TEXT: LOST OASIS
  A PLAYTEST TALE
  NOTE: This is a playtest adventure. Due to the goals of a playtest, some 
  player choices are constrained. In future installments of Tales of Xadia, 
  this won’t be the case. For groups wishing to simply playtest a few short 
  scenes, there are playtest scenes marked for immediate use (marked 
  with 
   ) and additional context and plot summaries 
  are included on their respective pages.
  
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  A Cortex Playtest
  Welcome, Travelers! Grab your friends and dive into this 
  Tale of Xadia!
  “I’ve Got Some Questions…”
  Why are we here, anyway?
  Why can’t Feathershawl do this themself?
  Maybe I could do this without Feathershawl?
  You’re sure it’s abandoned, Feathershawl?
  Background for the Narrator
  Innean
  Catalysts
  Many Paths
  Feathershawl
  Nausics
  Cuirass of Vuxen and the Primal Well
  Scene Structure
  Threads
  Prologue – Arriving on Innean 
  Act One – Rabble, Rabble 
  Feathershawl
  Nausics
  Townspeople
  What Next?
  Action Scene – Extraction 
  Action Scene – An Eager Invitation 
  Action Scene – Mass Flight 
   
  Townspeople of Note
  What’s the Plan?
  Bridge Scene – Overdue Notice
  The Collision
  Bridge Scene – More Than a Mouthful
  The Collision
  Act Two – After the Collision
  Action Scene – Moon Steals Earth and Sky
  Action Scene – Sky Defies Moon
  Action Scene – Roars of Freedom
  Action Scene – Feathers Fly
  Action Scene – Primal Deliverance
  Action Scene – From Cloud to Anvil
  Additional Scenes
  Succession
  Loyal Swarm
  Descent of the Coward
  Other Sad Outcomes
  The Aftermath
  What’s Next
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  2
  
  SCENE GUIDE
  Prologue 
  Arriving on Innean 
  Page 12
  Aftermath 
  Page 34
  Act Two 
  Page 26
  Nausics
  Townspeople
  Feathershawl
  Act One 
  Rabble, Rabble 
  Page 13
  An Eager Invitation 
  Page 18
  Sky Defies Moon 
  Page 27
  More than a Mouthful 
  Page 24
  Primal Deliverance 
  Page 30
  From Cloud to Anvil 
  Page 31
  Overdue Notice 
  Page 23
  Feathers Fly 
  Page 29
  Extraction 
  Page 16
  Moon Steals Earth & Sky 
  Page 27
  Mass Flight 
  Page 19
  Roars of Freedom 
  Page 29
  NOTE: This flowchart shows the most 
  likely paths through the tale. Depending 
  on how things go, you might add more 
  scenes in, play them in a slightly different 
  order, or have some PCs jump across to a 
  different thread. Since all of the threads 
  are running concurrently, make sure the 
  PCs don’t accidentally travel back in time 
  if they change threads!
  SCENE GUIDE
  3
  
  A CORTEX PLAYTEST
  A CORTEX PLAYTEST
  Welcome and thank you for playtesting our tale! Before 
  diving into the Lost Oasis playtest, make sure you have a 
  copy of the Tales of Xadia Rules Primer handy. It outlines 
  many of the gameplay questions you and your friends may 
  have and tells you everything you need to play a session of 
  Tales of Xadia. 
  The Narrator for your group is the intended audience 
  for this document. “Welcome, Travelers!” (page 5) is 
  an introduction to share with the players, possibly as a 
  handout in advance. 
  To ensure that the mechanics are tested adequately while 
  you play, this playtest is generally less open world than the 
  Tales of Xadia RPG. It can be played in two ways:
  Playtest Scenes: Several scenes, the first few after 
  the Prologue, are designed to highlight player choice 
  and gameplay. These are called out so that groups can 
  immediately experiment with some of the mechanics 
  without needing more than an hour of gameplay time. 
  The Narrator, or one of the players, might take notes 
  throughout and record how the scene went: which rules 
  seemed to work well, which didn’t seem to work as well, 
  and so on.
  A Complete Playthrough: When played from start to 
  finish, Lost Oasis takes place over two acts that include 
  many scenes, some of which your players might not end 
  up engaging with. This likely takes a few hours to play 
  and isn’t necessary unless you and your friends want to 
  experience a full adventure with some closure. And who 
  knows? Some of the characters might be so fun that you 
  want to play them again in a future tale, with the Lost 
  Oasis a part of their past.
  A Note on Difficulty: In most cases, we’ve provided the 
  difficulty dice for tests and challenges, based on the rules 
  in the Tales of Xadia Rules Primer. Most of the contests 
  in this playtest are with one of the two catalysts and use 
  their traits. As a reminder, Easy is ⑥⑥, Challenging 
  is ⑧⑧, Hard is ⑩⑩, and Very Hard is ⑫⑫ . If you feel 
  like slightly increasing the difficulty on any test, you can 
  always add an additional ⑥ or two.
  4
  
  WELCOME, TRAVELERS!
  Grab your friends and dive into this Tale of Xadia! 
  After counting yourselves lucky not to have suffered an ill-
  fate at the battle outside of the Storm Spire, a mysterious 
  tomb-delving Moonshadow elf named Feathershawl 
  (they/them) has commissioned your rag-tag crew to 
  investigate an abandoned city floating high across the 
  Xadian sky. The island is on a collision course with a 
  mountain range at the border, and the clock is ticking 
  to salvage a rare artifact from it; you don’t have time 
  to do your own research before you leave. Hopefully 
  Feathershawl is trustworthy! The city is called Innean, a 
  name that has escaped everyday conversation in Xadia for 
  a long time.
  You’re hunting a powerful artifact called the Primal Well, 
  which conducts Sky and Earth magics through itself. It’s 
  a chest-sized chunk of marble, faceted like a diamond, 
  reverberating with the residual magic it collects from the 
  air around it. This is then redirected downward, pushing 
  the city of Innean to a great height in the sky. It’s the 
  kind of place that would perk up the ears (elven or no) 
  of any adventurer.
  Feathershawl tells you that by the time you make it to the 
  mountains at the border, there’s only a 12-hour window 
  to ride to Innean on a magic beam of moonlight and get 
  in and out before the city is destroyed forever. Should be 
  an easy job, they tell you. There’s no bystanders that risk 
  getting hurt in an abandoned city. And Innean contains 
  everything from baubles to lost legends. Feathershawl 
  is obsessed with bringing this artifact back to the 
  Moonshadow elves, as they claim their people’s lives 
  depend on it. Sounds important!
  Intense tour guide aside, it’s now off to the mountains 
  with you! What lies ahead?
  Cute pigs! 
  Friendly chickens!
  Magical artifacts that need rescuing?
  You and your Narrator can find out for yourselves by 
  flying ahead, straight into the Lost Oasis!
  WELCOME, TRAVELERS!
  5
  
  “I’VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS...”
  “I’VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS…”
  Make sure your players have read “Welcome, Travelers!” 
  (page 5). You may want to review it with them or read 
  it aloud. 
  Here are some questions your players might have as you 
  introduce the premise of the tale, along with possible 
  answers that you can read to your players or use to inspire 
  your own answers.
  Why are we here, anyway?
  Your group of companions has been approached by 
  a mysterious benefactor, a Moonshadow elf named 
  Feathershawl who claims to have discovered a floating city 
  lost to time. They tell you that centuries of natural wind 
  currents high in the atmosphere have steered this city, 
  called Innean, towards some mountains near the Border. 
  Now it’s perilously close to colliding with said mountains, 
  and you’re speeding toward this mountain range to get 
  there before the collision and the city’s destruction.
  Why can’t Feathershawl do this themself?
  Feathershawl is only one elf, and they worry things will 
  get complicated. They say: 
  This artifact is simply too difficult for me to 
  extract alone. I’ve studied it, sure, but there’s 
  little to study. All I know is that I might need 
  the likes of you because even my rather capable 
  powers have their limits. If I’m honest, I’ve lost 
  both assets and confidence since being Ghosted by 
  Moonshadow society. However, I’m convinced I 
  can use this artifact to save lives and make up for 
  the shortcomings that brought me to that rather 
  traumatic ritual. Now, let’s hurry!
  Weird how they’re hurrying. And why were they 
  Ghosted, anyway? Seems kind of suspicious. If not 
  for this whole “collision with a mountain” ticking 
  clock thing, you might get pushier.
  What do I get out of this?
  Feathershawl offers each of you a significant sum of 
  money to cover the journey and its risks, but promises the 
  abandoned city contains more than enough intrigue and 
  plunder to satisfy a spectrum of interests. They say:
  I have my eye on one artifact in particular, that 
  Primal Well. Oh, if only I could bring it back to the 
  Moonshadow elders for the benefit of my people. You 
  see, my great flaw was I underestimated a plague 
  of worms that destroyed my people’s crops, and this 
  artifact could easily float the crops above the now 
  desperately infested soil. I truly hope this excursion will 
  not only help me but also my people.
  Tell me, what is it exactly that you crave? Armor? 
  Weapons? Ancient tomes? Glowing jewels? Money? 
  Good will? A story for your grandchildren? I am sure 
  all of that and more lies inside Innean, though the 
  coins will be from another age. As long as we can get 
  my Primal Well, fill your pockets!
  They make “filling pockets” sound WAY too easy, but they 
  sure do make jewels sound fun when they say “glowing.”
  6
  
  “I’VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS...”
  Maybe I could do this 
  without Feathershawl?
  They tell you that the journey requires their special Moon 
  magic cloak, which only they know how to use. They say:
  I use my cloak to harness a major moonbeam only 
  present during this rare moon phase. The beam will 
  cross the mountainside, as well as the city of Innean 
  itself, for a mere 12-hour window! We shall glide up 
  the moonbeam as if it is a river of light and we float 
  upon a raft. No flying creature can fly so high and 
  brave the mighty winds. It’s me or nothing, I’m afraid. 
  Sorry I can’t reassure you more; time is of the essence, 
  and I need to bring sustenance to my people.
  So, we need Feathershawl to get in and out. But it all feels 
  a little risky.
  You’re sure it’s abandoned, Feathershawl?
  Yes! Of course. There’s no record of it being in contact with 
  Xadia in centuries. It must be abandoned. Hurry, now!
  So the PCs don’t have a choice about 
  starting the adventure with Feathershawl?
  If this were an actual session of the Tales of 
  Xadia RPG, the players would have as many options 
  open to them as they could imagine. However, for a 
  playtest, it’s important to get straight to testing out 
  the mechanics, and the easiest way to do that is to 
  have some decisions already made. 
  So yes, this adventure is dependent on the PCs 
  going to Innean with Feathershawl. But they need 
  not stay with their guide, or even stay together. 
  In fact, some obstacles might prove easier if 
  the PCs choose to split up and follow scenes in 
  separate locations.
  7
  
