T H E S K I E S O F A X I A
ABOUT EMBERWIND
EMBERWIND was designed to tell dynamic stories
and create rich, varied combats by bringing together
the artistic and mathematical sides of game design.
We built EMBERWIND with a deep respect for
the traditions of tabletop gaming while trying to
usher in a new, holistic approach to making games.
EMBERWIND runs on the RISE System, an accessible
and adaptable game engine that helps players
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Getting Started...................................................... 3
Lore........................................................................... 4
Fast Facts.............................................................. 5
The World of Axia............................................... 6
Heroes......................................................................9
Rook.......................................................................12
Laureat...................................................................14
Rath........................................................................16
Piper.......................................................................18
Act One: The Slum............................................. 20
Epigraph.............................................................. 22
Prologue: Last One Out, Get the Lights.....23
Into the Fold:
Decision Crossroad Encounter.....................24
Into the Fold, PT. II:
Dialogue Crossroad Encounter....................28
The Hacksaw Bridge:
Decision Crossroad Encounter......................31
The Hacksaw Bridge, PT. II:
Decision Crossroad Encounter.....................34
The Houndmaster:
Dialogue Crossroad Encounter.................... 37
customize their play experience, collaborate on
stories, and run exciting, immersive battles for
players of all experience levels. Learn more about
EMBERWIND and the RISE System at
www.emberwindgame.com.
Dog Eat Dog World: Combat Encounter.....41
"Baron" Kendrick Maddox:
Decision Crossroad Encounter.....................46
"Baron" Kendrick Maddox, PT. II:
Divergence Crossroad Encounter.............. 50
Act 2....................................................................... 55
Going Up:
Decision Crossroad Encounter.................... 56
Don't Rock the Lift: Combat Encounter..... 58
The Silverglades:
Discovery Crossroad Encounter................. 66
The Port of Dreams:
Discovery Crossroad Encounter................. 68
The Peerless Pier:
Divergence Crossroad Encounter...............73
The Peerless Pier, PT. II:
Discovery Crossroad Encounter..................76
Act 3........................................................................78
Leviathan:
Decision Crossroad Encounter.................... 80
Leviathan, PT. II:
Decision Crossroad Encounter.....................82
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Real-talk time: Less than 1% of tabletop roleplaying
games ever get off the ground. For us as game
designers, that's both exhilarating and terrifying.
We know it's players like you—players willing to
try a new title with a fresh take—who are going to
help bring new voices into the industry and make
the culture of tabletop gaming richer. So thanks for
your early support of EMBERWIND. We couldn't be
happier to have you in our party.
Belly of the Beast: Combat Encounter.......84
Ambush!: Combat Encounter........................92
Lifeline: Decision Crossroad Encounter.......100
Freefall: Decision Crossroad Encounter........ 101
Lifeboat: Decision Crossroad Encounter.....102
Finale....................................................................104
A New Dawn.....................................................105
Leap of Faith..................................................... 107
At Least You Are Punctual............................108
The Darkest Hour............................................ 110
A Day Late and a Crystal Short.................... 111
The Next Chapter............................................... 113
Appendix..............................................................116
Storyteller Notes...............................................117
Comprehensive Combat Rules.................... 118
Hero Turn Rules................................................. 120
Foe Turn Rules................................................... 123
General Combat Rules.................................... 124
Condition Reference........................................ 125
Credits.................................................................. 126
 GETTING STARTED
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
EMBERWIND: The Skies of Axia is a standalone
game that can be played without any additional
rulebooks. However, you will need to visit the
webpage for EMBERWIND: The Skies of Axia at
www.emberwindgame.com/campaigns/skies-of-axia
to download and print the support package
for this campaign.
In this game, 3 to 4 players take on the role of
Heroes in choose-your-path adventure story.
The book explains the story and the rules as you play
through, meaning you can get started right away.
Tip: We recommend that the most experienced
gamer in your group read over the Combat and
Foe Rules (see Appendix, p. 118) before beginning
your first game. This will ensure that your first
combat goes smoothly.
BEFORE YOU PLAY
Make sure you have everything you need to play:
1. 3 to 4 players.
• Note: One additional player may join in by
taking the role as the dedicated Narrator or
Storyteller (see p. 21 for more information).
2. A printed copy of the support package,
which includes a copy of each of the Hero
Cards, Foe Cards, a Party Tracker Card,
and a copy of each Combat Encounter Map.
Foe Tokens, Hero Tokens, and a Quick Reference
Card for key Combat Rules are also available.
3. A set of dice, including at least 1 four-sided
die (d4), six-sided die (d6), eight-sided die (d8),
ten-sided die (d10), twelve-sided die (d12),
and twenty-sided die (d20).
4. A pencil (and possibly some scrap paper).
Note: Feel free to use your own miniatures and
tokens to replace the ones included in the support
package, or use a battle mat to draw the Combat
Encounter Maps on instead of using the printouts.
QUICKSTART YOUR GAME
1. Read aloud only the “Fast Facts” in the Lore
section (p. 4) to the group.
2. Read aloud the following Hero descriptions
and have each player pick one.
• Rook is an ex-soldier of the Military Order
of Adriel trying to make a difference for
the downtrodden people of the floating city
of Adriel. Class: Atlanta.
• Laureat, an expert on the mysterious
hearth crystals, is seeking to restore her
name after a disastrous expedition to
the Silverglades. Class: Druid.
• Rath is a seasoned smuggler who spends
every waking moment trying to solve
the secrets of Axia. Class: Rogue.
• Piper, the newly installed baronet of
the Maddox family, finds herself tossed
about by the ever-shifting tides of Adriel's
loyalties, intrigue, and plots. Class: Ardent.
3. Begin playing from Act One—Prologue:
Last One Out, Get The Lights (p. 23).
Getting Started 3
LORE

FAST FACTS
Axia is a vast, immersive world, full of competing
factions, political intrigue, and unsolved mysteries.
This section summarizes the basic facts you need
to know before starting the campaign.
THE WORLD THE SETTING
• Axia is a fragmented world that consists • Adriel is a thriving port city made
of several floating continents. of congregated airships.
• The miasma is a toxic gas polluting Axia • Adriel is divided into distinct social
that alters living creatures in various ways. classes and districts.
• Hearth crystals provide protection • The Council of Nobles governs the city
against the miasma. and controls the sale of hearth crystals.
• The hearth crystals keep continents, • The Merchant Clans hold most of the city’s
airships, and cities afloat. wealth and maintain its daily operations.
• Each crystal is composed of hundreds • The Chasers Guild is a violent but efficient
of individual hearth shards. criminal organization.
• Gelspar is a decrepit slum, literally hanging
beneath the rest of the city.
• Gelspar’s hearth crystal is failing,
and the district will soon collapse.
Tip: Start here if you want to read only the basic background
information before selecting Heroes (p. 9), then start play
immediately with Act 1 (p. 20). If you want a more complete
understanding of Axia and its history, review p. 6 instead.
THE PLOT
• Kendrick Maddox is a wealthy Merchant Baron
who has promised to replace the Gelspar crystal.
• There are growing tensions between
the merchants and the nobility.
• Most believe Kendrick is campaigning for
a seat on the Council of Nobles.
• The acquisition and sale of hearth crystals
is highly restricted and shrouded in secrecy.
WHERE YOU COME IN
• You will be playing as the group Kendrick
has hired to secure a new Gelspar Crystal.
Lore 5
 THE WORLD OF AXIA
This section offers a deeper dive into the world of
Axia and characters you will meet in this campaign.
Reading this section is strictly optional, and is not
recommended during actual play.
Tip: If you are looking to begin play
immediately, refer to [Lore] — Fast Facts (p. 5),
and then skip ahead to Act 1 (p. 20).
LIFE IN AXIA
Axia is a fragmented world made up of floating
continents and islands. The land was shattered
during the Calamity, a catastrophic event that
took place more than 1000 years ago, although
the exact circumstances have long been forgotten.
The descendants of the survivors have cobbled
together a precarious existence on the few
remaining pieces of land.
The miasma is a toxic gas polluting Axia. It first
appeared during the Calamity, altering and killing
creatures exposed to it. The miasma is everywhere,
but is densest in the lower reaches of the sky.
6 Lore
Hearth crystals are large gemstones that nullify
the miasma's toxic effects. Life in Axia is not possible
without them. Hearth crystals also create a levitation
field that keeps the continents afloat, while more
moderately sized crystals power the airships that
allow people to travel from one floating isle to
another. Each crystal is comprised of a complex
matrix of hundreds of individual shards. Even tiny
shards maintain the properties of hearth crystals.
Their strength is amplified when collected together,
but individual shards still provide personal protection
against the miasma, and are incredibly valuable.
The Azure is what locals call the ocean of sky around
Adriel. The people of Axia sail into the Azure on
airships for trade, exploration, and fishing.
THE CITY OF ADRIEL
Adriel is a thriving port city made mostly of
congregated airships. The floating metropolis was
built in stages, leading to the formation of distinct
and socially stratified districts, each with a hearth
crystal shining at its core. Adriel is humanity’s
greatest achievement since the Calamity, and is one
of the only hubs of art and commerce left in Axia.
The Celestial Plateau was the first collection of
airships to come together to form Adriel, serving as
a beacon of freedom for refugees seeking a better
life. Today the district is locked in place by the city
built around it, and only the wealthiest citizens can
afford to live there. The Council of Nobles meets
in the Sun Chamber at the heart of the district,
while the noble families live in gilded mansions along
wide lanes that radiate outward like spokes on a wheel.
The plateau’s lush gardens and beautiful public
works are walled off from the rest of the city, as are
many of the great libraries that house information
about the history of Axia and the nearby continents.
The Wingspan—often referred to as the Span—
is pumping new life into Adriel. The western trading
hub is the wealthiest district and a constant fount
of commercial and cultural renewal. During the day,
it is a bustling hive with public performance spaces,
taverns, and hundreds of shops that sell anything
and everything. At night, the restaurants, bars,
and theatres offer a vibrant nightlife that attracts
artists and tourists from the farthest reaches of Axia.
Many of Adriel’s major ports are located here, as are
most of the Merchant Clans. When sailors tell stories
about the great City in the Sky, they are describing
wonders witnessed in the Span.
Windfall Harbour is a collection of small ports
and fishing docks on the eastern edge of Adriel.
It also houses the Red Market, a busy and crowded
bazaar named for the bolts of bright red cloth
blanketing the district. The area is popular with
gangs and smugglers who use the dense population
to mask their activities while trafficking dangerous
or restricted goods.

The Silverglades is an odd piece of terrain to

the north of the city. It is covered with dense mist
and evergreen forests, along with thousands of small
crystal shards that give the Silverglades the distinct
shimmer for which it is named. The lush land mass
was first discovered floating in the Northern Azure,
and was towed to Adriel as part of an initiative to
boost the city’s floundering agricultural production.
So far, all efforts to settle the land have ended in
failure, and the Silverglades remain uninhabitable
and fallow to this day.

Gelspar is the decrepit slum that hangs beneath

the Celestial Plateau. Originally intended to house
Adriel’s booming immigrant population, Gelspar
soon fell into disrepair, and is now an uneven array
of scaffolding and sheet metal dangling haphazardly
from tethers tied to the airships above. Many of
the city’s most powerful gangs are based here,
recruiting new members from the starving and
impoverished residents. The hearth crystal in
Gelspar is failing, and will not support the district
for much longer.

Lore
FACTIONS
The Council of Nobles is the political body governing
Adriel; its representatives are the descendants of
the city’s original founders. Seats on the Council are
inherited, and those privileged enough to have them
are fiercely protective of their status.
The Military Order of Adriel answers to the Council
of Nobles and is based on the Celestial Plateau.
The Order enforces the Council’s rule and helps
guard its secrets.
The Merchant Clans are trading conglomerates
that fund most of the operations keeping Adriel
afloat. However, they do not have any official say in
matters of government, often leaving them restless
and dissatisfied. Many of the Merchant Clans have
far greater wealth than even the richest Noble
families, and believe they are better equipped
to oversee Adriel’s continued growth in the face
of persistent stagnation.
The Chasers Guild is a violent criminal cartel
operating out of Gelspar. It has a hand in everything
from gambling to smuggling to murder, and its
reputation is efficient but brutal. Members are
instructed to leave corpses instead of witnesses,
and will often do more than necessary to ensure
the success of an endeavor. Though the Chasers
Guild has no formal ties with the Council of Nobles,
many people have long suspected the Council
hires them to perform tasks deemed too unsavoury
for dignified society.
8 Lore
The people of Gelspar have a more complicated
relationship with the Chasers. The Guild is not well
liked, but neither is there much said against it.
Unlike the nobility, the Chasers do not discriminate.
They accept members from all walks of society,
making it one of the few outlets available for those
looking to escape the slums. That is why Gelspar
ultimately tolerates the Guild, even as it tries to stay
out of its way.
RECENT EVENTS
There is a growing consensus among the Merchant
Clans that the Council of Nobles are little more than
figureheads whose disinterest in the day-to-day
operations of the city make them unfit to govern
Adriel. Kendrick Maddox is the first merchant to
publicly air this grievance, as well as the first to
openly campaign for a seat on the Council.
The people have taken to calling him the Merchant
Baron. When the nobles speak of him as the "Baron,"
the contempt is audible in their tone.
As one of the wealthiest men in Adriel, Kendrick has
promised to deliver a new hearth crystal to replace
the failing Gelspar gem. If he achieves his goal,
his wealth and populist support would make his claim
almost impossible to ignore, and his rise could open
the floodgates and break the iron grip of the Council,
reshaping the entire political structure of the city.
The nobility has not taken this challenge lightly.
Though the old families are not as wealthy as they
once were, they still hold the knowledge of where
the hearth crystals come from as a valuable and
fiercely guarded secret. The nobility strictly regulates
the trade of even single hearth shards. Some say
they are clinging to their last vestiges of influence
over Adriel, while others recognize that these
crystals are too rare, precious, and powerful
to be sold as a common good.
The Maddox expedition poses a direct threat
to the nobility’s monopoly, so the Council will
stop at nothing to protect its secrets and
block Kendrick’s ascent.
There is no legal way for Kendrick to acquire
a hearth crystal, so he will have to rely on illicit
means to achieve his ends. This means he will have
to negotiate with the Chasers—a perilous alliance,
given the gang’s rumoured ties to the nobility.
There are other complicating factors in play as well.
In recent months, the city streets have been overrun
with a powdery substance with hallucinogenic
properties. Colloquially known as “Pixie”,
people who use it often exhibit unpredictable
behaviour. The powder is especially popular in
Gelspar, although no one is quite sure where it
comes from. The added unrest has made the entire
political situation even more unstable.
In this campaign, you will play as members of
the team Kendrick has hired to secure the new
hearth crystal. Your efforts will save Gelspar,
but the fate of Adriel itself is hanging in the balance.
H EROES
Tip: These are the four pregenerated
heroes that you can play. Read through
the descriptions and pick one.

For ease of use, you can download and print

the following Hero Cards for this campaign
at www.emberwindgame.com/campaigns/
skies-of-axia.

If you want to replay the campaign with a new

Class for your Hero, alternate versions of the
Heroes are available online.
 R OOK
“ACTIONS FORGE TOMORROW” . SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
DESCRIPTION
Rook is a former soldier with a deep sense of duty
to the people of Adriel. Born and raised in the slums
of Gelspar, he is especially loyal to the lower castes,
whose concerns are often overlooked by the nobility.
A skilled fighter, Rook has vowed to do everything in
his power to protect the city he calls home.
HISTORY
Rook grew up in Gelspar, and like most lowborn
residents of Adriel, he expected to spend the rest
of his life toiling in the dark underbelly of the city.
That was before fate intervened during a chance
encounter with both the Chasers Guild and
the Military Order.
As the most prominent criminal organization
in Adriel, the Chasers Guild regularly recruits
members from Gelspar, taking advantage of
desperate people searching for a way out of
the district. Once somebody dons the white skull
facepaint of a Chaser, there is no going back.
Lucille, Rook’s lifelong friend and an aspiring Chaser,
was captured by the Military Order during a patrol
intended to quell Chaser activity. Rook risked his life
to protect Lucille, and though he was no match for
a squad of soldiers, his loyalty—as well as his
willingness to put others before himself—
caught the attention of Raya, the squad leader and
the woman who would ultimately become his mentor.
Rook was offered a choice: receive due punishment for
aiding and abetting a criminal syndicate, or enlist with
the Military Order of Adriel. It was not a difficult decision.
The nobles believe the people of Gelspar lack
the moral backbone—and respect for authority—
needed to thrive in the Order, so it was unusual for
a person of Rook’s status to be granted such an
opportunity. Fortunately, he made the most of it.
Armed with uncommon diligence and a wise mentor,
he quashed the doubts and quickly achieved
the rank of First Ensign, becoming a skilled soldier
and a respected figure in the barracks.
Rook takes great pride in his achievements, and is
grateful to the Order that raised him from nothing
and gave him a path to success. However, he has
become increasingly aware that they serve those
in power, upholding the inequality that keeps
Gelspar’s populace in despair. The Order’s interest
in the slum seldom extends beyond the Chasers,
its regular crackdowns a method of control that
punishes good people with few other options.
As a result, Rook’s sense of justice is not always
aligned with his commitment to the law. He believes
Gelspar deserves better, and that it is his duty to
serve all the people of Adriel, not just the nobility.
Unable to reconcile his internal conflict, Rook left
the service and returned to the rough streets
of Gelspar, working as a mercenary while searching
for a way to make a more substantial difference.
That desire took on greater urgency once he learned
of the gradual destruction of the hearth crystal
supporting the district. Gelspar will soon succumb
to the miasma, and there are whispers that the entire
district could collapse as the crystal’s power wanes.
That’s why Rook volunteered when word spread
about the Maddox mission to acquire a new crystal.
Though he has some reservations about Kendrick’s
motives, Rook knows this could be his one chance
to truly save Gelspar. His military training and cool
determination will be valuable assets for the mission,
as long as he can avoid becoming embroiled
in Kendrick’s political games.
Class: Atlanta
Downloadable Content Classes:
Ardent and Archer
Heroes 13
LAUREAT
“TRUTH IS SELDOM TAUGHT” . TRUTHSEEKER
DESCRIPTION
Laureat is Adriel’s foremost scholar of hearth crystals.
Once a bright young student with a promising career,
she is haunted by a deadly accident that destroyed
her reputation ten years ago. She has since channeled
her grief into a relentless pursuit of knowledge,
attacking her research with a single-minded focus
that has further distanced her from the rest of
the scientific community. Laureat has a profound
faith in scientific inquiry, and is willing to do
almost anything to gain access to the resources—
and secrets—that have been denied her.
HISTORY
As one of the most promising young minds at
the Academy of Sciences, Laureat spent years
researching hearth crystals, combing through every
book she could get her hands on. Sadly, every new
piece of data convinced her that Adriel’s body of
information about crystals was woefully incomplete.
She was driven to learn more, and was one of
the first to enlist when the Academy organized
a research expedition to the Silverglades.
The Silverglades is a fragment of land that was
annexed to Adriel as part of the expansion effort
for the growing metropolis. Unfortunately, the area
proved to be dangerously inhospitable. Most of
the settlers who went the Silverglades were never
heard from again, seemingly swallowed by the dense
mist shrouding the forests. People began to believe
the land was cursed, a notion that only solidified
when they heard stories about the uncanny wildlife
that was at once both familiar and foreign.
Hoping to turn a costly investment into a profitable
venture, the Council of Nobles asked the Academy
to investigate the territory. Laureat leaped at
the opportunity, confident that scientific inquiry
would uncover the truth and dispel the superstitions.
Within days of their arrival, the team discovered
that the crystal shards in the Silverglades behaved
unnaturally. Whereas most shards had an almost
magnetic charge that drew them together into a hearth
crystal, the ones in the Silverglades remained scattered
and inert. Realizing the mist was likely a diluted
version of the miasma, the team spent several days
gathering a cluster of shards, hoping it would offer
greater protection to the camp and potential settlers.
The effort was effective, but it did not explain
the strange phenomenon. Laureat was the first to
theorize that the region’s irregular hearth crystal
might be related to the strange wildlife. Believing that
no area of inquiry should be off-limits, she asked for
permission to probe the shards with powerful arcane
energies. Her efforts were encouraged, even though
the dangers of tampering with hearth crystals
were widely known.
Something went terribly wrong with the experiment.
The lucky ones died in the explosion, but the rest were
sickened and changed, becoming unrecognizable
versions of their former selves. Laureat was the only true
survivor, staggering back to Adriel while desperately
clutching a single shard. The scientific community
rapidly distanced itself from her incompetence.
The Silverglades was officially condemned,
the superstitions about it about it stronger than
ever in the wake of the Academy’s failure.
Laureat, meanwhile, sought consolation in
the deepest recesses of Adriel’s libraries,
studying hearth crystals with a renewed intensity.
Her decade of research is finally starting to pay off.
She is close to an explanation for the event that set
her on this path. However, she needs a hearth crystal
to test her hypothesis, and her involvement with
the Silverglades disaster has made her a pariah.
Ever resilient, Laureat has patiently waited for
another opportunity to present itself. The Maddox
mission is a foolish and dangerous venture, but it
will give her access to a powerful and whole crystal.
She has volunteered her services in exchange for
the chance to complete her life’s work. As far as
she is concerned, no risk could possibly outweigh
the potential rewards, and nothing is off limits when
it comes to the pursuit of knowledge.
Class: Druid
Downloadable Content Classes:
Invoker and Tactician
Heroes 15
 R ATH
“KNOWLEDGE IS POWER” . BROKER OF SECRETS
DESCRIPTION
Rath has always been a man of many trades.
Some know him as an information broker.
Others know him as a smuggler. Those closest
to him know him as a treasure hunter constantly
searching for his next great adventure. Happiest
when sailing amongst the scattered lands of Axia,
he plans to see everything this world has to offer,
and dreams of one day having the means to explore
the skies (and probe their mysteries) at his leisure.
HISTORY
Rath was an exceptionally bright child with both
an inquisitive mind and a grand imagination that
were too large for the isolated hamlet where he was
raised. The dazzling airships that sailed through
the local port captivated his attention, as did
the stories the sailors told of the wide world beyond.
Rath spent countless hours listening to tales of
Adriel, the magnificent flotilla that formed a city
in the sky. He longed to traverse the toxic currents
and see it for himself. When imagination could no
longer satisfy his curiosity, Rath stowed away on
a ship to seek his castle in the sky. That was forty
years ago. He has not stopped moving since.
Adriel, sadly, proved to be an enormous
disappointment, a city rife with bureaucracy,
class conflict, and corruption. Still, there was
plenty of room for an industrious individual living the notice of those who would sabotage Kendrick’s
on the margins of the law, and Rath quickly became mission. As an experienced smuggler, Rath knows
acquainted with the underworld. His deft hands his way around an airship, and no one is better at
and ability to avoid trouble caught the eye of Hobb, navigating tricky situations.
one of the criminal masterminds pulling strings
In exchange for Rath’s services, Kendrick has
in Adriel. Hobb was never directly involved
agreed to provide him with credentials that will
in any crime, he was simply an information broker,
allow him to travel safely through the ports of Adriel.
a line of communication between buyers and sellers,
A passport would give him the freedom he has
and Rath was an excellent agent. His natural charms
always craved, allowing him to go legitimate and
allowed him to move in many social circles to identify
explore the skies without always having to look over
targets for Hobb’s various criminal enterprises.
his shoulder for the authorities.
The work has not made Rath wealthy, but it has given
But even more tantalizing is the opportunity to
him plenty of opportunities to travel. Once business
learn the answer to one of Adriel’s greatest secrets.
is settled, Rath seeks out local goods and curiosities
Hearth crystals are the most valuable objects in
that cannot be found in Adriel’s public markets.
Axia, but few have any knowledge of their origins.
Doing so has allowed him to maintain a steady side
Kendrick’s expedition is a chance to satisfy his curiosity.
business as a pop-up merchant. No one has a better
However, Rath must survive the mission first.
collection of trinkets, and his customers include
people from all walks of life. The only item not for Class: Rogue
sale is his lucky charm, a twisted knot of metal roots Downloadable Content Classes:
encasing a complex assortment of gears. It is Warrior and Tactician
the one object that still perplexes him, as well
as the only thing that is always on his person.
His reputation also attracted the attention of
Kendrick Maddox. The Baron needs someone who
can come and go discreetly, ducking the legal red
tape choking Adriel’s official ports and avoiding
Heroes 17
P IPER
“PRIDE IN PURPOSE” . THE YOUNG PROMISE
DESCRIPTION
Piper is the granddaughter of the Merchant Baron,
Kendrick Maddox, and the sole heir to his trading
empire. However, she is ill-prepared for his political
plots. Raised as a common merchant, Piper is
now being groomed for a position of considerable
influence, and the responsibility is overwhelming.
She is no longer sure of who she is or who she wants
to be, but she’ll have to figure it out quickly if she’s
going to take the lead.
HISTORY
Adriel was founded by a small group of nobles who
gathered the resources needed to launch the city.
As such, the Council of Nobles has always governed
its fate. However, the city has become far more
diverse in the years since it took flight. Droves of
immigrants have come to participate in the wondrous
experiment, their collected talent making Adriel
one of the few places where culture, the arts,
and the sciences still thrive after the collapse.
The Maddox clan was one of the many merchant
families within the city, and typically enjoyed a
moderate level of success. That changed when
Kendrick Maddox took control. Always more
ambitious than his peers, Kendrick worked
tirelessly to propel his family to greatness.
His ventures generated vast wealth as he expanded
their holdings, and he did not hesitate to use his
newfound influence to increase his prestige until
he stood as a direct threat to the nobility.
That’s when his troubles started. Kendrick had desire is to secure a seat on the Council. If he is
always planned to hand over the family legacy successful, it will upend the established hierarchy
to his daughter Kendra, but she and her husband and could mark the onset of an even bigger revolution.
were assassinated to send a message to
To that end, Kendrick has taken a great interest
the patriarch. Now orphaned, the young Piper
in the fate of Gelspar. The region’s hearth crystal
was left under the guardianship of her grieving
is failing, and while the Nobility would just as
grandfather. To fulfill a final promise to his daughter,
soon cut the tethers binding the slums to Adriel,
he vowed that Piper would be raised far from
Kendrick has cast himself as her potential champion,
the political games of the Council. He sent her to
organizing an expedition to acquire a new crystal
live with the Grants, a common merchant clan from
without the Council’s approval or cooperation.
his younger days, thereby placing a wedge between
The announcement has created a swell of populist
himself and his only direct relative.
support for the Maddox clan and the heir who will
To Piper, Kendrick was little more than a distant lead the mission.
benefactor. He saw to her education and basic
Piper has some doubts about her grandfather’s
necessities, but she did not have any kind of
sincerity, but she would be nothing without him,
personal relationship with the man. Now an adult,
so she did not object when Kendrick volunteered
she was content with her work as an administrator
her for the expedition. Maybe the time away will help
in a small corner of the Maddox empire, and never
her decide what to make of her new life. Is she
expected to shoulder the burden of wealth and
the last hope for the common folk of Gelspar, or is
power. Nor would she have wanted it, as Piper lacks
she a naive pretender doomed to collapse beneath
the ferocious ambition that earned her grandfather
the pressure? She’s not sure, but she knows she
both praise and condemnation.
wants the opportunity to make that choice for herself.
That’s why it came as such a shock when Kendrick
Class: Ardent
nominated Piper to be his heir. She was plucked
Downloadable Content Classes:
from her mundane existence and thrust into a
Archer and Spiritualist
web of intrigue, her lack of familiarity with high
society making it tough to track the threads of her
grandfather’s design. Adriel’s political instability
only made the situation worse. Kendrick’s immediate
Heroes 19
A O
CT N E
THE SLUM
 CAMPAIGN MECHANICS
NARRATORS
For new players: The Narrator is a rotating
role occupied by one player at a time.
Players choose who starts as Narrator.
The Narrator reads and conducts one
Encounter before passing the book
clockwise so the next player can narrate
the next Encounter. Repeat this process until
the players reach a Finale or Game Over,
signalling the end of the campaign.
There are two types of Encounters in
Emberwind campaigns. Crossroad
Encounters are significant branching
moments where players choose one or
more Paths to move the story forward.
Combat Encounters are scenes where
players face off against enemies.
STORYTELLERS
For new players: A Storyteller is
The Narrator is responsible for reading text
an experienced Narrator who has studied
and resolving players’ votes and decisions in
the rules and campaign materials.
Crossroad Encounters. In Combat Encounters
The Storyteller does not play a Hero,
they are responsible for reading text,
instead acting as a full-time Narrator.
controlling the Foes, and recording all
Foe damage and Conditions. Storytellers have the power to deviate from
the written campaign and embellish on or
Tip: If certain players in your group feel
improvise new material at their discretion.
uncomfortable being the Narrator, feel free to
Sections marked “Storytellers Only” highlight
skip them and pass the book to the next player.
opportunities to do so.
Storytelling is recommended for
This is the icon for changing narrators. advanced players only.
When you see this icon, pass the book to
the player to your left.
Act One — Campaign Mechanics 21
 EPIGRAPH

Axia is wracked by a sickness. Something is eating away at our

world, and has been since the beginning. It did not stop when
the seas boiled and turned to toxic steam. It continued when
the mountains fell. We heard the wails of distress when the very
land was ripped asunder, and our world was scattered impossibly
across the skies.

