The Black Ballad

Sample Layout

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 Book 1
The Black Ballad
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 ch. 10

B e yon d
the Midnight Sky

Chapter 1 The Nyxian Guard: The official army of Nox Valar.

The Nyxian Guard differs from other units within
the Godless Monarchy in one important aspect: its
The Beginning members never entered the Sunless Crossing
through death. Comprised entirely of gargoyles,
“The dreams of the few control the will of celestials, or planar travelers, all members of the
the many. Let’s hope your dream isn’t as guard have chosen to fight for the monarchy.
boring as the rest.”
Majin, The Betrayer

T here is no shortage of belief systems that

speak of death as simply the next phase in
a soul’s existence. Pick any sacred text from virtually
any faith and you’ll find a quote that starts along the
lines of, “Death is not the end of life. It is merely a
This adventure repeatedly asks the player
characters to attempt saving throws and ability
checks. However, rather than provide set DCs
or expect the ST to invent an appropriate DC
of their own, a table of adventure-appropriate
DCs is provided here for reference. Each set
step forward…” And the thing is, they’re not wrong. of DCs has an associated tier of play, which is
Death isn’t the end. In fact, there are more Afterlives, based on the tier you are running the adventure
Heavens, and Hells than any mortal mind could for. Within each set is an easy, medium, hard,
fathom. And those Afterlives are often chock-full of and extreme DC, which should be applied when
excitement and thrills. But what about those souls asked to do so by the adventure.
who aren’t quite ready for all that?

Adventure Ability Check & Saving Throw DCs

Saving Throw DC’s
Tier of play Easy DC Medium DC Hard DC Extreme DC
Tier 1 8 11 14 17
Tier 2 10 13 16 20
Tier 3 12 15 18 23
Tier 4 14 17 20 26
Ability Check DC’s
Tier ozf Play Easy DC Medium DC Hard DC Extreme DC
Tier 1 9 12 15 19
Tier 2 11 15 18 23
Tier 3 13 18 21 27
Tier 4 15 21 24 30

Reminder: The characters do not have all of the same equipment they died with. Details
on what items may have crossed over with them can be found in Running the Adventure.

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The Black Ballad

Read Out Loud:

As Valen and Ashlynn approach, Johan emerges from the lodge and
rushes to your side. They look to him and Valen says, “Shepherd, these
are your wards?” Johan nods his skull and replies, “Yessir! We’re lucky
I found them and got them here when I did.”

Cooking food, warm hearths, and savory drinks are

Whitestone Amulet available to them and, surprisingly, seem to be every
Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement) bit as filling and comforting as they were in life. In
truth, these things are echoes of mortality. The food
A banshee’s sorrowed heart captured in a thin and drink are forged out of memories carried over
silver chain with a white chilled gemstone. from the realm of the living. The warm hearths are
manifested from the essence of the Sunless Crossing,
While you wear the amulet, your attacks are itself, their physicality made possible by the rein-
imbued with supernatural cold. When you deal forcing memories of those who enjoy their comforts.
damage to a creature with a weapon or spell Each time someone partakes of food in the Sunless
attack, you can add 1d10 cold damage to the Crossing, or uses a tool created there, the realm
attack’s damage and you take an amount of itself uses a portion of their memory to sustain its
cold damage equal to the cold damage dealt. physical form and essence; often leading individuals
“The chain feels almost like a noose around your to find a sense of familiarity in items they handle—a
neck, yet loose enough to not cause too much well-remembered burr worn into a chair or table, or
discomfort. Its lineage was traced back to the a particular bump in the stone around a fireplace.
Blackmorn family – a pendant gifted to the It is common for the newly dead to need a period
youngest daughter in a time of great strife within of adjustment to learn the rules of the Sunless
the household.” Crossing. During this time, the Shepherd who recov-
ered them from the fields is an invaluable source
of knowledge and support. One of the first things
the newly dead discover is the fact that they still
Possessions of the Dead require rest and time to recuperate from exhaustion
If a player selects an item to bring with them into or injuries. As they are flush with the memory of life,
death that has no mechanical benefit (for example: their souls require time to rest as their bodies did
a letter or signet ring), it is possible that the item in life. This means that the souls within the Sunless
may develop magical properties over time in the Crossing must still take long rests to heal or recover
Sunless Crossing. Afterall, memory fuels the realm as well as to memorize spells or the like.
and strong attachments can prove incredibly potent,
manifesting unique abilities. For example, at the
Storyteller’s discretion, a “lucky cup” may develop
the ability to bestow Advantage to its owner under
certain circumstances within the Sunless Crossing.
Once they are collected by the Shepherds, the
dead are brought to the Junction—it is here that
their introduction to the realm truly begins. They
encounter sights and sounds like any living city.

