwen’s spells and abilities take shining beacon of charm and elegance within
considerable ritual to complete, including the the Court of Ember. She seems distracted,
time-consuming layout of candles, incense and often glimpsing things in the misty marsh air,
arcanometric lines. The mantle she inherited ghosts of the future, and she may even have
from the previous Fatesealer helps to reduce conversations with them. If overheard, the
preparation time of her rituals, effectively information she reveals can be quite telling,
making Rhonwen a walking ritual circle. With or even shocking, particularly if it involves a
the Shroud of Candlelight, Rhonwen can conjure future echo of one of the people listening in.
forth any number of heatless flames, as small as
a candle to as large as a bonfire.
U sing R honwen
The Smoldering Censer Rhonwen can become an indispensable ally
Within the censer is a primal shard of to any character who wishes to help Ember, if
sandalwood, said to have been shaved from only she could be made to come to her senses.
one of the first trees at the dawn of time. The The Fatesealer knows a great many secrets of
wood was set alight and placed within the Ember’s past, present and future, and she also
golden censer and has been burning ever since. has considerable power that could be used to
Rhonwen can use it to summon incense, fog help and manipulate others. Before her mind
or smoke as she wishes. When Rhonwen has was clouded over, Rhonwen had time to dwell
previously been threatened by ruffians, she on what befell Ember, and any who beseech her
found that she was able to swing the censer may learn the full story of how King Brennin’s
around, and summon forth its power, filling the actions led to the Endless Summer.
area with a void-black smoke and obfuscating If a restored Rhonwen is given the courage to
her movements until she was safely away. leave the Fate Marshes, this may lead to any
number of encounters with Brennin, Ceidwen
and Caddell that might set Ember back on its
rightful course. If not, then she still has advice
and magic she can aid the player characters
with.

53
54
 Atkond
The Sundered Duke
B ackground R elationships
The Faerie Host, Atkond the Sundered Duke, is Atkond’s love for his queen and the fae realm
both the great general of the Slumbering Court and hardly needs mentioning. The duke absolutely
himself the massive army of the Winter Queen. He hates Tylwyth, knowing what the former vizier
fulfils these roles because, like an enormous copse intends and eagerly seeks him out in an effort to
of aspens, he is both a hive mind of individual stop the wizard. Atkond believes his nephew,
instances and the great overlaying personality Brennin, is absolutely mad, having broken the
of Atkond. He has served the last fourteen proper succession of things, and spun the entire
generations of winter royalty, having discovered world into disarray. The duke admires Ceidwen,
the ritual that permitted him to splinter his mind finding her a drifting vision of beauty and grace,
across ten thousand instances and comprehend like a campfire given form and voice. Finally,
the senses of each one simultaneously. His tree- Atkond loves his knights as a family, and when
like form reveals elements of this ritual; Atkond one dies, he raises a toast to their sacrifice and
enjoys a direct bond with the Vitreous Wood, becomes grief-stricken and stoic for weeks. He
and has tied his life force to it in an act of both doesn’t let this potential pain prevent him from
ascension and sacrifice. His individual selves each ordering the warriors into harm’s way, however.
demonstrate their own facets of personality, slight
variations of humor or diction, but all of them T actics
share memories, knowledge, and skills. As a great army of individuals sharing a single
mind, the Sundered Duke does his best to
M otivations maximize the forest environment, utilizing
The half-brother of Maeve and commander of his arboreal form to take advantage of its rich
her armies, he, more than any other member of diversity of plants and lush settings. Operating
the queen’s inner circle, does not sleep when in groups as small as three, or as large as one
summer is ascendant. He works as his own elite hundred, he sometimes lays among deadfall,
band of warriors, enabling the safe hibernation of blending in so he may ambush an enemy, or he
the Slumbering Court and securing the Vitreous stands in dense copses, becoming one of many
Wood from those who think Queen Maeve’s thick trunks. His Grace is wily and persistent,
rest justifies any attempts to carve out their own fearless and relentless, and his countless
strongholds. More than anything else, he is driven charging instances ensure any invader or
to carry forward the line and ensure the survival enemy finds the forest is the last place they
of the Queen’s House, knowing that if she lives, want to stand, lest it become the last place
the forest and even the fae nation which occupies they fall.
it, will always reform around her. Atkond would
dearly like to use his resources to venture from
the Vitreous Wood to help the rest of Ember, but
he is busy protecting the fae from themselves in
the chaos of the Endless Summer, and from those
other beings slowly intruding on Queen Maeve’s
realm. He has a particular aversion to undead
creatures, finding them anathema to his powers,
and often his knights falter in the face of their
horror.

55
56
 Tylwyth
The Crystal Sage
mortal idealists he can lure into the Vitreous
B ackground Wood. He convinces them to destroy the guardian
Tylwyth readily admits he is a faerie traveler from creatures, which he presents as threats to the
a different reality altogether who fled as his world area, by striking the creatures with ceremonial
was destroyed in a war of the gods and their glassy athamés, which cause crystals to thread
champions. He served on one of the losing sides throughout the beasts, slowing them down.
and although the loss of his patron deity reduced Tylwyth has cut off communication with both
his powers somewhat, he found Maeve’s court Maeve and Atkond, those he most respected in
and offered his services. After besting three of the Ember. He knows they will try to reason with him
Luminous Circle and the vanguard of the Tower to stop his mad attempt at escape. The Crystal
of Sorcerous Warfare, he accepted a position as Sage once found a great deal of joy in his role of
an advisor to the queen. Tylwyth excelled in his spymaster in the Summer court; his involvement
role, becoming a trusted confidant of Maeve, then with webs of gossip, rumor, deceit and social
furthered his reach into the Summer King’s court, engineering brought him great glee. Tylwyth saw
becoming one of its most capable spymasters. Brennin initially as yet another in the long line of
Liyume Summer Kings, but recognized the early
M otivations signs of his failings and selfishness that would
Deep down, Tylwyth is a coward; he truly doom Ember.
believes Ember is a lost cause. He has seen a
world fall before, and he now sees the writing T actics
on the wall for this one. The wizard wants to A powerful sorcerer, Tylwyth knows
escape this world, even if it prevents the next age many illusions and complex veils, capable of
from ever coming to pass. To achieve this end, turning anyone invisible, altering portions of
he uses his secret knowledge of various weapons the landscape, changing appearances, even
of last resort: great, terrible creatures left to sleep projecting his image great distances. He is a
in hidden lairs all throughout the land. Most master of both scrying and earth magics and
notable of these beasts is a dragon who slumbers mystically controls and creates crystals, through
in an empty underground city, said to have its which he can see and cast his spells. His silver-
heart filled with poison. He plans to unleash tongued persuasion is completely natural, but
these creatures in a vast ritual slaughter, and in augmented by his magical abilities to alter
doing this, he can complete the ceremonial magic what his audience perceives.
that will allow him to travel to a new world. The
weight of all his previous defeats and losses in If forced into physical combat, Tylwyth fights
the last world has destroyed something deep by causing swords of crystal to erupt from the
within his soul, and he no longer cares whether ground or walls, or even by plunging his claws
any part of Ember survives or manages to create into crystals he carries, mystically reaching
something out of the chaos. through them and into linked shards stabbed
into other creatures, then ripping into flesh
R elationships from a distance.
Tylwyth prefers to operate through proxies and
subordinates; the habits refined over countless
years die hard. The Crystal Sage utilizes the
information gleaned from various operatives to
manipulate groups of capable fae locals or young

57
 C astle E mber

Filigree Ring
A ring of masterful craftsmanship, bearing a representation of
the Summer King’s shield. It was crafted for a lost son, who
may one day return to claim his birthright.

58
The grand, sweeping majesty of Castle Ember has fallen into ruin as
those who once tended the castle and its grounds have succumbed to
Summer’s cancer. Unbeknownst to its residents, centuries have passed
since the castle entered into the Endless Summer. There are few who
roam the crumbling acres, and those who do only wish for an end to
their stagnation. Above it all, King Brennin gazes down upon the lands
of Ember, lost in his own madness. Brennin’s knights—hollow shells of
the noble warriors they once were—patrol the castle grounds, remaining
alive only to protect their king. The key to ending the curse may lie
within the walls of the castle, if anyone would dare intrude.

59
 H istory of
C astle E mber
There was a time when Castle Ember stood
triumphantly above the land, its towers
spiraling into the sky, its pennants fluttering,
all testament to the Realm of Ember and the
power of its king and queen. Sturdy walls
housed the king’s most loyal knights, along
with their squires, servants, and pledged
men, and the castle served as shelter for the
surrounding villages in case of invasion.
Now, the walls of Castle Ember barely protect
anyone, as the rotting sickness of the summer
curse has chewed away at the sculpted stone grounds, gardens, chapels, stables, and all
until the walls bear only a passing resemblance manner of necessary buildings. These too have
to barricades. The once proud drawbridge that fallen over time, and their castellans fell along
welcomed Ember’s knights has now collapsed with them—and who now haunt the interior
into the murky blackness of the castle’s moat, grounds of the castle.
where all manner of corruption-ridden beasts The bailey is used to house the castle servants,
prowl the dark waters. as well as their workshops, stores, barns,
Castle Ember was built long ago, by the first granaries, and bakehouses. Most stalls now lie
King of Ember, and its hallowed halls have unused, their accoutrement strewn about the
been passed down from one king to another floor. The servants still roam through the hall,
for eons. The castle grounds have grown and re-enacting the activities that once consumed
changed over the years as new kings took their daily lives, but they do so with no true
ownership. As technology advanced, new stalls purpose. Within the outer bailey lies the inner
were added to the bailey, such as workshops, bailey, a structure designed to protect the
breweries and eventually even a clockwork castle’s inhabitants in case of invasion or siege.
shop. It was Brennin the Builder who added The inner bailey presently acts as a prison for
the last, along with improving the stables and the terrible monsters being held there.
reinforcing the inner bailey. The castellan in In the center of the castle grounds stands the
charge of the bailey was Herald Hardwin, an keep, the large towering structure that holds
elderly but faithful, man, who worked for the the main rooms of the castle, including the
royal family for generations. Under his watch, grand ballroom and the throne room. This is
the castle ran in perfect timing, with the royal where the hollow shell of King Brennin resides,
family’s every need immediately attended to. shuffling aimlessly, pining for his lost Brigid,
When the Endless Summer set in, and the curse and cursing those who took her from him.
began to take hold, that clockwork machine Below the keep, the dungeons plunge deep into
began to break down, filling Hardwin’s heart the ground, where the fate of criminals once
with sadness. He took such pride in his work, housed there is worse than death.
and now it was falling apart around him. He
began to lose hope and eventually took his P oints of I nterest
own life. He was spared the worst of the king’s
decline, but his ghost still haunts the castle The Grand Ballroom
grounds. By day the grand ballroom is bare and empty
and decrepit. In the evenings, however, a
The moat that extends along the outside of the
spectral procession dances across decayed
castle was kept well-stocked with fish, a draw
floors. The remnants of the nobles of Castle
for predators that would make their home in
Ember—ghosts and the shambling dead—find
the moat and scare off potential intruders.
themselves drawn here each night to experience
Over the drawbridge and through the
a small reprieve against the horror of their
portcullis lays the castle grounds, a
existence. Sometimes Gorwedd the Guardian
large, sweeping plain that holds the
may be seen here, a flicker of the man he used
king’s private farmland, hunting
to be, longing for his lost humanity.
60
C astle E mber
The Autumn Tower B rennin the H usk
There was a tower within Castle Ember Brennin, the broken Summer King, remains
often used by visiting dignitaries such as
vigilant to threats to his realm within his
ambassadors, diplomats and nobles from far
throne room at the top of Castle Ember’s keep.
off kingdoms. When the Endless Summer fell
He guards his phylactery, and will not give it
across Ember, many of these guests became
up without a fight. If it is stolen, rather than
trapped within the castle, and would not risk
destroyed, he remains aware of its location at
harm by attempting to escape; they realized
all times, and will pursue persistently until it
that they would become tainted by the curse if
is reclaimed. In increasing aggression, Brennin
they were to die, to be reborn with the summer
cancer, to become a ghost, or worse. They lets his knights and Gorwedd root out weaker
pooled their resources and magics in order prey in the castle—to imprison, to interrogate,
to sustain themselves. The survivors exist in and to the unlucky, to execute.
a kind of limbo within the greater limbo of
Ember and have grown increasingly hostile to
anything that might intrude upon their safety.

The Royal Gardens

These gardens were a private place, meant
only for the royal family and those who would
maintain the plants there. This was one of
Brigid’s favorite places to seek solitude in her
early days as queen, and she often brought
her children here to play amongst the lush
grass, and to hide behind the hedges and
shrubs. The gardens are now saturated
in Summer’s curse, so much so that it is
incredibly difficult to move about. Yet,
despite the overgrowth, somehow there
is still a beauty and peace to be found
in the gardens. Some of the castellan
ghosts swear they have seen some sort
of apparition of Queen Brigid in the Royal
Gardens, her face amongst the flowers, the
sound of her voice amidst the birds chirping.

C haracters of
C astle E mber
Bartun the Bold
Bartun is a notorious, ambitious blaggard and
criminal, once consigned to Castle Ember’s
dungeons, who has now risen up against his
captors to take over his former prison, leading
cursed monstrosities to secure his power-base.
Bartun the Bold was not born behind the
safe walls of Castle Ember, living a life full of
privilege like the royal family. He was born
beyond the walls, in the wilds of the realm,
alone in poverty and want. Bartun’s parents
died when he was but a boy, and he had no

61
 family to take him in. Faced with little options, Gorwedd the Guardian
Bartun became a brigand. He grew into a beast Gorwedd the Guardian was a trusted and
of a man, a tenacious fighter who remained well-loved bannerman of the royal family. He
unfazed in battle with any opponent. Whispers was placed in charge of Brennin, the nephew
of his prowess became legends, and Bartun the of the king, and tasked with keeping him safe.
Bold was born. When Brennin’s family was killed, leaving
Bartun’s crew seemed unstoppable, but their him as the heir to the throne, Gorwedd stayed
reach exceeded their grasp when they tried close by his side, offering the king guidance,
to steal from the king’s larder. Bartun and his protection, and friendship. After Brennin
crew were apprehended and thrown into the stepped into the flames and became king in
castle’s dungeons to rot. For decades, Bartun his own right, Gorwedd was given the sacred
lived in the dank darkness of the dungeon, his duty of protecting the Summer King’s throne
wits crumbling as he stepped closer to insanity. room. He was granted the title ”Guardian”
When the Endless Summer fell upon Ember, and given a small team of men to command.
there was very little humanity left inside of He stood by Brennin and watched as his ward
Bartun. He launched a coup against the former was driven mad with grief and rage. Gorwedd
dungeon masters, and took over the prison tried to stop Brennin from halting the Cycle and
himself, throwing his captors in the very cells cursing the land, but the king was too far gone
he and his men once inhabited. to listen. In his anger, Brennin cursed Gorwedd,
turning the guardian and his men into a terrible
The dungeons have not been free from
abomination. But even after that betrayal,
the curse, and the echoing chambers and
Gorwedd has still kept to his post.
claustrophobic cells are haunted by all manner
of monsters. Bartun sees himself as the keeper
of these monsters, and together they guard the
dungeons from all who enter. Bartun is fiercely
protective of his new home, and is quick to
confront outsiders. The unlucky ones are
thrown into a cell alongside the monsters where
they will be kept until they too are driven mad,
at which point they are allowed to join Bartun’s
new crew.
Bartun rules the dungeon alongside his
lieutenants, the ruffians that once made up his
brigand crew. Like Bartun, they grew corrupted
during their time in the dungeons and have
emerged as beastly creatures; unlike Bartun,
they were not able to retain their personality.
These monsters exist at Bartun’s beck and call,
and respond only to his commands. Bartun
uses these monsters to hunt the dungeons for
prey, sometimes searching for the crew’s next
meal.
Bartun has dug himself into the deepest
recesses of the dungeon, protected by his
followers. In combat, Bartun will rely on these
monsters to flank his attackers so he can score
heavy hits with his great-axe. Bartun may
appear slow, but he is quick on his feet and
well-trained. He can move around the
battlefield with ease, using his monsters
as obstacles to allow him time to
reposition himself.

62
C astle E mber
In life, Gorwedd was motivated by loyalty, He does not speak, does not breathe, does not
and it is that motivation that has cursed him eat, feels no hunger, has no need for sleep.
with eternal life. Many have tried to invade He has become the quintessential guardian:
the king’s throne room, hoping to find the immortal and forever dedicated to his task.
phylactery that keeps the king alive and end the Gorwedd is a walking wall, a brawny beast
plague of summer, but to do so they must first with armored skin, unable to feel pain. His
defeat Gorwedd in combat—a task that has in only weakness is his bulk, which provides him
fact been completed by many brave souls over with vast toughness, but leaves him slow to
the years. The first time Gorwedd died, fallen react and turn. The armored plates that cover
to the blade of a skilled knight, he felt pain… he his body can turn most blades, but there are
felt fear. But he was brought back, resurrected gaps between them that are exposed at precise
by the king’s curse, doomed to die over and moments. The bodies and souls of his men have
over again. Gorwedd has been slain a thousand become grafted onto his own form, and though
times now, and he has returned a thousand he has little control over their movements, those
more. Now, he feels no pain, or fear. In fact, he amalgamated appendages will grab and claw at
feels nothing at all. whatever approaches them.
Gorwedd cannot be turned from his duty. It
is his sense of loyalty to the king that keeps
him alive—Brennin was once his ward, and is
the closest thing he had to a family. In death,
Gorwedd knows no friends—the king’s curse
has taken that away from him as well.

Gorwedd the Guardian

63
 The Tirithal Knights to their needs, he is not blind to the ways in
Castle Ember once housed five great warriors, which they have grown monstrous. Some small,
both the royal guard and knights who quested innocent human part of Edric has escaped the
across the realm and defeated monsters for the madness blanketing the rest of Ember. If he
glory of the king. These knights, though noble, sees a way in which he can strive to act nobly,
were not saved from the madness that befell perhaps to aspire to be like the knights he is so
the residents of Ember, and so they too became dearly devoted to, then he will give all of his
but husks, doomed to protect the grounds from heart to such a task.
intruders. These knights, Guille, Elis, Pawlin,
Kitt, and Degarre, were each granted a magical O pportunities
weapon with which to protect the realm. These
The Castellan Ghosts
husked forms still carry these weapons to this
day. A madness particular to these knights The castle grounds are haunted by those who
involves them trying to prove themselves to once served it, led by the ghoulish Herald
King Brennin above all the other knights. In this Hardwin, who roams the grounds, lost in
manner, while intruders may find themselves misery. It is the only wish of Hardwin, and his
hunted by the knights, if they are lucky, the ghostly brethren, to see the grounds at work
knights may actually end up interfering in each again, to in some way continue their life’s work
others’ duty. supporting the castle. The castellans know
many secret ways into the keep, so befriending
Herald Hardwin them can be an asset. Any who appeal to the
Hardwin spent his life serving the royal family, castellans and their nature in the running and
first as a stable boy, then a groundskeeper, and maintenance of the castle and the grounds may
then as Royal Castellan, in charge of managing drive to them providing assistance in some
the castle’s staff and royal grounds. When the manner, starting with leading them through the
castle fell apart, so did Hardwin. He had served servant’s entrance.
the royal family his entire life, and wanted to
The Deep Dungeons
die in their service. And so he took his own
life, spilling blood as a sign of loyalty to Castle Below the castle keep lies the dungeons,
Ember. But death did not end his service. delving deep into the ground, layer after layer
of inhospitable cells, hardly more than holes in
Gethwine the wall. The dungeons are filled with the souls
Once the Royal Chef for the entire castle, now of the damned who were tortured and killed
Gethwine haunts the kitchens, trying, to no within its bounds. The dungeon itself is run
avail, to relight the fires and fill the bailey with by Bartun the Bold, and his army of corrupted
the scent of baked goods and freshly cooked beasts. Legends say that an ancient king held
meat once again. With the servants at his items of great magic buried in the dungeons,
disposal, Gethwine fervently sets them forth to where he knew no-one would ever look for
retrieve anything at all that can be stockpiled them. Perhaps those items still remain hidden
as food. The castle larders are beginning to in the depths.
bloat with all manner of organic matter, from
The King’s Phylactery
mould and fungi, to rat corpses and carved off
flesh from any of the corrupted beasts that have King Brennin hides his phylactery, the urn that
escaped the dungeons below Castle Ember. contains his soul, high atop the tallest tower of
the castle. The only entrance to this tower lies
Edric within the throne room, which is under vigil
Edric was one of the squires to the five loyal from Gorwedd the Guardian. If Gorwedd can
knights, and hoped to be one himself someday. be bested, the next obstacle is to defeat King
That day would never come for Edric, as the Brennin himself, as the mad king will not part
curse struck when he was but a boy. He can easily with his phylactery. The urn is an object
still be found in the castle armory, trying of great power, and its holder could potentially
to find the perfect fit for his ghostly break Summer’s curse upon the land.
masters. While Edric’s loyalty to
the knights keeps him attending

64
C astle E mber
 L ocations in
C astle E mber
Huntmaster Roland tracked down poachers,
and many of those caught were killed on sight,
The their bodies buried unceremoniously in the
earth, their flesh destined to be food for the
Barren Kingswood Kingswood’s trees.
The Kingswood did not remain safe from the
Endless Summer for long. The souls of the
dead poachers are like a rot, corrupting the
H istory forest from below. The trees are barren and
Just outside the walls of Castle Ember a dense misshapen, haunted by the souls of the dead,
forest stretches for miles. This forest, planted by their branches writhing as if in pain, reaching
the very first king of Ember, was meant to serve out as they attempt to connect to what they are
as the royal family’s personal hunting ground. not—the living.
Every king to take the Flame has made their
first kill in the Kingswood, where they were The ecosystem of the Kingswood has warped,
trained in the art of hunting and tracking by the changing many of the animal inhabitants. The
Royal Huntmaster. It became a tradition among natural fare of the woods has long stopped
the kings—even King Brennin first learned the providing the sustenance needed by its
ways of the wild from within this protected inhabitants. The animals such as boar, buck,
wood. King Brennin’s Huntmaster, Roland, was and hare have become predators instead,
said to be the greatest hunter in all of Ember. searching for something to quench their
unstoppable hunger. In the midst of all of this,
Training the royal family in the ways of the Huntmaster Roland still protects the grounds,
hunt was not Huntmaster Roland’s sole job. tracking intruders with his faithful companion,
The wood was a private reserve, meant only Saw Yer the Hound. If you enter the woods,
for the king, and poaching game within the know that the Huntmaster is watching you,
Kingswood was an offense punishable with corrupted eyes that pierce the darkness.
by death.