At first we were transfixed, overwhelmed by the sheer

magnitude of the Calamity. We mourned those that were lost
to us, and silently prepared to join them in the beyond.

Then, miraculously, we were spared. The world stopped shaking.

We discovered the hearth crystals and learned to survive.
We adapted. Some of us even thrived. We rebuilt, and made
a decent life out of what remained. We created Adriel, the tiny
harbour that grew into a vast metropolis, a kingdom unto heaven,
a port for those seeking shelter from the skies.

But we have become complacent. The Calamity was not

the work of an instant. Axia broke apart over the span of
decades—maybe even centuries—and we were foolish to think
that that would be the end, as if there is no cause for concern
while the continents still dangle from the clouds.

The sickness has not been cured. The corruption of this world
continues. Even now, I can feel our final reserves of vitality slowly
ebbing away. I have tried to warn them, but people will not see
what they do not wish to fear.

I am no such coward. I will not stand by and lose what we have

built. I only hope that I can prepare this world in time.

Adriel is my home. I will not see it fall.

— The Private Records of Kendrick Maddox


PROLOGUE: LAST ONE OUT, GET THE LIGHTS
Darkness falls over the streets of Gelspar like a
cloak. Unlike the rest of Adriel, the slums are not
offered the luxury of light. Crowds of the hungry
and decrepit flock to the underbellies of the great
ships, where the rich toss their waste overboard—
scraps, coin, and whatever other junk or charity
they deem ample for the poor’s “survival”.
The locals know that alertness tempered by
silence is necessary for that survival. Loose lips
or the jingle of coppers could earn one a shiv in
the back. It’s common for people, even entire
families, to disappear completely. The lucky ones
reappear again as corpses underfoot.
Rustling scabbards, the echo of boots on stone,
and the practiced moans of pleasure workers
are the only sounds once night falls. That, and the
ever-present humming of Gelspar’s hearth crystal.
It sits atop an ornate tower with detailed stonework
at odds with the ramshackle slums around it.
Someone treasured Gelspar at one point, but no
longer. Today, anyone could use the intricate carvings
as handholds and climb up to the hearth crystal to
steal a shard.
And that is why the crystal is failing.
The crystal that once lit up the night like a beacon
has been reduced to a dim glow that is becoming
dangerously faint. Every day, locals brave or
desperate enough to climb the tower and steal more
slivers of the precious gem to turn for a quick profit.
When you’re hungry enough, selling off tomorrow
to get through today is an easy choice. But as
the people of Gelspar chip away at their one
safeguard against the toxic air of Axia, they’re
accruing a debt they will never be able to repay.
Tip: For ease of use, you can download and
print the Party Tracker Card for this campaign
at www.emberwindgame.com/campaigns/
skies-of-axia.
CAMPAIGN MECHANICS
CAMPAIGN CLOCK
For Gelspar, time is short. Kendrick Maddox
has promised to deliver a new hearth
crystal for Gelspar.
The Campaign Clock tracks the advancement
of time in campaigns where time is a limited
resource. Every decision you make could
affect the party’s shared Campaign Clock,
which changes the available story paths and
gameplay options at different times.
If the Campaign Clock advances too far,
Gelspar will fall before the Heroes can save
it. You find out if you are too late to help
Gelspar hear the end of the campaign,
in Act 3. Until then, one player should keep
track of your party’s Campaign Clock on
the Party Tracker Card or on a piece of paper.
Act One — Prologue: Last One Out, Get the Lights 23
 INTO THE FOLD
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
For generations, parents have regaled their
children with tales of Adriel, the great City in
the Sky. They say it is proof of humanity’s ability
to conquer the toxic miasma that has swallowed
the world of Axia. The cloud utopia is a hub of
learning, commerce, and culture more vibrant
and diverse than any of the great, fallen empires.
And so it is—for those in the upper reaches
of the metropolis. Gelspar, on the other hand,
is a dangling eyesore the rest of Adriel would
prefer to forget. Fortunately, it’s easier to get away
with things when no one is looking, which is why
you are on the way there this evening.
24 Act One — Into the Fold
You have been instructed to meet at the foot stands that once filled the space have moved on.
of the Clueless Prince, the crumbling statue that The few that remain are unlikely to stay for long.
stands guard over the Eastern Square between
A woman flanked by two sentries with long
Gelspar and the Red Market. The statue depicts
spears emerges from the mist with a lantern
one of the noble founders of the city, but vandals
held aloft and approaches the base of the statue.
removed the head years ago. Time has eroded any
Both sentries have the Maddox emblem—
other identifying features, and now his headless gaze
a serpent coiled around the trunk of a large tree—
is a symbol of Adriel’s indifference to the district.
etched into their breastplates. [1]
The citizens above can’t be bothered to fix anything
below, not even in praise of one of their own.
Today, the Prince’s square is nothing more than For Storytellers: see p.117 for more
[1]
a convenient meeting place, a no man’s land information on Elise.
between the two districts. Almost all the market
“Welcome to Gelspar,” she says, warily eyeing
each of you. “My name is Elise. I work for Kendrick.
And now, so do you, so I suggest you become
acquainted with each other.”
FREE ROLE PLAY MOMENT
For new players: While you can role play at
any point during an EMBERWIND Campaign,
Free Role Play Moments highlight
opportunities to perform and refine your
Hero’s personality by speaking and acting
in character. For example, you might adopt
a voice, mannerism, or vocabulary that
fits your Hero.
A simple way of getting into character is
referring to yourself as “I” whenever your
Hero’s name comes up in the story. If you’re
not comfortable acting in character yet,
you can read aloud from your Hero’s
Description (see p. 12–19).
The players take turns introducing their
Heroes. Rook, Laureat, Rath, and Piper
all have their own unique backstories,
and players can share as much as they wish.
If you would like to skip this step and
continue with the game immediately,
read the introductions to the right instead:
26 Act One — Into the Fold
• Rook is an ex-soldier of the Military
Order of Adriel trying to make
a difference for the downtrodden
people of the floating city of Adriel.
• Laureat, an expert on the mysterious DECISION CROSSROAD
hearth crystals, is seeking to restore
her name after a disastrous expedition STANDARD VOTE
to the Silverglades.
For new players: Crossroads are moments
• Rath is a seasoned smuggler who when your party must choose between
spends every waking moment trying
competing courses of action called Paths,
to solve the secrets of Axia.
each of which leads to a different Outcome.
• Piper, the newly installed baronet of The Narrator reads all of the text in
the Maddox family, finds herself tossed the Revealed section for each Path and
about by the ever-shifting tides of then players vote on Paths to make choices
Adriel's loyalties, intrigue, and plots. for the Heroes. Cover the Hidden portion
of the Crossroad and only reveal it after
a decision has been made.
Elise tosses your group a small bag containing
In a Decision Crossroad, your party chooses
10 gold pieces.
a single Path, thereby advancing the story.
• +10 Gold Coins (on Party Tracker Card) Once that decision is made, the players may
not go back to make a different decision.
“For traveling expenses,” she says. “You will find
Kendrick in the Starlight Commons at the heart of This Crossroad is navigated by Standard Vote.
Gelpsar. He does not like to be kept waiting and it’s Your party takes time to discuss the Paths,
a bit of walk, so you’d better get going. Oh, and do try and then each player announces their vote.
to stick together. It’s dangerous in that part of town.”
Elise begins walking toward the Red Market, but
you sense something has been left unsaid. If you
want to know more about Gelspar, this is your only
opportunity to ask her. However, questions take time,
and that is a resource you cannot afford to waste.
 [ REVEALED ] [ HIDDEN ]

PATH A: PATH A OUTCOME:

Votes are always resolved by majority unless
otherwise specified. All votes are treated
equally, and your party reads the Hidden
Outcome of the Path that received
the greatest number of votes. In the event
of a tie, the Narrator selects one of the tied
Paths as the party’s final choice.
GO TO GELSPAR
There’s no point in delaying your trip
with unnecessary questions. Elise is
not likely to tell you anything you cannot
learn from Kendrick.
Elise turns a corner and disappears.
Then you cross the bridge and leave
the civilized part of the city. With any luck,
it will be an uneventful trip.
• Proceed to The Hacksaw Bridge (p. 31)

PATH B:
PATH B OUTCOME:
ASK ELISE ABOUT THE AREA
Hard Mode Variant: Until the end of Elise hesitates, then dips her shoulders
Gelspar is not a safe place, and it is always
the Campaign, add +1 Campaign Clock every and returns to the statue.
better to be prepared.
time a tied vote is cast. Decide now if you will
“I can spare a few minutes. But do make it
use this Variant Rule. You can modify your
quick. There are other places I need to be.”
decision later if the whole group votes to do so.
• +1 Campaign Clock on
Party Tracker Card
• Continue with Into the Fold Part II (p. 28)

Act One — Into the Fold 27

 INTO THE FOLD, PT. II
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
“I was instructed not to tell you any more than
necessary,” Elise says, “but I was also told to keep
you alive, and information helps. Here’s what you
need to know. Kendrick has asked the Chasers
to protect the crystal in the Starlight Commons.
They are out in force tonight, but as long as you stay
out of their way, they shouldn’t give you any trouble.
If you have any other questions, I will offer what
assistance I can.”
28 Act One — Into the Fold, Pt. II
DIALOGUE CROSSROAD
STANDARD VOTE
For new players: In Dialogue Crossroads,
Heroes interact with non-player characters to
gather information or resources. Your party
votes on Paths to direct the conversation.
Your group may take multiple Paths,
selecting them in any order, until one of
the Outcomes ends the Crossroad. You cannot
take the same Path more than once.
This Dialogue Crossroad includes a Path
Challenge. A Path Challenge requires one
or more Heroes to overcome an obstacle
to achieve a desired result. Path Challenges
in the Revealed section are read aloud
to the party. Players attempt the Path
Challenge after they choose a Path,
making the appropriate rolls and reading
the Outcome that matches the results.
This Path Challenge is a Skill Check.
Each Skill Check will specify the Skill
to be used and the number of Heroes
that are allowed to attempt the Skill Check.
Players decide among themselves who will
attempt the Skill Check.
Each Outcome specifies the number of
Heroes who need to succeed at a Skill Check
for the party to achieve it. To make a Skill
Check, roll 1d20. You succeed if the result
is less than or equal to your Hero’s score
for the relevant Skill.
On some Path Challenges, Heroes may gain
Advantage, which gives them an “edge”
due to specialized knowledge, a pre-existing
relationship with another character,
or another reason tied to your Hero’s
backstory. When you have Advantage,
you roll 2d20 and select the better of
the two roll results.
Tip: Rolls are represented with the notation
XdY, where ‘X’ is the number of dice and ‘Y’
is the type of die to be rolled.
 [ REVEALED ] [ HIDDEN ]
PATH A: PATH A OUTCOME:
ASK ABOUT “The Chasers have been battling a local
POTENTIAL DANGERS gang for control of Hacksaw Bridge.
There may be hazards to watch out for If you’re going to encounter trouble, it will
on your route. be there. I’m not sure who controls it at
the moment. There are always people
laying traps on both sides. Keep eyes in
the back of your head.”
PATH B:
ASK WHERE ELISE NEEDS TO BE • +1 Campaign Clock
Elise seems to be in a hurry. You might be • Vote again
able to convince her to tell you why.
Path Challenge:
PATH B OUTCOME:
Fast-Talk Skill Check for 1 Hero › The Hero succeeds:
• Piper has Advantage Elise raises an eyebrow.
“Kendrick doesn’t like people knowing more
than they need to, but I can tell you that
PATH C: there’s a situation at the Festival of Sparks
ASK ABOUT THE CHASERS that needs my attention. A certain restored
The Chasers have a reputation for brutality. artifact has piqued Kendrick’s interest.”
Their involvement is suspicious.
• Vote again
› The Hero does not succeed:
PATH D:
Elise shakes her head and laughs.
END CONVERSATION
AND LET ELISE LEAVE “Kendrick doesn’t like people knowing more
Time is getting away from you, and you than they need to, and you definitely don’t
cannot afford to waste it. need to know that. Now I think it’s best you
were on your way.”
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
on the next page
PATH C OUTCOME:
“Kendrick is a cunning man, but he has
principles—and good reason for hiring
the Chasers. The people of Gelspar have
been stealing shards from the crystal.
They’re too desperate to realize they’re
accelerating their own demise. We need
to deter them. Enlisting a violent gang of
thugs in skull war paint achieves that, even if
aligning ourselves with them is…unpleasant.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Vote again
PATH D OUTCOME:
“Some parting advice: try to avoid affairs
that don’t concern you. The beggars
of Gelspar are pitiable, but they are not as
innocent as they seem. You have a larger
mission to take care of—best to concentrate
on that. When you see Kendrick, please give
him my regards.”
With that, Elise and her entourage head
toward the Red Market Their silhouettes
vanish into the fog.
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
on the next page
Act One — Into the Fold, Pt. II 29
 DETOUR HIDDEN: MERCHANT ITEMS
Name Effect Stock Price
For new players: Detours are optional story
branches. The Narrator reads the Revealed
Effect: Basic Attack and Exploit Actions deal
text, and the Heroes discuss and make 5
Weapon Oil +2 Damage until the end of the Encounter 2
a majority "yes" or "no" vote on whether or Gold Pieces
Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign
not to pursue the Detour. In the event of a tie,
the Narrator makes the final decision.
Effect: Spell Actions deal +2 Damage until
the end of the Encounter 5
Spirit Salts 2
Gold Pieces
Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign

[ REVEALED ]
Minor Effect: Heal 10 HP 5
A few haggard shopkeepers are packing 1
Healing Salve Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign Gold Pieces
up. While most are selling (mildly rotten)
food, you notice a lone merchant peddling
oils and elixirs. Do you stop to take a look? Effect: -2 Accuracy and +4 Willpower until
the end of the Encounter 1
Rotgut Ale 4
Gold Piece
Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign

[ HIDDEN ]
If the party votes "yes."

• +2 Campaign Clock
• Heroes may purchase items from
the Merchant Items table (see right)
• Exit Detour and continue with Encounter

You set out for the Starlight Commons in Gelspar.

With any luck, it will be an uneventful journey.

• Proceed to The Hacksaw Bridge (p. 31)

30 Act One — Into the Fold, Pt. II

 THE HACKSAW BRIDGE
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
The streets of Gelspar are largely deserted
as you approach Hacksaw Bridge. Only a few
sheets of metal separate you from the vast abyss
below. To fall off Gelspar is to fall off the edge
of the world. You don’t even know if you would
ever hit the ground.
The bridge itself is a dilapidated structure of wood
and sheet metal running between two of the larger
vessels that make up the slum’s core. In better days,
a high railing provided safety for the careless
and clumsy. It has long since fallen away,
exposing travelers to high winds and a precipitous
drop that has claimed many drunkards. Even now,
two bodies slump against a building next to
the bridge, only a few feet from the edge.
Whether they are drunk or dead is anyone’s guess,
but a hangover will be the least of their problems
if they roll out of the wrong side of the bed.
DETOUR
For new players: Detours are optional story
branches. The Narrator reads the Revealed
text, and the Heroes discuss and make
a majority "yes" or "no" vote on whether or
not to pursue the Detour. In the event of a tie,
the Narrator makes the final decision.
[ REVEALED ]
The two men may need assistance.
On the other hand, they are easy prey
to pilfer from as well. Do you want to take a
closer look and decide what to do with them?
[ HIDDEN ]
The men seem to still be alive, but their
breath is shallow and infrequent. You can
see what looks like a small vial in one
of their pockets.
The Heroes discuss and decide by majority
vote if they will assist the men or steal from
them. Do not read the bulleted Outcomes
below until the party has made a decision.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• If the party chose “assist”:
• The men wake up and leave,
offering no thanks.
• If the party chose “steal”:
• Add Shot of "Liquid Courage”
to 1 Hero's Inventory
Hidden: Received Item
Shot of "Liquid Courage"
Effect: Heal 2 HP at the start of your
Turn until the end of the Encounter
Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign
• Exit Detour and continue Encounter
on the next page
Act One — The Hacksaw Bridge 31
 DECISION CROSSROAD
[ REVEALED ]

STANDARD VOTE PATH A:

For new players: This Decision Crossroad
includes a Path Restriction. A Path
Restriction marks a Path that can only
be chosen if particular conditions are met.
It also includes a Path Challenge. A Path
Challenge requires one or more Heroes to
overcome an obstacle to achieve a desired
result. Path Challenges in the Revealed
section are read aloud to the party. Players
attempt the Path Challenge after they choose
a Path, making the appropriate rolls and
reading the Outcome that matches the result.
The Path Challenges in this Decision
Crossroad are Skill Checks. Each Skill
Check will specify the Skill to be used
and the number of Heroes that are allowed
to attempt the Skill Check. Players decide
amongst themselves who will attempt
the Skill Check.
Each Outcome specifies the number of
Heroes who need to succeed at a Skill
Check for the party to achieve it. To make
a Skill Check, roll 1d20 (see note below).
You succeed if the result is less than or equal
to your Hero’s score for the relevant Skill.
On some Path Challenges, Heroes may
gain Advantage, which gives them an “edge”
due to specialized knowledge, a pre-existing
relationship with another character,
or another reason tied to your Hero’s
backstory. When you have Advantage,
you roll 2d20 and select the better roll result.
Tip: Rolls are represented with the notation
XdY, where ‘X’ is the number of dice and ‘Y’
is the type of die to be rolled.
SCOUT FOR AMBUSH
Path Restriction: Campaign Clock must
be less than 3
The near end of the bridge is lined with
abandoned buildings and rubble.
They would all make good hiding places
for an ambush.
Path Challenge: Stealth Skill Check
for all Heroes
Delayed Outcome: If you asked Elise
about potential dangers (Into the Fold Part II,
Path A, p. 40):
• 1 Hero may claim Advantage
on this Skill Check

32 Act One — The Hacksaw Bridge


PATH B:
CHECK FOR TRAPS
Path Restriction: Campaign Clock must
be less than 3
There are bloodstains, scuff marks,
and other evidence of a recent skirmish.
What else did the gangs leave behind?
Path Challenge: Insight Skill Check
for all Heroes
Delayed Outcome: If you asked Elise
about potential dangers (Into the Fold Part II,
Path A, p. 40):
• 1 Hero may claim Advantage
on this Skill Check
PATH C:
PROCEED ACROSS BRIDGE
At a glance, the bridge seems safe.
You could be headed for a trap, but there
is no time for a more thorough investigation.
[ HIDDEN ]
PATH A OUTCOME:
› 2 or more Heroes succeed:
You are about to conclude your investigation
when you catch the slightest movement in
the corner of your eye. A cloud of smoke
and shadow slowly takes shape beneath
a overhang. You can just barely make out
the outline of a monstrous hound that seems
to melt into the darkness.
The hound takes off as soon as it realizes it
has been spotted. A second joins a moment
later. The two beasts bound across the
bridge and slip into the shadows on the
other side. There may be danger ahead,
but you should not have to worry about
getting ambushed from behind.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Continue with The Hacksaw Bridge
Part II (p. 34)
› 1 or fewer Heroes succeed:
You fan out as you approach
the bridge, trying to cover as much ground
as possible. Your examination does not turn up
anything of note. If anyone is watching you,
they are much stealthier than your party.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Continue with The Hacksaw Bridge
Part II (p. 34)
PATH B OUTCOME:
› 2 or more Heroes succeed:
There do not seem to be any traps,
but the bridge is dotted with piles of broken
glass and jagged pieces of scrap metal that
seem to have been strategically placed to
impede movement. The terrain is hazardous,
but it will be less so now that you are aware
of it and can take the appropriate precautions.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Continue with The Hacksaw Bridge
Part II (p. 34)
› 1 or fewer Heroes succeed:
There do not seem to be any traps. The bridge
is dotted with broken glass, but it does not
look like anything you need to worry about.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Continue with The Hacksaw Bridge
Part II (p. 34)
PATH C OUTCOME:
You step over the rubble and
approach the Bridge.
• Continue with The Hacksaw Bridge,
Part II (p. 34)
Act One — The Hacksaw Bridge 33
 THE HACKSAW BRIDGE, PT. II
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
You are about to start across when a shrill scream
pierces the night.
A woman scrambles into view on the other side
of the bridge, a chorus of barks and howls
erupting behind her. She gasps for breath
as she staggers toward you.
“Please!” she shrieks, “Anyone! Help!”
The city does not stir. Her cries echo and die
in the silent, indifferent streets. In Gelspar,
sticking out one’s neck is a good way to get it
broken, and the courageous seldom live very long.
A moment later, you see the creatures chasing her.
Three large, misshapen hounds emerge from the
shadows of the alley. The woman stumbles halfway
across the bridge, falling with a crunch and a cry of
pain. Her knee buckles as she attempts to stand.
The three beasts close in on all sides, their hungry
jaws opened to reveal massive protruding fangs in
front of serrated rows of teeth. They snap and lunge
at the woman, but seem to be waiting for some
kind of signal before moving for the kill.
A cowled man with a face painted like a skull
steps into view on the opposite end of the bridge.
He approaches at a steady pace, a leather whip
in one hand and a gleaming dagger in the other.
The woman looks at you, her eyes making
a desperate appeal.
34 Act One — The Hacksaw Bridge, Pt. II
“This doesn’t concern you,” the man says to you. [ REVEALED ]
“We’re all friends here. Now move along before
somebody gets hurt. Wouldn’t want to upset the boss.” PATH A:
IGNORE THE WOMAN
You are quite certain you have never seen this man
You have been hired to save all of Gelspar,
in your life.
not just one woman. The greater good
“Please,” the woman pleads, her voice barely audible demands that you move on.
above the panting beasts. “How can you be so cruel?”
DECISION CROSSROAD PATH B:
DEFEND THE WOMAN
You have been hired to save Gelspar,
SNAP VOTE
and that includes its people. You will not
For new players: In Snap Votes, your Heroes stand by and watch one of them get torn
have limited time to make a decision. to pieces in front of you.
As soon as the Narrator has finished reading
the Paths, players vote simultaneously and Weighted Path: The Narrator tells the Party
may not discuss their choices. All players that this is the Weighted Path. The party
vote by placing and covering a d6 on chooses this Path if even 1 Hero votes for it.
the table with the face upturned to indicate
their vote (1 for A, 2 for B, 3 for C, etc.).
This Decision Crossroad contains
a Weighted Path. The Narrator should
identify Weighted Paths to players. If even
one Hero votes for the Weighted Path, it is
chosen for your whole party. Sometimes your
hand is forced if one Hero rushes in.
 [ HIDDEN ]
PATH A OUTCOME:
The hounds tear into the woman’s flesh.
Her screams are cut short and blood gurgles
from her savaged throat as the pack feeds.
It is grim, but such is death in Gelspar.
The man barks a gruff command and cracks
his long leather whip. The hounds abandon
their meal to fall in line behind him.
He stoops over the body and carefully pries
a glowing object from her lifeless hands.
Cradling it in one hand, he scratches
the chin of the nearest dog with the other.
“Don’t be greedy," he says. "Any more
and you’ll get sick.”
He braces his foot against the corpse
and shoves it off the bridge, lazily wiping
the blood off his boot. The skull-faced man
coils and stows his whip before turning
to face you.
“Do me a favour and give this to Kendrick
when you see him.”
He presses the glowing object into your
hand and walks away, whistling for his
beasts to follow.
“Give it to him with compliments from
the Chasers. And tell him to hire more
guards. She won’t be the last to try.”
• Add Gelspar Crystal Shard
to 1 Hero's inventory
• Proceed to The Houndmaster (p. 36)
PATH B OUTCOME:
The hounds growl, hackles rising as you step
onto the field. You tighten your grip on your
weapons and prepare for combat.
• Proceed to Dog Eat Dog World (p. 39)
Hidden A: Received Item
Gelspar Crystal Shard
Effect: Ignore Concentrated Miasma
(Local Field Effect)
Action: N/A Use: N/A
Act One — The Hacksaw Bridge, Pt. II
 THE HOUNDMASTER

CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
The Houndmaster’s casual familiarity is off-putting.
He seems to know you, but you are quite certain you
have never met him. You hurry after him, hoping he
will answer some of your questions.
He ignores you until the crunch of broken glass
under your boots startles his hounds. Their heads
whip around, fangs bared and muscles coiled in
anticipation. Dark steam seems to be rising off their
black fur, shrouding their bodies. The beasts almost
fade into the night when they stand still. [2]
“You’re making them nervous,” the man says with a
hint of annoyance. He turns to his dogs. “Calm down.
These people don’t mean us any harm. Do you?”
Up close, the Houndmaster’s face is a wasteland
of cracked warpaint and dried sweat. For armour,
he wears thick layers of scratched leather.
The hounds continue growling, but after a brief
standoff, the Houndmaster whistles and his dogs
relax. One of them lies down with its head on its
paws. Another sniffs about the area. The third
begins licking its groin.
“Beautiful, aren’t they? Everyone thinks they’re
monsters, but they’re just misunderstood. Loyal pets,
if you know how to train them. Now what do you want?
If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather be with my dogs.”
DIALOGUE CROSSROAD
STANDARD VOTE
For new players: In Dialogue Crossroads,
Heroes interact with non-player
characters to gather information or
resources. Your party then votes on Paths
to direct the conversation. Your group may
take multiple Paths, selecting them in any
order, until one of the Outcomes ends
the Crossroad. You cannot take the same
Path more than once.