  BACKGROUND FOR THE NARRATOR
  BACKGROUND FOR THE NARRATOR
  Feathershawl needs the player characters (PCs) to help 
  them recover an artifact from the lost city of Innean. 
  Nausics has his own agenda, and the townspeople just 
  want to survive the collision. These Narrator characters 
  (NCs) are important to the plot, and in Act One they all 
  try to endear themselves to the PCs.
  Innean 
  Innean is a small floating, isolated, Brigadoon-like city 
  where a small population of Skywing elves has lived in 
  harmony for centuries, separated from the rest of Xadian 
  Skywing culture and unaware of Xadia’s politics and 
  conflicts with humans. Life has become more pastoral 
  than adventurous, as stratospheric winds quickly made 
  visiting Innean all but impossible and round trips to the 
  ground below are extremely unappealing. The city feels 
  the strain of its isolation, however, as people have begun 
  to disappear (later, players discover people have gone 
  missing as a result of Nausics’ experiments). Innean has 
  drifted west over the years and is now about to collide 
  with a mountainside along the Border. Feathershawl has 
  seen many hints that the city is still occupied through 
  their research, but they have conveniently left that out. 
  PCs are told the city is abandoned—until they arrive and 
  see differently.
  Catalysts
  Catalysts are Narrator characters whose values and 
  importance in the story change as the PCs interact 
  with them, even indirectly. Instead of attributes they 
  have a single catalyst die, which can step up or down 
  during a game. Otherwise they have distinctions, values, 
  specialties, and even assets just like PCs. Their values are 
  key to the way they change and grow in the tale.
  The way players interact with catalysts alters the shape of 
  the story, and any NC they encounter has the potential to 
  be a valued ally or a vexing enemy as scenes and conflicts 
  continue. The catalysts of Lost Oasis are a Moonshadow 
  elf named Feathershawl (they/them) and a wingless 
  Skywing elf named Nausics (he/him). Early in Act One, 
  the two argue and become very distrustful of each other. 
  But it’s important to remember that they both value the 
  PCs and both do their best to endear themselves, at least 
  in Act One.
  In this playtest tale, the two catalysts start out as ⑧ 
  catalysts and can step up this die every time they succeed 
  in a contest that includes one of their primary values. As 
  their catalyst die steps up, so too does the value, and this 
  in turn steps down another value. As Narrator it’s your 
  responsibility to track these changing die ratings.
  Many Paths
  If your playtest session is short, don’t worry about 
  the many paths. Just visit one of the scenes marked 
   and explore that path. 
  If you’re doing a full playthrough of the adventure, each 
  player in your group should decide whether to side with 
  one of the catalysts, focus on the evacuation of Innean, or 
  forge an altogether new path through this tale. There’s no 
  requirement for the group to stay together; players can 
  each choose a different thread to follow if they want. 
  Your players may divert the action entirely from the 
  proposed scenes, if you let them! You can use the NCs 
  and artifacts provided here to aid you in forging your own 
  adventure. If one of the minor characters seems to evolve 
  into a catalyst, you can upgrade them on the fly to suit the 
  story. (See “Succession” on page 32 for an example.)
  Some text is written as though the Narrator is reading it 
  to the players, and you can do that if you like. But nothing 
  must be read verbatim. Borrow quotes and phrases all 
  you want, and paraphrase to suit your group’s tone and 
  playstyle. In the end, the way you play the NCs is up to 
  you; we provide some basics, but you bring them to life at 
  your table.
  It’s important to remind your players that they don’t need 
  to stay together. This tale is designed so that things aren’t 
  inherently easier or “better” if the PCs pursue the same 
  path. The adage of Don’t split the party doesn’t apply here.
  Replaying this adventure will get you different 
  interactions and outcomes, so don’t be shy. Suggest 
  another session with your players if they want to explore 
  some of what they missed. 
  8
  
  BACKGROUND FOR THE NARRATOR
  Feathershawl is a tall, lanky, gender neutral Moonshadow 
  elf with quiet but grim eyes. Once an elder of the 
  Moonshadow elves, they were exiled for failing to honor 
  an oath that cost elves their lives, and though they never 
  meant to hurt anyone they’re ashamed to discuss how 
  horribly they’ve failed. Their focus is entirely on how to 
  rejoin their society after having been made into a Ghost—
  something most exiled elves are unable to return from—
  and they’ll stop at nothing to bring back the Primal Well 
  as proof of their commitment to Moonshadow elf culture. 
  They also have a literal magic cloak of owl feathers that 
  allows them to float along beams of moonlight during 
  special phases of the moon. They apologize to PCs for 
  their shrewd and myopic nature, but they’re also very 
  distracted by how little time there is and their dream 
  of returning to their people; they’re willing to sacrifice 
  manners to achieve their goal. This Primal Well simply 
  must work, they tell themselves, though there are no clear 
  routes to being welcomed back after being Ghosted.
  They offer the PCs a significant sum of money—or any 
  other motivations that seem appropriate to enlist the 
  help of the PCs—but neglect to mention the Skywing 
  elves still occupying Innean after all these centuries. Once 
  on Innean, they spend little to no time fraternizing with 
  anyone unless they can provide information on the 
  Primal Well.
  Feathershawl’s primary value is Liberty. They want not 
  only the Primal Well, but the opportunity it may provide 
  for Feathershawl to escape their Ghost status and rejoin 
  Moonshadow society. If they win a contest that involves 
  Liberty, their Liberty die as well as their catalyst die 
  steps up for each win, up to a ⑫. But for each of those 
  wins, another one of their value dice is stepped down at 
  the Narrator’s discretion. Particularly vulnerable to be 
  stepped down are Feathershawl’s sense of Mastery and 
  Truth, as each matters less the closer Feathershawl gets 
  to pulling off what is essentially a heist.
  Moonshadow Elf ⑧
  Exiled Moon Mage ⑧
  Singlemindedly Acute ⑧
  DISTIONCTIONS
  VALUES
  Liberty ⑧
  My survival and legacy are 
  deeply pressing concerns.
  Mastery ⑧
  Developing power can solve 
  most of my problems.
  Truth ⑧
  The relativity of truth is keeping 
  me alive.
  Devotion ④
  Love means little if it makes 
  you powerless.
  Glory ⑧
  Achievements are a powerful 
  currency for me.
  Justice ⑥
  All crimes are relative to 
  their effect. 
  FEATHERSHAWL
  Catalyst ⑧
  History ⑧
  Moon Magic ⑩
  SPECIALTIES
  SIGNATURE ASSET
  Owlfeather Cloak ⑧
  9
  
  BACKGROUND FOR THE NARRATOR
  Nausics is a stocky, older Skywing elf with elaborate 
  facial tattoos. Like most Skywing elves in Innean, he was 
  born without wings. This Innean elder is the Keeper of 
  the Primal Well. He’s known for years that Innean was 
  drifting towards the mountains and he hopes to take the 
  Primal Well with him during the inevitable evacuation. 
  He has secretly forsaken his oath to not touch the Primal 
  Well—by luring citizens into his keep and convincing 
  them to try to hold the Well. His experiments haven’t 
  been successful. The frozen bodies of these elves are kept 
  in a lair beneath Nausics’ study, at the end of a staircase 
  hidden behind a bookshelf. After many failures, Nausics 
  now has armor—the Cuirass of Vuxen commissioned 
  from the local blacksmith, who is proficient in weaving 
  powerful Sky magic into the city’s rare metals—which 
  should allow the wearer to carry the Well.
  Nausics’ lies have drawn lines on his face, though he 
  hides it behind the warm demeanor of a respected public 
  figure. He’s eager to tell someone the truth and repent 
  for his horrible experiments, something he believed was 
  necessary but hated to do.
  Nausics is driven primarily by the value of Truth. He 
  is desperate to confess his sins to someone, and he stops 
  at nothing to make PCs complicit in his redemption 
  quest involving the Cuirass of Vuxen. By succeeding 
  in contests of Truth, his Truth value die rating steps 
  up, along with his catalyst die, up to a ⑫. But for each 
  of those wins, another one of his values is stepped down 
  at the Narrator’s discretion. Particularly vulnerable to 
  be stepped down are Nausics’ sense of Mastery and 
  Justice as he descends into his obsession.
  Cuirass of Vuxen and the Primal Well
  Forged in Innean by the local blacksmith, Vuxen, this 
  cuirass redirects Earth and Sky magic energy around the 
  wearer in ribbons that orbit them, rather than the wearer 
  becoming frozen by the powerful magic forces. It is an 
  asset, the Cuirass of Vuxen ⑩.
  If anyone touches the Primal Well without wearing 
  Nausics’ Cuirass of Vuxen to protect themselves from 
  its powerful magic, the person making contact might be 
  frozen into a magical statue. If they do find the armor, the 
  Primal Well is rather simple to pick up.
  Skywing Elf ⑧
  Keeper of the Primal Well ⑧
  Dark Secrets ⑧
  DISTIONCTIONS
  VALUES
  Liberty ⑧
  I am a servant to my people, 
  whether they understand 
  or not.
  Mastery ⑧
  To know a power is to 
  control the future.
  Truth ⑧
  Patience may keep me 
  from being transparent, 
  but I mean well.
  Devotion ⑥
  I remember the love of others 
  like a nostalgic dream.
  Glory ④
  I am genuinely selfless in 
  my pursuit of freedom 
  for Innean.
  Justice ⑧
  I see the greater good and  
  the sacrifices needed with 
  brutal clarity.
  NAUSICS
  Catalyst ⑧
  Stewardship ⑧
  Sky Magic ⑩
  SPECIALTIES
  SIGNATURE ASSET
  Necklace of Warning ⑧
  10
  
  SCENE STRUCTURE
  Lost Oasis is told in two acts, each made up of scenes 
  involving the three intertwining threads. The point in the 
  tale at which the first act ends and the second one begins 
  is the collision of Innean with the mountainside.
  Threads
  Three threads lace through the story: one with each of 
  the two catalysts, the third involving the evacuation of 
  Innean’s townspeople. 
  Each player chooses a thread to follow; it’s not required 
  for the group to stay together, and probably preferable if 
  they split up to deal with multiple threads through the 
  adventure. Depending on the scene, this may mean PCs 
  are separated from each other, or are at least entering from 
  different directions. Players can create their own threads if 
  they wish, and we offer suggestions for additional scenes 
  (page 32). 
  However…
  …The three narrative threads forge ahead with or without 
  the attention of the PCs, and there are consequences for 
  neglecting them.
  Anyone who went with a catalyst has a harder time 
  getting off the island if someone else isn’t helping the 
  evacuation effort. If nobody helps the catalysts, their final 
  confrontation is offstage and lacks a mediator, and you 
  should consider additional ways the landscape might 
  suffer, both narratively speaking and the actual earth-
  and-stone landscape that may shatter in the ensuing 
  showdown. 
  Only by playing effectively and somehow nurturing all 
  three threads can players save the most lives and get away 
  with the Primal Well.
  ANOTHER TALE
  We hope you enjoy this story, and if your players grow 
  attached to their characters and would like to keep going, 
  go right ahead! These catalysts might continue to have 
  relationships with characters, or you might have your own 
  ideas for new ones. We hope your finale leaves the door 
  open for adventures that you and your friends 
  weave together! 
  
  PROLOGUE
  After a long period of floating upwards, from the side of 
  the mountains at Xadia’s border and along a pale beam 
  of moonlight, the PCs arrive in Innean with a loud 
  WHOOOMP, the violet magic that brought them to the 
  island still swirling around them in tufts. Everyone adjusts 
  to the unusual feeling that they stand upon floating 
  earth. The spell that Feathershawl’s been casting for the 
  journey transitions to an illumination spell that lights 
  up the area around them. Boots are all now planted in a 
  small stone courtyard, in the supposedly abandoned city 
  of Innean. Although, it looks curiously clean and well-
  kept. The soft purple light of Feathershawl’s spell reveals 
  that the cobblestone isn’t dirty or dusty, it appears swept, 
  and the high stone walls around the edges of the city are 
  occasionally broken up by archways that once led outside 
  of town. Raised bridges close the archways, apparently 
  built by an optimist who imagined a controlled landing 
  more than a collision.
  Everyone feels the sensation that they’re slowly drifting 
  west towards the looming mountainside. The PCs 
  hear Feathershawl mutter, “Well, that’s interesting!” to 
  themself. The pale purple moonbeam magic continues to 
  arc and swirl from their fingertips, only now it seems to be 
  pulled forcibly between the buildings and towards some 
  sort of keep at the center of town.
  A small chicken skitters around 
  the corner, intrigued by the 
  bright alien magic.
  PROLOGUE – ARRIVING ON INNEAN
  Give players an opportunity to establish their 
  characters here at the very beginning of your tale—
  they might deliver a clever one-liner about the 
  chicken or the landing, remark on something they 
  find interesting, etc.
  As a catalyst, Feathershawl is a crucial character 
  for the plot, and the shape of the story changes 
  depending on how PCs interact with them. Do 
  your best to convey that, though a bit abrasive, 
  Feathershawl’s quest to end their Ghosted exile from 
  Moonshadow culture isn’t entirely selfish and they 
  truly want to bring prosperity back to their people. 
  Despite their occasional brusqueness, they seem 
  genuinely grateful to have the PCs with them. The 
  loss that motivates Feathershawl underlies a lot of 
  their interactions. For instance, if PCs make fun of 
  their name, Feathershawl might remark that it’s the 
  only thing they have left of their family, and let any 
  possible uncomfortable silence be felt.
  12
  Wiggy, a small chicken
  The first creature to scope out the party, Wiggy 
  is a proud hen who suffers no fools and loves 
  the child Pereka dearly. She enjoys perching on 
  shoulders and being coddled; she tends to seek 
  out the nearest high-status person and cling to 
  them for clout.
  All livestock in Innean are considered the 
  community’s responsibility and no one’s property, 
  so no one stops a PC from picking up or keeping 
  Wiggy. This hen is called Wiggy because of her 
  wig-like floppy head feathers, but she can learn 
  to respond to a new name. Innean chickens have 
  crossed beaks, where the top of the beak angles a 
  bit to one side and the bottom to the other, because 
  they’re used to being hand-fed.
  If frightened, Wiggy lays an egg, but won’t leave 
  it under any circumstances. This can become 
  awkward when the egg is laid on a person’s 
  shoulder, but she has perfected advanced 
  beak-wing-and-foot juggling techniques to keep the 
  egg secure on a person’s shoulder as if in a nest.
  
