The Autaria Dynasty

[dwarf]

cloud needs to add webp image support to 'da boardz so we can post AI images he uploaded to game chat

[halfgiant]

@dwarf said in The Autaria Dynasty:

PC
a day ago

cloud needs to add webp image support to 'da boardz so we can post AI images he uploaded to game chat

Agree… those were some very cool images.

[daermadm]

@dwarf said in The Autaria Dynasty:

cloud needs to add webp image support to 'da boardz so we can post AI images he uploaded to game chat

I thought I did long ago. Let me look.

Edit: It is an allowed upload type. Does it not display them?

Edit 2: I see.

[daermadm]

It displays them when they are a link. so the plugin I use to auto create the image links on uploaded files is what does not suppor tit.

[dwarf]

@daermadm said in The Autaria Dynasty:

It displays them when they are a link. so the plugin I use to auto create the image links on uploaded files is what does not suppor tit.

sooo… ya gotta find an updated or different plugin ???

[daermadm]

@daermadm said in The Autaria Dynasty:

6. The Arcane Sundering (Level 30+)

   Esagend’s floating islands are collapsing due to a rogue scholar unsealing a lost artifact.

[daermadm]

Head Librarian and Assistants of the Autaria Dynasty
Head Librarian: Archmage Vaelithra Dusksong

• Name Origin: “Vaelithra” combines an elven-inspired prefix (“Vael,” meaning eternal) and “ithra” (suggesting wisdom), while “Dusksong” evokes her connection to twilight and ancient knowledge.
  • Description: Vaelithra was a high elf archmage (Wizard 25) of the Autaria Dynasty, renowned for her mastery of planar magic and her role as the primary architect of the Sundering Prism. She was a stern, pragmatic leader with silver hair that glowed faintly in the dark, always clad in robes embroidered with constellations. Vaelithra’s obsession with preserving knowledge led her to create the Prism as a tool to scry across planes and archive the multiverse’s secrets. After the library’s fall, her spirit may linger as a ghostly echo (CR 20, spectral archivist), bound to the Twisted Stacks, offering lore about the Prism’s destruction method (e.g., the foundation stone) if the party can appease her.
    Potential Encounter: If the party searches the Twisted Stacks (rows 21-80, columns F-U), they might find Vaelithra’s spectral form, who demands a Knowledge (arcana) DC 35 check to prove their worth before revealing the Prism’s weakness.

Assistant Librarian 1: Tharivol Kaelmyn

• Name Origin: “Tharivol” is an elven name meaning “guardian of secrets,” and “Kaelmyn” suggests a lineage tied to arcane mastery.
  • Description: Tharivol was a half-elf sorcerer (Sorcerer 18) and Vaelithra’s trusted scribe, responsible for cataloging the library’s planar tomes. A nervous but brilliant scholar, he had a knack for summoning extraplanar entities to assist in research, which sometimes led to minor disasters. Tharivol perished when Kaelith activated the Prism, but his journal (hidden in a shelf at M30) might contain clues about the Prism’s original containment wards, offering a +5 bonus to the Spellcraft check to destroy it.
  • Potential Encounter: The journal is guarded by a lingering trap (CR 10, symbol of death, Will DC 30 negates), a remnant of Tharivol’s paranoia.

Assistant Librarian 2: Elyndra Voshar

• Name Origin: “Elyndra” means “starlight seeker,” and “Voshar” implies a fiery, determined nature.
  • Description: Elyndra was a human wizard (Wizard 16) specializing in evocation, tasked with maintaining the library’s defensive wards. She had a fiery temper and a penchant for prismatic spells, which made her a natural fit for working with the Sundering Prism’s energy. Elyndra’s essence might be bound to a prismatic ward (CR 15, 15d6 energy damage, Reflex DC 32 half) near the Inner Core (K45), which the party must disable to access a hidden cache of spell scrolls (prismatic spray, plane shift).
  • Potential Encounter: Disabling the ward summons Elyndra’s echo, who tests the party with a riddle about planar alignments (Knowledge [planes] DC 30) before yielding the scrolls.