For Storytellers: see p.117 for more information

[2]

on the Houndmaster.

Act One — The Houndmaster 37

 [ REVEALED ] [ HIDDEN ]

PATH A: PATH A OUTCOME: PATH C OUTCOME:

ASK ABOUT THE WOMAN
You want to know what the woman
did to warrant such a brutal death.
PATH B:
ASK ABOUT HIS HOUNDS
The Houndmaster is a guarded man,
but seems open to discussing his dogs.
PATH C:
ASK HOW HE KNOWS YOU
This man called you his “friends”.
You could find out more about
your supposed relationship.
PATH D:
END CONVERSATION
AND LEAVE
There is only so much you can learn from
a man who refuses to tell you his name.
“She stole something and she got what she
deserved,” he says, pointing to the shard.
“Gelspar folk will take everything if you let
them. Sometimes you need to show them
where they stand.”
• Vote again
PATH B OUTCOME:
“Everyone in Gelspar knows my dogs.
Even Kendrick is impressed with them. The rest
of the Chasers do just that—chase. We hunt.
We always catch our prey. Kendrick uses us
when there can be no chance of failure.”
He reaches out and brushes blood from
the lead hound’s muzzle.
“Some people call them monsters. They say
the miasma got inside them. Changed them.
I don’t care. I’d rather have a loyal monster
by my side than a fickle friend.”
• Vote again
The Houndmaster seems annoyed
by your question.
“Stop wasting my time with silly questions.
We have a mutual benefactor. Any further
explanation should be unnecessary.”
• Vote again
PATH D OUTCOME:
The Houndmaster whistles and his dogs
fall into line.
“Come on, Biscuit,” he says. “I’ve got a fresh
skeleton waiting for you at home.”
He turns and disappears into the city, his
dogs nipping playfully behind him. You cross
the bridge and continue to your meeting.
• Proceed to "Baron" Kendrick Maddox
(p. 46)

38 Act One — The Houndmaster

 D OG
E AT D OG
W OR L D
COMBAT ENCOUNTER
 Tip: If this is your first time playing a tabletop
role playing game or a EMBERWIND campaign,
we recommend that you ignore all sections
marked [Hard Mode].

BATTLEFIELD MAP

LEGEND:
Bloodhound

Houndmaster

Heroes

Woman

Broken Glass

Reinforcements
(only appears if Heroes did not
spot ambush in Hacksaw Bridge,
Path B, p.33)

[Hard Mode]
Strong Winds

[Hard Mode]
Relocation

40 Act One — Dog Eat Dog World, Map

 COMBAT OVERVIEW
For new players: Welcome to your first
Combat Encounter. If you have not done
so, review the Combat Rules (p. 118) then
proceed through the following steps:
1. Set up Battlefield (below).
2. Establish Turn Order (right).
3. Review Combat Flairs (p. 42).
4. Review Victory and Loss Conditions
(p. 42).
5. Read Opening Narration (p. 42).
6. Narrator runs combat until a set of
Conditions is met.
7. Read corresponding Outcome and
continue story (p. 43)
BATTLEFIELD SET-UP
Download and print the map from www.
emberwindgame.com/campaigns/skies-of-
axia, or you can use an erasable surface
with a grid to recreate the map on p. 40.
Afterward, place tokens for Combatants
at the indicated locations.
Tip: Use the tokens included in
the downloadable support package or
whatever materials you have on hand
for marking Combatants. Alternatively,
EMBERWIND: Token Sets include all of
the pieces you need.
TURN ORDER SET-UP INITIATIVE SLOT ORDER
Slot Combatant
For new players: Combat occurs in Turns.
Each Combatant takes their Turn in the order
determined by the Initiative Slot Order (right). Hero A
Hero Slot 1
A Round ends once every Combatant has (and/or Hero C and/or Hero D)
taken a Turn. If the Victory or Loss Conditions
have not yet been reached, a new Round of
combat begins. This process repeats itself Grunt Foes — Bloodhound 1,
Foe Slot 1
until one set of Conditions has been fulfilled. Bloodhound 2, etc.
Each player assigns their Hero to Hero Slot 1
or 2. More than one Hero may be assigned
to a single Hero Slot as long as every Hero Hero B
Hero Slot 2
(and/or Hero C and/or Hero D)
Slot is filled by at least one Hero.
If multiple Heroes are assigned to the same
Slot, the players choose the order their
Foe Slot 2 Awakened Foe — Houndmaster
Heroes act in within that Slot. The Narrator
does the same for Foes.
Note: At the start of each Round, one Hero
may change their Initiative Slot (i.e. move
from Hero Slot 1 to Hero Slot 2), or two
Heroes can exchange their Slots (i.e. Hero A
and Hero B switch Initiative Slots). This can
only be done once per Round, and there
must be at least one Hero remaining in
each Hero Slot.
Create your Initiative Slot Order on your
Party Tracker Card.
Act One — Dog Eat Dog World 41
 COMBAT FLAIRS
For new players: Combat Flairs are special
conditions that add complexity (and often
difficulty) to combat. They reflect features
of the terrain, the campaign world, Foe
strategy, combat objectives, and other
elements specific to a Combat Encounter.
They are mandatory unless otherwise stated.
Broken Glass (Local Field Effect):
Broken Glass is littered across the bridge.
When a Combatant enters a Square with
Broken Glass, that Combatant loses 1 HP
and suffers -2 Squares to Move Actions
until their next upkeep Phase.
• Delayed Outcome (see p. 32):
If you successfully checked for
traps (The Hacksaw Bridge, Path B,
Success, p. 33):
• Negate the Effects of Broken Glass
(Local Field Effect).
[Hard Mode] Strong Winds
(Local Field Effect): Strong Winds constantly
gust across the length of the bridge.
Whenever a Combatant is close to either edge,
they suffer -4 Accuracy to Ranged Actions.
42 Act One — Dog Eat Dog World
CONDITIONS
Reinforcements: Two additional VICTORY:
Bloodhounds appear in the Squares • All Foes are Fallen.
marked with .
• [Hard Mode]: And the Woman is alive.
• Delayed Outcome (see p. 32):
If you successfully scouted for
an ambush (The Hacksaw Bridge,
LOSS:
Path A, Success, p. 33):
• All Heroes are Fallen.
• Reinforcements do not appear.
• [Hard Mode]: Or the Woman dies.
[Hard Mode] Relocation:
• Delayed Outcome (see p. 32): If you
successfully scouted for an ambush
(The Hacksaw Bridge Path A,
OPENING NARRATION
Success, p. 33):
• Bloodhounds Reinforcements The man barks a gruff command and
appear in the Squares marked the beasts spring into action, their shadowy
forms blurring as they charge forward.
with instead.
Your heart thunders as the battle
[Hard Mode] Protect the Objective: begins in earnest.
The Woman must survive the Combat.
• Hit Counter: Set the Hit Counter
to 12 (see Party Tracking sheet).
Whenever a Foe Action that targets
the Woman successfully resolves,
reduce the Hit Counter by 1. If the Hit
Counter reaches 0, the Woman dies
• Preferred Target: The Foe closest to
the Woman always moves toward and
targets her if possible.

VICTORY OUTCOME:
The Houndmaster reaches for one of his
dogs as you deliver the final blow, his body
twitching for a moment before going still.
Blood flows from the corner of his mouth,
trickling across the white paint on his cheek.
The woman pulls herself to her feet and
spits on the body before turning to you.
“Thanks,” she says. “First time anyone’s ever
helped me in Gelspar. I should leave before
my bad luck catches up with me.”
She pops her arm back into its socket with
an audible snap. Her ragged half-cloak is
covered in dust and filth. Dozens of cuts
and bruises are visible beneath her tattered
garb, but your attention is drawn to
the shimmer of purple light radiating from
the object she is concealing in her hand.
Noticing your gaze, she tucks the source
of the light into her shawl.
“I can find a way to repay you—later,”
she says. “For now, best not tell the Baron
you saw me.”
With that, the woman limps off into the night.
• +3 Campaign Clock
• Exit Combat and continue Encounter
on the next page
[ HIDDEN ]
LOSS OUTCOME:
You watch helplessly as the Houndmaster
drives his knife into the woman’s throat.
Hot blood pours over his hands as he twists
the blade. He wipes the blood on her rags
before returning the weapon to its sheath.
“I tried to warn you,” says the man with
a scowl. “Your noble intentions have no
place in Gelspar.”
He reaches down and pries a glowing object
from the woman’s lifeless hand, then tosses it
toward you. The purple shard bounces across
the bridge before coming to rest near your feet.
“You’re just lucky we’re still friends,” he says
with more than a hint of menace. “Now do me
a favour and give that to Kendrick. It comes
with the compliments of the Chasers.”
He walks away, whistling for his dogs to follow.
“Oh, and tell him to hire a few more guards,”
he says over his shoulder. “She won’t be
the last to try.”
The Houndmaster disappears into the city,
his dogs nipping playfully at his heels.
You take a few minutes to nurse your
injuries. Embarrassed but not broken,
you then stagger across the bridge and
press further into Gelspar.
• +4 Campaign Clock
• Add Gelspar Crystal Shard to Inventory
• Proceed to "Baron" Kendrick Maddox (p. 46)
[HARD MODE] LOSS OUTCOME:
The woman’s dying scream cuts through the
night, and her assailants scatter, their grisly
work complete. They vanish into the alleys
on the far side of the bridge. By now, most
onlookers have moved indoors, hoping to
avoid getting caught up in the violence.
Ignoring your own wounds, you stumble
over to the woman’s body in the hopes you
might still be able to save her. One look at
the glistening red gashes across her flesh
convince you otherwise. You watch as her
blood fills the channels of corrugated sheet
metal of the bridge’s surface, slowly flowing
toward the edge and dripping into
the infinity below.
It’s then you see the faint glimmer of light
escaping from beneath the stiff hand still
clutched close to her heart. On closer
inspection, it’s a small sliver of hearth crystal.
If this woman chiseled it off the Gelspar
Crystal, then the Houndmaster who ran her
down must be one of the Chasers Kendrick
hired to protect slum’s hearth crystal.
Your employer will not be pleased to learn
you interfered with his affairs.
However, he may be grateful to see
the crystal returned.
You pick up the stone, take a moment to bind
your wounds, and press deeper into Gelspar.
(Continues to next page ")
Act One — Dog Eat Dog World 43
 1

Special

B LOOD
Ability
6 A 2
Basic Basic
Attack Attack
[ HIDDEN ]
Move

H OUND
5 Sqs.
[HARD MODE] Special Basic
LOSS OUTCOME CONT’D: Ability Attack
5 A 3
• +5 Campaign Clock Basic
Attack
• Add Gelspar Crystal Shard to Inventory
• Proceed to "Baron" Kendrick Maddox 4
(p. 46)

INFORMATION

Hidden: Received Item Rank: Grunt Size: 1 x 1

HP: 40 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 4

Gelspar Crystal Shard
Basic Melee Bite : Deal 1d10 + 10
Effect: Ignore Concentrated Miasma
(Local Field Effect) Attack: Damage

Action: Fast Use: 1 [Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 2

1 SPECIAL ABILITIES
FOE DATA
Special A: Pounce : Move up to 5 Squares

B LOOD
Ability toward Hero with least HP and deal 1d10
6 2
A.I. HEX GRIDS AND STATS Basic
A
Basic + 10 Damage . Hero is knocked Prone
For A.I. Hex Grids and Stats rules, see p. 122. Attack Attack .
Move
5 Sqs.

H OUND
Special Basic DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS
Ability Attack
Tip: For ease of use, you can download 5 A
Basic 3 Tunnel Vision: Moves toward nearest Hero.
and print the Foe Cards for this campaign Attack Immediacy: Attacks nearest Hero.
at www.emberwindgame.com/campaigns/
skies-of-axia. 4 OPTIONAL MODIFIERS

Bonded: Targets the Hero that last

INFORMATION
targeted the Houndmaster.
Rank: Grunt Size: 1 x 1
44 Act One — Dog Eat Dog World, Bloodhound
HP: 40 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 4

Basic Melee Bite : Deal 1d10 + 10

 1 1

Special
Special
Ability
Ability
CC DETOUR
66 22
Special
Special Special
Special Basic
Basic For Detour rules, see p. 32.
Ability
Ability Ability
Ability Attack
Attack
AA A A
Basic
Basic Basic
Basic
Attack
Attack Attack
Attack
Move
Move
5 Sqs.
5 Sqs. [ REVEALED ]
S Special
S
Special Special
Special

H ASTER
OUND
OUND
Ability
A
Ability
A Ability
Ability The Houndmaster’s whip lays broken by
Special
Special C C BB Special
Special his side, but he may have other useful items
Basic
Basic
Ability
Ability Attack Ability
Ability on him. Do you stop to search his body?
Attack
55 A A BB 33

M ASTER
Basic
Basic
Attack
Attack [ HIDDEN ]

44
You rifle through the Houndmaster’s
belongings and find a sharp blade and
a bit of gold.

INFORMATION
INFORMATION SPECIAL
S C C ABILITIES
SPECIAL
S ABILITIES • +5 Gold Coins
• Add Serrated Dagger to
Rank:
Rank: Awakened
Awakened Size:
Size: 1 x1 1x 1 A:A: Disarming
Disarming Lash : [Range
Lash : [Range 3] 3] 1 Hero's Inventory.
Deal
Deal 1d10
1d10 + 10
+ 10 Damage . .
Damage
HP:
HP: Toughness:
6060 Toughness: Resistance:
8 8 Resistance: 44 Hero
Hero suffers
suffers 5 Stacks
5 Stacks ofof Weakness
Weakness . .
Hidden: Received Item
Basic
Basic MeleeDagger
Melee Dagger : : B:B: Animal
Animal Handling:
Handling:
Attack:Deal
Attack: Deal 2d10
2d10 + 10
+ 10 Damage
Damage AllAll Bloodhounds
Bloodhounds heal
heal 55 HP.
HP. Serrated Dagger

C:C: Enrage:
Enrage: Effect: +1 Critical Threshold
Basic
Basic RangedWhip
Ranged : [Range
Whip : [Range 3] 3] Actions
Actions byby nearest
nearest Bloodhound
Bloodhound deal
deal Action: N/A Use: N/A
Attack: Deal 1d10 + 10 Damage
Attack: Deal 1d10 + 10 Damage +10+10 Damage
Damage next
next Turn.
Turn.
[Storyteller
[Storyteller Only]
Only] Actions
Actions per
per Turn:
Turn: 33

You turn and forge deeper into Gelspar.

DEFAULT
DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS
CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL
OPTIONAL MODIFIERS
MODIFIERS • Proceed to "Baron" Kendrick Maddox (p. 49)
Tunnel
Tunnel Vision:
Vision: Moves
Moves toward
toward nearest
nearest Hero.
Hero. Bonded:
Bonded: Targets
Targets the
the last
last Hero
Hero that
that
Immediacy:
Immediacy: Attacks
Attacks nearest
nearest Hero.
Hero. targeted
targeted a Bloodhound.
a Bloodhound.
Act One — Dog Eat Dog World, Houndmaster 45
 "BARON" KENDRICK MADDOX

CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
The hearth crystal is the only steady source of light Kendrick Maddox, the aspiring baron himself,
in Gelspar. You follow its dim, flickering glow across stands between a pair of damaged statues.
the Hacksaw Bridge and through a twisting maze He wears a black, feathered mantle with
of empty streets and alleys. It is not long before an intimidating broadsword strapped across his
the Starlight Commons comes into view. back. The hilt is an intricately engraved pair of
entwined serpents below the massive diamond
The Starlight Commons was once a resplendent
pommel. It makes Kendrick imposing despite his
courtyard with glittering fixtures arranged like
modest stature. His features are sharp, as if cut from
the constellations in the evening sky. Today, it is
stone. He is flanked by a small retinue of spearmen,
a crumbling ruin. The jewels that earned the plaza
their fine armour at odds with the scavenged garb
its name are long gone and the Gelspar Crystal is
of the men in the shadows.
the only remnant of that former glory.
“A woman has just taken another shard of
Tonight, there is an uneasy silence. Even the crystal’s
the crystal,” Kendrick says, his voice laced with
usual hum seems to have diminished to a barely
aggravation and impatience. “The Chasers pursued
audible frequency. Dozens of thugs, many with their
her the way you came. Did you see her? I don’t care
faces painted to resemble skulls, lurk in the shadows
if she lives or dies, but the shard must be returned.”
of the dilapidated square.

Act One — "Baron" Kendrick Maddox 47

 DECISION CROSSROAD
STANDARD VOTE
For Decision Crossroad rules, see p. 26.
For Standard Vote rules, see p. 26.
For Path Restriction and Path Challenge
rules, see p. 32.
48 Act One — "Baron" Kendrick Maddox
[ REVEALED ]
PATH A:
SAY NOTHING
Path Restriction: Gelspar Crystal Shard
is NOT in any Hero’s Inventory
Until you know more about the situation,
best to keep your mouth shut.
PATH B:
TELL HIM ABOUT
THE WOMAN YOU HELPED
Path Restriction: Gelspar Crystal Shard
is NOT in any Hero’s Inventory
If she was the thief, Kendrick deserves
to know what happened.
PATH C:
RETURN THE SHARD
Path Restriction: Gelspar Crystal Shard
is in 1 Hero’s Inventory
The shard vibrates in proximity
to the Gelspar Crystal. Putting it back
might earn Kendrick’s favour.
PATH D:
KEEP THE SHARD
Path Restriction: Gelspar Crystal Shard
is in 1 Hero’s Inventory
There’s no reason to give up such
a valuable prize. Kendrick doesn’t need
to know you have it.

PATH A OUTCOME:
“No matter,” he says. “We cannot change
what is done. We will simply have
to accelerate our schedule. Time is growing
short, and there is much to discuss.”
• Continue with "Baron" Kendrick
Maddox, Part II (p. 50)
PATH B OUTCOME:
Kendrick listens, his face a mask of cold rage.
“That woman was a thief,” he says.
“The shard she stole weakened the crystal
I hired you to replace. The man you so
heroically butchered was a Chaser
in my employ. You could not have
bungled that worse.”
Taking a deep breath, he glances back at
the pulsing Gelspar Crystal.
“Your honesty is appreciated, but your
competence would be far more valuable.
Let’s put this little debacle behind us and
hope your future efforts yield better results.”
• Continue with "Baron" Kendrick
Maddox, Part II (p. 50)
[ HIDDEN ]
PATH C OUTCOME:
You approach Kendrick and produce
the shard. It drifts from your hand and
clicks into place, rejoining the matrix
of the Gelspar Crystal.
Kendrick looks pleasantly surprised.
“I don’t know how you came by that, but I’m
grateful for its return. It will buy a little more
time for Gelspar. Now come. The hour is late
and there is much to discuss.”
• -1 Campaign Clock
• Remove Gelspar Crystal Shard
from Inventory
• Continue with "Baron" Kendrick Maddox,
Part II (p. 50)
PATH D OUTCOME:
Path Challenge: Sleight of Hand Skill Check
for the Hero with the Gelspar Crystal Shard
› The Hero Succeeds:
You smother the vibrating shard in the thick
lining of your pocket. Kendrick does not
seem to notice.
“No matter,” he says. “We cannot change
what is done. We will simply have to
accelerate our schedule. Time is growing
short, and there is much to discuss.”
• Continue with "Baron" Kendrick Maddox,
Part II (p. 50)
› The Hero does not Succeed:
The vibrating Shard slips through your
fingers before you can properly stow it.
It floats from your hand and clicks into place,
rejoining the matrix of the Gelspar Crystal.
Kendrick turns to you with the stern glare
of a disapproving parent.
“Assume I will punish any future deceptions
mercilessly. I have hired you to replace
the Gelspar Crystal. Do not attempt
to undermine me. Now come. We have
much to discuss.”
• -1 Campaign Clock
• Remove Gelspar Crystal Shard
from Inventory
• Continue with "Baron" Kendrick Maddox,
Part II (p. 50)
Act One — "Baron" Kendrick Maddox 49
 "BARON" KENDRICK MADDOX, PT. II
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
Kendrick leads all of you to the base of the humming
crystal. His personal guard follows at a distance,
but the men with painted faces remain in the shadows.
“You know why you are here,” he says in a low voice.
“All of Adriel knows the Gelspar Crystal is dying.
What they don’t realize is that the slum’s future is not
measured in months or years. It is measured in days.
When the light goes out inside this gem, Gelspar will
fall and the miasma will claim it.”
He gazes up at the underside of the Celestial
Plateau, determination hardening his features.
“Fortunately, the Chasers have located a new
hearth crystal about a day’s flight north of Adriel.
I expect you to retrieve it. Go to the Port of Dreams
and wait outside a shop called the Peerless Pier.
My contact Hobb will meet you there. He is handling
the arrangements for your airship.”
Kendrick gestures to the painted faces watching
you from the edges of the square.
50 Act One — "Baron" Kendrick Maddox, Pt. II
“The Chasers will keep watch here. They should be
able to keep the scavengers at bay,” the Merchant
Baron says with a hint of accusation. “That will keep
Gelspar afloat until you return. That is all you need to
know for now, but if you have any questions, I will try
to answer them.”
The Crystal seems to be fading right before your
eyes. There is not enough time for a full briefing,
so you will have to pick your questions carefully.
DIVERGENCE CROSSROAD
STANDARD VOTE
For new players: Divergence Crossroads
are navigated by individual players rather
than by party vote. Each Hero chooses
his or her own Path, and each Hero’s Path
is resolved in order starting from A and
proceeding to B, C, etc. Unless otherwise
stated, do not read Outcomes for any
unselected Path. Multiple players may
choose to take the same Path to improve
their chances of success, or they can split
up to cover as much ground as possible.
(For Path Challenge rules, see p. 28.)
A Path Challenge in this Crossroad
contains a Difficult Circumstance. A Difficult
Circumstance indicates increased difficulty
at performing a check, and is applied as
a modifier to all roll results made while
navigating the Path Challenge.

