The Adventure Begins
🌊 Whispers Beneath the Waters
Location: Southern shore of Lake Lhespen, 25 miles south of the ruins of old Lhesper.
Terrain: The settlement sits on a low promontory overlooking the lake. To the east, the land rises gently toward the Wyrmbones; to the west, the Lhespenbog begins its slow, treacherous spread.
Access: A rough track connects New Lhesper to the Golden Road, which passes about 15 miles to the east. The lake provides access to the north, though fewer and fewer boats venture past the old ruins.
— Shaaran proverb, carved above the harbor gate
New Lhesper is a rough-and-tumble place, built from salvaged stone, driftwood, and desperation. It has no walls, no formal government, and no law beyond what the inhabitants enforce themselves. Its buildings cluster around the harbor, with a few scattered farms and fishing huts extending into the surrounding hills.
Key Locations:
- The Rusty Hook: The only tavern, run by a retired sailor named Greta Saltwind. It serves as the settlement's informal meeting hall.
- The Harbor: A rough stone pier where fishing boats and the occasional trader tie up.
- The Watchtower: A crumbling stone tower at the settlement's highest point, used by lookouts to watch for gnoll raiders and yuan-ti patrols from the bog.
- The Shrine of the Lake: A small, open-air shrine where the more superstitious residents leave offerings to "the water" — a practice that has grown more common as the whispers have spread.
Greta Saltwind
A weathered woman in her sixties, Greta has lived on Lake Lhespen for forty years. She knows the lake's moods, its dangers, and its secrets. She has been hearing the whispers longer than anyone — and she is terrified.
Information Source Quest Giver
Durin Stonebeard
A gruff dwarf with a missing ear and a talent for ancient runes, Durin came to New Lhesper seeking the ruins of old Lhesper. He has found fragments of what he believes are "dwarven seal-work" — signs that the Rift dwarves were involved in something ancient beneath the lake.
Lore Expert Quest Giver
Mira of Clan Sunrider
A sharp-eyed woman in her thirties, Mira serves as a liaison between the settled folk of New Lhesper and the nomadic clans of the Shaar. She has noticed that the herds are acting strangely — and that the yuan-ti are moving more boldly than before.
Information Source Quest Giver
Old Tharn
A grizzled fisherman in his seventies, Tharn was the first person in New Lhesper to report hearing "voices from the deep." He is now considered mad by most of the settlement — but he is also the only one who has seen what lurks beneath the water.
Mad Prophet Combat Encounter
The Shaaran tribes tell stories of the Wyrmbones. They say that long ago, a dragon of immense size fell from the sky and crashed into the earth, its body forming the mountains. Its heart became a lake of fire, its bones became the peaks, and its blood seeped into the ground, giving the region its strange mineral deposits.
They also say that something lives in the bones — something old and patient, which feeds on the memories of those who wander too deep.
— Shaaran shaman's song
Rumors have been circulating through New Lhesper that the yuan-ti are moving in the Wyrmbones. They are not just passing through — they are digging. They have been seen carrying strange stones, ancient relics, and what some say are large, green gemstones.
The nomads are uneasy. The yuan-ti never venture this far from the bog. Something has changed. Something has called them.
What the party might discover:
- A yuan-ti excavation site in a hidden canyon
- A cache of ancient Shaaran relics — and one of the Emeralds
- Evidence that the yuan-ti are following instructions from "the voice"
- A connection between the Wyrmbones and the prison beneath the lake
The Wyrmbones are not just a side quest. They are a gateway — a place where the party can discover the truth about the yuan-ti's search for the Emeralds, the nature of the voice beneath the lake, and the ancient alliance that sealed the horror away.
The mountains are also dangerous. Rage drakes, gnoll raiders, and the wyrm itself — the ancient dragon Ahzalundelarr, aged beyond 1,200 years — all call the Wyrmbones home.
LL2-3 · The Emerald Vault LL3-4 · The Wyrm's Lair
🌊 The Fisherman's Plea
Old Tharn, the fisherman who first heard the whispers, has been muttering about "the water calling" for weeks. He approaches the party, desperate: he saw something beneath the surface — a face, but not a human face. He needs someone to investigate before the whispers take him too.
LL1 · Investigation
🏔️ The Dwarven Scholar
Durin Stonebeard has found fragments of ancient dwarven seal-work in the ruins of old Lhesper. He believes the Rift dwarves were involved in something massive — something that may still be active. He needs the party to accompany him into the Wyrmbones to verify his theory.
LL2 · Exploration
🐍 The Yuan-ti Raid
Yuan-ti from the Lhespenbog have raided New Lhesper, taking prisoners and stealing supplies. The party is asked to track them back to their camp — and, if possible, to find out why they are suddenly so aggressive.
LL1 · Combat
🧠 The Dreamer
One of the party members — or a close contact — has been having recurring dreams of a vast, dark eye opening beneath still water. The dreams are becoming stronger, more vivid, and more terrifying. The dreamer believes the answer lies somewhere in the region.
LL1 · Personal Hook
The Shaar is a vast grassland stretching from the Shining Sea to the borders of Mulhorand. It is home to nomadic tribes, giant herds of aurochs and horses, and ancient ruins that predate the rise of mortal empires.
The Golden Road cuts through its heart, connecting the Vilhon Reach to the east. The Trader's Way links the region to Eartheart and beyond.
But there are older paths — paths that lead to places the mapmakers have forgotten.
To the west of New Lhesper lies the Lhespenbog, a tangled marshland that stretches for miles. It is home to the Coiled Cabal, the yuan-ti cult that has been disturbing the lake's ancient seals.
The bog is dangerous — sinking mud, hidden predators, and yuan-ti patrols make it a place few dare to venture. But it is also the key to understanding what is happening beneath the lake.
To the southeast, the Wyrmbones rise from the plains. These jagged peaks are home to rage drakes, gnoll raiders, and the ancient black dragon Ahzalundelarr. The yuan-ti have been digging in the mountains, searching for something — and the party may be the only ones who can find out what.
Twenty-five miles north of New Lhesper lie the ruins of old Lhesper, destroyed by gnolls in the 7th century DR. The ruins are now infested with yuan-ti and other creatures, but they also hold clues to the region's ancient past — and the prison beneath the lake.
Few travelers venture that far north. The whispers are louder there.
— Shaaran proverb
Canon sources: Shining South · Serpent Kingdoms · Forgotten Realms Wiki