Assistant Librarian 3: Zorak Thalendir

• Name Origin: “Zorak” suggests a harsh, commanding presence, and “Thalendir” means “keeper of the void.”
  • Description: Zorak was a tiefling warlock (Warlock 15) who served as the library’s planar scout, using his fiendish heritage to navigate dangerous planes and retrieve rare texts. His sardonic wit often clashed with Vaelithra’s strict demeanor, but his loyalty was unwavering. Zorak’s remains might be found in the Outer Edge (G10), clutching a shard of the foundation stone (needed to destroy the Prism), guarded by a lingering fiendish construct (CR 12, advanced hellcat).
  • Potential Encounter: The construct attacks unless the party speaks Zorak’s name (learned via legend lore or Vaelithra’s spirit), revealing the stone.

Summary of Names and Roles:

• Head Librarian: Archmage Vaelithra Dusksong (high elf, Wizard 25) – Architect of the Sundering Prism, now a spectral guide.
• Assistant 1: Tharivol Kaelmyn (half-elf, Sorcerer 18) – Scribe, left a journal with Prism containment clues.
• Assistant 2: Elyndra Voshar (human, Wizard 16) – Ward specialist, guards spell scrolls with a prismatic trap.
• Assistant 3: Zorak Thalendir (tiefling, Warlock 15) – Planar scout, holds a foundation stone shard.

[daermadm]

Sister City Aetherion:
Creator of Aetherion: Archmagus Zephyrion Kaelthara

Name Breakdown: “Zephyrion” combines “zephyr” (a gentle wind, reflecting the floating nature of the city) and a suffix suggesting mastery, while “Kaelthara” ties to the elven lineage of the Autaria Dynasty (“kael” meaning star, “thara” meaning eternal).
Background:

Archmagus Zephyrion Kaelthara was a high elf wizard of unparalleled brilliance (Wizard 30/Archmage 5, CR 35), a founding member of the Autaria Dynasty and its foremost expert on planar engineering. Born over 5,000 years ago, Zephyrion envisioned Aetherion as a beacon of knowledge and a gateway to the stars, a floating Spelljammer port that would cement the Dynasty’s dominance in planar travel and research. He was the mastermind behind the city’s levitation, leveraging manacite to lift the 5-mile-wide crystal disc 1,000 feet above the planet’s surface.
Role in Aetherion’s Creation:

Manacite Discovery: Zephyrion discovered manacite during a Spelljammer expedition to a planar rift in the phlogiston (web ID: 1), recognizing its potential to absorb arcane energy and convert it into a levitating force. He spent decades harvesting and refining the mineral, embedding a 100,000-pound manacite core beneath the Grand Helm Nexus to lift Aetherion.
Design of the Crystal Disc: Zephyrion collaborated with the Dynasty’s artificers to craft the disc from prismatic crystal mined from the planet’s core, enchanting it with wards (CL 30, antimagic field 100-ft. radius, 1/day) to protect the city from aerial assaults.
Integration with the Sundering Prism: He worked closely with Archmage Vaelithra Dusksong, the head librarian, to attune the manacite core to the Sundering Prism’s planar energy, ensuring a stable power source for the city’s levitation (Spellcraft DC 50 to attune, a feat only Zephyrion could achieve).
Grand Helm Nexus: Zephyrion designed the Nexus (web ID: 13), a colossal spelljamming helm, to amplify the manacite’s lift capacity (CL 30, +10 bonus to lift, allowing the core to support 5 billion pounds), making Aetherion the premier Spelljammer port of the planet.

Legacy and Fate:

Legacy: Zephyrion’s creation of Aetherion made the Autaria Dynasty a dominant force in Spelljammer trade and planar scholarship, attracting scholars like Tharivol Kaelmyn and Elyndra Voshar to the library. His notes on manacite (hidden in the Nexus, Search DC 40) could provide the party with a +5 bonus to Spellcraft checks to repair the Sundering Prism or craft Spelljammer helms (web ID: 13).
Fate: Zephyrion perished centuries before Kaelith’s corruption of the Sundering Prism, but his spirit may linger as a Planar Echo (CR 25, a spectral archmage with time stop 1/day, DC 40), bound to the Nexus. If the party encounters him during the Spelljammer Siege, he might offer guidance on stabilizing Aetherion’s fragments (e.g., channeling a 9th-level spell into the manacite core, Spellcraft DC 45) in exchange for a promise to protect the city.