65
 P oints of I nterest The Lich Tree
Somewhere at the center of the Kingswood lives
The Hunters’ Lodge a tree with a reputation. The tree was planted
In the middle of the Kingswood stands a atop a mass grave, meant to mark the victory
dilapidated wooden lodge, its floors sagging that Lewellyn, first King of Ember, won over
in upon itself. This was once the home of fallen enemies from a short-lived civil war. The
Huntmaster Roland and was also where gravesite was ripe with nutrients, allowing
visiting hunters would gather before they set the tree to grow larger than any other in the
out into the Kingswood. The fires have long forest. It became a spectacle and a landmark the
burnt out and the feast hall remains empty hunters used to navigate their way around the
as years of exposure to the elements, and forest.
Summer’s corruption, have eaten through the When the curse of the Endless Summer
wood and rotted the building to its very core. grew over the Kingswood, the souls of the
But still, the huntsman remains, and the lantern vanquished army choked the life from the
hanging from the window is a sure sign that tree, turning it into a withered and poisoned
he is present, preparing his traps and tools version of itself. These vanquished, buried
for his next hunt. The sound of the huntsman beneath the tree, long for revenge against the
sharpening his blades can be heard throughout people of Ember, and they use the Lich Tree as
the night. a conduit for their vengeance. The tree emits
The lodge itself is still a destination for Ember’s a dark magic, one that can control the bodies
hunters, like a beacon that calls out to them. The and minds of the recently deceased. These
hunters shamble their way to the Kingswood reanimated dead are sent out into the Ember in
to meet with King Brennin for a yearly hunt, a facsimile of a long-past civil unrest in order to
not realizing that neither Brennin, nor any incite Ember’s downfall.
of the royal family, are present. During the
hunts, their tactics have grown more macabre
as the madness has set in, and they grow less
concerned in swift and humane kills.

Saw Yer the Hound

66
C astle E mber
The Moon Pond
The glistening rivers of Ember once flowed
through the Kingswood, providing water to
the game and allowing the hunters a chance
to rest and refresh. As the world began to
crumble so did the streams. Within one furrow
can be found the last pool of water near the
castle, a pond that managed to persevere. It
is one of the most well-known watering holes
of the woods. This water, however, cannot be
imbibed, as it now glistens with toxicity instead
of reflected moonlight. Ember’s corruption Ring of the Huntsman
bubbles up through the ground, polluting the
pond and creating a substance acidic enough to
burn through whatever it touches. As Ember’s
corruption grows, so do the putrid waters of the
Moon Pond, slowly creeping ever outwards. O pportunities
N otable C haracters Alpha Bucks
The bucks which once roamed peaceful through
The Huntmaster the Kingswood have become vicious beasts,
Roland the Huntmaster was an expert in hunting in packs like wolves. They use their
his field, known across all of Ember for his terrifying, twisted horns to gore their prey and
experience in tracking and trapping. He has their cloven hooves to trample. They are large,
long been around, teaching skills of the hunt to muscular, and incredibly dangerous. The bucks’
Brennin, his father, and his father before him. It prey has become any small and weak beasts of
was these skills that drew him to Castle Ember the woods, but with their numbers diminishing,
originally, as the then king was willing to pay a the bucks may need to seek new prey.
mighty sum to employ the best. Under Roland’s
guidance, the castle was never in want for meat, The Poachers
and hunters would gather at the lodge to swap The souls of the poachers killed by the
stories and drinks, and learn from the famed Huntmaster have found no rest. The Endless
huntmaster. The summer madness has infected Summer has filled them with a new stagnant
Roland’s mind but it has not dulled his skills; life, and they roam the wood in search of game.
he still yearns for the hunt just as he did before, They can barely think beyond their hunger
but his soul is filled with bloodlust. For now, he and where to find their next prey. They are
hunts obvious trespassers and poachers within relatively harmless on their own, or at their
the woods, and sometimes the dead that the small scattered campsites, but some have begun
Lich Tree has brought back. to travel in large bands, which means it’s better
to avoid them than confront them head on.
Saw Yer the Hound
In life, Saw Yer was the faithful hound to The Cursed Hunt
Huntmaster Roland, acting as his eyes and Gathering at the Hunters’ Lodge time and again
nose when tracking prey through the thick are a party of Ember’s most skilled hunters—
underbrush. Saw Yer was well-trained, could the cursed, the dead, the fae, those who have
sniff out prey from great distances, and follow hunted before now hunt again, called by some
wounded targets for miles. Saw Yer died after primal drumbeat within the Kingswood. The
the Endless Summer began, a victim of the Cursed Hunt begins at moonlight, the sound
Lich Tree’s undead. But in death, Saw Yer has of a horn—and a shiver goes throughout the
returned as a twisted version of his former self, woods. The hunt chases prey through the
a creature made of darkness, with eyes that woods—the twisted beasts, the poachers,
shine red like fire. He continues in the service of and the dead. Newcomers must be
his former life, helping Roland track any prey careful not to be identified as prey…
that enters the forest.

67
 P oints of I nterest
The Lucky Tavern
The The name of this tavern is a misnomer, as
Lower City nothing but horrid luck has befallen its owner,
Plucky Edwards. When Edwards inherited the
Lucky Tavern, it was the most prosperous bar
in the city, set right inside the richest district
H istory in the city. It was also the first district to fall
On a winding path down into a valley lies a city when the city began to turn on itself. When the
under Summer’s shadow. In eons past, Yúla riots started, they started inside his tavern, the
supported the castle by providing produce, result of a drunken brawl that escalated, costing
crafted goods, and workers, while the castle Edwards an eye in the process. Now, the bar
protected the city and ruled over the citizens. serves only the dead, but Plucky Edwards still
It was a symbiotic relationship, and the people stands behind it, keeping the glasses clean and
lived in unity with their ruler. the bar polished, even though the city has fallen
The city was led by the mayor, but in reality into chaos around him.
it belonged to the Pontifex, the leader of the
local religion and spiritual advisor to the king. The Windy Well
The Pontifex was the one whispering into The well provided drinking water to the city.
the mayor’s ear, pulling the strings. It was Every morning, the community would gather
the Pontifex who convinced the king to name around the well to draw water and gossip over
his religion as the official one, and it was the the newest events. It was these frequent high
Pontifex who made it illegal to worship other tales, scandals and the gasbagging discussed
gods—punishable by death. there that earned the Windy Well its name. It
was an accessible central location in which to
But the Pontifex, and the city itself, were among meet and hold gatherings. It also proved to be
the first to suffer when the king plunged Ember an easy location to drown disbelievers, as the
into the Endless Summer. So many people Pontifex whipped his flock into a fury, and
crowded into such a small area, with tensions they began to turn on those they believed to be
already high, and when the madness erupted, it godless, throwing them down the well.
caught on like wildfire—citizens were literally
ripping each other apart in the streets. The Stained Cathedral
Now, the city is dead and cold. The streetlights This building was the largest of its kind across
remain unlit, and the wooden buildings have all of Ember, dedicated to an old, forgotten
long since rotted away, leaving only the stone religion, the only memory of which are the
structures standing—and even those have been images painted on its massive stained glass
pockmarked and chipped away with time. windows. It was from within these cathedral
The city belongs to the ghosts now, and they walls that the Pontifex weaved his schemes
clog its streets at night. Anyone who enters and poisoned his parishioners with rabid talk
Yúla in darkness will be devoured by the of heresy. Now, the same cathedral serves as
spectral mass, unless they can ward off the his prison—the Pontifex cowers behind barred
ghosts with a powerful source of light, strong doors, a misshapen shell of what he used to be.
enough to replicate the light of the sun and then
send the ghosts rushing back to the shadows. N otable C haracters
In the daylight, the city is occupied by The Pontifex
scavengers from nearby settlements, searching The Pontifex oversaw the city’s cathedral and
for forgotten valuables buried beneath acted as shepherd to the flock and spiritual
the rubble. advisor to the king. He used his role to
gain power for himself, and for his religion,
positioning himself as the potential High Priest
of Ember. However, Brennin placed himself
into the phylactery before that position was

68
C astle E mber
ever finalized. When the city went mad, the to fend off any monster that might discover
Pontifex abandoned his people. He fled to them, so they won’t hesitate to start a fight if
his cathedral and barred the doors behind they believe they can win, or if they are strongly
him, letting his flock rip each other to pieces. motivated by greed. Conversely, they will flee
The Pontifex was overcome by Summer’s if intimidated, or if the target doesn’t appear
corruption, doomed to become a creature of worth the hassle. If approached cautiously,
darkness. He remains hidden within the Stained the scavengers might parlay with strangers,
Cathedral, a giant spider-like creature weighed providing them with information on the
down by a heavy, holy amulet. The Pontifex has lay of the city, but only if there is a trade of
grown too large to leave through the cathedral information, goods or treasure that they would
doors, and now waits for prey to enter. Many find useful themselves. With the right trade,
of his former flock who sought shelter from the or offer of help against the city’s creatures, the
chaos of the city have long been devoured. scavengers might even provide shelter for a
limited time.
The Blind Beggar
The beggar is neither ghost nor a living thing. Howler Packs
She moves about the city’s alleys, appearing The Lower City doesn’t just draw in humans
during both the night and day. She rarely searching for valuables, it draws in animals as
speaks to anyone, and when she does it is in well, on the hunt for the next meal, sniffing out
hushed whispers. The Blind Beggar does not leftover carrion left to rot in the dark corners
appear to be aggressive, she simply passes by, of the city. The wolf packs of the Kingswood
sometimes with a whispered hush in the ear have been displaced as the apex predators
as she does. It is said that the beggar knows of there, and have been corrupted by Summer’s
the hidden paths and nooks and crannies of the life. As they shifted their hunting grounds to
Lower City, places with caches of valuable food the Lower City, they grew to become carrion
and resources, and that with the right words or feeders. These hulking monstrosities have
gift, she might lead one there. claws as sharp as swords, and teeth that can
pierce through armor. They cannot die, as
O pportunities the corrupted life force keeps them moving
forward, but they can be wounded and
Scavengers dissuaded. One must be careful near these
There is still treasure buried in the city, for beasts, lest they lash out in order to
those daring enough to brave the ghosts who protect the pack, felling the living, and
haunt its shadows, and the fearsome carrion- waiting for them to rot before they
scavenging beasts who hunt in the streets. feed.
These scavengers come well-equipped, ready
69
 P oints of I nterest
The Ember Sunfish
The The flagship of King Brennin’s royal fleet, the
Poisoned Port Ember Sunfish was designed and constructed by
Brennin in his days as a builder. He christened
the vessel and captained it on its maiden
voyage. Unfortunately, that was the only
H istory voyage the Sunfish would ever undertake, since
The Castle Port was the first point of contact the king lost his mind shortly thereafter, and
for many foreigners entering the Realm of the ship never left port again. Now it lies half
Ember. Merchant vessels and cargo ships sunken into the bay, its hull rotted out, home to
from across the world would anchor at the the many ghastly creatures that live in the dark
docks. The boardwalk was filled with colorful depths.
vendor stalls, with exotic merchandise available
to peruse. Street performers would put on The Warehouse District
energetic acts in the streets, and music could be While operational, the warehouse district
heard playing from the many taverns that lined housed the many goods that were unloaded
the port. off the ships coming to port in Ember. Objects
Music plays no longer and the streets of the port from across the world were stored in this
lay silent. When the madness first took hold district, waiting to be purchased, evaluated,
of Castle Ember, mobs began to grow violent, or transported deeper into the kingdom. Most
and the people took to the streets. Eventually, of those goods still remain, locked inside the
that violence spread over to the port. The ship endless rows of brick units that make up the
captains, eager to protect what little they had district. The entire area has been taken over by
left, began firing their cannonade into the a faction of Ember’s military, led by Captain
crowd. When a stray cannonball struck a crate Graham, and those who wish to pillage for
of alchemical concoctions destined for the royal treasures must face them down.
apothecary, the port was suddenly flooded
with a gaseous poison, one that killed anyone The Ship Graveyard
who came in contact with it. The gases have There were hundreds of ships moored in the
remained for years, turning the port proper port when the kingdom fell, and there those
into a no-man’s-land. Wisps of the alchemical ships have stayed. Most of them, made of less
poisons still exist, green vapors curling off the sturdy materials than the Ember Sunfish, have
surface of the water. long since sunk, their masts and bows sticking
out of the water like gravestones. The bay is
The port is hardly safe to pass through—even full of ships in this condition, which grants it
though the poison is no longer potent enough its macabre nickname. The area is treacherous
to kill, it still makes the air difficult to breath to navigate, so no outside ships ever attempt to
and can cause lesions and rashes to appear on enter Ember’s port.
the skin. Those who need to move through
the port must protect themselves in some
way—covering their eyes, nose and mouth in
N otable C haracters
particular or begin to fall prey to the poisons. The Dockmaster
Carl Hemings was a hard, bitter, angry man. He
ran the docks through a combination of fear and
extortion—just a small step above organized
crime. When the riots hit the city, Dockmaster
Hemings fled in fear for his life. This fear was
well-warranted; when the mob reached the
docks, they were chanting for Carl Hemings’
head. When they hung Carl from the mast of
a ship, they cheered. When Carl rose from the
dead, they screamed. Carl is still tethered to

70
C astle E mber
the mast of his ship, floating in the harbor, and
what little remains of Carl still orders his ragtag
B rennin the B uilder
crew to continue their dirty works around the This aspect of Brennin is more ambitious and
port. cunning than any other soul-fragment. He has
given everything to his architecture, and to
Mad Clayden improving the way of life for the inhabitants
Mad Clayden came by his nickname long of the city of Yúla. This Brennin can be found
before the real madness hit Ember. He was a analysing different areas of the port and
sailor first, serving in Ember’s expeditionary making notes on possible improvements as
fleet, a position that took him far beyond the he plans to make the port a world-renowned
realm’s borders. Officer Clayden led a force that center of trade and commerce. This soul-
tried to sail around the world, but something fragment of Brennin can be resolved either
met them in the murky distance beyond Ember. through realizing that his works will have
Whatever it was, it killed most of Clayden’s lasting impact on Ember (joyfulness) or that
crew, and left him mentally unhinged. He came they are ultimately meaningless in the face of
back to Castle Ember raving about monsters in his choices that doomed Ember (misery).
the water and poisoned air—a mental state that
got him banished from the fleet. Clayden wasn’t and defended that claim against all comers.
done with the seas yet, and so he assembled a Eons have passed, and the Crusaders are not
crew to man his ship, the Hateful Pillager, and the shining force of light they once were. Many
began making trips back to that distant place. have died and since come back—their injuries
Every time he returned, Clayden and his crew healed over by the cancer of summer. They
had drifted further and further into madness. have been corrupted, and all that remains are
Now, that madness has come to Ember and it dismal shells of once great men, still clinging
clings to them like stink. In the early days of onto their sacred territory. Perhaps one could
the Endless Summer, before other places knew find a way to reignite the spark of light within
to avoid Ember’s waters, Mad Clayden and his the Crusaders, and direct them towards
crew preyed upon ships that drifted too close. tremendous deeds once again.
But no ship has come near the port for a long,
long time… The Tavern Nomads
Whilst the Endless Summer has left Ember
O pportunities in a miasma of time, with warped, cancerous
creatures and those prevented from passing on
Creatures of the Deep
due to the broken Cycle, there is a small group
In the deep waters beneath Ember dwell
who have somehow made lives for themselves.
creatures far more terrifying than those on land.
Using the port taverns as their homes is a band
They were infected by the king’s madness,
of survivors, neither undead, nor summer-
and by the alchemical poisons that fell into the
cursed, a mix of foreigners and Ember half-
waters, and these things have not only driven
bloods who have lived generations under
them insane but have mutated them into more
the Endless Summer. These people live like
horrific versions of their living selves. These
nomads, moving from tavern to tavern, hunting
creatures are trapped in the water, but many
and gathering resources as they go. They’ve
have long tentacles or other mutated limbs that
learned to seal the taverns from the worst of the
can reach the shore, to wrap around helpless
poison, and trained themselves to ward off, and
victims and drag them into the deep.
if need be, fight off the horrors of the Poisoned
Graham’s Crusaders Port. These nomads could become allies in
the right circumstances, or at least offer a safe
Captain Graham led a platoon of soldiers
haven or local knowledge to anyone who finds
in Ember’s army, stationed in what is now
themselves in the Poisoned Port.
known as the Garrison of the Dead. When the
garrison fell, Captain Graham managed to lead
a skilled group of veteran crusaders out of the
garrison and down to the nearby port. Once
there, the Crusaders claimed a territory for
themselves, centered in the warehouse district,
71
 are the Crusader Armaments, sets of armor
and weapons designed for the Holy Crusaders
The Garrison who used to fight for Ember’s light. These
armaments cover a wide variety of designs and
of the Dead sizes, since the Crusaders were meant to be
a multi-purpose unit. Captain Graham has a
personal set of weapons that he was forced to
abandon in the rush to battle the undead in the
H istory streets of Yúla.
The garrison housed the conscripted footmen,
servants, and squires of the knights not famous, The Cabin
or honorable enough, to be housed in Castle Not far from the garrison is a shantytown
Ember. The garrison was overseen by Watcher where some of the poor and destitute of
Aelbehrt Wulfrum, who had retired from Ember once lived. Within the shantytown,
military duty as one of Ember’s most prolific an ominous presence can be felt, a tangible
captains. He oversaw the day-to-day operations darkness. Somewhere amongst the decrepit
of the garrison alongside his steward, Esegar. shelters is a small cabin, previously the home of
Many brave warriors were stationed at the Eadwine, the Matriarch of the Departed—the
garrison, including Captain Graham and his necromancer responsible for the attack on the
Crusaders, a holy unit of warrior-monks. After garrison. Within her cabin lies the trappings
the Endless Summer began, the garrison was of black magic—ritual circles, spell books,
attacked by angry mobs and the walking dead, anatomical sketches—as well as her alchemical
and it was Captain Graham who cut swathes supplies. The cabin carries with it a sense of evil
through the hordes, rescuing his men from their and dread, as this is where the pact between
predicament. Unfortunately, Watcher Wulfrum, Eadwine and the darkness was made.
along with Esegar and many other innocents,
were left behind to suffer when the dead finally The Artillery
broke through the garrison’s doors. High atop the garrison’s walls, a full suite of
artillery weapons can be found. These weapons,
Watcher Wulfrum mounted a tremendous
mounted to the stone, were used by Watcher
defense, and the stories say the dead were piled
Wulfrum in his defense of the castle. These
in stacks as high as the garrison walls before
defenses are meant to strike outwards, at
Wulfrum’s defenses finally fell to the onslaught.
invading armies, but with a few engineering
Wulfrum survived the attack, and remains
tweaks they should be able to fire down into
somewhere in the garrison, locked behind a
the garrison courtyard as well, and might be
protective spell cast by Esegar moments before
enough to clear the larger throngs of undead—
the steward met his fate. The spell saved
that is, if you can get to them. The only way
Wulfrum from death, but not from the effects
to reach the artillery is through the winding
of time, or the madness permeating from King
staircases that circle through the garrison’s
Brennin.
towers, which are likely full of undead.
The garrison belongs to the undead now—the
indefatigable skeletal army that now reinforces N otable C haracters
it. Weapons and armor straight out of legend
still exist somewhere within the bastion, The Matriarch of the Departed
including the Crusader Armaments that Eadwine, the Matriarch of the Departed, is
Captain Graham was forced to leave behind. responsible for the outbreak of undead that
laid waste to the garrison. Before the madness,
P oints of I nterest Eadwine was already a practicing witch,
studying the ways of dark magic. She was
The Armory exiled when the truth of her research was
Perhaps the most sought after treasures discovered by her fellow practitioners. Since
of the garrison lie in the armory. When magic of that nature was forbidden by the
the fortress fell, the armory was king, her punishment was swift. Eadwine was
closed and its contents were left forced to live outside of civilization, and she
behind. Included among these found herself a small cabin in the shantytown,
72
C astle E mber
 O pportunities
Reprieve from the Dead
The key to ending the undead occupation of the
garrison lies in defeating the Matriarch of the
Departed. However, reaching the matriarch,
much less killing her, is quite the feat. The
garrison itself is said to be impenetrable—it
took an entire army of walking dead to conquer
it—and, if a force were to get in, they’d be
surrounded by vicious skeletal terrors armed
with swords and axes. If the skeletal army
where she remained anonymous and unseen. could be managed, and the matriarch could
There, she focused on her powers, vowing be lured out, it is possible that mundane steel
to use them for revenge against the Realm of weapons would have no effect on her. She is
Ember. There, she grew stronger every day, but powered by black magic now, and legend says
the particular talent to revive and control the only a Crusader’s weapon, wielded by the truly
dead was beyond her ability—that is, until the worthy, can separate her from her power.
king trapped Ember in the Endless Summer.
Suddenly her powers increased ten-fold, fueled Restoring the Watcher
by the destructive energies around her. She Watcher Wulfrum is trapped within the
became something more than human, feeding garrison, a cracked and broken semblance of
off of the dark magic until she resembled a a human being. There may be a way to reach
gaunt, morbid caricature of a human, a lich. him, and to restore him to his former self. Deep
With her new necromantic army in tow, she down, he still wants nothing more than the
assaulted the garrison, and now uses it as her protection of Ember, and if he is made to realize
seat of power as she sends her minions against his position, and the full extent of the threat
other important landmarks and consolidates to Ember coming from within the garrison,
her influence in Ember, and develops her he may yet offer help. Wulfrum knows many
arcane power even further. secrets: those of the garrison and the tunnels
beneath, and of the powerful weapons still
Watcher Wulfrum
within its walls.
Watch Wulfrum was trapped behind the
protective field that his steward, Esegar, had The Eldritch Armaments
cast for him. This field kept him safe from the As well as the Crusader Armaments, there
Matriarch of the Departed’s forces, but he had are other artifacts within the garrison: those
no food or water to sustain him. The protective wielded by heroes of old, and those once
field was only meant to be temporary, to keep wielded by ancient threats to Ember, secured
the watcher safe until reinforcements could deeply away in years gone by. The artifacts
arrive, or until Captain Graham could take back within the garrison may be used to fight back
the garrison. But the Crusader captain had no the dark and cancerous things that have arisen
intention of returning to the garrison, and help in Ember since the Endless Summer began,
never came for the watcher. And so Wulfrum or increase one’s personal power, or they are
suffered a slow, painful death, perhaps worse simply there to be looted and sold in another
than what the matriarch had in mind for him. land for great profit.
While he suffered, his mind twisted and drove
him mad: he split into multiple personalities— Items of power rumored to be hidden away
one being that of Esegar, his fallen steward. within the garrison are the Soulwork Needle,
Wulfrum still waits, somewhere in the garrison, the Yesteryear Tome, the Quill of Everbinding
behind one of its many locked doors. If the and the Pensive Blade, the last in particular
protective ward was to be broken. Wulfrum which was used in the decades-long war
could prove to be a strong ally against the against a race of vampiric beings who
dead… or he could be more dangerous than once plagued the land long before it
ever before. became the Realm of Ember.

73
 T he
Vitreous Wood

Empyreal Orb
A matrix of faerie magic and soul-ash devised by the
Crystal Sage, one part of his research in the effort to finally
escape this realm.