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 Valen the Jade
“I am a rider of lightning, child. Disrespect my charges again, and I’ll
cram a storm so far up you… your eyes will sparkle with energy.”

Valen Social Statistics - Bonds: Conflict. It is those who test steel and claw
Description: A wiry gargoyle carved out of pure sea by his side that Valen forms close ties with. It mat-
foam jade towering over eight feet tall with a wing- ters not if it is a young soul holding a sword for the
span to match. Valen is often adorned with custom first time, or an experienced cut- throat—those who
black full-plate mail made from wrought cold iron. fight to survive earn his respect and friendship.

Personality Traits: Quiet in word and bold in - Flaws: Emotion. The position of Arbiter is a heavy
action, Valen has grown slow of tongue with age crown, for Valen believes he must be the classic
and keeps often scathing comments locked within image of a stoic gargoyle. Yet inside his jade heart
his thoughts. he longs to scream, cry, love, and laugh with reckless
abandon. His suppression of emotion sometimes
- Ideals: Valor. Valen has borne witness to souls and bursts forth, often causing him to take flight from a
Sovereigns for thousands of years in the Crossing. social situation before anyone notices.
With time having little meaning for his perception,
he holds valor as his ideal. Actions can cause you to Dos: Have conviction. Valen cares less about what
be remembered for a millennium, and he hopes the the mortal world defines as right or wrong, merely
same will be true for him. that a person have belief in their cause. Challenging
Valen is a better way to earn his respect than folding.

Don’ts: Hurt Ashlynn. To such a long-lived gargoyle,

there is little that bothers him—except emotion-
ally, socially, or physically hurting Ashlynn. The
Sovereign he has determined will be his last,
for his life would have little meaning after
her passing.

Romance?: Valen’s heart belongs to another

over. Nothing can shake this.
star-crossed lover.

Social Challenge DC: 24

- Easy DC: 21

- Medium DC: 24

- Hard DC: 26

Social CR: 16 (15,000 XP)

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 Void Ravager Entropic Bite. Melee Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one object or structure.
Hit: The target’s hit point maximum is halved. If this
Medium aberration, unaligned reduced the target’s hit point maximum to below
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 10, it is instead destroyed utterly, leaving behind no
Hit Points 49 (7d8 + 14) remains. This reduction ends if a target receives the
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 feet benefits of a mending spell or is repaired with a suc-
cessful DC 20 (Artisan’s tools) check using appro-
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
priate materials.
12(+1) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 6 (-3) 8 (-1) 16 (+3)

Saving Throws Str +7, Cha +5

Skills Perception +3, Survival +3
Damage Resistances acid
Damage Immunities force
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft.,., passive Perception 13
Languages Voidtongue
Challenge 3 (700 XP), Proficiency Bonus +2

TRAITS
Alien Mind. The ravager’s mind is beyond
mortal comprehension. When the ravager
attempts an Intelligence, Wisdom, or
Charisma saving throw against a crea-
ture or a creature communicates tele-
pathically with it for the first time in a
turn, that creature takes 7 (2d6) psy-
chic damage.
World Eater. If the ravager destroys
a Medium or larger object or slays a
Medium or larger creature, the ravager
is restored to its hit point maximum.
ACTIONS
Tongue Tentacles. Melee Attack: +5
to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit:
10 (2d6 + 3) piercing plus 3 (1d6)
acid damage.

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Ashlynn Kozroth friends. An opportunity she readily accepted. Thus

began Ashlynn’s journey of adventure, always being
sure to write down her experiences to share with her
Sovereign of the parents, as they once did for her. Around campfires
Godless Monarchy she shared the tales she knew, every detail still as
vivid as the day she first heard them. Her wonder
of the unexplored world was refreshing to her com-
“Accepting the fact that I was dead was hard… panions, something they enjoyed and reminisced on
But knowing when my end is, and that goodbye multiple times when sharing their own past tales.
is inevitable? That’s harder by far.” Through their travels, the bond they formed con-
tinued to grow, and they often found themselves