  ACT ONE – RABBLE RABBLE
  If you’re playing this scene alone as a playtest, remember 
  to give your players a summary of the notes and Prologue. 
  Tell them they’ve just landed, the island needs evacuating, 
  the clock is ticking, and their guide Feathershawl didn’t 
  tell them people would be here in the first place. They’ll be 
  able to split off into the next three scenes, and you can either 
  continue to those scenes or simply stop once you’ve found 
  opportunities to give your players a test or contest. 
   
  Innean is a city stuck in time, centuries ago. PCs who 
  are familiar with Skywing culture find the scenery eerily 
  familiar yet alien, as even some of the writing on signs has 
  drifted into a strange dialect. This self-sufficient society 
  seems to show a learned simplicity and peace.
  It’s quite clear that this city is occupied and there was 
  some serious omission of that fact. There’s what looks like 
  a functioning library, a functioning blacksmith, and the 
  noises of civilization. Only a few shops appear to have 
  been recently boarded up, as if their occupants have 
  gone missing.
  Invite players to question Feathershawl, who’s been nice 
  enough but is now unquestionably distracted by the spell 
  they’re casting. Purple swirls arch dramatically from their 
  fingers. PCs with any magical abilities notice the odd trail 
  the spell leaves as it drifts, compass-like, towards the keep. 
  Suggest that the players discuss amongst themselves what 
  they think the best course of action is now that there are 
  potentially people to save.
  Remember to let Feathershawl be changed by how PCs 
  treat them; they are dynamic in their tone just like the 
  PCs your friends control.
  If approached with any hostility, Feathershawl defends 
  their continued casting of this spell, but players can try 
  to stop them. Here’s what that contest might look like, 
  though you can encourage approaches other than the 
  suggested dice as the player assembles their dice pool.
  Even if the PCs fail to stop Feathershawl from casting 
  now, eventually the spell must end—they can’t keep 
  casting forever—at which point the consequences of 
  ending the spell occur as described for a success. 
  ACT ONE – RABBLE, RABBLE
  13
  CONTEST: Convince Feathershawl 
  to stop casting the spell
  • Devotion: Tell Feathershawl there are more 
  important things to cast than this spell
  • Truth: Insist that no magical shenanigans are 
  allowed until they come clean about why there’s 
  a chicken and tidy streets in this abandoned city
  If players succeed, Feathershawl relents, but 
  with immediate consequences. As soon as the spell 
  stops, the entire city shudders and shakes, tilting 
  what seems like a full ten degrees for a moment. 
  PCs hear voices in the distance cry out in fear, 
  voices they were promised wouldn’t be present in 
  this supposedly abandoned city that Feathershawl 
  had so carefully researched. 
  “Maybe you should have let me keep that spell 
  going, huh?” they retort, though they also admit, 
  “I wasn’t sure what would happen there, wish I’d 
  known better.” Innean’s ground levels out again, 
  but now it seems to glide through the air faster.
  Everyone has the distinct (and unfortunate) 
  impression that it will collide with the mountains 
  much sooner than originally expected. 
  If players fail the contest, Feathershawl 
  continues casting, eyeing the flow of the purple light 
  as townspeople begin to arrive. PCs take Insecure 
  stress equal to the effect die on Feathershawl’s 
  successful roll as they realize that not only is 
  Feathershawl hiding something, but another 
  shoe may be about to drop. 
  
  ACT ONE – RABBLE RABBLE
  Regardless of the outcome of the contest, Feathershawl is 
  more focused after the distracting conversation. “We must 
  hurry off to work! Lives are in the balance!”
  This mission hasn’t only gone wrong, it may have 
  a lot more moral obligation than was promised by 
  Feathershawl, who appears more interested in slipping 
  away than addressing the PCs directly. 
  An increasingly large crowd of Skywing elves surrounds 
  the PCs, with more chickens and a pig underfoot. None 
  of them were supposed to be here.
  Beebee, the small pig
  An inquisitive pig about the size of a French 
  bulldog starts scoping out the party’s feet with its 
  snout. Innean pigs have developed short wool to 
  stay warm at high altitudes, as well as short horns 
  for digging grubs out from between cobblestones. 
  Beebee considers everything that fits in its 
  mouth either food or something to play fetch with. 
  Overtly friendly and overly trusting, it either wants 
  to play, eat, or nap. It also occasionally rolls on its 
  back, inviting PCs to rub its belly.
  PCs can give Beebee a new name if they choose, 
  and it considers responding after being addressed 
  by it once or twice. It’s happy to join the party if 
  invited and can be convinced to do many simple 
  tasks if vigorously tousled.
  Feathershawl rushes up to one of the elves, an older man 
  with elaborate face tattoos who appears to carry himself 
  with some authority (this is Nausics). PCs can hear 
  their conversation if they follow Feathershawl, but the 
  thick crowd follows, insistent on getting a lift out of 
  the floating city.
  Feathershawl and Nausics argue…
  “Please, old man. Take me to the Primal Well 
  immediately. I am your only hope of leaving here 
  alive, and I have my own people to save. Let’s go!”
  “Old man? Listen here, I am no uneducated fool, 
  and I am not scared of you. I have my own magic. 
  With an opening line like that, I certainly won’t help 
  you and your magical mystery cape fly off with the 
  most precious artifact in my home.”
  Regardless of whether they’re overheard, everyone can see 
  that Feathershawl and Nausics are growing frustrated with 
  each other. Feathershawl stomps away and begins to eye 
  the keep, pacing up and down the cobblestone. If any PCs 
  are suspicious about hidden truths, they may want to stop 
  Feathershawl from getting even one step away. Innean 
  elves, including Nausics, are beginning to approach. 
  Some point to the looming mountains. The pig snuffles at 
  everyone’s feet.
  What do the players choose to do? Reassure them 
  that they don’t need to all stick together and won’t be 
  punished through gameplay if they temporarily part ways. 
  There are multiple plot threads forming that they should 
  consider focusing on. They could:
  • Check in with Feathershawl and try to stop them 
  from stomping away.
  • Approach Nausics, who is actively vying for 
  their attention. 
  • Talk with the townspeople, particularly the ones 
  worried about their impending collision with 
  the mountain.
  What happens next is up to the players. They may proceed 
  as a united front or have separate scenes. If the players 
  choose to do nothing, Nausics approaches the PCs.
  14
  
  ACT ONE – RABBLE RABBLE
  Feathershawl
  If the players choose to follow Feathershawl as their 
  continued guide, they move on to the scene Extraction 
  (page 16). But if players perceive Feathershawl as a threat, 
  they may want to stop them altogether. In this case, have 
  a contest; here’s some suggestions for players assembling 
  that dice pool.
  Once Feathershawl is subdued or breaks free of the 
  crowd, they end their spell if it’s still going, causing the 
  convenient distraction of the island city briefly tilting 
  and chaos ensuing as the island seems to speed up. If 
  Feathershawl stopped the spell earlier (page 13), there’s 
  already enough chaos for them to create a distraction.
  Nausics
  The Skywing elder is ushering any PCs who agree to go 
  with him into his keep for safety, and for an important 
  conversation he wishes to have with these outsiders. 
  Feathershawl can only be dragged into the keep alongside 
  Nausics if they are forced to—kicking and screaming—as 
  they don’t wish to waste time placating him.
  If the players choose to speak to Nausics, proceed to 
  An Eager Invitation (page 18).
  Townspeople
  Players who choose to talk with the townspeople now 
  face a test to win over the crowd, collaborating on an 
  evacuation. You can leave the “how” up to players; these 
  are suggestions if you and your players aren’t sure how to 
  approach the situation. The listed traits are merely one 
  aspect of the dice pool they’re building, depending on 
  how they want to approach the situation.
  15
  CONTEST: Stop Feathershawl from 
  running off to another location
  • Devotion: Appeal to their better nature
  • Justice: Appeal to their sense of fairness
  • Truth: Insist they owe you and these people an 
  explanation of what’s going on
  • Strength: Grab Feathershawl
  If players fail the contest but insist on following 
  Feathershawl as they dart off, proceed to Extraction 
  (page 16) with that new hostility (and some 
  Exhausted or Angry stress on the PC) in mind. 
  If players fail and decide to ignore Feathershawl 
  for now as they go hunt for the Primal Well, they 
  take Exhausted or Angry stress and proceed to 
  either An Eager Invitation (page 18) or Mass Flight 
  (page 19).
  If players succeed, they can proceed how they 
  wish. Perhaps they pin Feathershawl to the ground. 
  Perhaps they demand Feathershawl become more 
  polite for the moment or make them admit that 
  they never really focused on collateral damage, 
  hoping the town would evacuate before you all 
  got there. Feathershawl mutters about their own 
  people starving, no less in need of saving than these 
  Skywings. But Feathershawl is temporarily stopped, 
  hoping to slip away soon.
  TEST: Get the crowd to trust the PCs with 
  evacuation (Challenging 
    
    + Crowd 
   )
  • Liberty: Tell the crowd you want to bring them 
  safely to your lands below 
  • Justice: Announce that, though you came 
  here to explore, you see lives need saving and 
  wish to help
  • Devotion: Announce that you will do your best 
  to help save every life 
  The crowd is gasping “Who are you?” and 
  “Please, help us evacuate!” Depending on how this 
  goes, consider if the crowd interactions create an 
  asset or a complication for players.
  If players fail, they take an appropriate stress 
  and become a bystander as an NC takes the lead 
  or the crowd looks to another PC, proceed to 
  Mass Flight (page 19).
  If players succeed and mingle with the crowd to 
  address their cries for an evacuation plan, proceed 
  to Mass Flight (page 19).
  
  ACT ONE – RABBLE RABBLE
  What Next?
  Thus ends your big opening scene!
  If your players express an interest in an option not listed 
  here, you should read ahead and consider the other likely 
  outcomes (in particular the reactions of the catalysts, 
  who both take note of how the PCs proceed) and create 
  your own improvised action and bridge scenes that 
  guide the tale towards the inevitable collision and one 
  of the possible first scenes of Act Two. Take the reins, 
  clever Narrator; you can forge your own version of the 
  story! Just remember to include tests, contests, and/or 
  challenges in each scene to give them a sense of 
  deeper purpose. 
   