PATH A:
ASK ABOUT CRYSTAL LOCATION
Damn the secrecy. You can’t bring back
the hearth crystal if you don’t know where it is.
Path Challenge: Knowledge Skill Check
for each Hero who takes this Path
• Laureat has Advantage
PATH B:
ASK ABOUT
KENDRICK’S MOTIVATIONS
This high-risk venture must be costing
Kendrick dearly. There has to be more
to the story.
Path Challenge: Fast-Talk Skill Check
for each Hero who takes this Path
• Piper has Advantage
Delayed Outcome: If the Heroes tried and
failed to conceal the shard ("Baron" Kendrick
Maddox, Path D, Failure, p. 49):
• +5 Difficult Circumstance to each check
[ REVEALED ]
PATH C:
ASK ABOUT YOUR AIRSHIP
The mission is doomed if your ship isn’t
equipped for the dangers of sky travel.
You could demand to know more
about the vessel.
Path Challenge: Intimidate Skill Check
for each Hero who takes this Path
• Rath has Advantage
PATH D:
ASK ABOUT PROVISIONS
Any good adventurer knows the importance
of having the right gear.
Path Challenge: Insight Skill Check for each
Hero who takes this Path
PATH E:
ASK ABOUT
POTENTIAL DANGERS
You need to know what kind of threats
you might encounter.
Path Challenge: Leadership Skill Check
for each Hero who takes this Path
PATH F:
ASK ABOUT CHASERS
According to rumour, the Chasers have
been doing the nobility’s dirty work for
years. Why would Kendrick trust them now?
You could quietly pull him aside and ask.
Path Challenge: Stealth Skill Check for
each Hero who takes this Path
• Rook has Advantage
Act One — "Baron" Kendrick Maddox, Pt. II 51

PATH A OUTCOME:
› 1 or more Heroes succeed:
The question seems to make Kendrick nervous.
“Our information is…imprecise,” he says.
“The Chasers have found a shard from a new
hearth crystal. Pieces of the same crystal
are attracted to one another, so the shard
will guide you to its parent. It’s an old trick.
Hobb uses it to track down his airships when
people don’t return them. But truthfully,
I do not know exactly where you will find it.
The Chasers won’t tell me where the shard
comes from, and they would have retrieved
it themselves if it were easy to recover.”
• Continue Encounter
› No Heroes succeed:
The question seems to make Kendrick nervous.
“Truthfully, I do not know what you will find.
The Chasers came to me with a lead, but they
won’t tell me where the crystal comes from,
and I doubt it will be easy to recover.”
• Continue Encounter
52 Act One — "Baron" Kendrick Maddox, Pt. II
[ HIDDEN ]
PATH B OUTCOME:
› 1 or more Heroes succeed:
“I have been honest about my intentions
in Gelspar,” Kendrick says. “If I benefit,
that is merely a fortunate coincidence.”
“I will say this. The nobility does not
appreciate the potential of the crystals.
I have much bigger plans once Gelspar
is restored. I was the wealthiest man in
Adriel before this started. I will own Adriel
when it is done.”
“Take this. They’re not cheap, but I have
enough to spare one.”
• Add 1 Potion of Heroism
to 1 Hero's Inventory
• Continue Encounter
› No Heroes succeed:
“I have been honest about my intentions
in Gelspar,” Kendrick says. “If I benefit,
that is merely a fortunate coincidence.”
Powerful men love to talk. You try to keep
the conversation going, but Kendrick is
a practiced politician and remains evasive.
• Continue Encounter
PATH C OUTCOME:
› 1 or more Heroes succeed:
Kendrick tries to dismiss your question,
but you press until he yields.
“The ship is called the Gilded Drake.
She’s not much to look at, but she will
take you where you need to go. Hobb has
been tracking port movements, and has
guaranteed a safe window for you to launch
undetected. But I’d be wary if I were you.
The Drake is a smuggling ship that has seen
better days. There’s no telling what he’s
stashed away on board, so you’ll want
to conduct a thorough search—and maybe
make a few repairs—before you depart.”
• Continue Encounter
› No Heroes succeed:
You press Kendrick for more information,
but he doesn’t offer much.
“The ship is called the Gilded Drake.
She’s not much to look at, but she will
take you where you need to go. Hobb has
been tracking port movements and
has guaranteed a safe window for you
to launch undetected.”
• Continue Encounter

PATH D OUTCOME:
› 1 or more Heroes succeed:
You outline some of the supplies that
could prove useful on your trip into
the Azure. Kendrick nods.
“I appreciate an ally who plans ahead.
The mission must be completed, and I will
assist you to that end.”
He tosses a small coin purse to you.
“Take this as a show of faith. Just remember
that you work for me now. Buy what you need,
but I expect to see a return on my investment.”
• +10 Gold Pieces
• If 2 or more Heroes succeed:
+15 Gold Pieces instead
• Continue Encounter
› No Heroes succeed:
Kendrick seems to find the question amusing.
“Elise has already given you more than you
should need. I need to see results before
increasing my investment. Until then, your gear
is your responsibility. I don’t know what
would be useful to you on this expedition.”
• Continue Encounter
[ HIDDEN ]
PATH E OUTCOME:
› 1 or more Heroes succeed:
“You’ll probably have to deal with a few
slaughterfish, but you will be in the Azure,
so wildlife should be sparse.”
Kendrick takes a minute to mull things over.
“You’ll also want a way to deal with the miasma,
since you’re going to be seeing a lot of it.
In the Port of Dreams there is a sailing supply
shop called The Old Salt. Mention Hobb’s
name and they should offer you a discount.”
• Continue Encounter
› No Heroes succeed:
Kendrick takes a minute to mull things over.
“You’ll probably have to deal with a few
slaughterfish, but you will be in the Azure,
so wildlife should be sparse.”
“Beyond that, I expect you’ll see whatever
it is you normally find when you leave
the city. I’m no adventurer. I don’t know
much about rough terrain.”
• Continue Encounter
PATH F OUTCOME:
› 1 or more Heroes succeed:
You lean in close to speak, conscious of
the Chasers watching from the shadows.
“I don’t trust them," Kendrick says. "I would
be a fool if I did. But in this case, our interests
are aligned. Gelspar is the seat of Chaser
power. They will lose recruits and influence
if the district falls.”
He leans in even closer and drops his voice.
“But sooner or later, the Chasers turn on
everyone. It would be safe to assume they
will betray you at some point. You should
be fine for now. This mission is dangerous,
and the Chasers would much rather let
someone else take the risk. They will
not turn against you until after you have
secured the Crystal. Stay sharp once it is
in your possession.”
• Continue Encounter
› No Heroes succeed:
(Continues to next page ")
Act One — "Baron" Kendrick Maddox, Pt. II 53
 [ HIDDEN ]
PATH F OUTCOME CONT’D:
› No Heroes succeed:
You lean in close to speak, conscious of
the Chasers watching from the shadows.
Kendrick takes a short step back.
“Best not to discuss that here. I can tell you
that I do not fully trust them—I would be
a fool if I did. But in this case, our interests
are aligned. Gelspar is the seat of Chaser
power. They will lose recruits and influence
if the district falls. I doubt they will give you
too much interference.”
He glances around the square.
“If that’s everything, you’ll want to be on your way,”
Kendrick says, “Take the Sky Elevator and approach
the Port of Dreams from the Silverglades. It’s still
the fastest route topside. Nobody goes there
anymore, but I’ve ensured the lift is still in
commission. When you return, bring the crystal
straight to my mansion in the Span. I’ll make my
private dock available. Now hurry. If Gelspar falls,
then our names fall with it.”
Kendrick turns to issue orders to his guards.
The Chasers continue to menace from the shadows.
You head north to the elevator platform, leaving them
and the failing light of the Gelspar Crystal.
• Proceed to Going Up (p. 56)

“If they do betray you, that’s the cost of

doing business. Try not to take it personally.”

• Continue Encounter

Hidden B: Received Item

Point of Heroism
Effect: +1 Tide-Turner Charge
Action: Fast Use: 1/Campaign

54 Act One — "Baron" Kendrick Maddox, Pt. II

A T
CT W O
THE CITY
 GOING UP
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
The metal skeleton of the Sky Elevator rises
away from Gelspar at a sharp angle to the north.
The contraption was originally built to shuttle
food, supplies, and families to the Silverglades
to encourage new farming settlements to feed
the district. That was before the Council of
Nobles abandoned the project and condemned
the Silverglades. Today, the region is a desolate
patch of rock still moored to the edge of Adriel.
Fortunately, it offers an unmonitored route to
the Port of Dreams in Windfall Harbour, where your
ship is waiting.
You hop over a low barricade and board
the elevator, pulling up the loading gate behind you.
The wide platform is lined with old benches and
is large enough to hold nearly a hundred people,
though it has been decades since anyone tested
its capacity. Even then, safety was not a primary
concern. The rickety chest-high railing is tall enough
to secure sliding cargo, but it would be easy to
tumble over the side.
The gears scream in protest when you activate
the lift, but the chains eventually begin to raise
the platform with a slow, metallic clatter. The wind
rattles the cage as you leave the shelter of Gelspar.
Soon the dimming hearth crystal fades into
the distance, and you are dangling in the open
night sky, a mile from the nearest piece of solid
ground. Alongside the elevator shaft, you can
see the colossal chain that tethers Gelspar
to the Silverglades.
56 Act Two — Going Up
[ REVEALED ]
PATH A:
The massive silhouette of the Silverglades looms
TELL HER YOU ARE
above you. In the dark, you can make out the glimmer
JUST PASSING THROUGH
of inert crystal shards and the shapes of stunted trees
and shrubs growing on its underbelly. The lift carries There is no point in lying if the woman
you up past the lip of the island and over a stretch of is already suspicious.
misty terrain. A long, slinking form skitters through Weighted Path: The Narrator tells the Party
the drifting haze between a pair of abandoned silos. that this is the Weighted Path. The party
chooses this Path if even 1 Hero votes for it
The elevator rattles to a stop twenty feet above
the Silverglades and the gate drops, giving you
access to an exit platform. The ruins of a long loading
ramp are strewn about the stone foundation below, PATH B:
but an unsecured ladder descends to ground level SAY YOU WORK
in its stead. FOR THE COUNCIL
“The Council didn’t need to send a babysitter,” This woman thought you were someone
an irritated voice says from below. A woman in a else. You could play along.
purple robe with a crooked staff strapped to her
Path Challenge: Fast-Talk Skill Check
back climbs onto the platform.
for One Hero
“Wait a minute,” she says, squinting for a better
look while reaching for her staff. “You don’t look
like you work for the Council. Mind telling me what
PATH C:
you’re doing here?”
CLAIM YOU ARE ELEVATOR
INSPECTORS AND DEMAND
DECISION CROSSROAD AN EXPLANATION
You have a feeling this woman is not
SNAP VOTE supposed to be here. Perhaps you can turn
the conversation on her.
For Decision Crossroad rules, see p. 26.
For Snap Vote rules, see p. 34. Path Challenge: Intimidate or Fast-Talk Skill
For Path Challenge rules, see p. 28. Check for All Heroes
 [ HIDDEN ]

PATH A OUTCOME:
“Sorry, but the path is closed,” the woman
says, kicking the ladder over.
She pounds her staff on the platform and
a crackle of energy lights up the tip.
She pounds her staff on the platform and
a crackle of energy lights up the tip.
“No. Definitely not Council.”
• Proceed to Don’t Rock the Lift (p. 58)
She points over the railing. Below, a massive
centipede-like creature slithers through
the mist, carrying a blackpowder barrel to
the base of one of the pillars holding up
the shaft. Then she looks back to you with
realization dawning on her face.

“By the order of the Council.”

• Proceed to Don’t Rock the Lift (p. 58)
PATH B OUTCOME:
› The Hero succeeds:
The woman bristles, but steps aside to
let you pass.
“I told them I don’t need any supervision,”
she says. "The Council came to us with
this contract. You can trust the rift
keepers to deliver.”
She gestures below where you canmake out
two other robed figures in the mist.
“Don’t know why they sent you up the elevator.
The Council said no one uses it anymore,
and it seems risky considering the plan...”
› The hero does not succeed:
“Not to be rude here, but can I
“Sure you are,” she says, kicking see some identification?”
the ladder over.
She licks her lips nervously.
She pounds her staff on the platform and
“There is no elevator inspection team, is there?”
a crackle of purple energy lights up the tip.
She pounds her staff on the platform and
“Let’s see some credentials.”
a crackle of energy lights up the tip.
• Proceed to Don’t Rock the Lift (p. 58)
“All right, who are you and what are
you doing here?”
• Proceed to Don’t Rock the Lift (p. 58)
PATH C OUTCOME:
› All Heroes succeed:
› Any Hero does not succeed:
The woman raises an eyebrow in suspicion,
“Sure, and I’m the High Radiant of the Sun
but before she can speak, you bombard her
Chamber,” she says, kicking the ladder over.
with questions. Flustered, she apologizes
and steps aside to let you pass. She pounds her staff on the platform and
a crackle of energy lights up the tip.
“Sorry! I just wasn’t expecting anyone.
I don’t see the point in inspecting something “Let me show you my credentials.”

She trails off and eyes you warily.
“You’re not really with the Council, are you?”
that you're contracting us to blow up in
• Proceed to Don’t Rock the Lift (p. 58)
a couple days anyway. You can tell Lady
Machia we've smuggled the charges in,
and you saw us set them up."

Act Two — Going Up 57

 ,
D O CK
ON T
R
THE LI F T
COMBAT ENCOUNTER
 Tip: If this is your first time playing a tabletop
role playing game or a EMBERWIND campaign,
we recommend that you ignore all sections
marked [Hard Mode].

BATTLEFIELD MAP

LEGEND:
Rift Mage

Slitherspine

Heroes

Concentrated Miasma

Ladder
(See Elevation Combat Flair.)

Elevated Ground
(See Elevation Combat Flair.)

[Hard Mode]
Reinforcements
(See Kaboom! Combat Flair.)

Tip: Print or recreate the map on p. 60,

then place tokens for Combatants at
the indicated locations.

60 Act Two — Don't Rock the Lift, Map

 COMBAT FLAIRS CONDITIONS

Elevation: The lift and the destroyed ramp Concentrated Miasma (Local Field Effect): VICTORY:
are 20 feet above the rest of the Battlefield. Dense pockets of miasma persist in this • All Foes are Fallen.
environment. When a Combatant enters
• You may attempt to climb up or down
a Square with Concentrated Miasma,
the lift or the platform by making an
they take 2d8 Damage and suffer
Athletics Check using a Slow Action.
2 Stacks of Poison. LOSS:
• If you are successful: place your Hero • All Heroes are Fallen.
in an unoccupied Square adjacent • Reminder: Concentrated Miasma does
to the ramp. not affect you if you have a crystal
• If you are unsuccessful: place your shard in your Inventory.
Hero in an unoccupied Square
[Hard Mode] Kaboom!: A Slitherspine
adjacent to the ramp. They take
appears at the as a reinforcement.
2d6 Damage and
This Slitherspine is carrying a powderkeg.
are knocked Prone.
• Delayed Outcome: If you • On a Critical Hit against that
successfully lied to the Rift Mage Slitherspine, or when that Slitherspine
(Going Up, Path B, p. 57; or Going becomes Fallen, the powderkeg
Up, Path C, p. 57), the ladder has detonates. All Combatants within 2
not been kicked down. You may Squares take 6d6 Damage .
climb the ladder as a Fast Action
without making an Athletics
Check to ascend to or descend
from the platform.
• You may drop from the the ramp
as a Free Action. If you do, you take
3d6 Damage .

Act Two — Don’t Rock the Lift 61

 OPENING NARRATION
The woman grips her crooked wooden staff
and traces a circle in the air, seeming to tear
the fabric of reality. A spiraling vortex of
purple energy opens inside the elevator
cage, and a massive centipede-like
creature emerges. Its countless rows
of spiny, multi-hinged legs clicks as it
advances. As it uncoils, its hard carapace
sizzles and smokes when it meets the cool
night air. The elevator groans beneath
the added weight.
Another centipede slinks out of
the miasma and climbs onto the exit
platform with terrifying speed.
With a swipe of her staff, the woman
opens another crackling rift directly in
front of her. She steps through and
reappears from another portal at the base
of the ruined ramp.
You ready your weapons as
the creatures close in.
62 Act Two — Don’t Rock the Lift
[ HIDDEN ]
VICTORY OUTCOME:
The woman coughs up a knot of blood
as you approach. She fumbles for her staff,
but gives up when she realizes it is too far away.
“Go ahead,” she wheezes with her last
breaths. “I knew I shouldn’t have taken this
job. That’s what I get for trusting bureaucrats.”
Her head lolls to the side as she dies,
leaving you alone in the eerie silence
of the Silverglades.
• +3 Campaign Clock
• Proceed to The Silverglades (p. 66)
LOSS OUTCOME:
As the world goes dark and the night fills
with the sound of clicking legs and fangs
ripping into flesh, you realize you have failed
Gelspar. The slum will fall, and your names
will be forgotten with it.
• Game Over: Your party has failed at
a critical moment. Discuss what went
wrong, then make a standard vote to
backtrack to the beginning of the Act,
Encounter, or Campaign. Remove any
items and gold you have gained between
then and now.
 FOE DATA

RRI FITF T
RMI FM TAGE
AGE
A.I. HEX GRIDS AND STATS
For A.I. Hex Grids and Stats rules, see p. 122.

M AGE
Tip: For ease of use, you can download
and print the Foe Cards for this campaign
at www.emberwindgame.com/campaigns/
skies-of-axia.

INFORMATION SPECIAL ABILITIES

INFORMATION SPECIAL ABILITIES
Rank: Grunt Size: 1 x 1 A: Dazing Bolt :
1 Deal 1d10A:+ Dazing
10 Damage
Rank: Grunt Size: 1 x 1 Bolt :. Hero suffers
1 HP: 35 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 6 from Daze .
INFORMATION SPECIAL ABILITIES
Deal 1d10 + 10 Damage . Hero suffers
Basic HP: 35 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 6
Basic Ranged Rift Bolt : [Range 5] from Daze
B: Dew from Beyond: Nearest wounded .
Attack A: Dazing Bolt :
6 Basic 2 Rank: Grunt Size: 1 x 1 Slitherspine healsfrom10 HP.
Special 1 Basic Attack: Deal
Basic 1d10 + 10
Ranged RiftDamage
Bolt : [Range 5] B: +Dew Beyond:. Hero
Nearest wounded
Attack Deal 1d10 10 Damage suffers
Ability 6 2
B
Special Attack
Basic
HP: 35 Toughness:
Attack: Resistance:
4 Deal 1d10 + 106Damage from DazeSlitherspine
. heals 10 HP.
Ability
Move
Basic Attack
B
5Attack
Sqs. Basic Ranged Rift Bolt : [Range 5] B: Dew from Beyond: Nearest wounded
6
Special
Special
Move
Special
2 [Storyteller Only]Deal
Attack: Actions
1d10 per
+ 10 Turn:
Damage2 Slitherspine heals 10 HP.
5Basic
Sqs.
Ability
Ability Special
Ability
Attack Special [Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 2
5 B B Special A 3 Ability
Ability
Move
Ability
B A DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL MODIFIERS
5 5 Sqs. Special 3
Special A Special
Ability
[Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 2
DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL MODIFIERS
Ability Ability
A Maintains 5 Squares of distance from Coordinated Assault: Targets the last
4
5 B Special A 3 nearest Hero whenever
Maintains possible.of distance from
5 Squares Hero another Foe Attacked.
Coordinated Assault: Targets the last
Ability 4
DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS
Immediacy: nearest
Attacks Hero whenever
nearest Hero. possible. OPTIONAL
Blink: Move HeroMODIFIERS
Actionsanother Foe Attacked.
are Teleports (cannot
A
be obstructed and not affected by Elevation).
Maintains Immediacy:
5 Squares ofAttacks nearest
distance from Hero. CoordinatedBlink: Move Targets
Assault: Actions the
are Teleports
last (cannot
4 be obstructed and not affected by Elevation
nearest Hero whenever possible. Hero another Foe Attacked.
Immediacy: Attacks nearest Hero. Blink: Move Actions
Act Two — Don’tare Teleports
Rock the Lift, Rift(cannot
Mage 63
be obstructed and not affected by Elevation).
 SSLIPI
L
LIITH
TH ER
ER
TH ER
SSPI
PINNNE
E
E
INFORMATION
INFORMATION SPECIAL
SPECIAL
ABILITIES
ABILITIES
INFORMATION SPECIAL ABILITIES
1 1 Rank:
Rank: Awakened
Awakened Size:
Size:
2 x22x 2 A: Limb
A: Limb
Cage
Cage : :
1 Rank: Awakened Size: 2 x 2 A: Deal
Deal
Limb 1d10
1d10
Cage + 5+Damage
5: Damage . Hero
. Hero
suffers
suffers
HP:HP:
75 75Toughness:
Toughness: Resistance:
4 4 Resistance: 6 6 from
from
Paralysis
Paralysis . .
Basic
Basic Deal 1d10 + 5 Damage . Hero suffers
Attack
Attack HP: 75 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 6 from Paralysis .
Basic Basic
Basic
Ranged
Ranged Lash : [Range
Lash : [Range
2] 2] B: Spineburst
B: Spineburst
[Acrobatics/Endurance]:
[Acrobatics/Endurance]:
Attack Attack:
Attack:
Basic Ranged Deal
Deal
Lash 1d10
1d10
:+[Range
10+ Damage
10 Damage
2] B: [Range
[Range
Spineburst 2] Deal
2][Acrobatics/Endurance]:
Deal
2d10
2d10+ 10+ Damage
10 Damage
6 6 2 2 to all
to Heroes
all Heroes within
within
2 Range.
2 Range.
Special
Special Attack: Deal 1d10 + 10 Damage [Range 2] Deal 2d10 + 10 Damage
Move
Move Basic
Basic Slitherspine
Slitherspine
6 Ability
Ability 3 Sqs.
3 Sqs. Attack
Attack
2 to all Heroessufferssuffers
within from from
2 Range. Fragility.
Fragility.
Special Move Basic
A A Special Special Slitherspine
C: Grappling
C: Grappling suffers
BarbBarb from
: [RangeFragility.
: [Range
5] 5]
Ability 3 Sqs. Basic
Basic Attack
Ability
Ability
A Special Attack
Attack
Basic C: Deal
Deal
1d10
1d10
Grappling +Barb
10+ Damage
10 Damage
: [Range. Hero
5]. Hero
is is
C C [Storyteller
[Storyteller
Only]
Only]
Actions
Actions
perper
Turn:
Turn:
3 3 moved
movedto square
to square
adjacent
adjacent
to Slitherspine.
to Slitherspine.
Ability Move
Move Attack Deal 1d10 + 10 Damage . Hero is
C 3 Sqs.
3 Sqs. [Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 3 moved to square adjacent to Slitherspine.
Move
Special
Special Move
Move
3 Sqs.
Ability
Ability 3 Sqs.
3 Sqs.
Special Move DEFAULT
DEFAULT
CHARACTERISTICS
CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL
OPTIONAL
MODIFIERS
MODIFIERS
C C Special
Special
Move Ability
Move Move
Move 3 Sqs.
Ability
Ability DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL MODIFIERS
3 Sqs.
3 Sqs. C 3 Sqs.
3 Sqs. Special Natural
Natural
Environment:
Environment:
Immune
Immune to Concentrated
to Concentrated Steady
Steady
Feet:
Feet:
Cannot
Cannot
Move Move A A 3 3
5 5 Ability Miasma
Miasma(Local
(Local
Field
Field
Effect).
Effect). be be
knocked
knocked
Prone.
Prone.
3 Sqs. 3 Sqs. Natural Environment: Immune to Concentrated Steady Feet: Cannot
5 A 3 Miasma
High
High (Local Move
Traction: Field
Traction: Effect).
Move
Actions
Actionsareare
notnot beWide
Wideknocked Prone.
Attacks:
Attacks:
Basic
Basic
Attacks
Attacks
Special
Special
Ability
Ability affected
affected
by by
Elevation.
Elevation.
High Traction: Move Actions are not targeting
targeting
a Hero
a Hero
also
also
target
target
Wide Attacks: Basic Attacks all all
Special
B B affected
MobMob by Elevation.
Masher:
Masher:
Moves
Moves
toward
toward andand
Attacks
Attacks other
other
Heroes
Heroes
adjacent
adjacent
to that
to that
targeting a Hero also target allHero.
Hero.
Ability
B Hero
Hero
nearest
nearest
to another
to another
Hero.
Hero.
Mob Masher: Moves toward and Attacks other Heroes adjacent to that Hero.
4 4
Hero nearest to another Hero.
4

Act Two — Don’t Rock the Lift, Slitherspine 65

 THE SILVERGLADES

CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
As you look over the woman’s corpse and [ REVEALED ]
the twitching bodies of the monsters littering
the area, you realize you have stumbled upon PATH A: PATH C:
something you were not supposed to see. It could SEARCH THE AREA SEARCH THE MAGES
be worth having a look around, but Hobb is waiting Path Restriction: Campaign Clock must Path Restriction: Campaign Clock must
for you in the Port of Dreams. be less than 9 be less than 9

The woman was up to something You might find clues or useful equipment.
DISCOVERY CROSSROAD when you arrived.
Path Challenge: Sleight of Hand Skill
Path Challenge: Focus Skill Check Check for all Heroes
STANDARD VOTE for all Heroes
For new players: Discovery Crossroads
work like Dialogue Crossroads, except that
PATH D:
the Heroes investigate their environment for
PATH B: LEAVE FOR
information or resources. Your party votes on
Paths to direct the investigation. Your group
EXAMINE THE CREATURES THE PORT OF DREAMS
may take multiple Paths, selecting them Path Restriction: Campaign Clock must There is no time to investigate. If you leave
in any order, until one of the Outcomes be less than 9 now, you should be able to reach the docks
ends the Crossroad. You cannot take within the hour.
These monsters do not look like they are
the same Path more than once.
native to this world.
For Standard Vote rules, see p. 26.
Path Challenge: Knowledge Skill Check
For Path Restriction and Path Challenge
for all Heroes
rules, see p. 32.