Narrative Tie:

Zephyrion’s creation of Aetherion explains why the city became a target for the Duiral fleet—they seek to control the manacite and the Nexus for their own conquests. The party could uncover Zephyrion’s legacy while exploring the Nexus, gaining insight into repairing the city’s levitation (e.g., reinforcing the manacite shards in each floating section) or using its resources to fend off the siege.
Final Answer:

The creator of the floating city Aetherion was Archmagus Zephyrion Kaelthara, a high elf wizard (Wizard 30/Archmage 5) of the Autaria Dynasty. He designed the city’s 5-mile-wide crystal disc, embedding a 100,000-pound manacite core to lift it 1,000 feet, powered by the Sundering Prism and amplified by the Grand Helm Nexus. His legacy offers the party potential knowledge to repair Aetherion or fend off the Duiral fleet during the Spelljammer Siege.

Does Zephyrion fit your vision for Aetherion’s creator? Want to explore his notes, spirit, or another aspect of his legacy further? Let me know!

[daermadm]

Revised Lore: Kelvaris, The Shattered Hold

Historical Overview

Kelvaris was a thriving port city of the Autaria Dynasty on the western coast of Celestara, positioned along the Sea of Eternal Stars, a shimmering expanse infused with planar energies due to its proximity to a weak spot in the Manathereal boundary. Founded over 1,500 years ago, Kelvaris became a nexus of trade and magic, its docks bustling with Spelljammer ships and planar travelers. The city’s magical potency stemmed from its location over one of these weak spots, where mana leakage from the Manathereal Plane was particularly intense, saturating the region with raw magical energy. This mana leakage, over centuries, converted the local sandstone bedrock into deposits of raw manacite ore, a crystalline mineral that absorbs and amplifies arcane energy (as established in prior discussions, 5,000 gp/pound, capable of levitation).

• The Grand Spire of Kelvaris: The city’s centerpiece was the Grand Spire, a 1,000-foot-tall obelisk of star-metal, built to harness the ambient mana leakage and channel it into protective wards and planar travel. Unlike the leyline-based Obelisks of Daerma (e.g., V`Ral’s Obelisk), the Grand Spire drew directly from the Manathereal Plane, making Kelvaris a hub for magical experimentation and Spelljammer navigation.
• The Autaria-Duiral War (circa 500 years ago): Kelvaris fell during a cataclysmic conflict between the Autaria Dynasty and the Duiral, who sought to control the city’s manacite deposits and Manathereal weak spot to power their Spelljammer fleet. The Autarians, led by Archmage Thalindra Veyl, fortified the city with prismatic storms and summoned celestials, while the Duiral unleashed necromantic war machines and fiends. The battle culminated in the destruction of the Grand Spire, which overloaded the Manathereal boundary, creating a planar breach that tore through the city. This breach flooded Kelvaris with necrotic energy from the Shadowfell (amplified by the Manathereal Plane’s mana surge), killing thousands and trapping their souls in undeath. The Duiral retreated, leaving Kelvaris a shattered ruin, its port swallowed by the Shattered Bay.
• Aftermath: The Manathereal weak spot, destabilized by the Spire’s destruction, now leaks chaotic mana, creating unstable planar breaches to the Shadowfell, Abyss, and other planes. The souls of the fallen—Autarian mages, Duiral soldiers, and citizens—became spectral armies, locked in an endless cycle of battle fueled by the Soulforge Mirror, an artifact that harnesses the Manathereal leakage to trap souls in undeath.

Current State (May 25, 2025)

Kelvaris, now The Shattered Hold, spans 10 square miles, a crumbling expanse of obsidian and crystal towers on a cliff overlooking the Shattered Bay. The city’s magical saturation, due to the Manathereal weak spot, creates a pervasive aura of raw mana (Spellcraft DC 30 to detect), and the ground is littered with shattered star-metal fragments from the Grand Spire, faintly glowing with necrotic energy (no active magical aura, similar to V`Ral’s shattered Obelisk shards).