  You’ve also had some chances to try some tests and 
  contests, so thanks for trying that out! 
  ACTION SCENE – 
  EXTRACTION
  Do any PCs accompany Feathershawl?
  If you’re just playing this as a playtest scene, it’s not very 
  long, so we recommend playing Act One – Rabble Rabble 
  and reviewing the Prologue first!
  Assess how much PCs have warmed up to Feathershawl 
  thus far. If PCs are joining Feathershawl now, but nobody 
  has yet confronted Feathershawl about their spell 
  (page 13) or trying to break away (page 15), consider 
  adapting elements of those contests for a new 
  contest here.
  If Feathershawl gets a chance to start sharing a plan, 
  they lean in with excitement, relieved to have the PCs 
  on their side. If every PC is in the huddle with them, 
  they also acknowledge that the townspeople might want 
  some assistance.
  “Extracting the artifact is going to be… difficult,” 
  Feathershawl says, eyeing the PCs to see if they have 
  any taggers-on from the crowd. If PCs have NCs in 
  tow, Feathershawl quietly tells PCs to meet them by the 
  inn next to that great stone keep where their magic led. 
  Feathershawl runs off and attempts to disappear down 
  an alley.
  Players can choose to chase them down rather than wait, 
  facing a contest against the secretive Feathershawl. The 
  townspeople continue to wait, should players decide they 
  don’t agree with the following plan and wish to join the 
  townspeople instead. As players assemble their dice pool, 
  here’s a couple of ideas on where to start.
  Feathershawl expresses their plan, first venting... 
  That one with the elaborate facial tattoos, Nausics, he 
  claims to want to save the artifact but is obsessed with 
  irrelevant customs and... something about a confession? 
  Give me a break. Distract him if you like, but I suspect 
  he’s best avoided if we’re to get out of here in time.
  Now that the city is moving a little quicker, ahem, I 
  suspect we only have an hour or so before a collision 
  with the mountain. And even then, only a little longer 
  before the entire city crumbles and the artifact is 
  possibly destroyed. Will you help me?
  If PCs agree, Feathershawl lays out their plan to search 
  for a hidden entrance to the keep. It requires all the 
  PCs’ focus and means ignoring the pleas of worried 
  townspeople. And the PCs can hear them calling “We 
  must evacuate, now!” in the nearby square.
  16
  CONTEST: Catch up with Feathershawl 
  as they flee
  • Agility: Run as fast as you can
  • Spirit: Plead for them to slow down 
  so you can catch up
  Any new Innean pals politely wait in the street 
  during such a chase. If caught, Feathershawl offers 
  a more frustrated version of the following scene, 
  because if PCs wanted to skip a chase, they should 
  have just gotten rid of those pesky townspeople in 
  the first place. Catch on to that whole sneaky heist 
  vibe, ya know?
  
  Clearly Feathershawl has a one-track mind. Players who 
  wish to force them to confront any truths or morality 
  must win a contest against Feathershawl. Here’s three 
  examples to get part of a player’s dice pool started. 
  If the PCs haven’t followed this thread, this conversation 
  might happen later, rather than in this particular scene.
  17
  CONTEST: Get Feathershawl to fess up to the full story
  • Spirit: Get them to agree to confess for 
  team morale
  • Devotion: Out of a concern for the people 
  in town insist they explain their motives 
  • Truth: If they won’t be honest, they can’t 
  be trusted 
  Feathershawl hems and haws about how the 
  collision probably won’t be fatal, but with a success 
  they admit that they’d hoped the townspeople would 
  simply lower the bridges on their gates when Innean 
  drifted close enough. Maybe the PCs would even 
  provide a distraction while Feathershawl went to find 
  the Well.
  Feathershawl also confesses that they aren’t just no 
  longer welcome among their people; they’re a former 
  elder, fallen from the grace the higher status elves 
  enjoy. They hope that something like the Primal Well 
  won’t just redeem them with their family but reinstate 
  their entire way of life. They remain resolved to the 
  task at hand and won’t be especially keen to discuss 
  their shame, but they hope this admission of privilege
  will garner them a little more trust from PCs.
  If the PCs are allied with this catalyst, this is an 
  important contest. If the PCs succeed, Feathershawl 
  remembers the conversation, is more likely to defend 
  the PCs, and their catalyst die is stepped up. This 
  makes them more formidable in an escape and more 
  likely to intervene if an NC gets in a PC’s way as they 
  improvise something risky. Overall, success should 
  cue you as Narrator to treat the catalyst in a new way 
  during the rest of this tale.
  If players fail, Feathershawl continues to be 
  relatively cold, thinking of PCs more as means to an 
  end than as allies, and PCs take Angry or Insecure 
  stress. When asked whether they knew about the city 
  being occupied, Feathershawl simply sighs and rolls 
  their eyes, insisting, “Will you help me save my people 
  from starvation, or not?” PCs can then either rejoin 
  another thread, noting the evacuation only a street 
  or two away, or agree to Feathershawl’s terms and 
  proceed to Overdue Notice (page 23).
  
  ACT ONE – RABBLE RABBLE
  ACTION SCENE – 
  AN EAGER INVITATION
  Do any PCs go along with Nausics?
  If you’re just playing this as a playtest scene, it’s not all that 
  long. We recommend reviewing the Prologue and playing 
  Act One – Rabble Rabble first! 
   
  The Skywing elder with elaborate facial tattoos introduces 
  himself as Nausics, the Keeper of the Primal Well. 
  “Welcome, welcome to Innean!” he says warmly, hurrying 
  you into his keep as voices carry through the now-windy 
  streets. “I’m so sorry to distract you from the evacuation, 
  but my people are wise and I know they are destined to 
  figure something out. Please, I need a desperate moment 
  of your time.” 
  The face of the keep is simple and more rustic than the 
  rest of already rural Innean. The keep’s wall stones are 
  dark, flat, and round, harvested from a natural riverbed 
  the city long ago left the geographic vicinity of.
  Nausics wants to know how PCs got to Innean, asking 
  with an element of distaste how well they know 
  Feathershawl. He prefers to address a familiar-seeming 
  Skywing if one is amongst the PCs, but he’s warm to 
  all PCs.
  Nausics asks the PCs to sit and eat of the local harvest and 
  drink of the local vineyard, all while learning of Innean’s 
  history. Like a proper mayor he seems eager to share the 
  best of his town, but unlike one he seems to be in shock 
  and unable to react normally to the imminent collision.
  If PCs ask questions regarding specific townspeople or 
  buildings, he furrows his brow and demures, saying he 
  doesn’t get out much and hasn’t much to say about other 
  people. He only wants to speak of his days in the Well’s 
  keep, the Keepers of old, long dead leaders of the past, and 
  what a lovely stew he’s made. It might seem rather odd, 
  and PCs might want to call out the idea of sitting and 
  eating at a time like this.
  To learn anything more about Innean from him and grind 
  his rambling customs to a halt, players must win a contest 
  against Nausics.
  Here’s some suggestions of things players might want 
  to use in their dice pool if they want to engage in 
  this contest.
  Regardless, he expresses that Feathershawl insisted on 
  skipping dinner and wanted to see the Well immediately, 
  which he found impossibly rude. He adds, “The Well 
  needs a Keeper, you see, because of its power. To touch 
  it without guidance will likely destroy you, and I myself 
  have taken an oath that would cause me to crumble into 
  dust if I even dared to lay a finger on it.”
  Unless PCs choose to run right out of the building, 
  proceed to More Than a Mouthful (page 24). Nausics 
  checks to see if any other PCs outside might be convinced 
  to join him and may make a passing remark that he 
  believes this meeting in his keep is more important than 
  “panicking” to evacuate. He’s in charge here for a reason, 
  he assures the PCs, though he twitches nervously with 
  what he wishes to divulge next.
  18
  CONTEST: Get Nausics to get to the point
  • Truth: Insist that food and stories all seem 
  like a distraction
  • Devotion: Explain that lives will be lost if 
  you don’t hurry 
  If players succeed, Nausics admits he’s known 
  for some time that Innean might collide with the 
  mountains soon, and it’s caused him to become 
  even more emotionally distant from his people. He’s 
  rambling on and on because this is the last meal 
  he’ll have in his home, and he apologizes profusely. 
  For PCs allied with this catalyst, this is an important 
  contest. If the PCs succeed, he remembers this 
  moment and it affects how he treats the PCs who 
  succeeded from now on. He becomes a steadfast 
  ally for the PCs and his catalyst die is stepped up.
  If players fail, Nausics wraps an arm around a 
  PC and talks of how well the bounty of the local 
  gardens makes for a hearty broth that, “You’ll likely 
  never find in Xadia again.”
  
  ACTION & BRIDGE SCENE – 
  MASS FLIGHT
  Do any PCs stay to help the townspeople with 
  the evacuation?
  If you’re just playing this as a playtest scene, we 
  recommend reviewing the Prologue and Act One – 
  Rabble Rabble first! But this is a big scene we’re 
  looking forward to, which includes a challenge!
  It’s time to plan an evacuation! Window-cakes in some 
  bakeries have tilted as a result of Feathershawl’s city-
  tipping magic surge, and everyone is eager to help. But 
  can you meet the challenge? The townspeople are bright 
  and brave, so if PCs are already panicking don’t be afraid 
  to have an NC reassure them that all things are possible! 
  If your players are having trouble figuring out their 
  options, see “What’s the Plan?” on page 22.
  19
  CHALLENGE: Help evacuate Innean! 
  (Challenging, Medium 
    
    
     
  )
  Impress upon your players that they should 
  strategize how to get rid of the dice in your 
  challenge pool. This is a ⑧⑧⑧⑧  challenge, as it 
  is a Challenging difficulty (⑧⑧) and of Medium 
  length (+2 dice) if there are, say, 4 players in this 
  scene. Feel free to add or subtract a die depending 
  on whether there are more or fewer players than 
  that. And of course, here’s some dice PCs might 
  want to assemble to beat the pool.
  • Awareness: Find a fortified place to hide
  • Strength: Gather resources and supplies to help
  • Intellect: Plan a way off the island 
  • Spirit: Reassure and calm the people
  Each PC has a turn to roll against the challenge 
  pool, declaring what their part of the evacuation 
  plan is, rolling the dice, and comparing their effect 
  die against the challenge pool’s dice (⑧). If the 
  effect die is ⑩ or greater, one of the challenge 
  dice is removed. If the effect die is ⑧ or lower, 
  one of the challenge dice is stepped down (and can 
  be removed on subsequent turns with a ⑧ effect 
  die). After all the players have taken their turns, the 
  challenge pool can target one of the PCs and try to 
  deal Afraid, Exhausted, or Insecure stress.
  
  ACT ONE – RABBLE RABBLE
  Townspeople of Note
  No visitors have come to Innean in centuries and the elves 
  not only have questions, but theories. For the ensuing 
  interactions with the people of Innean, choose from the 
  provided list of NCs, or create your own. Let players 
  find solutions on their own through their choices and 
  successes; none of these NCs have all the solutions handy.
  Nekrex
  Nekrex (he/him) is the captain of the guard. He wears 
  simple armor and wields a light club. He’s used to merely 
  putting drunks in the drunk tank and other very light 
  police work, and he’s never had to think about life outside 
  of Innean. He’s thoroughly confused as to what the PCs 
  even represent. He’s never seen much trouble beyond 
  some reckless youth and an occasional wayward vulture 
  attacking the hens, and his impression of an authority 
  figure is based almost entirely off of what he’s read in a 
  manual passed on to him by his predecessor, the previous 
  captain, Gormuss. Though he announces himself formally 
  with “In the name of Innean, stand down and announce 
  y-y-your intentions!” he’s terribly nervous and eager to 
  please. He accompanies the party if they wish, though if 
  the party next encounters Nausics, Nausics is rather wary 
  of whether Nekrex puts a kink in his master plan. Nekrex 
  is very outgoing regardless of how PCs might proceed and 
  should step forward in a pinch. 
  Siftress and Pondaryss
  Siftress (she/her) and Pondaryss (she/her) are eager 
  to get the party’s full attention and discuss portents and 
  evacuation, respectively. They work together, clear voices 
  for evacuation.
  Pereka and Olanna
  The young girl Pereka (she/her) and the animals (see 
  Wiggy on page 12 and Beebee on page 14) are tugging 
  at the PCs’ pant legs, hoping to tag along with whatever 
  happens next. Wiggy is especially fond of Pereka. Olanna 
  (she/her) also begins to follow closely, listening eagerly to 
  any plans. Both can be shooed away but are eager to chat 
  up a receptive visitor.
  Nekrex is captain of the guard, a kind of folksy, 
  small-town, elected position—the only other guards 
  are volunteers—and has the only proper (though 
  non-magical) armor in town. He’ll accompany 
  the party as protection, if they ask, but can’t stop 
  turning the topic back to why they don’t just try 
  to fortify Innean’s foundation, because there’s 
  some really nice sports (field tag) and vegetable-
  fermented ales (cloud turnip cider) here that he’d 
  hate to go without if forced to evacuate. Though 
  not capable as much more than a warm body, he 
  does carry a small club.
  NEKREX
  Captain of the Guard ⑧ 
  Proud ⑥
  Ceremonial Armor ⑥
  20
  
