loading . . . The Veridia Jungle Today's post is a little different - we are going to wrap up the first arc of posts by doing a location overview of the Veridia Jungle - some descriptions, key locations, and some items you might find there. This is a much longer post than normal so I hope it was worth the longer wait it took to publish!
A sidenote on Environments - I've not used these much in my games of Daggerheart, for a number of reasons: they are another stat block to keep track of, and I tend to add the rules that they provide in a more ad-hoc sort of way rather than in a formal stat block - for example spending Fear to summon adversaries or countdowns to achieve a dangerous task can be added in as desired, when appropriate, without needing to specifically write up an Environment for those features. This means you won't see many Environment stat blocks on this blog at the moment, however there will be rules and options you can use in a similar way.
An excerpt from my map of Eonalon showing the Veridia Jungle.
So here we go, let's dive back in to the jungles of Veridia!
# History
The Veridia Jungle covers much of the south of the continent of Eonalon, although it wasn't always a rainforest. Once it was a thriving civilisation, ruled over by a druidic ruler - The Brightwing Empress - and her Court Of A Thousand Eyes (comprised of the five leaders of the Butterfly Clans and the five leaders of the Moth Clans). It was a civilisation close to nature, carefully working with the natural world to grow plants and breed animals of extraordinary capabilities and quality.
However, when the Lustre War started (a topic for another blog post) the Veridians had to adapt quickly to the ways of war. They turned their natural magic towards defence, breeding creatures of battle - the Leipidoptoraptors (or Flutterraptors - half butterfly half reptilian monster) became their steeds of choice, and the Papillopteryx (giant pterodactyls with butterfly wings) became their ariel protectors. Even these grand creatures were not enough though, and slowly the tides of battle turned against them.
With their capital surrounded and their lands burning, the last Brightwing Empress cast a mighty druidic spell as a last ditch effort to save her home. A mighty wave of natural magic pulsed out from the palace, causing trees and plants to burst from the ground and overtake the region in a wild, dangerous forest. While unsuccessful in protecting the civilisation from collapse, it did allow a few remnants to escape the destruction and find refuge deep in the burgeoning jungle or the cities of the north. The after-effects of this spell have left Veridia as it exists today - a wild and dangerous rainforest filled with menacing creatures, wild magic, and crumbling ruins of a civilisation long gone.
# Part 1: Locations
## Monarch Camp
Monarch Camp is an encampment on the shores of Lake Swallowtail, and is the home to most of the Veridians who escaped the fall of their civilisation. Built amongst the ruins of an old village called Lappetia, it consists of a number of wooden cabins and halls, all brightly ornamented in the way of Old Veridia with copper and enamel decorations.
In the centre of the camp the largest building sits - the Clanmeet Hall where the elders from the 10 clans meet to discuss matters of great importance. A wooden chair for each elder sits in the centre of the room around a ceremonial glass lantern, preserved from the former capital, which scatters coloured light through the hall when the elders are meeting.
At the edge of Monarch Camp is a small stone shrine to the two gods of the Veridians, one of the last remains of the original village that stood where Monarch Camp now is. One side of the building is decorated with chipped glass and enamel with a crystal statue of The Irridescent Sovereign, and the other is dark granite with quartz inclusions that sparkle in the dappled forest light, with a carving of the moth-winged Nightdust Queen.
Rangers from Monarch Camp still patrol the jungle on the leipidoptoraptors their forebears used, and occassionaly traders make the perilous journey from the Preyalor city of Az-Zaden on the northern border into the forest to trade for the rare materials from the jungle that the Veridians provide. It is hoped that one day they will be able to find someone to help them recover more of the important artifacts they believe to have been left behind in their ruined cities, in particular the vaults of the capital Lepiditia.
In our campaign Monarch Camp played a particularly significant role as it is the home of one of the PCs, a potential heir to the title of the Brightwing Empress, but in general it can be the starting point for many quests in Veridia, the locals here requesting help fetching relics from the ruins, rescuing rangers, or escort missions to the Mothdust Cenotes.
## Lepiditia
> The jungle finally breaks into a clearing. Running across the centre you see the remains of the great gates of Lepiditia, the chipped and splintered walls either side vanishing into thick undergrowth. The burnished copper and polished wooden gates themselves have been twisted and warped into strange angles to the side, leaving the passageway clear.