74
75
 H istory of
the V itreous W ood
The woods were the historic demesne of the
Winter Court until King Brennin refused to join
with Queen Maeve in the traditional union of
mortal and faerie. Now it has become a dark
and foreboding place, stagnant and foul. Its
queen lies trapped in a dreamlike state as the
realm festers, and she desperately attempts to
find ways to undo Summer’s curse.
Said to have stood tall and full when the notice—a legacy of the wood’s connection to
world itself was young, the Vitreous Wood Faerie. Certain elements are always the same:
has gone through many cycles of growth and the Seasons’ Trod begins in the north-eastern
regrowth. It has always been, and it will always edge of the forest, and sometimes keeps to the
be, although it has never been as sick as it is edge of the wood, while other times it seems to
now. Visitors often find the very concept of the plunge into its very heart, but only when the
Vitreous Wood backwards, since in summer it time is close for winter to begin. This makes
retreats and withers, but grows and builds as it interacting with locals an absolute necessity,
waits for winter to arrive so that it might burst as they know where the Trod currently goes,
gloriously forth, releasing Maeve back into the and whether it leads to the Slumbering Court,
world as the Winter Queen. It is crèche, grave, somewhere deep in the Vitreous Wood, or
and glorious monument for the previously only skirts the forest. While many faerie
uninterrupted line of kings and queens of communities exist throughout the region, the
Ember. most sought and most persistent remains the
The forest itself is noticeably thick and lush, but Goblin Market, discoverable for the last 237
nearly all of the plants also incorporate some years, and recorded in histories for the last 941.
elements of crystalline growth into their forms. The skies over this roaming town-sized market
Sometimes these are full crystals growing like are perpetually a star-studded sheet of black
branches or extruding from trunks; in other velvet, tinged with the glow of torches and
instances, the plants have leaves of thin, pale luminescent crystals. Its stalls and vendors sell
green glass. It is not unusual to see whole anything from dragonfly mounts or homunculi,
branches consisting of living crystal as one to the dreams of mortal and faerie alike.
goes deeper into the Vitreous Wood. When the Occupying the towns, markets, and glades,
breeze blows, the air carries the distinct hint numerous varieties of faeries live and practice
of ozone, and it often sounds as if the whole trades, interacting with mortals and acting out
region is awash in the distant song of wind stories. There are flocks of pixies, copses of
chimes. The crystals remain flexible when dryads, packs of redcaps, tribes of industrious
still connected to a tree or shrub, but when and cunning goblins or gnomes, pools of
separated, they can crack or shatter like glass, nixies, kelpies, and lorelai—some in groups
making the forest floor dangerous for anyone of their own kind, others in heterogeneous
running with unprotected feet. In places where communities. Lone, curmudgeonly vodyanoi
fire has ravaged parts of the wood, lonely harass crossings, bands of lustful satyrs and
crystal spikes stab into the air, surrounded by fauns hold raucous celebrations in broad
soot, saplings and a carpet of heat-blasted glass. glades, and will-o-wisps and sluagh haunt
Travelers and residents have been known to old battlefields and unmarked graves. Nearly
regularly harvest bits of crystal, for trade or to all of them currently suffer some mark of the
incorporate them into anything from weapons corruption affecting Ember, the cancerous
to artwork. overgrowth leaving almost nothing in a
While the Vitreous Wood stretches for pure and unblemished form. Sometimes this
hundreds of leagues in every direction, pollution manifests visibly, through alterations
distances can be magically warped, to the forms of faeries; in other cases, it can be
changing travel times without seen through a cruel and bloodthirsty nature
that dominates all other behavior.
76
T he V itreous W ood
 co-opted as part of a series of hideouts for
P oints of I nterest rebel fae, fed up with Maeve and Brennin and
The Lonely Village the state Ember has fallen into. These fae seek
Within a wide glade where the Vitreous to restore balance to Ember, even if it means
Wood is at its thickest is what seems to be an toppling Maeve as their queen. The crystal
abandoned village. It has a dozen or so stone pods have been hollowed out, and formed
houses, an inn, a stable and a baker. A close into small forts for the slowly gathering forces.
look inside any building reveals that something These fae are masters of hiding themselves
does not seem right. There’s no sign of life, no both physically and from scrying and have
sign that anything ever lived in the village at so far remained hidden from Atkond’s many
all. The few human and fae statues scattered selves. While the fae know what they want, as
in the houses and the streets are eerie, the only of yet they have not taken action against their
sign that something of artistic value has ever own kind, due to the indecisiveness of several
been placed within the village. If anyone should factions within the rebels. One particularly
spend too long there, they become drained cunning brownie, Mariond, recently had the
and sluggish, and eventually become part of idea to bring in mortals amongst their group, in
the village itself, petrified. In truth, under the order to shake things up, for whenever mortals
earth is one of Tylwyth’s beasts, a great hermit are involved, things are ever much more urgent
crab-like creature and both the village and the than with the fae alone.
ground underneath are actually part of its shell.
Any who spend too long near the beast risk C haracters of
being turned to stone and becoming part of its the V itreous W ood
facade village.
Maeve, Queen of Winter
Brennin’s Estate The tale of Maeve, the Winter Queen of the
Shortly after they were married, Brennin and Unseelie and mother of Brennin, has been told
Brigid moved into a small estate—designed before. Now she waits for the coming of winter,
by Brennin himself—far from the politics so she may come alive again and take her place
of the royal court and guilds of Yúla. While beside the Summer King. In previous cycles,
still involved in their various circles, Brennin she gave birth to Brennin, his brothers, and a
intended for the pair to have a place they tightly kept secret.
could retreat to in order to have peace when
they desired it. The manor was modest in size
at first, though Brennin made extension after B rennin the H usband
extension, with Brigid’s studio eventually This aspect of Brennin is more loving and
becoming his core focus. Many of Brigid’s passionate than any other soul-fragment. He
early artworks and drafts, never intended to is the ideal husband to Brigid, abandoning
see the light of day, can be found within the all other personal pursuits in order to care
estate, each possessing an eerie, realistic quality for her, provide for her, and enable her to
unseen in many other artworks across Ember. reach her higher self. This Brennin has a fiery
This estate truly is a retreat from the danger gleam in his eye, as he makes improvements
and chaos seen elsewhere in Ember, and some for their estate at the edge of the Vitreous
property of the manor wards off threats to the Wood, particularly to Brigid’s studio, or
inhabitants, particularly from the undead. It is as he hunts and gathers meat and herbs to
in this estate that one of Brennin’s aspects can bring back for the stove. He acts oblivious
be found, that of Brennin the Husband. to the cold hearth, unaware that Brigid is
nowhere to be seen within their home. This
Rebel’s Redoubt soul-fragment of Brennin can be resolved
On the border of Autumn and Winter’s Trod either through realizing that he has loved
are a series of giant crystalline seed pods, Brigid with all his heart in some way
fallen from an immense and dazzling tree that previously (joyfulness) or that it was
no longer exists. These seeds once awaited ultimately his selfishness that
the right conditions to grow again into the destroyed Brigid before her time
gemheart tree, but many have now been (misery).

77
 This fiercely held confidence remains known Most levels of the tower are taken up by all
only to her and Atkond; Brennin has a younger sorts of laboratories and his experiments, many
half-brother, held in the fae court beneath the of which would have been his next generation
waves as a hostage and guarantee of peace. beast to grow somewhere in Ember.
Should he return, this sibling could take the
Summer Lord’s place as Equinoct King. She is O pportunities
not ready to reveal this to anyone, at least not
just yet. As she grows less stable, who knows A Dream Vendor Calls
what might be said in the heat of the moment An old, white-haired man wearing deep, starry
as frustration and anxiety frays what remains of robes approaches the characters, asking if they
her sanity. have anything to sell. Calm, but genial and
quite serious, Terrac explains he seeks stolen or
Beyond her brief visitations, the Winter Queen
forsaken dreams acquired from the Slumbering
reserves her energy to manifest each full moon,
Court to buy or sell. And if the player characters
to commune with Atkond and learn the state
don’t have any in hand, he is more than happy
of the Vitreous Wood and her people. In these
to commission them, while offering a secret
situations, she holds court, awards those who
path into the innermost corners of the Faerie
may have won a Waiting Tournament against
Queen’s entourage. He most covets the dreams
her knights and champions, and attempts to
of those central to Ember’s current condition—
keep the Old Ways. Maeve dearly treasures
Brennin, Cliodhna, Ceidwen or Caddell.
these nights and will hold a grudge against any
Perhaps these dreams might tell of how the
who might subvert them.
curse of summer fell over the land, and perhaps
Atkond the Sundered Duke they tell of a way to undo the damage.
Some instance of Atkond can be found at The Hunt, Interrupted
just about any location within the Vitreous
As the player characters heads through the
Wood, though whether these are active or
Vitreous Wood, they come upon a group of
in hibernation is another matter altogether.
faerie warriors stalking a satyr or a dryad. It
Gaining Atkond’s attention may take some
seems as if they are just about to attack the lone
effort, depending what else he is busy with,
creature and murder it. However, this is normal
though drawing his attention is easy if one’s
for them, all part of a game which has been
actions directly threaten the fabric of the woods
repeating for decades. Should the characters
or the Slumbering Court itself. One of Atkond’s
disrupt the game, both parties turn on them
favored locations to concentrate himself at is
and attack. Should they somehow add to the
the Looking Glass Aerie, a series of glass and
game, the faeries offer a small boon to aid the
crystalline buildings held aloft on a copse of
travelers.
giant ash trees. There, the duke’s many forms
engage in philosophical chatter with one Pawned at Market
another, or if there is an immediate dire threat Several important items are burgled from
to the court, the dukes may be tending to the the player characters over the course of a few
Aerie’s crystal garden, growing new weapons nights, and, at last, the culprit is captured with
with which to arm themselves. their hand in a pack. A faerie rogue has taken
Tylwyth the Crystal Sage the items and sold them to a variety of vendors
at the Goblin Market. The creature is willing to
Tylwyth crosses back and forth the Vitreous
provide the names and locations of the buyers,
Wood as he detects the various creatures he
but there’s no guarantee the merchants are
seeded across the centuries and as he prepares
willing to sell them back, and the thief used
his great ritual. Not all of the beasts are where
the money to pay hostage fees for its cousin.
he remembers placing them, and not all are
However, if the player characters are willing to
alive at this point. He believes there are just
perform a few tasks, perhaps they can barter…
enough of them for his plans. When in
need of rest, or as the spark of an idea
takes him, Tylwyth frequents his
Quicksilver Tower, hidden and
concealed by layers of illusion.

78
T he V itreous W ood
 L ocations in
the V itreous W ood
P oints of I nterest
Field of Penitents
Seasons’ Trod Once a group of King Brennin’s soldiers
rebelled against their sovereign and his weak
grip on the throne as the Summer King. While
H istory the king commenced his tour of the realm, the
The long road extending from the north- conspirators plotted their assassination. As
eastern border of the Vitreous Wood shifts the procession arrived in this field, bordered
from flagstones to raw dirt to sunken trees, and on one side by a bog, the other with a sparse
boards through bogs and swamp. The trees field of saplings, the collaborators sprang
along the length begin as bare claws raking their ambush. A great battle raged for 13 days
the sky at the northernmost point, gaining and nights, destroying what little remained
crumbling brown leaves that grow bronze and of the forest in the field and pushing back the
gold, then pale green and finally deep verdant woods a full bowshot as loyalist fought traitor.
emerald as one approaches the Slumbering Outnumbered by the faithful legionnaires, and
Court. Many communities and notable sites betrayed at the last moment by an overeager
have grown along the Trod; there are inns, youth who acted too soon, the conspirators
villages, and monuments amidst other strange fought to the last score of troops, surrounded
landmarks. It is rarely possible to go more than and were encircled at spearpoint. They refused
a day on the road without some sign of mortal to relent, and stayed defiant even as the Tirithal
or fae presence. Knights disarmed and restrained them.
The Trod is a transitionary road, as ever- Brennin felt they could not be pardoned, and
changing as the different weather-pockets given their recalcitrant attitudes, he declared
within the Vitreous Wood. Depending on they be made examples. They were impaled
the weather, one might find themselves on on the remaining saplings as the king uttered a
the chilly Winter Trod, sweating through the Royal Curse, binding their spirits and bones to
baking heat of the Summer Trod, surrounded the trees until pardoned. Their ghosts appear
by the dappled-leaves of the Autumn Trod or when properly called, and on the anniversary
under a pleasant light rain of the Spring Trod. of the attack, fighting out the last moments of
By traditional decree, the Equinoct King must their ill-fated gambit, only to die as the sun
travel the Seasons’ Trod before requesting rises.
the Winter Queen’s hand. While Brennin did Sapphire Retreat
perform this procession twice, he did not
Wide, calm, and surrounded by ancient oaks
propose marriage to Maeve; while the letter
and an immense, 80 foot (24 meter) tall standing
of the magical law was followed, the spirit
stone, the reflecting pool known as the Sapphire
was not. Magic has always been finicky and
Retreat possesses no outflow or inflow, and no
devious. This adherence to the semantics of
matter what season, it possesses a thin layer
the great bargain seemed sufficient, but the
of transparent ice over the surface. The pool
deception was not without its price.
and surrounds remains occupied by a troupe
of nixies and lorelai; a few of these attempt
to lure the unsuspecting out where they
might break through the ice and drown,
trapped and unable to find the place
where they fell. Some of these victims
survive the cold, who the faeries

79
 then sell to vodyanoi or rusalka as wives. The Duke occasionally pursues the “Thief-King of
water faeries are a cowardly lot and flee to deep the Trees” for sport, yet he has sometimes also
cavern lairs when attacked or pursued. Those engaged Muginn as a spymaster. Ceidwen
who manage to be captured offer all kinds of has had several encounters with the Raven-
treasure for their ransom. lord’s crows, and Muginn is known to have a
A secret lives beneath the ice. Sometimes strong dislike for the Summer King’s estranged
thought to just be a thick fog forming over daughter. This emotion is so strong, that he has
the water when a warm spring breeze passes sent murders of crows to shadow and reveal
through the clearing, this heavy cloud-like her to hunters when she travels near Muginn’s
phenomenon is actually Euroclydon, a mist territory.
dragon. The dragon has not yet started
Euroclydon the Mist Dragon
demanding tribute from those using the
Seasons’ Trod, but she has stopped several Lairing in a hidden cavern beneath the great
groups to question their very surprised and standing stone of the Sapphire Retreat,
nervous members, requesting news from Euroclydon the Mist Dragon is a relative
abroad and asking them for where they were newcomer to the Vitreous Wood. Curious and
bound. slow to anger, Euroclydon lived for centuries
in high mountains and then on secluded, rocky
coasts before shifting her home near the Winter
N otable C haracters Court. This constant change of home meant
Lord of Ravens and Thieves she did not suffer much from the corrosive
Muginn, a 4 foot (1.2 meter) tall raven clad in effects of the curse affecting Ember. Or perhaps
feathers dusted with emerald crystal, lays claim this was due to her primal and arcane nature
to the title of “Lord of Ravens and Thieves.” At as a dragon. However, with this latest move,
least a half-dozen murders of crows and ravens the Mist Dragon has started to become more
serve the great corvid, and Muginn refuses curious and greedy. She has begun to openly
to offer any fealty to Maeve nor any other threaten those who fail to answer her questions,
member of the Slumbering Court. Nor does and escalates situations to near violence before
he bow to King Brennin and the nobility intimidating targets into submission. Thus far,
of summer. However, he does seem she has not yet needed or committed violence
to have an affection for ripe cherries, against travelers. Euroclydon’s vaporous
and willingly barters for them with form can shift from a long, sinuous, draconic
polite petitioners. The Sundered juggernaut to a hazy fog in a span of heartbeats.

80
T he V itreous W ood
Only time will tell for certain whether the
dragon’s mutable nature will harm, hinder or
help those traveling along the Seasons’ Trod.
The
O pportunities Slumbering Court
Commerce Rolling
Approaching from the opposite direction, the
player characters observe a train of strange H istory
wagons, carts and mules. Driven by grimacing With trees more crystal than hardwood, but
men and foul-tempered goblins, the group undeniably growing, the Slumbering Court lies
appears to be taking a number of goods to the at the heart of the Vitreous Wood. It is a lush
Goblin Market. Some of these items may be grove of towering plants softly glowing with
components or trinkets desired by the player a spectrum of colors. The thick trunks of the
characters. Can they convince these rough Royal Grove are arranged in a tiered parliament
merchants to stop their caravan for a short fashion and primarily consist of enormous
period and make a sale? Or will the goblins crystals sheathed in patches of bark; inside
take advantage of the situation and attempt to each crystal lies a member of the Slumbering
waylay a smaller group? Court in hibernation until Maeve is awakened
by the Equinoct King. When this happened in
Knights Errant the past, the trees gloriously burst forth light
The Sundered Duke’s most elite agents are the and glass, releasing the faeries so they could
Order of the Icicle, a group of faerie knights take their places as the Winter Peerage. Now,
mounted on crystalline drakes and dragonflies, the nobles and faerie courtiers dreaming within
or immense black destriers that snort clouds these heavy trunks remain physically trapped,
of snow when made to stop and heed their but possess the ability to leave as ghostly
masters. These warriors wield great crystal echoes, capable of solidifying for short periods
weapons which leave terrible lingering wounds, ranging from a few minutes to a full evening.
and they rarely tolerate disrespect from mortal They may project themselves anywhere in the
or even fae. Most faeries hustle for cover when Vitreous Wood, and use this ability to further
knights of the Faerie Host approach. What will their machinations. By manifesting anywhere in
the characters do when a trio of these high- the forest, they bribe, cajole, and trick mortals
ranking cavaliers come to question them about into completing tasks they need completed;
a recent raid on a fae community? How will although these projections are completely
they respond if the knights don’t believe their tangible and capable of using magic or even
claims and decide to arrest them? killing, any harm done to the faerie specters
does not seem to transfer to the fey in their
Room for the Night crystal cocoons.
More than one abandoned town exists along
the Seasons’ Trod, its population mysteriously P oints of I nterest
whisked away in the middle of the night
without a sign. At one such town, the only Feast Unending
occupied structure appears to be a faerie inn, A short distance from the Royal Grove, beneath
fully staffed and already receiving many a gossamer canopy, lies the vast table of the
visitors. Amidst the inn’s inhabitants, for one Feast Unending. This constant offering of food
night only, is a motley assortment of agents is the celebration meal waiting for King Brennin
from all across Ember, there in order to glean to propose to Queen Maeve and complete
information from one another. Fae, mortal, the ceremony of union. Tended by a small
summer-cursed, Deep Ones, or yet other army of goblins and sprites, it is managed
strange and arcane beings of Ember hide their and supervised by the Keeper of Cups, a
true selves as they gather knowledge, and the heavily muscled old man who carries an
arrival of yet more visitors to the inn may upset enormous mithral urn on his back with
the delicate balance between them all. a spidersilk harness.

81
The Vitreous Wood
 Royal Hosts Champion of the Royal Grove
In a half-dozen sites throughout the Vitreous The embodiment of the genius loci of the Royal
Wood, between vast, half-glass oaks, stand Grove, the Arborescent Champion is a spirit that
clusters of the seed pods of the Royal Hosts. occupies and animates a specially grown crystal
With over hundreds of instances of the tree form standing 45 feet (14 meters) tall. As
Sundered Duke sleeping at each location, these an intangible spirit, it presents no gender. The
pods protect the armies of the Winter Queen champion has pointed quartz crystals at its
until she or Atkond needs them to mobilize. joints, and heavy steel tower shields have been
The pods themselves measure 8 feet long by nailed to its form, creating a sort of scale armor
4 feet wide (2.4 meters by 1.2 meters) and protecting it from many sorts of attack. Its
3 feet (1 meter) thick with a dense, fibrous shell, voice is rarely heard, and many believe it to be
immune to damage from mundane materials; some kind of statue, rather than the fearsome
each contains an instance of the Sundered Duke defender it is. A cautious strategist, it often
in his well-known crystal panopoly. advises the slow, deliberate path, saying, “I do
not expect you to understand, having lived for
The Shattered Glade such a short time and having never died.” If
Starting in the central southwest of the Vitreous provoked, the Arborescent Champion is brutal
Wood, and pressing northeasterly to the edge and terrifying, attacking with great vigor until
of the Royal Grove, there exists a wide swathe all present enemies are vanquished.
of blasted glades, full of jagged crystalline
trunks and young saplings burgeoning through O pportunities
the broken, glassy debris. This is the Shattered
Glade, where previous generations of the The Waiting Tournaments
Winter Court reincarnated from their crystal The Sundered Duke’s knights are just an elite
chrysalises. A few spirits of mostly-forgotten cadre of the many who serve the faerie nobility.
faerie nobility linger here, like the Earl of All of these warriors await the commands of
Frostbite and Lady Borealis, willing to impart their absent lords and ladies, and the great
archaic secrets for those who invoke the proper Betrothal Tournament, which only happens
forms and bring appropriate gifts to sate their with the release of the Winter Queen. To pass
long ignored hungers and desires. the time, they arrange Waiting Tournaments,
challenging one another in feats of martial
N otable C haracters prowess and courtly skill. Winners gain titles,
magical weapons, and glory amongst the faeries
Keeper of Cups of the Vitreous Wood, and perhaps even their
A mortal man, the 25th generation of his family tightly-held secrets.
to have served the House of Winter as the
result of an insult to the queen. The Keeper Take a Joke
of Cups’ position was once a curse, but it has A large group of mortal travelers has come to
now become a valued and trusted role, offering the Royal Grove, hoping to compete against the
a mortal perspective to the Unending Feasts faerie knights, or to converse with members of
guests’ requests. Known simply as “Keeper,” the Winter Peerage. Strangely, members of the
he is an expert in goblin and sprite culture entourage have begun disappearing, leaving
and behavior, and holds the staff of the Feast piles of bloodless clothes and no signs of a
Unending in line through a combination of struggle. It appears they have fallen victim to
intimidation and respect. He has a fondness the Rhyming Jester, a powerful redcap who
for sweet pipeweed, but never partakes in turns those who fail to answer his riddles into
the course of his responsibilities. Weighing small forest animals, which he then chases into
heavily on his mind is the fact that he is the last the Vitreous Wood. If his skull-topped scepter
generation sworn to serve the queen; after his can be acquired, then it can return victims to
death, the now hereditary position may be their natural form, presuming they haven’t
considered a matter of whim, rather than fallen prey to some hunter.
the ironclad bargain it is now.

82
T he V itreous W ood
 paralyze its prey and sew its eyes and mouth
shut. A score of small, potted trees occupy the
The tent’s floor. From their leaves hangs the grey-
red chrysalis of flesh-eating moths, capable of
Goblin Market stripping corpses in an hour. The dryads don’t
explain how to capture or kill the moths once
released, leaving that task to the new owners.