  ACT ONE – RABBLE RABBLE
  Pondaryss is an elderly, crotchety woman who 
  agrees that everyone must evacuate, but thinks 
  the PCs are actually a group of tricksome ghosts 
  planning to lead them into oblivion. She is bemused 
  but ultimately resigned to this fate and copes by 
  taunting PCs for being so cruel and meddlesome at 
  a time when someone should be building a series of 
  magic hang gliders instead. If she ever meets folks in 
  the land below, she’ll of course also accuse them of 
  being ghosts.
  PONDARYSS
  Ghost Whisperer ⑥ 
   
  Clever ⑥
  Siftress claims to have seen the fall of Innean 
  coming…and though the town and party might 
  doubt her, she really did. A light user of Sky magic, 
  she saw the wind of fate that would carry Innean 
  into the mountain months ago and warned Nausics 
  of it. 
  SIFTRESS
  Skywing Mage ⑥  
  Helpful ⑥
  PEREKA
  Fearless ⑩  
   
  Animal Friend ⑥
  Pereka is a young girl who’s put in peril rather 
  easily. She expresses an interest in following the 
  PCs around but tries not to influence their choices. 
  If allowed to tag along, she’s unafraid of virtually 
  everything and asks endless, rapid-fire questions 
  about the world of Xadia below Innean. She has 
  some chewing gum made from local tree root she 
  offers in a pinch if she thinks it will soothe PCs.
  21
  
  ACT ONE – RABBLE RABBLE
  Olanna is a young woman, sharp and direct and 
  used to getting her way. She asks to accompany 
  the PCs, and insists they focus almost entirely on 
  the escape. She has no combat usefulness but 
  does try to rally a rescue operation regardless of 
  PC proximity and collaboration. Expect to see her 
  stay behind to get every last elf off of the city island 
  when it collides.
  OLANNA
  Forthright ⑥ 
   
  Headstrong ⑥
  What’s the Plan?
  It’s all systems go as PCs hurry to set up an evacuation 
  via one of the plans listed here, or with one the players 
  come up with. But before evacuation, they must brace the 
  organized townsfolk for impact—in the middle of town, 
  but slightly closer to the west side, so as to avoid being in 
  direct contact with the impact or part of a now crumbling 
  city, yet close enough that there isn’t far to run to get 
  off of Innean. For anyone in this scene, the catalysts are 
  difficult to reach until they’ve finished their business with 
  the Primal Well and are beginning their escape.
  Hang Gliders
  Pondaryss (page 21) has a rather goofy plan to create 
  magically reinforced hang gliders out of palm fronds, 
  branches, and Sky magic. Though far-fetched, a little PC 
  enthusiasm persuades the magically studied locals Noko 
  (page 32) and Siftress (page 21) to discuss and debate 
  what they know about ancient imbuements of Sky magic 
  on physical material that just might work. PCs need to 
  succeed at a Hard test (⑩⑩) using Mastery to help 
  the town pull off making enough for everyone. Helpful 
  NCs can contribute dice to the player’s dice pool.
  Portable Bridge
  Olanna (see above) is particularly adept at scouting 
  solutions, and if PCs rely on her she realizes that some 
  quick organization could get an entire bridge in town that 
  spans a small chasm to be removed and repurposed as a 
  portable bridge that can be secured and used to evacuate 
  onto the mountain wherever the island makes contact, 
  provided the collision itself doesn’t send everyone straight 
  down the mountainside. To see this physically herculean 
  construction effort through with Olanna, players need to 
  pass a Hard test (⑩⑩) using Glory.
  Town guard captain Nekrex (page 20) makes sure the 
  bridge is moved safely and efficiently, if asked, providing a 
  ⑧  asset.
  Convenient Cliffs
  If given any responsibilities, Pereka (page 21) takes some 
  elves to the edge of the city and discovers evidence of 
  some cliffs on the mountainside, a way some elves might 
  be able to escape down to more relative safety. Players 
  need to pass a Challenging test (⑧⑧) of Devotion if 
  one wants to spread the word of Pereka’s observation to 
  the entire population.
  THE COLLISION
  Unfortunately, the collision has its consequences. As 
  the dust settles, a large cave is revealed in the side of the 
  mountain. At first there are cheers from the people of 
  Innean. A safe, level path off of the main body of Innean! 
  And most of the town is standing, hooray! But suddenly, 
  massive centipede-like creatures lurch out of the cave 
  with horrible screeches. As the shrieks fill the PCs’ ears, 
  continue this thread with Roars of Freedom (page 29). The 
  current scene, Mass Flight, also serves as a bridge scene 
  into the collision, so PCs who help with the evacuation go 
  straight to Act Two for their next scene. 
  22
  
  Bailynn, Innean’s librarian, is on her way out with as 
  many books as she can carry. She pauses when seeing PCs, 
  who now face a test to see if they can convince her to give 
  them free rein of her beloved building. 
  ACT ONE – RABBLE RABBLE
  If players see the plans forming with catalysts and wish 
  to split off to join one of those more solitary elves, they 
  need to make a Challenging test (⑧⑧) to escape cleanly, 
  or else the crowd insists that PCs are critical to their 
  evacuation, and the PC takes Insecure stress for trying 
  to abandon them in their hour of need.
  Both catalysts wouldn’t mind help; in fact, Nausics is even 
  more insistent that PCs ignore evacuation efforts and 
  join him instead. Feathershawl, however, is now harder to 
  talk to with adders-on, requiring a possible repeat of the 
  contest in Extraction (page 16) where they try to duck 
  into an alley at the sight of townspeople. 
  BRIDGE SCENE – 
  OVERDUE NOTICE
  Do any PCs help Feathershawl look for the Primal Well?
  Pleased that PCs are joining them, Feathershawl scouts 
  the buildings adjacent to the Well’s keep, looking for 
  basements that might allow for an underground passage 
  to the Well’s chambers, which they are convinced is one 
  floor below ground. They also apologize for not making 
  nice with Nausics, but they assure you they anticipated a 
  magical seal around the Primal Well and planned for such 
  a contingency.
  They scout three buildings, remarking dispassionately 
  about each.
  “An inn? Here? Must be for wayward souls more than 
  visitors. What a depressing concept.” 
  “A craft shop? Look at all the chicken feather jewelry. 
  You’d think they’d have access to more birds than that, 
  this high up in the sky. Not exactly my style.”
  “A library? Ugh. With a town this small it must be all 
  fiction. Those kinds of books are truly life’s dullest! But 
  that’s our best bet for a basement, let’s go.”
  PCs hear distant shouts that evacuations efforts are 
  underway, but Feathershawl appears quite unmoved. 
  If asked about it, they simply remind the PCs that this 
  artifact represents hope for people both here and across 
  Xadia. However, it’s clear that they are obsessed with 
  the Primal Well and it has led to them lying in the past, 
  particularly regarding the city having a living population.
  TEST: Get access to the library (Easy 
   
   )
  • Suggested traits: Spirit or Intellect 
  If there’s a success, Bailynn happily allows the 
  group in and Feathershawl misleadingly promises, 
  “We simply want to leave with as much of Innean’s 
  history as we can carry.” 
  If PCs fail, Feathershawl harshly nudges Bailynn 
  aside with a muted apology. She looks at PCs in 
  horror, who can then easily follow Feathershawl 
  or re-evaluate their thread one last time. (Note: if 
  Feathershawl pushes Bailynn, both Feathershawl 
  and PCs have their Justice die stepped down by one 
  until the end of the tale.)
  The Collision
  After hurrying past dusty shelves and a desk with a half-
  eaten sandwich on it, Feathershawl finds the wall adjacent 
  to the keep. Moonlight peers down the staircase and 
  they reflect it onto the wall, causing bricks to float away, 
  revealing a second, darker wall of bricks belonging to the 
  lower level of the keep. As these bricks peel away, PCs 
  suddenly lurch forward. Shelves fly everywhere, separating 
  everyone from Feathershawl for at least the moment. 
  Innean has collided with the mountain. Proceed to 
  Moon Steals Earth and Sky (page 27).
  23
  
  Meanwhile, back in the study, astute PCs—having been 
  told not to—touch everything. 
  Whether PCs are in the study with the artifacts and 
  books or in the den with Nausics himself, a contest using 
  Truth reveals Nausics’ hubris. He’s hiding something 
  dreadful.
  ACT ONE – RABBLE RABBLE
  CONTEST: Get Nausics to show 
  you his secret
  • Suggested traits: Truth 
  With a success in the den, Nausics reveals that 
  he’s convinced more than a few Innean residents to 
  try to touch the Primal Well with various iterations 
  of his magical armor, the Cuirass of Vuxen, and 
  they’ve all been frozen. The armor he wants a PC to 
  wear, he admits, is the result of much suffering.
  If the PC fails, Nausics clams up before he admits 
  the worst, and simply moves to getting PCs to try 
  the armor. The PC takes appropriate stress.
  BRIDGE SCENE – 
  MORE THAN A MOUTHFUL
  Do the PCs go with Nausics into the keep?
  The waiting area is decorated with Innean artifacts, 
  portraits of Keepers past, and historical links to the 
  Skywings of Xadia below such as old tableware 
  and pottery. 
  To the left is a dining room with a pleasant den built in. 
  A warm hearth with a boiling broth, a dinner table with a 
  local root prepared, some kind of unusual lute hanging on 
  the wall—a cozy spot for stories to be sure. To the right is 
  a study with more artifacts and books and a desk. 
  Ahead, there’s a stairwell behind a translucent, glowing 
  blue wall of magic. It’s clear, given the context, that the 
  wall is some sort of magical protection Nausics watches 
  over, or possibly even controls. If PCs want to see the 
  Primal Well from where they now stand, this barrier 
  needs to come down. And Nausics won’t allow it yet.
  “Thank you for accepting my invitation. On behalf of my 
  forefathers, please, sit and listen for just a breath. I have to 
  confess,” Nausics says. 
  If there’s more than one PC in the keep with Nausics, 
  one is invited to split off and peruse the study. Nausics 
  says, “I suppose you should take in some of our culture. 
  An imagination carries more stories than any satchel. But 
  they are… technically my belongings. So please only touch 
  the books.”
  PCs who enter alone or choose to sit with Nausics 
  are served a hearty, home-cooked meal made in the 
  roaring hearth by the dining table. As he serves it, he 
  remarks he was making a meal too large to eat alone 
  when Feathershawl’s disruption occurred. He explains 
  that he knew the collision would happen, and he finds 
  Feathershawl’s pushiness to salvage the artifact a grave 
  insult to generations of Innean elves.
  Nausics carefully puts out the fire, notes that the collision 
  is imminent, and encourages PCs to brace themselves. 
  “Don’t worry,” he says, “I’ve studied this inevitability for 
  years. I’m certain you have at least an hour to get 
  off this island, and I only need a few more minutes of 
  your time.” 
  24
  
  The Collision
  When the collision occurs—and you want to time it just 
  so—let it happen as players have felt some of the tension 
  of the Nausics conversation. Then, after the force of 
  impact is complete and there is only a deep and ominous 
  rumbling as the city begins its slow deterioration, tell 
  players that no stew has spilled, and Nausics has with 
  great skill served himself the last bowl. No matter the 
  timing, the last thing he says before the collision is...
  You and your companions are truly saviors to me, for I have 
  taken an oath to never touch the Well. I would crumble 
  to dust if these foolish fingers made contact with it. But 
  one of you lot, wearing a chestplate of magical armor I 
  commissioned and have gone to great lengths to test, can 
  safely deliver the Primal Well from Innean. And trust me, 
  you need the chestplate.
  Before PCs in the secret lair have time to communicate 
  with PCs in the dining room, the scene abruptly 
  transitions to Sky Defies Moon (page 27).
  TEST: Find something in the study 
  (Easy 
   