> Stepping through the gateway you see the cracked road proceed through a city that has been overrun by jungle. Vines grasp at the shells of old buildings, most split open with their wood chipped and splintered across the ground. Many roads are blocked, either by the debris or by thick trees that have pushed through the pathways into the city. The main road seems clear leading deeper into the city, only a few shards of magical crystal in fragile fractals piercing through the cobbles, as does a side road leading further around the outer edges of the city.
The former captial of Veridia has now become a wild place. The leftover fallout from the magical catastrophe unleashed by the last Brightwing Empress that still lingers over Veridia is particularly strong in the city, with unpredicatable effects and mutated forest creatures making it extremely dangerous to enter. Much of the city has been overgrown with vines and trees, but a few places survived enough to be recognisable.
_(Sidenote: I actually wrote a wild magic table for Daggerheart to use in the city - I'll post that as a separate post soon to avoid cluttering this already lengthy post!)_
Many creatures from earlier blog posts can be found here - Lupine Wraiths and Vine Wrapped Revenants in particular can be found roaming the ruins. The outer part of Lepiditia is mainly made up of the ruins of residential homes and small businesses. However, there are a few key places that are interesting to explore:
### The Grove
The Grove was the garden of the druids of Lepiditia, the place where they experimented and grew all manner of plants and trees.
> You pass through an arch in a low stone wall and find yourself in a wide ornamental garden, which has long since overgrown. Once neat flowerbeds are filled with weeds, precise lines of trees now wild and untamed. Several glasshouses stand off to one side, with their roofs smashed and plants reaching out.
Here can be found some records that might shed some light on the history of Lepiditia and Veridia if you are keeping that a surprise from your players, as well as some plant themed items (Varik Leaves and Jumping Root from the core rulebook are good choices here). There may also be records of the plant based creatures the druids were experimenting with - <> were one such experiment that was unleashed.
### The Temple
> Ahead, covered in ivy and climbing flowers, is the wall of what appears to be a grand structure. Tall wooden columns rise floor to roof - most retaining a beautiful polish, although one or two have since cracked and fallen. An archway draped in honeysuckle leads through into the remains of a temple courtyard. A pool with a beautifully enameled basin is now crusted over with algae and moss, and twin sculptures of the gods worshipped here lie shattered and broken on the floor. Most of the main temple appears to have collapsed in the disaster.
The main temple of Lepiditia was home to worshippers of The Irridescent Sovereign (a butterfly god of growth and summer) and The Nightdust Queen (a moth god of winter and decay). The sacred ground, while damaged in the fall of the city, remains a haven in the midst of the dangers surrounding it.
(In my campaign, the party found an injured ranger from Monarch Camp here who had come to investigate the city but had been attacked - but it could also be a place for a nature based PC to commune with one of the gods, or a place to simply recover between adventures in the wider area).
### The Lepidopterium
> Through the tree-shattered streets, you see a large round building, with the remains of a large glass domed roof. Now only small pieces of what would have been spectacularly ornamented glasswork remain between bent and snapped copper supports.
> Inside, you see the structure had one main large room - filled with trees and undergrowth that you feel were already present at the time of this dome's destruction, now run rampant. A number of strange objects are scattered throughout the building - made of the same enhanced wood as the buildings - strange spouts with dishes on their top, each with several small indents. Around the edges of the building is a walkway with several smaller huts/sheds, most of which have collapsed but one or two still stand.
The Lepidopterium was a butterfly house - once a place of meditation and tranquility, where Veridians could come to be amongst the various butterflies and moths that were their symbol and the focus of their magic. Druids kept notes and illustrations of the various species housed here, and were investigating the effects of the powders the creatures produced from their wings.
Here can potentially be found some items that the druids were crafting - I used Snap Powder from the Daggerheart Core book, but any potion or magical dust might be suitable.
### The Irridescent Palace
This is the palace of the Brightwing Empress, and the epicentre for the magical catastrophe that ended this civilisation. A magnificent building with sweeping curves of enchanted wood, and enamelled decorations that caught the sun in a myriad of colours, it was the centrepoint of the city and is now deep in a crater formed by the blast.