66 Act Two — The Silverglades


PATH A OUTCOME:
› 2 or more Heroes succeed:
Inside one of the silos, there is a stack of
blackpowder barrels that would be far too
heavy to carry with you. They do not seem
to be armed.
However, you find a blackpowder bomb
strapped to the underside of the exit
platform’s railing.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Add Blackpowder Bomb to Inventory
• Vote again
› No Hero succeeds:
Poking around, you don’t find much of note.
Inside one of the silos, there is a stack of
blackpowder barrels that would be far too
heavy to carry with you.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Vote again
Hidden A: Received Item
Blackpowder Bomb
Effect: Target a Square up to 3 Squares
away from you. Any Combatant adjacent to
Square takes 4d6 damage . • Proceed to Port of Dreams (p. 68)
Action: Fast Use: 1/Campaign
[ HIDDEN ]
PATH B OUTCOME:
› 1 or more Heroes succeed:
The creatures look like monstrous
centipedes, but their physiology has been
warped. Beneath their spiny, jointed legs
and chitinous plates, they have pale,
slimy flesh. One of the bodies seemed
to be giving off faint wisps of smoke when
it first emerged from the portal, but now it is
totally inert. A fine crystalline frost is starting
to form on some of the joints.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Vote again
› No Hero succeeds:
Beneath the spiny plates covering
the creatures’ bodies, their pale flesh
is soft and slimy. Whatever these things are,
their anatomy is strange and unfamiliar.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Vote again
PATH C OUTCOME:
› 1 or more Heroes succeed:
The mages' cloaks are lined with dozens
of small pockets holding all manners of junk.
Most of it is worthless, but one of the mage's
hidden pouches contains a bag of gold coins
stamped with the city seal of Summit.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• +5 Gold Pieces
• Vote again
› No Hero succeeds:
The mages' cloaks are lined with dozens
of small pockets holding all manner of junk.
Unfortunately, all of it is worthless.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Vote again
PATH D OUTCOME:
You regroup and prepare to depart,
grateful to be putting this mess behind you.
There is nothing left for you in
the Silverglades. You hurry into the shifting
mists and make your way toward the distant
lights of the harbour.
Act Two — The Silverglades 67
 THE PORT OF DREAMS
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
Located at the far eastern tip of Adriel, the Port
of Dreams is one of the lesser marinas in Windfall
Harbour. The port is primarily used for personal
travel by local residents, with only a token customs
force to monitor the commercial comings and goings.
The lax oversight makes the Port of Dreams more
popular than Wingspan with smugglers. It is the perfect
place to launch a covert expedition.
To get to the Port of Dreams, you have to go through
the Red Market, a sprawling bazaar in the middle of
Windfall Harbour. The Red Market takes its name
from the enormous bolts of crimson cloth draped
above the top of the district to shield the city from
the sun during the day.
The Red Market is not as dangerous as Gelspar,
but it’s far from safe. Although it is still hours until
dawn, the narrow streets are already teeming with
people—more than a few of them likely pickpockets
68 Act Two — The Port of Dreams
and thieves. The fragrant stalls are abuzz with [ REVEALED ]
the din of hagglers. When the sun is at its peak,
A woman wrapped in a drab shawl bumps
a walk that should take twenty minutes will take more
into you as you make your way down one
than an hour in the dense crush of people. You will
of the central thoroughfares.
have to hurry if you want to make it to the skyfront
before traffic clogs the streets. “Come with me,” she whispers.
“I have something to give you.”
DETOUR There is something familiar about
the woman’s voice. You will have to follow
For Detour rules, see p. 30. her immediately or lose her in the crowd.
For Path Restriction rules, see p. 32.
Do you pursue her?
Path Restriction: This Detour is only
available if the Heroes won the Dog Eat Dog
Combat Encounter (p. 39)

When you turn back, the woman stands
in the middle of the street, grinning and
swinging your coin purse in her hand.
You recognize her as the woman you saved
on the Hacksaw Bridge. Her left arm is in
a sling, but otherwise she seems to have
recovered well from her ordeal.
“You’ll want to be more careful,” she says.
“You never know who you’ll run into in this
part of town.”
She leads you into an alley behind a wooden
cart stacked with jugs of fermented milk.
Ducking into in an abandoned doorway,
she leans against the sandstone sandstone
wall. She produces an odorous wedge of
cheese and takes a bite. She grimaces,
but continues chewing.
“Ugh—stale. But it was a steal, so no one
to blame but myself,” she says, tucking the
wedge away somewhere inside her shawl.
“Look, I’m no good at this sort of thing.
Generally keep to myself, you know?
But you helped me out of a tight spot, and I
suppose some kind of thanks is in order.”
[ HIDDEN ]
She tosses you a leather pouch with a tight • +1 Campaign Clock
drawstring. When you open it, you find it • -1 Gold Piece
filled with a pinch of fine white powder. • Add Wedge of Cheese to
1 Hero's Inventory
“A taste of last night’s score,” she says.
“I’m sure you’ll find a use for it. Or not. That • Add "Crystalline Powder" to
will fetch a decent price on the open market.” 1 Hero's Inventory
• Can be sold for 10 Gold Pieces
She opens your purse and removes a coin
to any shopkeeper. If Laureat is
before throwing you the rest.
present, she recognizes it as
“Sorry, but I don’t do this for free, you know? the street drug Pixie, made of
A girl has to take something for her time. ground crystal shards. It can be
There are people who would kill for that, sold for 15 Gold Pieces instead.
so getting it at cost is quite the bargain. • Exit Detour and continue Encounter
The next time we do business—if there is on the next page
a next time—you won’t even know a deal
has taken place. I wish you well in your Hidden: Received Item
endeavors... and I hope we never meet again.”
Wedge of Cheese
You keep a tight grip on your possessions
Effect: Heal 1 HP
as the woman brushes past and disappears
into the flow of street traffic. Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign
It takes you a moment to realize the smell
Hidden: Received Item
coming from your coin purse is the stale
cheese she must have stowed inside "Crystalline Powder"
before returning it.
Effect: +10 Resistance until end
of the Encounter; Suffer from 1 Stack
of Poison (Persistent)
Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign
Act Two — The Port of Dreams 69
You shove through the bazaar and reach [ REVEALED ] [ HIDDEN ]
the Peerless Pier, where several modest airships
are moored to long docks that jut like teeth into PATH A: PATH A OUTCOME:
the empty sky beyond. Sailors scurry around, VISIT “THE HEDGE” The sign above the stall reads
tossing thick coils of rope and leaping from ship APOTHECARY “The Hedge.” Just below that hangs another
to pier without concern for the bottomless drop Potions and salves could come in handy sign reading “When you need an edge,
below. Airships come and go, flitting off into on your voyage. visit the Hedge.” Below that stands a man
the darkness like fireflies. with sunken, sleepy eyes.

There is no sign of your contact yet, giving you some “Welcome to the Hedge,” he says.
time to peruse the nearby stands. The selection in PATH B: “I’m guessing you could use an edge.”
the Port of Dreams is sparser than in the Red Market, VISIT “THE AMPLE
• +1 Campaign Clock
but the lines are shorter. If you need any equipment ANVIL” SMITHY
or supplies, now is your last chance to shop.
• See “The Hedge” Store Inventory (p. 71)
Your gear might benefit
from some maintenance.
• Vote again

DISCOVERY CROSSROAD

PATH C: PATH B OUTCOME:

STANDARD VOTE
VISIT “THE OLD SALT” “Weapons don’t kill people—sharp weapons
For Discovery Crossroad rules, see p. 66.
For Standard Vote rules, see p. 26.
SAILING SUPPLY kill people,” says a grinning blacksmith with
three missing teeth.
You do not want to be caught in the open
sky without proper supplies. “Let’s give your blade some bite.”

• +1 Campaign Clock
• See “The Ample Anvil” Store
PATH D: Inventory (p. 72)
LEAVE SHOPS • Vote again
AND LOOK FOR HOBB
Your contact should be here soon.

70 Act Two — The Port of Dreams

 HIDDEN: “THE HEDGE” STORE INVENTORY
Name Effect Stock Price
PATH C OUTCOME:
“Don’t fall through the bottomless blue.
Effect: +2 Damage until end of the Encounter 5
I have everything you need to make sure Bloodboil Bubbly 2
the winds favour your sails,” says the woman Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign Gold Pieces
running the stall.

• +1 Campaign Clock Effect: Remove all Stacks of a Condition 5

Cloudclear Salve 2
• See “The Old Salt” Store Inventory (p.72) Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign Gold Pieces

Delayed Outcome: If Kendrick told you

to mention Hobb: Effect: Heal 2 HP at the start of your Turn
Shot of 8
until the end of the Encounter 1
"Liquid Courage" Gold Pieces
• Purchase 1 item at half price Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign
(rounded down)
• Vote again Effect:+2 Resistance until end of the Encounter
Glittergold 5
2
Ointment Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign Gold Pieces

PATH D OUTCOME:
A few shopkeepers call out when they
realize you are about to leave, but you
ignore them and turn your attention
toward the street.

• Proceed to The Peerless Pier (p. 73)

Act Two — The Port of Dreams 71

 HIDDEN: “THE AMPLE ANVIL” STORE INVENTORY
Name Effect Stock Price

Effect: +2 Damage until end of the Campaign

Weapon 8
Action: N/A Use: N/A 2
Maintenance Kit Gold Pieces

Armour Effect: +1 Toughness until end of the Campaign 10

2
Maintenance Kit Action: N/A Use: N/A Gold Pieces

HIDDEN: “THE OLD SALT” STORE INVENTORY

Name Effect Stock Price

Effect: +1 Turn to Combat Encounters with

the Combat Flair Miasma (Field Effect) 10
Lungbox 1
Gold Pieces
Action: N/A Use: N/A

Effect: Alter a roll result by -4 or +4. 5

Sailor’s Knot 2
Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign Gold Pieces

Minor Effect: Heal 10 HP 5

2
Healing Salve Action: Fast Use: 1/Campaign Gold Pieces

72 Act Two — The Port of Dreams

 THE PEERLESS PIER
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
After a few minutes, a cherubic man emerges from
the crowd, briefly making eye contact with a nod.
He weaves through passersby without bumping
anyone or dropping the kebabs he holds in both
hands, ducking and spinning as if following a path
only he can see. The man’s ruddy cheeks are
covered in a thin layer of sweat and dirt. It would
be easy to pass him off as a drunkard if not for
the strange grace of his movements.
“This way,” he whispers as he passes, followed by
the smell of roasted meat and herbs. He does not
wait to see if you keep up. You hustle to keep pace.
Just when you think you have lost him, you spot him
waving from behind a boathouse.
“No names,” he snaps. “If anyone asks, I have nothing
to do with Kendrick’s little expedition. Come on.” [3]
For Storytellers: see p.117 for more
[3]
information on Hobb.
Hobb slides a loose board from the the boathouse Hobb boards and dances about the cockpit, hitting a
wall and dips through the gap. A guard dog sniffs few switches and pulling a few levers before giving
your feet as you enter, but goes back to sleep when the engine a good kick. The airship rumbles to life.
it sees Hobb has finished his kebabs.
“Takes her a few minutes to get warmed up,”
The main door of the shack is padlocked from within. he says. “Might as well go in and
The floor is covered with an odd assortment of make yourselves comfortable.”
mismatched rugs. Hobb peels one back to reveal
The ship’s upper deck consists of the cockpit and
a trapdoor and ladder. You descend several stories
threadbare quarters for a crew. The lower deck is
to a horseshoe-shaped landing with a battered
an empty cargo hold. You set down your gear and
airship. “The Gilded Drake” is painted in peeling
take a quick tour of the vessel.
letters on the hull.
“There she is,” says Hobb, beaming like a salesman.
DIVERGENCE CROSSROAD
“One fine airship in fine working order. Even comes
with a retractable cannon.”
STANDARD VOTE
Hobb’s assessment is fanciful at best. The metal
For Divergence Crossroad rules, see p. 50.
plating is caked with rust, while the sail and
For Path Challenge rules, see p. 28.
the cannon seem likely to come dislodged at the first
sign of turbulence. Still, it appears to be skyworthy.
Act Two — The Peerless Pier 73
 [ REVEALED ]
PATH A:
EXAMINE THE DRIVE
CRYSTAL AND COCKPIT
You might gain a better sense of the Drake’s
thrust, power, and flight controls.
Path Challenge: Focus Skill Check for
each Hero who takes this Path
• Laureat has Advantage
Delayed Outcome: If Kendrick explained
how crystals work ("Baron" Kendrick Maddox,
Part II, Path A, Success, p. 51)
• 1 Hero may claim Advantage
74 Act Two — The Peerless Pier
PATH B:
SEARCH THE HOLD
The Drake is a smuggling ship. There might
be something useful tucked away.
Path Challenge: Stealth Skill Check for
each Hero who takes this Path
• Rath has Advantage
Delayed Outcome: If Kendrick advised you to
search the hold ("Baron" Kendrick Maddox,
Part II, Path C, Success, p. 51)
• 1 Hero may claim Advantage
[ HIDDEN ]
PATH A OUTCOME:
› 1 or more Heroes succeed:
You spend a few minutes familiarizing
yourself with the controls. Everything is
in a state of disrepair, but it is a standard
vehicle, and should not be too difficult to pilot.
However, you notice something strange
when you examine the drive crystal
that powers the airship. The matrix of
shards has been rearranged to conceal
a hollow space at its core, where a piece
of another crystal hovers like the needle
of a compass. Someone with another piece
of the same crystal would have no trouble
tracking your vessel.
You cannot remove the shard without risking
the integrity of the Drake’s core, but you
make note of the tracker, knowing someone
may be monitoring your expedition.
Your investigation also reveals some
inefficiencies with the ship’s design.

With a few tweaks, you are able to increase
the ship’s performance. The result will save
you quite a bit of time.
• -1 Campaign Clock
• Teamwork Bonuses:
• 2 Heroes succeed:
-2 Campaign Clock instead
• 3 Heroes succeed:
-3 Campaign Clock instead
• 4 Heroes succeed:
-4 Campaign Clock instead
› No Heroes succeed:
You spend a few minutes familiarizing
yourself with the controls. Everything is
in a state of disrepair, but it is a standard
vehicle and should not be too difficult to
pilot. The drive crystal does not seem to
be generating much power given its size,
but it should be able to keep you aloft.
Hidden B: Received Item
PATH B OUTCOME:
Waking Draught
› 1 or more Heroes succeed:
Effect: Gain Advantage for your next Check.
You spend a few minutes poking at the walls Can be used out of Combat.
until you find a seam in the floor. Lifting up Action: Free Use: 1/Campaign
a sheet of metal reveals several hidden
storage bins used to transport black market
After completing your inspection, you deboard
goods. Most of them are empty, but one
and meet with Hobb on the landing.
contains a small cache of food and supplies.
• Continue with The Peerless Pier, Part II (p. 76)
• Add 1 Waking Draught to your Inventory
• Teamwork Bonuses:
• 2 Heroes succeed:
Add 2 Waking Draught
• 3 Heroes succeed:
Add 3 Waking Draught
• 4 Heroes succeed:
Add 4 Waking Draught
› No Heroes succeed:
You spend a few minutes poking
at the walls to search for hidden
compartments. Unfortunately, you are
unable to find any hidey holes. Hobb would
not have left anything too valuable, so it’s
probably not too much of a loss.
Act Two — The Peerless Pier 75
 THE PEERLESS PIER, PT. II

CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
The Gilded Drake is purring gently when you rejoin
DISCOVERY CROSSROAD
Hobb. He hands you a glass compass with a crystal
shard floating inside. STANDARD VOTE
“Don’t know how Kendrick managed to get his hands For Discovery Crossroad rules, see p. 66.
on a shard from a new crystal,” Hobb grumbles, For Path Restriction rules, see p. 32.
“but it looks like the real deal. I rigged this up special
just for him. Pieces of crystal are attracted to each
other. So what do I do? I wire it into a compass so it
will always point you in the right direction.” [ REVEALED ]
He beams at you, as if expecting praise. It does not
PATH A: PATH B:
seem to matter whether he receives it or not.
INSPECT THE HULL INTERROGATE HOBB
“Anyway,” Hobb continues, “it’s been pointing to Path Restriction: Campaign Clock must Path Restriction: Campaign Clock must
the Northern Azure, but there’s no telling how far away be less than 13 be less than 13
the source crystal is. You better get going. I can’t
The body work on the hull looks sloppy. Hobb’s pushiness is suspicious.
guarantee your path will be open for much longer.”
It might be worth patching up. He could have his own agenda.
You look back up at the ship’s hull with its ramshackle
Path Challenge: Mend Skill Check for All Heroes Path Challenge: Intimidate Skill Check for 1 Hero
patches of sheet metal and its rusted cannon.
Delayed Outcome: If Kendrick advised you • Rath has Advantage
“She may not look like much, but she’s got it where
to inspect the hull ("Baron" Kendrick Maddox,
it counts,” Hobb says. “Now if there’s nothing else,
Part II, Path C, Success, p. 52):
I’ll see you on your way.”

He seems eager to be rid of you, and grows visibly

• 1 Hero may claim Advantage PATH C:
more nervous the longer you stay on the launch
BOARD AND DEPART
platform. Maybe he is simply concerned about There is no time for further preparations.
the time, or maybe he has his own reasons for
wanting you gone.

76 Act Two — The Peerless Pier, Pt. II

 [ HIDDEN ]
PATH A OUTCOME:
› 2 or more Heroes succeed:
A quick scan of the hull reveals that a large
sheet of armour plating is loose at one
corner. You shore up some of the gaps using
a bucket of rivets on the landing.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Vote again
› 1 or fewer Heroes succeed:
Hobb insists the ship is fine. You do not see
anything that would prove him wrong.
The Drake looks like a pile of junk, but there
is nothing in need of immediate repair,
so you’ll have to take the ship as is.
• +1 Campaign Clock
• Vote again
PATH B OUTCOME:
› The Hero succeeds:
Hobb tries to duck your questions about his
allegiances, but wavers when you press harder.
“All right, fine. I might have told a couple
people about part of the plan. You know,
interested parties with coin to pay. People
who expect me to know that sort of thing.”
Hobb chuckles at your look of apprehension.
After you board, Hobb closes the door of the ship
without wishing you good fortune. He raises
“Don’t worry. Kendrick paid for safe passage,
the garage door, which opens to the wide
and that’s exactly what I’m going to deliver.
ventilation network beneath the streets of Adriel.
Just can’t promise what you’ll find on
You ease the ship out of the dock and thread your way
the way back.”
through the maze until you emerge unseen from
• +1 Campaign Clock an exhaust port on the underside of the Red Market.
• OR +0 Campaign Clock if Rath You join the flow of traffic moving away from
attempted the challenge the city, breaking away once you pass the shell
• Vote again of the abandoned cargo ship marking the unofficial
edge of Adriel’s airspace. No one remembers what
› The Hero does not succeed: happened to that barren husk of twisted metal,
but they know it well as the signpost marking
Hobb ducks your questions
the beginning of the Northern Azure.
about his allegiances.
You enter the open sky beyond the safety of
“I don’t appreciate these accusations,”
the port. If you do not return, you will be forgotten
he says. “I’m no double-dealer. Kendrick
along with the rest of the debris.
paid for safe passage. That’s exactly what
I’m going to deliver.” • Proceed to Leviathan (p. 80)
• +1 Campaign Clock
• OR +0 Campaign Clock if Rath
attempted the challenge
• Vote again
PATH C OUTCOME:
You have learned all you can expect to learn
from a man as cagey as Hobb. You gather
your gear and prepare for departure.
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
Act Two — The Peerless Pier, Pt. II 77
A T
CT H R E E
THE SKY
 LEVIATHAN
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
The sun rises, and soon the sky burns orange
beneath its glare. The Azure spreads out endlessly
before you. Other than the billowing clouds of
toxic miasma, there are are no landmarks to gauge
distance as you travel. Without the compass shard
to guide your way, you might spend forever floating
through this void.
Hours pass. It becomes difficult to stay awake
as you sail through gusts of vapour. You follow
the pointing shard, adjusting your course as necessary.
Sometimes it seems to move erratically, and there is
no way of knowing if you are any closer to your target.
Eventually, day turns into dusk. The burnt orange
fades to inky purple, and an immense wall of miasma
comes into view in the distance. The rest of the sky
is strangely calm as you follow your compass toward
the looming tempest.
80 Act Three — Leviathan
When you get close, you can faintly see a field of [ REVEALED ]
the stars in the depths of the purple thunderheads.
The pinpoints of light move with a twinkling hypnotic PATH A:
shimmer. Then they lurch unexpectedly and FIGHT
a monstrous roar rattles the Drake. A colossal wurm The Gilded Drake has a front-facing
bursts from the dense bank of miasma. The serpent cannon. A well-placed shot might break
appears weightless, its body rising in an endless spiral the wurm’s charge.
of scales lined with dull crystal shards.
Path Challenge: Focus Skill Check
Shards flake loose from the wurm’s hide as it twists for All Heroes
through the air. The creature opens its gaping maw
and lunges at your airship. • Rook has Advantage
DECISION CROSSROAD
PATH B:
FLIGHT
SNAP VOTE You might be able to dodge the wurm’s
For Decision Crossroad rules, see p. 26. charge and outrun it.
For Snap Vote rules, see p. 34.
For Path Challenge rules, see p. 28. Path Challenge: Leadership Skill Check
for 1 Hero
• Rath has Advantage

PATH A OUTCOME:
› The Heroes succeed:
As the Wurm rises toward the ship,
you carefully line up the cannon on a weak
point in its midsection. Threading your shot
between a dense formation of crystals
and a denser-looking patch of hide,
you blast a hole in the creature's side.
A puff of shimmering dust erupts from
entry wound and the wurm writhes in agony,
its charge momentarily broken.
The wurm whips its head around, its filmy
white eyes bearing down on the Drake as
it redoubles its charge. It closes the gap
between you in an instant.
You do not have time to fire another shot
before the wurm’s mouth eclipses the night
sky and swallows you whole. The world
disappears as the jaws slam shut, imprisoning
you behind two rows of jagged teeth.
• Continue with Leviathan, Part II (p. 82)
[ HIDDEN ]
› The Heroes do not succeed: You break through a cloud just as a larger
ship with a massive white skull painted
Your shot glances off the creature’s tough
on its prow pulls out in front of you.
hide. The attack only seems to enrage
You swerve to avoid it, and the wurm
the wurm, a sky-shattering scream rising
closes the gap, its mouth eclipsing
from its throat as it closes in.
the night sky and swallowing you whole.
The wurm’s mouth eclipses the night sky as
• Continue with Leviathan, Part II (p. 82)
it swallows you whole. The world disappears
as the jaws slam shut, imprisoning you
› No Heroes succeed:
behind two rows of jagged teeth.
Loose debris clatters across the floor as you
• Continue with Leviathan, Part II (p. 82)
pull the airship hard to starboard. You slam
the throttle forward, bursting through cloud
banks as you try to break from the line of
PATH B OUTCOME: the wurm’s charge. It rises, following your
› 1 Hero succeeds: new trajectory. Within seconds, it has
closed the gap.
Loose debris clatters across the floor
as you pull the airship hard to starboard. The wurm’s mouth eclipses the night sky as
The Drake slips out of the corner of the wurm’s it swallows you whole. The world disappears
mouth as the jaws slam shut behind you. as the jaws slam shut, imprisoning you
The monster shoots past and begins to turn, behind two rows of jagged teeth.
angling its massive body for another attack.
• Continue with Leviathan, Part II (p. 82)
You slam the throttle forward, racing through
cloud banks as you try to put distance
between your ship and the wurm.
Act Three — Leviathan 81

LEVIATHAN, PT. II
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
Dull crystal shards dot the humid cavern of
the wurm’s mouth and throat, dimly marking
the edges of the creature’s gullet. The twilight path
seems to be the only way forward. You stare down
a long, fleshy tunnel lined with hundreds of ridged
molars the size of anvils. Leftover chunks of metal,
stone and meat are wedged in the gaps between
its teeth. The tongue lifts and the throat clenches
around the Drake. The ship groans and the cannon
rattles in its mount as powerful muscles constrict and
pull you down toward the belly of the beast.
DECISION CROSSROAD
SNAP VOTE
For Decision Crossroad rules, see p. 26.
For Snap Vote rules, see p. 34.
For Path Challenge and Advantage
rules, see p. 32.
82 Act Three — Leviathan, Pt. II
[ HIDDEN ]
PATH A OUTCOME:
Path Challenge: Endurance Skill Check
for each Hero
• Delayed Outcome: If the Heroes
reinforced the hull in The Peerless Pier,
Part II, Path A (p. 77)
[ REVEALED ] • Each Hero may claim Advantage
PATH A: › 2 or more Heroes succeed:
BRACE THE HULL
You hurl your bodies against the walls of
You might be able to prevent the wurm’s
the ship, pushing with all your strength.
throat from crushing the frame of the Drake.
Sparks spit from the walls as the wurm’s
teeth grind through metal and glass,
slashing your arms and legs.
PATH B:
You plant your feet and stand firm,
RETRACT THE GUN
ignoring the blood running down your side.
The Drake’s cannon will not last long
The churning molars tear away the cannon
outside the hull.
and leave ragged holes in the hull,
but the Drake’s frame holds firm.
She will require minimal repairs before she
PATH C:
is skyworthy again.
RETREAT TO THE HOLD
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
The hold is reinforced and offers the best
odds of survival.
› 1 or fewer Heroes succeed:
You hurl your bodies against the walls of
the ship, bracing with all your strength as
the cockpit crumples around you and sparks

spit from the hull. The wurm’s teeth grind
through metal and glass, tearing at your
flesh. You flinch, every muscle tensing
until your exhausted body buckles under
the strain. The churning molars shear away
the cannon and bend the metal framework
with a hideous shriek of steel.
The ship will need major repairs before she
is skyworthy again.
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
PATH B OUTCOME:
Path Challenge: Athletics Skill Check
for each Hero
› 2 or more Heroes succeed:
You stumble across the trembling cockpit
to the gunport as sparks spit from the hull.
The wurm’s teeth grind through glass and
metal, slashing your arms and legs.
Ignoring the blood running down your body,
you grip the base of the cannon and pull,
muscles straining as you drag the massive
gun in from the churning tunnel of tooth
and muscle. Around you, the hull crumples
inward with a terrible shriek of steel.
The gun is safe, but the ship will require
major repairs before she is skyworth again.
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
› 1 or fewer Heroes succeed:
You stumble across the rumbling cockpit
to the gunport as sparks spit from the hull.
The wurm’s teeth grind through glass and
metal, slashing at your arms and legs.
You grip the base of the cannon and pull,
straining as the churning tunnel of tooth
and muscle threatens to tear the gun from
your hands. You try to hold firm as the hull
crumples around you, the Drake’s frame
bending inward with a hideous shriek
of steel. The cannon is ripped from your
exhausted hands with a sudden tug that
sends you reeling across the cabin.
The ship will need major repairs before she
is skyworthy again.
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
PATH C OUTCOME:
You fall back to the safety of the hold,
watching as the pressure slowly crumples
the walls of the cockpit. Sparks spit from the
walls as teeth grind through sheet metal and
glass, shearing away pieces of the hull. The
gun is ripped from its mount and the Drake’s
frame begins to curl inward with a terrible
shriek of steel. She will require major repairs
before she is skyworthy again.
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
Just when it seems like the pressure is about
collapse the hull, the horrible crunching ends.
Your ship scrapes over a final row of teeth and
emerges in a rancid chamber somewhere in
the beast’s guts. The Drake splashes down in a
gelatinous muck of blood, digestive fluid, and organ
tissue. You are now so deep inside the wurm you can
feel the thrum of its heart rippling through the walls.
Ethereal light pours through the gaps in your
shredded hull. You hear the soft plink of crystal on
glass, and find your navigation shard tapping against
the casing of its compass. The cracked glass gives
way and the shard zips past your head and through
a porthole. You look out just as it joins the matrix of a
massive hearth crystal in the middle of the chamber,
its soft light pulsing in time to the heartbeat of
the wurm. This gem is big enough to support all of
Gelspar—if you can repair the Drake fast enough to
get it back in time.
Thick cords of sinew anchor the gem in place,
while smaller shards of crystal orbit around it.
In the depths of the crystal’s core, you can faintly
see a mass of muscular tissue.
A cloud of miasma starts forming in the middle of
the chamber. You see dark shapes flitting about
the shadows and realize they are slaughterfish,
bloodthirsty scavengers feeding on the rotting
leftovers in the beast’s stomach. They do not seem to
notice you until the splintered mast of your solar sail keels
over and clangs against the metal hull. The nearest
cluster of slaughterfish suddenly snaps to attention,
turning their bulbous black eyes toward you and
sniffing the air. Then, with a feral chitter, they break off
from the rest of the group in the direction of the Drake.
• Proceed to Belly of the Beast (p. 84)
Act Three — Leviathan, Pt. II 83
BOF THE
ELLY
B EAST
COMBAT ENCOUNTER
 Tip: If this is your first time playing a tabletop
role playing game or a EMBERWIND campaign,
we recommend that you ignore all sections
marked [Hard Mode].