M
Ashlynn
laughing at the grim humor she brought forth,
finding reassurance that she wasn’t as naïve to the
any clerics are seen as compassionate; world as first assumed.
willing to help others without question, When the allure of adventuring had dwindled,
patient, and virtuous… but not Ashlynn. She has her and her companions were prepared to rest their
own way. One nasty comment about someone she sword arms for a time, the early pages of Ashlynn’s
loves or cares for, and the gaping wound inflicted small journal held the tales of everything they had
by either her or another will stay open till the mis- experienced—stories of successes and scars alike.
take is rectified with sincerity. Since ascending to the Excitement bubbled up the closer to home they
position of the Sovereign, her fiery disposition has came, and when the final stretch was in sight, they
remained, though it rears its head less often. spent one final night beneath the stars, enjoying
During her early years, Ashlynn heard many sto- each other’s company and camping amongst the
ries of adventure, both from her beloved mother and trees. Sleep came swiftly for all that night, but when
father, and from patrons of the Adventurers Guild the friends woke the next day, Ashlynn’s belongings
which her parents established. Working the front and a smattering of blood were all that remained.
desk, and helping to heal those in need under her She was nowhere to be found.
father’s guidance, allowed her to hear encounters Upon opening her eyes, Ashlynn found her-
straight from those who lived through them. With self surrounded by golden wheat and with soft ash
such tales surrounding her, she grew enamored beneath her head. A swirling grey vortex sky was
with the idea of exploring the world and meeting staring down at her, far-off on the horizon lightning
different beings, wanting the chance to create her flickered in an expanse that seemed as if it were con-
own stories of adventure. But for every story of sumed by shadows, and in the distance sat a grand,
success, there is one of failure, and tales of loyalty wooden log cabin with softly glowing lanterns… It
and betrayal travel parallel. When it came to friend- was all unfamiliar. Panic began to set in and only
ships and losses, some parties returned fewer and grew when her friends didn’t answer her cries, but as
drowned their sorrows, some honored the passing moments passed, it began to numb. A soft, tugging
of those they traveled alongside with song, and, on sensation of familiarity began emanating from her
rare occasions, some groups never returned at all. chest, drawing her deeper into the fields. Each step
Even after seeing all of those losses paraded in front revealed personal life memories, all playing out as
of her, the allure of adventure was still there, always though she was peering in rather than reliving the
gnawing deep. moments that led up to her final night. An obscured
Over time she became close friends with a couple figure stole her away from the quiet camp into the
of frequent guild patrons—a protective, fight-hard- undergrowth, where she roused to hear the figure
ened dragonborn named Surina, and Orsik, a spell- plea: “Help the Sunless Crossing.”
slinging dwarf. Sharing her desire to adventure, they The tugging sensation snapped like a severed
extended an offer for her to join them and their cord as the final memory faded, and she found

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The Black Ballad

herself collapsing to her knees, an emotional weight

crashing on top of her as she realized what had hap-
pened… And she mourned, as she knew that she
would never see her loved ones again, share her
experiences with her parents and that, against all
the danger she had faced, died so close to home.
Not long after, the Ashen Shepherds found
Ashlynn and they ushered her to the lodge, allowing
her to embark on her journey before taking her
to what came to be her new home, Nox Valar.
Regardless of whether the person who gave her a
swift passage to the afterlife knew or not, she was
found to have enough remaining “potential” to
take up the mantle of a Godless Monarch. It was
assuming the role of Sovereign that ultimately
helped her come to terms with her violent passing,
especially with Valen by her side, guiding her and
playing the role of confidant.
In the end, if this is the hand fate has dealt her,
she will play it to its fullest.

Roleplaying Hints
Ashlynn is a human with rust-colored hair that is
typically tied in a braided bun and wears comfort-
able, practical clothes of varying shades of black and
gray. Her attire provides enough mobility should it
be required, with no excessive extravagance. Despite
her dull clothing colors, there is a welcoming kind-
ness to her. She isn’t shy to crack a grim joke, or
cause a little bit of harmless mischief for fun, but
she knows where to stop before going too far. Deep
down, she is a “help but take no shit” person.
Having grown into her position as Sovereign,
Ashlynn executes her duties efficiently; but that doesn’t mean that she is without moments of fun. Sneaking
away from her guards for a casual stroll to explore the town or a run across the rooftops isn’t uncommon,
and some teasing and sass when handling lighter work is playful for her, especially when it catches Valen,
or other Godless Monarchs, off guard. On more than one occasion, after being rudely cut off or spoken over,
she has been known to snap a fan open sharply to silence a discussion, peering out over it till the offending
party squirms out an apology—a surefire way to coax a small smirk from her lips.
Due to her role as Sovereign, Ashlynn takes the protection of The Sunless Crossing and its people
seriously. With the majority of the threats coming from undead who drag themselves from The Lightless
Chasm, their unwelcome presence is dealt with swiftly. Ashlynn’s role as a cleric remains the biggest asset
she has during these altercations. She often puts herself in harm’s way to help those who are unable to
protect themselves, fighting to buy time for them to escape. In other instances, she charges to people she
cares for who require healing, even at the cost of injury herself.

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