I'll include details of the palace in a follow up post as this one is already growing a bit larger than I anticipated, and the rooms of the palace are a post in themselves...
## The Mothdust Cenotes
The Mothdust Cenotes are a collection of deep clear pools found in western Veridia. Filled with beautiful crystal clear water, and surrounded by the fluttering insects that give them their name, they are a wondrous site.
In the caves under the water lives a community of Water Elves, called the Aquasilvani. They have made a town carved into the underwater cavern system called Aquaesecra, and have become reclusive since the fall of Veridia - which they only survived by retreating to their city which the invaders could not reach.
The Aquasilvani have evolved gills and extreme dark vision to allow them to navigate their underwater home. This means they require veils to travel above ground, as the bright light of the sun is now too much for their adapted eyesight. They prefer speaking through a specialised set of gestures and hand signals, as it is more effective for communicating underwater than vocal communication.
### Aquaesecra
> You decend into the crystal darkness of the Cenote, led by your elven guide. At first, your eyes struggle to adjust, and you seem to be swimming down into the darkness for what feels like an eternity. However, eventually you see what appears to be a chain-link mesh covering the passage ahead. Your guide points you towards a small opening in the grating, and you swim through into the city.
> Those of you with the ability to see in the dark can now see the city proper - the walls of the cavern have been carved into underwater homes, windows and doors leading deeper into the rock. The city descends deeper into the depths, although inbetween some of the buildings passages appear to delve further into caverns beyond.
The city of Aquaesecra is formed from three main caverns - the Tineal Abyss, the Nocturnum Abyss and the Dracal Abyss.
The Tineal Abyss is home to the older families and the Deepwater Palace, the home of the King of the Aquasilvani.
> The base of the Cenote comes into view, which you can see has been carved into a grand palace - tall spires reaching up towards you, and a warren of other buildings carved out of the cavern floor. A large courtyard is visible at the front of the main building, which has large doors open leading into the structure.
> Entering through the grand stone arch, the mighty doors loom over either side of the entranceway. Inside, a pale light from crystal lanterns dimly illuminates a grand hall and casts a surreal fluctuating light on carvings of strange aquatic life lining the walls, making for an intimidating sight. A large stone throne stands at one end of the hall.
The other two Abysses house the remained of the Aquasilvani, as well as their businesses - the Nocturnum Abyss has a special above water room where their blacksmiths do their work.
> You emerge out of the water into the only dry cavern you have so far entered. Immediately the ringing sound of hammer on anvil hits your ears, the scent of smoke permeating the chamber. The blaze of a furnace makes the heat uncomfortable, and the sting of the smoke that is not quite cleared by the narrow chimneys leading up into the rockface.
In our campaign, the players had to retrieve a journal from the Mothdust Cenotes in exchange for clearing out a monstrous Terror Eel from the deeper caverns. Another possible plot hook might involve requests from outsiders to help them trade with the Aquasilvani.
## The Tree Of Sunrise / The Tree Of Radiance
These trees are two of the remaining Quercusia Trees - a species of giant oak trees that were planted all over Veridia in its heyday. They grew large luminous flowers and often had buildings carved into them due to their size. Quercusia Trees are attuned to each other - the druids of old Veridia used pools of their sap found in the high branches to commune and even transport between the different trees.
Unfortunately most of the trees were destroyed in the war - only two are known to exist (although perhaps others may be hiding in the remote parts of the jungle) - the Tree Of Sunrise with beautiful golden flowers, and the Tree of Radiance with deep blue flowers.
> Emerging from the dense undergrowth you find a wide clearing of grass. In the centre, rising towards the cloudy sky, is a giant tree with a wide canopy of gold and green. It towers above you with a branching trunk as wide as a large building, appearing to be a kind of humungous oak. Amongst the branches you see wide star shaped blue flowers that shine with a pale light, causing the whole tree to radiate a gentle glow.
The Quercusia trees can be an easy way for your party to travel across the jungle, should they be able to find the sap pool at their summit - however the magical energy these trees produce have drawn in all manner of creatures (in our game it was Flickerflies from the core rulebook, but any one of the jungle creatures previously mentioned would also work - or even a <<Poison Frog Horde!>>)
## Meridian Falls
The Meridian Falls are a beautiful waterfall found in the foothills of the Tealtop Peaks.
