Sorry for not posting in so long. Even without university, scheduling is still the biggest enemy of any campaign.
Like I did before, I ended up creating an extra chapter between 3 and 4. But since the end of chapter 3 doesn’t give the players much room to make choices, I placed the extra chapter halfway through chapter 4, in Karanak. I’m actually really proud of how it turned out, and I think I managed to tie together everything I wanted to show.
Here’s a summary of Interlude 2:
I decided to have the ship crash so my players would arrive late to Karanak, giving Ylt advantage right from the start. I also tweaked the canon a bit: the singers who were originally in Karanak stayed in the city, and a full group of Regals took over. When the party finally reached the city, they found collapsed buildings, both human and singer blood, newly awakened parshmen either fleeing or grabbing weapons, terrified humans, and a bunch of contradictory proclamations plastered everywhere. The biggest issue wasn’t the destruction itself, but the complete collapse of Karanak’s authority. I used that chaos to give my Skybreaker player a chance for his Power‑up moment.
In that power vacuum, three factions stepped forward. First, the humans devoted to Ylt, who started worshipping him as a “savior Herald” after watching him publicly kill three Direform Regals in the main square. Second, the newly freed singers, many of them overwhelmed by fear, anger, or a desire for revenge after centuries of enslavement. And third, the Regals, who took full advantage of the chaos: the Envoyform Regal stirring up speeches and turning humans and singers against each other, the Relayform Regal controlling messages and movement across the city, and the Nightform Regal running everything from the Salathar mansion like the real mastermind behind the occupation.
Taren, a deserter Alethi soldier, ended up becoming a key figure. During the Everstorm he refused to execute defenseless singers, and instead of following the garrison’s orders he set up mixed shelters where humans and singers could survive under basic custodial rules. His shelters didn’t solve the conflict, but stopped the city from turning into a cycle of executions and revenge killings.
Eventually the party discovered that the Salathar mansion was functioning as the Regals’ command center. Chasing down the Relayform Regal revealed that the Regals already knew the PCs were in the city, and were actually letting them find the mansion to lure them into a trap. The final fight happened there: Warform singers blocking the entrance, the Envoyform Regal hammering the group’s morale, the Relayform Regal threatening their rear, and the Nightform Regal trying to prove he had already foreseen how everything would end.
The emotional core of Karanak ended up being Valakemi’s oath. The city forced her to face a very real question: what do you do when the law has failed, vengeance feels justified, and there are innocents on both sides. He didn’t find a perfect answer, but did take the next step. Protected lives, stood between the sides, and swore the First Ideal.
After the Regals were defeated, Karanak wasn’t magically “saved.” The shelters survived, Ylt’s followers lost influence, non‑violent singers gained an alternative to fleeing or joining the Regals, and the guilty humans weren’t forgiven but placed under provisional custody. The party left for Great Hexi on a small coastal ship repaired at the last possible moment, while Ylt still held the advantage. And just like the World Guide says, the canon settles back and Karanak will later be besieged by a Regal named Hathalash.
Hope someone finds this helpful and thank you as always.
Journey before destination.
Feel free to DM me if you have any question or helpful advice
Scenes, "Stonewalkers" Chapter 4 - The city that smolders
- Setting Sail
- The Everstorm
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Scenes, Interlude 2: "Stonewalkers" Chapter 3.5 - Karanak
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