H istory Misplaced Dreams and Lost

The full name of the Goblin Market is “Her Potentials
Majesty’s Fair and Noble Celebratory Market” A small ebony pavilion stands alone in the
and it is enchanted to roam the Vitreous Wood. Goblin Market, surrounded by tents and stalls
Everyone simply calls it the Goblin Market, all around it. Its doors are nothing more than
and it tends to be found at random sites along thin sheets of blue satin threaded with small
the southern edge of the forest. By decree, the gems. A well-painted sign in a flowing script
only authority of the market is Queen Maeve over the southern gables reads “Misplaced
and her duly designated representatives, which Dreams & Lost Potentials.” It is run by a mortal
have been the Sundered Duke and the Goblin named Terrac, and his small cadre of very
Knight—a covetous tyrant who spends much professional goblins. They sell a variety of
of his time sampling the various food vendors knick-nacks and gew-gaws, claiming them to
under the pretense that the queen may arrive at be the physical embodiment of both mortal and
any time. faerie dreams, nightmares, hopes, aspirations,
Despite all of this, the market is extremely and goals. Those who are inside claim that if
popular with anyone seeking the unusual, the one looks back through the doors as someone
rare, or the illegal. If it is lost, stolen, or hard else enters, one does not see the Goblin Market,
to find, chances are decent you can acquire but a starlit sky and a city street populated by
it, or find someone who can acquire it, at the all manner of unusual creatures. However,
Goblin Market—you may not like the price anyone departing the store always seems to
demanded, that’s almost always guaranteed. return to the Goblin Market, even if they arrive
The layout of the market itself changes each on a different street from the one they entered.
time it appears, but a few things are consistent.
It will always be surrounded by a wrought-iron
goblin-made fence, topped every 33 paces by
the skull of a bull or a stag. It will always have
the dream vendor’s pavilion, and the Shrouded
Willow will stand inside near the southeastern-
most corner. Bargains made within the Goblin
Market are binding. Those who break them
gain a magical mark of shame until the deal is
restored; those bearing the mark have no rights
or protections in the Vitreous Wood.

P oints of I nterest
Dragonfly and Moth Kennels
A tall, gauzy tent occupies the northeastern
corner of the Goblin Market. It has no sign, just
a model of a dragonfly and a moth perched on
either end of large metal rod that spins atop the
M ark of the S tate
tentpole. Inside the tent, the air is warm and Officials were given this mark of unification
humid, even if snow or rain thunders outside. to symbolize the carrier’s role in stately
A pair of dryads run this business, selling 3 foot business. Sadly, though, the strong
(1 meter) long dragonflies as messengers or arm of the people became the arm
hunting beasts, including one variety that can of a tyrant.

83
The Vitreous Wood
 Shrouded Willow N otable C haracters
This landmark of the Goblin Market is
known for the silk-wrapped tents of forsaken Terrac the Dream Vendor
travelers and lovelorn broken-hearted who With bone-white hair and a clean-shaven face,
sell themselves into eternal, dreamless sleep the human wizard Terrac may be the third
to hang from the branches. Some bargain with most famous mortal in the Vitreous Wood, after
the Spiders of the Willow to pay debts, others King Brennin and the Keeper of Cups. Always
to forget to their pasts. The most forlorn of the clothed in a robe of fuligin black, studded with
dreamers are snatched in the dead of the night pinpoint stars that drift by when he turns,
to hang in the spider’s larder, amongst the Terrac supposedly lived in multiple worlds and
highest branches of the willow. At the tallest vouched for the veracity of Tylwyth’s arrival
point of the Goblin Market, the Spiders of tale.
the Willow weave fluids and memories from Consummately polite, “until it’s time not to be,”
the dreamers to sell to those who don’t care he runs Misplaced Dreams and Lost Potential,
how the merchandise was acquired, and the claiming, “It’s not the worst venue to do
faeries of the Vitreous Wood are often happy to business, at least you can bargain with goblins.”
purchase them. The full extent of his magic is not known; no-
one has been foolish enough to test his temper.

The Goblin Knight

84
T he V itreous W ood
The Goblin Knight stones and hurl tree-sized spears, fearfully
With Atkond so frequently away on business, pursuing the characters into the cave, should
this “stately” goblin sees himself as the true they do so. Once inside, the ogres refuse to
beating heart of the Goblin Market, and its cross the small, slow moving stream inside, but
official governor. The goblin has had many await in the shadows, attempting to take the
titles over the centuries: Marquis, Archduke, characters prisoner when they return. Should
Chief and Grand Count, and has currently the ogres succeed and capture them, Tylwyth
settled just for “Ser Knight,” but is colloquially may appear, slay the brutes, and free them, that
known as the Goblin Knight. He oversees many is, if they’re willing to do another task for him...
of the evening-to-evening functions of the
Goblin Market, settling disputes, spruiking the
The Company of the Burning Tower
vendors, and arranging real estate for new stalls This band of goblin rabble constantly seek
to be set up, all of which he does, but at the cost employment, having been blacklisted by the
of his “goblin tax”—samples of food, trinkets Winter Peerage. After they (rightfully, by most
and baubles, many of which he ferrets away in accounts) killed their last fae employer for
his hidden palace under the market. breach of contract, they put her sanctum to the
torch. Their ranks include the traditional crazed
O pportunities alchemists, worg riders, and vulture knights,
and their records legitimately document their
Tylwyth Calls service with distinction in over 47 campaigns
The Crystal Sage approaches the characters over 219 years, when they pressed their first
with a request; he needs a quartz shard plunged historian into their ranks. There is currently
into the floor of a large cave. Unbeknownst divided loyalty within their ranks, and
to the characters, buried under the cave is a the company’s factions squabble amongst
massive serpent—one of Tylwyth’s magically themselves, meaning that even if they acquire
engineered beasts. This cavern lies deep in a contract, it might be some time before they
the Vitreous Wood in a collection of ancient get around to it. These factions argue over the
hills. The cave is guarded by a group of large company’s charter, and whether they should
ogres, who seem very intent on killing anyone fight for honor, money, or fame.
approaching the dark void. The ogres fling

B rennin the F ather

An entrepreneurial hobgoblin named Nax, formerly apprentice to Terrac, has been exploring
beyond the Vitreous Wood in order to bring back odds and ends to make a tidy profit at the Goblin
Market. In his travels, Nax came across one of Brennin’s aspiration fragments, and bound it within
a jeweled decanter. This aspect of Brennin can be found in or near Misplaced Dreams and Lost
Potentials, wandering in a dreamlike state as if trying to remember something. While Nax has had
some difficulty keeping the binding in check, he is currently looking for a buyer, believing his big
payday is around the corner.
This aspect of Brennin is more caring and doting than any other soul-fragment. This is the Brennin
who was able to care for Ceidwen and Caddell, even as Brigid grew weak from childbirth, and
before the Earl of Aderyn poisoned Brennin against his children. This Brennin can be found in the
markets, buying delightful toys to gift to his children, sourcing materials to build them a playhouse,
or discovering stories as told by the market’s inhabitants with which to captivate Ceidwen and
Caddell. This soul-fragment of Brennin can be resolved either through realizing that his love
has shaped his children in some way to who they are today (joyfulness) or that he abandoned his
children at crucial times in their lives (misery).
There is potential for other physical embodiments of the Core Characters’ dreams,
aspirations and goals to be found at the Goblin Markets—for the right price. These could
be used by the player characters against other characters within the setting, to make a
bargain with the original owner, or to unlock the secrets that may help restore or ruin
Ember.
85
 Abbey
Marowlyth

Ashen Rot
It is the duty of the daughters of ash to facilitate the
movement of souls to the Hearth. But when they are unable
to fulfil this duty, a rot can begin to take hold, leaving a
corrupted, mindless beast with a broken soul.

86
87
 H istory of
A bbey M arowlyth
In the chaos long before time began Saint
Marowlyth stole the moon and gave it to
humanity. The sun blazed for years on end,
with no reprieve from the heat for the scorched
earth and the life growing in-between the
cracks of the world. The gods, greedy and
selfish in nature, kept the moon to themselves,
only sending it into the sky above their domain
when they wished shade from the sun’s rays.
One day, a young faerie, Marowlyth, saw how
the humans suffered under the unending heat.
As she studied them, she found the humans to
be much weaker and less hardy than faekind,
and so Marowlyth flew up to the gods’ home
and stole the moon.
Using all her might, Marowlyth flew the moon M oonlit S eal
into the sky, so high that with every inch she Servants of the abbey often call upon the
flew upwards precious air was squeezed from power of starlight and the moon for their
her lungs and the heavens turned dark. In her magic. With every incantation, they are
last desperate gasps of life, Saint Marowlyth reminded of their beloved saint’s sacrifice.
saw the moon firmly affixed in the sky, safe
from the clutches of the gods. In the respite
of the gentle light of the moon, the humans
built Abbey Marowlyth in the fae’s honor various constellations. At the center of these
with a dedicated order of monks, the Order of buildings is a large dome, the Lunar Temple,
Stargazers, to carry on Saint Marowlyth’s story where the Stargazer monks would commune
and her teachings of kindness. Over time, the with the heavenly bodies. To get into the Lunar
Stargazers became progressively reclusive, Temple, one must descend a twisting set of
developing their teachings and insight into self- spiral stairs, traveling roughly 30 minutes
care, meditation, numerology and astrology. downwards before reaching the large double
doors of the temple itself.
When the land was corrupted by the selfish
actions of King Brennin, Abbey Marowlyth
was one of the last areas to hold out against
P oints of I nterest
the blight sweeping the land. Whether it was The Shrine of Saint Marowlyth
because the abbey was such a blessed place, or The Shrine of Saint Marowlyth is the focal point
that the Stargazers knew how to weave hope of the abbey. This is where every great prayer
among the faithful, who can say. However, the took place, where the Stargazer monks met
monk’s power was not enough and eventually with members of the community and where
the abbey fell to the same fate as the rest of the they planned their charitable works. The shrine
land. is also the main entrance of the abbey.
Abbey Marowlyth is located in a vast Bordering the ceilings are paintings of Saint
graveyard some distance outside Yúla. The Marowlyth’s great sacrifice depicting how
abbey is a behemoth structure of grey stones, humans suffered before the greedy gods,
chipped and worn with age, and dotted with Marowlyth stealing the moon, and finally
multitudes of round windows. These once her placing it high in the sky. In times past,
shone a beautiful blue light into the abbey, the monks were able to see straight into the
mapping constellations and celestial heavens from the beautiful, clear glass, but now
bodies. Behind the abbey itself are in the abbey’s current state the glass is cracked
outcroppings of interconnected and dirtied with the fumes of alchemical
buildings, built in the shape of concoctions. In the center of the room there

88
A bbey M arowlyth
were once rows upon rows of pews leading Once in a while a steward will bring back
to a statue of Marowlyth. Now, the pews are a live victim who was unfortunate enough
nowhere to be seen, broken apart and used as to cross their path. When this happens they
kindling by the Luminous Circle. will put them into crude metal cages until the
Marowlyth’s statue once depicted a woman victims are used for the sorcerers to try their
with large moth wings and a dress made of experimental potions on. Some manage to
moonlight and stars. Atop her head was a survive this process, but are forever changed
crown of pure gold dotted with hundreds by the toxins they inhale, becoming a ravenous,
of pearls which glowed a soft ivory in the corrupted being, much like the Luminous Circle
moonlight. The statue now lies beheaded, her themselves.
crown melted for potion ingredients and the
pearls crushed underfoot. Standing next to C haracters of
the statue, those true of heart cannot help but A bbey M arowlyth
feel a small spark of hope within themselves.
While the stone of the statue may be cracked, its Ceidwen
soul is very much intact, its arms are open and In the aftermath of slaying her mother, and
the saint’s sacrifice is still very much real. No stealing the Capsa Signet from Cliodhna,
matter the chaos around her, the statue of the Ceidwen traveled into the abbey of Saint
saint is a place of peace in the room. Marowlyth in search of the Stargazers’ help.
The young woman knew her last chance to save
The Infernal Laboratories Ember was to send the Capsa Signet between
Spread out across the abbey’s grounds are realms before it fell into her enemy’s hands.
numerous metal and glass vats and alchemical The abbey was known to some as a place of
laboratories. The large metal vats are the instability in the fabric of reality, stemming
beginning of the process by which the Stewards from a dark time in the history of the Order
of the Luminous Circle break down a corpse’s of Stargazers. After she pleaded for their help,
essence into raw materials to use in their foul the monks revealed to Ceidwen some of their
magic. These vats have an unbelievably terrible secrets and helped her cast the ring into the
smell, so rank it would make any normal shadow place between life and death.
person fall ill to the ground from taking one Piercing between the realms left Ceidwen weak,
whiff of the contents inside. The Luminous even with the guidance of the one who would
Circle, on the other hand, find the smell become the last Stargazer. This weakened
intoxicatingly delicious. Every so often one will state caused her essence to be damaged
wander over to a vat, open one of the hatches, further by her inner soulfire, and thus she
stick their head in and take a deep long breath began to transform into the Reaper of Ash.
in. Shortly after this the abbey fell to the Summer
Steam clouds spew fumes of death and King’s madness, with all but one of the monks
chemicals into the air from tables upon tables suffering horrible fates. The last Stargazer tried
of alchemist’s test tubes and beakers bubbling to coax Ceidwen back from the brink, but it was
away under vicious green fires. Gigantic round too late.
metal containers bolted together attach to each Ceidwen can be found wandering the buildings
other by spiraling cables stretching between and the grounds of Abbey Marowlyth in search
buildings like sick vines hanging from every of the memories she lost so very long ago.
lamp, window, and wall. Ceidwen’s calling as both the fire maiden and a
The Stewards of the Luminous Circle have very daughter of ash has her roaming all of Ember,
little use for organization. So much so that they but eventually she returns to the abbey to rest
leave their bombs haphazardly piled inside her weary soul. Some quality—a powerful
the abbey’s buildings. These messy storage echo of the past—of Abbey Marowlyth allowed
methods do mean that often enough accidents Ceidwen some respite. But unfortunately,
happen. Many a steward has stumbled onto one the serenity of the abbey has become
of the bomb piles and immediately died as its corrupted by the arrival of the
flesh melted off while its coven-mates laughed Luminous Circle.
without lifting a finger.

89
 Stargazer Telanuon
Long ago, Stargazer Telanuon was one of
many monks sworn to carry on the teachings
of Saint Marowlyth by pledging their life to
the moon and giving up any sense of personal
identity. When the Cycle broke, the power of
the saint waned. As the moon rises every night,
so should the seasons change from winter to
summer and back again. Without the power of
the Cycle to sustain them, the venerable monks
became frail. With what magic and prayers they
could muster, they held back the summer curse
sweeping across Ember, but this could only last
so long. One by one the monks weakened and
the magic sustaining their long lives faltered,
until eventually only the last of the order
remained, one who clung onto the last
threads of Saint Marowlyth’s power.
Stargazer Telanuon wishes to see the Cycle
restored and balance to reign. The order was
once a benign force of good in the world and
Telanuon would like it to be again. They hide
from the cultists who have invaded the abbey,
and spends time both maintaining Abbey
Marowlyth in what capacity they can, and
researching in the order’s archives, to find
some knowledge that might help end the curse.

Stargazer Telanuon

90
A bbey M arowlyth
During the day, Telanuon keeps a wary eye
on Ceidwen who still wanders the halls of
the abbey. They remember the woman they
helped many years ago and wishes to help her
again in whatever way the monk can. Often,
the Stargazer will leave bowls of food and
water in Ceidwen’s way or steer her from the
unfortunate souls she may try to reap.
During daylight, the Stargazer is languid and
sluggish and uses Marowlyth’s magic as little as
possible. The power the monks once possessed
tampered with the fabric of reality, and this
was always risky at best. In the evening, the
Stargazer is a sight to behold. Able to pull
eldritch armaments and spells out of other
realms through tears in reality, Telanuon can
do anything from hurl shards of ice at someone
to whipping them with a fiery lash. While the
Stargazer prefers to avoid confrontations, they
know that this may not always be an option in
order to restore Abbey Marowlyth, the Order of
the Stargazers and the Realm of Ember to what
they once were.

Wayside Golem
The Wayside Golem is an old being, long said
to have wandered Ember’s land looking for its
maker. In its early days, the golem studied the When the Stewards of the
long-lived fae and the mortal humans alike, in Luminous Circle moved into the
order to find some form of identity for itself, in abbey, they used their magic to corrupt
order to know what it was, and what it was not. the great creature’s heart, turning it a sickly
When it realized it could not live such as them, green. And while the Wayside Golem’s mind
the Wayside Golem found solace as a caretaker was strong enough to resist their magic, its
for the dead of Ember in the graveyard of body remains under the control of the cultists.
Abbey Marowlyth. Perhaps the golem had
more in common with the dead than it did the The Wayside Golem has three different “eye”
living, and it had always felt separate from the shards floating above its body, which grant it
other beings of Ember. The Order of Stargazers different abilities, each a result of becoming
and the Wayside Golem formed a courteous attuned to the environment of the abbey over
relationship after they welcomed the golem so many years. The golem is never able to use
into the abbey and allowed it to maintain the each ability at the same time and must cycle
structures of the abbey themselves, the grounds through its eye shards as each charges up
and gardens, and the graveyard, enabling the again after use. The first of the eyes allows the
Stargazers to focus on more cerebral pursuits. golem to wake the vines and grasses within
the abbey’s grounds to rise up and entangle
Unlike many creatures in Ember, the Wayside a person. The second of the eyes allows the
Golem is an artificial creature, created by some golem to warp the abbey’s buildings or the
being that once passed through the realm, and headstones of the graveyard and sculpt the
was therefore not affected by the disruption to stonemass into forms it can use. The third eye
the Cycle. This also means that it is in perfect enables the Wayside Golem to manipulate
control of its mind, and while it has limited light sources around the abbey, conjuring
forms of communication, it has had a great new sources of light, expanding or
many years to ponder on the mysteries of the diminishing other sources of light, or
realm. extinguishing them altogether.

91
 Already scavengers, once they had established
themselves at Abbey Marowlyth, with no
fertile land near the abbey, the sorcerers began
to dig up bodies, feasting upon dead flesh for
sustenance. The eating habits of the cultists
corrupted them, turning them into monsters
obsessed with death and they soon forgot
about Kor and the archives. Instead, their
new obsession became protecting their lands,
consuming the dead, and tinkering with their
strange alchemical contraptions.
These twisted sorcerers have found a way
to use the dead to power large machines
where they mix deadly toxins with magic to
create the horrible bombs they have begun
stockpiling for an attack against other parts of
Ember. When the Luminous Circle first met
the Wayside Golem and realized they could
not eat it, they corrupted the golem instead,
bringing the creature’s vast physical power
into their ranks. The Stewards of the Luminous
Circle hate Stargazer, the last remnant of the
abbey’s monks they can’t seem to get rid of. The
problem is Stargazer seems near impossible
to kill and when the sorcerers have the old
monk close at hand, Stargazer manages to
slip through some hidden passage they never
knew existed and flees deep into the abbey.
At present, Ceidwen is merely a ghost to the
cultists, one who if they do not disturb, then she
The Stewards of the Luminous Circle will not notice that they are there.
The Luminous Circle started out as one of the The Stewards of the Luminous Circle swarm
many circle of magi to have the honor of being their targets and use sheer numbers to
taught by the Queen of Winter herself. But a overwhelm them. The sorcerers are able to cast
few particular personalities within, those who basic magical spells from their staves, but their
craved more power than what Maeve offered real power comes from the potent explosives
them, rose to dominate the rest of the Luminous they have at their disposal. The cultists are able
Circle, and the stewards, having abandoned to levitate the bombs into the air with their
the queen, grew more into a cult following. The staves and fling them at their enemies. The
stewards had always been drawn to Abbey Luminous Circle have been experimenting with
Marowlyth due to the instability in reality the the bombs, looking for any effects that would
Stargazer monks’ magic had caused there. enable them a decisive victory against the rest
But the strength of the Order of Stargazers of Ember. While they are always changing
had always been too formidable for them their formulae, some of their current explosive
and the cult’s numbers too few. Then the batches might include lime green bombs
Endless Summer began, and the Stargazers’ laying a thick cloud of toxic fog; mucus yellow
strength dwindled, and so the cultists saw an bombs that cover a victim in a thick honey-like
opportunity. The cultists began to exploit the substance and which causes painful boils to
instability within the abbey to grow their grow on their skin; and murky black bottles
power, while at the same time they raided that explode with mutated leeches, which bury
the abbey’s archives for more arcane underneath the skin and slowly suck a victim’s
knowledge, and also discovered internal fluids until a leech is strong enough to
the demon Kor within the Lunar burst from the body.
Temple.
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A bbey M arowlyth
Kor the Many Voiced but not afraid to defend itself against those
As a young demon, Kor lived amongst his own who thought themselves mighty enough to
kind at the center of the earth. There, he swam attempt to take one of Kor’s heads as trophy.
through rivers of magma and played in the Mostly what Kor wished for was freedom,
hearts of primal volcanos. Kor was not one for and to be left alone. In the disruption of the
his kind’s strict rules and rituals that endowed Endless Summer, Kor sensed the wellspring of
their realm with great power. Railing against energy within the Lunar Temple and burrowed
the authoritarian rules of his home, one day his way within, and now feeds off Saint
Kor stepped beyond the borders of his demonic Marowlyth’s lunar power.
realm. However, one of the eldest of his clutch Four heads make up Kor the Many Voiced.
discovered this and brought it to the attention While each Kor has different wants and needs,
of the Blazing Elders. Kor was cast out onto all of them enjoy drinking power from the
a tide of magma, sending the demon into the Lunar Temple and so this demonic being is
world, spewing him forth to a dry, scorched, content enough for now where it lies.
cursed land. If that were not enough, Kor felt
a sudden stabbing pain in his head and then a Kor the Rebel
dark laughter. Turning to his left he saw that he This head is the first and eldest, though it’s
had grown another head. Then another terrible difficult to tell that is the case. The Rebel has
stabbing pain. And another. Until the demon learned to control his entire body if he wishes,
stood there with four heads, each more foul but generally works with the other heads
than the next and able to control his body. for the sake of keeping the peace. This Kor is
not one for rules, tending only to satisfy its
The heads tormented Kor, and he realized his
urges and desires as they come. He is
kind had laid one final punishment upon him—
particularly mutinous against any who
he had become Kor the Many Voiced.
might attempt to tell him what to do
Kor moved through the primal times of or seek control over him.
Ember, for the most part remaining hidden,

93
 Kor the Deceiver spirits she carries with her and she makes the
The Deceiver lives for lying and manipulating perfect companion to keep Kor the Prideful
others, including the other voices of Kor. He occupied as he regales her with tales of his
will be the first to speak in place of all the others brilliance.
who mostly try to ignore his words. Kor is a demonic hydra with four heads, and if
Kor the Hungry any his heads are chopped off, two more will
The Hungry wishes to devour all that come grow in its place, all the more terrible than the
before him—be it animal, vegetable or mineral. one they came from. Kor is immune to any type
He is kept content by feeding upon the focused of fire and heat and is able to spew molten hot
lunar power that the temple provides, but he magma out of each of his heads. The only way
could easily be tempted by unfamiliar and to kill Kor is to strike true at the glowing red
exotic new meals. heart in his chest, but Kor always keeps this
heart facing the ground so that he can protect
Kor the Prideful himself.
The Prideful is the youngest of all the heads,
but the most vain by far. He is the only head O pportunities
unhappy with their new home at the Lunar
Temple and believes they can do so much more. Awaken the Scarlet Herald
This Kor is particularly ambitious, and may Ceidwen has been becoming the Reaper of Ash
work with the others to leave the temple and for longer periods, and she will eventually be
exert power over the world above. lost and cast a very grim shadow over Ember.
It is time for the Scarlet Herald to be reborn.
Every once in a while Ceidwen will enter the Reconnecting Ceidwen through her past, or
Lunar Temple and sit with Kor for a time. Each removing the corruption from the abbey, may
head enjoys hearing the stories of the dead allow her to be renewed.