   )
  • Suggested traits: Intellect 
  A failure simply gets PCs called back into the 
  den. A success reveals a strange gargoyle clinging 
  to the ceiling; tugging on the tongue that wags from 
  its maw causes a bookcase to slide aside.
  Hidden behind the book case is a torchlit set 
  of stairs. There’s just enough time to quietly 
  descend into a secret lair that Nausics didn’t intend 
  anyone—let alone these interlopers—to discover.
  Inside there are various mummified Skywing 
  elves, all warped by some sort of Sky or Earth magic.
  Their faces are frozen in horror, the rest of their 
  bodies twisted like swirls of fiberglass and sparkling 
  marble. They seem trapped in this stasis, frozen 
  and not quite dead. And thankfully in such a magical 
  solid state, they might very well survive a plunge 
  down the mountainside when this city collapses, 
  though only the heavens know how to cure them.
  25
  
  Congratulations, Narrator! With each scene this story is 
  more and more in YOUR hands. There’s only so much 
  guidance we can provide from here on out, but here’s a 
  framework for your upcoming improvisations. Your own 
  adventure as a Narrator may feel harrowing, but you’ve 
  already helped weave a story that includes a floating island 
  colliding with a mountain. That’s a lot. So, don’t worry, 
  you’ve got this!
  Make sure you congratulate players who prepared 
  thoroughly for the collision. While the city is now 
  crumbling slowly, you can explain that it would be 
  absolute chaos without the PCs. Unbeknownst to them 
  there’s some monsters up ahead, so any unity amongst the 
  townsfolk is about to become quite valuable.
  ACT TWO – AFTER THE COLLISION
  You may increasingly feel like you want to allow for 
  player ingenuity not covered here, and that’s fine! Make 
  sure you’ve read all the way through to the end and look 
  at some of the additional scenes (page 32) we offer, so 
  you can see how things might deviate from the simplest 
  narrative threads.
  From this point on, everyone’s either headed to the Well’s 
  keep getting ready for a showdown, or they’re clearing the 
  way for townspeople to evacuate, so all the PCs should 
  be tied up with some kind of conflict that way. But soon 
  they’re all reunited in the same goal—escape. Innean isn’t 
  the quaint floating getaway it was just a few minutes ago.
  26
  
  ACT TWO: AFTER THE COLLISION
  ACTION SCENE – 
  MOON STEALS EARTH 
  AND SKY
  Were any of the PCs with Feathershawl during the collision?
  Players open with a Challenging test (⑧⑧) to extricate 
  their PCs from the fallen debris before the action begins 
  to break from bad to even worse. Those who quickly free 
  themselves hear Feathershawl note with unusual calm—
  and perhaps callous disregard for the others affected—
  that this is actually better because with a half-wrecked 
  library and damaged foundation, the magic flows better 
  and bricks peel away easier. 
  However, Nausics isn’t far from the chamber on the other 
  side, and there are traps!
  Bricks that are removed from the foundation of the keep 
  spring to life and attempt to float towards characters. If 
  the maw stones make contact, their tiny saw-like teeth 
  gnaw at PCs until they can be pried off in a test.
  The tiles on the floor of the Primal Well’s chamber 
  contain ancient Moon magic and touching or stepping 
  on one activates a limb splicer trap that creates the 
  illusion that the appropriate limb has swapped places 
  with another limb on that person’s body. It takes a certain 
  amount of lifting/jumping up and re-initiating contact 
  for the limbs to appear back in the right places. Here’s 
  suggestions on dice for a PC’s pool.
  TEST: Break free of the maw stones 
  (Easy 
   
   )
  • Suggested trait: Strength
  On a success, the PC brushes off the stones 
  and moves to the next test so fast that they’re a 
  step ahead of arguing catalysts. A failure means a 
  PC takes Afraid stress and risks not getting to the 
  Primal Well before a desperate Feathershawl or a 
  protective Nausics.
  TEST: Grab the Primal Well with 
  your parts in the right places 
  (Challenging 
    
    + Limb Splicer 
   )
  • Agility: Limit contact with tiles in general
  • Intellect: Track which tiles swap what 
  limbs where
  • Mastery: See through the illusion used in 
  this trap
  With a failure the limbs appear to be randomly 
  shuffled on that person’s body. As an illusion, the 
  process is bloodless and painless but it’s meant 
  to delay intruders until Nausics the Keeper can 
  respond to the alarm.
  The process should make for an intense scene that only 
  makes Feathershawl hungrier for the Primal Well, which 
  floats at the center of the room. Should they reach it, 
  transition to Feathers Fly (page 29).
  ACTION SCENE – 
  SKY DEFIES MOON
  Were any PCs in Nausics’ keep during the collision?
  Dinner, in a sense, is spoiled. Here Nausics may hear 
  one, possibly two alarms ring from his necklace. A chime 
  emanating from a stone in his necklace alerts him that 
  Feathershawl is in his basement (possibly with some 
  fellow PC companions, who are just Feathershawl’s 
  hired goons as far as Nausics is concerned). There’s a 
  second chime alert should another character have made 
  it to his secret lair full of frozen townspeople. Nausics 
  starts calling on his own magical defenses—Sky magic 
  channeled through his necklace—but he is humbled 
  and looking for allies. He won’t pick a fight unless PCs 
  want one.
  Nausics trusts that his basement traps sufficiently delay 
  anyone a few minutes and first tries to convince the 
  nearest PC of his intentions.
  27
  
  ACT TWO: AFTER THE COLLISION
  TEST: Winged armor grapples 
  you and tries to dispatch you 
  (Challenging 
    
    + Winged Armor 
   
   
   )
  • Strength: Fight the armor
  • Agility: Dodge the armor
  • Mastery: Outwit the foolish magic animating 
  the armor
  Their magic-empowered metal wings (belonging 
  to Skywing elves of long ago) means that their goal 
  (in a failed test) is to drag their target out the front 
  door, up into the open winds, and attempt to fly 
  them off the island to be dropped to their doom. 
  If the “lair alarm” is sounded, he tells the PC to follow 
  him to the lair and attempts a group confession. (NOTE: 
  Facing his demons in the lair steps up Nausics’ Truth, 
  but steps down his Liberty.)
  If any trust is earned, Nausics lifts his Cuirass of 
  Vuxen from a display mannequin. This armor was 
  developed by Vuxen, the local arcane blacksmith, and 
  Nausics presents it to the PCs in the room if they aren’t 
  trying to punish him. The armor allows the Sky and Earth 
  magic coursing through the Primal Well to be pushed 
  away from the one who touches it. Nausics couldn’t test 
  this armor himself because of his oath. So, he lured some 
  townspeople into his keep over the last decade to have 
  them try different iterations of this cuirass. Dozens of 
  innocent people have been put into a kind of magical 
  coma as a result. The armor works now… probably. 
  He tells you he’s worked extensively with Vuxen to 
  have this cuirass fine tuned, and Vuxen himself briefly 
  demonstrated its effectiveness before realizing its dark 
  history and refusing to collaborate with Nausics any 
  further. Nausics would like a PC to be the final guinea 
  pig, if they’ll trust him, and he’ll plead if necessary.
  He’s honest and forthcoming about his dark decisions 
  because he sees it as a part of the journey that must be 
  confessed, in almost a religious way that one 
  might expect from a shaman-like Keeper here 
  in this culture.
  But is anyone listening to a confession so 
  disturbing, let alone indulging it? That’s up 
  to your players. But if no one volunteers, 
  he brusquely places the armor on the most 
  valiant-seeming character nearby and rushes 
  them towards the basement.
  Nausics is also willing to defend himself. If 
  needed, his three suits of Winged Armor 
  spring to life, grabbing at PCs. 
  Nausics isn’t too bad with a nearby quarterstaff, either, so 
  feel free to improvise a hand-to-hand contest with him 
  here if you like.
  Should players survive the encounter, proceed to 
  Primal Deliverance (page 30).
  28
  
  ACT TWO: AFTER THE COLLISION
  ACTION SCENE – 
  ROARS OF FREEDOM
  Were any PCs helping with the evacuation during 
  the collision?
  There’s a pretty clear objective for PCs here—they’ve 
  gone from careful logistical planning to mitigating chaos. 
  Giant centipedes are attacking the townspeople!
  First, have everyone roll an Easy test (⑥⑥) to get out 
  of the collision rubble in the street. Then, reveal the 
  segmented, many-legged horrors of the mountain caves 
  as a challenge.
  Remember to read the additional scenes (page 32) 
  for inspiration on how to keep things lively and 
  unpredictable, especially if you’re weaving this tale for 
  the second, third, or fourth time and want to add a bit of 
  spice to the recipe. For all we know, a now-loyal Beebee 
  the Pig is wearing the Cuirass of Vuxen and running 
  across Innean with the Primal Well strapped to its back. 
  Is that even possible? We guess so! But we’ll let you write 
  that scene yourself.
  Hopefully the centipedes can be dealt with, but 
  regardless of the outcome, proceed to From Cloud 
  to Anvil (page 31).
  ACTION SCENE – 
  FEATHERS FLY
  Do the PCs attempt to remove the Primal Well with 
  Feathershawl’s help? 
  It’s time to get out of here, and the clock is ticking before 
  Innean is completely gone. If PCs are still stuck on Innean 
  proper dealing with the Primal Well, combat is quick and 
  brutal and fates are sealed swiftly. But Innean isn’t long 
  for this world, so whatever time PCs have left is best spent 
  running like the wind! Unfortunately, the Primal Well 
  doesn’t give a PC floaty-flying powers or anything; it’s just 
  a hot potato on a crumbling sky platform. PCs could be 
  tumbling down the mountain soon, or worse! 
  For a PC wearing the Cuirass of Vuxen, that 
  asset makes it as easy as plucking up the Primal Well 
  and running. 
  Characters not wearing Nausics’ special armor are in 
  for a nasty surprise, and that includes Feathershawl 
  themself. Anyone who touches the Well without the 
  Cuirass of Vuxen must survive a difficult challenge, 
  or else face a creeping, magical stiffening stress to their 
  hand(s), one that ends in becoming a mummy of marble 
  and fiberglass if they don’t give up on touching it. Tell 
  them it’s alarming, their hands becoming jet black, and 
  as the challenge progresses, they should see the ominous 
  consequence coming. Here’s some suggestions for how 
  they can attempt to survive with their die pool.
  CHALLENGE: Monstrous Centipedes 
  (Hard, Medium 
   
   
  )
  A collision with the mountains causes these 
  creatures to be disturbed from their subterranean 
  life, and they attempt to chase and devour PCs and 
  townspeople alike.
  You’d be wise to scale the number of giant 
  centipedes to match the number of PCs outside—
  one fewer ⑩ if there’s fewer than 4 PCs, but one 
  more ⑩ if there’s more than 4—but either way it’s 
  a dangerous scene. As the centipedes thunder into 
  the city, townspeople rush towards the cave and 
  seek cover, but they’re prone to wailing and drawing 
  attention to themselves, making them excellent 
  sources of hostage-level peril.
  Depending on how the PCs have prepared, this 
  challenge can be resolved in many clever ways. 
  • They can choose to confront the centipedes 
  directly (they must either be vanquished, 
  subdued, or chucked off the edge of the floating 
  city, where there is a six-foot-high stone wall to 
  hoist them over).
  • They can usher townspeople over the bridge 
  and into the mountain paths or the cave 
  using Devotion.
  • They can evacuate themselves and other 
  townsfolk from Innean in their new hang gliders 
  using Agility.
  29
  