> As you approach the steep side of the Tealtop Peaks, the sunlight catches a beatiful flow of crystal clear water as it pours over a ledge high above, and crashes down into a large pool in the river below. The light is scattered into a misty rainbow that reaches down from the mountainside to the canopy below.
> High above, you can just about make out small shapes circling in the sky above the cascade's summit.
> At the base of the cliffside, you see large purple flowers growing - each one easily the size of a human. They have large stamen thickly covered with pollen, and inside a sickly sweet smell emerges.
The falls are home to the last known nest of Papillopteryx, who make their home under an overhang at the top of the waterfall. Only a select few elders of Monarch Camp know of the nest here. In times of great need an elder may plead with the creatures to grant them aid or transport to a key location, but it always comes with a request of a mighty offering of food and other resources.
Papillopteryx are large, four winged creatures with colourfully patterned wings and a reptillian head with butterfly antenna. They were supposedly bred by the druids of old Veridia, but have since made their own independent society. They are surprisingly intelligent and respond very well to flattery and politeness, although can be fearsome opponents when trifled with. They give each other names based on their most distinguished characteristics or colors - current members of the enclave include Bright Wings, Umber Glide, Shining Blue, and Sun Bolt.
# Part 2: Items
So now you have a good selection of interesting places to visit in Veridia, but you want something for your party to find there! Here are a few themed items that your group can seek amongst the jungle trees and treacherous ruins - all the items are available on Heart Of Daggers for use in your games!
_Sidenote: Look out for a future post on the crafting and upgrading system I've introduced to our Daggerheart games, as it ties in to how some of these items can be improved!_
The Irridescent Blade: This blade shimmers with a hundred shades as it is swung, leaving a light trail that quickly fades. It is either an Agility or Finesse melee weapon, and deals d8+3 damage.
Pendant Of Water Breathing: This pendant of blue beads has a fish scale made from mother-of-pearl hanging from it, and is a gift from the Aquasilvani to guests they trust. It enables the wearer to breath underwater while wearing it.
Swiftwing Bow: This bow, used by the protectors of Veridia, has ornate enamelled butterfly wings over the arrow rest. It is an Agility weapon that deals d8+3 physical damage, and fires to Very Far range. Arrows fired by this bow grow luminous wings as they fly.
Takeroot Bow:**** This finely made weapon is a long, twisted piece of wood carved to appear as a tree root, with a glowing string forming the bow, and was a gift from the druids to their most trusted protectors. On a successful attack, the owner can mark a Stress to cause the target to be Restrained. You may only have one target restrained in this way at a time.
The Rings Of A Thousand Eyes: This powerful weapon was only given to the highest ranking of The Thousand Eyes clans, the personal guardians of The Brightwing Empress. Several previous Empresses also used them as their main weapon, such was the honor of carrying them. When dormant, this weapon appears as two bracers made of interlocking metal and enamel. One is comprised of butterflies decorated with the colours of the 5 butterfly clans, and the other is comprised of moths decorated with the colours of the moth clans. However, when activated, the pieces expand to be connected by glowing multicolour rings of druidic energy, the metal insects spinning and slicing at any unfortunate to get within its range. On a successful attack on a target within range, all other adversaries within range must succeed on a reaction roll (14) or take half damage.
* * *
So there you go - a tour of the key sites of Veridia, and some items to go with them! Hopefully there's something here you can use! The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed there are some sites marked on the map that aren't mentioned here - I've only included places that my party have visited so far to avoid spoilers, so perhaps one day there will be a part 2 with the remaining places! I also intend to do a follow up post with the details of the Irridescent Palace, so keep an eye out for that at some point soon!
The party have now moved on to the north of Eonalon, visiting the island nation of Nythfalion and the militaristic kingdom of Juthilyl - so expect new stat blocks and adventures coming soon, as well as rules for crafting in Daggerheart we've been fine tuning, and a full wild magic table! Lots of reasons to subscribe and get the latest in your inbox as it arrives! Thanks for taking the time to read such a lengthy post and see you next time! https://tome.merithayan.com/the-veridia-jungle/