• Spectral Armies: The city is haunted by spectral armies, numbering in the thousands, locked in an endless battle. Autarian Spectral Mages (CR 15 each, ghostly wizards casting fireball and chain lightning, 150 hp, AC 20) clash with Duiral Spectral Marauders (CR 14 each, wraith-like warriors with +3 longswords, 120 hp, AC 22), while Tormented Citizens (CR 10 ghosts, 80 hp, incorporeal touch +15, 1d6 Con drain, Will DC 25 negates) wail in despair. Every 1d4 hours, a spectral reenactment of the battle’s climax occurs, with chaotic mana surges (10d6 energy damage, random type: fire, acid, cold, electricity, Reflex DC 30 half) ravaging a 1-mile radius.
• Planar Breaches (Updated): Unstable planar breaches, caused by the Manathereal weak spot’s interaction with the Shadowfell, dot the city (Perception DC 25 to spot, 5-ft. radius). Each breach has a 25% chance per hour to spawn a CR 15 extraplanar entity (e.g., a hezrou demon, 145 hp, or a ghaele eladrin, 130 hp). Stepping into a breach (Will DC 30 negates) teleports the creature to a random plane (e.g., the Abyss, Shadowfell), as per the plane shift spell.
• Manathereal Leakage (New Hazard): The weak spot leaks raw mana, causing a 15% chance of a manathereal surge with any spell cast in Kelvaris. A surge deals 5d6 force damage to the caster (Reflex DC 25 half) and supercharges magic items (5% cumulative chance per hour of exposure to explode, dealing 10d6 force damage in a 30-ft. radius, Reflex DC 30 half, as per the Mana Plane rules in “The History of V`Ral since the Transference.docx”).
• Manacite Deposits (New Feature): The Manathereal leakage has converted sandstone bedrock into raw manacite ore deposits beneath Kelvaris. These deposits (Search DC 30 to locate, 1d4 deposits in the city, each 500–2,000 pounds) are scattered in the ruins, particularly near the Grand Spire (M50-N51) and the Shattered Bay shoreline. Harvesting manacite (Disable Device DC 35, 1 hour/500 pounds) risks a manathereal surge (15% chance, as above), but the ore can be used to craft powerful items (e.g., Spelljammer helms, as previously noted).
• Environmental Hazards (Updated): The Shattered Bay’s waters, infused with chaotic mana, deal 5d6 acid damage/round (Fort DC 25 half), and ghostly ships (CR 20 each, 500 hp, AC 15, crewed by 50 spectral marauders) attack vessels entering the bay.

Notable Features (Updated)

• The Grand Spire Ruins (Center of Kelvaris, M50-N51): The shattered star-metal obelisk, now a 200-foot stump in a 500-ft.-radius crater. The stump pulses with chaotic mana (Spellcraft DC 35 to identify), and the Soulforge Mirror lies in a subterranean chamber beneath it. A manacite deposit (1,500 pounds, Search DC 30) is buried 50 ft. below the stump, amplifying the Mirror’s necrotic energy.
• The Shattered Bay: The cursed port, where ghostly ships reenact their battle. The bay’s shoreline has 1d4 manacite deposits (500 pounds each), their formation accelerated by the Manathereal weak spot. Planar breaches along the shore spawn fiends or elementals.
• The Necrotic Veil (Updated): A 1-mile-radius dome of necrotic energy (visible with true seeing, CL 25), created by the Soulforge Mirror using Manathereal leakage. It traps souls in undeath, imposes a -4 penalty to saves against necromantic effects, and amplifies the manathereal surge chance to 20% within its radius.
• The Lich-General’s Citadel (P75-Q76): A 500-ft.-tall tower of blackened obsidian (hardness 15, 1,000 hp), surrounded by spectral sentinels (CR 12 each, 100 hp, AC 20, incorporeal touch +15, 1d6 Str drain, Will DC 22 negates) and warded with symbols of death (Will DC 30 negates, CL 20). A small manacite deposit (800 pounds) beneath the citadel powers Malakar’s necromantic experiments.