  ACT TWO: AFTER THE COLLISION
  If the catalysts see each other here, they immediately 
  lock in combat, and if PCs don’t intervene, they try to 
  incapacitate each other with Moon magic and Winged 
  Armor, respectively.
  There’s just enough time to pull the Well out of the socket 
  it hovers in, make a mad dash for the bridge (or crumbling 
  collision-point of city and mountain), and hope the 
  PCs land in a safe spot without too many centipedes or 
  longneck hillwolves occupying it. That’s right, longneck 
  hillwolves—there’s seriously a lot going on out there.
  Hopefully at least one of the PCs was helping evacuate, 
  because if everyone went with Feathershawl there’s a 
  whole lot of conflict—by way of Nausics and monsters—
  in the PCs’ path now. If PCs locked in a contest with 
  Nausics lose, they’re doomed to, at worst, be stuck in the 
  keep as it crumbles, or at best flee only to vainly reach out 
  towards the survivors who are safe.
  The good news about aligning with Feathershawl is that, 
  unlike Nausics, they’ve never deliberately caused harm 
  before, making them surprisingly redeemable. They thank 
  the PCs (if they make it off Innean in mostly one piece 
  with the Primal Well) and share more about the time 
  when they were underprepared for the plague of worms 
  that decimated the Moonshadow food supplies. Hoping 
  to bring back something that could float acres of crops, 
  they express—even to Nausics if he’s nearby—that there’s 
  a plan in place that makes good use of the Primal Well. It’s 
  just that Feathershawl is often too headstrong to stop and 
  explain things to others before it’s too late, a bad habit 
  from when they were still a privileged elder.  They reveal a 
  small crystal, hidden in their cloak, which shimmers with 
  the images of dozens of different Moonshadow elves as 
  it’s turned in their hand. “These are images of my family,” 
  Feathershawl says quietly, “and thanks to you, I may see 
  more than this illusion of them soon.”
  But if nobody cleaned up the monsters, they’re in for one 
  more test or contest with them, and if PCs fail, they may 
  go down the mountainside with a crumbling Innean or 
  have to sacrifice the Well.
  Feathershawl listens to characters rage and vent and 
  they offer apologies. This is more than the PCs get from 
  Nausics, who now faces his dark choices in the aftermath 
  and feels little of anything anymore—unless Nausics was 
  bested by an unforgiving character and didn’t make it 
  out alive. 
  Time to proceed to the Aftermath (page 34).
  ACTION SCENE – 
  PRIMAL DELIVERANCE
  Do the PCs attempt to remove the Primal Well with the 
  help of Nausics and his Cuirass of Vuxen? 
  He’s quite keen on helping, but only if PCs sit and listen 
  to his confession before he surrenders the Cuirass of 
  Vuxen. If PCs listened and have it, the good news is he 
  keeps Feathershawl preoccupied with his Winged Armor 
  and quarterstaff, and he shares that the armor makes PCs 
  immune to his traps, so they should be able to run down 
  the stone steps, grab the Primal Well, and run! Hopefully 
  another PC is with the second group and vouches for the 
  PCs to Feathershawl if necessary. Otherwise it’s a contest 
  against Feathershawl.
  Unfortunately, Nausics emboldened by having a PC as 
  an ally is more likely to try and incapacitate Feathershawl 
  as well, so intervention is necessary if PCs wish to keep 
  everyone safe; having had a second PC at the dinner 
  makes such an intervention much easier. One to snatch 
  and run, one to mediate. But who knows, maybe PCs will 
  leave them at each other’s throats, morally grey as they 
  both seem.
  CHALLENGE: Survive grabbing the Primal 
  Well with your bare hands! 
  (Very Hard 
    
  )
  It’s for one player, but it’s incredibly difficult.
  • Strength: Brace your body
  • Spirit: Steel your soul
  • Mastery: Run your history with magical 
  processes through your mind as you fight 
  back against the magic
  • Devotion: Think of the Moonshadow people 
  who will benefit from this artifact one day
  30
  
  ACT TWO: AFTER THE COLLISION
  If PCs manage to scramble the Primal Well away 
  and have Nausics at their side, he pledges a life of 
  service and accountability, offering to let PCs take 
  him to the authorities of their choice. He won’t 
  apologize for trying to take out Feathershawl, 
  though. If the catalysts are somehow left on 
  a mountain path or in a cave together, they 
  certainly aren’t making a lot of eye contact right 
  now.
  When you’ve seen who lived to be a part of the 
  tale-telling, proceed to the Aftermath (page 34).
  ACTION SCENE – FROM 
  CLOUD TO ANVIL
  Are any PCs outside in the streets helping to 
  evacuate the citizens of Innean? 
  Congratulations, because this pivotal thread required 
  some serious selflessness, and success in Roars of Freedom 
  (page 29) means PCs could have hang gliders waiting 
  for their friends, a large bridge assisting the escape, and 
  maybe even fewer monsters. Accomplishing any one of 
  these three goals means every citizen could make it out 
  alive, if things still go well here.
  Manage the chaos, and ideally meet up with PCs who 
  made a go for the Primal Well, and PCs just might survive 
  with all the townspeople and only lose the respect of a 
  catalyst or two. Proceed to the Aftermath (page 34).
  Longneck Hillwolves
  Another danger adds itself to the centipede chaos—
  longneck hillwolves run along the narrow mountain 
  path that Innean now leans against. Their painful bite is 
  just annoying for elves and humans, but they’re eager to 
  eat the pigs and chickens and they cause anarchy in an 
  already complicated evacuation.
  If the PCs don’t distract the creatures or combat them 
  mightily, panic bests everyone and a few elves (or 
  chickens) might not get out before the landmass crumbles 
  completely, their silhouettes disappearing in a massive 
  cloud of dust.
  Longneck Hillwolves
  A breed of creatures that look like carnivorous, 
  fanged alpaca roams the mountains. After the 
  collision they impede mountain trails and even run 
  onto Innean streets. Though mostly uninterested 
  in humanoids, they hungrily chase the chickens and 
  pigs of Innean and are happy to bite at the terrified 
  people as they either try to escape with livestock 
  in tow or generally shriek at the sight of the beasts. 
  Not as aggressive as the creatures of the caves, they 
  can be tamed, but they’re dangerous nonetheless.
  CHALLENGE: Hide or dodge 
  from the longneck hillwolves 
  (Easy, Medium 
   
   
   
   )
  • Suggested traits: Agility or Influence
  PCs who fared well in Roars of Freedom (page 29) 
  can use other townspeople (page 20) as assets 
  in this scene, making it easier for their companions 
  to emerge from the Well’s keep and make it to 
  relative safety.
  31
  
  ADDITIONAL SCENES
  Noko wished to be the next Keeper, but he’s 
  clearly lost his chance by the time the PCs arrive. 
  He’s eager to discuss magic, and PCs might notice 
  the robed figure and trust his youthful energy more 
  than Nausics’. Though not intended to be a catalyst, 
  a crafty Narrator could spin the tension between 
  Noko and Nausics into a new thread about Noko’s 
  sincerity and humble values de-escalating the pride 
  of one of the two original catalysts.
  NOKO
  Sky Magic ④ 
   
         Useful Lore ⑧
  In The Way ⑧
  needed to escape with the Primal Well. Vuxen recently 
  learned of Nausics’ dark scheme; he could be useful in a 
  scene involving atonement or guilt-driven heroics. 
  SUCCESSION
  Noko is the aspiring apprentice to Nausics—except that 
  Nausics doesn’t want an apprentice. Noko has no real 
  aptitude for magic but he’s obsessive about lore. He’s 
  spent a great deal of time in the museum above the Primal 
  Well but has been (ruefully) denied entry to the relics in 
  Nausics’ home. He would love to help the PCs with the 
  Primal Well, regardless of which catalyst they choose.
  We found these scenes didn’t fit the most linear way to tell 
  the story and it’s possible you won’t use them either. But 
  by reading them you might discover some surprise twists 
  to throw into your tale and fire up your imagination’s 
  furnace for a scene not included elsewhere. If you’re just 
  playtesting a few scenes, consider this section a reminder 
  that forking off into a completely improvised location and 
  scenario can be a lot of fun.
  WELDED FATE
  Vuxen, the arcane blacksmith, fashioned quite a powerful 
  artifact in the Cuirass of Vuxen. There isn’t time 
  for him to make a second cuirass, so the original is still 
  Vuxen made armor for Nausics and can be 
  persuaded to spill the tea, especially if the PCs 
  haven’t learned about the Cuirass of Vuxen from 
  Nausics yet. Perhaps a curious PC asking about 
  weapons in Act One spots his burned smock 
  in a crowd. Vuxen might have another forged 
  experiment available or another item or two in 
  stock that PCs could use as an asset.
  VUXEN
  Brilliant Blacksmith ⑧      Primal Lore ⑧
  Trustworthy ⑧
  ADDITIONAL SCENES
  32
  
  LOYAL SWARM
  If chickens (page 12) and pigs (page 14) are so friendly 
  here, perhaps an army of them could be bootcamp trained 
  in an hour by a PC who loves animals. Who knows? 
  They might even be able to form an asset against a giant 
  centipede if the dice rolls came out right.
  DESCENT OF THE COWARD
  PCs might not only hang glide to Xadia below, but 
  selfishly bail and find themselves a relative non-
  participant in the great evacuation. The adventure doesn’t 
  end when they choose a hang-gliding escape. If a selfish 
  townsperson joined them, be sure to tell the PC about 
  how relieved (or not relieved) they are in a conversation 
  on the way down. If a PC sadly loses the fight above and 
  tumbles to their doom (hopefully no one is that reckless), 
  consider mixing this with the Purgatory Plummet scene.
  PURGATORY PLUMMET
  If someone falls off Innean—through combat, as a frozen 
  statue of magic, or other bad skydiving premise—you 
  should break it to them: things look grim. And if you 
  think your players might enjoy a bit of gallows humor, 
  you can try it with a smile, like this...
  Sorry to see you go, but sometimes exploring a giant 
  floating rock up near outer space can lead to some seriously 
  bad consequences.
  You’re falling fast now. Faster. Faster. The shattered remains 
  of a nearby toy shop tumble around you. You note that 
  instead of teddy bears, there’s only plush pigs and chickens. 
  But they’re all wearing cute little outfits. You’d sure like 
  to stay alive so you could collect them. There’s a pig in a 
  detective costume, a chicken in a lawyer costume. So creative!
  You keep falling. Boy, mountains sure are high up. 
  Eventually you see what must be the toyshop’s sole plush 
  badger. Wow, you think, how cool! Innean had stories, or 
  drawings, of a badger! Then you realize it’s not a badger, 
  it’s just a pig in a little cat burglar costume. You realize this 
  right before you collide with the forest below.
  For anyone who escaped on a hang glider, as you and your 
  compatriots reach the end of your hang glide, you hear a 
  voice cry out above you, “Oh wow, a badger!”
  Then your friend rockets past you as you hear them say 
  “Oh, wait…”
  You surmise that their last memory was a disappointing 
  badger experience.
  OTHER SAD OUTCOMES
  Escaping Innean is a matter of life and death, but you 
  aren’t required to subject your players to graphic death 
  scenes. You can utilize the chaos to mask or imply that 
  not everything went great, and certain fates are unknown. 
  Do a headcount after the escape and grimly note that the 
  number is smaller than hoped. Explain the confusion and 
  the monsters were just too much to overcome and leave 
  it at that. There are also plenty of consequences that can 
  show the intensity of the situation without killing 
  anyone off.
  The Primal Well is the easiest sacrifice. If you don’t want 
  this rare artifact to disappear forever, have a centipede 
  snag it with their mouth at the last possible second as a 
  consequence of a fight-gone-bad, and everyone can watch 
  the precious artifact rocket upwards, a confused centipede 
  holding on with its mandibles, and disappearing upwards 
  into a distant speck.
  If a loss seems to suit the story, there’s no need to 
  describe a hand reaching out and falling away with the 
  plummeting cobblestone. You can often say even more by 
  saying nothing at all, having your NCs bow their heads in 
  sorrow and grief, and let loss speak itself without words. If 
  a PC’s loss suits the story, that’s fine as long as the player is 
  driving the narrative of how their character dies heroically.
  33
  