BATTLEFIELD MAP

LEGEND:
Slaughterfish

Slaughterswarm

Heroes

Heartstrings

Cannon

Concentrated Miasma

[Hard Mode]
Reinforcements

Tip: Print or recreate the map on p. 86,

then place tokens for Combatants at
the indicated locations.

86 Act Three — Belly of the Beast, Map

 COMBAT FLAIRS
Round Counter: The miasma is thick
enough to make the entire battlefield toxic.
Set the Round Counter to 8 (Easy Mode) or
6 (Hard Mode) (see Party Tracking sheet).
When the Round Counter reaches 0, all Heroes
become Fallen regardless of remaining HP.
• +1 to Round Counter for each of
the following items in any Hero’s inventory:
• Lungbox
• Crystal Shard
• If there are 2 or more Rounds left on
the Round Counter at the end of Combat:
• -2 Campaign Clock
Free the Crystal: The hearth crystal is secured
by three heartstrings around the Battlefield.
• Heartstrings can only be destroyed with
a successful hit from an adjacent Square.
Concentrated Miasma (Local Field Effect):
Dense pockets of miasma persist in this
environment. When a Combatant enters
a Square with Concentrated Miasma,
they take 2d8 Damage and suffer
2 Stacks of Poison.
• Reminder: Concentrated Miasma does
not affect you if you have a crystal
shard in your Inventory.
CONDITIONS
Wounded: At the start of combat, all Heroes VICTORY:
lose 10 HP. • Secure the crystal by severing all
the heartstrings before the Round
• Delayed Outcome: If the Heroes fled
Counter hits 0.
into the hold (Leviathan, Part II, Path C,
p. 83), negate Wounded.
Artillery: The Drake’s cannon is
LOSS:
damaged but operational.
• All Heroes are Fallen.
• The cannon can fire 1 Shot at any Foe
at any Range.
• A Hero may fire the cannon by expending
a Fast Action in an adjacent Square.
• A successful hit deals 50 Damage
.
• Delayed Outcome: If you did not
successfully retract the cannon
(Leviathan, Part II, Path B, p. 83),
it cannot be used.
First Strike (Delayed Outcome):
If the Heroes successfully injured the wurm
with the cannon (Leviathan, Part I, Path A,
p. 81), the Narrator selects 1 Slaughterswarm
Foe to replace with a 2x2 block of
Squares of Cover.
[Hard Mode] Reinforcements:
A Slaughterswarm appears from each
Heartstring you sever in the Squares
marked with .
Act Three — Belly of the Beast 87
 OPENING NARRATION
The crystal is within reach, but you have
your work cut out for you. Three clusters of
sinew hold the gem in place. You will have
to pass through a sea of slaughterfish and
sever these heartstrings before you can
carry the hearth crystal back to the ship.
The wurm’s stomach is an oozing graveyard
of half-digested organic matter and
skeletons with soggy flesh still clinging
to the bone. There is also a considerable
amount of mineral matter: mounds of earth,
clusters of stone, and the rusted metal frames
of airships. The stagnant air reeks of futility
and decay. Thin wisps of miasma begin to
seep through the fractures in your hull.
You've drawn the attention of three
slaughterfish, but the rest of the roost
seems to be ignoring you. The creatures
are territorial and will not attack unless you
come near. You gather your gear and get
ready to move quickly.
88 Act Three — Belly of the Beast
[ HIDDEN ]
VICTORY OUTCOME:
You fend off the remaining slaughterfish and
sever the cords of the final heartstring.
The hearth crystal falls and lands in a squishy
clump of membrane. The smaller shards
get pulled from orbit and drawn into the
crystalline matrix. The pulsing light blooms
into a bright, steady glow as the awakened
hearth crystal absorbs the miasma and
begins cleansing the surrounding area.
Then the crystal sparks to life with a prismatic
burst of light that blinds the squealing
slaughterfish. Blood spurts from the floor
and walls as the fish burrow through the
wurm’s soft tissue in an effort to escape.
The wurm screams in agony, writhing wildly
as you struggle to keep your balance.
Sunlight pours into the chamber as a harpoon
punctures the wurm from the outside.
The skull-faced prow of an airship tears
through the wurm’s side, splitting the hide
with a brilliant seam of daylight. A gangplank
drops from the mouth and disgorges a team
of Chasers, who fan out and approach
with weapons drawn.
The last to disembark is a tall, muscular
woman gripping a massive greataxe in one
hand. Her warpaint is a skull of vibrant red.
She casually surveys the field before raising
a small vial of fine crystalline powder to her
nose and inhaling sharply.
Ecstasy rolls across her face as she throws
her head back and lets loose a roar that
echoes throughout the chamber. When she
lowers her gaze, her bloodshot eyes shine
with a berserk intensity, almost seeming
to glow in the dark. The nearby wisps of
miasma part around her, swirling in small
eddies that never seem to touch her skin.
“The Council told me to make it quick and
clean,” she says, taking a few warm-up
swings with her axe. “But slow and messy
is a lot more fun.”
• If there are 2 or more Rounds left on
the Round Counter at end of combat:
• -2 Campaign Clock
• Proceed to Ambush! (p. 92)
 FOE DATA

LOSS OUTCOME: A.I. HEX GRIDS AND STATS

Your weapon is a leaden weight in your For A.I. Hex Grids and Stats rules, see p. 122.
hands. You drop to your knees, coughing up
bloody phlegm as the miasma burns your
lungs. The swarm descends, rending armour
and flesh alike. Your writhing cannot Tip: For ease of use, you can download
shake them loose. and print the Foe Cards for this campaign
at www.emberwindgame.com/campaigns/
Pain flares through your skull, and for a
skies-of-axia.
moment you feel as if you are staring down
a tunnel into a realm of bottomless night.

With your last moments of consciousness,

you realize you have failed. Gelspar will fall
and Kendrick will be ruined, but that is no
longer your concern.

One of the slaughterfish burrows through

your eyeball and your body goes numb.
You perish in the belly of the beast, never to
be heard from again.

• Game Over: Your party has failed at

a critical moment. Discuss what went
wrong, then make a standard vote to
backtrack to the beginning of the Act,
Encounter, or Campaign. Remove any
items and gold you have gained between
then and now.
 LS L AUGHTER
S IS ISH
AUGHTER
F FH
INFORMATION SPECIAL ABILITIES INFORM
FORMATION SPECIAL ABILITIES
Rank: Grunt Size: 1 x 1 A: Shoaling Pod: Foe must be adjacent to Rank:
ank: Grunt Size: 1 x 1 A: Shoaling Pod: Foe must be
another adjacent to Remove both
Slaughterfish.
HP: 35 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 4another Slaughterfish. Removefromboththe Encounter and 1 HP: 35
Slaughterfish
HP: 35 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 4 Slaughterfish from
replace them withand
the Encounter 1 Slaughterswarm Basic Me
Basic Melee Bite : replace them with 1 Slaughterswarm Special
asic Melee Bite Attack:
: with full HP. Att
Deal 1d10 + 5 Damage with . full HP. Ability
Attack: Deal 1d10 + 5 Damage . 1 Stack of 6 A 2
Hero suffers Special Basic
Hero suffers 1 Stack of
Vulnerability . Ability Attack
Vulnerability . A
[Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 2 Move [Storytel
Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 2 5 Sqs.
Basic Basic
Attack Attack
DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL MODIFIERS 5 3 DEFAULT
Basic
EFAULT CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL MODIFIERS
Attack Natural E
Natural Environment: Immune to Aetherfeast: Attacks Hero
atural Environment: Immune to
Concentrated Aetherfeast: Attacks
Miasma (Local Field Effect). Hero Resistance.
with highest Concentr
oncentrated Miasma (Local Field Effect). with highest Resistance. 4
Tunnel Vision: Moves toward nearest Hero. Tunnel V
unnel Vision: Moves toward nearest Hero. Territoria
Territorial: Does not Move unless a Hero
erritorial: Does not Move7unless
is within a Hero
Squares. is within
within 7 Squares.

90 Act Three — Belly of the Beast, Slaughterfish

 SSLLLWWAUGHTER
AUGHTER
AUGHTER
SS R MMM
W A
A
ARR
1 1
1 INFORMATION
INFORMATION SPECIAL
SPECIAL
ABILITIES
ABILITIES
Basic
Basic INFORMATION SPECIAL ABILITIES
Attack
Attack Rank:
Rank: Awakened
Awakened Size:
Size:
2 x22x 2 A: Cannibalize:
A: Cannibalize:
FoeFoe
must
mustbe be
adjacent
adjacent
Basic
Attack Rank: Awakened Size: 2 x 2 A: Cannibalize: Foe must be adjacent1 1
to another
to another
Slaughterfish.
Slaughterfish.Remove
Remove
HP:HP:
50 50Toughness:
Toughness:
6 6Resistance:
Resistance:
6 6 Slaughterfish
6 6 2 2 to Slaughterfish
from
from
thethe
another Slaughterfish.Encounter
Encounter
Remove and
1 and
Special
Special HP: 50 Toughness: 6 Resistance: 6 Slaughterswarm
Slaughterswarmis fully
is fully
healed.
healed.
Slaughterfish from the Encounter and
Basic
Basic Basic
Basic Basic
Basic
Melee
MeleeBiteBite : :
6 Ability
Ability 2
Special Attack
Attack Attack
Attack Attack:
Attack: Slaughterswarm
B: Overwhelming
B: Overwhelming isSwarm
Swarm fully healed.
B B Special Basic Basic Basic Melee Deal Deal
Bite 2d10
2d10
: + 5+Damage
5 Damage
Ability Special Basic
Basic Attack
Ability
Attack
Ability Attack: HeroHero
Deal suffers
suffers
2d10 + 5 Damage B:[Acrobatics/Athletics]:
[Acrobatics/Athletics]:
Overwhelming SwarmDeal Deal
2d102d10
+ 5+ 5
B Special Attack
Attack Damage
Damage . Hero
. Herosuffers
suffers
Paralysis
Paralysis
A A Basic 2Hero
Vulnerability
2 Vulnerability
suffers [Acrobatics/Athletics]: Deal 2d10 + 5
Ability Move
Move Attack [Endurance/Focus].
[Endurance/Focus].
2Only]
Vulnerability Damage . Hero suffers Paralysis
A 5 Sqs.
5 Sqs.
Move
[Storyteller
[Storyteller
Only] Actions
Actions
perper
Turn:
Turn:
3 3
[Endurance/Focus].
Basic
Basic 5 Sqs. Basic
Basic [Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 3
Attack
Attack Attack
Attack
Basic Basic
Special
Special Basic Attack Special
Basic Special
Attack DEFAULT
DEFAULT
CHARACTERISTICS
CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL
OPTIONAL
MODIFIERS
MODIFIERS
Ability
Ability Attack
Attack Ability
Ability
Special Basic Special
B B
5 5 Ability A A DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL MODIFIERS
Attack Ability 3 3 Natural
Natural
Environment:
Environment:
Immune
Immuneto to Aetherfeast:
Aetherfeast:
Attacks
Attacks
Hero
Hero
5 B A 3 Concentrated
Special
Special Natural Environment: Immune toField
ConcentratedMiasma
Miasma(Local
(Local
Field Effect).
Effect). with
with
highest
highest
Resistance.
Resistance.
Aetherfeast: Attacks Hero
Ability
Ability Concentrated
Tunnel
Tunnel
Vision: Miasma
Vision:
Moves
Moves(Local
toward Field
toward Effect).
nearest
nearest
Hero.
Hero. with highest Resistance.
Special
A A Tunnel Vision: Moves toward nearest
Ability Territorial:
Territorial:
Does
Does
notnot
MoveMove
unless
unless a Hero.
a Hero
Hero
A isTerritorial:
within
is within
7 Squares.
7 Squares.
4 4 Does not Move unless a Hero
4 is within 7 Squares.

Act Three — Belly of the Beast, Slaughterswarm 91

A M BUSH!
COMBAT ENCOUNTER
 Tip: If this is your first time playing a tabletop
role playing game or a EMBERWIND campaign,
we recommend that you ignore all sections
marked [Hard Mode].

BATTLEFIELD MAP

LEGEND:
Chaser Streetjack

Chaser Mistwalker

Chaser Doorcrasher

Heroes

Cannon

Reinforcements

[Hard Mode]
Reinforcements

Tip: Print or recreate the map on p. 94,

then place tokens for Combatants at
the indicated locations.

94 Act Three — Ambush!, Map

 COMBAT FLAIRS
Enemy Retreat: The remaining Slaughterfish
leave the battlefield.
Bloodied: Normally Heroes remove all
Conditions and recover to full HP after combat.
Remove Conditions but do not recover HP
between Belly of the Beast and Ambush!
Surprise Round: Foes take a
Surprise Round, unless:
• Delayed Outcome: If the Heroes
were alerted to the Chasers’ betrayal
("Baron" Kendrick Maddox, Part II,
Path F, p. 53; The Pierless Pier,
Path A, p. 74; or Leviathan, Path B,
p. 81), negate the Surprise Round.
• Stacking Outcome: If the Heroes were
alerted 2 or more times, they take
a Surprise Round instead.
Reinforcements: Set the Round Counter to
3. When the Round Counter reaches 0,
3 additional Streetjacks appear in the
Squares marked with .
CONDITIONS
Artillery: The Drake’s cannon is VICTORY:
damaged but operational. • All Foes are Fallen.
• The cannon can fire 1 Shot at any Foe
at any Range.
• A Hero may fire the cannon by LOSS:
expending a Fast Action in • All Heroes are Fallen.
an adjacent Square.
• A successful hit deals 50 Damage
(Bypass Barrier .)
• Delayed Outcome: If you did not
successfully retract the cannon
(Leviathan, Part II, Path B, p. 83)
or already fired it (Belly of the Beast,
p. 84), it cannot be used.
[Hard Mode] Reinforcements:
When the Round Counter for
the Reinforcements Combat Flair hits 0,
1 additional Mistwalker appears at the
Square marked with .
Act Three — Ambush! 95
 OPENING NARRATION
The Chasers advance swiftly, their skull-
painted faces lit by the ethereal light of
the crystal. The chamber has gone eerily
still in the absence of a heartbeat.
Somehow, the beast seems to
be staying aloft.
The Chasers have revealed their true
intentions. They have the numbers and
aworking airship. Unless you can repair
your own crippled craft, their vessel is your
sole way back to Adriel. If they have come
for the crystal, it would only be fair to take
something of theirs.
You gather around the crystal and steel
yourself for the encounter. You have come
too far to let them claim your prize and
condemn Gelspar to the miasma.
96 Act Three — Ambush!
[ HIDDEN ]
VICTORY OUTCOME:
The Chaser leader drops to one knee with
a pained grunt. She leans forward, trying to
find the strength to prop herself up with
the haft of her axe, but her blood-slick
hands cannot find a grip. She keels over
with a splash, struggles to lift her head from
the muck, then finally goes still.
Once again, the chamber is silent.
You hurry to load the crystal onto their
airship and try to take off.
The vessel sticks in the Wurm like a splinter.
Hot blood runs down the windshield as you
rev the engine until you peel away.
You watch the wurm’s weightless corpse
vanish into the distance, grateful to still be
aloft in the skies of Axia.
• If Campaign Clock is 14 or less:
• Proceed to A New Dawn (p. 105)
• If Campaign Clock is 15 or more:
• Proceed to Lifeline (p. 100)
LOSS OUTCOME:
The Chasers are ruthless, and your battered
team is woefully unprepared for the assault.
You are unable to stop the gang members
as they load your hearth crystal onto their
airship and depart.
You tend to your wounds and survey
the situation. Your mission is in tatters.
The Gilded Drake is a husk of broken metal
and shattered glass—and your only means
of escape. You rise and search the wurm’s
stomach, scavenging enough parts from
ruined airships to get yours airborne again.
You lift off and maneuver through the hole
left by the Chaser ship, watching the wurm’s
weightless corpse vanish into the distance.
Your battered vessel will not be able to catch
up to the Chasers, but perhaps you can reach
Kendrick before reports of your failure do.
• +5 Campaign Clock
• Or +1 Campaign Clock if you
successfully bolstered the hull
(Leviathan, Path II, Path A, p. 82)
• If Campaign Clock is 14 or less:
• Proceed to Freefall (p. 101)
• If Campaign Clock is 15 or more:
• Proceed to A Day Late and a
Crystal Short (p. 111)
 FOE DATA

CCHHASER
ASER
A.I. HEX GRIDS AND STATS

CSHS
For A.I. Hex Grids and Stats rules, see p. 122.

ASER
TREETJACK
TREETJACK
S
Tip: For ease of use, you can download

TREETJACK
and print the Foe Cards for this campaign
at www.emberwindgame.com/campaigns/
skies-of-axia.

INFORMATION
INFORMATION SPECIAL ABILITIES
SPECIAL ABILITIES

Rank: Grunt
Rank: Grunt Size: 1 x 1 Size: 1 x 1A: Spiteful A:
Thrash: Until
Spiteful this Foe's
Thrash: Untilnext
this Foe's next
1 1 Turn, whenever an adjacent Hero
INFORMATION Turn, whenever an adjacent Hero
SPECIAL ABILITIES
HP: 30 Toughness: 4 Resistance:
HP: 30 Toughness: 4
4 Resistance: 4 targets another Foe, this Foe make
targets another Foe, this Foe make
Basic a Basic Attack. If the Attack hits,
Basic Basic Melee
Rank: GruntBludgeon
Basic :
Melee Bludgeon Size: 1 :x 1 A: Spiteful Thrash: Until this Foe's next hits,
a Basic Attack. If the Attack
Attack Attack deal Basic deal
Attack Damage Attackand Canceland Cancel
6 6 1 2 2 Attack: Deal 1d10 +Deal
Attack: 10 Damage
1d10 + 10 Damage Turn, whenever Basic
an adjacent Damage
Hero
Move Move Basic Basic HP: 30 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 4 that Hero's Action.
that Hero's Action.
targets another Foe, this Foe make
4 Sqs. 4 Sqs. Attack Attack [Storyteller[Storyteller
Only] Actions per Turn: 2
Basic Only] Actions per Turn: 2 a Basic Attack. If the Attack hits,
Move Move Basic Melee Bludgeon :
Attack deal Basic Attack Damage and Cancel
6 4 Sqs. 2 Attack: Deal 1d10 + 10 Damage
Move 4 Sqs.
Basic that Hero's Action.
Special Special Basic
4 Sqs. Attack Basic DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL MODIFIERS
Ability Ability Attack [Storyteller Only] Actions
DEFAULT per Turn: 2
CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL MODIFIERS
Attack
5 A Move
Special
A 3
5 Special 3 Attack of Opportunity: If an Mob Mentality: Prefers to Flank
4 Sqs.
Ability Attack of Opportunity: If an Mob Mentality: Prefers to Flank
Ability
Special A Basic adjacent Hero takes a Move
adjacent Hero takes Action,
a Move Action, Heroes whenever
Heroes possible. possible.
whenever
A DEFAULT OPTIONAL MODIFIERS
Ability Attack Streetjack CHARACTERISTICS
makes a Basic
Streetjack makes Attack before
a Basic Attack before
5 A 4
Special 3 the Hero's the
Action completes.
4 Hero's Action
Attack of Opportunity: If an completes.
Ability Mob Mentality: Prefers to Flank
A Tunnel
adjacentVision:
Hero Moves
takes
Tunnel atoward
Move
Vision: nearest
Action,
Moves towardHero.
nearest Hero. Heroes whenever possible.
Streetjack makes a
Immediacy:Immediacy: Basic
Attacks nearest Attack before
Hero.
4 Attacks nearest Hero.
the Hero's Action completes.
Tunnel Vision: Moves toward nearest Hero.
Immediacy: Attacks nearest Hero. Act Three — Ambush!, Chaser Streetjack 97
 C H ASER
CHMASER
ISTW ALKER
M ISTW ALKER
INFORMATION SPECIAL ABILITIES
1

Special
Rank:
INFORMATION Awakened Size: 1 x 1 SPECIALA: Chilling Cloud
ABILITIES : [Range 5] Ability
Hero suffers from Chilled B
HP: 35 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 8 A: Chillingand Dazed
Cloud . : [Range 5]
Rank: Awakened Size: 1 x 1
Hero suffers from Chilled 6 2
Basic Ranged Aetherburn : [Range 5] B: Silencing Stare : [Range 5] Basic Basic Basic
HP: 35 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 8 and Dazed .
Attack: Deal 2d10 + 10 Damage Hero suffers from Silence Attack Attack Attack
Basic Ranged Aetherburn : [Range 5] [Focus/Intimidate].
B: Silencing Stare : [Range 5] Special Basic
Ability Attack
Attack: Deal 2d10 + 10 Damage Hero suffers from Silence
A
[Focus/Intimidate]. Move
[Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 3 5 Sqs.
Special Special
[Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 3 Ability Ability
Special A Special B
DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL MODIFIERS Basic
Ability Ability Attack
5 A B 3
Slippery:
DEFAULT May save 1 Move Action and use it at
CHARACTERISTICS Swap: IfMODIFIERS
OPTIONAL a Hero deals Damage
the end of their Action Chain instead. to this Foe, it switches occupied
Slippery: May save 1 Move Action5and use it of
at distance Swap: Squares
If a Herowith
dealsnearest
DamageStreetjack. Special
Ranged Fighter: Maintains Squares Ability
the end of their Action Chain instead.
from nearest Hero whenever possible. to this Foe, it switches occupied
A
Ranged Fighter:Attacker:
MaintainsAttacks
5 Squares of distance Squares with nearest Streetjack.
Backline farthest Hero in Range.
from nearest Hero whenever possible. 4

Backline Attacker: Attacks farthest Hero in Range.

98 Act Three — Ambush!, Chaser Mistwalker
 1

Basic
Attack

Special
Ability
6 A 2
Basic
Attack
Move Special
5 Sqs. Ability
Special B
Move
Ability 5 Sqs.
D
Move
5 Sqs.
Special
Specia Move
Ability

CH ASER
5 Sqs.
C Special
Move Basic
5 Sqs. Ability Attack
Special C
Basic
Ability Attack

D OORCRASHER
5 B 3
Move
5 Sqs.