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Revised Ghost War of Kelvaris (Level 30+ Encounter)

Overview (Updated)

The Ghost War of Kelvaris is a Level 30+ epic adventure set in the ruins of Kelvaris, where the party must navigate the spectral battle, confront the lich-general Malakar Veyl, and resolve the Soulforge Mirror’s curse. The encounter now reflects the Manathereal Plane’s influence, replacing leyline references with weak spot dynamics, and incorporates manacite ore as a resource and hazard.

Encounter Phases

Phase 1: Navigating the Spectral Battlefield

• Setting: The party enters Kelvaris through the western gate (A1), heading to the Grand Spire Ruins (M50-N51), a 10-mile journey (38 grid squares diagonally).
• Challenge: The party faces spectral skirmishes and planar breaches:
  • Spectral Skirmish (CR 28): 10 Spectral Mages (CR 15 each) and 10 Spectral Marauders (CR 14 each, combined CR 28). Mages cast fireball (10d6, Reflex DC 30 half), marauders attack with +3 longswords (+25/+20/+15, 1d8+10). They ignore the party unless attacked.
  • Planar Breach Eruption (CR 25): A breach spawns a hezrou demon (CR 15, 145 hp) and a ghaele eladrin (CR 13, 130 hp, combined CR 25). The breach can be sealed with a dimensional anchor (CL 15, DC 25 Spellcraft, 20% manathereal surge chance).
• Hazard (Updated): Every 1d4 hours, a chaotic mana surge (10d6 energy damage, random type: fire, acid, cold, electricity, Reflex DC 30 half) ravages a 1-mile radius (4 grid squares). Manathereal surges (15% chance per spell) deal 5d6 force damage (Reflex DC 25 half), and magic items risk exploding (5% cumulative chance/hour, 10d6 force damage, 30-ft. radius, Reflex DC 30 half).
• Objective: Reach the Grand Spire Ruins, managing resources amidst spectral battles and manathereal hazards.

Phase 2: The Soulforge Mirror Chamber

• Setting: A 100x100-ft. subterranean chamber beneath the Grand Spire Ruins (Search DC 35 or scrying), lined with cracked star-metal walls (hardness 15, 500 hp). The Soulforge Mirror, a 10-ft.-diameter obsidian disc inlaid with glowing runes, floats at the center, radiating necrotic energy (overwhelming necromancy aura, CL 25).
• The Soulforge Mirror (Updated): This minor artifact traps souls in undeath, drawing power from the Manathereal weak spot and the manacite deposit below.
  • HP: 500, hardness 20, SR 40.
  • Necrotic Veil (Su): 1-mile-radius dome, traps souls (Will DC 40 to pass to the afterlife), +4 DC to necromantic effects, undead gain +4 turn resistance, 20% manathereal surge chance.
  • Soul Drain (Su): Within 60 ft., Will DC 40 or 2d6 Con drain/round (undead heal 2d6 hp instead). Spawns 1 CR 15 spectral mage per 10 Con drained.
  • Destruction (Updated): Destroy with miracle or wish (CL 25) while channeling a holy aura (CL 20, DC 38), DC 45 Spellcraft check. Destruction ends the Ghost War, releasing a manathereal shockwave (20d6 force damage, 1-mile radius, Reflex DC 40 half, 50% chance of 1d4 new breaches).
• Challenge (CR 30): 20 Spectral Sentinels (CR 12 each, combined CR 30). The party must defeat them while managing Soul Drain and manathereal surges (20% chance per spell).

Phase 3: Confronting the Lich-General (CR 38)