Purify the Corruption

The stewards have infested Abbey Marowlyth
like vermin, and picking them off one by one
will do very little to dissuade them. Clearing
their stronghold from the Shrine of Saint
Marowlyth and removing their corrupted
machines inside its halls will restore the
light of Saint Marowlyth to the area. It
is possible that one could find a way to
turn Kor the Many Voiced or even
the Wayside Golem against the
Luminous Circle, any of which
would surely undermine the
foothold the cultists have on the
abbey and grounds.

94
A bbey M arowlyth
 L ocations in
the A bbey M arowlyth
P oints of I nterest
The Howling Tomb
The The Howling Tomb is a large grey stone built
Solemn Graveyard in the shape of a wolf’s head mid-howl. On
windy days, air blows through small vents in
the wolf’s ears and escapes from an opening
in its mouth, emitting a low mournful howl.
H istory The tomb can be unlocked via a small keyhole
There was once a tangible serenity cast over the carved into the wolf’s neck, between hunks of
immaculate grounds of the Solemn Graveyard, carved stone fur. The bottom jaw will slowly
a result of the great responsibility the Wayside lower via a chain system inside, and fully
Golem took in its role as caretaker. The grasses opened, the tomb entrance appears like a wolf
were lush and trimmed and the vines splayed snarling in anger. The structure below is the
across every crypt, yet never overhanging. Most resting place of the great winter wolf Helyór,
notable were the vibrant blooming flowers staunch companion to the Queen of Winter. The
found in the intricate and precise gardens cavern below is frigid and icy and inhospitable
wherever space could be poached. Now patches to the unwary. Great stone-frosted pillars dot
of dried grass struggle to grow between the the cavern, as do grand monuments and statues
graveyard’s densely packed graves and crypts. made from ice itself, carved by the Winter
The Solemn Graveyard contains nearly two Queen during times of solitude.
thousand commoner graves, alongside dozens
of noble-born family crypts. But even this space Ceidwen’s Perch
has never been quite enough for the dead of With a good position close to the Shrine of
Castle Ember and the city of Yúla. Before the Saint Marowlyth is one of the most extravagant
Endless Summer, the burial ground had been in crypts in the Solemn Graveyard, nearly two-
use so long that many of the oldest graves were stories high, and covered with all manner of
continually dug up to make room for the newly leering gargoyles. Ceidwen has made a room of
dead. The bones were frequently emptied sorts here with various objects and trinkets she
from the coffins, and thrown amongst other has absentmindedly collected over the years,
discarded dead. The Wayside Golem took these sometimes pinched from the people whose soul
discarded bones and ground them into dust, she had just taken. When she is unable to rest,
forming the bleached white pathways around twigs, branches, and other types of kindling
the graveyard. The nobles valued the privacy of make a soft nest where Ceidwen can meditate
their dead and their great crypts were so well- and think, and try to reconnect to who she once
protected that entering them was an art-form, was.
a carefully timed dance of the digits turning Particular types of objects she most consistently
tumblers, opening locks, and untangling chains. collects are various forms of instruments and
The arrival of the Luminous Circle sent the music boxes, which Ceidwen plays for the
perfection of the graveyard into disarray. souls still tied to her in order to comfort them.
They have dug up the dead to feed upon, or Through the clanging of the metal vats outside
to use as fuel in their infernal machines. Their and the hissing of the stewards—or the screams
hulking vats and noxious laboratories blight the of their victims—the soft plinking of a music
grounds and buildings of Abbey Marowlyth. box can just be heard.
As much as it tries to maintain the graveyard
when it is left alone by the Luminous Circle,
the Wayside Golem is prevented time and again
from tending to the grounds it so dearly loves.
95
 The
Lunar Temple
H istory
The Lunar Temple was built so that the
N otable C haracters Stargazer monks could commune with the
Helyór the Winter Wolf heavenly bodies. From the outside it is a large,
The Howling Tomb has always been the secret ghostly dome, almost seamlessly smooth, but
resting place of the winter wolf, as designed by with occasional pockmarks, like craters. There is
the Queen of Winter. It was Helyór whom the a small entry hall at one side of the temple, and
earl visited many years ago to bewitch. When within is a winding set of narrow stairs leading
the winter wolf was forced to savage Ahnarad, down under the abbey grounds and into a great
Eurwyn and Grufeid, the beast was grievously observatory. The vertical tunnel is lined with
injured, especially after one telling blow from stones and thousands of mirrors with attached
Brennin’s older brother. In great pain, the beast levers. The Stargazer monks were able to use
slowly limped his way back to the Howling these mirrors to channel the moon’s light into
Tomb to lick his wounds, to rest, and to recover, the observatory of the dome itself. An unknown
remaining in a torpor ever since. property of this process has created some
resonating frequency within the observatory, a
The winter wolf is an old creature, and in his vibration, a humming that the monks said was
age, Helyór’s eyes had previously clouded with the music of the heavens singing to them.
cataracts. But in honor of his once bright blue
eyes, Maeve replaced them with two brilliant The Stargazers trained for many years to
sapphires, gifts to Maeve from Tylwyth. The recognize the patterns of the stars and other
beast is massively strong and unexpectedly celestial bodies within the Lunar Temple. They
agile for his bulk, and it also has the natural believed the patterns showed fundamental
ability to alter the climate around it, bringing truths of the order of reality, which could
on a snap freeze that changes its surrounding lead to predictions of the weather and the
terrain. Given time, the beast could summon a tides, of agriculture or disease, of even politics
blizzard to blind and harry his enemies. themselves within Ember. These predictions
were not always accurate, however, and this
only led the monks to focus further on their
O pportunities studies so that the future might be told with
The Loyal Companion more certainty. The monks often interpreted
Once the loyal companion of the Winter these predictions into song, and it was their job
Queen, Helyór the winter wolf wishes to to sing to anyone who asked, from kings and
return to her side. If Helyór is awoken, he queens to nobles, merchants and commoners, or
may still be weak from his injuries, but will even those who might prey upon Ember—such
still have some strength, enough to attempt as the Earl of Aderyn—all were welcomed at
to deal with intruders. Helyór will protect his the Lunar Temple.
territory, but is smart enough to know when The temple is still very much intact today,
he is outmatched. Above all, Helyór respects protected by Kor the Many Voiced who dug
strength, and any who show such to the beast his way into the observatory after the Endless
may win the winter wolf’s favor. If this occurs, Summer began. Kor lies in the middle of the
the wolf will speak to them and be happy to vast room at the focal point of the mirrored
travel with any of noble heart who seeks moonlight. At night, the demon draws power
out the Winter Queen. from the light of the moon and speaks to itself
animatedly, and during the day it slumbers,
dreaming of the many dreams it has half-seen
in the ethereal moonlight.
96
A bbey M arowlyth
An extensive library covers most of the walls
of the temple. In-between the bookshelves
N otable C haracters
are statues of the Elder Stargazers, those who Kor the Many Voiced
founded the order, and those who had reached Kor the Rebel is the voice who most does not
the pinnacle of wisdom before the order was wish to leave the Lunar Temple; he has his
nearly destroyed. freedom, and shelter, and he has a font of
power to feed him. But some of the heads of
P oints of I nterest the Many Voiced have other ideas and could be
persuaded into other causes. If Kor is attacked
The Elder Stargazers in the Lunar Temple, he will fight viciously
These masked statues stand roughly 7 feet and dirty to save his hide. If it looks like he is
(2 meters) high and stare silently towards the going to be overcome, Kor will stop to bargain
pinprick stars of the roof of the observatory. with his opponents, and if pressed, he may
The statues of the Elder Stargazers are slightly move on beyond the temple, seeking out other
eerie in their similar appearance, except for sources of power to consume, but this would of
minute variations in height and build. The course mean coming into contact with the other
habits of the Stargazers were meant to both residents of Ember.
protect a person’s identity and destroy it at the
same time, and by dedicating themselves to the
monastery, the Stargazer gave their life up to
O pportunities
the moon. Dreams of What Could Be
Each of the Elder Stargazers is ascribed with a The tomes of the Stargazers record a handful of
short saying, spoken by the monk before they instances where some of the monks, long into
died. These insights are often coveted as sacred their studies and at the point of collapse, had
knowledge passed down, as from a person on fallen asleep in the Lunar Temple under beams
the brink of entering a new realm. of moonlight. These monks spoke of a form
of lucid dreaming they experienced, a kind
The Archive of spiritual epiphany to the Stargazers. They
The Lunar Temple’s library is filled with tomes recorded dreams of long ago, of what might
upon tomes of stories, and the ramblings of be, and of stepping into the dreams of others
the Stargazer monks’ introspections. The tales within Ember.
within the library are not tales of distant lands
or things that have never happened, they are Deep Secrets
tales of this land and things the monks believed Stargazer Telanuon is the only one remaining
would come to pass. Some of these were false who knows the esoteric cataloguing system
foretellings, ones that did not come true, and of the monkish order. With Stargazer’s help,
some may speak of such possibilities as the it’s possible to spend time researching in
Endless Summer or the Eternal Winter, and how the archives, and while there is a lot of the
such things may be ended. mundane scribings of the monks, there is also
ancient knowledge deep within the tomes, from
The Burrows before Ember was founded and from other
In one of the furthest recesses of the Lunar dark corners of history. There is knowledge
Temple, the stone has begun to sag, and there of the Deep Ones in the Forlorn Cove, said to
lies a considerably-sized tunnel entrance. It was have arrived from the abyssal darkness before
through here that Kor the Many Voiced dug up time; there is knowledge of Faerie, as a separate
from below. From the tunnel emits a gentle heat, and far off place, long before a series of archaic
bringing warmth to the vast stone observatory, bargains and contracts brought it bodily into
but this heat ebbs and flows as if the breath of Ember; and in the ravings of the Empyreal One,
some fiery beast akin to the Demon Kor. a heretical Stargazer, whose existence has not
For those bold enough to explore the tunnels, completely been concealed, lies hints of the
precious metal and crystal veins can be found nature of the fabric of the Cycle and how
deep within, and one must be careful of the one might access it.
demonic vermin and parasites that have
traveled up with Kor from his infernal home at
the center of the earth.
97
 T he Royal
Mausoleum

Caretakers’ Wraps
The nuns who were charged to care for the remains of the
royal line—sealed away from the outside world—wore
white wraps to ensure their sanctity. Their isolation may
have shielded them from graverobbers, but not the Endless
Summer’s curse.

98
A low wail echoes from the dark halls of the Royal Mausoleum.
Two large steel gates, curved into the symbols of winter and summer,
stand ajar. The faint scent of dried flesh and death wafts through
their bars, and inside, among the empty halls of forgotten princes and
princesses, something yet lives, lurks, scratches and moans.

99
 H istory of C haracters of
the R oyal M ausoleum the R oyal M ausoleum
In years past, the Royal Mausoleum was
surrounded by acres of beautiful golden Caddell
orchards cared for by a benevolent order of Caddell drifts through the endless halls of
nuns, a stark contrast to how it appears today. the mausoleum, looking for something he
There is little left of the glorious orchard, cannot remember. He was one of the earliest
now years long decayed. It is scorched with victims of the vampiric Lost Children, who
blackened trees, bogs, and sinkholes. On the stole his memories, and his purpose. Without
eastern side of the orchard is the now Sunken knowing why he had entered the mausoleum,
Cloister of the Sisters of the King, and at the he continued to wander, slipping deeper into
very heart of the desolate orchard is a single his fugue. While hunting Caddell was at first
grand building of crumbling stones and two a game to the spectral children, some part of
giant rusted metal gates. Entering the Royal them recognized the prince as being of their
Mausoleum is easy—escaping it is another blood. Now, Caddell’s presence is important
matter. to the children, the emotionless man who
stays with them despite their torment of him;
Over the eons, as more of the family of the to them, he has become a surrogate father, a
Liyume King and Erya Queen died, the brother, a friend.
mausoleum grew. Every year, new crypts were
added, with great halls, tombs, sepulchres and Death Agari
shrines—ever burrowing outwards—until When the realm was young the Death Agari
one day the mausoleum looked more like a were fae carrion serpents, feeding on the flesh
labyrinth, its secret ways known only by the of all things dead and decomposing. Many
sisters who cared for it. When the great cycle years ago the Agari were members of the Faerie
stopped, the labyrinth took on a life of its own; Queen’s court, but after a grievous insult to the
it mutated, and changed into the beast it is queen, they were sent scurrying underground,
today. Now the Royal Mausoleum is a labyrinth unable to show their faces amongst the fae.
like no other, near inescapable as it grows each Worse yet, the then queen decreed unto them
day, almost a living thing, trapping the poor a new purpose—to feed on death so that life
souls who have wandered into it. could thrive.

P oints of I nterest The Death Agari spent many years in their

far-reaching underground realm. They were
Insurgent’s Camp separated from their kind, but they adapted. As
Before Caddell fell into his fugue, he had begun the power of mortals grew, a great mausoleum
to gather about him a band of mercenaries was built atop their home, yet the Death Agari
and loyal followers to help against the Earl of adapted. When they were hunted, because
Aderyn, and King Brennin, who were believed the kings and queens wanted their families
responsible for the Endless Summer. But before preserved, the Death Agari adapted once again.
Caddell’s rebellion could grow, he and the Now these long, grey beasts are perfectly suited
mercenaries were drawn deep into the Royal for life in the dank labyrinth of the mausoleum.
Mausoleum by the Lost Children. There, some With the Cycle broken, these creatures have
lost their sense of identity to the children, nearly used up their foodstocks—the dead of
some became victims of the Chainman, and the mausoleum.
the rest became foodstuffs for the Death Agari. Just as the Endless Summer began, Fatesealer
Caddell’s camp lies abandoned, tents and lean- Rhonwen visited the Royal Mausoleum and
tos up against one side of the mausoleum and spoke to Ghost Mother and her brood. Ghost
their resources and makeshift bedding remain Mother attacked the Fatesealer, and as the witch
untouched within one of the grand entrance barely escaped with her life, she cursed Ghost
halls. Mother with an everlasting memory. The years
would drag on and Ghost Mother would see
her brood’s brilliance dim and fade—only she
would remember what they once were.

100
T he R oyal M ausoleum
So far she has restrained the rest of the Agari Chainman
from giving in to their hunger and moving When the Earl of Aderyn decided to steal the
beyond their home in search of food. With Capsa Signet for herself, Sir Evard, a knight
the threat of degenerating further, the Winter of Brennin’s court, was wise to her schemes.
Queen is now the only one who can restore the Under guise of night, Sir Evard snuck into
Death Agari to what they once were. Cliodhna’s chambers and found a missive she
Death Agari are giant, fae serpentine creatures wrote, naming her rightful ruler of the Realm
who possess very little in terms of guile or of Ember and master of the Capsa Signet.
deception. However, one natural ability they Astonished by the proof of the earl’s treachery,
have is camouflage, changing their skin to Sir Evard made off to tell the king of Cliodhna’s
appear like any natural scenery. When a Death schemes, but sadly the knight was caught by
Agar has a victim right where it wants them, it the earl’s agents. As punishment, Cliodhna cut
will try to swallow the poor unfortunate whole. out Sir Evard’s tongue and nailed the missive to
Within the Death Agar, the stomach acid is his chest, so he would be forever burdened by
strong enough to melt flesh and eat away metal, the proof he found. Finally, she bound him in
once a way for the creature to soften dead flesh chains and dragged him to the darkest corner of
before it was consumed. In combat, a Death the mausoleum to rot.
Agar can even summon up this bile and spit it
at an opponent.

101
 Even now that he is dead, the Chainman is memory and identity, to awaken themselves to
still a knight at heart. This harrowed creature who they once were.
is unable to die until he delivers the note The true hunger that drives each child is the
nailed on his chest to Brennin. Each time the need to find the love they lost and the only
Chainman suffers defeat, another chain is way for them to remember is through taking
added to his body, a sign of the growing burden the essence of others. After a child feeds, a soft
he carries. The Chainman’s dismal loneliness wailing echoes through the labyrinth, a child
manifests inadvertently in ghoststeel chains mournfully calling for the parents they’ve lost.
binding others to him, tangling and dragging
them behind, furthering his torment. When the Lost Children are not hunting in
packs within the mausoleum halls, each makes
The Chainman is able to wield his chains like its home in the tomb of their parents or siblings,
weapons, sending them flying through the curled up next to their shrouded corpses. They
air to wrap around a target. Once the target are trapped by this family bond, and if every
is entangled, the Chainman will drag them body of a Lost Child’s immediate family is
behind, battering the unlucky person into destroyed by flames, so too is the Lost Child.
submission. At the end of each of the chains is
a jagged hook. As well as using these for brutal Lost Children can appear alive for brief
effect in combat, the Chainman can gouge them moments in time. They use this ability to lure
into stonework to climb the walls and roofs unsuspecting people into the labyrinth and
of the decrepit mausoleum like some kind of trap them there. Their soft, hissing voices
diabolical spider. spew terrible dark nothings into the victim’s
ears, causing the person to become distracted,
Lost Children dismayed, eventually losing their way. Once
The Liyume King and Erya Queen lived in a a person is trapped in the mausoleum, the
continuous cycle of death and rebirth, but it Lost Children descend like a wolf pack, each
was not so for their children, and some died desperately trying to feed.
tragically young. Disease, famine, assassination,
or accident—no matter the case, they were O pportunities
all entombed in the Royal Mausoleum. Those
Sir Evard’s Revenge
children who lived good, happy lives rested
within the mausoleum’s walls, but when the Those who encounter the Chainman will see the
Cycle halted, the children who were taken too proof of the Earl of Aderyn’s treachery nailed
soon from the world grew unsettled and awoke to his chest, but only if they get close enough.
with a strange hunger, the need to feast on Underneath his pain and torment, this once
loyal knight still desires to reveal the earl for
what she truly is. If someone were to take the
B rennin the S ummer K ing proof of the earl’s duplicity to Brennin, even if
This aspect of Brennin is more noble and he does not care or believe it, it will allow the
dutiful than any other soul-fragment. He has Chainman to finally die.
fully embraced his role as ruler of Ember. It is
this Brennin who will rule with compassion Her Serpentine Eminence
and insight, but first he must learn how. This The Death Agari’s leader, Ghost Mother, cousin
Brennin can be found searching the Royal to the Queen of Winter, can be reasoned with,
Mausoleum for the knowledge of his ancestors, and alliances with her can be made. She has
or communing with them, in order that he may several bones to pick with the surface-dwellers,
learn the wisdom of the past and use it to build particularly with Maeve and Rhonwen, and
Ember’s future. This soul-fragment of Brennin also wishes to return to the surface of Ember
can be resolved either through realizing that and take her rightful place amongst the fae.
he has made positive, meaningful impact on Ghost Mother struggles to manage her brood’s
Ember and its people (joyfulness) or that self-control, and dignity. She seeks restoration
his choices have destroyed the realm for her brood, and their sanity. If any could
and the Cycle, and that there is no provide either that, or reprisal against Maeve
going back to the way things were or Rhonwen, she would be grateful and the
(misery). services of the Death Agari might be directed to
other parts of Ember.
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T he R oyal M ausoleum
 L ocations in
the R oyal M ausoleum
The
Sunken Cloister
H istory
The Sunken Cloister was once known as the
Cloister of the Sisters of the King. It housed the
nuns dedicated to serving the king of Ember,
and the royal family, and their dead. The sisters
tended to the large orchard surrounding the
Royal Mausoleum, brewed cider from the
apples that fell there, and kept the mausoleum
a warm and inviting place for royalty to visit
their beloved dead.
New halls, tombs, and crypts were slowly
added underneath the mausoleum over
offer their youngest daughters to serve for a
the centuries, spreading underground and
time at the cloister to improve their position at
destabilizing the land above. Eventually these
court. Despite the honor laid upon those who
tunnels reached the cloister and it began to sink,
served at the cloister, many women did not
slowly at first, but then one day in a sudden
truly wish to become nuns. They had their own
tragedy it was swallowed whole. Villagers
aspirations and dreams, but frequently, they
worked for days trying to dig the nuns out, but
were never given the choice to refuse this duty
with every shovel of dirt they removed, the
to the king and royal family. Now the spirits of
building sunk faster, until the muffled screams
the nuns wander the orchard grounds, urgently
coming from the Sunken Cloister ceased—all
trying to get someone, anyone, to listen to their
the nuns were dead.
stories.
Despite their grim ending, unexpectedly, the
ghostly figures of nuns began haunting the P oints of I nterest
orchard and the ruins of the cloister. Each
nun had lived a life dedicated to serving the The Blighted Orchard
dead royalty; they had lived good, kind, and All around the mausoleum cloister are
selfless lives, so why should they rise again— kilometers of burnt, blackened trees and rotting
why should they be so angry? The orchard fruit. The uneven, rocky terrain is difficult to
became overgrown at first, but then the Endless walk, undulating up and down, dotted with
Summer fell across Ember, and the orchard sinkholes and treacherous bogs. Each tree
became withered, blackened, blighted. shows a history of sudden overgrowth and
In life, the nuns’ main task was to upkeep the then blight, now a dried up husk of a moment
Tomb of Would Be Kings, but also to care for of glory. Apple trees are bent and gnarled, pear
the bodies of other family members entombed trees withered skeletons, and cherry trees
in the mausoleum. Caring for the Would Be blackened from the sun’s relentless rays.
Kings was a task that gave the nuns great Only one tree remains full and
purpose and was considered an esteemed in bloom. A perfect apple tree,
position. Thus, prestigious families would often blossoming and bearing the