Special
Ability
A

4
INFORMATION SPECIAL ABILITIES DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS

Rank: Elite Size: 1 x 1 A: Whirling Axe : Unpredictable: Assign a number to each

Deal 1d10 + 10 Damage . Hero cannot non-Fallen Hero on a d4. Roll a d4 at
HP: 150 Toughness: 15 Resistance: 15 take Move Actions until end of next turn. the start of Foe's Turn. Foe Moves toward
and Attacks that Hero this Turn. Reroll if
Basic Melee Chop : B: Meat Cleaver :
roll result is unassigned to a Hero.
Attack: Deal 2d10 + 10 Damage Deal 2d10 + 10 Damage . Hero suffers
from Fragility . Overstrung: Loses 10 HP at the start
of each of its Turns.
C: Huff Pixie:
+10 Resistance until start of next Turn.
Lose 10 HP. OPTIONAL MODIFIERS

D: Defend and Recover: Manic Movement: 2 Free Shifts at any

+10 Toughness until start of next Turn. point during Foe’s Turn.
[Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 4 Heals 15 HP.
 LIFELINE

CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
The skies are eerily calm as you pilot your
DECISION CROSSROAD [ HIDDEN ]
commandeered vessel away from the carnage.
The only sound is the smooth hum of the engine STANDARD VOTE PATH A OUTCOME:
as your airship bobs along the surface of the clouds. For Decision Crossroad rules, see p. 26. There is no time for hesitation. You hammer

In the quiet of the endless Azure, you take stock
of your situation. The hearth crystal in your hold
is large enough to save Gelspar, and the smaller
shard powering your new ship is yours to do with
as you please.
As Adriel comes into view, an explosion booms
in the distance, followed by another, and another.
Smoke and flame erupt from the bridges around
the slum as a fleet of Chaser ships swarms below
the city. One by one, they sever the lines tethering
the district to the rest of Adriel.
Gelspar starts listing to one side with a terrible
groan of metal and wood. The iron frame of the Sky
Elevator shrieks under the strain, twisting like a huge
wind chime before tearing apart at the middle.
The shaft topples, pitching into the abyss below.
Even from a distance, you can hear screams rising
from the tilted streets as buildings and derelict ships
lean and tumble overboard.
For Standard Vote rules, see p. 26. the throttle forward and dive as fast as the
airship will allow, racing after the falling
district. No one hinders your pursuit. The
Council is not interested in Gelspar now that
[ REVEALED ] it is no longer part of Adriel.
• Proceed to Leap of Faith (p. 107)
PATH A:
SAVE GELSPAR
No one else can stop the slum from falling
PATH B OUTCOME:
into the clouds. Its fate is in your hands.
You keep your course for Adriel, steering
for Kendrick’s private dock in the Span. The
screams from Gelspar grow more distant with
PATH B: each passing minute.
BRING THE CRYSTAL
• Proceed to The Darkest Hour (p. 110)
TO KENDRICK
Kendrick was clear that you were hired to
bring the crystal to him, not to save Gelspar.
It is time to finish your mission.

The Chasers cut the last line and the district starts
sinking into the clouds. Their airships turn away
from the falling slum. None go back to evacuate
the residents. The people of Gelspar have been
abandoned. The crystal in your hold might be strong
enough to save them, but you will have to act quickly.

100 Act Three — Lifeline

 FREEFALL

CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
The skies are eerily calm as you pilot the shredded
DECISION CROSSROAD [ HIDDEN ]
hull of your vessel away from the carnage. The only
sound is the grating buzz of the engine as your STANDARD VOTE PATH A OUTCOME:
airship bobs unevenly through the clouds. For Decision Crossroad rules, see p. 26. There is no time for hesitation. You hammer
For Standard Vote rules, see p. 26. the throttle as far as the controls allow,
You have nothing of value to take back to Adriel,
forcing the Drake to its limit. The winds
other than your report. Perhaps Kendrick will be
howl through the holes in the hull and
grateful to learn where the Council of Nobles
the damaged airship shudders as you
acquires its crystals.
dive after the falling district. No one
[ REVEALED ]
As Adriel comes into view, an explosion booms hinders your pursuit. The Council is not
in the distance, followed by another, and another. PATH A: interested in Gelspar now that it is no longer
Smoke and flame erupt from the bridges around HELP EVACUATE GELSPAR part of Adriel.
the slum as a fleet of Chaser ships swarms below
The Drake can carry a few dozen people • Proceed to Lifeboat (p. 102)
the city. One by one, thy sever the lines tethering
at most, but if you don’t help, who will?
the district to the rest of Adriel.

Gelspar starts listing to one side with a terrible PATH B OUTCOME:

groan of metal and wood. The iron frame of the Sky PATH B: You keep your course for Adriel,
Elevator shrieks under the strain, twisting like a huge
REPORT TO KENDRICK steering for Kendrick’s private dock in
wind chime before tearing apart at the middle.
Kendrick was very clear about his priorities the Span. The screams from Gelspar grow
The shaft topples, pitching into the abyss below.
It would be risky to take on more weight in more distant with each passing minute.
Even from a distance, you can hear screams rising
your battered airship.
from the tilted streets as buildings and derelict ships • Proceed to The Darkest Hour (p. 110)
lean and tumble overboard.

The Chasers cut the last line and the district starts
sinking into the clouds. Their airships turn away
from the falling slum. None go back to evacuate
the residents. The people of Gelspar have been
abandoned. Kendrick told you to report to him
immediately upon your return, but you might be
able to ferry some survivors off before the slum
falls out of reach.

Act Three — Freefall 101

 LIFEBOAT
CROSSROAD ENCOUNTER
You catch up as Gelspar sinks beneath the clouds,
struggling to match its descent as you approach
the Hacksaw Bridge. The entire district pitches
sideways. In the streets below, people emerge on
unsteady feet and stare up in confusion at the tilting sky.
You lower a rope ladder over the railing. A crowd
begins to flock to your ship. The Drake holds steady
as your first passenger climbs up onto the deck.
Patches of cloud drift past as the slum falls further.
By the time a dozen refugees are on board, the drive
crystal has started to flicker and whine. At two dozen,
the matrix seems to be rattling in its mooring.
When you grab a few more, the hundreds of tiny
shards vibrate violently, threatening to blow apart.
You are forced to pull away when your ship reaches
capacity. A desperate howl rises from the abandoned
mob as it claws at the ladder. One man clings to
the bottom rung, but gets pulled down by the frantic
people trying to scale his body. You break free when
he loses his grip. The ship strains skyward while
the slum vanishes into the clouds beneath.
Your passengers are silent as you make your slow
ascent to Adriel. A few glance back to where their
home once was. A woman pulls a flask from her work
apron and passes it around.
102 Act Three — Lifeboat
[ REVEALED ]
You spot a young man discreetly trying to wipe PATH A:
the white painted skull from his sweaty face. TAKE CUSTODY OF THE CHASER
He stops when he sees you looking at him. You will not be going back empty handed
if you have a prisoner.
“I—I had no idea,” he says. “I’m new to the gang.
I swear they didn’t tell me anything! Please don’t Path Challenge: Intimidate Skill Check
kill me. I grew up in Gelspar. I’ve done bad things, for each Hero
but not that. Never that!”
• Rook has Advantage
The refugees start murmuring among themselves.
“He’s a bloody Chaser,” spits a beggar,
stepping forward. PATH B:
CALM THE CROWD
“Murderer,” says the woman in the work apron,
grabbing the young man by his shoulders and These people want revenge, not justice.
pinning him against the railing. “My boys didn’t Their anger is misdirected at this young man.
deserve to die. You do.”
Path Challenge: Leadership Skill Check
The young man looks over his shoulder at for each Hero
the endless fall below and starts to sob.
• Rook has Advantage
“Please, please, just let me live.”
DECISION CROSSROAD PATH C:
DO NOT INTERVENE
STANDARD VOTE These people are full of grief and anger.
Might as well let them take it out on
For Decision Crossroad rules, see p. 26.
someone who deserves it.
For Standard Vote rules, see p. 26.

PATH A OUTCOME:
› 2 or more Heroes succeed:
The woman pinning the Chaser tenses as
you approach, but backs down when you
take him into custody. Up close, her bloodshot
eyes brim with sadness and rage.
“You better make sure he sees justice,”
she says. “My boys deserve that much.”
You escort the Chaser to the crew quarters
and lock the door. The crowd grumbles,
but there are no other disturbances.
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
› 1 or fewer Heroes succeed:
The woman pinning the Chaser tenses
as you approach. When you try to wrest
the Chaser away, she twists, pushing
the young man over the railing.
He shrieks as gravity pulls him
overboard, his body cartwheeling down
into the shifting mist below.
The woman sits down and the rest of
the passengers fall silent again. She asks
for her flask and takes a deep drink when it
returns to her. She puts it away once it is empty,
but not before you see tears welling in her eyes.
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
[ HIDDEN ]
PATH B OUTCOME: it returns to her. She puts it away once it is
empty, but not before you see tears welling
› 2 or more Heroes succeed:
in her eyes.
You all push through the angry crowd,
forcing them back by using your own bodies
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
to shield the man. He huddles behind you.
The other survivors mutter among
PATH C OUTCOME:
themselves. He guiltily finishes wiping
The Chaser shrieks as he is tossed
the sweat-streaked skull from his face.
overboard, his body cartwheeling down
“Thank you,” he says. “I’ll never wear into the shifting mist below.
the paint again, I swear.”
The woman sits back down. Your passengers
The crowd grumbles, but no one lays fall silent. She asks for her flask and takes
a hand on the former Chaser again a deep drink, staring into the distance.
as you approach Adriel. She puts it away once it is empty, but not
before you see tears welling in her eyes.
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
• Exit Crossroad and continue Encounter
› 1 or fewer Heroes succeed:
The woman pinning the Chaser looks back at
You drop your passengers off at the Eastern
you, her bloodshot eyes brimming with rage.
Square, the only piece of Gelspar that survived
“No,” she says. “It doesn’t work like that. the explosions. The arrival goes unnoticed,
He doesn’t get to live after my boys died.” the headless stone statue of the Prince as blind
as ever. Once your ship is empty, you sail toward
The Chaser shrieks as he is pushed
Kendrick’s mansion in Wingspan as the only
overboard, his body cartwheeling down
surviving refugees of Gelspar begin to walk
into the shifting mist below.
toward a city that is not their home.
The woman sits down and the rest of
• Proceed to At Least You Are Punctual (p. 108)
the passengers fall silent again. She asks
for her flask and takes a deep drink when
Act Three — Lifeboat 103
F I N ALE
 A NEW DAWN
FINALE
The skies are eerily calm as you pilot your
commandeered vessel away from the carnage.
The only sound is the smooth hum of the engine
as your airship bobs along the surface of the clouds.
In the quiet of the endless Azure, you take stock
of your situation. The hearth crystal in your hold
is large enough to save Gelspar, and the smaller
shard powering your new ship is yours to do with
as you please.
As you approach the city, a small escort of merchant
vessels flying the Maddox emblem come to greet
you. Tucked away in the fleet of inconspicuous trade
ships, you enter Adriel unnoticed and dock near
Kendrick’s mansion in the Span. He paces on
the landing, his face glowing with excitement
when you open the hold.
“You did it,” he says, circling the crystal, his eyes
blazing with triumph. For the first time since you met
him, the Merchant Baron smiles. You get the sense
that he has not allowed himself to relax—even for
a moment—in quite some time.
“Thank you,” he says, resting a hand on the crystal.
“I owe you more than you can possibly imagine.
Gelspar does too—not that they’ll ever fully
understand how close they came to destruction.”
You brief Kendrick as his household guard escorts
you toward the Starlight Commons with the new
hearth crystal. The Merchant Baron is stunned when
you tell him about the wurm. He is less surprised
when you tell him about the Chasers.
“It was only a matter of time before the Council
bought them back, but I had hoped they would
at least give me the chance to make a better offer.
You handled yourselves well,” he says with
a note of pride.
You arrive in the Commons. Kendrick watches with
impatience as his guard secures the area and installs
the new crystal. A few passersby stop to stare,
but there is no fanfare. That is the way of things in
Adriel. Gelspar is still a slum, and the poor are still
poor, but you can feel the balance of political power
shifting. For the first time in decades, the light from
the Gelspar Crystal is strong enough to reach
the dimmest corners of the Commons. A new dawn
is rising, and the light cast by the Gelspar Crystal
is the first glimmer of change on the horizon.
“We will have to do a better job protecting this one,”
Kendrick says, admiring the crystal. “My house guard
will keep watch until we can come up with a more
permanent solution.”
He turns, fixing you with an intense gaze.
“Things are calm for now,” he says, “but a storm
is coming, and there is much that needs to be done
before it hits. I need people I can trust, people who
can see my vision for the world to come. When you’re
ready to take your place in my plans, come see me.
There is much I would discuss with you.”
With that, he walks back toward his home in
the Span, leaving you standing in the growing light
of the new day.
Finale — A New Dawn 105
 EPIGRAPH
From the private records of Kendrick Maddox
“Once again, Axia has found new ways
to surprise me. I always knew something
was eating away at our world, but I never
expected the truth to be quite so…literal.
The Sky Wurms exist. Their origins elude
me, but I will not let that sour my victory.
The beasts are flesh and blood, and they can
be killed. That must be considered progress.
The mission was a greater triumph than I
dared imagine. Gelspar remains aloft, a new
hearth crystal resting at its core. My gambit
has been repaid a hundredfold, and the
information gleaned is more valuable still.
The more I learn, the more the Council’s
apathy disgusts me. They knew about
the Wurms, and yet they did nothing, content
to watch the world suffer so long as no one
disturbed the balance of power. Now I know
106 Finale — A New Dawn
The campaign Heavy is the Head picks up from this
point. Turn to p. 113 to learn more about this and other
the truth about the crystals, and they have
storylines available to Piper, Laureat, Rook, and Rath.
lost their leverage. Every new revelation makes
the Council’s grip more tenuous. It is only a
matter of time until it breaks completely.
The Chasers’ betrayal is disappointing,
but not unexpected. It is also of less importance
now that I have a team that gets results.
It was a gamble, but the new crew performed
admirably, and it would be foolish to turn
away such reliable help. I am sure I will find
use for them in the future.
For now, my attention turns to court. If I am to
be the architect of Adriel’s salvation, then I
will need a champion. She will be beloved
in a way that I am not, and I only hope I can
prepare her for the twisted games she will
encounter. The wind carries dark tidings,
and I can ill afford to be taken unawares.”
 LEAP OF FAITH
FINALE
You catch up as Gelspar sinks beneath the clouds
and fly straight for the Starlight Commons.
The ground is unsteady as you land. You nearly lose
your footing as Gelspar pitches sideways, the floor
rumbling and shaking beneath your feet. Patches of
cloud drift past as the slum sinks further and further.
The old hearth crystal is even dimmer than it was
when you set out. You hurry to replace the failing
gem, hoisting the new crystal into place. Its light
dispels the surrounding miasma. Little by little,
Gelspar’s descent slows, then stops altogether.
People begin emerging from the buildings around
you, staring up at the open sky. For the first time
in hundreds of years, they can see the sky without
the city above choking out the light. It seems
Gelspar is safe—for now—but it is unlikely
the district will ever be able to rejoin Adriel.
Over the coming days, Gelspar begins to rebuild.
The fall that could have pulled the last gasp from
the slum’s lungs seems to have breathed new life
into it instead. The survivors excavate the rubble of
collapsed buildings, help the injured, and repair any
salvageable structures. Those that cannot be reclaimed
are demolished and cleared for new construction.
Finally clear of Adriel’s looming shadow,
Gelspar seems to be discovering a new identity.
There is still poverty and starvation, but for the first
time in living memory, locals are working together
toward a common goal.
A few salvage vessels make contact in the days that
follow, re-opening lines of communication between
Adriel and Gelspar. Some residents try to buy their
way out. Most stay to rebuild the district they have
always called home. Soon, stories of the Untethered
City begin to spread.
A week after the fall, a messenger from Adriel finds
you with a letter from Kendrick. The note is unsigned,
but the precise handwriting is unmistakable.
EPIGRAPH
That did not go as expected. However, it may
work out for the better if the reports are to be
believed. Gelspar needed to change or die.
It seems it has finally decided to change.
The campaign From the Dust picks up from this point.
Turn to p. 113 to learn more about this and other
storylines available to Rook, Laureat, Piper, and Rath.
I am willing to call your mission a qualified
success, despite the setbacks it has
presented. The Council is publicly blaming me
for Gelspar’s fall, even as they privately tell
themselves their actions will benefit the city.
They made the decision to jettison the district.
“Cut out the dead wood,” Lady Machia said in
open session. Her fellow Councilors greeted
her with applause, but she would be loathe to
have those words repeated in the Red Market.
The Council thinks I am defeated. There is
much that can be done before they learn
otherwise. I see opportunity in every
catastrophe, and I am dangerous now that
I know the truth. Gelspar may have fallen,
but the district will rise again. I intend to
rise with it.
You will be hearing from me soon.
Finale — Leap of Faith 107
 AT LEAST YOU ARE PUNCTUAL

FINALE
You slip into Wingspan unnoticed, your vessel
NARRATOR’S DETOUR [ HIDDEN ]
unremarkable among the chaotic Chaser fleet,
Kendrick looks the prisoner up and
and land at Kendrick’s private dock. He paces on For Narrator’s Detour rules, see p. 30.
down, then orders his guard to haul him
the landing, his face a mask of compressed anger.
into the mansion.
“At least you are punctual,” he says, venom in his
Path Restriction “He looks like a raw recruit, but he might
voice. “Now explain yourselves—and you had best
know something useful. It would be
hope I like what you have to say.” This Detour is only available if the Heroes valuable to know how much sway the
took the Chaser into custody (Lifeboat, Council actually holds, or if the Chasers
The Merchant Baron’s anger softens during
Path B Success, p. 103) only did it for the money.”
the debriefing. He is stunned when you tell him
about the wurm. His fury returns when you tell him
He turns back to you.
about the Chasers’ betrayal.
“And if he doesn’t know anything, I’m sure
“Their loyalty has always been up for sale. [ REVEALED ] the public would love to hear a confession
The Council must have outbid me at some point.
You have a Chaser prisoner locked in your from one of the Chasers who executed the
I assumed the Chasers would give me a chance
crew quarters. Handing him over might Council’s plan. I’ll write it for him if I have to.”
to make a better offer. Unless…”
soften the blow of your failure.
He pauses for a moment, considering.
Do you deliver him to Kendrick?
“Unless the Council offered them something
more than coin. It seems I misjudged the allure
of my wealth. My miscalculation cost us Gelspar
and the crystal. I won’t make that mistake again.”

108 Finale — At Least You Are Punctual

Kendrick strides to the edge of the dock, staring out
into the forbidding blue.
“Today was a disaster, but there are greater disasters
to come if we cannot learn from it. The Council thinks
I am defeated. Let them. They will soon discover
the depths of my resolve. A storm is coming for this
city, and it will consume the rest of Adriel if she is
not prepared. We may redeem ourselves yet.”
EPIGRAPH
From the private records of Kendrick Maddox
Once again, Axia has found new ways to
disappoint me. Gelspar has been obliterated,
and the team I sent to save it returned just in
time to watch it fall. The hearth crystal I risked
everything to secure now rests in the hands Elise’s report should arrive back soon.
of my enemies, and I must find a way to If what was unearthed below the city of
endure. Next time I will be more judicious Summit is genuine, I may have need of my
with my resources. I cannot afford to waste new crew once again. They failed me once,
them on another betrayal. but I am short on allies. This time we will
be better prepared.
The more I learn, the more the Council’s
apathy disgusts me. They knew about
the wurms, and yet they did nothing,
The campaign The Clockwork City picks up from
content to watch the world suffer so long
this point. Turn to p. 113 to learn more about this
as no one disturbed the balance of power.
and other storylines available to Rath, Laureat,
Now that I know the truth about the crystals,
Piper, and Rook.
the Council has lost much of its leverage.
Every new revelation makes its grip more
tenuous. With careful planning, it could
even break completely.
Finale — At Least You Are Punctual 109
 THE DARKEST HOUR
FINALE
You slip into Adriel unnoticed, your vessel
unremarkable in the dispersing Chaser fleet,
and dock near Kendrick’s mansion in the Span.
The Merchant Baron is waiting for you in the hangar,
his hard mask softening when you open the hold.
The tension in his shoulders seems to fade.
You get the sense that he has not allowed himself
to relax—even for a moment—in quite some time.
“Better late than never,” he says when you disembark.
“Thank you. That could have gone better, but I see
the expedition was well worth the risk. Where did
you find it?”
You brief Kendrick as he inspects his delivery,
his intense features illuminated by the light of
the crystal. The Merchant Baron is stunned when
you tell him about the wurm. He is less surprised
when you tell him about the Chasers.
“It was only a matter of time before the Council
bought their loyalty back, but I had hoped they
would at least give me the chance to make a better
offer. You handled yourselves well,” he says with
a begrudging note of pride.
He signals his household guard to carry the crystal
inside, then turns to you.
“It’s a pity Gelspar could not be saved, but now is not
the time for mourning. Let the sky swallow the dead.
110 Finale — The Darkest Hour
The living need our attention. A storm is rising, and it
will consume the rest of Adriel if she is not prepared.
We must learn more about the crystals if we hope to
weather it. I need people I can trust, people who can
see my vision for the world to come. When you’re
ready to take your place in my plans, come see me.
There is much I would discuss with you.”
With that, he walks back toward his home,
leaving you alone in the growing light of dawn.
EPIGRAPH
Meeting transcript of the Council of Nobles,
dated the morning of Gelspar’s fall:
The Speaker: The yays have it. The motion
to jettison Gelspar passes. The Chasers will
be dispatched immediately.
Vice Admiral Raya: We can’t do this. It’s murder!
No, it’s worse than that. It’s slaughter.
The Speaker: Vice Admiral Raya’s
disapproval is noted. But the Council will
proceed with the agenda.
Vice Admiral Raya: Cowards! The worst kind.
All of you, spineless, worthless cowards!
The Speaker: Will the chamber guard
please remove the Vice Admiral until decorum
can be reestablished?
Vice Admiral Raya [being escorted outside]:
Despicable, even for this den of corruption.
Did you leave your spines at home this
morning, or did Lady Machia rent them for
the day? I hope you charged a decent rate.
The Speaker: Order! Order, your excellencies!
Lady Machia: Thank you, Speaker. Please,
everyone, let’s not let one rabble-rouser spoil
a momentous occasion. Today we cut out the
dead wood and let our great city rise, lighter
and purer than before. We cannot lose sight
of that. Of course, we will hold a public vigil for
the dead, where your attendance is expected.
We must set an example to help Adriel forget
her loss and move on. A new day is dawning.
We will make sure they see the light.
The campaign Return to the Silverglades picks up
from this point. Turn to p. 113 to learn more about
this and other storylines available to Laureat, Piper,
Rook, and Rath.
 A DAY LATE AND A CRYSTAL SHORT
FINALE
The skies are eerily calm as you pilot the shredded
hull of your vessel away from the carnage. The only
sound is the grating buzz of the engine as your
airship bobs unevenly through the clouds.
You have nothing of value to take back to Adriel,
other than your report. Perhaps Kendrick will be
grateful to learn where the Council of Nobles
acquires its crystals.
You take the helm and turn towards the city.
Your mission was impossible. Kendrick cannot hold
that against you, especially given his own error in
trusting the Chasers.
As you approach Adriel, you see that its familiar
skyline looks different. Gelspar is gone. The tethers
that once held it in place dangle limply in the wind,
their severed ends pointing down to where the
district must have sunk into the clouds.
A small escort of merchant vessels flying the Maddox He pauses for a moment, considering.
emblem come to greet you. Your floating wreck is an
“Unless the Council offered them something more
eyesore next to the sleek ships around it, but your
than coin. It seems I misjudged the allure of my
convoy manages to enter the city unnoticed.
wealth. My misplaced trust in the Chasers cost us
You dock near Kendrick’s mansion in the Span. Gelspar, but my misplaced trust in you cost us
He paces on the landing, his face a mask the crystal. I won’t make that mistake again.”
of compressed anger.
He strides to the edge of the dock, staring out into
“You failed Gelspar,” he says. “Worse still, you failed the forbidding blue.
me. Explain yourselves—and you had best hope I like
“The Council thinks I am defeated, but they will
what you have to say.”
soon discover the depths of my resolve. Let us put
The Merchant Baron’s anger softens slightly during today’s failure behind us. A storm is coming for this
the debriefing. He is stunned when you tell him about city, and it will consume the rest of Adriel if she is not
the wurm. His fury returns when you tell him about prepared. You may redeem yourselves yet.”
the Chasers’ betrayal.
“Their loyalty has always been up for sale.
The Council must have outbid me at some point.
I assumed the Chasers would give me a chance
to make a better offer. Unless…”
Finale — A Day Late and a Crystal Short 111
 EPIGRAPH
From the private records of Kendrick Maddox
Once again, Axia has found new ways to
disappoint me. Gelspar has been obliterated,
and the team I sent to save it returned too late
to be of any use. The hearth crystal I risked
everything to secure now rests in the hands of
my enemies, and I must find a way to endure.
The stakes are too great for me to be held
back by the failures of others.
The more I learn, the more the Council’s
apathy disgusts me. They knew about the
wurms, and yet they did nothing, content
to watch the world suffer so long as no one
disturbed the balance of power. Now that I
know the truth about the crystals, the Council
112 Finale — A Day Late and a Crystal Short
The campaign The Clockwork City picks up from
this point. Turn to p. 113 to learn more about this
has lost some of its leverage. Perhaps a more
and other storylines available to Rath, Laureat,
competent team could help me find a way
Piper, and Rook.
to loosen their stranglehold.
Elise’s report should arrive back soon. If what
was unearthed below the city of Summit is
genuine, I will need another crew. I fear the
late heroes of Gelspar may be my only option.
They failed me once, but we must make do
with the tools we are given and I am short
on time and allies. At least we will have
the element of surprise this time.
TH E
N EX T
CH APTER
 The Skies of Axia campaign ends here, but your tale is far from
finished. The Heroes have a working airship and a growing role
to play in the chain of events that will change Adriel forever.

