Tal'Dorei Campaign Guide PDF

12 Chapter 1: Campaigns in tal'Dorei

answers to this riddle, Raishan received a promise from

Thordak. Thordak would cure Raishan’s malaise, should

she discover how to break the red dragon’s bindings, and

aid in conquering all of Tal’Dorei. She formed a plan and

amassed unlikely allies in three other chromatic drag-

ons: Umbrasyl the Hope Devourer, Brimscythe the Iron

Storm, and Vorugal the Frigid Doom.

After infiltrating the Pyrah Ashari for nearly five

years, Raishan finally unlocked the seal between the

planes that bound Thordak and set him free, allowing

the entire circle of ancient dragons, now called the

Chroma Conclave, to unleash an assault of catastrophic

proportions on the great city of Emon, and the Tal’Dorei

countryside. Nearly three centuries of Tal’Dorei rule

in the realm ended under the rule of Sovereign Uriel

Tal’Dorei II, his life cut short when much of Emon was

reduced to rubble.

The attack not only killed the Sovereign Uriel, but also

scattered the Council of Tal’Dorei, throwing the realm

into chaos. Thordak the Cinder King, now swollen with

elemental energy, claimed all Tal’Dorei as the Con-

clave’s domain. The remnants of the civilized lands were

divided up and taken as trophies by the Conclave, while

the capital Emon was ruled by the Cinder King himself,

with Raishan secretly pulling the strings from the shad-

ows to bend the momentum of these events in her favor.

One by one, the members of the Conclave fell to the

might and cleverness of a band of misfit warriors known

as Vox Machina. These heroes eventually gathered their

allies and stormed the capital of Emon, slaying Thordak

the Cinder King and freeing the people. Upon discover-

ing the machinations of the real mastermind Raishan the

Diseased Deceiver, with whom Vox Machina had held

a tenuous alliance, they gave chase and finally slew this

last standing member of the Chroma Conclave, ending

dragon reign over the land and restoring rule once more to

the Council of Tal’Dorei.

Tal’Dorei Reborn

Only one year has passed since Vox Machina slew the

Chroma Conclave, yet much of Tal’Dorei is already

returning to prosperity. Major cities like Westruun and

Emon are especially fortunate, for the vast amounts of

wealth plundered from the dragons’ ancient hoards have

allowed them to hire legions of arcanists to magically

restore much of what was lost. Tal’Dorei is on the road to

recovery, but all is not well. The newly-formed Republic of

Tal’Dorei finds itself increasingly indebted to the mages

who facilitated Emon’s rebirth, and there is worry that the

fledgling Republic will crumble under the pressure.

Beyond Emon, the landscape of Tal’Dorei has been for-

ever scarred by the presence of the Conclave, especially the

Cinder King. His hellfire left marks on Tal’Dorei that will

never heal—magical wounds that bleed fire and ooze cha-

otic magic. Smaller cities beyond the reach of the Council

have begun to succumb to sinister influences. The Betrayer

Gods sense weakness within the world. The lightless mad-

ness of the Chained Oblivion churns beneath Gatshadow.

The lost blade of a powerful and seductive infernal lord

calls from the Umbra Hills for a new master. The Cloaked

Serpent raises armies south of Syngorn. The cults of the

Whispered One spread like a poison through Tal’Dorei’s

remote frontiers. Tal’Dorei needs heroes—and this time,

Vox Machina alone will not be enough.

Running a Tal’Dorei Campaign

Tal’Dorei is not just its history—do not treat this book as an encyclopedia, or as shackles that bind you to the characters

and environments presented within. As you flip through the pages to come, consider why you want to run an RPG cam-

paign set in Tal’Dorei, and in the larger world of Exandria. What about Critical Role inspires you as a Game Master? Is it

the bonds of family and love between its many characters, or are you searching this book for the secrets of its plot and the

machinations of its vilest villains? Whatever the initial spark that led you here, hold tight to it as you read and search for

ways to feed your personal flame of imagination. And when you are done? Create.

the seCrets

of tal’Dorei

The world of Exandria is steeped in familiar and accessible

fantasy themes, with all the elves, dwarves, and wizards

you might expect from such an RPG. This is a world new

gamers will find themselves right at home in. Tal’Dorei

also holds secrets that will challenge your expectations,

and you may enjoy putting your own twists on these great

mysteries of the world. Each of these secrets can form the

backbone of an entire campaign, or can serve as flavor to

create the impression of a world that is larger than just the

player characters’ story.

all-powerful, imprisoneD goDs

Tal’Dorei was nearly destroyed when the gods fought one

another in the Calamity. Now, the Betrayer Gods are sealed

in otherworldly prison planes and the victorious Prime Dei-

ties have disappeared into self-exile. An unbreakable barrier

stands between the mortal and immortal realms, and no

deity dares breach it lest the Betrayers break from their

eternal prison and wreak havoc once more. At best, a deity

can only grant their clerics a small measure of their power

to enact their will upon Exandria.

However, there are several cults that wish to circumvent

this barrier and summon their dark patron onto the Material

Plane. Others seek to unravel the forgotten rites of ascen-

sion, thought destroyed once the Matron of Ravens stepped

into the pantheon. What would happen if a mortal were to