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Five Spheres of Mystara - The Emirates of Ylaruam

Mini Campaign Introduction

• D&D - Five Sphers of Mystara - 5th Edition D&D
• Group: Wednesday (D&D Week)
• Session: Session 33 to 40 (8 sessions)
• 1st June 2016 to 7th September 2016
• Players: David B – Breeze (8), Jeff – Jerico (8), Jeremy – Al-sadan (7), Annette – Aramar (6), Nim – Gvacm (5), Nathan M – Tazeri (4)

This is the 2nd campaign where there were some new players and switched to what would become the standard for level advancement. Every time a game year rolled over the characters gained a level and magical items. It ran from the 1st of June 2016 to the 7th of September 2016 for a total of 8 sessions.

In addition to running from the gazetteer, I also had a book of adventures called B1-9 In Search of Adventure. This was an amalgamation of 9 of the Basic level adventures (levels 1-5). The basic level adventures fall into Tier 1 level play quite nicely and I have taking this as an adaptation going forward with the Gazetteer series of the base power level I am expecting from the adventure.

• Gazetteer – Ylaruam
• Timeline - AC 1000-01-01 – The mini campaign introducing Ylaruam and its locations.
• Session Recordings - AC 1000-01-01 (W) – Introduction to Ylaruam – Audio Only Rocordings

The Setup

Six players, each having backgrounds that fitted into the setting or changing the setting slightly to allow for the backgrounds to work. Characters were to fit into an oppressive Arabian stylised environment with a warning on sexism and fire magic intolerance.

• Language: Common is either Ylari, Alphatian or Thyatian.
• Starting location: an oasis near to the capital city of Ylaruam. They were to be inducted into national service to become citizens of the country.

As part of playing this setting I introduced coloured glass beads for achievement in the field for being woven into the characters hair as a form of rank, which was borrowed from my wife’s upcoming book. It worked well, as it was not documented anywhere the players could find and it became a desired component to obtain.

With having the characters serve in the army, I introduced a government requirement keeping the characters in the country for the first 4 years as part of the ongoing stories in the future GAZ series I had planned to run. For the intro section of the story they are expected to interact with the following:

• Arabian Mysteries: Linked into many of the Arabian Nights style storylines with multiple factions of the Ylari people being a culture of many different people much like the Thyatians whome they fight on their southern border.
• Army Service: All characters of the region are expected to provide five years of military service as part of their belonging to this region. There are various specialties that can be achieved, with titles, ranks and perks available.
• Hidden Kingdom of Draogns: They are located in the desert and deal with the water dragons that lived here before the lands were cursed by the gods.
• Relic Hunters: Each year a new relic is sought in the desert lands from a time of prosperity in the hopes they can return life to these lands.
• The Lost City: A group of cultists that have linked themselves to Cyndicean culture that no one seems to know existed live in the desert.

The Campaign

I was able to run another adventure from here as part of the storyline as there was one set in the desert of this country in a buried pyramid showing some forgotten gods. The adventure was called “B4 – The Lost City”.

There also existed a cursed belt that changed the sex of a character making him female. So far the only female character played by that player. And in the old system was one of the worst curses in the game as it could only be reversed with a wish.

Interactions with Dragons showed that they were highly intelligent and community leaders rather than just monsters to destroy for experience. And once adventurers gained an alliance with the community they would be given an amulet showing their allegiance to them. Was also magical so there were some benefits to it as well.

Notable changes to the setting during the story:

• Brass and Blue dragon wyrmlings play in the deserts away from civilization under the protection of guardians. Silver dragons are the diplomats of the dragon realm, appearing as the shamans of the communities.
• Blue dragonborn periodically assault various outposts of the Ylaruam army to hone their skills.
• Ylaruam citizens are required to spend 4 years in the army to gain their citizenship, and outsiders the right to own property or reside in the country.
• Every game year provides equipment and a level.
• Genasi introduced to replace some of the human races, this would reduce the number of human races in the setting and provide a cultural identity for some of the Genasi sub-races.
• An interesting cursed belt that changes gender, in a setting where sexism was part of the story…

Timeline

Referenced Publications
• D&D BECMI - B1-9 - In Search of Adventure