103
 sweetest fruit all at the same time. Next to the nuns had previously used this area as a bathing
apple tree, the day’s heat does not feel so harsh chamber—each morning, the nuns would wake
and the night is not so bitter. Any person who and bathe themselves in Ebberynn’s Tears to
plucks a fruit from this tree will taste the most purify themselves before the day’s labors.
delicious fruit, and see a bright red flesh inside, Despite the cloister sinking, the pool of
right before being sucked down into the Ghost Ebberynn’s Tears remains intact. The water is
Heart in the depths of the Royal Mausoleum. If blue and tepid to the touch, and both the room
one were observant, it might be possible to hear and water warm as anyone enters, the perfect
a distant heartbeat coming from the roots of the temperature for a swim. Since the cloister sunk,
apple tree. however, those who have partaken in a swim
still remain in the pool, their perfectly intact
Shrine to Saint Ebberynn
bodies sunk to the bottom of the saintly tears.
One of the accessible areas of the cloister is the
Shrine to Saint Ebberynn. Within lies rotten Cider Hall
wooden pews across one wall, half-submerged One area of the cloister still remains above
in dried mud. At the northern end of the ground: the cider storage hall. Located a short
shrine is the statue of the Sun Saint, and while distance from the rest of the ruins, half of this
somehow unblemished by the rot affecting wooden building has fallen into the ground and
the rest of the cloister, the statue has only just it stinks of the sweet smell of rotten cider. Flies
recently begun to subside into the muck. In one buzz around the hall looking for any morsel
hand the saint holds a sickle, and in the other, of sweet liquid they can find. At the rear of the
a handful of grain. Ebberynn is the saint of hall, the mass of insects swarm over a cask of
loyalty, selflessness, and bounty. cider so large it must have once covered an
The story of Saint Ebberynn goes that when entire wall.
Saint Marowlyth gave the moon to humanity, Any movement in the room causes the flies to
there was a period of decadence. Each night, stir and reveal they were also resting upon the
when the moon rose high in the sky, people half-buried body of a woman, still perfectly
would drink and make merry, basking in the intact, but covered in rags, hair matted in dirt.
respite it brought them. The people’s minds Despite her outward appearances, Sister Lenil
turned to dance, art and love—they no longer is still very much awake and not a ghost like the
wished to till the fields and toil away for other nuns. It was her job to maintain the cider
endless hours a day. Soon, cities went without hall, and dole out the brew to visitors, and she
food, merchants had nothing to sell, and even did that to her very last breath. She will insist to
the royalty felt the bite of hunger. Ebberynn anyone who enters the hall to sit down with a
saw the folly in this, and so while everyone mug of cider, and another, which she dispenses
else enjoyed the nights, he continued to work. from the large cask just behind her.
Harvest time came, and rather than taking for
himself, he shared his bounty with his village.
A few days later Ebberynn was found dead in
N otable C haracters
his field, overworked and underfed, having Sister Lenil
given his last breath so that others could eat. Sister Lenil sees it as her duty to remain
awake—and “alive”—until she has given out
Ebberynn’s Tears every last bit of her cider. She is generally a
There is another accessible room of the cloister, happy-go-lucky woman, despite technically
just to the east of the Shrine to Saint Ebberynn. being dead. Unlike many of the other sisters
At the northern wall there are two large drains who tragically died when the cloister sunk,
that pour water into a large pool at the center Lenil always wanted to be a nun, and if her
of the room. The crystal clear water falling from unfinished business was concluded, she could
the drains is known as Ebberynn’s Tears, said easily take her final rest. Her offer to any visitor
to be drawn from what was rumored to be entering the hall of a good mug of cider is
the saint’s tomb many years ago before genuine and will help her towards her final
it was lost into the earth, even before goal of passing into the next life. As her guests
the cloister itself sunk below. The drink of the cloister’s cider, Sister Lenil is happy

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T he R oyal M ausoleum
to converse, and she knows a great many things
about the Royal Mausoleum and its surrounds,
if one can stand her ragged, rasping voice.
The Tomb of
Sunken Sisters
There are multitudes of ghostly nuns
Would be Kings
wandering the orchard, looking to make
someone listen to their story. While the nuns
have no intention to harm a would-be listener, H istory
they are many and might inadvertently mob The Tomb of Would Be Kings was built near
around a living being, fighting and clawing the Royal Mausoleum long before it turned into
with the other nuns in order to have their story the sprawling labyrinth it has now become.
heard first. One would need to be wary of Long ago this tomb housed all the second
being caught up in a brawl between the ghosts, brothers who never became the Liyume King.
growing more insistent and desperate as time It was a grand golden hall with a domed roof
goes by. If a nun can get through to someone, emblazoned with a giant sun decorated in
she will tell them her stories, those dreams she thousands of yellow glass crystals. When the
had before she was forced into service in the ring of oil lining the walls was lit, it set off the
cloister, and then she will pass on to whatever glass crystals, reflecting across every wall with
life awaits her. A few of the nuns have stories a bright heavenly light. The glory of the Liyume
of how they carried bastard children and were Kings of Summer shone down upon their
hidden away in the cloister before shame could honored brothers.
fall on the noble families of Ember.
At the center of the tomb, under the apex of the
dome, is a gold throne and upon the throne is
O pportunities the corpse of the most recent royal brother who
A Treacherous Landscape did not become the Liyume King. When a new
Any who enter the grounds of the mausoleum body was brought to the tomb, it was given a
and the Sunken Cloister have to deal with ceremonial crown, marking that while the dead
the hostile nature of the terrain. The labyrinth prince was worthy of the title, his service was
below has warped the earth profoundly, and unneeded and the previous brother’s body was
there are many concealed dangers if one is removed and placed in an alcove to rest with
not vigilant. The blighted trees have long, the other Would Be Kings. This was the throne
twisting roots that will trip the unwary. The meant for Brennin, had Grufeid not been found
sinkholes are nearly impossible to escape once unworthy by the Hearth’s Flame.
they are stepped into, with the earth sucking Now this tomb lies in disrepair—crystals are
the poor unfortunate downward. Someone shattered on the floor, princes have been pulled
caught by the sinkhole is drawn down and from their tombs, and the Lost Children play
dropped into a random part of the labyrinth. hopscotch on the ancient runes carved into the
The bogs within the orchard are difficult to floor. The corpse in the center of the room is a
traverse, unless a person jumps from tree to charred skeleton. A melted gold halo encircles
tree, avoiding touching the ground altogether. its skull, the crown fused to his head, and the
Anything dropped into or placed on the bog rubies drip over his cheekbones.
will be sucked into the hungry mud, becoming
impossible to find. To top it all off, sometimes P oints of I nterest
a ghastly fog emerges deep from within the
mausoleum, making it even more treacherous The Chanting Scions
to navigate the terrain. The fog’s vaporous A ring of oil encircles the top ceiling of the tomb
tendrils seem to be exploring and probing the and can be lit via two small canals at either
land in search of something. side of the tomb’s entrance. When the oil is lit,
anyone within the tomb beholds the full
glory of its domed ceiling.

105
 Bathed in the light of the ceiling, each Would Be When Brennin lost Brigid, he entered the Tomb
King chants the following, and then falls silent: of Would Be Kings in a fit of rage. He saw the
corpse of Eurwyn crowned in all his glory
Come now brother and sit with me,
and realized that this wise king among men
How many years have gone? was something he could never be. Everything
Within your light I rest with thee, Eurwyn had, Brennin would not—the simple
My face turned towards the dawn. life, the crown, the family. Brennin took a torch
From death to life and life to death, from the wall and set Eurwyn’s corpse alight,
By your side I have served. staring madly as the Wise Would Be King was
I was with you till my last breath, engulfed in flames.
My rest is well deserved.
The Maiden’s Hand Door
The final couplet is only said by the charred At the back of the tomb is a simple black stone
corpse sitting upon the throne at the center of door with ten holes dotted in the shape of a
the room: constellation known as the Maiden’s Hand.
When a Would Be King’s spouse would die,
Oh my king what have you wrought?
they would not be buried with the Would
No winter will I see. Be King. While records show this was for
A land of fire your greed hath brought, ceremonial reasons, the practical reason was
Is there no end to thee? that the tomb simply wasn’t big enough. When
the spouses died, their hearts were removed,
brought to the Tomb of Would Be Kings and
The Last Would Be King placed behind the Maiden’s Hand Door so that
Eurwyn the Wise is the last Would Be King to part of them would always be with their love.
be entombed here. He was known as a kind, The Maiden’s Hand Door is also a play on
gentle man who loved the people of Ember words, since to open the door, all the sisters
deeply. When his brother Ahnarad became had to do was place their fingers in the slots
king, Eurwyn dedicated himself to education, of the constellations and press the appropriate
opening schools all around the realm so that switches within. Pressing the correct switches
each and every person in Ember had the would cause the door to slide open, giving
opportunity to study, should they wish the sisters access to the chamber beyond.
it. Pressing the incorrect switches would cause any
potential grave robber’s digits to be severed.

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T he R oyal M ausoleum
N otable C haracters
Thadeaus
While the other children come and go, one Lost
Child makes his home in the Tomb of Would
Be Kings. Thadeaus was a young boy adopted
by a Would Be King from centuries ago, after
being orphaned in a long forgotten war. Sadly,
soon after Thadeaus died of a lingering disease
he was entombed as a real, very much missed,
part of their family. When the Lost Children
first awoke, Thadeaus found a way back to the
man who saved him so many years ago and has
stayed with his corpse ever since. While within
the tomb, Thadeaus is able to keep ahold of his
identity and manage his thirst for the memories C rest of the P rotector
of others. But in his loneliness, he is desperate Fine warriors who protected the Tomb of Would
for attention, and while he would be wary to Be Kings bore shields of the Silver Bastion, who
any intruders into the tomb, he would most was a legendary knight in the days of old, and
likely be helpful to anyone who treated the once royal protector to Maeve herself.
tomb with respect.

Eurwyn the Wise O pportunities

Eurwyn the Wise is not a truly sentient creature,
but some aspect of the mausoleum allows Treasures of Kings
memories to cling to his charred corpse. If he When each Would Be King was entombed,
is addressed correctly and with due respect, he was gifted great treasures by the Liyume
he will answer three questions. Eurwyn is Summer Kings. This often took the form
only able to respond with what he would of golden goblets overflowing with gems,
have known during his life, attesting to things, necklaces bearing their house sigils, or great
such as Brennin’s true personality, his family’s golden robes woven in the finest silk. To this
lineage, and any lore relating to the Summer day only three treasures are missing from the
King. If Eurwyn is asked what he wants, he will Tomb of Would Be Kings. Each of the treasures
request to be entombed with the other Would is perfectly pristine, without a fleck of dirt or
Be Kings—since no-one should rule for as long speck of dust on them, but each of these items
as he amongst the dead. carries a great curse with them if they are taken
from the tomb. The curse is proportionally
It’s possible to take Eurwyn off his throne and
terrible to how badly a person wants the item—
place him to rest within the walls with the other
the more they want it, the worse the curse is.
Would Be Kings. A wall space has already been
In theory, someone who truly doesn’t want an
prepared for him with a gift from his brother,
item at all could walk out of the tomb with a
a handsome diamond encrusted scepter. When
treasure and without a curse, but this has never
Eurwyn is placed in his final resting place, he
happened. The only thing that will stop the
sighs with relief and utters his final words:
curse from progressing further as time goes on
Years came and years passed, is returning the item back to where it was stolen
Everlasting was my reign. from.
Now I see my end at last, If someone decides to steal from the Tomb of
I’m thankful that you came. Would Be Kings and they have sufficiently
scared Thadeaus into hiding, not only will they
Those who have helped Eurwyn find his resting have to deal with the curse, but they will
place will be able to take his scepter as a gift find the Lost Children prepared to take
without being cursed. revenge on the thief, by luring them
further into the labyrinthine crypt.

107
 Stories of lives well-lived, stories of great
deeds, stories of near places and far places,
Ghost Heart and the stories of others from whom it may
yet feed upon. If there was one thing the Royal
Mausoleum always had in abundance it was
stories of the royal bloodline, and thus the story
H istory of Ember; the Ghost Heart has craved such
As more children of the Summer King and things since it first found the taste.
the Winter Queen died over the centuries, the The spectral veins also allow for quick travel
Royal Mausoleum grew to accommodate their to other parts of the labyrinth. By grabbing
bodies. Queens commissioned large wings onto one of the larger veins, a person can be
dedicated to the children they outlived, kings transported from one room to another and then
requested great halls be built in honor of their back to the Ghost Heart. The only downside is
sons and daughters dying valiantly in battle, with no way to tell what vein leads to where,
and slowly the mausoleum took on a life of its traveling through them is like taking a stab in
own. So much so that somewhere, somehow, the dark.
the gargantuan labyrinth now has a heart.
The ghostly heart keeps the walls from
The Ghostly Aura
collapsing in on themselves, and with each beat The chamber that the Ghost Heart is found
of its hollow ventricles a new winding pathway within is awash in a spectral radiance—its
is forged into the darkness. Without the aura. And this aura has strange properties.
heart, the labyrinth would decay, falling into Those who would step within the chamber are
disrepair, and eventually becoming nothing hypnotized by the rhythms of the heart and
more than rubble. time seems to take on an otherworldy property.
Within the aura, people hear what they truly
The Ghost Heart is a sight to behold. It is desire and they are told it is okay. The heart
33 feet (10 meters) tall and roughly as wide, and speaks to them in a loving manner. People can
appears as a human heart would, but wreathed spend hours listening to it, letting the feeling
in a ghostly halo. Wispy, veins of mist, smoke of acceptance and love wash over them. Those
and aether extend from the organ and into the with an honorable soul, after hearing their
walls of the labyrinth around it. desires put so plainly, may then be gifted with
There are few who have seen the Ghost Heart the wisdom of that which they fear most. The
and escaped to tell of it. It is said that within the heart will warn the honorable soul to steel
aura of the Ghost Heart one can hear the stories themselves for what is to come, to grow strong
of all the royalty of every cycle reaching back in their desires, and to face their fears. Those
to the start of time. Others say that the veins of with a dishonorable soul will get no such
the heart stretch increasingly into the outside wisdom from the heart. Instead, they sit slack-
world, and with growing hunger. jawed for hours, days, years, until their body
and mind waste away and they eventually die.
P oints of I nterest
Grandfather’s Beard
The Hungry Mists A giant tree stands next to the entrance of the
The misty tendrils spiraling out of the Ghost Royal Mausoleum and its roots have made
Heart reach into every corridor and tomb of their way down to the Ghost Heart where they
the Royal Mausoleum. Unlike the heart, the protrude from the wall like the whiskers of an
veins do not seem to have a distinct shape old man. Weaving in and out of these roots
nor density. They appear as smoky wisps of are skulls from the crypt, dragged down into
nothing, something one could easily walk the Ghost Heart’s chambers through years
through. That is, until the mist thickens of erosion and plant growth. Some essence
unexpectedly and one finds themselves from the heart has seeped into the roots of
trapped like an insect in amber. The Grandfather’s Beard over the years and though
mist studies those it has captured, as it the tree has not gained full sentience, it is
prepares to feed on what it hungers awake and it craves whatever form of life the
for: stories. Ghost Heart has. Every month, the roots of

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T he R oyal M ausoleum
Grandfather’s Beard inch closer to the Ghost
Heart, and every month the heart scrapes away
O pportunities
more dirt and stone, attempting to burrow and The True Self
flee its impending doom. If the roots were ever When characters enter the chamber of the
able to catch up with the heart, they would Ghost Heart they will be pulled into its aura.
devour it, and Grandfather would awaken, and This feeling starts as temptation, but eventually
the mausoleum would collapse. becomes an irresistible pull. Within the aura,
they will hear their utmost desires manifest
N otable C haracters and feel the heart accept who and what they
are, flaws and all. The heart is otherworldly
Chainman and impossible to understand by any human
One creature who has entered the Ghost terms. Thus, its wants are also impossible to
Heart’s aura and left is the Chainman and the understand and it’s hardly possible to negotiate
bodies of the restless dead he drags behind with it.
him. In Chainman’s wandering of the Royal
Mausoleum, he stumbled into the heart’s If the heart deems the person in its aura worthy,
chamber. He held each of his skeletal captives in it will show them their greatest fear, and
the heart’s aura and allowed them the time they confront them with it so they come out of the
needed to hear the acceptance the heart offered. experience stronger. This may come in the form
Finally, Chainman himself stepped into the of a dream sequence or a very tangible figure
heart’s aura to hear its words. The creature sat standing in front of the person speaking to
there for years, so long that the Lost Children them. If the heart deems the person unworthy,
suspected they’d never again have to run from they will remain in its aura forever or until they
the slow clinking sound that once followed are dragged out by some other force.
them down the hallways. Yet, somehow, the
Chainman broke free and emerged from the
Restoring a Broken Soul
Ghost Heart’s chambers. Taking Caddell to the Ghost Heart would do
much to heal his broken soul. Having him face
Whether the Chainman gained any wisdom his innermost fears will awaken his heroic side
from the heart is unknown, but he came away and bring hope to this very lost prince. Despite
from the experience unwaveringly loyal to the the grim things he has done as a mercenary in
Ghost Heart. Every so often the Chainman will far off lands, he is a noble person deep down
make his way back down to the heart, traveling and will come away from the experience more
within the spectral veins easily. There, he well-adjusted. Anyone watching Caddell
communes with the heart, in its aura, though receive his “wisdom” from the heart will
sometimes he attempts to prune back the roots see him exiting the fire as the new King
and skulls of Grandfather’s Beard, but no of Summer, the spitting image of his
matter how much is hacked away, the tree ever father before he turned mad.
seems to inch forward, closer to the heart.

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 T he
F orlorn C ove

Deep Pitch Fern

Some plants more readily absorb the dark power of the Deep
Ones. The ferns can be turned into a paste, which when
applied to a weapon has fast-acting necrotic and corruptive
properties.

110
111
 Razor-sharp rocks line the submerged tunnels
H istory of that pass air pockets to the rare dry cave, from
the F orlorn C ove
broken lava tubes to cenotes that bring light
The Forlorn Cove begins where the land meets into the depths. Some of these pits contain ruins
the sea, yet there are no sandy beaches here. of people far older than the merfolk that dwell
The cold sea and bitter wind have cut into the there now, along with evidence of dark rituals
brittle limestone over the ages, carving sharp- performed by those without lungs or legs, those
edged tunnels and jagged caverns into the who had never seen the light of the sun.
rock itself. These caverns and tunnels reach
far inland, even under some cities. In some There are no maps of the cove, and no help
distant reaches, tiny organisms are the only from the stars, and the only sounds are those
thing to bring light to the cold darkness here, of the wet slap of water on stone. Light barely
and that illumination only occurs when they’re pierces the murky waters, swirling in endless
disturbed. Wandering near the shore can be spirals when saltwater meets fresh. The
treacherous, as the undercut ledges crumble water here smells and tastes mineral, with an
away easily, dropping the unwary into freezing unpleasantly fishy aftertaste.
darkness. The low creatures that scuttle into darkness at
Legends hold that the underwater dwellers a stranger’s approach are mindless things, their
who first inhabited this place were jealous of chattering noises seeming to mimic speech.
their dry cousins, and they funneled this envy Their flesh is often the only thing for explorers
to power their magics. They conjured an Old to eat, as many of the plants that grow in these
One that ate away at the land itself, gorging dark waters protect themselves from harvest
itself as it tunneled towards the core of the through a weak poison or a faint electric current
land. The dwellers’ plans went awry, however, that runs through their leaves and stalks.
when the Old One had filled its belly and fallen
asleep, slowly digesting the land it had eaten. P oints of I nterest
Now the dwellers wait and pray for it to wake The Ebbing Temple
one day and start its feast anew. They call it the
In a lost cenote far in the reaches of the Forlorn
Great Beast Who Slumbers, and they have long
Cove stands a temple to dark gods whose
forgotten its origins.
names even the Deep Ones fear to speak. The
walls of the temple are scrawled with a jagged
runic text, the remnants of the history of the
Deep Ones and how they arrived on this plane.
Inside this temple is an altar made of flowing
bile that never stills nor runs dry. And on this
altar is an amulet that crackles with eldritch
energy. Its wearer can command Deep Ones
and their minions for a short amount of time,
but at the cost of their own humanity. Each
order given picks away at their appearance, and
their soul, and no-one can don the amulet more
than once, less they become fused with the soul
of a long-dead Deep One, whispering of ways
to awaken the Great Beast Who Slumbers.

The Murky Grotto

Cliodhna has a hidden lair in the Forlorn
Cove, a large cave smoothed and dried by
the earl’s magic, with fresh air filtering in
from an artificial cenote. Within the cave is a
deep pool, filled with several mermaids and
mermen, all captives of the earl. The Earl of
Aderyn has been testing various spells on
them to investigate how her magics interact
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T he F orlorn C ove
with aquatic creatures. It hasn’t been pleasant The earl knows only that she feels more
for the twisted creatures, many of whom can powerful and capable when in residence in the
no longer breathe water or swim. Crystalline Forlorn Cove. She believes it to be due to being
bones litter the bottom of the cenote from those away from the court and the machinations there
experiments that weren’t as successful. and her ability to focus purely on research.

Sailor’s Folly Merfolk

Thousands of stories are told of Sailor’s Folly, These creatures were once part of a grand
just beyond the Forlorn Cove proper. These civilization beneath the waves of the seas that
stories are passed from one sailor to the next, was swallowed by a submarine earthquake.
rumors, fears, warnings. Never go to Sailor’s The remnants fled to the Forlorn Cove, and
Folly, they say, for there you shall die. Sailor’s infighting amongst their own kind destroyed
Folly is a veritable graveyard of ships, both any attempts to re-establish their former
still drifting on the surface of the sea, and long greatness. Now, only a handful of immortal,
sunk beneath it. A haunting dirge welcomes solitary merfolk remain, plotting against each
visitors to the Folly, calling them deeper into other and indulging in their taste for the flesh of
the dark waters. Once a boat or ship enters the the surface dwellers to while away the time.
water, one of the merfolk climbs on board. She
welcomes the sailors into the water with soft
songs and a hungry gaze. She begs the sailors to
tell her of the lands of dirt, to instruct her in the
ways of land and flesh. Then, when she tires of
the sailor’s pitiful attempts at conversation, she
consumes them—swallowing them whole.

C haracters of
the F orlorn C ove
The Earl of Adeyrn
Before her “official” arrival in Yúla, Cliodhna
spent significant time in the Forlorn Cove,
both improving her magic and looking for
new sources of arcane power she knew to be
there. She had dealings with the Deep Ones,
their thralls and the merfolk while she spent
time here. One particular type of magic she
has recently begun experimenting with is that
which she can use to open portals. Once she’s
successful in the use of this magic, she intends
to open a gateway back to Aderyn, in order
to take revenge on her homeland. At present,
however, the portals she has established are
imperfect and temporary, like jagged stains on
the fabric of reality, more than anything useful.
Unbeknownst to the earl, she has begun to
disturb the Great Beast Who Slumbers, the Old
One who ate into the core of the world. This
Great Beast will be less than pleased to see how
the earl has treated the descendants of those
who summoned it, whom it considers distant
cousins. The Great Beast Who Slumbers will be
further displeased when it realizes that the earl
has been unwittingly tapping into its eldritch
nature in order to fuel her experiments.
113
 Many years after the decline of their The Brachyura
civilization, mermaids and mermen are now They have always lived here, where the earth
solitary by nature. The few who remain have meets water. Over the years their bodies have
their established feeding grounds, and defend mutated back and forth, resulting in a myriad
them viciously. Occasionally, some feel the urge of loosely-related creatures now scattered
to find a mate, but their bickering and pettiness around the Forlorn Cove. The low ones, who
means they are often unable to successfully lack language and are little better than animals,
court one of the opposite sex. avoid their bigger brethren, who wouldn’t
Theirs is a long, tedious existence, broken only hesitate to make them a snack. The larger, more
by occasional bouts of violence and feeding. humanoid crabs, those who click and sign their
Deep down, there are still remnants of their own language, spare no thought for the smaller
long lost culture. They love poetry and song, ones while moving slowly about their business,
puzzles and stories. They have been known to lost in thought. Their discourse revolves around
spare their prey in exchange for riddles, ballads black magic and the nature of the universe,
and legends of old. and they dislike having their train of thought
interrupted.
Merfolk possess alluring voices, especially
when they sing, and will first try to charm any The small crabs worry only for their basic
they encounter into spending time with them. needs, and murmur to each other of the best
When hungry or threatened, merfolk will places to find small fish, the coolest currents
unhinge their jaw in order to bite with serrated of water, or the richest mud for spawning. The
rows of teeth, as well as fan out their razor- larger crabs spend their time in contemplation
edged fins and flare their sharp claws. If mated, of esoteric theory. They incise their work into
a pair of merfolk will work together against their shells, and will sometimes form circles in
enemies, although they will frequently argue order to read each other or to transcribe new
over who eats first. rituals onto hard-to-reach areas. They do not

The Brachyura
114
T he F orlorn C ove
believe that any save the Deep Ones can add
to their knowledge, and trade food and tools
with them in return for blasphemous morsels of
knowledge.
If provoked, smaller crabs will summon others
of their kind with an inaudible whistle. As a
horde, the smaller crabs can strip a full grown
man down to a clean skeleton in mere minutes.
The larger crabs turn first to their magic,
employing the most depraved spells with cold
precision and deadly logic. If pressed, they will
use weapons and even their claws, but this is a
last resort.