  THE AFTERMATH
  If characters escape with the Primal Well thanks to the 
  Cuirass of Vuxen or amazing challenge rolls, they 
  notice that three colored crystal deposits have formed 
  on it: blue, red, and violet. They represent primal sources! 
  PCs can attempt to remove and use them, but if they 
  touch one, the other two shatter. Try to grab two or 
  all three at once and they all shatter. Sorry, greedy 
  mages! Blue leaves PCs with a Sky source ⑥, Red 
  with an Earth source ⑥, and Purple with a 
  Moon source ⑥ (thanks for glomming that last one 
  on only a few hours ago with the screw-up, Feathershawl).
  PCs who escape without the glory of saving the Primal 
  Well see it rip itself free of something. Maybe rubble, 
  maybe the sad hands of Feathershawl or a PC who 
  grabbed it too late, or perhaps the hands of Nausics as he 
  turns to ash. The Primal Well rockets up into the sky now 
  that the island isn’t there to lock it into a fixed altitude.
  Regardless of the Well, each active Narrator character 
  should thank the companions for whatever good they did 
  with the time they had.
  Now, perhaps they face a long trek down a mountain 
  path. PCs could be exploring a winding cave hoping to 
  find an opening in the foothills. They could be floating 
  gently with their hang gliders and meeting some confused 
  Moonshadow elves below. 
  Thus ends your Lost Oasis tale, and the quest for the 
  Primal Well.
  WHAT’S NEXT
  Players may find their character now has a vendetta, a 
  death wish, or new trajectory for their artifact-hunting 
  career. Pay attention to what a PC wants, desires, and 
  excels at and you might very well find the springboard for 
  your next adventure! There’s plenty of tales you can weave 
  for yourself now, from helping Feathershawl walk the 
  Primal Well back to their people through a mountain pass 
  guarded by humans, to finding Nausics a therapist while 
  he’s in Skywing prison.
  34
  
  Strength
  Spirit
  Intellect
  Influence
  Awareness
  Agility
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  ASSET
  Durenian Spear ⑧
  A long , tri-pointed spear 
  common among Durenian 
  soldiers.
  Spearfighting ⑧
  Agriculture ⑥
  SPECIALTIES
  ATTRIBUTES
  Durenian Freefolk ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one ●
  Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
  Soldier of the Garden ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one ●
  Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Graceful Warrior: Spend a ●
  Ⓟ to add both your 
  Agility and Strength dice to your dice pool in a test, 
  contest, or challenge that deals with battle, instead of 
  just one attribute.
  Never Back Down ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one ●
  Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Resolute: Spend a ●
  Ⓟ to add one of your stress dice to 
  a test, contest, or challenge. Step down that stress die 
  afterwards.
  VALUES
  DISTINCTIONS
  Liberty ④
  Society is too important for me 
  to put myself above it.
  Mastery ⑥
  I won’t make a fool of myself 
  fixing what isn’t broken.
  Truth ⑥
  My actions speak louder than 
  empty promises.
  Devotion ⑩
  I find passion and heart in 
  everything, even battle.
  Glory ⑧
  Although fighting is often 
  unpleasant, my legacy 
  demands it.
  Justice ⑧
  When honor calls, I do 
  not waver.
  DIYAN
  As headstrong as he is kind, Diyan fought alongside Vinaya in Queen 
  Aanya’s army wielding a thick skull and a Durenian spear. But his soul 
  was sprinkled with wanderlust, and he hopes to indulge it in an era of 
  peace. If human hostilities ever ebb, he hopes to travel with Vinaya to 
  visit Katolis, like their Duren ancestors did.
  
  Agility
  Awareness
  Influence
  Intellect
  Spirit
  Strength
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  ASSET
  Chronicles of Elarion ⑧
  A bound collection of stories, tales, 
  and poems from the ancient days of 
  the Human Kingdoms.
  History ⑥
  Politics ⑥
  Diplomacy ⑥
  SPECIALTIES
  ATTRIBUTES
  Durenian Noble ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
  Herald of the Queen ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Orate: Spend a Ⓟ to double your Influence or Spirit 
  die on a test, contest, or challenge that involves using your 
  speaking voice.
  You Don’t Have to Remind me! ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Instant Recall: Spend a Ⓟ to remember a helpful fact or 
  detail from something you once read, giving yourself or an 
  ally an asset for a single test, contest, or challenge.
  VALUES
  DISTINCTIONS
  Liberty ⑥
  The real fight is work, not 
  tussling in the streets.
  Mastery ⑧
  Through determination 
  I will outsmart them all.
  Truth ⑩
  You can find a liar by the scent 
  of their lies.
  Devotion ④
  I have my friends, but who 
  needs everyone else?
  Glory ⑥
  War is for the weak. I’d 
  rather surgically analyze the 
  problem.
  Justice ⑧
  I may be bitter, but it’s 
  because I so clearly see 
  right from wrong.
  VINAYA
  Vinaya recently felt her icy noble veneer crack when she and her 
  best friend Diyan met Winda the hunter, who shared her skepticism 
  of manipulative personalities. Vinaya’s specialty is seeing through 
  centuries-old grudges that her elders lean on like crutches, and her 
  friends try to convince her to use that power for more generous 
  reasons than she may normally be inclined.
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  
  Agility
  Awareness
  Influence
  Intellect
  Spirit
  Strength
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  ATTRIBUTES
  Del Barian Hinterlander ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Tough: Spend a Ⓟ to convert your Injured or 
  Exhausted stress into another kind of stress. If you 
  already had stress of that new type, step up that stress.
  Trailblazing Hunter ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Keen Eye: Spend a Ⓟ to double your Awareness or 
  Agility die in your dice pool when following a trail, aiming 
  at a distant target, or spotting something far off.
  Foolhardy Friend ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
  VALUES
  DISTINCTIONS
  Liberty ⑩
  You couldn’t drag me to a fancy 
  meal kicking and screaming.
  Mastery ⑧
  My survival skills are incredibly 
  important to hone.
  Truth ④
  I’d rather serve you snark than 
  what I’m really feeling.
  Devotion ⑧
  I may snark, but I’m loyal to 
  a tee.
  Glory ⑥
  I’d rather wander alone than 
  upset the balance.
  Justice ⑥
  I don’t run from wrongdoing, 
  but I don’t run to it either.
  WINDA
  After the death of King Florian, Winda grew dispassionate about her 
  homeland and decided to explore the wilderness. There she discovered 
  her new friends Diyan and Vinaya of Duren. Though gruff and sarcastic 
  by nature, she has grown curious about the greater possibilities for 
  Xadia and whether her actions could actually play a role in 
  its unification.
  ASSET
  Light Crossbow ⑧
  A finely-crafted crossbow 
  with a case of quarrels.
  Tracking ⑧
  Climbing ⑥
  SPECIALTIES
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  
  Strength
  Spirit
  Intellect
  Influence
  Awareness
  Agility
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  ATTRIBUTES
  Moonshadow Elf ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Elf Grace: Spend a Ⓟ to step up your Agility die in your 
  dice pool for a test, contest, or challenge that factors in 
  your elven speed and balance.
   
  ɬ Moonshadow Form: When trying to hide, sneak, or go 
  unseen during a full moon, spend a Ⓟ to double your 
  Moonshadow Elf distinction die in your dice pool and 
  keep an extra die in your total.
  Homesick Assassin ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
  A Song for All Occasions ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
  VALUES
  DISTINCTIONS
  Liberty ⑥
  I yearn for the security of my old 
  home.
  Mastery ⑩
  I rely on my deadly skills during 
  this trying time. 
  Truth ④
  Facts only matter if they help 
  get the job done.
  Devotion ⑧
  I am open to new bonds as I 
  search for my path.
  Glory ⑧
  I’ve traveled far and hope it 
  was for a purpose.
  Justice ⑥
  I have yet to find true balance 
  in this world.
  ELJAAL
  Eljaal travelled a great distance to Del Bar to assassinate a human target 
  some months ago. Before they could complete the task, their target 
  fell to his death in a climbing accident in clear view of Eljaal. They have 
  since been wandering the human lands, trying to come to grips with 
  the future ahead, knowing that the elves they love might not accept 
  their circumstantial failure. Eljaal hopes to find a new purpose, or a 
  reassuring path home.
  ASSET
  Elven Sword-Staff ⑧
  This staff has blades on either end 
  which can rotate outwards when 
  in use.
  Sneaking ⑧
  Swordplay ⑥
  SPECIALTIES
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  
  Agility
  Awareness
  Influence
  Intellect
  Spirit
  Strength
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  ATTRIBUTES
  Sunfire Elf ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Heat-Being: Add ⑧ Angry stress in order to step up both 
  your Agility and Strength for the duration of any test, 
  contest, or challenge.
  Knight of Lux Aurea ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Stalwart: Spend a Ⓟ to step down all of your stress dice 
  after you succeed at a contest with a foe.
  Fickle Luck ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
  VALUES
  DISTINCTIONS
  Liberty ⑥
  I am a servant, not a conqueror.
  Mastery ⑧
  My sword is as hot as my temper, 
  and it will not slip my grasp.
  Truth ⑥
  Fools need smiting more than 
  they need saving.
  Devotion ⑧
  I love my people as much as a 
  warrior can.
  Glory ④
  If my name does not go down 
  in the history books, so be it.
  Justice ⑩
  My great might represents 
  defense, not destruction. 
  BINETA
  Sister of the mage Babukar, Bineta considers herself not only a knight, 
  but the very dagger in the hand of Lux Aurea itself. Bold and unafraid, 
  she has a knack for carving through the densest battlefield, though she 
  will likely pick up some careless scars along the way.
  ASSET
  Sunforge Blade ⑧
  This blade glows with heat. 
  Thankfully it comes with a 
  magical protective sheath.
  Swordplay ⑥
  Animal Training ⑥
  Strategy ⑥
  SPECIALTIES
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  
  Agility
  Awareness
  Influence
  Intellect
  Spirit
  Strength
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  ATTRIBUTES
  Sunfire Elf ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Heat-Being: Add ⑧ Angry stress in order to step up both 
  your Agility and Strength for the duration of any test, 
  contest, or challenge.
  Hotheaded Sun Mage ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
  Simplicity is the Best Solution ⑧
   
  ɬ Hinder: Gain one Ⓟ when you switch out this distinction’s 
  die rating for a ④.
   
  ɬ Straight to the Point: Spend a Ⓟ and either gain a ⑧ 
  asset or step up an existing asset when undertaking a 
  challenge because of your keen insight.
  VALUES
  DISTINCTIONS
  Liberty ④
  I sometimes get lost in my work 
  and forget myself.
  Mastery ⑥
  My talent is innate, not 
  something I must polish.
  Truth ⑧
  I have seen so many truths that I 
  hardly know my own.
  Devotion ⑥
  Privately I am preoccupied 
  with my greater purpose.
  Glory ⑩
  I live to see the day when I 
  may overcome a worthy foe.
  Justice ⑧
  I relish my duties, they are 
  never a burden.
  BABUKAR
  Brother of the warrior Bineta, Babukar takes quiet pride in his ability 
  to strike fear in his enemies alongside her in battle through his 
  performance of magic. He also serves as a secret weapon behind the 
  scenes, for though he is something of a battle mage, he is also a master 
  interrogator and has cracked the minds of foes as well as their skin.
  ASSETS
  Sun Magic Spells ⑧
   
  ɬ Fulmen Ignem (Bolt of Fire)
   
  ɬ Circulus Luminis (Ring of Light)
   
  ɬ Verum Animo (Sense Truth 
  of the Heart)
  Sun Magic ⑧
  Crafting ⑥
  SPECIALTIES
  STRESS
  Afraid
  Angry
  Insecure
  Corrupted
  Exhausted
  Injured
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Tales of Xadia/Tales of Xadia; The Dragon Prince - Lost Oasis.pdf