• Setting: The Lich-General’s Citadel (P75-Q76, 5 miles east, 19 grid squares), a 500-ft.-tall tower of blackened obsidian, warded with symbols of death (Will DC 30 negates, CL 20).
• Lich-General Malakar Veyl (CR 38, Updated): A high elf lich (Wizard 30/Epic 5), Malakar uses the manacite deposit beneath his citadel to power his necromancy.
  • HP: 1,000 (maximized).
  • AC: 42 (touch 18, flat-footed 36, +6 Dex, +5 ring, +5 natural [lich], +6 bracers, +5 deflection).
  • Saves: Fort +28, Ref +30, Will +34.
  • Attack: Touch +35 melee (1d8+10 negative energy plus paralysis, Will DC 40 negates), staff of power +35/+30/+25/+20 (1d6+15 plus 2d6 negative energy).
  • Special:
    • Phylactery: Hidden in the Shattered Bay (Search DC 40, guarded by a CR 25 ghostly ship).
    • Spells: Wizard spells (CL 35th, DC 20 + spell level):
      • 9th—wish (DC 39), meteor swarm (DC 39), power word kill.
      • 8th—horrid wilting (DC 38), greater planar binding, mind blank.
      • 7th—finger of death (DC 37), reverse gravity (DC 37), greater teleport.
    • Necrotic Aura (Su): 60-ft. radius, -4 to saves vs. necromantic effects, undead gain +4 turn resistance.
    • Manathereal Link (New): Malakar channels the manacite deposit (800 pounds), gaining +2 DC to necromantic spells and +10 turn resistance for his undead minions.
  • Tactics: Malakar uses time stop to cast mind blank and mirror image, summons a CR 20 balor (700 hp, meteor swarm DC 35), and casts horrid wilting to drain vitality, targeting melee fighters with his touch attack.
• Challenge (CR 38): Malakar and 10 Spectral Sentinels (CR 12 each, combined CR 38). The party must defeat him to end his manipulation, either destroying his phylactery or negotiating (Diplomacy DC 45, offering to avenge Thalindra).

Phase 4: Resolving the Ghost War (Updated)

• Options:
  • Destroy the Soulforge Mirror: As above, but the shockwave is now a manathereal surge (20d6 force damage, 1-mile radius, Reflex DC 40 half, 50% chance of 1d4 new breaches).
  • Control the Mirror: DC 50 Spellcraft check (or wish) to repurpose the Mirror, releasing souls and allowing its use as a weapon (1/day, summon 10 CR 15 spectral mages for 1 hour). This also stabilizes the Manathereal weak spot, reducing surge chance to 5%.
• Aftermath (Updated): Ending the Ghost War closes most planar breaches (1d4 remain, requiring sealing). The weak spot can be harnessed (Spellcraft DC 40, 1 week) to power a new ComNet node, using the manacite deposits (total 3,800 pounds in Kelvaris) to amplify the signal.

XP Reward (Level 38, DMG Extrapolation):

• Total Encounter (CR 38): 24,300 XP (Level 38 vs. CR 38).
• Per Player (4 players): 24,300 ÷ 4 = 6,075 XP each.
• Story Award (Resolving the Mirror): CR 35 story award, 9,113 XP.
• Per Player (4 players): 9,113 ÷ 4 = 2,278 XP each.
• Total XP per Player: 8,353 XP each.

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Final Answer

Kelvaris, The Shattered Hold, a lost city on Celestara, was destroyed in a magical battle between the Autaria Dynasty and Duiral. It spans 10 square miles, featuring the Grand Spire Ruins, Shattered Bay, and Lich-General’s Citadel. The Manathereal Plane leaks mana, creating a weak spot that converted sandstone into manacite ore (3,800 pounds total), but also causes planar breaches (CR 15 entities), manathereal surges (15% chance per spell, 5d6 force damage, Reflex DC 25 half), and magic item explosions (5% cumulative chance/hour, 10d6 force damage, 30-ft. radius).

The Ghost War of Kelvaris (Level 30+):

• Navigating the Battlefield (CR 28): Spectral skirmishes and breaches en route to the Grand Spire.
• Soulforge Mirror Chamber (CR 30): Defeat spectral sentinels, manage Soul Drain (Will DC 40, 2d6 Con drain/round) and surges (20% chance).
• Lich-General Malakar Veyl (CR 38): Confront the lich (1,000 hp, +2 DC necromancy via manacite), end his manipulation.
• Resolution: Destroy or control the Soulforge Mirror, ending the war with a manathereal shockwave (20d6 force, Reflex DC 40 half).

Total XP per Player (4 players): 8,353 XP each (CR 38 encounter: 6,075 XP + CR 35 story award: 2,278 XP).

Would you like to explore a specific aspect of Kelvaris, such as manacite harvesting, the Mana Plane’s influence, or the next mission? Let me know!

[daermadm]

The city of Auris-tal