The Deep Ones

The Deep Ones claim to have come from the
void, the blackness before the stars. They say
the darkness in the Forlorn Cove is comforting,
and reminds them of their origins. Their
bodies have adapted to the water easily, and
they swim in the black depths as if born to it.
Although Deep Ones have both nostrils and
gills, internal examination reveals no lungs
nor any other known method of respiration.
It is also unclear what they eat, although
underneath their facial tentacles their sharp
teeth suggest that it is a meat-based diet.
Their motivations are strange, but most react
strongly at the offer of occult knowledge or
previously unearthed secrets, especially those
of a personal nature. They disdain performing
most day-to-day activities for themselves, vulnerable of those around them. If made to
and rely on their thralls to bathe, dress, and flee, Deep Ones will often hobble one of their
groom them, as well as clean their quarters own to increase their chances of getting away.
and decorate their common areas. Many Deep
Ones perform some sort of craft, such as stone-
Thralls of the Deep Ones
carving or designing elaborate ritual costumes, They believe the Deep Ones brought them to
and they pride themselves on these crafts, the earth from the stars, but the thralls’ short-
bickering over who is the best at each activity. term memories are poor, based mainly on
stories repeated in tandem as they go about
The Deep Ones are very practical in terms of their daily tasks. The thralls look upon the
relationships, seeming to cast off those they Deep Ones as a mixture of volatile gods and
perceive as weak, and cosy up to the strongest. delicate fools. Thralls consider themselves the
They cull their young, leaving only the most truly pragmatic bedrock of Deep One culture,
potent, and raise the rest as a communal but lack the long-term calculation to leverage
activity. Deep Ones shun others that hold this in their favor. They are rarely used for
unpopular opinions, exhibit a lack of control, complicated tasks, as thralls will frequently
or otherwise present themselves as socially forget part of all of the instructions if said
vulnerable. errand takes too long.
They consider most enemies beneath their Thralls seem to feel their mission is to
magic, and at first wield weapons and armor care for Deep Ones, mainly as the
that seem to coalesce from the shadowy water thralls are better at it. They take a
around them. If truly threatened, they will great deal of pride in their work,
attack with dark magics aimed to the most and are not subtle in their belief
115
 O pportunities
The Order of the Jade Eye
Once the Forlorn Cove was home to an order of
sea-goddess worshipping priests who hunted
the Brachyura for sustenance and sacrifice.
Now their descendants continue what
few of their traditions remain, and
sometimes their scavenged exoskeletal
armor and claw-tipped spears make it
difficult to separate hunter from prey. They
do not know the value of the gold-plated
liturgical objects they decorate their homes
with, but they will defend them viciously.

The Kind One

The Great Beast Who Slumbers has
attendants, even as it sleeps. While most
of these servants are thralls, the Deep
One in charge is called the Kind One.
This creature is a sort of entrepreneur
amongst its kind and for a hefty
sacrifice, the Kind One will allow
others access to a portion of the Great
Beast Who Slumbers. The slime of the
slumbering beast it exudes and shed
scales fetch high prices in certain covert
markets in Ember, and even amongst
the Deep Ones themselves. Collecting these
components does risk rousing the beast,
however, and only the sacrifice of one pure
of heart can lull the beast back to sleep before
it will try to burrow its way to the surface to
that the Deep Ones would starve if left to their continue its feast of the land.
own devices. They do not voice this to the Deep
Ones, but merely mutter it beneath their breath. Dawn of the Summer King
They will bully and shove a Deep One into Long before Brennin was born, one of his
accepting their ministrations when necessary. ancestors captained a great ship known as
Thralls ignore the feuds that populate the Deep Dawn of the Summer King. The ship was the star
Ones’ days, but mourn deeply if one is killed of Ember’s fleet, a giant golden glory for all to
before finding another Deep One to care for. behold. Now, Dawn of the Summer King lays at
They form family groups around the Deep the heart of Sailor’s Folly, covered in an inky
One they assign themselves to, splintering and black algae. Untold riches rest in the hull of this
reforming groups as needed to even out the ship, but they are troublesome and potentially
work and accommodate the preference of the deadly to get to—even by the merfolk who
thralls involved. They appear to love games often make a dangerous game of trying to enter
deeply, and can display a keen wit when the ship. A giant two-headed shark slumbers
strategizing, only to lapse back into cheerful within the bowels of the ship. The creature
vapidness a moment later. While they are has grown so large it barely fits in the hull and
fairly obedient, thralls will refuse to kill spends most of its time sleeping, guarding its
their own or Deep Ones, and will work treasure, and waiting for its next meal to swim
in concert without visible or audible inside the ship.
signals against an enemy.

116
T he F orlorn C ove
 L ocations in
the F orlorn C ove

Temple of the
Old Ones
H istory
Long before the cycle of summer and winter
began there were ancient, timeless creatures
who existed in the space between worlds.
These creatures were neither good nor bad,
they simply hungered. Having fed for aeons
in their original birthplace, eventually their
food sources dried up, and so they began to
consume one another. But during this time one
of the smallest and most feeble had a moment the face of the temple, pillars, doorways, halls,
of clarity amongst its ravening hunger and and more. Water from above falls over the dark
created a race of creatures in its own likeness, stone carvings, giving them an ethereal un-life
to serve as fodder for the appetites of the other as if each glistening appendage could come
Old Ones. Eventually, some of these Deep Ones alive at any moment. There are no windows set
escaped the endless feeding cycle, slipping into this foreboding temple, only thousands of
through the dark spaces of the universe and runic inscriptions carved into its face.
made their way to the lands of Ember.
In those initial days arriving on a new world, P oints of I nterest
they constructed a massive temple, rising from The Great Hall
the waters, dedicated to their godly creator. In
The Great Hall is located at the very back of
time, their culture grew and flourished, and in
the temple, where its winding hallways plunge
their eldritch rituals and great envy of the land-
downwards and converge at one central point.
dwellers, they summoned an Old One to feed
The Great Hall was once where untold dark
on them.
services were conducted in the name of the Old
With the Cycle halted, many Deep Ones believe Ones and now it lays in wait for their return.
the time of the Old Ones has returned. It’s only While the thralls of the Deep Ones care for most
a matter of time before the Great Beast rises of the rooms in this temple, the Great Hall is
from its resting place and consumes the fat of guarded over by an ancient Deep One, the Gray
the land. And so they worship in the far reaches Guardian, who claims to know all the stories
of the Forlorn Cove at the Temple of the Old of the Old Ones stretching back into infinity.
Ones. Some of the Deep Ones have even begun His purple eyes are clouded with age, his gait
to consider that if they cannot wake the Great halted, his voice hoarse, but make no mistake
Beast Who Slumbers, then perhaps they should the Gray Guardian’s magical abilities are as
repeat their ancient rituals and summon other sharp as ever. Upon the central altar within
Old Ones against those who live on dry-land. the hall is an effigy of an Old One, created
Built into a massive sea stack, hundreds of the through scavenged bones and shells,
obsidian stone spires of the temple jut towards stuck together with secretions from
an ever dark cloudy sky above. Stone tentacles the Deep Ones and some of their
weave and interlock with one another, forming dry-land victims.

117
 Shrine of the Smallest One The Unforgotten
This shrine is located in a far eastern wing of There is a thrall who has been cast out by its
the temple. When entering the cuboid room, own kind; it speaks of things no thrall should
it’s impossible to escape the giant opal eye set know; it remembers things no thrall should
into the rear wall. Wreathed in candles, held remember. Some aberration of its birth has
up by serpentine sconces, with offerings laid given this thrall a greater memory than the
beneath its bottom lid, the eye takes up nearly rest of its brethren. The Unforgotten knows the
the entire wall and peers unblinkingly into hidden corners and passages of the Temple of
the room. Any who look directly into the eye the Old Ones and is able to live entirely without
feel a withering sense of dread in the pit of serving its masters, should it wish. There are no
their stomach as their blood runs cold and fear others in the temple quite like the Unforgotten,
pricks goosebumps onto their skin. Staring too and so this being lives in loneliness, and with
long into the eye places a deep hunger within a hatred, at the subjugation of its brethren, and
a person. This starts with an insatiable need the lazy Deep One masters.
to drink, then consume vegetable matter and
cooked meats, then raw flesh. The hunger The Earl of Aderyn
is nigh impossible to stave off and the only The Earl of Aderyn visited the Temple of the
creature known to be able to cure it is the Gray Old Ones once or twice many years ago. She
Guardian and he never does so without a price. visited each shrine dedicated to a long forgotten
god, trying to glean any magical knowledge
The Underquarters she could from them. When the earl returned
The thralls of the Deep Ones who live in the to dry-land she was never the same. Only the
hallways of the temple have an easy life; they Gray Guardian knows what happened to her
keep the halls tidy and drive off anyone who so many years ago and at present he refuses
wishes to do the temple, or their masters, harm. to speak of it, saying only, “What is spoken
The thralls are never allowed to leave the halls between a person and the depths of darkness is
and whoever is born within the temple dies sacred. It is for no others to hear.”
there as well. It is a boring life and boredom
breeds cruelty. Within their quarters, thralls O pportunities
take part in dark rituals and scarification to
keep their minds active, actions they hide from The Maddening Spiral
their masters. When they leave their quarters, Visiting the Temple of the Old Ones is
when all their monotony is unburdened, the dangerous and by even spending a short time
thralls are able to conduct themselves in a within its halls people are in danger of coming
normal manner and care for the temple. too close to the psyche of an Old One. If a
person is extremely strong-willed, they suffer
N otable C haracters from nightmares days after visiting the temple.
They dream of a mind they are unable to truly
The Gray Guardian comprehend, so alien that it defies this plane, of
The Gray Guardian is frequently found within any plane, or any place. The only thing to stop
the Great Hall he is meant to guard, but leaves these dreams is distance from the temple, and
from time to time to keep the thralls under time.
control. He has the temperament of a wizened
elder, but his eyes spark with malevolence Revolt
when he speaks of magic. Under the guise of The loyalty of the thralls is not unwavering;
forgetfulness and long-winding stories about merely, they have never been presented with
forgotten gods, he schemes to awaken the Old any viable alternatives to serving their dark
Ones, to call them forth from their dark resting masters. In the back of their alien minds they
place and offer up the world of landwalkers as despise the Deep Ones, and all it might take for
sacrifice. them to consider alternatives to their existence
is one spark of freedom. If the concept of a
revolt is given over to the Unforgotten, it would
quickly latch onto the idea, and attempt to
spread it to any of the thralls who might listen.

118
T he F orlorn C ove
 the ages, each new crab was born into the
Cycle with a magical spell carved into its shell.
The It was each creature’s duty to protect their
spell, to keep it safe and make sure it passed
Black Lagoon successfully into the next age. When the Cycle
halted, the crab folk forgot their sacred duty
and the majesty that once graced their beautiful
shells started to fade. They discarded their
H istory soft shells for more durable ones or allowed
Off the southern edge of the Forlorn Cove is barnacles to grow over the magical words
the Black Lagoon, separated by a lengthy reef inscribed upon them.
of twisted, jagged rocks and coral. The waters
of the lagoon are never clear, nor do they ever N otable C haracters
reflect the blue skies above. Instead, perhaps
some property of the murky sands underneath Llinos
gives it the characteristic black waters. Llinos is a Deep One who lives on the shore
of the Black Lagoon. The earl “adopted” him
It is in and around these waters that the
many years ago when on a whim she wanted to
traditional breeding grounds of the Brachyura
see if she could turn a Deep One away from his
can be found. Travelers here should watch
own people and make it devoted to her. It took
their step on the lagoon’s surrounding stony
time, but the earl was able to bend him to her
sands, for they may never know when they are
will. Now, she uses Llinos as a spy, to tell her
about to step onto one of the crab folk, or their
the comings and goings of the Deep Ones and
eggs. Debris and even lost cargo from broken
to keep her lagoon free from anyone who dare
ships often washes ashore here, some from the
disturb its dark peacefulness. Llinos appears
shipwrecks of Sailor’s Folly, some from the
much like any Deep One, except he wears a
great seas and from far off lands.
crab shell on his back, a gift from the Brachyura
When the Earl of Aderyn came to the Forlorn who allow Llinos to pass amongst them.
Cove, she explored the halls of the Temple of
the Old Ones and exited a changed woman. O pportunities
Something inside her had become unlocked, but
she experienced continued nightmares that she Gaze into the Abyss
was not able to make sense of, or understand. The lagoon’s waters are cold, placid, and as
While she found her powers had grown, she dark as the night sky. No matter what time of
was smart enough to know that if she ever day it is or the weather, they reflect perfect dark
returned to the temple it would surely consume images of their surroundings. Strangely, the
her, and instead she found the Black Lagoon. reflections of any living creature in the lagoon
Standing next to its dark waters she was able refuse to mimic a person’s actions at all, but
to taste the fevered dreams she experienced instead they act of their own accord. If next to
so many years ago. Whatever is beneath the the reflection of another being, both will fight
surface of its black waters comforts the earl and within the waters until only one remains. And
allows her to focus. if any blood hits the water, the lagoon unlocks
the mirror realm the reflection is trapped in and
P oints of I nterest the reflection steps into the real world where it
will do anything to take the place of the “real”
Ancient Scratchings copy of itself.
Under a giant mangrove tree is a ring of
boulders largely forgotten by the creatures
of Ember. Written upon the boulders are the
stories of the Brachyura from before the Cycle
halted and darkness crept into the lagoon.
There are many stories carved into the boulders,
but only one of which is most important: the
Brachyura were once a great and noble race.
Charged with keeping magic alive through
119
 T he
Fate Marshes

Bloodfen Spore
Native to the Fate Marshes, this fungus can grow to the
size of a large watermelon. When disturbed, the spores
violently explode, and use the poor unfortunate as food for
future growth.

120
In all of Ember there is no ground more haunted than that of the Fate
Marshes. Fate itself seems to waver there, and the many possibilities
of your life dance before you, intermingling in the shadowy fog.
Most are driven mad as their minds struggle to comprehend these
many futures and pasts, their memories rewriting themselves on the
fly. If that wasn’t bad enough, the marshes are the hunting grounds
and homes of two vicious beasts—the Drake of Marowlyth and the
Bloodletter Fiend.

121
 H istory of
the F ate M arshes
In the early history of Ember, there stood a
great kingdom where the Fate Marshes now
lie. It was one of the last to bend the knee to the
then King of Ember, and its stalwart castles,
protected by a weave of rivers that criss-crossed
through the region, were difficult to siege. Their
resistance angered the king, and so he gathered
up his greatest witches and tasked them with
destroying this upstart kingdom, which they
did by overflowing the kingdom’s rivers and
causing a great flood. Tens of thousands died
in their homes and behind castle walls as the
waters rose. The kingdom’s leaders pleaded
with the Liyume King to stop, and then for
assistance with the damage done to their
homes. But the king made them pay for their
arrogance.
Most of the area is still under water, and the
land has become a swampy marsh. Remnants
of the old civilization can be found reaching out
from the muddy depths: the top of a bell tower not easy, but the villagers prefer the swamp to
or the steeple of a fallen church—many secrets living in the kingdom proper, where the curse
lie hidden beneath the mud. The instability has its strongest foothold.
of the region regularly unearths new artifacts Beyond Ark lies the Sunken Castle, once the
while making it difficult to explore and build center of the buried kingdom. Little remains of
anew. the castle that hasn’t been engulfed by the mud,
Specters of the future and the past haunt the but intrepid explorers have found a way into
Fate Marshes. Possibilities that could have the castle through some of its exposed towers.
been, and those that could still be. Within the The Drake of Marowlyth is said to live in an
misty marsh air, these ghostly figures can be extensive cave system below the marshes, a
glimpsed albeit briefly, and the viewer may honeycomb of caverns and sunken buildings
have difficulty working out what portents, or that houses many relics of the old kingdom.
never-been histories they have seen. The fate The drake isn’t the only threat that exists in
witches who inhabit the marshes have some these caverns, as the Bloodletter Fiend has been
skill deciphering these visions, if one can find spotted near the entrances to the caves below,
them. and occasionally a poor blood-drained soul has
been dragged up from the marsh, thought to be
There is but one established settlement that a victim of the fiend.
exists in the Fate Marshes: a village called
Ark, founded by a few refugees attempting to After creating the king’s phylactery and
flee the Endless Summer’s curse. They built inadvertently causing the Endless Summer,
makeshift cabins where they could on what Fatesealer Witch Rhonwen fled to the Fate
little dry, stable land remained in the middle of Marshes to find a way to undo the damage to
the marsh. Over time, the village was forced to Ember. Rhonwen worked with Satyr Mwars,
expand and large wooden platforms were built another witch, whose powers might have
atop the muddy ground, with poles buried worked in concert with her own and Rhonwen
deep beneath the surface for added stability. hoped that their close proximity to each other
As safe as these platforms may seem, would stabilize fate, but the future is as erratic
they still collapse often, as the ground as ever. Their alliance was short-lived and
shifts and muddy currents displace broke down as their paranoia towards one
the anchors. Living in the marsh is another grew and the two of them descended
into a sour feud.

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T he F ate M arshes
P oints of I nterest
Camp Yarwood
There is an old, haggard hunter with a
burning hatred of the Drake of Marowlyth
and who searches the Fate Marshes for
evidence the beast has returned after years
absent. Ren Yarwood was one of the first
hunters appointed by King Brennin to
bring the beast down, and even
as others on this hunt were
killed, or left once the Endless
Summer came, Ren would
not abandon his prey. Even as
the drake vanished into the caverns
under the Fate Marshes, Ren knew the
beast would emerge again and take up
its own hunt. Ren has gathered about
him a motley assortment of mortals
and fae—whom he has been imparting
his skills in hunting and gathering—and
with them, he intends to find the beast
that cost him two brothers and a sister.
His camp is years established now, and
has grown as others have joined his
cause, or sought solace from the horrors
lurking in other parts of Ember. Day-to-
day, the hunters track wildlife in the marshes Fate Witch Satyr Mwars
and trade their meat and fur to nearby camps The witches of Ember were once a loose
and to the village of Ark. association of practitioners who reached the
zenith of their power and renown in the days
C haracters of before the kingdom that opposed the Summer
the F ate M arshes King was sunk below the marsh. Their decline
began sometime after those events, and who
Rhonwen can say exactly why this came about—perhaps
Rhonwen presently lives a nomadic lifestyle it was some revenge enacted by the survivors
within the Fate Marshes, peddling her of that kingdom, or perhaps it was the guilt
witchcraft to those who can provide for her such devastation had wrought that diminished
the necessities of life—such as food, firewood, the witches. There are few witches remaining
or cloth to repair her clothes or bags. While in Ember now and they are often solitary
her travels rarely bring her in contact with the beings, and something about the Fate Marshes
village of Ark, there are other, small settlements frequently draws them there than any other
and camps throughout the marshes, and location within Ember.
the denizens of these speak of Rhonwen in The Fate Witch Satyr Mwars is one of the only
hushed whispers, a ghost story used to frighten other witches in Ember who has been able to
children. match Rhonwen in her ability to manipulate the
There are some who have begun to prey upon fates of others. Over the years, Rhonwen and
Rhonwen as she roams the swamps, getting Mwars shared several masters and mistresses
the Fatesealer to use her magic to give them in learning their trade, and their relationship
boons they selfishly use to help themselves, or was always finicky and somewhat
to sell at a tidy profit; but she soon forgets she competitive during those times. While
has done these favors and so they make their Rhonwen surrounded herself with
requests to her once again. If she were to be people and adoration, Mwars lived
made to realize this, she would be grateful.
123
 The Drake of Marowlyth

deep in the Fate Marshes, intent on developing and in constant danger of sinking into the mud.
her power and living her life without the Sometimes she spends her nights searching for
interruption of others. In particular, she spent Rhonwen, hoping to bring her old compatriot
years uncovering the remnants of other witches back into the fold, but always returns to her
who disappeared from public notoriety and hovel by morning.
into the Fate Marshes for reasons she has yet to Satyr sees herself as she once looked, and
determine. refuses to acknowledge the effect that the
After the Endless Summer fell on the land, curse has had on her. The Endless Summer
Satyr Mwars reluctantly worked with Rhonwen has changed Satyr, as it has all of Ember. With
to fix the fabric of the Realm of Ember, but every death she experiences in the marshes, and
their shared history got the better of them and there have been many, she comes back changed
the two fell out. With Rhonwen now a specter and mutated by the summer curse.
of her former self, Mwars feels a weight of
responsibility upon her shoulders, that perhaps The Drake of Marowlyth
she might still have the power to help Ember. The Drake of Marowlyth is neither dragon nor
To this effect, she has begun to contact others lizard, but an amalgamation of the two, created
within the Fate Marshes, and emerge from her by a wizard who desired to create what she
hermit isolation. Mwars makes no secret of believed to be the perfect creature, and one she
her whereabouts, and openly trades and visits could control utterly. The drake was the last of
with the people of Ark. Many of the villagers many attempts to create this being—the wizard
have started to grow cold and suspicious of could not have predicted how powerful her
outsiders, so her dealings with those few creation would be, and the Drake of Marowlyth
who do need her witchcraft are kept killed its creator shortly upon creation. After
surreptitious. She is welcoming to this, the drake lived up to the original intention
guests, though her hovel is small of its creation; it had become the perfect

124
T he F ate M arshes
predator, and so began hunting any living The Bloodletter Fiend
creature it could find in Ember, soon finding a The first of his kind, and now the last, the
particular appetite for humans. Bloodletter Fiend is an ancient, murderous
King Brennin was not keen to the idea of this beast that drains its victims of blood. The
monster running freely through his kingdom. If fiend’s history goes beyond the beginnings of
the monster couldn’t be killed, then he decided Ember, all the way to the founding of the Order
it would be trapped instead. The king hired the of Stargazers.
greatest hunters across the lands, each a legend In the early days of the Stargazers, there were
in their own right, to bring down the beast. For three elders, those who had founded the order
years this team hunted the drake, and they lost and brought others into the fold to pass on the
many men and women in pursuit of the beast. teachings of Saint Marowlyth. The First Elder
Finally, the hunters cornered the beast in aspired to construct Abbey Marowlyth and the
the forests of the Fate Marsh. The beast had Lunar Temple, both of which are said to be the
nowhere to go, and the muddy ground first structures built on the land that would one
hindered the drake’s movements. This day become Ember. The Second Elder searched
appeared to be the moment of capture, and the far and wide across the land to rally and inspire
hunters were certain the beast was theirs. Then, new followers, bringing them back to the
suddenly, the Drake of Marowlyth vanished. newly constructed abbey. The Third Elder was
The beast escaped through a small chasm in responsible for recording the knowledge and
the ground, fleeing to the labyrinthine cavern doctrine of the Stargazers. But this elder took
system that existed beneath the surface. The sole responsibility in this role, and did not trust
hunters tried to pursue the drake, but there was anyone else to do the good work. This elder
no hope in navigating the endless maze. was left for far too long with the scrolls, books
and inscriptions, and in exploring these works,
Eventually, the hunters abandoned their quest,
the Third Elder grew in hunger for even more
and left the drake alone to form a new nest in
knowledge. And so, the elder explored new
the caverns. Shortly after, the Endless Summer
avenues of research, and ritual, pushing the
set in, and the drake was all but forgotten as
boundaries of numerology and astrology into
new issues in Ember had to be dealt with. The
new obscene areas.
drake initially nursed injuries the hunters had
caused but then it returned to the surface, first The first two elders were too busy with other
in small forays and then in longer hunts. At this aspects of the Order of the Stargazers to at first
point in time, it has become more selective in its notice their brethren’s obsessions. But when
prey; for now, it feeds upon livestock and other the Third Elder drew others into the works,
animals in the marsh, but soon, it may return to and the first rituals were successful, they could
its favored prey. not help but notice the damage caused to the
fabric of reality within the abbey grounds.
The drake has claimed the caverns beneath
They cornered their corrupted brethren and
the Fate Marshes as its home, and will defend
demanded the Third Elder stop at once. But
them aggressively. Occasionally, the beast finds
from the great laughter the Third Elder gave in
itself beset by the undead that share its caverns,
response, they knew the elder was lost to them.
but the drake finds them to be of little threat.
Unfortunately, the drake cannot feed on these Since they knew only kindness, the First and
decaying bones, and so it hunts the marsh and Second Elder could neither harm nor kill their
surrounding forests in search of larger game. brethren, only cast out the Third Elder from the
Even with some of their livestock having order. They gave the elder supplies for a month,
mysteriously vanished in the night, the people and forced them from the abbey. In defiance of
of Ark are yet to realize the beast has returned the other brethren, the Third Elder attempted
to Ember. use their fledgling power to strike the other
elders down, but the First and Second Elders
called upon Marowlyth to reflect the magic
back upon its caster. And thus, the Third
Elder suffered under a curse brought
upon by their own magic.

