Autumn-Tide 5E Adventure Setting 07 - The King Without a Shadow

Creator: Anton Kromoff, Illustrated by Nicolás R. Giacondino
Category: 5e Adventure Setting, Roleplaying Game
Age Range: 12+
Vibes: Fantasy, TTRPG Setting, Elden Ring, Dying Lands, Horror, Mimic, Magical Hammer, Treasure Vault, This stuff is creepy and deeply unsettling, Undead

In Short: An ancient evil holds court in a citadel of shifting halls and living dread. Learn the secrets of the ancient thing known as The King Without a Shadow and what drives his quest to rule a kingdom of his own.

What's It About: Beneath the earth of the Autumn-Tide forest are great caverns that the dwarves of the land call home. These communities exist in somewhat harmonious union under the light of the inner sun. All communities, that is, save one. Once the home of an isolationist cult who worshiped the darkness, the cult of dwarves has fallen to an alien intelligence far older than even the trees of the Autumn Tide themselves.

The creature is called Aristo Shazbellon, a shapeshifting undead whose hunger for control and power have led him to forming his own kingdom from the bones and flesh of a corrupt monastic order of dwarves who self exiled themselves from the light of the Inner Sun. 

Those who have explored the ever changing stronghold known as the Shifting Halls have run afoul of the spawns and subjects of Aristo Shazbellon as they hunt for flesh and consume the memories and minds of those who fall prey to their ambush tactics.

Included in this Adventure Seed are stats on Aristo Shazbellon, his spawn and subjects, and an awakened version of the Sol Hammer, a sentient artifact weapon wielded by the heroic Agatha Brightstone as she defends the dwarven lands from the flesh fiends who hunt in the dark below.

What Is An Adventure Seed: An Adventure Seed is a fully crafted narrative designed to inspire and enrich your TTRPG table. Each seed includes one or more lore heavy NPCs complete with game mechanics, unique items, and detailed stats. For the Autumn-Tide series, these seeds may also feature a new monster with stats, abilities, and motivations unique to the Autumn Tide setting, as well as a location with environmental effects, intriguing new items or maps that are rich with lore, and supplemental information to seamlessly integrate into your game setting.

Whether you’re looking for a quick one-shot idea or a springboard for an epic campaign, an Adventure Seed provides the tools and storytelling spark you need to bring your world to life.