The following campaigns pick up where the five Finales leave off.
You can continue on your party’s chosen path, choose an
alternate that interests you, or chart a new course and develop
your own story using the EMBERWIND: Storyteller’s Guide to Axia.

EMBERWIND: HEAVY IS THE HEAD
The shadow games of Adriel’s noble families have
taken a vicious turn. Gelspar was only the beginning.
Kendrick Maddox is already looking to build on
his success, ushering Piper into the limelight while
openly defying the authority of the Council.
His enemies do not take the challenge lightly.
A price has been placed on Piper’s head. You need
to find the buyer before an assassin’s knife ends
his plans, his bloodline, and his revolution.
EMBERWIND: FROM THE DUST
Gelspar is adrift. For the first time since the slum
was slapped together from derelict airships and
scrap metal one hundred years ago, its inhabitants
are working together to ensure their survival.
However, danger lurks amongst the dust and rubble.
There are those who would see the fallen city
sink below the clouds forever. It will take a strong
leader to rally the people, help them put aside their
petty squabbles, and ensure the Untethered City
rises again. Rook knows Gelspar will never trust an
outsider. Perhaps the people will have more respect
for one of their own.
EMBERWIND:
RETURN TO THE SILVERGLADES
The Merchant Baron is pulling you into his inner
circle. The Council thinks he’s down and out,
but while their attentions are turned elsewhere,
he is making new plans with his most valuable secret:
a hearth crystal powerful enough to keep a city
aloft. He’s entrusting you with an expedition to the
untamed wild of the Silverglades. Efforts to settle
the island were abandoned after a terrible accident
more than a decade ago. Laureat was the only
researcher to survive. Under her guidance, you will
try to discover what went wrong, and see if the new
crystal can reclaim the Silverglades for humanity.
EMBERWIND: THE CLOCKWORK CITY
The expedition team Kendrick sent to the ruins
below the mountaintop city of Summit has vanished.
The Merchant Baron has been searching for an
artifact amongst a recently unearthed cache of old-
world knowledge, but the field team’s reports have
stopped, and Kendrick needs to know what went
wrong. Elise Grant has gone ahead to investigate
the situation. Led by Rath, a collector of ancient curios
and secrets, you will join her to continue the search.

The Next Chapter 115

APPENDIX
 STORYTELLER NOTES
EMBELLISHMENTS
Embellishments give Storytellers
the opportunity to improvise or expand on
certain elements in the story. They provide
more information about characters, places,
or the world, and can add extra depth
or flavour to the gameplay experience.
Embellishments must stay consistent
with the larger narrative and the world
of the campaign, and are handled at
the Storyteller’s discretion. Embellishments
are always optional, and skipping them will
not diminish your gameplay experience.
VARIANT COMBAT RULE
For added combat difficulty, Storytellers may
ignore Action Chains when controlling Foes.
Instead, Foes take the number of Actions per
Turn listed on their Foe Card and can take any
combination of Actions from their A.I. Hex Grid
in any order.
EMBELLISHMENTS
[1]
Elise has worked for Kendrick for years,
and often served as his eyes, checking on
the Grant family, who was charged with
Piper’s care after the murder of her parents.
If Piper is present, Elise should adopt a warmer,
even sisterly tone, when addressing her.
The Houndmaster is a rough man who has
[2]
earned renown in Gelspar for his skill training
and handling hounds. While he maintains
a gruff exterior and tries to avoid sharing
information about himself, he loves his dogs
and can become talkative, even sentimental
about them. He will take any excuse to boast
about his pack.
Hobb is a jumpy man who guards his
[3]
identity with extreme paranoia, even though
he is well known to most local merchants
and criminals. He loves food and dislikes
questions, especially when they are
about him. If pressed, Hobb offers fanciful
distractions instead of answers. If Rath is
present, Hobb pretends not to recognize
him, even though the two have met
many times before.
If you do not wish to come up with his replies
yourself, roll a d4 to determine Hobb’s
answer when he is asked about himself:
1 - “My tale is a tragic one. I was born to
a poor family of fishers on the edge of
Windfall Harbour. One day my father caught
a magical slaughterfish that granted a wish
for each of his three sons in exchange
for its freedom. I used mine to ask for an
enchantment that would protect me from
the questions of foolish people. Sadly, it expired
mere moments ago.”
2 - “My tale is a happy one. I was born on
a pirate ship some forty years past, but I did
not awake to the wonders of being alive until
mere moments ago when I relieved a street
cook of this kebab. Praise the heavens!
I am born again!”
3 - “My tale is a strange one. I do not know
my father and mother, for I was born deep
in the mists of the Silverglades and found
by a band of wandering minstrels who
drank forgetfulness potions every night
so that each morning they could learn their
instruments anew. One night I refused to
drink my draught and they kicked me out
to fend for myself.”
4 - “My tale is a sad one. I was raised by
a pack of street dogs in Cloudbreak who
magically gain the power to speak for one
day every year. The last words they said to
me before I moved away were, ‘Never trust
a human who will not give you bread.’ I still
live by those words today.”
Appendix — Storyteller Notes 117
 COMBAT RULES
COMBAT BASICS
• Each player controls their own Hero.
• Each Hero Card lists the Actions
that the Hero can take in a Turn.
• The Narrator controls all Foes
(in addition to their Hero if they are
playing one). (For Narrator rules,
see p. 21.)
• Each Foe Card lists the Actions that
a Foe can take in a Turn, as well as
its combat statistics.
• Combat is Turn-based.
• Combat ends when one set of Victory
or Loss Conditions has been met.
The corresponding Outcome is then
read to the group.
118 Combat Rules — Basics
COMBAT STEPS
Tip: A quick reference to the key
Combat Rules has been included in
the downloadable support package
(www.emberwindgame.com/campaigns/
skies-of-axia).
Note: The language used in combat is from a
neutral perspective. Specifically, the Heroes
are always referred to as "Heroes," and Foes
as "Foes," no matter which "Combatant" is
currently acting. "Combatant" refers to both
Heroes and Foes.
COMBAT RULES
1. Battlefield Set-Up
• Construct the Map: Print a copy of
the Combat Encounter Map in the
downloadable support package
or draw the Battlefield Map on a
square-gridded surface to match
the illustration in the book.
• Place Tokens: Mark each Hero and
Foe’s starting location.
2. Establish Turn Order
• Establish the Turn Order by filling
in the Initiative Slot Order (see
diagram right) located on the Party
Tracker Card. Begin by identifying
the Rank of each Foe in the combat
(Grunt, Awakened, Elite or Boss).
Cross out any Foe Slot that has no
Foes of that Rank present, as well
as the Hero Slot directly above them.
• The Narrator fills in the Foe Slots.
Then, each player assigns their
Hero to a Hero Slot. Once each
Hero Slot has at least one Hero,
Heroes can be assigned to
any Hero Slot.
 • If multiple Heroes are assigned to
the same Slot, the players choose
the order their Heroes act in within
that Slot. The Narrator does
the same for Foes.
3. Review Combat Flairs:
Combat Flairs are special conditions
that add complexity (and often
difficulty) to combat. They reflect
features of the terrain, the campaign
world, Foe strategy, combat objectives,
and other elements specific to
a Combat Encounter. They are
mandatory unless otherwise stated.
The Narrator reads the Combat Flairs
aloud to the other players.
• Note: If this if your first time playing
EMBERWIND, we recommend
ignoring any Combat Flair
marked [Hard Mode].
4. Review Victory and Loss Conditions:
The Narrator reads the Victory
and Loss Conditions aloud to
the other players. Once a set
of Conditions has been met,
the Combat Encounter concludes.
5. Read Opening Narration:
The Narrator reads the Opening
Narration aloud to the Heroes.
6. Initiate Combat:
Combat begins with the Hero(es)
in Hero Slot 1 taking their Turn(s).
Combatants act in Turn according
to the Initiative Slot Order.
A Round of Combat concludes when
every Combatant has had a Turn. If no
Victory or Loss Conditions has been
achieved yet, a new Round begins,
starting with Hero Slot 1.
7. Narrator reads the Corresponding
Outcome and Ends Combat:
The Narrator reads the Outcome
corresponding to the set of Conditions
achieved, then continues the story.
Combat Rules — Basics 119

ACTIONS PER TURN
Each Hero Action has an associated speed:
Slow, Fast, or Free.
Each Turn, you have:
• 2 Slow Actions, or
• 1 Slow Action and 2 Fast Actions, or
• 4 Fast Actions each Turn.
You may also take any number of Free Actions.
BASIC ACTIONS
Basic Actions are available to every Hero.
Movement: These Actions allow your Hero
to travel around the Battlefield.
• A Move Action allows your Hero
to travel 1-5 unoccupied Squares
as a Slow Action.
• A Shift Action allows your Hero
to travel 1 unoccupied Square as
a Fast Action.
Note: When the words "move" or "movement"
appear in the rules, it generally refers to
Combatants travelling around the Battlefield.
This is different from a Move Action, which is
a particular kind of movement.
120 Combat Rules — Hero Turns
HERO TURN RULES
Maneuvers are Basic Actions tied to your
Hero's Skills. In Skies of Axia, the Heroes
all use Tumble as their Maneuver. Other
Maneuvers are available in EMBERWIND:
The RISE System and EMBERWIND:
The RISE Microlite System.
• A Tumble Action allows your Hero
to travel 1-3 occupied Squares as
a Slow Action.
Basic Attacks are your Hero's simplest
options for dealing damage to Foes, but are
generally less powerful than Class Actions.
Basic Attacks are made as Slow Actions.
• A Basic Melee Attack is used to
target nearby Foes at a specified
Range (usually 1).
• A Basic Ranged Attack is used to
target nearby or distant Foes at a
specified Range. Basic Ranged Attacks
may target Foes adjacent to you.
CLASS ACTIONS
Class Actions are special abilities that your
Hero possesses. Each has special rules and
an associated speed listed on your Hero Card.
Your Class Actions may also have their own
special Action Types.
General: A General Action has no special
properties, but can have other Effects
applied to it.
Spell: A Spell is usually a magical Class
Action that relies on arcane ability.
Exploit: An Exploit is usually a martial Class
Action that relies on physical prowess.
Melee: A Melee Action affects nearby
Targets at a specified Range (usually 1).
Ranged: A Ranged Action affects a nearby
or distant Target within a specified Range.
A Ranged Action may be used on Targets
adjacent to you.
Trigger: A Trigger Action can be used out
of Turn if the Trigger Condition has been
fulfilled. A Trigger Action may require you
to save an Action from your Turn to expend
later. Unused Actions do not carry over to
your next Turn.
• Trigger Limit: The total amount of
Trigger Actions you can use per Round.
Sustain: Some Actions have a Sustained
Effect that can be repeated on your
subsequent Turns. Choose which Effect/s to
sustain at the start of each Turn, then apply
those Effects as indicated. Sustaining an
Effect does not expend Actions.
(Continues to next page ")

• Your Sustain Limit is the total number
of Effects you can sustain per Round.
Multiple copies of the same Effect
count separately.
Amplify: An Amplify Effect modifies the Effect
of an Action at an added cost.
• Amplify Actions can apply their Amplify
Effect to other Actions. They can be used
at any point during the other Action.
• Other Actions that contain an
Amplify Effect can only apply that
Effect to themselves.
• Amplify Limit: The total number of
Amplify Effects you can use per Round.
CLASS TIDE-TURNER ACTIONS
Tide-Turner Actions are your most powerful
Class Actions. They are activated by
expending a Tide-Turner Charge.
• Tide-Turner Charges: You begin a
campaign with your maximum number
of Tide-Turner Charges as shown on
your Hero Card. In Skies of Axia,
they can only be replenished with
a Potion of Heroism.
HERO TURN RULES
SELECTING TARGETS
Each Action details the number and type
(Hero, Foe, Square, etc.) of potential Targets,
as well as the maximum Range between you
and a valid Target.
Action Targeting: Actions can target yourself,
other Heroes, Foes, Combatants, and
Squares. Actions that target a Foe require a
CAP Check (see below). Actions that Target a
Hero do not require a CAP Check.
• If the specified Target for an action is
"Hero," the Hero may target themself.
• If the specified Target for an action
is "Other Hero," the Hero may
not target themself.
Cover: You cannot target a Combatant
(or Square) with an Action if there is a Square
of Cover between you and your Target.
Action Range: Action Range is the maximum
Range at which an Action can be used.
Diagonal Squares count as 1 Range. If an
Action's Range is unlisted, treat its Range as 1.
RESOLVING ACTIONS
Most Actions that target Foes require
a CAP Check to determine if you hit and
whether or not that Foe can reduce
the Damage of your Action.
CAP Check: CAP is shorthand for Critical
Threshold, Accuracy, and Penetration.
Roll 1d20 to determine what happens
for your CAP Check.
C — If your roll result is less than or equal
to your “C” Value, your Action is a Critical
Hit, hitting your Target, bypassing Barriers
Values, and dealing Maximum Damage.
• Auto-Crit : An Action
with this icon does not require a CAP
Check and is treated as a Critical Hit.
A — If your roll result is less than or equal to
your “A” Value, your Action hits your Target.
Proceed to “P”. Otherwise your Action misses.
• Auto-Hit : An Action with
this icon skips the CAP Check and is
treated as a hit. Auto-Hit Actions never
penetrate Barrier Values.
P — If your roll result is less than or equal
to your “P” Value, your Action bypasses
Barrier Values. Otherwise those Barrier
Values reduce Damage you do when you
make your Damage Roll.
(Continues to next page ")
Combat Rules — Hero Turns 121
 HERO TURN RULES
• Bypass Barrier : An Action
with this icon ignores Barrier Values
when dealing Damage.
Damage Roll: If you hit a Foe,
roll the associated Damage dice
for the Action.
• If your Action bypassed Barrier Values,
the Foe does not reduce that Damage.
• Otherwise, reduce your Damage
by the Barrier Value shown on
the Action you used.
• Toughness is the Barrier Value
represented by . remove a Condition from their Target.
• Resistance is the Barrier Value
represented by . affected by Condition Removal and is
• The Narrator tracks the Damage
you dealt to a Foe and any ongoing
Effects on a sheet of paper. Once a
Foe’s Health Points reach 0, that Foe
becomes Fallen.
• Fallen: This Combatant cannot
be healed and cannot act in
Combat. Fallen is not a Condition,
and cannot be affected
by Conditional Removal.
122 Combat Rules — Hero and Foe Turns
Non-Damaging Effects: Actions can cause
non-damaging Effects. Many of those are
described on your Hero Card. Others follow
a set of existing rules.
• Healing: Roll the listed healing dice for
the Action. Add the roll result to that
Hero's current HP. Current HP cannot
exceed Maximum HP. You cannot heal
a Fallen Target.
• Conditions: Conditions provide
penalties to Combatants and are
explained on p. 125.
• Condition Removal: Some Actions
A Persistent Condition cannot be
only removed at the end of combat.
FOE TURN RULES
USING FOE CARDS
Each Foe's combat statistics and features
are listed on its Foe Card.
Before combat, the Narrator reads aloud
the Default Characteristics and Optional
Modifiers listed on each Foe Card.
• Default Characteristics determine
how a Foe moves and targets
Combatants during battle.
• Optional Modifiers may be added to
increase a Foe’s capabilities. If an
Optional Modifier contradicts a Default
Characteristic, the Optional Modifier
supersedes.
• For added difficulty, the Narrator may
keep the Default Characteristics and
Optional Modifiers private.
 4

INFORMATION

FOE TURN RULES Rank: Grunt Size: 1 x 1

HP: 40 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 4

CONTROLLING FOES
The Narrator controls all Foes using their
respective Hex A.I. Grids.
Example: Awakened Foe’s Turn:
Rolled Result
Hexes: Hexes list the type of Action that ACTION TARGETING
Basic Melee Bite : Deal 1d10 + 10
the Foe uses. Attack: Damage
Foes move and target Combatants based
[Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 2
• Move Hex: The Foe makes a Move on their Default Characteristics, Optional
Action, travelling up to a number of Modifiers, and occasionally Combat Flairs.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
unoccupied Squares equal to the value
1 Optional Modifiers, if applied, supersede
listed in the Hex. Diagonal Squares A: Pounce : Move up to 5 Squares
any contradictory Default Characteristics.

B LOOD
Basic

count as 1. toward Hero with least HP and deal 1d10

Attack

6
Special Move
2 Combat+ 10
Flairs supersede
Damage . Heroboth Default
is knocked Prone
Basic

Characteristics and Optional Modifiers.

Ability 3 Sqs. Attack
C Special Basic .
Ability Attack
A
Move
3 Sqs.

H
Move Move

OUND
3 Sqs. 3 Sqs.
Special Special
Ability
Move
3 Sqs. Ability DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS
5 C A 3

Special
Ability Tunnel Vision: Moves toward nearest Hero.
B

4
Immediacy: Attacks nearest Hero.

The Hex A.I. Grid is a matrix that lists all OPTIONAL MODIFIERS

of the Foe’s available Action Chains— Bonded: Targets the Hero that last
a sequence of Actions that a Foe uses on targeted the Houndmaster.
its Turn.

Action Chain: The Narrator rolls 1d6 to

Example: The Bloodhound will attack
determine which Action Chain the Foe uses.
the nearest Hero, unless the Narrator
Match the rolled result with the corresponding
chooses to use the Bonded Optional
number on the Hex A.I. Grid. Begin by
• Basic Attack Hex: The Foe performs Modifier. If so, Bonded overrides Immediacy
using the Action listed in the centre Hex.
a Basic Attack. If it has a valid Target, and the Bloodhound will attack the Hero
Then, progress through adjacent Hexes
it uses its Basic Melee Attack (if it who last targeted the Houndmaster instead.
in the direction indicated by the roll result.
has one). Otherwise, it uses its Basic
Perform the Action listed in each Hex in Foes follow the same rules that Heroes do
Ranged Attack (if it has one).
the order they appear before ending for Cover and Action Range (p. 121), and
the Foe’s Turn. • Special Ability Hex: A Special Ability Flanking (p. 125).

• Invalid Actions: If an Action listed in is a Foe’s strongest power. Its use is

a Hex cannot be completed, the Foe matched to a letter listed in the Hex.
skips that Action Hex.

Combat Rules — Foe Turns 123

 5 A 3
Basic
1 Attack

Special
4
Ability
6 2
Basic
A
Basic FOE TURN RULES GENERAL RULES
Attack Attack INFORMATION
Move
RESOLVING FOE ACTIONS
5 Sqs. reducesGrunt
Rank: that result by their Barrier
Size: 1 xValue
1 Hit Points (HP): When a Combatant’s HP
Special that corresponds
Toughness:to4 theResistance:
Barrier Icon reaches 0, they become Fallen and cannot
Basic
Foes do notAbility
roll CAP Checks. Instead,
Attack Heroes
HP: 40 4
A listed, then subtracts the remaining act. Reduce all healing on Fallen Targets
roll Defense
5 Checks when
Basic they are the 3Target 1
Basic Melee Bite : Deal 1d10 + 10
amount from their HP. to 0. A Combatant can be recovered from
of a Foe Action. Attack
Attack: Damage
• Note: Foe Actions marked
Special Fallen by the use of certain Actions
[Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 2
Ability
When a Hero is targeted,
4 the Hero rolls 1d20
cannot have or Items (i.e. Gift of Life or Phoenix Pinion).
C their Damage reduced
and compares the result to their Defense by Barrier Values. Heroes automatically recover from Fallen
6 SPECIAL ABILITIES 2
Value that corresponds to the Defense
INFORMATION Special Special Basic at the end of a Combat Encounter.
Icon (Dodge or Willpower ) listed Ability Ability Attack
Rank: Grunt Size: 1 x 1 A A: Pounce A : Move up to 5 Squares
directly after the name of the Action. Basic Hero with leastBasic
toward HP and deal 1d10 Movement: All movement is calculated in

OOD
HP: 40 Toughness: 4 Resistance: 4 Attack Attack Squares. Combatants must travel through
+ 10 Damage . Hero is knocked Prone
Move
Basic Melee Bite : Deal 1d10 + 10
.
5 Sqs.
unoccupied Squares during their Move
Attack: Damage Special
S Special and Shift Actions. Tumble Actions can

UND H OUND
Example: A A Hero hit by Pounce
Ability Ability takes 1d10
[Storyteller Only] Actions per Turn: 2 travel through occupied Squares.
SpecialDEFAULT
C CHARACTERISTICS B
Basic the result Special
Example: Bite requires the target Hero to + 10 Damage, reducing
Ability
by their
Ability Diagonal Squares count as 1.
Attack
make a Dodge Check. 5 A Tunnel Vision:
Toughness Moves
Barrier toward nearest Hero.
Value. B 3
SPECIAL ABILITIES • Forced Movement: Combatants cannot

M
Immediacy: Attacks nearest Hero.

ASTER
A Hero successfully avoids • Additional Effects: Heroes are required be forced off of the Battlefield or
A: Pounce : Movethe Foe’s
up to Action
5 Squares Basic
if their roll result
toward Heroiswith
equal toHP
least orand
lessdeal
than the
1d10 toOPTIONAL
roll additional
AttackDefense Checks
MODIFIERS Elevation equal to or greater than 20
Defense + 10 Damage
Value . Herowas
the check is knocked
made Prone
against. to avoid the other Effects of a Foe’s ft. All forced movement must be made
Bonded: Targets the Hero that last
. 4
Action. the
targeted Each Effect requires a separate
Houndmaster. through unoccupied Squares unless
• Note: Foe Actions marked Defense Check, listed directly after otherwise specified.
cannot be avoided. each Effect in the Foe Action.
DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS
INFORMATION SPECIAL
S C ABILITIES
• Teleport: Some Actions specify that
• Note: Foe Actions may sometimes a Combatant Teleports. When a
Tunnel Vision: Moves toward nearest Hero.
require theRank:
Hero to Awakened
make a Skill CheckSize: 1 x 1 A: Disarming Lash : [Range 3]
Immediacy: Attacks nearest Hero. Combatant Teleports, you ignore
to avoid being hit. Deal 1d10 + 10 Damage .
HP: 60 Toughness: 8 Resistance: 4 Hero suffers 5 Stacks of Weakness . obstructions and are not affected by
OPTIONAL MODIFIERS Elevation. You may not Teleport into
If a Hero has been hit,Melee
Basic the Foe deals Damage
Dagger : B: Animal Handling:
an occupied Square.
and additional Effects
Bonded: Targets the may
Hero be
Attack: Deal
thatapplied.
2d10 + 10 Damage
last Example: All A
Bloodhounds Disarming
Hero hit byheal 5 HP. Lash needs
targeted the Houndmaster.
to make a Willpower Check. If the Hero fails
C: Enrage:
• Damage Rolls: The Narrator
Basic Ranged Whip rolls : [Range 3] Actions by suffer
nearest5Bloodhound deal
their check, they Stacks of Weakness.
the Damage dice listed in the Foe’s
Attack: Deal 1d10 + 10 Damage +10 Damage next Turn.
Action, then adds any
[Storyteller additional
Only] Actions per Turn: 3 Additional Effects may result in Conditions
modifiers (e.g. 3d8 + 10). The Hero (p. 125) or Forced Movement (see right).

DEFAULT CHARACTERISTICS OPTIONAL MODIFIERS

Tunnel Vision: Moves toward nearest Hero. Bonded: Targets the last Hero that
124 Combat Rules — Foe Turns and General
Immediacy: Attacks nearest Hero. targeted a Bloodhound.
Flanking: If a Foe is adjacent to two Heroes
who occupy Squares on opposite edges
or opposite corners of that Foe's Square,
it suffers from Off-Guard (see diagram
right). The same is true for a Hero positioned
between two Foes.

Example: The Foe in this diagram is Flanked

and suffers from Off-Guard, granting all
Heroes +2 Accuracy on all Actions that
target this Foe.

Conditions: Many Actions cause

Combatants to suffer from Conditions.
Some Conditions specify how they can be
removed. Others are removed by Actions
or Items (e.g. Restore or Cloudclear Salve).
All Conditions are automatically removed
at the end of a Combat Encounter. For a
list of the Conditions and their Effects,
see diagram right or the back of
your Hero Card.

Combat Rules — General 125

 CREDITS

Lead Writers:
Eric Weiss & Derek Chung

Supporting Writer:
Peter Chiykowski

Story Concept:
Derek Chung & Eric Weiss

Game Design:
Derek Chung, Cameron Peters, Peter Chiykowski

Lead Editor:
John Helfers

Art:
CrushVisual Studios

Graphics Design:
Sonia Chung

Printing:
Wing King Tong Company Limited

Special Thanks:
Evan Haidasz Yannick Dion Timothy Yan
John Helfers Rebecca Shropshire Isaac Fine
Spencer Hayden Sana Haghighi Vladislav Nikolaichuk
Tico Souza

Specialer Thanks (to likely irritated significant others):

Jin Shim, Jasmine Miñoza, Kerrie Hughes
Miroki Tong
“THANK YOU FOR PLAYING!”
— from us at NOMNIVORE
TM