125
 As he drifted across the land, his skin became for the creation of the beasts inadvertently in
taut and leathery. His hunger grew, not this their kindness. The Stargazers set up an order
time for knowledge, but for blood. In time, the of hunters to slay the fiends. And while no
Third Elder’s body succumbed to the curse Stargazer themselves would raise a weapon
completely and he became the Bloodletter against the beasts, they could certainly use
Fiend. In this form, the beast roamed from their predictive powers to track and corner the
settlement to settlement, preying on any who creatures. And so this bloody war was waged
should cross paths, and leaving before he was for nearly two decades, as the fiends were
found. In rare moments, the elder would find hunted, as they spread their curse even further,
lucidity again, trapped in the body of a beast, but eventually the numbers of the fiends
and despaired over what he had become, but diminished. Doggedly determined, the monster
these moments were far and few between. hunters tracked down every last beast, but one.
The Bloodletter Fiend eventually found that The first of his kind, and the last, had created
he could pass on his curse to others, and that a lair under the earth, a sanctuary for itself. As
soon a whole race of blood-hungry fiends the rest of his kind were slain, he retrieved their
emerged. Just as the fiends began to spread like bodies, one by one and brought them to his
a plague, reaching every corner of the land, the underground lair. There, he entombed them,
Stargazer elders woke up to the horror they had hoping to one day to find a way to restore them.
caused. They knew they had been responsible To prevent the last hunters from finding

The Bloodletter Fiend

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T he F ate M arshes
him, the Bloodletter Fiend entered a great sleep Summer can be ended. It’s possible that
that even the flooding of the Fate Marshes Rhonwen knows how to destroy the phylactery
did not wake him from. Many centuries later, that houses King Brennin’s soul and reverse
perhaps it was the fall of the Stargazer order the Endless Summer but, if she does know,
as a result of the Endless Summer that brought she hasn’t tried to end it herself. Locating the
him out of his sleep, more hungry than ever witch in the Fate Marshes is the first task, and
before. perhaps the most difficult, as she moves around
The Bloodletter Fiend is both physically strong erratically and reveals her location to no-one.
and incredibly agile and its paws are adorned
The Lost Sword of Aerilon
with sharp claws that can cut through steel. It
has enhanced senses, which include a form of Legends tell of the knight Aerilon who once
echolocation, much like a bat. The beast can lived in one of the cities that now lie buried by
pass on its curse, if at the point of death, those the marshes. Presumably, Aerilon was killed
mortally injured by the beast inadvertently by the flood, and her body lies somewhere in
come into contact with the fiend’s blood. The the cavernous network beneath the land. If
fiend only hunts at night, which suggests a the legend can be believed, her sword, which
weakness to sunlight, and with the knowledge was blessed by the gods and enchanted to kill
of the monster hunters long lost, this could be undead in a single blow, remains at her side,
the secret to defeating the creature. waiting to be discovered.

Upon having awoken, the Bloodletter Fiend has The Machinations of Faeries
found the village of Ark to be its largest and The faeries of Ember have always populated its
closest source of food. But it must step carefully many woods, particularly the Kingswood and
in its thirst, lest it make itself too obvious a the Vitreous Wood, though for some reason,
target once more. they have always been hesitant to reside in
any of the small clustered woods of the Fate
O pportunities Marshes. Escaping from other parts of Ember,
handfuls of fae have started to make their
Restoring Fate homes in the marshes. But they have grown
As the Endless Summer drives Fatesealer restless with their new surroundings, and
Witch Rhonwen further into madness, the have begun manipulating the affairs of
very bedrock of fate and the fabric of Ember mortals, simply because they are bored.
continues to be shaken. Soon, the mad visions Any capable adventurers who enter
that affect those who enter the marshes will the marsh might make fine pawns
spread across all of Ember, unless the Endless for faery schemes.
127
 L ocations in
the F ate M arshes
with them. Not all the villagers have gone
The along with his belief, but these are far and
few between, and the most outspoken quickly
Village of Ark change their mind or are found to have “left”
Ark for other pastures.

P oints of I nterest
H istory
Pagran Brune was the first to conceive the The Altar of Brune
plan to escape into the Fate Marshes. He Those who believe Brune to be their true
believed the distance from the heart of the guide have erected an altar in the center of
realm might lessen the curse plaguing it. He Ark, a place where they can join together in
was right, at least initially. Pagran and his community and make small sacrifices to help
followers carved out a piece of land for Ark, keep the ravages of summer away from their
clearing stable ground where the wooden, village. Eosaeus, proclaimed High Priest and
hatch-roofed buildings wouldn’t sink into the close friend to Brune, leads ceremonies every
mud. Originally, the village of Ark had only night, in which prayers are made, many of
a few homes, a cookfire, a storehouse, and which are becoming more directed to Brune
no name. But word of Ark spread, a place to himself. On certain occasions, Brune will attend
escape the corruption of the Endless Summer, these ceremonies in what are considered the
and eventually Ark began to grow. Wooden most hallowed of nights. While Pagran Brune
platforms were built atop the mud as further never officially declared himself a “deity”
buildings were added: a tavern, a blacksmith, during the founding of Ark, he certainly hasn’t
a smokehouse, whatever was needed to keep a dissuaded his followers and, with the onset of
small village operational. Most of the buildings the madness creeping through the village, he is
remained standing, and only a few had to be growing into the role.
rebuilt as the platforms sunk into the
muddy currents.
In the end, Ark was not free from the Endless
Summer: nowhere in Ember was. It only
took longer for the corruption to sink in. Ark
currently functions under the leadership of
Pagran Brune, who counsels the villagers that
all is still well, despite the strange specters in
the marsh mists and the beasts that have begun
preying on Ark and its surrounds. They listen
obediently and blindly, certain that all will be
made right, if only they continue to have faith
in Pagran.
Pagran has more recently started turning
opinion against strangers to the village. Those
who live in Ark must keep Ark safe, and
foreigners only pose a danger to their way
of life, bringing the Endless Summer

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T he F ate M arshes
The Sawmill
Originally, the sawmill was built to help
improve the structures of Ark. A gifted
engineer from one of the logging villages of
Ember had big plans for Ark and believed the
bountiful trees of the Fate Marshes could be
harvested and turned into sturdy construction
materials. The construction of the mill was
abandoned part-way through, as the engineer
went mad and stalked and killed many of
his fellow villagers before he was cornered
by Brune and Eosaeus, and hung from the
scaffolding of the mill. During the day, the
saws of the mill are still operational, and used
for their original purpose to help Ark keep the
marsh at bay. Villagers avoid the mill at night,
casting uneasy glances in its direction, and
sometimes they think they hear the saws
running, and a familiar, echoing maniacal
laughter.

N otable C haracters
Pagran Brune
Pagran Brune is founder of Ark, who was
born on the streets of Yúla, cast out of several
churches in his attempts to become a priest,
and after much hardship in the grimy corners
of the city, eventually found work as a town
crier, becoming a much-loved persona in Yúla. from sinking into the marsh. Baldith is not
And when the Endless Summer came, Pagran blind to Pagran’s strange turn as leader in Ark,
had a vision to help people, and the renown he but she is uncertain how to act against him,
possessed allowed him to bring others to him especially when she’s never felt more a part of a
quickly. Pagran Brune’s natural willpower and community in her life as she does now.
charm has allowed him to guide survivors and
refugees from the rest of Ember. But Pagran’s O pportunities
popularity and importance within Ark has now The Brethren of Brune
gotten to him, and he is being consumed by his
“The Brethren,” as they call themselves, are the
own self-importance, and the need to keep his
chosen acolytes of Pagran Brune and live in
“flock” safe.
secret amongst the rest of the villagers of Ark.
Baldith the Weather Witch The times they have been seen on the muddy
roads of Ark, they wore plain, drab robes and
The Witches of Fate aren’t the only witches
polished, smooth wooden masks to hide their
living in the Fate Marshes. Baldith, a witch who
identities. Pagran has denounced some of
has the ability to control weather, has made
their more extreme actions, such as assaulting
her home in Ark. Unlike the more well-known
those who speak out against Brune, and the
witches of Ember, Baldith’s abilities were
sacrifice of livestock in their worship of Pagran
always determined to be lacking. Still, Pagran
as a god, but secretly, he protects them. When
saw a great potential in her, and brought
travelers arrive at Ark, it’s the Brethren who
Baldith under his wing, and in fact, she is
will be keeping a close eye on them, and
possibly one of the reasons Ark is still standing.
reporting back to Pagran Brune.
She has used her weather-manipulating abilities
to keep the worst of the rain away from Ark,
protecting it from dangerous mudslides and

129
 New layers of mud and rock began to form
over the castle and the city, and the marshes
continued to grow atop these foundations. The
Marowlyth Lair fallen city formed an uneven, unnatural cave
system and the ruins of Marowlyth can still be
accessed from the surface, through a series of
awkwardly-shaped tunnels that lead topside.
H istory This cold, dark cavern system attracted the
The Ebon Castle was once the holdfast of the unholy drake, who decided to nest in the ruins.
great king who held the lands that would one Eventually, this drake became synonymous
day become the Fate Marshes. When the old with the city where it rested: the Drake
kingdom fell, the king and his knights were of Marowlyth.
lodged in the castle, seeking shelter behind
the tall walls. Unfortunately, the walls weren’t
enough to keep the flood waters at bay—only
P oints of I nterest
tall enough to keep the king and his men The Ebon Throne
trapped inside. There they drowned, along with The king died upon his throne, surrounded
all of the king’s family and the nobles of his by his most loyal knights, goblets still in their
court, thus ending the war with the land swiftly hands. These men had died a quick death,
being claimed by the Realm of Ember. As the feasting as the water rushed into the room and
waters receded, the foundation of the castle drowned them all. The waters in the throne
crumbled and sunk into the mud. Over time, room have receded, leaving the room musty
the castle was consumed entirely, and only and dank, the perfect breeding ground for the
the tops of the tallest towers remained above lichen that cling to the walls, having claimed
ground, looking to the world like stone huts the throne room as their own. The Buried King
sinking into the mud. remained dead and forgotten under the world
The windows of these ancient spires open up for a long, long time, but inevitably returned
to the long twisting staircases that lead to the in a state of unlife as the summer curse seeped
bulk of the castle. The mud and earth have into the Fate Marshes.
flooded most of the castle, collapsing rooms
and passages, sometimes forming others where
there were none. The Realm of Ember never
launched an official expedition into the castle,
but many private ventures were funded before
the fall, leaving tunnels and caverns hollowed
out within. Those who explored the castle
spoke of undead monsters that guarded the
treasures there.
When the kingdom fell, it wasn’t just the castle
and the king’s armies that were targeted. Many
peaceful civilian settlements were drowned as
well. One such place was Marowlyth, the large
and prosperous city surrounding the Ebon
Castle and whose denizens did not deserve the
fate their king had delivered to them. When
the flood first came, the people ran into the
deep catacombs, hoping to block the entrances
to stop the water from entering. Some were
successful, but they eventually died of
starvation or even drowned when their
barricades finally buckled and broke.
The floods brought terrible mudslides
and shifting rock, and the city sunk
under the world.

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T he F ate M arshes
The Dragon Dens
The sunken kingdom was once famous for the
dragons they held in captivity. These amazing
beasts were used to conquer the land, and
were shown off to the towns and villages of the
kingdom during celebrations. Unfortunately,
these dragons were still in their pens when the
waters hit, and most were unable to escape.
Those that did fled to the far corners of the
kingdom where they would eventually suffer
under the Endless Summer. Those who died in
the castle now live on as cursed beings, forced
back to the life as mutated versions of their
former selves.

The Scorching Catacombs

The labyrinthine caverns lead into the
catacombs, where the residents of Marowlyth
once housed their dead. These twisting
pathways were dug below the city, extending
far down into the earth. When the ground
around the city cracked and sank, the
catacombs sank as well, deeper into the earth’s
core. Deep enough that a chasm opened,
pouring magma into the lowest levels of
the catacombs, filling the entire system with
oppressive heat and humidity. It is dangerous
to dig and explore in the Scorching Catacombs,
N otable C haracters
as one wrong strike might be enough to open The Buried King
another vent for heated gas or magma The ages trapped beneath the Fate Marshes
to escape. have not been good for the Buried King, and
his need for vengeance still burns within him,
Crosstap Square greater than ever. Once resurrected by the
Crosstap Square was the bustling arts and Endless Summer, the king began to muster
mercantile district of Marowlyth, set in a the undead around him, reuniting with those
once beautiful open-air square detailed with who were most loyal to him, waiting for the
engraved marble columns and beautiful day he can emerge from the castle and take
fountains. A few of the tall buildings around back his kingdom. His once substantial armies
it collapsed, creating a dome that has kept are scattered in the Marowlyth caverns and
Crosstap Square mostly unharmed from the trapped still in the mud across all of the Fate
weight of mud above. The remnants of beauty Marshes, but if he could gather them, there is
can still be seen beneath the grime, dust, and a very good chance they would march upon
mud that has been caked onto everything. The Ember.
grand and awe-inspiring statues of Crosstap
Square have remained intact despite the years, Eanswyth, Grim Sage of Fire
and the city collapsing under the earth. They Eanswyth was the advisor to the Buried King,
depict a mix of the sunken kingdom’s notable a sage of a long-dead religion who could call
historic personalities from all manner of upon both mundane and otherworldly fires,
nobility and peasantry. powers she used vehemently to protect her
kingdom. But she was also secretly the
king’s bastard, and the royal heir, after
all the king’s other children had
passed years before due to family-
inherited illnesses. Her powers

131
 were said to have originated from deals with
infernal creatures deep within the earth, and
O pportunities
there was a price they demanded—a tithe of The Drake of Marowlyth
the people of her kingdom—and Eanswyth The Drake of Marowlyth, a horrifying
would not give them their due. As the Buried beastly aberration, has made a nest for
King resisted Ember’s advances, Eanswyth itself somewhere in the twisting caverns of
was nowhere to be seen. The king believed Marowlyth, turning the fallen city into its
Eanswyth had abandoned her duty, but in her lair. The drake hunts what it can in the caves,
heart she was still loyal, and fought a battle on but the undead are of little sustenance to
another front, forcing fiendish enemies back the giant beast, forcing it to leave the den at
to where they came from, deep into the earth. night in search of prey in the nearby forests
Now in her unlife, Eanswyth feels she must of the marshes. If an adventurer was to brave
find forgiveness from her king, if only she was Marowlyth in search of treasure, it’s best to do
sure their underground kingdom was safe so when the drake is out hunting the night.
from enemies.
The Army of the Dead
Aelwin Marowlyth Thanks to the Endless Summer, nothing can
Aelwin is the last descendant of the Marowlyth stay dead anymore. This includes the king’s
family, whose ancestors first founded army, which long guarded the Ebon Castle
Marowlyth and continued to govern it until against invaders, and continues to do so after
it fell. Utterly loyal to their king, most of the death. Most of the undead aren’t in fighting
Marowlyth family were killed in the early shape, as many have been crushed or maimed
skirmishes between the sunken kingdom during the collapse of the castle and the ensuing
and Ember. Aelwin inherited the mantle mudslides. Those who retained their body
of mayor from her mother who perished parts can barely swing their swords. Each
weeks before the fateful day the waters individual soldier is far from dangerous,
rose... Having been roused from death but the army has vast numbers, and it is
by the breaking of the Cycle, Aelwin difficult to staunch the flow of undead.
is instilled with a sense of duty to
govern Marowlyth, even though
there is little of the city
to govern.

132
T he F ate M arshes
Byrnhorn, Overlord of Steel
The Buried King’s chief knight and armorer,
Byrnhorn, was known as an expert warrior
skilled in every weapon and form of combat.
Byrnhorn was tasked by the king to supply his
armies with advanced weaponry in order to
fight back Ember’s forces, should they invade.
And he succeeded in gathering the best smiths
of the kingdom together, and creating such an
armory, but too late as the Ebon Castle was
flooded. Byrnhorn now guards the entrance
to the royal armory, where the finest of the
kingdom’s weapons were stored, enough to
equip a sizeable army. If the Overlord of Steel
can be beaten, or in some other way surpassed,
access to those weapons and armor may prove
useful in some way to restore Ember, or even
overthrow it.

133
 A ppendix
npc motivations
C ore C haracters
Brennin (pg 25)
Brennin the Husk (pg 61) Protect the realm from threats
Brennin the Builder (pg 71) To be the perfect architect
Brennin the Husband (pg 77) To be the perfect husband
Brennin the Father (pg 85) To be the perfect father
Brennin the Summer King (pg 102) To be the perfect ruler
Ceidwen, Reaper of Ash (pg 31, 89) Moving on souls/stop Cliodhna/reunite with brother
Cliodhna, The Earl of Aderyn (pg 37, 113, 118) Power/revenge
Maeve, Queen of Winter (pg 41, 77) Restoration of Ember

M ajor C haracters
Caddell, Last Prince of Summer (pg 47, 100) Regain sense of self/revenge against Brennin/Earl
Rhonwen, The Fatesealer Witch (pg 51, 123) Regain sense of self/restoration of Ember
Atkond the Sundered Duke (pg 55, 78) Protecting the fae realm from threats
Tylwyth the Crystal Sage (pg 57, 78) Escape from Ember

C haracters /C reatures B y L ocation

Castle Ember
Bartun the Bold (pg 61) Revenge against the Crown
Carl Hemings, The Dockmaster (pg 70) Revenge against the people of Yúla
Edric (pg 64) To serve the Five Knights as squire
Gethwine (pg 64) To stock supplies for Castle Ember
Gorwedd the Guardian (pg 62) Protect the phylactery/protect Castle Ember
Herald Harwin (pg 64) To continue running Castle Ember
Huntmaster Roland (pg 67) To protect the Barren Kingswood/to continue the hunt
Mad Clayden (pg 71) Preying upon ships/pirating plunder
Matriarch of the Departed (pg 72) Power/influence
Saw Yer the Hound (pg 67) To serve his master
The Blind Beggar (pg 69) To act as a guide
The Pontifex (pg 68) To feed on flesh
The Tirithal Knights (pg 64) Protect Castle Ember
Watcher Wulfrum (pg 73) Restoration of the Garrison of the Dead

134
Appendix
The Vitreous Wood
Champion of the Royal Grove (pg 82) To protect the Royal Grove
Euroclydon the Mist Dragon (pg 80) Protect her lair/to gain information about the land
Keeper of Cups (pg 82) To continue running the Unending Feast
Lord of Ravens and Thieves (pg 80) To thieve/to protect his realm and peoples
Terrac the Dream Vendor (pg 84) To profit/to peddle his goods
The Goblin Knight (pg 84) To run the Goblin Market/to get filthy rich
Abbey Marowlyth
Helyór the Winter Wolf (pg 96) To heal/to reunite with Queen Maeve
Kor the Many Voiced (pg 93, 97) To feed (from sources of power)/other motivations per head
Stargazer Telanoun (pg 90) Restoration of Ember/restoration of the Stargazers
The Stewards of the Luminous Circle (pg 92) Power/corruption/feeding (dead flesh)
Wayside Golem (pg 91) To attain freedom from the Luminous Circle/maintain the graveyard

The Royal Mausoleum

Chainman (pg 101, 109) Revenge against the Earl of Aderyn
Death Agari (pg 100) To feed (dead things)/revenge against Queen Maeve/restoration to the fae court
Eurwyn the Wise (pg 107) To achieve final rest
Lost Children (pg 102) To feed (memory)
Sister Lenil (pg 104) To finish her charge (giving out cider)
Sunken Sisters (pg 105) To have others hear their stories
Thadeaus (pg 107) To protect Caddell/to protect the tomb/final rest

The Forlorn Cove

Llinos (pg 119) To serve the Earl of Aderyn
Merfolk (pg 113) To breed/to restore their fallen empire/to feed (flesh)
The Brachyura (pg 114) Survival/remember their sacred duty
The Deep Ones (pg 115) To destroy the land-dwellers
The Gray Guardian (pg 118) To lead the Deep Ones
The Unforgotten (pg 118) Revolt against the Deep Ones
Thralls of the Deep Ones (pg 115) To serve their masters

The Fate Marshes

Aelwin Marowlyth (pg 132) To govern what’s left of Marowlyth and eventual restoration of it
Baldith the Weather Witch (pg 129) To protect the people of Ark
Byrnhorn, Overlord of Steel (pg 133) To guard the sunken kingdom’s royal armory
Eanswyth, Grim Sage of Fire (pg 131) Find forgiveness from her king
Fate Witch Satyr Mwars (pg 123) Restoration of Ember
Pagran Brune (pg 129) To lead his flock/to cast out heretics and unbelievers
The Bloodletter Fiend (pg 125) To feed (blood)/to restore its kind
The Buried King (pg 131) Revenge against Ember
The Drake of Marowlyth (pg 124) To feed (flesh)

135